On the Road to Redemption

if the shoe fits...

2009-08-23T07:57:00.001-07:00

So, I retired my first pair of bike shoes today…Over a year ago, I never imagined myself to be a bike shoe wearing kind of guy. As a matter of fact, I couldn’t even tell you the difference in pedal types or why bike shoes would be important. I actually thought bikers wore them to look cool. I have since discovered that fact is only partially true. So, somehow, when I wasn’t looking, I became a biker. I think it may have been last summer when I rode a bike across the US on a fund raising trip for BloodWater Mission. I remember thinking of all the things I thought I would need to bike over 3,000 miles and shoes seemed least important and the most utilitarian to me. I remember going to the bike store and telling the guy, “I need some bike shoes…size 12…and I don’t want to spend a lot of money”. He then said, “What kind of pedals do you have?” To which I replied, “Uh…I haven’t got a bike yet…well I mean a road bike”. So needless to say, I wasn’t starting off on a good foot with the “bike shop guy”. After some clarification, it was agreed on the type of shoe and type of pedal and out the door I went with shoes and pedals for the bike I had not yet purchased. So jump ahead a few weeks, and now I have a bike and pedals are mounted and I am learning how to “clip in and out”. There is a learning curve for this procedure and some master this important step quickly and others do not. Those who do not… fall, usually at a stop light when lots of people are looking at you. This passes but always lurks when we least expect it. So, I remember, riding one day through the desert for 112 miles and the air temperature was 108 and thinking, “Maybe I should have got silver reflective shoes instead of black…for riding thru the desert”. I made a mental note to myself on that one. Thankfully, my shoes were well ventilated but my rotating feet were like on a rotisserie inches above the nearly molten pavement below. I thought, “Maybe sandals would have been better…” I made a second mental note to self. I ditched wearing socks about the time I got to Texas. This, of course, goes against all conventional biking wisdom. That’s ok as there wasn’t too much conventional about me biking across the US. Actually, my shoes seemed to fit better as they molded to my foot and became a second skin except for this weird plastic piece on the bottom of my foot called a cleat. This was the piece that snapped into my pedal and held my foot captive for mile after mile. The problem with this…it was great for turning the pedals but life threatening to walk on, especially on any flat slick surface. There was an art to walking on them and you had to keep your weight on your heels and knees locked. This unfortunately made you look like something was really wrong with your bottom or you had some strange neuromuscular disease. This left people, seeing you walk like this, wondering how you could possibly ride a bike in this crippled condition. The cleats being plastic wore down as I sometimes would drag them to a stop on the roads and streets of America. I actually went thru three sets of cleats on the coast to coast journey. In Tennessee, we got rained on briefly and my shoes and feet got soaked. This was …almost the end of the trip for the shoes at this point. I cannot begin to describe the smell the came from these shoes after getting wet. I soaked them in soapy water in Nashville in the sink of the hotel where I stayed when my wife came to see me. She said “Those are the worst things I’ve ever smelled…like a cross between bad smelly cheese and rotten flesh”. The soak for two days did help. It’s funny how many memories I have about something as common and ordinary as bike shoes. However, to me, these shoes will always be anything but ordinary .They could just as easily be ruby slippers and I could at the end of an amazing cross country bike ride and wake up and find myself clicking my heels together three times and saying, “There’s no place like…”.

on the road to...Argentina???

2009-06-27T05:22:00.001-07:00

So, I was thinking about my visit to Argentina. I guess that’s what we call it now. Actually, I’ve been to Argentina a number of times and the end result is always the same. Yeah, I always come back home to ruination and heartache…that part never changes. I can totally relate to what Governor Sanford is feeling and dealing with. It is always so beautiful and carefree in Argentina, while you are there. There is a sense of timelessness and fluidity that is almost intoxicating like some kind of powerful mind altering drug and the longer we stay the more hooked we become. It is only natural that most men find it very difficult to live in those two types of entirely different realities. When we are back in the real world there are responsibilities and demands that beg our endless attention. We put on a brave face and plow through all the mundane tasks and essentially go through the motions. But, we can only continue that charade for so long and then we begin to crack under the weight of the moral dilemma we have created. I have to keep reminding myself…yes…I did create this mess. I created this mess when I willingly chose to abandon every principle that has given my life a framework and meaning. All that gone for a trip to Argentina. It would seem perfectly logical that one trip, just like one snakebite, would be enough to allow us to understand this is some bad stuff and beyond what we believe we can control. But, no…as I said before, trips to Argentina are so stimulating they strip us of our ability to think logically, if at all. Things totally foreign to our ingrained morals and belief systems seem harmless and justified. However, the problem is we are not thinking straight and taking a lot of chances based on that faulty thinking. So, we just dig the hole a little deeper and deeper. Meanwhile, back home the dutiful wife is holding the fort down and perhaps wondering if Argentina is really as beautiful as she hears it is from me. Maybe I should go there someday, she thinks. Why do men go to Argentina you might ask? Well…I suppose you might get lots of different answers on this one. I can only speak to why I went. It’s not about what Argentina represents but the IDEA of what it represents. Clearly, it is a parallel but alternate reality and most men believe that they can operate in both at the same time. If you don’t believe that just compare the two or take the emotional temperature of the two. I promise you one is cool and Argentina is blazing hot. But, it is obvious that you cannot get too close to that kind of fire, It seriously does something to your brain…it actually changes your brain chemistry to the point you are ready to abandon all that was formerly important to you. And, that’s exactly what I did on more than one occasion. Some men are, by nature risk takers. But, the problem is that we can’t seem to understand that some risks are just not worth the consequences. Seriously, that is a bitter pill to swallow when your dreamy false reality comes crashing down upon you. And it always does. That’s the way God wants it and that’s how He designed it to end. It’s just like Icarus who became too giddy because he was able to fly and flew too close to the sun and as Jars of Clay sings, "I flew too high and like Icarus I collide". We collide when we leave the safety and protection of moral principles guiding our lives. God wants it that way too. It has been said that wisdom cannot prevent a fall, but may cushion it. I can say that my falls have never been too cushioned and I usually fell flat on my face and fell hard. But, yeah…God wants that too. The great thing is …He is always there to pick me up. And He always tells me the same thing…I love you and…please…stay away from Argentina.

Seriously...SHARE THE ROAD

2009-06-19T10:31:00.000-07:00

June 16, 2009 12:23 a.m.
(..."Steve Epstein said of being tailed by frustrated motorists.")
And God Forbid a slow moving cyclist would move over to the right side of the road to allow a "tailgater" to pass so that he could get to his doctor appointment on time...
(It's amazing that this town is now issuing ordinances on manners and creating a new "protected class" of citizens. Have you hugged your bicycle today?)
Perhaps we also need to have license plates on bicycles so that car drivers can report 2-wheelers that jump out of no where, drive at night with no lights, run stop signs and red lights and pass on the right...Heck, there are bicycles being used by 16-19 year olds to case homes in parts of Columbia and an ordinance for license plates would help identify these criminals who are riding around between homes and in backyards and then ride away on sidewalks.
I've also witnessed bicycle riders litter and yell at automobiles. Are we not allowed to yell back?

I found the above response from someone named Ray Shapiro commenting on a news story about the passing of an ordinance protecting bike riders from harassment in Columbia Missouri. I really need to respond to this as I am a cyclist that has ridden in a lot of traffic all across the US. Sadly, when riding bikes in traffic it is a us(motorist) versus them (bikers) mentality that creates incidents with oftentimes deadly outcomes.The distain that Ray spews in his comment is commonly heard from those who do not bike. He is using broad generalizations and stereotyping to apply his experience to all bike riders. Ray is the type of guy that I am really afraid of when I am out riding on the roads. He has an agenda and feels the need to school those "criminals on bikes". This guy would hurt you out on the road if push came to shove. The scary part is that there a lot of Rays roaming around in cars with an ax to grind. Unless you have been on a bike, in traffic, and have a car pass by fast and really close you don't have a clue how scary this is. Many iniatives are being undertaken to encourage motorist to share the road but attitudes remain the same. I have been lucky and have only been yelled at, mooned, flipped off, and threatened with a variety of expletives. However, I know others who have been on the receiving end of worse and even being hit by cars. The universal problem both for cyclist and other drivers is our sense of self importance and privlege when we drive cars. The general attitude is "GET THE HELL OUTTA MY WAY" or else suffer my wrath and the consequences. Anyone or anything, especially a bicycle, impeding my self absorbed agenda is at risk of being on the receiving end of some really bad behavior. The other reason that Rays' comment really irks me is this is personal to me. A really good friend of mine was riding with his dad and his dad got hit from the rear and was killed. You can watch a video of this incredible cyclist and advocate for social justice here,
There are some good cyclist in world doing great things with bikes. We have a right to be on the road and are simply asking you to be aware and for just one second to put your selfish driving habits and indignation aside and give us the space we deserve. You who do not bike really should try it if only once or twice just to see how it feels when you whiz by me at 50-60 miles an hour. So, Ray,I'll be watching out for you if I ever come to Columbia Missouri. I promise I won't "jump out of no where, drive at night with no lights, run stop signs and red lights and pass on the right".And I'm pretty sure I won't be riding in your backyard or on your sidewalks....

