By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

When part of the press junket focuses on the leading lady talking about her extended nude scenes, the film is likely to have problems and is not likely to maintain a sustainable box office. Opening tomorrow, March 2, Red Sparrow is supposed to be a spy thriller. However, given her topic of conversation on the talk show circuit, Jennifer Lawrence has spent more time talking about dressing and undressing then she has talking about Red Sparrow’s storyline or character development.

Death Wish opens tomorrow also. The film is a remake to a stark 1974 Charles Bronson movie about a husband who becomes a widower when his wife is brutally murdered by street thugs. Like in Batman, the protagonist becomes a vigilante and guns down the criminal element. Bruce Willis stars in the remake and there was some Oscar buzz about his performance. However, recent marketing has changed the tone from a stark drama to that off an action flick with quips and one liners.

Let Yourself Go is the most original movie that will open this weekend. An Italian movie with English subtitles, this film is a universal story about the mind and the body. When a Freudian psychoanalyst (Toni Servillo) starts to doze off during his sessions, his estranged wife suggests a regiment for exercise. Meet Claudia (Veronica Echegui), a personal trainer who believes in the perfection of the body.

The contrast between the old psychoanalyst and young Claudia creates enough conflict to move Let Yourself Go to an entertaining 90 minute realistic comedy. The drama is real.

He lives an austere life and is set in his ways. Claudia is impulsive and her behavior often indebts her to the kindness of strangers. Both learn from each other; the old psychoanalyst forces himself to exercise more, while Claudia learns to think more.

As the psychoanalyst, Servillo has polished off his niche as “Italy’s Everyman.” Last seen in America in The Great Beauty, (Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language), he is introduced in a less flamboyant role. Like a blossoming cactus, Servillo transforms into a Freudian Superman that feels believable. As Claudia, Spanish actress Veronica Echegui is a constant delight.

See Let Yourself Go with some friends some afternoon and dine on Italian cuisine afterward; it will be a good experience.

The 90th Oscars Annual Academy Awards occurs this Sunday night, March 4. Steve Savor will be holding a black tie gala party that night at his Villa De Palma. Tickets are $150, but members of the Ft. Lauderdale International Film Festival pay only $100. For ticket information, contact Savor Cinema at 954-525-FILM or visit www.fliff.com.

Save the date: Starting Friday, March 9, the Miami International Film Festival begins. This columnist is honored to have been chosen to serve as a jurist for the Rene Rodriguez Critics Award. Next week, I, the “longest-standing film columnist in Broward County,” will create a special preview for the longest-standing film festival in South Florida, the 35th Annual Miami film Festival.

Teaching children that murder is wrong because it is against the law, or it is not “nice,” or it runs against the social norm, does not penetrate the core of many youth. It is a shallow argument. By teaching our children that the Creator and Ruler of the world has deemed certain behaviors as wrong and evil, and this Creator cares about the behavior of every person and expects of him/her to behave with goodness and kindness toward others, and will hold this child responsible for their actions, we can hope to ingrain these values in them in a far more effective way. The child must be given to understand that the world is not a jungle, for there is a Creator and Master who sees and evaluates all his actions.there is, in the expression of the Talmud, an “eye that sees and the ear that hears.”

When morality is based on my own moods and inclinations, or the norms of the school or the society, I can end up justifying the most heinous crimes. Germany was the most advanced nation in science and philosophy, yet in the name of science it produced the most chilling criminals in the annals of human history.

King David put it in Psalms: “The genesis of wisdom is the fear of G-d.” When children are inculcated from the youngest age with a “fear of G-d,” in the healthiest sense of the term, with a recognition that G-d has deemed certain behaviors evil, and He is watching them, there is a far greater chance for them to behave morally, despite internal turmoil and all types of challenges life my confer upon them.

There is one man I know seeking to create some change in one city.

At the border of Crown Heights and Brownsville, in an impoverished corner of Brooklyn, stands the hulking, tan brick building that houses P.S. 191, the Paul Robeson School.

The school serves a student population that is remarkable in its disadvantage: 99 percent of its roughly 300 students in pre-kindergarten through fifth grade qualify for free or reduced-price lunches; some live at the homeless shelter next door.

