I was escorted to the woman’s bedroom where she and her private duty aide spent much of the day. The TV was on and it was on loud. It also happened to be tuned to the Christian Broadcasting Network. The patient being cared for was Jewish. She could not get up from bed nor from a chair without the help of her aide. I talked with the aide about how inappropriate it was for her to have an evangelical program on in the woman’s house, but she saw nothing wrong with her actions and, in fact, felt she was doing a holy thing.­ She also let me know that the woman she was caring for never voiced any complaint about her choice of TV, and that if such things bothered her, she could say something. I tried to explain that many people fear voicing such things, as they are afraid of how they will be treated afterwards – much like a patient in a health center is afraid to voice complaints about how this or that nurse or aide treats them. The aide told me that she was not forcing the woman to participate in any other religion but her own. Yet, the elderly woman was, indeed, being forced to listen to a minister preach ad nauseum about a faith that was not her own, and she was stuck doing so in her own home.­I talked with a rep from the company the aide came from and voiced my complaint, and, again, I was told if the patient was uncomfortable, all she had to do was voice her complaint. I again attempted to explain that the woman may well be afraid of repercussions, but was told that there is no rule against what the aide was doing. I then tried to explain that just because you are permitted to do something does not necessarily make it the right thing to do. And I had to wonder to myself how things would have been if the shoe was on the other foot.­ I then asked what they tell clients about the aides they send out and was told that they send out trained staff who do everything they can to comfort and care for their clients. And that is when I said, “If that is the case, then your staff should be trained to avoid doing things that would make it necessary for a complaint to be raised in the first place.”­

You shall love your neighbor as you love yourself … not my words, but words with a great message. So let me ask you … if you were the one stuck in the bed, dependent on someone else to tend to your needs, how would you feel?­

Don’t get me wrong, the aide is more than welcome to read her Bible silently or listen to a program with a set of headphones on, but a healthcare provider should not be subjecting the patient to something so foreign to the client’s own belief system.­

I know there are those of you reading this who feel that political correctness has gone way  overboard, but when your job is to comfort someone who is in a position of weakness via an illness or an injury… Well, may you always have enough control of your body and your mind to decide for yourself what to read and listen to in the comfort of your home and may those of us blessed to visit you be wise enough to avoid causing any added discomfort.­ As I remember, the rule of thumb is, if you can’t heal somebody, at least avoid causing any harm.­

Shalom My Friends,­ Rabbi Ezring­

(And please know that most of the health care workers I come across truly are angels. At least, they are in my eyes. G-d Bless them one and all.)­ ­

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

By Deron Peterson, Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach 

After some discussion and searching for the perfect spot, my wife and I laid down the blanket, a beach towel really, and settled in for the evening’s fireworks.  It was a typical 4th –    cookout, parade and now fireworks – all the things that make the 4th so special. As we sat there, Beth asked me what was my favorite 4th of July. We talked about the first time we took the kids to celebrate in Schroon Lake, the small town where I grew up. We talked about the time in Dallas where the fireworks were spectacular and a local radio station had coordinated the music perfectly. Of course, we also talked about the summer we met 19 years ago. In hindsight, this should have easily been my top 4th of July but, unfortunately, it wasn’t. Seeing the error of my ways, I asked if we could talk about our Top 3 Independence Days. It might surprise you to discover that we both settled on a 4th in the most unlikely of places. During our 18 years of marriage, Beth and I have lived more than half of them in Argentina. We both agreed that July 4th, 2008 was probably our favorite.

In 2008, we moved to the city of Corrientes in Northern Argentina. If you are at all familiar with Argentines, you know they absolutely love cookouts, “asados” as they call them, and will accept any excuse to have one. We decided to have our 4th of July Asado. We invited some other American missionaries living in Corrientes and an Argentine family, who had spent many years living in the U.S., over to the house. Samuel, my son, and I went into the city and spent way too much money on fireworks.