2009-06-11T11:32:00.000-07:00

So, today I’m just sitting here under these cloudy and stormy skies and thinking about doing impossible, or seemingly impossible, things. I was a guy that allowed impossible to rob me of a lot. I believed if something to be impossible then why even try. I did a seemingly impossible thing a year ago today. I rode a bike across a scorching hot southern California desert what still seems like an impossible distance in brutal heat. Yeah, hot, really hot. It was 108 or so not to mention what the pavement was less than three feet below me. The distance…112 miles. Yes, 112 body fluid sapping, mind boiling, and skin frying miles. You cannot possibly imagine how hot it was unless you were there. I came to have a new appreciation of the necessity of water that day. I realized that, like many of us, I entertained a sense of entitlement when it came to clean available drinking water. I thought, as I rode, what if I had to walk miles in this blistering heat only to get dirty disease infected water. What if? What if I had to do it multiple times a day…every day. What if my daughters had to do it? What if they couldn’t go to school because of “fetchin” water? The clean water issue became very personal to me this day. As if it wasn’t clear enough, it became more real as we got separated from our support vehicle and a handful of us nearly ran completely out of water. I felt panicky and knew our options were beyond limited. I prayed that God would shelter us and protect us and provide as He always has and just rode on. Somewhere along the next few miles, I was riding alone and plain as I have ever heard anyone speak, I heard the voice of God speak. I am sure that some reading this might say it was the heat and lack of water. We always find excuses and other explanations when we don’t want to hear and acknowledge the voice of God. He is speaking to us all the time but we have lost the ability to listen and shut out all the interfering distractions. I know that’s why His voice seemed so plaintive as I rode. There was nothing but me, rocks and heat. So, I heard God say, “I didn’t bring you to this desert, like I did my son, to show you your weaknesses…I brought you here to show you your strengths…” WOW…Talk about getting knocked upside the head. I just rode in silence for a while thinking about what I heard. I realized how God empowers people in amazing and unusual ways to do incredible things for His glory. It was happening right here under my nose as I rode and I didn’t even get it…till now. So, I caught up with the rest of my friends and we were still trying to ration our collective water. I looked up ahead at this long amazing stretch of road and just continued to pray and believe we would be taken care of in some fashion. We talked of holding up our nearly empty water bottles at passing cars. However, one small problem….essentially NO passing cars. We were in the middle of a “no mans’ land” as far as traffic went. I continued to stare at the road ahead and way, way off in the distance I saw a speck on the road. I watched as it came closer to us and strained my eyes to make out the possibility of begging for water. Finally, the vehicle got close enough to make out and see it was a California Department of Highways pickup truck. We stopped and the truck rolled up and stopped and rolled down the window. The driver looked at us and said…”You all need some water?” I was so dumfounded I almost didn’t know what to say. He had the most AMAZING ICE COLD water and filled every bottle and bag we had and chatted a minute and was gone. Need I say more here? Coincidence? Are you kidding me? This was turning out to be a stunning day and we had MILES to go. Now I really had a lot to think about and I was so absorbed in the thoughts that the miles ticked by. The desert is stark but there is a unique beauty that lives in fragile coexistence unlike anywhere else I have ever seen. You wonder how there possibly can be any life here, but there is and it’s just more subtle. It was just amazing to me that we could ride bikes over 100 miles without one lick of shade. There was no escape from the sun except for a railroad bridge over a dry stream bed where we took a short respite. So, we pedaled and pedaled and it became Zen like watching the shadows on the ground. I am sure I became completely hypnotized for 30-40 miles. So, as the sun was sinking back into California, at our backs, we crossed out of our first state into the next almost seamlessly. Finally, the impossible thing has happened today…we were in Arizona at the end of 112 miles. So, tomorrow would be another really hot day in the Arizona desert but I guess we were starting to see impossible become possible and God was smiling at that. A lot…

2009-06-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

So, wow...today is June 9th. It is really incredible how time just drifts by like those big fluffy white clouds on a summer day. One day effortlessly goes by and blends into the next and next. I seems like the less we watch and measure the days in hours and meetings and appointments and lunch breaks the faster time goes by. Somehow that seems to be the opposite to me. I feel like the relaxed careless lazy days should be longer. Anyways, the point of all this is to mark an anniversary. A very memorable anniversary for me. As I sit here typing this, exactly one year ago I was on my bike riding through the streets of Santa Monica and Hollywood California starting day one of a cross country bike ride. I remember it so well and clear even as I sit here typing. I was engulfed with a whole assortment of emotions and my senses were being assaulted with the sights and sounds of a beautiful California morning. I won't lie...I was so scared I was barely breathing, especially as the Hollywood hills loomed large ahead. I knew what was in store for this day as I “cheated” and used Google maps to preview the terrain we would cover this day. I seriously couldn't even think about it as it was debilitating for me personally. Our spirits were high but there was an undercurrent of anxiety as thick as molasses. We rode on and the day heated up as we left the coastline and started to climb and climb and climb...WOW. The scenery was beautiful but the negative self talk was raging in my head. Shut up...already, I'm trying to ride a bike here. The defeating part was looking ahead and at where this road was heading. Not good. Must keep head down...don't look ahead. Well, that worked only for a couple of miles. Hmmmm...now what? Just keep pedaling. So, one crank after another it went. The climbs were not easy for me. I reveled in the infrequent downhill only to have to go back up even more. I remember someone saying if you're gonna give up, do it on the first day. Well, the fact is that I am not a quitter and so I just rode and prayed a lot for strength and stamina. I pedaled until I was just completely depleted and exhausted. The combination of the heat and the exertion and the lunch stuck in my throat began to take a toll. I started to feel a little nauseous but I pressed on and up at a snails pace. I looked down at my speedometer and couldn't believe I was still upright at 3-4 miles per hour. At this point it was just a grind to the top. My nausea increased and now my heart rate was increasing more and more as I continued to pedal. I was maxing out. The battle was in full swing now. My stomach lurched with each turn of the pedal and the chatter in my head was screaming..QUIT...QUIT NOW. I would stop for a minute and then start again and repeated this cycle until that didn't work anymore. I thought I could rest for about an hour or so and then go on but it was getting hotter and the top was yet ahead. Finally, my heart rate got up so high I was feeling light headed and the nausea was in complete control. I spotted a place to stop with no other plan beyond stopping. One of my teammate riders, Don, stopped with me and waited patiently to see what was next. While waiting, Aaron came by and saw me “broke down” by the side of the road and came to assess the situation and help. It was decided that I needed to quit for the day and get a ride in to town. Aaron walked out onto the road and flagged down a truck whose driver agreed to take me in. We loaded my bike in and took off. When I saw how close I was to the top I was really disappointed, as the rest of the way in was one really long downhill glide. I learned a lesson right then and there. I will not quit, I will not give up or give in to defeat. I will ride this ride. Whatever it takes, however slow I must go, whether I am last or not, I will ride this ride and I will finish something for once in my life. So, yeah, that's pretty much what I was doing a year ago today. My how time flies by.

