The summer months are swiftly coming to a close.  With that comes the cooler (hopefully) months of the fall season.

Growing up in the northeast, fall was perhaps my favorite time of the year.  It was wonderful to see the leaves change color, feel the cooling change in the air, smell the burning of leaves as the smoke wafted lazily through the air.

As the fall season wore on, a growing anticipation for winter was building.  I loved snow.  And for some reason, beginning with Thanksgiving Day, I looked out the window each morning to see if the earth had been covered with a blanket of white.

On those days prior to the first snowfall when my checking yielded the same bare ground, sure I was disappointed.  But!  My hope and anticipation remained alive.  I knew it would happen one day, if not sooner, then later.

Anticipation.  Hope.  These kinds of things filled my heart as a young child.  You, no doubt, had similar things for which you anticipated and hoped.  It is one of the things children do best.

No wonder Jesus said we are to approach him as little children.  I believe to a greater degree children know more about hope and anticipation than adults care to experience.  Perhaps it is because throughout the years so many hopes have been dashed to pieces.  Perhaps it is because numerous events or expectations fell through.

But children tend to not lose their wide-eyed wonder.  They accept dashed hopes and dreams in stride – for the most part.  Tomorrow is a new day, and with it comes new hopes and anticipations.

Allow yourself to regain a child-like (not childish!) sense of hope.  God still has great things in store for your life – regardless of your age.  Remember that as long as you are breathing, God is not finished with you yet.  He has something he wants to accomplish in you and through you.

Even as the seasons of life change, hope remains alive.  Anticipation keeps you heart and mind focused on the things coming from God.

Don’t let cynicism or apathy ever creep into your mind or heart.  Those will be self-defeating and close you off to the way God is calling to you.

Remember, you are his child.  He created you.  He still has something in store for you.  Wake up each day and say, “Okay God.  What are we going to do today?”

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BROADHEAD: A sense of hope defeats apathy and cynicism

In 2 Kings we meet a woman from Shunem that the Bible declares was a great woman.

We are told that when Elisha was in the area, she would provide bread and eventually a room for his well-being. Her great desire in life was to have a son, a wish which God does fulfill.

Later her son dies, and through the hand of Elisha, the child is brought back to life.  This is an amazing story that I would like to study a little deeper.

First of all, long before she gives birth to that son, God's Word declared that she was a great woman. It could indicate that she was a woman of financial means. That being the case, she was able to be a blessing to others in this realm and apparently did so with ease.

She chose the prophet of God, and placed no limits and expected no favors from him. My personal feeling is that she was considered great because she had a heart of love for God and those that represented Him. As a result God did give her favor and a specific purpose, to bless Elisha. She proved that His trust in her was well developed.

Secondly, the gift given to her of a son indicates that God was pleased with her. So why did He allow this son to die? Could it be that God was so trusting of her faith in Him that she would be given an opportunity to grow to the next level of intimacy with Him, total dependency upon Him?

She passed the test, and the lad was given back to her. I do not recall ever reading what happened to this young lad after he grew up. Could he have grown up to be a prophet? Perhaps he was able to also bless others as his mother had. We do not have a way of knowing for sure.

 My friend, you too can be a great person and bless others, and have the blessings of God upon your life.

You may have to watch your pennies, may not have a lot of time or ideas, but a willing heart is all it takes to be a blessing to someone else.

Some of the greatest blessings I have ever received were from simple words of encouragement, or just a soft gentle touch, or even a firm strong handshake. Touching a child gently on the cheek can set off fireworks in their eyes that lights up my world — what a blessing! What made that woman a blessing to Elisha and be blessed by God was her heart and willingness to reach out.

Through a personal encounter with Jesus Christ, your heart can be changed to an even deeper love for all of those around you, making you a blessing like you were intended to be. Yes, you will go through trials, and yes, you will get hurt. But when He returns, you will see blessing beyond compare. Search for Him today. He can be found in any room in your house, in your car, or at a good local church. Find Him, and be blessed by Him.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: HELMS: How to be a blessing to others

CRESTVIEW — The community here is mourning the loss of Brother Raymond Williams, who died this morning.

Williams officiated 237 weddings and 721 funerals during 39 years of ministry between New Beginnings and Southside Baptist Church, today's Central Baptist Church, according to past news reports.

And New Beginnings grew in attendance from 26 members in 1993 to nearly 300 members each Sunday.

Crestview resident Ryan Mabry said he was among those touched by Williams' ministry.

"The love and respect my entire family feels for Bro. Raymond Williams and his thorough teachings of the Word of God, has forever changed our lives," Mabry stated in a public Facebook post.

Williams provided community service on countless occasions, whether serving as hospital chaplain or collecting bicycles for children.

Monthly, he traveled nearly 2,000 miles to visit church members in the hospital, residents in spiritual need or to collect donations for the center, according to past news reports.

The nearby Raymond Williams Mission Center, which has provided food and clothing to more than 700 area families, was named after him.

Williams was 82 when he gave his final sermon as New Beginnings' head pastor on March 16, 2014. He regularly attended church services and served the community thereafter.  

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Community mourns Crestview pastor's death

Send your church’s announcements to news@crestviewbulletin.com.

UPCOMING

ALABAMA CHURCH HOMECOMING: 9:45 a.m. Aug. 23, Bradley Assembly of God, 16305 Bradley Road, Wing, Ala. Guests: the Rev. Edward Jones, singers The McKissacks and Le'anne Torros. Includes lunch and singing in the afternoon.

