Rick Burgess: Looking into the Future with Faith

January 7, 2025December 26, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

After more than three decades on the airwaves, the iconic “The Rick and Bubba Show” is making way for new ventures and possibilities for host Rick Burgess. The show, which debuted in January 1994, became a mainstay of Southern radio entertainment and made Burgess and his partner Bill “Bubba” Bussey household names and favorite local celebrities.

As he approached his 60th birthday, however, Burgess felt like “The Rick and Bubba Show” was complete. “We’ve seen so many incredible things in 31 years,” Burgess said. ‘We’ve experienced success together and Bubba’s a big part of that. As much as I loved it, though, I started to sense that we had more memories than future plans. This new venture feeds our men’s ministry, my wife Sherri’s ministry, our Bible studies, and so forth. I really want to cast one vision.”

The Rick Burgess Show group shot — Rick assures listeners that the new radio show will feel familiar. It is available on the same stations and platforms as the “Rick and Bubba Show” was, and features Chris Adler, Rick’s brother Greg Burgess and Speedy in starring roles.

The Rick Burgess Show. Debuting on January 6, 2025, “The Rick Burgess Show” will go back to the roots of comedy–but a style of comedy unique to Rick and his show partners (which include the familiar team members of Calvin “Speedy” Wilburn, Greg Burgess, and Chris Adler). “I want to take the show back to the comedy you’d expect from us. It’s not lewd, it’s not blue, but it’s not prudish either,” Burgess said. “It has a clever edge, but not an offensive kind of edge.” The main focus of the show, he said, is lifestyle, comedy, and some faith elements. There will be less politics and sports–two topics that became more important in recent years on “The Rick and Bubba Show.” Burgess stressed that the faith element will remain an important part of the new show, but that he and his team want to earn the right to talk about their faith with listeners. He compares that goal to the way he approaches attendees at his men’s conferences. He often speaks to men’s groups and has his own ministry to men; in approaching those men, he knows that many attend his events because of his celebrity status. “At conferences, the first thing I do is tell funny stories,” he said. “A lot of men have come into a church or an arena, and we’ve earned the right to develop a relationship with them through entertainment. I tell stories, then they say ‘Yeah, this is the guy I know.’ We want the new show to be the same way.” He laughs that he doesn’t want listeners to think, “Oh no. Rick’s about to give us a five-hour Bible study.”

“We’re Christians who do radio, and we’re on secular stations and platforms,” he said. “We understand where we are and who we’re talking to.” The show will air daily from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. CT. on approximately 60 stations in 18 states including Birmingham radio station WZZK, streaming apps, YouTube, and at rickburgessshow.com. According to Burgess, his journey to radio was something built into his character from a young age; he knows that it’s something God placed on him as a calling. His mother loved to tell about how he would put a wiffle ball bat into the cushion of a chair to create a makeshift microphone, then pair it with a recorder. “I would do a radio show right there,” he said. “As long as I’ve been conscious of what it was, I’ve had this desire to be in radio. I’m not sure where that pull came from.” Burgess does know, however, the moment when he realized that his passion for radio could be a witness to his faith. “In 1996, when I was redeemed, it became clear why this was put into my life,” he said. “It was to glorify Him.”

We had the pleasure of watching the first Rick Burgess show live from the studio and spoke with Rick afterwards about the big first day. Watch the video below to learn more.

Although Burgess was raised in a Christian family, he said that he was a “cultural” Christian even at the time that the original radio show began. He said that Jesus was his Savior, but not his Lord. When he was convicted about the nature of his relationship with God, it changed everything. “I wasn’t transformed by my faith, and I didn’t submit to the authority of Jesus. I was raised in the cultural side of Christianity, so when I was old enough not to go, I didn’t go to church,” he said. “But then I was convicted with the question of ‘Why don’t I have a desire to go to church?’” He soon learned that God would only give him responsibility when he was ready for it. Once Burgess began walking in a closer spiritual relationship, the things of God became important, and he began building a ministry.

Today, that ministry is large and varied. Burgess houses his entertainment ministry under the BIG Vox umbrella (named after the Latin word for “voice” and because Burgess laughs, he has a big, loud voice); he and his wife have Burgess Ministries (which include wife Sherri’s books, marriage conferences, women’s and men conferences, devotionals, curriculum, and anything ministry-related); they also run the 501C3 Bronner Burgess Memorial Fund where they give to ministries around the world in the name of their late son.

Rick and Sherry Burgess — Burgess shares that he and Sherri’s marriage is based on mutual respect and an understanding of God’s plan for their relationship. “Men and women are equal, but they are distinct.” Sherri is the author of *Bronner, a Journey to Understand*, and is currently working on another book.

A primary focus for Burgess is his work with men, which takes place through conferences, Bible studies and curriculum, and a new book coming out in May titled Men Don’t Run in the Rain. Burgess started The Man Church in 2020, with the intent of providing discipleship resources to men and their leaders. Through conferences and small group curriculum and devotionals, The Man Church strives to equip men with what they need to succeed in their Christian walk. “We realized that we had a lot of resources for men, but that what was missing was discipleship,” Burgess said. “We challenge men, but we don’t equip them. If you don’t equip men, you build frustration because they feel like you’re telling them what to do, but not how to do it.” To equip men, Burgess’ ministries provide practical advice and help. Its five 40-week curriculum for small groups, for example, has helped men in more than 2,000 churches. The Man Church conferences don’t offer just fellowship and worship–they challenge and equip participants. Men Don’t Run in the Rain will be exclusively available at the Man Church conferences in January and will then be sold to the general public with book signings, podcast appearances, and other events in May. The book, Burgess said, was inspired by his father who passed away just over a year ago. “My father was a unique individual, and I never met anyone quite like him,” he said. “It was great to have a wonderful dad, but I know not everyone can say that.” The book tells stories about his father with a touch of humor, while also including Biblical applications that his father taught him. “I’ve never written anything like this. With books I’ve written before, I never thought that they sounded like me,” Burgess said. “But this one has my voice. It’s raw and who I really am.” He and Sherri also serve through their local church– Valleydale Church in Birmingham– where he serves as a deacon, leads the men’s ministry and together they teach a life group with another couple.

Burgess Family Photo — The Burgess family continues to grow with the addition of two daughter-in-laws.

While his life is busy, Burgess knows that this is the perfect season of his life for the activities and ministries. His children are grown, his marriage is a priority, and there’s more time and resources to serve together in ministry. “We’re empty nesters, and we can now do different things,” he said. “A lot of research says that the years from 60 to 70 can be the most impactful of a man’s life. I feel like I have more energy now at 60 than I did at 40. I’m prepared for this next decade.” As Burgess looks at his past and into the future, he says that his vision is illustrative of how Christians should see their lives. “The way I feel about the show and my life is that if your memories are more important than your vision, then you may need to change how you look at things,” he said. “We know the end, and we win. We should be the most joyful of all people.”

-Cheryl Wray

November 26, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

Jeff Allen isn’t there yet, but he’s well on his way. It’s been a long journey, but he isn’t walking it alone now.

His comedy tour Are We There Yet? brings Allen’s journey into the light and demonstrates comedy from agony. He isn’t merely telling a sad story. His hilarious comedy drives home the humor in everyday family life, the ups and downs of marriage, the challenge of rearing children, and the joys of being a grandparent. He laughs and jokes and sometimes gets emotional relating devastating hardships. Allen brings family audiences along with him and will take the stage here in Birmingham this month. He puts out good, clean humor with a great message to boot.

Jeff Allen on stage — You can laugh with Jeff Allen in Hoover at the Stardome Comedy Club on December 21, 2024. Click here for details on how you can win eight tickets to the show.

In Are We There Yet?, Allen’s comedy has become a tour worthy of family entertainment. Now in his fifth decade as a working comedian, Allen’s show first features his brilliant standup comedy, which has garnered hundreds of millions of fans around the globe. The second part is based on his book, Are We There Yet? My Journey from a Messed up to Meaningful Life (released 2023) which tears down all walls and shows Allen’s journey from very dark times, to recovery, to restoration, and ultimately to redemption through Jesus Christ. He opens his shows by inviting people to support local charities. His goal is “to make a difference that outlives the tour… that outlives me.” Allen’s rapid-fire humor is a hit with all ages. A live comedy favorite, at times both gut-wrenching and sidesplitting, the Are We There Yet? tour offers a unique glimpse into his crazy world.

Exactly what makes Allen special? His comedy is relatable; the sublime craftmanship in his act is flawless; he can spend 90 minutes on stage and not say anything you wouldn’t want your granddaughter to hear. Allen enjoys performing at early hours to draw parents and older audiences to his shows. “I’ll get parents home before their babysitter has time to get caught in an embarrassing situation,” he jokes. “Really, it’s that my audience doesn’t go out much after 8 p.m., so we started asking clubs to let me do 5 p.m. or 5:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and they quickly sold out.” In both the book and tour, Are We There Yet?, Allen takes audiences on the rollercoaster ride that his life and career took before he found redemption. Allen drastically reworked what had been an angry act filled with foul and hateful language. His comedy was reinvented: he became a smiling, happy comic who works clean. “I had a heart change. It was interesting because the comedy material didn’t change much. It was just how it was delivered- the vessel changed.”