2009-03-31T23:02:00.000-07:00

Boulder Report: Kentucky man wins essay contest and to ride with Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France
Boulder Report March 31, 2009
Buzz Over Lances' mystery guest rider The rumor is that Mr. Seven Times who is coming back for an eighth will have a very special guest. Lance's people aren't talking, but we are.
by Joe Lindsey
It started as a quickie post on the NY Velocity site - unsourced, unconfirmed, and about as believable as a campaign ad. A certain bike racer known for more Tour de France wins than any other cyclist was pondering a limited-engagement comeback, racing for free in an attempt to silence persistent questioning about whether those first seven Tours were won clean.But the rumor gained some serious traction today when VeloNews expanded the story and confirmed NY Velocity's scoop that a mystery rider will be riding a desigated leg of the tour with Lance as result of winning an essay contest.Though still relying on anonymous sources, VeloNews' Neal Rogers added some detail. Out of thousands of entries, Lance Armstrong himself chose the entry of a 55 year old cyclist from Kentucky who will join with Astana and race for one day in a once in a lifetime opportunity.The lucky winner, Mike Barrow, of Elizabethtown Kentucky was quoted as saying, " This is simply unbelievable, it's really a dream come true." Barrow, who has little racing experience is expected to do very well on the downhill sections. He offered encouragement to other ordinary cyclist to follow their dreams and said, "Just remember, it's not how you ride, but how you ride in." Lance said he welcomes to opportunity to ride at the back of the pack for a while with his new best friend from Kentucky.The National Cycling Confederation said that while this certainly is unusual it is sanctioned and could potentially go into the record books. Also, VeloNews hedged the rumor bet a little by allowing that other rumors are that Armstrong would race mountainbikes or try cyclocross. And finally, I'd remind everyone that we've been here before. In the fall of 2005, Armstrong threatened to end his merely days-old retirement as a way to counter the charge made in l'Equipe that an independent analysis had found EPO in old urine samples from the 1999 Tour. "I'm thinking it's the best way to piss the French off," he said at the time. On September 15, 2005 just two weeks later, he rescinded his threat, saying, "There is no way I would get a fair shake," he declared, "either on the roadside, in the doping control, or in the lab, or in the hotel, or in the food."Maybe that's all still true and this is a rumor gone amok - Armstrong's spokesman Mark Higgins did not respond to a request for comment. Maybe it's a calculated PR move designed to distract attention from his love life and put the focus back on his athletic achievements and, in turn, his anti-cancer advocacy. We won't have to wait long for an answer on this rumor. Vanity Fair reportedly has a piece on the comeback to appear in its next issue. If the comeback happens, it will supply sportswriters with all kinds of storylines. But it's a huge risk for Armstrong. Even assuming that Armstrong has the motivation, that Contador doesn't bail to Katusha and attempt to become the latest pupil to challenge his master, and that Armstrong's preparation is spot-on and he doesn't suffer another crash in the runup to the Tour, there's no guarantee he'll win. If the goal is to prove the doubters wrong by winning clean, what does it say if he finishes 12th?Posted at 04:10 PM Permalink TrackBack Subscribe to this blog's feed

2009-01-26T22:09:00.000-08:00

“…for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross…” Hebrews 12:2

So, I have returned from a journey. A journey unlike any other I have ever taken. Today I return to the world driven by consumption and trying to figure out “what are we gonna eat?” I have been on a 21 day fast that ended Sunday. I have fasted a few times in the past for as many as five days and felt certain that I would surely perish for lack of food. So just imagine 21 days with NOTHING AT ALL to eat. It really is totally mind boggling to just think of three weeks and not one bite… So, as I previously mentioned, I am not going into all the minute details of fasting and the technical aspects of it. If you are interested in that information there is plenty of stuff out there. I believe it’s pretty well laid out why it’s necessary right here in Isaiah 58:6-11, when God says,

“Is not this the holy day for which I have given orders: to let loose those who have wrongly been made prisoners, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the crushed go free, and every yoke be broken? Is it not to give your bread to those in need, and to let the poor who have no resting-place come into your house? to put a robe on the unclothed one when you see him, and not to keep your eyes shut for fear of seeing his flesh? Then will light be shining on you like the morning, and your wounds will quickly be well: and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will come after you. Then at the sound of your voice, the Lord will give an answer; at your cry he will say, Here am I. If you take away from among you the yoke, the putting out of the finger of shame, and the evil word; And if you give your bread to those in need of it, so that the troubled one may have his desire; then you will have light in the dark, and your night will be as the full light of the sun: And the Lord will be your guide at all times; in dry places he will give you water in full measure, and will make strong your bones; and you will be like a watered garden, and like an ever-flowing spring."

Being on a fast, especially one this long is about learning to understand desire and consequences of choices we make. We can operate in a lot of deception in our daily lives and so easily fall into the common trap of living “carelessly”. Fasting causes you to focus, sometimes very intensely, on how the seemingly simple things we do in one moment affect the next moments in our future. It is amazing how removing eating from our lives has such a profound impact on so many other areas. I never realized how just plain obsessed and food crazed we are in the US. Seriously, it is just amazing how much money is spent just advertising food. There is an entire television network solely dedicated to food 24/7. Or better yet, go to Wal-Mart in the middle of a 21 day fast. You will really see why we are so physically and spiritually sick. A fast makes you come to a dead stop and get off the out-of-control merry go round that’s trying to kill you. For me personally, I look at this fast as an investment for this year. My wife and I did it together because: 1. We believe this is what God calls us ALL to do. 2. It’s an amazing way to start and set the tone for the new year-offering a HUGE sacrifice to God. 3. Doing it together as a couple strengthens and bonds us together is a very special and unique way and 4. It creates an atmosphere where God can work and speak in very powerful ways and we become focused on the power of prayer. On a personal level it has helped me to just really focus and listen to the ever present voice of God revealing many things about His nature as a loving father. You see, I have historically had a real problem with that. My dad left me when I was 13. He decided that life was just too tough and I wasn’t enough to keep him hanging on. So, I always lived in fear that it could happen again thus that “father in heaven” thing seemed difficult for me. So, one of the things I discovered on the fast is that a lot of stuff gets stirred up in you when you aren’t eating for 21 days. You know, stuff that you thought was “stuffed away”. God has a way of just calling you out on stuff and saying “ok…now that I have your UNDIVIDED attention…” Oh boy… Perhaps another reason why we overeat??? Hmmm? So, yeah, I am getting there on the father thing and God has showed me a lot of stuff this last 21 days and I have got rid of some stuff I’ve still been carrying around, to my utter amazement. I was pretty sure I left most of that in the Atlantic Ocean last summer but apparently I was wrong. So, was the fast worth it?? Yeah, of course. Was I glad to eat?? Absolutely! However, I must end with the most incredible thing…my wife bought a new set of pots and pans and a food processor and has decided to take up cooking. Hallelujah Jesus!

2009-01-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

I am thinking about hunger again. I know that seems to be a frequently visited topic in my blog posts, but… It really is something we need to think about more. I am not only thinking about physical hunger but I am specifically thinking about the deep hunger for God. Jesus spoke quite often about the hungry and hunger. In Luke 4 : 1-2 it says, “ Then Jesus, being filled with the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, being tempted for forty days by the devil, And in those days He ate nothing, and afterwards, when they had ended, He was hungry.” And Satan being the ever clever liar was aware of that hunger and tried to get Jesus to turn a stone into bread. Imagine how hungry Jesus must have been after forty days? Some of us can barely last four hours. The devil knows that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach especially when really hungry. This was also apparent even in Old Testament days as Esau sold his birthright to his brother Jacob for some lentil stew. That was an expensive meal. However there is a tool that is available and often used to call our appetite into submission. It is a fast. Now I am not going into all the details and the whys and wherefores of fasting here. There are plenty of books written if you need to do a scholarly investigation on fasting. I will simply say it is a very powerful weapon when teamed with prayer to tap into the power of God to speak into your life. The enemy, Satan, wants you distracted and hungry for food and things of the world. When you fast and pray you focus sometimes very intensely on desiring what God wants and waiting to hear what that is. There is a long and extensive history of fasting in the bible and some amazing things have happened secondary to fasting and praying. Moses fasted and so did Jonah, Daniel, David and Elijah among others. Fasting takes you away from the world; it is a renewal of your spirit and a powerful form of worship. Fasting gives me an opportunity to change my diet. It is amazing when I am not attentive to what I eat that I gain weight and am still hungry. I am overfed as many of us are but lacking something in my diet. Fasting helps me to focus on Jesus, the one who can satisfy real hunger. The temporary hunger I feel is just that…temporary. It has to constantly be satisfied in a variety of ways. We struggle to appease this never filled feeling that affects everything in our lives, our jobs, our relationships and our sense of self worth. We become enmeshed in a tangled mess of lies and deception and live lives in the desperation of having to consume stuff to mollify our hunger. I have decided to tackle this issue and look at my own personal hunger. For all of us it is different. For many of us it is uncomfortable. It is not easy to face something which we hate to admit controls us and drives our every decision. But there is a reward to be had in doing this. In the bible in 2 Chronicles 7:14, it says, “ if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and forgive their sin and heal their land.” Can you deny that we need to repent and receive forgiveness? Can you deny the blatant truth that this land needs healing now more than ever before? Our hunger for the wrong things in this world has almost pushed us over the edge and for many it already has. It’s time. It really is time to stop the madness that pushes us to run in circles and never find peace. There is only one way. I think that it is clear what that way is. So, the question then becomes which you will choose. Are you hungry?? What will feed you this year? Or maybe we should ask…who will I feed??

Nunc Dimittis 2008

2008-12-31T09:12:00.000-08:00

Now thou dost dismiss thy servant, O Lord, according to thy word in peace;

Because my eyes have seen thy salvation,

Which thou hast prepared before the face of all peoples:

A light to the revelation of the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.

