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

Join us on DBLL TV Thursday, May 26 at 6:30 p.m. for the Rockhounds vs. Volcanoes championship game. Stay tuned after the game for LIVE interviews with coaches and the winning team.

By Gary Curreri

Lareisa “La La” Fulmore looks for running room in the FHSAA second round state play-in game against Ft. Lauderdale. Fulmore passed for 182 yards and one interception as the Tornadoes lost the contest, 20-0. Photo by Gary Curreri

When asked what it would be like without senior quarterback Lareisa “La La” Fulmore, Pompano Beach High girls flag football coach Jonathan Plummer paused and took a deep breath.

“Oh my gosh,” Plummer said as he dabbed at his eyes. “She has been such a strong force on this team, it is going to be real difficult. It is going to be very interesting to see if we can find someone to replace her.”

Fulmore passed for 182 yards and one interception as the Tornadoes lost to Ft. Lauderdale, 20-0, in the FHSAA second round state play-in game. She also ran for 46 yards. Pompano finished 11-3. The team’s other losses came to Plantation and Taravella.

“This is a heartbreaker for us,” said Plummer, whose team graduates four seniors. “I am pleased with the year. It was rocky in the first five games and it got better as the year went on. Taravella was our last loss and we went on to win six in a row after that. We had a good run. We won three district playoffs in a row and now we will try and go for a fourth.”

Plummer said the team also received strong play from Shelby Petik, Hannah Hamilton, Chelsea Waters,
Diamond Frazier, Sydney Alexander and Synae Jones.

Quarterback Karnisha Coleman passed for 243 yards and three touchdowns as the L’s (13-1) won their sixth consecutive game and returned to the state finals for the first time since 2004 when it was state runner-up. Ft. Lauderdale, which won the inaugural state championship in 2003, went on to lose in the state semifinal game.

Highlands Christian comes up short

Deerfield Beach pitcher Nick Miller fires a pitch home during the District 10-6A final. Photo by Gary Curreri

Miami Brito capitalized on an error in the sixth inning to snap a 1-1 deadlock and defeated Highlands Christian Academy, 4-1, in the Class 1A regional final on Friday afternoon at Florida Memorial College.

Brito (20-8) avenged a 10-run mercy rule a year ago in a regional final loss to the Knights as Emil Alvarez hit a 2-out single in the sixth that landed fair by inches in right field.

Trailing 1-0 entering the sixth, Highlands Christian (13-11) rallied to tie the game at 1-1 in the top of the stanza as Jason Hepple singled and was replaced by pinch runner Nick Vasquez, who came around to score on a double by Kevin Yambur.

Bucks stun Douglas

Deerfield Beach High pulled off the baseball shocker of the season when it eliminated Douglas from the postseason with an 18-15 victory in a District 10-6A semifinal at Taravella in Coral Springs.

The Bucks, which went on to lose the District title to Coral Springs and the regional quarterfinal to Jupiter, rallied from an 11-5 deficit in the sixth inning and scored 13 runs on seven hits and three walks and a few errors, highlighted by a pinch hit double from J.T. Holgerson and a double from Joey Ursetti.

“This was a big win for us,” said Coach Scott Bragg, whose team had been mercy-ruled in its two previous games against the nationally ranked Eagles, 14-0 and 10-0.

By Dave Montalbano

Thor is your typical Saturday Matinee Marvel Comic flick. In the mythical realm of Norse gods, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the belligerent pretty prince of King Odin (Anthony Hopkins) and Frigga (Rene Russo).

On the day it is to be announced  that Thor will be named heir to the throne, mischief arises from a dreaded enemy. Fearing that his father lacks the gravitas to confront this ancient enemy, Thor,
his brother Loki (Tom Huddleston) and a team of brawling buddies venture to the underworld to banish the threat. The battle is a stalemate and King Odin banishes Thor from the kingdom.

Thor plummets into the New Mexico desert. The fallen god meets Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), an astronomy professor, and Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard), master researcher of military technology and mythological lore.

As Thor is humbled by nerdy humans, King Odin is backstabbed by a trusted advisor and the kingdom is assaulted by a phantom menace.

