Back to Shul … I mean, back to school … The new school year is about to begin and teachers, those amazing souls who spend the day tending to a whole classroom full of precious students, will once again ask that most famous of questions, “How did you spend your summer vacation?”

Many little ones spent the summer at sleep-away camp, and I was pleased to read that there were a few camps this year that actually forbid the campers from having cell phones and other technological devices. (Wow, what I wouldn’t give to have a month without being so connected.)

Now, you might be wondering to yourselves, “But, if they didn’t have cell phones or computers, how did they keep in touch with their parents?” Well, with school starting again, let me be the first to remind you of a dying art. You may have heard of it before. It’s called “WRITING!” That’s right; they kept in touch by writing letters. You remember the letters of the alphabet, don’t you? Well, thank a teacher if you can put them together into a coherent sentence and take a pen and write a letter to someone you care about.

There was a little one away at camp this summer who had probably never written a letter before although he was incredibly fluent in texting with every abbreviation you can imagine. But away at one of those camps without cell phones, he had to learn the art of letter writing.

He did pretty well at it, too; but, when he got a letter from his mother that ended with, “P.S. I love you,” he had to write back to find out what P.S. meant. And so it was that he began to finish all his letters to his parents with just that, “P.S., I love you.”

There was a beautiful, heart-warming movie out a few years back starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler called, “P.S. I Love You.” It told the story of a husband who, knowing he was dying, wrote a series of letters to his wife. Each of those letters was actually an assignment. Like a teacher, he was telling her to do something.

The truth is that, while she was doing each of these assignments, she wasn’t really sure what the purpose was. Her best friend in the movie (and her mother as well) were afraid that those assignments were keeping her tied to the past. But, as the movie goes on, we learn that each bit of homework was actually moving her into a bright new future.

That’s what teachers do; they try to steer our children toward a bright new future.

The Beatles had a song that said: “As I write this letter, send my love to you, remember that I’ll always be in love with you. Treasure these few words, ‘till we’re together, keep all my love forever, P.S., I love you.” I know you think you know what P.S. stands for, but that’s not what it meant to my mother of blessed memory. To her, P.S. stood for Public School. I was able to write this letter today because of Public School and because of the many teachers I was blessed with and, as to Lincoln Elementary School back in Rock Island, IL, all I can say is “P.S. I Love You!” And to the teachers I am still blessed to know, “P.S., I Love You Too!” To the parents and to the students reading this today, I hope you write to your teacher often and that you close each letter with that most meaningful of post scripts “P.S. I Love You!”

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

Do you remember the 2003 award-winning movie Anger Management, directed by Peter Segal, starring Jack Nicholson and Adam Sandler? Adam Sandler plays a businessman mistakenly sentenced to an anger management program. Jack Nicholson plays an aggressive anger management instructor.

It probably is not a good sign that anger is so common that millions of people will go see a movie just to laugh about it. It is also telling that the instructor in the movie had more difficulty controlling his anger than did his students. This is equivalent to a driver’s education instructor who cannot drive a car.

In the movie, this makes for comic relief. In the world, this makes for hypocrisy. Few people think anger is a good thing. It can make the blood boil and keep us awake at night. There is no way to be angry and have the peace of Christ. There is no way to be angry and share the peace of Christ.

Jesus teaches, “Let go. Get over the rage. Turn the page. Make peace even with your adversaries.” Letting go, not being mad, and making peace is hard.

I remember watching an interview of former Indiana University basketball coach Bob Knight, who once got so mad during a televised basketball game with Purdue University that he famously picked up the chair he was sitting on and threw it completely across the floor.

During the interview, Coach admitted he really did have a hard time controlling his temper. You may have heard the saying, “Don’t beat a dead horse.” Coach Knight’s wife told him once, “You can get off now, Bob. The horse is dead.”

Some things that make us mad are minor. We usually get over them quickly and move on. But some things that happen are life-altering and moving on is next to impossible. When we, or someone we deeply care about, is wronged in a serious way, it is not comparable to a bad call by a referee in a basketball game. Holding a grudge can be a natural reaction to a serious grievance.

