Just Continue That Thought...

A thought by Maria Goff (2017-03-07) from her book, Love Lives Here: Finding What You Need in a World Telling You What You Want (Kindle Location 2011). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) We don’t have gardens much anymore.   But I remember working out when I was a boy in both of my grandfather’s gardens.   Those are good memories.   Our lives are like gardens and so are the people around us. Maria says, “Preparing soil that someone can grow in is hard work, but it’s not all the work. Preparing your own soil is where the most important tilling is done.” She goes on, “I love the look, the smell, and everything about freshly tilled dirt. I would rather have a garden of only good clean dirt than one filled with overgrown, unwanted, or unhealthy plants. Turning over the soil helps me get to what I want, but it’s not enough. When farmers only cultivate the top couple feet and a half over and over a...

A thought by Maria Goff (2017-03-07) from her book, Love Lives Here: Finding What You Need in a World Telling You What You Want (Kindle Location 1878). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) But it is so tempting to not start, isn’t it?   Maria says, “Paul had some advice for his friends. He reminded them that Jesus would finish the good things they were doing. But we need to start it for Him to finish it. If we only run the races we know we’ll win, it’s no race at all.” She goes on, “What’s your big dream? What’s your beautiful ambition? Stop waiting. Put the lists away. Take it out of the spin cycle. Will it work? Who knows. We won’t know how the race will turn out until we finish it, not before. God doesn’t handicap us like horses at a race either. Don’t look at who else is running the race; stay in your lane and keep your eyes on the finish line. Winning doesn’t mean crossing the finish line in front of...

A thought by Maria Goff (2017-03-07) from her book, Love Lives Here: Finding What You Need in a World Telling You What You Want (Kindle Location 1802). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) For so many, getting ready is the most important thing about any situation and being ready is a good thing. Maria says, “I’d hate to miss even a minute of a party Jesus threw because I wasn’t ready. I think we all would. Here’s the thing. He’s not just talking about a party that happens in heaven; He’s throwing the party right now and He wants all of us to come. Sure, there will be more celebrations to come in heaven, but the party is already happening. Right now, right here. I’ve wondered if some of us are so busy getting ready for the one in heaven that we’re missing the one that’s going on right now. Being ready is a good thing until it distracts us from being present. When eternity’s starting gun sounds, I don’t want to fi...