We were U.S. citizens, celebrating our country’s Independence Day while living in Argentina; citizens living in a foreign land. Beth and I spent almost 10 years living in Argentina, even earning “permanent residence” status, but at no time did we stop being U.S. citizens. We worked very hard to learn the language, to adapt to their culture and, for the most part, were very successful. In the end, however, we were still foreigners living in a foreign land.

Reminds me of Philippians 3:20 “For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.”  When we put our faith in Christ alone for salvation, we become citizens of Heaven. Sometimes, we allow ourselves to become so wrapped up in the things of this world that we forget who we belong to, and where our home really is.

For however long we are left on Earth, we need to remember our citizenship is in heaven, and that is where our loyalties should lie. Our lifestyles should be based solely on Biblical principles. We need to know our culture, history, language and understand those we live with, but don’t need to worry about fitting in. When we stop trying to fit in, we can live our lives to the fullest, without worry, as God intended.

Independence Day is soon upon us. There will be fireworks that light up the night sky as we celebrate the many freedoms we are blessed with here in America that so many others across the globe are denied.

And yet, on the very same day that we will be celebrating our independence, I will be spending time with a number of people who have seen themselves become more and more dependent on others for their most basic of needs. Some of them are dependent on a dialysis machine to do some of the work that their kidneys used to do. Some are dependent on oxygen to ensure they get enough air to breathe. Some are dependent on others to change them, feed them, clean them and get them up into a chair. The truth is, we are all more dependent on others than we would like to believe.

And sometimes, even a temporary loss of some of our independence reminds us of that very fact. Take, for instance, one beautiful young woman who recently felt what it was like to lose a blessing many of us take for granted — the freedom to walk without pain. She suddenly had a lot of pain … it was in her foot, her heel, and it took away some of the joy in her life. Tennis, which she has an incredible passion for, became almost impossible to participate in. Dancing, which she has a knack for, became another activity she had to stop. And, as the pain got worse, she wound up in one of those special boots to take all the pressure off a specific area of her foot. On top of that, she needed crutches for a while. (Yes, I do have a bit of a ‘crutch’ on her)

So how do we help someone who is dealing with such a loss of independence, even though that loss may only be temporary? Well, in this case, I decided to use humor, albeit sick humor, humor that had her groaning and probably shaking her head, but humor that helped ease her burden. She was stuck in the house and spending a lot of time on the computer, so I sent her the following e-mail:

“I just BOOTED up my computer so let me see what I can come up with on the SPUR of the moment…”

“It’s Aboot time, its aboot space about two men in the strangest place…”

“Tell her aboot it…..”

“There’s a hole in the bootom of the sea…”

“Let me tell you all a story ‘boot a man named Jed…”

“One hundred bootles of beer on the wall, one hundred bootles of beer, take one down and pass it around, ninety-nine bootles of beer on the wall. (If you think I’m going to type out the whole song then you are more than a little bit wobbly)…”

“I’ve looked at life from boot sides now…”

“Wasn’t Abe Lincoln killed by a boot? John Wilkes Boot…”

“What do you call it when you kick a guy in the ear? A bootinear!”

“Everybody loves some booty sometime…”

“Booterflies are free and so are we…”

“Have you seen the greatest movie of all time? Mutiny on the Booty…”

“If you put your cell phone down on your foot, does that make you a phone boot?”

“Shake, shake, shake your booty…”

“If you come over to see me, are you making a booty call?”

“Oh what a bootiful morning, oh what a bootiful day … I got a bootiful feeling, everything’s going my way …”

“Have you heard the good news? If not, be sure and read the Good Boot…”

I hope some of you reading this will be able to come up with better ones to cheer up someone you know who is going through a loss of independence. In the meantime, hope you have a bootiful day…

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

If you are tired, can’t deal with the pressure any longer, and sick of the direction your life has taken, the Lord is speaking to you today.  Just picture the prodigal son who was at the very lowest depths of despair, yet somehow he 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. 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

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

NIV

Don’t grow weary doing good, just 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

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.  I am reminded of a story I once heard, and I want to share it with you.