It is important to point out Jesus does not say, “You do not have a reason to be angry.” He does not say, “You are not justified in being angry when you or someone you love suffers harm.” What Jesus teaches is “If you want to be forgiven, then you have to forgive too.”

Jesus arguably makes the “Don’t Stay Mad” doctrine even harder for us when he sets aside what is a popular notion — “Don’t get mad. Get even.” Unfortunately, Jesus rules out revenge too! Can you feel the disciple’s hill getting steeper to climb all the time? I can…

Christ’s teachings about forgiveness are drawn from the Personal Holiness Code in Leviticus, which reads “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against any of your people, but love your neighbor as yourself.”

More often quoted today, however, and also found in Leviticus, is the standard “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.” This principle is commonly misused as an excuse for retaliation when what it really calls for is that the scales of justice be in balance.

In other words, we don’t amputate the hand that shoplifts or stone adulterers to death, but we do want the punishment to fit the crime.

If you have a grievance, and you want to know how to turn the page and get over the rage or if you are fighting the instinct to get even, I encourage you to read Christ’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 – 7).

You can also join us Saturdays @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. Our series on Christ’s Sermon on the Mount continues with the message “Privacy Please” based on Matthew 6.

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 @ www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

Wow, is it really momma’s yahrzeit again? Has she really been gone for so long? Wow.

You know what WOW stands for don’t you? WOW stands for Women of the Wall. WOW stands for women who are standing up for their rights as human beings and as Jews. This is a group of women who once a month head over to the Kotel, the Wailing Wall, to pray … and they do something that my mother never did (at least, not that I know of), but my wife did right here at our Temple, wear a tallit, a prayer shawl.

The first time I did the High Holy Days here, I don’t think that any woman had worn one during the services and, if they did, I think maybe they would have been shot … or spit on, or yelled at.

The truth is that as soon as Carol put on her tallit, she was immediately reprimanded in harsh tones and harsh glares. But, it was not one of the men in the Congregation who did so. No, it was one of the women.

My wife was a Brooklyn girl and, as such, she knew how to open up her mouth. I don’t know what Carol told her, I do know that by the end of the service the woman was quite taken by her.

The founding documents of this great country, that we are blessed to live in, states, “We hold these truths to be selfevident: that all men are created equal.” Notice it doesn’t say anything about women, nor does it say anything about slaves. Slaves have been looking for freedom throughout all time … and women, too, have been looking for the same freedom as men have had…

Fortunately, there have been many changes in the world and many changes in our faith since my mother and my wife passed away.

It is no longer an uncommon sight to see women in a Conservative Shul wearing a tallit. It is no longer unusual for a member of a Reform Synagogue to wear a Yarmulke. It is not unusual for a Conservative Shul to be egalitarian and count women toward the minyan and call them up for any and all honors. And even the World of Modern Orthodoxy is moving in directions that many never believed would come as Rabbi Avi Weiss just ordained a group of women.

Yet, in Israel, there is a politically powerful “Ultra Religious Minority” who would still keep women in the back of the bus, who would still keep a woman from wearing anything that shows a little arm or a little leg … and, who would still try to keep women from praying at the Wall, especially if they happen to be wearing a Prayer Shawl. WOW!

How would my wife and my mother respond to the Women of the Wall? My wife would probably have flown to Israel to be with them. My mother might never have chosen to wear a tallit. She might not have chosen to be called up for an Aliya. But, I will tell you what I think she would have done. I think she would have rooted them on … and, if anyone tried to stop them … well, I think she would have been one of the first to raise her voice and, if necessary, her fists.

Come to think of it, I think my mother of blessed memory just might have wound up getting herself locked in jail defending the rights of the Women of the Wall. So, if you ask me what kind of woman my momma was, I can answer that in one word … WOW!

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

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.

I had the privilege of being able to go and see the fireworks at Deerfield Beach on the Fourth of July.

What a great time of year as we celebrate the independence of our country! I could not believe the number of people there at the beach to watch a fireworks show. I was really surprised because I thought it turned out to be one of the best fireworks shows in a very long time.

As we were walking back to our car, I began to calculate all the time and energy we had invested, along with thousands of others for some entertainment. We spent 15 minutes driving each way, 30 minutes walking each way, and 25 minutes being entertained.

