Define Love

Anitra Parmele
1 Feb 2011
no comments

As we move into the month of February, our thoughts (and hearts) move to the subject of love. As believers, we turn to the Bible and immediately encounter questions. What does it mean when Jesus says in Matthew 5:44, “Love your enemies. Pray for those who hurt you.” Our response is immediate and totally understandable in today’s society. Love my enemy? Won’t that leave me vulnerable? Open to actions of someone who by definition is my enemy- someone who does not have my best interests at heart. You say that you’ve been hurt before and because you have tried to […]

-Read More

Not the same thing in 2011

Anitra Parmele
14 Jan 2011
no comments

How often have I heard it, read it on a plaque, or even repeated it myself? Jesus is the same yesterday and today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). This verse has provided me the framework for the transition from one year to the next. Jesus is the same yesterday…. What is the common saying? Hindsight is twenty-twenty? First on my agenda for the New Year is to take an objective look at the past year. Looking back on 2010, my experiences form a mountain range as I review both the terrifying valleys and staggering peaks of the past twelve months. From […]

-Read More

Your Goal for New Year Just Write

Anitra Parmele
13 Jan 2011
no comments

The power to inspire. The ability to encourage. The responsibility to inform. The written word has an abundance of functions. There’s a strange phenomenon among people who are gifted in the area of writing. As believers in Christ, the gravity of communicating truth about God, about the eternity and about ourselves seems to only accentuate the divide? From Concept to Contract Let’s start with some essential truths. You are a writer. You have something valuable to communicate to another. Regardless of the possibility  of what is hidden within you, you may be writing the next American novel, the lyrics to […]

-Read More

Local Veterinarian Changes the Face of Homeless

Anitra Parmele
12 Jan 2011
no comments

By Anitra Parmele The Good News A Simple Beginning It was Thanksgiving in tent city where the homeless gathered to be fed. Fred Scarbrough remembers catching sight of a young woman as her boyfriend ferried plates of the turkey, mashed potatoes, and stuffing to her where she sat holding her six month old baby. “All of our guests were single men except for this one mother right in the middle of the room. Before I knew it, I was walking over to her and grabbing a chair next to her. Out of my mouth came, ‘How are you doing?’ and […]

-Read More

Feed the body, feed the soul

Anitra Parmele
no comments

By Anitra Parmele The Good News The following is the second in a series spotlighting Hope South Florida, a unique collaboration of city officials, social agencies and the faith community with a single purpose – to end family homelessness in Broward County. For over twenty years, week in and week out, Christ Church United Methodist has been feeding the homeless. Through all the political maneuverings, changes in attitude and economic cycles, volunteers have reached out with hope and tangible assistance to those in their community without social, emotional, economic and financial stability. During that time, officials from Fort Lauderdale and […]

-Read More

Building hope in South Florida one family at a time

Anitra Parmele
25 Nov 2010
no comments

The following is the first in a series spotlighting Hope South Florida – a unique collaboration of city officials, social agencies and the faith community with a single purpose – to end family homelessness in Broward County. “Eighteen months ago, Stephan Tchividjian of the Christian Community Foundation of South Florida encouraged a group of his pastor friends to start meeting. Soon they agreed to unify around the gospel and to address the critical need of homelessness. They each appointed a staff member to sit on a team with representatives of The Shepherd’s Way and brainstorm how to create solutions that […]

-Read More

The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Anitra Parmele
no comments

The majestic face of Aslan looms large in the movie trailer. His regal voice booms, “You have returned for a reason. Your adventure begins now,” as posters that accompany the film invite us to “Return to Hope, Return to Magic, Return to Narnia.” Narnia fans have eagerly awaited the release of the third film based on C.S. (Jack to his friends) Lewis’ internationally popular novel series that includes The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and Prince Caspian. Due out in theaters on December 10, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader is the first of the series to be produced […]

-Read More

The story behind the songs at Christmas time

Anitra Parmele
no comments

It’s the moment when the phrase captures you…”O come, O come Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel” as you’re standing in the coffee aisle at the grocery store. It’s the CD where you listen to the whole thing and not just cherry pick your favorites off iTunes because this is Bing Crosby. It’s the neighbor’s little boy dressed up in his dad’s bathrobe as he tilts back his head and belts out We Three Kings. It’s the recognition that regardless of our church attendance record, most of us know the words to Silent Night’s second verse. It’s the realization that the […]

-Read More

Neighbors share their opinions about Halloween

Anitra Parmele
30 Sep 2010
no comments

It’s not every night that families come to you As a dad, I’ve looked at Halloween as a way to bring the good News of Christ to children. If our own kids had no part in Halloween we would have run the risk of  them being ostracized and other kids making them feel like they are on the outside. Yet, at the same time we don’t glorify Satan, death and darkness. In past years we have given out candy along with simple, kid-friendly booklets explaining about God’s love. Neighbors have come back to us to say thanks for including something […]

-Read More

A Work-Out Class That’s Just A Ball

Anitra Parmele
no comments

As I dragged myself out of bed on a recent Saturday morning, I mused over the class title – Just A Ball. Was there a sarcastic edge signaling that the class was anything but a ball? Was it said in such a way as to forestall my complaining? Having been friends with Chantel Hobbs, the instructor/trainer, for over twenty years, I had no doubt that the answer was probably more than a little of both. When we met, Chantel was an incredibly gifted singer, an intensely loyal and engaging friend, beautiful in the blonde way that makes other women want […]

-Read More