There’s an old MAD TV sketch in which Mo Collin’s character seeks professional help for her fear of being buried alive in a box—confessing that just thinking about it makes her life horrible because she can’t go through tunnels or be inside an elevator or house — anything “boxy.” Her psychologist, played by Bob Newhart, quickly recognizes her irrational worry, leans forward from behind his desk and abruptly shouts, “Stop it!”

Oh, how apropos these two words are to Christendom, specifically in how we love others.

The first time I wanted to yell, “Stop it,” was to a guy becoming a pastor. I was in my early 20s, hungry for spiritual growth. I was excited about having been invited to join a small group of men who gathered at Chick-fil-A — obviously — for breakfast and Jesus.

This soon-to-be-pastor sat across from me and asked about my faith. I was elated! Even though I had been raised in church, it wasn’t until now that I was eager to share my personal journey with Christ. Straitening my back, and hardly pausing to breathe, I laid my heart on the table, right next to my chicken.

Interrupting, he asked, “Wait, you’ve already accepted Christ?” He explained that his assignment required him to introduce 10 people to Jesus, and since I already knew Jesus, he stood up and moved to a different table. He didn’t want to know my story — or know me. It was clear; he cared only about himself and his grade.

Romans 12:9-11 states, “Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them … Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”

In his book Love Does, Bob Goff recalls a decision to leave high school and spend his days climbing the cliffs in Yosemite. A youth leader of his, Randy, decided to tag along with Bob for the first part of the journey for no other reason than to just be with Bob. It ended how you probably imagined. With no education or job, Bob was forced to return home within a week, Randy at his side never chastising Bob or saying, “I told you so.” When they arrived back to Randy’s home, Bob realized that Randy was a newlywed. Bob couldn’t believe that Randy cared enough — believed in him enough — to press pause on his own life for Bob.

Bob said, “Randy didn’t see just a high school kid who had disrupted the beginning of his marriage. He saw a kid who was about to jump the tracks. Instead of spending his early days of his marriage with his bride, he spent it with me … Why? It was because Randy loved me. He saw the need and he did something about it. He didn’t just say he was for me or with me. He was actually present with me.”

Bob said, “That’s what love does! It’s sacrificial, which was modeled by our God — at a great cost!”

Jesus says in John 15:13 that “there is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

What does it take to have this kind of love? Relationship: First a real relationship with God and second with people. Knowing God intimately will allow you to understand real love and be sincere when loving others. Conversely, a counterfeit love boasts all the right elements of a legitimate relationship but fails to make a difference in the person’s life.

In That Crumpled Paper Was Due Last Week: Helping Disorganized and Distracted Boys Succeed in School and Life, author Ana Homayoun shares about a frustrated mom concerned for her son’s lack of school engagement. While the mom thought the issue was solely the son’s, Ana discovered that the mom had recently been through a divorce and failed to consider how the new family dynamic might impact her son’s school performance. Upon digging deeper than the symptom, the real issue was revealed. Now the mom and son have a stronger relationship. That’s what love does … anything less, stop it!

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@deerfieldfirst.com.

By Gary Curreri

While there were heavy hearts at the recent South Florida International Water Polo Tournament, the event went off without a hitch.

“It was a great event,” said South Florida Water Polo head coach Michael Goldenberg, whose organization hosted the 15th annual event from Feb. 17-19 at two pools — Pompano Beach Aquatic Center and the Coral Springs Aquatic Complex. “As usual because nothing less than that is expected.”

The South Florida water polo community was reeling with the losses of Stefano Dioguardi and Andre Williams, both long-time members of the SFWP (South Florida Water Polo Club).

Dioguardi passed away in July after a year-long battle with Cancer, while Williams was killed in the motorcycle accident in December.

“This year has been a tough year for the club with the loss of the two players,” Goldenberg said. “We dedicated this year’s tournament to raising funds for the Forzastefano Foundation in memory of Stefano and for a sea turtles rescue and preservation foundation in memory of Andre.”

The 15th annual South Florida Water Polo International Tournament attracted 22 clubs from nine countries (Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Georgia, Hungary, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago and the USA.