But, every morning at 8:30, half an hour after rambunctious kids come bouncing into the building in their blue school uniforms, this school becomes remarkable in a different way.

It gets quiet. For a full minute, there is only silence.

After a teacher and a handful of students announce the moment of silence over the loudspeaker system and offer something to think about for that day — a personal goal, or how to help someone else — each and every person at P.S. 191, from the littlest 4-year-old pre-kindergartener to the principal, pauses for 60 seconds.

P.S. 191 has been observing this morning ritual for the past three years, ever since Avraham Frank, a Chabad Chasidic Jew heeding the late Lubavitcher Rebbe’s call (back in the 70s and 80s when the violence in schools increased dramatically) for a daily moment of silence in public schools, walked in off the street and introduced the idea to the principal. So far Frank, a white-bearded 64-year-old with a day job managing home attendants for New York City’s Human Resources Administration, has persuaded administrators at 13 public schools in Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens to institute a moment of silence.

His goal, he said, is to get moments of silence into schools “all over the city.”

Though school-sponsored prayer in American public schools has been prohibited since the 1962 U.S. Supreme Court decision in Engel v. Vitale, voluntary, student-initiated, private prayer is not. In response to the ban on school-sponsored prayer, there has been a nationwide push for the introduction into public schools of daily moments of silence that students can use to pray or reflect.

“I have seen tremendous changes behavior-wise and in terms of punctuality,” said Sonia Witter- Clue, the supervising school aide. “The kids want to be here for the moment of silence. When they miss it, you can see they’re upset.”

Her 5-year-old granddaughter and 8-year-old son, both students at P.S. 191, love it so much that they insist on having a moment of silence even at home on the weekends, she said.

And it has had a direct impact on the kids’ academic success, said Hadar Gafhi, the school’s assistant principal.

“It focuses the children,” she said. During the moment of silence “they’ve made their resolutions for the day and are ready to learn, and they get right to work,” Gafhi said. “We’re seeing tremendous academic growth in our kids.”

Today, we need a paradigm shift in education both at home and in schools across the country. We must teach our children to be “mentchen” not only for the police not to get them in trouble or for people to disapprove of their behavior, but because there is something called right and wrong — and it matters. Kids will get that.

Thirty years ago, on May 17, 1987, the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, penned a letter to President Ronald Reagan in The White House.

“…It is particularly gratifying that you… bring to the attention of the Nation and of the International community the need of upgrading education in terms of moral values, without which no true education can be considered complete.

“Consistent with your often declared position, that ‘no true education can leave out the moral and spiritual dimensions of human life and human striving,’ you, Mr. President, once again remind parents and teachers, in the opening paragraph of your Proclamation, that their sacred trust to children must include “wisdom, love, decency, moral courage and compassion, as part of everyone’s education.” Indeed, where these values are lacking, education is – to use a classical phrase – “like a body without a soul.”

“With the summer recess approaching, one cannot help wondering how many juveniles could be encouraged to use their free time productively, rather than getting into mischief – if they were mindful of – to quote your words – a Supreme Being and a Law higher than man’s…”

Rabbi Tzvi Dechter is the director of Chabad of North Broward Beaches, located in the Venetian Isle Shopping Center at 2025 E. Sample Rd. in Lighthouse Point. For all upcoming events, please visit www.JewishLHP.com.

The HCA Junior Varsity boys’ basketball team won the SACC Tournament recently with a 63-61 victory over Westminster Academy. (L to R) top row: James Nichols, Sean Julien, Bryce Everette, Brady Tiedemann, Darryl Carney, Pasha Szklany, Coach Luke Still; (bottom row): Nick Vaccaro, Mike Giourgas, Jimmy Good, Kolton Wik, Lor Louis, Josh Gray. Submitted photo

By Gary Curreri

The Highlands Christian Academy junior varsity boys basketball team got a little revenge as it captured the South Atlantic Coast Conference (SACC) championship with a 63-61 victory over Westminster Academy.

The Knights finished 15-8 this season and avenged its overtime loss to Westminster last year. Highlands Christian finished 15-3 last year.

