The Samford President’s Home will be featured in the 8th Annual Christmas Home Tour, December 6, 2018. Attendees will be able to tour the home, enjoy refreshments and shop the holiday gift market.
Five unique and beautifully appointed homes, delicious seasonal fare and a holiday gift market are all part of Samford Legacy League’s 8th Christmas Home Tour. This annual event is an enjoyable beginning to the Christmas season for everyone and helps provide scholarships for Samford University students. Presented by ARC Realty, the tour includes two homes in Mountain Brook and three in Vestavia Hills which will be on tour Thursday, December 6, 2018 from 10 a.m. -2 p.m. and again from 4 p.m. – 8 p.m.
From the glamorous art deco age of Palm Springs to old world elegance and the Mediterranean countryside, this year’s event presents a treasure trove of delightful sights, delicacies and gifts for everyone. 2018 Featured Homes include:
Ashley & Trevor Kaple – 2940 Pump House Road, Mountain Brook
Ashley & Andy Prewitt – 417 Sunset Drive, Vestavia Hills
Tracy & Robert Stephens – 216 Sheridan Lane, Vestavia Hills
Jeanna & Andy Westmoreland – Samford President’s Home – 1994 Shades Crest Road, Vestavia Hills
Special thanks to the 2018 Christmas Home Tour Committee who are a part of The Legacy League, a non-profit volunteer organization of over 750 members helping students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances attend Samford University.
Tickets are $25 through December 4 and may be purchased online at samford.edu/legacyleague. Thereafter, tickets will be $30 at the door of featured homes during tour hours. Tour proceeds will provide scholarships for students with significant financial need and challenging circumstances attend Samford University. †
Vestavia’s Trail Life Troop AL-0254 hosted a Lego Derby at Briarwood and played Laser Tag at UltraBlast Laser Combat Center in September. Trail Life is a Christ-centered character, leadership, and adventure program for boys aged 5-18. Learn more at Facebook.com/TLAL254!
To get the whole family engaged in God’s Word, consider an Advent devotional time each day. The staff at Briarwood Christian Bookstore highly recommends, Little Hearts, Prepare Him Room, An Advent Devotional That Grows with Your Familyby Holly Mackle. Both content and reflection questions are designed to address what God says about us in His word and how His truth shapes our lives. The Briarwood Christian Bookstore also has a great selection of Christmas books for children and a large selection of Crossways Bibles at reduced prices. Any Crossways Bible $19.99 and above is 40% off. The store, located inside Briarwood Presbyterian Church, will have extended hours during the holiday season. Check www.briarwood.org/bookstore for details.
Photo: Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class David Wyscaver
Birmingham native and 2016 Hoover High School graduate Xavier Jones is serving our country aboard the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, a floating airport at sea. Seaman Jones is a culinary specialist aboard the carrier. “Serving in the Navy gives me a lot of opportunities not only for myself, but for my family,” said Jones. “I get to be a role model for my family, especially my siblings.”
“Chelsea Native: Warrior at Sea”
Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Theodore Quintana
Petty Officer 2nd Class Nathan Rushhaven is a 2013 Chelsea High School graduate and provides key support as part of combat operations aboard USS Philippine Sea. A Navy fire controlman aboard the guided-missile cruiser, Rushhaven credits success in the Navy to many of the lessons learned in Chelsea. “I learned that having a good work ethic and pride in your work pays off in the end.”
“Hoover Native Honored for Service”
Congressman Gary Palmer along with officials from the United States Post Office recently dedicated the United States Post Office Meadowbrook Station as the “Lance Corporal Thomas E. Rivers Jr. Post Office Building.” Congressman Palmer’s bill, H.R. 4646, moved to designate the facility in Rivers honor and it was signed into law by President Donald Trump. Rivers, a resident of Hoover and graduate of Briarwood High School, was killed in enemy action on April 28, 2010, in Afghanistan. He is survived by his parents, Dr. Tom and Charon Rivers; sister, Rachel; and grandparents, Colonel (Ret.) and Mrs. Charles R. Doke.
If your son or daughter is experimenting with alcohol or drugs, it’s time for you to do something about it. Now!
With teenage substance abuse, where there’s smoke, there’s often fire.
Almost all the emphasis on addiction treatment has traditionally been on recovery. In other words, the focus has been on putting out fires, but not preventing them.
You can change that in your family. Through proactive parenting, you can help keep a fire from starting, or at least contain the blaze more safely.
By getting involved earlier, you can disrupt emerging addictive habits your teenager may be developing. You can protect your kids against addiction.
Take the next step now (anonymously):
Order the STEPS Proactive Parenting “Prevention Tool Kit.”
Take a course in “How to Protect Your Kids from Addictions.”
Get anonymous personal coaching on addiction prevention.
If your son or daughter was trapped in a burning building, you would do anything to save them. Why not prevent the fire from happening in the first place?
Get Help Now. 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].
Support the Cause. You can help prevent addiction by financially supporting the ministry. On the website, choose “DONATE” on the top menu or contact Steve Ward.
You’re ready to buy an insurance policy, but you feel a bit uneasy embarking into the insurance world. Whether you’re buying an auto policy, a homeowners policy, a life insurance policy, or some other type of policy, here are some general tips to help you tread the insurance waters.
Comparison shop. Perhaps the single most important thing you can do when buying insurance is to shop around. You don’t want to rely on a quote from just one company. Compare the policies and prices of several different insurance companies. Try to compare policies that offer identical benefits.
Don’t buy features you don’t need. If you discover policies that offer slightly different features, make sure you understand what these features are and whether you need them. Don’t buy any benefits you don’t need–additional benefits can increase the cost of your policy. If you need help, ask your insurance agent.
Don’t automatically settle for the cheapest policy. It’s easy to select the cheapest policy. But unless such a policy offers the same benefits as a more expensive policy, think twice. You get what you pay for. And even if the benefits are the same, you’ll want to examine other factors, like the company’s customer service record or claims-paying ability.
Know the company’s financial-strength rating. All insurance companies are rated by the major rating agencies: Standard & Poor’s, Moody’s, A. M. Best, Fitch, and Weiss. This rating reflects the company’s ability to meet its obligations (pay its claims) under its insurance contracts. Though such a rating doesn’t guarantee a company’s future financial strength, it’s a good yardstick to measure a company’s current financial security. These ratings can usually be found in public libraries or on the Internet.
Understand a policy before you sign it. An insurance policy is a legal contract that can be full of legal jargon and technical terms. Before you sign on the dotted line, make sure you understand the details of each policy provision and the coverage you’re buying. You’ll want to be able to answer the following questions:
Who or what is protected?
When does coverage begin?
How much coverage is provided?
How should a loss be reported?
What happens if there’s a disagreement over whether coverage exists for a particular loss or event?
What isn’t covered (exclusions and limitations)?
For additional help, contact your insurance agent and ask him or her to walk you through the document.
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.
Only canceling for severe weather, Police Officer Glen White has volunteered his time every week for the past seven years to watch over the Special Ops team in the toughest areas of Birmingham Ala. “It’s a huge blessing to be a part of the group,” says White. “You are able to help people when life has put them in a bad situation and see results. You can see what God is doing through you.”
Once a week, almost every week, for seven years, Officer Glen White of the Mountain Brook Police Department has volunteered his time to serve as the safety director for a small band of individuals called Special Ops. The mission of these Christians is to reach those sex-trafficked at local hotels and truck stops as well as minister to the homeless and addicted that they encounter on the streets- providing hygiene kits, Bibles, and information about how they can get help from various agencies.
Every Monday at 1p.m. the group meets, usually at the McDonald’s in Woodlawn, and commits to spending one-hour ministering on the streets. “I’m really just watching over people,” says White adding with a chuckle, “Sometimes that is like trying to herd cats.” Special Ops leader Lisa “Roxanne” Richardson describes White’s role as critical. “Glen can be quiet and reserved, as his training requires. But his sensitivity to the spirit the Lord is astounding. On so many outings, he’s felt prompted to go to new areas where we then encountered women in crisis, which is the goal,” she explains, adding, “He’s a tough guy, but he has allowed us to see how moved he is when someone accepts the Lord as Savior, and when a woman calls for rescue. He is deeply loved and respected by the Special Ops Team, and it’s possible we owe our lives to him.” Richardson gives an example from a recent Special Ops. “A very intoxicated, large and threatening man was using profanity and telling us he would ‘kill somebody.’ Quickly I contemplated how to drop to the ground swiftly as I saw the man reach in his back pack. For a moment thought I might be meeting Jesus face-to-face, earlier than planned! Glen immediately diffused the situation and called for the team to flee the scene. It’s those split-second judgment calls that make having a Safety Director like him essential.”
“It’s a lot like going to church,” says Officer White about Special Ops. “You gather, pray for each other and go out and pray for others. I love doing it.”
In January, a change in Officer White’s job responsibilities will no longer allow him to continue with Special Ops, but he is praying for a replacement. “The group can’t go out if an officer is not with them. My hope is that we can find an officer that is willing to put in the time to act as security for this most effective team. Although there is not monetary pay, the satisfaction of doing the Lord’s work is tremendous. Along with that I have a whole family of Christian believers that I can laugh with, pray with, cry with and hold as my own. These people are ones that I will hold dearly in my heart for a lifetime.”
Recently during a presentation, I was asked how a person can prove she’s sane (has “capacity” in legal lingo) if the children do not believe she has capacity and is making decisions for her using a power of attorney (POA). Let’s say as an example, Jane Smith gave power of attorney to her son, Robert Smith. Robert believes Jane does not have capacity and is moving her money and making decisions that she disapproves. How can Jane stop him?
First, Jane can revoke her power of attorney to Robert if she has capacity. A power of attorney can be changed unless the person is determined to be mentally incompetent or dies. Jane can sign a document revoking the power of attorney and give that document to every bank or institution that may have a copy of her power of attorney with Robert as the agent. Jane should also record the revocation in the probate court in the county where she resides so that it becomes part of the public record. And of course, she should have a new POA drafted with both an agent and successor agent.
In the unlikely but possible event that Jane is asked to prove her capacity for the revocation to be accepted, she should go to her doctor and obtain medical documentation stating that she has the mental clarity to make decisions for herself. She may even go to a neurologist and take a series of tests to prove that she has mental capacity to make her own decisions including changing her POA. Assuming Jane passes the medical examinations, she should have no problem stopping Robert from using the power of attorney, resuming control of her affairs, and setting up a new POA with different agents.
A slightly different situation can occur if Robert, the son, is trying to obtain guardianship and/or conservatorship over his mother, Jane. A key difference here is that Jane cannot manage her own affairs at all with a guardianship or conservatorship, while with a POA, she basically shares management with her POA agent. In this case, Jane should hire a lawyer and prepare to show the court that she is sane using the strategies listed above. Jane and her lawyer will determine the best evidence to prove that she has mental clarity. The goal is to convince the Judge that Jane is fine, and that Robert is improperly trying to obtain control over her and her affairs.
Powers of Attorney are likely the most frequently used aspect of an estate plan, and when used correctly, POAs help adult children increase support of their parents as needed. The key is for the adult children and parents to agree on what support is needed and when.
-Melanie Bradford Holliman
Partner, Bradford & Holliman, LLC
Practice focuses on estate planning, elder law and special needs trusts.
Have you ever considered the order of the holidays? First, we are thankful for what we have on Thanksgiving and then, we give gifts at Christmas…as if to say, think about what we already have first before shopping or asking for more.
