The Mississippi River taught me about dreams. About halfway through our 1500-mile journey I crossed OLD CHAIN OF ROCKS BRIDGE in St Louis. The view from that historic bridge prompted these thoughts. I’m noticing a lot about the river as I live with it. I’ve lived in the Midwest a lot of my life. I […]
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A Different Look At Detours
Detours are part of life…and following dreams. Five years ago I encountered that reality on my 1500-mile journey that was supposed to follow the Mississippi River but often didn’t. # # # Thursday and Friday of last week I scarcely saw the river. I trust that it’s there, that I’ll meet it again at some […]
Continue readingWhich Dream Should You Follow?
The Mississippi River inspired me. As we followed the river, watched it grow and change, I was able to use it as a metaphor. Here I talked about the tenuous, fragile nature of dreams. We crossed the Mississippi three times during the first day. I recall thinking that it was a bit disappointing. Even thirty […]
Continue readingHow To Engage Others In Following Dreams
There are two ways to engage people in a God-sized dream. You can get behind them and push or you can get in front and inspire. It’s the choice between management or leadership, motivating by fear or leading by faith. If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to gather wood, divide […]
Continue readingWhy You Should Remember
I find the trail by riding it, then I look back and discover a path. There’s a lot of recent conversation about “Never Forget.” More important, I think, to remember. Remember acts as a sort of curator, sorting, cataloging, and displaying the past. Remember seeks patterns and distills lessons. Remember allows us the perspective of time to separate wheat […]
Continue readingWriting A Story We Didn’t Understand
It’s important to celebrate. Today’s a big-deal anniversary for us. Five years ago on September 12, 2011 Becky, Monte, and I met some friends at Lake Itasca, Minnesota. We snapped a few pictures, prayed, and took off on a 1500-mile handcycle journey along the Mississippi River. When I cranked away from Lake Itasca that morning, […]
Continue readingWhen We Zoom In On Fear
I snapped this photo near the end of my ride yesterday. I climb this small hill a couple of miles from home whenever I ride the bike trails. For an old guy who cranks with his arms it’s still a bit of a challenge, especially at the end of a long ride. When I first […]
Continue readingMeet Two Bold Guys
Rustin Hughes and Dustin Speakman are following a dream. Along a river. On bikes. Sounds familiar, huh? This week these two Army vets are cranking 560 miles from Fort Collins to Omaha. They’ll complete the Platte River Memorial Ride, Rustin on a handcycle and Dustin on a recumbent, to raise funds for the family of a […]
Continue readingSpeaking At The Crossing
This bike riding thing opens some amazing doors. Last week I was invited to speak to the staff of the Denver Rescue Mission at a very cool venue called THE CROSSING. I was honored and humbled to be in the midst of these special folks who do such incredible work. Most people know DRM for […]
Continue readingToo Much Hope?
Is it possible to hope too much? The FREEDOM TOUR grew out of the impossible dream of a 1500-mile handcycle ride along the Mississippi River in 2011. We continue to pursue God-sized dreams; building community, bringing hope and freedom to kids rescued from human trafficking. We continue to pursue our dream goal of raising $100,000 […]
Continue readingBike Around The World…Really?
Can you imagine riding your bike around the world? Last Friday, Becky, Monte, and I were guests at the sendoff party as my friend Dr. Scott Acton embarked on a solo, unsupported, 16,500 mile bike trip called the James Webb Space Telescope World Bicycle Tour. Scott’s tour is the result of a decades-old dream with an […]
Continue readingFear the Giant Snake!
What’s more fearsome, more freeze-you-in-your-tracks terrifying, than a giant, nasty-looking snake? My friend Woody stops and makes friends with snakes, but just about everyone else I know would stop if they saw a big, mean-looking snake in the road. Chris Guillebeau shared a cool story last week. I’ll edit a bit. One day as he followed his […]
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