The USA representatives included teams from five states (California, Florida, New York, Missouri and Washington DC). This marked the first year the event was split between two pools in two different cities.

The South Florida Water Polo Club (1998 birth year) boys defeated Gigantes de Carolina (Puerto Rico) in Championship game, 10-5, while the South Florida Water Polo Club (2001 birth year) boys edged the Encantada Water Polo (Puerto Rico) in Championship game, 8-7.

In the 1998 girls, Hialeah (Miami) took first, while Gigantes de Carolina (PR) was second and South Florida Water Polo Club took third. In the 2003 Coed division, Coronado (California), won the events.

“I have to send ‘a great thank you’ to all athletes and parents of South Florida Water Polo Club for volunteering their time and soul to hosting this event,” Goldenberg said. “Without them, the success would not be possible.”

For more information on the Forza Stefano Charitable Foundation, visit www.forzastefano.org.

Defending State Champ Colts Top Bucks

The Deerfield Beach High School boys’ basketball team was less than a minute away from ending the season of the defending Class 9A state champions.

With 51 ticks on the clock left and leading by four in the Region 3-9A semifinals, the visiting Bucks had Coral Springs on the ropes.

Jelani Heard converted a couple of free throws and Wilvens Fleurizard closed out the game with the final four points of the night with a steal and lay-up with two seconds left to give Coral Springs a 47-44 victory.

The Colts, which defeated Deerfield in the district championship after losing both regular season games to the Bucks, went on to fall to Wellington in the regional final.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Despite what presenter Faye Dunaway said Sunday night, Moonlight did win the Best Picture Oscar for 2016. In under two hours, writer/director Barry Jenkins shares a slice of South Florida culture through the eyes of a child, a teenager and an adult through three chapters of a larger narrative. Moonlight earned its honor through impressive storytelling and character development, a skill Barry Jenkins earned when he attended Florida State University, College of Motion Picture Arts. Congrats, Moonlight cast & crew.

On the Map opens tomorrow with a unique South Florida connection. Twelve years ago, Director Dani Menken appeared at the Palm Beach International Film Festival. As a producer, Menken earned the Best Documentary for 39 Pounds of Love, which features Ami Ankilewitz, an American-born Israeli who was diagnosed with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy who likes to party. In contrast, On the Map features the growth of professional athletes in Israel.

After World War II ended, the American sport of basketball grew as an international sport in Italy, Spain and the Soviet Union. Given the terrorist actions of the 1972 Munich Olympics, the story about the Soviet Union stealing the Gold Medal from Team USA became a mere footnote. Five years later, young Israel (a nation state less than three decades old) confronted the International Champion Soviet Union in an epic basketball game.

Told with grainy home movies and audio supplied by reel-to-reel tape recorders, On the Map retells the epic David & Goliath story about Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball team.

Now 40 years later, the teammates reunite and celebrate their amazing victory. The memories are sharp and this story truly comes alive.

If you love the sport of basketball, get out of the house and check out On the Map on the big screen.

Kedi also opens tomorrow and will surely inspire cat lovers. Set in Istanbul, this unique documentary shows the symbiotic relationship between the urban dwellers and the cats. Like a National Geographic/Wild Kingdom documentary, Kedi captures kitty cats in a natural habitat demonstrating primal behavior.

It is ironic that people choose animation animals (like Oscar winner Zootopia) over natural animals at the movie box office. However Kedi provides many short stories about individual cats. The film pays off during the curtain call in which we revisit each of these cats and we remember each one of their stories.

March is predicted to be a box office bonanza with the releases of Logan, Kong Skull Island and Beauty and the Beast, respectively. However, don’t lose sight of the fine documentaries — On the Map and Kedi.

Deerfield Beach

Feb.14: Two women stole about $200 worth of miscellaneous shoes from Marshalls at 3852 W. Hillsboro Blvd. and fled in a car.

Feb. 14: A woman reported that someone stole a laptop computer valued at $200 and a gold ring valued at $500 from her home at 1100 SW 8 Ave. The home was being tented for a bug problem.

Feb. 14: A man was arrested and charged with domestic assault with domestic violence and assault with a deadly weapon. He threw a missile into an occupied vehicle.

