Celebrate the Family Expo Recap!

June 23, 2020January 27, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

The Herd Vincenza Sciarabba Photo Cred 1

Special Feature

On January 11, 2020, Birmingham Christian Family (BCF) celebrated 20 years of GOOD NEWS at the Celebrate the Family Expo. Here are a few of the highlights from the free day of family fun at the Hoover Met’s Finley Center!

The Chick-Fil-A Herd of Cows arrived in their “Cow Mobile” handed out plush toys and even danced with “kids” young and old to the Chicken Dance.

Gone for Good, a program of United Ability, shredded any unwanted documents and recycled old electronics for free.

Expo attendees met and took pictures with Mickey and Minnie, Skye and Chase, and Elsa! The Just Keep Smiling(JKS) characters performed a sneak peek of their upcoming Characters on Parade Performance on February 22, 2020 at Gardendale First Baptist North Campus. The Characters are part of the JKS ministry that assists families in our community with children in medical crisis. Photo: Angela Holley

Each attendee received a Birthday Bingo sheet when they signed in. Every booth had a special stamp and if attendees filled out four rows of stamps by visiting each booth, they were entered to receive great prizes like a case of Bud’s Best Cookies. Photo: Angela Holley

Hoover Mayor Frank Brocato stopped by the Expo to celebrate with BCF! Thank you for your kind words, Mayor Brocato!

The Expo welcomed special guests, like ABC 33/40’s Brenda Ladun, WBRC Fox 6’s Mike Dubberly and Sarah Verser, and WDJC’s Terry Patilla. Thank you for supporting BCF!

Great live music, praising God, was enjoyed by all thanks to Kevin Derryberry and Marc Phillips! Photo: Vincenza Sciarabba

The threat of bad weather didn’t stop the fun, even when everyone took shelter in the Hoover Met’s locker room. Elsa from Just Keep Smiling entertained the kids and kept smiles on their faces! A big thank you to the Finley Center staff, Hoover Police and EMTs for watching the weather and keeping everyone safe. Photo: Vincenza Sciarabba

Children enjoyed getting their faces painted for free, courtesy of Painted Personalities! Photo: Vincenza Sciarabba

Inflatables from Deborah’s Party Rentals were a huge hit! Photo: Angela Holley

Great live music, praising God, was enjoyed by all thanks to Kevin Derryberry and Marc Phillips as well as Ignite Your Light Youth Choir! Photo Vinzenca Sciarabba

Visitors sampled Birthday Treats from exhibitors and voted on their favorite. Congratulations to CakEffect, the winner of the Expo Birthday Ballot!

We couldn’t have done it without our volunteers!

Special thanks to all of our sponsors and exhibitors for making the Expo a reality and sharing great family resources and giveaways! For more pictures from the event, visit www.Facebook.com/BirminghamChristianFamily.

We are excited to announce the 2nd Annual Celebrate the Family Expo on February 13, 2021 at the Pelham Civic Complex! Limited Number of Sponsor Opportunities are available. Click here to learn more and sign up!

-Laurie Stroud

Founder, The Christian Family Publication, Inc.

www.BirminghamChristian.com

Facebook: Birmingham Christian Family

Twitter @cfpBirmingham

Instagram @cfpbirmingham

LinkedIn: Birmingham Christian Family

Celebrating 20 Years of Good News!

“Look to the Lord & His Strength, Seek His face always.” 1 Chronicles 16:11 (Holman Standard)

January 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

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Parenting Points

Today’s Christian family is constantly bombarded with messages from our culture about who we should be and what should matter to us. We are told that our family should live in this neighborhood and do these activities. Our kids are told that they should look and act a certain way to be accepted. The cultural narrative rings from our radios and TVs and is modeled constantly by the social media on our phones.

In a world where the cultural narrative stands in such contrast to what God calls us to as followers of Jesus, grounding ourselves and our families in the Word becomes a vital task. As Moses gathered the people of God together to give them the law of God for the second time, he set before the people a picture of what saturating our families in the Word could look like:

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-9 ESV What does it look like for a family to be saturated with God’s Word?

Saturating Your Family with God’s Word Begins with You. Before Moses gets to the family as a whole, he begins by addressing the parents. For true spiritual transformation to begin in a home, it must begin with you. Your kids are watching how you handle the Word and what you truly value. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to transform your heart first?