“I could not be prouder of our guys,” said Coach Luke Still, whose team also won the Sheridan Hills JV Invitational a week ago by defeating Boca Christian and then Sheridan Hills. “Going into this season we knew we had lost some talented guys from the previous year; however, this team was full of guys who were determined and not afraid to put in hard work.”

The top-seeded Westminster Academy squad advanced to the championship game with a 59-57 win over fourth-seeded Berean Christian, while second seeded Highlands edged third-seeded Jupiter Christian, 47-46, to move on. That win also avenged a two-point defeat to Jupiter Christian earlier this year.

In the opening game against Jupiter Christian, James Nichols led the Knights with 13 points, while Jimmy Good added 12 including 3 three-pointers.

In the championship game against the Lions, Nichols led the team again with 16 points, while Kolton Wik added 15 and Good had 13. The Knights had seven baskets from long distance that game with Wik and Good both hitting 3 each.

“As a first-year student and player at Highlands, I knew this would be the right fit for me,” said Nichols, 14, of Deerfield Beach. “I enjoyed how Coach Luke prepared us in practices for the games. We worked really hard as a team and were able to accomplish our goal of winning the SACC Championship.”

The Knights were tied at 61 when Lor Louis got fouled with one second left on the clock. He hit both free throws to seal the Championship.  He finished the game with 5 points and had 8 points in the semis against Jupiter.

“Just getting into the championship game was success for me, but our team was determined,” Still added. “After posting our best half the entire season, we let the lead slip in the fourth quarter. Westminster always plays hard, and had tied the game, with one second left on the clock, Lor Louis was fouled and knocked down both free throws. What a moment, for our team, for Lor who has worked incredibly hard to improve his game, and for our school.

“To win the SACC on our home floor and the first win in over eight years,” he added. “As a coach, you desire to see young men improve on the court, but, more importantly, to see them grow in character and integrity as young men. It was such an honor to coach this incredible group of guys this season.”

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

With very little surprise, Black Panther blew up the motion picture box office and is likely to be a juggernaut until the May releases of Avengers: Infinity Wars and Solo: A Star Wars Story. Not since Titanic 20 years ago have people purchased tickets for multiple screenings. Some people have seen Black Panther on the big screen each day since the film has been released.

Much like last year’s Wonder Woman, the timing was right for Black Panther. While both films contain likeable heroes, Black Panther offers more depth of characterization, especially for the villain, Killmonger, portrayed by Michael B. Jordan. The character of Killmonger does bad things, but like any successful fictional villain or monster, there are reasons behind his reprehensible actions. In fiction, there is sympathy for the devil. Yet in reality, we learned that the devil has no sympathy for our neighbors in Parkland.

The tragedy at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School will stay with us for the rest of our lives; there is no denying that. On social media across the world, we are seeing political finger pointing with predictable political bias from the opposing sides. Unfortunately, what we do not hear or see on social or broadcast media are people working towards solutions. 

Yet, last Sunday, I saw something that made me feel better about the future.

While checking out some acoustic guitars at Guitar Center at Coconut Creek, I observed two young men strumming a guitar and a bass. Both had innate talent, playing music from the Beatles to Guns & Roses. While neither teenager spoke to each other, their guitars communicated with each other. The set ended, the bass player complimented the guitar player, who admitted that he was a student of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and that one of his friends had died in the shooting. The two young men talked some more. Given that the two had not met before, I encouraged each other to exchange their names. As I told them, “This is how Paul (McCartney) met John (Lennon).” After a real trauma, it was heartening to watch this new generation reach out to each other, not by electronic resources, but through old fashioned conversation and their mutual interest.

While we shall remain vigilant, escapism is needed now. This Friday evening, Savor Cinema will be screening Ace — a short drama about first love, social norms and sexual identity. It stars 27-year-old Jonathan Lipnicki, whose best known role is that as “the Kid” in Jerry McGuire, starring Tom Cruise and Kelly Preston. 

Lipnicki, along with writer/director Jordan Gear, producers Ashley Kate Adams and Jim Kierstead are scheduled to appear. For reservations, call 954-525-FILM. www.FLIFF.com.

