Can you save yourself by jumping upward in a crashing elevator? Is it possible to fly using a lawn chair and helium filled balloons? Can ninjas really catch arrows shot at their head?

Now that’s some high quality entertainment!

One of my favorite parts of that show is the fan (or ‘not so much’ fan) letters they receive. It’s crazy to me how some people will dogmatically hold to a belief in something that is undeniably proven BUSTED. Or, how some will completely refuse the reality of something that was crowned PLAUSIBLE and has 60 minutes of video footage to back it up.

“I don’t care what the Mythbusters say, you can pop popcorn with your cellphone… I’ve seen it on YouTube!”

When it comes to myths, some people just don’t care about reality; they’ve just chosen what they believe and they are going to stick to it no matter what.

This is just as big a problem in the spiritual realm. There is some Spiritual Mythbusting that needs to be done, and we all have to be open to the evidence and not just believe what we heard back in the day.

Here’s a spiritual myth that needs to be busted: God will not give you more than you can handle.

Hold on, hold on, hold on. Put down the pitchforks and torches. Let’s not go mob just yet, but instead let’s test this one out.

I believe that God will ask you to do things, and require things of you that will absolutely crush you. I know it’s comforting to think that God would never do that, but you and I have both seen individuals and families that have been seriously damaged.

Financial concerns, mission opportunities, health battles; you name the scenario and we have seen some people come through it with flying colors (whatever that means) and seen others utterly devastated.

To add to the confusion, often its the ‘Godly’ family that is sinks, and the disconnected folks who seem to rise above.

Huh? What’s this all about God? Doesn’t Your Bible promise that we won’t be given more than we can handle?

Nope.

Most people take one verse from the New Testament to construct this “We could never be smushed” theology, but if you really look at it…that’s not what it says:

1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Obviously, this passage is about temptation. God does promise to not allow us to be tempted beyond what we can bear. Which, by the way, means whatever your excuse/rationale for succumbing to the sin eventually boils down to this descriptor… it’s lame.

“Lord, I know gluttony is wrong, but its my birthday and it would be rude of me not to eat the entire cake they got me. I’m just trying to practice thankfulness and be a good example. I’m going to eat this whole cake, for Jesus.”

Not saying resisting temptation isn’t difficult, and at times doesn’t seems like a day hike through hell. But, scripture is clear, even at it’s most difficult God promises “a way out.”

The problem is that’s a promise for undergoing temptation, not for walking through the paces of life!

Sometimes we get dealt a hand that seems impossible: cancer, divorce, depression, unemployment, etc. The weight is crushing. The pressure is mind numbing. The heat is boiling.

Unfortunately, we have all too often seen people, marriages and lives crumble under that kind of pressure. Many of us reading this today are in the midst of a storm, we’re ducking for cover where there seems to be none, we’re fearing that long, slow slide in failure.

And, in the middle of those circumstances we question God, and remember that we were taught, “He’ll never put more on you than you can bear.”

So, quietly inside we sarcastically respond, “Yeah, right…”

Then there are these other people, families, businesses and churches. We see them from a distance, completely amazed as they persevere through situations twice as difficult as ours.

We’d celebrate with them, if they didn’t make us so bitter… I’m just sayin’.

What’s the difference?

Well, first you have to bust the myth. God will give you more than you can handle.

If He didn’t, how could He receive any glory? We’d just have a world filled with people who are only challenged with things they can handle.

But, God allows us some difficulties and spurs us to some challenges that are far beyond our abilities to excel or even cope. This way, we can turn to Him and allow His work and power to flow through our lives and do what we could never do!

Too often, the difference between disaster and deliverance is resting on dependence.

We will be given more than we can handle, and in those moments we have the right, the permission and the expectation to turn to our God and see Him come to the rescue.

Philippians 3:10-11 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Psalm 33
16 No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
17 A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save.
18 But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him, on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
19 to deliver them from death and keep them alive in famine.

20 We wait in hope for the Lord; he is our help and our shield.
21 In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.
22 May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord, even as we put our hope in you.

Deuteronomy 31:8
The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged

.

Will God give you or allow to come to you more than you can handle? Yes. But, that question focuses too much on the one part that always breaks down… The human part.

Will God be faithful to deliver those who turn to him in times of trouble? Absolutely! Just like it asks in Genesis18, “Is anything too hard for the Lord?”

In the midst of the crushing weights of this world and the terrifying goals and desires placed in your heart, turn to God. He is able.

