The Tide’s Chris Stewart: A Miraculous Journey

March 7, 2024July 27, 2021 by Laurie Stroud

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Brought to you by: Molly Maid of Birmingham, mollymaid.com/Birmingham

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6

Chris Stewart and his wife Christy held tightly to these verses during his medical crises. They also kept this quote from TobyMac close to their hearts. “What God is bringing you through at this very moment is going to be the testimony that will bring somebody else through.”

Chris Stewart in hospital with Alabama Basketball coach and players — Stewart is visited by (L to R) Alabama head basketball coach Nate Oats and players Kira Lewis and Herb Jones during his hospital stay in Birmingham in 2019.

Chris Stewart’s story is nothing short of miraculous. After two health emergencies nearly cost the popular Crimson Tide Sports Network(CSN) broadcaster his life, Stewart testifies of the blessings he’s experienced because of God’s provision. The current host of CSN’s football broadcasts, play-by-play announcer for Alabama basketball games, and host of “The Nick Saban Show” knows that his recovery from a stroke and near-fatal infection following heart surgery fits the description of “miraculous,” but instead likes to focus on that other word–“blessings.” “It was the absolute worst thing that I’ve ever encountered and also the greatest blessing God has ever given me,” Stewart says of the upheavals that changed his life starting in 2018.

An Unexpected Crisis. Stewart had recently finished broadcasting his 17th season of Alabama basketball and was in the throes of the baseball season (where he also serves as play-by-play announcer for the Tide) when, in the middle of the night in April 2018, his wife tried to rouse him from sleep. She noticed him in an unusual position, grunting slightly; after a second visit from local paramedics to an unresponsive Stewart, he was rushed to St. Vincent’s Hospital in Birmingham. Because of Stewart’s general health and lack of warning signs, it was hard to detect a stroke until a scan revealed a blockage in an artery to his brain. Emergency surgery was necessary. “My doctor, Jitendra Sharma, got me on the operating table as quickly as possible. I had two clots on the brain. He told me that the clot was not budging, and I was running out of time,” Stewart says. “He basically made a last attempt, and the clot busted and passed, and I opened my eyes. That told him that the clot had cleared.”

Stewart and others in his life thought that, while the stroke had been scary, that he was well on his road to recovery. He managed to make it back for a baseball game in May near the end of the season. He looked forward to another season covering Alabama sports. Then came the afternoon when Stewart realized something else felt “off” about his health; it was a moment that Stewart, looking back, knows God orchestrated to save his life again. Fifteen months after his stroke, Stewart attended the grand opening of Dr. Sharma’s new weight loss business; while there he admitted that he’d been experiencing some strange symptoms. “I told the nurse practitioner and the doctor that I had a small tingling and tightness in my arm,” he recalls. “He said, ‘Chris, that’s your heart. We gotta get you in for a stress test’.” Stewart scheduled an appointment, then went to Gulf Shores for a family vacation before his oldest daughter went to college; while there, he experienced similar symptoms. He knew that there was a problem. “My Mother died when she was 55 after a second bypass,” he says. ” She died on the elevator after surgery, when I was just 17.” The surgery on August 12 was a success and Stewart followed it with a regular schedule: visits from friends, church on Sunday, and plans to record “The Nick Saban Show” in another week. And that is when his memories stopped. “I didn’t remember anything until the following month,” he says. Stewart had developed an infection and his vital organs–liver, kidney, pancreas–shut down. He developed sepsis, was put into an induced coma for two weeks, and had to undergo dialysis. “My wife told me how I’d gone for tests and nothing was abnormal. I had grabbed her by the arm in the parking lot and said I wasn’t leaving the hospital,” he says. “She saved my life for the second time.” Stewart’s recovery was slow and, this time, even more miraculous. His organs healed, while he also dealt with muscle atrophy, wounds on his tailbone, and almost constant pain. “The word ‘blessed’ is used an awful lot and we encounter blessings every day,” he says, reflecting on the fact that he’s now pain-free, healed, and back to work. “But when I use the word blessed, it’s because I’m not intelligent enough to come up with another, better word.”

Chris Stewart and Nick Saban — Chris Stewart has hosted “The Nick Saban Show,” each week during football season, since 2011. He’s also the host of “The Nate Oats Show” during Alabama basketball season. Photo: Kent Gidley, Univ. of Alabama

Reliance on Faith, Family, & Friends. Stewart grew up in a Christian home outside Birmingham in Fairfield, attending a small Methodist church as a youngster and graduating from Central Park Christian School. Today he and his family- wife Christy, daughter Anne Raylee (20) and sons Parker (16), and Hudson (10)–regularly attend Green Valley Baptist Church in Hoover. His faith has been key to making it through the challenging health crisis, and other pivotal moments in his life. “Like everyone who is a believer in Christ at any level, we tend to cling to Him in times of tragedy. You cling to God and Christ and if you’re not a believer, you cling to whatever your life preserver is,” he says, “but nothing has pushed my faith more and also proven His existence more than this.”

Chris Stewart and Family — Chris Stewart and wife Christy live in Hoover with their three children, Parker, Hudson and Anne Raylee (L to R).

Stewart says that he also learned about the goodness of others during his illnesses and recovery. “I was reminded of the goodness that does exist in people from the kindness they showed me,” he remembers. “It was from friends and total strangers, and it still happens almost daily. I’ll encounter someone who will come up and say something extremely kind or tell me that they prayed for me.” Stewart knew that the Alabama family would display such kindness, but he was equally struck by the responses from Auburn fans, and coaches. “Maybe even more meaningful was going to Auburn for the first time after all of it and to have Bruce Pearl reach out to me and shake my hand right before tip-off. And then others from Auburn whom I’ve never met, came up to talk to me. The kindness shown to me has absolutely blown my mind,” he says.

Chris Stewart with Nick and Terry Saban — Stewart treasures his friendships with Coach Nick Saban and his wife Terry, especially as he recovered from a stroke in 2018 and infection from bypass surgery the following year. Photo: Kent Gidley, Univ. of Alabama

Back in the Booth. Stewart found his way back in the broadcasting booth for the first time at an Alabama basketball game, then segued back into action for football season. Working Alabama games has been a “full circle” moment for Stewart, who grew up not far from Legion Field in Birmingham and watched his father work as an usher in the stadium. “The caravan of Alabama buses would go by our house, and I attended my first game as an usher when I was 12. I still remember that it was Alabama against Arkansas State,” he says. His family had idolized former coach Paul “Bear” Bryant, and now he relishes the opportunity to work with Saban and other Alabama leaders. “I work with the best people,” he says. “Having watched Coach Bryant and Charley Thornton do his show, it’s sometimes unbelievable to know that I’m now doing the same thing with Nick Saban.” Stewart has been recognized as the Alabama Sportscaster of the Year by the National Sports Media Association on five occasions and was inducted this year into the University of Montevallo Athletics Hall of Fame. Looking at his life and career, Stewart maintains that his blessings have fallen like dominoes. “I can see how one domino fell into the other to get me to the next step,” he says. “We all have those in our lives, and I can see it many times over. The dominoes have all been directed by God and they fall where He wants them to fall.”

-Cheryl Wray

We need you to share your Miracle Moment! Email [email protected] Subject Line: Miracle Moments or call 205-408-7150.

If you enjoyed this story, click here to read the full August issue!

August 12, 2021June 28, 2021 by Laurie Stroud

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When Hobby Lobby’s David Green and his wife Barbara host a family gathering, things can get a little crowded. The founder and CEO of the crafting and home decor giant traditionally hosts birthday gatherings each month for their family, which includes 43 children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. They also gather for holidays at a location they like to call their “Legacy House.”

“We have a house just for family get-togethers, and we celebrate everybody’s birthday. We encourage them and honor them and believe me there are a lot of birthdays each month,” Green said, laughing. “Family is extremely important to us, and we try to lead by example. We’ve done that, our kids did the same thing, and now our grandkids.”

Green stresses the importance of family in both his personal life and business dealings. (Green will be one of the keynote presenters at the upcoming Legacy Grandparenting Summit at Shades Mountain Baptist Church in Birmingham on October 21-22.)

His thoughts on family and business, in fact, can be summed up in the word “legacy.” “We don’t want to spend all of our time on things that are temporal,” he said. “We want to make a difference for Christ, to always be in ministry.”

