It is absolutely incredible to see how much money, time, energy and effort we spend just to look good and feel good about ourselves.

We tend to spend a lot of time and money trying to take care of our physical bodies and get healthy or even to stay healthy. In the United States, we spend $20 billion a year in the weight loss industry alone. This includes diet books, diet drugs and weight loss surgeries. There are 108 million people on diets in the United States every year, and they average four to five diet attempts each year. Eight-five percent of the customers in the weight loss industry are female. Anyone who has lost at least 30 pounds and kept it off for five years will spend one hour every day on exercise. In 2009, in the United States, 220,000 people with morbid obesity had bariatric surgery, which reduces the size of the stomach, with the cost averaging $11,500 to $26,000. It is amazing the things we go through just to look better and, of course, ultimately feel better. Do not get me wrong, please; I am very happy that U.S. consumers have become more health conscious in the way they eat and exercise.

1 TIMOTHY 4:7-8

7 Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’ tales. Instead, train yourself to be godly.

8 “Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.”

NLT

We may try to fix the outside but if we don’t fix the inside we will never truly be happy and full of joy.

The Bible tells us that physical exercise is good, but spiritual exercise is better. It is a good thing to take better care of our physical bodies and to get in shape and make better eating choices, but we also need to make sure that we are not neglecting our spiritual life in the process.

MATTHEW

16:25-26

25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.

26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?

NLT

There are many ways to take care of your spiritual life. You need to read your Bible every day because this will help you understand who God is, and what He wants you to do with your life and what He wants to do for your life. You need to pray and talk to God every day as though He was your best friend. Talk to God about everything that is going on in your life, even though He already knows. He will enjoy talking with you. You need to go to church and have corporate worship with others; that way you can encourage someone when they need a friend, and someone can encourage you when you need it. Make sure you take care of your body, but, even more importantly, make sure you take care of your spiritual life. God Bless.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor of Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Sources: John LaRosa of MarketData; National Weight Control Registry; American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgery; Jo Piazza, author of “Celebrity Inc.: How Famous People Make Money;” http:// abcnews.go.com/Health/ 100-million-dieters-20-billion- weight-loss-industry/ story?id=16297197

This Shabbat, we read the story of Noah and his Ark. Two weeks from now, we focus on boats again as we celebrate Columbus Day, remembering the three ships that sailed to these hallowed shores.

As a young lad, I loved to put model ships together. Those models always came with a set of directions. All you had to do was follow the steps in the proper order. Of course, you also had to figure out which piece was which. The people who directed the building of the ships that Columbus and his crew sailed in were master craftsman, and they had a lot of workers who took and followed orders as to just what to do and how to do it.

But Noah, poor Noah, was like, pardon the expression, “a ship out of water.”

Noah, as far as I know, had never built a canoe before, let alone a gigantic ark big enough for all the animals to fit in. True, he did have some rather heavenly directions, but imagine how hard it must have been to follow those directions.

There was a song out many years ago that asked, “Do you know where you’re going to? Do you like the things that life is showing you? Where are you going to? Do you know?”

My wife, may she rest in peace, often told me that I had no sense of direction. On the other hand, she would often tell me to take a left turn, and when I followed her direction, she would then say, “I meant the other left.”

Fortunately, we now have this amazing piece of technology called a GPS, which helps give us directions. And, if you fail to follow the directions of the GPS, it will quickly let you know that you have gone wrong.

There are rules for ships to follow out on the water and, while some people might not be aware of it, we actually have rules for driving automobiles in our state (yes, that was me being sarcastic), but we do, indeed, have laws, and, if we would all follow those laws, we would have a much easier and safer driving experience.

There is also something called common courtesy when one is behind the wheel of a vehicle, although there are many days when we are on the road that courtesy does not seem to be common at all.

So I would like to give you some directions from the Sages that we would all do well to keep in mind when we are at the helm of our vehicle. The first is “without law, civilization dies.” If we do not obey the rules of the road, then we lose our civility. The next direction comes from the great Sage Hillel (Talmud: Shabbat, 31a) as he states, “That which is hateful to you; do not do to your fellow…” And how about these wise words: “the beginning and the end of the law is kindness.”

