Standing in the Gap

January 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Publisher’s Note

My son Benton tried to make his teeth wiggle all through Kindergarten in hopes of having his name on the “snaggel tooth” bulletin board. Finally, at the age of six and a half, he came running to me with not one- but two loose teeth. He grinned and bared it as we helped him wiggle those teeth right out of his mouth. We took pictures. We jumped around the house. He couldn’t wait to show his friends! Who would have thought there could be such celebration over a gapping hole? As parents, if we did not know to anticipate those shiny, new permanent teeth just below the surface, this scenario would have taken a far different twist. We would have been on our way to our trusted pediatric dentist!

Sometimes it may not look or feel like we have a lot to celebrate. In fact, sometimes it may feel as though all we can do is lift our heads up high enough to peer out of an empty hole. God reminds us that despite the circumstances, He has a special plan for us (Romans 8:28). We have so much to anticipate thanks to His love for us through the saving power of His son, Jesus Christ (John 3:16). This month as we celebrate Valentine’s Day, let’s take the time to thank someone who has encouraged us during a time when we did not feel like celebrating. Let us also seek out a special someone we can encourage and share with God’s love.

Check out our February giveaways here!

-Laurie Franklin

Founder, The Christian Family Publication, Inc.

www.BirminghamChristian.com

Facebook: Birmingham Christian Family

Twitter: @cfpBirmingham

Instagram: @cfpbirmingham

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LinkedIn: Birmingham Christian Family

Celebrating 22 Years of Good News!

January 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

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Here’s to Your Health

UTIs are the most common type of bacterial infection in adults over age 65-especially in women. “UTIs are a common problem seen in most medical practices, especially in older patients,” said Gerald Oldham, MD, a geriatric medicine physician with Banner Health Center in Peoria, Ariz. “They seldom occur between ages 15-50, are more common in women and can be a severe issue in dementia patients.”

Why Do Seniors Get UTIs? Older adults are more vulnerable to UTIs, because as we age, we tend to have weaker muscles in our bladder and pelvic floor that can cause urine retention or incontinence. Whenever the urine stays in the urinary tract, there’s a potential for bacteria, such as E. coli, to multiply and cause an infection to spread. Other factors that increase the risk of UTIs in seniors are a weakened immune system, the use of catheters to empty the bladder, diabetes and kidney problems.

What Are the Symptoms? The common, symptoms of a UT include burning while urinating, frequent or urgent need to urinate, a feeling the bladder is not completely empty, and lower abdominal or pelvic pain. More severe symptoms of a complicated UTI include: Fever, worsening abdominal pain, chills, fatigue, and nausea and/or vomiting.

Why are Dementia Patients at Greater Risk? In older age, symptoms of UTIs may not be so evident, especially for those who have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Rather than showing pain symptoms, they may start to act more erratically. “Oftentimes dementia patients can’t tell us they have UTI symptoms, but if left untreated their symptoms can escalate quickly, causing confusion and a state of delirium,” Dr. Oldham said. “It’s important to watch for worsening symptoms of confusion and disorientation.” If you suspect a loved one has a UTI, it’s best to have them checked by their doctor, so the doctor can rule out other possible infections or begin treatment for a UTI.

Is There Anything I Can Do to Prevent UTIs? Antibiotics can help treat UTIs, but there are precautions you can take to help to prevent them altogether:

Drink plenty of water and fluids.
Empty the bladder frequently and as soon as there is a need.
Wipe front to back.
Wear loose, breathable clothes.

If you would like to learn the importance of having trained, knowledgeable Caregivers to support a loved one with dementia or striving to manage a chronic condition, please contact one of our friendly and resourceful Amada Senior Care advisors by visiting www.AmadaBirmingham.com or calling 205-208-9466.

-Len Everts,

Amada Senior Care

January 26, 2023January 26, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Here’s to Your Health

Lakeshore Foundation recently announced that U.S. Veterans and their household families now qualify for free memberships at its 45-acre campus in Homewood, Ala. “This new program reflects our deep commitment to veterans and builds on our efforts to support the overall well-being of our veterans through recreation, athletics, fitness, and aquatics. Lakeshore’s expert staff deliver engaging activities including cycling, shooting, archery, golf, wheelchair basketball, and pickleball,” said John D. Kemp, President & CEO, Lakeshore Foundation.

Lakeshore Foundation pool — Lakeshore Foundation is offering free memberships to all local veterans and household family with or without a disability. The Premier membership package($65 per month value) includes aquatics center access.

The new Lakeshore Foundation Veterans Program is funded by a grant from the State of Alabama. “There is nothing more important to me than supporting the needs of our Veterans here in Alabama and across the U.S.,” said Will Ainsworth, Lt. Governor, State of Alabama. “We worked with Alabama legislators to create and fund this grant so that every Veteran household qualifies for a free membership to Lakeshore Foundation.”

Veterans Program Announcement Kemp on far left — John D. Kemp, President & CEO, Lakeshore Foundation recently announced the new Lakeshore Foundation free Veterans program. Lakeshore has also been instrumental in supporting and providing its expertise to injured military-focused sporting events like Invictus Games, Valor Games and Paralyzed Veterans of America camps.

In 2003, Lakeshore was designated as an official U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Site. In 2006, as a response to the significant number of men and women acquiring injuries from Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, Lakeshore Foundation formalized its long-held commitment to veterans with the establishment of Operation Lima Foxtrot which offers camps and programs for injured military and their families from across the country at no cost. In addition, Lakeshore established Operation Endurance, which offered free Lakeshore memberships to local veterans with a service-connected disability. Lakeshore currently provides opportunities for veterans to live a healthy lifestyle through physical activity, research, advocacy, and health promotion. Programs at Lakeshore are inclusive of veterans with and without physical disabilities including dozens of fitness, aquatics, and recreational activities at its Birmingham facility. “Just as important as the activities is the strong sense of community created through Lakeshore Foundation’s programs,” said Kemp. “All veterans and their families deserve a place to exercise, as well as rejuvenate their minds, hearts and bodies.”

To obtain a Veterans Lakeshore Foundation membership visit www.lakeshore.org/membership and fill out a membership application. You can also call 205-313-7400 to learn more and schedule a facility tour. †

January 10, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Do you really believe God loves you? This is just one question best-selling author Susan Alexander Yates will explore at Samford Legacy League’s Scholarship Luncheon on February 9 in Birmingham. The annual event raises funds for students with challenging financial needs.

Yates is the author of 16 books including Cousin Camp, Risky Faith, How to Like the Ones You Love, and One Devotional. In addition to writing books and blog posts at www.susanalexanderyates.com, she speaks at events around the country on topics “related to parenting, marriage, building strong families, and faith issues.”

Yates Family photo — Susan Alexander Yates and her husband John have been married for 53 years and have five children and 21 grandchildren. Visit Susan’s website www.susanalexanderyates.com to sign up and receive a free eBook download about family reunions.

Yates will speak twice on February 9. “Discovering an Infinite, Intimate God” is Yates’ topic for the Scholarship Luncheon starting at 11:30 a.m. at a country club in Vestavia. “We will discuss how we can truly live in the reality that God loves us,” Yates shares, adding “I will share three ways we can get to know God.”

Yates will speak on “Trusting God in Life’s Transitions” during the Supper & Table Talk event at 5:30 p.m. in the Regions Room of Samford University. Yates believes every season of life has transitions. She and her husband John recently experienced a major life transition when John retired. “Believers don’t retire, they reposition,” Yates believes. She will share six keys she learned through personal experience about leaning on your faith during transition periods.

Susan Alexander Yates will speak two times in Birmingham on February 9. Tickets are available for both events at www.samford.edu/legacyleague.

“Do you need encouragement in the new year? Come to these events. The topics and discussions are appropriate for all ages,” Yates says. To learn more about these events hosted by Samford University’s Legacy League and to make required reservations, visit www.samford.edu/legacyleague.

-Melissa Armstrong

January 18, 2023January 3, 2023 by Laurie Stroud

Special Feature

Lettermen of the USA will be hosting the 4th Annual “One Yard at a Time Gala” at The Club on February 3, 2023. Guests will have the opportunity to meet and celebrate with military heroes, former college professional football players and coaches all with the purpose of raising money to help our veterans in need.

The Lettermen of the USA (LotUSA) is a national 501(c)(3) charitable organization made up of former college athletes, as well as active and former coaches, who have teamed up to help serve honorably discharged veterans, wounded veterans, and former college players in need with various programs. For more details on the “Programs for Heroes”visit wwww.LotUSA.org

Letterman of the USA Group with footballs — Save the date for Lettermen of the USA’s One Yard at a Time Gala on February 3, 2023.

This year’s Athletic Honoree at the One Yard at a Time Gala will be Ben Tamburello, former Auburn University Football Standout, 1986 Unanimous All-American and SEC Lineman of the Year, voted Team Captain in 1986, played for the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles from 1987-1991, and an Alabama Sports Hall of Fame inductee. Military Honoree for the 2023 One Yard at a Time Gala is United States Army Retired Major General David P. Burford. Deputy Commander for Mobilization and Reserve Affairs, United States Special Operations Command. The One Yard at a Time Gala includes a silent and live auction by Jack Granger, of Granger, Thagard and Associates, Inc.

