In the book of Ecclesiastes, it says that there is a time for everything under the sun.

There is a time to prepare, a time to practice, a time to take the test, a time to maneuver obstacles, but I do not see a time to panic or a time to live in fear.

God has a plan and a time for things in our lives, and He does not need us adding anything to His plan like fear or panic. God did not say that we would never have storms in our lives, but He did promise to be with us through our storms in life. We must learn to trust Him and know that we can make it through with Him by our side. Remember that God will not allow us to go through anything we cannot handle.\

Proverbs 17:22

22: A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. NLT

When storms come, we must prepare for them because if we are not prepared, we will panic. Please do not prepare and panic. If you spend the time to prepare for the storms in your life, then why would you waste your time in fear of the storms? If you pray, then you should believe what you prayed for and, if you are not going to believe, then why pray? Every storm we go through helps prepare us for the next one that will come if we learn from our experiences. Every storm should bring us closer to God and enable us to trust and rely on Him more and more. Fear, mistrust and panic will crush our spirit and God wants better than that for us. A broken spirit will take your strength and crush you, but being cheerful, content and happy will, like good medicine, make you feel better.

Jeremiah 29:11

11: For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. NIV

God is the one who has the plans for our lives and we need to follow His plans. We need to submit our lives to His will and obey His rules, not just the ones that do not interfere with our plans.

If there were a hurricane coming, it would do no good to only board up half of your house. You would be unprepared for the storm. When we take our eyes off God and put our eyes on the storm, we get distracted. Fear and panic are distractions in our lives and those distractions produce delays in what God has for us. Some things that distract us are:

· Television; sports and entertainment

· Material extremes – an overindulgence in anything will become a distraction

· Storms in life – whether a hurricane or a spiritual storm

· Work, when placed above God and commitments we made to God

Prepare for every storm in life by getting your house ready for a hurricane and getting your body and spirit ready for God’s plan for your life.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

By Gary Curreri

Fittingly, when the Florida Flag Football League State Championship (FFFL) in Melbourne concluded, the team left standing was the Pompano Beach-based Apocalypse team.

James Panui, Quinton McLendon and Derrick Brown each scored touchdowns as Apocalypse defeated the Palm Beach Knights, 19-7, to win an unprecedented fifth consecutive FFFL state title recently in Melbourne, FL.

Apocalypse surpassed the previous record of four consecutive victories held by Palace Saloon of Tallahassee. Following the tournament, Brown was inducted into the Florida Flag Football Hall of Fame.

“All the credit for this championship goes to Tony Walton, our linebacker and defensive coordinator,” said Apocalypse coach Craig Miller. “Our offense was sputtering and not as high-octane as in the past. Our defense kept us out of the fire. Tony won MVP for the tournament.”

Playing a double elimination tournament against the best flag football teams in the state, Apocalypse defeated four teams to win it all. The local squad defeated the Impact (Orlando), 23-12; Ruff Ryders (Miami), 20-18, and the Palm Beach Knights, 24-12, to advance to the finals where it defeated the Palm Beach Knights again. It marked the second year in a row that Apocalypse defeated the Palm Beach Knights in the championship game.

Local headed to paralympic games

Pompano Beach resident and 41-year-old double amputee Bradley Johnson left this weekend for London where he will compete in the Paralympic Games as a member of the 2012 U.S. National Sailing Team.

After finishing his undergraduate degree in criminology in 1992, Johnson had his eyes set on attending law school at the University of Florida (UF). However, his life took a dramatic turn the day he took his law school entrance exams. While traveling on I-75, his automobile hydroplaned and slammed into a guardrail, which severed Johnson’s left leg below- the-knee and right leg above-the-knee. However, Johnson didn’t let the accident deter him from achieving his dreams as he went on to obtain his law degree from UF in 1997.

In 1999, while at the Hanger Clinic for a prosthetic follow-up appointment, Johnson saw an ad for the National Disabled Summer Games hosted by Disabled Sports U.S.A; this compelled him to seek out a viable sport in which to compete with the objective of achieving Paralympic glory. Johnson then took up sitting volleyball and competed in the 2000 Sydney Paralympic Games.

