Nine pediatric specialty services at Children’s of Alabama have been named among the nation’s best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 2020-21. Children’s ranked in the top 50 programs in the United States for: Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology and Urology. “To be named among the leaders in pediatric healthcare in this country is a tremendous honor. It is a testament to the dedication of our physician partners at the UAB School of Medicine and each of our employees as well as to all of the families who trust us to provide the best possible care and treatment for their children,” said Children’s CEO and President Mike Warren. “This recognition comes at a challenging time for healthcare workers everywhere, but our entire team remains committed to our mission of providing the finest pediatric health services to all children in an environment that fosters excellence in research and medical education.” This is the 11th consecutive year that Children’s has been included in the rankings.
The hospital provided care for youngsters from every county in Alabama, 42 other states and seven foreign countries last year, representing more than 684,000 outpatient visits and more than 15,000 inpatient admissions. With more than 3.5 million square feet dedicated to pediatrics, it is one of the largest pediatric medical facilities in the United States. †
Long-term care and estate planning are important for everyone, but veterans also need to consider their benefits from the Veterans Administration (VA). Since many veterans go on to other careers after their military service, they can better plan how to use their civilian and veteran benefits with elder law attorneys who are also accredited by the VA.
During military careers, veterans’ families serve, too – holidays without their family members, frequent moves, and worry about their military family members’ safety. Military families should be familiar with the long-term care, disability benefits, pensions, and home loan guarantees that come with military service. For example, veterans’ ages (above or below 65) make a difference in the benefits to help with daily living needs for both veterans and their spouses.
Although veterans can complete applications on their own, the chances of being approved first time through and timing other benefits appropriately are better with experienced help. A VA-accredited attorney can help your family understand the restrictions and requirements for service-connected disability benefits or VA pension long-term planning and put those into the context of their other benefits from employers, Social Security, or Medicaid – all of which have different rules.
The Veterans Administration updated several rules in October 2018 which are impacting veterans. For example, the VA now has a 36-month “look-back” period on the use of assets. A penalty (delay of benefits) of up to five years is possible for assets that were distributed inappropriately during that 36 months. If you foresee the prospect of needing veteran benefits in you or your family’s future, you should plan years in advance.
Even after veterans pass away and life insurance and burial benefits have been used, their families may be eligible for other VA benefits. VA Aid and Assistance benefits help veterans during their lives and surviving spouses by paying for both home-based and community-based care for illnesses that require long-term care.
As we celebrate Independence Day with hot dogs, music, and fireworks, let’s also salute the patriots and their families who have secured our freedoms for generations.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, almost every state in America is under some sort of stay-at-home order. This unprecedented time has also led many businesses, large and small, to downsize or close up shop entirely. In response to the drastic impact that COVID-19 has had on global and domestic concerns, the Federal Reserve Board has taken a multitude of measures to buttress the American economy.
A Reserve reminder. The Federal Reserve’s role is guided by its mandate from Congress to promote employment and stable prices. The Fed also is responsible for the stability of the financial system, including the safety and soundness of the nation’s banking structure. To pursue these goals, the Fed in recent weeks has been using its full range of authorities to provide support for the flow of credit to families and businesses.
Interest rate policy. Since March 3, the rate banks pay to borrow from each other has been cut to a range of zero to 0.25 percent. This lowers the cost of borrowing, in general, but it also reduces the amount of interest income many savers receive.1
Purchasing securities. Much like during the economic downturn of 2008-2009, the Fed is buying a wide range of securities. The Fed initially planned to buy at least $500 billion in Treasury securities and $200 billion in government-guaranteed mortgage-backed securities; it eventually made the purchases open-ended.2
Support for small businesses is available. On April 9, the Fed released two new loan programs. the “Main Street New Loan Facility” and the “Main Street Expanded Loan Facility.” Both have received $75 billion from the U.S. Treasury to protect against losses and use existing banks to offer four-year loans to U.S. businesses with up to 10,000 employees or revenues of less than $2.5 billion in 2019. To help even more, repayment of the loan can be deferred for up to one year, in many cases.3
Creating new programs. The Fed established a third facility, the Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility (TALF), to support the flow of credit to consumers and businesses. The TALF is chartered with creating asset-backed securities, backed by student loans, auto loans, and credit card loans. The Fed also is facilitating the flow of credit to municipalities by creating several new programs.4
An international currency swap. By dusting off another older tool in its arsenal, the Fed is making U.S. dollars available to central banks around the world. In exchange, the Fed receives foreign currency and charges interest on the exchange. To encourage “buy-in,” the Fed has cut the rate it charges on those swaps with central banks in Canada, England, the eurozone, Japan, and Switzerland.5
As health professionals and government officials work to save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19, the economy has struggled due to many factors, including a drop in consumer spending. However, due to the breadth and speed at which the Fed has responded, many of those who need financing may receive help during this challenging time.