THE DONKEY

One day, a farmer’s donkey fell down into a well.  The animal cried piteously for hours, as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.

Finally, he decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn’t worth it to retrieve the donkey. So, he invited all his neighbors to come over and help him. They all grabbed a shovel and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly.

Then, to everyone’s amazement, he quieted down.  A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well and was astonished at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off and take a step up. As the farmer’s neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up. Soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well and trotted off!

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up.  Each of our troubles is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest well, just by not stopping, and by never giving up!  Shake it off and take a step up!  Always remember you WIN!

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

Pastor Tony Guadagnino is the senior pastor of Christian Love Fellowship Church.

I officiated at a funeral the other day. This family had tsouris (problems). But, they knew the import of family, of loving and of caring. The widower had been married for 64 years and he arrived at the chapel an hour before the funeral service of his beloved wife.

He hurt, he hurt a lot, and, yet, he concentrated on the positives in his life. He spoke about how wonderful his sons were and I let him know that he and his wife must have done something right to have raised such caring children. Then, he talked about how loving his grandchildren were. And they were indeed a pillar of strength and a blanket of warmth for the elder members of the family.

But, it was when I saw the first friend come in to the family room to extend condolences that I realized what a fine example he was to his children and his grandchildren because, as the woman approached with a look that seemed to say, “I wish I knew the right words to say,” the widower took her hand in both of his and said, “I know your husband has not been well, how are you holding up?”

In the midst of his pain, he could still recognize pain on another’s face. He still knew that others had troubles in their lives and, even in the midst of his own pain, he wanted to let them know that he, just like them, wanted to be a source of comfort and strength.

As he inquired as to the woman’s well-being and that of her husband, tears began to fall down the woman’s cheeks. She was awed as this widower, whom she had come to comfort, came out of his own anguish and became the comforter … and I believe that that moment of sensitivity and awareness, that moment of being there for someone else, reminded him of the strength he had within. It was then and there that he knew he would find a way to go on.

It was shortly afterward that one of his grandchildren began to weep and he held her close to him. I believe that at that moment, somewhere deep inside, this sweet man knew that he was still the patriarch of the family, that he was still a source of strength and comfort for his children, and his grandchildren.  And, now he had a reason for sticking around because anytime he was with his family, a part of her would be there as well. This reminded me that the day before the service, when I met with the family, no one could talk about one of them without the other, for they truly were, and to the family will continue to be, one heart and one soul.

We all have awe-inspiring moments – it might be a half hour, 15 minutes or just a minute or two at a time. So, let’s not waste a moment. Let’s make every minute count.

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

By Deron Peterson,  senior pastor at First Baptist Church, Deerfield Beach

This past Memorial Day weekend, I had the opportunity to travel to upstate New York, where I grew up. I always enjoy going back there for a visit.

This place is in the heart of the Adirondack National Park, the town, Schroon Lake. A small community with a population of 1,735, according to City-Data.com, that transforms itself into a thriving metropolis the day after Memorial Day. We used to say; “They roll out the sidewalks on Memorial Day and roll them back up on Labor Day.”

A short drive through Schroon Lake belies the sparse population as you see small houses, cottages really, scattered along the shores of the lake.  The reason for the inconsistent population, however, is the summer residents.  They begin to invade Schroon Lake not long after Memorial Day, as tradition dictates, and return home around Labor Day, leaving behind a little ghost town … our little ghost town.

I try to make it a habit to spend 4th of July in Schroon Lake … parade, patriotic concert on the beach, and the most amazing fireworks you could ever imagine. I went there last July with my kids, believing there is no way it would live up to my memories. I was wrong. It’s not that it’s the biggest parade, it’s actually quite small. The concert is not the best, just local artists singing their best in honor of God and country, and the fireworks are not the biggest, but quite impressive for a small mountain town of only 1,800. What makes this place so spectacular? Tradition. You’ve heard the saying, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Well, that’s Schroon Lake.

