Come Create With Us! The Crafters House

July 7, 2019July 3, 2019 by Laurie Stroud

Cool Stuff

Do you feel drained after a long week at work and need a space to recharge? Shawn Hicks, owner of The Crafters House in Hoover, Ala., created just the space for you. Hicks is devoted to helping each customer of The Crafters House leave refreshed, energized and recharged.

After more than 20 years as a successful commercial real estate agent, Hicks shares that the near constant traveling left her exhausted and stressed. In addition to her work demands, she was a single mother with two young children. “This was a lot. It was very hectic. As a result, I started crafting in my basement.” Some of the crafts Hicks particularly enjoyed during this time included woodworking and jewelry making. In August 2018, Hicks reassessed her career and decided to open a crafting studio.

The Crafters House shawn with hands on Mannequin — Shawn Hicks shares that customers can purchase monthly memberships to The Crafters House. Monthly memberships include one free craft per week, valued up to $25, access to all the tools within the studio and unlimited access to glue and paint. Find more details at www.thecraftershouse.com.

Hicks found the perfect spot, with 4500 square feet of space, in Hoover located at 3417 Old Columbiana Road. Hicks reflects that her personal faith impacted her decision to open a crafting studio. “I saw a need in the community that matched my ability and so I created a place where people can recharge and enjoy their crafting hobby.” Hicks adds that crafting has many benefits including increased mindfulness, coordination and recovery.

Craft options abound at The Crafters House. Woodworking, painting, pottery, sewing, cooking and jewelry making are just a few of the crafts you can enjoy! Hicks shares that art beginners and professionals are welcome. You can also attend workshops led by local Birmingham artists. Hicks is looking forward to partnering with Birmingham artists through the workshops. “We have amazing artists here in Birmingham,” Hicks reflects. Space is also available to rent for individuals, groups or corporate events.

The Crafters House has a great studio for children to let their creativity and imaginations loose. The children’s space was designed with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) in mind. Children can play with wood kits, paint and 3D ink pens, coloring books, Legos and more.

The Grand Opening of The Crafters House is on August 9, 2019 beginning at 4p.m. All are welcome to come enjoy refreshments and create small crafts. Hicks encourages you to “imagine the possibilities and come create with us!” Learn more at www.thecraftershouse.com.

The Crafters House Shawn in Pink Blouse — The Crafters House offers after-school programs for children ages 10 and up. Kids will create, learn and make new friends.

Melissa Armstrong

Photos: Diana Johnson Photography

July 28, 2019July 2, 2019 by Laurie Stroud

Distinguished Young Women of Jefferson County Top 9 Group Photo

The 2020 Distinguished Young Women Program of Jefferson County will be on July 19 and July 20, 2019. The special program will be held at the Vestavia Hills High School Auditorium. Eighteen high school senior girls, representing eleven high schools throughout Jefferson County will compete for cash-tuition and college granted scholarships and for the great opportunity to represent Jefferson County in the Distinguished Young Women Program of Alabama in Montgomery in January 2020. This year’s competition theme is “Motown.” Participants will celebrate the theme by competing in the onstage categories of talent, fitness and self-expression. During the final night of the competition, finalists and overall category winners will be selected. The 2020 Distinguished Young Woman of Jefferson County, First-Alternate and Second-Alternate will also be chosen.

Tickets are $15 each for July 19, 7 p.m. and July 20, 1 p.m. preliminaries. Tickets for the Finals are $25 each for the July 21, 7 p.m. All tickets are for reserved seating. To purchase tickets, visit www.dywofjeffersoncounty.myevent.com, contact any participant, call 205-907-0210 or email [email protected]. Good luck to all of the young women competing! †

Distinguished Young Women of Jefferson County 2019 Winner Emmy Beason Blue dress — Current Distinguished Young Woman of Jefferson County, Emmy Beason, will make special vocal performances each night of the 2019 competition.

June 26, 2019 by Birmingham Christian Family

TEACHABLE MOMENTS

What does it look like to steward something? Stewardship is taking care of something that is someone else’s. When we give our lives to Him, that means everything we have is His. So, when it comes to our health and body, we must steward what God has given us. Stewardship is a big principle in the Bible. We steward our family, money, and possessions so why would we not steward what is arguably the most priceless possession that God has entrusted to us: our body. This a foreign concept to you? Let’s dive into just how important it is.

Why take care of ourselves? I mean, isn’t our spiritual being so much more important than the outward appearance? Absolutely! But why not let our body reflect the work God is doing on the inside? Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6 that WE are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The spirit of God is no longer housed in one place that we have to go to, but it dwells within us! The temple in the Old Testament was adorned with priceless metals and other precious items. It was kept up and taken care of in such a way that would honor and bring glory to God. So why not do the same with our bodies? I’m not saying that everyone needs to have a 6-pack. Health is not primarily about what we look like on the outside but about how our bodies are working on the inside. We need to be able and available for everything that God is calling us to do. If our physical bodies stand in the way of something that God has called us to do because we aren’t taking care of them then we must reevaluate how we are taking care of ourselves.

