By Gary Curreri

The Highlands Christian Academy boys’ basketball team had nowhere to go but up after it limped through the worst season in school history last year.

So far so good, as the Knights have already doubled their win total of a year ago. Highlands Christian entered the week at 4- 6 overall, but 0-3 in the difficult District 14-3A standings.

“It took us to January last year to get to two wins and we have two before December, so we were feeling real good,” said Highlands Christian coach Jim Good, who is in his eighth year as head coach and has already improved on last year’s 2-21 mark.

“Last year was frustrating, but going into that year, I knew what was to be expected. We knew going in that we are really a 1A school playing 3A.”

Good said his team graduated eight seniors from the team that won back-to-back district championships in 2010 and 2011.

“Last year, we had no returnees and we were basically a JV team trying to get better and trying to improve and I can honestly say that they are maturing,” said Good, who has three seniors, including two starters this year. It’s coming. It’s a process.”

The Knights opened the season with a preseason victory over Berean Christian and then a victory over Community Christian in the squad’s home opener.

They suffered back-to-back defeats in the 35th annual Highlands Christian Holiday Classic basketball tournament earlier this season.

“We have everybody back from last year,” Good said. “We graduated one senior and have seven returning. It is an inexperienced group and now this is their second year on varsity. We are startinganeighthgrader(Herman Robinson) who still has to mature. He is our point guard and putting things into perspective, heshouldbeonourmiddleschool team. We are just investing six good years in him.”

Good said the team is a tough district with Sagemont, Coral Springs Christian and Westminster Academy. He said the team is looking forward to a “featured game” against Community Christian on Dec. 22 at the American Airlines Arena. Following the game, the Knights will take in a Miami Heat game against the Utah Jazz.

“There is a lot of stuff we have to work on,” Good said. “Maybe the idea will set in that they don’t want to lose. We are going to lose games. You play sports and it is very rare that you go undefeated. I want them to work hard in practice and I want to get better.”

Simply soccer coming to town

One week after Santa Claus hits Pompano Beach, Simply Soccer will return city and hold a soccer camp from Jan. 2-4, 2013. Registration is being held at the Pompano Beach Civic Center. The camp is for boys and girls, ages 5-14, of all skill levels, who are taught a variety of soccer skills, from dribbling to shooting. There are three sessions each day ranging from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., extended hours from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and a Tiny Tot program kids ages 5 and 6 from 9 a.m. to noon. Campers must bring a soccer ball, swimsuit, shin guards, water bottle and lunch. For more information, call the city of Pompano Parks and Recreation Dept. at 954- 786-4119 or 954-786-4111.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Based on the best-selling book by Yann Martel, The Life of Pi has been honored by The Golden Globes with three nominations – Best Picture, Best Score and Best Direction. Given his previous work (Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), Director Ang Lee is the perfect director to tell this simple story with amazing visual symbolism.

As a child growing up in India, Pi lives in zoo run by his parents. When finances dwindle, Pi’s family is forced to relocate the animals to Canada via boat. During rough weather, the ship sinks and the only survivor is the vegetarian Pi and the carnivorous tiger. In order to survive, the man and the beast must learn to share a small lifeboat for 227 days while cast adrift on the Pacific Ocean.

At 127 minutes, The Life of Pi opens at a leisurely pace with much humor. As the drama unfolds, the humor remains with a touch of danger. Like a good episode of The Twilight Zone or an O. Henry short story, the conclusion raises more questions about the nature of reality.

Based on Stephen Rebello’s excellent book Alfred Hitchcock and the Making of “Psycho,” Hitchcock recycles the story, but puts emphasis on Hitchcock’s (Sir Anthony Hopkins) inspirations and psychic relationship with serial killer Ed Gein (Michael Wincott).

This film suffers from some historical errors, but director Sacha Gervasi captures the spirit of a typical Hitchcock flick. The film is a roller coaster ride from scares to laughs, though the domestic drama is a bit heavyhanded.

Merry Christmas!

You are preparing your Christmas shopping list, the cookies, and your time to accommodate all the activities you want to participate in. Do not forget the lights, tree, decorations, presents or wrapping paper . Do not forget all the planning, inviting guests, grocery shopping and cooking that you have to do. We prepare for Christmas, but do we actually prepare for the Christ of Christmas? Let me assure you that Jesus is more interested in how you prepare yourself for Christmas than He is in all of your other Christmas preparations.

God wants the most powerful impact of this Christmas to be the one He makes on your heart.