Humble Beginnings. David and Barbara started the business that would become Hobby Lobby with just a $600 loan from their local bank and a simple plan to make picture frames. “We were working at TG&Y and in 1970 we decided to go into business ourselves,” Green recalled. “We borrowed the money and bought a miter to make frames. We opened our first store in 1972, with around 300 square feet in Oklahoma City.”

Construction of Hobby Lobby Headquarters — David and Barbara Green break ground at the first Hobby Lobby headquarters in 1994.

Barbara noticed that women in the community were taking small frames and grouping them together on a wall; she took that small home decor inspiration and saw a need for a business to meet the trend. They shipped the frames to art and craft stores, paying their seven- and nine-year-old sons seven cents for each frame they glued together. “We opened our second store in 1975 and left TG&Y,” Green said. “Barbara worked the first five years without any pay at all, and God continued to lead us. And here we are today.”

Hobby Lobby today has 900 stores and is the largest privately-owned arts and crafts retailer in the world with 43,000 employees. Its corporate headquarters include more than 10 million square feet of manufacturing, distribution and office space in Oklahoma City. “As the years went by, we continued to be blessed by this opportunity,” Green said. “And as we got older, we decided we had to follow after Christ and let Him lead us.”

A Ministry Model of Business. Green said that generosity and ministry are at the heart of his business plan, and he puts his “money where his mouth is.” Hobby Lobby currently gives half of its earnings to ministries, and once a month, board members decide where the money will go. “We have about 300 requests a month, and we’re involved in 60 or 70 ministries with five or six that get the bulk of our help,” he said.

The scope of their giving impacts such groups as One Hope, which has put a billion Bibles into the hands of children; Every Home for Christ, which tasks itself to distributing the Gospel to homes around the world; and the Museum of the Bible, an interactive museum in Washington D.C. “The purpose of Hobby Lobby is ministry…to do what we can do to lead people to Christ,” Green said. “That’s what drives us.”

The coronavirus pandemic challenged the management of Hobby Lobby and affected the livelihood of its employees. Green said that was the most difficult aspect of the changes in 2020 and 2021- the way it impacted the people who depend on Hobby Lobby. The company shut down completely in April of 2020, with a payroll of approximately $90 million a month and $40 million in rent. Green had to let 35,000 employees go for a period of time.

Grand Opening of Hobby Lobby — David Green cuts the ribbon while Barbara looks on in the early 1980s in Enid, Oklahoma, at the grand opening of one of Hobby Lobby’s first stores.

“We didn’t know if we’d even survive or not and found ourselves on our knees every day asking for God’s mercy and help,” he remembers. “But all of our stores have been open now since mid-May of that year, and we’ve more than made up for our losses. It was especially nice to be able to welcome our employees back.”

Green has shared his philosophy of generosity in the book Giving it All Away…And Getting it Back Again; it details his family’s own journey toward understanding this purpose, and challenges readers to leave a legacy that goes deeper than money. “We believe it is by God’s grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured,” he said. “God has been faithful in the past and we trust Him for our future.”

Green makes the same salary as he did 20 years ago, and he said that his future plans are quite simple: to earn as much money as possible in a “good and ethical” way so that the company can do more ministry. “We can’t say we’ve arrived, while people still need to know Christ, whether it’s in Hobby Lobby, or in other investments,” he said.

Leaving a Legacy. That legacy of generosity and Christ-led living extends today to his family’s work with the company the Greens founded. The board of Hobby Lobby includes members of the family, with son Steve serving as President, son Matt serving as Ministry Investment Officer, daughter Darsee Lett serving as Vice President of Art/Creative, and son-in-law Stan serving as Executive Vice President.

Green Family at Opening of The Museum of the Bible — The Green family gathers in 2017 at the Museum of the Bible grand opening. Pictured are Mart, Diana, Steve, Jackie, Barbara, and David Green, and Darsee (Green) Lett and Stan Lett.

“At every monthly board meeting we talk about who we want to be and how we want to follow after Christ,” Green said. “We try to be an example in business of that. We don’t always get it right, but we strive to represent Christ well.” Green said that one of his life goals comes from 1 Timothy 2:7, which says “This and this only has been my appointed work: getting the news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.”

Another verse that rings true to Green’s life and business model is Matthew 6:20-21, which encourages believers to “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

In the way Hobby Lobby is ministering in the world- and in his own family’s influence- Green’s “treasure” is obvious.

-Cheryl Sloan Wray is a freelance writer and book author who lives in Hueytown, Ala. She’s also the coordinator of the Southern Christian Writers Conference.

Did you enjoy this story? Click here to read the full July issue!

May 28, 2021 by Laurie Stroud

The Killingsworth Family with JSUs Cocky

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Hundreds of special guests from throughout Alabama – including the governor – converged on Jacksonville State University’s(JSU) campus in April for the inauguration of its 13th President, Dr. Don C. Killingsworth, Jr. But before the pomp and circumstance of a university investiture ceremony, the president gathered at his church, surrounded by friends and family, for a humble prayer service dedicating the day – and his tenure – to God.

Killingsworth Family — JSU President Don Killingsworth with his wife, children, JSU mascot Cocky and family pet Oliver at the President’s home.

Held early on inauguration morning at First United Methodist Church(FUMC) of Jacksonville, the Blessing Service was led by four local clergy: Rev. Steve West, pastor of FUMC Jacksonville; Rev. Robert Fowler, rector of St. Luke’s Episcopal of Jacksonville; Rev. Derek Staples, pastor of First Baptist Church of Jacksonville; and Rev. Fred Smith, pastor of The Bridge Christian Center in Anniston. “It’s a great pleasure to stand here with my esteemed colleagues who serve sister churches,” said Rev. West during the event. “I believe it is important as faith leaders to come together and express our comradery and our mutual support when there are important occasions that bind us together as a community. It says a lot about Don Killingsworth that we are here together today. In all the busy activities of this day, he wanted to make sure we pray.”

A two-time JSU graduate, Dr. Killingsworth was named President of the University on June 23, 2020, having served as acting president since October 2019. He has dedicated his entire career to JSU. Upon graduating from the University with a bachelor’s degree in geography in 1999 and a master’s degree in counseling in 2001, the former Student Government Association President worked for more than a year as a consultant for American College Testing, Inc., the provider of the ACT college entrance exam. Dr. Killingsworth returned to his alma mater in 2002 to support student success as coordinator of academic advisement. Soon after, he was named director of government relations by former President and mentor Dr. William Meehan. He was later promoted to chief government relations and community engagement officer. In 2016, he received a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Alabama.

Don Killingsworth with JSUs Cocky — Don Killingsworth with JSU’s Mascot, Cocky.

A native of Alexander City, Ala., Dr. Killingsworth is married to JSU alumna Kristi Killingsworth. They have two children: a five-year-old daughter, Collins, and a two-year-old son, Jack. The family enjoys living on campus in the President’s House with their dog, Oliver. Their faith is an important part of their lives. They are active members of FUMC Jacksonville, where the children attend Sunday School and Mrs. Killingsworth serves on the Kids First board and helps with Vacation Bible School. Dr. Killingsworth, until recently, ran sound on Sunday mornings.

For an institution rocked by a catastrophic tornado in 2018, followed just two years later by a global pandemic, a steady leader with a strong foundation rooted in a higher power seems Heaven-sent for the university. Rev. Fowler remarked on the university’s ability to overcome obstacles while reading from Psalms 101 at the Blessing Service. “Leadership is challenging, that is no secret, and setting a positive example while motivating a staff and faculty is not for the faint of heart,” Rev. Fowler said. “I know Don is up to the task – we all do. He’s not only confident and optimistic, but he is supported by good people who care about making JSU a place where our young people, and even those at the school who aren’t so young, receive the training they need to meet life’s challenges.”

Don Killingsworth with son — President Don Killingsworth’s name was added to the “Presidents of Jacksonville State” sign in front of Bibb Graves Hall. This addition was celebrated with an unveiling on November 6th, 2020.

Rev. Staples spoke on the importance of servant leadership during the service, drawing similarities between Killingsworth and retired President Dr. Meehan, quoting Matthew 20:25-28, “And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.” Meanwhile, Killingsworth’s former college classmate, Rev. Smith, said becoming JSU’s president was a goal he set for himself 20 years ago. “This was a God inspired vision, a God inspired dream,” he said. The highlight of the service was a performance by the JSU Gospel Choir. Under the direction of Dr. Cory O’Neal, the student ensemble brought the congregation to its feet singing “I Owe It All” by Norman Hutchins. Piano and organ musical arrangements, including the hymn sung at Gamecock football games, “I’ll Fly Away,” rounded out the ceremony.