This myth is BUSTED.

By the way, ninjas can catch arrows, and I am almost a ninja. Just sayin’.

The boys are with Grandma in Kansas, I am with 700+ grade schoolers at camp in Texas, and my wife is on the mission field in Africa.

Literally, the Addis’ are all over the world.

I haven’t been able to talk to my wife since she left on Saturday, and the 6 am phone call this morning was awesome.

Actually, the first call that rattled me out of bed was a series of, “Hello, can you hear me?” statements that were completely unreciprocated. So, frantically, I pulled up SKYPE on the computer and dialed the same number that just called me.

I was pretty sure it was my wife since the caller ID showed about 45 numbers… obviously not a telemarketer.

When I got through, the missionary on the other end said Kathy was there and she’d be very excited to talk… so was I.

Here’s what’s amazing… God has my wife on a mission trip and I have no doubt she is growing, learning and being reshaped by His hand, even as I write these words. But, in the same experience, God is teaching me new things about something completely other.

I have a Bachelor and a Master’s degree in communication, but I learned a whole new lesson on how to talk to my spouse after this early morning phone call which put my education to shame.

Timing – I normally do not appreciate phone calls that double as wake up calls. I remember the slow and steady transition of hotels moving from personal wake up calls to computer calls. I was so thankful, because I didn’t have to be “Christian” when I answered the electronic wake ups. I hate being fake nice, and I’m not good at.

When Kat called this morning though, I stumbled out of bed, tripped over a dozen cords and unashamedly hollered into the phone trying to get my voice to make it to Africa even if the cell phone wouldn’t. My camp roommate Daniel shot me an understanding look, but you could could see he was thinking, “Really? 6 am… really?”

Guess I was his wake up call.

The lesson learned, when you get a chance to connect with your spouse, there is no bad time. Make the most of every opportunity.

Content – When you’ve been married 16 years and have spent nearly everyday of that together, there are so many things you want to say if you don’t talked for days. But, I found myself intentionally leaving out the little irritating things: receipts that need to be put in the checkbook, things that need to be returned to the store, small little schedule changes. I just thought, “These things aren’t even on the radar of important junk, just shut it Addis!”

In fact, I tried to avoid my favorite subject of all times: me. I just wanted to know was she safe, hows the team, you feeling ok, what do you need?

We tend to sweat the small stuff and make it big stuff in marriage. Sure, marriages don’t fall apart over issues like missed items on a grocery list, but when that irritant turns into a disappointment over a mess up on the schedule, which turns into a fight over an ill thought out comment, which leads to a long-term grudge based off of misperceptions… then we have a problem. How much better would it be if we just ignored the small stuff and focused on the big things that really matter.

The lesson learned, when you talk to your spouse focus on the big things and let the little stuff be little stuff.  Keep your conversations focused on the important.

Prayer-  In these days I don’t have many opportunities to speak to Kathy, so I am talking less to her and more about her to my heavenly Father.  I feel more connected to her and intimately with her because I am breathing out prayers for her all the time. And, in our early-morning conversation I needed to know specifically what it was that she needed prayer for…

I’ve been  focusing on her safety, and while I will continue to pray that for her no matter what she suggests, her number one concern was for physical endurance. They’ve been up for hours with no sleep in sight and the whole team is going to need supernatural energy. I would not know that if I  had not asked.

Actually praying for your spouse is really important, too. Right at the end of our conversation when I could tell she was getting ready  to run, I just prayed a 15 second prayer over her. She cried. And, every male reading this knows that when you make your wife cry over good things… you are the man.

The lesson learned, prayer prepares you for deeper level conversation with your spouse and often is that deeper level conversation. Pray for and pray with your spouse if you want to really communicate.

Value- I heard my wife  say it and I  said it at least a dozen times in our short conversation, “It’s so good to hear your voice… I miss you… I love you.” All this while I was sitting there watching my computer screen show Skype minutes tick away and the dollar amount rack up. Our short conversation was no little change, but I refused to try and get off the phone until she said she had to leave.

Who knows the next time she’ll find Internet service in that third world country? Who knows the next time she’ll get to borrow a missionary phone? Who knows how precious these moments are for husband and wife separated by two continents and an ocean?

I held back letting her know how much the phone call was costing not because I didn’t want her to know. I didn’t bring it up because it didn’t matter.  Getting those few minutes of actual talk time was well worth the dollars.  I think too many times in marriage our spouses feel undervalued because we offer our quality and quantity time to other things and people. We often just throw our time scraps in the direction of our spouse, when they should be getting the very best from us.