As each of you goes to your car, let me leave you with an adage from none other then that bastion of modern expressions, the television set, from an old show called Hill Street Blues — “Let’s be careful out there.”

For your sake and for mine; for our children and our children’s children; and, for the sake of civility, let’s follow the rules of the road, be courteous, and let us “be careful out there.”

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach at 201 S. Military Trail, where we welcome you to join our warm and caring familyforShabbatservices. We’ll make your heart glow. Who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again

Syria is the focus today, not so much in the church as in the news.

One might think we have attention deficit disorder given we still have troops in harm’s way in Afghanistan. We’ve been out of Iraq for such a short time despite almost everyone’s interest (theirs and ours) in our departure. “Thank you, America. You can go home now!” Things have grown more violent in Iraq in our absence. Curious how that happens …

If there might be a moment of calm in the world, then maybe we’d refocus on the threat of North Korea, as they march toward a nuclear capacity already enjoyed (I use that word loosely) by Pakistan and Israel, to name a few.

If we were to have a lull in crises, we would surely shift our focus back to Iran’s nuclear development progressing in the shadows of Ahmadinejad’s promise to wipe Israel off the face of the map. Should we have a lull in crises, we might then focus on the conflicts of every continent, including our own.

No wonder the world barely noticed Sept. 21 was the International Day of Peace.

The United Nations and the world’s powers, including and especially our own nation, aim to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons for obvious reasons. There are fanatics who would love to kill a million people rather than a few thousand or a few hundred.

If you’ve been awake the last several weeks, you know it was the use of chemical weapons in Syria (chemical weapons sometimes referred to as “the poor man’s nuclear bomb”) which prompted the threat of military intervention by the U.S.A.

By conservative estimates, more than 100,000 people have been killed in the past two years in Syria, 2 million refugees have fled the country and, most notably, on Aug. 21 of this year, almost 1,500 men, women and children were killed with sarin gas. We may argue as to who is responsible, but no one can dispute the inhumane suffering of so many innocent people.

There are millions of peaceloving Syrians. Are they better off with the Assad regime, a Russian-supported secular government many believe is corrupt, or with rebel forces, many of whom have ties to Hezbollah and Al-Qaida? Do we even know? Do our political leaders really know?

What is unfortunate is we don’t seem to know and what is even more unfortunate is Syria is not the only mess in the world today.

Jesus says, “My kingdom is not of this world...”

Can we turn the other cheek to a jihadist who threatens to remove our head? Can we wage war against an enemy and love them at the same time?

Even the Prince of Peace points to the inevitability of war in this conflicted world when he says, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not alarmed; for this must take place, though the end is not at hand. For nation will rise against nation …” (Matthew 24)

Jesus also teaches that much is expected of those to whom much is given. This is true of nations as well as people.

Thank God there are nations able to confront regimes that build concentration camps with gas chambers for these are regimes and chambers that must be torn down.

In these times when there are too many conflicts for even the world’s superpower to contain or even completely understand, then surely we will turn to the Lord.

Pray “the Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire…” [Psalm 46]

God’s Kingdom is our focus today, not so much in the news, as in the church.

Dennis Andrews is the Pastor at Community Presbyterian Church, “Steeple on the Beach,” located five blocks south of Hillsboro Blvd. on A1A. Sunday Services are held at 8:30 and 11 a.m.

Many people come to Yiskor Memorial Services with a mixture of emotion. They may still be grieving. They may be sad or angry over their loss, and, yet, they also long to find ways to honor the memory of their loved ones. Yiskor gives people a chance to do that.

Honoring memory has been on my mind a lot lately; after all, we recited the Yiskor Service on Yom Kippur and will do so again on Sukkoth. So, I have been focused on ways to create holy memories.

I know that many people are always looking for a huge miracle in their lives. Many are so busy watching for a big miracle that they seem to miss all the little miracles that occur on a daily basis. For instance, take the pumping of the human heart. This miraculous organ loyally does its rhythmic beating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, whether we are awake or asleep. Yet, how often do we take time to thank G-d for this miraculous organ?

Most of us don’t even give a thought to the beating of our heart until we experience severe palpitations; then, we take note. And how many of us take the time to thank G-d when those momentary palpitations stop and our heart goes back into normal sync?