Jeff Allen with wife and grandchildren — Jeff and Tami Allen have four grandchildren. Each year, they spend two weeks of dedicated time with them.

Pursuing a Moronic Lazy Atheist. Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of Allen can be measured in consistent “laughs per minute.” He shares the inspirational and at times laugh-out-loud story of how God rescued him from drunken alcoholism, cocaine and despair through the book of Ecclesiastes. He started listening to three taped sermons a day about all aspects of the Bible, including Jesus. Before redemption, Allen describes himself as “a shallow, empty, vacuous man filled with anger; a jaded, bitter, foul-mouthed cynical man- definitely, not a nice man- with a very large ego.” Long before he knew or believed there was a God, that same God used an ancient poem, The Hound of Heaven by Francis Thompson, to pull him into a different reality. Allen saw himself in the poem. Through symbolism, The Hound of Heaven pictures God ever pursuing a deviant, depressed man while he runs. God so follows the fleeing soul by His divine grace that the soul feels the pressure to turn to Him alone in that never-ending pursuit. God chased Allen in another rather odd way through a friend he had met at a golf course. This man had done well in business, and Allen began asking him about ways to make money. Phil explained, “You don’t want a lot of money.” “I don’t?” “No, you can’t handle what little you have. To enjoy the creation, you must have a relationship with the One who created it. When you can handle a little, you will be entrusted to handle a lot.”

Jeff Allen has traveled extensively for his comedy shows. But the Stardome Comedy Club in Hoover holds a special place in his heart because of his friendship with owner Bruce Ayers.

“Phil got me thinking about life in a way I never had before. I didn’t know it at the time, but Jesus got people to open up by asking questions. The problem? Great wealth was my mighty goal.” Allen hadn’t counted on the friend being a Christian and calling his atheism “simple moronic laziness,” an atheist who couldn’t come up with anything he disagreed with in the Bible because he had never read it. Thus began the friend’s mailing him tape after tape of the whole Bible preached by Tommy Nelson. Of course, Allen threw the tapes in a closet until years later when his marriage was all but gone and his stage appearances were failing. For years he had been taking his rage out on his wife and those around him by verbally berating them and making nasty jokes. “I had started a journey where I explored all kinds of philosophies. After seven or eight years of recovery and self-help and New Age and Buddhism, I realized that there was no point to this life. My beautiful wife who loved me was so frustrated with me. I had children that were healthy, I had a job I loved, but there was no point to it,” Allen shares, adding, “When I was 14, my father told me there is no God, and I believed him… Eventually, I went into a 12-step program, and they said, “Pray,” and I said “To what?” They said “Well, something bigger than you in this universe.” It’s interesting how arrogant a drunk can be. I said, “Is there anything larger than me in the universe? Are you kidding me? I am the center of the universe.” Allen sought help in almost everything. Eventually, he found the tossed aside tapes and started listening to the Bible sermons. Ecclesiastes 1:1 spoke his language of hopelessness. “When I heard ‘meaningless, meaningless, all in life is meaningless,’ I agreed. That was my conclusion, too- nothing mattered. I was a full-blown nihilist; nothing mattered. What I really got out of that first sermon tape was life without God will have no meaning, and without meaning, there’s no purpose- and in a life without purpose, suicide. That summed up my eight-year search. I personally couldn’t find anything that gave me lasting peace or joy. That’s why I’m so concerned about today’s millennials who choose these same thought patterns and are their own gods.” Allen kept listening to the tapes. “Jesus said, ‘Don’t worry about this life, I’ll give you a new counselor in the form of the Holy Spirit.’ That was a new way of viewing of the world. It ushered in the proverbial ‘come-to-Jesus’ meeting. I got on my knees and when my friend who was leading me to Jesus asked, ‘Can you admit you’re a sinner? I said, well, let’s not go overboard… yeah… I know what I am. I know what I am.’”

Besides Allen, his wife Tami and two children had much repair work to do. The divorce papers remained unfiled, and his children had to come to terms with all of it and are still doing so. To his son who said he didn’t really remember much of the angry early life, Jeff responded, “You may not remember what I poured into you but one day your wife will draw it out of you.” Breast cancer challenged Tami’s life. After her thirty-first radiation treatment, she declared that she was not going to be defined by cancer and even helped Allen in some of his standup comedy. These days Allen is involved with One Church Home in Fairview, Tenn., and sometimes leads men’s groups. Often, he performs comedy routines as fundraisers in communities and for corporations. A summer delight each year is two dedicated weeks with the grandkids. God brought Allen into His kingdom, rescuing him from addictions and despair. Allen is thirty-one years alcohol and drug free and is helping clean up comedy one bleep at a time. The Hound of Heaven, through the book of Ecclesiastes, captured the heart of the raucous comedian who cleaned up his act. Allen walks with the Hound now. “When all has been heard, the conclusion of the matter is this: fear God and keep His commands because this is for all humankind” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).

-Sheila E. Moss: author of Living to Matter: Mothers, Singles, and the Weary and Broken; Interrupting Women: Ten Conversations with Jesus; and international publications derived from teaching Bible and Christian ethics in Africa, Ukraine, Venezuela, and England; teacher of Bible classes for 35+ years; mother of five adult children and grandmother of eleven.

Jeff Allen on Football in Alabama

“One of my favorite Alabama stories is when Tami and I first moved to Tennessee. I had a gig at the Stardome in Birmingham. Earlier that month Tami and I had purchased a van from a friend of ours in Knoxville. Tami showed dogs and needed something to transport dogs to and from the shows. This particular weekend she didn’t have a show, but I did, so we decided to pack the kids up and head to the Stardome. We stopped in Huntsville on the way down and visited the Space Museum and headed toward Birmingham. It was a beautiful fall day. I had the windows open, and we were having a great afternoon. As soon as we got into the Birmingham area, people were honking at us, yelling out their windows and waving obscene gestures at us. I must admit it was perplexing until I stopped to fill up our tank and I noticed the Wheel connected to the back of the van had a huge orange “T” on it. I asked Tami if she thought that that might be the source of the angst that we had been subjected to. She told me to take it off and see. Well low and behold it stopped. It was my first introduction to football in Alabama. I always try to find something positive in every situation, so here is my take. I was able to unite the two football rivals on a Saturday afternoon. Auburn and Alabama fans got together for the first time and agreed that they hate Tennessee. For that I am proud to be a uniter not a divider.”

October 28, 2024October 25, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

An entire generation of television watchers know Danica McKellar as one of the stars of the 1980s television show The Wonder Years. Her portrayal of young Winnie Cooper was delicate and heartwarming and one of the main reasons the Emmy Award-winning show is still beloved. Now McKellar is beloved for another kind of role, as she’s become one of the most popular leading ladies in the ever-popular Christmas movie genre. She says that these roles- first on the Hallmark Channel, and now on the faith-based Great American Family television network- are what gives her particular joy. They represent, she said, the kind of behavior model she wants to set and the kind of entertainment programming there needs to be more of today.

Dancing on A Cinderella Christmas Ball — Danica loved the element of dancing in “A Cinderella Christmas Ball,” which had two dances choreographed for it by “Dancing with the Stars” professional dancer Gleb Savchenko. McKellar herself competed on the dancing reality show in 2014 and finished in sixth place. Cover Story Photos Courtesy: Great American Media

A Cinderella Christmas Ball. McKellar stars in a new Christmas movie to premiere on Black Friday (November 29, 2024) called A Cinderella Christmas Ball. In the movie, McKellar plays Chelsea Jones, a dance instructor from Chicago who travels to a fictional European country to learn more about her long-lost birth parents. While there, she has to teach a stubborn prince (played by Oliver Rice) to dance in preparation for a royal ball designed to help him find a wife. “It’s the story of a woman who is trying to find her biological father, and she has a heart for foster kids,” McKellar said. “She finds a clue before Christmas about her father, and it takes her to Havenshire. The search isn’t going well so she gets a job as a dance teacher to help this very reluctant prince. And he helps me on this emotional journey to find my father while helping me learn to dance.” Over the years, McKellar starred in 18 movies for the Hallmark Channel. She’s played the main character in Christmas movies, but also mysteries and romantic comedies. The movies have always been inspiring, but now the movies she stars in are even more faith centric. “I’ve been associated with wholesome television since I was a kid,” she said. “It started on ‘The Wonder Years,’ and that’s what feels best. I’ve played roles that don’t show human nature in the best light, and I don’t want to do that anymore. I want to lift people up.” McKellar said she was in her 30s when she asked herself what sort of stories she wanted to tell through her acting. “What do I want to spend time doing? What kind of stories do I want to put in people’s living rooms?” she asked herself. “It’s so rewarding to have roles that model good behavior.” McKellar, who has authored numerous educational math books for kids and teenagers (she took a break from acting and graduated summa cum laude from UCLA with a degree in mathematics), served as a writer on her latest Christmas movie and is looking toward writing more in the future. “I write educational books for kids, making math fun, and have written high school geometry textbooks,” she said. “But I’ve also been an actress forever, read a billion scripts, and have ideas for movies with more faith involved.”

