my day off

This day was all about family!  It's an honor to live within 20 minutes of all of my family except for my sister who is just an hour from Mansfield.

God is so generous to our family.

I had the privilege of starting my day by taking my mother-in-law whom I dearly love, to lunch and then grocery shopping.  We had a great time and I ended the shopping trip by printing off some amazing pictures I've been waiting to frame, mainly of the grandkids!

I then went home to cook dinner for my son's family and my hubby.  Following dinner we all ended up in the upstairs bedroom that's been converted into a toy room.  Here we played with Legos and danced to children's songs like "Old McDonald's Farm and Twinkle Little Star".  So fun!

I am SO thankful for this kind of simplicity.  Some may consider it trivial - I consider it life-giving.

And so as my day off comes to an end I'm filled with ribs, and 'guess why the chicken crossed the road' kids' jokes, the hum of the dishwasher and a reluctant glimpse at tomorrow's calendar still clinging to today's memories...

Thank you Lord for simple days and precious memories and being completely surrounded by family.

weekend report

I don't know when my heart has been more full than it was after being at Crossroads this weekend.

It was a weekend so full of promise and I was just so thankful for all the students in love with the Savior - willing to give up their weekend to totally run the church.  They were amazing in the parking lot, greeting everyone that attended, serving in the Coffee House, running all the technical areas of sound, lighting and video and leading us in worship.  Simply the perfect demonstration of health in the church.

Students serving in the Coffee House

More help in the Coffee House

Pastor Dave encouraging the students before the service

Our parking lot and front doors were well manned with students!

Greeters at the front doors

Greeters in the lobby to welcome everyone!

More student greeters!

Professionals in the parking lot

 Another precious moment in the service today was our Child dedication!  10 families committing to raise their children in a Godly home!  So important!!

Our Children being dedicated to the Lord - parents making the commitment to raise them in a Christian home!

One of my favorite moments of the weekend - our Senior Worship leader Dan, playing
for his precious granddaughter to sing Jesus Love Me!

Our Setlist:

9:00 a.m. service -

Jesus Loves Me

Child Dedication

Only Wanna Sing
The Stand
Great Are You Lord

And one of the other exciting elements this weekend was to finally get to hear the original song written by Austin Hart, the 'theme' song for their mission trip this past summer.  I kept hearing how much the students loved it and now I know why - it was beautiful!  It was called

First Loved Us

Bumper video

Message: 7 Churches; The Corpse Church

To watch our services go to crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their services go to theworshipcommunity.com

log in my eye

Lately I've tried to pay really close attention to not just what comes out of my mouth but even my thought life.  Especially in regard to being critical - or having a desire to gossip.



What I've begun to do is each time thoughts come into my mind creating a critical spirit toward a situation or person, I ask myself "and what is the log in your eye"...



Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Matthew 7:3


This helps me so much! And if I honestly ask this of myself, God is quick to reveal the log...


So as you go through this day that the Lord has given you, be brave enough to stop your critical thoughts by asking Him to reveal your log and be prepared to be much less ready to criticize those around you when you see your own shortcomings!

the longest time

I think this is the longest time I've gone without writing.

There's been no particular reason.

My days are completely filled with family and work and all things Crossroads.  And I'm so thankful!

I'm praying over Christmas and working specifically on that right now, so I can hand it off next week for all of our talented staff to 'take it' and make it happen like they always do!

I pray it will meet people where they are, that Christmas at Crossroads will cause the miracle of Jesus to come to life in a very personal way they've never experienced before!



Pray for us as we work to prepare Christmas...


"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Glory To God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!"

what dad said

I was deleting some of the notes I have on my phone tonight and came across some of the last ridiculous things my dad said or had said to people that repeated them to us.

So here it goes:

He was heard to say to two ladies standing in the aisle of church, "ladies if you're going to block the whole aisle then put up your wide load sign!"

A friend was visiting dad and told him he didn't like St. Bernard dogs because they slobber.  My dad said, "You'd slobber too if you had 11 kids!"

Dad often said he was so poor he had to have a co-signer to change his mind!

He once said to some poor soul - probably one of his long-time barbershop buddies, "If ugly was music you'd have a whole orchestra!"

At the hospital in his final weeks he said as he pulled out the urinal and we all cleared the room, "I have no idea where everyone is going, they're usually taking pictures of everything under the sun."


He ALWAYS had us howling laughing, and there's just not quite as much laughter when we get together now, that is unless we start repeating his ridiculous sayings and comments!

I miss you dad - your were a great father and were madly in love with Jesus, and for that I can never thank you enough...

I love you.

weekend report

It was very hard to believe that we were already into another weekend when our focus for so long had been preparing for the 20 year anniversary of Crossroads.   But it was time to move on this weekend, beginning the next era of Crossroads.

We began strong!

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Pastor Dave challenged us to be 'all in', and I found myself searching my heart for anything I've been holding back from being completely in Him!  Let's go Crossroads- are you IN!

Dan and the boys worshipping!

Our faithful praise team!

Milo lead us to the thrown!

Our amazing student worship team preparing for their services this weekend!

Our Setlist:

Announcements including a video Promo for The Seven Churches of Revelation series

Sermon Spice video : All In - A Worship Intro

Your Love Awakens

Unstoppable

It Is Well

No Longer Slaves

Message:   ALL IN - Lead Pastor Dave Vance

Special Music:  The Motions

To watch our services on line go to crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their worship service go to theworshipcommunitiy.com

what I learned today

With the flurry of the weekend celebration at Crossroads behind me, I'm back in my favorite spot on my deck, worshipping the Lord as I read the account of Jesus washing the disciples feet.

I've written before about a couple opportunities I've had with people who aspire to greatness wanting to be 'in charge' of something.  In both cases I've assured them that even if their gifting is leading - there's way more to leading especially in the church, than leading like a CEO.

This is NOT suggesting that I have it all figured out - I goof up weekly with leadership choices I make.

But, we must try to be humble.  You must be willing to do whatever it takes - even very behind the scenes junky jobs.  You must be willing to be the last man out of the church door.  If not, you'll lead but have no true following.

Beth Moore says, God grants greatness to those who lead with a lap full of feet, like Jesus demonstrated when he washed his disciples feet.  She guessed that if Jesus had asked for a volunteer to wash everyone's feet - none of them would have volunteered!

He talks over and over about being servants to others and very little in contrast about leadership.  He knew what we'd struggle with!


I find it terribly comforting just to see in scripture over and over such practical application for my life's struggles.  What a testimony to the fact that God knew we'd need a manual to live by, and what an amazing thing that He wrote it to apply to every single generation with no changes needed.

He created us and watched us walk away from Him in selfishness - He knew we'd sin and struggle - and still He gives us everything we could possibly ever need to live strongly, correctly, unselfishly, humbly and madly in love with Him when we realize this manual called the Bible can teach us how to live and how to avoid all the problem our dumb choices cause us.

This past year I've felt a couple times a deep tiredness in ministry like I've never known before and that reveals to me that I'm drifting off into my own strength again which certainly isn't what it used to be and it's time for a re-centering, a leaning deep back into Him and His Word. It doesn't take a scientist to know that our bodies are created to rest and that's why scripture talks so much about rest - even making it part of God's plan of Creation.  I'm praising Him this morning for His never ending teaching and patience with me!

He doesn't need my help with anything - I need His...