Hello so I have not really had much luck getting my machine set up properly. I try running the skull and crossbones it runs through the code but it never touches the work piece. So I try some Gcode that I created which is just a circle .25 deep and it just plunges into work piece and bottoms out.  Any help would be great

Are you using MACH3 or MACH4?

Normally, you need to jog (TAB key will give you Jog screen + arrow keys to jog) to the zero point of your workpiece at set work coordinates to zero.
Z = 0 is when your bit just touch the surface of the workpiece.

regenerate tool path
Then Cycle Start

Mach 3.   Ok I will try that thank you