-Vision Financial Group
4505 Pine Tree Circle, Birmingham, AL 35243
205-970-4909
This material was prepared by MarketingPro, Inc., and does not necessarily represent the views of the presenting party, nor their affiliates. This information has been derived from sources believed to be accurate. Investment Advisory services offered through Investment Advisors, a division of ProEquities, Inc., a Registered Investment Advisor. Securities offered through ProEquities, Inc., a registered broker-dealer and member of FINRA & SIPC. Vision Financial Group, Inc. is independent of ProEquities, Inc.
Reverend Patrick Washington, of Brunna Valley Baptist Church in Lincoln,Ala. doesn’t like to let an opportunity for outreach pass by. About four months ago the church placed a Blessing Box in front as a way of showing the love of Christ to members of the community in need.
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, the church members didn’t stop giving, they made a bigger box. The box is filled with nonperishable food items and essentials such as deodorant, tissue, shampoo, and soap. Items are available free, and anonymously, to anyone in need.
The Blessing Box is available to anyone in the community 24-hours a day. People can take what they need and leave items for others as well. It works entirely on the honor system. “I feel like the church should be the light in the community, and people should be able to go to the church for help,” Washington said.
Washington, a graduate of Etowah High School, was ordained in 2006 and is the founder and CEO of a non-profit organization known as D.Y.N.A.M.I.C Outreach Ministries. D.Y.N.A.M.I.C, which stands for Discovering Your Net worth And Mission In Christ, impacts the community by hosting talent shows, feeding the hungry and outreach.
Washington accepted the pastor position at Brunna Valley in the summer of 2019. It was his first job as a church pastor. As an African American pastor with a 97% white congregation, it also presented him with an amazing opportunity for outreach.
Washington, who is also a Christian comedian, is media savvy. He hosts a podcast, does guest interviews on local tv and radio, and streams Sunday services online. Adding a blessing box was just another way of meeting needs in the community. Not only are people using the box, the church receives 100 to 150 donations for it every week.
“A lot of people don’t feel comfortable asking for food, deodorant or soap. Having that there 24 hours a day for them to get what they need is a blessing,” said Pastor Washington.
If you know of a Blessing Box in your community, let us know by emailing [email protected]. †
One day, Jesus told a story of a Jewish man who was robbed and left to die. A priest walked by and saw him yet continued on his way. Then a Levite came by and he also ignored the dying man. Later, a person of Samaritan ethnicity traveled by. He had compassion on the wounded victim, treated his wounds, and rescued him. The Samaritan exhibited love for his neighbor, but the priest and religious leader did nothing. They didn’t beat the man, nor did they rob him. Their sin wasn’t in what they did, but in what they didn’t do. Sometimes inaction is complicity. Sometimes silence is a sin.
Authors Teesha Hadra and John Hambrick met in 2013 when they were both in ministry at Buckhead Church in Atlanta, Ga.
