There comes a point in every journey where you stop asking, "Where should I go next?" and start asking, "What should I build?"
For me, that moment came after more than 35 years of traveling the world.
Most people know me as a game designer, professor, keynote speaker, or entrepreneur. Those roles took me to conferences, universities, and companies across Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. I had the privilege of working with incredible teams, teaching thousands of students, and seeing places that many people only dream about visiting.
Along the way, I always packed one unusual travel companion.
A small action figure of The Dude from The Big Lebowski.
The Little Guy Opened Big Conversations
I was ordained as a Dudeist Priest back in 2009, and what started as a joke quickly became one of the best icebreakers I ever found.
The Little Lebowski appeared in my keynote presentations, traveled with me to famous landmarks, and quietly became a game. Audiences would try to spot him hidden in my presentation slides, and complete strangers would walk over smiling and simply say:
"Dude!"
That tiny action figure sparked conversations in airports, cafés, universities, museums, festivals, and conference halls around the world.
It reminded me that humor has a remarkable way of bringing people together.
Eventually, thousands of people began following the adventures of the Little Lebowski online, and many started creating their own photos as well.
What began as a silly travel project slowly became a global community.
Traveling Changed the Way I See Problems
The greatest gift travel gave me wasn't the passport stamps.
It was perspective.
Every country I visited had solved problems differently.
Some communities built incredible public spaces that naturally brought neighbors together.
Others created food forests where people could harvest fresh fruit simply by taking a walk.
I saw makerspaces where expensive tools were shared instead of owned.
I saw sustainable housing ideas that reduced waste while improving quality of life.
I saw games being used to teach, rehabilitate, and connect people in ways traditional education never could.
Everywhere I went, I found small innovations that worked because communities had decided to solve problems together.
I couldn't help wondering:
What if we brought the best of these ideas together in one place?
What Games Taught Me About Life
My career has always revolved around games.
I've used game design to help stroke patients learn to walk again.
I've designed systems to help educate farmers.
I've worked on projects that support mental health, learning, and behavioral change.
Games taught me something that extends far beyond entertainment:
People accomplish far more together than they do alone.
Think about a bowling league.
Individually, you're just throwing a ball down a lane.
Together, you're building friendships, encouraging one another, and creating a community that often lasts for years.
The same principle applies to almost everything else in life.
Communities solve problems that individuals cannot.
From Travel to The Abiding Grove
Eventually I returned home to America.
Not because the adventure was over.
Because I finally knew what the adventure was leading toward.
My next life's work isn't another game.
It isn't another startup.
It isn't another keynote tour.
It's building a place where many of the lessons I discovered around the world can come together.
That place is called The Abiding Grove.
Imagine a place where people can:
learn practical skills
share tools instead of buying everything themselves
walk through food forests
play disc golf or bowl with friends
attend workshops
build things together
relax around a campfire
enjoy coffee, conversation, and community
A place designed around five simple ideas:
🌱 Food Freedom
🏡 Housing Freedom
⚡ Energy Freedom
🛠 Building Freedom
☯️ Spiritual Freedom
Not through isolation.
Through community.
Why Little Lebowski Church?
People often ask why I chose to establish Little Lebowski Church.
The answer is surprisingly simple.
For years I watched people from every background connect through one shared idea:
Take life a little easier.
Help your friends.
Don't become a nihilist.
Keep your mind limber.
Whether someone is Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, atheist, or simply curious, those values can still bring people together.
Little Lebowski Church isn't about replacing anyone's beliefs.
It's about creating a community where people can connect, build, play, relax, and abide together.
I'd Love You to Be Part of It
If you've ever attended one of my talks...
Taken one of my classes...
Played one of my games...
Read one of my blogs...
Followed the Little Lebowski adventures...
Or simply found something I've created useful over the years...
I'd like to invite you to join me for this next chapter.
We're building The Abiding Grove one step at a time.
The first step is growing the community.
The next is purchasing land where that vision can become a reality.
If this sounds like something worth building together, I'd love your help.
Become a member.
Volunteer your time.
Or, if you're able, help plant the first seeds through a donation.
Because after 35 years of traveling the world, I believe I've finally found my next life's work.
And I hope you'll help me build it.
Come abide with us.