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So, here we are at the end of another year. We stand at the edge of a new year that promises to be exciting, challenging and dangerous in many ways. I am always amazed at some of the unexpected places that I find myself to have been when I look back over the last 364 days. There could not have possibly been as many unexpected places as there was this year. How could you even begin to know what adventure and mystery God will reveal in the coming year? He does that for a reason, you know. Because, many times, if we knew what was in store, we surely would do something to mess it up. I cannot possibly begin to explain anything about this year and how amazing and unpredictable it was. But I do know one thing about this year and it is this: Jesus meets us in unexpected places, in unexpected ways and is plainly calling us to act in unimaginable ways to love as He did. However many times we are busy doing stuff having convinced ourselves that is what we are supposed to be doing. And so Jesus calls us sometimes with some really big challenges and stretches us out in ways we could never imagine. We sometimes doubt our ability to measure up to the task and wonder why we have been chosen. As I have said many times, the ability of ordinary people to do extraordinary things when empowered by God is truly mind boggling. All through the entirety of the Bible, God repeatedly issued calls to ordinary and sometimes reluctant people to become leaders. Why? Simply, this is what really glorifies God and is a powerful witness to redemption and transformation of lives only half lived. As we contemplate the possibilities of the coming year and review the last, certain truths reveal themselves. We serve a good and loving King and are living in a kingdom and that places us in a unique position to live in ways we cannot plan looking at a calendar. Our obedience to the call that God has placed on our lives will take us in many unexpected directions this coming year. Yes, God calls us to seemingly challenging and terrifying tasks and sometimes to unexpected and unanticipated physical places but He is ALWAYS there. Sometimes our desire for safe, mundane and normal can rob us and others of some amazing and powerful blessings. We are called to live outside what is normal and safe. We are called to be disciples and agents of the kingdom of God and that simply means we carry and spread the message everywhere we go and in everything we do. We are called to engage the world in new and unexpected ways whether on bicycles or on our jobs. We are called as citizens of a kingdom to go beyond simple thoughts and prayers. We are called to go out rather than reach out. The challenge for this coming year is to hear how God is calling us to act within our communities both individual and global. How will this be done? A simple act of compassion is a place to begin or activist campaigns like BLOOD:WATER MISSION who is bringing hope to villages in sub Saharan Africa. Wherever we find ourselves on our journeys this coming year look in the unexpected places for unexpected opportunities to change lives and there you will find the unexpected Jesus calling…

Ho, HO, Whoa...

2008-12-21T18:26:00.000-08:00

“So this is Christmas
and what have you done
another year over
and a new one just begun
And so this is Christmas
I hope you have fun
The near and the dear one
The old and the young…”
-John Lennon
So, a striking reminder came to me today, while watching Jentzen Franklin, of what Christmas really is all about. It is a joyous season of giving but sadly many of us are pursuing the wrong kind of giving and we become focused to the point of obsession on giving the perfect gift. It is widely reported that the majority of holiday stress and depression is based on buying and giving holiday gifts. I am no different from many others who want to give things instead of do things. But, I am really trying to do better about this. I am learning to be intentional and thoughtful instead of irrational and impulsive. This is where the stores try to use their magical power to appeal to our emotions and create a false sense of the joy of giving. For many, there is no joy because we worry needlessly about THE right gift. We may not even be able to afford a gift, or are limited in the amount of gifts we can buy. I am reminded of “The Little Drummer Boy” when he said “I have no gift to bring that’s fit to give the King”. It is only natural that we want to give good and fitting gifts to those we love. Jesus was no different and freely gave gifts that were not even asked for. In Luke 11:11-13, Jesus said, “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” Maybe the bigger question to ask is what gifts will I be giving to Him this year? What gift can I bring? What do I have to offer? Maybe we don’t because we feel our gift is so insignificant and not fit for the King, like the little drummer boy. So he used what he had and played the drum. And then what happened? ”then He smiled at me”. So, I really pondered, and have been this entire holiday season, this idea of how I can give gifts from the heart and not necessarily from the wallet? I really believe that this is a big lesson that God is revealing to me this Christmas. So often I have caught myself thinking about and focused on the gifts that I cannot give as opposed to the ones I can give. We need to turn this around. I think this is at the core of what provokes many of us to reject the commercial aspects of Christmas. As a result of this longing for an authentic Christmas, the ADVENT CONSPIRACY was born. This challenges us in many ways to rethink our entire notion of what gifts lay within us and not buying something external to us to appease our anxiety and fear. This heartfelt desire causes us to be much more thoughtful and purposeful about the recipient instead of mindlessly checking them off of the “list”. One thing about thinking about Christmas in this way, it makes you very aware of the fact that life isn’t about things…it’s about relationships. And, I have been blessed with some amazing relationships this year. You see, I never really was a relationship guy and certainly didn’t see the necessity of relationships with anyone other than my God and my immediate family. But something changed this summer. ME. Yep, that’s right God turned me inside out changed me in a powerful way and showed me some stuff about relationships. And, quite shockingly to me, I came to love this crazy, funny, awe inspiring and Jesus loving bunch of “ordinary people doing extraordinary things” riding our bikes across the US. The gifts we received and gifts we gave are really too numerous to count. Gifts came in the most unexpected ways and from the most unexpected people. How could you ever begin to try to give back what you have been given? This is the question I have wrestled with a lot, especially at Christmas, the “giving season”. So, In lieu of a gift card…uggh, or a smartly wrapped present, I’ll just give to everyone this year what I can give the best. I will give the gifts of love, faith and courage. This is what I have been given in such abundance, many times by people I didn’t even know. I am required to give some back because I am commanded by Jesus to do so and this is the gospel that’s real and life changing and transforming. So, my one desire for you this Christmas is that I could neatly wrap those three things, love, faith, and courage, and put them secretly under your Christmas tree that’s what you would find with a cute little gift tag that said “ all my love, Iron Mike”…

Christmas 2008...

2008-12-06T16:48:00.000-08:00

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.... And the angel said unto them, 'Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.'— (Luke 2: 8-10-11.)

As the song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year… ” . Or is it really? The Christmas season is a paradox and each year we don’t get any closer to the understanding of this than the year before. Or do we? I find myself, many times, being torn between the crass materialism and consumption mentality, that plagues the holiday season, and wanting something “different” this year. I think the situation that many of us find ourselves in currently with the economy reeling and on virtual life support from the government demonstrates the necessity to just stop this pursuit of the “right present” at the right price. I am completely disgusted by the masses of people who have turned the day after Thanksgiving shopping experience into a chaotic life threatening full contact sporting event. Sadly, someone got killed this year while just doing their job. This really returns us to our most primal hunting, gathering and killing roots. I can just imagine a proud shopper boasting on Christmas morning, “You like it? I had to kill for it…” WOW. Too extreme?? Is that too harsh? What have we become this season? We talk out of two sides of our mouth. We say we know the “reason for the season”. So, if we really do then why don’t we act like it? Seriously, it is time to just say ENOUGH.

As Shane Claiborne says, “Enough to the myth that happiness must be purchased. Enough to an economy that is awarding CEOs salaries 500 times that of their workers and still manages to seduce people in poverty and wealth alike to give more money to these predatorial corporations. Enough to the American dream that now consumes over 40 percent of the world’s stuff with less than 6 percent of the world’s resources. Enough to a dream that would need four more planets if the world pursued it … a dream the world cannot afford. Enough to the advice of government leaders who fearfully order us to “just keep shopping” after tragedies like September 11 and November 28. ENOUGH. Maybe God has another dream”.

You know what, I believe He does. I believe there is a better way and it is called the Advent Conspiracy. A couple of years ago, people who had enough of this madness, from four churches, got together and did something totally radical. They changed their spending habits at Christmas, shunned the spending mania, and gave presence instead of presents—the way Christ modeled for us through his gift of himself. They took the money they saved—nearly half of a million dollars—and gave it to Living Water International so that desperate communities could have the gift of clean water. Families from those churches are still telling stories of how Christ returned to their Christmas. Communities were renewed. Lives were changed. It was a Christmas to remember. Last year, 1,000 churches banded together for Advent Conspiracy 2007. Three million dollars were given to the neediest people in our neighborhoods and in communities across the globe. Simply, this Christmas the idea is to worship fully, spend less, give more and love all. You too can be a conspirator. I love these words from author Alex Gordon, “There is no Santa Claus, no, there is something better. Every Christmas Eve a Great Spirit comes to this world and flies around it and scatters energy over the earth, and wherever that energy falls, like fairy-dust, it changes despair to hope, tears to joy, want to abundance, and when it touches a hard heart, it seeks to melt it, and when it touches a hateful soul, it seeks to change it, just like the spirits tried to change Ebenezer Scrooge. If you listen carefully, just before mid-night on Christmas Eve, you may hear this Spirit, and you will be blessed. But this Spirit is tired, and the times of its coming are few now. Time is of the essence”. Of course, you and I know what that that “Great Spirit “is. It is the Spirit of the Lord God that has come in this season to bring hope and tidings of great joy. It is this same spirit that in Isaiah 61:1 it says,“ The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;” So, let’s open some prisons instead of presents, let’s bring good tidings of the redemptive and restorative power of love to someone broken and lost and let’s give presence, NOT presents, unlike any Christmas ever before. And maybe, just maybe the real Christmas will come back. Merry Christmas, y’all.