Feb. 17: Someone broke into a truck at Restoration Xperts parked at 1130 S. Powerline Rd. and stole $3,400 worth of construction equipment.

Feb. 17: A woman employed at Target was arrested and charged with petit theft from Target at 3599 W. Hillsboro Blvd. She stole $75 worth of merchandise.

Lighthouse Point

Feb. 6: The victim was doing work at a job site at 2931 NE 36 St. and placed two pieces of bronze 4×4 aluminum fencing at a new home. The victim believes a male subject who was inquiring about the fencing a short time earlier may have removed it. The loss was $200.

Feb. 7: Police responded to a call of a theft in progress at 3700 N. Federal Hwy. and a subject was taken into custody.

St. Ambrose Carnival & Music Festival

Thursday, Mar. 2, 5 to 10 p.m.

Friday, Mar. 3, 5 to 11 p.m.

Saturday, Mar. 4, 1 to 11 p.m.

Sunday, Mar. 5, 1 to 8 p.m.

Food, live entertainment, rides, games, raffles and much more. Visit www.stambrosecarnival.com for more information.

Fish Fry

Every Friday from Mar. 3 through Apr. 14, 6 to 8 p.m.

St. Elizabeth of Hungary Catholic Church

3331 NE 10 Terr.

Pompano Beach, FL 33064

Enjoy wild harvested cod, harvested country fries, coleslaw, roll, dairy dessert, coffee/tea. Beer and wine available for minimal charge. For more information, call 954-941-8117.

Deerfield Beach Little League 60th Anniversary Opening Day

Saturday, Mar. 4

Deerfield Beach Middle School Athletic Complex

701 SE 6 Ave.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

10 a.m.- Team pictures and events begin, 2 p.m.- ceremony begins, 4 p.m.- games begin on all fields. Special guest appearances by MLB players Chuck Klee and Ryan Shealy. Events for all ages: DJ Petey, activities, raffle prizes, food and games. Come out and Support 60 years of Little League Baseball in Deerfield Beach. For more information, visit www.deerfieldbeachlittleleague.com.

Zonta’s 3rd Annual Cabaret Brunch and Heart, Soul & Service Award

Sunday, Mar. 5, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Boca West Country Club

20583 Boca West Dr.

Boca Raton, FL 33434

Guests will be treated brunch, silent auction, raffle prizes. Entertainment features Woody Woodbury and “Just Us Orchestras.” Funds raised will go toward Zonta’s Scholarship Programs for non-traditional students at Broward College and for other Zonta service projects.Tickets: $80 per person, may be purchased online. For further information, call 561-392-2223 or email bosanboc@bellsouth.net.

Visit www.Zontadeerfieldbeach.org.

Friends of the Deerfield Beach Arboretum meet

Thursday, Mar. 9, 7 p.m.

Constitution Park

2841 W. Hillsboro Blvd.

Deerfield Beach, Fl. 33442

Kelli Whitney, Park Naturalist at Long Key Nature Center in Davie, will speak about migratory song birds and butterflies. Usual plant giveaway and light refreshments will be served. Free meeting is open to the public. For more information, call 954- 480-4495 or visit www.treezoo.com.

Tip-A-Cop

Thursday, Mar. 9, 5:30-9:30 p.m.

Duffy’s Sport Grill

401 N. Federal Hwy.

Deerfield Beach, FL 33441

Broward County Law Enforcement officers volunteer as Celebrity Waiters to raise money for Special Olympics Florida. For information, call 954-375-6200 or 561-707-1958.

Save the Date: Dollhouse Miniature Show & Sale

Friday, Mar. 10, & Saturday, Mar. 11

9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Boca Raton Community Center

150 NW Crawford Blvd.

Boca Raton, FL 33432

A townhouse and Bonsai Emporium hosted by Les Petits Collecteurs of South Florida. $1 ticket/ 6 tickets for $5 (suggested donation). Donation goes to AVDA and Kids in Distress. Pre-registered workshops — Adults: $5, Children (under 12): $2. For more information, visit http://sites.google.com/site/lespetitsclub.