What if the heart is not capable of going back into normal rhythm by itself? What then? Well, how many of us have thanked G-d for giving us the intellect and the ingenuity to create life-saving devices like a pacemaker or a defibrillator?

As you can see, I am focused on the heart so let me get to the heart of the matter pertaining to honoring our dearly departed.

In the past, anytime someone was going through the loss of a momma, a Yiddishe momma, one of the questions I would ask is if the momma had played Mahjong. The response was always accompanied by an immediate smile with a, “Yes, she did; she loved the game; in fact, I have her Mahjong set.”

And I would explain how it would honor their momma’s memory if, whenever they played the game, they used their momma’s set. And sure enough, each time they played using that set, they would remember the joy that that game gave to their momma, and they would realize how they were keeping that joy, her joy, alive.

But nowadays, when I ask about Mahjong, the response is usually, “Oh yes, momma played the game, but I don’t.” And, when I ask what they are going to do with momma’s Mahjong set, I am usually told that they plan to sell it on e-Bay.

And that’s when I try and get their heart in sync with honoring their momma’s memory. I suggest that, instead of selling the set, they take some of the tiles and have someone drill a hole in each one and put a chain through it making necklaces that can be given to every member of the family and to the friends who used to play Mahjong with their momma.

This gives something of sentimental value … something of heart that each of them can wear near their heart, and my prayer is that, each time they wear it, they should be filled with joyous memories.

And that is my wish for each of you, my dear readers. May you hold joyous memories of your dearly departed close to your heart.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains, He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area, and with hospice.

Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. We welcome you to join our warm and caring family for Shabbat and festival services. We’ll make your heart glow…who knows, you might even fall in love with Shul all over again.

Do you remember where you were? Do you remember what you were doing? Well, I sure do remember exactly where and when! I was driving to work on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001. I remember because I was a little late to work that day and I was still in the car when the reports starting coming over the radio. I remember because at first I thought it was one of those radio pranks that the radio announcers play from time to time, although I thought this one was a little wild and cruel. I remember thinking it had to be a joke because there is no way this could actually be happening … no way could it be happening to the good old United States of America on our own soil. We need to make sure that we never ever forget what happened that day.

The word “remember” is in the King James version of the Bible 148 times. There are things in the Bible that God wanted us to always remember and never forget. There are things that God thought were important for us to store in our memory banks and never let them leave. God wants us to remember His teachings from the Holy Bible.

2 Peter 3:2

2 I want you to remember what the holy prophets said long ago and what our Lord and Savior commanded through your apostles.

NLT

2 Kings 17:38-39

38 Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.

39 You must worship only the Lord your God. He is the one who will rescue you from all your enemies.”

NLT

It has been 12 years now and we need to make sure we remember that we as a united country turned to God in our time of need and He brought us comfort. I remember all the members of Congress standing on the capitol steps and praying to God for help. I remember seeing men and women risk their own lives to try and save those who were in the middle of those disasters with no fear. I remember our enemy trying to scare us and intimidate us on our own soil, in our very own country. I remember a great country and a great people rising up together and turning to God for help. With God’s help (because we asked for it), we rose above what our enemy tried to do to us. I even remember feeling anger when we went to New York City the following year to visit family and being able to see the two holes in the ground that were left.

Please do not ever forget the tragedy that happened that day. Do not forget the lives that were taken in those horrible events. Do not forget the lives that were given by our civil servants. Do not forget that God helped us through that horrible time and allowed us to begin to heal. Remember and pray for those that who lost lives and also for those who gave their lives to help others.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship church.

Just before The Jewish New Year began, one of the battery run candles that I bring to health centers would barely light up. Many immediately assumed that the candle was broken. Of course, I wasn’t so quick to toss the candle out. I tried some new batteries and, not only did the candles start glowing again, they were brighter than they had been in a very long time. The new batteries recharged the candles and gave them new life.

The period in between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur is about recharging our batteries. It is about getting re-energized. I was at a Zumba class recently. I was excited to be there as my favorite teacher was away at the Zumba Convention in Orlando the week before.

