Home Life

It Matters That they Lived

Elizabeth Mitchell
6 Mar 2018
no comments

“Weeping may tarry for the night,” (Psalm 30:5) It matters that they lived, regardless how short the span. It matters on a scale of enormous significance that your friends’ loved ones drew breath for a wisp of time or for a lengthy chain of years. A life that was loved is worthy to matter to us, too. On every side people are grieving, and we are allowed entrance into that sacred space where breathing has become an unbearable task. When a small child leaves shattered parents or elderly saints cross the threshold of heaven, those left behind are devastated. For […]

-Read More

Allowing Lent to Capture You

Anitra Parmele
no comments

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” ― Frederick Buechner Even as our social media feeds fill with exclamations of wonder that it is already March, Lent reminds us of a slower cadence. As the cycle of holidays slaps us like waves pounding the shore, Lent extends the chance at preparation. When our spirits cry out for a deeper communion with God in the midst of a frantic schedule, Lent offers scattered prompts throughout our days to draw us near to God. Lent 101 Marked by Ash Wednesday […]

-Read More

Redeemed to Live a Risen Life

Dr. Tommy Boland
no comments
risen life

Because Easter is on April 1st, I am writing a word of encouragement rooted in the Resurrection for the month of March. It is my prayer that these words will meet you in your deepest place of need as it relates to living the life God has called you to live, by grace, through faith, in our Lord Jesus Christ. “I want to know Christ — yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death,” (Philippians 3:10). Three pillars to a risen life For all those who are in Christ, […]

-Read More

No Home Here

Omar Aleman
8 Feb 2018
no comments

 The successful businessman married the peasant maid much to the disdain of his family and friends, and soon thereafter I was born. He passed five years later, which led my mom and I to leave the country and move to the U.S. Several years later, my mom married a man lacking the sophistication and charisma of my dad; soon, however, I begrudgingly had to admit that these two immigrants with third grade educations and no knowledge of English were pretty good at parenting. However, they could not “hold a candle” to a teenager with vast “intellectual superiority,” knowledge of the […]

-Read More

What is True Love?

John Hawkins, Sr
7 Feb 2018
no comments

“Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails” (Corinthians 13: 4-8 NKJV). Feelings are fickle This is the biblical definition of true love. What we see from this definition is that true love is an action not just a feeling. When in love we do feel something. However, to […]

-Read More

Beachside Church Hosts Wine Study and Bible Tasting

Chris Alexander
1 Feb 2018
no comments

If your reaction to this title was one of “Whatcha talkin’ ‘bout, Willis?” you’re not alone. It implores one to search deeper into what this is all about, which is exactly what the man behind this initiative – Rev. Dr. Marcos Van Dorn – hopes you’ll do. Being one of those inquisitive people, I went to see what a Wine Study and Bible Tasting looked like. Was there really wine drinking while delving into the Bible? You betcha!   What kind of church is this?! Pastor Marcos (or Mark) is the founder of Florida Faith Church, a grassroots nondenominational, thriving […]

-Read More

I Had (Have) A Friend

Stephan Tchividjian
31 Jan 2018
no comments
friend

Friendship is talked about…but seldom experienced. I would like to tell you about my friend. My friend grew up in another country. He was born in a small town where he was raised by an angel of a mother and a complex father. He was part of a large family. My friend became a Christian in his teen years. I first met him when he was in his early twenties and just starting a family. He had two families, and he was devoted to both of them. Please don’t imagine that he actually had two wives and two lives, no. […]

-Read More

Embracing A Pro-ABUNDANT-Life Viewpoint

Nancy McDonald
5 Jan 2018
no comments

  As the President/CEO of Hope Women’s Centers, you might find it surprising for me to say that it’s time for the pro-life community to move beyond focusing on saving unborn babies. Now, don’t panic – I believe that saving babies is a noble, God-honoring cause, but pro-life pregnancy centers have been doing that for almost 45 years – ever since the Supreme Court legalized abortion on January 22, 1973 – and we still see over a million abortions in the United States annually. Focusing on the negative aspects of abortion is not bringing a culture of life to America. […]

-Read More

Time for New Year’s Financial Resolutions

Edward Jones
3 Jan 2018
no comments

We’ve reached the end of another year – which means it’s just about time for some New Year’s resolutions. Would you like to study a new language, take up a musical instrument or visit the gym more often? All these are worthy goals, of course, but why not also add some financial resolutions? Here are some ideas to think about:   Increase contributions to your employer-sponsored retirement plan. For 2018, you can contribute up to $18,500 (or $24,500 if you’re 50 or older) to your 401(k) or similar plan, such as a 403(b), for employees of public schools and some […]

-Read More

Delayed Leadership

Phil Letizia
1 Jan 2018
no comments

Four years ago our daughter Jane came into the world. In extraordinary fashion, she was born in our driveway during the pitch-black hours of the night before we could even attempt to drive to the hospital. Life-altering moments filled with confusion, adrenaline, and every kind of emotion. Those moments also carried with them the realization that Jane was born with Down syndrome. I’ve been a pastor for ten years. Five of those years were spent organizing a new church in our hometown near the Ft. Lauderdale. We felt God had given us a specific and unique calling, one that would […]

-Read More