If you have the opportunity to make an impact, why wouldn’t you do it? Our culture tells us impact is all about power and control, or at least fame and flash. Most folks, I think, would like to make an impact, but they’re unlikely to do something outrageous like riding a bike around the world. The truth is […]
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I Didn’t Know
I thought I knew a lot about school. I taught in schools for thirty-five years. With all that practice, in some pretty divergent environments, I figured I knew about schools and kids. About three years ago I learned about a Christian school called Life Center Academy in New Delhi, India. Math, science, bible classes. It’s […]
Continue readingWe’re Not Trying
We’re not trying to be the biggest bike tour. We’re not trying to be the fastest bike tour. Or the most efficient. Or the most diverse. Seth Godin pointed out that you ought to be prepared to invest your heart and soul into the thing you’re trying to be. So you should know what that […]
Continue readingHow Passion Seeks Justice
“Where did you get your passion for this cause?” Great question. Like a lot of mission commitments, our involvement with the kids at the HOME OF HOPE has a back story that starts with a tug on the heart strings. In 2012 Becky and I did a bike tour from Cincinnati to Washington DC to […]
Continue readingThe World’s Most Influential Story
Is the story you tell yourself. It’s influential because, after all, it’s right. You know it’s right, because you invented it. You’re the storyteller. You’re the main character in your own story. So you can give your character a big pile of unforgivable guilt and shame to haul around. You can make her too young, […]
Continue readingIs It Time to Leap?
Happy Leap Year! Usually I’m all about training and continuous, incremental improvement. Keep riding, running, walking, talking to God, day by day, and over the long term big changes happen. Yesterday, on Leap Day, I looked back at my life and noticed a few points at which the move from Point A to Point B required […]
Continue readingWhen It’s Worth The Risk
Stepping out in faith is risky. “Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Trusting God to commit to the climb without knowing where it leads–that’s a risk. Actually climbing the staircase probably isn’t that hard. On the other hand, a well-marked, well-planned climb to the […]
Continue readingWhy It’s Never That Simple
“My life is over.” When doctors told me the reality of my injury–spinal cord damage and paralysis–I absolutely knew my life was over. I couldn’t walk, run, ride a bike, or do any of the things thirty-six-year-old men were supposed to do. I’d lost everything, and my life was over. It’s easy to understand my immediate […]
Continue readingYou Will Get Tired
“Didn’t you get tired?” I told the story of my 1500-mile Mississippi River handcycle ride to a group of men earlier this week, and I guess I glossed over the hard parts. When you talk about a big dream, it’s easy to recall sunshine and smooth roads. I did get tired. A lot. And here’s a funny […]
Continue readingHere’s How We Really Change The World
I taught math to teenagers for thirty-five years. I enjoyed my teaching career. My students left me with a bald head and a number of valuable lessons. Among them: Kids may be reluctant to believe what you say, but they’re always ready to believe what you do. It’s a life principle; talk is cheap. Words matter little […]
Continue readingWhen Equal Isn’t Quite Equal
I’ve been in a courtroom a couple of times in the past few weeks. Observing a friend’s partial journey through the system, and surveying other cases while we waited, got me thinking about fairness and justice. It’s interesting to watch judge and attorneys work together to apply the law equally while accounting for each person’s […]
Continue readingGuilt And The Least Of These
Ever felt a little guilty for “not doing enough”? Ever been bonked with a “you’re going to hell” scripture aimed at pushing you to to sign up or open your wallet? Ever felt like you’re supposed to eradicate poverty, solve racism, eliminate human trafficking, or at least feel bad about not trying? Ever wonder if you’re […]
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