How many times have we learned valuable family information from somebody outside the family, and simply responded, “That’s news to me”? How many times have we sacrificed the relationship with our spouse to kid’s sporting events, presumptuous friends and church activities, and the job that we don’t even like?

We need to value our spouse and the way that we spell value in marriage and family is T…I…M…E.

The lesson learned, that every conversation with your spouse is precious and you need to guard that time to prove just how precious it is.  Use your time as a tool to communicate the value of the spouse you are talking to.

I am sure there are many other things I should have learned from this conversation, but right after I rolled out of bed to talk with her I had to roll into another “fun-filled” day at camp.

It will be busy, desperately important and a huge focus of my time. But, that will not stop  me from breathing out prayers for my boys and my wife. Reminding me to long for them, and preparing me for the next conversation.

Lord, please let me be a better listener than I am a talker. Help me to communicate the value, the love and intimacy with every conversation. And, please help my wife and all the other missionaries to finally get their bags today. It’s been five days since they’ve had a change of clothes and I’m sure that it’s not helping the mission. I pray You bring their bags to them today as a show of Your compassion and mercy. In Jesus name, amen.

When you get a chance to connect with your spouse, there is no bad time. Make the most of every opportunity.

When you talk to your spouse focus on the big things and let the little stuff be little stuff.  Keep your conversations focused on the important.

Prayer prepares you for deeper level conversation with your spouse, and often is that deeper level conversation. Pray for and pray with your spouse if you want to really communicate.

Every conversation with your spouse is precious and you need to guard that time to prove just how precious it is.  Use your time as a tool to communicate the value to your spouse.

In this season I have recognized a pattern in me that I have also seen in others and in many Scriptural stories. I’d like to share it with you.

The Dream Process from Andy Addis on Vimeo.

Here’s the process…

1. God plants a dream in you

2. Hope is you believing in what is yet unseen, and you go public with the dream

3. Faith gets you through the hard times as you trust the arm of the Lord is not too short

4. Reality comes when the dream arrives

Don’t bailout in any part of this process! Its too important to give up.

Numbers 11:23 The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord’s arm too short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come true for you.”

Isaiah 59:1 Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear.

Isaiah 50:2 When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you?

I’ve been a asked a couple of times where to get it, so, I thought I’d make it available here at the CrossEyedLife.

It comes in five sections as a progressive story and many thanks to Sam Wilk who narrated for us… great job!

THE NEED

 Dark and barren, a formless void
Our universe an empty nothing
No light, no warmth, no life to be enjoyed

A vast and endless stretch of nothing to be had
From beginning to end,
A hole in sheer blankness, neither good nor bad

Then from the darkened chaos, a voice both strong and true
“Let there be light!”
Echoed through the blackness, words powerfully breaking through

From where there had been nothing, a something soon appeared
Rays of light now came to show
Galaxies were forming, and a God to be revered

And through the frenzied action of a universe being born
A spark of life
Mountain, tree, bird and whale, even man this world adorned

“It is Good” a declaration the Creator’s voice proclaimed
Over all that had come to being
There was nothing for which to be ashamed

“The world is yours to live and love and enjoy forever more
Now go and play and live today
And always remember this one simple chore

“As you run and reign this world made for you
Avoid one tree not meant for man
To show your love for Me is true.”

But a world so perfect and filled with good
Felt the sting of deception
Betrayal and greed as before the tree, man’s only man stood

Broken and torn, sin entered in and death marked this place
A universe, which knew only good
Now cold and naked awaiting judgement’s embrace

“Guilty as charged” cried the actions of man as tears filled his eyes
“We’ve taken this precious gift of life
And made it something to despise”

All creation cringed and moaned a cry of desperation
Awaiting the just destruction
But wait… why the Creator’s hesitation

Still strong and true boomed the voice that spoke it all
“My love for you is far too strong,
For I will save you from this fall.”

Judgment was stayed, by the Creator’s own hand
Though punishment was just
He told this man of His plan

“One Day all this will be made right, One Day this world will change
Through the seed of man
My Son will come your guilt His life exchanged

“Though My heart breaks for my Son your debt to pay
Paradise restored, wrongs made right
This I will do, One Day.”

And though this man had feared the worst, awaiting death’s sting
He turned his tear stained eyes toward heaven.
Realizing he’d been given everything.