Racism, in a multitude of forms, has inflicted immeasurable suffering. As such, the church of Jesus should not simply walk by and do nothing. Teesha Hadra and John Hambrick have written an excellent book on how Christians can actively resist racism in our society. Black and White – Disrupting Racism One Friendship at a Time (Abingdon Press) provides a path forward for those who feel helpless and ill-equipped in confronting both personal and systemic racism. The divisions and disparity created by racism are far-reaching and overwhelming. What can we do in the face of such a deeply embedded evil? We can listen and learn from one another. We can lift our voices and show up in the public square. We can confess and repent and make amends for the sins of the past. We can push back with acts of kindness and compassion, building relationships and creating a community of respect and inclusion. Hadra and Hambrick share, “It is time for Christians to roll up their sleeves and decide that enough is enough. It is time to do the work that the gospel requires of us.”
The evils of bigotry and institutional racism have been embedded in our nation since its inception. Sadly, the church has often, though not always, been on the wrong end of the issue. While it’s true we no longer enslave our neighbors while quoting scriptures in defense of our cruelty, it is also true that we often walk by and do nothing when we encounter injustice and oppression. Our sin is one of silence. Our inaction renders us complicit. We say it isn’t our problem and walk on, leaving our black and brown brothers and sisters wounded and impoverished by our indifference. Will we be the church that loves our neighbor? Will we do the work of God’s kingdom? Will we walk by in silence? The choice is before us.
“They will know that we are Christians by our love.” The words to the song penned by Peter Scholtes remind us of our mandate: love. Our desire as Christians to change the world, transform the culture, reach the lost, and bring God’s kingdom must all come from the heart of love. When we lose love, we have lost the heart of the gospel.
We live in a moment where the world needs to see the love of Jesus displayed through the church. For many years, Christians have been more easily defined by what we stood against than Who we stood for. As parents, we should be teaching our kids the power of love and inviting them to join us in displaying that love to those who our culture has forgotten.
In Luke 15:4-5, Jesus tells a parable which pictures love in a very real way: “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing.” From this simple story, we see three truths that help us to lovingly engage those around us:
1. Love for Others Comes from God’s Pursuit of Us. On one level, we are the lost sheep. There was a time in our lives that we were lost and far from God’s grace. God sent Jesus to leave heaven to come and rescue us and restore us to Him. We can lovingly engage with others because we have first been loved at a great price.
2. Love Requires Leaving Important Things Behind. On another level, we are like the man with the sheep. We have 99 other important things that we could do. The responsible thing would be to stay with the 99 sheep, yet love calls us away from our comforts and responsibilities to chase after the one who is lost, disconnected, forgotten, and alone.
3. Love Results in Celebration. Once the lost sheep comes home, the party begins. The man rejoices that the sheep has been found. Christian love for others results in a celebration because it is in our love that people see the work of Jesus in and through us.
For your family this week, who is someone that you can love? Who is someone who has wandered off into the darkness of depression, the lair of loneliness, or the hole of hopelessness? Will you leave responsibilities and convenience behind to show them the transforming love of Jesus?
There are some moments in life when you just want to give up, but don’t! Like Jacob, keep wrestling. Like the persistent widow, keep persisting. Just when you feel like giving up, God may relent and let you win.
Relentless is a scriptural reflection for those about to give up. Through the biblical stories of some of Scripture’s most persistent and gritty people, Relentless
inspires courage in the discouraged;
develops grit in the fainthearted; and
helps you see when God is pressing you.
Learn how to recognize when God is pressing you and how He eventually appears to “lose.” He loses so you can be a winner.
For more than forty years, author Taylor Field has worked in cities with people who are homeless or in difficult situations. He has seen firsthand what qualities help someone survive. Relentless is about one of the most important of those qualities and how you can acquire it.
For more than thirty years, Taylor Field, a Send Relief missionary with the North American Mission Board, has served as the pastor director of Graffiti Church and Community Ministries in New York City. He has worked for more than forty years in cities with people who are homeless or in difficult situations. He has seen firsthand what qualities help someone survive.
“So now I give him to the Lord. For his whole life he will be given over to the Lord. And he worshiped the Lord there.” 1 Samuel 1:28
Sanchez Tanniehill is a native of Alabaster, Ala.
