Last time I talked about selfies. It’s not about pictures, of course. I love seeing and showing you what my friends are up to. It’s really about attention-seeking in a culture in which people become famous (and wealthy) simply for being famous. Jesus said we should let our light shine before others. As we follow […]
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Selfie Counterculture
I don’t like posting pictures of myself. It’s intentional. In a selfie culture, maybe it’s bad marketing, but I’m not seeking followers. This isn’t some false humility. It’s a sincere belief that following this dream is not about me. In the beginning, when we called our journey RICH’S RIDE, I coined an unofficial tagline: It’s […]
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Correct Words And Hearts
Words matter. They matter a lot in school. Even in math classes, I tried to impress on students the importance of using words correctly while avoiding excessive sarcasm and trying not to become the frumpy grammar police. For example, they insisted supposably was a real word when they meant supposedly. They also used irregardless rather […]
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Rider’s Block
I think I have a case of rider’s block – no, not a typo. You’ve heard about writer’s block. A writer is all ready to write, wants to write, has all the necessary tools to write—but the words won’t come. There’s just no inspiration. Most professional writers will tell you there’s no such thing. “Writer’s […]
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Following On Bikes
We say the FREEDOM TOUR is a community of people who follows Jesus. Sounds nice, but what does it mean? Hopefully it’s more than just words. As we plan for 2022, I wonder what makes us followers. What distinguishes us from other cool bikes rides? Is it the crosses on our jerseys? The prayers? Follow, […]
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Avoiding Arguments
It’s hard for me to stay out of arguments. Some arguments, anyway, about things that matter. When I hear things that are so clearly wrong and hurtful, it’s really hard to turn away. I admire those whose stand against injustice, who put their reputations and sometimes their lives on the line for what true and […]
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Over The Top
The FREEDOM TOUR is a small army of committed volunteers. Those folks show up to write a big story, and their efforts are amazing. When you hire someone, especially for minimum wage, you often get minimum effort, just enough to get by. You end up coercing and cajoling and supervising and fixing. Our volunteers tend […]
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It’s Personal
My friend Liz needs a kidney transplant. Not the normal topic for a blog post, but in days when social media and networks do so much damage, this is a positive. Liz has been a friend for a very long time. In fact, she jokes that she knew me when we could *stand* together in […]
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Us
I asked our MOUNTAIN TOUR teammates for a favorite short quote. One guy replied, “Us” – about as short as you can get. He’s coaching his daughter’s soccer team. He wanted them to know they were in it together. He hoped they’d carry the idea beyond the soccer field. So after every practice, every timeout, […]
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Ordinary Joe
In the TV show Ordinary Joe, Joe encountered a fork in the road. He had three choices, leading to careers as doctor, cop, and rock star. The show explores What if? I’ve spent a fair amount of time wondering what if I’d decided to do something other than Christmas lights on a certain day in […]
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About Principles And Sheep
“The past year has been difficult.” It’s a popular thing to say right now, and of course it’s true. COVID, financial challenges, social/political divisions have indeed made for a tough 12-ish months. It’s also true that struggle didn’t originate in 2020-21. For some, other years have been challenging. For others, the wheel never seems to […]
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Magic
What’s your first reaction to this statement? The most unfair thing we can do is treat everyone the same. My principal said it frequently. As you might imagine, he got a fair amount of pushback. As a leader, Mike didn’t see kids as widgets. To him they were individuals, with unique gifts and needs. He […]
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