Okaloosa County 4-H has been very busy the last couple of weeks. Many events happened all at once and will continue to occur over the next month or two.

We are officially in fair season for our area. Local 4-H members participated in the Northwest Florida Fair held Sept. 25-30 at the Northwest Florida fairgrounds in Fort Walton Beach.

Nightly shows and hosting at our 4-H building keep our 4-Hers busy. We even had youths from Walton and Santa Rosa counties join in the both our goat and beef shows.

Our youths offered over 175 project exhibits and over 40 chickens, ducks, pigeons, rabbits, and even cavy for the public to come and check out. They also displayed their showmanship skills in poultry, dairy goat, meat goat, beef, rabbit, and dog shows.

These youths competed for ribbons and trophies, but also took home lessons that will last a lifetime. Many of our senior level youths took time to assist our Cloverbud (5-7 year old) participants, proving that 4-H is not always just about animals, but also about developing teamwork and leadership skills.

Okaloosa County 4-H has partnered with a county in southern Florida that was recently affected by Hurricane Irma. Many of the youths in that county lost feed and supplies for their show animals. This fair was a perfect place for our 4Hers to reach out for community help. They set up a donation jar in our 4-H barn to help buy new feed and supplies for our sister county and they were pretty successful. They were able to raise over $30 toward this effort, and in doing so realized that community does not just consist of your own neighborhood, but can reach far beyond it. They learned that even the smallest contributions can make a difference.

So what’s next for our youths? Many of them plan to participate in the Walton County Fair and may even travel to the North Florida Fair in Tallahassee in November.

Also look for Okaloosa County 4-H outside Tractor Supply in Crestview this month, where they will support the Paper Clover Event. Part of the proceeds of every paper clover purchased helps support local 4-H programs.

Veronica Graham 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: Recognizing outstanding youths in our community

One of the most enjoyable events that takes place in Crestview is when several of the local churches get together for a Community Hymn Sing at one of the participating churches. 

This quarter's hymn sing is 6 p.m. Oct. 22 at Mount Zion A.M.E. Church, 502 McDonald St., Crestview. The entire community is invited to come and sing praises to the Lord.

Previous hymn sings featured special music provided by the various churches participating. The congregation gets to choose the hymns they love to sing out of the hymnal. I have attended several of these enjoyable times of fellowship with members from other churches and look forward to attending this fabulous, musical event! Please join in the fun.

I had the pleasure of attending Winn-Dixie's grand opening last Thursday. The Big Red Machine from Crestview High School was there to play for this event and the company provided a $6,153 check to the band.

The Ricky Reeves management team, the people in white shirts, are always available and willing to help customers, whatever the need. Jimmy McEachern, customer service manager, told me, "Winn-Dixie is proud to be part of the community of Crestview and looks forward to continuing to giving back."

Many Crestview residents attended the grand opening. There were 500 $5 gift cards passed out beginning at 8 a.m. and they were gone by 8:30 a.m. As well there were 1,000 tote bags.

Many things have been moved around in the store to provide a better shopping flow. There are paper store directories at each check stand to help shoppers find their groceries, or any of the staff will be happy to help.

The re-vamped produce department features locally sourced produce and much of it is now on ice. In the produce department there are products from Louisiana, Florida, Alabama and Mississippi.

The most interesting part of the store are the additional items available in the deli department. There are now hot pizzas and hot sandwiches to order, a soup bar, and hot meal offerings, chicken wings, and fried and rotisserie chickens. Additionally, there are tables and chairs with free Wi-Fi so one can buy their meal and catch up on emails or Facebook. It is a very nice addition to the store. I have tried the soup and chili, and they are delicious.

I wish Winn-Dixie continued success!

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: Thoughts on Community Hymn Sing, Winn-Dixie's improvements

People do a lot of rushing around in life pursuing the quest for things like recognition, high dollars and fancy possessions. They kill themselves, literally and figuratively, in these pursuits.