2008-11-25T10:11:00.000-08:00

It is sort of cliché that we begin, literally a couple of days before thanksgiving, to think of all the things we are thankful for. We seem to become more mindful of our blessings as the frenzy for the perfect turkey continues. My feeling of being blessed and thankful is beyond measure and is a constant companion to me. I understand the nature of why I am blessed and showing that I am thankful is the “least” thing I could do. How do you show it ? You live it every day of the year and not just the week that traditionally we pause to “count our blessings”. You see, most of the time, I can’t count mine. This year, in particular, there are so many, it’s ridiculous. But maybe your definition of a blessing determines how many you got to count. According to Webster: Main Entry: blessing Function : noun Date: before 12th century 1 a: the act or words of one that blesses b: approval , encouragement 2: a thing conducive to happiness or welfare 3: grace said at a meal. So, based on that definition alone one can quickly see why there would be so many. In the Bible, in Proverbs 28:20, it says, “A faithful man shall abound with blessings…”Or how about this one, “Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.” W.T. Purkiser. and finally this from C.S. Lewis, ”When we lose one blessing, another is often, most unexpectedly, given in its place.” This unexpected blessing is always a significant one as it reminds us that God knows us and is near and watching over us and really knows what we need when, many times we do not. I received a HUGE and TOTALLY unexpected blessing this year. It was called the RIDE:WELL BIKE TOUR. Nothing, and I do mean N-O-T-H-I-N-G, could have been any more unexpected from my God. He really went all out, and “far out”, on this one. But the totally humbling and amazing thing is , He knew. The fact that He knew, still brings me to tears. He knew, before I even talked to Aaron and David. He knew before I said anything to my wife because He told her what to say. It could have all been so different at so many points , I cannot begin to tell you. But, He knew and continued to show me “all things are possible” when obedient. Blessings came in so many ways and from so many directions during the entirety of the ride. It would take a long time to individually list them. The paradox of it all was as we were being blessed, we were blessing others. And, the great thing is that many times we didn’t realize this. As the definition above states “ the act or words of one that blesses” pretty much sums up the bike ride. We blessed a lot of people by the simple act of repetitively turning pedals day after day and just talking to people and speaking our hearts and sharing our love for Jesus. I very much remember standing on a stage in Tyler Texas and receiving a standing ovation from the crowd who had come to hear a concert. I thought, fighting back the tears, who am I…I just ride a bike. It was there that I realized this crazy thing that I am doing is a blessing to a lot of people who I don’t even know. And I am sure that there were many more that I wasn’t even aware of. So, the thanksgiving season has unusual significance this year for me and I hope it does for you too. After the turkey is consumed and the football is over and the post turkey nap is in maybe, just maybe, we will remember to look for the blessings in the most unusual and totally unexpected places.

remember My word...

2008-11-19T07:53:00.000-08:00

So, today I was shopping at one of my favorite stores…Goodwill. First I have a couple of observations before I get to the main point. I was shopping at Goodwill “back in the day” before it was considered chic and uber cool. I shopped there because I got it and saw how wasteful people were and wasn’t too prideful to wear “recycled clothes”, I just didn’t tell anyone. Now, everything has changed and I find a whole new crowd perusing the aisles for a bargain. It really does look like some kind of upscale shopping mecca here lately. I actually enjoy just going and looking and listening to the giddy shoppers sizing up the degree of their bargains.

So, on my way to check out I thought I would quickly just scan the book section. You never know what you will find and this day was no exception. I was totally amazed at how many bibles in various translations and conditions I found on the shelves. It just caught my eye at first and then I began to search in earnest. There were at least 20 various bibles available for purchase. Now I have, over the years, discarded many things and have taken them to Goodwill, but I am sure I have never discarded a bible. Maybe it’s just me but the bible is not something I think of casually discarding along with out of style or too small clothes and mismatched china. I do have a number of bibles in my house in various translations and sizes. It just seems like a really weird thing to take to Goodwill. Maybe what bothers me is the totally anonymous manner in which it is discarded. I guess if I was going to get rid of a bible, I would give it to someone or send it to a missionary or anything besides putting it in the “collection box” at my local Goodwill store. It isn’t like I have some unhealthy or unnatural attachment to the bible itself. It’s a book, I get it. I just try to imagine the circumstance or situation where I would throw it out. Perhaps, “wow, this book is really old…” or “I have already read this book a couple of times…” or maybe this one “this book is just taking up space in my life…” People usually get rid of things because they no longer have any value to them. WOW. People usually get rid of things because they are considered clutter. WOW. People usually get rid of things because there is no longer any utility in that thing for them. WOW.I am not really sure if I am reading too much into this or not but I simply cannot imagine casually tossing out a book that has so much significance in my life and the lives of many others. There are actually people right now having to smuggle bibles into places because of the truth contained in that book. Clearly, that truth frees people and those who oppose the bible have a vested interest in keeping people captive to their lies and in bondage. Hello, China and the 10/40 window… As I write this there are people who risk their lives to ensure that this book, casually discarded at Goodwill, gets into the hands of someone standing between hope and hopelessness. I guess that makes it a different kind of book to find a bunch of, at Goodwill, say, than a worn copy of Dr.Zhivago. But, to some of us…maybe not.

2008-11-07T12:42:00.000-08:00

So, I’m sitting on the bench …waiting…to be put into the game. I have trained hard for this moment and I feel especially confident that God will use me. I have “suited up”, I’ve studied the opponent, have learned the plays….C’mon God…put me in the game. Can’t you see I’m dying here? I can help “our side” win. Seriously, God, I’m ready…this is the big game…this is the one I’ve been waiting for. This pretty much sums up how I feel a lot of the time. I am waiting for the next big thing, that big opportunity to show God what I can do for Him. Sadly though, I am going through the agonizing process of learning this is not what God wants from me. As famed writer, Herni Nouwen says, “Waiting is not a very popular attitude. In fact, most people consider waiting a waste of time. Perhaps this is because the culture in which we live is basically saying, “Get going! Do something! Show you are able to make a difference! Don’t just sit there and wait!” For many people, waiting is an awful desert between where they are and where they want to go. And people do not like such a place. They want to get out of it by doing something. In our particular historical situation, waiting is even more difficult because we are so fearful. One of the most pervasive emotions in the atmosphere around us is fear. People are afraid—afraid of inner feelings, afraid of other people, and also afraid of the future. And fearful people have a hard time waiting”. I particularly do not like the waiting part and many times I do, in fact, feel like I am in that awful place between where I am and where I want to go. And for me my natural inclination is to help God along in “putting me into the game” by busying myself with trying to show God how ready I am. WRONG. Not what God wants at all. He made that clear in Luke 10:38-42, when it says, “As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." Ah, it’s the age old dilemma…doing versus just being. I so long for God to use me and place me in situations where I can serve Him in extraordinary ways. I have always wanted God to use me to reach out to touch the lives of other people, to be of service for Him and for others in unimaginable ways , to be a useful and valued part of the Body of Christ. I am so busy looking for the big things I realize I quite often miss the small things. I have agonized and wrung my hands needlessly wondering why God just won’t use me for this thing or that. The truth hit me full on and it was that there is a significant difference between God’s desires and mine. Whoops… So, let’s see…God’s desires…not mine, be still and don’t busy myself with things of little importance… Hmmm and finally wait on God and don’t be fearful.WoW. I think these are challenges for all of us as these are the pressures that bear so heavily upon us in our daily lives. A daily prayer for us all is Psalms 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God…”. In that stillness we are reminded of the ever present voice speaking as it always has and always will. There is no need to fear the wait because this is what God wants and He tells us “blessed is he that waiteth”. So, I wait and I am learning that that’s ok.

to have and to hold...