Who will live? Who will die? These questions are answered in this movie, and Thor will return next summer in the highly anticipated The Avengers, which also features Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Sargent Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo).

Directed by Kenneth Branaugh, Thor is a halfway successful movie. While it contains some shots of visual beauty, the scenes on Thor’s native realm are unrealistic. The fights, the battles and the action sequences rely too much on attention deficient disorder editing, making the story hard to follow.

Thor thrives in the New Mexico desert. Raised on royal and pampered dining, Thor easily accepts the joys of pancakes and coffee in a small desert diner.  Given the outdoor action in daylight, the action sequences are easier to follow. Thor is given his cowboy moment when he confronts a mighty adversary during a Main Street showdown.

For those seeking more serious fare, My Perestroika opens tomorrow. With English subtitles, this documentary interviews the last generation of people who were socialized and educated under Soviet influence.

Given that most of the interviewees are my age and younger, it is fascinating to see their point of view.

The Russian citizens remember their childhood conformity with fondness. While the interviewees reflect upon the fakery of the Soviet system, My Perestroika focuses upon personal responsibility and carving out an individual identity.

“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.

By Dave Montalbano

AdventuresOfCinemaDave.com

Finishing my book, The Adventures of Cinema Dave in the Florida Motion Picture World, forced me to confront the many things I have accumulated. The last chapter presents a plan to eliminate the artifacts of my life, which is similar to the dilemma Will Ferrell’s character faces in Everything Must Go.

The film begins with the termination of the 16-year career of Nick (Ferrell). Despite being a champion salesman, Nick has a problem with alcohol and blackouts.  When he returns home, the locks have been changed and his personal items have been left on the lawn by his future ex-wife. When his car is repossessed and his credit card
is blocked, Nick becomes trapped on his own front yard.

With enough petty cash to purchase beer, Nick sits on his front yard and spies on his new pregnant neighbor across the street, and hires Kenny (Christopher Jordan Wallace) to watch his lawn when he needs a potty break. Despite coping with his situation, Nick is harassed by his neighbor (Stephen Root), who contacts code enforcement. Fortunately for Nick, Detective Garcia (Michael Pena) is a sponsor from Alcoholics Anonymous.

Once Nick becomes stuck on the front lawn, Everything Must Go had the potential to become a boring bomb of a movie. Yet, director Dan Rush’s unfussy camera work allows the viewer to meet and greet Nick and his neighbors. Particularly affecting is Nick’s relationship with Kenny.

Despite his success as over-the-top characters in movies like Talladega Nights the Legend of Ricky Bobby and Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Ferrell gives his most controlled performance. As an alcoholic salesman, he has many opportunities to overact, but the actor never gives in to the temptation.  This discipline pays off in the stark setting because the comedy becomes more humane.

This film is based on a short story, Why Don’t You Dance? written by Raymond Carver, who died of cancer in 1988. Posthumously, Carver’s work has produced two award nominated motion pictures on DVD, Jindabyne and Short Cuts.  Short Cuts features an all-star cast and is directed by the late Robert Altman. Carver’s voice is strong in all three motion pictures.

For people seasoned by life, we realize that we make situations out of our control. It is how an individual acts that defines their behavior and character.  Everything Must Go features a personal journey with humor and truthfulness.

By Scott Morganroth

A year ago, quarterback Rusty Smith made history as he was the first FAU player to ever be selected in the NFL Draft as the Tennessee Titans nabbed him in the sixth round, 176th overall.

In 2010, Smith saw some playing time by replacing the injured Vince Young.

Now, another Owl will have a chance to see his NFL dreams come true once the league’s labor dispute, lockout, comes to an end.

Tight-end Rob Housler will take his 6-5, 248 lb. frame to the Arizona Cardinals. In 2010, Housler caught 39 passes for 629 yards and four touchdowns. He was selected in the third round, 69th overall. It remains to be seen who will be throwing Housler the football since there is a dilemma at quarterback.

