What’s your mental image of “joy”? I’ve been thinking about what I wrote yesterday (Joy? In Adversity? Seriously?). I do that a lot, especially when I write something that actually makes sense to me. I wonder if I got inside my own head and made up what I call “The Bible according to Rich.” I […]
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Am I the only one who finds the following passage … uh … confusing? Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds. James 1:2 I don’t know about you, but I don’t normally associate “facing trials” with “pure joy.” I can face trials if I have to. I […]
Continue readingMore TagYo Adrian, I Did It!
Do you ever intentionally seek out adversity? There are two kinds of people—those who can picture the scene when Rocky Balboa shouts, “Yo Adrian, I did it!” and those who have better things to do than watch cheesy boxing movies. Like many sports movies, the “Rocky” story incorporates a recurring theme. A “nobody” rises from […]
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HAPPY MONDAY! I feel like I’m being confronted on all sides with today’s word-of-the-week… GROWTH Yesterday our pastor made a statement I’d rather ignore. He said, “If you want to grow, you must embrace the blessing of discomfort.” I’m happy to embrace blessings—on my terms. I’d rather not think of discomfort as a blessing. Since […]
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HAPPY SATURDAY! Share this with a dad. Happy Father’s Day! (If you can’t see the video, click here.) Have a great weekend.
Continue readingMore TagA Time To Let Go (Repost)
This article originally appeared on August 11, 2009. I’m reposting it in honor of Father’s Day. # # # # # I like the way we released my dad last weekend. (To Everything There Is A Season) We created an unusual memorial; Dad would have liked that. A small family procession toured his old childhood […]
Continue readingMore TagFinding Your Sweet Spot
What makes some things—even hard things—so satisfying? I just know you jumped up this morning wondering about my first hand cycle ride after a two-month layoff. I promised pictures. And you’re wondering how it went, right? Well, it was awkward and unfamiliar. It was a bit scary, hoping I wouldn’t cause further damage to a […]
Continue readingMore TagSmall Problems Or Big God?
Do you think you limit your mental picture of God? This week is a big deal for me. Tomorrow I get to resume training by riding my hand cycle for the first time in more than two months. Yes—there WILL be pictures! I’m excited, but honestly I’m also scared. I’ve made a huge commitment to […]
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HAPPY MONDAY! My lovely wife—and the weather—inspired today’s word-of-the-week… Resilient Last week Becky was finally able to put out her normal array of flowers. Usually that happens earlier, but we’ve had an odd spring. Since I’ve been trapped in bed, she placed an especially beautiful hanging basket right where I could see it. Yellow, red, […]
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HAPPY SATURDAY! We all get overwhelmed by issues like poverty and homelessness. Too big, too many, too much–what can I do? So we give up and leave it to governments or billionaires to do something. And I’m reaching a conclusion: governments and charities will never impact these sorts of problems. People need partners and resources, […]
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My friend Jon Swanson is helping me promote the video for Rich’s Ride. Jon recently interviewed me for 300wordsaday. We’re running the interview on both sites today along with a fun little contest. More about the contest (along with the video) at the end of the article. First, here’s the interview. # # # # # 1. […]
Continue readingMore TagTaking It Personally
Do you have trouble hearing the Bible in a personal way? We hear a lot of discussion about whether we ahould interpret the Bible literally. I want to tell you about an experience that makes me wonder if I ought to take it a bit more personally. The other night I was feeling really down. I’d received disappointing […]
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