Church Leaders
The Birmingham Kenyan Catholic community recently celebrated Mass in Swahili at Prince of Peace (POP) Catholic Parish in Hoover and held a social afterward which also celebrated Black history month. This group prays the Rosary at noon on the second Sunday of the month at POP. In addition, Father Daniel Owuor, pastor of St. Jude parish in Montgomery visits on the third Sunday of the month to offer Mass in Swahili at 3 pm.
Photo Fun
Capt. John J. Cummings, USS Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78) commanding officer, presents the Navy Security Forces Sentry certificate of graduation to Airman Apprentice Achilya Dixon, from Birmingham, Ala., assigned to Ford’s air department during an in-port security force (ISF) class graduation.
Photo Fun
Homewood’s Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic School first-graders (from left to right) Emily Louise Childress, Millie Danks, and Corbin Agricola enjoyed a fun-filled week as they learned about Dr. Seuss as a writer and an artist in honor of his birthday.
Parenting Points
A great fear for many Christian parents is their child walking away from faith and choosing to no longer believe. For many kids who grew up in the church, there comes a time when they must determine what they believe for themselves. In this moment, either the faith of their parents becomes the faith that they choose to embrace, or they choose to believe something different.
As a child grows into the teenage years, they are going through a process of individuation. Your child is beginning to forge their own way to determine who they are, what they value, and how they are going to choose to live their life. It is in these moments when questions about faith, beliefs, and doubts can begin to surface.
In their recent book Growing With: Every Parent’s Guide to Helping Teenagers and Young Adults Thrive in Their Faith, Family, and Future, Kara Powell and Steven Argue suggest that “it’s not doubt that is toxic to faith; it’s silence” (p. 116). So how can you as a parent become a conversation partner for your student when they are experiencing doubt:
Realize that You Don’t Have All the Answers. When it comes to engaging children’s doubts about faith, often parents feel like they need to have all the answers. Though God’s Word is written to point us to Jesus the Savior, it is not meant to be an answer book for all of your student’s questions about God that are being fueled by their doubts. Doubts are conquered through the work of the Spirit opening your child’s eyes to faith and not by your theologically correct answers.
Understand that Growth in Faith Is a Process. When we think of growth in grace, we think that we are gradually ascending the mountain of faith. The truth, however, is that our and our children’s walk with Jesus looks more like a roller coaster than a hike up Everest. In the dips in the ride seen in periods of doubt, we know that God is still writing the story.
See Doubt as an Open Door for God’s Work. Leading your child from doubt to faith is something that only the Holy Spirit can do. Doubt is a wrestling with God through which your student is asking the hard questions. We worship a God that is bigger than our greatest questions. He loves your child more than you do, and though we may not see it, He is at work.
Dr. Ben Birdsong serves as the Minister of Students at Meadow Brook Baptist, and also writes and blogs at www.benbirdsong.com
Parenting Points
On your mark. Get set. Blow bubbles! “Bubbles for Love” Day is part of the Alabama Family Rights Associations Parent Alienation Prevention and Awareness Week. On April 25, 2019, you can help spread awareness by blowing bubbles and “watching love grow.”
Kenneth Paschal, State President of the Alabama Family Rights Association, explains that parental alienation is “any behavior or attitude on the part of one parent, both parents or a third party that are designed to interfere, damage or destroy the relationship a child has with the other parent.” Paschal adds that children are designed by God to naturally love both parents. Hindering a child’s natural love of one parent can cause major problems since they are required to suppress their love. Since they are suppressing their love, children who experience parental alienation try to fill this void with other things. Paschal shares that some of the more severe effects of parental alienation include: Drug use, teen pregnancies, suicide and bullying.
The official Bubbles for Love day is April 25, 2019 at noon. The impact of this special day grows as more people participate. You can get involved by blowing bubbles for ten minutes in your workplace, school or home. The bubbles represent love from a child flowing freely to both parents no matter what their parents’ marital status is. If you cannot take time to blow bubbles on April 25, do not worry! You can blow bubbles any day during the week of April 21-27 to help raise awareness. Paschal explains that anyone, anywhere can participate by taking a picture of yourself or others blowing bubbles and posting it on social media with the hashtag, #bubblesforlove.
April is the National Child Abuse Prevention Awareness month. Paschal shares that parental alienation is considered by some psychologists as one of the worst forms of child abuse and more than 40,000 children experience it Alabama. Governor Ivey proclaimed April 21-27, 2019, as Parental Alienation Prevention and Awareness Week. There are many organized events taking place to help raise awareness. On April 1, the city of Pelham will go blue in honor of child abuse prevention. On April 20, the Birmingham Barons are partnering with Alabama Family Rights Association to host a “Bubbles for Love” event where volunteers and the Barons power team will give the first 3,000 participates soap bubbles to blow during the pre-game ceremony. To read about more events, visit www.alfra.org/bubbles-for-love-day or visit ‘Bubbles for Love Day – Alabama 2019’ on Facebook.