Saturating Your Family with God’s Word Continues with Life Conversation. Throughout the passage, we see the daily life of one of the family’s in Moses’ audience. They are doing things not unlike what we would do with our family in a typical day: talking, sitting, walking, going to sleep, and waking up. In the middle of the everyday activities of life, are you looking for moments to have conversations about God’s Word? Is faith a natural conversation in the everyday life of your family?

Saturating Your Family with God’s Word Persists with Keeping the Word Before Your Family. Moses ends with a picture of putting the Word physically before your family. This is an extremely practical idea. Does your home display the truths of God’s Word to combat the cultural narrative?

Let us be families who saturate ourselves in God’s Word and live counter-cultural lives for His glory.

-Ben Birdsong

Writer, Speaker, and Minister

www.benbirdsong.com

February 10, 2020January 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

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Legal Matters

Presented by: Bradford & Holliman, Estate Planning

Love may be in the air this February, but that doesn’t make sweetheart wills any better. When a couple has matching wills that give everything to their spouse with little regard to the next step, lawyers call them sweetheart wills, and it is not an endearment.

Sweetheart wills were once very common, but times have changed. Couples live longer, and second marriages are much more common. Grown or minor children are now often a combination or hers, his, and theirs. The result is that sweetheart wills may not be appropriate.

Lawyers may now advise including children beneficiaries in the first wills along with the surviving spouse. Or, lawyers may advise that the assets be used during the surviving spouse’s life, but that the assets go to the specified children after the spouse dies.

A few examples may help you understand how sweetheart wills can go wrong. Let’s say George and Julie are married later in life and set up sweetheart wills. George dies leaving everything to Julie and nothing to his two daughters. Julie’s will specifies that everything goes to George and nothing to her son, Bob.

Scenario 1: A year later, Julie revises her will to leave everything to Bob, her son from her first marriage. George’s daughters will inherit nothing.

Scenario 2: Bob, Julie’s son from her first marriage, has financial problems, and Julie uses the bulk of George’s estate bailing Bob out. When Julie dies, George’s two daughters inherit nothing.

Scenario 3: Julie marries Harold and revises her will to leave everything to Harold, via another sweetheart will. When she dies, both of George’s daughters and her son Bob inherit nothing.

If you haven’t updated your estate plans in the last three to five years, review it and make sure you don’t have any “sweetheart will” terms that no longer meet your family situation. Then talk to an experienced estate planning attorney about better options.

-Melanie B. Holliman, JD

Partner at Bradford & Holliman

Estate Planning, Trusts & Special Needs

205-663-0281

www.bradfordholliman.com

No representation is made that the quality of the legal service to be performed is greater than the quality of service performed by other lawyers.

January 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

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Special Feature

As a nation, we recently mourned on Sanctity of Human Life Sunday the almost 62 million babies of all races killed by abortion since the Supreme Court ruling of Roe v. Wade. This solemn occasion is the result of President Ronald Reagan’s historic 1984 Presidential Proclamation of National Sanctity of Human Life Day, on the anniversary of Roe v. Wade. Sanctity of Life Human Sunday, the third Sunday of each January, commemorates the lives lost to abortion and proclaims protecting human life at every stage.

Life is precious and begins at conception. It’s heartbreaking and unfortunate that this is a controversial statement. I strongly believe that as a society we are judged by how we protect those who are the most vulnerable, and given the unborn cannot speak for themselves, there is no group more vulnerable. Having watched my children experience the miracle of life with their growing families and welcoming eight grandchildren into this world, as well as, expecting two more have only further cemented my unwavering belief in safeguarding the unborn’s right to life.

In 47 years since the Roe v. Wade decision, the medical community has made massive medical advances that clearly establish that life begins at conception. A heartbeat can be heard as early as 6 weeks after conception! Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that God knows the unborn, and God is growing that child with a purpose in our world. The black and white ultrasound picture clearly shows this growing baby.

