lifestyle | Crestview News Bulletin

FAITH BRIEFS

Written by archive on November 10, 2016. Posted in Faith, lifestyle.

Kingdom Life celebrates seventh anniversary

CRESTVIEW — Kingdom Life Worship and Training Center is celebrating the church’s seventh anniversary and their pastors’ birthdays.

The anniversary celebration, set 6 p.m. Nov. 12 at the center, will feature guest speaker Apostle David Rosier, of Pastor Fellowship Church of Praise, Panama City; guest musician, Psalmist Jimmie Black, of Jimmie Black Ministries in Milton; and guest minister of dance Barbara Oxendine, of Eglin Air Force Base.

The birthday celebration, set for 11 a.m. Nov. 13, will feature speaker Elder Deidra Faulkner, of Kingdom Life Worship and Training Center, Crestview; Praise and Worship Ministry Zamar Praise; Dance Ministries Royalty; and Karar from Kingdom Life Worship and Training Center, Crestview.

Alabaster Box Christian Ministries sets Crestview grand opening

CRESTVIEW — Alabaster Box Christian Ministries will open a Crestview location.

The grand opening — 11 a.m. Nov. 19 at 620 McClelland St., Crestview — will feature guests and a message from Apostle Derian A. House, pastor of Alabaster Box Christian Ministries Inc. in Pensacola and Crestview.

Contact House, 529-3307, or email alabasterboxcm2@gmail.com for more information.

Donations sought for Laurel Hill food ministry

LAUREL HILL — Spearheaded by Magnolia Baptist Church, churches in this small North Okaloosa County community have launched an area-wide food ministry to assist local individuals or families in need.

Community members needing food for themselves or their families may contact the ministry at 826-3362 or theweeklys@yahoo.com.

Volunteers are sought to help package and deliver food donations, and organizers ask for prayers in support of the new ministry. Email the same address for more information.

Crestview church seeks items for children in need

CRESTVIEW — Emmanuel Baptist Church seeks volunteers to provide items for children in need.

Operation Christmas Child boxes are available for children in age groups 2-4, 5-9 and 10-14. To participate, pick up an empty shoebox from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays at the church office, 3252 E. James Lee Blvd., Crestview. Volunteers can drop off completed boxes during church office hours, with a deadline of 6 p.m. Nov. 13.

See http://www.samaritanspurse.org/operation-christmas-child/pack-a-shoe-box/ for more information about the types of items to include in the boxes.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: FAITH BRIEFS

How will you help our nation heal?

Written by archive on November 10, 2016. Posted in Faith, lifestyle.

If you were like me, I was unable to remain awake until the early hours of Wednesday morning to watch for the presidential election results. But as soon as I woke up I desired to learn who had won the election.

After listening to the pundits and their predictions, I was surprised that Donald J. Trump is now slated to become the 45th president of the United States.

I found myself wondering: Now that the election is over, what does the future hold? Having gone through such a polarizing campaign, will America unite again or has irreparable harm been done? What will happen to the economy? Will equality between the classes become more even or more disparate? What will happen to immigrants and people of different religions? What will be the reaction of other world governments?

The answer: No one knows. Only God knows what the future holds. And we must all rely on God to be at work in the larger picture. We need to trust that God knows what is going on and what will happen in the future.

But one thing I do know for sure: our nation needs to heal. And I firmly believe that if our nation is going to heal, if we are going to be able to come together and remain united, we need to forgive each other for the ways we acted and reacted, as we were led into such emotional turmoil.

Yes, I believe we were led into turmoil.

Media outlets presented information designed to inflame and offend our sensibilities — regardless of our political persuasion. People on social media outlets posted half-truths and out-right falsehoods to inflame our emotional responses. People accepted that “information” as the truth.

That information was used to bash others who did not believe or accept the same messages. Now that all is said and done, it is time to heal the rifts. Emotions ran high. Feelings were hurt. And if left festering, divisions will continue to spread.

Forgiveness is a major attribute of following Jesus Christ. Peter asked Jesus if he needed to forgive someone seven times. In that culture, that would have been a magnanimous gesture. What did Jesus say? He told Peter that wasn’t enough. Forgiveness had to be offered 70 times seven. In other words, continuously.

Jesus also said if you know of someone who has something against you, go to them and ask their forgiveness. That is very difficult to do. But I will tell you, if you swallow your pride, are willing to recognize how you have hurt someone, and then go to them and ask their forgiveness, healing will take place quickly.

