Come Celebrate with Us: Celebrate the Family Expo 2023!

September 5, 2023July 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Publisher’s Note

Birmingham Christian Family(BCF) is celebrating 23 years of spreading Good News in our community- that’s more than 275 monthly issues of the BCF magazine! We invite you to come and celebrate with us at the 4th Annual Celebrate the Family Expo. The event, packed with free activities for the whole family, is September 16, 2023 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Finley Center, Hoover Met Complex.

Enjoy extra added fun this year with a Crumbl Cookies Celebrity Chef Stage featuring BCF cover story favorites like beloved Southern cook Brenda Gantt along with her son-in-law author and outdoorsman Walt Merrell. Also onstage will be founder of Ashley Mac’s, Ashley McMakin, social media sensation and southern home cook Danna Standridge and BBQ pitmaster Van Sykes. Event favorites returning include Birthday Bingo with giveaways about every 15 minutes starting at 12:30 p.m., free face painting by Painted Personalities, the Chick-fil-A Herd, the Birmingham Bulls Torro, and live music by Kevin Derryberry. Alabama Wildlife Center staff will be at the Expo with several of their feathered friends! The Vapor Thrift Store Donation Truck will be onsite accepting donations including gently used clothes, shoes, household goods, and collectibles. Gather up all those documents you have that need to be shredded and old electronics that need to be safely recycled and bring them to the Expo! We will have free shredding and electronic recycling provided by Gone for Good (a program of United Ability).

Be there when the doors open at 10 a.m. The first 250 people will all receive a free swag bag filled with items from our sponsors who make this day possible- including Alabama Credit Union, Bham Now, Children’s of Alabama, Crumbl Cookies, EXIT Realty Cahaba, Jefferson Credit Union, LeafFilter Gutter Protection, Reignite Chiropractic, Renewal by Andersen, Scott Dawson Evangelistic Association, Thrivent, Vapor Ministries, Vulcan Termite & Pest Control, and Wellcare.

We will continue to add activities to the celebration so for the most up to date event details visit www.BirminghamChristian.com/Expo2023. If your business or organization has a resource to share with families, consider joining us as an Expo Exhibitor, www.BirminghamChristian.com/Expo2023registratio n.

I look forward to celebrating with you!

-Laurie Franklin

Founder, The Christian Family Publication, Inc.

www.BirminghamChristian.com

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Celebrating 23 Years of Good News!

“Look to the Lord & His Strength, Seek His face always.”

1 Chronicles 16:11 (Holman Standard)

July 26, 2023July 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Mission Makers

Brought to you by: Community Partner Sawyer Solutions, sawyersolutionsllc.com

Make a difference in the lives of women and children in Shelby County by joining Sav-A-Life Shelby at their Annual Banquet on September 12, 2023 benefiting the Women First Pregnancy Center which serves all of Shelby County, Ala. The 2023 Banquet theme is “Ready. Set. Life. – Saving Lives One Person At A Time” and will be held from 7 p.m.-9 p.m. at the Pelham Civic Complex. The event is free to attend and includes dinner and reservations are required.

Chief Meteorologist for ABC 33/40 James Spann is the guest speaker for this special event. Spann has received numerous awards including an Emmy Award from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. He was recognized for live coverage of the deadly tornado which hit Tuscaloosa on December 16, 2000. His work during that horrible storm also helped ABC 33/40 earn a prestigious national Edward R. Murrow award for spot news coverage. Spann is also the author of two books titled Weathering Life and All You Can Do is Pray written after living through the April 25-28, 2011, tornado outbreak.

Emceeing the night’s festivities will be Revocation Radio 97.7fm on-air personality Jon Walden. Revocation Radio is the only station on terrestrial radio broadcasting a specific mix of Christian Rock and Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop music is so prevalent and influential in today’s society and culture that we believe it is imperative to broadcast a Christian alternative with life-breathing messages and unparalleled quality, not only in lyrics, but also in production.