This Sunday, Feb. 25 and Wednesday, Feb. 28, Silverspot Cinema in Coconut Creek will be screening John Wayne’s Oscar winning performance in True Grit. If you have only seen this classic on television, take the time to see True Grit on the big screen. Besides big and broad performances from the Duke, Kim Darby, Glen Campbell and Robert Duvall, the big screen does justice to the Colorado scenery and great outdoors.

In contrast to the True Grit remake starring Jeff Bridges, Matt Damon and Hailee Steinfield, the original True Grit is a redemptive film that is far more optimistic. Given today’s headline news, we need more optimism in our neighborhood.

Why did God allow this to happen? That was the question my youngest daughter asked as we watched the news coverage and wrestled with our emotions over the recent tragedy at the High School in Parkland. I’m not sure that my answer satisfied her, or me for that matter. The question is always difficult to answer whenever it is asked in times of personal or public heartache. I mumbled something about our freedom to make our own choices in life, and how God does not force His will or His way upon any of us. We are free to choose and, unfortunately, some choices result in pain and suffering, for ourselves and others. The young shooter made some decisions last week that have severely impacted families, our community, and our state. Much hand-wringing, anger, despair and frustration are being displayed as a nation comes to grip with another sad 21st Century reality.

If God did, in fact, intervene to give us all only what we desire, and prevent any loss, would we be happy or satisfied? An affirmative answer is too easy to express, and the question demands further consideration. We’re all different and have varying tastes, preferences and experiences that combine to make us as unique as we are. What pleases one horrifies or offends another, and, when we are thrust together in community such as we are, it is inevitable that conflict will arise. Laws are enacted to provide boundaries for our protection by limiting our freedom. For the most part, we all try to live peacefully and make compromises when necessary to maintain harmony; but, every now and then, something happens to remind us of our imperfection.

Why did you leave him behind? That was the question posed by T’Challa to his father in the movie Black Panther. A young boy, of royal lineage, was left fatherless and alienated from his ancestral people, which gave rise to anger and a warped view of reality that he would grow up to impose upon his people and the world. That decision to leave him behind ultimately led to a nation in turmoil and a world in jeopardy. The fictional conflict in Black Panther and the real tragedy of Parkland converge at the point of consequences to decisions that are made by broken individuals. The villain of the movie and the shooter in the school are both tormented souls in need of healing and guidance. Proverbs 14:12 notes, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” When we reject the collective wisdom of family and community, we are left to our own imperfect perceptions informing our decisions, with potentially disastrous consequences.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offers us guidance as to how we should live. With respect to those with whom we differ and oppose, Matthew 5:44 records, “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.” The implementation of that directive alone would spare us from many of the tragedies we impose upon each other. God will not force us to do it, however; we are left to choose our own way.

It is my prayer that more of us would choose the way of love and peace, the way of God. My heart goes out to the victims of last week’s violence, along with prayers for comfort, peace and strength for their families. I pray for the tormented souls among us who need to be heard, healed and cared for. I pray for our government and legislators to heed the cries of the children in the streets, and to take steps to better protect them. I pray for a return to the safety, guidance and stability that used to mark the nuclear family. I pray that all of us would heed the wisdom of God and make better decisions for ourselves and those around us.

Bishop Patrick L. Kelly is the pastor of Cathedral Church of God, 365 S. Dixie Hwy., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. 954-427-0302.

By Gary Curreri

Blanche Ely senior cheerleader Makya Harvard couldn’t have been happier with her team’s performance this season as they reached the FHSAA Class 2A state semifinals.

Harvard, 17, of Pompano Beach, finished her fourth year on varsity and third year on the competition team. Even though the team doesn’t have captains, Harvard is one of the leaders on the squad.

“I have to make sure everyone is okay physically and emotionally,” said Harvard, who has been a cheerleader since age 4. “I also make sure everyone is on time and able to do what they are supposed to do. The best part for me? When I hit the mat and do what I do.”

More than 50 teams and 800 athletes from Broward, Palm and Miami-Dade counties competed in the Region 4 competition at Coral Springs High School. The top two teams in each division with a raw score of 70 or better earned an automatic entry into the state finals. A qualifying score of 60 or better earned the team a spot in the state semifinals at the Exactech Arena at the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on the campus of the University of Florida.