The day after our tribute to the millions of unborn babies, the third Monday every January, our nation honors the most famous American civil rights activist, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Dr. King’s peaceful struggle against racial discrimination and civil rights was valiant, and the delivery of his 1963 speech “I have a Dream” was the impetus of a movement that led to the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Is it coincidental that the day our nation honors the unborn, and the day our nation honors the man who was instrumental in the decision to outlaw discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin are on consecutive days? I think not. As a nation, we still have unfinished business to protect the lives of the unborn as we continue our nation’s civil rights fight.

This is a fight against the worst form of discrimination, discrimination against life.

– Arnold Mooney

Alabama State Representative District 43

Candidate for U.S. Senate

January 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

If you want to grow in your faith this year, Beeson Divinity School’s Lay Academy classes are a great opportunity for you. Spring 2020 classes meet in the afternoons and evenings and there are a variety of class topics from which to choose. Here’s an overview of just a few.

“The Power and Necessity of Prayer” will be taught by Dr. Lyle Dorsett who is formerly the Billy Graham professor of Evangelism at Beeson. Students can expect to pay close attention to the Psalms as a book of prayer, the prayer practices of several Old Testament saints, and the prayer lives of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Paul and more. This course begins on February 24, 2020, and meets for six Monday nights from 6-8 p.m.
Genesis is, above all, divine revelation- disclosing God’s perspective on the origins of the universe, humanity and his plan of salvation for creation and for all nations. Join Dr. Kenneth Mathews, Old Testament and Hebrew professor at Beeson, in his “Genesis: The “Book of Beginnings” class. He will explain how Genesis, as the beginning of the Bible, gives readers the foundation for understanding the whole Bible. Genesis also provides the intellectual and spiritual framework for our understanding of what and who God is, and for knowing the identity of the human “Self,” and our relationship to God, to nature, and to one another. This course meets on six Monday afternoons from 1-3 p.m. beginning February 24, 2020.
“The History of Salvation” will approach a systematic theology in a new way, as history. This is an area in which Dr. Gerald McDermott, Anglican professor of divinity, is currently investing a great amount of his research and the course will begin very differently than one would expect. The approach will start with the three divine persons in eternity planning a creation. This will be followed by the story of creation, the Fall, and then the story of the first civilizations until Babel. That will be followed by the story of Israel throughout the Old Testament, then the story of the early church and the history of Christianity. This course meets for six Thursday nights from 6-8 p.m. beginning on February 27, 2020.

Register and learn more about these and several other courses being offered this semester at www.beesondivinity.com/layacademy. Participants who register early will receive a special discounted rate.

June 10, 2020January 25, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

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Our House

Brought to you by: Community Partner Hinkle Roofing, www.HinkleRoofing.com

Most people don’t expect their roof to spring a leak until it’s too late. Don’t wait until water pours through the ceiling and the rest of your home. Hinkle Roofing, your trusted roofing company, suggests a roof inspection twice a year. What are the various warnings that may pop up if your roof is already compromised?

Look for these signs that signify it is time for a new roof.

1. Leaks in the attic. The first place to check when looking for roof leaks is your attic. Armed with a flashlight, climb up under the eaves. Then, look for beams of light coming through the top of the house or stains and streaks. Check around vent openings and wherever the roof line changes slope or direction.

2. The age of your roof. Check your records to see when you last had a roof or shingles replacement. Knowing when your roof was first installed and what materials it’s made of will tell how much life it has left. A typical asphalt shingle roofing system lasts 20 to 25 years.

3. Damaged roof shingles. Always check your roof shingles after heavy storms. Be sure that they still lie flat against the roof. If you find patches of shingles that are quite cracked, damaged, or buckling, then repairs are in order. At the same time, check for shingle granules in the gutters and downspouts. Losing a lot of granules signals the end of the roof’s service life.

4. Loose flashing. The flashing around vents, skylights, and chimneys seals the roof from water. Examine them for cracks or breaks, which might lead to leaks. Older homes have flashing made of roof cement or tar, which can deteriorate. Upgrade to a metal flashing system for greater durability.

Check with your expert roofing contractor, Hinkle Roofing. Hinkle Roofing provides full-service home improvement. We serve homeowners and businesses in Tuscaloosa and Hoover, AL. Call us at 205-352-1940 for a consultation and a free estimate.

–Bob Baker

Owner/President, Hinkle Roofing

205-324-8545

www.hinkleroofing.com

January 23, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

City Scene

Proving that rival teams and rival fan bases can work together to achieve a common goal is what Lettermen of the USA (LotUSA) is all about. LotUSA is a national charitable organization of former college athletes, as well as active and former coaches who have teamed up to help serve honorably discharged veterans, wounded veterans, and former college players in need.

The mission of LotUSA is to impact those who serve by offering the motivation, guidance and support necessary to rise and pursue success “one yard at a time.” LotUSA is hosting the 2nd Annual One Yard at A Time Gala on Friday, February 21st at 6 p.m. The event will be held at The Club in Birmingham, Alabama. The night will feature guest speaker Bill Clark, head football coach at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Captain Gary Mike Rose, US Army Medal of Honor Recipient. The Gala will include many familiar faces including Alabama Linebacker Cornelius Bennett and former Alabama Kicker Brian Cunningham.

The LotUSA member network gives back to its communities by volunteering during natural disasters, helping feed the homeless at local shelters, supporting wounded veterans or simply giving an autographed football to someone who needs encouragement from one of their gridiron heroes. Over 300 footballs signed by coaches and players known as “Autographs for Heroes” have been given to soldiers injured during their military service at the recipients’ favorite schools. In 2011, the first autographed football ever presented by Lettermen of the USA was given by a former University of Alabama football player to a wounded Auburn veteran signed by Pat Sullivan.

Darryl Fuhrman, a former Alabama football player, is the founder and president of LotUSA and it all began after the 2011 tornado devastated Tuscaloosa. Fuhrman helped organize a flag football Iron Bowl game between former Alabama and Auburn players that raised $150,000 for the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund. Fuhrman says “We have taken the many diverse skills of athletes and coaches and built a national platform. No organization is worth its salt that doesn’t help its own.” The service organization is 100% volunteers donating their time and resources to serve those in need and those who have served us all. †

April 25, 2023January 20, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Kings Home Queens Ball mom and son kings home backdrop

Are We There Yet?

Kings Home Queens Ball mom and son 1 — There are a limited number of tickets still available for the Queen’s Ball, February 28, 2020 at The Club. Learn more and purchase tickets at www.KingsHome.com.

Calling all moms with young sons- you don’t want to miss the Queen’s Ball hosted by King’s Home on February 28, 2020. “The Queen’s Ball was originally envisioned by my daughter, Minda Riley Campbell, who serves as a board member for King’s Home,” said Patsy Riley, Queen’s Ball Honorary Chairwoman and Former First Lady of Alabama. “This event is truly about family; from its founding, to its mission, family has always been at the core.” Mother and daughter felt there was a need to celebrate and highlight mothers of sons and their special bonds. Much like father/daughter dances that take place around town throughout the year, Campbell and Riley decided to put a twist on that idea creating a wonderful evening for mothers and sons that supports the ministry of King’s Home.

The Queen’s Ball will be held at The Club in Homewood, Ala. beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday February 28. Mothers can expect to enjoy the following activities with their sons: exotic animals from Ed’s Pet World, a North Star Martial Arts live performance, face painting, a cartoon artist and a silent auction. “King’s Home is extremely thrilled to offer the third annual Queen’s Ball to the greater Birmingham community,” explains Lew Burdette, President of King’s Home. “Not only does this event support the amazing mother/son relationship, it benefits our residential group homes that serve abused youth, moms and children fleeing domestic violence.” All proceeds from The Queen’s Ball will help King’s Home operate 22 residential group homes on six campuses in Jefferson, Shelby, Blount, and Tuscaloosa counties. King’s Home gives youth, moms and children in our community an opportunity to start life over in safe, loving homes. Learn more about the ministry and purchase tickets ($125 for mom/son ticket) to the Queen’s ball at www.KingsHome.com. †

January 21, 2020January 20, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Author and speaker Whitney Capps will be in Vestavia, Ala. on February 13 to share from God’s Word and help provide much needed scholarships to students to attend Samford University. Capps and her husband, Chad, live with their four young sons outside of Atlanta, Ga. and serve at Crosspointe Baptist Church, where her father is the pastor. When Capps is not shuttling their four boys to and from various activities, she is working as part of the Proverbs 31 Ministries team. The ministry, founded by author Lysa TerKeurst in Charlotte, N. C., is designed to lead women into a deeper relationship with God through Bible studies and more. “I love working alongside those women who deeply love God’s Word and want to eradicate biblical poverty. It’s the great passion of our ministry to see women love God with their hearts and their minds,” Capps reflects.

