Praise for Love Does “If this book does not make your heart beat faster, book the next flight to Mayo Clinic!” Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor, Willow Creek Community Church Chairman, Willow Creek Association “Bob Goff is a one-man tsunami of grace, a hurricane of love. He doesn’t just talk about change, he really is change, as Love Does chronicles in such a vivid way. Yet, Love Does doesn’t leave you feeling like you want to celebrate its author, it awakens a sense deep within that you, too, have an outrageous role to play in God’s unfolding story or rescue and repair.” Louie Giglio, Passion Conferences/Passion City Church “An interesting and compelling story (with Young Life roots) that ends with a practical challenge and punch: ‘love does’ and God can use you to do it!” Denny rydberg, President, Young Life “Every once in a while someone like Bob Goff shows up to remind us that some things matter a lot more than others. Love Does has a kind of ‘north star’ effect that will push you to refocus your life and energy on what is most significant. It doesn’t just invite you to respond with your God-given potential, it invites you to become a part of what God can do beyond your potential.” reggie Joiner, Founder and CEO of Orange “We liked the book a lot. Mostly, the balloons on the cover. The rest was pretty good too. Lots of stories about how God helps us.” aedan, asher and skye Peterson ages 13, 12 and 9 “This may look like a book. It’s not. It is an invitation to enter into the great- est adventure you have ever known—your life as it was meant to be lived. Hang on!” Michael Hyatt, Author, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World MichaelHyatt.com “We really liked the book. Especially, the part about Tom Sawyer Island. I think it’s really cool how Bob takes things from real life and compares it to what God and Jesus do.” Livi, Jonah and Ben Goodgame ages 11, 8 and 4 00-01_Love Does.indd 1 2/29/12 1:21 PM “I love this book!! Read it only if you dare to be inspired to have more fun, adventures, and the courage to live life to your fullest potential!! Love does delivers on so many levels—part memoir, part call to action, all spiritual journey, and so well-written you won’t be able to put it down.” Darla K. anderson, Senior Producer, Pixar Animation Studios (and Bob Goff co-conspirator of many adventures and antics) “Love Does—a book title and personal manifesto wrapped into one. Bob Goff just ‘does love,’ and on that path he sets others free to find themselves, to take courage, to make their mark, to pursue an adventure. Like all good books, Love Does feels like a conversation with the author—a real talk about things that matter. Goff’s book is a deep dive into a world with rough edges, where sentimentality and pithy remarks have no hold. The passages in Love Does stay close long after you turn the last page.” David Batstone, President, Not For Sale “I would steal Bob’s life if I could. His tenacious love of the unlovable, his courage to kick collective wisdom to the curb, and his infectious belief in what’s possible make him the man I want to be. Love Does is a beautiful and dangerous gift to all dreamers, misfits, and whimsy world-changers.” Mike foster, People of the Second Chance “Bob’s ability to love people brings contagious hope and inspiration wher- ever he goes. The power of love showcased in this book will surely touch the hearts and souls of many people. Read Love Does and find a friend in one the world’s best hidden secrets, a person who shows how love can create connec- tion and make a difference—even across oceans.” George Tsereteli, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, (former Russian Republic) “If all people loved the way Bob Goff loves all people, the world would change overnight. In this book, he reminds us of the truest virtue the kingdom calls us to practice: Love Does. It’s active. The Jesus we serve is surprising and subversive. Bob knows this because he himself is both paradoxically wise as a wizard and as joy-filled as a toddler.” Jason russell, Co-founder of Invisible Children “There are some nasty rumors out there about treasure. Mostly that’s it’s bur- ied and needs discovering. Or has to be mined. Or can only be located with a map and a big X. Not so, says the life of Bob Goff. Living from the center of your heart doesn’t have to be complicated or elusive. Love just wakes up in the morning and gets busy loving. The treasure is sitting right there next to the pancakes. About 5 pages in, I knew my life and I were gonna have words.” Nicole Nordeman, Mother and Musician 00-01_Love Does.indd 2 2/29/12 1:21 PM L o v e D o e s Discover a secretly increDible life in an orDinary WorlD B oB G o f f 00-01_Love Does.indd 3 2/29/12 1:21 PM © 2012 by Bob Goff All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, scanning, or other—except for brief quotations in critical reviews or articles, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson. Thomas Nelson is a registered trademark of Thomas Nelson, Inc. Thomas Nelson, Inc., titles may be purchased in bulk for educational, business, fund- raising, or sales promotional use. For information, please e-mail SpecialMarkets@ ThomasNelson.com. The quotation in “Bigger and Better” is taken from C. S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory (orig. 1949; New York: HarperOne, 2001), 26. Library of Congress Control Number: 2012933533 ISBN-13: 978-1-4002-0375-8 Printed in the United States of America 12 13 14 15 16 QGF 6 5 4 3 2 1 00-01_Love Does.indd 4 2/29/12 1:21 PM This book is dedicated to Sweet Maria, Lindsey, Richard, and Adam and the posse of friends who have changed the way I see Jesus 00-01_Love Does.indd 5 2/29/12 1:21 PM 00-01_Love Does.indd 6 2/29/12 1:21 PM Contents Foreword by Donald Miller • ix Introduction: Love Does • xiii 1. I’m with You • 1 2. Sniper Fire • 10 3. Ryan in Love • 17 4. The Reach • 25 5. The Rearview Mirror • 31 6. “Go Buy Your Books!” • 38 7. Sweet Maria • 46 8. Wedding Cake • 54 9. Just Say Yes • 59 10. The Interviews • 67 11. There’s More Room • 76 12. Wow, What a Hit! • 84 13. Bigger and Better • 89 14. A New Kind of Diet • 94 15. A Word Not to Use • 99 16. Hunting Grizzlies • 103 17. Corner Store Economics • 109 18. Catching a Ride • 113 19. Jeepology • 120 20. Ten-Year-Old Adventures • 128 21. Hearing Aid • 137 22. The Puppeteer • 145 vii 00-01_Love Does.indd 7 3/14/12 4:55 PM contents 23. Friends, Welcome Home • 151 24. Lose the Cape • 159 25. God Is Good • 164 26. Jailbreak • 173 27. The Story • 183 28. Skin in the Game • 189 29. Memorizing Jesus • 197 30. Palms Up • 203 31. Two Bunk John • 206 Epilogue • 216 Acknowledgments • 219 About the Author • 223 Connect with Bob • 224 viii 00-01_Love Does.indd 8 2/29/12 1:21 PM fore worD by Donald Miller Bob Goff has had a greater impact on my life than any person I’ve known. And while you’ll read stories in this book about adventures both big and small, it isn’t bears or witchdoc- tors or dynamite that got through to me, though I confess Bob’s adventures are intoxicating. The reason Bob has impacted my life is because he loves me. Bob Goff loves people with a force that is natural, and by natural I mean like nature, like a waterfall or wind or waves on the ocean. He loves effortlessly, as though love packs annually in snow on a mountain, melting and rushing through him in an infinite loop. There’s no explanation for a man who can love this well save God. I think Bob Goff knows God, and I think God’s love flows through him. I’m not alone in these sentiments. There are many around the world who have experienced the same love. What do you do with a man who will get on a plane and fly around the world to attend the wedding of a new acquaintance? What do you do with a man ix 00-01_Love Does.indd 9 2/29/12 1:21 PM