The Wonder of Christmas Movies. McKellar said that she appreciates how much people love Christmas movies; in fact, they’ve become an important holiday tradition for many. “People love the cozy Christmas movies, the cozy rom-coms, the cozy mysteries,” she said. “People talk about how they’re an escape. The world gets crazier and more divided all the time, so they do offer an escape. But I think these movies do even more than provide an escape.” She said that the movies model a certain kind of behavior and show what human nature can be. “They show what’s possible when you want to do the right thing,” she said. “Yes, you have struggles, but you want to do it the right way and do the right thing. These are standards that mostly we don’t get to see on TV.” According to Bill Abbott, the President and CEO of Great America Media (home to the Great American Family Network and other family-friendly entertainment brands), his company focuses on Christmas “as it’s meant to be.” The former Hallmark Channel executive who has been instrumental in creating the fastest growing network on television over the last year said that Great American Family’s Christmas movies recognize that the true celebration of the season is the birth of Christ. “We know that the focus of the season is religious. It’s not commercial, but thoughtful and thought provoking,” Abbott said. “We’re not going to run away from faith. We’re unabashed and proud of faith, family, and country.” He said that fans of such Christmas movies are passionate, and they’ve helped make the network and streaming service extremely successful. “We’re proud to now be a big part of creating Christmas movies,” he said. “We have a rabid fan base that loves what we do.” Abbott credits Great American Family’s slate of celebrities as one reason that fans are drawn to its movies, television shows, and other programming. In addition to McKellar, the company features Candace Cameron Bure among other stars. “Candace, Danica, and our other celebrities are so ideal for what we represent. They are different from what else we see in Hollywood,” he said. “And it’s no surprise that many of them were childhood stars. There’s a nostalgia there, and they represent our brand really well.”

Danica McKellar and Bill Abbott — Danica McKellar is seen here with Great American Media’s Bill Abbott.

McKellar said that she’s thankful to work with Great American Family. “I love the movies, and I love the family,” she said. “It’s a dream.” McKellar worked with Abbott at Hallmark, and she credits him for reviving her career and for making her such a big part of the Christmas movie genre. While McKellar calls Abbott the “mind behind the Christmas movie phenomenon,” he himself said there were a number of people who deserve credit for the popular trend. He and others recognized that Christmas is all about tradition- whether it’s meeting with family, making cookies, ice skating, celebrating with music, and other common tropes of the genre–and holiday movies extend the tradition even further. “Christmas moves are a great way to embrace the season,” he said. At Great American Media- the home of Great American Family, Great American Faith, Great American Adventures, and Pure Flix- those movies are closely acquainted with faith. “There are so many ways to tell stories with faith in them,” McKellar said. “Some have faith on the side. Maybe we see that the character has faith, and they lean on it through the story. Or maybe they go through a faith journey. Whatever it is, I’m interested in stories that explore faith itself.”

A Cinderella Christmas Ball — Right before Christmas, Chelsea Jones (McKellar) finds a mysterious photo that takes her on a journey. The photo’s handwritten inscription reads, “Our place, Havenshire, December 23, 1984.” With only the internet, a plane ticket, and lifelong determination to go on, Chelsea now has four days in Havenshire to solve the mystery of her birth family. Along the way, she’ll have to sneak into a castle, teach a stubborn Prince how to dance, and be in just the right place on Christmas Eve when the bells toll.

Focus on Faith. For McKellar, faith has been a relatively new part of her life. “I’ve only been on my faith journey for about two and a half years,” she said. “I’m now on my second time reading through the Bible, and I used to have the impression that it was sort of long and boring and a list of rules. But it’s filled with all sorts of things, and it’s really fun to get into it.” McKellar, who has been married to her lawyer husband Scott Sveslosky since 2014 and homeschools her teenage son, said that she’s interested now in sharing her faith through her acting projects. She’s found herself watching many of Pure Flix’s faith-based programs and has been inspired to develop similar ideas for movies in the future. Abbott also credits his faith for all of his plans and priorities. He grew up in a Christian family with parents who instilled a mentality about the way you treat others. His father was in the military, so he learned early that faith, country, and character were of utmost importance. “I’m very blessed to do what I do,” he said, “and to focus on faith.”

Danica McKellar Family — Danica, 49, was born in California and has been married to lawyer Scott Sveslosky since 2014. Her son, Draco, is 14 and Danica said she loves homeschooling and spending time with her teenager. Left to Right: Mom Mahaila McKellar, son Draco, Danica, and husband, Scott.

Getting Ready for Christmas. Both McKellar and Abbott say they love the Christmas season and look forward to their upcoming Christmas projects, and the season in general. McKellar said she usually gets ready for Christmas even before Thanksgiving has arrived, and this year looks forward to the premiere of A Cinderella Christmas Ball. “I love that it will premiere on Black Friday,” she said, noting that she’ll be live-Tweeting during the movie. “For many people it’s the first acceptable day to start celebrating Christmas.” Abbott said that he loves the Christmas season, and he has excitement for the projects his company has in store for this year and beyond. “I’m a huge Christmas fan,” he said. “I’ve always loved the music, and the season, and the feeling of home.” This year, the network is hosting a Christmas Festival in New York City featuring meet-and-greets with its brand talent, movie screenings, Christmas experiences, a Santa village, and much more. And on the networks and online, Great American Media has 18 Christmas movies featured for 2024. At www.greatamericanfamily.com, visitors can find almost 100 Christmas programs in total. And the network is already getting ready for 2025, with plans for brand-new Christmas movies. “We’re always looking to elevate the quality of our content,” Abbott said. “We’ll focus on both faith and family, and we have some really high-quality movies coming next year.” With the Christmas season just around the corner, that’s good news for everyone who loves cozy stories with a message of faith.

-Cheryl Wray

October 8, 2024September 25, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Diane Waud with grandchildren and husband

Cover Story

Diane Waud proudly accepts the title of “the South’s grandmother” stemming from the viral video skits produced by the popular “It’s a Southern Thing” YouTube channel. Waud’s video appearances have garnered millions of views online. The retired Mountain Brook kindergarten teacher is surprised by the notoriety that her acting in the comedy sketches has brought her, and she said she’s an example of someone who continues to learn and love new things as she gets older.

Waud’s work with Birmingham-based Red Clay Media and the “It’s a Southern Thing” videos began in 2017 when one of its creators Talia Lin reached out to Waud for help. “We knew each other from Virginia Samford Theatre, where I’d performed with the Birmingham Sugar Babies tap dancers over the years,” Waud said. “She sent me a message on Facebook after my retirement asking me to give her a call. They were looking for a grandma figure for a video.” Waud, with no formal theatrical training, dove into the project and relied on her background as a kindergarten teacher. “That was my stage,” she said. “When I did read-alouds, I’d become the characters with the voices and everything. I loved performing the books for my students.” Her first video with “It’s a Southern Thing” was one on what causes traffic jams in the South, but another one soon after became one of its most viewed. Titled “Choosing your Grandma Name is Serious Business,” the sketch shows the plight of a new grandmother choosing an appropriate name. She considers Granny, Memaw, and Mimi before settling on Grammy. Waud plays the main grandmother as she considers names at a store while interacting with other customers. She ends the sketch with the line, “Bless your heart.” That video had 3.6 million views at the time of this publication, and Waud said its popularity ever since its debut six years ago has amazed her. “After it came out, Adam Schwartz {the other primary creator at “It’s a Southern Thing”} called me and asked me if I was looking at the numbers,” she said. “I try not to look at things like that, but sometimes it’s hard not to watch. You want people to like what you’re doing. And Adam couldn’t believe how it just kept going up and up. He said they’d never had numbers like it.”

Diane Waud reading book in skit — Diane is often asked to act in an “It’s a Southern Thing” video when it calls for an older woman–not just a grandmother. The creators like to have characters of all different ages represented in the comedy sketches.

Since then, Waud has continued to make videos for the company and is always available whenever the creators come up with a new idea that needs an older actor. One of her most recent was something called a “hash it out” sketch where people debate over important Southern topics; the issue in question was “Which would you rather be trapped in? Bass Pro Shops vs Buc-ees?” Waud said that the videos provide entertainment, and they make viewers laugh at distinctly Southern things. “It’s just funny humor, and everyone can identify with them,” she said, “although they aren’t popular just in the South. We were in Montana and a man came up to me and recognized me. He told me that he didn’t watch television anymore but found us on YouTube.” Waud’s husband Bill and children have become accustomed to her being recognized while in public, and said they call it being found “in the wild.” After church just a few weeks ago, Waud said a young woman approached her while eating lunch. “She was a huge fan, and she came to the table and said, ‘Excuse me, are you this lady?” and showed me a video. We took a picture together,” she said. “It’s important to me to be kind to people when they approach me. It’s fun, and I hope they walk away saying she’s really a nice person.”