Our nation needs to heal. Our lives and hearts need to heal. What steps will you, as a follower of Jesus Christ, take to help make this happen?

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: How will you help our nation heal?

Alliance provides funding, coordination for 'chronic' homeless problem

Written by archive on November 8, 2016. Posted in lifestyle.

Editor’s Note: This continues our Celebrate Community series, which highlights nonprofit organizations that improve North Okaloosa County residents’ quality of life.

CRESTVIEW — The Homelessness and Housing Alliance makes funding decisions based on local people’s needs — and there’s no shortage of those.

The alliance's executive director, Sara Yelverton said, "We have a really large chronically homeless population. That's not a population many people want to serve, so what we've been doing is we're trying to assess and enroll them in housing programs."

The group offers two such programs: one for people who have lived on the street long term, and one for people who never should have become homeless to begin with, according to Yelverton.

"We're focusing on prevention and diversion, married couples without children, elderly and families. Once you get put out, it's very hard to find people to rent to you again. Although we need to deal with the chronic homeless, we also want to focus on prevention and diversion to keep them in the homes as much as possible. Childcare, food stamps, Medicaid — anything we can do to help them stay housed without ever becoming homeless is important to us," Yelverton said.

The HAA screens people and puts them on a waiting list while they assess housing needs, and determine who is most in need for housing that becomes available.

CONTINUUM OF CARE MEMBERSHIP

The alliance is the lead organization in a group of providers receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Homeless Continuum of Care funding for Okaloosa and Walton counties. However, it faces some challenges.

"We can't really create a comprehensive system for the area if we have a large area under-represented (like Crestview and Destin) … Their homeless problems have increased because we haven't been getting enough services there."

Lack of representation, Yelverton said, leads to using jail as a shelter alternative. "We're spending a lot of community resources just cycling them through the jail and the hospitals, and it's not really having a positive outcome. We don't want to manage homelessness. We want to eliminate it altogether and get them back into (housing)."

As the administrative head of the continuum, the HHA distributes HUD funding to stakeholders with experience providing services to the homeless. Stakeholders include people and groups of all types, including faith-based organizations, hospitals, schools, health departments and other groups.

Membership costs $100 a year for groups and $50 a year for individuals. "We don't even require you to pay that fee," Yelverton said. "We want as many people as possible to apply."

Services eligible for funding include rapid re-housing, providing support services and permanent supportive housing for chronically homeless people, and HHA committees that develop strategic planning to end homelessness.

Any group, agency or individual that would like more information can contact the HHA directly at Sarah@hhalliance.org or 409-3070; or see www.hhalliance.org.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Alliance provides funding, coordination for 'chronic' homeless problem

Baker church sets women's day program

Written by archive on November 7, 2016. Posted in Faith, lifestyle.

BAKER — Lebanon Baptist Church's Women's Day Celebration is coming soon.

The program, chaired by Minister Yolanda Porter, starts at 11 a.m. Nov. 13 at the church, 1288 Washington Ave., Baker. The 11 a.m. service’s guest speaker is Minister Phyllis Dawson. Mother Patsy Thomas will be recognized as the church's Symbol of Womanhood for the annual event.

The pastor of Lebanon Baptist Church is Nathaniel Sledge Jr.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Baker church sets women's day program

Don’t overlook long-term care costs

Written by archive on November 7, 2016. Posted in lifestyle.

How much money will you need in retirement? To arrive at an estimate, you should consider various factors, such as where you’ll live, how much you plan to travel, and so on.

Not surprisingly, you’ll also need to think about health care costs, which almost always rise during retirement. But there’s one area you might overlook: long-term care. Should you be concerned about these costs?

In a word, yes. Expenses for long-term care — which can include receiving assistance at home as well as prolonged care in a facility — can be surprisingly expensive.

Consider the following statistics, taken from the 2016 Cost of Care Study issued by Genworth, an insurance company:

• The average annual cost for a private room in a nursing home is more than $92,000. And in some places, particularly major metropolitan areas, the cost is considerably higher.

• The average annual cost for full-time services of an in-home health care aide is more than $46,000.

These costs are certainly daunting. Of course, you might think that you won’t have to worry about them, because you won’t ever need any type of long-term care, particularly if you’ve always been in good health and your family has no history of later-in-life cognitive impairment.