Hillsboro Lighthouse

110thAnniversary Fundraising Gala

Friday, Mar. 10, 6 to 10 p.m.

USCG Station Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse property

907 Hillsboro Mile

Hillsboro Beach, FL 33062

Enjoy cocktails & appetizers, a four-course dinner catered by Hugh’s Culinary, music and dancing to Earl’s Trio, a silent auction, opportunity to climb to the top of the Lighthouse to observe the stars and special admission to the rarely seen Lens Room at top of the lighthouse. Tickets: $110 per person. Cars should park at Pompano Beach Parking Garage, 275 Sea Breeze Way, and take free trolley shuttle (begins running to lighthouse at 5:45 p.m.).

For more information or to RSVP and buy ticket, visit www.hillsborogala.eventbrite.com. Proceeds to raise funds to preserve and restore the lighthouse.

Go on Safari with the Soroptimists

Saturday, Mar. 25, 6:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Hugh’s Culinary

4351 NE 12 Terr.

Oakland Park, FL 33334

Dinner, dancing, auctions, raffles and an opportunity to have your picture taken with “wild” animals! Open bar and entertainment provided by D.J. Joe Balistreri. $100 per person. Proceeds benefit the Soroptimist Education Awards and Woodhouse. For information and ticket purchases, contact Becky Walzak at 561-459-7070 or Teri Kovacs at 954-609-1534.

Pat Anderson’s Plein Air Painters Class

Pat’s classes start Monday, Mar. 6, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. For all levels from teens to senior. Most art classes held in the park. Bring lunch and relax. Fee-$200 for 4 classes, includes free art supplies and easel. To register, call 954-786-4111 or visit Emma Lou Olson Civic center.

For more information on locations etc., visit www.PatAndersonArtist.com.

Class 1-Monday, Mar. 6

Class 2-Saturday, Mar. 11, at Hillsboro Lighthouse grounds (includes tour)

Class 3-Monday, Mar. 13

Class 4-Monday, Mar. 20

There was a rabbi known for his constant preaching about the need to nurture children with warmth and love.

One time he noticed some children who were playing in the freshly laid concrete outside his newly renovated home, their little feet leaving lasting impressions. He became irritated and started chastising the children.

A congregant asked, “How can you, a person who devoted his entire life to teaching warmth to children, speak this way?”

To which the rabbi replied: “You must understand. I love children in the abstract, not the concrete.”

Who can love?

Where is the first time the term “love” is mentioned in the entire Torah? Who is the first lover in the Bible?

No, it is not Adam and Eve. It’s not even Abraham and Sarah. I am sure they loved each other, but the term “love” is not mentioned.

The first time we discover “love” in the Torah is “G-d said to Abraham… take your son, your only son [from Sarah], whom you love, Isaac, and offer him as a burnt offering.”

Note: It is not saying that Abraham loved Isaac; it is saying that G-d testifies that Abraham loves Isaac. That must have been some intense love!

Now, where is the second time love is mentioned in Torah?

It is in the following portion: “Isaac married Rebecca and he loved her.”

The subtle message being conveyed is clear. What many psychologists and spiritual and self-help books now explain is intimated in this profound sequence in the Torah. Abraham loves Isaac. Isaac loves Rebecca. He who is loved is capable of loving. Isaac was loved; hence he was able to impart love.

Fascinating: This pattern continues throughout Genesis. The third time love is mentioned is the love of Rebecca to her son. Rebecca was loved and so she could love. The fourth time is Isaac’s love to his son, and so on.

Why is this so?

When I am loved, I feel confident about myself. I cherish my own innate value. I, thus, don’t always have to take; I can also give. If I feel unloved, I have a void which I always need to fill. I am forever parasitic. I am always craving your validation, your compliments, your respect, your gratitude, your appreciation, your attention and your approval. But when I feel that my essence is good, I am a lovable being. I can suspend myself and become attentive to you. I can create space for you.

Narcissists, who are self-absorbed 24/7, usually have a tremendous void in their self-value. They never felt genuine love. Their tank is on empty. They cannot afford being there for anyone, ever.