-Melissa Armstrong
Money Matters
presented by: Vision Financial
Failing to estimate your tax withholding properly may cost you in a variety of ways. If you receive an income tax refund, essentially you have provided the IRS with an interest-free loan; however, if you owe taxes when you file your return, you may have to scramble for cash at tax time. When determining the correct withholding amount, most taxpayers’ objective is to have just enough taxes withheld to prevent them owing the IRS when they file their return. You can accomplish this by understanding IRS Publication 505, properly completing Form W-4 (and accompanying worksheets) and providing an updated Form W-4 to your employer when your circumstances significantly change.
Form W-4 helps you determine the proper withholding amount. Two factors determine the amount of income tax that your employer withholds from your paycheck: the amount you earn and the information provided on Form W-4. This form asks you for three pieces of information:
Complete the Form W-4 worksheets to claim the correct number of allowances. Think of allowances as cash in your pocket at the time that you receive your paycheck. The more allowances you claim, the less taxes are taken from your paycheck (and the more cash ends up in your pocket on payday). The following factors determine your number of allowances:
To claim the correct number of allowances, complete Form W-4’s worksheets including a personal allowances worksheet, a deductions and adjustments worksheet, and a two-earner/two-job worksheet. IRS Publication 505 explains these worksheets.
Check your withholding. To avoid surprises at tax time, it’s a good idea to periodically check your withholding. However, in the following cases, accurate completion of the Form W-4 worksheets alone won’t guarantee that you’ll have the correct amount of tax withheld:
In these cases, IRS Publication 505 can help you compare the total tax that you’ll withhold for the year with the tax that you expect to owe. This will help you determine any additional amount you may need to withhold to avoid writing a check on April 15 or help you identify if you’re having too much tax withheld.
–Mike Mungenast, Sr. Vice President, Senior Advisor
Vision Financial Group
4505 Pine Tree Circle, Birmingham, AL 35243
205-970-4909, www.vision-financialgroup.com
Investment advisory services offered through Investment Advisors, a division of ProEquities, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through ProEquities Inc., a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA and SIPC. Vision Financial Group, Inc. and West Alabama Bank are independent of ProEquities, Inc. Securities and insurance products offered are not bank deposits, have no bank guarantee, are not FDIC insured, and may lose value
Copyright 2006-2018 Broadridge Investor Communication Solutions, Inc. All rights reserved.
Legal Matters
Presented by: Bradford & Holliman, Estate Planning, www.bradfordholliman.com
The saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” certainly applies to long-term care planning.
One of the primary goals that seniors voice is the desire to make sure their heirs receive certain assets at the senior’s death. A Last Will and Testament or a Revocable Living Trust can accomplish this goal; but, if those assets are spent on long-term care before the senior dies, the senior fails to achieve the real goal. Additionally, if care is not taken to preserve assets while also adding any source of available assistance to the long-term care plan, the senior may not be able to maintain independence or the desired standard of living as the senior ages.
Pre-planning can prevent these mistakes. Pre-planning allows the senior to make educated choices about the various ways to preserve assets and to pay for long-term care. Done, at least, five years in advance, seniors can achieve most of their goals.
The best way to begin is to meet with an elder law attorney (you want one that has a lot of experience with long term care planning) to discuss your goals. The attorney can then help you develop a plan specific to your goals. Ideally, the plan will work to preserve assets and identify all available sources of government benefits, such as VA pension benefits, to enhance the senior’s income to remain at home. The plan will also address what happens in a worse case scenario when nursing home care is required.
By planning early, the senior is able to maintains control over his or her life by deciding in advance how to handle various crisis issues that may arise. A plan also allows the senior to make sure key family and friends understand what to do as situations occur and have the legal authority to handle those situations for the senior.
In summary, don’t think a Last Will and Testament or Revocable Living Trust is all you need to do to plan for the future. Make sure you also plan for the events that may happen prior to your death that could derail your estate plan.
-Melanie Bradford Holliman
Partner, Bradford & Holliman, LLC
Practice focuses on estate planning, elder law and special needs trusts.
2491 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, Ala. 35124
205-663-0281, www.bradfordholliman.com
No representation is made that the quality of legal service to be performed is greater than the quality of service performed by other lawyers.
Encouraging Word
One of my favorite Bible verses is Luke 4:18, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to proclaim release to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free whose who are downtrodden.” To me it describes in general terms what we do at The Jimmie Hale Mission and the people we serve.
Spiritual Proclamation. The verse begins by talking about a spiritual proclamation; “to preach the gospel to the poor.” The Gospel (good news of salvation) must be shared. When it is presented and received, then needs are met. Poor is defined as “not having your needs met.” The gospel message is able to address one’s spiritual, physical, emotional and intellectual needs. If these needs are not addressed, there is something missing; you are incomplete and operating from a deficit; life is out of balance.
