BOULEVARD BAPTIST CHURCH | DECEMBER 2014 EDITION | ISSUE NO. 27

M A G A Z I N E

* Christmas Lessons

* The Medical Benefits Of Laughter

* To Have and To Hold... 58 Years!

* Funny Facts

Mission Statement:

To develop our spiritual lives, evangelize the

wider community and influence the world

through Christ by organized preaching, public

and private worship, Christian education and

fellowship, while co-operating with other

Christian bodies.

Boulevard Baptist Church

Boulevard Baptist Church2 Washington Boulevard, Kingston 20Telephone: 905-2422Email: boulevard.baptist@yahoo.com | Website: www.boulevardbaptist.org.jmPastor: Rev. Dr. Devon Dick

Opportunities For WorshipSundays at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.Sunday School: 8:00 a.m. – 8:50 a.m.Prayer & Bible Study: Wednesdays at 9:30 a.m. • 1st and 3rd Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.Prayer and Fasting: 1st Saturdays, 7:00 a.m.

Editor-in-Chief: Sophia WilliamsEditors: Hyacinth Brown and Francine DallasOther Team Members: Claudette Reid, Emma McCalla, Verna Edwards, Simone Hull-Lloyd, Duvaughn Dick, Carla Wilson-Redden and Ricardo Holness.

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Reverend Devon Dick during his sermon, delivered at the Boulevard Baptist Church on December 28, 2014 made some instructive points based on the referenced Bible text of Matthew 2:13-18. His Christmas message conveyed lessons of Discernment, Obedience and Faith in God.

Lessons from theChristmas Message

DISCERNMENT The voice of God is constantly speaking to us, Pastor stated. He speaks through His Son, His Spirit, the Holy Scripture and dreams. We must know how to listen, he asserted, adding that often we are dull in vision and lacking in discernment. Yet, we are meant to discern God’s messages and appreciate how God can speak to us through various ways such as nature, music, painting, dancing and theatre. When we see God in every step of our life, then life becomes exciting and purposeful, he affirmed.

OBEDIENCE “Joseph got instruction to flee into Egypt from the vile and vicious Herod for safety and security. Egypt was a place where Joseph fore-parents were enslaved and brutalized. Joseph knew that God knows best.” Pastor in placing this in context to our own lives, expressed that there are times we are called to go to a certain location that we are not so comfortable with, but we must obey. Pastor called upon us to trust God, as He knows best. If he gives us a seemingly paradoxical command, it is for us to obey Him.

FAITH IN GOD Pastor pointed out that Joseph did not move until he heard from God. He had complete trust in God’s power, wisdom and intelligence. Given the present situation in the world today Pastor asked: “How can we have faith in God?” He referred to Christians in Iraq who are being persecuted and killed, and the Taliban in Pakistan killing 164 children at school. He expressed that when we have faith in God it does not mean that nothing bad can happen to us. God, he assured, will give us the strength to endure hardships. The Christian life, Pastor affirmed, begins with faith in God. Faith of being sure of what we hope for and confidence in what we do not see. It is complete confidence in God’s will and God’s way!

Boulevard Baptist Church’s Christmas Highlights

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Christmas Sunday Worship Service

Junior Church - So Cute!

Awesome Voices!The BBC Youth Choir

BBC Netballers Sparkle!

Bereavement Team Over Sumptuous Meal… View! and The Continuing Education Students In Carol Service

The Christmas Functions

BBC e-voice: Where did you get married and who officiated at your wedding?Maud: Hanover Street Baptist Church with Rev Luther Gibbs officiating.

BBC e-voice: Tell us how you met and what was courtship like?Maud: We met at Kingston Technical High School. We used to talk a lot of nonsense and had all kinds of dreams about our future together. Aston always spoke about marriage and I always asked him if he was crazy.

BBC e-voice: What is the secret to having a long marriage?Maud: Patience, understanding and tolerance.

BBC e-voice: What quality do you admire most about your partner?Maud: His patience.

BBC e-voice: Share some of your memorable moments in your marriage?Maud: On the evening of the marriage a woman came to the door of the car, looked at us and said “but nuh two likkle pickney”. I also remember when I went to the Bahamas to live and Aston came for a surprise visit. I don’t know what look or expression I had on my face when I saw him, but my supervisor looked at me and

said, “Maud, pack your things and go home.” I will never forget when Aston and the children came to spend Christmas with me in the Bahamas and when they were boarding the plane on New Year’s Eve to go back home with Auld Lang Syne playing in the background, I went home and wrote my resignation from the Bank. The Bank was so understanding and gave me a transfer instead, so my service wasn’t broken.