A young woman was being interviewed and said, “I am giving up dating.” The interviewer asked what caused her to take such a drastic measure. She replied, “The last man I met talked only of himself for two solid hours. And then he looked at me and said, ‘Enough of me talking about me. Tell me what you think of me.’”

What is more, if I feel unloved, I do not value my emotions. I can’t believe that my love means anything; I delegitimize my love, because I think I am valueless and certainly all my emotions have no value. It is even deeper. If I do not value my being, then, if I love you, I actually believe that it is wrong; because, if I love something, it must be bad since I, myself, am pretty bad and worthless.

Abraham loved Isaac. He loved his essence. Thus, Isaac could love.

Some have even suggested that this may be part of the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac. At the fringe of losing his son, Abraham discovered how much he really loved him. This begins the miracle of the Jewish family, the infinite love between parents and children, which spanned millennia and has been the envy of the world.

What then do you do if you weren’t loved? The answer is what David says in Psalms 27; “My mother and father rejected me, but G-d took me in.”

You must find G-d’s unconditional love for you. You ought to discover the essential value of your being in G-d’s eyes. Birth is G-d saying you matter.

Much of our prayers revolve around this theme. G-d loves you, cherishes you, thinks the world of you, and begs of you to coronate Him as your king. He can’t think of you as too worthless if he really believes that all of history depends on you.

Rabbi Tzvi Dechter is the director of Chabad of North Broward Beaches, located in the Venetian Isle Shopping Center at 2025 E. Sample Rd. in Lighthouse Point. For all upcoming events, please visit www.JewishLHP.com.

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

I am a positive person, actually an optimist. I am not a complainer. If the soup isn’t hot enough, I don’t send it back; I slurp it anyway. If the gardener allows the branches from my trees to bend over onto the walkway, I take a pair of clippers and prune away. If the cashier at the dollar store checked out one dollar too many, I tend not to go back for my dollar. Two dollars? Maybe! If “they” predict rain on my beach day, I go anyway, knowing how wrong “they” can be. And when friends lie prostrate on the floor kicking and screaming about the election, I bring them a drink of water and a cold wash cloth and say, “Give it a chance.”

But here are two irritations that just won’t go away – and I AM complaining this time. Both have to do with noise. My hearing has recently been checked, and, for a tottering senior, it functions remarkably well. So I get seriously agitated with loud noises that interfere with my ability to hold a conversation.

The first culprit is the leaf blower. This may seem like paranoia, but I am certain that the Leaf Blowers Union has a schedule of my activities, and that the most persistent of them is assigned to me on a daily basis. My location doesn’t matter as long as it has a tree with falling leaves. Having a philosophical chat, or engaging in titillating gossip on anyone’s back-yard patio or even the most prestigious hotel grounds in any state, province or outlying other-world country, inevitably signals the arrival of “the leaf blower” followed closely, on my part, by a series of non-modulated “what”s?

The above is what I call an active transgression. The noise abatement issue that is more treacherously passive occurs in restaurants all over the world at the most popular hangouts. Of course, if you are European or South American and you are accustomed to dining more towards the midnight hour, you might not feel the stinging resentment of paying outrageous prices per person to scream at your companions or to play the ping pong game of “what, what and what?” By that hour, when your choice of entree has already been ingested to the max with no remaining pickings, the crowd has thinned, the service help anticipates release, you can get away with whispering conversations.

But for those of us who prefer to dine at the socially acceptable hours between 7 and 8 p.m. any day of the week — forgetaboutit!

Dismissing the probability that you have already waited beyond 10 minutes for your reserved table, once you are seated and anticipating a pleasant catch-up conversation with your companions, you will be wishing for a megaphone and/or hearing aids — that work.

But, I was warned early on that life is not fair. In a desperate appeal to higher educators, I offer to support any noise abatement program on your campus that can come up with what should be a simple solution, given that men have gone to the moon, and automobiles are now running without drivers.

So until someone takes me up on my offer, you will find me in the aisles of Publix, where shopping is indeed a quiet pleasure, purchasing ingredients for healthy meals at home – often with friends – and on track for becoming the hostess of the year.