It was there he was introduced to the U.S. Sailing Team coaches. Upon returning to the states, Johnson, who has always had a passion for the water, went on to join a sailing team and compete in the 2004 Paralympic Games. He took home a bronze medal!

In addition to chasing his Paralympic dreams, Johnson is a practicing attorney, an advocate for equal rights for individuals with physical disabilities and a motivational speaker.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

With slightly less momentum than the original flick, The Expendables 2 opened strong with a nearly $29 million opening weekend – more than double ParaNorman (which is an underrated motion picture for families). While all the leading men have seen better days, there is no denying the fun that percolates through the silver screen.

Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone) and his team of mercenaries called the Expendables (Jason Statham, Dolph Lundgren, Terry Crews, Liam Hemsworth, Randy Couture) are recruited by Church (Bruce Willis) for a mission. When one of the Expendables is killed by master terrorist villain (Jean-Claude Van Damme), the Expendables plan payback.

Eventually, Chuck Norris and Arnold Schwarzenegger join the Expendables to root out the villainous villain. As the action commences, Director Simon West is wise enough to frame Stallone, Schwarzenegger, Willis and Norris in a single shot.

The action is loud, graphic and over-the-top; yet, it fulfills its entertaining purpose. Think of The Expendables 2 as a modern-day Gene Autry/Roy Rogers Saturday matinee cowboy flick, minus the singing around the campfire.

Lacking the automatic assault rifles of the modern era, Free Men is a World War II drama with quiet action. A French film with English subtitles, Free Men is based on real life incidents involving Muslims and Jews.

Younes is a young Muslim black-marketeer who becomes an informer for Nazi police. As Jewish immigrants are rounded up, Younes sees his income diminishing. When he consults with the head of his Mosque, Si Kaddour Ben Ghabrit (Michael Lonsdale), Younes learns that his mentor is harboring political criminals, Jewish refugees.

In direct contrast to The Expendables 2, Free Men is a simple film with complex character motives. It is a good movie that will be remembered for Lonsdale’s dignified performance as a humanitarian hero, which is ironic since he is best known for his role as a James Bond villain in Moonraker.

By Gary Curreri

Gwen Bencie made the most out of her first year in the Deerfield Beach Ocean Rescue Junior Lifeguard program.

Bencie, 11, of Deerfield Beach, had spent her previous two years as a junior lifeguard with the Ft. Lauderdale program before moving to her hometown program.

She won the Girls C Division beach flags title, as well as the paddleboard championship, and placed third in the surf swim division in the second annual Florida State Junior Lifeguard Championships in Ft. Lauderdale recently.

“It is the first time I actually won beach flags,” said Bencie, who will be a Deerfield Beach Middle School sixth grader in the fall. “I was actually surprised, but really excited too. I never won beach flags before and the girls were really fast. I like junior life guarding because it is actually a lot of fun.”

Bencie said paddleboard is her favorite event. She’s captured nationals, regionals and states.

“Junior Life guarding has made me a stronger paddler and stronger in beach flags,” Bencie said. “It has also helped me learn about the water. They teach you how to rescue people.

Mike Brown, who heads the Deerfield Beach program, said the junior lifeguards get to see the other lifeguards from the other beaches and they may know them from school.

“We are proud to represent Deerfield and there is a lot of camaraderie there,” said Brown, who has been with the city for 15 years and headed up the program as its coach for the past six years. “A lot of kids, especially the ones who have never been a part of a team, accomplished something.”

Pompano Beach won the team competition with 1,240 points, while Ft. Lauderdale was second with 810 points. Hollywood and Deerfield Beach were third and fourth with 455 and 360 points, respectively, in the competition that featured nearly 150 competitors recently.

Other local double winners included Pompano Beach’s Sloan Sizemore (Run-Swim- Run, surf swim, Girls B Division); Pompano Beach’s Shane Shulte (Paddleboard, Run-Swim-Run, Boys C Division); Pompano Beach’s Kelly Shulte (Paddleboard, Surf-Swim, Boys B Division).