One Day… hope… One Day

THE WAITING

One Day a hope to come for broken man, One Day
But in this mess of sinfulness
Hope seemed so very far away

Weeks turned to months and months to years
Though the waiting was long
Hopes and prayers calmed the fears

For the Creator had promised One Day to send a Son
And the fallen, dirtied, chaos
Of this world be undone

Millennia crawled by as the faithful watched the skies
Looking for a sign of Promise
That One Day’s hope would soon arrive

From time to time, upon the scene a messenger the Creator sent
With words of love and yearning
The hearers pondered what they meant

A babe would come some starry night just like a lamb
Into a small, nothing town
The locals there call Bethlehem

Another claimed the birth, a miracle to see
For the mother of this child
A virgin she would be

This messenger continued on before his words did cease
A child be born
Wonderful, Counselor the long awaited Prince of Peace

Hopes grew high as waiting grew but messengers still they came
Stories of hope and light and faith
Each different yet all the same

A messenger spoke, “This child will come and all will be revealed
For a Suffering Servant He will be,
By His stripes we will be healed.”

Man understood only in part, for these words were hard to hear
Their sins cast upon this perfect Son
Would then draw the Creator near

Man cried out through anguished prayers and somber songs of praise
“We cannot stand here all alone
Like fire burning in our chest, our heart it is ablaze!

“Creator God, please send Your Son, upon this earth to dwell
We need Him more than anything
O Come, O Come Immanuel.”

As centuries past waiting prolonged man’s eager expectation
Of the hope that One Day would surely come
And finally bring Salvation.

One Day… the waiting to end… One Day

THE DOORWAY

400 years since last they spoke, the messengers now gone
The Creator silent, the world await
Listening for a Savior’s song

From long ago the hope was cast for all humanity
But the promise now will come to pass
Through two near Galilee

A sweet, young girl one starlight night awoke to words so scary
A babe, Our God, The Christ to bare
“Your will be done” said Mary

And then a man, with heart so true, and righteousness his way
Called to raise a child not his
Joseph to Mary he pledged to stay

A King to reign, the Lord of all, into this world to come
Not through some door of majesty
But a carpenter’s step son

The world waiting, watching, praying for a sign of something real
But hidden in the most common home
Through peasants our Hope concealed

For this young family a difficult road of fear and trepidation
Scoffers would scoff and laughers would laugh
At their unique situation

Listening to wise men and running from kings their lives a hefty price
Down every road and pathway lead
The burden of sacrifice

And in their baby’s eyes they see a sacrifice deeper still
Life poured out, a body broken
And blood for all will spill

His tiny cries like echoes ring through all eternity
“My body and my blood to give
Do this in remembrance of me”

But not tonight, it’s not the time, that suffering is years away
Tonight this couple hold their babe
And in a manger stay

For many roads are yet to walk and other lessons learn
For thousands of years mankind has looked
And for this Savior yearned.

Tonight one of many beginnings, with a doorway open wide
The wrong made right, and healing come
To Bethlehem’s hillside…

One Day, has come… this One Day has finally… come

THE COMING

One Day, One Day, one long awaited Day has finally come to be
Man’s broken eyes open wide
Their Lord and Savior, Immanuel to see

No politicians, priests or pompous people heard the call
For the Creator’s winged warriors
Announce to shepherds, an end to the Fall

A brilliant flash on midnight black the sky aglow with angel light
Voice thunders out, “Town of David,
Born to you… Savior, Lord and Christ”

Sleepy shepherds waked that night like frightened sheep within a pen
As angelic chorus thundered
“Glory to God and peace to men”

Then back to night the sky grew dark as angels bid retreat
But rushing, running these shepherds went
A king in stable they would meet

And there they found a baby Boy in what became silent night
As each man’s heart raced because they knew
Creator had come, to the world a Light

Mary spoke both sweet and true, Jesus was this child’s name
Messiah, Healer, God… with… us
Bringing end to all our shame

Filled with joy, the shepherds left, and never were the same
Taking the place of angelic voice
Proclaiming that He came

And then began, from that very moment, a change in humanity
Lost and torn and hopelessness
Replaced now by certainty

Our path now changed forever, no more condemned to die
For shepherds gave good news to all
Angels we have heard on high!

One Day is ours, Good News has come… One Day has arrived

THE CHOICE

From time begun to present day so much has come to pass
And now we know our Savior’s song
A tune you can’t surpass

For generation after generation man was a broken clan
But made it right, and sealed it tight
The Son and Great I Am.

