The American Village in Montevallo invites students to experience the stories of America’s journey for independence, liberty and self-government. Step into the scene and experience the risks, uncertainties, and dramatic events as they unfolded during America’s revolutionary decision to declare its independence. The American Village offers an opportunity for students to become active participants in “Securing the Blessings of Liberty” and leave with a better foundation for good citizenship.
More than a field trip, the American Village educational programs are tied directly to objectives in state courses of study in history, citizenship (civics) and government, as well as graduation standards. Students from every grade level benefit as they participate in experiential learning. Unique in its mission to strengthen and renew the foundations of American liberty and self-government through citizenship education, the American Village is an educational experience like no other. Coming to the American Village is a great adventure! Students are stepping into an immersive experience that is impactful, engaging, inspiring,…and FUN! Learn more here.
The Birmingham Christian Family team partnered with several local media outlets to spread the word about the 2022 Celebrate the Family Expo that took place on May 8, 2022. You can check out a recap of the day here.
Publisher Laurie Stroud Franklin was a guest on Good Day Alabama on WBRC Fox 6 News with Janice Rogers and the team!
She also had the opportunity to spread the word about the free day of family fun on CBS 42 news during the 12 p.m. hour!
Special thanks to the teams at 93.7 WDJC, 89.9 WAY-FM, Priority Talk radio and 105.5 WERC Mornings with JT for having us on their shows to share Expo details.
The words “until death part us” never rang truer in my thoughts that day. My grandfather was 101 years old when he said his final goodbyes to the love of his life. My grandmother passed one month before their 77th wedding anniversary. Their commitment to lifelong marriage continues to be a source of inspiration to multiple generations. What a blessing!
Changing Times. Married couples like my grandparents create a place of safety for their children by simply staying together whether rich or poor… in sickness and in health… for better or for worse. This kind of marital commitment has become as rare as VHS video tapes.
Today, more than forty percent of children are born to unwed mothers. In 1970, that figure was ten percent. Robert Rector, a Senior Research Fellow for The Heritage Foundation, offered this surprising fact in an article on poverty and unwed births: “Most out-of-wedlock births occur to men and women in their early twenties. Half of the women who have children are cohabiting with the father at the time of the birth; 75 percent are in a romantic relationship with the father.”
The Safest Place for Children. Millions of children in America not only witness the destruction of their families, but they also live with the aftermath. They are the unintended sufferers. Children do not have the luxury of choosing their parents. Growing into healthy adulthood can be a high-stakes proposition for many of them. Children need physical, spiritual, and emotional protection.The safest place on earth for a child is a home in which mom and dad are married, love each other, and model commitment.
Live Christianly in your Marriage. Research shows children who grow up in intact families are healthier, less likely to commit crimes, and more likely to get married. In other words, one day they may also create safe places for their families.
Is your marriage safe for your children? Do your children see you interact with kindness or harshness? Let them see you apologize when you are impatient or make a mistake. Do they see you praying or reading the Bible together? These are a few ways to establish a safe haven for them. “The righteous who walks in his integrity—blessed are his children after him” (Proverbs 20:7).
-Alonza Jones
President & Co-founder of Biblical Marriage Institute in Birmingham
We are excited and proud to say that Brookdale University Park is open to new residents! Brookdale residents enjoy an engaging lifestyle with a selection of care options to meet changing needs. The community conveniently located off Lakeshore Drive offers a full continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s and dementia care and skilled nursing and rehabilitation. Call 205-870-0786 to connect with one of our team members who would be delighted to help you plan your personal visit, www.brookdale.com.
Living Well with Low Vision. Low vision is usually caused by eye diseases or health conditions. Some of these include age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract, diabetes and glaucoma. A low-vision specialist, such as an ophthalmologist or optometrist, can help those with low vision make the most of their remaining sight and maintain independence and quality of life. Below are some low-vision activity enhancements and safety awareness tips to use in your surroundings.
