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Vero’s Voice Salutes
THE MILITARY MOMS PRAYER GROUP’S
20th Annual Holidays for Heroes Campaign
BY PAM PROCTOR
Twenty years ago in mid-October, as the Iraq War was raging, Military Mom Linda Colontrelle sat bolt upright in bed in the middle of the night and shook her husband John awake.
“We have to send 500 packages to Iraq!” she exclaimed.
“Sure, honey,” John replied, patting her on the head. With that, he went back to sleep.
Over the next few weeks, spurred on by her nighttime vision, Linda was a woman on a mission: to rally the Vero Beach community to pack and ship packages to Iraq. That’s where her son Danny, a captain in the Army, was stationed in Baghdad on his first tour in the war zone.
“God told me what we needed to do,” said Linda. “I couldn’t shake the idea, and so I started talking it up to anyone I knew. Before long, doors opened, and we went at it with a vengeance. No one said, ‘I think you’re crazy’; everyone said, ‘How can I help?’”
TOP CENTER: Linda Colontrelle strikes a powerful pose at a Memorial Day observance. She jump-started the gift-box campaign for the troops, now celebrating its 20th year. “God has surely been leading us,” she says.
LEFT: “Founding mothers” of the Military Moms Prayer Group (L-R): Gail Reams, Margy Kulczycki, Michele Scales, Pam Proctor, and Linda Colontrelle. The group continues to meet every Thursday to pray for U.S. troops.
RIGHT: Chaplains in Afghanistan show off Holidays for Heroes packages.
Linda called the outreach Treats for Troops and designated the Saturday after Thanksgiving as “packing day” at a donated vacant storefront. The support poured in: beef jerky, candy canes, nuts, and Santa hats; handmade cards from school kids; and thousands of dollars to defray the costs. Dozens of volunteers organized an assembly line to fill a box with goodies, tape it, and attach a customs form.
The boxes were slated for Danny and one of his West Point buddies, along with a Navy SEAL and two marines whose moms were members with Linda of the Military Moms Prayer Group, which had been formed three months earlier.
The result: 455 boxes were shipped to Iraq where the recipients played Santa to the troops in their units.
“They had more fun distributing packages and made sure that those who needed packages got them,” said Linda.
From that modest but super-charged beginning in 2006, the Military Moms Prayer Group’s Holidays campaign has exploded. Now, 20 years later, more than 30,000 gift boxes have reached deployed U.S. troops around the globe as a “thank you” from grateful citizens.
“The support for the military from this community has been amazing,” says Linda.
Over the years, other leaders, including Military Moms Prayer Group members Dr. Joyce Desrosiers and Lynn Marie Saint Vincent, have worn the “general’s hat” to run Holidays for Heroes. And instead of organizing one packing day, the Military Moms now provide do-it-yourself “mailing kits,” which individuals, families and civic groups can pick up at 34 businesses and churches around the county.
“Holidays for Heroes has gotten bigger and bigger,” says Linda, who, as President of the Military Moms Prayer Group, is once again heading up the program. “We started with nothing – a vision and a prayer. God has surely been leading us.”
CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: Camouflage-clad soldiers stationed in Korea tell a story of overwhelming gratitude for the outpouring of gifts. “Thank you for the incredible care packages,” wrote one sergeant. “Your kindness made a significant difference in boosting morale.”
CENTER: Marine Corps Captain Ted Hart, a helicopter pilot in Afghanistan in 2011, treasured this letter illustrated with hearts.
RIGHT: Our troops love nothing better than letters and handmade cards from schoolkids, like this one from a girl named Cristina.
PICKUP LOCATIONS NOVEMBER 1-DECEMBER 15
American Icon Brewery 1133 19th Place
Barker Air Conditioning & Heating
1936 Commerce Avenue
BigShots Golf
3456 U.S. 1
Busy Bee Lawn & Garden Center
7445 U.S. 1, Winter Beach
Calvetti & Company
10 Royal Palm Pointe
Charlotte Terry Real Estate Group
2911 Ocean Drive
Christ Church Vero Beach
667 20th Street
Coffee House 1420
2001 14th Avenue
Craving’s 3149 Ocean Drive
Davila’s Pizza
5420 U.S. 1
Davila’s Pizza
425 9th Street SW (Oslo Road)
Gino’s Nutrition Shoppe
680 21st Street (Miracle Mile near Wells Fargo)
Goodfella’s Pizza
9615 U.S. 1, Sebastian
Jimmy John’s 5445 20th Street
Lychee Nail Spa 2033 Indian River Boulevard (Miracle Mile)
Nail Art
1355 U.S. 1, Suite #5
Pack Mart
13537 U.S. 1, Sebastian
Pak Mail Beachside
505 Beachland Boulevard
Pareidolia Brewing Co.
712 Cleveland St., Sebastian
Runner’s Depot
436 21st Street (Miracle Mile)
Sailfish Brewing Company, Vero Beach
2855 Ocean Drive
St Lucie Battery & Tire
10435 U.S. 1, Sebastian
Savores Grill House at CW Willis Farms
3700 9th Street SW (Oslo Road)
Sebastian Municipal Golf Course
100 Brush Foot Drive, Sebastian
Smokin Bungalow
807 Indian River Drive, Sebastian
Studio 14 / Zumba Works 1962 14th Avenue
Sturgis Lumber
4645 U.S. 1, Gifford
True Eye Experts of Vero Beach 634 21st Street
21st Amendment Distillery 2055 13th Avenue
Twisted Lime
710 South U.S. 1 (Near Publix on Oslo)
Vero Fitness 1060 6th Avenue
Vero Strength + Conditioning
760 8th Court, Suite #4
Victory Center (Veteran’s Council)
Indian River Mall, 6200 20th St.
Vittorio’s Pizza 2980 Oslo Road
BY DOOLIN DALTON
Where the World Ends
My Day on Easter Island
“Though Easter Island officially belongs to Chile, the country itself is 2,327 miles to the east, a staggering reminder of just how remote this island truly is.”
IT’S FEBRUARY 10TH, 2019, AND I’M STEPPING OFF A TENDER BOAT FROM THE MS AMSTERDAM ONTO ONE OF THE MOST REMOTE, BEAUTIFUL, AND MYSTERIOUS PLACES ON EARTH: EASTER ISLAND. I CAN TASTE THE AIR HERE. IT TASTES LIKE SALT AND MYTH. AS CRUISE DIRECTOR FOR HOLLAND AMERICA LINE, I’VE SEEN A FAIR SHARE OF SPECTACULAR PLACES, BUT EVEN BEFORE MY FEET TOUCH THE BLACK VOLCANIC ROCK, I CAN FEEL THAT THIS ONE IS DIFFERENT.
Getting ashore here is no easy feat. The waters surrounding the island are notoriously rough, a constant push and pull of the Pacific against jagged volcanic stone. Our tender rocks and lurches as we approach the tiny boat ramp, and it takes the kind of precision only an experienced navigator could muster to land us safely. But once I step onto solid ground, it feels like I’ve crossed not just distance, but time itself.
We’re on the Grand World Voyage. It’s a literal trip around the world, and today I’m crossing off one of the biggest items on my bucket list. Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as the locals call it, sits adrift in the South Pacific, surrounded by thousands of miles of open ocean. The nearest inhabited land, the Pitcairn Islands, lies 1,200 miles to the west. And though Easter Island officially belongs to Chile, the country itself is 2,327 miles to the east, a staggering reminder of just how remote this island truly is.
From the first moment I set foot on land, I can sense something ancient humming beneath the surface. The air feels alive, charged with the weight of legends. I can see why this place would inspire the television series Lost, or even a grand Indiana Jones
adventure. There’s an otherworldly silence here, broken only by the wind sweeping across rolling green hills that seem to stretch into infinity.
A man named Manu, my local guide for the day, greets me with a wide smile and a firm handshake. He has skin bronzed by the sun and eyes that seem to hold a thousand stories. As we drive inland in his beat-up truck, he tells me about the island’s history, about the great Moai, the massive stone heads carved centuries ago by the Rapa Nui people.
“They are not just faces,” he says, his voice soft but steady with a thick Polynesian accent. “They are our ancestors. They watch over us.”
