www.crosseyedministries.com                                            crosseyedmin@yahoo.com                                                     NEWSLETTER  # 3 Why do I feel led to do Stand-Up Comedy again? In my "testimony building years," before coming to Christ, I worked at a Peanut Mill in Virginia, traveled as a professional wrestling referee, did Stand-Up Comedy and pretty much functioned as a weekend alcoholic. While all seemed to be good by normal standards and at least appeared good to those around me, there always seemed to be a lack of hope, peace and joy in my own personal life. No one else knew that joy was missing from my life because I used humor to mask the inner turmoil that I felt inside. My inner struggles came from being a failure at life. I had turned 19 in the Suffolk city jail. The guilt of being a loser engulfed my mind. I had many failed relationships that had scarred my heart and filled me with hurt. Making others laugh seemed to help me forget about...well, me. It actually did work for a while, until I would lay down in my bed and close my eyes. It was then that my pain would overwhelm me and often leave me with dried tears on my face by morning. Then, by the grace of God, on March 26, 1995, at 7:15 p.m., I met a man named Jesus that radically saved me from the guttermost to the uttermost! For the first time in my life I knew what real joy was all about! For the first time, I realized that my "worth" was not determined by the good or bad in my life, but my worth was determined by the love that God had for me! While everything in me knew that I was unlovable, there was a God that loved me perfectly. In fact, He had already proven it by sending His Son to pay the penalty for my ruined life! God soon called me into the ministry in 1996. For almost eleven years now, I have been preaching the Gospel using a mixture of solid Bible teaching and humor to reach the lost and revamp the saved. In those eleven years I have  conducted numerous revivals, as well as being a Pastor for over six years. I have been the guest speaker at many Associational Meetings, Youth Conferences, and Evangelistic Outreaches. I have always used humor in my messages, but never felt that stand - up comedy had a place in what God had now called me to be. Honestly, those comedy years were a dark time for me. In those days, I had to be completely drunk before I could stand up in front of anyone to say anything. Therefore, "doing comedy" was a negative road that I knew was a dark temptation for me. I guess out of fear I stayed as far away from it as I could. It just felt safer that way. Who would have ever believed that God would call me to stand before others and proclaim His love? Before I needed liquid courage. Now I have the Living Water to get me through! After a number of years with this new found strength and focus, God has begun to tweak my heart to step back into the arena of "stand - up." Before I did it to hide my own pain, now I believe He wants me to do it to help others with theirs. Before I did it to pretend that I had joy. Now I believe He wants me to do it to share the author of real joy, Jesus! Before I did it to make others laugh. Now I believe that He wants me to help others find life. With that said, God has made it clear to me that He has no desire for me to be just a "clean comedian." I'm not even sure if He wants me to be labeled as just a "Christian comedian." Although I am a Christian no matter what I am doing. It's hard to describe, but I believe that God has begun to lay a vision on my heart that consists of me using comedy as a springboard to encourage the church, but also to reach the lost for Jesus! I do believe that laughter just may be a great springboard into the Gospel. So many people in this world are hurting, lost, and are drifting further and further away from God. They need Jesus for Salvation and hope, but they are not really interested in trying to find Him. If we could only get them to let their pre-concieved guards down long enough to hear about Him. God has laid it on my heart to use humor as that barrier breaker! People will show up to listen to a comedian that will not show up to hear a preacher. The goal...To Go From Craziness To The Cross! I am excited to see just what He is going to do!!                                                                                             Ronnie Wyatt                                                                                 CROSS EYED MINISTRIES