Category: Reflections

It’s probably the most common question about God. Even people who don’t believe in Him wonder why He allows bad stuff to happen. I’ve been there. I’ll bet you have as well. I became unsatisfied with platitudes. When you’re drowning in despair, “It’s all part of God’s plan” really doesn’t help much. So I put my […]

Last time I invited you to Start Training for our bike tour. I’m serious. We’d love to have you on the team. Whether you ride your bike or help with support, you’ll have a lot of fun and contribute to a great cause. I’ve talked to a lot of people about long-distance tours. One common […]

Don’t start over on January 1st. Okay, so that’s not the conventional advice. And you’re wondering what’s wrong with a new beginning in a new year. Isn’t God all about a fresh start? But what if you forgot? What if New Year’s Day was football and junk food, and now it’s back to same-old-same-old? Did […]

HAPPY NEW YEAR! From Monte, Becky, & Rich Thanks for being part of this crazy dream. We’re humbled and grateful for all you’ve done to make RICH’S RIDE such an incredible journey. We’ve got big plans for 2014. Stay tuned. It’s gonna be a blast!

I get a kick out of the TV show Duck Dynasty. If you’ve never watched, there’s no way to describe what happens. Mostly it’s just silly fun. I admire the Robertson family’s ingenuity and creativity. They don’t take themselves seriously, but they’re very serious about their faith in Jesus. Recently, Phil, the family patriarch, got […]

My mind’s been focused on teams and leadership lately. I think it’s Jon’s fault. His conversation with Nehemiah about A Great Work isn’t the sort of thing you can just casually toss aside. I don’t think of myself as a leader. Neither did Nehemiah. He was a servant. His job was to taste the king’s […]

A couple of friends served in Vietnam. I remember when they came home. Among the things they talked about was “It don’t mean nothin’.” Apparently that phrase was a coping mechanism, a way of dealing with the horrors they confronted on a daily basis. It was a way of getting through each day when human […]

Did you watch The Sound Of Music last week? I did, and I was surprised. I expected nostalgia. I didn’t expect to be surprised by a message within lyrics of a familiar song. A dream that will need all the love you can give. Every day of your life for as long as you live. […]

Most people think cycling is an individual sport. It’s not. Without a strong, committed team, no individual rider could compete in a big race like le Tour de France. Each team identifies one, or perhaps two, leaders, the strongest, most experienced cyclists with the best chance to prevail at the end. The other riders do […]

I have a personal theory that following Jesus is simple. Not simplistic, but simple. God organized the world around simple, long-term core principles. We can ignore them if we wish, and in the short run it might look like a good choice. But in the end, the designer knows what works best for us. When […]

Why do we have Thanksgiving? In reality, it’s a secular holiday, an excuse to travel, visit family, and enjoy a great feast. To be brutally honest, Thanksgiving is mostly about food, shopping, and football. There’s nothing inherently wrong with any of that, but I wonder what happens to the “thanks” part of Thanksgiving. I came […]

I appreciate all the nice things people say when we complete a RICH’S RIDE tour. We receive many kind notes. People stop us at church to tell us how much they appreciate what we do. We hear from folks all over the country who are inspired and encouraged by the rides and the blogs. It’s […]