I am not trying to say that there is anything wrong with being entertained because I absolutely loved the fireworks show and I was definitely entertained.

I guess it made me a little sad because we have an Easter sunrise service every year and we are always trying to find ways to get people to attend this wonderful celebration. I believe that it comes down to having a relationship with God and getting to know Him on a more personal level. Moses wanted to see God and have an encounter with Him, and, when Moses did this, he left God’s presence changed. When I am in church and spending time with God, I always leave changed and closer to God. What good does it do if we say we are friends with God and then not spend any time with Him? When people leave the sunrise service on Easter morning, they leave changed because they have had an encounter with God.

When I left the fireworks display on the 4th of July, I felt entertained. I felt good because it made me happy and kept my attention, but that was it.

When we left the fireworks show, it was over until next year.

When we have an encounter with God, we will leave His presence changed for good if we choose. Jacob had an encounter with God and he had a limp for the rest of his life as a reminder that he would be forever changed. It is nice to be entertained and have a good time, but it is even better to spend time with God and leave with something that you will never forget.

Sometimes, God will encourage us when we are down, love us when we are sad, hold us when we are hurting or even correct us when we make mistakes. No matter what the encounter, I always leave God’s presence with something I need.

The fireworks were great, but they did not help me with anything going on in my life. God wants to help you and encourage you, but you have to look for Him.

Tony Guadagnino is the pastor of Christian Love Fellowship Church

Do you realize how blessed we are to live in this great country where we can hear the thunderous sounds of fireworks and firecrackers and not worry that those loud bangs and booms are the sounds of bombs set off by terrorists?

As I watched the display, I thought about what it must have been for the likes of my Bubbe and Zaide (for my grandmother and grandfather) to have crossed the ocean, being fortunate enough to be able to get out of their native country and land on these hallowed shores, making America their home and having faith that their progeny would experience a freedom in America that they could never know from whence they came.

Yes, I am gung ho about America and I am gung ho about freedom, but please notice that the word is ‘freedom’ … not “free-dumb.” With freedom comes great responsibility. So, as we celebrate the 4th, I hope you will take some time to contemplate your responsibilities to G-d, to the world, to America, to your fellow human beings and to the environment.

In the Torah, we are told that we are to be “A light unto the nations.” As I looked at the dazzling display of fireworks in the sky, I remembered those holy words and I thought about how we kindle lights each Shabbat.

The next time you light those lights, take time to look at the flames on the candles. Have you ever noticed which way the flames go? They go up into the air, up toward the sky.

Let this be a reminder that if we wish to be a light unto the nations, then we have to remove some of the darkness that others are experiencing. And, if you are wondering how we remove darkness, look at the flames of those candles again. Let the fact that the flames reach up toward the sky remind us that we should always strive to lift others up, to lighten them up.

To lighten up has many meanings in our modern world. Someone who wishes to lose weight might lighten up on the number of calories they consume or lighten up on their carb intake. Someone who is taking things too seriously might need to lighten up.

I saw a patient the other day. He was obviously having trouble seeing the light in the midst of the darkness he was experiencing, and the physician treating him asked me if I could stop in and try to lift his spirits. As I walked into the room, his facial expression said it all, and his body language made his mood even more obvious.

Thinking out of the box, I told him about my recent visit for my annual physical, where after finishing examining me, the doctor said, “Rabbi, you are as strong as an ox.” That sounded great to me, but, then, he continued, “The only thing is that the ox is very old, eats too much and is in failing health.”

And, at that moment, the patient I was trying to comfort put a grin on his face and said, “Rabbi, I guess the ‘Yokes’ on you!”

The joke may have been lame, but as I left the room, that patient was still smiling. Life is truly a miracle. On the one hand, words can put someone into bad humor; on the other hand, sometimes even bad humor can lift a person’s spirits.

G-d Bless America!

P.S. – Don’t worry; I actually got a great report from my doctor.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

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.

Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee and government contractor, is at the center of a political firestorm that has much of America talking about loyalty.