Sav-A-Life Shelby’s mission is to develop a culture of life where abortion is unnecessary and undesirable in Shelby County, Ala. while offering the hope of the Gospel. They hope to see every person who engages with the Women First Pregnancy Centers in Pelham and Chelsea choose life for themselves and their unborn child. The Centers provide free and confidential pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, abortion information, pregnancy/parenting classes, and material assistance to empower women and men to make a life-affirming decision. To learn more about the Annual Banquet and reserve your seats, visit www.shelbybanquet.org, call 205-776-1247, or email [email protected]. †

Brought to you by: Community Partner, Sawyer Solutions
Technology with Care and Compassion
• Outsourced I.T. Support
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www.sawyersolutionsllc.com
844-448-7767

July 26, 2023July 17, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Healthy Living

According to the CDC, suicide is one of the leading causes of death in America with 1.7 million adults attempting suicide in 2021. Ranking 25th, Alabama’s suicide rate consistently ranks higher than the national rate. Due to the rise of suicides during the Covid-19 pandemic, Birmingham-based Community Grief Support (CGS) is hosting a suicide awareness conference August 17-18, 2023 at Canterbury United Methodist Church called, “Unmasking the Complexity of Suicide: Prevention, Survivorship, and Grief Support.”

“Simply put, there isn’t enough education on suicide prevention. We wanted to create space where the public and mental health professionals can learn more about suicide,” Catherine Pittman Smith, Administrative Director at CGS explains, “including what resources are out there, how to help, and how to make a difference.” Adding that the goal of the conference is to provide a safe, stigma-free place for anyone to ask questions around suicide like:

Noah Galloway 2 — Noah Galloway, a Veteran and Purple Heart Recipient, will speak on how veterans struggle with depression and why there is such a high rate of suicide among veterans.

How can I help?

What do I say or not say?

What signs did I miss?

How is suicide different than another loss?

How do I grieve?

The two-day conference will kick off with three keynote speakers: Noah Galloway, Veteran and Purple Heart recipient and inspiring 2015 “Dancing with the Stars” contestant; Karen Cook Thomas, Chaplain/board member of Alabama Suicide Prevention and Resource Coalition (ASPARC); and Cheryl Dodson, Executive Director of ASPARC and featured on the popular S-Town Podcast.

Keynote speaker Cheryl Dodson is a Certified QPR (Question, Persuade, Refer) Gatekeeper Trainer.

A suicide prevention advocate, Dodson lost a close friend named John to suicide in 2015. “After a suicide loss, you’re living with a complicated grief,” Dodson says. Dodson plans to speak on suicide prevention including what signs to look for, how to talk with someone you are worried about, and more. “I’ll share what I have learned through grieving my friend. Some think it’s a contradiction, but the prevention work is also healing after a loss,” she says, adding, “I want people attending the conference to understand that there is support and healing available to them.”

Unmasking the Complexity of Suicide will be held on August 17-18, 2023 at Canterbury United Methodist Church, 350 Overbrook Road, Birmingham, 35213, from 7-9 p.m. A virtual livestream is available. Learn more at www.communitygriefsupport.com.

After each keynote speaker shares their personal stories of struggles, loss, grief and hope, Steve Sweatt LPC-S, LMFT and Judith Harrington, PhD, LPC-S, LMFT, will host a Q&A panel discussion with Janice Rogers of WBRC Fox 6 News as moderator. The audience will be encouraged to ask questions. “This conference is a safe place where there is no condemnation and no shame,” Smith says, adding, “I think we—as a society—have put a mask on the complexity of suicide with myths, misperceptions, and misinformation. Community Grief Support is providing an opportunity to remove that mask.” CGS hopes that each person who attends the conference will leave feeling inspired and equipped with resources to make a difference. Admission is free to the public; registration is required. A total of 8 CE credits are available for professionals at an additional charge. To learn more and register, visit www.communitygriefsupport.org/unmasking-suicide.

-Melissa Armstrong

June 27, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

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.

Receive a Family 4 Pack of Tickets to the Birmingham Baron’s Baseball Faith & Family Night July 21, 2023 sponsored by Birmingham Christian Family. Includes Friday Night Fireworks!

To enter simply LIKE and COMMENT on the Giveaway Post on Birmingham Christian Family’s Instagram @cfpbirmingham.

For EXTRA ENTRIES:

TAG a friend in the comments you would like to take with you.
POST to your story on Instagram
FOLLOW US on Facebook @Birmingham Christian Family
SUBSCRIBE to receive your free digital issue of BCF at www.birminghamchristian.com.

