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Ramadan, Fasting and the Good News

This year Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, takes places from May 27 to June 25. For Muslims it brings thirty days of rigorous fasting, along with prayer, reading of the Qur’an and giving to the poor. Christians disagree strongly with Muslims about their understanding of God. However, Ramadan can provide a unique opportunity for Christians to show love and compassion to Muslims. Prayer, fasting, the reading of Scripture, care for one another and the poor — these are all practices with which faithful Christians are familiar. But we practice these within the wonderful freedom that we have […]

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Can Money Buy You Happiness?

Many say that money can’t buy happiness; nearly everyone wants to test that theory. Most people believe they would become happy if they only had more money; however, lottery winners provide telling case studies of what happens when people’s financial dreams come true. The stories of financial ruin, divorce, misery and even murder of those who win lotteries seems to be the norm. We still believe money will make us happy. Many argue, like Jimmy Stewart in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”, when he asked the Angel Clarence if he had any money — the angel said: “we don’t […]

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“13 Reasons Why” You Should Watch This Show Before Your Kids Do

I had been waiting for that letter. It had been weeks that I had been hearing about the show “Thirteen Reasons Why” that had become a global phenomenon. But this was no ordinary show. This was a show about teen suicide, one that graphically depicted it, and that kids had easy access too. One that could potentially hurt a kid that was already hurting. Many school districts across the nation had already begun sending home letters, warning parents about the show. And although my kids are much younger than teenagers, I was very aware that even these sorts of things […]

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Summer Hosting Gives Colombian Orphans a Chance to Experience Family

For the Past 10 years, Adoption by Shepherd Care has brought a small group of orphan children ages 9 to 14 from Colombia to South Florida. This Summer Hosting Program gives the kids an opportunity to experience life with a family in the United States for a few weeks when they will go on outings to the beach, attend a pool party and visit the Wow Factory indoor playground and party center. “We give them a nice two weeks,” said Nidia Sica, director of international programs for the adoption agency. However, the events are designed as an opportunity for families […]

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Community Comes Together to Rebuild Low-Income Homes

Home improvement has taken on a whole new meaning with Rebuilding Together. “Christianity is more caught than taught,” said Chris Reny, senior pastor of Church by the Sea. “It is about letting your life speak.” Reny, among other Christian leaders, joined Rebuilding Together Broward County to upgrade low-income homes in April in commemoration of National Rebuilding Month. The non-profit organization successfully renovated three different homes in low-income areas in collaboration with other community establishments. This was one of its many efforts to integrate the church with the community to help meet the basic needs of others. “What is lacking is […]

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Vacation Bible School Provides Play, Praise and Passion

Every summer since I was five years old, I would anxiously await the beginning of the week where I got to don a brightly colored shirt every morning and join the sea of children my age wearing the same shirt. The drive to church was specifically allotted for memorizing the energetic motions and lyrics of the thematic songs that I would sing with all my peers during every worship time. I still memorize those songs one week out of every summer, but now it’s to teach them to five year olds dancing in the same place I did thirteen years […]

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First Lady of Coral Ridge, Anne Kennedy Remembered

Anne Lewis Kennedy, known to most as the “First Lady” of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church, passed away on May 16 at the age of 91. A faithful servant of the Lord, Anne labored alongside her husband, Dr. D. James Kennedy, who was senior pastor at Coral Ridge for more than 48 years until he went to be with the Lord in 2007. His wife constantly encouraged him, and by the grace of God, Coral Ridge produced Evangelism Explosion, a worldwide lay-witnessing program; Knox Theological Seminary; Westminster Academy; and D. James Kennedy Ministries, a worldwide broadcast ministry (formerly Coral Ridge Ministries) […]

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Jesus in the Park

As the two groups of people stood there, they both asked the same question: “Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison” (Matthew 25:37).When? Bewilderment must have begun to set in as every person in the room tried to take stock of their lives and questioned amongst themselves when they could have possibly seen the King, Jesus Himself. When did they see Him and help; when did they see Him and choose not to help? As I stood in Fort Lauderdale’s Stranahan Park on Friday, May 19, the […]

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Eat Lunch Alone? Not In My School!

What problem can you identify at your school and what can you do about it? It was a simple question but it was the match that lit a national solution to a problem every blog post, book or movie on teenagers addresses: high school lunch. Not the actual food but the social miasma associated with it. Who can I eat with? For students at Boca High, the answer is — With us! When the founders of We Dine Together — Denis Estimon, Jean Max Meradieu, Kinsley Florestal and Ally Sealy — were challenged at a Propel (People Reaching Out to […]

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This Year’s Finest Take Hold of the Future

Congratulations graduates! They’ve studied hard and passed the test, achieving a high school diploma. Graduation is a time for students to enjoy life together and look forward to pursing their dreams. Each class has a distinct personality and faces unique challenges. “This class has great confidence in who they are and where they are going,” notes Mike Critch, Westminster Academy’s Dean of Upper School. “What excites me for the future of the Class of 2017 is the unkown God has in store for them There are technological advancements that will impact their lives which have not even been dreamed of […]

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