I am sitting here on a Wednesday night after our Bible study, just relaxing before calling it a night. 

My wife tells me to go ahead and write my column for this week. You know, just get up and out of the blue write your thoughts down and put them in an order that makes sense. 

After writing a column for six years in Walton County and the time here, apparently my wife thinks that "it just flows without any effort." 

Does she not know there is planning, praying, research —  all things that take vast amounts of time to make it sound feasibly sane? 

She has to be joking!

No, it really isn't all that hard.  You see, I have been doing this type of thing for most of my life. Writing plays, training material for different age groups, Sunday bulletins, having a book written and published, even some ghost writing for other ministers. 

I love it. 

As a young teenager, I had the privilege of proofing another weekly newspaper when others were too busy to do it. 

Putting my thoughts and opinions down on paper, in all of its various forms, is so much easier sometimes than trying to express myself with my voice.

In Psalm 45:1, the last part states that "my tongue is the pen of a ready writer."

I can relate to that from this viewpoint: my pen is ready, therefore I write, and my voice is prepared to proclaim it.

Dear Saints, it should never be difficult to express our love for our Heavenly Father. God's Word is never so complicated that we cannot understand it when we would but learn to love it.

Loving Him and His Word may start out as a chore, but the more you read, as well as spend some quality quiet time with Him, the more readily the Word and the Father can communicate to you.

When this happens, then your tongue can be as the pen of a ready writer. We may not always get it right, our thoughts may come out as a rambling, we may feel inadequate in expressing how we feel.  However, the more we practice, the easier it becomes and, yes, it does flow oh so easily.

Take me to task.  Sit down with pen and paper and write what is on your heart. 

Tomorrow night, make it sound a little better. Add more to that thought. Do this for a week, each day, changing it to make it better. After you have corrected and enhanced it for a week, throw it away. Now rewrite your original thought.

You will discover your first draft was with your heart, which is what God really wants to hear.

May God's Word become a lamp unto your feet, and a light unto your path. Be blessed.

 The Rev. Richard Helms serves at Miracle Acres Ministries, 3187 E. James Lee Blvd., Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HELMS: Write to God straight from the heart

Solomon —  considered the wisest man who ever lived —  could derive tremendous lessons for living simply by observing human behavior.

The book of Proverbs in the Bible has one-line bits of advice that contain mountains of food for thought. For example, in Proverbs 4 you find, “Guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.”

This is true physically and spiritually. 

Physically, if the heart is not cared for by a good diet and exercise, it can weaken or become damaged. Stamina decreases; energy levels plummet.

Spiritually, the heart is the center of emotions. If care is not taken to protect it, melancholy, anger, hatred, bitterness and the like can creep in. Actions and reactions then stem from those hurtful emotions.

How can you guard your heart when it comes to your spiritual life? The Bible is full of recommendations for that.

If someone has something against you, go to them and try to make peace.

If at all possible, resolve your anger toward someone by the end of the day. Don’t let it fester.

Love your enemies.

Pray for people who don’t like you.

Love your neighbor.

Treat others the way you want to be treated.

Give thanks and praise to God in all things.

Strengthening your heart physically will provide great stamina for enjoying the activities in life around you. You will be able to participate in more family activities, sporting events, walks in God’s creation and ministries of Christ’s church.

Strengthening your heart spiritually will give you greater enjoyment of the people around you, more sound and reasoned responses to life’s circumstances, and the desire and ability to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, strength and mind.

As the wise king said, “Guard your heart, for it affects everything you do.”

The Rev. Mark Broadhead is Laurel Hill Presbyterian Church and First Presbyterian Church of Crestview's pastor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BROADHEAD: Guard your heart physically and spiritually

As the nation and church come to grips with the bone-chilling reality of the massacre at Mother Emanuel, lives will forever be changed and we seem to experience a period of disconnection.

Bishop A.J. Richardson calls the shootings “SAD” because indeed we are sorrowful, angry and dismayed. The resilience of our core has been rocked, but not moved.

On Thursday evening, June 18, I was attempting to give a comforting voice of reason and strength to Northwest Florida residents. However, through my passion and feeling of hurt for our brothers and sisters, the tenet of my message was completely distorted and cyber media took a headline and completely ran with it.