Individual winners included Pompano Beach’s Julia Schulte (beach flags, A Division); Glenis Carlson (beach flags, B Division); Pompano Beach’s Konnor Katzmark (Paddleboard, Boys A Division); Pompano Beach’s Race Wilhate (Run- Swim-Run, Boys B Division); Pompano Beach’s Clayton Adkins (Run-Swim- Run, Boys A Division).

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

It was 13 years ago this month that The Sixth Sense was released, becoming the biggest grossing horror movie of all time. While the following summers presented some fine ghost stories on the big screen (What Lies Beneath, The Others), no horror film has come close to The Sixth Sense’s nearly $300 million box office gross.

Released recently on DVD, The Haunting of Whaley House brings some fun back into the ghost story genre. Penny Abbott (Stephanie Greco) is a tour guide for the Whaley House in San Diego. Under the tutelage of Bethany Romero (Lynn Lowry), Penny is warned not to do three things that could disturb the spirits of Whaley House. Because of peer pressure, Penny relents and ends up doing the three things she was warned about.

Penny allows her amateur ghost-busting friends into the house under the cover of night. The Whaley ghosts are not amused and plot their passiveaggressive retribution.

It should be noted that this film is an Asylum production. Besides providing the Syfy Channel B-movie fare like Shark Week documentaries and Bigfoot (starring members The Partridge Family and The Brady Bunch, Danny Bonaduce and Barry Williams, respectfully), The Asylum produced fare with titles like Bikini Spring Break and Mega Python vs. Gatoroid.

The beauty of this film is that it acknowledges the B-movie expectations of cheesy special effects deaths, morbid humor and one scene of gratuitous nudity. Writer/Director Jose Prendes’ dialogue is snappy with humor.

Genre veteran Lowry (Cat People, The Crazies) bookends the tale, providing both menace and sincerity. As the central character Penny, Greco confidently leads an ensemble of character actors.

Halloween season begins early this year and The Haunting of Whaley House delivers the first chill of autumn.

I took up cycling as a hobby at age 40. A sports injury and surgery had ruled out several sports I enjoyed since childhood. It happens.

One of the organized cycling rides my first year was a one day trek across Indiana. Even the idea of a one-day, 160-mile bicycle ride seemed a little crazy and it proved to be. My posterior was sore for a week.

Late in the day of the ride, I was in trouble, about to run out of stamina and daylight. With several miles still to go and only 40 minutes remaining to cross the finish line, my prospects for completing the ride were fading as the sun neared the west horizon.

Chills and cramps intensified. Doubt grew. I didn’t think I could make it.

We find ourselves in this physical and mental place sometimes don’t we? We call it life!

I climbed a long hill and was pedaling only a few miles an hour with my head down when a van slowly passes. I am barely aware of the van’s existence when a young boy I had never seen before sticks his head out the window and yells out at me. “You can do it. You’re almost there. Keep going!” Tears begin to flow down my cheeks!

I am not positive the van or the boy is real. You may think I am kidding, but I am not. I wondered then, and I wonder now, if the boy was an angel, an encourager sent from God…..

Have you ever needed an encourager? Of course you have. Have you been an encourager to someone else? I hope you have.

From the first family to the patriarchs to Moses, the Lord is the premier encourager of all encouragers. And imagine, after 40 years, with Moses leading in the wilderness how Joshua must have felt when Moses rested with the patriarchs and left Joshua in charge with such a formidable job to do!

Talk about cramps, chills and exhaustion! Talk about the need for encouragement! But when the Lord commissions Joshua, the Lord does not appoint, anoint and walk away.

The Lord provides the path and the encouragement Joshua needs and the Lord provides the path and the ultimate encouragement we all need through Christ in order for us to finish the race set before us.

In fact, through faith in Christ, we are all called to be encouragers!

Paul says it this way to the Ephesians. “Since you have heard about Jesus and learned the truth that comes from him, let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.” (Ephesians 4)

This is Good News to share!

As we swell with national pride and celebrate our success as a nation in the Olympics, we also need to celebrate encouragers behind the scenes. Behind every Olympian, behind all God’s children are encouragers, and God knows we need them.

