Brandon Andress's Blog

Hey Friends! I hope you’re doing well today. I’m reaching out with something a bit special — an invitation to join me on a reflective journey called Deep Calls to Deep.

Each week, we delve into stories and insights that aim to touch the heart and stir the soul. It’s a little piece of contemplation delivered right to your inbox each Tuesday morning, meant to accompany you as you navigate the ebbs and flows of life.

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It’s November.

And in all the ways we have failed to give thanks for all the many good things each day, here we are, kicking and screaming, forced to give our obligatory thanks.

I’m not being cynical. I say all that tongue-in-cheek.

Wow. Brandon has really given up.

(I heard that)

Just kidding. I wanted to get a reaction from you.

Anyway.

I have written so much about thanksgiving (and Thanksgiving) over the years. About how it ought to be the perpetual outflow of our lives r...

I almost had a panic attack – and I don’t mean that metaphorically. It was an overwhelming mix of fear and helplessness, a moment where I felt utterly out of control. Until that point, I had never experienced anything quite like it.

My son, Will, who’s 12 years old, and I decided on a whim to leave Columbus, Indiana, this past Monday morning for a spontaneous trip to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. After a long seven-hour drive, we stopped in Mackinaw City before continuing our journey to Pi...

On a freezing Indiana night in mid-February, I stepped out of my warm car and hurried into the homeless shelter for my nightly volunteer shift. Seeking respite in the lobby, a young woman, temporarily staying at the shelter, sized me up and whispered, “You’re fly.”

In case you’re unfamiliar with urban slang, it essentially means, “You’re hot.”

Naturally, I was taken aback and somewhat embarrassed by her forwardness, particularly since I wore a wedding ring and had never met her before. How...

I remember one spring when we first moved into our current house, the backyard was covered in a blanket of yellow dandelions. I despised it.

But let me set the stage. My father is an exacting and obsessive caretaker of pristine lawns, and unsurprisingly, I grew up just like him. I detested this loathsome weed that threatened to overrun my vision of a serene and unbroken expanse of green around our home.

Every day, as I turned onto the street leading to our new house, the frustration mounte...

One of my all-time favorite bands is Sigur Rós. You likely may have never heard of them, but for the last twenty years, this Icelandic group has released the most profoundly beautiful, heavenly, and, dare I say, holy music on earth. After a ten-year hiatus, the band just released their eighth album entitled Átta. A couple of months ago, they also released a video for their song Andrá (Moment). I implore you to put on some headphones (please put on headphones) and spend eight minutes watching thi...

Here is some hard-earned wisdom- you rarely change a person’s heart through information. I know that’s a strong statement, but I spent years trying to do just that. For fifteen years, I would learn new information and then write blogs and books about it.

But over time, I discovered that instead of transforming people or fostering unity, information often had the opposite effect of dividing individuals. It became apparent that others could easily dismiss my writings by disregarding my “facts,”...

Here is some hard-earned wisdom- you rarely change a person’s heart through information. I know that’s a strong statement, but I spent years trying to do just that. For fifteen years, I would learn new information and then write blogs and books about it.

But over time, I discovered that instead of transforming people or fostering unity, information often had the opposite effect of dividing individuals. It became apparent that others could easily dismiss my writings by disregarding my “facts,”...

Sitting in the Shade of Another Tree: What We Learn by Listening to Other Faiths releases today, and I’m honored to be a contributor. Additionally, I’m thrilled to share a glimpse into the book’s compelling narrative, which focuses on fostering understanding and empathy in a world often marked by religious divides.

My chapter, “Subverting the Narrative: How Muslim Relationships Changed My Heart,” delves into my personal journey of challenging stereotypes and discovering the transformative pow...

I recently watched a fantastic four-episode documentary on Netflix called Chimp Empire. Based in the Ngogo forest of Uganda, the episodes follow two separate communities of chimpanzees that navigate complex socio-political dynamics, family issues, and territorial disputes. Interestingly, these two communities used to exist as one large, single community. But now, they are bitter adversaries, competing for land and resources.

Leading the Central group is Jackson, a 31-year-old male alp...