Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Mike Matthew

Special to The Laker / Lutz News

Shaun Walker, lead teaching pastor at Grace Baptist Church in Wesley Chapel, is responsible for teaching scripture from the pulpit and in small groups. He oversees all teaching activities at Grace Baptist.

“My work is not just preaching,” says Shaun. “We care for the whole person by pointing them towards answers in scripture. We want to help people going through life’s trials and also rejoice with them in good times.”

“Church is not just about Sunday,” says Shaun. “Sunday matters because it’s lived out Monday through Saturday. It’s about bringing God’s words to life within each individual so the real meaning of the scriptures shine through everything they do and say.”

Shaun grew up attending church. After receiving a bachelors degree in Bible, he moved to Colorado to serve as an unpaid pastoral intern. He lived with families in the community, moving to a new home every two months for two years.

He spent the last 13 years in Colorado serving as an assistant pastor. As he matured into the role, he recognized people responding favorably to a teaching style of ministry. Grace Baptist was looking for a teaching pastor and contacted him. After going through the interview process, the church voted him in. He moved here in July 2014.

“What drew me was the people,” says Shaun. “I found people truly supporting and caring for each other. They weren’t just doing church on Sunday. They are a loving community of Christians who spend time in each other’s homes.”

“A healthy church requires the meaning of the sermon to reflect the meaning of the scripture,” says Shaun. “Our teachings are relentlessly faithful to the biblical text. I am essentially a reporter of God’s word. Here’s what God said.”

“We can’t just pick a phrase out of the Bible and debate its meaning,” says Shaun. “We need to look at the context, the flow of meaning that exists through the whole text. The teaching must also be relevant. I’m always asking the question, so what? The text has to answer the ‘so what’ question.”

The teachings at Grace Baptist Church are not shallow. “God is trustworthy,” says Shaun. “We’ve been loved and forgiven. This is a foundation upon which to build an active faith.”

Grace Baptist welcomes sinners of all social and economic distinctions. “There is no room in a healthy church for any type of discrimination,” says Shaun. “We need diversity. It helps us to understand how God loves each and every one of us without regard to our apparent differences.”

Anyone dissatisfied with their current ministry or bouncing from church to church should come to Grace Baptist and experience the power of a teaching ministry.

Grace Baptist Church is located at 2600 Cypress Ridge Blvd in Wesley Chapel (behind Goodwill at State Road 54 and Interstate 75). Sermons are at 9:30 a.m. on Sunday, and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, and are open to all (no appointment necessary).

By Anne Childers

Special to The Laker/Lutz News

The well-trained and dedicated staff of Florida Wellness Medical Group, a chiropractic practice in Zephyrhills, takes the lead in managing its patients’ overall health and wellness by coordinating patient care, doctor visits, test results and treatment plans.

The practice philosophy of Dr. Brandon Delle Chiaie, the chiropractor owner at Florida Medical Wellness Group, is 100 percent focused on patients and their personal wellness.

“We are a customer service business working in the health care field,” said Dr. Brandon. “Our goal for every patient, from teens to seniors, is to maintain optimum health and wellness.”

Regular preventive care should always be routinely scheduled, but accidents and illnesses present additional health challenges.

“We’re here to help patients not only with their preventative health care, but also acute care resulting from accidents and unexpected injuries,” said Dr. Brandon.

Florida Wellness cares for patients with ailments from the common cold to high blood pressure to diabetes using traditional medicine, nutrition, exercise and patient education. Dr. Brandon is especially sensitive to the “aches and pains” associated with normal aging and strives to identify the reasons behind a problem, not just temporally stop the pain.

Conveniently located on Gall Boulevard, Florida Wellness Medical Group offers primary care that includes chiropractic medicine, massage therapy, physical therapy, and rehabilitation for accidents and injuries.

Walk-ins are welcome, and same-day appointments are the norm for regular patients. The clinic’s cheerful waiting room is bright and comfortable, but patients don’t spend much time there because of Dr. Brandon’s 10-minute rule.

