The choirs of Crestview High School, under the direction of Mr. Kevin Lusk, performed the 2017 Spring Choral Concert. This concert was a musical delight and treat for the senses. The concert was well attended and it was nice to see many familiar and friendly faces.

The program featured a wide variety of musical selections, from sacred to popular musical pieces. The students and all of the soloists were well-rehearsed and their performance was outstanding. One could tell that the students had worked very hard to learn their music. Several of the pieces had lovely harmonies. Along with the beautiful blending of student voices, this made for a musical feast.

The entire concert was a showcase of delightful harmonies and beautiful melodies. The men's choir sang a gorgeous rendition of "Rise Up, O Men of God," and the women's choir sang a beautiful rendition of "My True Love Has My Heart," which is a favorite. As expected, Destiny and Chanticleer sounded terrific and gave an excellent performance. Their costumes and choreography worked well with the pieces they performed and were quite entertaining.

The Chorale did a spectacular job with all of their musical numbers. I enjoyed "When the Trumpet Sounds" and the audience loved the "A Tribute to Queen." These students are truly talented musicians. During the Chorale numbers, the choir members were mixed together — soprano, alto, tenor and bass. I thoroughly enjoyed the integration of the different voices. This integration of parts worked very well for the musical selections that were performed.

Michael Brooks, the 2016 Senior Choral Award recipient, sang the musical number, "I'm Still Standing," and treated us to an energetic, lively and pleasing performance. He then passed the torch to Ethan Mitchell, the 2017 Senior Choral Award recipient. Congratulations, Ethan!

The concert also featured the baccalaureate number the seniors will be performing, "Leave No Song Unsung," which has such appropriate words for those who are graduating and going on in their lives, whether it is college, work, military or trade school.

This was a marvelous event and the students gave an exceptional performance. Thanks also belong to the accompanists, Leon Curenton and Ryan Mabry. What an enjoyable evening of music. Thank you, Mr. Lusk and CHS choral members.

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: Crestview High choral concert 'an exceptional performance'

If you have a medical appointment this week, you might want to wish your nurse a happy National Nurses Week. This annual event is designed to celebrate the important role nurses play in health care.

Of course, while nurses and doctors can help you in many ways, you can do a lot of good for yourself by adopting healthy living habits, such as eating right, exercising frequently, and so on. But you can also do much to help your financial health.

Here are a few suggestions:

•Stay invested. During times of market volatility, it can be tempting to head to the investment sidelines until things cool off. Going to the sidelines can mean a few different things – you could simply not invest anything for a while, or you could move a substantial portion of your portfolio to cash instruments, which are safe in the sense of preserving your principal but offer almost nothing in the way of return or protecting against inflation. If you're not investing during a market downturn, or if you've moved heavily into cash, you might well miss out on the beginning of the next market rally.

•Rebalance your portfolio. It's a good idea to periodically rebalance your portfolio to make sure it still reflects your goals and your comfort level with risk. Over time, and without any effort on your part, your portfolio can become unbalanced. For example, following a long "bull" market, the value of your stocks could have risen to the point where they make up a greater percentage of your portfolio than you had intended. When that happens, you may need to rebalance by adding bonds and other fixed-income vehicles.

•Diversify. Rebalancing is important. But a balanced portfolio should also be a diversified portfolio. If you only owned one type of financial asset, such as U.S. growth stocks, you could take a big hit during a market downturn. But different types of financial assets don't always move in the same direction at the same time, so by owning a wide variety of investments – U.S. stocks, international stocks, government securities, corporate bonds, real estate, certificates of deposit (CDs) and so on – you may help reduce the effects of market volatility on your portfolio. Keep in mind, though, that diversification by itself can't guarantee profits or protect against loss.

•Maintain realistic expectations. If you expect the financial markets to always move upward, you will be disappointed many times. Market downturns are a normal part of the investment process, and they will always be with us. Once you accept this reality, you will be less likely to make questionable decisions, such as abandoning a long-term strategy. If you've designed an appropriate strategy, possibly with the help of a financial professional, you can stick with it through all market environments.

By following the suggestions mentioned above – staying invested, rebalancing your portfolio as needed, diversifying your holdings and maintaining realistic expectations, you can go a long way toward maintaining the fitness of your financial situation.

Edward Jones wrote this article for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Here's how to keep your portfolio healthy

4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization, with over 230,000 members in the state of Florida. A non-formal, practical educational program for youths, Florida 4-H is the youth development program of Florida Cooperative Extension, a part of the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.

Summer activities include residential camp opportunities and day camps that showcase experiential learning. Okaloosa County 4-H is currently preparing for a fun week of Residential Camp the week of June 5–9.

I have fond memories of residential summer camp as a child. What I liked most was making new friends, learning new skills like archery, swimming, crafts and outdoor cooking. I can still make campfire stew and some of the best s’mores around.

Residential camping is one of the most significant modes of delivery in the Florida 4-H Youth Development Program, with nearly 4,000 people attending four locations throughout the state of Florida.

We are very fortunate to have the UF/IFAS 4-H Camp Timpoochee facilities here in Okaloosa County. Located along the Choctawhatchee Bay, it has all the elements of an experiential outdoor learning facility just waiting for the next group of youths to explore.

Camp Timpoochee is a picturesque camping complex nestled on the shore of the Choctawhatchee Bay. There is a marine science lab, cabins, archery range, recreation area, campfire site and dining facilities that provide the background for positive youth development.

Some of the activities this summer include sport fishing, mad scientist, kayaking, snorkeling, archery, air rifle, crafts and team-building activities. 

Pamela H. Allen is the interim county director and 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: Youths learn valuable skills at 4-H Camp Timpoochee

Have you ever noticed people can be quick to make assumptions?

We hear various labels and pigeonhole someone into a category. Christian. Muslim. Atheist. Vegetarian. Yankee. Rebel. Conservative. Liberal.

Assumptions are often made about a person's lifestyle, mindset and attitude based on a label. People are put into categories: good, bad, righteous, evil, selfish, kind, gullible.

Labels, a human invention, often delineate between those similar or dissimilar to "me." They signify with whom I associate and from whom I keep my distance.

Unfortunately, many have forgotten the one label — child of God — outshines all others. Claiming and living this label — this title — is the one unifying factor for humanity. All others are human-made and serve only to divide us.

When you meet a new person and let the label "child of God" be your very first impression and foundation, the other labels placed on that person are unnecessary.

Will you allow yourself to see a child of God?

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: Human-made labels divide us