However, the odds may not always be in your favor, because almost 70 percent of people turning age 65 will need some kind of assistance or long-term care at some point in their lives, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Given the costs of long-term care, and the possibility that you might really need this care, how can you prepare for the costs?

Things may change in the future, but at this point, you really can’t count much on government programs to help pay for long-term care. Medicare typically pays for only a small percentage of these costs, and, to be eligible for Medicaid, you must have limited income and assets. In fact, you might need to “spend down” some of your assets to qualify for Medicaid long-term care services. Obviously, this is not an attractive choice, particularly if you’d like to someday “leave something behind” to your family or favorite charity.

Consequently, you need to look at your options for paying for long-term care — just in case. You could earmark a certain percentage of your investment portfolio to cover long-term care costs; if you never need this care, you can simply use the money to pay for other areas of your retirement or for other purposes, such as charitable gifts or financial support to your grown children or grandchildren.

Or, as an alternative, you might want to work with a financial professional, who can recommend a strategy specifically designed to help you address long-term care costs. The marketplace in this area has evolved rapidly in recent years, so you should be able to find a solution that is both affordable and effective.

Keep in mind, though, that the earlier you purchase a long-term care solution, the more economical it will likely be for you.

In any case, don’t delay your planning for long-term care. Knowing that you’re protected against potentially catastrophic costs can make your retirement years less stressful for you and your family.

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

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Don’t overlook long-term care costs

Crestview church schedules three celebrations

Written by archive on November 7, 2016. Posted in Faith, lifestyle.

CRESTVIEW — Kingdom Life Worship and Training Center is celebrating the church’s seventh anniversary, the Kingdom Life School of Ministry’s graduation and their pastors’ birthdays.

The graduation ceremony is 7 p.m. Nov. 11 at 798 Martin Luther King Jr. Ave., Crestview. Claire Ogle, of Hosanna House, in Destin; Psalmist Stephanie Mills, of The Summit Destin; and guest singer-songwriter Pastor Peggy Wingate, of End Time Harvest Ministries in Mobile, will be there.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview church schedules three celebrations

Donations sought for Laurel Hill food ministry

Written by archive on November 6, 2016. Posted in Faith, lifestyle.

“We want this to be a community project so that Christ gets the glory, not an individual or a specific church or organization,” an informational flier from God’s Helping Hand Community Food Ministry stated.

After research and consultation with food bank organizers, “we decided to pre-pack boxes with nonperishable foods that should feed a family of four for a week,” the flier stated.

Community members needing food for themselves or their families may contact the ministry at 826-3362 or theweeklys@yahoo.com.

Volunteers are sought to help package and deliver food donations, and organizers ask for prayers in support of the new ministry.

“We ask for prayers that this ministry will glorify Christ and will show Christ’s love for people as they struggle to meet the needs for their family,” the flier stated.

Donations for standardized food boxes to serve a family of four for a week are needed for the Laurel Hill God’s Helping Hand Community Food Ministry. Donations past their expiration date will not be accepted.

Those wishing to help may bring these foods to their respective church or to Magnolia Baptist Church, which is coordinating the distribution:

Pancake mix (add-water type)

Pancake syrup

Cereal

Oatmeal

SPAM

Tuna

Canned chicken

Canned beef stew

Canned ham

Peanut butter

Jelly

Saltine crackers

Mayonnaise

Canned vegetables

Flour

Quart canola oil

Sugar

Spaghetti

Pasta sauce with meat

Macaroni and cheese mix

Rice

Dry beans

Contact the Weekly family, 826-3362 or theweeklys@yahoo.com, for information.

WANT TO HELP?

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Donations sought for Laurel Hill food ministry

Alabaster Box Christian Ministries sets Crestview grand opening

Written by archive on November 6, 2016. Posted in Faith, lifestyle.

CRESTVIEW — Alabaster Box Christian Ministries will open a Crestview location.

“We are so excited about this historical event in the life of our ministry,” said Elder Twanna House, executive administrator. “We believe the worship and word from our ministry will make a definitive impact in the Crestview community.”

Contact House, 529-3307, or email alabasterboxcm2@gmail.com for more information.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Alabaster Box Christian Ministries sets Crestview grand opening

Crestview alumni rally for man with cancer

Written by archive on November 4, 2016. Posted in health-fitness, lifestyle.

CRESTVIEW — The Crestview High School Class of 1993 is hosting a benefit car wash and bake sale for an alumnus with stage 4 kidney cancer.