Offer ends Sunday 7/16/23. Winner announced 7/17/23 on Instagram so be sure to FOLLOW our page @cfpbirmingham.

Two Tickets to Alabama Adventure Amusement Park & Splash Adventure Water Park.

Enter on both Facebook & Instagram to double your chances!

Instagram. To enter, simply LIKE and COMMENT on the Giveaway Post on Birmingham Christian Family’s Instagram @cfpbirmingham.

For EXTRA ENTRIES:

SHARE the giveaway post on your story
FOLLOW US on Facebook @Birmingham Christian Family
SUBSCRIBE to receive your free digital issue of BCF at www.birminghamchristian.com.

Facebook. To enter simply LIKE and COMMENT on the Giveaway Post on Birmingham Christian Family’s Facebook @Birmingham Christian Family.

For EXTRA ENTRIES:

TAG a friend in the comments.

SHARE the post on Facebook

FOLLOW US on Instagram @cfpbirmingham

SUBSCRIBE to receive your free digital issue of BCF at www.birminghamchristian.com.

Offers end Thursday 7/20/23. Winner announced 7/21/23 on Instagram and Facebook so be sure to FOLLOW our Instagram @cfpbirmingham and Facebook @Birmingham Christian Family pages.

June 27, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

The Home Front

In the summer, fresh peas are a coveted prize at stocked farmer’s markets in the Heart of Dixie. Many of us recall watching our grandmothers make Southern-style peas, and once you learn the ropes, it’s easy to create those same flavorful vegetables just as we remembered from our childhood. The three keys to delicious Southern-style peas are:

1. Browning meat/rendering fat

2. Adding rich broth(s)

3. Cooking low and slow

Although fresh peas are always the best, frozen peas still taste wonderful using the Southern-style method. Browning the meat is the first step to Southern-style peas. Whether using bacon, ham hock, turkey neck or other smoked meats, browning first is key. Here are the steps to brown the meat:

Heat about 2 tablespoons of oil.
Add meat when oil is hot.
Sauté the meat until all sides are golden brown.

Smoked meats, such as ham hock or turkey neck, are typically “cooked” and just need to be browned beforehand to release full flavor. Bacon, my personal favorite, is best cooked first because it will release smoky fat that will season the beans beautifully. Adding broth is the next step to adding flavor. Broth adds a whole new level of rich flavor. There are myriad options for broth, but the ones I recommend are:

Better Than Bouillon paste (make per directions on the jar)
Prepared stock, broth, or bone broth
Bouillon cubes

A good tip that I learned from my grandmother is to “layer” for more flavor. She always added a cube or two of bouillon to broth to make it richer. This worked in her Southern cornbread dressing recipe, which you can find on the Family Savvy blog. Cooking low and slow is essential. Southern-style peas aren’t made in a jiffy. They are best simmered for hours on the stovetop or in a slow cooker. Peas in the Instant Pot are quicker to make, but I still let mine continue to cook in the Instant Pot for several hours. This method works for more than just peas, you can also use this method for butter beans, lima beans, pinto beans, and more! If you want the full step-by-step recipe for my Southern-style peas, I share all the details on www.familysavvy.com. I hope you’ll give this method a try and that these peas remind you of the days of old.

-Jamie Tarence

www.familysavvy.com

June 27, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

The Family Pet

My proper name is Sir Turkey but my friends call me Turk. You can always spot me by my unique bark that can sometimes sound identical to a turkey call. Personally, I think it is adorable, but if nothing else it will always guarantee that I am the life of the party. Other than my obvious singing talents I know a few tricks, but as an independent contractor, I decide when to work. I make friends easily and love to play with the other dogs at the rescue.

I may look a little intimidating with this big head of mine, but at my core, I am just a big softy looking for a forever family. I also enjoy crawling into people’s laps. They sometimes complain that I’m too large for that, but after a few minutes they get used to it. Don’t knock it until you try it. If you think you may be the family I am looking for, come see me! Visit www.twobytworescue.com/adopting to set up a visit.

