"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 This familiar scripture is the rallying cry for our guest in today's episode. Benny DiChiara suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury) in 2015. No one knows exactly what caused him to lose consciousness and hit his head when he fell. But it put him in his place, and gave him time to rest and think on what he really should be doing with his life. After hearing a call (literally) to form a new band, he wrote the lyrics for a song based on Jeremiah 29:11. Empowered has proven to be immensely popular with the youth, and shares God's love through their music. And although Benny lost his sense of taste in the aftermath of his fall in 2015, he certainly didn't lose his zany sense of humor, as you'll hear in this episode! In this episode with Benny, you'll learn: -The "incredible accident" which brought a new awareness of God's grace...03:00 -God spoke to Benny while recovering from his accident...11:15 -How a lifetime church attender finally found a personal relationship with Jesus...17:11 -Understand the real story of those who appear to be "successful"...25:03 -The story behind Benny's new album Yahweh Nissi...28:00 -"If people don't feel Jesus when we're performing, we need to just quit"...34:35 -How Benny got involved with Children's Cup ministries...37:20 -One thing about Benny most people don't know...42:00 -And much more... Resources mentioned: Rockin 4 Jesus website Children's Cup ministries Guest's bio and social handles: Instagram: @benny777 and @empowered_rockin4jesus Facebook Benny DiChiara is not fragile, yet he understands the fragility of life. He is not lost, but he knows the aimless paths of those who wander. He is not a victim, but he has experienced life-saving salvation from the inside out. His world has been shaken, but his feet are planted firmly on the strongest of foundations. And even as he faced an abyss of the unknown, he never did so alone. In October 2015, the singer, songwriter, businessman, motivational speaker, father, and husband endured a traumatic brain injury (TBI) that placed his life and future in peril. A fall sent him to the emergency room and ICU with a concussion and closed fracture of the skull base with subarachnoid, subdural, and extradural hemorrhage. The catastrophic injury could have easily ended his life or, at the least, compromised the quality of it. "I absolutely remember nothing from the first month after my injury," he shares. "It's just gone. Once I started to come out of it, there were memory gaps, speech issues, and walking issues. Everything looked surreal." The battle for his life and mind was not easy or quick. Amid the struggle, though, he clung to the knowledge that the battle for his heart had already been won. "I liken the experience to someone who is just lost, who feels like they cannot find their way," he shares. "You have no answers. But then there's Jesus." Hand-in-hand with his Savior, DiChiara not only defied medical odds; he discovered and plumbed the depths of burgeoning creative inspiration that merged into the most recent EP from his band, Empowered, entitled Three Days. "As I recovered, the injury did not affect my ability to make music," he shares. "I was afraid I would lose that gifting. Instead, He has elevated that gift."...