Samford University Brock School of Business Partners with Birmingham Christian Family

October 3, 2018October 2, 2018 by Birmingham Christian Family

Reader Survey Samford Brock School of Business Survey Team 2 horizontal From L to R Mollie Master Alessandra Sisto Peyton Dishon Clif Eason

Tell Us Your Family Favorites!

Samford University Brock School of Business students Mollie Master, Alessandra Sisto, and Peyton Dishon under the leadership of C. Clifton Eason, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marketing, are helping Birmingham Christian Familylearn more about our readership. Give us your insight by completing the survey, www.birminghamchristian.com/survey. — Samford University Brock School of Business students Mollie Master, Alessandra Sisto, and Peyton Dishon under the leadership of C. Clifton Eason, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marketing, are helping *Birmingham Christian Family* learn more about our readership. Give us your insight by completing the survey, www.birminghamchristian.com/survey.

As a part of a senior-level Marketing Research course, students at Samford University’s Brock School of Business are conducting a survey on behalf of Birmingham Christian Family magazine to help us learn more about you, our readers. The research is being done under the leadership of Clifton Eason, Ph.D. “Each semester, we take on several ‘clients’ from the business community that have a research need. They have ranged from small businesses and local nonprofits to huge organizations, like Adidas, Waffle House, and the Bayern Munich soccer team in Germany,” explains Eason adding, “Through this class, we have had tremendous success producing high-value research for our friends in the business community. These ‘real world’ projects provide meaningful and practical experience for our students while generating data and insights that may otherwise be financially out-of-reach for many of our course’s clients.”

Would you take just a couple of minutes to complete the brief anonymous survey? Share with us your Birmingham Family Favorites when it comes to where you eat, shop, play and worship. Simply visit www.birminghamchristian.com/survey to complete.

To say thank you for your time, provide us with your email address and we will enter you to win one of two $50 gift certificates to Taziki’s.

Later this year we will share with you the what we have learned and use this information to help us better serve you with Good News!

-Laurie Stroud

October 1, 2018September 27, 2018 by Birmingham Christian Family

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The Great Outdoors

Presented by: Mark’s Outdoors

Check out the new Scent Crusher ozone technology, available at Mark's Outdoors, Vestavia. — Check out the new Scent Crusher ozone technology, available at Mark’s Outdoors, Vestavia.

October 15, 2018 is opening day for bow hunting, which means it’s time for the final stages of getting your fields finished and stands placed. It’s also time to get your gun sighted in, and Mark’s Outdoors offers a free sight in with the purchase of two boxes of Hornady rifle ammunition. Before heading out, make a hunting checklist to ensure your first trip to the woods is safe and successful.

License. First and foremost, make sure you have a current Alabama hunting license. If you are a license exempt hunter, meaning you are over the age of 65 or under the age of 16, you will still need a Hunter Exempt License Privilege (HELP) number. Your license or HELP number can be obtained in-store at Mark’s, or online at www.outdooralabama.com. Anytime you are hunting, have your hunting license readily available.
Essentials.On Friday, October 5 and Saturday, October 6, 2018, Mark’s Outdoors will be hosting an in-store Deer Show with specials on the essentials for deer season. There will be sales on rifles, ammunition, bow hunting gear, scents, calls, and more! Be sure to stop by the clothing section for the layers you’ll need for any fluctuating weather conditions.
Extras. If you hunt out of a stand, shooting house, or blind, you may find yourself with some slow stretches in the wee hours of the morning or afternoon. These quiet moments spent in the great outdoors provide an excellent opportunity for reflection. It is uninterrupted time you can use to improve your personal relationship with God by reading the Bible, doing a devotional, and soaking in the beauty before you.

The Extinguisher ($19.99) is the Mark’s Outdoors Staff #1 Pick in Deer Calls.

A wide selection of deer scent attractants are available this season and at Mark’s, ranging in price from $5 to $30.

As always, if there is anything you need to get ready for the season, call or stop by to see the friendly and knowledgeable staff at Mark’s Outdoors. Happy hunting!

– Mark’s Outdoors

1400-B Montgomery Highway, Vestavia 35216

205-822- 2010, www.marksoutdoors.com

September 26, 2018 by Birmingham Christian Family

Photo Fun

Trail Life Troop AL-0254/Vestavia Hills recently hosted “Take Your Son Fishing” at Oak Mountain State Park. Trailmen and guests enjoyed fishing and learning from guest speakers including fly fishing expert George McDougal, who showed the boys how to select flies and cast a fly rod.

September 26, 2018 by Birmingham Christian Family

Photo Fun

The Prince of Peace high school youth group and the Knights of Columbus joined forces to raise more than $11,000 for the youth group at a recent garage sale. From left to right: Mandy Burmester, Lauren Atchison, Tony Phillips, Debra Spuhler, Jeff Murai, Deborah Buford, Adam Jusino, Ashley Seger, Bradley Murai, Anna Sewell, Ben Chambless, Gerald Buford, Brian Cuevas and Jeff Allen.