Well, she just about killed everyone in the class. No, she wasn’t angry with us. It’s just that she was so full of energy that we were all sweating like crazy. The class was great and, as it ended, I joked with the instructor that, next year, we are not going to let her go to the convention. She knew why I said that ,and she gave a big smile and a hearty laugh. Then she told me that she hoped she didn’t work us too hard, but that her time at the convention with all the other Zumba teachers had renewed her energy; it had recharged her battery, and, while she always loves teaching the classes, having just come back from the convention everything seemed fresh and new again.

So, since so many people have lost contact with the Temple, lost their enthusiasm for their faith, and since so many people who come regularly to worship have simply made it into a blah routine, perhaps we should look at the Holy Days as a Judaic Super Convention. This is a convention in which Jews of all denominations, those who are members and those who have no affiliation, have a decision to make.

What is the decision? Am I going to attend the convention? Am I going to pay the price of a ticket? Am I going to come together with all the others who have lost, or perhaps never had a passion for their faith, the faith of their Fathers — Abraham, Isaac,and Jacob, the faith of theirmothers — Sarah, Rebecca, Am Igoing to commit myself to learn the steps of Judaism?

Rosh Hashana is over [ends tomorrow at sundown], but you still have time to attend the convention. You might not be all that familiar with the prayers. Well, when people first start Zumba, it takes them time to learn the steps and some are harder than others.

Some may know the prayers with a certain melody and might hear the Cantor use some newer melodies. In Zumba, part of the excitement is learning new steps. It keeps you on your toes.

I have been doing Zumba for a long time now. I am decent at it, and I love going to class. I love the steps that are familiar to me, but I also love when the instructor adds something new, something different; and, I know I still have much to learn.

Judaism is similar in that respect; those who think they cannot take part give up without taking the time to learn the steps; and those who think they know it all, well, they close their hearts to learning anything new; and in our faith, there is always something new, there is always room for improvement.

So come to Temple, learn the steps to Judaism. Come dance with us, and, together, we will dance with G-d.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains, He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area, and with hospice. Rabbi Ezring is the spiritual leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. High Holy Days tickets are now on sale in the Temple office off of Hillsboro and Military. Regular Shabbat services are open to everyone on Saturday mornings from 10 to 11:30 a.m.

The start of the school year always brings with it a sense of new beginnings. There’s new work to be done, new friends to make and new experiences to enjoy.

You don’t have to be a current student, or the parent of a student, to appreciate the renewed energy that comes with this time of year. No matter your age or stage in life, the late-summer fresh start is yours to enjoy.

But even with all the excitement that another academic season brings, one thing is for sure: there will also be major doses of difficulty as the year progresses.

Hardships are inevitable. That’s why every new beginning also signals a fresh opportunity to face life’s unavoidable problems with revitalized strength. When the storms of life whip up around you over the next year, here are 3 steps you can take to stand unshakable in their midst:

1) Sidestep Surprise – The situations that have the most power to shake you are the ones that seem to come out of nowhere. When you’re sideswiped by a problem you didn’t anticipate, it’s easy to become vulnerable. So choosing to not be surprised when the going gets tough is key to standing strong.

God never promised that life would be easy, but he did promise to be with you every step of the way. You will encounter trouble in this world, but take comfort in Jesus’ assertion that He has already overcome every trial and tribulation you face (John 16:33). No matter what is going on around you, you have the assurance of his peace.

2) Ask the Right Question of the Right Person, Right Away – When life goes wrong, your first instinct should be to turn to God. Too often, you and I are quick to ask our friends for advice, buy self-help books, or turn inward and start mining our own resources, rather than looking to Him.

While there’s nothing inherently wrong with any of these things, they shouldn’t be our first stop for support. When trouble is brewing, our reflex should be to look to God – and to ask Him the right question.

I’m sure you’ve known people in difficult situations who spend their energy questioning God, rather than trusting him. Asking why doesn’t accomplish anything. Try asking what instead. Rather than giving into the common temptation to demand, “Why did you let this happen to me, God?” ask “What do you want to teach me through this?”

3) Embrace Emotions – Once you have given God top priority in the difficulty you’re facing, embrace the emotions you are feeling. Tune in to what’s going on in your heart. God gave you your emotions; he doesn’t expect you to ignore them. You don’t have to plaster on a smile and muscle through. As you lean into God first, and then embrace the emotions that your situation is stirring, he will use what you are feeling to draw you closer to himself.

