Even in the bitterest of cold January months, most of our eyes and hearts will start to drift toward spring. A few hunters, our family included, will stay focused on what we call the “deer woods” through mid-February, but even for us, after that, all eyes will turn toward the hope of seeds soon to be planted and blossoms to bud.
Society demands results and satisfaction… now. Our kids are learning that harmful lesson from far too many places. Hunting and fishing, especially with a cane pole, teach my daughter Banks and her friends to be patient. All good things come to those who wait… and that is a virtue, after all.
My wife, Hannah, loves to garden. We plant a row crop garden with the tractor and back yard gardens in what most folks would call a watering trough. Our girls enjoy gardening too… especially our youngest, Banks and our oldest, Bay. The Middle Princess, her name is Cape, well… she loves to hunt… gardening, not so much.
Cape, a senior in high school, hunts more than I do these days. Bay, now a Junior at Ole Miss, will “go” hunting with me, though she doesn’t always carry her own gun. She goes just so we can spend time together… “she and I,” as Randy Owen once sang. Banks, an eighth grader, hunts with me regularly, too. And Randy is right… that time she and I spend together is “great and wonderful.”
My grandfather, Marvin Merrell, was the first true outdoorsman I ever knew. All these years later, the trips we took and the stories that remain, still ring in the recesses of my heart. That sidewalk and boat house are Ebenezers Stones too…. I recently went back to that very house after years in absence, and the memories where joyfully overwhelming.
The girls’ grandfather, my dad, grew up in Sylacauga. He hunted quail more than anything as a child. Back then, quail were prevalent, and quail hunting was a favorite pastime of Alabama gentlemen hunters. His dad, though… my grandfather, was a deer hunter. In 1959 he killed what was then a massive buck – all eight basket points. I still have the deer mount hanging on the wall in my study. He signed his name and dated the plywood backing. It smells slightly of formaldehyde, and it looks like a fawn hanging next to some of the deer we have taken in more recent years. He killed that buck near Talladega… in the National Forest. It was a prize that is rumored to have made several newspapers at the time.
We don’t always catch fish when we go, so I always try to find other ways to make the trips memorable. Most men would scoff at the idea of daughter Bay sitting down and casting from the deck of a boat. I was happy if she was happy and instead of standing on tradition, I settled for contentment.
And though its small compared to more well-developed deer, it’s a prize to me today. Because of the memories it represents. Sometimes when I write about fishing adventures with my grandfather, or time spent at his Lay Lake cabin, I stare at the now 63-year-old relic… and recall catching bream or snapping turtles. For you see… that deer mount is not a trophy. To me, it’s something of an Ebeneezer Stone that reminds me of the things my grandfather taught me. Every time I see it, I think of him and the lessons I learned along the way.
I’ve been intentional through the years to Shepherd my girls into adulthood, by way of the great Outdoors. Fact is, every time we go hunting, or work in the garden, or any other outdoor adventure we have, they learn so much more about life than they do about anything else. And I want to teach them those life lessons, because others did the same for me…
What say you, all who are winter baron in the doldrums of a cold world? What seed do you plan to plant when the thaw comes? I pray its one that will bear fruit… for the harvest is plenty.
Let’s go…. Shepherding Outdoors.
-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 here.
Let’s talk about your home search. Have you stopped looking during the busy holiday season? Do you feel too tired of the search? If you have been on the fence about buying over the last year, let me tell you why this could be the best time for you to be looking and not pausing your search.
The holiday season is typically considered a “dead period” for house hunting. I know you feel like you have seen everything on the market already but there are still homes being listed for sale. This is the time of year when you could find a true diamond in the rough. Put your realtor to work! Trust me, I want to work hard for you. It is not only my job, but I love the challenge of finding the missing puzzle piece that is your perfect home. Your Facebook search won’t allow for all the upcoming listings that realtors have access to. We have an extensive network of professionals we work with that will only benefit you as a client. We have our thumb on the market in our area and we know what’s coming before any algorithm does.