We stop at Ahu Tongariki, the largest of the Moai platforms. Fifteen towering statues stand in a solemn row, their stone faces gazing toward the horizon as if guarding some secret known only to the ocean. I find myself imagining what stories they’d tell if they could speak. Their scale is impossible to grasp. Each one weighing up to 80 tons, carved and somehow transported from quarries miles away without modern tools or machinery.
As Manu walks ahead, I linger behind. The wind rushes through the grass, and for a moment, I swear I can feel the pulse of the island… slow and ancient, like the heartbeat of the Earth itself. I close my eyes and hear whispers carried by the breeze: the rhythm of forgotten chants, the echo of hands striking stone.
Then, I notice an old woman sitting nearby, weaving palm leaves into small, delicate patterns. She looks up at me and smiles. I smile back. “Hello,” I say warmly.
She nods but doesn’t speak. I get the impression that there’s a language barrier, so I leave her to her weaving. She holds out her hand and offers me the small woven trinket, a simple cross of palm leaves. I still have it to this day.
Later, as I stand before the Moai once more, the clouds part just enough for the sunlight to spill across their faces. Their shadows stretch long across the ground, and for one surreal instant, it feels as though they might move, as if the spirits within them are stirring, waking. I take a mental snapshot of this moment in time so that I can revisit it years from now. As I’m surrounded by wind and stone and mystery, I understand what Manu meant. These aren’t relics; they’re guardians.
That night, as the MS Amsterdam pulls away from Easter Island, the sky unfurls into a tapestry of stars, brighter than I’ve ever seen them. The island shrinks into the dark, a faint silhouette against the Pacific, and I realize I’ll probably never return. But maybe that’s what makes it beautiful. Some places are meant to remain half a dream, sacred corners of the world that keep a part of you long after you’re gone.
Throughout my travels, there have been places where I’ve left small pieces of my soul. I remember a Tahitian sunset, the rainforest canopies of Costa Rica, a night in Venice. But nowhere have I felt that exchange so deeply as I did on Easter Island.
It’s a place that doesn’t just live in memory. It lives in spirit.
“I close my eyes and hear whispers carried by the breeze: the rhythm of forgotten chants, the echo of hands striking stone.”
Statue (moai) in the process of being carved out of the rock at Rano Raraku (Quarry)
Doolin Dalton, with the massive moai statues in the background.
The Retirement Tax Trap: How to Plan
Smarter Withdrawals
by Danny Howes, EA, RFC
Why Taxes Don’t Retire When You Do
One of the most overlooked parts of retirement planning? Taxes.
Many retirees are surprised to learn that withdrawing money from their retirement accounts can trigger sizable tax bills—especially when most of their savings are in tax-deferred vehicles like traditional IRAs and 401(k)s.
• Without a withdrawal strategy, you could end up:
• Bumping yourself into a higher tax bracket
• Paying more on Social Security income
• Increasing your Medicare premiums
• Facing unexpected tax hits from Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs)
The good news? With some planning, you can control when and how you pay taxes in retirement.
The Three Types of Retirement Accounts
To build a tax-smart withdrawal strategy, it helps to understand the basic types of accounts and how each one is taxed:
• Roth IRAs are not subject to RMDs during your lifetime
3. Taxable accounts (Brokerage, savings)
• Earnings may be taxed as capital gains, dividends, or interest
• No RMDs, more flexibility
A mix of these accounts can give you more control over your tax picture each year.
What Order Should I Withdraw From Accounts?
A common guideline for tax efficiency is the "tax hierarchy" approach, which often looks like this:
1. Taxable accounts – Use first for spending needs (gains taxed at lower rates)
2. Tax-deferred accounts – Use next, especially to fill up lower tax brackets
3. Tax-free accounts – Use last to extend tax-free growth and for legacy goals
However, this order can vary depending on your specific goals, income levels, and tax bracket in a given year. That's why it's best to revisit your strategy annually.
The Role of RMDs in Tax Planning
Starting as early as age 73, you’ll be required to take Required Minimum Distributions (RMDs) from most tax-deferred retirement accounts—even if you don’t need the income.
These withdrawals may:
• Increase your taxable income
• Put you into a higher tax bracket
• Cause more of your Social Security to be taxed
• Lead to Medicare IRMAA surcharges
Planning before RMDs begin can give you flexibility. One common approach? Withdrawing modest amounts in your 60s to manage future taxes.