So, what does this practically look like for you? Everyone is different. Everyone is made different and has different callings. There are some general principles that can be used by everyone. We must partner with the way that God has made our bodies to function by moving, eating, and resting as appropriate for our season of life. We must move to maintain our bone structure and muscle strength. We must eat to fuel our body with the nutrients and energy it needs to function. We must rest so we can let our bodies repair and recover. Rest includes adequate sleep, recovery and stretching. I would encourage you to find someone that you trust to help you steward your body the way it’s meant to be stewarded. Whether that is a personal trainer, friend or family member – we all have a calling to steward our bodies well so we can go from Glory to Glory for a lifetime!

Ashton Tate, Glory To Glory Fitness

June 25, 2019 by Birmingham Christian Family

Photo Fun

America’s First Federal Credit Union, Woods Surfside Marina and Sylacauga Marina teamed up recently to treat residents of Colonel Robert L. Howard State Veterans Home in Pell City to a day of fishing followed by a lakeside cookout on the banks of Logan Martin Lake. “It is extremely important to us that we celebrate our local veterans,” said Phil Boozer, SVP/Chief Sales Officer for AmFirst. †

June 25, 2019 by Birmingham Christian Family

Photo Fun

Lacey Kuehnert smiles for her Gammie, Marlys Kuehnert, of Birmingham.

June 25, 2019 by Birmingham Christian Family

Photo Fun

Prince of Peace Catholic Church recently presented parishioner and Hoover High graduate Callie Ahearn with the 2019 Caitlin Sweeney-McDaniel Award for Faith in Action. The $500 scholarship award honors a graduating high school senior within the parish who exemplifies their Catholic faith in action, serves their community, and is a well-rounded student.

June 25, 2019 by Birmingham Christian Family

Photo Fun

Members of Boy Scout Troop 237 from Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic Church and Troop 97 from Trinity United Methodist Church recently properly retired more than 70 frayed and faded United States flags. Members of the Monsignor Frank J. Wade Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus Assembly joined forces with the scouts to conduct the retirement ceremony at OLS in Homewood.

January 31, 2020June 25, 2019 by Birmingham Christian Family

Special Feature

The winner of our 2019 Favorite Summer Spot/Activity Reader Survey is Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure! The American Village and Aldridge Gardens were close runner ups. Thank you to all our readers who participated in the survey. One lucky reader, Jamie Roby from Birmingham, won a $100 Gift Card to Ashely Mac’s as an extra thank you!

Readers’ Choice Winner Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure has brand new attractions for visitors to enjoy this summer season including: The Galleon, A Classic Pirate Ship Ride, The Twister and The Free Fall. You can also watch the Pirate High Dive Show once again but with some new twists. The family friendly park also boasts improved park pedestrian pathways and park beautification. If you are looking for a day full of fun that is affordable and close to home, look no further! Alabama Adventure & Splash Adventure offers park guests free, unlimited soft drinks along with Gatorade and lemonade, free parking, free sunscreen, free Wi-Fi and free inner tubes. Season pass holders will receive a 15% discount on the price of all food items all summer long. “We tell people all the time, we just love hanging out at the park, it is just such a cool, campy, fun place that we designed and finessed over the last five seasons,” says Dan Koch and his mom, Pat “The General.” All the family fun takes place at 4599 Splash Adventure Parkway, Bessemer, 35002. This month Birmingham Christian Family is giving away four tickets to the park to one lucky reader. See page 4 for details.

Readers’ Choice Runner Ups.

Stroll through Aldridge Gardens in Hoover this summer Sunday-Saturday, 8am-7pm. The Gardens are also home to some great kids’ camps including Myth Busters, STEAM Lab, Cool Art, American Girl Dolls and more.

The American Village in Montevallo, Ala. is offering $5 Admission this summer through July 31, 2019! Families can step back in time and learn how colonial spies passed secret messages, take part in the trial of Blackbeard’s pirates and celebrate Independence Day 1776 with fun, food and fireworks.

Be sure to look for our Spring/Summer Family Fun Resource Guide soon! If you would like your business included in the 2020 Spring/Summer Family Fun Resource Guide contact Amy at [email protected] or 205-515-2564. The Guide includes five categories: Recreation, Dining, Summer Camps, Entertainment and Travel.