With interest rates dropping recently, and at least three predicted rate drops throughout 2024, this is the time to strike! If you have been in the market for a home and have done all the things i.e. pre-approval, have your budget set, know your wants vs needs, and hired a realtor with knowledge of your desired area… do not wait any longer! In the next 8-10 weeks, we will most likely have a repeat of the last year. We will have less inventory than we need and too many buyers. If you were in that boat last year, let’s avoid having to live through lost opportunities again. Reach out to me today and let’s start 2024 in your new home!
Electrical injuries account for 1,000 deaths each year.
30,000 shock incidents occur each year.
20% of all electrical injuries occur in children.
When is the last time your home had an electrical safety evaluation?
Thaxter Pittman, owner of Total Power Electric, founded his company on the principle of keeping your home safe with solutions you can depend on. Total Power Electric offers a full range of electrical services including electrical repairs, installations, and replacements.
Thaxter Pittman and his wife, Dr. Marie Pittman, live in Pelham with their four children and attend Church of the Highlands Riverchase.
As a family man, Thaxter can relate to his customers prioritizing safety in their homes. He and his wife have been married for over 16 years. Together, they have 4 children. Thaxter is a devout Christian who stepped out on faith to start his company with over 18 years of electrical experience. This is why Thaxter understands with something so important as the safety of you and your loved ones, it is important to choose the right electrical company to put your mind at ease as you go into the New Year. Total Power Electric is an electrical company with technicians that have over a decade of electrical experience to help ensure your family and home are safe for the New Year.
Good electricians know the importance of electrical safety. For this reason, Total Power Electric will perform a free safety inspection of your home. Having an electrical checkup is a highly valued service offered by Total Power Electric. Too often electrical issues are overlooked until there is already a problem. This can not only become expensive but also dangerous. Safety evaluations check the efficiency of your home’s electrical devices to ensure your home is as safe as possible for you and the ones you care about most.
Pittman’s company name gives a nod to his initials, T. P., and serves as a reminder that God is in Total Power of his business and his life.
Common Electrical Hazards found during safety evaluations:
Outdated smoke detectors that can lead to your home catching fire in the middle of the night without you knowing.
Not having GFCIs in the right location that can lead to electrical shock hazards.
Lack of Surge Protection. Surge Protectors protect your electrical equipment from power surges or “spikes” that can cause significant damage to your electronic devices, equipment and appliances and can lead to fire sparks.
If you would like to let Total Power Electric keep your home safe or if you have any other electrical needs, call them at 205-855-9297. You can also book online at www.totalpwrelectric.com. †
Did you know that the Magic City has a locally owned delivery service? Kats Delivery Inc, which operates under trade names Kats and The TakeOut Bham, was founded in 2014 after owner Maurice Mercer saw a need.
Mercer first witnessed the need after his mother, the late Kathryn Jenkins, RN MSN retired UAB nurse, was diagnosed with Scleroderma, an autoimmune disability that limited her ability to do even the most normal of day-to-day activities, including her grocery shopping. While Mercer lived close enough and was able to shop for his mom, the former UAB charge nurse began to think of those who did not have the support she did. This inspired him to create Kats Delivery and Mercer named the business after his mother.
Since 2014, Kats has grown to serve many clients in cities across Alabama including Clanton and Troy. In addition, in December 2021, Kats acquired Birmingham staple, The TakeOut Bham, which was originally founded in 2010. Kats primarily services areas I-65 South Hoover- Shelby County. The TakeOut Bham services downtown Birmingham, Jefferson County, and Highway 280 East into Shelby. While Kats began as a grocery delivery company, the company has expanded its services to include on-demand restaurant delivery, catering delivery, and white label meal prep delivery.
Maurice Mercer, owner of Kats Delivery Inc, and his wife Amanda have three daughters. The family lives in Pelham and attends Truth International Church in Alabaster.
