The Alternative: Awaken Your Dream, Unite Your Community, and Live in Hope

By Caleb Stanley, Austin Dennis and John Luke Robertson

“The Alternative is about thinking differently. Doing differently. Creating your own path. Taking paths of great resistance. And actually making a difference in the lives around us … and in the world at large.” —Caleb Stanley and Austin Dennis

The Alternative: Awaken Your Dreams, Unite Your Community and Live in Hope focuses on the big issues in life: friendship, dating, anxiety, self-esteem, faith, and the future—to name a few. Caleb Stanley and Austin Dennis, cofounders of The Alternative nonprofit, bring together inspirational voices such as Jefferson Bethke, Luke Lezon, Chelsea Crockett, and more to tackle tough issues with honesty and humor.

Based on the core principles of The Alterative movement, Caleb and Austin inspire readers to awaken their dreams, to unite communities in today’s tumultuous world, and to amplify hope in themselves and the people around them. In addition to advice and real-world anecdotes, this book is packed with mini-essays, Q&As, and devotions from today’s best-known faith leaders.

This full-color ebook is perfect for fans of Do Hard Things and The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Release date: Jan 29, 2019
• ISBN: 9780310765868

Caleb Stanley

Caleb Stanley is a cofounder of The Alternative, a young adult movement reaching thousands in Atlanta. Prior to The Alternative, Caleb served as a pastor in south Atlanta. Caleb is a dreamer—passionate about people, their story, and how it all plays into the big picture.

Book preview

ZONDERVAN

The Alternative

Copyright © 2019 by Caleb Stanley and Austin Dennis

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, 3900 Sparks Dr. SE, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49546

Epub Edition December 2018 9780310765868

ISBN 978-0-310-76588-2 (softcover)

ISBN 978-0-310-76586-8 (ebook)

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.Zondervan.com. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Published in association with Books & Such Literary Management, 52 Mission Circle, Suite 122, PMB 170, Santa Rosa, California 95409-5370, www.booksandsuch.com.

Wedding photo on page copyright Michelle Taulbee, Michelle Taulbee Photography

Cover design: Ron Huizinga

Interior design: Denise Froehlich

Printed in China

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This book is dedicated to my grandfather, Allan, who showed me what it means to leave a legacy.

—Caleb

I want to dedicate this book to my wife and daughter: Thank you for constantly pushing me to accomplish more than I ever thought I could, and for allowing me to chase the dream God put in my heart years ago. Without your love and support, I would not be where I am today. And to my mom and dad: Thank you for providing a foundation for me to walk on where I could chase after the calling God set on my life at a young age. Thank you for guiding me in my young years and showing grace in moments when I didn’t deserve it, and for teaching me to Fear no man, ONLY GOD.

—Austin

CONTENTS

Foreword

Introduction

Timeline of The Alternative

Chapter 1: Awakening Dreams

Chapter 2: Does Anyone See Me

Chapter 3: Built to Build

Chapter 4: Don’t Come Down

Chapter 5: Don’t Look Back

Chapter 6: Calling and Courage

Chapter 7: God, Do It Again

Chapter 8: Remember the Promise

Chapter 9: If They Only Knew

Chapter 10: Who Am I

Chapter 11: When You Know, You Know

Chapter 12: Always Enough

Conclusion

Acknowledgments

THE ALTERNATIVE IS MORE THAN AN EVENT—IT’S A LIFESTYLE. IT’S ABOUT CHOOSING MOPE WHEN LIFE HAS BROKEN YOU. IT’S DECIDING TO DREAM AGAIN WHEN YOU’VE BEEN LET DOWN. IT’S THE ALTERNATIVE TO THE EMPTINESS AND BROKENNESS WE ALL FACE. IT’S FINDING JESUS ON THE JOURNEY.

THE ALTERNATIVE.ORG

FOREWORD

BY JOHN LUKE ROBERTSON

If you’re anything like me, you want God to use your life in big ways. But it can sometimes feel like those dreams and desires are hard to hold on to. We’ve all been in seasons where we don’t feel like we are really making a difference. At times, we wonder how God could ever use us . . . or if God can ever forgive something in our past, or a mistake we’ve recently made. Some of you who are about to read this book may even be going through seasons of great pain and confusion. Maybe you have lost someone you love, and the world feels dark. Maybe you are simply trying to figure out what God’s plan is for your life. No matter what we face, the confusion and doubts we experience in life can feel overwhelming when we start to focus on all the things that seem to stand in the way of our callings. The good news is, there is an alternative.

Caleb and Austin have spent the last several years reaching people with a message that God wants to use their lives, no matter the season they are in or what they’ve experienced. The message of The Alternative has reminded me and thousands of others that we don’t have to settle for what the world offers. Our pain and our suffering are temporary. There is more beyond the discouragement and disappointment of our world. When we put our faith in Jesus, our lives can take a radical turn. We can take big steps. We can dream big dreams. We can watch God use our lives when we give them to Him! From the behind-the-scenes view of event planning to the letdown of failed attempts, even the prayers and personal struggles shared in this book, I believe Caleb and Austin’s vulnerability will inspire you to action. We’ve all been given a dream, and it’s my prayer that the way these guys have pursued The Alternative will challenge you to take a deep look at what God has placed in your heart and called you to do.