The Saturday before the inauguration, Easter Weekend, the First Family invited the entire community to the lawn of the President’s House for Family Fun Day. Children enjoyed an egg hunt, coloring with Cocky the mascot, storybook readings from the Imagination Library, Kona Ice, and a petting zoo. The event was such a success that the University is considering making it an annual celebration. Local families also enjoy a Fall Festival hosted by the Student Government Association each October, as well as kicking off the holiday season at JSU in Lights in December at the President’s House.

“JSU is a public institution with students and employees from all over the world,” President Killingsworth said. “We recognize and respect that the JSU family is comprised of people who hold diverse religious beliefs. It’s not our job to indoctrinate anyone, but rather teach our students to think critically so they can form their own opinions and sustain their own values. Personally, as it says in Joshua 24:15, ‘for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.’’

-Courtesy Jacksonville State University

April 30, 2021 by Laurie Stroud

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This Month We Celebrate Our 21st Year Of Publishing Birmingham Christian Family.

Here’s a look at just a few of our most popular cover stories. Using your device you can access each story directly using the QR code. Or if you prefer, simply visit www.BirminghamChristian.com/Issues and scroll to read your favorites online.

October 2019

Charlotte Evans Russell

Happy Home social media sensation Charlotte Evans Russell gives her powerful testimony of surrendering her life to Christ after experiencing many hardships as a child.

March 2021

Brenda Gantt

The viral superstar Brenda Gantt serves up down home cooking with side of Jesus.

May 2020

Ashley Gann

Alabama’s first female Chief Meteorologist, Ashley Gann shares on how to weather life well.

March 2020

Trudy Cathy White

Daughter of Chick-fil-A founder, S. Truett Cathy, Trudy Cathy White, retells how her parents lived out their faith in all aspects of their lives. Plus her own memories made in Birmingham as a Samford student and the youngest operator of a Chick-fil-A.

November 2017

Adoption as a Calling: Duck Dynasty

Duck Dynasty stars, Korie and Willie Robertson, are passionate about adoption and consider it their calling. Korie reflects on the beauty of an intentionally large family and the need for adoptive families in the U.S.

February 2021

Bryan Stevenson

Author of the bestselling book turned movie, Just Mercy, and Founder of the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Bryan Stevenson explains how God has called us to be agents of mercy.

November 2020

Ashley McMakin

Ashley Mac’s founder, Ashley McMakin, testifies to how faith has been essential to running a business and being a wife and mom during the pandemic.

February 2020

Gaither Vocal Band

The Gaither Vocal Band Birmingham Connection: Grammy Award Winning Wes Hampton

July 2019

Kathy Lee Gifford

Emmy Award Winning Today show host Kathie Lee Gifford is fulfilling her mission of hope, grounded in God’s Word.

June 2020

Galu Tagavailoa

Father of football superstar Tua Tagovailoa shares with us how faith drives how he leads his family.

September 2017

Bill Clark

UAB Head Football Coach Bill Clark explains how his faith has helped him during the rebuilding of the team.

We look forward to sharing more free GOOD NEWS with you in the coming years! We Invite You to Celebrate with us Turning 21 at the Celebrate the Family Expo May 8! THANK YOU for Reading & Advertising with Us!

April 8, 2021March 28, 2021 by Laurie Stroud

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A love for music started at a young age for the Wolaver family. The six siblings, that make up the Annie Moses Band, grew up in a musical home where classical music was consistently played and a love for music was common ground- eventually leading all six to attend the Juilliard School and become professional musicians.

The Roots of a Mission. The family’s love for music started well before any of the siblings were born. During the Great Depression, the Wolaver siblings’ great grandmother- Annie Moses- was a very poor sharecropper’s wife. “She worked cotton fields, but her daughter had extraordinary musical talent,” explains Annie Dupre, the lead vocalist for the Annie Moses Band. Even though the family didn’t have money for music lessons, Annie Moses had a passion for music that she passed on to her daughter, Jane, who passed it on to the Wolaver’s mother, Robin. Dupre shares that her mother attended music school at Oklahoma City University where she met and fell in love with their father, Bill. The couple married and started writing music together. Soon after, they composed a hit song for the Christian Music Artist Sandi Patty called “Make His Praise Glorious.” This accomplishment moved Bill and Robin to Nashville, Tenn., where the Wolaver children grew up, honed their craft, and still live today. “It’s ironic now, looking back, that the message of the song “Make His Praise Glorious” would very much be the missional calling of our music,” Dupre reflects, adding, “Our early mission as a family was to praise the Lord with the string instruments, to give God the very best of our skill, and hopefully to make His praise glorious.”

Annie Dupre is named after her great-grandmother, Annie Moses. Without her sacrifice of picking cotton and saving for her daughter to have piano lessons, the love the family shares for music may not be as lasting through the generations.

A Spiritual Discipline. The Wolaver brothers and sisters grew up with a firm foundation in Christ. “A knowledge of Jesus and a knowledge of what it means to follow Him was at the core of our childhood and education,” Dupre says. The Wolavers instilled in their children that music was a spiritual discipline. “The perspective of our music growing up was that part of being made in the image of God is being made a creator of sorts.” Excellence was a key ingredient. “It’s like King David said, ‘I will not offer to the Lord that which cost me nothing.’ (2 Samuel 24:24) We are going to give to God something that involves sacrifice.” This mission has taken many forms over the years from attending the world-renowned school of artistic education, Juilliard School in New York City and performing as a family for nearly 20 years. The siblings also established and run the nonprofit Annie Moses Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to “empower a new generation of young artists with the excellence and spiritual integrity to transform our world for Christ.”

“The arts are more influential in our world and culture than any other thing,” Dupre says, adding, “When you create a powerful voice- that voice can go into any sphere of influence.” Dupre believes that stories- whether read or watched or listened to- make up the deepest part of our subconscious. “It’s incredibly important that the people of God are part of what’s being made for our culture to listen to and watch,” Dupre believes. Before the siblings perform, they pray a type of two-part prayer- a logistical prayer for skill and a prayer for their performance to inspire the audience. The band has performed all over the country including venues such as Carnegie Hall and the Grand Ole Opry. They have traveled to Europe and Asia and even to North Korea with the contemporary Christian and Christian Rock band Casting Crowns for missional performances.

Tales From My Grandpas Pulpit Cover Art — The latest album release from the Annie Moses Band, *Tales From My Grandpa’s Pulpit*, tells the story of the Wolaver family. April 29 the band will perform songs from the project live at Covenant Presbyterian Church.

Reflecting on 2020. As a family of musicians, COVID-19 “was pretty devastating,” Dupre says. “When you make your living playing music and somebody says actually you can’t do that and it isn’t safe for people to hear your performance in person, it’s pretty hard.” The Annie Moses Band had to cancel 40 plus shows in 2020 and are hoping and praying for brighter days ahead. “The last year has made me feel very small and insignificant and powerless.” In response to this, Dupre has leaned on the truth that “the work we are here to do is to believe in His Son and if you get up each day and seek the face of God, you’ve done the work.” Dupre has sought to reprioritize things in her life and focus on what is truly important. “I want to be a person full of truth and discernment because I feel that there are a lot of lies and manipulation in the world today.” Dupre adds that she wants to reflect the love of the Savior to everyone with whom she comes in contact.

Performing Again. On April 29, 2021, you can hear The Annie Moses Band perform live right here in Birmingham as a part of Samford University Legacy League’s Scholarship Celebration! “Expect to hear Annie Moses favorites and songs from our new album, Tales From My Grandpa’s Pulpit,” says Dupre. The new project, which releases April 16 in coordination with Gaither Music Group, features a variety of hymns and Americana songs that have played a role in the family’s faith journey. In addition, there are original songs that tell “funny stories” about the family and others that carry their missional message of praising the Lord like “Heaven’s a Heartbeat Away”, written by Dupre and her sister Gretchen. To learn more about the performance and purchase tickets, visit www.samford.edu/legacyleague.

-Melissa Armstrong

Did you enjoy reading this article? Check out our full April issue here.

