Today’s my twenty-seventh anniversary. In case you don’t recall, December 5, 1987 was a crisp, cloudy Saturday in Colorado. I thought I’d put up some outdoor Christmas lights. I almost completed the job before life changed forever, literally in the blink of an eye. I took a ride in an ambulance and reurned home five […]
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Do I Have To Serve?
“Does a dream HAVE to serve others?” I’ve heard the question before as I share my definition of a dream: A dream is a God-inspired desire to use your unique gifts and talents to serve others and change the world. “Isn’t it okay to want to do something for myself, like climbing a mountain just […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat Motivates You?
What are you waiting for? After a recent talk, a guy told me he was a little disappointed because the staff at his recovery program wasn’t providing as much motivation as he’d anticipated. He offered a sports analogy. He wanted a coach constantly pushing, yelling, forcing him to do his best. Apparently that worked for him as […]
Continue readingMore TagWhat Do You Practice?
Limits provide a built-in excuse. Unlimited doesn’t exist. Resources are limited. People don’t always follow through. Somebody gets hurt. There’s opposition and criticism. On the other end, opportunity does exist. We can find ways to serve, ideas to develop, and dreams to follow. Somewhere along the line I learned this nasty tendency to practice my limits. […]
Continue readingMore TagCan There Be Peace Without Justice?
I’m trying to discern the proper response to recent events in Ferguson. It’s clear to me that these developments highlight systemic, long-term injustice that goes far beyond one specific incident. I absolutely believe non-violence is the only solution. Rioting and looting only intensify fear and mistrust while confirming false stereotypes. Jesus didn’t call us to […]
Continue readingMore TagIs This Why We’re Obsessed With Keeping Score?
“There’s only one winner—either you win, or you’re a loser.” The guy was adamant. Life’s a competition, a battle, and there’s only room for one person at the top. If you don’t fight for that spot, you’ll get squashed. You exploit weakness, because if you don’t someone else will. I listened and tried to understand […]
Continue readingMore TagI Needed To Watch This
Happy Saturday! I encourage you to grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and be inspired by a 20-minute video. I invite you to leave a comment concerning your reaction to the guy in the top hat. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now […]
Continue readingMore TagIn Search Of Big Arms
Last time I wrote a serious story about My First Handcycle. As always, there’s a bit of humor and a few more lessons just beneath the surface of the story. It’s true that I resisted handcycling, mostly out of fear. I was sure I’d fail. But secretly, I wondered what it would be like. See, […]
Continue readingMore TagExplaining What Doesn’t Make Sense
I sat on my first handcycle in March, 1999. You can read the story of The First Ride, but it’s fair to say that two blocks in thirty minutes wasn’t exactly a rousing success. (Amazing how primitive that bike looks now.) I’d just spent more than ten years whining and giving up. But when I […]
Continue readingMore TagPlease Explain Normal
Every so often I encounter the word “normal” in a context that baffles me. Yesterday I read about an amazing Paralympic athlete who “used to be normal” before an accident caused a spinal cord injury. So now, I suppose he’s, what–abnormal? I wrote these thoughts in November, 2011. # # # Before our latest ride […]
Continue readingMore TagTangible Results Of The Dream
It’s not all that often that you see a piece of the dream right in your own living room. I’ve always hoped RICH’S RIDE would create a community that empowers people who work together as servant leaders and offer hope to others. Yesterday a bunch of folks gathered at our home. Everyone was there because […]
Continue readingMore TagThe Paradox Of Hope
Hope offers an interesting paradox. Hope looks forward with confidence and trust based on faith, a faith that comes at least partly from looking back and knowing God has always kept His promises. So hope looks to the future based on past faithfulness. Certainly we live with confidence because salvation is assured, but hope isn’t […]
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