The Tigers finished ninth in the Large Non-Tumbling division and qualified for the state semifinals. They finished fourth at the state competition during those semifinals and failed to reach the finals at state.

“There is an excitement knowing what I am doing, that people want to participate and I am making others happy…” Harvard said. “That’s what cheerleading is about, cheering people up.”

She said the hardest part about the sport is getting fans excited when a team is losing. She said the football season was very difficult.

“That happened a lot this year; but, being a leader, you can’t let your emotions get the best of you,” she said. “I have to show my teammates and cheer everyone else up.”

How will that help down the road?

“I think knowing that I can put my emotions aside in things that are important to me, and being a leader and taking charge, will help me when I get out in the real world and [with] a real job,” she said. “When I first came in my freshman year, we weren’t too good, and each and every year, we have progressed … We have unity and we go out together now. We have become one big family.”

Harvard said she was relieved that the team qualified for state this season.

“It just shows that all of those long nights paid off,” she said. “Even though there were times when our fliers had injuries, we just pushed through.”

Deerfield Beach placed 10th at the regional competition in the Small Non-Tumbling Division and Pompano Beach finished ninth in the Medium Non-Tumbling Division as both squads failed to advance to state.

By “Cinema” Dave

http://cinemadave.livejournal.com

Two new films open this weekend, one full of sound and fury from the Walt Disney marketing machine, the other quietly garnering awards on the film festival circuit. There will be no contest as to who the box office champion will be this weekend. Through contrasting filmmaking, there is no mistaking the variety of good films opening this weekend.

1945 opens when a train drops off an Orthodox Jew and his full grown son at a Hungarian village in August in 1945. The United States has dropped the atomic bomb in Japan and battles of World War II have subsided. It is the wedding day for the town clerk, but his focus seems distracted by the two visitors. Could these two men be heirs to the Jews who were deported during the Holocaust?

In the Hungarian language with English subtitles and clocking in at 90 minutes, 1945 is the most unique epic on the big screen. Shot in black & white film stock, 1945 echoes many great American Westerns, most notably 3:10 to Yuma and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance. It is a story about the Holocaust, but with an emphasis upon living with the consequences of surviving this horrible time.

Black Panther is the 18th film in the Marvel Comic Universe, the penultimate film before Avengers: Infinity War opens this May 4. While this information provides subtext and an appreciation for the vast tapestry of these Marvel movies, Black Panther is a stand-alone movie whose lead character was introduced two years ago in Captain America: Civil War.

With the demise of his father and king, Prince T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) is the heir to the throne of Wakanda, a legendary country in the hidden jungles of Africa. Isolated for thousands of years, Wakanda is considered a third-world country. In fact, it is a country with hidden technical and medical superiority. Through ritual and tradition, Prince T’Challa is proclaimed King and is given the additional title of “Black Panther” — protector of the kingdom.

As the Black Panther, King T’Challa’s first job is to bring Ulysses Klaue (Andy Serkis) to justice. Besides being implicated with the death of Black Panther’s father, Klaue has been selling Wakanda weapons to terrorist organizations throughout the world. One customer — Erik “Killmonger” Stevens (Michael B. Jordan) — has had a grudge with the Wakanda leadership since the Rodney King riots of 1992. This conflict leads to a satisfying climax that works as a big comic book epic, while focusing on a human story about two men who qualify as the modern day version of Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper.

1945 and Black Panther create contrasting forms of escapism this weekend.

After the Olympics, South Florida’s longest standing film festival, The Miami International Film Festival, kicks off its 35th year. Writer/Director Jason Reitman will be presenting Tully, starring Charlize Theron, and Isabelle Huppert will be receiving the Precious Gem – Icon Award for her body of work. For a list of films and times, visit www.miamifilmfestival.com.

“And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ₁He was in the wilderness for 40 days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”

(Mark 1:12-13 NRSV)

The 40 days of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday and ends on Easter. This is a season when we are encouraged either to give up something decadent or start something healthy. I have always found Lent to be a joyous time even during the struggle. In our resistance, we are reminded why … it is because of God. And when I crave something decadent, I am forced to think about God. And let’s say, during Lent, I think about God a lot.