Jake Taylor — a Crestview native who lives in Paxton with his wife, Jennifer, and their children, Kayleigh, 16, and Branton, 9 — recently received a diagnosis of clear cell renal carcinoma.

The 41-year-old went to the emergency room Oct. 5 with severe stomach pain. The next day, doctors confirmed it was cancer, his wife, Jennifer, said.

"He had surgery on Oct. 12 to remove his kidney and the adrenal glands. We got the pathology report on the 19th saying that it had metastasized into his adrenal gland and that the cancer cells were found in his blood stream. That's when it was classified as stage 4," she said.

Jake's classmates and friends are planning a series of fundraisers to help with medical costs. The first three are:

A Class of '93 car wash and bake sale, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 5 at Passport America, 5713 State Road 85 N., Crestview, with all proceeds going to the Taylor family.

A yard sale, 7 a.m. to noon Nov. 19 at Re/Max Agency One, 301 S. Ferdon Blvd., Crestview.

A barbecue dinner fundraiser, 11 a.m. Nov. 12 at Paxton Baptist Church, U.S. Highway 331. Plates include meat, beans, coleslaw and a roll for $7 each.

Amy Rader of Passport America, a classmate of Jake's, said, "We're doing the car wash and bake sale, and we will have orange ribbons that people can buy that support kidney cancer. The bake sale and the car wash funds are donation-based." Prices for the ribbons range from $1 to $4 depending on the size.

"We want to get the word out there with him not being able to work so that we can get him the help he needs," Rader said. "It's going to be an ongoing thing for him. The kidney cancer that he has is not curable. It's able to be kind of controlled a bit with medication. He will have relapses,” she said.

The group isn't trying to raise a specific amount.

“It's basically to help the family with finances, treatment and (things like that) as long as they need help,” Rader said.

Jennifer said they don't know what kinds of treatments he will have yet.

"We met with his oncologists. Chemo's going to have to happen because the cancer is in his blood stream. The type he has is listed as incurable because it's stage four and it's already spread,” she said.

"He will have to be on chemo for the rest of his life. We're hoping that the Mayo Clinic will have a clinical trial available for him as a stage four patient. We won't know until we get there on the 15th, and then we'll have a better idea about our treatment plan at that point," she said. The clinic is located in Jacksonville.

To make a donation to help, visit the You Caring account page set up in Jake's name at http://bit.ly/2eDV6oB.

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview alumni rally for man with cancer

How to vote with a peaceful, calm mind

Written by archive on November 3, 2016. Posted in Faith, lifestyle.

In all the years I have followed political campaigns I have never witnessed one that is on a par with the current presidential campaign. So much mud has been slung a new mountain has grown in this country that rivals Mount Everest.

The amount of bullying and bellyaching has been shameful. The number of rumors and half-truths twisted to sound truthful has been staggering. I fear we will be electing a president not based on substantive issues, but based on who did the better job of stirring the most angst and anger toward the opposing candidate.

Have your emotions gotten hooked by the rhetoric, finger pointing, half-truths, and outright lies? I’d be surprised if you said no.

But in a few days, our nation is going to have to make a logical decision over a highly emotional issue. How will you make your decision? Will it be based solely on your thoughts about e-mails or misogyny? Will it be based on character assassination and misinformation?

May I suggest that before you fill in those bubbles on the voting ballot that you do as I did before I voted early. I spent time asking God to quiet my mind and heart from all the rhetoric being slung. I asked God to allow my emotions to be set aside, and for God to speak to my heart.

The words of Jesus came to mind: “Do not let your heart be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.” God honored my prayer and my request.

I had been vacillating between three candidates. As a result of my prayer, I knew for whom I was going to vote. When I went into the voting booth, I had a calmness and peace about my vote. As I filled in the bubble, I thanked God for the guidance and calmness he provided.

Will the candidate for whom I voted win? I will find out next week. But I know this: I have a peace about my vote because I surrounded it with prayer. I did not make a decision based on my agitated emotions, but freely made it in the peace provided by God.

If the candidate I believe to be the least qualified wins will I storm about stirring a fuss, stomping my feet like a brat? No. I may be disappointed, perhaps even a bit unnerved. But I will remember the words from Psalm 42, “Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God." Can you, will you, do the same?

America is the greatest nation on earth. We are stronger together. God provides freedom for us to enjoy. We have one world with one chance.

Let God speak to your heart.

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: How to vote with a peaceful, calm mind

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