I continue with a brief look at one way you can get into proper perspective the matters in your life through brief reflections on Psalm 23.

The first half of verse three states, "He renews my strength."

As I mentioned in last week’s reflection, God invites you to take time to rest your body and mind, to stop rushing from one task or responsibility to another. There is a reason for this.

God invites you to find rest and refreshment in him so your strength can be renewed. Think about weightlifting or running. The longer muscles are exercised in one continuous activity, the more tired they become. When they are used without resting during a workout session, muscles get torn down, and, in time, they stop working. Weightlifters can no longer lift any weight. Runners collapse on the ground. Exhaustion settles in.

The only way for muscles to gain strength is to rest between the times of hard work. It is during the resting periods that strength not only returns, but grows, because the tissue has a chance to heal.

Our Lord heals your tired and worn out heart, soul and mind when you rest in him. He renews your strength and gives you more strength when you rest in his presence, when you feed on him, when you drink deeply of his unending source of living water.

You do not need to be self-sufficient. This is one of the lies foisted on you by an over-achieving society. You do not need to determine your worth by how busy you are. You don’t need to justify your existence. It is okay — even essential — to rest in God’s amazing presence to find strength for each day.

Simply sit in a quiet place that you enjoy — at the beach, along a river or stream, in a park, it’s your choice. Listen to the sounds of nature. Enjoy the fragrances of God’s creation. Allow your mind to reflect on God’s greatness, love, and mercy.

Then you will be strengthened in body, mind and spirit.

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: God will renew your strength

For reasons likely to remain obscure, Oct. 30 is Checklist Day.

While the origins of this observance may be a mystery, the value of checklists is clear: They help us organize our time and break large jobs into manageable steps. You can use a checklist for just about any significant endeavor — including the task of choosing a financial professional to help you achieve your important goals.

Here's what such a checklist might look like:

•Find someone with the proper credentials. Make sure a prospective financial professional has the appropriate securities registrations.

•Find someone who has worked with people like you. You'll want to seek out a financial professional who has experience working with people in circumstances similar to yours — that is, people of your financial status and with essentially the same goals and attitudes toward investing.

•Find someone who will communicate with you regularly. During the course of your relationship with a financial professional, you will have many questions: Are my investments performing as they should? Should I change my investment mix? Am I still on track to meet my long-term goals? Plus, you will have changes in your life — new children, new jobs, new activities — that will affect your financial picture and that need to be communicated to your financial professional.

Consequently, you need to be sure that whomever you work with is easy to reach and will be in regular contact with you. Many financial professionals meet with their clients at least once a year to discuss the clients' portfolios and recommend changes, as needed, and also make themselves available, through phone calls and email, for any questions or concerns their clients may have.

•Find someone who will honor your preferences. Some financial professionals follow certain philosophies. For example, you might find one advisor who tends to favor aggressive investing, while another one might be more conservative. There's nothing wrong with either approach, but you'll want to be sure that your preferences take precedence in all recommendations and guidance you receive from a financial professional. And many professionals won't express any of their own preferences at all, but will instead follow a course of action based on your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon.

•Find someone connected to other professionals. Your investment plans don't exist in a vacuum. Over time, you will likely need to integrate elements of your investment strategy with your tax and estate planning strategies. When this happens, you may find it advantageous to have a financial professional who can work with tax and legal professionals to help you meet all your needs in these areas.

•Find someone whose compensation structure is acceptable to you. Financial professionals get paid in different ways — through fees, commissions or a combination of both. Which method is best for you, as an investor? There's no one "right" answer — but you will certainly want to understand exactly how your financial professional will get paid and how this pay structure will affect your interactions with him or her.

You may find this checklist to be useful when you interview financial professionals. Take your time and make sure you're confident about your ultimate choice. After all, you're hiring someone to help you reach your key goals, such as a comfortable retirement, so you'll want to get the right person on your side.