Roth Conversions: An Option to Explore
Roth conversions allow you to move money from a traditional IRA to a Roth IRA by paying taxes now rather than later.
Benefits may include:
• Reducing future RMDs
• Creating tax-free income later
• Potentially lowering future Medicare and Social Security taxation
The key is to convert strategically—usually in years where your tax bracket is lower than it will be in the future. Converting too much too quickly can create more tax than necessary.
Timing Matters: Tax Brackets and Income
Retirement often includes “gap years”—the period between retiring and when RMDs or Social Security kick in. These years may offer a lower income window, which can be ideal for:
• Taking withdrawals at lower tax rates
• Doing partial Roth conversions
• Managing capital gains strategically
This is why withdrawal planning isn’t just a one-time task. The timing of your income streams matters just as much as the amount.
FAQ: Tax-Efficient Withdrawals in Retirement
Q: What’s the best account to withdraw from first in retirement?
A: It depends on your mix of accounts and your tax bracket. A common strategy is to start with taxable accounts, then move to tax-deferred, and leave Roth accounts for later—but this isn’t one-size-fits-all.
Q: Should I take money out before RMDs start?
A: In many cases, yes— especially if you're in a low tax bracket. It may help you avoid larger RMDs and higher taxes later.
Q: Can I avoid taxes completely in retirement?
A: Not usually, but with smart planning, you may reduce the amount you pay and control when you pay it.
DANNY HOWES, EA, RFC EAST COAST TAX AND FINANCIAL
• Aluminum and steel cansRinse & recycle in the blue cart.
• Aluminum foil & pansNOT recyclable- throw away.
• Glass, plastic bottles & containersRinse & recycle in the blue cart.
Soul on Fire
Rated G
Released in theaters October 10, 2025 Streaming soon!
There’s just something about this movie that stayed with me for days after seeing it. So much love, multiple life lessons, lots of truth – including the story itself. Soul on Fire is adapted from John O’Leary’s best-selling memoir, On Fire: The Seven Choices to Ignite a Radically Inspired Life (2016), about his miraculous recovery from being burned on 100% of his body.
The movie begins with the adult John O’Leary (Joel Courtney) at his first speaking engagement and shifts between his youth to adult life. One early scene is in 1987 when nine-year-old John O’Leary (James McCracken) wanders in the woods and sees some kids lighting fires with gasoline. He asks if he can try it, but they tell him to get lost.
Naturally curious, he finds his dad’s gas can in their garage. With his favorite baseball team, the St. Louis Cardinals, airing on the radio in the background, he proceeds to attempt it himself. Flames explode. On fire, he runs through the house yelling for help. His parents are not home, and his siblings finally come downstairs as the flames are spreading fast. They manage to call 911 and get out of the house, but John is badly burnt.
The tension continues as his older brother goes back in to get the dog, and his little sister runs in and out filling glasses of water to pour on John’s face. The fire trucks arrive as the kids watch their house burn and John lays lifeless on the ground.
His parents, Denny (John Corbett) and Susan (Stephanie Szostak), arrive at the hospital and are told John has a 1% chance of survival. John asks his mom, “Am I gonna die?” Instead of giving him the grim news, she asks him if he wants to live, that it’s up to him. His dad tells him he loves him, and they are whisked out of the room. John is taken to his first of 58 surgeries.
The famous broadcaster Jack Buck (William H. Macy) hears about the young boy’s fate with fire and feels compelled to visit him. He tells John, who’s completely wrapped like a mummy, “Kid, you’re going to live, and when you get out we’re going to celebrate. So keep fighting.”
Flash forward to a college party where he meets Beth (Masey McLain) who becomes a good friend. Other scenes show her declining a date with him. Another shows him helping her study for an exam by letting her practice physical therapy on him instead of cramming in the books.
Back-and-forth scenes portray his agonizing fight for life with daily excruciating bandage changes, physical therapy, and learning to walk again. He has to communicate with his parents by a letter board where his dad points to letters and John clicks his tongue at the right letter as his mom writes them down. At one point, he chooses the letters for “Why me?”