I talked with an 89-year-old man a couple of weeks ago who used to vacation in Schroon Lake. He showed me a picture of the town from 1985. When I arrived on May 27 and drove down Main Street, that picture from 1985 could’ve been taken today and it would look exactly the same. Stewarts is still one of only two gas stations and the only one that serves Ice Cream. “Make your own sundaes” are their specialty. Then there’s Decesear’s Pizza — the only pizza place you pay $20 for a pizza you would pay $10 for anywhere else and you still feel like you got a bargain. Why. It’s the only pizza place in town. Then there’s my personal favorite, Pitkins. The local diner where the owner, Marie, still waits tables with a smile as she sits down at your table and talks about the good old days. She’ll remember your name and even ask you how your family is doing. It’s a place where every stranger feels at home. It’s a place where it’s still like it used to be in the “good ole days.”

Do you have a Schroon Lake? Do you have a place that always feels like home, which seems to never change, that you can count on year after year? At our church, we celebrate Jesus Christ. You know what it says about Christ in Hebrews 13? It says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.”

Isn’t that amazing? Finally, something you can count on, someone who cares, someone who loves you enough to die on the cross for you, someone who says, “There is no one left to judge you, and neither do I,” someone who will receive you with open arms and someone who you can depend upon day after day.  While trying to keep up with our fast-moving, ever-changing world, there is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.

If you are a fan of Oprah’s, you are familiar with her book club. With the festival of Shavuot coming up, I thought it was very interesting that Oprah had not one, but two books with the name Ruth in the title …“Drowning Ruth” and “The Book of Ruth.”

Don’t get me wrong, her Book of Ruth was not the one from the Bible. But why is it that Oprah seems to have this penchant for books with a character named Ruth?

Well, I don’t know Oprah, although, if she ever reads this, I would love to meet her, but let me take a stab at answering the question from a Rabbinic viewpoint.

You see, on Shavuot we read the Biblical Book of Ruth and, while many think that Ruth is the only woman in the story, there are others. One of those others is another Moabite who, like Ruth, weds a Hebrew and her name just happens to be Orpah.

No, that is not my dyslexia turning the letters around. The name is Orpah, but you should know that the name Oprah, as in Oprah Winfrey, is a variant spelling of that name.

Now, you might be wondering what the name Orpah means. It refers to a deer or a fawn. Have you ever had anyone “fawn” all over you? It can be a wonderful feeling or it can be a real pain in the “you-know-what.”

And as to the word deer, while I know they are beautiful creatures, I much prefer another spelling of the word … D-E-A-R! When someone fawns over you, it lets you know that you are very dear to them. In the Book of Ruth, we learn what is, or at least, what should be, very dear to someone. The love of your life should be very dear. The love of G-d should be very dear. The love of G-d’s Commandments should be very dear. The love of Torah should be very dear. And, if you think those are difficult, then let me remind you that through Ruth, we even learn that our Mother-in-laws should be very dear to us, that we should not desert them.

Speaking of dessert, okay, I toyed with the spelling again, there is a tradition to eat dairy product on Shavuot. This comes from the concept of Israel being the land of milk and honey … and it reminds us that the Torah … that G-d’s Word should be sweet and nourishing to our bodies and our souls.

And, just as G-d’s Word is nourishing to us, we should do what we can to nourish others, which brings us right back to the Festival because Shavuot falls in the harvest season. There is a wonderful commandment about the barley harvest where we are told that we are to permit the poor to glean the stalks that fall to the ground during the harvest.