These pursuits can have a very detrimental effect on life. They can cause people to never be truly satisfied with what they have or who they are. They are always on the hunt for the next treasure that can be pursued or won.

As this happens, focus gets skewed and misaligned. What is important gets lost in the shuffle. What is truly needed is missed completely — even by the best of persons.

Because we often let ourselves wander from what God wants from our lives, it is good for us to remember where our focus needs to be in order to find true life.

For the next several weeks, I will share some thoughts on the 23rd Psalm. This is a very short psalm, only six verses long. But it is very powerful and packed with meaning that helps put, and keep, things in proper perspective.

David starts this psalm with a very telling statement: Because the Lord is my shepherd; I have everything I need. Notice he doesn’t say “If I let the Lord be my shepherd,” or “When I remember he is my shepherd.” He makes a declaration that the Lord is his shepherd.

It’s not like David is weighing the pros and cons of such an arrangement with God, and working out a deal to acquire something he wants. It’s not like he is saying when he pays attention to God that he has everything he needs.

No, he is saying because God is his shepherd. He is saying that God is central in his life and he lives for God. And because he has made God central in his life, he is satisfied.

There is nothing more he needs. There may be more he wants, but he has everything he needs, everything that is important, everything that provides true meaning in life.

God is sufficient for the needs in your life. God provides. If you should ever feel a restlessness settling in that causes you to want more and more, it would be good to make sure the Lord is your shepherd. He provides for you.

He provides everything you need to truly be fulfilled in this life.

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: Like David, recognize God as your shepherd

To raise public awareness about the importance of saving for retirement, Congress has designated the third week of October as National Save for Retirement Week. What lessons can you learn from this event?

First of all, save early — and save often. Too many people put off saving for retirement until they are in their late 40s — and even their 50s. If you wait until you are in this age group, you can still do quite a bit to help build the resources you will need for retirement — but it will be more challenging than if you had begun saving and investing while you were in your 20s or early 30s.

For one thing, if you delay saving for retirement, you may have to put away large sums of money each year to accumulate enough to support a comfortable retirement lifestyle. Plus, to achieve the growth you need, you might have to invest more aggressively than you'd like, which means taking on more risk. And even then, there are no guarantees of getting the returns you require.

On the other hand, if you start saving and investing when you are still in the early stages of your career, you can make smaller monthly contributions to your retirement accounts. And by putting time on your side, you'll be able to take advantage of compounding — the ability to earn money on your principal and your earnings.

Here's another lesson to be taken from National Save for Retirement Week: Maximize your opportunities to invest in the tax-advantaged retirement accounts available to you, such as an IRA and a 401(k) or similar employer-sponsored retirement plan.

If you have a 401(k)-type plan at work, contribute as much as you can afford every year, and increase your contributions whenever your salary goes up. At a minimum, put in enough to earn your employer's matching contribution, if one is offered.

Apart from saving and investing early and contributing to your tax-advantaged retirement accounts, how else can you honor the spirit of National Save for Retirement Week?

A key step you can take is to reduce the barriers to building your retirement savings. One such obstacle is debt. The larger your monthly debt payments, the less you will be able to invest each month. It's not easy, of course, to keep your debt under control, but do the best you can.

One other barrier to accumulating retirement resources is the occasional large expense resulting from a major car repair, sizable medical bills or other things of that nature. If you constantly have to dip into your long-term investments to meet these costs, you'll slow your progress toward your retirement goals.

To help prevent this from happening, try to build an emergency fund big enough to cover three to six months' worth of living expenses. Since you'll need instant access to this money, you'll want to keep it in a liquid, low-risk account.

So, there you have them: some suggestions on taking the lessons of National Save for Retirement Week to heart. By following these steps, you can go a long way toward turning your retirement dreams into reality.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Put lessons from 'Retirement Week' to work

What is a family farm? Simply put it is a farm that is owned and operated by a family unit. There is a lot of talk about corporate farming and the evils of such farming practices.