He is devastated when infection sets in and he loses his fingers. He asks, “How am I going to throw a baseball?”
Some will give up on him, but others will not, including nurse Roy (DeVon Franklin) who insists John will walk again.
Five months pass, and John is finally released from the hospital to cheering friends and a rebuilt home. Life is challenging as he has to learn many things, including holding a fork to feed himself. But his friend Jack Buck follows through with his promise to celebrate. He is invited to a Cardinal’s game and escorted around the bases in his wheelchair by his dad. A later scene portrays the irony of life when John escorts his dad around the field in his wheelchair.
There is much more to this movie after John’s release from the hospital. There are lighthearted and humorous moments to counter the painful ones, which are done tastefully. This film will leave you feeling inspired like none other. It portrays perseverance, strength, selflessness, kindness, generosity, hope, and a never-a-victim mentality.
How will John handle life after fire and not just rise from the ashes, but thrive? Will Beth ever agree to a date with him? Will he ever throw a baseball again, and will he fulfill his desire to be a contractor when he can’t even hold a hammer? Don’t miss this one to find out!
There aren’t enough stars for this film. This one’s “on fire!”
Penny Cooke is an award-winning author of Pursuing Prayer: Being Effective in a Busy World, The Wake-up Prayer children’s book, and her latest, Pursuing Prayer for America. She co-hosts the Seeds of Hope podcast with Del Bates on Wednesdays on Vero’s Voice Facebook page. Learn more at pennycookeauthor.com
L to R
strappy structured drop-waist midi dress
BANANA REPUBLIC FACTORY
$160
BANANAREPUBLICFACTORY.GAPFACTORY.COM
earth short sleeve wells dress
STAND | $295 | TNUCK.COM
cotton sleeveless midi dress
ASOS DESIGN | $50 | ASOS.COM
the cosima nap dress
HILLHOUSE HOME | $218 | HILLHOUSEHOME.COM
combination ruched dress
ZARA | $50 | ZARA.COM
Rich, warm, and effortlessly chic—chocolate brown is taking over this season’s style scene. From flowy dresses to more tailored looks, this earthy hue brings just the right mix of sophistication and coastal cool to your fall wardrobe.
Pumpkin! Celebrating the
he fall brings pumpkins of different colors and shapes to the produce aisles and I can’t resist the thought of warm fall spices filling the kitchen. Pumpkins are native to the Americas, dating back 7500 years! They’re one of fall’s most iconic symbols and an integral part of our fall holiday traditions and meals and, my favorite, desserts.
PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE BARS
A blend of classic cheesecake swirled with pumpkin pie on a buttery graham cracker crust. Yum!
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Crust
• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar, firmly packed
• 7 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
For the Cheesecake
• 3 8-ounce bricks full fat cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
For the Pumpkin Cheesecake
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line a 9x9 baking pan with parchment paper.
2. Stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugars. Add melted butter and stir until mixture looks like wet sand. Pour into the prepared pan and press evenly across the bottom of pan. Set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the cream cheese and sugars with an electric mixer on medium speed until mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in sour cream and vanilla.
4. With mixer on low speed, add eggs, one at a time, just until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Set aside.
5. Measure out about 1 1/2 cups of cheesecake batter into a separate mixing bowl. To this add the pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and stir until combined.
6. Alternate dollops of the two batters onto the crust and swirl batters with a knife.
7. Bake 40-45 minutes, until center is still jiggly but mostly set.
8. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate at least 6 hours before serving.
PUMPKIN ROLL CAKE
This is one of my all-time favorite holiday recipes that I look forward to making each year. Roll cakes may seem intimidating but if you carefully follow the steps you’ll get a beautiful spiral every time. Enjoy!
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Spray or grease a 15” x 10” jelly roll pan* (so parchment paper sticks), then line the pan with parchment paper and spray paper well with cooking spray. It’s important that the paper easily peels off your cake.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until thick and lemon colored, about 5 minutes. Mix in the vanilla and pumpkin puree until combined.
4. Pour into the dry ingredients and whisk until they are just combined; do not overmix the batter.
5. Spread into the prepared pan and bake until it springs back when lightly touched, about 13-15 minutes. If using a dark pan, check at 11 minutes.