Vacation Fostering

School is out and the temperature is rising. Summer is upon us, and it is time for vacation fosters to shine! What’s a vacation foster? Simply put, a vacation foster is a short-term foster solution for dogs whose original foster is going out of town. It may be for a few days, a week or maybe even a month. Just like all our fosters, vacation fosters are supplied with food, toys, crates, bowls, and anything else they need. The only difference is that there is a hard deadline to your foster commitment.

But just because their foster is out of town doesn’t mean you have to stay trapped indoors with their dog. They are more than free to enjoy the summer weather as well. We love seeing our dogs spend the day on the water, go joy riding, camping, hiking and other fun activities. Having a furry companion shouldn’t slow you down at all. If you’re not sure what places are dog friendly, just ask! We have a list of them! Summer selfies are encouraged. If you think vacation fostering may be for you, email [email protected] or apply at www.twobytworescue.com/fostering. †

June 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

bigstock Middle Aged Couple Talking Nea 474947357

Special Feature

For thousands of years, men and women have engaged in power struggles. Have you ever wondered why? Women began fighting for their rights in the early 1800s in America. Despite gains in the public and private work sectors, some believe there is still room for improvement.

Today, men and women are still in a tug of war for superiority. Skirmishes between husbands and wives often center on who should have the final say. Should the highest earner control the finances? Who is the chief disciplinarian? Who decides which church the family will join? Too often, questions like these become a catalyst for conflict.

The First Fight. Some say couples struggle because they are different. The saying goes: “A man will pay ten dollars for a five-dollar item he needs. A woman will pay five dollars for a ten-dollar item she does not need because it is on sale.” Joking aside, there are many differences between men and women. God created the differences to promote harmony, not discord, unity not division. The first power struggle happened in the Garden of Eden. It was not between Adam and Eve but rather between humanity and God.

What Happened? Prior to their sin, Adam and Eve were a team. God said, “let them rule” over creation (Genesis 1:26 NASB). Perfectly suited for each other, they worked to please God and each other without shame. In sinning, they rebelled against God and then shifted the blame (Genesis 3:12-13). Marital conflict generally traces back to self-pleasing desires on the part of one or both parties. When we seek our way over God’s way, our spouses may end up in harm’s way.

Trust God’s Original Plan. God made Adam and Eve “suitable” companions (Genesis 2:18, NASB). He established a family structure with the husband as the leader and the wife as his “helper” (one who supplies strength). In His infinite wisdom, God retained this structure following the fall (1 Corinthians 11:3). The key to minimizing marital conflict starts with trusting God’s plan. Trust requires husbands and wives to submit to God’s ultimate Headship. A husband yielded to Christ will strive to lead his wife and children with tender, sacrificial love. A wife yielded to Christ will seek to support and respect her husband as he follows Christ. In marital conflict, both people can be wrong, but both cannot be right if their views are opposites. The secret to getting along in marriage is seeking the third and best opinion- God’s.

-Alonza Jones

President & Co-founder of Biblical Marriage Institute

BiblicalMarriageInstitute.org

@biblicalmarriageinstitute

June 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

bigstock Angry Woman And Man Drivers Of 469096963

Legal Matters

Presented by: Frank S. Buck, P.C. Personal Injury

School is out for the summer! Many families look forward to spending quality family time traveling for vacations and other family outings. The excitement of these activities often overshadows the dangers lurking on the roadways with other people who are celebrating summer too. There is an increase in drivers who drink and drive in the summer and around the holidays. Wrecks involving drunk drivers can cause catastrophic injuries and even death.

In the event you or one of your loved ones is injured or killed by a drunk driver, it is important to contact an experienced personal injury attorney immediately to ensure you and your family are protected. We can seek compensation from an auto insurance company or even a bar or restaurant where the driver had been drinking. Our law firm has been in practice for nearly fifty years, and we regularly handle car crashes involving drunk drivers.

There may be an instance where a drunk driver has no insurance that would pay for injuries. Unfortunately, even though the law in Alabama requires drivers to have auto insurance, we have many cases where a driver who caused a collision and injuries has no auto insurance. Many people in Alabama have liability auto insurance only, but mistakenly think they have full coverage. In order to protect yourself, it is important to check with your auto insurance agent and review your policy to ensure that you have full coverage, including uninsured motorist coverage.