Staying steady when things get hard has nothing to do with how strong you are and everything to do with how strong God is.

No matter how smart, rich, connected or resourceful you consider yourself to be, you can’t make it through life’s toughest storms unscathed on your own. But as you build your life on the foundation of God’s strength and take these practical steps in every difficult situation you face, you will be able withstand whatever comes your way during this new year of fresh possibilities.

Nelson Searcy is the lead pastor of The Journey Church in Boca Raton. The 2.5 yearold church meets at Boca Raton Community High School (I-95 and Glades Rd) each Sunday at 10:30 a.m. For more, visit www.boca journey.com. He is the author of 11 books and served for 10 years as a pastor in New York City before moving to South Florida. Each person who visits The Journey Church in September will receive a FREE copy of his latest book “Unshakable: Standing Strong When Things Go Wrong” — on which this article is based.

Our busiest days were when our three children were young and in school. I remember thinking, “Do they have to play so many sports, be on so many traveling teams, play musical instruments and join six clubs? Good grief!”

Looking back, I know I took a lot for granted.

We were a two parent family living in our hometown. We had good jobs. That meant we could afford one of those minivans with the sticky seats. The family nest, like the family school, was nice enough and safe enough. Siblings and grandparents were nearby. Church was a blend of family and friends. The weekly Bible study was at a neighbor’s house.

I miss those days!

My wife has been a public elementary school principal for several years now. Elementary schools tend to be happy places. The little people are usually excited to be there, which is great to see, and the big people are usually happy to be there too.

Almost everybody looks forward to the end of a school year, but you can still feel the excitement, some call it anxiety, when time rolls around for school to start again.

A new school year means new classmates, new teachers, new classrooms, new books, new technology, maybe even some new clothes.

From the parking lot to the front office, from building maintenance to food service, from transportation to recreation, from the new counselor to the new coach, from the new teacher who prepares her first classroom to the teacher about to retire who prepares her last, schools need rules to function well and the most important is golden.

Jesus says, “In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you.” (Matthew 7, NET)

How can anything that sounds so simple be so hard? Good grief!

It doesn’t matter if it’s an elementary school, a middle school or a high school. If it’s a public school, especially in South Florida, then you can bet it is a diverse place and we all know students bring a lot more with them from home than a backpack.

Long before the youngest student arrives at school a unique personality is being formed. God-given seeds of talent are either being left dormant, nurtured or trampled. Young life experiences, mostly accumulated outside the school, are shaping every child’s expectations and dreams.

The highest ideal for school is that it be a safe place to lift expectations, to encourage learning, to inspire dreams.

But the pressures of school are not to be denied. Kids want to fit in, but not too much. They want to blend in, but, hopefully, only in a positive way; and how troubles loom large for the ones who don’t find a niche, a sport or a club; for the students who are different, too quiet and alone; for the ones who have troubles at home?

The truth is public schools need help in a lot of different ways these days. I write to encourage that we take the golden rule to school, that we volunteer to help a public school this year.

Google your public school corporation website today. Take a few moments to fill out the on-line Volunteer and Mentor Application or call a public school near you. I filled out the form online myself for Deerfield Beach Elementary and it only takes a few minutes. www.getinvolvedin education.com/volunteers/ application.htm

And just so you know, I realize you do not have to follow Jesus to practice the Golden Rule but it will not surprise you to know I believe Jesus is the only “everlasting way” to live by it. And if this causes you grief, then rest assured it is Good Grief! See ya in school!

You are also invited to join us Sunday at 8:30 a.m. or 11 a.m. for the message “The Golden Rule” based on the 7th Chapter of the Gospel of Matthew.

Reverend Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. See more at www.comm unitych.org or on Facebook.

In case you haven’t noticed it lately, Miami (and South Florida in general) is not what it once was to “our people.” There was a time that when a Jew from Brooklyn or “De Bronx” dreamed of retirement, that dream included moving to Sunny South Florida to live out the goldenah yoren, the golden years. And, with so many retired down here, it became the norm for many of their children to move down here to be near them. It became the hot spot for those who had gone through divorce as they, too, came, (albeit for other reasons) to be near their parents. This all gave the bubbes (grandmothers) and zeydes (grandfathers) of South Florida the joy of having their grandchildren nearby.