My son and daughter came back from Youth Group with a burning question. While Lent is 40 days, from Ash Wednesday to Easter, Sundays are not factored into the 40 days. Therefore, do Sundays count?

And, if Sundays don’t count, would it be OK for us to break our pledge? My kids deducted that there is a loophole in Lent. My daughter gave up chocolate during Lent, but if the Lenten Loophole allows, maybe she could have a candy bar on Sundays. My son gave up pizza during Lent, but maybe Sunday would be a day where he could enjoy a cheesy slice of heaven.

I don’t think I had a great answer. But I did ask them the question: “What does your conscience tell you?” They both seemed disappointed. They made the right choice. Maybe my answer wasn’t that bad after all. But that wasn’t the only time I was confronted with the “Lenten Loophole.”

A choir director who served in a church I once served did not like Lent because she found it to be, in her words, depressing. We omitted the word “alleluia” from worship during Lent and would bring it out during Easter really giving that word a new and special meaning.

In the meantime, in an effort to find happy and uplifting music without the word alleluia, she found music that was a little quieter and more contemplative and, in her words, she found that music depressing.

“Can we sing this song?” she asked as she handed me a piece of music riddled with the word “alleluia.” I told her no, for obvious reasons. She said “But, Sundays don’t count during Lent.”

Truthfully, this started a great conversation. We talked about the value of being quiet and contemplative. We talked about the traditions that most people brought with them to Florida, namely, observing Sunday as a part of Lent. And we found some music that was happy and uplifting that didn’t include the specific word “alleluia.” I think we both grew from this conversation.

Before I go any further I want to make it clear, Sundays do count during Lent. Easter is a moveable feast but always lands on a Sunday. Ash Wednesday is a moveable feast but always lands on a Wednesday. Omitting Sundays from the 40 days is a matter of Math, not a matter of Faith.

But I think the bigger issue is loopholes. What do we gain by looking for an escape clause? What benefit do we receive when we are given permission to cheat? And, ultimately, who are we cheating? Who are we kidding?

There is joy in discipline. When we resist temptation, we find ourselves stopping, pausing and reflecting on why. The why is God and the moment of contemplation is a moment of joy. I look at Lent less as an obligation and more as an opportunity. And, when I confront a day or more over and above the 40, I embrace this as yet one more opportunity.

What do we find in a loophole? We find empty space. At best, we experience a delicious moment that disappears and leaves us unsatisfied. We may even find disappointment. But we will not find joy.

Joy is hard to come by. But Lent is God’s gift to those of us who seek joy. Have a blessed and joyous Lent.

Pastor Gross is a pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, located at 959 SE 6 Ave., Deerfield Beach, FL 33441. For more information, call 954-421-3146 or visit www.zion-lutheran.org.

By “Cinema” Dave

www.cinemadave.livejournal.com

As much as I was boycotting the NFL last season, the professional football league did much to redeem themselves with Superbowl LII. Perhaps it was pandering to veterans, but having Medal of Honor winners (lead by Cpl. Hershel “Woody” Williams) open the game with the ceremonial coin flip was a step in the right direction. Despite battling the flu, Pink sang a beautiful National Anthem in under two minutes, while Leslie Odom Jr. lead an inspiring chorus of “America the Beautiful.” The actual game was a thriller for people who normally do not enjoy the sport. Beyond the respect given the Christian faith in victory, Miami Dolphins fans enjoyed the fact that Don Shula’s former third-string quarterback Doug Pederson, coached the Philadelphia Eagles’ first Superbowl title.

Football withdrawal weekend is real and, fortunately there are a variety of opportunities for entertainment in South Florida residents with numerous art fairs and festivals. For those more interested in science and nature activities for family fun, the Ft. Lauderdale Museum of Discovery & Science (at 401 SW 2 St.) features a Sunday afternoon visit from literary icon, Curious George, the monkey who encourages reading.