Let me ask you again, are you ready? Are you prepared for the coming of the King? Are you prepared for Christmas and Christ? How are you preparing your heart for Christmas? How are you preparing your life for Christ? Evaluate what the meaning of Christmas makes in your daily planner, your checkbook, your family, your marriage, your friendships and your spiritual growth.

Society and traditions try to tell us how to live our lives around the holidays and even how to celebrate our holidays. We need to be ourselves and serve the God we love by living for Christ all year round. Don’t allow people or circumstances in your life to break your holiday spirit and steal your joy. The words that come out of our mouths show what is in our hearts, and our actions will speak even louder than our words. The things we do and say show the kind of lifestyle that we have. Don’t become what the pressures of life want to mold you into, but rather, become a person full of joy and peace all year round. Then, it is not just a holiday thing, it is a lifestyle choice. When we do things the way God wants, and not by our own way or by our own plan, those changes become more permanent. Why change the way you act and behave like the seasons change? Just be the same happy, joyful, peaceful, giving person all year long. Then, you will not have to change around the holidays to fit in.

People will try to tell you how to celebrate Christmas but don’t let it happen. Make sure you wish someone a Merry Christmas every chance you get. May God bless you this holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Skyfall will depart the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery IMAX Theater this week to make room for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey 3D.

While mainstream movies are a major box office draw, the museum has not lost sight that science documentaries are better on the IMAX six-storey screen. Before The Hobbit has its Friday afternoon opening, the documentary The Last Reef 3D: Cities Beneath The Sea will be screening. This film is full of 3D razzle dazzle involving sharks, manta rays and dolphins with an environmental message about preserving reef ecosystems.

It opens with a historical surprise. With the atom bomb tests in the Pacific Ocean, the bikini atoll was basically untouched by human hands. Sixty-six years later, the Reef Ecosystem is thriving stronger than the rest of the reef ecosystems worldwide.

With the most advanced 3D camera technology, the production crew filmed the most biologically diverse reefs near Palau, the Bahamas, Cancun and French Polynesia. While it’s fun to poke at the 3D jellyfish and 3D Man of War, the camera technology thrives when it finds micro organisms that serve the symbiotic relationship between man, sea creatures, the reef and the green planet.

While the 27th annual Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival concluded last month, Cinema Paradiso continues with their unique movie programming. This weekend, they are showing The Fitzgerald Family Christmas, produced, written and directed by Ed Burns. After Saturday’s 5 p.m. show, Burns will host a Q & A via Skype computer for those in attendance at Cinema Paradiso.

Ticket buyers are asked to bring either two canned food items or one new unwrapped toy per person to any one of seven daily screenings of the film. All items will be donated to the Children’s Diagnostic & Treatment Center in Ft. Lauderdale, which serves over 10,000 children and youth annually with medical care, case management, social services and other types of intervention to children and adolescents with chronic illnesses and development disabilities.

As Chanukah concludes this weekend and Christmas shopping and parties begin, schedule an escape to the movies. Info: www.fliff.com

Dec. 1, 2012 wasn’t a good day for the Pelini brothers. First, FAU Coach Carl Pelini saw his team commit key turnovers as his Owls lost their finale 35-21 to the Louisiana Lafayette Ragin’ Cajuns. FAU’s home loss saw the Owls drop to 3-9, 2-6 in the Sun Belt Conference. Louisiana improved to 8-4 and 6-2.

Hours later, Bo Pelini’s Nebraska Cornhuskers had a chance to win the Big Ten Conference.

But the Wisconsin Badgers (8-5) had other ideas … crushing the Cornhuskers 70-31 at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Wisconsin got the automatic bid to the BCS Championship Series and they’ll face Stanford in the Rose Bowl. Nebraska (10-3) will play Georgia (11-2) in the Capital One Bowl in Orlando.

During the Louisiana game, FAU trailed 21-14 at halftime and amassed 528 yards in total offense. At one point, FAU led 14-7.

The key turnovers halted scoring drives, as FAU had three turnovers with one fumble and two interceptions by senior QB Graham Wilbert, who played in his last game. Wilbert finished the 2012 season with 2,814 yards and only six interceptions.

He’ll spend the rest of the winter and beginning of the spring getting ready for FAU’s Pro Day.

Junior William Dukes had a career day against Louisiana catching nine passes for 204 yards and two touchdowns. He led FAU receivers with 979 yards.

