This message has been a long time coming.
If you’ve been around for a minute, you know I’ve talked about The Maven Workshop for years. You may have even heard me say it was something God gave me. That wasn’t just hype—it was for real. But here’s the honest truth:
I haven’t been diligent with it. And I’ve beat myself up over it, over and over again over the years.
I allowed fear to creep in here and there. A sprinkle of unbelief now and then.
It hasn’t been because I stopped believing in the vision… It’s because I let myself get tangled in a web of “what I’m supposed to do” according to everyone else—the experts, the internet, the algorithms, the culture.
But the other day, something changed.
I stumbled onto a Substack by a creator named Megan Moran. Her page is called “Tuning In,” and one of her videos gave me like a gut-check—spiritually, creatively, and personally. It spoke right into the tension I’ve been feeling: being a dreamer with a gift… but stuck in a system not designed for dreamers.
I realized this:
The Maven Workshop isn’t supposed to be a sprint. It’s supposed to be a space.
A space where dreamers who’ve been detoured can return to what God placed inside them.
A space where the pace is slower, the words are real, and the point isn’t performance—it’s purpose.
A space where your gifting is discovered, developed, and directed back to the glory of God.
The Bible says this:
“Do not neglect the gift that is in you.” — 1 Timothy 4:14 (NKJV)
I had to ask myself, ‘Gabe, have you neglected what God put in your hands?’
And the answer was, ‘yes.’
But today, I’m doing something about it.
Here’s what I wrote down after that moment of clarity:
“God gave me the idea for The Maven Workshop a long time ago.
I haven’t been diligent about building it.
But from this day forward, I believe its purpose is to glorify God by helping people discover their God-given gifting.”
Simple. Clear. Real.
This space isn’t about selling anything. It’s about serving. It’s about building a community of purpose-driven people—just like you—who had a dream once… but life happened.
Maybe you had to pay the bills.
Maybe you got a job to survive, not thrive.
Maybe 10, 15, 20 years went by, and now you’re waking up wondering, “Is this all there is?”
Let me say it like this:
You are not stuck. You are not too old. And it is not too late.
“The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.” — Romans 11:29 (NKJV)
That dream wasn’t random. It wasn’t hype. It was literately a seed from Heaven.
Even if it got buried under responsibility and survival, the dream still lives. You have to believe that.
And the good news? You’re not alone.
I’ve decided that I’m building this slow. I’m not trying to go viral. I’m trying to go deep.
I want to grow something that actually matters. Something authentic. Something lasting.
As I sat at my desk writing all of this down, I looked up and saw this quote on my John Maxwell calendar:
“Loving people precedes leading them. People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
That really hit home for me.
Because I do love people. I genuinely love what God has uniquely placed in each person. I love watching that moment when someone remembers who they are. And if that means leading, then okay. But first, let me love you by saying:
Don’t quit on that dream. (It’s God-given)
Don’t bury that gift. (It was freely given to you and you alone)
Don’t believe the lie that says it’s too late. (Because it’s not)
God put that gift in you for a reason.
When you walk in it, He gets glory. Others get inspired. And you get free.
So what’s next?
This is the start.
Of the real Maven Workshop.
Not built fast. Built faithfully.
I’ll be sharing more right here on Substack.
More thoughts, more stories, more encouragement for those of us who got knocked off course, but still believe God isn’t done.
Let’s rediscover the dream together.
Talk soon,
– Gabriel Godines
“Let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” — Galatians 6:9 (NKJV)
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