Kats has been recognized as the 2019 Shelby County Small Business of the Year. In 2021, Mercer was also nominated for the CEO award given by the Birmingham Business Journal. Kats is always looking for responsible and professional drivers. Most of the current drivers have over one year tenure but several have three to four years. “It is important to have reliable professional drivers,” Mercer said, adding, “All professional drivers looking to add to their gig opportunities should visit our website and join our team.”
Kats has managed to maneuver and survive the pandemic. Mercer stresses the importance of supporting local businesses and Alabama-based businesses. Throughout the years as a business owner, Mercer has never wavered in his faith. As a believer, Mercer has even lost customers and couriers as a result of sharing his faith. “My faith is what has sustained us these nine years,” he says, adding that he knows God has a plan for him and the customers he serves. “We are grateful for our long-term customers who continue to stick by us over the years.” Birmingham Christian Family readers who visit www.KatsDelivery.com can use code BC2024 or www.TheTakeOutBham.com use code 2024BC for $10 OFF your next purchase. †
As the calendar turns to January, Christians worldwide celebrate Epiphany, a festival that marks the manifestation of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. Traditionally observed on January 6, Epiphany is a time of reflection and rejoicing as we commemorate the visit of the wise men to the baby Jesus, signifying the revelation of Christ’s light to the world.
Epiphany symbolizes the extension of God’s salvation to the Gentiles, emphasizing the truth seen throughout the Scriptures that Jesus came not only for a particular group but for all people. Guided by a star, the wise men from the East journeyed to find the newborn King. The star led them to Bethlehem, where they encountered the child Jesus and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Epiphany allows our families to reflect on the story of the wise men and the guiding light of the star, pointing them to Jesus. In this season, your family can use the story of the wise men to reflect how we can also be lights pointing people to Jesus. Here are four ideas.
1. Star Gazing. Spend an evening stargazing with your family. Reflect on the star that guided the wise men and discuss how Christ’s light guides your lives.
2. Gift of Light. Light candles as a family, symbolizing the light of Christ. Discuss how this light dispels darkness and represents the presence of Jesus in your home.
3. Gifts of Service: Encourage family members to give the gift of service. Discuss ways you can extend kindness and help to others, mirroring the generosity of the wise men.
4. Sharing the Light. Brainstorm some people you know who do not yet have a relationship with Jesus. Spend some time praying for an opportunity for you to point your light on Jesus by sharing about Him.
Epiphany not only looks back at the historical event but also invites us to look forward. It prompts us to consider how we, like the wise men, can seek and recognize the presence of Christ in our lives in the coming year and share the light of Jesus with others. As we begin a new year, Epiphany reminds us that the light of Christ continues to guide us. The wise men’s journey reminds us of the joy of discovering and worshiping the Savior. We are also reminded how God calls us to be the light pointing all peoples from all places to the hope we have in Jesus.
Managing your finances and investing for your future are important tasks — and they can be challenging, but you don’t have to go it alone. Many people benefit from working with a financial advisor, someone who knows their needs and goals and makes appropriate recommendations. If you’re considering getting some help, here are some questions to consider.
Have you worked with people like me? All of us are unique individuals. Yet, you do share certain characteristics with others — age, income, family situation, and so on. You might feel comfortable knowing that a financial advisor has worked with people like you and can readily understand and appreciate your needs and specific goals. The more information you can provide about yourself upfront, the better your chances of finding a good match.
Do you have a particular investment philosophy? Some financial advisors follow a particular investment style, while others might focus on specific investments or categories. There’s nothing inherently wrong with these types of approaches, but you might be better served by working with someone who takes a broader view — one that emphasizes helping clients meet their goals over any philosophy or strategy.
How will you communicate with me? Open and frequent communication are key to a successful relationship with a financial advisor. So, you’ll want to know what you can expect. Will you have annual or semi-annual reviews of your accounts? In between these reviews, can you contact your advisor at any time with questions you may have?
