This weekend, a number of swim clubs in the country will be in action at the Betty Kelly-Kenning National Aquatics Centre. Atlantic Medical has once again partnered with the Barracuda Swim Club to host the third Annual Atlantic Medical Swim Invitational. Competition begins at 6 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. on Saturday.

Anastacia Francis of Atlantic Medical stated: "Once again, we are pleased to be a part of developing the youth of our nation in the sport of swimming by supporting the Barracuda Swim Club. For many years, Atlantic Medical has been a company that promotes healthy lifestyles, placing great importance on developing a healthy, fit nation by supporting various charities and civic organizations. Swimming is an activity that excels both in and out of the pool, as it develops discipline, passion and commitment to the sport and to the overall life of a child."

Dion Gibson, president of the Barracuda Swim Club, stated: "We are pleased once again to partner with Atlantic Medical Insurance, and we look forward to this continued relationship and support as we work together to advance the sport of swimming throughout The Bahamas."

The meet this weekend will give swimmers an opportunity to qualify for the 2015 CARIFTA Swimming Championships which will be held in Wildey, Barbados during the first week in April. The public is encouraged to come out and support the swimmers as they strive to qualify for CARIFTA. The competition is expected to be fierce. Fans are asked to be at the national aquatic center this Friday evening and Saturday morning to catch all of the excitement.

"At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted [a] by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him." - Mark 1:12-13

The first Sunday in Lent has us focused on a savior who is unscrupulously attacked by the prince of Hell. In this conflict, God's son in human flesh won the victory. For Satan that is not good news; for us it is a wellspring of eternal joy.

I assure you that you have a savior who is Christ the Lord. He journeyed to the cross for you. He will guide you out of the maze of problems that may seem to overshadow or overwhelm you.

At Calvary we are delivered from the power of Satan. God gives hope to all who believe the promise. God's promise is unchanging. He will deliver you in your hour of need. He will rescue you from the power of Satan.

During this Lenten season, as you journey to Golgotha, you will be tempted. This is true because you are in Christ Jesus. Satan will use his cunning to deceive you into believing that he is your friend and that he has your best interest at heart. He is not your friend, and he only seeks destruction for you.

Your only friend and savior is Jesus the Christ. He is your lighthouse in rough seas. He is your safe harbor. God has provided this hope for you.

In the above text we are told that immediately after Jesus was baptized, he went into the desert where he was tempted by the devil. Jesus spent 40 days in the desert without food and water. In this state, the devil figured that Jesus was susceptible to his temptation. But God had sent his angels to attend him.

Our 40 days of wilderness experience began last Wednesday night with Ash Wednesday. During this time many people choose to give up something for Lent. This is a form of sacrifice. However, this is not a Lenten requirement.

During our Lenten walk, we will be tempted by the devil. He will wait until we are, like Jesus in the wilderness, hungry and weary. When we are at our lowest state or condition, he will attempt to take control of us. However, be assured, we have a defense against the power of the devil.

Our refuge is in the Word of God. Jesus is our example. The word of God is our most powerful weapon. It is our shield.

Satan cannot stand against it. Satan cannot win any battle against God's word. The writer of the book of the Hebrews comforts us with these words: "The word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword." [Heb. 4:12]

God is our refuge, and our strength. He will give us the strength and the faith to fight against Satan. Jesus won the victory for us. Therefore take courage and be assured, our Lord and Savior Jesus will guide us all the way. He fought our battle against Satan in the desert, on the cross of Calvary and finally in the grave. What does this victory mean for us? It is good news.

Jesus presented himself to God as our substitute. His righteousness is our righteousness. In the desert of temptation there was victory for both Jesus and for us. His obedience in life, on the cross and in death paid for our sins of disobedience. In our baptism we die to sin and live to righteousness. Through him we can face temptation victoriously as we stand on the word of God. Amen!

o Reverend Samuel M. Boodle, pastor at The Lutheran Church of Nassau, can be reached at P.O. Box N 4794, Nassau, Bahamas or telephone 426-9084; E-mail: lutheranchurch@coralwave.com, Website: www.Nassaulutheranchurch.org.

What and where is your gym -- any gym? Is it a sophisticated one for the elites or the plain simple ones for the plebeians? Or do you just get in a good old workout on the park or along the roadway? Call it whatever you like, but it's the place where you work out in pursuit of a healthier, better looking you.

How many hours have you piled up, and what is the result? You have probably spent days beating your body in subjection to the spirit, and you have probably lost the pounds. Now what do you look like? Your mental capacity should be top notch.

I look at myself having piled up thousands of days, now, and I look across at others for whom the gym is interwoven into their life's repertoire and I wonder, is it worth it? I bear in mind the gossipers in the gyms who use the gym to talk people's business, to vent their bitter agonies and leave having bared their burdens, only to anxiously return for another round of more of the same. So here we go round the mulberry bush. The vast majority of persons never improve their physique through regular gym attendance. Let's see if we can nail down some principles to challenge us in the gyms of life and thus make us more productive.