We know the words and believe them, each and every day
God sent his Son, man’s sin undone
His own life He chose to pay

And every year we celebrate a season marked with tinsel and with light
With songs to sing and gifts to wrap
Is there really ever Silent Night?

We’re busy and we’re hurried with this holiday we celebrate
But traditions and fun we hold so dear
To our Savior, do they relate?

From brokenness this day was born, our need to be made well
Creator’s Son sent from heaven
To save us all from hell

A victory chant, a party deluxe, seems right for this occasion
But do not miss what’s important here
Keep Christ in the equation

Let’s sing the songs and have our fun, but we always must remember
Why children laugh and nations stop
On the 25th of December

And why you say does this world hit pause at Christmas time each year
There’s only one Reason, the one for the Season
That we have any need to cheer

His name is Jesus, the Author of creation and the Savior of mankind
The Alpha and Omega, First and Last
He is Divine

Christ, The Firstborn from the Dead and Hope of True Salvation
Great High Priest and Holy One
King of every nation

Lord of Lords and Lamb of God, Passover Sacrifice
Son of Man and Son of God
Resurrection and the Life

This Christmas time we celebrate the coming of The Day
That all men had been waiting for
To take their sins away

The choice is yours and must be made, this we know for sure
Man is still broken, bent and wrong
But Jesus, He is the cure

One Day has come, already now, though 2,000 years have past
The choice is ours this Christmas Day
Choose Christ, choose life, hold fast

One Day has come, The Day of Life… today is still The Day

The picture that accompanies this blog is the right hand corner of my desk that several of my ‘loving’ brothers and sisters have offered to file/clean for me. But, I share with each of them that the corner stack, mound, pile, library (proper usage check) is actually not static, but in frequent turnover.

These are the ‘next read’ books and when one is finished another is added. I love reading, learning and growing, and several times I have quoted, or even taught from significant reads. Never, though, have I reviewed a book here at CEL, so, today we make history.

As always, my first recommendation to you is to read, re-read and re-read again the Bible, but I also want to make this recommendation: Primal by Mark Batterson should be a primary read for you in 2010.

Click picture to order

I received an advanced copy of the book for the purpose of this review a couple weeks ago and I swallowed it up. I’d let you borrow my copy, but it would be hard to read through the excessive highlighting.

As Batterson laid out the plan for the book in the early chapters, I have to admit I was a little disappointed. Primal as a title lead me to think this work would be about essential, rugged, brutal faith issues.

However, Primal is a book focusing on the Great Commandment (it’s the first footnote) from Mark 12:30:

Mark 12:30 (NIV) ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ – Jesus

I know I should be excited about that… it’s the Great Commandment! All I could think is, “What’s essential, rugged, brutal or primal about love verses?”

Seriously, I own half a dozen books with this teaching as the fulcrum. I’ve heard a hundred sermons on these verses. I probably do a series based on these four elements every other year. I felt like the idea is played out.

(Pretty stupid idea when you remember that all Scripture is living and active, Hebrews 4:12, but I though it anyway)

While Primal does stick to this well-known model (loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength), that’s where the similarities to other over-done motifs end. That’s where it gets primal.

Batterson strips down the intention of Jesus’ words to their most simplistic interpretation and brutally asks the question again and again, ‘How are you doing?’

When I answered honestly… not so well.

The breakdown goes something like this (don’t worry, no need for a spoiler alert, it’s just an outline):

• Loving God with all you heart means we need to cultivate a spirit of compassion and respond to the unmet needs of the world around us. Sacrifice, awareness and giving are the major themes.
• Loving God with all your soul means finding a sense of wonder about God and God through His creation. Scriptural meditation, living Scripture and paying attention to your world are the major themes.
• Loving God with all your mind means renewing (or beginning) a holy curiosity in your life about God stuff, but noting that all things in creation are God stuff. Reading, learning, growing and stretching were the major themes. (This was my favorite section, probably because it’s my healthiest area, so, it’s less depressing to think about what I need to work on. For those who choose to read it, embrace the concept of the ‘watchtower’. Sorry, insider stuff here; only for us Prim-ates)
• Loving God with all your strength means applying what we know and turning faith back into a verb. Sweat equity, dependency and risk were the major themes.

