One of the coolest aspects of bike touring is traveling slow on less heavily traveled roads. You get the opportunity to notice things. Woody is a noticer. He sees stuff the rest of us pass by, and takes time to stop and look and snap a photo so we can enjoy it later and wonder why […]
Continue readingFocus On One Word
I’m a simple guy who tends to make life complicated. On our recent FREEDOM Tour, the team got lost because I provided bad directions. I’d like to say I welcomed the challenge. “Hallelujah,” I exclaimed. “The Lord hath provided an opportunity for growth.” Yeah, right. The truth is, I was scared, and fear turned into […]
Continue readingWhy Didn’t Jesus Use Facebook?
Can you imagine Jesus on Facebook? The Beatitudes as tweets? The Sermon on the Mount on YouTube? Just think of how many people He’d reach. I’ll bet Jesus would have more Twitter followers than Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift…combined! In the title song of the 1970’s rock opera Jesus Christ Superstar, Judas wonders why Jesus […]
Continue reading104 Degrees
I knew Praise Church in Pueblo would be special when Pastor Darron met us as we pulled into the parking lot. “We’re taking good care of your friend Jim. It’s the first time we’ve had a buck-naked bike rider in church.” Thursday, June 27 I guess I should explain. Jim succumbed to the extreme heat […]
Continue readingI Couldn’t Do That
One common thread through the story of RICH’S RIDE is the people who say, “I could never do something like that.” You know what? They’re right. It’s much too difficult. There’s no way an ordinary human being could possibly accomplish a task this big. In the middle of an ancient desert God spoke to Moses […]
Continue readingFreedom
Happy Monday! We’re back after a couple of weeks’ R&R and thinking about today’s word-of-the-week… FREEDOM I’ve never experienced life without freedom. Last week we celebrated Independence Day in the US. Two weeks ago our team rode more than 400 miles as part of Front Range FREEDOM Tour to raise funds and awareness to fight […]
Continue readingSnowin On Raton
As we prepared to climb Raton Pass on the final day of Front Range FREEDOM Tour, someone played the song SNOWIN’ ON RATON by Townes Van Zandt. It was an emotional morning anyway, and the song apparently held special meaning for a few of our riders. I saw some tears as we stood in a […]
Continue readingWhat Can You Learn From A Yo-Yo?
Happy Saturday! I love watching people stretch limits. There’s something magical about a person finding his passion and pursuing it relentlessly. It’s the essence of art. BLACK is a yo-yo artist. Don’t judge or dismiss until you watch this short talk followed by a graceful, thrilling performance. Watch carefully—don’t miss the trick with the tablecloth. […]
Continue readingHelmets Up!
Front Range FREEDOM Tour wasn’t a bike ride. Colorado offers plenty of serious bike rides. Ride The Rockies. Courage Classic. Triple Bypass. MS 150. Anyone searching for a hard-core, go-at-your-own-best-speed, put-your-head-down-and-get-cranking bike ride has lots of options. The FREEDOM Tour would have frustrated riders seeking that sort of experience. Our team cycled more than 400 […]
Continue readingWhich Way Do We Go?
It really wasn’t my fault. Okay, it probably was, but I’m not sure what I could have done differently to avoid this particular brush with disaster. Before we left, our church prayed for our team and sent us as missionaries. I’m glad I didn’t realize the prophetic implications of the sign behind the pastor. I knew […]
Continue readingBlessed To Be A Blessing
Kindness and generosity surround us. It’s one of the enduring lessons of RICH’S RIDE. Wherever we travel, Becky and I encounter people eager to help. Our Front Range FREEDOM Tour team found the same attitude everywhere along our route. Within a seemingly limitless sea of thoughtfulness, some acts of generosity are so unexpected and over-the-top […]
Continue readingLeave Your Burden
We’re home. Front Range FREEDOM Tour is finished. The tour was much more than I imagined. It’s hard to believe a week could pass so quickly, accomplish so much, and leave me so drained. Our team truly left it all on the road. Normally I’d feel guilty about all that didn’t get done. I couldn’t […]
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