The Magnolia Story

by Chip Gaines

my faith became something

I came to think of God as more of a gracious friend who was accompanying me on this journey, a friend who wanted to carry my burdens and speak into my life and shape me into who I really was and who I would become.

But guess what? It all seemed to be working out in that perfectly messy way life works when you trust in God and his plans for your life rather than focusing on your own.

We wanted to start a habit of seeking outside opinions just to make sure we were thinking about everything a new couple ought to think about as we started our new life together.

The two of them began memorizing Scripture together each day. This practice helped them discover new wisdom,

me. I started to see how beautiful

He wanted me to go out and hit the proverbial hundred balls every day, to give it my all no matter what I was doing.

Sometimes worrying about something is much worse than the actual thing you’re worrying about. So really, what’s the point in worrying?

I realized that my determination to make things perfect meant I was chasing an empty obsession all day long. Nothing was ever going to be perfect the way I had envisioned it in the past. Did I want to keep spending my energy on that effort, or did I want to step out of that obsession and to enjoy my kids, maybe allowing myself to get messy right along with them in the process?

“I’m just surviving,” it seems to me that would wind up being your mind-set for the rest of your life. You’d just get stuck in it.

If you can’t find happiness in the ugliness, you’re not going to find it in the beauty, either.

Letting it all go is freeing. (And it’s cheaper too!) I am learning that getting our intentions right simplifies our decisions in life and changes our perspective. And in the end, what it’s all about is thankfulness and contentment.

What is my intention?

contentment is found on the way to the “farm,” not on the “farm” itself.

Go and find what it is that inspires you, go and find what it is that you love, and go do that until it hurts.

Don’t quit, and don’t give up. The reward is just around the corner. And in times of doubt or times of joy, listen for that still, small voice. Know that God has been there from the beginning—and he will be there until . . .