Beyond Usual Limits

My 2016 Word of the Year is BOLD. It’s the next step for me following 2015 – ATTACK. For the last 2 weeks, I’ve been praying, thinking and dreaming about BOLD. Sometimes it’s been exciting, and sometimes it’s scary. When I’m truly BOLD, I’m beyond myself.

Dictionary.com defines BOLD as –

• not hesitating or fearful in the face of actual or possible danger or rebuff; courageous and daring.
• necessitating courage and daring; challenging.
• beyond the usual limits of conventional thought or action; imaginative.

Beyond the usual limits. For Andy, 2016 is about going beyond my usual limits. Sometimes it will feel dangerous, so I’ll need to ATTACK fear.

Right now, I have one BOLD prayer, dream and goal.

BOLD Prayer

I want to speak and write. I love being a pastor. I love leading. But I also want the opportunity to speak (inside and outside the church) and write. This is my BOLD prayer:

God give me the opportunity to speak 1 time per month outside Cross Points Church. Open the doors, speak to others to ask me, and give me the grace to say yes. May it happen for your glory.

If you know of someone or a group who needs a speaker on Life, Leadership and/or Faith think of me.

BOLD Goal

This Christmas break my family participated in a missions trip to Reynosa, Mexico. We joined a group of over 200 people to build 15 homes for families living in squalor – dirt floors, no doors, leaking roofs (if they have a roof) and worse.

The family we built for has 3 sons. The youngest is 12 years old, and he’s never been to school. They simply can’t afford the fees. He’s not the only one. There are hundreds of kids in these neighborhoods in exactly the same situation.

The group we went with has come up with a solution. They have an “adopt-a-child” program that sends a child to school for $25/month. We’re going to adopt Juan (the family’s 12 year old), but I don’t want to stop there. I want to give you the opportunity to participate, and I want to help more kids.

So, I’m selling t-shirts I’ve designed and hand printed myself. Every shirt sold, I’m giving $5 toward a child to go to school.

And here’s my BOLD goal.

I want to sell 1000 shirts in 2016.

It’s beyond usual limits. I’ve sold less than 20 since November. But here’s the quick math…why I want to be BOLD. 1000 shirts is $5000 raised. $5000 supports 8 kids to go to school.

I’ve also lowered the prices. I’ll be honest. I’m not making much money. By the time, I buy the materials, put my labor in, pay to ship, and give $5 I’m breaking even.

Help me. Buy a shirt. Tell a friend. Buy a friend a shirt.

BOLD Dream

Finally my BOLD dream –

I want to return to Reynosa next Christmas with 200 of my closest friends. I want to find 200 people who will go back with me and build 15 additional homes.

Will you go with me? Will you begin to plan and save to be with me to build a home for a family who desperately needs it. More details will be available in the future, but it’s possible. It was approximately $4500 for my family of 6 to go. You can do this.

Hesitant and Fearful

I’ve put off writing this post for over a week. Writing it makes my dreams, goals and prayers real, and they are way bigger than me.

I’m being BOLD, and I want you to join me. Here’s how you start…tell me your 2o16 Word of the Year, and what your dream, goal and prayer for that word is. Then help me in my journey. I can’t do it alone.