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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Accountability And Justice
Seek justice. Love mercy. Walk humbly. Micah 6:8 Some thoughts: Justice requires restoration – setting things right. Often, only God can provide true justice. We’re asked to seek justice, to do our part to move things in that direction. Accountability requires accepting the consequences of one’s actions. Accountability matters – a lot. But accountability isn’t […]
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Nonsense
“Everyone is rational.” I borrowed this crazy-sounding statement from Seth Godin. It sounds crazy, of course, because we meet “irrational” people all the time. Seth’s point is that we all make choices based on how we see the world. To understand someone’s decisions, one must understand their experience, their goals, and their inputs. The hard […]
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One Percent
On September 11, 2011, I rode my handcycle out of Lake Itasca State Park in northern Minnesota. My cousin Mark, a new friend named Michael, and I pulled out of the parking lot onto HWY 2 toward Bemidji. The 1500-mile journey was underway. After a few minutes, Michael stopped and said, “Time to celebrate!” Since […]
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Greater Than Great
If you’ve been around church, you know about The Great Commission. “Go and make disciples of all nations…” It’s the last thing Jesus said on Earth. Tell others the Good News. Interesting – that phrase (Great Commission) isn’t part of scripture. Someone added it later for emphasis. + + + Keith Giles referred recently to […]
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About Influence
I’m not an influencer. When the Kardashians publish a video or use a product, it’s an instant sensation. Millions of views, tons of comments. When you’re an influencer, it seems like everyone wants to be in on the act. I’m not going to move the online needle. Sometimes that’s a bit frustrating. I have absolutely […]
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Crazy?
More than a decade ago I got serious about my dream of a cross-country handcycle ride. One of my first steps was to open a brand new file on my computer. Everything about that ride, and all the rides we’ve done since, lives in that file. All the solo tours. The nine FREEDOM TOURS. It’s […]
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