Uninsured motorist coverage would kick in and pay for injuries in the event an uninsured drunk driver hits and injures or kills another person or people. Alabama law requires automobile insurance companies to automatically add uninsured motorist coverage to policies unless the insured specifically rejects the uninsured motorist coverage in writing. Please do not reject uninsured motorist coverage. Uninsured motorist coverage does not cost compared to its value in the event of a drunk driving wreck or any other wreck with injuries caused by an uninsured motorist. If you or your friends, relatives, or family members have been injured by a drunk driver or in any automobile or trucking collision that was caused by another person or were injured in another manner caused by another person, please contact our firm. We would love to start working for you.

-Rachel Buck, Frank S. Buck, P.C. Attorneys at Law have been offering professional legal services and serving Alabama citizens for over 48 years. We have experienced trial attorneys who have over 100 years of combined trial experience. You can reach us 24 hours a day at 205-933-7533. Please call us for a free consultation. Visit us at www.franksbuckpc.com.

June 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Encouraging Word

Recently, we have been hearing about spiritual revival. Revival is an awakening or strengthening of God’s people to their true nature and purpose; restoring something to a former condition; resuming an activity after an interruption or refreshing with new energy or strength. Here are some aides to revival: a clean heart, a clear mind, and a close walk with God. Matthew 16:24 provides direction on how to “stay close.” Jesus says, “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me.” To stay close, one must seek, be selfless, submit, and be serious.

1. Seek. To seek (“If anyone wants to come after Me”) means: to attempt to find something, desire to obtain, search out, or pursue. Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…”

2. Selfless. One must be selfless (“Deny self”). Being selfless means: being concerned more about the needs of others than your own, being a servant, denying selfish desires, or stopping self-worship! Philippians 2:3 says, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourself.”

3. Submit. To stay close, one must submit (“take up your cross”). To submit looks like accepting or yielding to the authority of another or surrendering and ceasing to resist. In that day the cross meant sacrifice, suffering, and death. It also meant dying to self-will and submitting to God’s will. Galatians 2:20 should be our testimony, “I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me…” And we should pray Jesus’ prayer from Luke 22:42, where He said, “…not My will but Thine will be done.”

4. Be serious. To stay close means, we need to be serious about serving God (“follow Me”). Being serious includes demanding careful consideration, acting sincerely, and being thoughtful and intentional. Colossians 3:17 says, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

So, let’s be sold out, committed, and dedicated. Let’s stay close by continuing to seek God, denying self, submitting to God’s will, and being serious in our living for Jesus!

-Tony Cooper

Former Exec. Director, Jimmie Hale Mission

June 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Jess and Stephanie with Skyler at graduation

Miracle Moments

Brought to you by: Community Partner Molly Maid of Birmingham, www.mollymaid.com/birmingham

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.” Psalm 32:8

I first learned about Big Oak Ranch in 2015 when I visited the Boys’ Ranch with Eastern Illinois University for an alternative spring break. I fell in love with the ministry and interned at the Girls’ Ranch in the summer of 2016.

In the spring of 2019, I felt that God was calling me to move to Alabama. After moving to Birmingham, I was able to get more involved with the Ranch. I was able to serve as a resource parent for the Ellison family. I had two to three girls stay with me each month. These girls and their family were such a blessing to me in my time of transitioning from Illinois. When I moved here, I had no family or friends in Alabama, so they became my family away from home.

My husband, Jess, and I served together as resource parents for Skyler. I met Skyler at the beginning of her freshman year in high school and she is now officially a graduate! We have loved getting to be a small part in her journey and seeing her growth over the past four years. She is such a sweet, outgoing girl and we know that God has great plans for her life. Our weekends are never boring with Skyler! We like to plan a lot of movie and game nights in addition to spending time crafting, baking, and hanging out with our friends and family.

Stephanie and Skyler together — Stephanie Nelson was a resource parent to Skyler from her freshman year of high school all the way until her graduation!

Resource parenting has taught Jess and I so much about investing in others. We have had the honor and privilege of watching Skyler grow in her faith. The Lord has used this season in our lives to teach us how to be more patient and gracious, just as He has continuously been to us. We are so thankful that we get to be a part of Skyler’s life!

-Stephanie Nelson

Come Celebrate with Us: Celebrate the Family Expo 2023!

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