8 JAX AIR NEWS, NAS JACKSONVILLE, Thursday, February 5, 2009 Photos by MC3 Sean Allen YN2 Sheenah Thrasher performs a Caribbean-themed dance during the celebration of Caribbean Faith and Culture Jan. 24 at NAS Jacksonville's All Saints Chapel. Caribbean faith, culture celebration By MC3 Sean Allen o utes Fleet Public Affairs Detachment Southeast -. A Celebration of Caribbean Faith / and Culture was held Jan. 25 at S A11 Saints Chapel aboard NAS Jacksonville. The service was led by Chaplain (Lt.) Tom Bingol and began with a reading of the Caribbean nations, fol- lowed by Caribbean hymns and dance. YN2 Sheenah Thrasher, of Charleston, S.C., is stationed at NAS Jax and per- formed the Caribbean-inspired dance. "God, faith and dance are all big parts of my life, so it was a thrill to be able to do the dance and participate in the service," said. Thrasher. Bingol said, "We have, such a diverse Navy family and there are many people here with deep Caribbean roots." Members from the United Caribbean Cultural Association of Palm Coast, Fla., and the Grenadian Association of Palm Coast were present for the service. UCCAPC President Carlton Harrison spoke about the impact of the service. "This service is a great way for us to share our heritage with others, at the end of the day we all learn from each other," he said. Bingol first became involved with the UCCAPC and the Grenadian Association in 2004 after Hurricane Ivan struck the island nation of Grenada. Bingol contacted Chaplain (Lt.) Tom Bingol observes as Ronald Robinson calls out the name of each Caribbean nation during the special service service held Jan. 25 at NAS Jacksonville. Harrison and Ronald Robinson, .president of the Grenadian Association, to see how he might help. Bingol worked with the group to raise funds for food, clothing and build- ing supplies that were sent to Grenada. "We have kept in touch with Chaplain Bingol since that time," said Robinson. "He is like family to us, so we were glad to make the trip to Jacksonville to attend the service." The UCCAPC is hosting a Caribbean fes- tival in Palm Coast June 27 and 28. Bingol said persons interested in attending may visit www.uccapc.org for further informa- tion. Making money: Blessing or burden? By Wing Chaplain (Lt. Cmdr.) Atticus Taylor I .. *mmm a s mAhBwm Lately, virtually all forms of media in our nation are bom- barded daily with messag- es of deep concern and cau- tion that consumers have expressed regarding a less than gleeful economic out- look. Some have pointed the finger of blame to a variety of causes behind the chal- lenges we face most having to do with exercising poor judgment vis-a-vis the use of our incomes toward the goal of producing wealth. While it would not harm anyone to tighten their :financial belt whether oper- ating in tough or plentiful times, it is necessary to avoid identifying negligent behavior with our necessity for earning money. Since its creation during ancient times, countless myths have been perpetuated about the power of money to taint anyone who handles it, even people who normally act otherwise. However, there is great danger in mistranslating the New Testament pas- sage that states, "For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil." (iTimothy 6.3) When taken out of con- text some people have the tendency to believe that this biblical verse estab- lishes an inseparable asso- ciation between money and evil actions. This unfortu- nate prevalent view is clari- fied to a great deal in the words of a Jerrod Mundis who. wrote, "Like fire, money itself is neither good nor evil. It is neutral; its character is determined by the eye of the perceiver, the hand of the user." In other words, money as an instru- ment for the exchange of material goods Wing ( and services, (Lt. Cmdr.) like everything else in life, requires of its user a degree of restraint and discretion. Cullen Hightower states, "discipline without freedom is tyranny; freedom without discipline is chaos." No rea- sonable person could suc- cessfully argue that being better stewards (manag- ers) of all that the have in the form of material things would benefit both the indi- vidual and our society in general. The level of con- CRIMINAL & FAMILY LAW Call for a FREE consultation. The Law Offices of A law firm of "Vets" fighting for you! RON SHOLES, P.A. www.ronsholespa.com It takes more than a flashy introductory rate to be the best. It takes dependability and character. Navy Federal nRewards lives up to that reputation-just like the people who carry it. > No annual fee > Low, fixed rate > No balance transfer fees > Select your Rewards Not a member? Join today! " Serving Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force active duty, retired, reserve, National Guard, DoD civilians and their families. NAVY FEDERAL Credit Union 1-888-842-6328 navyfederal.org This credit union Is federally Insured by the National Credit Union Administration. Copyright 2009 Navy Federal NFCU 11085 (1-09) 562141 UuHAIPLAIN 3 UVENIK fusion we are observing in the cur- rent debate seems to cen- ter around a lack of under- standing about reaching a consensus on "when enough is enough." chaplain The encour- tticusTaylor aging wis- dom in the Hebrews letter seem appro- priate here, keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." Simply put, we must all remind ourselves and each other that "too much of a good thing" will very likely degenerate into a bad thing even in the hands of individuals with the best of intentions. Ch Al F-7.