For the American Village in Montevallo, Independence Day means red, white and blue family fun, food, and fireworks. This year will be America’s 249th Birthday – just one year until the big semiquincentennial celebration (America’s 250th Birthday). Independence Day is a unique opportunity for all of us to rededicate ourselves and our families’ efforts toward learning more about our country and fostering a renewed sense of patriotism and pride. And what better place to jump start on that than the American Village!
Meet patriots from the past including Samuel Adams, George and Martha Washington, Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, and more!
Enjoy more than 50 patriotic activities throughout the day – music and dance, games, encounters with patriots of the past – including George and Martha Washington, Alexander and Eliza Hamilton, Ben Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Samuel Adams – the battle at Concord Bridge, and fireworks at twilight’s last gleaming! Visit more than 20 historically-inspired buildings such as Washington Hall, the Colonial Courthouse, the Colonial Chapel, replicas of the President’s Oval Office and the East Room of The White House, and a replica of Concord Bridge. Hands-on activities for children include cornhole toss, hula hoops, Jenga, sidewalk chalk art, and a farm animal petting area. A face painter and balloon artist will also be in the children’s area.
Enjoy red, white and blue fun this July 4, 2025 with the American Village! Gates open at 11am and activities begin at 11:30am, 3727 Highway 119, Montevallo, 35115.
Come hungry! 18 food trucks will be on-site serving everything from hot dogs, burgers, po boys, BBQ, shaved ice, ice cream, lemonade, and root beer. Planning for the big day begins months in advance. Communications Officer Melanie Poole says, “We take July 5th off, then begin working toward the next Independence Day.” Dozens of volunteers drive shuttles, hand out programs, give directions, help in the gift shop, and man each building. American Village gates open at 11 a.m. on July 4, 2025and programming is offered from 11:15 a.m. through evening fireworks at 9 p.m. No entry is allowed after 8 p.m. Admission is $10. Veterans, active military and children ages 4 and under are free. To learn more and find details about the new Independence Day VIP Pass available for $150, visit www.americanvillage.org. †
Looking for some great family fun? You don’t want to miss the City of Chelsea’s Annual ChelseaFest and the Big KABOOM. The free event takes place on Saturday, June 28, 2025. The event kicks off at 6 p.m. with the Yankee Doodle Dandy Children’s Bike Parade. Children are invited to decorate their bicycles, tricycles, scooters and wagons and parade down Chelsea Corners Way.
The big finale of ChelseaFest & the Big Kaboom is fireworks at 9 p.m. on June 28, 2025.
Plan to eat dinner at the event. There will be a variety of food trucks in attendance and there will be tents, tables and chairs nearby where you can enjoy your dinner. You can also bring blankets and make it a picnic. The event also includes a Family Zone area with inflatables, face painting games and more provided by local churches.
Public parking is available behind the event area as well as behind Winn Dixie. Handicap parking is behind the stage.
You can also stroll through Vendor Alley where you will find local vendors, churches and businesses. Chelsea’s local scout troops will lead the Pledge of Allegiance and the musical entertainment for ChelseaFest is crowd favorite Trotline. The band covers all types of music to be enjoyed by young, old and everyone in between. The fireworks begin promptly at 9 p.m. and will be synchronized to music played at the main event and also simulcast by radio station KOOL 96.9.
If you love America and want to celebrate in style with good food, good music, good friends and an amazing firework display make your way to Chelsea on June 28, 2025. For more information visit www.chelseafest.com. †
In May, Alabama Representative Gary Palmer (AL-06) announced Meg Goodsell from Evangel Classical Christian School as the winner of the Sixth District’s Congressional Art Competition. “We had a very talented group of students from all across the district participate in this year’s Congressional Art Competition. I’m impressed by each student’s hard work and dedication to their craft,” said Rep. Palmer. “Congratulations to Meg on winning the competition this year. I hope she continues to use her talent to create more art in the future.”
Behind the Drawing. Goodsell says of her drawing, “In this narrative drawing, I sought to express a metaphor for prayer as God reaches down to meet His people who call to Him in their need. I was inspired by the expressive quality in which John Singer Sargent paints the hands of his subjects, and I wanted to imitate Sargent’s ability to express both emotion and intention in simple gestures. The photo references of my hands used for this drawing were taken by a classmate.”