Rooted In and Raising a Family in Birmingham. Waud was born and raised in Birmingham, leaving to attend the University of Alabama and then coming home to teach kindergarten at Brookwood Forest Elementary School. She met her husband at her home church, Brookwood Baptist in Mountain Brook, when he moved to Birmingham from Illinois to work at Southern Research. “He knew someone from the Army who went to Brookwood, and he visited one day,” she said. “We didn’t have a lot of singles, and they wouldn’t seek out the church, so it was a God thing.” She and Bill raised their children Edward and Elizabeth in Mountain Brook where she taught kindergarten for decades. Waud initially taught for five years, went home with children for 12 years, and then came back to teach for another 20 years all at the same school. “I truly believe God gifted me as a teacher,” Waud said. “I used to teach school with my baby dolls, and I never thought about doing anything else.” During her years at Brookwood Forest, Waud’s students were known as “Waudos” and they often shared the sentiment, “Once a Waudo, always a Waudo.” In fact, the relationships she built with her students are what made her love teaching so much. “Every year I put an ad in the Mountain Brook High School yearbook with a picture of the kindergarten class of seniors I taught,” she said. “The last students I taught are in 9th grade this year,” she said, adding, “I loved the relationships with my kids, with other teachers, and with the parents of my kids.” Today, Waud continues to cherish the place she calls home and often brags about the South, the Birmingham area, and Mountain Brook in particular. “I work, shop, worship, and do everything in the place I’ve lived all my life,” she said.

Watch the video below to learn more about “It’s a Southern Thing” videos plus Waud’s time as a kindergarten teacher in Mountain Brook.

Diane Waud with husband and children — Diane, husband Bill, her children, and their spouses enjoy adventures and traveling together. When traveling, they’re often surprised when people recognize Diane from her videos.

Living a Life of Faith. Waud grew up in the church, and her husband’s father was a pastor. They continued that priority with their own family, and she credits her faith as the guiding force in her life. “Growing up, on Sunday morning there was no option but to get up and go to church,” she said “For our family, that was the choice for us too. And thankfully, our children never fought us on that.” Waud said that during her time at the University of Alabama, she became very involved in Campus Crusade with Christ while also finding wonderful friends through her sorority. And their two children had similar experiences when they went away to college. “Bill and I are very blessed that both of our children are very involved in their churches, and it really started in college,” she said. “Our son went to Wake Forest, and he became involved in the Reformed Fellowship through the Presbyterian Church, and our daughter went to Georgia where she found a wonderful group of Christian friends.” Today, the Waud family also includes seven grandchildren- four who live in Nashville with their son and daughter-in-law, and three who live in Birmingham with their daughter’s family (where she works as a pediatrician). “The grandchildren are all ages nine and under,” Waud said, “so whenever we’re all together, it’s something else.” Waud makes it a priority to spend individual time with her grandchildren when possible, and each year they spend a week together in August at a house on a nearby lake. She encourages young parents and grandparents to devote time to the children in their lives and to be deliberate in making faith an integral part of it. “In this day and age, families are so incredibly busy and there are so many things that can pull you away from church,” Waud said. “The world isn’t going to make it easy for you, so there are deliberate choices that you have to make as a family.”

Bass Pro Shops vs Buc ees photo — “It’s a Southern Thing” videos are shared on Facebook, YouTube, and most recently on TikTok. Waud will soon be recording another season of “has it out” videos with “It’s a Southern Thing.”

Always Moving Forward. Waud also likes to encourage women her age to always be moving forward. She believes that it’s important to try new things and expand your interests and experiences. That’s what landed her in the “It’s a Southern Thing” videos, and it’s what moves her to regularly try other new things. Her time with the Birmingham Sugar Babies tap dance team ended in 2022, but she still meets with her dancing friends from those days. And she’s recently decided to extend her acting experiences onto a theatre stage. “Last year I went to season auditions for Red Mountain Theatre and showed up at a cattle call with 300 other people,” she said. “I got a call back, and last April I was in ‘Sister Act.’ I had speaking lines as one of the nuns, and it was more fun than you can imagine.” She hopes to spend more time on the stage, where she loves to connect with young people and work on her acting chops. And she’s always ready to film another “It’s a Southern Thing” video. Thank you Diane Waud for giving grandmas a good name!

-Cheryl Wray

August 27, 2024August 27, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

Birmingham Christian Family (BCF) is now in its 25th year of publishing. To mark this milestone, we want to take a look back at the cover stories in the past year with new details. Click on the cover image or link to read these stories. Or if you prefer, simply visit BirminghamChristian.com/Issues and scroll to read your favorites online.

November 2023

Jean and Jeremiah Castille

Jeremiah Castille is a former University of Alabama cornerback who played for Coach Paul “Bear” Bryant before heading to the NFL. He has been the University of Alabama’s Football Chaplain for over 22 years and has been married to his wife Jean for 41 years. They use their life experiences to minister to young athletes, couples, and families through the Jeremiah Castille Foundation. They will be speaking on “Discipling Like a Coach” at the Legacy Coalition 2025 National Summit held at Shades Mountain Baptist Church, Birmingham. Read their story here.

December 2023

Danna Standridge

Danna Standridge is a faith-filled southern cook with over 100 thousand followers on Facebook alone. Her cookbook, (ITALIC) Happiness is Homemade, Y’all is packed with delicious family recipes. She was recently on Paula Deen’s Love & Best Dishes YouTube channel. See Standridge on the Sweet Grown Alabama Celebrity Chef Stage at the Celebrate the Family Expo on September 14 at Noon. We are also thankful to have her as a regular Good News contributor to BCF. See page 31 for this month’s inspiring article and delicious recipe. Click here to read her journey.

January 2024

Ellen Skrmetti

Known for her “Hey Jesus, It’s Me” sketches and reels, Birmingham-based comedian Ellen Skrmetti believes that God wants you to have fun. Her book, Hey, Jesus, It’s Me: I Have Questions, Comments, and Concerns releases on September 17, 2024. Skrmetti shares with us how her comedy journey began during the pandemic and what inspires her comedy. Learn more here.

February 2024

Katie Britt

When Senator Katie Britt was elected to office in 2022, she became the first woman to be elected to the Senate from the state of Alabama. She shares with us what inspired her path to Washington and how she balances being a wife, mom, and a U.S. Senator. She is currently a member of the Senate’s Appropriations, Banking, and Rules Committees and is the only Republican mom of school age children serving in the Senate. Read her inspiring story here.

March 2024

Pete Hegseth

Pete Hegseth shares with us how his being revolves around three foundations he deems vital: faith, family, and freedom. Hegseth is a husband, father, writer, speaker, news personality and U.S. Army combat veteran. His new book, The War on Warriors, released in June. Click here to read his story.

April 2024

Skip Holtz

Since being featured in BCF, Birmingham Stallions Football Coach Skip Holtz led his team to a third national championship! Holtz shares with us how his faith guides him on and off the field and how his father, legendary coach Lou Holtz, continues to influence his life and coaching career. Learn more about his journey here.

May 2024

Chris and Corrie Coghlan

Chris and Corrie Coghlan found “celebrity status” in different arenas- Chris as a successful Major League Baseball player with a World Series win and Corrie as a top five finalist on the reality show “The Bachelor.” The couple shares how they met and fell in love, grew in their faith right here in Birmingham and became parents through adoption. Read their story here.

June 2024

Steven Mezrano

Birmingham lawyer Steven Mezrano is committed to living a life that reflects his Christian faith. His priorities in life are tiered: God, family, and work. He shares with how his law career journey began plus how his practice- Mezrano Alabama Injury Lawyers- works with multiple community organizations to give back to the community. Learn more here.

July 2024

Zion Redington

Zion Redington is the youngest member of Team USA’s wheelchair rugby team. At the time of press of this month’s issue, he is in Paris preparing to compete in the 2024 Paralympic Games. He and his parents share with us his inspiring story to the Games, how their faith carries them on and off the court, and Zion’s hopes for the future. Read more here.

August 2024

Dale Benton

Alabama’s TIME Dealer of the Year Dale Benton experienced a health scare that led to a surprising sabbatical. He shares with us details of that life-changing experience and how it drew him closer to the Lord. This month he and his team at Benton Nissan Hoover are helping make it possible for us to host the 5th Annual Celebrate the Family Expo on September 14, 2024. Meet them at the event. Read more of his story here.

We look forward to sharing even more GOOD NEWS in the coming year with readers like you. You’re invited to celebrate 25 years of Good News with us at the Celebrate the Family Expo on September 14, 2024 at the Hoover Met Complex’s Finley Center from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Visit www.birminghamchristian.com/expo 2024 for the most up to date details about this free, fun filled day for the whole family!