March 25, 2024February 28, 2021 by Laurie Stroud

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Brought to you by: Molly Maid of Birmingham, mollymaid.com/birmingham

Brenda Gantt considers herself a humble home cook, but her online following has made her a viral superstar. With more than two million views on some of her Facebook Live cooking videos, Gantt has introduced Southern cooking to fans from around the world. Ultimately, though, the Andalusia, Ala. cook and host of “Cooking with Brenda Gantt” says that her newfound popularity has given her the unexpected opportunity to share her Christian faith with a huge audience. “A lot of people who comment will say that my cooking is great, but my talks about Jesus are the icing on the cake,” she said.

Brenda with Biscuits in her Kitchen — Gantt is coming to Shelby County! She will be speaking in Columbiana on October 24. For details click here. Gantt is known not only for her biscuits-the subject of her first viral Facebook video, but also for dishes like squash casserole and orange slice cake.

Unexpected Stardom. The coronavirus pandemic had just begun when Gantt was asked by several church members–mostly young married men– to share with them how to make homemade biscuits. They even offered to pay her if she’d give them instructions. Instead, she recorded a video on her personal Facebook page of herself baking the biscuits. She shared it with the church members who had requested her recipe, and word quickly spread. “I always cook a big Sunday lunch so that one particular Sunday I got onto Facebook and thought I’d just show them how to make biscuits. I put it on my personal page and then they could just watch it there,” she remembered, laughing. “People on my page are people in my town and at my church. I figured that would get them off my back.” The video was shared thousands of times!

Gantt said that the first video looked quite different than hers do today. “I held my phone in one hand while I made the biscuits with the other. I went slow and told them exactly what to do. The phone was just pointed at the bowl, and I cut out the dough and put them on the pan,” she said. “I didn’t cook them because I didn’t know how to cut two videos together.” Despite the amateurish nature of that first video, it garnered an immediate response. Within two weeks, it had hit a million views on Facebook. “My friends must have shared it with everyone. I was just shocked,” Gantt recalled. “People kept messaging me or texting me asking me to cook other things. ‘Please show us how to cut up a chicken. Please tell us how to make fried pies. Do you know how to cook perfect rice?’ I didn’t realize how desperate people were to know how to cook.”

Despite its popularity, Gantt’s show is planned in a very organic way. She usually goes live with whatever recipes are on her mind at the moment. “I just do videos when I want to,” she said. “I’m not on a television show, not on a cooking channel. I’m my own boss, so if I have a hankering to make something I will.” For instance, one morning when she wanted hot chocolate; she went live and showed how to do it homemade with real cocoa.

Brenda Gantt in front of b and b — Gantt also uses her cooking skills as the owner and operator of Cottle House, a historic Andalusia home built in 1905 by the Cottle family. Gannt and her husband purchased and renovated the home into a Bed and Breakfast in 1996. Nearly 25 years later, the B&B continues, actually thriving during the pandemic. “We’ve been blessed,” she said.

Although the growth of Gantt’s popularity comes as a surprise to her, she acknowledges that there is something important that her viewers get from watching her. She provides authenticity and friendship. The start of the venture coincided with the start of the Covid pandemic; that and the ensuing times of quarantine created a special situation for her videos. “People are lonely. They’re going through a time like no other,” she said. “I guess there’s something soothing about me teaching them how to make biscuits. It’s like you’re in the kitchen with a friend.”

Gantt’s Facebook audience continues to grow, with almost two million follows; most of her cooking videos receive anywhere between five and 20 thousand likes and an almost equal number of shares. With viewers from around the world, she exclaims that having someone from Australia ask her, “What are grits?” can sometimes feel unbelievable. For Gantt, in fact, it can all feel unbelievable. “All I can say is that it was all the Lord,” she said. “It’s been a shock to me, and I know God has a sense of humor. It’s overwhelming but wonderful.”

An Early Love of Cooking. Gantt came to cooking honestly–learning at the feet of her mother and grandmothers. Both her grandmothers were excellent cooks, and she still remembers the experiences of eating in their homes. “One of my grandmothers cooked a big lunch every day for the people who worked in her fields,” she said. “At suppertime, you’d eat what was leftover along with a big pot of coffee. If there weren’t any leftovers, she’d always make a big pan of biscuits and you’d have that.” Her own mother was a baker, and “all of her stuff was delicious.” Cobblers, apple rolls, pies, cakes, biscuits…the creations learned from her relatives made her the cook she is today. “My mother made me stay in there with her while she cooked. And if I wasn’t cooking with her, I’d set the table or dry and put away dishes,” she recalled. “I may not have been cooking all the time, but I was with her.”

According to Gantt, there are now generations of people who don’t know how to cook. “I recently talked to a woman in her 50s or 60s, and for some reason, that group didn’t learn to cook. We talked about why, and she said her mother would shush her out of the kitchen and not involve her. Maybe that’s it,” she said, “but there are other reasons too. Restaurants started popping up, we had frozen dinners around that same time.” It’s not just that generation that was affected, Gantt said. Millennials and young people–even children–seem to have a newfound interest in learning how to cook and bake. She recently hosted a small group of girls from a local church camp, teaching them how to make biscuits. “These were girls 8 to 10 years old, and I gave them each a bowl of flour, tiny black skillets, all the ingredients,” she said. “As I made the dough in my bowl, they had to make it in their bowl, get their hands dirty, knead it. They just had the best time.”

Brenda Gantt — “There are so many people out there who are hurting, and they might not see anyone for months. They tell me that they get up and see if I’m on Facebook. It’s something they look forward to.”

Sharing the cooking experience has always been something Gantt has treasured with her own family–which consists of grown children Dallas and Hannah, their spouses Anna and Walt, and grandchildren Isabella, William, Bay, Cate, and Banks. Gantt’s husband, George, passed away in 2018. “My husband had vascular dementia and I took care of him, but it was very quick,” she said. “After he died I sorta wondered, ‘What was my mission?’” She said that her family is supportive of what her “mission” has become. Besides social media, Gantt also shares her cooking through The Cottle House, a bed and breakfast she owns in Andalusia. “It’s a 1905 farmhouse with a wraparound porch. We redid it and it has that country feeling,” she said. “I cook breakfast every morning for guests, and they tend to want to eat together these days. People are coming from all over the United States, and I think they need that connection.”

Sharing her Faith. Gantt, a member of Bethany Baptist Church in Andalusia, said that talking about Jesus comes as a natural part of her conversations while cooking on social media. “Sometimes you don’t know what else to say, and I talk as I cook,” she said. “I don’t really plan on saying a particular thing. It’s just whatever comes out, comes out.” The response she’s received from nonbelievers has been especially meaningful, and she feels like she somehow resonates with them. They see a friendly face with a natural faith. “They say that they feel a connection to me and my faith,” she said. She’s received messages, letters, and even phone calls from individuals–Christians and non-believers–who said her videos made a difference in their lives. One came from an atheist who said she was “drawn” to her. “I wrote back and said that if she wanted to understand me more to just read one chapter of John,” she said. “I don’t want to be too pushy. If you say too much, you can turn off some people. It can be touchy. But you can do it the right way.” Another phone call came from a man who said she saved his life. “I picked up the phone one day and there was a man on the line from Ohio,” she recalled. “One day I’d been teaching how to fry fatback and started talking about a headless chicken that lived about 18 months because his heart was somehow still beating. His body was going through the motions, but he wasn’t really alive. I explained that a lot of people were like that headless chicken. Going to work, having babies, going to parties, going to church. But inside they’re dead, they’re lifeless. They don’t have Jesus in their hearts, so they aren’t really living.” The man on the phone said that the story stopped him dead-in-his-tracks. After hearing Gantt on the video, he called his mother and then his fiancé and told them they were going to start going to church and Bible study. “He told me that he knew he was that chicken,” she said, “He knew he was just existing.” Experiences and conversations like that one are what make Gannt’s newfound viral success so important–and that keeps her grounded. “Don’t put me on a pedestal. I’m just a sinner saved by grace,” Gantt said. “I’m just a regular lady who loves to cook and loves Jesus.”

-Cheryl Wray

Cheryl is a freelance writer and author who also loves to cook. Her most recent book is Notes from a Quarantine: Essays, Stories, and Poems now available on Amazon. She lives in Hueytown, Ala.

Did you enjoy this story? Read this article where Brenda shares about making the most of holidays with family and friends. You will also find some of her recipes here.

Meet Brenda Gantt at the Celebrate the Family Expo on September 16, 2023! Learn more here.