How do you define success for your clients? Some investors track their portfolios’ performance against that of a specific market index, such as the S&P 500. But, these types of benchmarks can be misleading. For one thing, investors should strive for a diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and other investments, whereas the S&P 500 only tracks the largest U.S. stocks. When you talk to potential financial advisors about how they define success for their clients, you may want to look for responses that go beyond numbers.
How are you compensated? Financial advisors are compensated in different ways — some work on commissions, some charge fees, and some combine fees and commissions. There isn’t necessarily any best method, from a client’s point of view, but you should clearly understand how a potential advisor is compensated before you begin a professional relationship.
These aren’t the only questions you might ask a potential financial advisor, but they’ll give you a good start. When you’re trusting someone to help you with your financial goals, you want to be completely comfortable with that individual, so ask whatever is on your mind.
Watch the video below to find more information on questions to ask financial advisors.
Beginning a new year, you normally do two things. You look back by remembering, reviewing, and reflecting. You then look forward as you resolve to focus on what goals need to be set and what steps need to be taken to be productive and successful. In Joshua 1:5-9, we are given four ingredients to success: God’s Promise, God’s presence, our preparation; and God’s provision.
1. God’s Promise. Joshua 1:5 tells us that God promises to be with us and He will never fail us or forsake us. God promises to empower us and give us victory as we encounter various tests, trials, tribulations, and temptations. We need to be aware of God’s promises and activate them.
2. God’s Presence. Joshua 1:5-9 teaches us that we always have God’s presence. God is omnipresent and His Holy Spirit comes to dwell in the life of the born-again Christ follower. John 14:16 says the Holy Spirit will be with the Christian forever. I Corinthians 6:19 says, the believer’s body is a temple (dwelling place) of the Holy Spirit.
3. Our Preparation. Joshua 1:6-9 gives us four areas that we need to focus on. We are to:
Be strong – able to withstand pressure and show determination.
Be courageous – moral strength; not deterred by danger, fear, or adversity.
Observe (obey) – very attentive; to comply with.
Be focused – determined; and committed.
4. God’s Provision. Joshua 1:7-8 teaches the importance of Scripture. We need to read, meditate, receive, believe, apply, obey, and live it. II Timothy 3:16, 17 and Psalm 119:11, 105 tell us the value and necessity of Scripture.
As we begin a New Year let us make use of God’s promise, God’s presence, God’s provision, and the need for our preparation. May you have a very blessed 2024.
If the state will provide a method for distributing assets after one’s death, why even bother making an estate plan? Alabama has intestacy statutes in its code, and they provide a method for the orderly transition of assets to a person’s heirs. It costs money to make an estate plan. It takes time. More than that, making an estate plan forces a person to consider the shape of the world when they are no longer in it, which is not something everyone wants to consider. Not everyone is interested in brooding on their own death and having to pay to do so.
Control. Control is the answer to the question in the previous paragraph. An estate plan provides an individual with a degree of control over their own affairs while alive, and allows an individual to maintain some control of their property even after death.
An estate plan typically includes at least three documents: a durable power of attorney, an advanced directive, and a will.
A durable power of attorney allows someone to designate an agent who may act on their behalf. The power of attorney document may specify when an agent may act and what actions the agent may take.
An advanced directive allows a person to make decisions about end-of-life care. It is the document where a person can state whether or not they wish to be kept alive by artificial means, specify the types of care and feeding that they wish to receive, and make similar decisions. It allows individuals to make those decisions for themselves, rather than waiting until something happens that forces the decision on a family member or health care worker.
A will allows an individual to specify who, or what, will receive their property, after the individual’s death. Further, when a will is written to work in conjunction with a trust, a will allows an individual to exercise a degree of control over their property potentially for many, many years to come.
Thus, when considering whether or not to create an estate plan, ask yourself three questions. First: “Do I wish to exercise a degree of control over my affairs if I am incapacitated?” Second: “Do I wish to exercise a degree of control over my end-of-life medical care?” Third: “Do I wish to exercise a degree of control over my property after my death?” Your answers to those questions will guide whether or not you choose to make an estate plan and will help guide the type of estate plan that you may choose to create.