THANK YOU for reading & advertising with us!

August 27, 2024July 25, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

The traditional definition of the word “sabbatical” (according to the Oxford Dictionary) is “a period of leave granted to a professional worker for study or travel.” A more archaic definition says it’s “of or appropriate to the sabbath.” When Dale Benton, the successful owner of four car dealerships in Alabama and Tennessee, took a sabbatical in 2021, the word fit both of those definitions and surprised many people- including himself. It was a break from his high-stress career and a chance to get closer to God. Benton said that the break gave him a brand-new perspective on life and finally made his relationship with Christ his ultimate priority.

Benton Family 2 — The Bentons struggled with infertility and suffered the loss of infant twin
daughters in 2003. Victoria said her husband’s “leadership and wisdom”
helped them through those challenging times. God later blessed them with
son Daniel.

Stressed Out. Benton became one of the region’s most successful businessmen in the automobile industry, but it came with a price. Working up from sales associate, Benton owns three car dealerships in Alabama (Hoover, Bessemer, and Oxford), plus a dealership in Columbia, Tenn. As the founder and owner of Benton Automotive Group, he has been recognized with many industry accolades. This year he represented the entire state of Alabama as a TIME Dealer of the Year finalist. The prestigious award is given to the country’s most successful auto dealers who show a commitment to community service. Benton’s wife Victoria, an attorney, works with him in the business, and they are the proud parents of 15 year old son Daniel.

Dale Benton Speaking — The Bentons take pride in their business and the way it serves customers. Dale Benton is seen here in the newly renovated Hoover dealership.

Despite all of his outward success, Benton said that throughout his life he always had a striving for the next big thing. He attended and played baseball at Coastal Community College in Brewton, Ala., and then attended Kennesaw State University. When his dreams of playing professional baseball were dashed due to an injury, he went to work from the ground up at a car dealership in Atlanta. “I’d always been very competitive, and it’s a competitive business,” he said. “It fits my personality.” Benton found instant success in 1994 as a sales associate and after marrying Victoria, they moved to Alabama to continue his career. From that point on, the opportunities and advancements continued as he moved into finance and management; after that, the logical step was to own his own dealerships. He purchased his first dealership in Oxford in 2010 followed by the Hoover location in 2014. “I started to move up, and I always wanted the next step. I always wanted to achieve and get to the next level and next thing,” he said. “I was always searching.” In 2016, Benton ventured out of state with his work and purchased a Nissan dealership in Columbia, Tenn., and that same year also bought his Bessemer Nissan dealership and a Chevrolet dealership in 2018 he has since sold. “I was still looking for more,” he said.

Throughout those days Benton had his faith to lean on. He had become a Christian soon after meeting Victoria. They attended church and Bible studies. But he knew there had to be more. “We were always involved in church, and tithing was very important to us,” he said. “But Christ wasn’t my priority. I was working every night either at a store or at home, and I was always looking for another opportunity. I was trying to fill a void. I had given my life to Christ, but I didn’t have victory in Christ.” In 2018, Benton said that he began to feel distinctly aware that something wasn’t right. Then, as Covid shut down things in 2020, he also began to shut down. “Things just felt wrong. Life didn’t taste good. I always had told myself that if the stores were doing well, I was doing well,” he said. “But I knew something was different in 2018. And in 2020, nothing felt right. I couldn’t get joy. I couldn’t find happiness or peace with anything I did. I was in a cave, and I couldn’t see myself out.” In 2021, he continued searching for meaning through his work– by looking for more opportunities and buying more real estate. At that time, he said, it was all about “more, more, and more.” A health scare made him think he’d had a heart attack, but doctors couldn’t find anything wrong.

Benton Nissan Hoover ribbon cutting — The Benton Auto Group celebrates 10 years in Hoover and is dedicated to giving back to the community. Over the past six years, they have donated more than $700,000 to King’s Home and over the last three given nearly $150,000 to Foundry Ministries as well as substantial gifts to Christian Service Mission.

Taking a Break. What was the answer? Benton knew he had to do something but felt helpless. He counseled with his pastor, who encouraged him to do something unexpected and out of character- take a sabbatical. His pastor’s instructions? Leave work at the office, take a break from the job for as long as possible, abandon his cell phone, and rest in Christ through study, prayer, and other practices. “He told me I needed a sabbatical to take every stressor away. He asked me if I could take two months away, and I said yes,” Benton explained. “He told me to give my phone to my wife and let go of anything that was stressful. And that included anything related to buying or selling.” He gave his phone to Victoria, picked up a flip phone instead, and told everyone (including his employees) what he was doing. He essentially disconnected from everything. Benton said that a change didn’t happen immediately, but as he started filling himself up with Scripture and spiritual practices, he noticed a shift. He realized that he’d been a Christian for 27 years and, while everyone thought he was “fine,” there was so much missing from his life. “When you take everything else out and then start filling yourself with all the truths and the goodness of the Lord, then things change,” he said. Benton clung to 2 Corinthians 5:17, which says, “If any man comes to Christ, he is a new creature. Old things pass away and all things become new.” He shares, “I had to start believing those words. I had to open my hands and arms and surrender completely.” Benton said that it was a daily battle to change his focus from what it had been before, but after about six weeks he started seeing a difference. The hard work began to be worth it, he said. As his sabbatical ended Benton began to make changes in outside ways. He went back to work and began taking time for things like small groups and sharing his testimony. “Most men go to the grave still trying to fill the hole in their heart,” he said. “In our business, it may mean another car or another dealership. But the only thing that can fill that hole is Christ and the Holy Spirit.”

Looking to the Future. Benton also continued and increased his company’s work in the community. That work includes the annual Benton Nissan Bass Fishing Tournament to benefit King’s Home, which serves youth, women, and children fleeing abuse, neglect, or homelessness. His company also gives generously to the Foundry Ministries in Bessemer, and his employees help children in need through its annual Backpack & School Supplies Giveaway. In Anniston, he supports Interfaith Missions and in Columbia, he supports The Well Outreach. Benton also strives to be the best employer possible and credits his employees with taking care of business during his sabbatical. “Even though I want my stores to do well, I want them to be more blessed because we do more for others. I desire more favor and more influence to have more opportunity to share with others,” he said. “And I want to provide a good place to work for my employees.” He credits his family for sustaining and encouraging him during the trying times of his journey and takes every opportunity today to tell his story. “Every time I can, I want to tell my testimony,” Benton said. “I have a before and after story. And I have victory.”

— Cheryl Wray

July 24, 2024June 26, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

Birmingham’s Zion Redington will compete this August in the 2024 Paralympics in Paris, France as the youngest member of Team USA’s wheelchair rugby squad. His journey to Paris is one filled with both challenges and triumphs, fueled by a loving family and God’s protection and direction.

Humble Beginnings. Heather Redington-Whitlock first saw Zion on the website for the orphanage where he lived in China. She was immediately struck by his photograph and needed to know more about him. “I immediately knew, ‘this is my kid. This is my son.’ And within six months, he was mine,” she recalled. “It was a very short adoption process, and I received great support from wonderful Christian organizations to help the process.” The orphanage director often told Heather, and others who’d listen, that Zion had a “light” upon him. He often took pictures and gave them to Heather, reminding her of how special Zion was. He was adopted at age two and was back with Heather in the United States within a few months; he became a citizen on October 31, 2008.

Zion playing in game — Wheelchair rugby positions are based on adaptive ability, on a scale ranking muscle function. Zion is a high pointer with a 3.5 ability (the highest amount of function). Photo courtesy: Rugby Chile

Born with a disability called ectrodactyly, Zion had one finger on each hand and one toe on each foot. At age 6, he began having consultations with doctors, and the decision was made to amputate his feet to provide better mobility. Today he uses both prosthetics and a wheelchair to get around. “Zion had a congenital birth defect, but now he’s considered a quad amputee,” Heather explained. (As it relates to his current position with Team USA, the Paralympic wheelchair rugby competition is open to male and female athletes with physical disabilities such as amputation/limb loss, spinal cord injury/wheelchair users, and cerebral palsy/brain injury/stroke.) Zion joined his new family in Tenn., where his family got larger when Heather married Mark Whitlock and gained a large, blended family. His oldest brother has autism and struggles medically and his sister Zoe, 23, attends the Exceptional Foundation in Birmingham. Heather’s heart for fostering, and especially for fostering children with medical issues, is big. In total, she’s fostered 58 children. “Zoe was my 40th medical foster child and she was my first adoption from fostering,” she said. “She came to me at two years old and was adopted at 4.” She said that her desire to foster and adopt comes from her faith. “God calls us to care for the orphans and widows,” she said. “Once I adopted Zoe, God just kept bringing other kids. It was the right thing to do.” Zoe brought Heather and Mark together at church, and they were married in 2016. Mark has four adult children from a previous marriage, and his youngest daughter was adopted from China and was born with a cleft lip and palette. “I am adopted myself, and our adoption stories brought Heather and me together,” Mark said.

