Bahamas News

Bishop Boyd’s Easter message 2017

Published

9 years ago

April 13, 2017

Turks and Caicos, April 12, 2017 – Providenciales – I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; … For your steadfast love was established forever. Psalm 89:1a and 2a.

As we celebrate another Easter, we note that, at its core, Easter is about a deep love that God the Father has for human beings. God gave His Son to live, to preach, to teach, to die, to rise again and to ascend to His Father to bring us all into a new relationship with the Heavenly Father. St. John writes (3:16) that “God so LOVED the world that He gave His only Son.” It is an enduring love that has implications far beyond the date of the event.

Jesus’ dying conquered sin and death and their power over us, allowing us to have forgiveness, newness of life and a constant chance to start over whenever we stumble. Paul writes that “God showed His great love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). The Resurrection is the high point of a relationship and an intention that God had for his children. God gave His only Son for us even though we did not ASK FOR IT or DESERVE IT or REALIZE that we needed it.

This is the true nature of love, and it is symbolic of human life itself. Let us examine the three parts of God’s loving intention:

1. What we did not ask for

Many of us have benefitted from things that we did not actually ask for: the kindness of a total stranger, the help of a co-worker or relative who anticipates our circumstances and does something to help us before we can ask him/her to. Have we ever heard the famous words, “Don’t worry. I already have that covered!”

2. What we did not deserve

A man I once met told me his story. In his younger days, he had no time for his family and was always gone, busy doing this or that, involved in all sorts of things. He had been involved in alcohol and drug abuse, and in infidelity to the point of neglect and even abuse of his family. His wife had to struggle and carry the full load of maintaining and sustaining the family. His children resented this deeply and were bitter, and even hostile toward him. Now, in the middle of his life, he is mature and wiser, a changed man who has reordered his priorities dramatically. His children, now adults with their own children, are COMPLETELY devoted to him. You could not tell that there were twenty years of “Hell” in their family life.

This fellow is “eternally” grateful. He told me that he DOES NOT deserve their devotion, their love and forgiveness. Yes, indeed, he is still struggling to forgive himself for those years of neglect. Every one of us has received something that we felt that we did not deserve.

3. What we did not realize that we needed

In a home a child is subjected to certain rules and procedures. When a student goes to university to prepare for a career or when an employee begins a new job “at the bottom of the ladder”, he/she has to be given the basic training, has to be taken through the ropes – and I mean this in its most positive and constructive sense. Sometimes that child, student or employee has to do things that he/she does not understand, that he/she does not want to do, that he/she considers to be a waste of time or that seems to have no connection to the goal. However, the parent, the teacher, the trained professional and the supervisor know why the subordinate has to learn certain things and why things ought to be done a certain way. Often the subordinate does not know what he/she needs to learn or that he/she needs to do things a certain way to ensure wellbeing and full potential in the future.

All of us benefit from the fact that many people in our lives did things for us, the usefulness or value of which – the simple necessity for which – we had NO CONCEPTION of at the time. Only now that we are older, or that some time has passed, do we appreciate it, and thank those people again and again and again and again. I know that I had often told my mother, my teachers and mentors that I cannot thank them enough for this or that.

At the time of Jesus’ life the human race could never imagine what it is that He came to bring. Now we know, and we thank the Heavenly Father for this great Feast of the Resurrection which we celebrate.

Dr. James Allan Frances wrote the original version of a poem in 1926 that tells a powerful story of the surpassing value and world-changing nature of Jesus’ life. Here is the poem:

ONE SOLITARY LIFE

A child is born in an obscure village. [His parents are peasant people.] He is brought up in another obscure village. He works in a carpenter shop until he is thirty, and then for three brief years is an itinerant preacher, proclaiming a message and living a life. He never writes a book. He never holds an office. He never raises an army. He never has a family of his own. He never owns a home. He never goes to college. He never travels two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He gathers a little group of friends about him and teaches them his way of life. While still a young man, the tide of popular feeling turns against him. One denies him; another betrays him. He is turned over to his enemies. He goes through the mockery of a trial; he is nailed to a cross between two thieves, and when dead is laid in a borrowed grave by the kindness of a friend.

Those are the facts of his human life. He rises from the dead. Today we look back across nineteen hundred years and ask, What kind of trail has he left across the centuries? When we try to sum up his influence, all the armies that ever marched, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned are absolutely [insignificant] in their influence on mankind compared with that of this one solitary life…

May God’s love for us inspire you this year and always.

My family joins me in wishing you and yours a happy and meaningful Easter season.

Bahamas News

Twist To Win Ends in a Grand Style with Four $5,000 Mall at Marathon Shopping Sprees

Published

1 month ago

December 18, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Twist To Win grand finale winners (l-r) Brian Bethel, Taraceta Neely, Ashia Demeritte and Merlin Adams posing along with their winnings from the shopping spree.

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products concluded their 10 weeklong Twist To Win campaign with four $5,000 Mall at Marathon shopping sprees.

The campaign which was available throughout the entire Bahamas allowed consumers to enter by purchasing a 20oz bottle with a yellow cap from the following brands: Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola No Sugar, Sprite, Fanta Orange, or Fanta Grape. Each yellow-cap had a unique alpha numeric code underneath which they submitted to the Twist To Win WhatsApp number.

With each qualifying purchase, participants residing in The Bahamas were entered to win instant prizes and into a grand prize draw to win one of four $5,000 shopping sprees at the Mall at Marathon.

Participants also enjoyed exciting instant prizes such as: Airpods, JBL Speakers, premium Coca-Cola merchandise, $500 Visa gift cards and Amazon, Spotify and Apple Music digital gift cards.