June 25, 2019 by Birmingham Christian Family

Senior Scene

At Brookdale University Park, we pride ourselves on nurturing every aspect of our residents’ lives and wellness. We call this approach Optimum Life. Optimum Life is a holistic model that encompasses six dimensions: purposeful, emotional, physical, social, spiritual and intellectual. These dimensions guide us to learn and understand the facets of a senior’s life and wellbeing.

Partnering with Local Churches to Meet Spiritual Needs

Jim Frazier, Pastor to Boomers and Older Adults at Vestavia Hills United Methodist, is one of the ministers in the community that volunteers to lead Sunday services at Brookdale. He always comes armed with his guitar. “Music is something that helps older adults remember the old days and brings a smile to their face. They may forget names and faces but they never forget a song,” says Frazier.

Brookdale partners with local churches and ministries on many levels, particularly with churches in which our residents have been long time members. One of the ways we do this is that each Sunday, we have a pastor from a local church come and share a message with our residents. It is a non-denominational service and all are welcome. In addition, we have a Bible study every Monday afternoon.

We also understand that many pastors and church staff are being pulled in so many directions to meet the needs of their parishioners. It can be challenging for them to individually visit each senior adult. Therefore, we regularly host Pastoral/Clergy luncheons for churches. Pastors, church staff and volunteers come and share a meal and fellowship with their congregants as well as other residents. This allows our residents face to face time with their pastor they may have known for years but may not get to see on a weekly basis because of mobility or health issues. We also work with several churches to provide transportation to church and residents can also take advantage of Brookdale’s Personalized Living Services to be transported to worship.

Our offer to host events to engage our residents with the church community has become so popular and convenient, there are even some local Sunday School classes that choose to meet monthly to play bridge and Mexican train dominoes at Brookdale and have lunch! We have even been blessed to partner with one local Sunday school class to help us collect items for senior adults in need around Christmas time!

Call to Action

If your church would like to schedule a Pastoral luncheon at Brookdale or would like a meal taken to a senior adult who is home-bound, please contact Leanne Messer, Business Development Coordinator at [email protected], 205-613-0688.

An Invitation to Experience Brookdale.

Residents of Brookdale University Park enjoy an engaging lifestyle with a selection of care options to meet changing needs. The community conveniently located off Lakeshore Drive offers a full continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s and dementia care and skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Call 205-807-0786 to connect with one of our team members who would be delighted to help you plan your personal visit, www.brookdale.com. †

“At this stage of life, we see many senior adults strong in their faith while some are struggling due to health decline, family dynamics and other reasons. For this reason, we consider it our honor and responsibility to do whatever we can to bridge the gap and eliminate any obstacles that could prevent our residents from still growing in their walk and interacting with their faith family.” Leanne Messer, Business Development Coordinator, Brookdale University Park

June 25, 2019 by Birmingham Christian Family

bigstock Group Of Multicultural High Sc 236890390

Parenting Points

Brought to you by: White Plume Technologies www.whiteplume.com

It’s important for parents to talk to their kids. But have you thought much about what to say?

Research validates that parents positively impact their kids by talking to them. And there are some things that desperately need to be said. In fact, they are what every teenager needs to hear.

What Every Teenager Needs to Hear

You have great value – You are designed in a special way. You have unique talents that set you apart from everyone on earth. God did a good work in you, so be comfortable with who you are.

You have a good future – God loves you deeply, and he will be there for you. He has purposes and plans for you. There is meaning and significance in who you are and what you will do with your life.

It’s Okay Not to Be Okay Sometimes- If you ever have something that’s bothering you, know that this is totally normal, because we all have issues at times. Many young people deal with depression, anxiety, and loneliness. It really is okay, so let’s talk about it.

You’re not alone – Social media is not reality. Your friends aren’t as happy as they post, and they have issues too. In fact, there are many people who feel the same way you do.

Some choice are very dangerous – Driving or being in the car with someone under the influence can get you, or someone else, killed. You can call us at any time if you need to. Some drugs can kill you too, like heroin, the stuff mixed with it, and the pills that lead to it.

Addiction can happen to anyone – There are things you may not know about addiction. It is a disease that changes and harms the brain, and it’s easier for teenagers to become addicted than adults. Every time you use a mind-altering substance, there is damage, and the risk gets bigger.

Want more useful tips on positive conversations to have with your kids? Read the full-length article, “What Every Teenager Needs to Hear” at www.lifeimprovementsteps.com/what-every-teenager-needs-to-hear

Get additional articles and a free parenting assessment to help protect your kids against addiction at lifeimprovementsteps.com/signup-steps-newsletter

Get more information. STEPS Proactive Parenting provides tools, training, and coaching for parents to protect their kids from addictions. Visit www.StepsProactiveParenting.com or contact Steve Ward at [email protected].