Next on Pelini’s agenda is the recruiting trail as he prepares to improve on this season.

Now that football is over, the shift is to Men’s Basketball. On Sunday, FAU faced the Warner Royals, who were 6-4. The Warner Royals public relations staff never brought any game notes for the media, nor did they bring their “A” game, as FAU cruised to an 83-50 win at “The Burrow” in a contest that started at 3 p.m.

Before the game, I wondered how many people would show up since there was a full slate of NFL games. Believe it or not, there were plenty of fans and it was a half way decent atmosphere. FAU improved to 5-4.

Greg Gantt led FAU with 19 points and Stefan Moody had 18. One notable newcomer to the FAU roster is 7 ft. center Dragen Sekelja, from Zagreb, Croatia, who transferred from Baylor. His presence was felt as he grabbed 11 rebounds against Warner.

OWLS NOTES: Former FAU Athletic Director Craig Angelos is the new Associate Director of Athletics/Compliance Services for my alma-mater, the University of South Florida Bulls in Tampa.

Finally, the 2013 season will be the last in the Sun Belt Conference for FAU and Middle Tennessee, as both are headed to Conference USA in 2014. They’ll join FIU and North Texas, who are expected to be members of Conference USA in 2013.

The FAU/FIU rivalry will resume in 2014, after taking a oneyear hiatus in 2013.

Scott Morganroth can be reached at www.scottsports33.com.

If you are looking at diamonds, then you had better know something about the Four C’s. The combination of Color, Cut, Clarity and Carat weight can make the difference between a gem that appears dull and lifeless vs. one that sparkles.

Chanukah is a time for us to remember that we are all gems and that we have the capability of reflecting the light of G-d. Sadly, as we age, we sometimes feel as though we are losing our luster, our value, our worth as human beings.

But those of you who work with gems know it would be foolish not to see an appraisal before purchasing a gem. And the funny thing is, if you buy a diamond of quality, you can be pretty sure that as it ages, (even in the midst of a bad economy), that diamond is going to go up in value. Each of us is a child of G-d; we are all his gems. I know there are those who might try to make you feel as though you have lost much of your value. But don’t be fooled by such people. In sickness, in infirmity, and, yes, even in your golden years, your value continues to climb.

On the first night of Chanukah, we lit the Shamus and used it to light the first candle. Each night since, we have added a candle. When I took my Chanukiah (my Chanukah Menorah) out for the holiday, it was a bit dusty and dull from being stored away. I had to clean it up, but in no time it was sparkling again.

I have been using that same Chanukiah for a good many years. I think it looks even more beautiful now, as, now, it has a history behind it – the history of which friends and family members were with me on any given year that we stood together as we lit the lights of the Menorah.

That Chanukiah was a wedding gift. My wife Carol, and I used it for our first Chanukah as husband and wife. That Chanukiah was used the first time we had my parents and my wife’s parents over for the potato latkes that Carol and I made together. That Chanukiah was there when we had family in from Israel and we served Sufganiyot, the fried jelly donuts that are traditional fare for the holiday in the Holy Land. That Chanukiah brought back beautiful memories after my wife had passed and the light from the candles lit up my heart and warmed my very soul.

Hasdai, Ben haMelech ve HaNazir, said that “Light is especially appreciated after the dark.” Many people who have come down here for the winter from up north understand that saying well now. All too often, we take the light in our life for granted. Who in New York, or down here in sunny Florida, ever thought about how blessed we were to have electricity that brought us light and power? But after a hurricane, after we had to live in the darkness for a while, we came to know how very blessed we are, and it is only after we realize our blessings that our light can truly shine like the brightest of gems and bring light where there is darkness. Shalom, my friends, and, again, a very joyous Chanukah,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and serves in this capacity in a number of healthcare settings in the area including Advocate Home Care Services and L’Chayim Jewish Hospice in Partnership with Catholic Hospice of Broward County.

By Gary Curreri

It took a little more than half a century; however, Bill Delaney finally got his second hole-in-one.

Delaney’s first ace came as a 14-year-old at the George Wright Golf Course in Boston when he used a 5-iron from 145-yds. out on the fourth hole.

He recorded his second hole-in-one on the 17th hole at the Palms Course at Pompano Beach Municipal during a Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association Two Best Balls of a Foursome tournament on Halloween.

“I think my skill level had something to do with it,” joked Delaney, 65, of Ft. Lauderdale, who used a 5-hybrid on the 155-yd. hole. “It didn’t allow me to get any closer. It’s actually the luck of the draw. I have had seven or eight balls that I have left inside of 2 in. of the cup. I have had three or four that I have left literally hanging on the cup.”