Out of 76,000 plus submissions, Brian Bethel, Ashia Demeritte, Merlin Adams, and Taraceta Neely won the coveted Mall at Marathon shopping sprees at the following select stores, Kelly’s House & Home, The Sports Center, John Bull, Brass & Leather, and BTC.

Leading up to the grand finale shopping spree, Coca-Cola hosted a Trivia Showdown with the eight finalists to determine the four winners. Finalists were tested on their knowledge of World History, Pop Culture, Caribbean Bottling Company and Coca-Cola Facts!

After a few rousing rounds of trivia, the four winners were declared after each winning their spot in the shopping spree by answering their questions correctly and choosing the “Grand Prize” Coca-Cola labeled bottles at random.

The morning of the shopping spree Coca-Cola gave the winners exclusive access to the Mall at Marathon and its participating stores before their usual operating hours. Grand prize winners were greeted with wide smiles from Coca-Cola brand representatives and morning bites before the big event.

At the start of the thirty-minute clock the grand prize winners along with each of their Coca-Cola shopping assistants ran to the various stores collecting items in their arms and carts.

Merlin Adams, a husband and father of four was proud to have executed his game-plan at the end of the shopping spree. With toys, a new phone and materials for his home from Kelly’s, Adams felt accomplished in what he gathered.

Taraceta Neely, a winner from Eleuthera collected beautiful bags for herself and relatives from Brass and Leather and Brian Bethel bought matching athletic and outdoor wear from The Sports Center for his family.

The final winner Ashia Demeritte bought linens and household items in addition to a new phone from BTC right in time for Christmas.

Caribbean Bottling Company is proud to share the real magic of Coca-Cola with the grand prize winners and the may instant prize winners across the Twist To Win campaign. For more updates on new products, promotions, and events follow www.cbcbahamas.com.

Bahamas News

The Coca-Cola Art Project Astonishes Art Lovers at The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival

Published

1 month ago

December 18, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Bottling Company (CBC), local producers and distributors of Coca-Cola and Dasani products displayed their astonishing Coca-Cola Art Project (CCAP), during Baha Mar’s five-day Culinary & Arts Festival. Earlier this year, Coca-Cola partnered with The University of The Bahamas’ Visual Art and Design Department for a culturally rich art competition. UB’s art students were challenged to create pieces surrounding the theme, Bahamian music.

As a result, 20 student works of art were made, with four students declared as winners at the CCAP exhibit opening in Baha Mar’s ECCHO: Art Gallery in August. To recreate the culturally stimulating magic felt at the exhibit’s premiere, the CCAP was featured at the FUZE Art Tent during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival.

Nine incredible pieces of art lined the walls of the Coca-Cola Art Project, four of which included the winning pieces from Jhanaisia Cole, with ‘Gaulin Bride’; Alyssa Pinder, with ‘Shotgun Wedding’; Nelson Gray, with ‘Untitled’; and Jaela Bowe, with the piece ‘Whims of Obeah, a Folktail’. Additionally, an intimate listening room was built. It displayed students’ artistic processes, UB Visual Art and Design representatives, and a recap of the exhibit opening for audiences.

Art enthusiasts also enjoyed premium limited-edition CCAP keepsakes at the booth. Journals which featured a collage of all 20 student submissions on the front and back cover, postcards with an art piece on the cover along with the student’s name, title, dimension and materials on the back and pens designed with the CCAP’s dynamic logo.

Throughout the art festival diverse groups of people visited the art tent taking in the displays while enjoying the artistic insights from the listening booth.

Community and culture are always at the forefront of Caribbean Bottling Community, and it was boldly showcased during The Bahamas Culinary & Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.

For more details on the Coca-Cola Art Project, events and new products visit www.cbcbahamas.com today!

Bahamas News

CWS Brings a Galore of Bubbles at Annual Jollification Festival

Published

1 month ago

December 18, 2025

Deandrea Hamilton

Caribbean Wines & Spirits team members smiling behind one of the company’s two bars at Jollification

NASSAU, Bahamas — Caribbean Wines & Spirits (CWS), The Bahamas’ premier wines and spirits distributor delighted Jollification attendees with bubbles from their Bottega and Bouvet Ladubay sparkling wines and Besserat de Bellefon champagne lines.

Located in the Monument Circle on The Retreat grounds, CWS transformed The Retreat Garden into a lush lounge with Besserat, Bouvet and their latest product addition, Bottega, during the two-day affair.

The festivities kicked off Friday during BNT Member’s Night. Guests enjoyed exclusive offerings from CWS’s catalogue, offered exclusively to members. Complimentary mixes or glasses on the rocks included El Tequileno tequila, Hard Truth whiskey, House of Angostura rum, Cross Keys gin, Nemiroff vodka and a slew of wines such as Fonesca Bin, Bottega and Besserat.

Guests also savored the ‘Jolly Paloma’ cocktail, an instant favorite made with El Tequileno tequila, Schweppes Grapefruit and Domaine de Paris rose wine. To end the night, guests were treated to branded limited-edition wine tumblers as keepsakes.

On Saturday and Sunday, Jollification attendees delighted in glasses or bottles of champagne and sparkling brut or rosé wines while taking in the comfort of the chic lounge. In addition to purchasing bottles for onsite consumption, consumers were also able to purchase bottles as gifts whether for themselves or someone special.

The sophisticated “bubble lounge” lounge was decked with velvet couches, gold rimmed cocktail tables, blue and pink pillows, and a white floral branded backdrop created for capturing the perfect picture.

Caribbean Wines & Spirits, a historic partner of the Bahamas National Trust was pleased to support Jollification 2025 to kick off the festive season and share their expansive range of spirits.

To keep up to date with all CWS products and events, visit their website at www.cwsbahamas.com today.