At our YMCA, we lift up the “C” every day.
You’ll find a Bible in our lobbies. Our meetings, summer camp days, and youth sports events begin in prayer. We include weekly motivational posts on our social media and a Chaplain’s Corner in every monthly newsletter. Contemporary Christian is included in our music rotation.
We honor our organization’s roots as a Bible study and remain committed to our Christian values of caring, honesty, respect, and responsibility amid a world so often in turmoil.
Are you struggling? Do you need to talk to someone? You have friends here. We can help.
![pastor counseling a person](/sites/default/files/styles/media_full/public/2024-07/counseling_2_-_stock_image_0.jpg.webp?itok=GCCHRNic)
Meet Our Chaplains
![member photo](https://www.ymcanwfl.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_for_preview/public/2024-07/Chaplain%20Karlis%20Burton.jpg.webp?itok=J1j7jJOb)
Karlis Burton
![member photo](https://www.ymcanwfl.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_for_preview/public/2024-07/Chaplain%20Tim%20Fox.jpg.webp?itok=vJ5yY8Av)
Tim Fox
![member photo](https://www.ymcanwfl.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_for_preview/public/2024-07/Chaplain%20Shaun%20Pillay.jpeg.webp?itok=2onvvn7G)
Shaun Pillay
![member photo](https://www.ymcanwfl.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_for_preview/public/2024-07/Chaplain%20Angela%20Stephens.jpg.webp?itok=WkX6vjgX)
Angela Stephens
![member photo](https://www.ymcanwfl.org/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_for_preview/public/2024-07/Chaplain%20Brian%20Stocks.jpg.webp?itok=RUeAXJP4)
Brian Stocks
Visit this page regularly for our rotating guest columns focusing on faith in real life.
$84,600
guest column by Chaplain Brain Stocks
Imagine you woke up every morning to see a deposit of $84,600 in your bank account, but at the end of the day it would disappear! Whether you wasted it or used it wisely, none of it carried over, none of it gained any interest, but the next day you’d get the same $84,600.
What would you do with it?
I’d guess you’d do everything in your power to spend that $84,600. You wouldn’t want to leave any of it there, even if it was just giving it to someone else. I think you’d try to make the best of it.
You’re given 84,600 seconds every day. James 4:14 says: “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
Why waste time? It doesn’t carry over to the next day, it doesn’t earn interest. Take every day, every moment, and with your life share the love you’ve received to the people around you.
Do you know why most churches have a cemetery next to them? I’m sure we can come up with a few reasons, but one is for a reminder. For us to remember that there is here and now, and then there is after. The benefit is that every week you have a visual reminder that there is what you do here and now, and then there’s the grave.
Today you have 84,600 seconds… do something with them! We get so distracted by so many things, the busyness of life, social media, our own opinions, things to be offended by, our own desire to be right. What are you doing!? There is only here and now, and then there is after. You can fight to get your way, to have everything for yourself, or to appear important to someone who doesn’t care… or you can fight to make a difference in your life, and in the lives of those around you with love.
84,600 seconds are gonna come and go, but one day they’ll stop. So do now what you can do and what you should do: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbor as yourself.”