The Gala proceeds allow LotUSA to continue their essential programs:

“Autographs for Heroes”
“Homes for Heroes”
“Interiors for Heroes”
“Laptops for Heroes”
“Utilities for Heroes”
“Wheels for Heroes”
“Taking Care of Our Own”

Darryl Fuhrman, a former Alabama football player, is the Founder and President of the Lettermen of the USA. Proving that rival teams and rival fan bases can work together to achieve a common goal is what Lettermen of the USA (LotUSA) is all about. It all began after the 2011 tornado devastated Tuscaloosa. Fuhrman helped organize a flag football Iron Bowl game between former Alabama and Auburn players that raised $150,000 for the Governor’s Emergency Relief Fund. Fuhrman says “We have taken the many diverse skills of athletes and coaches and built a national platform. No organization is worth its salt that doesn’t help its own.” To learn more about Lettermen of the USA’s One Yard at a Time Gala, click here. †

January 3, 2023December 29, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Publisher’s Note

The application portal will open Wednesday January 18, 2023 for area high school seniors to apply for the 5th Annual Birmingham Christian Family Scholarship Awards. Students will be asked to submit a short essay on the following prompt: “How has your Christian faith impacted your decision making in your high school career.”

2021 Scholarship Recipient Taylor Woodard Appalachian High School “The BCF Scholarship has blessed my college career at The University of Alabama at Birmingham… The BCF Scholarship has allowed me to progress to where I am in college…”

This year we will have at least three scholarship recipients who will be able to use their award at the college or university of their choice- $2000 to winner, $500 to the top 2 runner ups. In their own words, here’s a look at how the program has impacted award recipients.

A big thanks to our scholarship sponsors who help make this program possible each year- including Vulcan Termite & Pest Control and The Center. To learn how your business can partner with us on this program, click here. Beginning January 18, 2023 the 2023 application can be found at www.BirminghamChristian.com/Scholarship.

January Reader GIVEAWAY!

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 a FAMILY FOUR PACK of TICKETS to a Birmingham Bulls Hockey Game at the Pelham Civic Complex. To enter simply LIKE and COMMENT on the Giveaway Post on Birmingham Christian Family’s Instagram, @cfpbirmingham.

For EXTRA ENTRIES:

1. POST to your story on Instagram

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

3. FOLLOW US on Facebook @Birmingham Christian Family

Offer ends Wednesday 1/18/23. WINNER will be announced 1/19/23 on the Instagram Giveaway Post. So be sure to LIKE our Instagram page @cfpbirmingham.

-Laurie Franklin

Founder, The Christian Family Publication, Inc.

www.BirminghamChristian.com

Facebook: Birmingham Christian Family

Twitter: @cfpBirmingham

Instagram: @cfpbirmingham

Pinterest: @cfpbirmingham

LinkedIn: Birmingham Christian Family

Celebrating 22 Years of Good News!

December 29, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

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Parenting Points

One of the blessings that God gives us is relationships with others. As we have finished the Thanksgiving and Christmas season, we have had a focus on relationships whether it was those who attended our holiday parties, gathered around our tables, or mailed us a Christmas card. Our families have been blessed and made better by those who God has placed in our circles.

In his letter to Timothy, Paul encouraged him to make prayer a priority: “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people” (1 Timothy 2:1 ESV). God has given us a circle of people who our family can support through prayer. As we begin a new year, here are some ways your family can become more intentional to pray for those people God has placed in your circles:

Building a Prayer Needs List for Your Circle. Many times, we find ourselves in conversations where items for prayer come up. If we were in a small group at church, we would likely put them on a prayer list, but in everyday life, it is easy for us to pass them by. Next time someone tells you about their relative having surgery, their spouse losing a job, or their stressed-out schedule, take a minute to write that prayer request on a note in your phone. This note can be your ever-growing prayer list for your circle. When you see the person, you can encourage them by checking in on the need and tell them that you have been praying.

Christmas Card Prayers. Instead of throwing away or filing your Christmas cards, come up with a place to display one Christmas card a week. Spend some time intentionally that week praying for the family who sent the Christmas card. The next week move to the next Christmas card for the display for prayer.

Praying for People God Has Brought Across Your Path. Every day we see and interact with different people who God brings along our path. When your family gathers around the dinner table, take a few minutes to think over the day, remember who God brought across your path, and pray for them.

Through prayer, our families can bring others before God seeking Him to work in the circles of people, He has blessed us with. We can be both a blessing and an encouragement to our circles.

-Dr. Ben Birdsong

Missions Minister at Christ Church Birmingham

Writer and Speaker

www.benbirdsong.com

December 28, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Best Books

Disappointment bruises the bravest of souls. The nagging ache of uncertainty causes us to grow weary and afraid to hope. Doubt entices us to wonder if God is good when life is not. Yet, our hard questions can become opportunities for Jesus to show us who He is.

Perhaps you know Thomas for his bouts with doubt. But Jesus knew Thomas for the courage to question and the bravery to believe. When a crisis of faith revealed his deepest doubts, Jesus met Thomas’s deepest longings.

Brave Enough to Believe Cover — *Brave Enough to Believe* releases on January 17.

Angela Donadio and Hubert Morris, co-authors of Brave Enough to Believe, bring two unique perspectives to flip the script on the story of Thomas. Whether you are a seeker, skeptic, or seasoned leader, you will learn to live untangled from uncertainty, leverage adversity, and lead with confidence through challenging circumstances. Thomas exchanged his uncertainty for a life of tenacious faith. When we encounter Jesus, we can too.

In addition to being an author, Donadio is a speaker and host of the Make Life Matter Podcast. A seasoned Bible teacher and ordained minister, she empowers women in Africa and serves alongside her husband, Dale, to lead a multi-ethnic church. Morris, an ordained minister for more than 50 years, has served as a pastor, presbyter, and university vice president. He has taken the Gospel to Africa, China, Haiti, and Sri Lanka and is currently the president of Assist Ministries, Inc.

Discover Jesus’ invitation to come closer when doubt drives us away. Learn more about Brave Enough to Believe at www.ironstreammedia.com. †

December 28, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

Best Books

At the beginning of each new year, most of us take a moment to reflect on ways we may restructure our life. We commit to take better care of our health, change our behavior, or reorganize our financial priorities. Some of us will also reflect on our spiritual life and consider ways to strengthen our journey with Jesus. Among the latter, the most common resolution is to read and study the Bible with greater intensity.

In her new book, 52 Weeks in the Word (Moody Publishers), Trillia J. Newbell has written an excellent resource to accompany those who aspire to read the Bible through in one year. Each week she suggests a section of Scripture to read. There is an introduction to the section, and she provides a series of questions which prompts the reader to reflect more deeply about the passage of scripture they have engaged. What does the passage mean? What does it tell us about Jesus and his gospel? What did you learn about God and His character from the verses? How might you apply the verses to your life? Space for notetaking is also provided with each section.

Although January is an excellent time to start 52 Weeks in the Word, it is not necessary to start at the beginning of the year. Nor does one have to stay on the fifty-two week/one year schedule. A reader can start any time and go as fast or as slow as they wish. Newbell’s companion for reading the Bible is adaptable to whatever pace you desire. I personally think a slower, more thoughtful and sustained study of each week’s scriptures may prove to be more beneficial for many readers.

As we enter a new year, perhaps 52 Weeks in the Word can be a valuable resource for your engagement with the scriptures. May God bless 2023 with His peace and power as we encounter afresh the salvation history found in the Word of God for the people of God.

-Darrel Holcombe, Owner

Sanctuary Christian Books and Gifts

Colonial Promenade, Alabaster

www.sanctuarychristianbooksandgifts.com

205-663-2370

December 28, 2022 by Laurie Stroud

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Business Today

Brought to you by: Community Partner Convene, www.convenenow.com

Recognizing the Rightful Owner of the Business. A foundational principle for a Christian entrepreneur is that God is the REAL Owner of the business. The stock certificates may have your name on them, but they’re really held in trust for the Owner. Our lives, abilities, wealth and opportunities are ultimately given to us by the Creator. Psalm 24:1 NLT says, “The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” Do you acknowledge God as the rightful Owner of your business?

Understanding & Emulating the Owner’s Character. If God has entrusted you with a business He owns, how much do you think He cares about the values and principles on which it operates? God’s character determines His values and principles. Bill Bright, the late founder and president of Campus Crusade for Christ, said: “Your view of God determines everything.” Remember Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Embracing Your Holy Calling. We can easily buy into the lie that our job is just a way to provide income for our family, live a comfortable lifestyle, get some respect, and maybe support God’s work financially. Doing business God’s way brings Him honor through caring, creativity, and diligence. Consider Genesis 1:27-28, “After God created us, He called us to be fruitful, multiply, subdue and have dominion over the earth.” God calls us to work because we’re made in His image and He is the original worker!

Discovering and Pursuing God’s Special Purposes for Your Business. Imagine this… next Monday morning when you show up at work, Jesus is waiting in your office and asks you for a tour. First, He looks at your calendar, then your financial statements. Then you show Him around your entire operation. What would He see that would show Him that He’s the real Owner of the business? God has many purposes for your business, some of which apply to all His businesses and some which are unique to yours. Here are some of His purposes:

Working as Worship to God
Reflecting God’s Character
Recognizing Business is Ministry
Growing Profitably through Excellence

Discovering God’s Unique Purposes for Your Business. God has a unique plan for the business He’s entrusted to you. It takes into account your strengths, passions, personality and experiences-as well as the type of business, the people you interact with, your products and/or services, and the assets at your disposal. While it may be uncomfortable to consider going after God’s unique plan for your business, that’s where you’ll find amazing joy, passion and purpose. It’s better than you can imagine!

-Convene