If you have a Miracle that you would be willing to share, please email melissa@christianfamilypublications.com. Subject Line: Miracle Moments or call 205-408-7150. Miracle Moments are shared each month in Birmingham Christian Family thanks to our sponsor Molly Maids of Birmingham.

February 10, 2021January 30, 2021 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

There’s a courtroom scene in Just Mercy, the widely acclaimed film based on the bestselling book by Bryan Stevenson, in which the lawyer fights for a case to be dropped against an unjustly accused Monroeville, Ala. black man. In the argument, the lawyer played by Michael B. Jordan forcibly proclaims: “That’s not law. That’s not justice. That’s not right.” Jordan, playing Stevenson, wins the case and Walter McMillan, who had been sentenced to die for murder despite overwhelming evidence proving his innocence, is freed. Those words uttered in the courtroom symbolize the work of Stevenson, the founder and director of the Equal Justice Initiative(EJI) in Montgomery, Ala. The non-profit law office and human rights organization is dedicated to exonerating innocent death-row prisoners, eliminating excessive and unfair sentencing, confronting abuse of the mentally ill, and aiding children prosecuted as adults.

Forged in Faith. Stevenson was born and raised in Delaware to a family with a long Christian faith tradition. He said that faith, in fact, is what gave him the strength to attain dreams that seemed impossible as a child growing up in segregated schools and society. “Without faith, it was impossible to imagine that I could be a lawyer,” he said. “Faith is all about affirming the importance and legitimacy of believing things even if we haven’t seen them happen before.” Stevenson went on to graduate from Harvard Law School and has argued cases in front of the United States Supreme Court. He moved to Atlanta after receiving his law degree and joined the Southern Center for Human Rights, then was appointed to run the Alabama regional office for the organization. In all of his work, Stevenson leans on the faith of his growing-up years in the African Methodist Episcopal Church and points especially to the words of Micah 6:8 as his guiding principle. Its words– “He has shown you what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”–were instilled in him by the church. “We took the words of Micah seriously,” he said. “What does God require of us? The answer is to do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly. We lived that out, and I came to realize that the absence of justice and mercy have very much implicated us as a society. God calls us to be agents of mercy.” When funding for the Southern Center for Human Rights dried up, Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative to expand his work on behalf of the poor, incarcerated, and condemned. His time in Alabama, he said, has reinforced in him the importance of living in faith. “Being in Montgomery, I’m fully aware that I’m standing on the shoulders of people who had enough faith to make changes happen,” he said.

Anthony Ray Hinton and Bryan Stevenson — Bryan Stevenson stands next to Anthony Ray Hinton, a man wrongly convicted of two 1985 murders in Birmingham. He was sentenced to death and on death row for 30 years. The EJI worked for his freedom, which happened in 2015.

Spreading the Word. One of Stevenson’s most important roles is that of educator. Any conversation with him starts with the communication of facts–statistics and numbers that can be overwhelming, but that strongly state the need for incarceration reform. “For much of our history we have had around 200,000 incarcerated individuals, but in the 1970s it changed in a radical way and we went from that 200,000 to 2.2 million,” he said. “And we now have the highest rate of incarceration in the world, with 5% of the world population and 25% of those in prison.” He added that 70 million Americans have criminal records and that there’s been an increase by 800% of incarcerated women; especially alarming is the reality that 1 in 3 black boys, 1 in 6 Latino boys, and 1 in 15 boys in general are expected to spend time in prison during their lifetimes. While Stevenson said that there are plenty of legitimate prison convictions in the country, what stands out is unnecessary incarceration for a variety of reasons–excessive punishment for smaller crimes, undue imprisonment for drug convictions, and incarceration for individuals with mental health issues. “This great increase in incarceration doesn’t really correspond to an increase in crime,” he said. “We need to shift our focus and give people a chance to recover. Our punitive program has made that harder.” Stevenson added that over incarceration has a huge impact on communities–especially poor communities– in the United States. “It’s important for us to recognize this is a central issue in American life and that affects millions of us,” he said. “It’s become a critically important issue not just for family, but also for economics.” Through the EJI, Stevenson and other lawyers fight cases and also work at educating the public on such issues. “Learning is an action item. It’s something you can commit to it,” he said. “We have daily calendars that tell the history of racial inequality and other issues. Our website teaches about slavery, reconstruction, and so forth. That kind of education can be transformative.”

Walter McMillian with family and Bryan Stevenson — Bryan Stevenson stands in 1993 with Walter McMillan, a man wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death row for six years for the murder of an 18-year-old dry cleaning store clerk in Monroeville, Ala. Stevenson successfully argued that Stevenson was with family 11 miles away at the time of the crime, that witnesses had lied on the stand, and that the prosecution had illegally suppressed evidence that could have helped McMillan. The story was the basis of the 2019 movie *Just Mercy*.

The EJI also operates The Legacy Museum and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice, both located in Montgomery, which work to educate visitors on the legacy of injustice and inequality and the fight for changes in society today. The museum uses exhibits to educate on the “slave trade, racial terrorism, the Jim Crow South, and the world’s largest prison system”; the memorial honors the 4,075 African-American men, women, and child victims of systematic hanging, burning, and other torturing in the United States. Stevenson believes that the nation still needs to experience moments of “truth and reconciliation” about its past and believes such educational tools can help that happen. “We shouldn’t fear the discussions of race and justice, because I think there’s something better for us in America,” he said. The museum and memorial have been recognized for their innovative and powerful ways in educating, with Town and Country saying it “should be a requirement” for every American to visit.

Just Mercy. Stevenson’s work became widely known after the publication of his memoir, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption, in 2014. It recounted his years as a lawyer and focused on telling in alternating chapters about his efforts to overturn Walter McMillan’s wrongful conviction and his work on other cases. McMillan had been convicted in 1987 and sentenced to death (despite a jury’s recommendation of life imprisonment) for the murder of an 18-year-old girl in Monroeville, Ala. Stevenson won the case against McMillan after bringing to light police coercion and perjury. The book was a New York Times bestseller and won many awards including the 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction. The 2019 movie adaptation of the book starring Jordan, Jamie Foxx, and Brie Larson was met with widespread acclaim and brought Stevenson’s work to the forefront again.

Bryan Stevenson with family — A young Bryan Stevenson(back left) is seen here with his mother(far right), grandmother(center) and siblings. His mother, especially, stressed the importance of education and equality to Bryan at.an early age.

Focus on the Future. As time has gone by, Stevenson’s work and that of the EJI have evolved. His most recent efforts have focused on the plight of America’s vulnerable populations–the poor, mentally afflicted, and children–and how they are unfairly incarcerated. “We’ve been doing more work with children, because of the toll the system puts on them. In the past, the term ‘super predator’ has been used even on children,” he said. “I’ve represented 9- and 10-year-olds who were classified as that.” He said that it’s “unhealthy, unwise, and immoral” to not realize that children need special protection. One of the cases he’s argued in front of the U. S. Supreme Court included a landmark 2012 ruling that banned mandatory life-imprisonment-without-parole sentences for children 17 or younger. “We are judged by the way we take care of our most vulnerable population,” he said. Stevenson admits that his work can sometimes be overwhelming, but that he lives in hope for what’s to come in the country. He’s encouraged by the newfound recognition that “there are too many people in our jails,” from figures on both the left and right sides of the political spectrum and adds that his faith in Christ energizes his work. “My faith convinces me that no one is beyond hope, no one is beyond redemption, and no one has lost their value,” he said. “I definitely believe we can get to a better place.”

-Cheryl Sloan Wray

Author of new e-book, Notes from a Quarantine: Essays, Poems, and Stories available on Amazon

Coordinator of the Southern Christian Writers Conference

Hueytown, Ala.

Did you enjoy this story? Click here to read the full February issue!

January 7, 2021December 31, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

Rocco Grimaldi’s diminutive size might be the most noticeable thing about the Nashville Predators forward when he takes the ice, but it’s his giant-sized faith and magnanimous personality that have made him a fan favorite.

At 5’6”, Grimaldi is the shortest player currently in the NHL; he was also the shortest at the 2011 NHL Draft combine coming out of the University of North Dakota, but that didn’t keep him from being selected 33rd overall by the Florida Panthers. His grit, speed, and skill–evidenced in his team-leading scoring during the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoff appearance against Dallas–quickly made him a fan favorite, and his faithful witness has found admirers across the league.