Spiritual Healing. Next is spiritual healing; “to heal the broken hearted.” Only the gospel can mend a heart or life that has been broken. Only the Great Physician can administer spiritual healing. Only Jesus Christ can fill the void and vacuum (God Spot) in our life.
Spiritual Freedom. Followed by spiritual freedom; “to proclaim release to the captives.” Only Christ’s payment for our sin can set us free from spiritual bondage. John 8:36 says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” As you experience spiritual freedom then you can receive spiritual sight (enlightenment); “and recovery of sight to the blind.” Before we can comprehend spiritual things, we must have spiritual discernment (insight). Spiritual birth proceeds spiritual life.
Spiritual Comfort. Then comes spiritual comfort; “to set free those who are downtrodden (bruised).” Because of sin we all live in a fallen world and are a broken people. Since we are oppressed and bruised by the trials of life; we need some relief, comfort and encouragement.
Luke 4:19 concludes by saying, “to proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.” In other words, “to receive the Lord’s favor/blessing. Now the spiritual blessing comes. Aren’t you glad that Jesus fulfilled His mission?!
-Tony Cooper
Celebrating 28 Years of Service as Exec. Director, Jimmie Hale Mission
Education Extra
There are many decisions we face in raising our children. It seems the assessment of their needs is constant. Sleep training, feeding, disciplining, discipling, developing their giftings, and education.
My family began considering education options early on. Through prayer, studying God’s Word, and speaking with wise and seasoned friends, I knew I wanted to make the decision concerning their education through the lens of biblical stewardship. As Christian parents, we have the important role of stewarding our children’s gifts and equipping them to go into the world as a light of the gospel. One of the ways we have chosen to do that is through homeschooling. Homeschooling allows me to be engaged in important conversations through learning as He unfolds His purpose in their lives little by little. Reading, writing, and talking about ideas that help us know God and make Him known are part of planting our children in the harvest fields of the Kingdom.
Three things that were helpful for us to consider in making the decision to homeschool were:
Our family was already committed to educating our children in teaching them to display what love, grace, faith, and hope looks like. I think we are all homeschoolers in that sense because we should be committed to live the way that Deuteronomy 6 has commanded us. It was after attending a Classical Conversations Parent Practicum the summer my daughter started kindergarten that I learned there were other families, just like mine, within my community, that also had a desire to view their children’s education through that same lens of biblical stewardship. This was so freeing and encouraging! At that parent practicum five years ago, the Lord reminded me I am not alone, and He will equip me. I gained the confidence needed to step out in faith and trust Him for the best.
Now, with a nine, six, and sixteen-month-old, I am intentionally engaged in a Classical Conversations community, as the Director of the McCalla campus. There’s something to be said for being a part of a group of dedicated, Christ following parents who are loving one another and one another’s children through our homeschooling journey together! It has been an extension of the body of Christ in our lives, for which I am immensely grateful!
– Maegan Roper
Wife, Mom to three, and unexpected Homeschooler.
Campus Director, Classical Conversations of McCalla
www.classicalconversations.com/alabama
Learn about summer parent practicum opportunities in the Summer Resource Guide!
Cool Stuff
Have you ever seen a blacksmith or wood carver hard at work creating beautiful handiwork? Visit the 18th Annual Magnolia Festival on April 27, 2019 in Gardendale, Ala., to see craftsmen demonstrating their craft live and so much more! Plus, Magic Moments is once again partnering with the festival to host a 5K color race and 1-mile fun run with proceeds going to grant the wish of one child with chronic, life-threatening illness from North Jefferson County.
Forging Fire Champ. Mike Deibert, a blacksmith from Trussville, Ala., has been forging fire for about 16 years. His passion for blacksmithing has only grown since he took an introduction course in school. Deibert previously lived in Nicaragua where he and his family served on the mission field. During the day, Deibert is an elementary school teacher in Fultondale, Ala. See his collection of knives, including chopper, bowies, hunters and kitchen knives, during the Magnolia Festival. Deibert appeared on the History Channel’s Forged in Fire in September of 2018 where he was named champion!
Blacksmithing & Woodworking. L&P Artisans, from Ashville, Ala., will also demonstrate their craft at the Festival. In addition to blacksmithing, the two childhood friends create unique woodwork. Logan Lowery and Ellas Poston share a passion for creativity and the value of working with their hands. Lowery mainly focuses on woodworking while Poston focuses on blacksmithing. Their custom crafts include handmade knives, wedding rings, necklaces and furniture.
Weekend of Fun. The Magnolia Festival begins on Friday, April 26, from 5-10 p.m. Enjoy a variety of food and entertainment as the sun sets. Come back on Saturday, April 27 to see live demonstrations by craftsmen, shop for handmade crafts as well as enjoy a car show, pooch parade, live music, contests, food vendors and more. Admission is free. Learn more about this Alabama 200 Officially Endorsed Event by visiting www.magnoliafestival.org.
-Melissa Armstrong
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