Redington Family — With adaptive sports competition, supportive families do a lot of traveling. Most states have one or two wheelchair rugby teams in total, so athletes and their families must travel many miles to play games.

Fierce Athlete. Zion’s journey to the Paralympics Games in Paris, which take place August 28 through September 8, began with a mother who encouraged him to find a sport he loved. “Once he had his amputation, I wanted him to try out every adaptive sport,” Heather said. “He’s done everything from basketball to track and field, to air rifle and climbing.” He was just nine years old when he first tried wheelchair rugby and was soon competing as part of the Cumberland Crushers rec wheelchair rugby team in Nashville. That began a path of steps–participating in his first wheelchair rugby tournament, making the 2023 Team USA Training Squad, playing for Team USA at the International Wheelchair Rugby Cup, receiving an invitation to selection camp for the US Wheelchair Rugby Team, making Team USA’s travel team to the Musholm Cup in Denmark – that led to Zion being invited to try out and then make the team representing the United States at the Paralympic Games in Paris.

Zion as a young boy — Zion is pictured here trying out his first rugby wheelchair at 8-years-old. Soon he was competing against athletes much older than himself.

Zion has been the youngest player on most of his teams, and at age 17 is by far the youngest on the Paralympic squad. He’s always, however, felt very welcome. “Every team I’ve been on has been great. They really feel like a family,” he said. “It’s very much a community when we come together, and I feel very included.” Zion adds that his involvement with the national teams has been exciting, and his love for the sport of wheelchair rugby is evident. “When I was 9 years old, I was already playing with older players, and later I joined the developmental team and the US team,” he said. “The Paralympic team is made up of 16 players, with 12 that travel and four who are reserves. We found out a few months ago who are traveling, and I’m one of them.” Zion said he loves the competitive nature of the sport and wants others to appreciate it as well. “When I was maybe 13, I really started enjoying it for the big hits,” he recalled. “The sport is more of a mesh between wheelchair basketball, volleyball, football, and sled hockey. But the one thing that translates from rugby is its aggressiveness. In fact, it was originally called murderball.” Once Zion became an elite athlete in the sport, Heather and Mark decided to move to Birmingham to make training easy. Lakeshore Foundation in Homewood is the home of Team USA’s wheelchair rugby and travel from Tenn. had become difficult. Heather drove Zion three hours both ways for practices, and ultimately, she told Mark they needed to move. While they loved Franklin (where Heather worked as a nanny for Christian recording artist Tasha Layton), they made the decision to relocate to Birmingham. “Once he made the developmental team, we realized he was going places. And nothing compares to Lakeshore,” she said. “We prayed a lot about it, and we know this is where God has led us.”

In the video below, Zion shares his excitement in competing in the upcoming Paralympic Games and also how his faith grounds him on and off the court.

Zion holding team USA board — Zion has competed around the world and in various competitions with Team USA and other competitive teams. He’s traveled already to Paris, Denmark, Chile, and Canada.

Faithful Family. The sacrifices for Zion’s sport are just one example of how faith leads Heather and Mark’s family dynamics. They bathe all decisions in prayer and stay connected via worship and small groups at The Church at Brook Hills. Mark recently started a job as a writer and producer at WDJC-FM. “We’re a real family with ups and downs. We have conflicts and joys alike, but we’re a family that’s grateful to be saved by grace,” Mark said. “We feel really plugged into our church and we have great support for Zoe and Zion.” The thread of faith that has run through their family’s entire journey, Heather and Mark agree, is prayer. “We pray at the dinner table, we pray for all decisions,” he said. “We know that whatever happens, we will trust the Lord. Whether Zion made the team or made it to Paris, we knew it was in God’s hands. We rejoice in the news and the journey.” Heather said she often thinks back at what Zion’s orphanage director said about him being a special child bathed in light. “I know God called Zion to shine his light in the world in relation to having a disability and being able to overcome things and to live your life,” Heather said. “He’s a witness to the light and it’s a position that God has placed on Zion. We believe it’s a message to all of us to never hide that light…”

Redington Family photo on court — Heather and Mark created a large, blended family when they married. Mark himself is adopted and found his birth parents during Covid. Their experience with adoption binds them together.

Expectant Future. Zion’s light and witness will be on display most noticeably between August 30 and September 2, when the wheelchair rugby competition takes place at the Paralympic Games. And, after that? Zion said he plans to continue competing in adaptive sports while looking forward to a future in college. The rising senior attends school through the Church at Brook Hills co-op and said that education is important to his plans. “I want to eventually do college and be an elite athlete in my sport,” he said. “I know that sports aren’t life and I’ve been taught the three A’s: academics, attitude, and ability. I know education is important, and I’m really interested in finance.” He also wants to continue to represent and teach others well about the value of people with disabilities. He encourages families to foster a sense of curiosity with a sense of respect. “I think the biggest thing is to normalize it. Look at people with disabilities with a sense of normality,” he said. “You can be curious, but we need to progress more into a mindset of curiosity combined with normalcy.” For Heather and Mark, they’ll continue to cheer on Zion during the Paris games and in upcoming competitions. And they’ll continue to put God first in all their decisions–and to teach their children to do so as well. “We pray that God’s light will continue to shine through Zion,” Mark said.

-Cheryl Wray

You can join Lakeshore Foundation for the Celebration of Champions: An Evening in Paris where you can experience an immersive experience and send of the U.S. Paralympic Wheelchair Rugby Team as they go for gold on July 26, 2024. Click here to learn more!

June 25, 2024May 29, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Steven Mezrano talking in front of white board

Cover Story

Whether it’s talking to a client, serving in his church, or working with his wife and children on the family farm, Birmingham lawyer Steven Mezrano is committed to living a life that reflects his Christian faith. He quickly lets you know that his priorities in life are tiered–first, God; then, family; followed by work.

Faith, Family, Firm. Mezrano Alabama Injury Lawyers is one of the most successful firms in the Birmingham area and specializes in injury lawsuits that have resulted in millions of dollars in settlements. For Mezrano, however, that commercial success is the lowest priority on his ladder of what he considers “true” success. “My philosophy is ‘God, family, firm.’ It all starts with God, and then ends with God,” he said. “I try to follow the instruction to ‘do unto others as you would have them do unto you,’ and I tell our lawyers to put themselves in the shoes of our clients. See things from their perspective, and then treat them the right way.” Mezrano said that his legal career emerged from those two things that take precedence over his work–his family and faith.

While Mezrano was studying to go into sports marketing, his grandfather suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease. On a visit to his grandfather, he told him that Mezrano reminded him of his grandson who was chasing a dream to follow sports marketing but who really should be a lawyer. “Growing up, my grandfather used to tell me that I was going to be a Philadelphia lawyer because I loved history and politics and that I’d argue with him,” Mezrano said. “He always said that in the days when ‘children are supposed to be seen and not heard,’ I was there arguing with him.” Before his grandfather died, Mezrano told him that he would go to law school. The plan to change from sports marketing to a career in law was accelerated when his parents were in a wreck on their way to visit him in Mobile. “They were hit by an 18-wheeler,” he said, “and a lot of things happened that started my law school journey,” he said, “and then I was in a wreck that left me with a lot of medical bills.”

Steven and Jimmy Mezrano — Mezrano is the youngest of five children and today he works alongside his brother Jimmy, who runs the operations of the law firm. Mezrano said he was reminded of the bond of family after his brother had open heart surgery last year. “We have always shared a love of Alabama football, but after his heart attack I realized that our bond was much bigger than that,” he said. “Now he works with me and we’re closer than ever.”

Despite no law career tradition in his family–his grandfather owned a restaurant, his father ran an interior design business, and his godfather was an eye doctor–Mezrano graduated from the Birmingham School of Law and received his license to practice law in 2008. His parents’ experiences after their wreck, and Mezrano’s own injury, drive his philosophy today at work. “I can tell people that I’ve been in their shoes, and I tell my lawyers to put themselves in their point of view,” he said. “When you’re in a wreck, the most important thing is how I can survive if I can’t work. We need to understand the frustration in finances and everything that goes along with that.” Today, Mezrano employs seven lawyers and 16 staff personnel. “We have offices in every major city in the state, but all of our staff works out of Birmingham,” he said. “And I’m proud to say we’re still growing.” When his office first opened, Mezrano had it blessed by his priest–and he continues to try and do work in a Christ-centered way. “When you’re a Catholic boy and in church all the time, you get a calling,” he said. “God’s calling was for me to help others through what I do. You’re trying to leave your mark with the talents He gave you.”