You need a personal plan
Most people have no idea of what they are really going to do once they get to the gym. The objective of the gym and theirs don't really mesh. Most people's plans consist of "I think I need to get off my lazy rear and work this fat off".

They're right, but they must have a plan once they get there. If they don't, they will wander around the gym, having no clue what to do. They find a person with a physique they envy and start copying what they are doing.

We do not factor in that the person they seek to copy might just be using steroids, and could do any workout and get results, or that person has the ability to avoid carbs. What is your personal plan? What is good and proper for you and your happiness in life? Fight being intimidated and looking over other people's shoulders.

Be open to coaching
There are countless exercises to choose in most gyms. Many people only walk in the outdoors and that's it. Most don't have any idea as to where to start. We need proper coaching. You might need to walking, but what else? You might need to do bench presses or squats. Too often, we think that the machine will do the trick. You need people. We all need help. We were placed here to walk together. We do not have all the answers. We should shut up and listen to someone else sometimes.

Track progress
Everyone goes to the gym to get better. "Better" varies based on your goals, but we all seek improvement. Whether the goal is to run faster or get stronger, you must start by establishing a base line.

Pick some exercises and see how much you can do. You might see how much weight you can lift. Measure how far you can run in a certain amount of time. Whatever you can do, write it down. Then the next time you work out, try to do more. If you can't do more, try to figure out why.

To get started, get a piece of paper and a pencil. Write down what your goals are. Make them specific, attainable and measurable (SAM). Next, you need a plan.

You need to write a workout program that will allow you to achieve your goals. Need help? Ask a friend or an expert to assist you design a program.

The final step is to execute your plan, tracking your progress along the way. It's worth it. You'll look better, live longer, feel better, think more deeply and positively, become more livable, be less cantankerous, people will love you more, your family will appreciate you more, friends will invite you over, and, when you die, no one will have to tell lies at your funeral, boosting your image in death.

We are all in the gym of life. Apply yourself and make plans. You need a coach. Life was never made to go it alone. In fact, Jesus sent his disciples out two by two.

We all need a shoulder to cry on, friends to share and bounce ideas. If you go it alone, the devil will swift you like wheat. You are no match for him. Chart your progress and write things down. Remember, a goal has a deadline. How else will you measure the degree of your effort? Work out you must, but you must be going somewhere or you will get nowhere fast and worn out.

o Reverend Canon S. Sebastian Campbell is the rector at St. Gregory's Anglican Church.

Commonwealth Bank (CB) yesterday announced in its unaudited report for 2014 that it continues to record low levels of nonperforming loans compared to the industry averages. Impaired loans represent 5.8 percent of its total outstanding loans by the year's end, compared to the industry's impaired loans. CB reduced its loan impairment expenses by $3.4 million compared to 2013. Charged off loans fell by nearly $6.5 million in 2014 to $28.4 million, while balance sheet allowances for loan impairment grew by $1.2 million over 2013 to $55.5 million.

CB President Ian Jennings yesterday told Guardian Business that the good news is largely thanks to CB's limited commercial book and a smaller percentage in mortgages, which had contributed greatly to the country's impaired loans. The industry's impaired loans, as reported by The Central Bank, were 16.1 percent of aggregate loans of all banks.

"We remain focused as a personal banker. We have a very small commercial book, which a lot of the other banks are struggling with at the moment. We continue to try and position ourselves as the leader in consumer lending," he said.

While Jennings noted that nonperformance within those sectors is increasing for CB, they represent a smaller share of the whole of CB's portfolio. He added that the bank's strict 180-day write-off policy and a general decrease in loan write offs for 2014 reflected improved delinquency. However, Jennings noted that the bank has experienced a "slow creep" from mortgages, given the continued stagnancy of the real estate market.

"We continue to work with as many customers as possible, but it's just a very long, slow process. We really need a boost of employment before we can start to reduce [the number of troubled mortgages]," said Jennings.

The bank yesterday reported an unaudited total profit of $53 million in 2014 with total assets of $1.47 billion as of December 31, 2014. Earnings were up seven percent over 2013 while total assets were up three percent over 2013. William Sands Jr., executive chairman of Commonwealth Bank, welcomed the news in a press release issued yesterday.

"I am pleased with the bank's results in 2014. They confirm that our business strategy remains appropriate and that our staff remains both capable and dedicated to the plan as laid out by the board and executive management," said Sands.

Interest expense for the year was $31.7 million compared to $35.5 million a year earlier, with Sands noting, "Although the bank grew its loan book by three percent in 2014, the timing of the growth was such that it did not materially impact fiscal 2014. We expect to see the full impact of the growth in 2015 when the new loans would have earned interest for a full year."

The bank's earnings per share was $0.49, return on assets was 3.3 percent and return on equity was 23.1 percent compared to $0.46, 3.1 percent and 23.0 percent in 2013, respectively. Dividend payments totaled $0.30 per share in 2014 and were unchanged from 2013.

"Commonwealth Bank remains grateful to our customers and shareholders for their continued support. I want to personally thank every member of our team of dedicated professionals who are integral to our success," said Sands.