Much has been said about the Great Commandment, but Batterson really conveys a life transformed, a church renewed and a potential world reached and changed if followers of Christ would get primal in their understanding.

With regard to the heart of Christianity, Batterson argues that the primal call of God is to be compassionate, sacrificial and giving. And, yes, this includes money.

One of the radical and mind-numbing thoughts related to cultivating this Christ-like heart is a thorough makeover of how believers should budget. In the church we are taught the principle of the tithe where we acquire more and more and give God a small fraction.

That’s so Old Testament. It’s really just giving off the edges.

Batterson, however, suggests we move from quantifying how much we give and instead decide how much we will keep. In other words, don’t decide how much you’ll give to God or to things that God would lead you in, but decide how much you need to live on and let the rest be an offering out of your life.

He calls it an income ceiling.

In this model, a raise at work doesn’t changed your standard of living, thats already been set. A raise then means you have more to impact a world of need because you’ve already decided to cap your income.

In the book there is a great example of this lifestyle. A successful businessman named Stanley Tam, age 93, who hasn’t taken a raise in three decades and he tithes substantially more than he makes. He has set an income ceiling, and makes sure the rest goes where it does some good.

In his own words, “A man can only eat one meal at a time, wear only one suit of clothes at a time, drive only one car at a time. All this I have. Isn’t that enough?” (from Primal, pg 35).

Now that’s primal.

There’s something radically transforming about that kind of primal living. It affects the one living it and those living around them.

This past weekend, between a couple of our services at church a man whom I consider a friend and have great respect for, pulled me aside.

Through a tearful confession and words like “I was wrong”, “I’m growing a lot through this”, and “I just want to be more useable to God” I was blown away.

The issue he spoke of was really a non-issue to me, and  I tried to tell him that.

He tolerated no softening on my part. He was committed to holding fast to Scripture, relationships and spiritual growth and he was not looking for an easy way out.

I’ve been haunted by that all week. It was powerful. It was impacting. It was primal.

This kind of response is what Batterson is calling readers toward as they embrace the Great Commandment. A no-holds barred, in your face, unrelenting love of God with all our heart, soul mind and strength.

No free passes.

Do I suggest the book? Absolutely. In fact, I just ordered two more books previously written by Batterson: In A Pit With A Lion On A Snowy Day and Wild Goose Chase.

I bet we talk about them soon.

Kathy and I attended there often while we went to school and pastored in Fort Worth. And, I have taken our current staff to their C3 conference every year since I have been here.

We have stolen… er borrowed… several ideas from Ed and his staff over the years. But, we shouldn’t feel bad about it. In Ed’s own words, “God gave you eyes, plagiarize! Copy it and make it better!”

It was one of the most awesome days in recent history for me personally and professionally because of what I learned, the other pastors I got to fellowship with and… I hugged Ed.

Yes, yes, yes… for those of you who know, invading my bubble means it must have been a special moment. It was actually caught on tape and I am Giddy to share it with you.

You’ll notice that in classic Ed style he kept asking me questions even though he was the far more interesting guy in the room. I’d love to get the opportunity to turn the tables and throw the questions his way!

Just as bonus material, here are a few more Edisms I wrote down from that day:

• Everybody wants to reach people until you start reaching people
• Don’t end things, start new things
• Your best ideas come from tension, conflict and laughter
• I cannot handle adult pouting
• You’re a heretic Andy, you’re the worst person ever (he was standing over me illustrating a point… I hope)
• Staff need to be “Why Not?” people, not “Why?” people
• Don’t get into swapping Sheeple
• Everytime you re-establish the vision people will step up and step out. All heaven and hell will break loose!

Too many more to list. Thanks Ed, Lisa and all of Fellowship Church for sharing with the rest of the world.

Dear Kathy,

On our 15th wedding anniversary, I find that today is an example like so many days in the last 15 years that show an inexplicable love and devotion that I neither deserve nor understand. But, nonetheless, it’s this relationship with you that I treasure more than almost anything in my world.
For the last 15 years I have been a youth pastor and/or camp speaker with a July wedding anniversary. So, only once or twice in our years together have we actually spent these precious camp dates together. When we did, they were days shared with others, like today.
Today, for our 15th wedding anniversary you drove yourself and our boys all the way to central Texas to spend 3 days with me and about 700 third through sixth graders. Then on this big day you celebrated by:

• getting up early
• packing for two boys, a husband and yourself
• doing most of the heavy lifting because my head was hurting again
• listening to me preach for the 1 billionth time
• working the product table and making change out of campers wet lake water money
• driving a second car 8.5 hours home
• making your anniversary dinner a burger, fries and peanut buster parfait from Dairy Queen at a truck stop in nowhere Oklahoma
• finally, making the late night unload at the church of all the tech equipment and junk we’d been hauling

Most impressive of all Mrs. Addis was the fact that everytime I saw you today you smiled and hugged and looked for a kiss. Even though many others would whine and complain about their lot in life, you showed joy and love.
It was a day you could rightfully claim as your own, even if you had given up so many others. Surely, the 15th should be special. But, you put your God, your husband and the cause before yourself.
You’ve never looked more beautiful to me.
You made me feel loved, significant and like you were really my partner in the work. Like on so many other days I saw Genesis 2:18 come to life in your eyes, hands and feet today: The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him.”
I know you’d never let me, but I’d love to point at you as a way for others to see what a great Christian wife is like.

You are loving at all times, but still tell me what I need to hear.
You are strong in the face of difficulty, but bend easily to meet the needs of our family and circumstances
You are submissive to God to the point of sacrifice for me and your boys, but relentless in your passion for life.

Kathy, you have joked about these “unachievable standards” over the years, but tonight as our 15th anniversary rolls into the 1st day toward our 16th year, I ascribe these verses to you:

Proversb 31:10 A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
11 Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Pr 31:10-12). Grand Rapids: Zondervan.

Kathy, I love you more today than I did before. You are the greatest guide my boys could ever have been given. You are the companion of a lifetime.

I love you, need you, and celebrate you.

Can’t wait for the next 15…

More of Him and less of me,

Andy

It’s so exciting.

Much of what has happened is behind the scenes, but it’s going to mean some very public benifits. Changing providers, hosters and structures will allow the site to be much more nimble and easier to change.

Plus, there are a good number of widgets on the sidebars that are there for fun (clocks, twitters, MAVS updates, online radio) and for real use (eBible, Calendar, library suggestions, Compassion Connection and partnering with external blogging sites: Technorati Profile). These will be continually changing.

All the content is here from the previous site, but the comments to the posts have been lost. It’s one of the reason I had to leave behind the old hoster. They kind of handcuffed what we could and couldn’t do.

The teaching resources (all the archived messages and such) are no longer a siderbar item, they have their own page with broader descriptions and logos for visual depictions. This should make things much easier to find. You can find that link on the top and the left sidebar of each page.

Finally, even if you had been a subscriber to the CROSSEYEDLIFE, PLEASE NOTE… THIS IS A NEW SITE AND NO SUBSCRIPTIONS HAVE TRANSFERRED!!!

I cherish your connection and really hope you’ll take 20 seconds to provide your email in the subscription box you see at the top of the right hand sidebar. Your email is kept private and is only used when an update is made to CROSSEYEDLIFE. A copy of that article is sent to you and you can read it, or link to the actual site… thats it. Please, consider subscribing right now.

Well, this is just a technological blog update, but I can’t miss an opportunity to give you something worth chewing on. One of the new features of this site is suggested books widget (down on the botton right). One of the books I have on the list there is from a favorite speaker/author of mine.

Let me tell you, I know it’s Mother’s Day weekend, but you read this one and you’ll grow a beard. It drips with testosterone. AWESOME!

Here’s a taste:

 “If you are a follower of Christ and you have allowed yourself to be domesticated, you have lost the power of who you are and who God intends you to be. You were not created to be normal. God’s desire for you in compliance and conformity. You have been baptized by Spirit and fire. Asleep within you is a barbarian, a savage to all who love the prim and proper. You most go to the primal place and enter the presence of the Most High God, for there you will be changed by His presence. Let Him unleash the untamed faith within you.”

- Erwin Raphael McManus “The Barbarian Way”

In this case, I hope it means something to you, too.

Hope you enjoy and find it encouraging.

(And, I hope you don’t think I’m a wierdo)

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]

Second, I can’t beleive I am posting it.

It’s just for fun.

After a week of speaking in the Grand Caymans I got stuck overnight at Chicago O’Hare Airport waiting for a flight the next morning (why yes, I am too cheap to get a hotel for the night). Giddy tired and bored out of my mind, here is what I did when I have no friends or family members to keep me under control. This video has no redeeming value, but it did keep me from losing my mind. . . completely.

[There is a video that cannot be displayed in this feed. Visit the blog entry to see the video.]