Goodsell’s artwork titled “Answered Prayer” will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol for one year! Each spring, the Congressional Institute sponsors a nationwide high school visual art competition to recognize and encourage artistic talent in the nation and in each congressional district. Students submit entries to their representative’s office, and a panel of artists in the sixth district selects the winning entry. A virtual gallery of all entries from the Sixth District can be viewed on Rep. Palmer’s website, www.palmer.house.gov and Facebook page, www.facebook.com/CongressmanGaryPalmer. Congratulations Meg on winning the competition this year! †
If your child will have a long-term faith, faith must become their own. We know that faith in Jesus is a personal thing that cannot be received through merely being in a Christian environment or being raised by Christian parents. It takes intentionality to help your kids develop their own faith.
Model an Authentic Walk with Jesus Before Your Kids. Your kids are looking not for perfect examples but for living examples, so live your faith out before them authentically. Kids and teenagers learn a lot from seeing their parents pray, read the Bible, and serve others with love and humility. Authenticity in your spiritual life sets a powerful example and shows that faith is not just a Sunday activity but a daily commitment.
Give Kids Space to Explore Faith on Their Own Terms. Encourage open dialogue about spiritual doubts, questions, and different perspectives. When kids feel safe to express their honest thoughts, they are more likely to develop a personal conviction rather than simply following what they’ve been told. Supporting them in seeking answers- whether through Bible study, mentorship, or reading Christian books- fosters a sense of ownership over their faith journey.
Help Kids Find Spiritual Practices to Connect with God that Resonate with Them. It’s important that kids learn ways to connect with God that fit their personalities and passions. When kids actively participate in faith-based activities they enjoy, they develop habits that strengthen their connection with God. Encourage them to set aside time daily or weekly for prayer and reflection, turning faith from an obligation into a meaningful, personal experience.
Pray for Your Kids to Develop Their Own Faith. Pray for wisdom, discernment, and strength as they navigate their spiritual journey. Let them know you believe in their ability to develop their own relationship with God. Often, knowing they are supported and loved unconditionally encourages teens to grow in confidence and independence in their faith.
Encouraging faith ownership isn’t about letting go entirely but guiding teens to discover a Christ-centered life that is truly their own. When they develop a personal relationship with God, their faith becomes a guiding light that sustains them through every season. They will be equipped and empowered to walk with Jesus out of your house and into all the stages of life God has for them.
-Dr. Ben Birdsong
Director of European Expansion for First Priority Global Ministries
If you or someone you know are struggling with substance abuse, self-harm, or suicidality, Still Waters Counseling wants you to know there is hope.
Mary Emeline Dawson, MA, LPC is one of the Still Waters therapists ready to help you on your journey to freedom from these thoughts and feelings. Dawson has worked in the mental health field since 2014 and became a licensed counselor in 2021. “I hope to be a safe place for people to uncover these dark parts of themselves and to reflect the love and light that Jesus has for them, just as counselors have done for me,” Dawson shares, adding that after experiencing therapy herself during her teen years, she realized how valuable therapy is. “After undergrad, I felt God’s nudge to pursue a degree in counseling, with the goal of coming alongside other hurting people, just as the Spirit does for us so faithfully.”
Mary Emeline Dawson, MA, LPC provides in-person therapy sessions in Mountain Brook as well as on-line anywhere in Alabama.
Dawson worked for an Intensive Outpatient addiction program for several years. During this experience, she realized “there are so many layers of addiction, including neurological and environmental factors. So often, it comes hand-in-hand with mental illness and a history of trauma. It’s crucial to explore and develop an understanding of the whole person and their experiences, not just to treat the symptoms of substance abuse. The same can be said for self-harm and suicidal ideation,” Dawson says. During counseling sessions, Dawson’s goal is to help clients understand what is “driving these thoughts and behaviors, not just replace them with healthier coping skills, so that deeper healing and transformation can begin.”