The Nashville team is often seen as the favorite NHL squad of Birmingham hockey fans due to its close regional proximity. (Birmingham’s own hockey team is back in action for 2021; check out the sidebar for news about the Birmingham Bulls.) “The fans have been really great to me and my family, and have taken a liking to me,” Grimaldi said of his Southern city, which will be his home for at least another year after signing his recent contract. “It’s special to have that love from them, especially since I’m not the star player on the team.”

The 2020 season, shortened and strange because of the coronavirus pandemic, saw the Predators finish fifth in its division and miss the playoffs for the first time since 2014. The 2021 season is slated to start in mid-January (although that could obviously change with coronavirus issues), and many experts expect Grimaldi’s play to continue to improve and be important to the team’s success.

An Early Faith. Grimaldi’s testimony developed from the foundation of a Christian family and an early desire to accept Christ and know him better. Grimaldi became a Christian when he was just four years old when his mother asked him if he wanted to have Jesus in his heart. “I’m grateful to have lived in a Christian home,” he said. “My parents were both police officers and I spent a lot of time with my grandmother who was a real prayer warrior.” Soon after, he began what became a lifelong quest to learn more from the Scriptures.

When he was in third grade, Grimaldi felt the Holy Spirit leading him to read through the Bible; it took him four years to complete the quest and has since read through it “probably five or six times” –most recently during the pandemic. “A month or two before the virus, I saw a plan and app called the 30-Day Shred,” he explained. “I like tech and I thought maybe I’ll do it over the summer. Then this happened and I said what better time than now? I had a hard copy in my hand and then would listen to it. It went through about two times the speed and it kept me focused.”

Grimaldi said that Christians need to remember that Bible reading, and prayer shouldn’t just be religious tasks. “God doesn’t want you to read to check off a box,” he said. “We close ourselves off when we do that. Instead, it should be a practice of really opening ourselves up.”

Grimaldi said that each time he reads through the Bible he learns something new–and this time was no different. “Something I learned this time was how God requires obedience from us. Obedience is often overlooked because we put so much emphasis on grace,” he said. “God’s given me grace, that’s true and important. But the Old and New Testament states the same thing, that he requires obedience. True followers will follow no matter what, despite the circumstances.”

The circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic challenged the lives of athletes like Grimaldi. He said that the time off gave him and his wife Abby special time together and gave him the chance to devote time to both spiritual pursuits and private workouts and conditioning. “The biggest thing is that I’ve tried not to waste my time. I could basically have this time to do nothing, but I tried to grow my faith and also grow physically in the gym,” he said. During the off-season, Grimaldi worked out every day, read through the Bible, read multiple books, listened to podcasts on hockey and other topics, and spent time virtually with teammates.

A Love for Hockey. Grimaldi said that he loved hockey from the moment he first put skates on as a young child. No one in his California family had ever played hockey, so it surprised his father when he took so quickly to the game. “Dad said that when he first took me ice skating, I just pushed him away and started skating on my own,” he said. “I had played baseball, but when I played hockey, I just automatically loved it. It fit my personality.”

Grimaldi said that his size should have been a disadvantage in playing hockey, but that he instead used it as a challenge. He also said that his size–combined with his speed–has been an advantage in certain types of playing situations. “I never had a victim mentality,” he said. “I never thought, ‘I’m small, so they’re gonna think I’m not good enough.’ I wasn’t raised that way. My family always taught me that it doesn’t matter. You have a fair chance if you do the work,”

“I always expected to make it,” he said. He, in fact, took his size and turned it into an advantage. With his speed and size, he can be low on the puck; players can find difficulty going up against small guys, he said, because they’re low and it’s hard to take penalties on them.

Grimaldi played on United States junior teams, scoring the tying and winning goals against Sweden in the gold medal game of the 2013 IIHF World Junior Championship. He also played for the University of North Dakota, where he was named rookie of the year in 2012-13, led the team in scoring the next year, and was then drafted in the second round by the NHL’s Florida Panthers. He saw his first Stanley Cup Playoff action for Florida in 2016 and then played for Colorado and San Antonio before being traded to Nashville as a free agent on July 2, 2018. “I just love the game of hockey,” Grimaldi said. “It’s a really cool culture and hockey players are really genuine. There’s not a lot of flashiness.”

A Place in the South. Grimaldi has been welcomed with open arms by Southern fans, and in turn, he has played some of his best hockey during his time in Nashville.

He finished the 2018-19 season with 13 points (five goals and eight assists) in 53 games and reached double figures in goals for the first time in 2019-20. He was rewarded for his play with a two-year contract signing on Feb. 24, 2020, and many people look to this upcoming season as a big one for Grimaldi. “The fans have taken a liking to me, and it’s special to have that love from them,” he said.

Rocco Grimaldi with his wife. — Rocco Grimaldi with his wife Abby who is a Christian singer-songwriter who released albums in 2015 (“You are Free”) and 2016 (“Christmas Time is Here”) and is finishing up work on a new release for 2021.

Grimaldi said that he tries to reach out to fans with a generous, Christ-like attitude and witness. “It’s just treating people the right way, especially those who aren’t going to be able to repay you,” he said. “As an athlete, people are always watching you. To just take the time to talk to someone, sign something, smile at them. It’s not really even what I say. I mostly try and be a kind person and not act like I’m better than anyone else.”

Grimaldi and his wife, Abby–a classically trained musician who also leads worship and is releasing an EP in 2021–were married in 2016 and today enjoy their life in Nashville. He said that their marriage is another example of God’s plan and wisdom. “We’ve already been through a lot of struggles together, even though we’ve been married for just four years. It’s been a blessing to go through those things with her,” he said. “They’ve made me a better player, but also a better man.”

Grimaldi uses his relationship with Abby to explain how a relationship with God should work. “I’m married, but what if we only talk once a week or twice a month. Or what if I don’t listen to her? We expect to be spiritually led, but we don’t even talk to God every day,” he said. “We don’t understand that being a Christian is a relationship.”

As hockey starts back up again this month, Grimaldi’s witness–evidenced from his family relationships, personal life, and interaction with fans–will be in the spotlight again. Expect it to shine big and bright.

-Cheryl Sloan Wray is a freelance writer and sports enthusiast who lives in Hueytown. She’s the author of Notes from a Quarantine, available now on Amazon.

Did you enjoy this article? Check out our full January issue here.

Birmingham Bulls Ready for Season

Bulls Hockey sideline shot — Birmingham Bulls head coach Craig Simchuk watches his team on the ice in a 2020 matchup at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena. (Photo credit Maxwell Barton)

Birmingham’s own hockey team is back for a shortened season filled with activities for fans in a safe environment. The Bulls were recently chosen as one of the five Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) teams selected to play a 2020-21 season and began its season on December 26. The month of January consists of five home games at the home rink at the Pelham Ice Center. Safety precautions for games include temperature checks, required self-assessments from fans, required masks, general admission seating, and a 75% capacity of 3,000. According to David Koonce, Vice President of Communications for the Bulls, the team is offering promotional nights for every game of the abbreviated season. “With a shortened season, we want to do everything we can to make it special for people coming to the games,” he said. Promotions, though, like everything during the season of Covid will look a little different. Koonce pointed to the “jersey off his back” promotion, which usually ends with a raffle winner getting a game-worn jersey directly from a selected player; this year, the jersey will be washed, sanitized, and mailed to the winner. New nights this year include Autism Speaks and a Bulls Legend Night celebrating 45 years of hockey in Birmingham; players from as far back as the 1970s will attend the event. “I’ll be wearing a Bulls shirt out in the community, and someone will tell me that they used to love going to Bulls games in the 70s or 90s,” Koonce said. “I’ll tell them that they can still come watch games. Some people still don’t know that we’re still around.” There will also be two church nights instead of one. Here are a few of the upcoming games you and your family can attend:

Bulls Hockey action shot — The Birmingham Bulls hit the ice for Southern Professional Hockey League (SPHL) action in Pelham. (Photo credit Maxwell Barton)

Jan. 7: Everything You Missed Night/Thirsty Thursday

Jan. 9: Hawaiian Night

Jan. 18: MLK Game Day

Jan. 22: First Responders Night

Jan. 23: Star Wars Night

Feb. 5: Military Night

Feb. 11: Thirsty Thursday

Feb. 19: Weiner Dog Races

Feb. 25: One-Zee Night/Thirsty Thursday

See a full schedule and learn more about upcoming promotions and giveaways at www.bullshockey.net.

