“So teach us to number our days that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12, ESV One of my goals this year was to read two books that would help me with joy, positivity, and whimsy. The first is a 365-day devotional called Catching Wimsy by Bob Goff. I am halfway through it, and it’s been good enough … Read More
Exclusive Prayer & Ministry Update-070326
Greg Austen Happy 4th of July, friends! Although this is a ministry update post, today is an extra special day as America celebrates its Semiquincentennial or 250th anniversary. In honor of that, I wanted to share a great conversation from three thought leaders that I appreciate, listen to, and learn from regularly. And, as far as the Ministry Update, if … Read More
Generational Events That Shaped Us
Continuing my Storyworth project, here’s how I answered, “What’s the first major news story you can remember living through as a child?” They say that for Baby Boomers (those born between 1946 and 1964), JFK’s assassination and Watergate were the two defining moments. For Gen Xers (1965-1980), the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. For Millennials (1981-1996), 9/11. For later generations, it seems that major … Read More
Our Stories and What They Suggest
Continuing my Storyworth project, here’s how I answered, “Who had the most positive influence on you as a child?” I was blessed to have parents and grandparents, as well as aunts and uncles, on both sides who loved and spent time with me. Since I’ve written about them in other places, I will write here about a few key people—in order of … Read More
Why Empathy Isn’t the Endgame, Part 2 of 2
Last week, I shared a story of how I discovered that some view empathy as a dirty word. There, I made the case for why empathy, rather than being toxic, is one of the foundational virtues of being a good human. But the story was also about how my friend and I, despite feeling like we were on two different … Read More
Why Empathy Isn’t Toxic, Part 1 of 2
I remember the first time I learned that some view empathy as a dirty word; it was also the first time I began to learn how its meaning can be distorted and misunderstood. It was 2020, that dumpster fire of a year, and I was extolling the importance of the virtue in a conversation with a friend. Surprisingly, he pushed … Read More
What is Equal Rights Institute (ERI)?
Having just transitioned from a vocational season that required a certain amount of peaceful coexistence with dust, some are asking, what is ERI? A simple way my predecessor likes to answer this question is to say… “We help prolife people be less weird.” 😊 I love this line as what he’s provocatively calling out is that, sadly, the prolife movement … Read More
Exclusive Prayer and Ministry Update-043026
Hi friends, It’s been quite some time since I shared a formal ministry update, but I’ve definitely got some big news this week! This is one of God’s surprises that came out of the blue a few months ago and has finally come to fruition. The long and short of it is my dear friend, Josh Brahm, who is the … Read More
Fumbling Toward the God Who Loves Us
“From one ancestor he made all peoples to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps fumble about for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us. For ‘In him we … Read More
Favorite Concerts
Continuing my Storyworth project, here’s how I answered, “What is one of the best shows you ever attended?” I will go the concert route on this one, as I’ve only ever seen one “Broadway” show, Les Misérables, in downtown Louisville, KY. I have little remembrance of the show, however, as I don’t think we had very good seats.[1] But I’ve been to … Read More