Editorial

Editorial C. RON ALLEN PEDRO HEIZER MICHAEL DEMYAN

MICHAEL DEMYAN CHARLOTTE BEASLEY PAMALA WEINROTH

The Boca Raton Tribune

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EDITORIAL

By: C. Ron Allen CommUNIT Y Champions Prac ticing What They Preach

The spiritual works of compassion/ mercy – especially teaching the faith and putting up with the annoyances of others – are very important.

But it is about time that more leaders of our local houses of worship examine their conscience to see if they are practicing the things they preach.

W hile visit ing a local park recently, I went over to speak with a man and woman seated on a bench.

I soon learned that they were homeless and that parishioners from Cason Un ited Met hod ist Church, u nder t he leadersh ip of the Rev. A lexis Talbott, had just dropped off their freshly-washed clothes, a weekly ritual of the members of the Delray Beach church.

We had a long conversation during which I learned a lot about the life journeys of both.

Only a few weeks later while drivi ng t hrough t he neighborhood, I not iced Live Fresh, a 29.5 foot-long mobile shower, in use on a vacant lot.

T here, severa l members of Cason a nd St. M at t hews Episcopa l Chu rch were on hand volunteering their time.

The air-condit ioned trailer, which has private showers and chang ing area combination rooms, stops at the lot each Friday to help and restore dignity to the county’s homeless.

Cason, St. Matthews and neighbori ng Resu rrect ion L ife Fel lowsh ip became the new sites for a soup k itchen after the city ended a 20-year agreement with the Caring K itchen, which ser ved hot meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner at a city-owned building at 196 NW Eighth Ave.

The city stopped offi cials with the Cari ng K itchen after neighbors complained of public defecation, fi ghts and people sleeping in yards near the cityowned building.

Now, this is not to say other churches are not doi ng g reat or remarkable things. However, most of them are doing it among themselves only.

I was further impressed when Cason provided transportation to KOP Mentoring Net work after the transmission in the 20-year-old van died, leaving students stranded on the interstate while on t hei r way to a class i n West Pa l m Beach one night.

I r e a c h e d o u t t o s e v e r a l l o c a l churches to use their vans following the November incident and one agreed to transport them for $150 per trip. Another nodded yes. One issue: the van had no insurance a lt hough t hey had been transporting parishioners.

Rev. Talbott offered her van, which saved the year for the students. Each Thursday they travel to West Palm Beach where they are learning digital media at the Center for Creative Education.

As I was about to give in to despair, one of my peers quickly intervened. She encouraged me to join together and ask the Lord to raise up a generation of pastors who will lead this community with integrity, compassion, godly vision and Christlike character.

I had the pleasure of meeting with Rev. Talbott shortly after she took over a few years ago and she shared her vision for the church and the community.

She has a big and bold v ision for Cason, she loves the youth of the community and she has embraced this community.

Here is a leader who has been working in and outside the church to bring needed messages to the community, to bring hope and to make a change. Her commitment was birthed out of her love for God.

In my humble opinion, Rev. Alexis Talbott is committed in her dedication to spiritual practices -daily acts of Scripture reading, instruct ing the ignorant, devot ion, Christ ian med itat ion, community ser vice and, of course, prayer.

We want to hear from you. If you k now of a chu rch t hat has been providing extraordinary service outside the church, please let us know.

POSITIVE LIVING

By: Dr. Synesio Lyra Applying Correc tive Measures

For every mistake you make, for every task you leave unfi nished, as you face insurmountable barriers, and for so much more, you can easily fi nd and effectively apply the necessary corrective measures.

But this can happen only after you fi rst acknowledge your defi ciency and need. If you feel so self-sufficient, chances are you won’t ever seek help, or make amends on anything. For those reasons, you will not reap any benefi ts either. Don’t allow personal pride to prevent yourself from seeking the advice or counsel from others which, otherwise, can solve your puzzle or relieve your misery on several possible fronts!

Remember always, all you attempt and achieve in life need not be perfect. In fact, true perfection cannot be attained on earth, though in all you do you should still strive for the very best!

If you fi nd yourself on the wrong road, or moving in the direction that won’t take you to where you desire to go, you have the opportunity to make a U-turn, or to take alternate routes as the corrective measure, so as to lead you forward.

Furthermore, if you catch any illness, you need not remain sick indefinitely; you have the opportunity to consult a physician, take prescribed medications, even have surgery if necessary, among several possible alternative options.

Not to be forgotten also, if you are doing a mediocre job on anything, if your relationships are not what they can and should be, you can improve all that, and secure far greater satisfaction than if you had left things the way they were! In personal interactions, in family relations, and in the execution of any task whether great or small, improvement is an ever-present choice worth making.

What is worth keeping is also worth repairing and preserving: a house, a vehicle and, most of all, a life! Are you certain that you are a better self today than you were yesterday? Are you continuously progressing in life, based on guidelines which ensure your proper advancement? Don’t allow any facet of your life to deteriorate without readily applying the right tools and ingredients at your disposal, while ensuring that you proceed in the direction you need to go!