6. Meantime, open kitchen towel on your counter and generously dust with powdered sugar so the cake won’t stick to the towel. When the cake comes out of the oven, immediately flip it onto your powdered sugar lined towel and slowly peel off parchment paper.
7. Starting at a short end, gently but tightly roll cake into a log. It’s important to roll the cake while it’s hot so it won’t crack! Let cool, still rolled up in the towel seam side down, about 30 minutes. Cake should be warm so it doesn’t crack, but not so warm that it melts the filling.
8. In a large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese 1 minute on high speed until smooth. Beat in the butter until combined. Add vanilla and powdered sugar and continue beating until creamy.
9. Gently unroll the cake and flatten it. Spread evenly with cream cheese filling to within 1/2 inch of edges. Slowly and tightly roll it back up without the towel. (It’s okay if filling oozes out. You can cut a small slice off each end with a sharp knife for a more finished look.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, seam side down. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
10. Store in the refrigerator. Should stay good 4-5 days. This cake also freezes well.
*Pan size is important so your cake is the correct thickness for rolling.
PUMPKIN RAISIN OATMEAL COOKIES
Adds pumpkin-y flavor to raisin oatmeal cookies.
Ingredients
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup pumpkin puree
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup chopped walnuts
• 3/4 cup raisins
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, oats, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in medium bowl.
3. In a large mixing bowl fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract; mix well. Add flour mixture; mix well. Stir in nuts and raisins.
4. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto prepared cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 14 to 16 minutes or until cookies are lightly browned and set in centers. Cool for 2 minutes, then remove to wire racks to cool completely.
1420 19th Place, Vero Beach www.verochamber.com • 772-226-5459
NOVEMBER
CLASS
CUTTINGS Ribbon
NOV 10 • 10am-12pm Vero Beach Chamber of Commerce 1420 19th Place
NOV 20 • 8am-9am
Mid-Florida Credit Union 2800 20th Street
NOV 21 • 4pm-6pm A Fan Above 4416 US HWY 1
NOV 24 • 11am Toro Japanese Steakhouse 1335 US HWY 1
PUMPKIN SPICE LATTE
Enjoy hot or cold! Makes 2 Ingredients
• 2 tablespoons pumpkin purée
• 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, plus more for garnish
• 1/4 cup espresso, or 1/3 to 1/2 cup strong coffee
• 1/4 cup cold heavy cream, whipped into firm peaks
• Pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg for garnish Instructions
1. Place pumpkin purée, pumpkin pie spice, and a generous helping of black pepper in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it’s hot and smells cooked, about 2 minutes.
2. Add granulated sugar and stir until the mixture is a bubbly thick syrup.
3. Whisk in whole milk and vanilla extract and warm gently, stirring often. Watch that it doesn’t boil over.
4. Carefully process the mixture with a hand blender or in a traditional blender (hold the lid down tightly with a thick wad of towels!) until frothy and blended.
5. Make the espresso or strong coffee and divide between 2 mugs. Add the frothed milk and pumpkin mixture. Top with the whipped cream and a sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, or nutmeg if desired.
Harmony in Faith:
The Music Program at First Presbyterian Church, Vero Beach
At First Presbyterian Church in Vero Beach, music is more than accompaniment for worship. It is a vehicle of community, formation, and outreach. The church’s robust Music & Arts ministry weaves together generations, talents, and spiritual expression, shaping lives through song, instrument, and service.
A Multi-Generational Musical Vision
Under the leadership of Dr. Jacob Craig, Director of Music & Arts, and Peter Mahtani, Associate Director, First Pres offers a rich tapestry of ensembles, lessons, and concert experiences. Their goal: to integrate musical excellence with discipleship and community engagement.
Ensembles & Opportunities
First Pres maintains a diversity of ensembles to welcome musicians of various ages and skill levels:
• Chancel Choir: Open to high schoolers and adults, this choir rehearses on Wednesday evenings and leads much of the Sunday worship music.
• Handbell Choir (Adult & Youth): The adult handbell choir meets weekly and performs monthly in services, while youth and children’s handbell groups introduce young participants to ringing and musical fundamentals.