Sanchez Tanniehill is a gospel singer with an amazing story. It all started one day when he was laying down for his daily nap at 6 weeks old. However, he did not wake up at his regular time, so his mother went into his room to check on him. She alarmingly found that his lips had turned purple, so she rushed him to the nearest hospital. The doctor told Tanniehill’s mother that he had spinal meningitis and had suffered a stroke during his nap. For three months he remained in the hospital and doctors told his mother that if he lived, he would be severely disabled and would not be able to walk or talk. Tanniehill’s mother began to pray for a miracle and shares she often prayed 1 Samuel 1:28 over him as a child.
30 years later not only can Tanniehill walk and talk, but he is also singing God’s praises all over the south! Music has always been important to him as a way to worship God and inspire others. He grew up in Alabaster and attended Thompson Middle and High School where he was the school mascot and regularly performed in talent shows. He recorded his first CD in 2003 and also sang at the opening of the Special Olympics in Auburn. Three years later he made it to the second round of American Idol auditions in the Birmingham area. Every day he lives his life thanking God for the blessings that He continues to pour on him. He praises God that He answered his mother’s prayers for a miracle. †
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.
Wear a mask. You should not wear a mask. Wear gloves when you go to the grocery store. Gloves are no longer necessary. We have reached the curve. No, we haven’t. Who is accurate, and whom should I be listening to? I’ve never been through a pandemic before, so I do what I think is best and listen to the experts. But whom do I listen to when the experts seem to be in conflict with one another? It all feels so confusing.
I feel a similar parallel in my spiritual life. It is the tug-of-war between listening to the world that I live in or listening to the voice that is often small and still and so very consistent. I’m referring to the voice of God, the Holy Spirit that speaks to our hearts and minds as believers. Although I’ve never heard the audible voice of God, I’m thankful that God does speak in numerous ways each day. His voice speaks to us through the words of others and from His Word as we read His instructions for life. We hear the Lord speaking in songs and in prayer. I’ve concluded in my walk with God that He is always willing and ready to speak, but the challenge is my willingness to hear His voice. At the beginning of 2019, I wrote a simple phrase down that was to be one of the priorities for my year. The idea was to experience a sense of noise reduction.
Noise reduction for me has become the routine of allowing less clutter in both my mind and my heart. It’s the challenge of being in the world but not of the world. Noise reduction has become this daily ritual of not just minimizing the impact and influence of the things of this world but actually turning up the volume of the voice of God. During this exercise, I’ve found the words in Romans 12:2 to be a guide. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
-Micah Andrews, MPA
Andrews is the CEO of the Foundry and has served in ministry for more than 25 years. His family worships at and serves through Church of the Highlands. To learn more about The Foundry, please visit FoundryMinistries.com.
Dress up your outdoor living area with beautiful outdoor accessories from locally owned and operated DSLD Land Management Aquascapes. Right now the comprehensive water garden boutique is offering customers amazing discounts on garden statuary and décor as well as 40% off all birding items including feeders, houses and food- while they last. Also be sure to check out Aquascapes wide variety of one to four tier fountains as well as water lilies, lotus and other aquatic plants available for purchase as a part of Aquascape’s pond supply and maintenance services. The showroom is conveniently located on Highway 280 East next to Hannah’s. Learn more at www.dsldland.com/aquascapes.
Stroll through Aquascapes for great inspiration on how you can make your backyard an oasis.Water Flowers at Aquascapes
Nine pediatric specialty services at Children’s of Alabama have been named among the nation’s best children’s hospitals by U.S. News & World Report for 2020-21. Children’s ranked in the top 50 programs in the United States for: Cancer, Cardiology & Heart Surgery, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neonatology, Nephrology, Neurology & Neurosurgery, Orthopedics, Pulmonology and Urology. “To be named among the leaders in pediatric healthcare in this country is a tremendous honor. It is a testament to the dedication of our physician partners at the UAB School of Medicine and each of our employees as well as to all of the families who trust us to provide the best possible care and treatment for their children,” said Children’s CEO and President Mike Warren. “This recognition comes at a challenging time for healthcare workers everywhere, but our entire team remains committed to our mission of providing the finest pediatric health services to all children in an environment that fosters excellence in research and medical education.” This is the 11th consecutive year that Children’s has been included in the rankings.