Family Focused. Mezrano and his wife Ashley first met at Birmingham’s St. Elias Maronite Catholic Church when they were children. “I was an altar server and I served at her baptism and her first communion,” he said, laughing, “and we always flirted back and forth at church.” They went on their “unofficial” first date when then University of Alabama student Mezrano took Ashley to her senior prom. After college, they found themselves on a double date (when Ashley refused to leave her date to go out with him), and then later reconnected after he ran into her parents, and they suggested he call her. “When we finally went out to dinner and dancing, I told her that I was going to marry her and she just laughed,” he said. Following that first “official” date in 2008, they continued dating and then married in August of 2010. They have four children (Anthony, 12; Michael, 10; Jessica, 7; and Joe, 5), live on a farm outside Birmingham where Ashley homeschools their children, and attend St. Elias as a family. “We try to spend as much time together as we can. We work the farm together, and we center our family life around God,” Mezrano said. “We make sure to pray together every night, we pray petitions for our kids, and we attend church. It’s just a priority for us.”

Steven Mezrano in front of white board — Mezrano said that law can sometimes feel like “combat” because each side is fighting hard, but he stresses to his employees that it has to be done fairly. “Law can be rough,” he said. “but everything has to be on the up-and-up. If you don’t tell the truth, it will come out.”

While his work keeps him busy, Mezrano said that it’s important to locate time together and to become father and husband (not lawyer) as soon as he’s home. “When I get home, I change clothes and we work and play together,” he said. In addition to working on the farm (including driving tractors and waking up at dawn to do chores), the family enjoys livestock competitions, swimming together and traveling with their RV. “Life is so hectic, and right now we may not be able to go on faraway trips, but we will find ways to be together,” Mezrano said. “We thank God for what time we have, and that we are able to spend that time together.” Ultimately, Mezrano said that he and his wife strive to model a Godly family to their children; they want to provide examples that teach their children that following God is the right way to live their lives. “We really believe that our sins and shortcomings can trickle down to our kids. They can see our example,” he said. “Everything we do we do because of God. We want them to see that through us. In everything, we try to put God first.”

Watch the video below to learn more about Steven Mezrano’s faith, family, mentors and more.

Church and Community. Church has been, and continues to be, an integral part of the Mezrano family. Growing up Catholic as part of a Lebanese family, and then bringing his children up in the same congregation, has great importance to Mezrano. They are involved in various activities in the church, and they often recall how their own love story and family started within the church walls. “We’re in church every Sunday with our family,” he said. In addition to church participation, Mezrano looks at other ways he can be a Christian witness. “I don’t necessarily have a Christian platform. I’m not Tim Tebow, who can quote Bible verses and tell his story,” he said. “So, instead, I see giving back as my way to live out my faith.”

At Mezrano Alabama Injury Lawyers, lawyers and other staff members work with multiple community organizations and areas of service. The firm participates in food drives, clothes drives, and holiday sponsorships; a new project has put the firm in partnership with PBS in driver safety awareness activities. The firm is also committed to providing pro bono cases and helping people who have been injured and have no insurance. “By giving back to the community, it shows that we truly care for people. It lets people know that they have a legal recourse and that we won’t take advantage of them,” Mezrano said. “Lawyers can sometimes be called ambulance chasers, but by getting to know people in the community they’ll learn that’s not what we are. We want to help people who are taken advantage of. We want to provide a voice for people.” Ultimately, Mezrano said, his sense of service comes from his faith. “I want our firm to humble ourselves. We may have it good, but others don’t. It all comes down to treating others like you want to be treated,” he said. “I have to look at myself in the mirror and know that I did the right things. And I want my kids to see that in me.”

-Cheryl Wray

April 26, 2024April 26, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

For Chris and Corrie Coghlan, parenthood is something to be celebrated this month and all year long, especially as they consider how God brought them together and then helped create a family through adoption. The couple had found “celebrity status” in two different arenas – Chris as a successful Major League Baseball player with a World Series win and Corrie as a top-five finalist on the reality show “The Bachelor” – but finding each other and then establishing a family through Birmingham based Lifeline Children’s Services truly made their lives full. “I hope that when they [people] see the Coghlans that they see a reflection of the love that Christ has for us and them,” Corrie said of their journey to parenthood, “and that when the world looks at us, they see Jesus shining through.”

The Baseball Player & Reality Show Star. Chris and Corrie met on Twitter, and both knew about each other’s backgrounds; Chris was in the middle of his baseball career and Corrie had just appeared on “The Bachelor.” They said that they met each other at the right times in their lives and were ready to settle down. They married in 2011. Chris played third base at Ole Miss, where he earned SEC All-Freshman Team honors in 2004 and was named to the SEC Second Team in 2005; after being drafted in the first round of the Major League Baseball Draft, he had a successful career playing for the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, Oakland Athletics, and Toronto Blue Jays. His accolades while playing professional baseball included recognition as the National League Rookie of the Year in 2009 and leading all MLB players in batting average for a time during that same season. He played professionally until 2017.

Chris Coghlan — Chris achieved many accolades as a professional baseball player. He made his debut for the Marlins in May of 2009, and in August set the team record for consecutive multi-hit games at eight. He also played for the Chicago Cubs in 2016 when the team won the World Series. Photo Credit: Coghlan Family

Corrie appeared on the television reality show “The Bachelor” in 2010, going on the program after a girlfriend nominated her; she submitted a video and was subsequently selected to appear on the long-running competition program. She advanced as one of the show’s top five contestants before being eliminated. “I went into the experience knowing the kind of husband I wanted to find and realized he wasn’t there,” she recalled. “I remember the first time I had with Jake {Jake Pavelka, that season’s bachelor], and I brought up my faith. There were a handful of girls on the show that were upfront about being Christians.” Her experience on “The Bachelor” prepared her for what she desired in a husband and when she met Chris, she felt affirmation that they were meant to be together. When they met, Chris was a relatively new Christian; he found that it was important to be upfront about his faith while playing professional baseball, and also while establishing relationships. “I got saved in 2008, so I was a Christian throughout my major league career,” he said. “I think it’s important to be consistent and authentic to the Gospel and in the way you live your life as well as in the decisions you make when no one is looking.” Corrie said she quickly learned how important faith was to Chris, and she appreciated his honesty and integrity. “Chris is and was more than I ever hoped for,” she said. “I was a little fearful that men I dated wouldn’t necessarily be themselves or totally honest when I met them. Chris shared his testimony with me on our first date and I knew he was being honest and vulnerable with me, and I felt such peace. He was so intentional and transparent from the very beginning. He never left me guessing or wondering where I stood with him, and it was obvious he wanted our relationship to honor the Lord.”

Coghlan family at Birmingham's Botanical Gardens — Since Judge joined the Coghlan family, Corrie said that her understanding of a mother’s love has greatly increased. “Judge is funny and kind and incredibly bright,” she said, “and getting to be his Mom is truly the greatest gift I’ve ever been given.” Here the family is seen enjoying Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens. Photo Credit: Angie Lansdon Photography

Ties to Birmingham. Corrie attended Auburn University and then lived in Birmingham when she and Chris met. Chris lived in the Magic City while he rehabbed from a sports injury at Andrews Sports Medicine, and then returned early in their marriage. “After we got married, we lived in Florida for two years, but we decided to move back to Birmingham so we could attend the Church at Brook Hills,” Corrie said. While living and worshiping in Birmingham, the Coghlans learned about Lifeline Children’s Services. “Many people at our church had adopted through them, and it was the first agency we reached out to when we were considering adoption,” Corrie said. “We started to talk to them, and then we also looked at fertility at the same time.” Although they were ideal candidates for IVF, they ended up not feeling called to go in that direction. “We felt like the Lord was calling us to adoption,” she said.

Corrie had grown up with examples of adoption in her own life–with cousins who were adopted and with close family friends who had adopted children from China. “At an early age, the idea of adoption was implanted into my mind and heart,” she said. Chris had more complex feelings about the issue. ”I had a pretty shallow view of what adoption was,” he said–but quickly was convinced about the value of the process. When he looked at adoption in relation to his faith and his relationship with Christ, he knew that adoption was something he and his wife needed to seriously consider. “As a Christian, there’s the idea of how we’re adopted into God’s family,” he said. “Understanding the Gospel more and more, I thought it was beautiful.”

Chris and Corrie Coghlan — When they first met, Chris knew that his future wife had been on “The Bachelor.” And while she’d been a successful contestant, making it to the episode where there were just five contestants left, Chris has never watched the show. Photo Credit: Coghlan Family

Lifeline Children’s Services philosophy that “adoption is one way God provides families for vulnerable children to know the love of Christ,” became the Coghlan’s literal lifeline to building their family. They began the adoption process in 2014 and prayed that they’d receive a child sometime in 2015. Frustration began to mount when they learned the process might take longer than expected–until they received a call before Christmas that there was a baby available. “On December 16, we got a call about a little boy who’d been born the day before,” Corrie remembered. “He came home with us on the 23rd, right before Christmas. We’d prayed that the Lord would provide for us by Christmas, and our prayers were answered.” Judge, now 8 years old, joined their family that holiday season and the Coghlans have gone through the process a second time to adopt a baby from China. They began the process in 2019, but it was hampered by COVID, and they are still waiting for the “green light” on the process. According to Corrie, the adoption process has been a beautiful one and is one she encourages couples to consider. “I remember when Judge was about three days old and I was holding him and I had this moment when I thought, ‘It doesn’t get any better than this.’ The end goal was to be a mom, and whether being a mom through adoption or being one biologically, it didn’t matter,” she said. “It’s just about being a mom. It’s not second best.”