A Helping Hand. Hannah Wesolowski, Chief Advocacy Officer for NAMI, shared in 2024: “Our country is experiencing record suicide and overdose rates, and more people than ever are seeking mental health services.” If you are concerned for someone in your life who is battling suicidal ideation, self-harm, or substance abuse, Dawson explains there are signs you can look for including isolation, withdrawal, changes in language, or mood shifts. “If you have a sense that someone is hurting themselves or thinking about it, it’s okay to ask.” She explains that people are often relieved when someone notices their struggle and offers them support and love. Why therapy? “We all need connection and support in life- it’s how we were beautifully designed,” Dawson says, adding, “A therapist or counselor can be that support, with the goal of helping you be more connected in life outside the therapy room. They provide a safe and confidential space for unbiased feedback and perspective.” Click here to read more from Mary Emeline Dawson on the topic of finding restoration in chaos.
Watch the video below to learn more about the help and hope that is available when you seek counseling.
Still Waters Counseling offers mental health counseling from a Christian perspective in-person in Mtn. Brook and Madison, Alabama and therapy on-line anywhere in Alabama. They accept most insurances in addition to offering private pay rates based on annual household income. To learn more, visit www.mystillwaters.org, email [email protected], or call 205-825-1423.
Fortify Christian couples counseling uses PREPARE/ENRICH, the number one premarital and marital assessment for over 45 years. Results of this assessment provide insights into various areas within the relationship including communication styles, conflict resolution, finances, and spiritual beliefs. In addition, the PREPARE/ENRICH explores personality styles, family of origin, and relationship dynamics. With over 30 customized categories, such as previous marriage and expecting a child, results provide an accurate and relevant view of each couples’ makeup.
Why Choose a PREPARE/ENRICH Facilitator?
Engaging in premarital counseling and education, particularly through programs like PREPARE/ENRICH, has been shown to significantly improve a couple’s chances of a successful and lasting marriage. According to Stanley et al. (2006), couples who participate in premarital preparation programs, like PREPARE/ENRICH, reduce their chance of divorce by 30% and also tend to report higher levels of marital satisfaction and relationship quality.
Why a Fortify Christian Counselor?
Fortify boasts a team of certified PREPARE/ENRICH facilitators, both male and female, who are dedicated Christian professionals who assist couples in building their marriage on Biblical principles with clinically informed practices. They assist couples in being respectful of each other, celebrating their strengths, pinpointing growth areas, enhancing communication, and navigating constructive conflict. They help couples in identifying persistent issues, deepening their shared meaning and intimacy, strengthening their friendship, and supporting each other’s dreams and life aspirations.
Whether you are laying the foundation for your relationship or checking in after many committed years, PREPARE/ENRICH is the right choice and Fortify is the right place!
Watch the video below to learn more about couples counseling with Fortify.
Premarital & Marital Counseling
For more information about our couples counseling services reach out to us today! Appointments available in-person in Birmingham, and by telehealth throughout Alabama.
TO SAY THANK YOU for reading and supporting the businesses and organizations that advertise with Birmingham Christian Family(BCF) and make spreading Good News possible we have TWO GREAT GIVEAWAYS! Gift Cards to Jefferson’s and Bob Sykes Bar-B-Q.
Are you looking for Vacation Bible School (VBS) opportunities in and around Birmingham? Here is a list of great local options. Click on the links below for details.
Mayflies covered nearly the entire inside of my Paw Paw’s boathouse. Most were clutching desperately to the 2 x 4 stud walls and clinging perilously to the old metal siding. I didn’t much like to go in that old boat shed. Enclosed on three sides, the only electric source of light hung over the door. At best, it was dim at dawn when Paw Paw wanted to go fishing. I preferred afternoon fishing myself. I didn’t care for the early morning, the mayflies by the millions, or the spiders.
Walt is seen here with his daughter during a midnight adventure of sucker gigging.