Of course, the Book of Ruth’s main focus is Ruth herself. Ruth converts to Judaism. The other day, someone asked me if they could convert to the Jewish faith. I told them that it was a very lengthy process. And I used another meaning of the word glean in my talk with her. I told her that Judaism is not an instantaneous thing. It must be gleaned. Even after the conversion process is over, you must continue to learn, bit by bit. In fact, I am still gleaning. My mentors drop some of the stalks of their wisdom, permit me to pick them up, and those stalks nourish my soul. May you glean from my words and may they nourish you.

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

John 14:27

27 Peace I leave with you; My [own] peace I now give and bequeath to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. [Stop allowing yourselves to be agitated and disturbed; and do not permit yourselves to be fearful and intimidated and cowardly and unsettled.]

AMP

Why is it that when things aren’t going our way, or when trials arise, we can’t seem to handle things well? Fear, anxiety, worry, attitudes and life’s cares seem to get the best of us. The majority of the things we worry about are tied to our past. Are we going to let yesterday’s problems dictate what we do today? We need to remember that yesterday is gone. There is nothing we can do about it. We are able to start fresh each day (today). We choose each day, what kind of day we are going to have, so decide to have a great and peaceful day.

Matthew 6:27 tells us that the things we worry about so often are the things that are beyond our control. We need to trust in the Lord. Shifting our focus off of God and onto the problems is a sure formula for worry. We then allow worries and problems to become bigger priorities than God. When that happens, the things we worry about begin to consume us! When life’s hassles get too big and you feel overwhelmed, stop, take a deep breath and focus on what God is doing today.

Philippians 4:7-8

7 Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

8 Summing it all up, friends, I’d say you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious — the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.

The Message Bible

When you worry about tomorrow, you’re worrying about what you can never control, and you rob yourself of peace today. Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don’t get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  Matthew 6:34 says “God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” When you begin to worry, don’t panic — pray. God is the one who has all the answers. God is waiting patiently on us. He’s saying, “I’m here, give everything to me.”  God knows what you’re going through.

How are we ever going to learn to have peace, if we do not trust the God we serve? In order to have peace and to be a peacemaker, we need to trust our God. Scriptures speak of the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding. You have to be at peace in order to know you’re in the will of God. If you’re not at peace, you’re not trusting God. Don’t let stress and worries rob you of the peace you could have. Focus on God!

This devotional was taken from a Bible study by Rosalind Guadagnino.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

“Of things I should be thankful for, I’ve had a goodly share

And as I sit here in the comfort of a cozy chair,

My fancy takes me to a humble east side tenement.

Five people in two bedrooms is where my childhood days were spent.

It wasn’t much like Paradise, but ‘mid the dirt and all

There was the sweetest angel, one that I fondly call…..

My Yiddishe Momme.”

A Yiddishe Momma keeps the house so clean that you can eat off the floor, and where cooking is concerned she has more “BAM” than Emeril because momma’s meals were made with one ingredient that Emeril can’t get. They were made with a momma’s love … and a momma’s hands.

As Barbara J. Hall wrote, “In my mother’s hands, I saw the hard work that she had done for me. I saw the caring those hands provided for my benefit throughout the years …” When I think of momma’s hands, I can still picture them waving magically over the Shabbat Candles as she benshed lecht. And, even before that, I can picture her kneading a batch of dough and braiding it into a perfect Challah for Shabbat.

And, as Barbara J. Hall continues, “In my mother’s face, I saw the hopes and dreams she held for me that were so plainly written there.”

From the time that I was born, momma dreamed of being able to see me standing under the Chupa. In fact, when I was born that was the blessing given to her by others — “May you be privileged to escort your son under the Chupa.”

A Chupa … a wedding canopy … we even sing about it at services on Friday nights. “L’Cha Dodi” … come let us greet the Bride of Sabbath … come let us greet the Sabbath Bride.

More than 2 billion people were all glued to a wedding recently. Many who never find the time to go to their House of Worship made sure to get up at four in the morning just to watch The Royal Wedding.

