uncertain future

I'm sure this time away from work and school has had a different meaning to everyone, but for me, God's driven home that fact that the future is uncertain.  Certainly not something we should put any trust in!

It's not something I haven't known, but perhaps something I haven't believed?

My job has always required that I'm focused on what's next - future plans for Crossroads.  I rarely even think about what's currently happening at Crossroads except for evaluating events and the current services and attending of course.  Even while I'm home I'm looking ahead at our next trips, and guests and plans...wake up call - spend more time focused on what you know is sure, this day that God has given me.

My desire is to live 'sold-out' to the Lord, and while the things I'm involved in around me aren't wrong, they're what I put first a lot of days.  All you have to do is look at what takes up my time each day and it doesn't take long to realize just how pre-occupied I am with stuff.

Based on what my life sometimes looks like you can tell I assume nothing's going to change, like the future is certain just the way it is.

This disruption has been a wake-up-call for me personally.  I don't know if we'll go through as bad a time as other countries have before the rate of sickness slows down, but I think for another few weeks we need to assume it will and take FULL advantage of focused time with God and family and "stay in".

When have we ever had a bigger opportunity to be home?  To create a new routine with priorities where they should be.  Not giving the Lord a little more time out of our day - as if that's doing Him a favor...but by building our day with time for Him truly being central to all I do.

Pastor Wendell just shared an article with the executive team that contained this quote:

“While the world around us is filled with fear and uncertainty, this is our opportunity to shine like lights in the darkness. We can be a community of people with calm hearts like the sea, a community that has listened to His voice and announces His great power and infinite love to the world.”

Isn't it mind-blowing that God can use us even just by staying calm??  A calm spirit proves to those worried around us that we really believe that God is in control!

May we understand that just as Pastor Dave is teaching this weekend in Joseph's life, He's already got  the future totally laid out, and He knows exactly what needs to happen to get us there!

who is my neighbor

I was reading the teaching about the Good Samaritan this morning.

The conversation began with Jesus being asked "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" in Luke 10:25-37 Jesus responds, "what does the law say?"  And the man replied, "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself."

Jesus says, "You've answered correctly, do this and you will live".

The man then asks, "But, who is my neighbor?" 

From there Jesus uses the story of the Good Samaritan and at the end asks him who he thinks the good neighbor was...

Who is my neighbor?  This question grabbed my attention possibly because of our current circumstances of "Stay in".

It's very difficult for me to just "abide in Him", I always feel like I should be doing something physical in order to "be a good neighbor, or friend, or wife or mom..."

This is perhaps a time like never before to Trust Him and just to wait for opportunities that He provides to be a good neighbor.  So our assignment for this morning is to Love Him with our entire being and then to be ready to serve Whoever our Neighbor turns out to be when He creates that opportunity...

Who is your neighbor?

Forced to stop

This is a crazy time, a time where our plans are all forced to stop!

It's a time that proves once again that you cannot assume you will have a tomorrow that looks the same as yesterday.

I was out early this morning getting all errands run so I could take advantage of being home, getting some projects done and then relaxing.

I saw fear in people's eyes.



I heard conversations that made me sad...a lady at the front of the line at the grocery store talked about how scared she was.  Her husband was waiting to hear if he'd be let go from his job and she herself had very few hours to count on, she said "I'm scared".

This period of time is going to give us so many opportunities to share the Gospel and explain to people that God is the only unchangeable in all of creation.   But, right now there are also practical ways we can be Jesus to people.   And I suspect that may be even more powerful than just talking right now.  There is SO much talking right now....

Watch for opportunities that wouldn't have existed a couple of weeks ago without the virus.  It's not that hard to understand how the Lord will use this time to lead people to Himself!

Men offer nothing to turn to, nothing to count on that can't change in a moment of time.

God Almighty is the same yesterday, today and forever!!

thankful for my marriage

I sat near an older couple, ok they were probably my age, recently meeting for the first time and discussing their past marriages talking about the fact that it's hard to date in your 60's, I'm pretty sure they met on-line.

It made me VERY thankful for my marriage.

We recently moved and found that it drew us closer together, a common dream and quite the challenge to empty a house after being there 23 years and squeezing into a tiny house!  So fun.