Activity Enhancements:
Organize work areas
Develop systems, and use them consistently
Keep clutter to a minimum
Practice environmental consistency
Use the right lighting for the job
Non-skid materials and rubber bands for built-up handles and contrast
Safety Awareness:
Focus on fall management
Avoidance of burns
Learn to use door and window locks
Spare keys to your home stored wisely
Practice personal safety with strangers in home and community
Consider an emergency call system
You’re invited to Bites & Insights! Join Brookdale on July 21 at 2 p.m. to enjoy delicious food prepared by Brookdale chefs and listen to residents share why they choose to call Brookdale home. Contact Lee Cobb at 205-789-9408, [email protected] to learn more and reserve your spot!
An Invitation to Experience Brookdale
Residents of Brookdale University Park enjoy an engaging lifestyle with a selection of care options to meet changing needs. The community conveniently located off Lakeshore Drive offers a full continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, Alzheimer’s and dementia care and skilled nursing and rehabilitation. 205-870-0786, www.brookdale.com.
En Gedi on the Dead Sea was amazing on our trip to Israel in 2019. But more lasting than the sights was my conversation on the long flight with Pam and David, a young married couple. Pam worked at a crisis pregnancy center, and she described a ministry opportunity back home for men, even old guys like me.
Pam explained that the most important factor when an expectant mother is weighing an abortion is the opinion and support of her male partner. Nothing else comes close. Pam spoke of the urgent need for men trained to work with the partners of women in crisis. I had always believed that abortion was a tragedy, but now, I realized I could do something to avert this heartbreak. When I got home, I contacted the Pregnancy Test Center in Vestavia (also known as Sav-a-Life) to enlist as a client advocate.
Pictured above is Bill Norton on his trip to Israel.
Client advocates help young people cope with pregnancy, parenting, and sexuality. The training for this role emphasizes understanding the client in a spirit of non-judgmental love. The training also explains how to present Christ so that the client can become a Jesus follower as the Spirit leads. I wondered how a sixty-something could relate to a twenty-something. I need not have worried. In my experience, the young men are desperate for words of knowledge and hope. Many do not have a father active in their lives, so they are open to my experiences and spiritual testimony. The needs are all over: from happy to be expecting and in need of advice, all the way to needing reasons why keeping the baby is the best course. Most of the young men need confidence. They are starved for someone older who made it to tell them: you can make it too.
The openness to the Gospel is thrilling. I was on full-time staff with an evangelistic ministry but never had the response rate I have with these clients. Most will ask Christ into their lives when the offer of eternal life is presented in a loving, factual, and non-threatening manner. The leader of my small group at church once told a parable of a couple who retired and moved to a comfortable retirement village. They spent their days collecting seashells on the beach. When they died and stood before the Lord, he asked how they invested their retirement years. They presented their seashell collection. As seniors, how do we want to end our days? What will we present to the Lord? A worthy goal is to be working with young lives for the kingdom of God.
We’re continuing this month on learning about the Transactional Analysis model of human behavior developed by Dr. Eric Berne. Why? Because understanding the framework behind our reactions can help us make changes that result in a different outcome.
Emotional responses… think of a recent one that didn’t serve you well! I’ll share one of mine. Many years ago, when our kids were in diapers my husband and I were on a trip with extended family in Florida. When kids are little traveling is so much work! You have everything you need to take with you like the diaper bag, snacks, and extra clothes. Then there’s the challenge of keeping them entertained and out of “meltdown” mode. The family had plans for all of us to meet up at Cracker Barrel for a late breakfast – a family tradition followed on each trip. We arrived at the set time with assorted Aunts and Uncles and requested a table for 15. Thankfully Cracker Barrel seated us right away and our kids who were two and four at the time started playing with that triangle game they leave on the table, which provided a few minutes of distraction.
