Everyone has an opinion. Dick Foth says deep conversations need to be about more than opinions. He suggests authentic interaction happens around “What do you think? What do you know? What do you feel?” The idea, I think, is that if we’re truly willing to invest in the other person, if we’re willing to listen […]

If you’ve attended many weddings you’ve likely encountered the “cord of three strands” image. It’s a scriptural metaphor based on the weaving of husband, wife, and God to form a strong marriage bond. Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken. (Ecclesiastes 4:12) Interesting to notice, […]

Where you stand…matters. My friend Dick Foth told a story about trying to change a light bulb in a fixture in his bedroom located directly above the bed. (How many preachers does it take to change a light bulb?) Standing on the cushy mattress, wobbling back and forth, struggling to keep his balance while stretching […]

Imagine writing a resume of your failures and rejections. Preposterous, right? The whole point of a resume is to impress others, to highlight successes, to let folks know about those all-star accomplishments. Why in the world would anyone create a summary of failures? Scientist Melanie Stefan challenged colleagues to do precisely that, to log articles […]

Thirty-six million human beings live under the violence and injustice of modern-day slavery. I shared the story below a while back. I’m going to tell it this weekend at one of our new partner churches. I thought you might appreciate an edited version. Then Jesus told them this parable: “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep […]

I can see how how it’s going to happen. I replay the entire process over and over in my mind. I picture every mile, every turn, hill and descent. I imagine it so many times that I almost can’t believe it will happen any other way. Do you do that? I absolutely love thinking forward […]

“Your ride costs too much.” He’s not the first person to tell us that $995 is too much fundraising to expect for an eight-day ride. I’m sure he won’t be that last. I’m tempted to point out that the ride doesn’t “cost” anything, that $995 is a suggested minimum no rider has ever failed to […]

I wasn’t ready to ride 1500 miles. When Becky and I showed up at Lake Itasca in September of 2011, the farthest I’d ever cranked my bike was 35 miles. I’d done that exactly once. Most of my friends thought I was nuts. Even my biggest supporters had their doubts. I was scared, and Becky […]