BBC e-voice: Is there any thing you would like to change about your partner or marriage?Maud: No, nothing.

BBC e-voice: Tell us about your children?Maud: I have 3 children, Donnah the oldest - cries at the drop of a hat. Her nickname is ‘Waterfalls’. Merce, the typical second child, very independent and want s to do her own thing Junior, the baby and still the baby till today.

BBC e-voice: Any Final advice about marriage?Maud: Friendship is very important, so you should always be best friends. Must have family support especially when the couple is young. Never allow the sun to rise on your anger - make-up is very important. Talk it through.

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Maud + Aston

DaleyTo Have and To Hold… 58 Years!

Maud and Aston Daley are members of the Boulevard Baptist Church. Maud, a Deacon Emeritus at Boulevard, shares with the BBC e-voice on their 58 years of long and lasting love!

Rahab, a character of the Bible, may not be well known or preached about as many other characters of the Bible. Her faith and kindness may not be highlighted as much, and probably prejudiced by her occupation, which overshadows the kindness she displayed. We take a look at her heroic move.

Now, Rahab, the harlot, played a very significant and crucial role in the Israelites capturing the land of Canaan. Her profession as a prostitute perhaps worked in the best interest of the two spies who were strategizing their way to capture the Land that God promised them through the covenant with Abraham. The spies who were sent by Joshua to view the Land, went to the home of a prostitute, which seemed to have been the best route to take as it would appear that they were clients of Rahab and would not draw much suspicion. Rahab cooperated with the spies by facilitating their plan to capture the Land.

In facilitating the spies, Rahab requested that the same kindness be returned to her family, that they not be destroyed with the rest of her people; thus a deal was struck between Rahab and the spies. Rahab hid the men in the roof of her house and when the king of Jericho came in search of the men, she told him that they came to her and had already left.

Rahab’s faith in God had allowed her to act in favour of the spies and not for her fellow idolatrous countrymen. She heard of the God who parted the Sea of Reeds for the Israelites, rescuing them from the Egyptians. She knew that this great God had secured this land for his chosen people. As a result of Rahab’s faith and cooperation, the Israelites were able to destroy the Canaanites and take control of the Land, and in the process preserving the lives of Rahab and her family. Rahab later was included the lineage of Christ, being the mother of Boaz, the father of Jesse, who is the father of David. Joseph was her direct descendant.

THE PROSTITU TE…faci l i tator, Chr ist ’s l ineage and a l l !

Rahab

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~ Sophia Williams

The medical benefits of laughter are not as well-known or spoken about, compared to the benefits of exercise, which are well emphasized. American Physician, Dr. James Walsh in his book – Laughter & Health, stated: “Laughter is even equivalent to a small amount of exercise. It massages all the organs of the body.” There are specific effects of massage on the different organs of the body. It assists in maintaining healthy organ tissues, and enhances healing, which results in improving the functions of the entire body system.

The fact that organ systems interact in many ways, the medical benefits of massage on one organ will also impact the others. While massage is being received there is an overlapping function taking place within the different organ systems. Massage can improve, stimulate, increase, develop, regenerate, and relax body organs, improving the functions of the organ systems.

Additionally, the New England Journal of Medicine, published by Norman Cousins in 1976, and in his book, “Anatomy of an illness,” stated that he was diagnosed with Bechterew disease, an autoimmune disease. This disease can result in acute inflammation of the spine, and usually

affects other areas of the body. His case became so severe that he was given a few months to live.

He left the hospital after realizing that negative attitudes can cause illness, but positive thoughts could produce the opposite effect. He instead checked into a hotel where he took mega doses of vitamin C, and watched humorous movies. He discovered that boisterous laughter for ten minutes results in at least two hours of pain-free sleep. This routine was continued until he recovered from his illness.

Laughter releases endorphins, which reduces pain. Endorphins are more powerful than equal amounts of morphine. According to helpguide.org, laughter also assists in protecting you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems, by improving the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow. Based on medical research, it is revealed that laughter boosts the immune system by decreasing stress hormones and increasing immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus your resistance to disease is improved.

Source: http://www3.telus.net/st_simons/cr9607.htm, New England Journal of Medicine and helpguide.org.