I also appreciate a ministry that offers opportunities to grow closer as a couple.  

Currently Crossroads is offering a Valentines Banquet CLICK HERE for couples and singles both and we're bringing Kirk Cameron live to speak to us about both marriage and parenting.  PLEASE register right away CLICK HERE.

I'm challenging you to take advantage of both of these events, as well as classes and groups being offered right now in our Winter Semester CLICK HERE to see the catalogue, and try to be intentional about being thankful for your marriage!

Go love your spouse well!

where do you worship

Following a night at Crossroads Church, where I got to be part of  a Christmas production we pray brought glory to our Savior, I stood at my kitchen window worshipping Him this morning.

I just looked at the post on Facebook by a photographer who photographed individual snowflakes showing design perfection at the highest level I've ever witnessed.  As I looked across my yard full of melting snow - I was nearly overwhelmed with awe picturing every - single - snowflake being so meticulously designed.

I then fixed a cup of coffee next to the window and saw just seconds after I had filled empty bird feeders - swarms of birds returning for a morning feeding. 

How do they know I just put this out when moments ago there was no hint of a bird in any of the trees surrounding the feeders?

I stood and worshipped Him!  Our meticulous designer - creator!

If He cares enough to invest His time designing EVERY SINGLE snow flake and instilling survival instincts in EVERY SINGLE specie of bird, how much more does a our God desire to shape and use our lives?

So, where do you worship?   Have you experienced worship?

This Christmas accept the ultimate gift God offers, Himself...

This brings a peace that is impossible to understand, no matter what circumstance you find yourself in. Because when you're in relationship with the God of the Universe, you understand that He also designed you exactly the way you are, and is just waiting until you surrender completely - to use your life the way He designed you to be used.  For the exact purpose only your life can fulfill in this amazing, endless, meticulously designed world!

If you want to know more about the Peace only He can offer you, please join us for one of our remaining Christmas at Crossroads services

Tonight at 7:00
Tomorrow and Tuesday at 5:00 and 7:00.

May God reveal Himself this Christmas to you in the simplest of things...and worship Him!

thankfulness and reaching the lost

We've just come through a wonderful Thanksgiving season during which we got to love on our children and grandchildren as well as extended family!

We ate...a lot!

All together and very, very thankful!

We played games...

We decorated Grandmas home for Christmas and hugged reindeer!

Adults were too stuffed to play!

Precious grand-baby playing with great grandmas decorations!

I'm more thankful than ever before in my life for my family and my precious friends, and my heart is burdened like never before for the lost in our community.

Recently, wherever I go I wonder who around me is without a savior?  I wonder what Christmas means to them...more debt?  disappointments?  loved-ones that no longer visit?  missing peace? Without Jesus I can't imagine going through the holidays.  Let's all pray right now for the Lord to show us who we should bring with us to Christmas at Crossroads!

A tiny Christmas baby came, He is the missing peace so many people are still searching for!

community at crossroads

You can just attend church each week, or church can be a living, giving, vital part of your life.

The friendships I've formed over the past 23 years at Crossroads were largely formed not just by attending church with the same people each weekend, they were formed by doing life with people.

By serving together, by attending special events with them, by surrounding something that needed to be accomplished with them, by helping someone that needed help, by studying and learning more about the Lord together, by living in community.

The reason we plan trips and special events at Crossroads is to provide opportunities to know one another,  to be together with brothers and sisters in the Lord!

Recently 42 of us had an amazing time away for 5 days together both with people we knew well and those we met for the first time.

This trip connected us around a common experience that we'll never forget!



Church is much more than a place to learn about our Lord, it's a place to meet some of the friends we'll spend eternity with!

These two were trouble!

The pools were beautiful and we had a Christian band playing pool-side!

One of our favorite times each day was eating together!

Competition was fierce!

I hope you'll consider joining us in the future as we continue to try to provide these times away, allowing us to grow close and build memories.  I think perhaps our greatest opportunity so far will be the trip to the Holy Land next March.

I'm preparing my heart even now to be ready to fully grasp the fact that the places we'll visit together will be the physical places Jesus walked!

This is what community looks like...so good!