Whitney Capps is the author of Sick of Me and We Over Me, writer for the First 5 Bible app, co-host of a radio devotional aired on nearly 1200 stations, and national speaker for Proverbs 31 Ministries. Hear her speak on February 13 at Samford Legacy League’s Scholarship Luncheon at a Country Club in Vestavia, 11:30 a.m.-1p.m., www.samford.edu/legacyleague

Whitney Capps Family — Whitney Capps and her husband Chad are parents to four sons: Cooper (14), Dylan (12), Ryder (10) and Tate (8). Capps has been a part of the Proverbs 31 Ministries team for 13 years.

Even though Capps has written a book and released We Over Me: Letters of Hope from Revelation, which is a video curriculum/Bible study from Lifeway, she shares, “I’m still kind of dumbfounded that I can say I’m an author.” Sick of Me is not a typical how-to book. Capps explains that she wrote the book from her “in the trenches experience of wanting to finally overcome the places where I felt stuck. I was sick of me, and I knew I needed more of Jesus.”

What can Samford Legacy League Scholarship Luncheon guests expect to hear from Capps? “Any time I get to speak, you’ll get the unedited version of me. I’m shockingly average. But what Jesus has done in me makes much of the power of the Gospel,” Capps answers adding, “When I get to talk for even a few minutes, I love to share what I’m learning from His Word.” To learn more about the Scholarship Luncheon and make required reservations ($50 per person), visit www.samford.edu/legacyleague.

–Melissa Armstrong

Pictured above is the Scholarship Luncheon Committee. Front (L to R): Sharon Smith, Cheryl Landreth, Jeanna Westmoreland, Harriet Williams
Back (L to R): Kathy Clay, Connie Clark, Karen Carlisle (chair), Karen Register
Not pictured: Cindy Anderson, Inga Clum, Allison Strickland

January 20, 2020January 20, 2020 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Alan Miller is a husband to Meredith, father to John Ryan, Tulane University and University of Alabama School of Law graduate, and a United States Marine Corps veteran. With these valuable experiences and relationships, Miller is now running for Shelby County District Judge in the March 3, 2020 primary.

After enlisting in the Marine Corps upon high school graduation, Miller received a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps scholarship to Tulane University. “I was commissioned as a 2^nd Lieutenant upon graduation in 1995.” After leaving active duty in 1999, Miller married his wife, Meredith. Then in August of 2000, he started law school at the University of Alabama School of Law and began externing at the District Attorney’s Office in Shelby County. Upon graduation, he accepted a position in the DA’s office while maintaining his commitment to serve our country in the military. “After the events of September 11, 2001, I sought out a prior service recruiter and joined the Marine Corps Reserve as an artillery officer awaiting deployment if necessary.” Miller was eventually deployed in 2004 and 2008. He returned to the District Attorney’s office after both deployments and was promoted to Chief Assistant.

When asked why he is running for office, Miller responded, “The caseload in Shelby County is very high for the number of judges we have available. We’ve got to have judges who are willing and able to serve in multiple roles. I have the experience necessary to preside over jury trials as a specially appointed Circuit Judge.” Miller has several mentors that inspired him to run for election including Judge Bill Bostick. He adds, “My grandfather, John Miller, and my aunt and uncle, Martha and Johnny Thompson, taught me the importance of stepping up to help people when you can. I’ve tried to follow that example.”

Miller Family — Alan Miller explains that he and his family have a heart for service and love living in Shelby County. His wife, Meredith, is a nurse at St. Vincent’s Hospital.

Miller accepted Christ as his Savior when he was 27 years old. At the time, he was leaving active duty and felt a deep emptiness inside. “My faith has taught me the value of striving to live a life that is surrendered to Christ. When I do this successfully, my decisions and actions are guided by conscience; without regard to outside pressures or improper concerns,” explains Miller, an active member at Liberty Baptist Church in Chelsea, Ala. Learn more about him here.

-Melissa Armstrong

Celebrate the Family Expo Recap!

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