December 10, 2020November 29, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

Sean Dietrich tells his stories of the South with an accent as thick as honey. The stories- ones of Southern people, places, and values- have earned him the moniker of “Sean of the South” and gained him loyal followers who love his heartfelt wisdom and inspiration as much as they do that thick accent.

Sean of the South sitting at a table with a notebook and glass of tea. — Sean of the South found himself visiting downtown Birmingham, Chelsea, Columbiana and Irondale for the shooting of commercials for Alfa Insurance. The company chose Dietrich as a spokesperson based on his “down-home humor, love of all things Southern and celebration of everyday heroes.”

Dietrich’s stories can be found on his website, where he writes a blog entry every day; the stories are shared on his Facebook page, which has more than 100,000 followers, and on his popular “Sean of the South” podcast. His most recent book, Will the Circle Be Unbroken? (Zondervan), is a memoir that evidences the power of faith and the human spirit to overcome a difficult background that included his father’s suicide.

One episode in the book tells of a newspaper editor’s now-ironic suggestion to Dietrich: “I’m gonna give you some free advice that nobody gave me. Nobody wants to read stories that are about happy things. That isn’t how you sell books, newspapers, or magazines. People like things that are gut-wrenching…. more blood and guts, less romance.” Dietrich’s own testimony is a testament to the fact that people do, indeed, need happy stories.

A Born Storyteller. Dietrich came by his storytelling gift honestly. He remembers hearing stories from many members of his family, and then started writing his own stories in elementary school. “Maybe it’s our generation, but we had storytellers around us. I can recall my mother, grandmother, grandfather telling stories. My mother was chatty and could start a conversation with anyone,” he said. “When I write, I think about that older generation that taught me the value of a good story.”

Dietrich, born in Missouri, moved to Florida when he was just 12 and dropped out of school at 14. Although he loved writing at a young age (and still remembers the fifth-grade teacher who encouraged him), he didn’t discover it again until he was an adult. “I was self-educated, so I read a lot, and I didn’t go back to school until I was in my 20s,” he said. “I did construction, hung sheetrock, jobs like that, but then I discovered that writing was what I really loved. It’s what connects me to other people.” The odd jobs eventually sent him to community college, then a semi-professional musical career (he still sings and plays guitar during speaking engagements), and ultimately to writing. His path also led him to wife Jamie (a native of Brewton, Ala.), whom he met at a church potluck in Destin, Fla. “I grew up Southern Baptist and always played for Wednesday and Sunday night singings. And at the time I worked part time playing for a little Baptist church,” Dietrich said. “I met this cute brunette at a potluck, and we got married six months later. We’ve been married for 18 years.”

Sean and his wife Jamie in the kitchen cooking together. — Sean’s wife Jamie is a trained chef, but now works as her husband’s manager. They’ll celebrate their 17th anniversary on December 19.

Dietrich laughingly said that getting to where he is right now has been “a big, long train of fortunate events” and often expresses disbelief in his success. “I remember being on the road coming home from a speaking gig one night and I realized this is what I love,” he said. “I like to make people feel good, even if it’s only for a few minutes. I really have no idea what I’m doing, but I love doing it.” These days he’s one of the most prolific writers you can imagine, producing 900-word columns or blog entries every day and adding in more work on book projects. “It’s sort of compulsive,” he admitted. “I’ve written 3000 words a day for almost 8 years.”

A Loyal Following. Dietrich’s stories come from a variety of experiences- from meeting a stranger in a cafe, to eavesdropping on a conversation between two children on a creek bank; from what it means to be patriotic to what it means to show kindness. And the stories come from throughout the Southern states; they can be based on his own experiences or be inspired by others’. His posts on Facebook typically get around 5,000 shares and make the rounds on social media. “Stories find me,” he said. “It started as a blog, kinda on a whim. I wanted to write about the people and places in my region, and I didn’t have any higher desire for it. But things went really well. People keep reading, and I keep doing it.”

Will the Circle Be Unbroken? braves some more serious issues, tackling his father’s death and the broken family he grew up in as a young child. The book also introduced his writing to a larger audience and built his fan base. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, Dietrich was on a multi-city book tour throughout the South. The night before the tour was shut down, he stood in lines in Nashville greeting fans and friends. The next day he was in Birmingham, saying good-bye to the tour and retreating home to Florida. “That night in Nashville, there were 400 people standing in line, hugging necks, telling their own stories,” he said. “And then it was over.”

Sean of South Cover Art of Will The Circle Be Unbroken — Will the Circle be Unbroken? is Sean Dietrich’s newest book. Its title comes from the hymn played at his father’s funeral when Sean was just 12.

Dietrich has changed since the pandemic hit, writing with a clearer focus and separating from the busy-ness of book tours and marketing efforts. “I was overworking myself, and I’m grateful now that I’m able to see that,” he said. “We’ve been doing a lot of virtual stuff, but we’ve mostly stayed home and haven’t seen many people.” The one exception was when Dietrich spent time filming commercials for Alfa Insurance in Birmingham and Columbiana. The invitation to be an Alfa spokesperson came soon after Covid appeared, and he was taken aback by the company’s interest. “I told them they had the wrong guy,” he laughed. “I have a face for radio.” The commercials have brought even more attention to Dietrich and his storytelling.

A Legacy of Faith. Underlying so many of Dietrich’s stories is a belief in the goodness of people, and in the importance of faith and religion in so many lives. Some of his recent columns include “Church Lady” (an ode to the women so many Southerners relied on), “Holy Cow” (a tribute to a “possible angel” who helped after a car broke down), and “Tight Knit” (a story of prayer shawls and other “holy” knitted objects).

In the South, he said, there’s no way to separate faith from everyday life. “That’s one thing I really love about Southern culture. It’s just part of our lives, and it’s not compartmentalized,” he said. “Everyone has an experience with church. If you have the flu, well Miss Anne’s gonna come check on you. You’re gonna be brought deviled eggs or a casserole. It’s about people and community.”

“I’ve visited other regions where people can separate religion from the rest of their life,” Dietrich said. “Down here, it’s ingrained, even in the phrases we use. ‘She needs Jesus’ or ‘Bless your heart.’ It’s part of us.” On a personal level, Dietrich said that faith has helped him through some of the lowest points in his life. Of course, the way he explains it is pure “Sean of the South.” “I’ve known a lot of people who didn’t grow up in a church setting like I did. Those people can call faith a crutch,” he said, “and if you ask me, that is the perfect description. Because without it, I wouldn’t be able to walk.”

–Cheryl Sloan Wray

Wray loves to tell her own stories –but nothing like Sean!– as a freelance writer and book author. She’s married with three daughters and six grandchildren and lives in Hueytown, Ala.

Did you enjoy this story? Read our full December issue here.

“Putting Up the Tree”

Sean Dietrich said his childhood Christmases were small and simple, but one year his father taught him an important lesson.

“The next Christmas, my father decided to help me see life more clearly. He let me accompany him on one of the annual holiday errands he always did for our church. We spent the evening going across town to deliver free balsam firs and sacks of gifts to needy families. These were sturdy trees, and the presents were mostly coats and shoes and hats. That night we visited many different neighborhoods. I was introduced to various children who lived in ramshackled homes with dogs under the porches and absent parents. My father wasn’t trying to give me a guilt trip, I think he was just trying to let me see the world as it was. And I did. I met kids my age who didn’t even seem to realize it was Christmas. They had no twinkling lights, no yard art, no butterscotch, no cheese logs, no nothing. There was one kid who I went to school with. He was waiting on his porch with his little brother when we arrived. His family not only lacked a tree, they were using flashlights because their electricity was off. The church delivered their groceries weekly. And their clothes came from donations. My father put on his biggest smile to make the delivery. We dropped off a garbage bag filled with gifts, and I was surprised to discover that these kids were actually excited about receiving so little. When the kids threw their arms around my father I saw peach-sized tears in their eyes. One boy shouted, “Oh thankyouthankyouthankyou!” And I’ll never forget seeing that kid look admiringly at my father, then to me, and saying with complete sincerity: “Man, you’re SO lucky.” We rode home in silence. And when I arrived at our little house and saw our crooked tree, I felt differently about it all. I looked at our handmade decorations, and the popcorn garland, and the quilted advent calendar, and the candied pecans, and I felt downright silly. Then I sat beside the glow of our lit-up tree and got lost in the sounds of music. I could not quit thinking about what I had seen. And even though I am an adult now, and even though COVID-19 has made this year a crummy year, I still replay that boy’s words in my head. Because they remain so very true.”

