But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop

On some cereal boxes you will find this phrase: “Some settling of the contents have occurred during shipping.” It is an explanation for why the box isn’t quite full. It is also an apt description of our bodies as we ship them from year to year. Despite our best efforts our contents settle in places we would rather them not.

The deepest point in the ocean is greater than the highest elevation on earth. Mt. Everest clocks in at an impressive height of 29,035 feet but a place called Challenger Deep in the Western Pacific Ocean is 35,840 feet deep. That’s more than six miles.