Family and personal interestQ:     Where did you grow-up and what was it like?   I grew-up in the Bronx, New York, but our family moved to Yonkers; so a lot of my school-aged stuff was in Yonkers, New York.  It was a typical suburban community right outside of New York City.  I had two sisters, both younger than me.  It was a very close-knit Italian family where relatives were very important.  Q:     Do you have a favorite sport, or hobby?   Always baseball – my dad actually played in the Yankee System out of high school, just prior to World […]

The case of a Belgian man who was diagnosed as comatose for 23 years but was, in fact, conscious the entire time illustrates the need to treat such patients with dignity, a pro-life bioethics specialist says. A recently released scientific paper reported on Rom Houben, who was paralyzed in a car accident in 1983 and determined to be in a coma or persistent vegetative state (PVS), according to the Daily Mail Newspaper. A re-evaluation three years ago by neurological expert Steven Laureys found Houben was aware of what was happening around him but had no control of his body. “Medical […]

Hope can truly begin with one person. Sometimes though, we might stand on the sidelines during certain situations because we may think to ourselves, “What impact can I make as a single person?” The truth is, by stepping out in faith, the impact that one person can have on the life of another can be indescribable. One Heart Bringing Hope Tricia Heng, of Pembroke Pines, knows firsthand the difference that the helping hand of a stranger can make. Years ago, when Tricia was a divorced mother, she continuously found herself in situations where she couldn’t make ends meet. She described […]

Someone once said that statisticians are the worst form of liars. In fact, that someone said it in a way much too colorful for a family publication! Nonetheless, demographics and surveys sometimes give us a glimpse into the life of the body politic, and 2009 provided no shortage of such glimpses. Here are a few of them: Paint It BlackAs part of Black History Month, the Pew Research Center’s Forum on Religion and Public Life released a new analysis that paints a detailed religious portrait of African-Americans. The analysis finds that African-Americans are markedly more religious than the U.S. population […]

What is the connection between childhood faith and adult religious commitment? The Barna Group asked adults to think back on their upbringing and to describe the frequency of their involvement in Sunday school or religious training. More than 80 percent remembered consistently attending Sunday school, or having some other religious training, before the age of 12. Seven out of 10 said they attended religious programs weekly as young children. About 70 percent also recalled going to Sunday school or to other religious programs for teens, at least once a month. And half indicated they had gone to such teen programs […]

“Get ready to be moved” is the theme of the Trinity Spirit Festival to be held on Saturday, February 6th in Delray Beach, featuring Dallas based-band, Addison Road, Colorado based-duo, The Sonflowerz, and South Florida-based, Cadence. The second annual event began when parents at Trinity Lutheran Church and School were developing a fundraising idea. “I thought maybe we needed more of a faith raiser than a fundraiser, says Steve Cruz, parent at the school and church member. Cruz points towards our culture and the divorce rates as something that concerns him. “Kids get dropped off at school, they learn all […]

Jack Alan Levine unveils his formula for true peace and happiness. Ask any American if they’re happy with their lives, and 9 out of 10 will give a resounding “No. Work stinks, relationships are horrible, the economy sucks–and there’s nothing we can do about it, except grin and bear it right?” Wrong! Jack Alan Levine’s new book, “Don’t Blow It with God…Your Road Map to the Ultimate Life” reveals the game plan for discovering God’s blueprint for living with joy, peace and happiness everyday of your life. Come along for the ride as God teaches Jack life-changing lessons that will […]

If the name Rocketown sounds familiar, you may know it as the record label of hit-song man, Michael W. Smith. What you may not know is that it’s also the name of a mega-popular youth center in Nashville. And now, there’s a Rocketown youth center in Pompano Beach. It looks like it’s going to be a rising star, too, just like its Nashville parent. Executive Director and former NFL player, Clay Shiver, is excited about how well the program has been received in its first few weeks of existence. Rocketown Florida is a 13,000-square-foot Culture facility with a music venue, […]

There are times when my faith in God feels stronger than ever. God is moving, prayers are being answered, and lives are being changed because of the power and love of Christ. But there are other times when God stretches my faith. Like me, you may have asked the question, why does God allow evil things to happen? If you have, you are in good company. The prophet Habakkuk wrestled with this very question, too. Like Habakkuk, I’ve discovered that it’s not so much my immediate circumstances that God uses to grow my faith, but rather my questions about what […]