But as these two players write their way into Owls history books, the buzz around campus is due to construction of the new FAU Football Stadium. The 30,000 seat structure, located on the north central side of campus, is due to be completed by Oct. 15 when the team can finally forget about Lockhart Stadium and play in a real facility.

On May 4, the athletic department received a real financial boost as a $2 million gift came from longtime FAU supporters Richard and Barbara Schmidt, through the Schmidt Family Foundation. Their contribution will be recognized with permanent signage on the stadium scoreboard.

“We are extremely grateful to the Schmidt Family Foundation for this gift,” said FAU President Mary Jane Saunders. “The support FAU has received from the Schmidts over the years has helped it become the internationally recognized university it is today. With these funds for the stadium, the Schmidt family continues to leave its mark on FAU, and we will be reminded of the extraordinary generosity every time we look at the scoreboard that bears their family name.”

The $70 million project is slated to feature 6,000 premium seats, including 24 suites, 26 loge boxes, 1,000 premier club seats and 4,000 priority club seats, along with the latest state-of-the-art amenities. It is estimated to bring in $1.8 million to the local economy on each game day.

One person very appreciative of the gift is Head Football Coach Howard Schnellenberger.

“On behalf of the players, coaches and fans, I thank the Schmidt Family Foundation for their commitment to the future of Owl Football and for their generous gift to our new home,” Schnellenberger said. “Oct. 15 will forever be a day of great significance in FAU history.”

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

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

By Gary Curreri

Patrick Peterson

Patrick Peterson realized a boyhood dream last week when he was the fifth overall pick in the NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals.

The 6-1, 219-lb. Peter-son, who was considered by some to be the best player in the draft, will keep a family tradition going. His cousins Bryant and Walter McFadden, and Santana and Sinorice Moss all play in the NFL.

Peterson, who was known as Patrick Johnson during his days at Blanche Ely, clocked a 4.31-second, 40-yard dash in the NFL combine and also had a 38” vertical jump, a 10-6 broad jump and ran 4.07 seconds in the 20-yard shuttle, 11.01 in the 60-yard shuttle and 6.58 in the three-cone drills.

“It is a great opportunity for me and my family to start a new journey,” Peterson said. “It was something I waited for my entire life. You work so hard to get to this moment. Playing in the NFL is a dream come true.”

He was named the SEC’s Defensive Player of the Year, the SEC’s Special Teams Player of the Year, and captured both the Jim Thorpe Award, as the nation’s top defensive back, and the Chuck Bednarik Award, as the nation’s best defensive player.

Tornadoes fall in regional semifinal

Pompano Beach High’s Shelby Petik throws the ball to first base during the Class 3A regional semifinal game against American Heritage-Plantation. Photo by Gary Curreri

Pompano Beach girls’ softball coach John Thigpen made the most of his first year at the school. The Tornadoes reached the semifinals of the Class 3A regional playoffs before falling 13-0 to powerhouse, American Heritage-Plantation.

“My goal for this team was to win the first regional game,” said Thigpen, whose team made its first trip to the postseason. “We had a lot of great players on this team and a lot of freshmen on the team that came in and were good. I thought we had a chance to get here.”

Pompano Beach (15-7) came up short in the semifinals as Aimee Chapdelaine tossed a no-hitter and American Heritage batted around in the first two innings, sending 14 batters to the plate in the first and 11 in the second,  grabbing a 13-0 lead.

“We have four seniors who are graduating,” Thigpen said. “This team has a lot to offer next year.”

He will miss Shelby Petik, who is one of the four seniors  graduating.

“She is a really big leader of the team,” Thigpen said. “She’ll play anywhere. She just wants to play. She really enjoys the game. There is a lot of drive.”

Thigpen, who coached a couple of travel teams in Coral Springs and his daughter through league ball, said he learned a lot during the season. He said the team performed well.

“They have a lot of integrity,” Thigpen said. “They don’t give up. They know if they are down, their bats are so strong that they can come back. There were a couple of games that we were really down and they fought back. There is a lot of will there.”

Pompano Beach High’s Danielle Conboy fires a pitch. Photo by Gary Curreri