September 26, 2018 by Laurie Stroud

Photo Fun

The Prince of Peace Knights of Columbus Council #11537 recently recognized Anna Claire Grondin as the recipient of a $1,000 memorial scholarship to John Carroll, awarded based upon scholarship, service and extra-curricular activities as well as an essay contest. This year’s essay question was, “Why Does God Love Us So Much”?

September 26, 2018 by Laurie Stroud

Photo Fun

Moody, Ala. native and Seaman Jared Held is one of more than 1,000 sailors who recently returned to Naval Station Mayport/Jacksonville, Fla. after a six-month deployment to the Middle East and Mediterranean areas of operation. Held is serving aboard the New York, an amphibious transport dock ship, which takes Marines to the locations they need to support U.S. interests around the world.

October 1, 2018September 26, 2018 by Laurie Stroud

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Parenting Points

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

All parents make mistakes, but we can learn from them and help protect our kids from the dangers of addiction.

Parents want to raise their kids the right way. But many are hampered by some prevalent misconceptions of modern-day moms and dads. By correcting these mistakes, parents can help their kids develop more positive behaviors which will protect them from substance abuse problems and help them live a happier life. This month, we conclude the series of “10 Mistakes Parents Make.” You can find the other 7 mistakes in the August and September editions of this magazine and at this link: https://lifeimprovementsteps.com/10-mistakes-parents-make/

Mistake: I need to teach my kids to control every situation.

Reality: None of us are in total control all the time. If your teenager believes they are supposed to be, they will not develop the ability to handle stress on their own.
Parenting step: Help them learn to turn first to God for guidance and support.

Mistake: I can protect them by taking care of consequences of their bad choices.

Reality: If you shield them from the pressures of life so they don’t have to address them on their own, they will develop insecurity.
Parenting step: Learn to avoid enabling inappropriate behavior, which is what you do when you take away negative consequences they have brought on themselves.

Mistake: It’s not my job to talk about God to them.

Reality: If you allow them to obsess on their problems, they may turn to depression.
Parenting step: It is your job to talk to them about God and help them find their purpose in life and their identity in Jesus Christ.

Getting Help. STEPS Proactive Parenting provides training, coaching, and materials for parents to become intentional about protecting their kids from addictions. We can learn to raise our kids to be balanced emotionally, spiritually, and personally and, if we do, we can help prevent addiction. Churches and organizations can visit www.StepsProactiveParenting.com to get information on what types of training and coaching are available for parents and how to get started setting up a program that fits their needs, or they can simply contact Steve Ward. Parents can visit www.StepsProactiveParenting.com to receive the free weekly STEPS Ministries blog, learn about personal coaching options, and get information on seminars your church or organization can sponsor.

STEPS Ministries works with churches, organizations, and parents to protect kids and teenagers from addiction. Learn more at www.StepsProactiveParenting.com.

-Steve C. Ward

Executive Director, STEPS Ministries

Author of STEPS: A Daily Journey to a Better Life

[email protected]

October 1, 2018September 26, 2018 by Laurie Stroud

Music Notes

When you find yourself staring death in the face, something special happens. I shifted in my chair as I felt the tired and calloused hands from years behind a piano. I turned around to see CDs filled with hymns and gospel music stacked next to the CD player in my grandmother’s room. Ironically, those CDs were more of her line holding to life than the oxygen tubes strapped around her nose.

My grandmother, Ella, was the textbook definition of joy. She loved music, she loved singing, and she always had some tune she was humming. She was a church musician and led the choir. She also had four sons she wrangled together to create a traveling quartet, singing in churches around their hometown of Detroit, Michigan. It’s no shock that all her sons and their families are now in ministry. Extended family gatherings for us always have some type of song sung together. Singing is a way of life for our family, and singing hymns is purely essential to our family DNA.

Ella loved hymns and knew every alto line to any hymn in her hymnal. When she was diagnosed with dementia a few years ago and her mind started failing, music remained her only constant. She would forget who her family was, but she remembered her hymns. in her last days when Ella was lethargic from her medicine, someone would play a hymn to redirect her mind. She straightened up in her chair, sang her alto line, and did not miss a word. Being with her in those moments, are moments I will never forget. What peace she must have felt in those moments.

As a worship leader, the more I lead worship the more I am convinced that the songs I sing matter. Maybe one day too, those songs will be the only thing that wakes my mind up. As a result, I’ve found myself entranced by the hymns that Ella sang. In a way, I feel a connection with her and the saints before me when I sing them. The songs we sing and the words we recite together in corporate worship are important because they will indeed carry us to our last day. They give us a language that goes further than the body can control, and they will continue to carry our voices to future generations of Christians as an encouragement and exhortation to keep pressing on in faith. In an attempt to preserve the past, I created a hymns project called Pillars. It intentionally keeps the same melodies, structure, and form of the hymns while updating the music programmatically in modern musical forms. They are an expansion of what is currently on a hymnal page without losing their original intent and penmanship. I hope these hymns sink their roots deeper into my heart and into the hearts of those who listen. Most importantly, I hope these melodies and words wake our hearts up now until our final breath.

