Pete RyderJul 23, 20213 minWhen Jesus Almost Threw UpDid you watch ‘Survivor’ when it first came out? They’d throw 20ish people into a couple campsites on a remote island, give them a little...
Pete RyderMay 28, 20213 minHistorical MarkersThe scene became something of a family joke over time. We’d be on a road trip, going somewhere fun, say, like, King’s Island Amusement...
Pete RyderMay 14, 20214 minLost in BeloitThe summer after my senior year of high school, I embarked on a wilderness adventure with a group of friends and teachers, canoeing and...
Pete RyderApr 30, 20214 minI Can Do It Myself!Awhile back, where we used to live, we had some issues with our garage door. It seemed to be a little crooked and several times it...
Pete RyderApr 15, 20213 minStubborn TreesThere’s something about a hike in the woods. The fresh air. The pungent smells. The diverse plant and animal life. The woods are a...
Pete RyderApr 2, 20213 minSeeds of LifeI’ve never been much of a gardener. I like the idea of gardening, just not the day to day work of weeding, pruning, and watering… It’s...
Pete RyderMar 16, 20213 minWhat I Learned One Morning in Remedial Math ClassI’m a substitute teacher sometimes. One day last fall, I was filling in for an intervention specialist at the High School, and I started...
Pete RyderMar 5, 20214 minAt Home...in Berlin?As a 21-year-old soon-to-be college senior, I packed by bags and flew across the ocean to Berlin, Germany, to serve with a church...
Pete RyderFeb 19, 20213 minAre We There Yet!?Our kids were always pretty good travelers growing up, occupying themselves and not getting too fussy. But they had their moments. I...
Pete RyderFeb 5, 20214 minThat Guy is On Fire!It was a typical fall Saturday afternoon in Medina. Rebecca and I had been hiking at one of the county parks, enjoying the sunshine and...
Pete RyderJan 22, 20213 minSpiritual Tune-UpYears ago, one of our cars was making a ‘click-ety-clack-ety’ sound. I was a youth pastor at the time, with 2 kids under 3, and we didn’t...
Pete RyderJan 8, 20213 minMaking Your Bed Could Change Your Life!For a long time, I never really understood why people ‘made’ their beds. I mean, you’re literally going to be right back in it before the...
Pete RyderDec 18, 20203 minThe Wise Men & the J.C. Penney's CatalogGrowing up, there was no Google or Amazon to look on the internet at what toys I might want for Christmas, so it was a big day when the...
Pete RyderDec 11, 20202 minYard By Yard It's HardThe yard was at least an acre in size, and that was just the front. From the street the lawn gradually rose, stopping only when it...
Pete RyderAug 14, 20203 minDon't Ever Change...?Picture this scene – it’s high school graduation week in small-town USA, and the seniors, many of whom have been in classes together...
Pete RyderJul 17, 20203 minPersevering Through the Marathon of LifeLast September I ran the Akron Marathon. It was my second time, and I had high hopes. The previous year I had suffered from muscle...
Pete RyderJun 26, 20203 minStill True in the DarkA few months’ ago, Rebecca and I had the privilege of travelling to Sedona, AZ. We’d never been, but we’d seen pictures, read about it,...
Pete RyderMar 13, 20204 minLessons in BambooThe fence was about 50 feet long, with a gate, and was made entirely out of bamboo. On the morning of our first work day on our mission...
Pete RyderMar 7, 20203 min#BLESS the Lord#BLESS I’m not sure why “hashtags” became a thing. I mean, I’d always thought it was the ‘pound’ sign, or the ‘number’ sign. At some...
Pete RyderFeb 27, 20202 minLife Stories - Faith SobocinskiWhen Pastor Pete asked me if I would be willing to share some of the ways God is leading me to love people to life, my first thought was...