MOSAIC CHURCH BEACH BAPTISMS & COOKOUT: 4-7 p.m. Aug. 23, Henderson Beach State Park, 17000 Emerald Coast Parkway, Destin. Hot dogs, hamburgers and condiments provided by the church. Sign up at http://bit.ly/1PvwVoC to bring a dish to share.

CATHOLIC RITE OF CHRISTIAN INITIATION OF ADULTS: begins Aug. 26 at Eglin chapel. Details: Valerie Counsman, 882-7322 or valerie.counsman.ctr@us.af.mil.

THE EGLIN CHAPEL ARTS AND MUSIC PROGRAM, starting Aug. 27, meets free of charge Thursdays after school dismissal time for kindergartners through sixth-graders at the Eglin West Gate Chapel. Pick-up is at 5 p.m. If you play piano and would like to join this program, call 863-9559.

POWER SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICE: 11 a.m. Aug. 30, Live Oak Baptist Church, 4565 Live Oak Church Road, Crestview. Guest speakers: Gary and Neil Brackin. Topic: “Dealing With Addictions,”  from a father and son’s perspectives, and  how  God worked through a family  crisis  of drug addiction to healing.

RECURRING

WOMEN'S BIBLE STUDY: 9:30-11:30 a.m. Tuesdays, West Gate Chapel, Eglin Air Force Base. Open to women with base access. Janette Gregg, 863-4264.

REFORMERS UNANIMOUS: 7-9:30 p.m. Fridays, Central Baptist Church, 951 Ferdon Blvd. S., Crestview. Faith-based recovery program for people with any addiction. Directed by Wendell Morgan. 682-5525.

FOOD DRIVE: The Joy Fellowship youth group is "Saving Lives One Can/Jar at a Time." Goal: collect 5,000 pounds of canned, nonperishable items for local food pantries and the Crestview Pregnancy Center. Drop off donations from 10 a.m. to noon weekdays at 5978 Old Bethel Road, Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: North Okaloosa church calendar announced

Dear editor,

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded that the Okaloosa County School Board stop offering an invocation prior to their meetings.

Case law precedent has been established in favor of continuing to offer an invocation. I refer to the U.S. Supreme Court ruling on City of Greece v. Galloway: the court ruled 5-4 in favor of the city of Greece.

"The town of Greece does not violate the First Amendment by opening its meetings with prayer that comports with our tradition and does not coerce participation by nonadherents," the court's opinion stated.

The court concluded that the town's practice of opening its town board meetings with a prayer offered by clergy members does not violate the Establishment Clause when the practice is consistent with the tradition long followed by Congress and state legislatures; the town does not discriminate against minority faiths in determining who may offer a prayer; and the prayer does not coerce participation with non-adherents.

Please join us; we will hold a prayer vigil at 5:30 pm. Monday, Aug. 24 at the Okaloosa County School District Office, 120 Lowery Place, Fort Walton Beach. We will meet inside the building.

Following the prayer vigil, we will attend the board meeting seeking to speak on the issue. The effort is to have the school board continue to offer an invocation.

What's your view? Write a letter to the editor or tweet us.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: LETTER: Okaloosa school board's invocations don't violate First Amendment

For a moment, forget…

That you may be from up north.

That you may be from down south.

That you may be from back east or out west.

That you may be black, white, yellow, brown or red.

That you may have immigrated from a different country.

That you may be affiliated with a political party.

That you may be Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Muslim or any other of the thousand religious persuasions around the world.

For a moment, just remember: You are a human being. Every person around you is a human being. As humans, everyone is entitled to respect.

Labels divide people. If you are "this," you are not "that." And because you are "that," you are different. And different is considered bad. Humans tend to feel threatened by anything or anyone different. There is a tendency to want to eliminate anything or anyone different.

It seems as though because everyone wants to be correct about something — to be on the winning team, so to speak — they glom onto a particular aspect of life, tout it, and declare that anyone who thinks differently is wrong. As a result of the other being wrong, it means that person is fair game for ridicule and condemnation.

For most, there is not much willingness to want to understand someone or something different. It takes too much work. It takes too much personal involvement. It takes opening one's mind.

The apostle Paul declares, "There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female; for all of you are one in Christ Jesus."

How will you respond to people around you?

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: BROADHEAD: Label yourself a follower of Christ

Services start with Sunday School at 10 a.m., and morning worship at 11 a.m. Aug. 23 at  410 Wingard St., Crestview. After lunch, service begins at 2 p.m. Jim Fellure, of Victory Baptist Church in Milton, will preach.

The Crestview church began on Aug. 22, 2010 as a Milton mission outreach. The Rev. Wayne Matheson preached the first service at Holiday Inn Express in Crestview and continued there for eight months. The church then moved to Crown Point Plaza in Crestview. It quickly outgrew that location and moved to its current location in July 2012.

Four families met for the first services in 2010. Approximately 100 people now attend Sunday school and worship services.

Matheson said the church seeks a larger facility to accommodate its growth. “We have many plans for ministry and outreach, but simply do not have the space,” says Pastor Matheson.

Current outreach efforts include a homeschool support group, children’s Bible Bowl competition, services for Spanish speaking people, youth group, ladies fellowship, bus ministry, adult and young people’s choir.

See www.vbcCrestview.org for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview church celebrates fifth anniversary