“Sounds like you’re following a social-justice gospel.” I was talking about the FREEDOM TOUR and my experience with cycling and faith. I said “cycling for a cause” can be a great way to explore and deepen one’s faith in Jesus. Got some interesting dialogue, including this curious comment about a social-justice gospel. Sounds a bit […]
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Justice…Or Peace?
Is it possible to stand for justice…peacefully? Can people on bicycles really claim to “make a stand for justice”? Shouldn’t we storm the brothels, blow stuff up Rambo-style, rescue the victims and take out the bad guys? We’re riding bikes. In funny-looking helmets and colorful jerseys. Not exactly what we picture when John Wayne rides […]
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On my last bike ride, the odometer clicked past 2,000 miles for 2019. That means I’ve cranked more than 39,000 miles since my first two-block ride in 1999. Depending on your perspective, that’s either a lot of miles or it’s not a big deal. Either way, this milestone offers an opportunity to reflect. I didn’t […]
Continue readingMore TagThe GPS Lady
Does your GPS have a name? We call ours Bertha. Her calm, reassuring voice is always available to tell me where to turn. If I mess up and take the wrong road, Bertha gently guides me back to the correct path. Often her soothing voice suggests, “Make a legal U-turn.” Bertha’s advice is always accessible, […]
Continue readingMore TagFear And Falling
It’s Suicide Awareness Month. We see efforts across lots of media platforms designed to help us understand how pervasive this issue is and how many people suffer in often quiet desperation. Still, for those who’ve never experienced that sort of extreme despair, depression and suicide can be difficult to comprehend. As someone who struggles with […]
Continue readingMore TagRemember The Next Step
Which way do we go? It’s a frequent question as we plan for FREEDOM TOUR 2020. Do we do same-old-same-old or something bold and brand new? It’s like standing at the edge of a cliff staring into an abyss of endless choices. How to decide? Sometimes we need to look back to find the next […]
Continue readingMore TagThey’re Waiting
That’s what I’ve learned from the FREEDOM TOUR. Folks want to be generous. They want to do justice. They want to be part of big, crazy, adventures. They’re waiting for someone to ring a bell or call a meeting. They’re at the line, ready for someone to yell, “Go!” In 2013, Becky and I hung […]
Continue readingMore TagDream Season
I’ve been thinking about spirals. It’s Dream Season for the FREEDOM TOUR. As we wrap up and look back at 2019, we have a few months to let go of the details – routes, directions, meals, and fundraising. We get to look at the big picture, why we do it, what are the possibilities, where […]
Continue readingMore TagWanna Go For A ride?
We enjoy sharing our journeys. Here’s a video look at Colorado Mountain Tour 2019. Four mountain passes and 16,200 feet of climbing in four days. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the ride! Can’t see the video? Click here.
Continue readingMore TagPray And Do
Prayer has gotten a bad reputation. In our broader culture, I’ll pray for you has sadly become a hollow platitude. “Thoughts and prayers” has become a way of saying, “We feel kinda bad, but we probably aren’t going to do anything about it.” We’ve allowed the perception that prayer is about inaction. Every day on […]
Continue readingMore TagThe Kid In The Back
We live in communities. Neighborhoods, towns, churches, families all can be places where people come together toward some common purpose. They can also be places of oppression, isolation, and inequality. I’ve thought a lot lately about community. Because it’s difficult, because we do these bike tours, because I spent 35 years in classrooms. Today I’m […]
Continue readingMore TagCommunity And Circles
We completed two amazing tours. Community is hard. Whether it’s a bike tour/mission trip, a neighborhood, a city, a state, or a country, bringing folks together from different places, with different backgrounds and beliefs and different reasons for showing up, and asking them to work toward a common purpose takes a lot of work. Classrooms […]
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