We all know people who need encouragement for the long road and each of us are created and strategically-positioned to uniquely be that person for someone else. Most times, we are called to encourage family, friends and coworkers. Sometimes, we even have the chance to encourage a stranger.

But, all times, wherever and whenever there are encouragers, God is driving the van.

Thanks to my young unknown encourager, I finished what would prove to be my first of many treks across Indiana. I will forever remember the young encourager’s words, “You can do it. You’re almost there. Keep going!”

I will see that young man again some day beyond the west horizon …

Reverend Dr. Dennis Andrews is Minister at Community Presbyterian Church of Deerfield Beach (Steeple on the Beach) located five blocks south of Hillsboro on AIA. www.communitych.org.

My wife requests that I write about some of the “humorous” experiences she has heard me talk about from my college years in the early ‘60s. So … here it goes.

My first year in college there was a tall skinny kid with black hair and a flat top haircut named Wally Smith who lived next door to me in the dormitory. We nicknamed him “spider” because he could spread his legs way out in the dorm hall and shuffle each foot up the wall until he could touch the ceiling with his hands.

One Friday night, he suggested a few of us go downtown to the theatre to see a popular new movie that had just started showing. It was a last minute thing, so, when we arrived there, bought our popcorn and drinks, and entered the theatre, it was obvious from the crowd that all the good seats were already taken. We were going to have to sit down in the front row. But, just as we started down, Wally stopped us and said “Stay here for a moment and I’ll get us some good seats.” We had no idea what he was about to do.

Suddenly, I heard a loud sound coming from the balcony of someone throwing up simultaneous with wet popcorn falling down on the people in the best seats in front of us. Wally had poured some of his coke in the box of popcorn and was shaking it out on the people below simultaneously with his “throw-up” sounds. The people below jumped up to get away from what they thought was nasty stuff coming down on them. At first, we didn’t know what was happening – just that Wally appeared suddenly and pushed all of us forward to take the seats that had just been abandoned. I couldn’t fully enjoy the movie for feeling guilty about the way Wally had gotten us the good seats. But, I have to admit, it makes me smile sometimes when I think about it. Wally eventually flunked out.

David Eller, Publisher

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

This month marks the 13th year since I wrote my first review. To put these 13 years in perspective, if a parent read my review to their child, the child would be starting Kindergarten in 1999. That same child would now be packing for their freshman year for college.

My first review was a positive one, for the Steve Martin- Eddie Murphy comedy, “Bowfinger,” which still holds up as an entertaining yarn. During the summer of 1999, the competition for box office dollars included two Julia Roberts comedies (“Notting Hill,” “Runaway Bride”), “Star Wars Episode I The Phantom Menace” and the second “Austin Powers” movie. Feeling nostalgic?

While 2012 has presented some good blockbusters (“The Dark Knight Rises,” Marvel’s “The Avengers,” “Prometheus”), this summer has represented much disappointment. High priced celebrities like Julia Roberts, Tom Cruise and Alec Baldwin failed to attract ticket buyers. Besides “Rock of Ages,” Baldwin presides over another box office disappointment, Woody Allen’s “To Rome with Love.”

Last year’s “Midnight in Paris” was the first Woody Allen movie to make me forget about his scandal involving Mia Farrow from 20 years ago. So it was with high expectations that I viewed Allen’s new film “To Rome With Love.”

Alas, this newest film is a dull retread about Woody Allen’s usual neurosis and existential theories. The only saving grace to this motion picture is the postcard cinematography celebrating Italy’s Eternal City.

“To Rome with Love” takes its cues from Italian farce. We are introduced to a young couple in love, their future inlaws and outside characters who are more interesting than the leads. The set-up to the punchlines is forced and so are the payoffs.

The 2012 Olympics wraps up Sunday and, hopefully, will release some more interesting movies before football season begins.

As football training camp opens this week in preparation for the season opener on August 31 against Wagner College, there is one unexpected, but positive story line that occurred on Friday, August 3.

Former FAU Pitcher Mickey Storey was called up by the Houston Astros and arrived in Atlanta at 6:30 a.m., taking an overnight trip from Portland, OR, where his AAA team was playing, according to MLB.com.