2008-06-02T18:34:00.001-07:00

I went to the mall a couple of days ago. My wife thought it would be good to get out of the house and ease the tension creeping in due to the impending bike ride. I didn't realize that the "heebie-jeebies" I was starting to feel were showing. So, we had a nice drive up to the mall and went in and walked around. We went to well known sporting goods store and made a few last minute bike trip purchases. As the checkout guy handed us our packages, my wife said "where are the keys?". I knew that I didn't have them and the checkout guy said he didn't have them. Oh no... I saw "the look" on my wife's face. That sick look that comes with the realization that this is going to be bad. So, we retraced our steps in the store and at each stopping place the look became more desperate and sickly looking. So, we basically just went backwards backtracking back to the car. I could see my wife was nearly in tears. I, of course, said all the wrong things. So, I thought the keys would be still in the ignition with locked doors, of course. So, I just waited on a bench just inside the entrance to the mall. I watched expectantly as she strode towards the car. I saw her turn back toward me, after reaching the car, twirling the keys on her finger. I just sighed. She looked relieved. She told me they were in the door lock, just hanging there like ripe fruit begging to be picked. As we drove, a little quieter, she said this is how God takes care of us. As we were walking into the next stop, she said to me, tearfully,"What would you do if I had Alzheimers?" I didn't miss a beat and replied "I would take care of you."
This has been haunting me for two days and I can't seem to get it out of my head.I am aware of the reality as I am quite forgetful and often think how devastating the disease of dementia is on families. It makes me think of the story of a man whose wife was afflicted with Alzheimers disease and was confined to a nursing home. He religiously visited her every day without fail. One day he was in an auto accident and in the ER was panicked he was late for his daily visit to his wife. The doctor said," Relax, she doesn't even know if you're there or not..." He replied," Yes, that's true but I know." That's what "to have and to hold" means.

in the wake of "the ordinary"...

2008-05-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

In two short and fast weeks I will be in Santa Monica California getting ready to begin an epic and amazing adventure. I have been training, promoting, fund raising and witnessing to people about what this ride is all about. I am riding more frequently and for longer distances. I have been praying and seeking Gods direction and words for this trip. Actually, a word and an image came to me today as I was riding a solo 43 mile ride. God revealed to me that as we ride we will be leaving a wake behind us just as in this photo. I thought about that the entire ride. Our "wake" is what we leave behind as we travel. Our wake is our Christian witness. What will people say after we have come and gone ? How will people remember us ? The more authentic our walk with Jesus, the bigger our wake will be. I am mandated to be a witness for what I have seen and the miraculous transforming power of forgiveness and grace. I want the water to be stirred up as we step out in faith on this bike ride. What impressions will we make as we put our faith and love for Jesus out front ? Paul, in writing to the Ephesians, in Ephesians 6:19-20 says, "and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." Our brothers and sisters in Africa deserve our boldness. They are waiting on us...

hello?...hello? can you hear me now??

2008-05-22T06:54:00.000-07:00

In John 10:3-4, it says, "To him the dookkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and his sheep will follow him, for they know his voice."
There is comfort in knowing the voice of your shepherd and knowing that your shepherd goes before you. Jesus talked a lot about sheep and sheep were a common metaphor used in the Bible. For many knowing the voice of their shepherd is a hard thing. There are so many distractions in our daily lives today. We are uncomfortable with being quiet. Even in simple conversations, quiet and pauses are annoying and we fill them with idle chatter. Everywhere I go, I see people walking around with earphones connected to Ipods and cellphones plugged into their ears. I am no different than many other people in that I am guilty and at times of being unable to keep quiet. I play the radio in the car almost always and it sometimes is as "muzak" we hear in elevators. I try to be quiet and listen when I pray and when I read the Bible. God does speak to me and I do know my shepherds voice. It is always amazing to me the nature of how God does speak to us. It is always as someone who really loves me and wants the best from me in all things I do and to protect me from danger. But, that is the sole job of the shepherd; to care for the sheep. You see, sheep, as a rule aren't too smart, aren't too fast, easily misled and have a poor sense of direction. Therefore, they are quite vulnerable to be led astray by predators. Predators know if they can separate one from the herd. Then, once separated it's without the protection of the shepherd. Jesus knew this all too well. This is what He meant in Luke 15:4-7, when He said,
" What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!' I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner that repents than over ninety nine just persons who need no repentance."
What an awesome thing Jesus said when He said " I am the good shepherd...I lay down my life for the sheep." Do you hear the voice of your shepherd ? Or, it your life too noisy and full of the "static" of the world. It is a critical time to seek His voice. Just be still and listen...

I am...I said...

2008-05-21T17:39:00.001-07:00

Thre is so much power in the words we speak. We have the power to either wound or heal. Jesus always chose to heal. In Matthew 8:8, the centurion, with an ill servant, said to Jesus "but only speak a word and my servant will be healed." Jesus did and it was done. That quick. That simple. People may not often remember what we do but our words can have a lasting impact. Our words can linger long after we are gone. Our words can set the atmosphere and either fuel discord or be instruments of peace and understanding. I have been guilty, in the past of wielding words as weapons to belittle, intimidate and beat down people who loved me. It took me a long time to realize that these words were spoken in fear. I lacked understanding and thankfully that understanding did eventually come. But, at a price. What I realized was that we have power in our words to bless or curse and it a choice we exercise every day to do either. What will you do ? Bless or curse. I think many times we underestimate the power of what we say. In Isaiah 55:11 it says, "so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." I sometimes think of the amount of words we speak in the course of a day. I have become mindful of this verse from Isaiah and pray every day that my words will be fruitful and bless and prosper in an intentional way. I am an encourager and am amazed how the simplest kind word spoken in love can have a powerful effect, sometimes practically instantaneously. Which will you be ? How will you choose to use your words ?

He's getting my vote...

2008-05-02T18:13:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading this book and there are some very profound statements throughout and I found myself re-reading and savoring as I read. The authors have a lot to say and cover much territory from beginning to end. There is significant thinking "outside the box" that many of us call church. My church is no different than many others in that we have yet to grasp the necessity to break down the walls and put ourselves out where the needs are evident. We wax and wane in our desire to be outside the established safety and comfort of our building. Many of us, in the body of Christ, see the challenge to reach out in love as Jesus taught us but we falter. Why ? I simply don't know. But, I'm not giving up.
Anyway, back to this book... I was so struck by the following passage I have thought about it for days. So, here it is : "As Shane's mother says, " Perhaps there is no more dangerous place for a Christian to be than in safety and comfort, detached from the suffering of others." We're scared of apathy and complacency, of detaching ourselves from the suffering. It's hard to see until our 20/20 hindsight hits us, but every time we lock someone out, we lock ourselves in. Just as we are building walls to keep people out of our comfortable insulated existence, we are trapping ourselves in a hell of isolation, loneliness, and fear. We have "gated communities" where rich folks live. We put up picket fences around our suburban homes. We place barbed wire and razor wire around our buildings and churches. We put bars on our windows in the ghettos of fear. We build up walls to keep immigrants from entering our country. We guard our borders with those walls---Berlin, Jerusalem,Jericho. And the more walls and gates and fences we have, the closer we are to hell. We, like the rich man, find ourselves locked into our gated homes and far from the tears of Lazarus outside, far from the tears of God."
Is this really where we are at in our lives ? Everywhere I look it seems to be true but it can change...it has to. Can a presidential candidate change it ? Can a political party full of talk and empty promises change it ? Quite obviously the answer is neither can so why buy the hype and get swept along with those whose real agenda is personal gain ? Jesus spoke to this so many times that it should be ingrained into the fabric of this country, but it is not. CLEARLY, it is not. So, what's the answer ? PRAY with power. STAND and resist what is false and evil. LOVE like your life depends on it...because it does.

a jug of wine, a loaf of bread...

2008-04-27T10:37:00.000-07:00

"I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." John 6: 35

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever..." John 6:51

My grandpa loved bread. White bread. He ate bread at breakfast, lunch and dinner. I shared a LOT of meals with my grandpa and I never once saw him not eat a slice or two of bread with his meal. Sometimes he ate it as an accompaniment to his meal and sometimes he used it as a tool to keep food on his plate or sop up gravy. Occasionally he used home made jelly or jam and always butter. The weird thing is I hardly ever eat bread, especially white bread. A loaf a year would probably do me. I do like all kinds of bread especially home made bread. I am amazed sometimes at how many different kinds of bread there seem to be at the grocery store. We even have an entire store in our town, PANERA BREAD, dedicated to bread. In many cultures of the world, bread plays an important role in both dietary intake and social customs. We have the term " let's break bread" which means to eat together. However, if your bread is sliced and in a plastic bag you're not technically breaking bread.
What does this have to do with Jesus and 'living bread' you might be asking. Plenty. Jesus often spoke very figuratively to the people in terms that were familiar and understandable. And for many eating and drinking was a very understandable concept. The symbol of the bread being Christs body is a powerful one as bread was a central feature in the diets of both rich and poor in those times. Jesus said I am the bread and offered to anyone who will eat the benefit of everlasting life. By taking this bread and eating we partake, by our faith, the benefits of what Jesus did for us on the cross. So, maybe my grandpa was on to something. Perhaps, he knew this little symbolic secret which I missed for so many years. It is clear to me that we need more 'living' bread in our diets and less literal bread. How will we do that ? How will we take this deficiency in our diets and correct the ill effects of a lifetime of starvation ???...