“We strive for maximum face-to-face time with our patients and do not double-book appointments,” said Dr. Brandon.

Florida Wellness Medical Group accepts auto insurance, as well as most major medical plans and health insurance. In addition to its Zephyrhills office, the clinic has four other locations in the Tampa Bay area. It also partners with an exclusive group of physicians to manage a wide range of health concerns. If a patient’s condition warrants co-management, an area specialist is available.

The Zephyrhills office is open weekdays, except Thursday, from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m. Call (824) 715-2935 to schedule a wellness consultation and learn just how good you can feel.

By Mike Matthew

Special to The Laker / Lutz News

Norma Ruckey walked into Jan’s Wine & Boos II and knew without a doubt that she wanted to purchase it. It was a combination of package store and bar. Her son TJ has been tending bar since he turned 18 and her daughter Kristen was a liquor store manager for eight years. It would be a perfect fit. “I liked the idea of a neighborhood bar, like Cheers,” says Norma. “What I found was a friendly familiar atmosphere where everyone seemed to know each other. It was more of a wine bar then. Now it’s a full-service bar.”

Together they purchased the bar in July 2014. “It was quite a process going through all the licensing issues,” says Norma. “We needed a license for the bar, the package store, for food, and even a music license.”

The first thing they did was renovate and redecorate. The wine was moved from the bar area to the package side of the store which opened up the lounge area to create a real neighborhood bar feeling.

Existing customers are happy with the changes. “We’ve been receiving a lot of great comments,” says Norma. “We really want to know what our customers are thinking. We want to create a place where they can come to relax and enjoy themselves.”

Jan’s is open until 10 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and until midnight on Friday and Saturday. There is live music from local bands on Friday night and karaoke on Saturday. They have wine samplings a couple of times each month and are working with vendors to establish a regular wine tasting schedule.

Cheese trays can be ordered at the bar. “We have your basic cheese/meat/cracker platters or you can upgrade to the much larger gourmet tray,” says Norma. “We don’t want to get into food service. Instead customers can order food from local restaurants and either pick it up or have it delivered right to the bar.” Customers can also order a bottle of wine from the package side of the store to enjoy with their meal.

The package store offers a large selection of top-of-the-line wines both domestic and European, as well as liquors and beers. With the increased interest, they are building up their selection of local craft beers. “We have a much larger selection of craft beers than the previous owners,” says TJ. “Supporting local brewers is another way to build a neighborhood bar. We want this to be a real family establishment where everyone knows each other.”

Customers can place orders for the products they don’t currently stock. Special orders are not a problem.

In additional to live music and karaoke, Jan’s Wine & Boos II, located in the Lutz Lake Crossing Plaza on the corner of N. Dale Mabry Hwy and Lutz Lake Fern Road, offers three TV’s covering sporting events and monthly theme parties. They’ve already had a couple of birthday parties and are looking to handle more of these types of events for the over-21 crowd. They can comfortably seat up to 40 guests.

Visit their website JansWineandBoos.com or like them on facebook to see the latest events and specials.

by Mike Matthew

special to The Laker / Lutz News

Viktoriya Harris worked in the flower department at Publix for 3 years before opening her own florist shop, Flowers by Viktoriya, in Land O’Lakes. Her customers loved the arrangements she created and soon sought her out for special occasions and events.

Viktoriya graduated from Ashworth College in December 2013 with a degree in floral design and started putting the pieces in place for her own shop. She was a perfume store owner for 5 years before joining Publix. That experience helped greatly in planning for this new venture.

Flowers by Viktoriya opened for business in October 2014. “I haven’t had a day off since we opened,” says Viktoriya. Her husband, Michael, helps out during the day and takes care of deliveries. This gives her time to work on her creations.

“I decided to specialize in silk flower arrangements,” says Viktoriya. “When I was at Publix, customers would ask me to create arrangements to send through the mail. They weren’t happy with the choices offered by those 800 number delivery services. Silk arrangements enabled me to give them exactly what they wanted.”