The story line is that Snowden allegedly leaked classified information concerning our National Security Agency’s authorized gathering of the electronic communications of millions of Americans.

Some people say Snowden, who fled the country, is a traitor for giving away secrets that threaten national security. Others believe he is a patriot whistleblower for revealing the extent of Big Brother’s overreach to gather the private communications of U.S. Citizens.

Regardless how you feel about Snowden, the controversy illustrates the importance and the challenge we sometimes face in deciding loyalty.

Loyalty decisions are more a matter of conscience than law, more a matter of internal debate than national debate, more a matter of private personal integrity than national political scandal.

If the question is “Should I be loyal to God, to my country, to my spouse, to my employer, to my friends,” the answer should be easy. “Yes!” If the question is “Should I be loyal to a gang, to an immoral creed to which I foolishly agreed, or to self interest at the expense of community good,” then the answer is easy once again — “No.”

This will sound too wishywashy to fit comfortably even in my world view, but questions of loyalty are often not so easy to answer unless they are rooted and grounded in faith and even then we may be left wondering …

Loyalty has always been a magnetic field made up of many magnets. We have many allegiances. Our beliefs and our sentiments are not always on the same page. God knows how fickle we can be and how often we make mistakes.

Is it controversial to say “We are a nation and a people of divided loyalties?” I think not.

Is it right to say “We require God’s help deciding our loyalties?” I think so.

After King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, after he made mistake after mistake trying to conceal what he had done, David was confronted by Nathan the prophet.

And David prayed, “Have mercy on me God because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. Create in me a clean heart. Renew a loyal spirit within me.” (Psalm 51)

David’s predicament must surely have seemed a national political scandal, but it was ultimately a matter of private personal integrity, albeit in his case, one with dramatic and long-lasting public implications.

David was a great leader who proved himself human.

The Apostle Paul may have been thinking about David when, centuries later, Paul counseled young Timothy. “Run from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love and peace. Enjoythecompanionshipofthose who call on the Lord with clean hearts.” (2 Timothy)

If you happen to be among the masses thinking about loyalty these days, then answer the question as it pertains not to Edward Snowden but to you. “To what or to whom will you be loyal?”

Most of us do not work for the CIA or the NSA. We do not have access to national security secrets, but we do make loyalty decisions every day and, in so doing, we are well-advised to remember the words of Jesus. “No one can serve two masters.”

(Luke 16)

Make God your moral compass. Pray for a clean heart and a loyal spirit…

Join us Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m.

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 @ www.communitych.org or on Facebook.

It might seem way too early for me to be writing about the High Holy Days, but this year they are going to come much sooner than you might expect. In fact, the Eve of the Jewish New Year falls on Sept. 4.

Well, that’s still a few months away, so why am I focusing on it now? It started the other day when I had the delight of going out to a local dining establishment with some good friends of mine and the waitress asked me how I would like my tuna prepared.

But in the midst of asking me the question, she got a little tongue-tied and she wound up asking me, “How would you like your tuna pre-prayered.” I laughed it off at the time, but, the very next day, I had to make a business call and, after finding out that they had what I wanted to purchase, they asked me if I would like the item sent C.O.D. or if I would like to “pre-pray.”

Now, I might be a little slow even though I tend to look for signs from up above, but give me the same thing twice in one day and I start to pay attention.

And that got me focused on the upcoming Yomim Noraim, the High Holy Days, because we at Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach (and pretty much every other Temple you can think of) have already started not only preparing for the Holy Days, we have also started pre-praying for them.

This is a most appropriate thing to do. You can probably figure out many of the things that a Temple has to do to prepare for these Days of Awe, but you might be wondering what an individual should be doing to prepare?

Let’s look at the word “prepare” for a moment. If you look in the Thesaurus, you will find some very interesting synonyms for the word. For instance — “To get or to make ready,” “to lay the groundwork,” “to anticipate,” “to make provisions for—” these are all things we need to do in preparation.

But the synonym that really hit me was the one that says, “To get one’s house in order.”

To me, that summed up the Holy Days in just six short words: “To get one’s house in order.”

Don’t wait until the New Year begins. Prepare and be Pre-Prayered!