Only six family members were there, and we were waiting on six more. My stomach was rumbling, and I knew the kids were hungry. When the waiter stopped by, I wanted to go ahead and order, but my aunt wanted to wait for her daughter and crew – so we did. As the minutes ticked by waiting for them my anger and frustration at the situation started to simmer. Have you ever been in a situation where you just start to get angry? Someone’s making you wait again and with two young kids in tow! Here’s how that breakfast worked out, after waiting 45 minutes my cousin and her young kids never showed up, and we eventually ordered. The waitress was frustrated because we’d taken up a table for so long and I had had it with my family. Unwisely I expressed my frustration to my aunt accusing my cousin of being insensitive and disregarding us all. There was tension at the beach house for the rest of the trip.
From a framework standpoint what happened here? Emotional responses are imprinted at a young age. As a first-born child, I was taught to be respectful of others’ time and I would get angry if others didn’t treat me the same way. Was my irritated, angry response understandable? Yes, you may have a similar story. The next question is the tough one. Was my response productive and did it contribute positively or negatively to the family vacation? The big question is what impression did it leave on my children about handling difficult situations? That’s an ouch. You’re probably thinking right now I failed on all those counts.
So how can the framework of Transactional Analysis help me out here? First, you must remember that any emotional response comes from the child ego state. So, when I first felt that anger welling up in me, I could have taken a step back and asked myself, where is this emotion coming from? Talking to myself honestly, I would have said I’m reaching emotionally to disrespectful behavior that inconveniences me. Knowing the power of Transactional Analysis, I’d then have to ask myself, are you choosing to respond from your child ego state or are you willing to step out of your child ego state and look at the situation objectively from your adult ego state?
Here’s where I could have responded better, objectively and non-emotionally. I found out later my cousin had been up with a colicky baby all night and they slept in. Instead of causing tension the rest of the week with my frustration and anger I could have been understanding about what happened and offer to communicate more proactively next time – and I could have ordered them take out as I’m sure they were hungry!
Could understanding the ego state you’re operating from help you change how you respond to challenging situations? My email’s below, let me know what you think.
Sizemore lives in Hoover, Ala. and is a Consultant, Coach, Trainer and Speaker focused on the subconscious psychology of Human Interaction and Motivation. Her firm specializes in Sales, Management and Leadership Development for Proactive Business Growth.
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.’” Jeremiah 29:11
Growing up without a biological mother and father really hurt, but looking back, it was a season when God was working for my good.
Lincoln Dorrough credits his time at Big Oak Ranch into making him the man he is today.
I was born into a difficult situation, with a biological mother struggling with drug and alcohol addiction and an absent biological father. But my grandparents were quick to adopt me, providing a loving Christian environment. In their home, I was loved and couldn’t have asked for a better life. But I was confused. I didn’t understand the reality of my situation and why it was different. Many honest and difficult conversations helped me accept the life I lived, and I chose to focus on the love I was receiving. As life went on, like many young boys, I was curious and adventurous, but for me, it was leading down the wrong path. During this season, my grandfather unexpectedly passed from an aneurysm and, one week later, my grandmother was diagnosed with colon cancer. It was then that my life took a turn.
Thinking of my future, my grandmother and a wonderful long-time friend of the Ranch, Larry Fuhrman, explored Big Oak Ranch. I arrived at Big Oak a fragile, angry, and uncertain 12-year-old boy, only to lose my grandmother to her disease six months later. Despite the seemingly infinite acreage of the Ranch and so many people around me, I felt alone. But that didn’t last long. Little did I know, receiving Rickey and Donna Duke as my houseparents would be one of my greatest blessings. From them, I learned the importance of remaining humble and loving God, always putting Him first. I learned that family is not always connected by blood, but often relationships from God made up of people who choose one another. Mom and Pop Duke, and the entire Big Oak staff, molded me into who I am today.
Lincoln Dorrough and his wife Silvia have two daughters, Aiyana (9) and Eva (3), and live in Pensacola, Fla. Dorrough says of his family, “I consider myself rich, not with money, but with family…something I had searched for throughout my life.”