• Youth Choir & Youth Handbells: Open to students in middle and high school, rehearsals are held Thursday evenings. No prior experience is required. The focus is on learning, fellowship, and performance.
• Children’s Choir & Music in Quest: For K–5 students, music is woven into the weekly Quest Kids Club (Wednesdays), where children rotate through music, crafts, games, and Bible study. Janine Jones leads children’s choir instruction and is also the Director of the PRIMO School of Music.
Concerts, Tours, & Community Reach
The music ministry extends beyond Sunday services. The congregation hosts a Concert Series, leveraging the sanctuary’s acoustics and welcoming world-class musicians.
Youth ensembles also travel. In past years, the youth choir and orchestra have embarked on tours that integrate mission, performance, and growth.
Impact & Invitation
What makes the music program at First Presbyterian Church special is its intentional blend of spiritual formation, education, and community connection. For young musicians, it offers early exposure to ensemble playing, confidence in public performance, and a faithbased musical home. For adult participants, it provides a platform to deepen worship, mentor younger musicians, and engage with the larger community through concerts and collaborations.
Dr. Jacob Craig, Director of Music & Arts
Janine Jones, Director of the PRIMO School of Music
Peter Mahtani, Associate Director
Golf Tips for BROKEN Relationships
BY BETH WALSH STEWART
Years ago, I had a friend who was convinced he could teach me to be a better golfer. I was born into a family of golf-loving brothers, but I never took to the links with dedication. My friend told me he could fix all that. He proceeded to break down my golf swing into six parts and showed me repeatedly how mastery of these six elements could bring me to my best game, or at least to a place where picking up a club didn’t cause embarrassment.
I focused. I listened to his words. I understood the premise of why each of the six parts were important to the final blast of the ball. I tried it. I concentrated. I utilized my wrists, arm
extensions, and shoulders in unison. I followed through. My foot turned out at the end of the swing. Wait, did I get my hips right, because that really lends power to the shot or allows it to be gently directed. Wait a minute, I forgot about my head!
So, I started again. I spent an entire afternoon with my well-meaning buddy, but sadly, at the end of the day, I decided to give up golf. It caused suffering.
I was suffering from paralysis through analysis. Analyzing each part of my swing had taken all the fun out of it. The action no longer felt fluid. I had broken down this exciting game to a point where I no longer enjoyed it; I just wanted it to stop.
“IN YOUR DESIRE TO CORRECT, YOU OVERANALYZE AND DETACH EVEN MORE AS YOU STUDY NUANCES, TRYING TO DISSECT THE BOND TO SEE WHERE IT SLID INTO THE SKIDS.”
Have you ever done that with a relationship issue? You think you can break it down and see where it went off-track. In your desire to correct, you overanalyze and detach even more as you study nuances, trying to dissect the bond to see where it slid into the skids.
I’ve been there, too. But my lesson with the golf swing came to my rescue. What I discovered is that overthinking a thing can bring me to a place where I can no longer enjoy that thing simply because I am no longer acting authentically. There’s no fluidity in my interactions. In my effort to correct them, my interactions feel unnatural. Then, I might freeze or give up. The time I spent overthinking the issues may have been better spent talking honestly with the one with whom I struggle. Why? Any analysis I come up with is rooted in the flawed thinking that caused the rift in the first place.
It’s hard to stop an active mind that desires resolution. But relational issues that are in the past must be healed in the present. It does no good to review them over and over again on my own. So, I ask for help. I pray. I seek out an uninvolved and closed-mouth confidante that will listen and nod, allowing me to blow the junk out of my busy brain.
Then I look for my part in the break because that’s the only part I can affect. When I
Beth Walsh Stewart, MTh, is the Creator of BethWe, the nonprofit that was the impetus for this work. Dedicated to rescuing the stragglers lost in the shadows of the road of life, Beth is best-known for her Good Seed Podcasts, 12-Step seminars, weekly blogs, g.o.d. speaks books, and uplifting workshops. Beth lives by this motto: I have been called to help my brother find his authentic self and his God, and I best accomplish this end by sharing my pursuit of the same.
see shortcomings in my behavior, I become accountable for the fears that caused the bad conduct. Then, I ask God to remove those fears and to help me become open and willing to love unconditionally.
