You know the battle — blinking lights, dropped connections, and the endless loop of customer service menus. Anyone else with me here, the endless struggle to get and stay connected? After a full year of trying over and over to resolve our seemingly endless issues with the company we used for years, we threw in the towel, took the leap, and scheduled with a brand new provider. But, multiple attempts of trying to get it installed, then unforeseen issues, and hour-long calls to customer service left me frustrated and still without connection. In a last-ditch effort, we decided to reboot the entire system. Lo and behold the issues were resolved! All with just a simple flip of the power switch, we were back up and running. It’s amazing how many technical issues can be resolved with a simple reboot. It made me wonder if our lives work the same way. Sometimes we keep trying to fix problems by working harder… when what we really need is a complete reboot. I’ve often been guilty of following a plan that is clearly not working. I’ve thought that by just trying harder or by sticking with it longer we might just get life running smoothly again. But what we really needed and was way overdue was a whole new approach! We needed to move away from the familiar and take a new direction. It may be time for brand new directions for some of us. Maybe we need to rebel against the status quo and do things very differently. We made a huge decision to downsize (really – to half-size our home!). After praying a lot, we concluded that the Lord wanted to trade our larger house and busy city for more financial space to invest in closeness and experiences rather than more of the same. We packed everyone up and moved across the country to a smaller community and traded suburban highways for small town roads. We traded our overbooked schedule with everyone going different directions every evening for a quieter, slower pace where we get to enjoy our days together as a family. We began again. Was it difficult at times… of course! Was it worth it? ABSOLUTELY! Our family is running much more smoothly, the Lord is using us as a family to bless others, and everyone is MUCH happier! Change comes with its own set of challenges, doesn’t it? Even after you bravely step into new territory, there is the “set up” period–you know– when you must change all your passwords, update all the devices, and start all over. It’s the same for major changes in life. But IT’S WORTH IT! Maybe you need a huge change like we did. Maybe all you need is a simple reboot to get everything running smoothly again. Whichever it is, let me encourage you to begin now. Take some extra time off this season. Put your plans and schedule on pause. (Gulp… maybe even skip school for a few extra weeks.) Go outside for regular walks with your spouse–get some fresh air together, alone, without kids. Surprise everyone with an unplanned adventure to somewhere you’ve never been (you don’t have to go far… I bet your hometown has places you’ve never been) Be brave, go during the day, when you’re supposed to be doing school! Try a new cookie recipe and take some to your neighbors (maybe as an introduction…and eat the rest of the cookies for breakfast!). Even better, invite all your neighbors over for cookies and cocoa (our plan this year!). Take a day off and stay in your comfy PJ’s while you read an entire book together. (It’s even more fun if you do it on a trampoline or next to a roaring fire). Go somewhere and spend time away somewhere you have never been. The point is simple: power off your normal routine and see what happens. And don’t stop there. As you begin making small changes, start praying for the bigger ones the Lord may have for you. When we did, we realized God wasn’t just changing our circumstances…
He was remaking our family. Once our internet reboot was completed, we had lightning-fast service and connectivity. We have all been marveling at the difference, wondering how we ever managed before, and wishing we had made the change sooner. Looking back, I realize something now. God wasn't just changing our circumstances. He was changing me. As I was raising my children, He was quietly remaking my heart — teaching me to trust His direction instead of clinging to my own plans. | 