What does this have to do with organizing, you might ask? Well, LOTS!
For almost 20 years, I have been working with clients, organizing their homes, and it has taught me so much about Gratitude and Giving. As the clients pull out each item and examine everything they have accumulated over the years, they can sometimes remember who gave it to them, or where they bought it, or from whom they inherited it. However, more often than not, they have no recollection and now, it is considered clutter.
Think about your own home: do you know where you got each item? Are there things you feel like you “have” to keep it…because so-and-so may come visit and look for it? Truth is, we all have those things! Too many times, our gifts become the clutter in our homes, the donations to charity and worse, the guilt or resentment we feel.
I believe the problem is even bigger when it comes to parents of young children! Of course, it is a well-known fact that grandparents spoil their grandchildren – after all, we say, they have “earned the right!” So, they overload their children’s homes with toys, rarely stopping to think about the clutter they are causing. When I work with these young moms, they tell me how they wish they could stop the volume of stuff coming in, but they don’t want to hurt the grandparents’ feelings. At what cost? Their own sanity. Babies come with so much stuff, so these moms are already struggling to manage it all. The last thing they need is just more stuff on top of it.
Why not consider giving experiences to the grandkids instead, like a trip? It allows you to make memories with them that will last way beyond the typical battery life. Or, lessons to play the piano or dance? And cleaning (or organizing) services to that young mom, to make life easier for her?
We all want to give gifts that people will love. Ask yourself: are you giving something that will produce CLUTTER or GRATITUDE? And give wisely.
No matter what your age is, a fitness plan that includes cardio (or aerobic exercise) is an important contributor to your overall health. The benefits of regular aerobic exercise include weight loss, increased stamina, and a stronger immune system. Endorphins released while you work out can also help improve your mood and sleep quality. Because it requires the use of so many major muscle groups, a rowing machine is an effective way to raise your heart rate and increase your oxygen intake for an effective cardio workout. The adjustable resistance on most rowers lets you easily work up to your target heart rate as well as slow back down to your resting rate. Great for weight loss, toning and building muscles, and increasing stamina, this machine is a fitness game changer. Rowers work out several major muscle groups and will help you develop both your upper and lower body. Most importantly, using a rowing machine gets your heart pumping and lungs working, providing a serious aerobic workout.
It has been called the “new spinning.” Yet this fitness craze is based on a sport that dates back to Ancient Egypt, and the machine itself has been around since the Civil War era. So why, suddenly, has rowing skimmed ahead of many modern fitness fads and longtime cardio standards? Besides the fact that “vintage is in,” it seems this age-old workout is finally gaining speed and getting its proper due with mainstream America. And it’s well placed. Rowing is high intensity and low impact, so it’s a win-win at the onset. Even better – when it’s done correctly, rowing engages about 85% of your muscles. Now that’s a championship workout!
There’s a proper technique to oaring, though, both in and out of the water. Below are a few training tips to help you maximize the benefits of your rowing routine:
Don’t Grip the Handles Too Tightly. This will protect your hands and forearms from pain and soreness later.
Lead with Your Legs. If you’re doing it right, your leg (and butt) muscles should be doing the most work.
Legs, Hips, Arms – Reverse! This is the progression of movement for rowing. Very important!
Pull Straight Back. If you’re pulling back – not up – your body should stay firmly seated throughout the workout.
Pull with Your Legs, NOT Your Arms. Keep your elbows straight, but relaxed, while your legs are doing the heft.
Sit Up Straight. Maintain good posture throughout; your entire core should be in line all the way down to your seat.
Stay Fluid. Don’t drive the seat into your feet; keep your motion steady and smooth to the finish – not choppy.
So, who’s ready to row? It’s a great workout for all ages and fitness levels. Best of all, you don’t need an Ivy League coach, eight-man crew or frigid winter waters – just your neighborhood Y!
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-S. Joey Elmore