Delaney, a retired printing company president, helped his team – George Disch, Don Mann and Carlo Spirito – to a third place finish in the tournament with a 121.

“It was nice day,” Delaney added. “I was playing very well. I was hitting it straight all day long. There was a fair amount of humidity in the air and there was a moderate breeze.”

Delaney said after hitting his shot straight as an arrow, the ball hit the pin and dropped straight down into the hole.

“I knew when it hit the pin that it was in,” Delaney said. “It hit the pin with such a loud smack, I felt pretty confident that it went in and, sure enough, when we got up there, we saw it in the hole. My understanding is that when someone gets a hole-in-one, they come in groups. I sincerely hope that between now and when I am 70, I will get a three or four more.”

Delaney started playing golf when he was 12 years old and tries to play three to four times a week. He has an 18-handicap at Pompano because of the conditions; however, he said his actual handicap is around a 12. He said he plays a fair amount of golf at Palm Aire, Heron Bay, Woodmont and Woodlands Country Clubs in Broward County.

Delaney is an admitted chocoholic, so it was pretty fitting and sweet when he scored the second hole-in-one of his golfing career on Halloween. “Given the fact that I love candy, this was probably as good,” Delaney said. “I have absolutely no favorite (candy). As long as it is chocolate, I’ll devour it. I had a jar of candy when I got home that night.”

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

I had no interest in seeing Rise of the Guardians until I heard about Guillermo Del Toro’s involvement.

Visually, this film is full of Del Toro details that reference his mentors, H.P.Lovecraft, Arthur Machen and Algernon Blackwood.

Yet as a narrative, Rise of the Guardians seems to be stitched together by two or three short stories involving Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman and Jack Frost.

Frost (Chris Pine) is the central character. He is commissioned to become a guardian in an effort to help children keep their innocence. Like any hero who reads Dr. Joseph Campbell’s “Hero with a Thousand Faces,” Jack refuses the responsibility. The master antagonist, this time it is a character named Pitch (Jude Law), who threatens the dreams of children and Jack Frost rises to the occasion. Sad to say, midway through one of the many animated action sequences, I lost interest.

One Christmas movie I never lose interest in is March of the Wooden Soldiers, based on the Victor Herbert Operetta starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy. Until the last decade, this holiday classic used to play on television in rotation with Miracle on 34th Street and Bells of Saint Mary’s. While grownups might feel that children are prejudiced to black & white movies, please expose them to this classic.

Laurel and Hardy are toymakers for Santa Claus. Instead of creating 600 one-ft. wooden soldiers, Laurel reverses the order and creates 100 6-ft. soldiers. While Santa Claus finds this mistake amusing, the pair lose their jobs.

To make matters worse, they are trying to help pay Little Bo Peep’s mortage from the evil Barnaby. Things become more dire when Barnaby unleashes the Boogey Men upon Toyland, Little Bo Peep’s community.

The conclusion is a wild epic, which involves a cameo from an unbilled Mickey Mouse. Yes, the special effects are not as slick as Rise of the Guardians, but March of the Wooden Soldiers has so much more heart. Do yourself a favor, pick up March of the Wooden Soldiers from your local library!

By Emily Rosen

ERosen424@aol.com

www.emilyrosen424.com

I’m a sucker for movies with high emotional tension that dig into the human condition.

(I cry at parades, too.) And freedom lover that am, I’d be happy to see the movie Lincoln as a prerequisite for breathing in the United States.

Oh, how we have been conditioned to hate politics, and all the machinations, corruptions, hypocrisies and hatreds it engenders. But amidst the muck of all those negatives, we often lose sight of the gleaming glories that finally emerge as highminded, moral achievements. It takes years, decades, a century even, to be able to stand back and look at how some of our legislation became landmark triumphs. We owe so much to the diligence of historians who are able to dig through what, to the layman, can be intensely boring archives to come up with the lost lessons of our past. And how we apply any of that to the present is always a conundrum.

The movie progresses from the background of wartime killing fields to the passionate idealism of a president determined to achieve the goal of human equality as he swims with that passion in a sea of politics that make our current impending fiscal cliff look more like a bump in the road. The pandering, finagling, pretending, arm-twisting, pleading and lying to obtain enough votes to pass the constitutional amendment that freed the slaves are a metaphor for the gross messiness of democracy. And in the end, it comes down to that old philosophical cliché “Does the end justify the means?” and its disturbingly ambivalent evasion, “It depends.”