In addition, besides screening mainstream movies like Marvel’s Black Panther and A Wrinkle in Time, the IMAX theater there hosts a fine series of documentaries. With an emphasis upon knowledge, visualization and entertainment, Island of Lemurs: Madagascar 3-D is no exception. Narrated by Morgan Freeman, the film opens with both a paleontology and historical hypothesis. The meteors that killed dinosaurs on the African section of Pangaea scared the lemurs, who hid in the trees on a land form that separated from the major continent. As island dwellers, the lemurs rebuilt their habitat and lived their life in relative obscurity.

Despite adapting through millions of years of evolution, the lemurs of Madagascar are on the endangered species list in the 21st Century. The growth of tourism and housing development harms these indigenous creatures. Fortunately for the lemurs, they have an advocate for their cause, Professor Patricia C. Wright .

For more information, visit https://mods.org/films/island-lemurs-3d.

When I was a 20-something, I knew there were two things that must not be named: Voldemort and the phrase “I quit” — because conventional wisdom commanded we follow the perseverance of Navy SEALs, who during training never “ring the bell” — never quit — because in the words of one commencement speaker, if “you want to change the world, don’t ever, ever ring the bell.”

What if that’s the worst advice. What if the only way to live a life worthy of your God-given calling is to quit? If you’re experiencing frustration, burnout and hopelessness, may I suggest ringing the bell in these seven ways?

1. Quit worrying about what people think of you. Lecrae, a Christian rapper, recently tweeted, “If you live for people’s acceptance, you’ll die from their rejection.” You can’t make everyone happy, so quit trying to please everyone and live a life worthy of your calling.

2. Quit investing in bad habits. I hate jogging, but I do it regularly — mostly so I can continue to eat all the Chipotle I want. I know that if I come home after a busy day and hit the couch, the only marathon I’m participating in is binge-watching The Office on Netflix. However, the advice Rory Vaden, author of Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success, which is posted on my front door, reminds me daily that success requires doing the necessary things even if I don’t feel like doing them. It’s not a quick fix, but a lifestyle change.

3. Quit taking yourself so seriously. A general aviation magazine wisely noted that professionalism has less to do with a paycheck and more to do with your attitude. Flying passengers was definitely a serious job, but that didn’t stop me from having fun — I once threw a party for my passengers while sitting on a taxiway awaiting departure clearance to LaGuardia.

4. Quit asking the easy questions. Adam Grant, in his recently released book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, shares how corporate cultures that welcome individuals with dissenting opinions are more creative and make the greatest impact on society. Quit asking the easy questions like “What makes me happy?” and start asking “How do I quit being a comfortable consumer and become a risk-taking producer?”

5. Quit being so easily offended. David McCullough Jr., in his 2012 commencement speech to Wellesley High School, tells graduates that contrary to what little league trophies, exceptional middle school report cards, or even doting family members suggest, “You are not special … even if you’re one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion, there are nearly 7000 people just like you.” Same is true for you and me: We aren’t any more special than the next, and that’s okay.

6. Quit taking pride in being busy. Senior pastor of Life.Church, Craig Groeschel, writes in his book Chazown: Discover and Pursue God’s Purpose for Your Life, “Everyone ends up somewhere, but few people end up somewhere on purpose.” Why? Because it’s easier to say, “I’m busy” — which sounds like we’re important, than it is to discipline yourself and live your values and priorities consistently. Schedule time this week to reflect on what matters most to you. Remember Andy Stanley’s advice that a “yes” is a “no” to something, which conversely is true.

7. Quit living your dream. Mark Batterson, author of Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You, It’s Too Small, talks about how our dreams are tied into the dreams of those before us, up-line, and the dreams of those that come after us, down-line. His point: to honor both those before and after us we must quit our wimpy personal dreams and act upon the desires God has placed deep within our hearts — dreams that require divine intervention to be accomplished.

From this day forward, quit the status quo — the safe and predictable life — while chasing the purpose God has for your life (which is anything but safe and predictable). Begin to pray and seek wise counsel so that you’ll be able to quit the “right” wrong pursuits and behaviors limiting your God-given capacity as a person and leader. Then ring the bell.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at The Church at Deerfield Beach. Before being able to accept his God-given calling, C.J. had to completely trust God and quit being a commercial airline pilot. He loves to mentor the next generation of leaders and considers himself a fast food connoisseur. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@dfb.church.