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The Medical Benefits Of Laughter

development: introducing electronic payment instruments such as cards, mobile payments, large value funds transfer systems such as real time gross settlement (RTGS) systems.

BBC e-voice: What are the greatest challenges you face in undertaking these assignments?Faith: Being away from home and family is the most difficult part. Thank God for ‘Skype’… I’m now able to communicate with family and friends constantly, once they are awake and I no longer have to spend half of my earnings on phone calls (ha!).

BBC e-voice: Who are some of the famous or prominent persons, if any, that you have met during your travels?Faith: When I visited Rwanda a few years ago I met Christiane Amanpour, CNN’s Chief International Correspondent. (We even posed together for a photograph!) My greatest joy though is to connect with the local people as well as with the tourists. Learning about different cultures is exciting.

BBC e-voice: How do you cope given the differences in culture, language, etc. in each country? Faith: English is the language of business and many of the African countries I’ve visited are former British colonies so communication has generally not been a problem. The cultural differences are more stark. In Myanmar for example, you’re expected to take your shoes off when entering a manager’s office. It was fascinating to see rows of slippers lined up at the office door, and people walking around with bare feet. I also try to learn the 4 or 5 key expressions, such as ‘Good Morning’, ‘Thank You’, ‘How are you?’, ‘I am fine’. People respond positively when they hear you speak

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Faith Stewart is a member of the Boulevard Baptist Church. She shares in this interesting and enlightening interview with the BBC e-voice on her frequent travels to various countries across the globe.

BBC e-voice: Your travels take you to various parts of Africa and Asia; describe what this involves, your role, and why is it specific to these two continents?Faith: I work with the IMF, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank to support initiatives to modernize the financial sector in developing countries. My focus is on payment systems

Faith Stewart sharestravel experiences.

Faith in her Myanmar dress visiting the Shwedagon Pagoda, bare feet and all!

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every part of the world….and it’s true. In Myanmar, while waiting outside the hotel I overheard a conversation and recognized a Jamaican accent. I heard him say ‘yuh nuh’ which is distinctively Jamaican. I couldn’t wait to introduce myself. It was Captain Lloyd Tai, the former Air Jamaica captain. I had similar experiences in Liberia and in South Sudan. It is an awesome feeling when you connect with a Jamaican far away from home. You become fast friends.

BBC e-voice: Do you get the opportunity to attend church. How does it compare to Jamaica?Faith: When I fellowship with believers in foreign countries I am reminded that God’s love transcends borders. We are all one in Christ. The worship experience is similar to ours. I particularly enjoyed attending church in Liberia and in Myanmar. More than 95% of the Myanmar people are Buddhists; there are Pagodas (Buddhist temples) everywhere, so seeing young people passionate about Christian ministry was a joy.

BBC e-voice: What motivated you to choose this career path? Faith: At the time I left the Bank of Jamaica I wasn’t sure what my next step would be. I had spearheaded the implementation of several key systems including the automated clearing house and had gained much experience in banking operations and payment systems, but I wasn’t keen to re-enter the corporate world. My colleague at the World Bank invited me to leverage my training and experience to assist central banks in other developing countries in modernizing their payment systems and I jumped at the opportunity. I thank God for easing my transition into retirement. It has been quite a journey! To God be the glory!

their language, and wearing a native outfit earns you immediate acceptance.

BBC e-voice: How many countries have you visited so far? Tell us about some of your most memorable experiences.Faith: I’ve visited over 30 countries spanning 6 of the 7 continents: Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Europe, and Australia. Three experiences come readily to mind.

1. In Rwanda, I was surprised at how calm and peaceful the people were. That was in 2008 and you would not believe almost 1 million persons had been massacred in that country a decade or so earlier. The central bank was about a mile from my hotel and my colleague and I chose to walk to and from the office, rather than use a bank car. We felt safe.

2. I must also mention Qatar. I haven’t worked there but I stopped over en route from Myanmar recently. It is an oil-rich country with one of the highest living standards in the world. (Average per capita income is over US$120,000!!) Qatar is a melting pot…a population of 2 million, less than 20% of which is actually from Qatar. I can’t wait to see them host the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

3. When I visited Sierra Leone last June I recall my driver lamenting that he had gone to his village the previous weekend to visit his aunt and uncle who had Ebola. At the time I didn’t quite realize what Ebola was. I may have been paralyzed by fear had I known. I believe God shielded me and brought me out just before the crisis broke. Let us continue to pray that God will remove the scourge of Ebola from West Africa.

