With the rapid influx of communication technology, it is more necessary than ever before for parents to make decisions for their children. Picture this: Parents need a babysitter for the evening and ask a stranger to watch their child.  “No way,” you scream!  Let us continue: a stranger knocks on your front door and says, “I’m here to sit in your teen’s bedroom and talk to them…alone.”  Not a chance!  But this is happening and parents aren’t even aware of it. Technology in the form of Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, etc. is not the problem itself but rather the doorway.  The […]

At the young age of 22, Jonathan Ramirez was starting to feel a lot older than he was. Severe pains cascaded through his body on a regular basis. He noticed that he was losing his hair. A strange rash started to turn up around his eyes, and no matter how many hours of sleep he had gotten the night before, he was completely exhausted all the time. Jonathan assumed his exhaustion was due to his heavy course load as a Florida International University civil engineering student. When his health declined drastically after he got his wisdom teeth removed, he knew […]

At the young age of 22, Jonathan Ramirez was starting to feel a lot older than he was. Severe pains cascaded through his body on a regular basis. He noticed that he was losing his hair. A strange rash started to turn up around his eyes, and no matter how many hours of sleep he had gotten the night before, he was completely exhausted all the time. Jonathan assumed his exhaustion was due to his heavy course load as a Florida International University civil engineering student. When his health declined drastically after he got his wisdom teeth removed, he knew […]

A young woman who overcame years of physical and sexual abuse, and then worked to change Florida law to better protect the rights of victims, arrived Tuesday at the historic Capitol steps after a 500-mile walk throughout the state during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Lauren Book-Lim, who endured childhood sexual abuse for six years at the hands of her nanny, concluded her journey of healing and awareness with a rally at the Capitol, where she called for funding for rape crisis centers and passage of legislation to protect victims of sexual abuse, including SB 870, which eliminates the statute of […]

Last month my family and I went on our annual family camping trip. We have been traveling with some of the same families for the past five years and there are always lots of kids, activities, and some practical jokes. This year’s trip, however, was a little different. There were twice as many families as last year, and not everyone knew each other.  But somehow, everyone had heard about the practical jokes I participated in and there were expectations larger than reality. This was all based on a few past pranks I pulled off with other pranksters.  Before I knew […]

Despite a successful pro golf career and the appearances of everything going right, in 1985 Bernhard Langer felt a void that he couldn’t explain. “I had just won the Masters, I’m driving to Hilton Head with my beautiful young wife, and I felt empty,” Langer said in a Sports Illustrated story. “I don’t know why.” The April 5 magazine story by Michael Bamberger recounts Langer’s conversion to Christianity shortly after that drive. “In Hilton Head, I saw Bobby Clampett,” Langer said, “and he asked me if I wanted to attend the Wednesday night (golf) tour Bible study group, and that’s […]

Conducted by Scott Spages Personal information:Birth Place:   Gastonia, North CarolinaYears in Florida:Moved to Florida in 1969.Married John Aman in 1995Occupation: Executive Director ofBroward County Right to LifeFamily and interests:Q:     Where did you grow up and what was it like? A:     My younger years were spent in North Carolina and Georgia. My father’s profession required us to move around a lot. I was always the new girl on the block. We moved to Hollywood, Florida, where a group of girls invited me to a Bible study through the Florida Bible Church. They had a leadership program for the teens, and […]

One of my fondest memories of college life involves my own dirty laundry. I’ll never forget doing laundry in the basement of Holloway Hall, the dormitory I called home at West Virginia Wesleyan College. Between loads, I’d sprint to the break room to catch Michael Jackson’s Thriller video on the big, bulky TV. The synchronized dance sequences left this wannabe entertainer mesmerized. Over the years, I became less thrilled with the King of Pop and more enthralled with the King of Kings. Then recently, the Facebook chatter about Jackson’s This Is It DVD piqued my curiosity, so I rented the […]

A growing number of American Christians and even some secular groups are beginning to believe John Wesley had the right idea: “Make all you can; save all you can; give all you can.” Hard work, thrift and philanthropy seem counter-cultural in a time and place where debt is pervasive, with individuals, families, companies and even the government borrowing increasing amounts of money. “Churches can offer American culture the gift of stewardship,” Texas Baptist Christian Life Commission Director Suzii Paynter said. “Church leaders preach about wise stewardship of time, energy and resources. Through church-sponsored financial seminars, people learn how to get […]

You may have seen the attention grabbing billboards advertising Strip Club or The Bare Naked Truth on Sex series in various locations as you drive around South Florida. Although there have been a variety of comments, bewildered looks, and even criticisms and judgments by both believers and non-believers, there is one truth that stands mighty and alone through all of it; whether you are a fan of his style or not, Pastor David Hughes’ mission to lead as many souls as possible to Christ is working. A South Florida native, Pastor Hughes recalls being given the opportunity to lead at […]