In Judaism, prayer is a time of self-reflection. It is a time to stop looking at what others are doing wrong and take a good hard look at your own life and how you live it. Take time to reflect on your behaviors. How do you treat your family … your neighbors? Do you feed the hungry and clothe the naked? Have you taken the time to forgive others and to ask forgiveness of them? After all, in the midst of the Days of Awe, each of us will be asking for G-d to forgive us and help give us the strength to change … to turn our lives around.

Now is the time to prepare. Now is the time to pre-pray. Now is the time to reflect and to put the changes we know we should make into effect. Don’t wait until Rosh Hashana. Show G-d that you are serious about change in the coming year. Do it now and may G-d bless all of us with a year of joy and peace.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

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.

It is upon us whether we like it or not. That’s right, summer is here! Summer brings so many thoughts and ideas it can actually be overwhelming if we are not careful.

To me, summer is laid back, easy going, children home from school and vacation time all rolled into one fun time.

It is always good to rest and relax. We must learn how to rest our minds as well as our bodies. Vacation is a wonderful thing, and I am looking forward to our summer vacation this year. I really have learned to enjoy my time off and just have a good time.

Your whole life is not supposed to be one big party, but I have always believed in’ work hard and play hard.’ I have found that it does wonders for you physically, mentally and emotionally. So, with all the signs pointing to summer and relaxation, I did something that may seem a little crazy.

I made a decision for my life that I want to share with you. Like so many others today, I have decided to go back to school. I received my B.A. in Pastoral Ministry from South Florida Bible College & Theological Seminary, which is right here in Deerfield Beach. I am going to pursue a Master of Divinity degree. So I called my old school and began the process of reenrolling in college.

I believe that we all need to have the attitude that there is always something to learn. After that, I began to think, am I the teacher or the student? I teach and preach to people every week in church and I love it. However, if I could learn more, I could improve myself and also be better equipped to do what I love – help people. Knowledge is good and we all need to makesure we are continually learning with every opportunity we get, but it’s the wisdom that we need to go along with the knowledge. We can know the information, but God wants to help us with the application and give us His wisdom.

Titus 2:12

12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God. NLT

James 1:5

5 If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. NLT

With God’s wisdom and understanding, it becomes easier for us to do what He wants in our lives. I did not say it was easy to always do the right thing and make the right decisions, but, with God, it sure is easier.

So does that make me the teacher or the student? I believe I need to be both teacher and student. We should always be learning to improve ourselves and our knowledge, but we should always be teaching and helping others.

Be a constant student always learning and growing, but make sure you are passing your knowledge and wisdom to others as well.

Tony Guadagnino is a pastor at Christian Love Fellowship Church.

Our children and grandchildren, who have probably been a little more rambunctious than usual, are busting out of school and into summer vacation.

Let me take a moment to applaud all teachers as you have dedicated yourselves to an amazingly holy task. I hope and pray that you enjoy your summer vacations, as I can’t think of anyone who deserves such a break more than you.

I hope that even though the kids are out of school that they will not miss out on some important birthdays that occur in the merry month of June.

For instance, for those of you who grew up on Sesame Street, Oscar the Grouch will be celebrating his birthday this month.

June is also the month in which that most famous of fable writers, Aesop, was born. And I have no doubt that summer will be all it’s “quacked” up to be because it was back in June of 1934 that Donald Duck was born. And, June should be a super month because Superman also celebrates his birthday at this time.

While I hope that the kids remembered not to sit in class texting on their cell phones, June happens to have a celebration known as “E-Mail Week.” But, I hope that we will all keep in mind that June is also National Drive Safe Month. Please, remember, don’t text and drive.

Father’s Day is in June, and, if you happen to be alive, then you have a father to thank out there. Of course, June also happens to be National Bubba Day. While the day is really meant to be a day to celebrate those who are named Bubba (like Forrest Gump’s best Friend), for those of us who know a bisseleh Yiddish, Bubba’s Day has a very different meaning. You see, a Bubba is a grandmother, and I hope you get to spend lots of quality time with your Bubba this summer.

As many of you know, becoming a grandparent gives us a great chance to spoil our little angels and June is a perfect time to show them how sweet life can be as we celebrate National Chocolate Ice Cream Day. Yummy, Yummy!