Silk flowers and plants are perfect for businesses, offices, waiting rooms and any environment where keeping a plant watered isn’t foremost on your mind. You also won’t need to worry about them when you’re away from home.

Step into Viktoriya’s shop and you’ll have to look closely to tell the silk plants from the living ones. Her creations are unique. Many of her arrangements are placed in unusual containers that were never intended to hold flowers. By the time she’s finished you’d think they were made to go together.

She’s decorated a number of local restaurants, medical offices and reception areas. “People are looking for arrangements that fit their image and enhance their decor,” says Viktoriya. “I listen carefully to what they’re asking for. I’m very meticulous. I want to get the order right for the customer.”

“The right plants and flowers enhance your rooms,” says Viktoriya. “They soften the mood and create a relaxing atmosphere. This is particularly important for medical offices and waiting rooms where people may be anxious or nervous when they arrive.”

Viktoriya recently attended a master class taught by Rene van Rems, a master floral designer from Amsterdam. This class focused on creating beautiful arrangements for weddings and bridal parties.

Spend a few minutes discussing your floral needs with Viktoriya and you can’t help but catch her enthusiasm. She will go out of her way to create a custom arrangement with the design and flowers of your choice.

You’ll also find a variety of live potted plants and flowers along with cut flowers such as long-stem roses. She has a large selection of vases to choose from along with hand-made containers. Filler materials include artistic stones and sea shells for that Florida look and feel.

Her designs are captivating and unique. Anything from small arrangements to sit on a table to large vases for the floor are available and will be custom designed to fit your taste and decor.

Flowers by Viktoriya is located at 5132 Land O’Lakes Blvd, Suite 105, in Land O’Lakes (just north of Hale Road). Call her at 813-235-6200 or visit her website at www.landolakesflorist.com.

By Mike Matthew

Special to The Laker / Lutz News

John Tolson, owner of Tolson Insurance, has been in the insurance business for 25 years. He has seen a lot of changes over the years but none as complicated and confusing as those caused by Obama Care.

The government wants everyone to be able to afford health coverage. They’re even willing to subsidize the insurance premiums for people with lower incomes. People with minimum wage jobs and no employer-provided health care can now afford health insurance.

Obama Care has also removed one of the biggest headaches for anyone with long-term health problems, the pre-existing condition. You will now receive coverage and care for problems that would have previously been denied by the insurance company. This is a major step forward.

This new system is not without problems. The application process is often confusing and seemingly contradictory at times. Insurance agents and companies are dealing with weekly policy changes. The pool of providers has been reduced.

All of this makes one thing abundantly clear, you need an insurance agent to navigate this process. John Tolson is an independent broker with the knowledge and expertise to help you select the best options for your health, life, dental and Medicare coverage.

He will help you determine whether it’s better to apply directly to the insurance companies or through the marketplace (Obama Care). With an understanding of your situation and your needs, he’ll help you make the best choices.

John has lived in the Lutz area for 35 years. His father, a licensed broker for 60 years, brought him into the business.

“I’m an independent broker,” says John. “This means that I work for the client, not an insurance company. This enables me to provide the best coverage for my clients.”

Open enrollment for health care coverage ends on February 15. “If you don’t have health insurance, the IRS may fine you on your tax return,” says John. “This plan won’t work if only sick people sign up, so the government is going to fine people who don’t have coverage.”

“People also need to understand that they won’t be able to sign up anytime they want,” says John. “They need to apply during the open enrollment period. This policy is meant to prevent people from applying for insurance when they have a health problem.”

The next open enrollment period won’t occur until November 15 for coverage to begin in 2016. The only exception is when you’re dropped from a group plan. You have 60 days after being dropped to apply.

Call John Tolson at (813) 453-7380 if you have any questions or concerns about your insurance coverage. He also provides group insurance, AFLAC and is licensed to help people navigate the complexity of Medicare. More information is available on his website JWTIns.com.