When one agrees to wed, they realize that another soul has won the key to their heart. Actually, it is not so much that one soul has won the key to another’s heart, but that both now share the same key. And, at the wedding, the Prince and Princess were indeed given a key. But that key was not in a place that too many of us would have thought to find it. It was inside a Challah. There is a custom among some pertaining to the baking of a Shliss Challah. This is usually done on the Shabbat following Pesach. I’ll bet most of you have never heard of a Shliss Challah. Well, now you know that it is a challah with a house key baked into it.

By the way, there was also a Ketubah at the Royal Wedding. A Ketubah is a contract between the bride and the groom. Oddly enough, Shabbat is also a contract … as we have agreed to honor and observe it.

There are many different ways to honor and observe Shabbat. The key is to treat it like a Royal Wedding. Prepare for it. Look forward to it. Invite family and friends to join you. Have special foods for one and all. Have blessings recited. Sing songs. Oops, and I almost forgot … while you’re making up your guest list … don’t forget to invite G-d in.

Now, let us celebrate this most blessed of days together as one heart and one soul. That is the key.

Shalom My Friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a Hospice Chaplain and Member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains. He also provides Professional Pastoral Care Services to a number of health centers in Broward County.

Last week, I was invited to speak at the Day of Prayer for Deerfield Beach held at City Hall. The topic I was given was “Youth.” It is not a hard topic to tackle since I’ve worked with youth for many years. I thought it would be appropriate to share with you some of the things shared. You see, I believe that the part of society in the greatest danger today is our youth. We must remember to pray for our youth.

One problem is that, in our earnestness to think about and pray for our youth, we sometimes forget to be proactive. We must not forget or neglect training, teaching and influencing our children to be productive members of our society, our city and our nation.

John Maxwell in his book 21 Laws of Leadership says, “Leadership is influence, nothing more, nothing less. In order to influence this next great generation, we must be willing to do the work of putting ourselves in a position of influence. How do we put ourselves in a position of influence? Through time, sacrifice, dedication, and integrity … time listening, understanding and nurturing. Sacrificing the things that in the present seem important but lose their significance when compared to the eternal impact of investing in a child. Someone said, “100 years from now, it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in, or the kind of clothes I wore. But the world may be much different because I was important in the life of child.”

Psalm 78:6-7 says this, “That the generation to come might know, even the children yet to be born, that they may arise and tell to their children, that they should put their confidence in God and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments.

We must be dedicated to the cause of creating a safe environment for our children, setting an example our children can follow. This environment must foster growth and tap into the infinite potential of each child. We need to integrate our faith practically in the way we live our lives in front of our children. Someone once said, “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Let me give you an example.

On Saturday morning, our family participated in surfing lessons hosted by Island Water Sports. My middle son is a person who does not like to try new things. In fact, he hates to try new things. We loaded up the car and headed down to Island Water Sports to sign up. Once we went to the beach, I was convinced that my son would want nothing to do with surfing. What the instructors did is create a safe and nurturing environment for anyone interested in surfing, even a scared 7-year-old boy. Mike shared Psalm 37:7 “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him…” and encouraged all of us to enjoy the morning. My son got up on the board on his first attempt and said, “Look Mom! I’m doing something new, and I like it!” Proverbs 14:26: “In the fear of the Lord, there is strong confidence, and his children will have refuge.” An environment for growth — physical, emotional and spiritual growth, was created that morning on the beach.

Influence is like respect in that it is earned and cannot be demanded or manufactured. To gain influence, we must be willing to get involved, and getting involved sometimes means getting dirty. We must be willing to live lives that provide our youth an objective to be reached, not an obstacle to be avoided. Many may say it’s hopeless, there is nothing I can do, I cannot make a difference. I like to remember the quote by E.M. Foster, which is written on the wall at Deerfield Beach Elementary: “One person with passion is worth more than 40 merely interested.”

Deron Peterson is the Pastor/Elder at First Baptist Deerfield Beach