The Family & Faith Connection. The Coghlans, who now live in Florida where they run a wholesale distributor of construction supplies, strive to build a family and home that honors God. As relatively new parents, they said that they don’t feel like “seasoned” parents and often make mistakes. “We’re trying to parent like Jesus would parent,” Corrie said. “We’re trying to raise an emotionally strong and healthy man who loves the Lord. So, we try to parent with a lot of grace, while also valuing strength.” Ultimately, though, they believe parenthood is about raising a child who will learn to love God himself – and to exhibit characteristics that honor their faith. “I pray that God will give me wisdom and clarity as the leader of the house to raise Judge, and Lord willing more children, in a godly way,” Chris said. “And that he would grow to know God and to love God and to serve God. That he would see characteristics of God in Corrie and myself.” Corrie adds, “We both have the same desire for our family. To honor the Lord and raise children who will carry the Gospel into the world and their own families one day.”

-Cheryl Wray

April 16, 2024March 26, 2024 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

With two championship seasons already under their belts, Coach Skip Holtz and the Birmingham Stallions look to win an unprecedented third title for the Magic City in the United Football League. Coach Holtz and his wife Jennifer have made Birmingham their home during the football season, and say they feel comfortable and welcome in the city that prides itself as a football capital of the South. “We absolutely have fallen in love with the city of Birmingham,” Jennifer Holtz said.

Champions x Two. The Birmingham Stallions won the United States Football League (USFL) in 2022 and 2023, beating the Philadelphia Stars and Pittsburgh Maulers in the title games. For this season, the USFL combined with the XFL to create the UFL; the new football league is owned and operated by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. The team continues to play its games at Protective Stadium in downtown Birmingham and is in the midst of the season, which began on March 30 and ends on June 1, although the team hopes to extend its season into the playoffs and try for a “three-peat” of championships.

Coach Holtz has been at the helm of the team for all of its seasons and says that it will be a challenge to win another title. The new makeup of the UFL has 8 teams, instead of the 16 in prior seasons, making the league and teams stronger. “The league is much more talented now because there’s a real dispersal of talent and teams are starting over again,” he said. “The league’s going to be much better, and we’re trying to be as good as we have in the past.” Also important will be the quality of play from its high-profile players. Former Alabama running back Bo Scarbrough recently announced his retirement from football, and last year’s league MVP quarterback Alex McGough moved onto the NFL after the season. Fans, though, will have new stars to look forward to– with potential quarterbacks being Stallions returner J’Mar Smith, former Ole Miss player Matt Corral, and former Nebraska player Adrian Martinez in the mix. Of the newcomers, Holtz said they are “two great people, two extremely talented quarterbacks, both their arms and their legs.” Holtz said that the play from all of the teams in the league will make it an exciting season for football in Birmingham. “I’ve truly been blessed throughout all of the seasons of this sport over the years, and I’ve loved everything about it. From practicing with college guys in the spring to sitting down with recruits in their homes. It’s all been a blessing,” he said. “And now to get to coach in this league, in the spring again. It’s exciting, and I think the fans have a lot to look forward to.”

Jennifer Holtz and Skip Holtz — Skip Holtz said some of his fondest memories of his childhood and youth were helping on the football field. “I’d be a ball boy, or help equipment people pull out gear,” he said. “I didn’t think I would go into this business until it was time to leave the game. And then I realized I wanted to coach.”

According to Jennifer, she and her husband have become passionate both about the team and its future, but also with Birmingham in general. “Our previous visits were always football related, coming in and out to play UAB or at the Papa John’s Bowl in 2006,” she said. “But now I’ve had more time to explore and learn the city.” She mentioned the team’s experiences at Children’s Hospital as one exemplary example. “We had a player visit Children’s and the staff blew my socks off,” she said. “It truly was the most memorable day.” Holtz emphasized that they’ve come to appreciate Birmingham, especially the downtown area where they have lived during their two seasons with the Stallions. They’ve lived both by Railroad Park and by Pepper Place. “The city has great restaurants, great people, and we’ve had an awesome experience in Birmingham,” he said. “It’s so welcoming, and it’s really what I like to call a little big town. All the appeal of a big town with the welcome of a small town.” While in Birmingham, the Holtz family worships at St. Paul’s Catholic Church downtown; Jennifer said that the church has “one of the most beautiful cathedrals” she’s ever seen and that she especially appreciates the choir and the strong sense of family throughout the congregation. The move to Birmingham came after many stops along the way playing and then coaching football at all levels of the sport.

A Legacy of Winning. Holtz’s father is legendary football coach Lou Holtz, who won a national championship at Notre Dame in 1988 and went on to become a popular commentator for ESPN and other outlets. His father has influenced Coach Holtz all along his journey as a football coach. Born in Connecticut, Holtz grew up in college towns across the country where his father coached; he graduated from high school in Fayetteville while his father coached at the University of Arkansas and then joined his father at Notre Dame after enrolling for two years at nearby Holy Cross. At Notre Dame, he walked on and played on special teams. When he was finished playing, Holtz realized that he wanted to stay in the game–despite never making that plan for himself and hearing from his father to not follow in his footsteps. “I realized that I want to coach, I want to be a graduate assistant,” he recalled. “I went to Florida State, met my wife there, and it was the best time in my life. And I never wanted to do anything else from that moment on.” Holtz served as an assistant coach at South Carolina, Notre Dame, and Florida State and as the head coach at Connecticut, Louisiana Tech, South Florida, and East Carolina. Most recently he served as a special assistant to Northwestern University’s interim head coach last year after its coach was fired amid controversy.

Skip Holtz with Lou Holtz — Of his father (legendary college coach Lou Holtz), Skip said that he truly has had a lifetime of learning from him. “I was in a home with him for 18 years, but then I got to spend time on the field with him as well,” he said. “There’s so much I learned from him.”

“I love coaching football and am passionate about leading young men to achieve their very best,” Holtz said about his decision to help Northwestern during the UFL offseason. That dedication to the players he coaches has been just one of the many lessons and motivations that Holtz learned from his father. Chief among the lessons from his father was a sense of optimism; he always taught him that success in life is about the right attitude. “One of the greatest gifts he gave me is that I choose whether to be happy or sad. He taught me that you can’t get in a bad mood without your own permission,” he said. The most important lesson, however, that his father and his mother Beth gave him was a reliance on faith. When his father came to Notre Dame, it was a dream come true for a family rooted deeply in the Catholic faith. And when his mother Beth passed away in 2020 after a two-decades-long battle with throat cancer, Holtz described his mother as “an incredibly religious woman who was the glue to this family.” He adds that the faith he was taught by his parents has become the force that helps him through the challenges that come his way– whether on a football field or in life in general. “You can’t do it without a Higher Power, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ,” he said. “It’s like the whole ‘footprints in the sand’ idea. He carries you through the difficult times.”

Watch the video below to hear more from Coach Holtz on how his faith impacts his personal and professional life.

Family Heritage. That focus on faith continued as the Holtzes started their own family. “I was raised in a loving and nurturing family environment, and our Catholic faith was the foundation of my morals and ethics,” Jennifer said. “My father in particular walked by faith and lived it daily. He taught me discipline and devotion to prayer.” As she and her husband raised their children Trey, Chad, and Hailey, they instilled the same values in their lives.

Today, the Holtz family spreads far and wide as their children serve in both sports-related and other careers. Their oldest son Trey played college football at the University of Texas and currently serves as an offensive analyst coaching quarterbacks at LSU. Middle son Chad played basketball at Notre Dame and today works for Andor Health in Orlando. Daughter Hailey graduated from Louisiana Tech and works as a football operations director for the Seattle Seahawks. Growing up in a football family taught their children important lessons. “Not only did our children grow up alongside other coaches’ kids, but they got to see young men handle adversity and success,” Jennifer said. “We felt the thrill of victory and suffered together through losses and injuries. It fosters great humility when everyone is vested in the outcome. And building lasting relationships beyond the football field has been a blessing for us all.”

As they look back on their experiences both in coaching and parenting, the Holtzes said that they can see God’s direction in the places they’ve been, the teams they’ve served, and the lessons they’ve learned. “It’s no understatement to say our faith has guided every decision we’ve made and through an unwavering trust in God’s grace we know to believe that His ways are greater than ours,” Jennifer said. And their advice to parents and families today? “Love big and pray constantly.”

-Cheryl Wray

Rick Burgess: Looking into the Future with Faith

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