Family

The Mind Manual – How a Life Skills Program is Changing Lives

There is a song titled, “Wounds in the Way” that is particularly haunting, describing the damage and hurt many women and men hold on to from their childhood. An especially poignant line goes: “As time passes by, they begin to multiply…. adding up secretly, like the rings of an old oak tree…” So many of us have gone through devastating hurt and struggle at some point in our lives, even from our formative years. And yet, instead of dealing with those crises and the problems that result from them, we often sweep them under the mat, ignore them, even try […]

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Will the Real St. Nicholas Please Stand Up?

In America, St. Nicholas (aka Santa Claus) is seen as a jolly, fat, bearded man, who drives a sleigh pulled by reindeer. But this is a caricature, coming from illustrations for Harper’s Illustrated Weekly in 1869, done by Thomas Nast. This art was a continuation of the chubby, plump “jolly old elf” image in the poem “The Night Before Christmas.” (This depiction is normally attributed to Clement C. Moore, professor of Biblical Languages at New York’s Episcopal General Theological Seminary. However, Don Foster’s book Author Unknown suggests that Henry Livingston, a patriot and author of humor and children’s verse, actually […]

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Christmas Near the Beach

Christmas Near The Beach, a South Florida-style celebration, returns to the Arts Park at Young Circle in Hollywood on Saturday, December 13 from 4 to 9 p.m. With more than 5,000 people in attendance last year, the free event will feature bands, dancers, singers, vendors, a classic car show and a free photo with St. Nick at his Beach House.  Now in its 8th year, Christmas Near The Beach is a production of Expressions of Joy, a Christian dance academy serving Broward and Palm Beach counties. Their objective is to boldly share the good news of the gospel in a […]

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Simplifying Christmas With 15 Kids

I know the feeling. It’s Christmas. And you want to give your kids the perfect family memory. Glowing tree, beautifully wrapped packages beneath it, matching pajamas and the sweet smell of something delicious wafting in from the kitchen. But the WORK! The sheer prospect of decorating, shopping, wrapping, and cooking up all this perfection is mind-boggling. Come mid-October many of us are already dreading the Christmas card chaos and by Thanksgiving panic is approaching. Stop. Breathe. Let me share with you some ways I have simplified the holiday to make the meaning of the season remain the reason. As a […]

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Loving My Gay Son as Christ Loves Me

Ann Mobley’s story is one of pain and triumph as told in her book “If I tell You I’m Gay Will You Still Love Me? One Mother’s Journey to Truth and Grace.” The book is as much about Ann as it is about her youngest son Danny, who is gay. And she tackles this subject with poise, dignity and grace. Ann and her husband Jerry met at Cedarville College (now Cedarville University), a Bible college, in 1953 and later made their way to South Florida. The Mobleys attended Calvary Church in Miami and were always involved in ministry. It was […]

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Be Prepared for Change in Health Insurance

If you purchased an Affordable Care Act Plan, changes are coming soon. To protect yourself you should begin by acting now. Several changes are about to happen. The rates for every plan will be changing on January 1, 2015 with many plans going up by 17 percent or more. The Subsidies you get are likely to change as well, and if you do nothing, you are very likely going to see sticker shock in January 2015. There are three new carriers joining the exchange whose plans and rates may be better suited for you this year. Their rates are not […]

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Bullying: A Silent Epidemic

Across the media, bullying has been portrayed as a part of life, even a rite of passage, and put in a comical light. We can probably admit to laughing with the stereotypical bully in comics and movies. Nevertheless, the truth about bullying reveals that it is far from comical. Effects About 80 million children attend private and public schools K-12 in the U.S. and 20-25 million are reported as being bullied each year. Reportedly 200,000 children fear being bullied each day enough to miss school. 400,000 children have either attempted or talked about committing suicide due to bullying, and 7,000 […]

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Divorced Dads: Stay Engaged

Dads, your children need you. Here are two reasons why divorced dads must stay engaged in the lives of their children: God and secular statistics tell us we must. Headship Since the beginning of time, God has commanded man to be the head of the family. The headship command is an issue of order not of who is better or more important. In divorce, man loses headship over his wife while maintaining it with his children. The father has the responsibility of leading his family to a closer relationship with the Lord. God will require it of the father on […]

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Love Makes a Difference in Public Schools

After working as a basketball coach and athletic director at Palm Beach Atlantic University, Jack Wells began visiting public schools in Palm Beach County as a recruiter and discovered something that surprised him. “Everywhere I went I was finding seasoned teachers wanting to leave public education. It was only September or October, and they were already wanting out due to the frustrations they faced,” said Wells. Having been active in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in the past, Wells said, “I felt God calling me to do something, but I asked, ‘What can one man do to make a difference […]

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Transition of a Growing Child and Mom

Picture yourself sitting at the table with your now grown-up daughter as she plops down a packet of information with the title “Peace Corps” on front. Your mind drifts to the first time you ever held her as a precious baby in your arms—then quickly rushes to images of hostile foreign people groups trying to pry her from your grasp (while in the Peace Corps, of course). All at once you reel in your imagination and regain your dignified, yet slightly shaken, composure. She looks at you, “Mom, are you okay?” These are the many crazy feelings and emotions we […]

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