There is another reason that the month of June is big with members of The Tribe because we also celebrate Adopt a Katz Day … and I have no doubt that Mr. and Mrs. Katz would love for you to adopt them as a part of your family. Okay, it’s not really Katz Day … it’s Cat’s Day and I, for one, think that that’s just “purr-fect.”

There is one more day I would like to bring to your attention. June happens to have National Columnist Day. I am not mentioning this to toot my own horn; I just wanted to thank all of the teachers I have been blessed with because, without them, I would not be able to write a single word, let alone a regular newspaper column.

So, to the children who are reading this column and to those of you who are having it read to you, I have an assignment for you … that’s right, homework. Check and see if you can find the dates in June for each of the special days I mentioned in this article. I know you can do it, and if you can, thank a Teacher!

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the Spiritual Leader of Temple Beth Israel of Deerfield Beach. If you like his column in the Observer and would like to hear him speak, guests and visitors are welcome to attend Saturday morning services at 10a.m. (The Temple is on Military Trail just South of Hillsboro Blvd.)

As Floridians, you and I are well aware of the damage that can be caused by a powerful storm. With hurricane season approaching our own shores, we’ve watched with empathy as the people of Oklahoma have faced the destruction and aftermath of last week’s tornados. Unfortunately, devastating storms are an unavoidable part of life in certain areas of the country. As long as we live in their path, we run the risk of coming face-to-face with the havoc they wreak.

Still, while natural storms like hurricanes and tornados aren’t easy to weather, they often pale in comparison to the other types of storms we face throughout our lives – the difficult situations and unexpected circumstances that whip in and leave us shattered.

Marriage problems, illnesses, financial crises and the death of loved ones are just a few of the storms we’ll all have to deal with at some point. Communities can be rebuilt and buildings restored, but these personal storms have the potential to damage us in unseen, irreparable ways.

As a pastor, I’ve had the opportunity to work with thousands of people facing the hurt, loss and confusion that are often the result of life’s storms. When listening to what they’re going through, and when facing difficulties in my own life, I’m always reminded of a principle I learned while riding out a literal hurricane years ago: You and I can survive the storms of life if we have the right foundation. Storms will come, but we can be unshakable in their midst.

When the storms of life hit, the first and most important thing you can do is make sure you are building your life on a solid foundation. Whether you realize it or not, you are building your life on some sort of foundation – one that reflects whatever it is you have faith in. And you do have faith in something. We all do; we all have a set of beliefs through which we filter the world. Over time, those beliefs become our bedrock.

What do you have faith in? Yourself? Your spouse? Your business partners? A religious tradition? Karma? The universe? If your faith is built on the right foundation, you’ll be able to stand strong through life’s most intense disasters. But if you put your faith in the wrong place, you will struggle when difficult circumstances come and, all too often, collapse completely when the strongest storms start raging.

The only foundation capable of withstanding life’s storms is a foundation of faith in God and his son, Jesus Christ. In the scriptures, Jesus himself says: I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me, (John 14:5-7). Later, he asks his disciples: Who do you say that I am (Mark 8: 29). Eventually, we all have to answer the same question; we all have to make a decision about who we believe Jesus is. Who do you say he is?

When you make faith in Jesus your foundation, God will give you what you need to face everything this life throws your way. When things go wrong, you won’t be anxious; you’ll let yourself rely on God’s strength.

You’ll have the confidence to move forward, knowing that he is protecting you and that he has a plan for your future. From this solid foundation of faith, you’ll be able to weather every storm, making it to the other side of each one stronger for having taken the journey.

Nelson Searcy is the lead pastor of The Journey Church in Boca Raton.

You’re invited to attend The Journey this Sunday, June 2 for the kick-off of the new GOD ON FILM teaching series — where you will discover the meaning behind the biggest summer blockbuster movies. Every firsttime guest will receive a FREE Cinemark movie ticket.

The Journey meets Sundays at 10:30 a.m. at Boca Raton Community High School (Glades Rd. and I-95, exit 45, beside Whole Foods).

Learn more at: www.Boca Journey.com