We tend to think about courage related to big events. Superhuman acts of bravery. John Lewis crossing the Edmund Pettis Bridge. Soldiers storming the Normandy beach on D-day. You and I could never do that, right? It’s a bit like watching an elite professional cyclist who trains 24/7 and deciding I could never ride like […]
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A Fun Ride
Smiles are a big part of the FREEDOM TOUR. Yeah, there’s sweat and struggle and sacrifice involved in cranking all those miles. But I’m always struck by the big, broad smiles. Some will remember PROLOGUE 2020 for COVID – masks, social distancing, and all the flexibility people offered to make it happen. I’ll remember the […]
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(Sort Of) Done
We’re done! One-day Prologue. Front Range Tour. Colorado Mountain Tour. 140 riders cycled 11,000 miles and climbed 400,000 feet. A year of plans and COVID revisions, all the training, and FREEDOM TOUR 2020 suddenly ends. Except, that’s not how it works. The quest for justice doesn’t end. Bringing hope and freedom to the kids at […]
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I Was Sure It Wouldn’t Work
FREEDOM TOUR 2020 completed its third event this week. COLORADO MOUNTAIN TOUR, FRONT RANGE TOUR, ONE-DAY PROLOGUE – 132 cyclists cranked 10,100 miles and climbed more than 400,000 feet. And the HOPE & FREEDOM CHALLENGE is still going strong. If you’d asked me at the end of March when everything was shut down, I was […]
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It’s About Trust
COLORADO MOUNTAIN TOUR 2020 blasts off today. Isn’t that amazing? With all that’s happened, through historic financial disruption and social isolation amid a global pandemic, our team kept hope alive. Instead of giving up, they trained, spread awareness, and raised funds to support the kids at the HOME OF HOPE. During the next five days […]
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Be Like Mike
My friend Mike took his HOPE ROCK on a trip. He’s working on a bucket-list item to ride his bike in all 50 states. During a 9-day stretch in early July, Mike and his HOPE ROCK did 177 strategically-chosen miles of cycling in 14 different states! Like many of his FREEDOM TOUR teammates, Mike carries […]
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Seek Justice
We all believe in justice. I wonder, though, if we all agree on what it means to “seek justice.” In this highly-charged political environment, even this notion has become divisive. A recent Facebook post about justice elicited a comment — from a friend — about “social justice BS.” In scripture, justice is primarily a relational […]
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Struggle And Celebration
Paul Hurkman spoke to our team last week about justice. Paul is Executive Director of Venture. In 2012 he taught Becky and me the blueprint for doing a group bike tour, about shared sacrifice and doing what we love to benefit a cause bigger than ourselves. He began with words written by another Paul: “We […]
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Freedom & Truth
I told you last time about our team’s ZOOM conversations. Dick Foth said he wanted to discuss freedom. He began with Jesus’ words: “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” So there’s a chain: obedience –> truth –> freedom. It’s […]
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Reflections On A Stay-At-Home Tour
Every tour is unique. Maybe you think after 8 years it’s just rinse and repeat. When you bring a group of people together with different backgrounds, riding abilities, and expectations it’s never same-old-same-old. Toss in the stay-at-home model and the uncertainties created by COVID-19 and you’ve got “unique.” It’s a bike tour, so first thought […]
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Tour? Or No Tour?
How do you do a tour, when you can’t do a tour? FRONT RANGE TOUR 2020 kicks off this week, but with COVID-19 it’s not smart for a bunch of sweaty cyclists to invade a new church every night for 5 or 6 nights. However, we still want to ride bikes together, and the kids […]
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Extra Weight
Cyclists deplore extra weight. Serious riders go to great lengths – and spend lots of money – to remove every unnecessary ounce. Especially during climbs, seemingly small grams make a big difference. So it’s a big deal when we ask every FREEDOM TOUR participant to carry two stones with them during the journey. It’s a […]
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