Andrej, Jessica, Kaiya, Tobi, Eli and Jakob

Last year Evan and I joined Cycle of Love to ride from Birmingham, AL to Atlanta, GA (160+ miles) to raise funds for the bike shop.

For Cycle of Love 2011 (Nov 5-6) our bike shop team has five teens plus two volunteers and me embarking on this life-changing journey. We are asking for donations for our youth development program at $1/mile (or more if you’d like). You can sponsor as many miles as you would like!

Our first pledge came from GA state representative Margaret Kaiser for $1/mile for the entire trip. Please join Mrs. Kaiser in supporting the at-risk youth of South Atlanta by supporting the work we do!

Reposted from website of South Atlanta Bike Shop.

As we were wrapping up today’s shift (with six police officers volunteering) this image was taken, capturing the unlikely trust being built between these caring officers and urban youth of South Atlanta. THIS is why the South Atlanta Bike Shop partners with the Atlanta Police Department – so that this is the only way the officer is ever driving with the young man in the back seat.

I just wrote a blog post about how I got pulled over riding my tricycle: http://southatlantabikeshop.org/2011/03/20/police-officers-volunteering-at-the-bike-shop/

Since I left my full time job in January 2009 to join Metro Merge (formerly Sub-Urban), I have also been working for BLACK, a small web development company two friends and I started. Income from this work helps provide for our family since we chose to raise support for only one minimum wage salary and health insurance. At first I thought of this as a crutch, but it didn’t take long to realize that being involved with BLACK actually increased my ability to do ministry.

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Before we left Michigan, I volunteered at The Motion Initiative, a bicycle ministry where youth can earn “shop bucks” by working on bicycles and later use those to buy a bicycle of their own. In the process of working alongside a mentor/mechanic, they learn the skill of bicycle repair and are held to high expectations of work ethic. Looking back, I see how God was preparing me for the next steps in His plan.

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Today, January 19, is a very important day. Three reasons come to mind, but I’m sure there are many others. Here are my top ones in no particular order:  (Read more …)

Back in May, my mom hosted a bridal luncheon for my cousin who was getting married a few weeks later. Mom called me minutes before the luncheon and said that she had put together a little book for the bride-to-be where everyone attending the luncheon could write down advice, thoughts or well wishes. Mom had a page for me, even though I would not be in attendance, and asked what advice I wanted to share.  (Read more …)