Friday, September 5, 2008

Happy Birthday, Andy! June 15, 2008


Today is Andy's 27th birthday so I wanted to share a couple things that I love about him.

1- Andy has an amazing amount of faith. He takes God at his Word and truly believes that He is able to do immeasurably more than we could ever ask or imagine. Andy has full confidence in the call that God has put on his life. There's no doubt in Andy's mind that God will use his life to help start South Bay Church, and as a result of the ministry of South Bay Church countless lives in the San Francisco Bay area will be changed for all eternity. I learn what faith looks like by watching Andy's life. He is sure of what he hopes for and certain of what we do not see. His faith inspires me to have more faith and it is exciting to be on a journey with someone who sincerely believes God for great things.

2- Andy is the most eager (ravenous) learner I have ever known. He wholeheartedly desires growth in every area of his life. He reads about a book week and he will bombard a leader with questions. He seeks advice and counsel from such a broad range of people, from pastors of mega churches to college students. He has the humility to learn from anyone! Andy is always seeking out opportunities to be involved in coaching networks...one week when they all happened to coincide at the same time, he had 4 different coaching appointments with a few days! He is application driven so he's not just seeking knowledge, but rather wisdom in how to apply the knowledge to his life. His insatiable hunger for growth is contagious and I find myself evaluating the different areas of my life to pinpoint areas for growth in myself.

These two qualities have transformed my man over the past 9 years that I've known him. He is a completely different person than he was when we first met our freshmen year of college. Well, maybe not completely different. He still maintains the passion and faith that first drew me to him. When we were in college Andy was scatterbrained, disorganized, and an inefficient time manager. But somehow I could see the man that I knew he was becoming. I knew the calling God had put on his life and I knew Andy was willing to do whatever was necessary to fulfill that mission. Andy has even exceeded my expectations for growth and I am continually amazed at the leadership and balance that he has grown into. In many ways I guess he has surpassed the man of my dreams and become a man "beyond what I could ever have asked or imagined."
I love you, Baby! Happy Birthday!

No comments: