My family and I have lived in Argentina for the past 3½ years before coming to Deerfield Beach last June.  Our house in northern Argentina was close to a large river and we lived three blocks from the beach. Each summer, we would spend two weeks at the shore. You can tell that my family and I love going to the beach.  Imagine how excited we were when we arrived in Deerfield Beach and realized that our house was only a short distance from the ocean. I remember how ecstatic we were when we packed up the car and all of our beach toys and headed for a day in the sun. Soon after arriving, I encouraged the boys to play a little soccer in the sand. The lifeguard quickly blew his whistle and said, “No balls allowed on the beach.” We decided to get a little creative and started to throw a Frisbee. “No,” said the lifeguard, “you can’t do that either.” I then went into the water with the boys and we started to wrestle and tackle each other. Once again, “NO.” I was beginning to think Deerfield Beach was boring and we were doomed to a life of sedentary towel sitting.

We left at the end of the day determined to make the best of our situation.

A short time later, my wife came into the house very energized.  She said, “I found another part of the beach that we didn’t know about and it’s a lot of fun.” What happened was, after not finding parking at the south side, she ventured north of the pier and found volleyball courts, people playing soccer, surfboards, boogie boards, music and everyone, everywhere, having a great time. She had discovered that we only knew a part of Deerfield beach, and that upon further discovery, there was another section that had all the elements we loved about the beach.

Thinking about this experience, I believe this is exactly how our relationship is with God. We think God is all about “No,” when, in reality, he’s all about “live.” John 10:10 says this, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” Christ came so we could have a full and blessed life. We, like my family and I, go to the beach on the south side of the pier and have expectations of what we can do. We then get frustrated because life is not all we had planned and hoped. When all we have to do is head to the north side of the pier and find all the things we love about the beach. Life with Christ is exactly like that. We insist on meeting Jesus on our terms and then we blame Him because our life is not fulfilling. If we are willing to venture north of the pier and meet Jesus on his terms, then we will find an abundant and fulfilling life.

Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.” Life in Christ is not about rules and our ability to follow them. Christ wants to give to you, help you carry your burdens, give you rest and help you experience a full and abundant life. Finding an abundant life in Christ is as easy as taking a step in the right direction. He will open up for you a whole new world you never imagined possible.

Pastor Deron Peterson is the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Deerfield Beach.

By Gary Curreri

Charlie Pal lines a double to centerfield in a game Friday night against Coral Springs Charter at Cypress Park in Coral Springs. Photos by Gary Curreri

George Petik has made a name for himself in Broward County High School baseball and actually thought about retiring until he was coaxed into returning one more year.

The 58-year-old Petik, who has been a staple in dugouts around the county at Cardinal Gibbons, Nova and now at Pompano Beach High School, entered the week one victory shy of a milestone 400th win.

“It means you have been around a long time,” Petik said with a laugh. “It means you have had a lot of good players and you have had a lot of good assistant coaches because without the players and the assistant coaches, you are nothing.”

Petik said he planned to retire this season, but returned for another season.

“My daughter Shelby said at the beginning of the year, ‘Dad, this will give you a chance to win 400,’ and I thought, ‘I got to be able to win nine games,’” said Petik, of Ft. Lauderdale. “I would like to think I made some positive impact on some kids’ lives, I hope so. It is a meaningful thing.”

“You don’t coach to win X number of games. I coach because I enjoy seeing a player go from here to there,” said Petik, motioning his hands from a few inches apart to a foot apart. “If we teach him as much as he is willing or capable of absorbing and then he goes out and does it, that’s fun!”

Pompano Beach was slated to play Ft. Lauderdale on Wednesday night and North Broward Prep on Friday. The Tornadoes defeated Ft. Lauderdale, 5-4, earlier in the season.

This is Petik’s fifth season as head coach at Pompano. He was head coach at Cardinal Gibbons for 17 years where he became the first Broward County team to win a state championship in 40 years in 1987. Petik is 399-194-2 and went 26-4-2 the year Gibbons won the state title.

He was an assistant under Pat McQuaid for four years at Nova before leaving for Pompano. Petik works at Margate Middle School and has been in the Broward County School system for more than 30 years.

Petik’s squad dropped a 7-2 decision to host Coral Springs Charter on April 1. The Tornadoes are 2-4 in the District 14-3A race having split with Coral Springs Charter and Pine Crest and also lost to American Heritage-Plantation and North Broward Prep.

Pompano Beach has had some lopsided victories this year over Coconut Creek, 14-0; Coral Glades, 18-4; Northeast, 20-0; Stranahan, 20-1, and Pembroke Pines Charter, 15-5. The team also trailed Pine Crest by seven runs after five innings on March 25 before rallying for a 20-14 win.

Pompano Beach had been led by seniors – Kenny Sanchez (LF), Jarod Sundook (3B), Charlie Pal (2B) and juniors – Kenny Harrell (SS) and Ryan Richman, who has tossed two no-hitters this year.

The Tornadoes (8-4) haven’t reached the postseason since 1971 under coach Herm Hatfield when it lost in the first round to Miami Beach, 4-0. It is something that Petik would like to do, but knows it is a very tough district.

“We need to be on our ‘A’ game and they need to be a little flat for us to be able to compete,” Petik said. “That can happen. We just need to do everything right.”

Tyler Keller fires a pitch in a game Friday night against Coral Springs Charter at Cypress Park in Coral Springs.

By Dave Montalbano

VIPs: Al Zucaro, Yvonne Boice, Richard Jenkins, Randi Emerman and Tristan Rogers at Silver Screen Splash. Photo by Rachel Galvin .

The 16th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival closed their festival with a triumphant note, boasting sell-outs for international movies that were locally screened. With a solid financial foundation, the core team of organizers has weathered the storm and talks are underway for PBIFF 17.

For those suffering from film festival withdrawal, the inaugural Palm Beach International Women’s Festival begins tonight in West Palm Beach and Lake Worth (through the 10th – www.pbwiff.com). Sharon Gless of Cagney & Lacey fame will be honored. One person PBIWF should considering honoring next year would be surfer champion Bethany Hamilton.

Hamilton was the 13-year-old surfer prodigy who lost her arm to a tiger shark. Through sheer will and determination, Hamilton returned to the sport she loved and, within a year, she was honored by ESPN as the “Comeback Player of the Year.”  Recently turning 21, Hamilton still surfs competitively and published “Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family and Fighting to Get Back on the Board.”

It is an inspirational story, one that Hollywood hucksters could easily turn into a maudlin Hallmark Hall of Fame broadcast. Fortunately for the ticket buyer, great care went into this production. Hollywood has produced a pure family movie that will be remembered for many years to come.

Dennis Quaid and Linda Hunt portray Pa and Ma Hamilton, respectively. These cool parents home school their children, which allows Bethany (AnnaSophia Robb) extra time to practice her surfing. After winning a local surfing tournament, Bethany begins to attack corporate sponsors.

Unlike the buildup for Jaws, the shark attack in this movie is a jarring surprise. The sequence is not sensationalistic like Piranha 3-D, but done with realistic urgency. This sequence, along with the climactic surfing sequences, are edited quite well. One can see the action within the frame on screen and it avoids attention deficit disorder editing.

Top billed AnnaSophia Robb carries this film from beginning to end with a restrained performance. In her scenes with Dennis Quaid, these two actors bring a sense of conviction to their discussion about biblical faith. Soul Surfer is a movie about heart and faith, a film about families and for families. It is also one of the best movies released in 2011.

By the way, April 9-17 is the Downtown Boca Film Fest (www.dbff.com).

I got a late night call from an elderly woman. She told me her name and asked if I remembered her, letting me know that she was the woman who was very hard of hearing. I let her know that I did indeed remember her and not to worry as many of the people I care for are hard of hearing. She let me know that she had been very sick and I immediately told her that I was very sorry to hear that she had been ill. She went on to inform me that she was okay now, and I told her how delighted I was that she was feeling better and that we should say a prayer of thanks to G-d for her recovery.

But before I could even begin, she let me know that she might be in need of my services soon. I asked what for and she let me know that she suspects she might soon be very ill again. I started to tell her that she shouldn’t worry about that, but should instead be sure to follow the doctor and the therapist’s instructions so that she could maintain her rebuilt health.

But, she insisted that she needed to talk. She told me that she wanted to know if I would officiate at her funeral. I told her that, when the time came, if my schedule permitted, I would be honored to preside. I asked her where she was going to be buried and she couldn’t remember the name of the cemetery so I gave her the names of a couple of the local Jewish Cemeteries and one rang a bell.

I asked her about her current condition and about her family and, then, as the hour was late, I asked her just why she had called so late in the evening and she responded, “Well, Rabbi, I just called because I wanted to ask you how much you charge for a funeral.”

So I told her and she immediately shouted through the other end of the phone line, “What was that … I can’t hear you … I’m very hard of hearing you know!” This woman, who most certainly had difficulty with her hearing, had no problem hearing every other word of our conversation. But when something was said that she didn’t want to hear … suddenly she was deaf.

Passover is soon upon us. In preparation, we are supposed to clean the chumatz out of our houses. Perhaps, we should also use this time to clean out our ears so that we can hear things more clearly. Then again, there is a time where it is not such a bad thing to close our ears so that we cannot and do not hear. I am referring to when someone is speaking Lashon Hora … when someone is saying something bad or wicked about someone else… Usually when someone is saying something that puts someone else in a bad light, they somehow feel that they are raising themselves up. But on Pesach, on Passover, we are supposed to get rid of the Leaven, of those things that rise. And remember, sometimes when you lift yourself up too high, you are setting yourself up for a big fall. Pesach is coming, may you rise to the occasion.

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.

The Observer announces the return of DBLL TV. Now playing – 2010 Season. Stay tuned for upcoming games from the 2011 season.

April filming schedule

April 11 – Threshers vs. Rockhounds (Minor)

April 11 – Marlins vs. Yankees (Major)

April 15 – Mudhens vs. Blue Claws (Farm)

April 23 – Volcanoes vs. Hooks (Minor)

April 28 – Red Sox vs. Phillies (Major)

By Gary Curreri

Joe Shadowens, left, talks with catcher and captain, Jason Hepple. Shadowens succeeded Bruce Charlebois at Highlands Christian Academy this year as its baseball coach and is hoping to lead the Knights deep into the postseason.

Joe Shadowens is used to filling “big shoes.”

Shadowens succeeded Bruce Charlebois at Highlands Christian Academy this year as its baseball coach and is hoping to lead the Knights deep into the postseason.

Shadowens spent the past two years at Westminster Academy where he succeeded another high profile coach — Rich Hofman. Before moving to Florida, Shadowens did the same at a high school in Georgia. He is also an associate baseball scout in the summer and fall with the Atlanta Braves – a position he’s held since 2002.

“Baseball is baseball no matter where you go,” Shadowens said. “Traditions change and the athletes change, but Highlands has a great tradition just like Westminster does.”

“The biggest attraction at Highlands was the winning tradition and a lot of good baseball,” said the 51-year-old Shadowens. “We wanted to continue the winning tradition. We didn’t want to come here and say we were going to start the tradition because they were already winning.”

Currently, the Knights are 8-5 after a 4-3 come-from-behind victory over visiting Sagemont last Friday as Weston Clemente tossed a complete game.

“While we don’t have the blazing record right now, we have played some tough teams and, hopefully, we are learning from that and that will help us out at the end,” Shadowens said. “We played in the Florida Christian tournament and played in Ocala against some good teams.”

He said the team spent the fall and early part of the season working on its rotation and it seems to be paying off. The team has struggled a little defensively and is still finding the right pieces in its outfield rotation.

“We have been a little erratic,” Shadowens said. “We hit the ball the way I thought we would.”

One of the team’s leaders and senior captain, Jason Hepple, said he hopes the team will come together for a postseason run. The team reached the final four in 2008 and in 2010, but came up short of winning a state championship.

Hepple, 18, a catcher, has been at the school for 10 years and played for three different coaches.

“It’s been very different,” Hepple said. “It is not the same with any of the coaches. I would like to get a little more chemistry with the team going in to districts. We have had our downfalls, but we are coming back.”

He said he likes being counted on.

“I like the leadership role,” said Hepple, whose younger brother, Eric, is also a key member of the team. “I have been waiting for it ever since I was younger. I was always looking up to the older kids and now I am finally the older kid.”

“For 27 years, I was a teacher, and I am a teacher of the game,” Shadowens concluded. “When you are refining a guy to go in a different direction because you are working on the mental approach, or the technical approach … I really enjoy players who are thirsty and want to get better. I am out of the classroom now, but this is my classroom. I just love it. It is like giving your kids a Christmas gift. You get more pleasure out of seeing them happy. I get pleasure out of seeing guys successful.”

Highlands Christian Academy’s Kirvin Moesquit slides safely under the tag of Sagemont’s Elliot Leal at third base. The Knights rallied for a 4-3 victory. Photo by Gary Curreri

By Dave Montalbano

There is just too much happening these days in our cinematic neighborhood!

No fooling, this Saturday evening, 90-year-old Ernest Borgnine will romance Ray Romano’s Mama (Doris Roberts) at Cinema Paradiso. Both Borgnine and Roberts will attend the screening of their new movie Another Harvest Moon.

Set in a nursing home, Another Harvest Moon examines the aging process and the effects upon the family. While the subject is serious, life affirming humor rules the day. Besides Borgnine and Roberts, this fine ensemble cast features Piper Laurie, Anne Meara, Cybil Shepherd and Amber Benson. Already there is Oscar buzz for Borgnine’s performance. Besides Cinema Paradiso, Another Harvest Moon will also be screened at the Living Room Theater on the FAU campus.

Besides opening Potiche this weekend, the Living Room Theatre has screened The Human Resources Manager, a foreign film in Hebrew about a bakery in Jerusalem with financial problems. After an employee is killed in a terrorist bombing, the Human Resources Manager is accused of indifference. While he did not really know the individual while she was alive, the supervisor learns to respect the woman in memoriam.

Insidious will open on many screens this April Fool’s Day Friday. From the creators of the original Saw and Paranormal Activity, Insidious is a creepy horror movie made for the fans of the genre. With nods toward Poltergeist, The Sixth Sense and The Exorcist, writer Leigh Whannell and Director James Wan deliver the jolts and laughs required for a film of this genre.

While playing in the attic of their new home, Dalton (Ty Simpkins) becomes catatonic. After visiting medical specialist after medical specialist, the father (Patrick Lambert) learns from his mother (Barbara Hershey) that the solution could have a paranormal answer. Noted Paranormal Psychic Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye) investigates the mystery that involves visiting the astroplane in the 4th dimension.

Don’t let the paranormal mumbo jumbo distract you. Insidious is a triumph of technical artistry over low budget. Instead of overwhelming the viewer with CGI special effects, Insidious contains “old school” special effects, creating a more intimate experience. It proves that stagecraft is alive and well in the motion picture world.

While Insidious, The Human Resources Manager and  Potiche look interesting, meeting Ernest Borgnine and Doris Roberts at Cinema Paradiso this weekend seems an extremely entertaining choice for this April Fool’s weekend. Info: www.fliff.com

One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene, he noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonging to him and the other to the Lord.

When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times in his life.

This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, You said that once I decided to follow You, You’d walk with me all the way. But I have noticed that during the most troublesome times in my life, there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You most, You would leave me.”

The Lord replied, “My precious, precious child, I love you and I would never leave you.  During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”

-Author Unknown

Dream the impossible dream. All dreams that come from God seem impossible at first.  However, do not forget that all things are possible with God.

DEUTERONOMY 31:8

8 Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

NLT

When you feel discouraged, take heart: God’s promise to never leave you or abandon you is always there to get you through your troubles. Why is it that we tend to turn to Him as the last resort when He is always faithfully by our side? Are you afraid of your future? Are you afraid to go after your dreams (Maybe even to dream your dreams)?  Are you afraid to believe that you can achieve your dreams? Do you ever feel lonely?  Do you ever feel like what you are going through you are going through alone? Do you ever feel like you were stuck in a pit with no way out? Reread the above verse, Deuteronomy 31:8. What does this verse do to your fears or feelings of loneliness?

Psalm 23 can be such an encouragement in times of trouble! Take a fresh look at this famous Psalm (read it today, do not wait) and be comforted that God has walked with you, not only during the good times, but through your bad times as well. Do you ever feel like you are in a pit and your dreams have no chance of ever coming true? Don’t quit in the pit. Always remember that the dream never dies, just the dreamer.

Remember that God is always with you leading you, guiding you and protecting you.  You are never alone. Don’t quit when you’re in the pit. You only lose if you quit. Don’t be afraid to dream the impossible dream and live each day to accomplish it. Continually encourage yourself with the Word of God.

Pastor Tony Guadagnino

Christian Love Fellowship Church

By Dave Montalbano

Burt Young kicked off the 16th Annual Palm Beach International Film Festival (PBIFF) last night with a screening of the critically-acclaimed flick Win Win in West Palm Beach. Master of Ceremonies Tristan Rogers returns to the Boca Raton Hotel & Club poolside for the annual gala. This year, character actor Richard Jenkins will receive the Golden Palm Award for his four decades of work in the movie business.

Recently nominated for an Oscar for his work in The Visitor, Jenkins has worked steadily in both television (Miami Vice, Six Feet Under and movies (Hannah and Her Sisters, Eat, Pray, Love) and has worked steadily for both the Coen and Farrelly Brothers in flicks like  Intolerable Cruelty  and  There’s Something About Mary, respectively.

Friday night’s Silver Screen Splash will also feature the music of Grammy Award-nominated producer and song writer Dennis Lambert. Now a real estate agent in Boca Raton, Lambert’s eclectic music was the soundtrack for people who listened to Top 40 radio from the ‘70s to the ‘80s. Lambert worked with Glenn Campbell, Jefferson Starship, The Four Tops and The Commodores. His most memorable song “One Tin Soldier” was in
the iconic ‘70s flick Billy Jack.

The Living Room Theaters (Florida Atlantic University) is the only venue south of Delray  that will be screening festival films. As scattered as this year’s fest is, there are some interesting documentaries and foreign films of interest. Exporting Raymond features the post Everybody Loves Raymond life of producer/writer Phil Rosenthal, who tries to adapt his fictional Long Island family into a Russian sitcom with disastrous, but humorous results.

Shira Piven wrote and directed Fully Loaded, a film about two mothers who try to make sense of a one night stand with a young man, played by Dweezil Zappa. The South Florida premier of Potiche, by writer-director Francois Ozon, reunites Catherine Deneuve with Gérard Depardieu.

Given that PBIFF 16 was considered DOA last year, the core team behind the scenes has managed to keep the festival on life support for another year. Given the historical and cultural standards set in the past, PBIFF deserves the time to right the ship for smoother sailing. Suggestion: show confidence for PBIFF 17 by planning sooner, acknowledge local cinema heroes like Eric the Doorman and schedule the festival back to April.

For more information, visit www.pbifilmfest.org.

The other day, my favorite first grade teacher quoted one of her students to me.

The little one said, “My Momma told me I ‘gotsta’ be good for G-d.” Well, except for the grammatical mistake, I really thought the little one was onto something. The only problem is that I understand that the very day he came out with this quote, he was “off the wall.” If you don’t know what the term, “off the wall” means, just ask a teacher … any teacher.

So, if his momma told him that he ‘gotsta’ be good for
G-d, then why wasn’t he being good? Well, first of all, his momma wasn’t there. But, his Momma didn’t tell him to be good for her. She told him to be good for G-d!

Oddly enough, in the Torah, we find Moses telling The Children of Israel that they ‘gotsta’ be good. But he doesn’t tell them to be good for him. He tells them to be good for
G-d. And, as long as Moses is around to supervise, the people are fairly well behaved and, if not, they are brought before him for some disciplinary action.

While, in our day, Johnny might not be able to read; back in the wilderness, Johnny apparently had trouble with math because the Children of Israel expect Moses to come down from the Mount after a certain number of days. But some of them count wrong and, with Moses not there, they forget that they ‘gotsta’ be good – not for Moses, their teacher, but for G-d. Then, Moses takes a census of the people and each has to put in half a shekel, perhaps a reminder that we should have the wisdom to use at least half the senses G-d gave us.

There are times in our lives when we participate in a census. The government has a census. There are others that are taken to show what the current population of the Jewish People is in the world today. And, no matter how many censuses are done, there always seems to be another census that disagrees or disproves the other one.

We all want to see the data, but we only want to believe the data if it shows what we want it to show. We want to believe that whatever we do is the right thing, and, if someone disagrees with us, they are doing the wrong thing. There are many absolutes in this world. But there are other things that are not so easily discerned. Sometimes, we are not sure which way to go and sometimes we react out of anger.

When Moses was up on Mt. Sinai, some of the people weren’t sure which way to go. Some decided to build a Golden Calf, which wound up being a real Red Herring.  They needed a teacher to step up and take charge, but, whatever teacher they got would not be able to do it on their own. What they really needed was a parent. We need the parents and the grandparents of our children. Without them, the teacher’s chances are cut in half.

So, while you might expect your child’s teacher to be his/her mentor, remember that, as far as your children are concerned, if you want to teach them that they ‘gotsta’ be good for G-d, you had better accept the responsibility of being good and leading them on the right path for His Name’s Sake. And, while you’re at it, don’t forget to bring your child’s teacher an apple and a good dose of honor and respect.

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.