I am Petty Officer First Class Christopher L. Dorrough, and I have served in the United States Navy for the past 15 years. I joined the Navy in 2006 and have traveled the world. Upon graduating boot camp and focused Navy training, I was stationed for four years in Whidbey Island in Washington, during which I deployed twice. My first deployment was to Misawa, Japan for six months and the second was to Camp Tallil in Iraq, close to the Euphrates River and the House of Abraham. From there, I transferred back to Misawa, Japan where I spent another four years and met my wonderful and loving wife Silvia.
As my journey continued, I transferred to Atsugi, Japan close to Tokyo, and was attached to the USS George Washington and the USS Ronald Reagan. I did four deployments in the 7th Fleet onboard those aircraft carriers. Since 2018, I have served as an instructor in Pensacola, Fla. teaching Aircrew Survival Equipment Technician School. My job requires incredible attention to detail as I inspect and repair life-saving equipment. This is a characteristic Mom and Pop Duke instilled in me, and now I use it to serve my country. To read more of Dorrough’s story, visit www.bigoak.org.
If you have a Miracle that you would be willing to share, please email [email protected]. Subject Line: Miracle Moments or call 205-408-7150.
Before joining the financial industry, I spent several years serving as a pastor. Throughout my preaching ministry, two things surprised me when it came to the Bible and money.
The first was how frequently God’s Word speaks about money. Take the book of Proverbs for instance. Proverbs has 915 verses, and 101 of them make mention of money (that’s 11% of the whole book). Did you know that Jesus spoke about money more than he did any other topic? More than heaven or hell, family or famine, salvation or sanctification, money was never far from our Lord’s lips. 11 of Jesus’ 39 parables (28%) either centered on money or used money as an illustration. Clearly, God has a lot to say about money.
The second thing that surprised me was how holistically the Scriptures speak about money. On the one hand, riches and possessions are spoken of positively. Wealth can be seen as a blessing from God (Proverbs 10:22). Profit is used as a motivator for hard work (Proverbs 10:4). Leaving a bountiful inheritance is encouraged (Proverbs 13:22). On the other hand, Scripture gives us strong warnings about money. We are told that toiling simply to acquire wealth is a fruitless endeavor (Proverbs 23:4-5), riches are fleeting (Matthew 6:19-21), and that wealth makes kingdom-living extremely difficult (Mark 10:23-25).
Blessing and Warning. It’s the inescapable tension that God uses to speak about our wealth and possessions. Have you ever felt this tension? Do you think you feel one side of it more than the other? Consider examining your next credit card statement. Ask yourself, “Does my spending, investing, and giving show that I’m living to serve myself? Or to serve the Lord and bless others?”
If you’re looking for an easy resolution to how your heart should feel towards money, I’m afraid that answer can’t be found. God never completely answers this question so we will continually be asking it of ourselves. But perhaps this final word from Proverbs 8:9-10 can provide some guidance: “Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’ or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.” Consider the “give me neither poverty” as the guardrail on your left, asking if you are ignoring opportunities to steward and grow what God has given you to serve those around you. And consider the “nor riches” as the guardrail on your right, asking if your money has replaced the Lord as the source of your security and provision.
-Matthew Bowerman Associate Advisor at OneAscent Wealth [email protected], 205-313-9142
Veterans and their families make up nearly 400,000 of Alabama’s population which ranks 7th highest per capita in the nation. The Veterans Administration (VA), several non-profit and volunteer organizations, and VA-accredited Alabama elder law attorneys help veterans understand Alabama’s VA benefits.
VA-accredited Alabama elder law attorneys develop strategies that consider veteran benefits and any civilian work benefits both while the veterans are alive (disability benefits) and for their families, after they are gone (Aid and Attendance). These attorneys can assess veteran benefits in the context of long-term care, Alabama Medicaid, asset protection, conservatorships, wills, and trusts.