This article was written by Edward Jones on behalf of your Edward Jones financial adviser.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Checklist to help you choose a financial professional

The eastern oyster is native, commercially and environmentally important to our area. Oysters are a popular food item and are important in maintaining the water quality in our bay and beaches.

While there is not much commercial harvest still in our area, total annual landings for the state of Florida once topped $8 million. Many oysters are now raised using aquaculture and the industry is growing yearly.

Once the East Pass in Destin opened after the 1929 floods, oyster reefs naturally established themselves on oyster mounds discarded by earlier inhabitants. They were regularly harvested for food, but in subsequent years, this has been in steady decline.

Oysters still play a crucial role in the Choctawhatchee Bay, our area’s largest estuary. They filter up to 50 gallons of water per day, which reduces the amount of silt and suspended solids and diligently improves the clarity of the water. They can tolerate a wide range of salinity (saltiness of the water) and provide food and shelter for various other organisms like fish, worms and shrimp. They also reduce shoreline erosion by providing a barrier against waves.

However, oyster habitat, and therefore population numbers, have all declined in recent years. To address this habitat loss, the Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance started a local oyster shell-recycling program. They collect shells from restaurants and, instead of them ending up in the landfill, they are used to construct oyster reef habitat. These “living shorelines” provide habitat for important fish and shrimp species and the structure for live oysters to attach. This program, using a network of volunteers, continues to expand today.

Eating fresh oysters is a delight best savored on the coast. Buying fresh oysters locally, at a seafood shop or restaurant, and keeping them cold is key.

One cup of oysters has 170 calories, 2 grams of fat, 10 grams of carbohydrates and 17 grams of protein. They're also a great source of zinc and omega-3s.

A few myths surround these delectable bivalves, but they have not been proven to be an aphrodisiac or cure a hangover.

One of the most popular myths concerns when to eat oysters. Historically, it was said to eat oysters only in months that contained the letter “R,” meaning September through April. This most likely had to do with the importance of keeping them cold. However, with the advent of ice and the ability to chill, it is safe to eat oysters year-round. Enjoy some oysters today.

Laura Tiu is an agent at the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension office in Crestview.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Oyster biology, ecology and myth busting

Fall has finally arrived in the Crestview area. Thankfully the temperatures have cooled off, the grass has been mowed one last time before spring, and all of the beautiful fall flowers are in bloom. I love mums and it is nice to have them blooming in so many colors.

Unfortunately, the swindlers are back. I received a couple of calls last week stating that my Microsoft license had expired and I must call immediately and renew it or my computer would quit working.

I know that Microsoft licenses last as long as the computer, so I just erased the message.

It is frustrating that evil people trap unknowing seniors and others into paying hundreds of dollars for a fake license, and in the process will likely destroy everything of value on the computer.

Don't ever give anyone that calls you access to your computer. If your computer needs service, take it to a reputable computer repair store. The Microsoft website states: "Microsoft never makes unasked for support or security phone calls."

With the storms and fires we have had around the country, the IRS sent out a warning about fake charities that are designed to steal one's hard-earned money.

Jim, my husband, and I, give through our church, or Samaritan's Purse. If a charity sounds great, check them at charitynavigator.org for legitimacy. The site provides information on how the money is used and how much is spent on salaries and fundraising efforts.

The old scam about owing taxes is also back. Apparently these scammers con people out of so much money they never go away completely.

According to the IRS, "The IRS does not call and leave prerecorded, urgent messages asking for a call back. In this tactic, the victim is told if they do not call back, a warrant will be issued for their arrest." (https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/#inbox/15f165479c8dd1ab)

Also, the IRS will never ask for payment to be made with gift cards of any type. Call the IRS at 800-829-1040 if you suspect you may owe back taxes.

The IRS mails letters if taxes are owed — they do not call and demand payment. Please don't fall for this scam.

Stay safe!

Janice Lynn Crose, a former accountant, lives in Crestview with her husband, Jim; her two rescue collies, Shane and Jasmine; and two cats, Kathryn and Prince Valiant.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: A return to fall weather — and scammers