Watch the video below to learn more about what happens when someone dies without a will.
Ellen Skrmetti wants you to know that God wants you to have fun. The Birmingham comedian, who is known on social media for her “Hey Jesus” sketches and reels, believes that God is interested in all aspects of your life–even the absurd, sometimes outrageous ones–and she’s dedicated to sharing joy and laughter with Christians and non-believers alike. Her Instagram and TikTok popularity (she has 192,000 and 35,000 followers on the two platforms) has given her a unique audience, and Skrmetti says she’s confident it was God who gave her these opportunities.
Finding Comedy During Covid. Skrmetti was always the “funny one” in school, but it wasn’t until 2020 that she finally got serious about her dream of being a comedian. She’d enrolled in comedy classes and was due to start a new one the Thursday before Alabama announced its lockdown due to the Covid pandemic. “I’d just come home from Target to get stuff to make sanitizer when I heard the news. I cried and told my husband it was all over,” she remembered. “But, then Second City started offering online classes.” She kept busy during Covid taking comedy and writing classes through Second City–an improvisational comedy company based in Chicago that has been the starting point for such actors and comedians as Bill Murray, Steve Carell, Tina Fey, and Amy Poehler. And when one of her teachers told her that people were gaining an audience on Instagram and TikTok without knowing how to do standup, Skremetti took it as a challenge. “I told myself, ‘I know how to do standup,’ and maybe I can turn my standup into reels,” she said. “Covid had me do things backward and try something I might have never done otherwise.” She spent the rest of 2020 and 2021 honing her comedy craft and deciding what direction she wanted her work to take and leaped onto Instagram and TikTok (both @justskrmetti) in January of 2022. In the beginning, Skrmetti said most of her viewers were family and friends–but that she held tight to a prayer she made when she first posted. “I prayed every morning and every day, ‘Please do something so big it could only be you.’ I prayed about the people who would be watching the videos, not just the sheer numbers, and trusted God to do something with it,” she said.
Ellen Skrmetti was born in Ripley, Mississippi. She and her husband Tim lived in Jackson before moving to Nashville and then Birmingham.
She decided to not pay for clicks and instead relied on the organic growth of her channels. Early followers came from girlfriends sharing with other girlfriends, or mothers sharing with their daughters. “It was just my friends and family members laughing and enjoying it. It grew as slow as molasses,” she remembered. “From January to September, it grew from 700 to just 1100. I began to wonder what to do.” Skrmetti began, though, to celebrate her audience– small as it was. She then re-defined what “viral” meant to her and celebrated when she got 5000 views. And she vowed to keep going. “I knew if I stopped, I would never know what could happen.” And then Queen Elizabeth passed away. Srkmetti’s husband Tim is a huge fan of London’s Arsenal soccer team, and he bemoaned the fact that the team wasn’t playing because of the planned funeral for Queen Elizabeth in October 2022. She began to wonder: how would the funeral of Queen Elizabeth be handled in the South? And would it interrupt the airing of Alabama football games? “I decided to recreate every phone call I’d ever heard my Mom make when someone in the church died. It was the idea that Grandma’s not doing good, and we may have to get her in the ground before kickoff,” she said. “The video blew up on TikTok that day, then followed up on Instagram. Then people who watched it went back and watched my reels from the past, then followed me.” Today that post on TikTok has 1.6 million views.
Other posts and skits have evolved on Skrmetti’s social media channels, including her “Hey Jesus, it’s me” series and others where she posts as reporter “Kitty Potter” and other characters. “I was so nervous to be myself at the beginning that I started acting like these characters. The first was Kitty Potter, who is a reporter based on Kim Basinger’s Texas character in “Ready to Wear,” and then one day I did the ‘Hey Jesus’ bit asking Jesus if it’s okay if I pray for my co-worker to get a tapeworm. It’s just based on crazy things in my life.” Ultimately, Srkmetti wants her comedy to show that God wants us to come to Him with anything in our lives. “You can give Him a joke, give Him thanks, give Him anything, and not just at night or in the morning,” she said. “There’s truly not a second of the day that He doesn’t want communication.”