The attorneys can explain both pension and service-connected claims and Department of Defense benefits so that a veteran can make the best choices at the right times. Sometimes, a non-service-connected pension is a better choice. Without understanding CRSC (Combat-Related Special Compensation) and CRDC (Concurrent Retirement and Disability) payments, a veteran could lose out on benefits. Many veterans are eligible for Tricare for Life or CHAMPVA health insurance which provide important free health coverage. VA Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (VA DIC) is best known for benefits for veterans’ surviving spouses and children, and perhaps “loco parentis.” It is easy to miss these options without VA-accredited legal advice. An article by Military.com outlines other Alabama veteran benefits including:
Ad valorem property tax exemption on home and 160 acres if the veteran meets certain criteria
Ad valorem property taxes exemption on VA-specially adapted homes
State, county, and city income tax exemption on military pay, survivor benefits
No license or ad valorem tax on motor vehicles paid by VA
5 points added to state employment exam scores, and 10 points for spouse of certain disabled or deceased veterans
Tuition waiver for Purple Heart Medal recipients to two and four-year technical, community, or junior colleges
Alabama GI-dependent scholarship that waives $250 per semester hour and $1,000 for books per semester for up to five years if certain criteria are met
Free admission to state parks
Discounted fishing licenses to 20% disabled veterans
Special hunting license for disabled veterans
In-state license fees for non-resident active-duty military and families
Free retired military pistol permit
Alabama State Veterans Cemetery in Spanish Fort, Alabama
Alabama’s four existing VA homes have waiting lists ranging from 80 to 350+. With projections of 1,440 veterans needing care by 2045, the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs is building a fifth veterans’ home for long-term care located in Enterprise that will house some 175 veterans after it opens in 2023. If you are a veteran or a veteran’s family, thank you for your service! Please consider talking to a VA-accredited attorney about your VA benefit options soon.
Born and raised in India, Mabel Ninan came to the US as a newlywed who was confident, equipped, and ready for adventure. But as the novelty of the experience faded, the struggle of living in an unfamiliar environment began to take its toll. She reached a breaking point and wrestled with questions about her identity and calling.
Ninan’s desperate search for purpose, belonging, and rootedness brought her to her knees before the throne of God. It was there that God turned her perspective around, showing her that her struggle was also her strength. She discovered her true identity, as not only an earthly immigrant but also a spiritual one by design, a pilgrim of heaven just passing through. When Ninan began to see herself through God’s eyes and adopted an eternal perspective, her heart overflowed with passion to chase after God’s plans. She felt called to share her message with others on the journey so that they, too, could find the key to a joyful and meaningful life.
In Far from Home, Ninan draws parallels between her immigrant experiences and her God-given appointment as a stranger on earth. Using the stories of biblical immigrant heroes, she sheds light on what it means to truly live as citizens of heaven including:
Embracing our identity as foreigners on earth, set apart to fulfill our heavenly calling.
Making our home with God, recognizing that our earthly anchors are fleeting.
Finding community in the universal body of believers and working together to further the kingdom.
In addition to writing non-fiction books, Mabel Ninan has a blog and podcast. Learn more at www.mabelninan.com.
The book is structured around challenges that immigrants wrestle with the most, which broadly fall into three main categories—identity, home, and community. Each of these three sections is broken down into chapters. A unique feature of the book is that it invites readers to respond at the end of each chapter through prayer and reflection and encourages them to act. Far from Home serves as a guidebook for Christians looking to build a stronger walk with God. This book is for the seeker, the wanderer, the lonely, the desperate, the messed up, the broken. Far from Home is for the stranger, but also for the stranger’s friend.
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More than a field trip, the American Village educational programs are tied directly to objectives in state courses of study in history, citizenship (civics) and government, as well as graduation standards. Students from every grade level benefit as they participate in experiential learning. Unique in its mission to strengthen and renew the foundations of American liberty and self-government through citizenship education, the American Village is an educational experience like no other. Coming to the American Village is a great adventure! Students are stepping into an immersive experience that is impactful, engaging, inspiring,…and FUN! Learn more here.
-Bill Norton
Veterans and their families make up nearly 400,000 of Alabama’s population which ranks 7
