It’s mid-week, so I thought I’d give you an update on our progress. Who know Ohio had this many steep hills? My team on the IJM Freedom Ride is an amazing group of dedicated people. We’ve completed two days and two hundred miles. Nearly everyone has done every mile—that’s two century rides in two days, […]
Continue readingAuthor: Rich
A Century
I like some parts of the Bible more than others. I like the feel-good stories about joy and forgiveness and healing. I like reading about love and forgiveness and unconditional grace. Other parts—it’s not that I ignore them, but they don’t create the same warm-fuzzy feelings. Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. […]
Continue readingEverybody’s Got A Story–from the archives
Since I’m telling stories of my IJM Freedom Tour team mates, this article seemed timely. It originally appeared October 11, 2011. I’m constantly amazed by the individual stories we hear from people as we talk about hope. I think there’s a lesson for us in the depth and variety of experiences. It’s easy to divide […]
Continue readingBy The Time You Read These Words…
… I’ll likely be at least a few miles down the road on Day 1 of the IJM Freedom Tour. I’m excited to get going, but I’m also more than a little fearful. I don’t know how it’s going to go. I’ve never tackled anything this difficult. In the words of one local, when we […]
Continue readingFree
Happy Monday! Only one choice for today’s word-of-the-week… FREE On Saturday our IJM Freedom Tour team toured the National Underground Railway Freedom Center. Frankly, it’s a difficult experience to describe. Exhibits trace the history of slavery and link to the modern-day issues we’re riding to end. We learned a lot we didn’t know about America’s slavery […]
Continue readingFor Or Against
Today we learned a lot about the work of International Justice Mission. That’s Karen from IJM during her presentation. It’s not a fun topic. The stories are difficult and dark. It’s hard to listen without becoming outraged and angry. Even the stories of victory and rescue tear at your soul as you look into young […]
Continue readingA Costly Offering
Wow! Thursday was an intense day. I started with a twenty-five mile training ride on a great bike trail. Then we met our team for the IJM Freedom Tour. What an amazing group! These folks converged from all across the U.S. with a common purpose: to gain rescue and justice for victims of violent opression. […]
Continue readingThat’s Just Crazy
Today we met our team for the IJM Freedom Tour. It was an intense experience, meeting twenty-seven people from all across the country who came together for a whole variety of reasons. But one thing became clear: this group shares a passion for battling the issues of human trafficking, slavery, and forced sexual bondage. One […]
Continue readingA Lamb Among Wolves
There’s something about riding in unfamiliar places. This morning I took off from our hotel on a training ride through the countryside south of Indianapolis. I had a general idea where I was headed, but didn’t know what the roads would be like, how much traffic I’d encounter, or what kind of terrain I’d face. […]
Continue readingAn Able Bodied World? (from the archives)
Today we meet our team and start getting organized for next week’s ride. I thought you’d like to re-visit this article which originally appeared on December 1, 2011. Rich’s Ride provided countless rewards and a few challenges. One significant test arrived in the form of a question. A Christian disability-advocacy group invited me to a meeting. I […]
Continue readingThrough A Farmer’s Eyes
We stopped to see Becky’s parents on our way to Cincinnati. Becky’s dad is always interesting to talk to. He’s a farmer, lives on the same land his dad and grandfather farmed. When you listen to his comments, you immediately notice that he has a long-term perspective on most situations. He observes the current hot, […]
Continue readingRevisiting Our Theme Song
Music touches me–not really the music as much as the lyrics. I’m always amazed by the range of emotions that can bubble up when I hear the words of a familiar song. Since we’re about to embark on our next ride, I thought we ought to revisit our official theme song. It sends chills down […]
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