Special Feature
Are you looking for ways to #shoplocal? Turner Promotions, Brownstone Marketing Solutions, 58 INC and The Shelby County Chamber have come together to launch a fun contest designed to help support businesses throughout Shelby County. Here’s how:
1) Visit www.roguegarments.com and click on the #ShopShelbyCounty tab to purchase a “#ShopShelbyCounty” t-shirt in one of two premium colors. The cost for the Gildan 6 oz, Ultra Cotton shirt is $25.
2) Once you pick up your T-shirt from the Chamber everyone is encouraged to take a photo of you wearing your t-shirt.
3) Upload your picture to your favorite social media channel and Tag the Chamber on any one of the Chamber’s social media outlets (Facebook, Instagram or Twitter).
By no later than the week of May 25, The Shelby County Chamber will begin selecting a “winner” every week to receive a $25 gift certificate to their favorite Shelby County business for as long as the contest runs. The more shirts that are sold, the more certificates they will award. We’re all in this together, so, join the contest by buying a shirt (or two!), and once you get them share that photo! $15 from each shirt sold will go directly to support businesses in Shelby County Alabama. Purchased shirts must be picked up through The Shelby County Chamber. â€
“Something my church has instilled in me from a young age is that missions are so important. Whether financially supporting them, praying for the people that go on them, or participating in them yourself they are an amazing way to share the love and Word of God. During my sophomore year of high school, I had the opportunity to go on a mission trip to the country of Guatemala. I was in my third year of Spanish at the time and by no means was I fluent, but I was still excited to see how God was going to use me. Upon arriving in the country, the amount of suffering was evident. My heart truly ached for these people, but I was so wrong. I should be concerned about the state of my heart not their state of living. While having little to nothing and living in a house with a dirt floor, these people showed me what it looked like to truly have joy. I used what Spanish I had to talk to a local pastor there. He said that residents of the United States are so focused on material things and how we can better our lives while these people do not have much at all but were so willing to share. I went into this trip thinking about how I could impact the lives of these people, and yes, I did have that opportunity, but ultimately, I felt like they left a greater impact on me. When I returned home, I saw how privileged I was. Things of this world will bring you temporary happiness, but I learned that true joy is found in the Lord. Through this eye-opening experience, God showed me my passion for the Spanish language and the people of Latin America. I thought that I would go to Spanish three and that would be it, but here I am, a senior in high school, in my fifth year of Spanish and planning on minoring in it in college. Without the encouragement from my church home, my wonderful Spanish teachers, the opportunity to go on this trip, and the call the Lord placed on my life I would have never known that I would forever want to be involved in the work the Lord is doing in Latin America.”
Runner-Up Kinsleigh Sabo, from Thompson High School, shares, “I have a strong belief that everything happens for a reason. God gives us exactly what we need, even if it is not always what we want. I am thankful for each challenge that God has placed in my life, because each has prepared me to better serve Him and others.”
Runner-Up Emily Fitzhugh, from Clay Chalkville High School, says, “For the last two years, I have had opportunities to share my faith, be an example of Christ’s love and learn to pray and trust that God is in control and that He will make a way and open doors for every opportunity that is His will -whether it was deciding what college to attend or how to get through difficult situations. There is a saying that goes, “If there’s a will, then there’s a way,” but I think it should be: “If it’s His will, then He’ll make a way.”
Top Five Finalist Erin Long, from Thompson High School, shares, “My faith has without a doubt changed my life, and opened my eyes to the beauty and wonder of life with a God who loves relentlessly.”
Top Five Finalist Kaylee Vail, from Vernon High School, says, “Reaching just one soul can start a movement that can change many lives.”
During Holy Week, Hoover High School teen Kinsey Roberson used her artistic talents to paint Bible quotes on rocks of various sizes which she then placed throughout Ross Bridge’s James Hill neighborhood. She put the rocks at the base of mailboxes or underneath trees or bushes where they were visible from the road. It was a mystery: no one knew who was responsible, but everyone loved them! Neighbors walked or drove slowly through the subdivision so that their children could spot the rocks and read the messages. Roberson quietly and anonymously brought a lot of joy as well as some evangelization, to her community at a time when it was sorely needed. She is a member of Prince of Peace Catholic Church and a graduate of Prince of Peace Catholic School. †