HIV/AIDS in Africa: now you see 'em, now you don't

2008-04-21T10:30:00.000-07:00

There is something about good magic that really intrigues us. The eye is fooled so easily that most people, with a little training, can do it. I think that, sometimes, our existence depends on our ability to be fooled. On many current issues, if we knew the reality, we would not be able to live the comfortable and charmed lives many lead. Or maybe we would. This has been brought to my attention as I continue to share with many of my friends and acquaintances the plight of those suffering from HIV/AIDS in Africa and how the lack of clean water impacts this disease. Many people seem to have a " well...that's them, you know...over there." outlook. So, it is like a good magician that keeps you focused on the right hand while the "magic" is going on with the left hand. We are so easily distractable and the desire to be entertained in all areas of our life has crept into our sense of compassion and what is morally right. I keep searching for a way to convey the need of these people for love, understanding, care and concern. I keep looking for a way to shake them out of their complacency into action, no matter how small. In the bible in Proverbs 1:32, it says "...the complacency of fools will destroy them ". I am just so amazed at peoples indifference and reluctance to help. For a while I thought the problem was just too big and that it overwhelmed people. But there are so many organizations and opportunities, like the RIDE:WELL bike tour, that everyone can participate even on a small local level. Yet, still people are just not interested even when they personally know someone doing something amazing like riding a bike across the US to raise funds and awareness of this cause. The great thing is that ultimately I know that God is my provider and I have been called to this issue to educate others and then God takes over from there. This is what He calls all those who follow Jesus to do and that is to be witnesses and speak of the healing power of loving and caring for others. This is where the real "magic" comes in. When lives are transformed by how we love.

he ain't heavy...he's my brother

2008-04-15T07:17:00.000-07:00

If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, and one of you says to them, "Depart in peace, be warmed and filled," but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit ? Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.
James 2:15-17

To the tragedy of the 17 million people who have lost their lives to AIDS in Africa, add the 12 million orphaned children left behind. Traumatized by the death of parents, stigmatized through association with the disease and often thrown into desperate poverty by the loss of bread- winners, this growing army of orphans -- defined as children who have lost one or both parents -- is straining the traditional extended family and overwhelming national health and education systems in the most severely affected countries. The problem is particularly severe in Zambia, where, according to the US Agency for International Development (USAID), the number of orphans topped 1.2 million in 2000 -- 1 in every 4 Zambian children. Of these an estimated 930,000 have lost at least one parent to AIDS. Housing, feeding, educating and nurturing these children is both a moral imperative and essential to Africa's development prospects, Mr. Stephen Lewis, UN special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa, told Africa Recovery. "There has to be an Herculean effort made for these kids so we don't lose them." Otherwise, he cautioned, "you reap the whirlwind.... You have a society where kids haven't been to school and therefore can't fulfill even basic jobs ... a society where a large proportion can have anti-social instincts because their lives will have been so hard. You have a generation of children who will be more vulnerable to exploitation and to disease because they won't have the same sense of self-worth."
The needs of AIDS orphans are as immediate as their next meal and as extended as access to education, guidance and care until the end of their adolescent years. Speaking to leaders of industrialized countries at the July 2001 Group of Eight meeting in Genoa, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed for the resources "to care for all whose lives have been devastated by AIDS, particularly the orphans." The number of AIDS orphans exceeded 13 million globally, he noted, "and their numbers are growing."

And it has grown. That was in 2001 and this is seven years later. Right now, just in sub-Saharan Africa alone, there are over 11.4 MILLION orphaned children ! And, by 2010, that number is expected to climb to 15.7 MILLION. Just in one country, Kenya, there are almost 2 MILLION children living without the love, guidance and protection of a parent. How anyone can sit idly by and watch this unfold is just beyond me. I am fundraising for the Ride:Well Bike Tour and Blood:Water Missions 1000 Wells project and will be riding a bicycle across the US this summer to raise awareness about this disaster. My faith says that God will provide all that is needed. Much is needed, but my faith is as big as the need. What will you do ? How will you help ? One way you can help is to give. If you can't be a goer, be a sender. We need your support for this bike ride. There are many ways to give. Be creative. There are millions waiting on you...

2008-04-13T17:17:00.000-07:00

"Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world." James 1:27 NIV

I think God makes it abundantly clear that we are under a mandate to stand in the gap for these widows and orphans of the AIDS pandemic no matter where they live in the world. We can no longer assume that someone else will or can do what is our duty as a follower of Christ. I am so deeply touched by the scope and severity of this crisis that I cannot be quiet and sit idly by and do nothing. I am moved into action by a distressed cry I can plainly hear reverberating across the entire world. And this cry gets louder and louder as more and more children are orphaned on a daily basis. Where will it stop ? How can it stop ? The immensity of the problem can appear to be so overwhelming that we are stunned into inaction believing it is just too big. Is it too big for God ? We must allow God to work through us to do what we can and must do on an individual level. This is a situation where the sum of the parts will achieve Gods intended purpose. We must not allow indifference and apathy to paralyze us and blind us to the great need for individual action. If there is ever a time in your life when you are really needed to step up and allow God to manifest His desire for those affected by this global disaster, it is now. God is calling you to be the one. God is asking you to abandon all your preconceived notions about this disease and reach out in love and give like there's no tomorrow. Because, for millions of these children there will be no tomorrow...

..."drop your nets and follow me"

2008-04-08T07:27:00.001-07:00

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
Matthew 4:18-20 KJV
I have read this passage many times and recently received a revelation entirely different from what I previously thought. You see, God has this way of showing you in a subtle way hidden truths each time you read the Bible. This is the great and amazing thing about when you read the Bible hungry for God to reveal these truths to you. He will ! So, here it is, Jesus wasn't just talking about fishing nets here. What was shown to me is Jesus was speaking here in a figurative sense as He often did. He was telling Peter and Andrew, and us, to drop their "safety" nets not their fishing nets. What is a safety net ? It is that thing that catches us when we fall. For some this is a spouse, friend etc. and for others it is their 401k or that elusive social security check waiting at the end of our working years. Everyone has some type of safety net that they rely on in one manner or another. Jesus knew this when He called Peter and Andrew to come and follow Him. Not only were they dropping their literal fishing nets but they were dropping all that they had relied on before Jesus came walking by. What is your safety net ? What are you relying on for your "catching" you ? Where is the source of your strength and protection ? Isn't it just an incredible thing, to think about, that no matter the nature of your stumble or fall, Jesus is ALWAYS there waiting to catch you. When you truly release your grip on that net you so stubbornly cling to and follow Him you will know a sense of freedom and boldness that will allow you to be blessed in unimaginable ways.

2008-04-06T20:24:00.000-07:00

My wife said "Honey, you need to lighten up a little on your blog". I thought for a minute...well, OK but how do you lighten these subjects ? I'm still working on that one and I'll let you know when I come up with something. I feel impassioned and have a stirring in my soul over the things that most people seem to blindly accept as "them, not me". The fact is I am my brothers keeper no matter where in the world they may live. We live in such a self centered, self created false reality that we cannot grasp the immensity of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Africa. It's not personal to us. It's sad, just not personal. We feel small and insignificant in the face of the cruelty of this disease. "Where is God ?" many people ask. I can tell you He is in the same place He always has been and will be. No one is spared. It's killing without respect to anyone or anything. It is truly an equal opportunity destroyer. It is destroying families and entire generations. But, more importantly, it is destroying the hope of future generations who are now children and at risk of never seeing their teen years. Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region in the global AIDS epidemic. More than two thirds (68%) of all people HIV-positive live in this region where more than three quarters (76%) of all AIDS deaths in 2007 occurred. It is estimated that 1.7 million [1.4 million–2.4 million] people were newly infected with HIV in 2007, bringing to 22.5 million [20.9 million–24.3 million] the total number of people living with the virus. Unlike other regions, the majority of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (61%) are women. The scale and trends of the epidemics in the region vary considerably, with southern Africa most seriously affected. This subregion accounts for 35% of all people living with HIV and almost one third (32%) of all new HIV infections and AIDS deaths globally in 2007. National adult HIV prevalence exceeded 15% in eight countries in 2005 (Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Zambia and Zimbabwe). While there is evidence of a significant decline in the national HIV prevalence in Zimbabwe, the epidemics in most of the rest of the subregion have either reached or are approaching a plateau. Only in Mozambique latest HIV data (in2005) have shown an increase in prevalence over the previous surveillance period. Globally, 2.3 million children are living with HIV. In 2005, around 380,000 children died of AIDS and 540,000 children got newly infected. Over 15 million children have lost one or both parents to AIDS. Right now in Kenya, about 1.8 million children have been orphaned, left bewildered and on their own as a result of the HIV/AIDS pandemic. There were 11.4 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa (2007) - 9% of whom have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS, 3.7 million orphans in South Africa (2006) - 49% of whom have lost one or both parents to HIV/AIDS, the number of AIDS orphans by 2010 is expected to be 15.7 in sub-Saharan Africa. Every day over 6,800 people become infected and over 5,700 people die.Young people, under the age of 25, account for half of all new HIV infections worldwide - this is 6,000 every day. Ok, am I boring you with all these numbers ?? Please understand, these are NOT numbers and statistics. They are our children and our brothers and sisters. Is this acceptable to you ???

