Family

Good News Wants to Know

The Good News
11 Dec 2017
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During this holiday season, we continue our conversation with community and business leaders who are impacting South Florida in profound ways. We want you to get to know them on a more personal level. So this month, Good News Wants to Know… What was your most meaningful Christmas memory or present?   My most meaningful Christmas memory was, and is, taking my girls yearly to buy our annual Christmas Tree. Over the last 21 years of marriage, we have always bought a ‘live’ tree – Fraser fir – in honor of my wife. The tradition she was raised on is […]

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Christmas Rehab

Anitra Parmele
6 Dec 2017
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  We’re all familiar with the underlying wisdom behind the instructions to place the oxygen mask over our face even before reaching over to help our child in the case of an in-flight emergency. How can we truly be prepared to assist others if we are on the verge of unconsciousness? If the Christmas season leaves you gasping for air, Melissa Spoelstra’s Total Christmas Makeover might be the perfect gift. Whether you spend the season terrified that you are always one tray of cookies and a secret gift short or you wonder why your holiday doesn’t come close to the […]

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Give Your Kids and Teens What They Really Want This Christmas

C.J. Wetzler
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In 2015 IKEA, the Swedish ready-to-assemble furniture and home furnishings retailer, asked “Why do we insist on not giving our children the gifts they really want for Christmas?” To answer this question, IKEA created an experiment in which children from 10 different families were asked to write two separate letters: one to Santa Clause and the other to their parents. As expected, to Santa Clause, kids requested everything from the latest tech to a unicorn. In the other letter however, the one to their parents, kids wrote, “I want you to spend more time with me… that we do more […]

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Meet the Twins

Stephan Tchividjian
1 Dec 2017
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Meet My Twin, J I have a friend named J.  He is always good for a great story.  J comes from a large family and has an influential father.  J grew up as the youngest child.  I come from a big family too; however, I am the oldest.  The oldest is the test case; the youngest is often the most spoiled. I also know the drama that exists with large families, but I would not want it any other way. There is always a good story in the making. I have always admired J because whatever situation he is in […]

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4KIDS will Celebrate 20 Years with a Family Festival Featuring Hawk Nelson

The Good News
19 Oct 2017
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In the 1990’s, South Florida was a dark place to be a child in foster care. A broken system led to national news headlines of children suffering from abuse, starvation, disappearance or death in the very homes that were supposed to be safe. Then one bright woman began knocking on doors pleading for forgotten kids. One church listened, and in 1997 Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale caused this little spark of hope to spread like wild fire. It developed into what we now know as 4KIDS of South Florida. Now celebrating 20 years, 4KIDS of South Florida has been a beacon […]

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Smart Financial Moves for New Parents

Edward Jones
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If you’ve just had a new baby, your life is filled with more joy (but less sleep). You’re probably already aware of the time and effort you must invest in raising your child, but you may not have thought as much about another aspect — the financial one. Consider this: The average cost of raising a child to age 17 is now $222,360, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture report on how much middle-income, two-parent families spend on their offspring. And this is the amount you might spend before your son or daughter heads to college. Clearly, you need […]

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When Storms Hit Hard

Terry Morrow
12 Oct 2017
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Last month, South Florida experienced the effects of what many expected would be a devastating hurricane. As we prepared for a direct hit from a category 4 or 5 storm, schools and businesses closed so we could prepare for the wind and potentially flooding rain. Prayers were lifted for the storm to move and spare us. . .  and, almost miraculously overnight, the path of the hurricane shifted west to stay mostly in the ocean. Our prayers had been answered. While we were still impacted by the outer bands of the hurricane, most homes and families weathered the storm relatively […]

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Back to School Prayer Lays a Foundation for Success

Shelly Pond
8 Aug 2017
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As students return to school, people throughout South Florida will once again gather in prayer at their local elementary, middle and high schools on the Saturday before school starts to pray for the local campuses. Initiated by First Priority, a ministry passionate about connecting the church to reach the campus for Christ, Back to School Prayer 2017 simply encourages every person from every church to meet at their school’s flagpole at 9 a.m. and spend an hour in prayer. If you cannot access the flagpole, gather by the main school sign along the road. For Palm Beach County public schools […]

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Kids Can Feel Confident about Heading Back to School

Chrissie Ferguson
3 Aug 2017
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For many children, the first day back to school is an exciting one. Students are ready to take on the year with new haircuts, backpacks, school attire and supplies. But for less fortunate children, whose families are unable to afford these things, the first day back to school can be a little more daunting. In an effort to make sure that all children throughout south Florida feel ready and confident for the new school year, many local organizations are holding Back to School Drives this fall. Here are just a few of them.   Urban Youth Impact – Back 2 […]

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Interruptions

Stephan Tchividjian
26 Jun 2017
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My wife and I were having an important discussion a number of years ago, one of those husband and wife discussions that center on schedules, budgets, decisions, etc.  Important stuff, right? Our three-year-old daughter did not hesitate to interrupt our discussion because she was thirsty and she needed her “dink” right now.  She would not stop interrupting until we stopped our conversation to meet her immediate need. Lisa and I were out of town on vacation when our beach day was interrupted by a text from our daughter that stated, “Just so you both know… I refer to the time I was […]

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