Ellen’s family attends Prince of Peace Catholic Church and son Nik attends Prince of Peace School. Church is integral to their family life, and she encourages Christians to find a church home where they feel welcome.
Finding a Way to Comedy. Although Skrmetti didn’t start taking comedy classes until she was 41, the desire to perform came from an early age. “I was always the class clown and my report card always said something about how much I talked,” she said. “It was always more important to entertain than to get good grades.” When she competed in the Miss Mississippi contest at 18, however, she remembers having extreme stage fright for the first time and making a deal with God about being on stage. She prayed that if God would get her off the stage, she’d never do it again. Now, she knows how misguided that prayer was. “I was naive because I took that as His word, and I didn’t get back on stage for a long time,” she said. “But one day I felt it in my spirit and God told me that He never took that bet. That was the devil trying to hold me back.” From that moment, Skrmetti consciously worked at taking classes and learning more about the craft of comedy until she got back on stage again– even though she was nervous to do so.
Ellen’s schedule for 2024 includes shows across the Southeast, including ones in January in Nashville and Atlanta plus one at the StarDome Comedy Club in Birmingham on February 2, 2024. You can enter to win tickets to the Birmingham show on February 2, 2024! Click here to learn more.
Today, Skrmetti uses her current situations and family life for her on-stage and online inspiration. She and her husband Tim live in the Bluff Park area of Hoover with their children Meg, 14, and Nik, 9. Many of Skrmetti’s skits and posts are inspired by life with her family, or from memories from her childhood. In deciding what type of comedian she wanted to be, she often wondered if there was a place for her style; she learned that there was a need for the clean humor she provides. “Stories about my family are funny, and I’m confident that those stories about my children, raising my family, and my childhood are the ones I need to tell,” she said. “I need my mom and my Sunday School class members to have fun at my shows.” With Covid in the past, Skrmetti now does stand-up comedy shows in addition to her social media posts. And her family members and church friends have become some of her most staunch supporters and audience members at shows at places like StarDome Comedy Club in Birmingham and Zanie’s in Nashville. Skrmetti said that her presence at such comedy clubs is proof that Christians can provide high quality- and funny- material. “There are Christians in comedy, even though they don’t label themselves that way. People like Steve Harvey and Chris Pratt are always happy to tell people where their inspiration comes from, and I never shy away from telling people I’m here because of my prayers,” she said. “I don’t really like to call myself a Christian comedian. I’m a Christian who is a comedian.”
Hey Jesus, It’s Me will be released in September of 2024, but the book can already be pre-ordered on Amazon. Learn more about the book and Ellen’s comedy tour at www.ellenskrmetti.com.
Looking to the Future. Skrmetti said she can now look back at that prayer she prayed for God (“Do something so big it can only be you”) and know that it was answered. She continues to post online and gain followers while also doing stand-up. She has also written a book based on her comedy routines. She met a literary agent through Instagram who loved her skits and asked if she’d be interested in writing a book. Her book proposal was accepted, and she signed a contract with Hachette for Hey Jesus, It’s Me: I Have Questions, Comments, and Concerns. The book, which releases this September, includes fun essays that have an “a-ha” moment of life and faith. The book-writing experience, she said, is an example of something she could have never imagined for herself. “Instead of praying, ‘God get me on stage,’ I prayed an unlimited prayer. I prayed that however big He wanted to make it, let’s do that,” she said. “It’s so amazing to see every door open.” Skrmetti likes to say that God will never show you the entire staircase of His plans. “I was at a point where I didn’t see the other steps,” she said. “I had to be patient.” That patience paid off- with followers on social media, with a book deal, and with the answering of what some might call a wild dream to succeed in comedy.
-Cheryl Wray is a freelance writer and book author who lives in Hueytown. She’s also the coordinator of the Southern Christian Writers Conference.
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