When I get tired...

2008-04-02T18:52:00.001-07:00

I'm sure there are days that will be coming on this epic bike ride when I am really tired and hot and feel defeated. When that day comes I'll remember the night I watched this movie. I'll remember why I am riding. I'll remember who I'm riding for and then suddenly that weariness will pale in comparison to what a child faces every day in sub-saharan Africa. You simply must see this film ! You'll laugh and you'll cry and hopefully you will be moved enough to believe there is something you can do. Do not underestimate the significance of the smallest thing you will do for someone. In Africa even the smallest things are big to someone living without hope. Trust God to speak to you and show you your purpose in the world. Get out of your box. Get off of the couch. God was very clear in Leviticus 19:18" You shall not take vengence, nor bear any grudge against the children of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself...". And Jesus, in Matthew 22:39 says, "...You shall love your neighbor as yourself ". Irrespective of any dogma or rhetoric either political or religious, we are under a clear mandate to help and we are reminded in James 1:27 "...to visit orphans and widows in their trouble...". Could there be anything more troubling than a disease that is ravaging a entire generation and those to come ?? Sub-Saharan Africa remains the most affected region in the global AIDS epidemic. More than two thirds (68%) of all people HIV-positive live in this region where more than three quarters (76%) of all AIDS deaths in 2007 occurred. It is estimated that 1.7 million [1.4 million–2.4 million] people were newly infected with HIV in 2007, bringing to 22.5 million [20.9 million–24.3 million] the total number of people living with the virus. Unlike other regions, the majority of people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa (61%) are women. Please believe in the power of the ordinary, please understand you can make a difference. God is waiting.

a big detour on the road to redemption...forgiveness

2008-03-30T19:34:00.000-07:00

In true forgiveness there is redemption. Jesus said I have forgiven all your sins and in that forgiveness I have redeemed you from death. There is power in forgiveness. There is healing in forgiveness. No matter how deep our perceived individual wounds, none could come close to the wounds Jesus endured to be able to forgive our sins. We like to compare our scars and show proof we were hurt at some point in time. Many believe those scars will never fade and thus serve as a painful reminder of some physical or mental incident we experienced. Many times we come to identify ourselves in relation to these injuries and begin to live our lives as victims. The problem we face with doing this is we never accept any responsibility for the condition of our lives and can always point to a someone or something that has caused us to be where we find ourselves. Jesus was quite clear about the necessity of forgiveness in Matthew 6:14 He said, "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." Ok, so do you need any other reason than that ? Is that being not forgiving worth holding on to in light of what you stand to really lose ???

Potholes in the road to redemption...

2008-03-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Sometimes on the road to redemption there are more questions than answers. Sometimes the prodigal is not welcomed home with open arms. Sometimes too much time has gone by and despite our best efforts we must accept what was lost will stay lost. I don't know why we stubbornly persist in trying to close up gaps that just won't be closed. We have windows of opportunity to tell people we love them. Those windows close and then realize we've missed it. I have missed a few and they always will remind me that just for today my job is to love and to tell someone that they are loved. Whether by word or actions we live in the fullness of the moment when we love like there's no tomorrow. There is no history, there are no expectations. Because, when that window closes there are no tomorrows, only a handful of "I wish I hads". In the bible, Paul talks about agape love. This love is a deliberate love that is chosen based on the one who loves rather than determining the worth of the one who is loved. It is this nothing-in-return love that has the power to transform peoples lives. This is the love Jesus has for a lot of messed up people. I should be so lucky to love like Jesus.

2008-03-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

"It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best,
since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember
them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses
you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven
through as you gain by riding a bicycle."
- Ernest Hemingway

There is a sense of awe and wonder at the mere concept of riding a bicycle over 3,120 miles in 52 days. Seriously, I can't even think of it in that way right now. It just seems too big, too much. My mind cannot comprehend the distance. I have driven across country and back a few times and that seemed fairly grueling at times ! So, the challenge presents itself and rolls out before me like a red carpet all the way across the US and back home. "this little pig went to see the USA...home again,home again, jiggedy jig"

Itinerary
Schedule subject to change.

Date	City, State	Miles

Prep
6/6	Santa Monica, CA	0
6/7	Santa Monica, CA	0
6/8	Church/Day Off	0

WK 1
6/9	Palmdale, CA	68
6/10	Lucerne Valley, CA	74
6/11	Twenty Nine Palms, CA	66
6/12	Parker, AZ	110
6/13	Aguila, AZ*	84
6/14	Phoenix, AZ	78
6/15	Church/Day Off	0

WK 2
6/16	Payson, AZ	86
6/17	Show Low, AZ	88
6/18	Quemado, NM	95
6/19	Soccoro, NM	105
6/20	Capitan, NM*	93
6/21	Roswell, NM	70
6/22	Church/Day Off

WK 3
6/23	Plains, TX	101
6/24	Post, TX	85
6/25	Old Glory, TX	86
6/26	Graham, TX	94
6/27	Fort Worth, TX	88
6/28	Dallas/Fort Worth	55
6/29	Day Off/Red Oak, TX	0

WK 4
6/30	Day Off/Red Oak, TX*	0
7/1	Mineola, TX	91
7/2	Jefferson, TX	79
7/3	Spring Hill, LA	65
7/4	Camden, AR	65
7/5	Pine Bluff, AR	72
7/6	Day Off/Church	0

WK 5
7/7	Marvell, AR	86
7/8	Memphis,TN	91
7/9	Jackson, TN	81
7/10	Dickson,TN	99
7/11	Nashville, TN*	40
7/12	Nashville, TN	50
7/13	Church/Day Off	0

WK 6
7/14	Carthage, TN	52
7/15	Warburg, TN	95
7/16	Knoxville, TN (Church)	45
7/17	Kingsport, TN	92
7/18	Tazewell, VA	84
7/19	Blacksburg, VA	76
7/20	Church/Day Off	0

WK 7
7/21	Lynchburg, VA	94
7/22	Charlottesville, VA	67
7/23	Warrenton, VA*	70
7/24	Washington D.C.	50
7/25	Day Off	0
7/26	Washington D.C.	50
7/27	Church/Day Off	0

52	TOTALS	3120

Here we go...

2008-03-24T08:33:00.000-07:00

"But the people who know their God shall prove themselves strong, and shall stand firm and do exploits [for God]. Daniel 11:32 AMP

Well,...God has picked a real big one this time. It's OK though, because I'm up to the task. You see, God has a long history of taking the most ordinary, everyday people and doing extraordinary things through them for His glory. And trust me, I am an ordinary-out-of (physical) shape "50 something" as there can be. BUT,... I have a servants heart as big as Texas. I cannot possibly explain in any rational terms how this bike trip across the US even seems plausible. I do know that the speed in which things are moving is way beyond my abilities. I do know that God blesses those who bless others. I do know that God is a God of provision. We all have have made choices in our lives and traveled many different roads.For many of us, those roads have been hard and full of potholes and detours. Sometimes we have gotten lost on those roads and wondered if we would ever find our way back home again. In our fear and frustration some have cried out to God to provide direction. You see, now days we have many types of GPS systems to help us navigate and keep us from getting lost. But, there is only one GPS system you really need. I call it Gods' GPS. G.P.S.= Gods'-Perfect- Salvation. Or another is Go-Pray-Serve. Whichever name you choose, one thing remains clear and that is we are called to be witnesses to the world and we are to serve others. There is no other choice. I am ready for an exploit for God.