Hard Reset

Do you know what a “hard reset” is?  If you have a smart phone, you have probably done at least one of these.  This is when you get so much stuff on phone that it starts doing weird things.  It gets glitchy and starts dropping calls and even will just shut down for no reason at all.   The only way to fix this condition is called a hard reset. When you do it, it will erase everything on your phone and strips back to the original condition.  This provides you an opportunity to add stuff back slowly and find out what was causing the problem.

With Spring Break coming, I find myself considering the thought that I may need to do a “hard reset” on my life.  Commitments are filling up my schedule and my life is feeling a bit glitchy.  It is not that my life is bad.  It is just not working at well as it should.  Some of my priorities are being dropped consistently.  I do not feel I am being as effective as can be and should be.  This may mean I need to eliminate something in favor of adding others things.  The process will be difficult but I think very necessary.

How about you?  Are you accomplishing the important things in your life?  Should you consider doing a hard reset as well?  Whether or not you are going away for Spring Break, you have an opportunity to make some changes in your life.  Has attending worship been neglected in your schedule?  Have been missing that daily time in God’s Word?  Is your prayer life on the verge of being non-existent?  Do you need to restore some balance between work, home, family, and church?

I am not suggesting that you need to consider doing MORE.  In fact, when I do my hard reset, I going to do a brutal evaluation of EVERYTHING I am doing and how I use my time.  Each week we are given 168 hours to invest.  There is such thing as “saving time”, like we can money. When this day is gone, it will be gone for eternity.

One tool I am going to use it a simple goal setting worksheet I found at http://dotconnectorblog.com/wp-content/uploads/Weekly-Planner-Template.pdf.   Of course, I am adapting to my situation.  However, it does provide an opportunity to examine our various roles in life.  Easter is all about new life and new directions.  Why not let the power of resurrection to fuel some great and positive changes in your life?

See You Sunday,Mike

Change a life...invite someone to worship with YOU!

If you missed “I Love My Church” Sunday, then you really missed a great time of celebration. Guy Louks and Dave Nance shared great testimonies of why they love Crossroads. Sue Huff did a wonderful job of coordinating the fellowship dinner. It was such a success that I am planning on making an annual Crossroads tradition for the last Sunday in February.


Another Crossroads tradition is our annual special offering on Easter Sunday. This year we are doing things a little different than the normal. As part of our stewardship strategy, the leadership team has committed that half of the offering will be used for debt reduction. With a goal of $20,000, that would mean that we would pay $10,000 directly on the principal of our mortgage. The impact of such a payment would be tremendous in terms of both saving us interest and shortening the length of the loan.

The other half of the offering is committed to several items. The first $5,000 would be used to replenish our emergency fund. Having such a fund is critical to our financial structure. We don’t want to come to the congregation for funds to deal with an unexpected breakdown or repair expense. We will use the remaining funds to catch up some commitments from last year as well as make some investments in the worship ministry.

Last year, God blessed us outrageously through you and provided the funds to purchase and install the new sign. We have already seen results from that investment. Please pray that God works through His people again and we are able celebrate another great outpouring of generosity. I hope you have already decided on what you will “sacrifice” in order to give to this offering. These gifts need to be over and above your regular tithing and giving to Crossroads. Remember we will be actually “passing the plate” to receive this offering so you cannot give through the online method.

Finally, now is a great time to invite your neighbors, family, and friends to join us for Easter Sunday. We are planning a great time of worship and honoring our resurrected Savior and Lord. Share an invitation with someone today. You might just change their life!

See You Sunday,

Mike