Hours later, the 2008 graduate was making his bigleague debut, retiring the only two batters he faced against the Braves in Atlanta.

The first hitter Storey faced was veteran Dan Uggla, who started at second base for the National League in the 2012 Major League, Baseball All-Star Game.

Through Sundays action, the Astros are 36-73 and 30.5 games back behind National League Central Division leader the Cincinnati Reds and are the worst team in baseball. The Astros are playing their final year in the Senior Circuit.

Houston will begin play in the American League West in 2013 and will need all the capable pitching it can get as the Astros face the designated hitter.

The right-handed Storey compiled a 7-4 record with a 3.05 ERA this summer for Oklahoma City. He struck out 72 batters in 65 innings and yielded only 14 walks.

At FAU, Storey ranked second all-time in Owls history with 292 strikeouts and is tied for second in wins with 23.

He threw the program’s last no-hitter in 2006 against Campbell University, after being named the 2005 National Freshman of the Year by Collegiate Baseball.

Storey is the seventh FAU baseball player to advance the major leagues. Jeff Beliveau is currently a relief pitcher for the Chicago Cubs (43-62) after being called up from the minor leagues in July.

There are now two players who got called up this summer by struggling teams.

For Storey and Beliveau, these promotions mean they have excellent opportunities.

With no disrespect to September, this is a month where the rosters are expanded to 40 players and it is considered “The Cup Of Coffee” to make an impression for Spring Training.

It will be interesting to monitor the careers of Storey and Beliveau in the coming years.

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

David Maymon is the owner of Advocate Home Care Services. As one of the team chaplains, along with Father Linus, I am usually with David and the Advocate Team every Monday morning.

It is a wonderful group of people from very diverse backgrounds who busy themselves all week long trying to make sure that the people they care for have the right aide and we try to insure that by asking one very important question that David insists on – “If that was my mother or father, would I be comfortable with that aide?” If we can answer “Yes” to that question, then, the vast majority of the time, we are going to be right on target and make a wonderful match.

Most of you are familiar with the story of Fiddler On the Roof. And you know all about Yenta the Matchmaker; well, in a way, that is exactly what we do at Advocate, only we do not try to arrange marriages; we try to arrange caring and loving partnerships.

David knows how effective famous quotes can be and he has a knack for coming up with just the right phrase for every situation. He also happens to have two particular quotes nicely framed and hanging on the wall where we hold our meetings, and, before our meetings are over, those quotes are read aloud, each teaching a very important lesson to carry with us through our work week and back to our homes.

The first quote comes from Ettiene De Grellet, a Quaker missionary, who said [paraphrased], “I shall pass this way but once; therefore, let any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to anyone … let me do it now for I shall not pass this way again.”

And then there is the other quote on the wall … this one by one of the most well-known athletes of all time, Muhammad Ali, a convert to the Muslim faith, who said, “The fight is won or lost far away from the witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym, and out there on the road long before I dance under those lights.” To Ali’s quote, if you want to win a battle, you had better be prepared and have the strength and skill that only intense training can give you.

David is a good soul, and he is also wise enough to know that wisdom comes from many places and that everyone has much they can teach us … and those two quotes he has hanging in the office are so true.

How often do we hold off on doing something special and loving? Perhaps, at this very moment, while you are reading these words, there is someone next to you who could really use your attention – a tender smile, a listening ear, a shoulder to cry on.

Ali was right. The battle is won or lost long before we enter into it and De Grellet was right, we need to live in the moment and do whatever we are able to help others in need. And, David is right as well, and as he would so eloquently put it; “Reflect” and may you not only carry these words in your heart, but may you put them into action and may the actions you take be for a blessing.

The High Holy Days are soon approaching. Let us prepare for them by doing whatever we can to be of service.

Shalom my friends,

Rabbi Craig H. Ezring

Rabbi Ezring is the rabbi at Temple Beth Israel in Century Village of Deerfield Beach. During the week, he continues his work as a Hospice and Health Care Chaplain. He is a member of the National Association of Jewish Chaplains and of the Association of Professional Chaplains.