Sadly, that is no longer the norm. South Florida is no longer the dream retirement spot for our people and we now have many bubbes and zeydes who seldom get to see their grandchildren. And for many of those Grandparents, it is no longer possible for them to travel up North to visit their precious little angels.

Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach has 100 of the sweetest bubbes and zeydes you could ever hope to meet. Few, if any, actually have grandchildren who live down here in Florida.

The High Holy Days are coming up and the bubbes and zeydes of Temple Beth Israel (and those of other Congregations as well) would love to have little ones sitting next to them in the Shul.

Being able to “adopt” a precious little angel as a grandchild and having that adoptee and their parents adopt a grandparent. Well, that could just make the greatest of New Years for everyone involved. And, at the same time, selfishly, yes, it would bring more members into the congregation … young members, vibrant members … and this would insure a minimum of two more generations for the Temple. It is a win/win situation all the way around as it has the potential to increase the joy and well-being of so many in our midst.

While you’re thinking about it, let me share a story that was e-mailed to me about just how loving and patient a zeyde can be. A woman is in a supermarket behind a zeyde and his badly behaved 3- or 4-year-old grandson. It is obvious to her that the zeyde has his hands full with this little one screaming for candy and cookies. Meanwhile, zeyde is doing his shopping and saying in a soft voice, “Easy, Moshele, we won’t be long…”

The little one has another outburst and the woman hears the zeyde calmly say, “It’s okay, Moishele, just a couple more minutes and we’ll be out of here.” At the checkout counter, the little imp starts throwing items out of the shopping cart and zeyde calmly says, “Moishele, relax, don’t get upset. Stay cool.”

The woman who had been following him is quite impressed with the zeyde’s patience and says, “You are amazing! I don’t know how you did it. That whole time you kept your calm and kept saying things would be okay. Moishele is very lucky to have you as his zeyde.”

The zeyde responds, “Thanks, but I’m Moishele. The little shmegegee’s name is Jacob.”

This year, bring your little ones with you to our Shul. Become a part of our family. There might just be a new bubbe or zeyde in it for you or your child. Looking forward to seeing you there on the Holy Days and all year round.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains, He works professionally in this capacity with a number of healthcare facilities in the area, and with hospice. He is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach.

If you are tired, can’t deal with the pressure any longer, are sick of the direction your life has taken, then God is speaking to you today.

Just picture the prodigal son who was at the very lowest depths of despair, yet somehow heard the voice that told him “Go home.” When the son arrived, he found a father not ready to punish him, but to love him. He found a father not ready to reprimand him, but to reinstate him. God is waiting for you today with outstretched arms of love, simply saying to you this day… “Come home.”

2 Thessalonians 3:13

And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right. NIV

Don’t grow weary doing what is right. Do what God tells you to do. Do not waste time worrying about what someone else thinks because, if you do, eventually, they will wear you down. When you are tired and worn out, you are more likely to slip and stumble, give in to temptation and make mistakes. Do not grow weary or lose heart.

Galatians 6:9

So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. NLT

Are you tired of running, tired of hurting and just plain tired of being tired? There is an answer! There is a way! God is calling you right now to simply “Come home to Him.” The problems don’t go away, and the consequences of your actions don’t magically disappear. But by coming home, you start to deal with the issues, put them behind you, and become restored into fellowship with your God who loves you. Then, slowly, you will see the joy, the peace and the happiness return to your life. Do not ever quit, do not ever give up, and do not ever give in.

Matthew 11:28

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. NIV

Sometimes we do not even realize how much rest we need until we actually take some time to rest and reenergize our bodies and minds. Vacation sure does the body good, but don’t forget the one who wants to give us rest. God can charge you up no matter what has drained you – and he is the only one who can do that. Be sure to spend time with God. We can do that by going to church, praying (just talking to God), reading the Bible, and by singing worship songs and hymns. We can talk to God, read the Bible, or sing anytime and anywhere we want.

There is also one other thing that I have found that helps me to recharge. That one thing is to help other people in a time of need. It not only brings great joy to your life, but it also brings you a new energy that you did not have before. We can create an environment for ourselves to recharge anywhere and time we need. So remember to keep your batteries charged so you can keep going.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.