All these years later, I don’t remember whether we caught fish on those mayfly mornings. I just remember the mayflies, the darkness, and the spiders, and that my grandfather spent time with me. Every year, not too long before the mayflies hatch, the “suckers” run. I don’t know what a “sucker” is, but it looks something like a mullet with the mouth of a grass carp. At the first full moon after the dogwoods bloom, the “suckerfish,” as we call them, move out of the Conecuh River and into the creeks and streams that feed it, to spawn. And most every year, some combination of the girls and I, complete with an accompaniment of friends, will make our way to Cottle Creek to go sucker gigging. Suckers don’t bite hooks. So, walking through ankle to knee-deep water during the full moonlight, you find the suckers slowly swimming upstream to their spawning grounds and you gig them. A harvest of three or four is a fine night’s work. Seven or eight is a feast. The first few minutes are always the most difficult for the unfamiliar. Wading into a South Alabama creek at night seems a contradiction of good judgment. Water moccasins, copperheads, snapping turtles, and even an occasional alligator are all possibilities. But, after a few minutes, the nervousness seems to subside. I’m sure the headlamps and flashlights do a fine job of belaying the fears. It’s funny how light does that. The adventure of it all seems to take control, as I soon find myself telling the girls to slow down.
Walt has made many memories with his girls in the great outdoors.
The sight of a sucker usually sparks glee, as a chorus of exclamation erupts as the girls all try to converge on the fish. Realizing that the lights and the clamor of shrills of squeaky pubescent girls are not a regular feature of the creek, the suckerfish don’t stick around to find out what all the commotion is about. With a few hard flicks of their tail, they scurry up the stream to look for a deep hole or some low-hanging branches to hide within. And the girls give chase- or not. Sometimes, they pursue with vigor until the fish tires them out. Other times, the girls are content to celebrate the victory of simply seeing the fish. I’m not sure the point was ever about gigging fish for me, and at some point, I don’t think it was for them either. And I doubt that my grandfather waking me in the wee hours of the morning to fish the mayfly hatch on Lay Lake was much about fishing either. More than anything, I remember that he wanted to spend time with me. And, while I may have done it begrudgingly then, I cherish the memories now- even the cobwebs, spiders, and dark corners.
One day, I pray my girls hold fast to the memories we made traversing the midnight creeks. Somewhere along the way, I hope they realize the same lessons I have come to appreciate from my grandfather. Never once did he pick me up at the end of the dock as I had requested countless times. Instead, he pushed me to conquer my fears. While I still don’t like spiders, I did learn that there is always a safe place in the Light. My girls know that, too. Never mind the drama of worrying about things yet to happen. We’ve never once seen a snake or alligator on any of our trips. Let’s stay focused on the good that is within the Light. And I suspect that the reason we never see any of those reptilian critters is because we never stray from the Light. Hopefully, they will carry that lesson into adulthood with them, too. “Your Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105
-Walt Merrell
A Christian Outdoorsman who writes of his adventures with his family, with the hope that others might be inspired and encouraged to embrace God’s tapestry, otherwise known as the great outdoors, as a means of finding Common Ground. You can follow him at Shepherding Outdoors on FB, YT and IG and at shepherdingoutdoors.com. His most recent book is available at shepherdingbook.com. Read his faith story at www.BirminghamChristian.com.
In Luke 4:18, Jesus describes the power of the Gospel. We know the Gospel is the Good News that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, entered humanity to seek, serve, and save the lost. Jesus said the Gospel can be described in five ways: spiritual proclamation to the poor; spiritual healing; spiritual freedom; spiritual sight; and spiritual comfort. Let’s dig into Luke 4:18 KJV, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised…”
1. Spiritual Proclamation. “To preach the Gospel to the poor.” The definition of poor here means not to have your needs met. Philippians 4:19 NIV says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.” God can meet your every need.
2. Spiritual healing. “He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted.” Only God can heal a broken heart. He indeed is the Great Physician who brings spiritual healing.
3. Spiritual freedom. “To preach deliverance to the captives.” In John 8:36 NIV, Jesus says, “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Only Jesus can deliver us from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:23).
4. Spiritual sight. “Recovering of sight to the blind.” Jesus is the light of the world, and the Holy Spirit enlightens our hearts, teaches us spiritual truth, and gives us spiritual sight.
5. Spiritual comfort. “To set at liberty them that are bruised.” Jesus understands what it is like to be beaten, battered, and broken. He offers comfort and encouragement.
Only the Gospel can overcome evil and minister to our hurts and struggles. So be encouraged and allow the power of the Gospel to permeate your life. In doing so, you will never be the same!
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