Speaking the Truth in Love

“You’re not cute,” she said as she pointed a well-manicured index finger at my chest. Wide eyed, my peers glanced at me, looked at our mentor, eyed the box of tissues and waited. I drew in a deep breath and smiled. “You’re not necessarily headed to the stages where you think you are headed,” she continued. “But, you have a stage. You’re not one of those ‘cutsie’ girl speaker types. You’re powerful. Unique. Dramatic. Inspiring. She demonstrated each word as she spoke them and made her point, “You have your audience.” As my heart filled to overflowing, the resultant tears […]

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The Pastor’s Wife Who Went Crazy

When I was eight years old, I wrote a suicide letter to my grandma and mailed it. Naturally, very concerned, she turned it over to my parents, who in turn had me meet with a Christian counselor. Little did I know then that that would mark the beginning of a lifelong journey with a battle in my mind. Along the way I would fight these battles in my mind, not knowing how, but knowing that for survival I needed to fight my mind. During my adolescent and young adult years, I ended up fighting these battles with alcohol. And on […]

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Career Scholarships Available

Career Source Broward (CSBD) is eager to award 260 young people in Broward County with a scholarship for higher education, a paid internship in their field, transportation assistance, and job placement after graduation. CSBD, previously called Work Force One, collaborates in community and business projects and workforce development with many community-based institutions. Applicants must have graduated from high school in June or be between the ages of 17 and 21, want to continue their education in a career training program, be willing to complete training within two years and need financial assistance. Those selected will be trained in an employable […]

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Building a Family Legacy: Dobson and son update 1978 parenting film series

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Ryan Dobson may be the son of a famous father but, like many adult children, he still likes to come home and ravage around hidden places for pieces of the past. He was doing just that seven years ago when he stumbled upon an old film-taped by his father, Focus on the Family founder Dr. James Dobson-sitting on a shelf in the family basement. Lacking commercial packaging, the case was simply marked “Film Series 1978.” “I thought, ‘Oh, this is what I’ve been hearing about my whole life,’ because the stories that were told about me […]

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FREE Back To School Immunizations Offered

The Florida Department of Health in Broward County will offer free immunizations for school age children (up to age 18) during the month of August inside the Lauderhill Mall, located at 1299E NW 40th Avenue in the City of Lauderhill. Parents and guardians are advised to prepare early and get the required immunizations for their children before the school rush. Immunizations will be offered inside the Lauderhill Mall on the following dates and times: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday August 4, 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 18 & 19 – 9:00am to 3:00pm Thursday August 7 & 14 – […]

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321 Improv Releases Comedy DVD

321 Improv, a unique interactive comedy experience featuring Carl Crispin of Boca Raton, Mike Domeny, of Birmingham and Jeremy Schofield, of Oklahoma City, has released their first comedy DVD.  321 has performed for various audiences from 50 to 10,000 at various student and adult events, but the typical 321 Improv Comedy show is a comedy night hosted by the local church. An evening with 321 Improv at a church is an opportunity to build community among the adults of the church; to invite unchurched friends to see what it’s all about; or just enjoy an evening out with a spouse or […]

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U.S. Works for Meriam Ibrahim Exit in Sudan Death Row Case

KHARTOUM, SUDAN (ANS) — The U.S. says it is working with Sudan to ensure a woman freed from death row can leave the country, after she was detained at Khartoum airport. According to a story by the BBC, Meriam Ibrahim’s lawyer says she and her husband are being questioned over their travel documents. She was sentenced in May to hang for renouncing Islam – sparking an outcry – but was released from jail on Monday. Ibrahim’s husband is a Christian from South Sudan. U.S. State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Sudan’s government had given assurances that Ibrahim and her family […]

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Influence Culture Church Launches Love Week

Influence Culture, a new church in downtown Fort Lauderdale that launched just a few short weeks ago, has partnered with local outreaches to serve the city during Love Week, June 9 – 15. Although they have only opened their doors in February of this year, Influence Culture Church has been active in their community for over a year. BJ & Sarah Johnson, leaders of Influence Culture, want to be a church known for what it does Monday through Saturday more than for what happens on a Sunday morning. They are already being unconventional in their venue space as the church meets at Revolution Live, […]

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Get Involved With Vacation Bible School

Because I am a seminary professor, I live most of my life in the ivory tower of academia. In spite of that, I love Vacation Bible School! Despite the fact that I teach New Testament Greek as my vocation, I have no greater privilege than helping children to understand the gospel. In my life I have been a worker or attendee at well over two hundred Vacation Bible Schools. Learning to love the Gospel Because I spent a good part of my life as a professional juggler/ventriloquist and have used these skills to pay my way through graduate schools, I […]

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Ministering Beyond The Four Walls

The Refuge Ministry, Calvary Chapel, is an outreach program that has been ministering to the homeless in Broward County since 2006. The program was started by Jym Kaye, then pastor at Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, about eight years ago. Dirk Ruyf took up the challenge to oversee the program about a year now since Pastor Jym left to overseer the satellite churches. Lifenet4Families provides meals at its facility located at 1 NW 33rd Terrace, Fort Lauderdale, from Monday to Saturday. This leaves Dirk and his very able volunteer staff to fill in the gap on Sundays. It is heartwarming to […]

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