The truth is 97 percent of U.S. farms are family owned. Whether they grow crops such as cotton, peanuts, soybeans, corn, tomatoes, vegetables, pecans or cattle, they all have one thing in common. They work hard as a family to make the farm successful.

Each year Okaloosa County Farm Bureau and the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Okaloosa County Extension recognize one outstanding farm family. This recognition honors the farmer’s dedication and commitment to agriculture in Florida and to their superior values.

For 2017, we are delighted to recognize the Russell Boyett family of Baker.

Russell, along with his fiancée, Debbie McLain, farms about 250 acres of cotton, peanuts and soybeans.

He grew up on a farm belonging to his grandfather, who raised row crops, cows and hogs in Okaloosa County.

Russell began farming part-time in 1983. In 2010, after retiring, he began farming full-time. Russell plans to keep farming until he just can’t farm anymore.

Personally, I’ve visited fields and watched Russell and Debbie help other farmers harvest their crops. I’ve seen them working alongside each other to get the job done.

They represent farm families everywhere as the backbone of U.S. agriculture. Here in Okaloosa County, we are proud to call Russell and Debbie our farm family of the year for 2017.

Jennifer Bearden 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: Boyett heads 2017 Farm Family of the Year

We here in the Crestview area are blessed to have a fairly safe place to work and live. Many of our neighbors and friends are military or retired military that know how to defend themselves and our country. We are fortunate that we haven't had tragedies such as those in Orlando or Las Vegas. Since we are adjacent to military bases, this probably isn't an ideal place for a terrorist attack.

The devastating attack in Las Vegas may take weeks to sort out and answer such questions as what motivated this attack, how many people were involved, why this venue was chosen and so on. Time is needed to follow leads and interview people.

One question I have is why the absolute hatred towards fellow Americans? What motivates someone to murder their neighbors? The Bible states in Jeremiah 17:9-10a, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart."

 We are sinful people, prone to sinful acts, but as Christians we are commanded in I John 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God." When we love each other, we certainly don't kill one another and we want what is best for them.

My heart breaks for those who lost beloved members of their families, friends, co-workers and those they may have only known casually. While I can't comprehend why someone would carry out such an attack, I can pray for all involved.

Here are some suggestions for our prayers:

•For quick and complete healing for those who were injured

•For the families of those who lost loved ones

•Give thanks for first responders

•Wisdom for our leaders

•Unity in our country

While we may never know the motivation of the shooter or shooters, we can pray and love one another as we have been commanded by the Lord.

Some people call to sacrifice our liberty for a sense of security. Here is a quote from Benjamin Franklin, who stated on Nov. 11, 1755, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." It's something to seriously think about.

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: Thoughts on the Las Vegas tragedy

I write this article in the wake of the devastating carnage perpetrated in Las Vegas earlier this week.

My heart breaks for those who lost their lives while enjoying a time of recreation and fun. I am deeply grieved for those who must now move forward in a life in which hopes and dreams were shattered.

When will the madness end? When will the senseless taking of human life stop being a game of one-upsmanship to see who can wreak the worst carnage? When will individuals start treating one another with compassion instead of contempt?

I will not debate the topic of gun control. I have my own personal position on that. But I believe no matter what laws may be passed, people will always be able to purchase guns and weapons to do heinous acts.

The issue is not one of gun laws. It comes down to a matter of God's laws.

The madness will end when people realize and accept completely that every person is a creation of God; that each person is worthy of love and respect; that every person deserves to be treated kindly.

The madness will end when people stop thinking it is okay to do anything they desire in order to grab attention and feel important.

The madness will end when selfishness and a sense of entitlement are understood to be a devastating mindset in our society.

Our Lord says, "Love your neighbor as yourself." If each person did that, there would no longer be any senseless killing. There would be plenty of food and resources to go around. There would be a true sense of well-being among people.

Let us all strive to do better at bringing an end to the madness. It may seem like an insurmountable task. But if we each start to bring about change in ourselves first, a major first step will have been made.

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

"The issue is not one of gun laws. It comes down to a matter of God's laws."

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'Love your neighbor as yourself'