That means I must forgive the other person for their flaws and fears, too. I may not always “feel” like forgiving, but that doesn’t matter. Forgiveness is not a feeling; it is an act of my will. I can choose to forgive knowing that it doesn’t mean the injury didn’t happen or doesn’t matter. It simply means that I choose to offer mercy because I, too, make mistakes regularly. The process is slow, but most times the relationship improves. Eventually, the feelings change, and I feel grace in the place of resentment.
All healing happens in the present moment. Reveling in past hurts will only make those old injuries ooze and infect our mental health today. Paralysis through analysis sounds good, but it may never make me better at the game of life.
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I Press On, Refusing to Settle for Less Than God’s Best
BY PASTOR ALEX
Oftentimes when we begin our journey of faith, we start with great passion and zeal. We’re hungry for God, eager to serve, and full of expectation. But as time goes on, something dangerous can happen: we get comfortable. We become satisfied with where we are.
“How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you?” (Joshua 18:3, NKJV).
BY PASTOR RICH IENUSO
In Everything Give Thanks
But God never calls us to settle. He calls us higher, further, and deeper.
Do we still carry a hunger for more of God? Do we desire a closer, more intimate walk with Him? Do we long to see His miracles and power at work in and through us?
Scripture is clear: God’s plan is for growth, not stagnation. “They go from strength to strength; each one appears before God in Zion” (Psalm 84:7). “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17). We are transformed “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
Paul’s Example: Refusing to Stand Still By the time Paul wrote Philippians, he had accomplished much, planting churches across the Roman world and enduring great suffering for the gospel. Yet, in prison, Paul writes:
“Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on…” (Philippians 3:12–14, NKJV).
Paul didn’t boast about his achievements or let his past define his ceiling. He pressed on — reaching for more of what God had for him. He refused to let past pain or past victories determine his future.
Like Paul, we must learn to forget what is behind, both failures and successes. We need to keep reaching forward.
Israel’s Example: When Comfort Delays Possession
In Joshua 18, the children of Israel had conquered major enemies and set up the tabernacle at Shiloh. But seven tribes had not yet claimed their inheritance.
Why hadn’t they moved? Because they had grown comfortable. The big battles were over, so they settled. Many believers do the same — God has promised more, but we linger in ‘just enough.’
Caleb’s Example: Give Me This Mountain
Unlike the others, Caleb at 85 years old said, “Give me this mountain!” (Joshua 14:12). Caleb never lost his fire. He pressed in for everything God promised, even when it required more battles.
His faith reminds us that age, time, or past victories should never make us passive. God always has more territory to take — spiritually and practically.
Pressing Forward Today
God’s call is upward: “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14).
Like Paul, we press for:
• Salvations
• Miracles
• Deliverances
• Breakthroughs
We can’t afford to settle in a place of comfort when God has called us higher. Don’t let neglect, fear, or complacency hold you back. Keep pressing. Keep climbing. Keep believing.
God has more for you.
“Therefore let us, as many as are mature, have this mind…” (Philippians 3:15, NKJV).
1 Thessalonians 5:18 states to give thanks to the Lord in everything, because this is the will of God in Jesus Christ concerning you. This Thanksgiving Day be sure to thank the Lord for all of His blessings.
As the song says: “Count your blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.”
In everything we go through we need to give the Lord thanks. In the good times praise His Name and in the bad times do the same. In everything give the King of kings all the thanks.
Thank you, Lord, for all of Your abundant and bountiful blessings.
Happy Thanksgiving. Give Him thanks.
Forever grateful, Pastor Rich Ienuso
Lighthouse Ministries Church Liberty, NY
Pastor Alex Pappas is Senior Pastor at Oceans Unite Christian Center located in the Indian River Mall. Live broadcasts and podcasts are available at oceansunite.com.
Church God’s Way makes it clear that the Church is NOT THE PHYSICAL BUILDING BUT THE PEOPLE. It exposes the lies and deceptions of the devil through the Biblical Truths of the Word of God.
Kathleen Hollop is a healing evangelist who has experienced the miracles of God today. She has made 23 trips to Africa, Venezuela, and Columbia and also several trips to Maine.