In this case, only the hardened racist is likely to want to undo that amendment, despite the shenanigans that brought it to fruition. “Shenanigans,” I might add, that might have eluded the historically-challenged, who are unfamiliar with that drama. If ever one needs to apply a magnifying glass to the elements of that “compromise,” that it is now. And given the timing of the distribution of this film, viewing our current (and probably eternal) crisis within its context might be helpful for anyone trying to figure out an answer to Washington’s intransigence. Having read of the many ways that legislation has become law in the past, one can envision an antcolony of activity currently going on in Washington – with people of all stripes offering and withholding bags full of goodies to produce an acceptable (compromised?) balance between revenue and expenditures.

David Brooks, (New York Times, Nov. 23) argues that “politics is noble because it involves personal compromise for the public good.” It’s hard to imagine the personal and emotional toll on Lincoln, having chosen between prolonging the final peace, thereby costing many lives, and achieving the end of slavery. In a way, he was blessed by not having lived long enough beyond that victory to suffer perpetual remorse over those lost lives. If one hadn’t been connected to a fallen soldier, he or she would surely argue that the greater good prevailed.

Much as we citizens revere transparency, it is probably for the better that we are not privy to many of the behind-the scenes skullduggery that produce final legislation that basically makes no one totally happy, but everyone somewhat relieved.

And oh, by the way, see the movie for Daniel Day Lewis’ acting tour de force and for seamless directing from that reliable perfectionist, Steven Spielberg.

One of the staples of political campaigning is canvassing a neighborhood door to door. Back in my political days, I used to divide candidates into two groups: cowards who would put something on the door and then run and the brave hearts, more obnoxious types, who would ring the doorbell to meet whoever was inside.

Years later, after trading politics for ministry, I found myself working to save a struggling little congregation in a small town. It is no wonder I decided to go door to door to invite people to church. My wife was the lone volunteer to accompany me at the time and I remember suggesting we merely leave materials at the door. She quickly agreed.

In a nutshell, I was being chicken … I was apparently more willing to risk bothering people if I was campaigning for myself or my friends than I was if I was campaigning for Christ.

It was a comical coincidence that our church door hangers were similar in size and in color to the water disconnect notice the town would leave on a door if someone failed to pay their water bill. I suppose this meant our hangers were read by everybody, but there still were only two people who came to church as a result of our canvassing several hundred homes.

Those two people were Bob and Florence …

My wife was leaving material on their door when the inside door opened and Florence inquired, “May I help you?” The next thing I heard was my wife calling from across the street. “Dennis, these nice people want to meet you!” In other words, “I got caught. Please come help me!”

Bob and Florence had been married for decades. They knew where our church was. They talked about going to church somewhere, but, as Florence said, “Those steps seem pretty steep when you don’t know anybody inside.”

The truth is the church steps were steep for Bob and Florence, but they came anyway to church the following Sunday. They joined a short time later. Florence had never been baptized, which meant we also had a baptism the day she and Bob affirmed their faith in Christ. It was very cool and very meaningful.

It is still a widespread belief in the Christian tradition that being baptized, accepting Christ, making a commitment to the Body of Christ, are the most important things to happen in a person’s lifetime.

Bob and Florence made many friends at that little church in a short time and my wife and I were privileged to be among them. They were in church every Sunday for two years until Bob had a fall that would unexpectedly claim his life. Then, Florence suddenly died a few months later.

I think about Bob and Florence often, not only because I miss them, but because I learned so much from them. The active member rolls of that little church are the same now as they were before Bob and Florence joined but they sure made friends and touched a lot of hearts. And when they died, they sure added to the saints in heaven.

I still use door hangers, but they are mostly for folks who are not home or choose to not answer the door because I ring the doorbell now when I campaign for Christ.

Jesus says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28) Jesus does not say, “Ring the doorbell and run!”

So, we will be coming around the next several weeks to invite folks who do not have a church to join us this Christmas Season and beyond. Our aim is to make the steps a little easier to climb, to touch a few hearts and to add to the saints in heaven.

Even if you are not a brave heart, join us this weekend Saturday @ Six or Sunday morning at 8:30 or 11 a.m. We are continuing our series on Characters of Christmas. This Sunday’s focus is “Elizabeth!”

Dennis Andrews Ed.D.

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.