(reprinted with permission from SeanDietrich.com)

June 20, 2023October 31, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Cover Story

An old Latvian proverb proclaims that “A smiling face is half the meal.” Ashley McMakin, the owner of the Birmingham area’s five Ashley Mac’s restaurants, has been putting smiles on the faces of her customers for more than a decade with her delicious comfort meals. The restaurant’s signature dishes-mouthwatering creations like poppyseed chicken and strawberry cake- have gained Ashley and her partner husband Andy accolades from fans and critics alike, but McMakin said that the success has been a sweet surprise reminding them of God’s faithfulness. Today she smiles as she looks back at the business’s humble beginnings and the way God has used it to bless others.

Ashley McMakin in green dress — Pictured above is Ashley McMakin, owner of Birmingham’s Ashley Mac’s.

Humble Beginnings, Unexpected Success. Ashley Mac’s was born “as a hobby” in a small Homewood condo in 2007 after Ashley McMakin graduated with a business degree from the University of Alabama and returned home after a year serving in China with Campus Crusade ministries. “I got engaged the day I got home from China and looked into culinary school, but we were broke newlyweds,” McMakin remembers. Instead, she began work at a local advertising agency and started catering out of her condo with a friend from work. They began catering parties and corporate lunches and within three months she quit her job to work full time with the new venture.

Recipes were developed and dishes tested, as they tried to build a menu that was “a little bit better than your Momma’s.” That idea- to not be super trendy, but to appeal to the average person who likes delicious comfort food and may not have time to cook- started then and continues today. McMakin’s husband saw the potential for growth and quit his own accounting job to, as he would tell friends and colleagues, “help my wife start her business.” Together they named it Ashley Mac’s and opened their first location- a catering and to-go place only- in Bluff Park in 2007.

Ashley McMakins adopted daughter arrives — The McMakin family celebrates at the airport on the day adopted daughter Mally came home from China in 2015.

“During that time is when we felt like God called us to Ashley Mac’s,” she said. “We feel that we are called to the restaurant industry like missionaries are called.” Their first employee hire is indicative of the way the McMakins do business with faith and concern for others. When the business was first run out of their home, Wanna Conner had just married their downstairs neighbor. One afternoon they went to introduce themselves and Andy asked, “Do you like to cook? And do you need a job?” Conner joined them on the spot, was the first official employee at their first location, and still works for Ashley Mac’s today.

The number of employees grew as Ashley Mac’s continued to gain popularity, and expansion was inevitable. “As it continued to grow, we got our name on the map with stories in food sections, and then we did Pepper Place. We love being involved in the community, and a lot of our current customers first discovered us there,” McMakin said. The second location in Cahaba Heights opened soon after; affectionately called “the pink house,” it was a pick-up location only. They soon discovered that there might be a market for something more. “We saw that there was a market over there, so we opened our first restaurant, sit-down location in Cahaba Heights in 2010,” she said. “The joke is that when we got the place it was going to be pick-up only. My husband looked at the space with tables and said, ‘Why don’t we let people sit down and eat?’”

“That’s called a restaurant,” she laughingly answered, knowing the hard work involved in operating a full-fledged restaurant. “My husband was right, though. He was the visionary. We learned so much from that first store and after that he had me on board.” The menu developed–very similar to what it is today–and the three-pronged concept of their business was born, with catering, gourmet-to-go, and a cafe offered. Locations in Inverness (2013), Riverchase (2015), Homewood (2017), and Pizitz Food Hall (2020) followed.

Family-focused in Midst of Challenges. While finding success with Ashley Mac’s, the couple struggled personally with infertility- something that McMakin said today shows God’s plan for their lives. She took infertility treatments and prayed for a child, all while the restaurant started and then flourished. “At the beginning, I didn’t really have the desire to make the business bigger, and I decided that I’d do it until I got pregnant. But we never did get pregnant, and then went on fertility treatments for two and a half years,” McMakin recalled. “God used that time for us to build the business. If we had a baby, there wouldn’t be an Ashley Mac’s.”

Their first son, Ryder, was born in 2009 and was followed by Jackson in 2011. They each arrived while McMakin worked to open new locations, and Jackson came while dealing with a fire at the Cahaba Heights café. “Each time, people would laugh that with each location we’d have a kid,” McMakin said, not realizing at the time that there would be some truth to the joke.

While in the middle of preparations for the Riverchase location, the McMakins began the process to adopt a daughter from China; the adoption, which took place through Birmingham’s Lifeline Christian Services, brought 2-year-old daughter Mally to them in 2015. “When I lived in China, Andy and I would Skype and I’d tell him that I really want a little girl from there one day,” she said. “Throughout the infertility process, we’d always discussed adoption.” According to McMakin, the adoption process was a smooth one. Since Mally had a minor heart condition, the process was somewhat sped up; the adoption took about 10 months, whereas usually, it takes more than a year. “Lifeline has partnerships in China, and they facilitate everything. They were great to work with,” she said.

More family additions came through a fostering situation with two former employees. The McMakins got to know their families and during difficult situations, they’d care for their children on weekends. “As we were opening the Homewood location, they asked if a child could live with us,” McMakin said. “He stayed with us for two years.” The situation, McMakin said, was an extension of the grace they try to extend to their employees and in all business dealings. “We’ve always been taught by our church that life is our mission. We don’t separate work and faith. And we felt like God was telling us to take these kids in, even though we’d never necessarily felt called to fostering. We were just responding to a need. Doing life with our employees,” she said.

Ashley McMakin kids at Pizitz Food Hall Opening — Ryder, Trey, Mally, and Jackson celebrate the grand opening of Ashley Mac’s at the Pizitz Food Hall in downtown Birmingham in 2020. The Pizitz location includes an enclosed dining area, catering services, and gourmet-to-go options.

That Christ-centered business philosophy, according to McMakin, is stressed in all of Ashley Mac’s plans and dealings. The restaurant finds some employees through Jobs for Life (a program that helps people through addiction, poverty, and other issues), where McMakin has served as a mentor. “We strive to create a culture that’s different than the typical restaurant industry, which can be rough,” she said. “We want employees to feel respect and to know that there’s dignity and worth in work.” Ultimately, she said, their core value is grace.

A Bright Future. The recent coronavirus pandemic brought extra challenges to McMakin, as she worked to continue supporting her employees and customers while battling to keep the business open. Ashley Mac’s business model, however, made the challenge a bit easier for McMakin than other owners. “Restaurants had to pivot to figure out how to do what we’re already doing,” she said. “Gourmet-to-go saved us through Covid. People already knew us for that and thankfully our loyal customers continued to support us, and we gained new customers who were looking for a place to get take-home meals.”

McMakin shut down dining for a period of time and had to furlough some employees, but thankfully was able to recently reopen. “The first day we reopened, we wondered if anyone would come,” she remembered. “At first we might have two tables occupied, but now we stay pretty full along with social distance and a limited number of tables.”

“We’ve hit what we call a new normal, but we’ll be excited when it’s over,” she said. McMakin’s immediate plans for Ashley Mac’s include the upcoming holiday season, which she expects to be especially busy with more people eating at home because of the pandemic. The restaurant will offer new holiday packages to make dining at home easier, and further plans for the business include possible expansions into other areas inside and outside of Birmingham. Whatever comes, McMakin said that the business is in God’s hand.

When Covid was at its height, she realized that it could mark the end of Ashley Mac’s–and she rested in the knowledge that that would be okay. “We knew that God had given Ashley Mac’s to us, so if it was the end, we understood that. We’d weathered so many issues in our lives and the business and felt like Covid wouldn’t stop it, but if it did there would be something else for us,” she said. And now? She rests in the witness Ashley Mac’s can give to others, and the smiles it puts on her customers’ faces. “You don’t always think about the significance of what you’re doing,” she said, “but when you hear stories from people who are celebrating around your food, it puts things into perspective. Food is such a central part of life, and we’re blessed to have a part in it.”

-Cheryl Sloan Wray

Wray is a freelance writer and author who lives in Hueytown; she looks forward to the holidays with husband Gary, three daughters, and six grandchildren. She’s also the coordinator of the Southern Christian Writers Conference.

Did you enjoy this article? Check out our full November issue here.

The Tide’s Chris Stewart: A Miraculous Journey

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