Don’t settle for the status quo. Don’t stop short of your calling. Take the path of greatest resistance. Awaken your dream, unite your community, and live in hope.

Find The Alternative.

John Luke

INTRODUCTION

CALEB

I’ll never forget watching my pen try to keep up with the thoughts pouring from my mind. It was 3:50 in the morning. Waking up in the middle of the night was not my usual habit, but there I was on that April morning in 2016, wide awake and spilling ink onto the page. Restlessness and discontent had settled over me, and I couldn’t quiet those feelings. I had heard messages about people battling depression and anxiety—could that be what I was experiencing?

But, no, this felt different. I couldn’t be depressed. From where I sat, everything in my life was going great. I should have been happy. I was twenty-two years old and helping pastor a young church on the south side of Atlanta alongside some of my best friends. I was comfortable. I was preaching and getting to travel. I was making enough money to live on my own, while still saving for the future. Home was a beautiful loft overlooking the small town of Hogansville, Georgia. My friends had just purchased the loft next door to turn it into a creative community for filmmakers and entrepreneurs. My girlfriend at the time was acting in some pretty big films, and I was flying to LA every couple of weeks to spend time with her. Not only was my personal life great, our church vision was growing.

Everything seemed perfect.

So why was I feeling so much unrest? When life is perfect, you’re not supposed to feel like . . . this.

Maybe I should make some changes?

Nope, that doesn’t seem right . . . I wouldn’t change anything about life right now.

But then what’s my problem?

It was like God woke me up in the middle of the night to have an argument with myself. There were so many things in my heart that I had been dismissing, dreams of greater things. I thought the root of these desires was discontent, and I was trained to think that being discontent was a sin. But God was using my discontent to push me toward something.

I just didn’t know what.

That night, my soul felt like it was caught in a rip current, and I didn’t know how to break free. So I started writing, hoping it would help me understand everything I was feeling.

What if we do something big in our old hometown? What if we get the old team together? Our community needs it. What if we dream again?

As I wrote, something inside me began to change. What started in my journal had migrated onto the glass coffee table (which I’d made from an old sheet of glass and some cinder blocks). I was draining the life from an Expo marker as I scribbled out questions I normally would have dismissed.

Was I living the life God wanted for me? Was I judging the quality of my life against those around me or against my calling?

I asked God what He wanted me to change. I even whispered to Him, If I wanted to make these changes . . . how? How could I possibly? Where would I even start? I believe God is trying to awaken something in all of us. Whether a dream or a calling, it’s time for us to listen.

I went back to bed that night and told God that if He wanted me to change something, He would need to make it obvious.

He did.

AUSTIN

I was standing at a Kroger gas pump, preparing to head back to my office after lunch break. It was January 27, 2016, and my life was about to change forever.

My wife, Rachel, and I had moved to the small town of LaGrange, Georgia, in September 2015. LaGrange was about an hour south of Newnan, where I had grown up. I’d moved down there to take a youth pastor position at a church that was thriving. By all accounts, God had blessed me. I had a great job with a good income for a twenty-three-year-old. My wife and I had been married for two months, and we had our own house. I was living the life.

That January day, I’d had a great lunch with my wife. We’d tried a new place in town—it was all right, nothing special—but the conversation was good. We had dreamed about where God would lead us over the next five years. The future was wide open.

As we were leaving the restaurant, Rachel made a comment: I don’t feel too well.

This launched a thousand questions from me: Are you okay? Are you sick? Do you have the flu? Are you dying? I sounded like my mom.

After I settled down, Rachel asked if I would take her to the local Walgreens and then drop her back off at work. I agreed, thinking she was going to grab some Tylenol or Advil. But as she walked out of Walgreens, I could see the small box through her bag: a pregnancy test.

Um . . . what?

Yes, it was a pregnancy test. Rachel said she was running late and she would have to get back to work before she could take it. We would have to wait a while for the results.

Then, as I stood at that gas pump, a text came through from my wife.

It was a picture—of a positive pregnancy test.

I released the gas pump and stared at my phone. I was going to be a dad.

You’re too young. You don’t have it all together. You don’t have enough money. You’re not ready. Not ready, not ready, not ready!

We panicked at first. But as the months went by, Rachel and I watched the pregnancy unfold. We were thrilled. We were going to be parents.

We matured quickly. Before long, we were going to have another life to care for. The responsibility weighed heavily on our thoughts. Our discussions of the future shifted dramatically. It was no longer, Where do you want to travel? It was, How will we raise our little girl?

We wanted to be parents who would live and lead by faith. That is easier said than done.

Four days after Esther Rose was born, I sat down with my head pastor and told him I was stepping away from my youth pastor position. You might be saying to yourself, I thought you were going to be responsible. You quit your job with a newborn at home? Who does that?!

I had to. God had placed a dream to start a ministry in my heart back in 2010, and I knew I hadn’t fully embraced it. The