I would like to reaffirm my position of nonviolence and stricter gun laws: I do not endorse, and have never endorsed, bringing any weapon into any sacred house of worship.

I have been praying, and will continue to pray, for the strength and courage of all lives touched by this massacre.

I pray for Dylann Roof, his family, friends and supporters, because love and forgiveness must prevail and hate for anyone cannot do what love will do. We are a forgiving people, and we must spread love instead of hate and lies. 

Let me set this record straight: The pastor, nor any disciple of Mount Zion AME Church in Crestview, has never participated, and will not participate, in any violent activity or exercise any use of guns or violence during my tenure here. 

I have never used a firearm or encouraged a firearm to be used. I am always for peace to all mankind. The pastor and disciples of Mount Zion AME Church will go out of our way to give comfort, support, prayers, love and encouragement to all mankind. 

We believe that prayer protects, and that only prayer changes things and changes people. 

The bloodstain of the Charleston Nine will be forever etched in our hearts and minds as we will have to ponder security at multiple levels of work, church, or play.

The conversations of Confederate flags in South Carolina, gun control overhaul, or race relations must not be “swept in a corner”; we must work toward common good for all mankind. 

This shooting was not an isolated incident; this was a planned, heinous crime that has raised our level of awareness and asking, "Where do we go from here?"

 My voice is that there must be emergency plans in place but at no time would my emergency plans include any weapon of destruction. 

Jeremiah 31:3 says it best: “With loving kindness have I drawn thee.” Loving kindness effects the victory.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction…

"The chain reaction of evil — hate begetting hate; wars producing more wars — must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

It is and has always been my desire to love, pray and treat everyone the way I would like to be treated.

 I have been misunderstood, misinterpreted, and lied on, but I know that I love, I pray, and I care about all lives and all souls. 

It is my intention to continue spreading love, prayers, praise and thanksgiving.

The Rev. D. Sinclair Forbes is pastor of Mount Zion AME Church in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Massacre of Charleston 9: Where do we go from here?

In the book of John, chapter 20, Jesus makes Himself known to His disciples after His death, burial and now resurrection. 

To me, a key scripture seldom discussed is verse 23, where He states, "If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained."

Many call this one of the hard teachings of Jesus, but in reality it is not. Forgiving another person's sins should be an easy task for those of us who have been forgiven much. 

Jesus provided forgiveness for us, and as a result we definitely need to learn to forgive. 

Matthew 6:15 states, "But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses."

If we cannot forgive, we will not be forgiven — that is as cut and dried as it can be.

So how do we retain someone's sins?

By not making someone aware of sin in their lives, we do not give them the opportunity to seek forgiveness; therefore, we are retaining their sins. 

As a Christian, we should be committed to living and teaching an example each and every day. Our first priority in the morning as a part of our morning devotion should be to ask God to search our hearts and bring out everything in our lives that would hinder someone else. 

We have no excuse to not witness to others, and to even lovingly correct a brother or sister in a fashion of brokenness on our part. 

It is not a joyful thing to make a fellow believer aware of something that is wrong in their life. However, let others say when you are in error and be willing to learn from it.

Every day forces us to make judgments.  The devil has done a good job of telling us to not judge — so good that we will be silent and allow our neighbors, friends, even family members, to head right on to hell's gates without us once opening our mouths in love to warn them and head them away from that awful place. 

We need to be broken enough to realize that Godly judgment from us is designed not to tear down, but to bring life.

If we do our part, then judgment unto salvation, or condemnation, will be issued by God Himself.

Ananias and Sapphira knew the truth of who Christ was. Still, they tried to deceive God. Peter gave them the opportunity for repentance, but they refused.

Ananias and Sapphira died. Peter did not retain their sins; he gave opportunity to them. Their blood is on their own head.

If Peter had not confronted, or judged, them, and made the effort, their blood would be on his head.

Will you retain another's sin by being afraid of how they may perceive you? Or do you love them enough to take that risk that they might be forgiven?  

You and I have a choice: forgive or retain. Which will it be?

Pray about it.

The Rev. Richard Helms serves at Miracle Acres Ministries, 3187 E. James Lee Blvd., Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HELMS: Forgive sins or retain them — it's your choice