-Jeremy Moore

Singer/Songwriter

Worship Leader, Mountain Brook Community Church and Beeson Divinity School

www.jeremymooremusic.com

September 26, 2018 by Laurie Stroud

Money Matters

presented by: Vision Financial

In the news from time to time we see a report that states that Social Security is “going broke.” However, these reports are often based on projections by the Trustees of these programs. And projections are just that, projections… like pre-season football or election polls, they are trying to predict what will happen in the future. Each year, the Trustees of the Social Security and Medicare Trust Funds release lengthy annual reports to Congress that assess the health of these important programs. The newest reports, released on June 5, 2018, discuss the current financial condition and ongoing financial challenges that both programs face.

Each program has a financial account (a trust fund) that holds the Social Security payroll taxes that are collected to pay Social Security benefits. Money that is not needed in the current year to pay benefits and administrative costs is invested (by law) in special Treasury bonds that are guaranteed by the U.S. government and earn interest. As a result, the Social Security Trust Funds have built up reserves that can be used to cover benefit obligations if payroll tax income is insufficient to pay full benefits.

Highlights of the 2018 Social Security Trustees Report

For the first time since 1982, Social Security’s total cost is projected to exceed its total income (including interest) and remain higher for the next 75 years. Consequently, the U.S. Treasury will start withdrawing from trust fund reserves to help pay benefits in 2018. The Trustees project that the combined trust fund reserves (OASDI) will be depleted in 2034, the same year projected in last year’s report, unless Congress acts.
Once the combined trust fund reserves are depleted, payroll tax revenue alone should still be sufficient to pay about 79% of scheduled benefits for 2034, with the percentage falling gradually to 74% by 2092.
The DI Trust Fund is expected to be depleted in 2032, four years later than projected in last year’s report. Both benefit applications and the total number of disabled workers currently receiving benefits have been declining. Once the DI Trust Fund is depleted, payroll tax revenue alone would be sufficient to pay 96% of scheduled benefits.

Why are Social Security and Medicare facing financial challenges? Social Security and Medicare are funded primarily through the collection of payroll taxes. Because of demographic and economic factors including higher retirement rates and lower birth rates, there will be fewer workers per beneficiary over the long term, worsening the strain on the trust funds.

What is being done to address these challenges? Both reports urge Congress to address the financial challenges facing these programs soon, so that solutions will be less drastic and may be implemented gradually, lessening the impact on the public. Combining some of these solutions may also lessen the impact of any one solution.

There are no current projections that call for a complete end to these benefits. However, the situation is a sober one and should cause all of us to think about how we are saving and preparing for the security of our own financial future. View a combined summary of the 2018 Social Security and Medicare Trustees Reports and a full copy of the Social Security Report at ssa.gov.

R. Heath Morris, CFP®

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 & 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.

March 16, 2019September 26, 2018 by Laurie Stroud

Legal Matters

Presented by: Bradford & Holliman, Estate Planning, www.bradfordholliman.com

Parents often prepare Wills leaving assets equally to their children and then make mistakes with their accounts that favor one child over the others.

By Mistake: Sally Denton’s Will leaves her assets equally to her three children. To help pay bills, Sally made the mistake of adding her son, Ralph, as a joint owner on her checking account, savings account, and certificates of deposit instead of setting up a Power of Attorney. When Sally dies, Ralph has full ownership of those accounts and is not obligated to divide those accounts with his siblings. Why? The joint ownership titles void the terms of her Will.

On Purpose: Wilma Parker and her son, Carl, rarely speak, and Wilma has not seen her granddaughter for years. Her daughter, Annette, is very close to her mother and handles shopping, cooking meals, and taking Wilma to appointments, and cooking meals. Wilma’s Will leaves her assets to her two children equally, but Wilma also has a life insurance policy for $300,000 that names Annette as the sole beneficiary. Wilma intends for Carl to inherit some assets, but she purposely intends to leave Annette much more.

A probate estate consists of all the assets owned at the time of death. If no beneficiary is named on an account, the bank or insurance company will pay the proceeds of the account into the probate estate, and the assets will be distributed under the terms of the Will unless joint owner or beneficiary designations override the Will.

It is fine to knowingly plan for assets to pass to certain people outside of probate. Just make sure you realize when you are deviating from your Last Will and Testament to do it on purpose, not by mistake.

-Melanie Bradford Holliman

Partner, Bradford & Holliman, LLC

Practice focuses on estate planning, elder law and special needs trust.

2491 Pelham Parkway, Pelham, Ala. 35124

205-663-0281, www.bradfordholliman.com

This article is for educational purposes and is not intended for specific legal advice.

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

Samford University Brock School of Business Partners with Birmingham Christian Family

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