We are creatures of story. We remember stories. We dream stories. We pass our culture through stories. As much as we wish to be driven by data and facts, every marketer and politician knows behavior is shaped by stories. The bible is a collection of stories designed to reveal the long arc of God’s big […]
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Small World?
“It’s a small world after all.” Anyone who ever visited a Disney property likely left with that song embedded in their brain. And why not? Silly songs aside, we do live in an increasingly small world. Maybe. In my country the pandemic has begun to abate. Plentiful vaccines, few masks, folks emerging from isolation and […]
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Seeking Easy
“Are you seeking people who are easy to love?” It was a social media question. Got me thinking. Am I looking for people I can love without looking in the mirror? People I can love without being forced to challenge my own privilege, wealth, and security? Do I like loving those who allow me to […]
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Not Fair
If you catch me in a vulnerable moment when I’m not worrying about others’ opinions, I might tell you it feels like my injury isn’t fair. What does “not fair” mean? Mostly I’m acknowledging my disappointment because things didn’t turn out as I expected. Probably there’s some entitlement – things like this aren’t supposed to […]
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Start Or Finish
“You should finish what you start.” My mom taught me that lesson. Don’t quit. Never give up – no matter what. Except, maybe that’s not always right. Maybe it’s good to get started on my bike ride, even if I need to cut it short. Maybe it’s okay to talk to Jesus or read some […]
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What About Justice?
Someone asked me recently what justice would look like for the kids at the Home of Hope. Our task, I believe, is to give our kids the opportunity to become the women and men Jesus sees when He holds each of them in His hands. We can only work toward true justice, which means setting […]
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Does It Scale?
NOTE: I started this blog 13 years ago with a commitment to be honest, especially when I felt foolish or conflicted. Today’s one of those days. Confession: I’m stuck in a perpetual mental wrestling match. + + + Last week we told our story to a wonderful group of high-level Christian leaders. After dinner, two […]
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A Different Mother’s Day
For many of us, yesterday was about cards, flowers, and a special gathering. Mother’s Day. An occasion to celebrate the special women who nurtured and sacrificed for us. Should be every day. The kids at the HOME OF HOPE didn’t get to have a party with their moms. As the pandemic rages out of control […]
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Paying Attention
I think we take connections for granted. We have this spiffy new donation page for the FREEDOM TOUR. It’s powered by software written and maintained by a team in Australia. It’s been fun getting the new process up and running. Of course, no software is perfect. The true test of any product is what happens […]
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Bread And Love
Bread and love have something in common. Both are mass nouns. There’s no plural, even if you add more. Bread is bread, a little or a lot. Interesting observation: in a culture obsessed with counting, most of what really counts can’t be counted. Trust. Faith. Hope. Honesty. Truth. Generosity. Commitment. Justice. Love. If you can’t […]
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About Progress
“Progress rolls like a brick.” Jerry Blackwell, one of the lead prosecutors in the Derek Chauvin murder trial, was asked what changed as a result of the verdict. “I don’t think there are any inevitabilities in it because we don’t make progress on the wheels of inevitability. In face, I think progress rolls like a […]
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Thoughts About Community
I believe we were intentionally designed – by a community, for community. The FREEDOM TOUR is a community with many benefits. Good friends. Shared workload. Broad life experience. Collective wisdom. We go farther and accomplish more together than alone. Those benefits come with responsibilities. I can’t do “whatever I want” because my choices and actions […]
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