52nd Annual Gem Show, hosted by the Alabama Mineral & Lapidary Society
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Alabama Mineral & Lapidary Society invites you to experience its stunning, annual gem show on September 6-7 from 10am-6pm and September 8 from 10 am-4pm at the Irondale Civic Center (former Zamora Temple). Serious collectors will find prime specimens of minerals and fossils; lapidarists will find stone beads, slabs, and cabochons; jewelry admirers will find beautiful, natural adornments. Families will find fun and educational activities, with an expanded children’s section this year. The popular geode cracker will again be featured: Choose your own geode for purchase, then witness what timeless treasure hides inside as it is opened for you. There will be door prizes and demos on lapidary equipment.Ā Follow for more information, visit www.lapidaryclub.com.
Widespread Grace 2023 will be held on Thursday, September 21. Join us for an evening celebrating 10 years of Red Mountain Grace and supporting our goal of continuing to be the best housing option for families traveling to Birmingham for long-term medical care. Individual tickets are available for $150 and table sponsorships begin at $1000. Doors open at 5:30 pm, and dinner begins at 6:30 pm. For ticket and sponsorship information, visit www.redmountaingrace.com/wsg23.
This family-friendly show happening on September 1-2 from 10am-6pm and September 3 from 10am-4pm will delight everyone from seasoned rockhounds to casual collectors and curiosity seekers. Browse through fascinating gem, mineral, and fossil specimens, handcrafted jewelry and decorative items. Wares from local and visiting artists and collectors are featured at 100+ tables. There are sparkling crystals, carved stone obelisks, spheres, and more. A geode cracker is on site to split whole geodes and reveal their hidden beauty. There will be demonstrations on lapidary equipment, door prizes, and activities for the kids. The annual show is an outreach event by the Alabama Mineral and Lapidary Society, a non-profit organization for people interested in geology, mineralogy, paleontology, and lapidary arts.
Mission Makers
Columbiana, Ala. has a new house, the Patricia M. Smith CASA House located at 438 West College Street. It will serve as an office and supervised visitation location for the abused and neglected children of Shelby County under the care of the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA).
In 1996, then presiding District Court Judge Patricia āPattiā M. Smith founded Friends of the Court, Inc./CASA of Shelby County with a few volunteer board members, no CASA Volunteers and no financial support. CASA now serves more than 100 children and remains the only program of its kind in Shelby County. Today the program is under the direction of Family Court Judge Jim Kramer until District Court Judge-Elect Erin Welborn takes the bench in January of 2023.
Here is a look at the Patricia M. Smith CASA House. Photo Courtesy Shelby County Reporter
CASA is a non-profit organization whose goal is to ensure that every abused and neglected child they serve has a safe and permanent home. CASA recruits and trains volunteers to go through the court process with abused and neglected children. CASA Volunteers are the āeyes and earsā of the court and a āvoiceā for children in court. They provide valuable information that assists Judge Kramer in making the best decisions for the children in his courtroom. CASA also provides a parenting program and supervises visitations with CASA children who are involved in the court process who might not get to see their parents otherwise.
Judge Patti Smith with Alabama State Representative Corley Ellis/District 41 Shelby County at the opening of the new CASA home.
The new house will be a welcomed addition to the program. āWhen it came time to naming the house, the board and I knew there was only one thing to do,ā said CASAās Director Beth Chapman. āJudge Smith started the program from the ground up with very few resources. It is thriving today and changing lives for the better because of her work in the early days. We knew it had to be named in her honor.ā Smith served as Shelby Countyās only Family Court Judge for 25 years and served on the Alabama Supreme Court for six years. She remains one of the stateās leading authorities when it comes to childrenās issues. āIt is truly humbling and the honor of my career to have such a useful and much needed house named in my honor,ā said Smith. āI know many lives will continue to be changed due to the work of CASA. That is my prayer ā that it will be a house of hope for children in need.ā
CASA is funded by the Childrenās Trust Fund, a Shelby County Community Grant and various other corporations, foundations and individuals. For more information on how you can become a CASA Volunteer visit www.casaofshelbycounty.org or call Beth at 205-980-4466.Ā ā
Premier Event for Women of destiny! Get ready to soar like never before. Join us for an incredible day of Encouragement, Empowerment and Inspiration galore. Hear from a powerful panel of Miss Overcomers as they share life transforming Biblical strategies to help you Reclaim Courage, Affirm your Calling and Walk Strong in theĀ Miss Overcomer lifestyle you were born to enjoy! Don’t miss this Divine Moment tailor made just for you. You’ve been Chosen for the Miss Overcomer Gathering! Cost is Free but seating is limited. Click here to register.