BBC e-voice: Have you met other Jamaicans in your travels? What was the experience like?Faith: People say there is a Jamaican in

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A well-maintained car is more fuel-efficient, produces fewer green house gas (GHG) emissions, and is safer! Get regular tune-ups, follow the manufacturer’s maintenance schedule, and use the recommended grade of motor oil. Under-inflation increases tyre wear, reduces fuel economy, and increases GHG emissions. Find the correct tyre pressure for your vehicle on your glove compartment door, or on the driver’s-side door pillar.

When shopping for a new car, scan the QR Code® on a vehicle’s to find additional information online, including personalized fuel cost estimates.

Driving more efficiently (like going easy on the gas pedal and brakes) is often the most effective way to reduce your current vehicle’s GHG emissions.

Hauling cargo on your roof increases aerodynamic drag (wind resistance) and lowers fuel economy. Also, avoid keeping unnecessary items in your vehicle, especially heavy ones. An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your kilometres per gallon by about 1%. The reduction is based on the percentage of extra weight relative to the vehicle’s weight and affects smaller vehicles more than larger ones.

Avoid excessive idling - Idling can use a quarter to a half gallon of fuel per hour, depending on engine size and air conditioner (AC) use. Turn off your engine when your vehicle is parked. It only takes a few seconds worth of fuel to restart your vehicle. Turning your engine on and off excessively, however, may increase starter wear.

Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and, in most cases, will save gas.

Source: US Environmental Protection Agency -http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/driveHabits.jsp

Save The Environment… Save On Your Pocket.

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Green Attitudes

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General Knowledge - True or FalseFire usually moves slower uphill than downhill.~ False. Fire moves faster uphill than downhill.

Sound travels almost 5 times faster underwater than in air.~ True.

The past tense for the English word ‘dare’ is ‘dared.’~ False. The past tense is ‘durst’

The average human brain contains around 8 percent water.~ False. The average human brain contains 78 percent water.

Eggs contain no vitamins.~ False. An egg contains every vitamin except vitamin C.

Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly backwards.~ True.

Frogs do not drink (they absorb water through their skin).~ True.

A strawberry is one kind of fruit which seeds grow on the outside.~ False. It is the only fruit which seeds grow on the outside.

Almonds are members of the nut family.~ False. Almonds are members of the peach family.

Diamonds are the hardest natural substance.~ True.

Sshh… Class in session

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• Proportional to their weight, men are stronger than horses.

• Antarctica is the only continent without reptiles or snakes.

• An eagle can kill a young deer and fly away with it.

• In the Caribbean there are oysters that can climb trees.

• The youngest pope was 11 years old.

• Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair.

• A hummingbird weighs less than a penny.

• Until 1796, there was a state in the United States called Franklin. Today it is known as Tennessee.

• The State of Florida is bigger than England.

• In space, astronauts cannot cry, because there is no gravity, so the tears can’t flow.

• Jupiter is bigger than all the other planets combined. They have square watermelons in Japan… they stack better Iceland consumes more Coca-Cola per capita than any other nation

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SERVICE FOR YOUR DOGA farmer named Muldoon lived alone in the Irish countryside except for a pet dog he had for a long time.The dog finally died and Muldoon went to the parish priest, saying, “Father, the dog is dead. Could you possibly do a Mass for the poor creature?”

Father Patrick told the farmer “No, we can’t have services for an animal in the church, but I’ll tell you what, there’s a new denomination down the road, and no telling what they believe in, but maybe they’ll do something for the animal.”

Muldoon said “I’ll go right now. By the way, do you think $50,000 is enough to donate for the service?”

Father Patrick replied “Why didn’t you tell me the dog was Catholic.”

COLLEGE EXAM PLEAO Lord, hear my anxious pleaCalculus is killing meI know not of ‘dx’ or ‘dy’And probably won’t until the day I die.Please, Lord, help me in this hourAs I take my case to the highest power.I care not for fame or lootJust help me find one square root.And Lord, please let me seeOne passing mark in organic chemistry.Oh such a thing I constantly dreadI’d just as soon join the Marines instead.Lord, please give me a signThat you’ve been listening all the time.Please lead me out of this constant comaAnd give me a shot at my diploma.