It’s been a year since Buck Creek Coffee added their drive-thru service! Join them on Friday, August 19 from 1pm – 6pm. They will have the Downeast Lobster Company food truck out front. Both the coffee house and drive-thru will be opened!
Pleasant Hill Farms presents A Nativity Christmas, an open house to benefit Perfect Pathways Adult Day Center. Come enjoy refreshments, live music, children’s activities, and see over 100 Nativities from all around the world. December 18: 6-9pm; December 19: 7-9pm. Tickets can be purchased at eventbrite.com or at the door. To enable social distancing, tickets are limited. Groups are welcome.
MORE THAN 50 CARS with trunks open, creatively decorated, and filled with loads of great candyāthatās Trunk or Treat! You and your family are invited to be a part of it! Come in costume and prepare for a great time! Donāt forget your bags or buckets!
ā¢ A FREE, FAMILY EVENT OPEN TO ALL!
ā¢ HOT BEVERAGES, EXTRAS, LIVE MUSIC, LOTS OF FUN!
ā¢ COME AND GO AS YOU PLEASE
ā¢ RAIN OR SHINE!
Mission Makers
When most Americans reach retirement age, they look forward to traveling, visiting family, and taking a break. Not so for the men who launched The Word and Water Project. In 2017, God laid upon the heart of several businessmen in the Birmingham community a desire to finish strong for the Gospel as they approached their retirement from corporate America. From those conversations, God inspired Jeff Middleton to establish The Word and Water Project, a non-profit organization that reaches people for Christ by sharing His Word and other life-sustaining elements, such as clean water. āSeveral of us were in a weekly Bible study together. We were studying the book of James and were challenged to put feet to our faith,ā says Middleton. āAround the same time, we became aware of the clean water crisis around the world. We thought that by ministering to peopleās physical needs we could also have the opportunity to share the Good News of Christ.ā
Middleton and his team believed that the most effective ministry model would come from partnering with like-minded, local ministries who best understand the culture, language, and needs of their community. The Word and Water Project empowers indigenous believers to reach their own neighbors with Bibles, clean water, and supporting technologies. Since its launch in 2019, The Word and Water Project has partnered with ministries in Alabama, Uganda, Thailand, and India to provide for projects such as:
A solar well system that provides clean water for more than 5,000 people for villages in Western Uganda
Supplies and volunteers for Grace Klein Ministries in Birmingham
Seed for local Ugandan churches to distribute to over 1,500 people impacted by the global pandemic
Ministry support for CrossTies Asia, who saw 1,400 new believers baptized in one day
Bibles and other training materials for pastors and new believers in India
In the coming year, The Word and Water Project has partnered with a local church in Kumi, Uganda, to dig three wells and install a hand pump and basin. This will provide easy access to clean water for more than 7,000 people on the remote Tsai Island- where many die from preventable diseases due to poor water quality. āYou really donāt have to look far to find people in need,ā says Middleton. āMany are looking for someone to simply come alongside them- to provide a āhand up,ā not a āhand-out.āā
You can help satisfy the deepest thirst of people in the Birmingham area and around the world by joining the faithful supporters who give prayerfully and financially to The Word and Water Project. All donations directly support work in the field, helping sow the Gospel, and The Word and Water Projectās Board of Directors covers all administrative and marketing expenses. For more information on how you can be a part of the ministry, visit www.wordandwater.org and follow along on Facebook and Instagram @wordandwaterproject.
I think, sometimes, as women we forget the power we have in setting atmospheres. I believe God has gifted us to provide a place of comfort and joy in our homes. Other than always speaking words of encouragement to our family, creating a cozy home is a great way to do that. Here are some of my favorite things to do:
1. Light a candle. Think seasonal.
2.Ā Add throw blankets to the living room. This serves as decor and is functional as well. We love to grab a throw and cozy up on the couch and watch TV.
3. Cook a meal together. Thereās just something special about gathering in the kitchen with one another.
4. Eat at the dining room table as a family. We believe in always sitting down together for dinner. Thatās where we catch up and chat about our day.
5. Keep the house picked up and dishes out of the sink. This may be a little hard with small children, but having a designated place for toys make it easier to put them all up at the end of the day. We keep the dishwasher loaded to keep dishes out of the sink during the day.
These are a few things I try to do to keep a cozy home. They are simple, but so helpful!
āCharlotte Evans Russell
For more design inspiration and tips, follow me on InstagramĀ
-The Word and Water Project
