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124 

The Lord 

Will Answer 

When 

Seconds 

Count

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4 • JANUARY 2024

Where 

education, 

research and 

patient care 

all come 

together for 

one reason. 

You. 

All for Your Health 

umc.edu/YourHealth 

Hometown RANKIN • 5

6 • JANUARY 2024

FROM OUR PUBLISHER 

Embracing New Year’s resolutions often involves a laundry list of 

aspirations, from exercising regularly to achieving a healthier lifestyle. 

Yet, in the hustle of daily life, these goals can easily fade 

into the background. Reflecting on the wisdom of a cherished 

preacher who summed up his philosophy in just two words – 

“Do right” – simplicity becomes a powerful guide for navigating 

each day. 

Consider the transformative impact if, before reacting, we 

all paused to ponder the notion of “doing right.” As parents and 

grandparents, we echo the sentiment, urging our children to 

“act right” or to embody qualities like kindness, gentleness, and 

friendliness. These directives essentially converge into a vibrant 

neon sign that reads “Do Right.” 

In a world seemingly defining its own standards of behavior, 

let’s redirect attention to the timeless wisdom of the golden 

rule: treating others as we wish to be treated. Imagine the 

quieting of conflicts and friction if this principle were 

universally embraced. 

For those finding the Golden Rule a challenge, let the 

beacon for 2024 be the simple yet profound mantra: 

“Do Right.” Let’s collectively commit to this and watch as 

our hometown truly earns its place on the map! 

HOMETOWN STAFF 

PUBLISHER & EDITOR 

Tahya Dobbs 

CFO 

Kevin Dobbs 

CONSULTING EDITOR 

Mary Ann Kirby 

IN THIS ISSUE 

The Way We Were 10 

Reader Spotlight 15 

Hometown Family 19 

When Seconds Count 24 

The Lord Will Answer 36 

Rankin’s Red Carpet 46 

First Responder 98 

The Time Coin 106 

...see you around town. 

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 

Barbie Bassett 

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE 

Amy Forsyth 

ADVERTISING 

ASSISTANT 

Melissa Kennon 

ADMINISTRATIVE 

ASSISTANT 

Alisha Floyd 

LAYOUT DESIGN 

Daniel Thomas 

3dt 

STAFF 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Othel Anding 

STAFF 

ASSISTANT 

Debby Francis 

CONTENT MANAGER 

Susan Wolgamott 

www.facebook.com/hometownrankinmagazine. For subscription information visit www.htmags.com or contact us at info@HTMags.com / 601.706.4059 / 200 Felicity Street / Brandon, MS 39042 

All rights reserved. No portion of Hometown Rankin may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. The management of Hometown Rankin is not responsible for opinions expressed by its writers or editors. 

Hometown Rankin maintains the unrestricted right to edit or refuse all submitted material. All advertisements are subject to approval by the publisher. The production of Hometown Rankin is funded by advertising. 


8 • JANUARY 2024


Becky & Charles Wallace 

Camille Anding 

“I do not want to marry a 

She was a sophomore like Charles, 

too nervous to ask her out on a 

of 1977. After their second date, 

minister!” It was Becky Flowers, 

enrolled in Mississippi College. 

date. “I was afraid she would turn 

Charles knew he had found the 

the daughter of the minister at 

He was pursuing a ministry 

me down,” he said. 

one he wanted to be his bride. He 

First Baptist Church Senatobia, 

degree to answer God’s call to be 

On one occasion, Becky was 

still remembers praying about his 

that made that hardline statement 

a minister of music. Becky was a 

walking into the Aven Music 

feelings for Becky and asking God 

during her dad’s thirty-three-year 

gifted pianist and vocalist, so she 

Building on campus, headed for 

permission to marry her if they 

ministry. Perhaps it was the 

was headed toward a music degree. 

practice with the musical group, 

were still dating in October. 

preachers’ kids living in a fishbowl 

Their futures appeared to be 

“The Naturals.” She was wearing 

They weren’t only still dating; 

for all the church members to 

aligning. 

a shorter performing costume 

they were talking about marriage. 

observe. Or it could have been the 

Toward the end of their college 

than the dress length of that day, 

It was during a family gathering 

24/7 on-call hours that she saw her 

days, they double dated but not 

and Charles shouted through the 

at Thanksgiving that Charles 

dad manage. There could have 

with each other. Charles remem- 

crowd to Becky, “Hey, swing it!” 

dropped to one knee and 

been multiple, sound reasons for 

bers sitting across from Becky on 

Becky was shocked at his attention- 

proposed. Becky said, “Yes,” and 

Becky’s elimination of ministers as 

one of those dates to get pizza and 

getting cheer, but Charles said that 

ran squealing through the house, 

a future spouse, but God had other 

wondering what it would be like to 

he couldn’t resist because she had 

showing off her ring. In June of 

plans. 

date Becky. Her merry laughter 

the prettiest legs on campus! 

1978 they were married. 

It was in a music theory class 

and that sparkle in her eyes made 

It wasn’t until Charles was 

Becky’s dad escorted her down 

when Charles Wallace first 

an impression that stayed with 

enrolled in seminary in New 

the church aisle in the First Baptist 

noticed Becky turning the corner 

him for the next months. There 

Orleans that he asked Becky for a 

Church of Senatobia. Charles 

as she entered the same class. 

was only one problem. Charles was 

date. She agreed. That was in June 

nearly rubbed the creases out of 

10 • JANUARY 2024

“ Becky has been 

everything I could 

hope for –and she 

still has that sparkle 

in her eyes.” 

his trousers, trying to dry his 

followed the disciplinary practices 

dark, but Becky gives credit to God 

A session in the company of 

sweaty hands as he waited for his 

that their parents had followed. 

for her healing and credits Charles 

Becky and Charles reflects their 

bride with the sparkle in her eyes. 

Charles was the main disciplinari- 

for enlisting hundreds of prayer 

“forever” love. According to 

After completing their 

an and left no room for disrespect 

warriors to pray for complete 

Charles, “Becky has been 

marriage vows, Becky’s dad 

or “smart talk” toward parents. 

healing, too. Charles stayed by 

everything I could hope for – and 

officiated the couple’s first 

(Charles had been highly 

her side during the stem cell 

she still has that sparkle in her eyes.” 

communion as husband and wife. 

influenced by the elm bush in his 

treatments at Vanderbilt and 

Becky returns his smiles and 

He then concluded the commu- 

childhood that his mother never 

according to Becky, “He was 

suggests that a test for knowing 

nion with a Jewish wedding 

let grow into a tree!) 

the perfect nurse.” 

how a potential husband would 

tradition by Charles crushing the 

Becky’s preparation for years 

Charles said that he would 

treat you is to observe how he 

glass goblet with a healthy foot 

of music teaching took a different 

never want to keep Becky out of 

treats his mother. “Charles passed 

stomp. It was a sign to the couple 

path. She was asked to interview 

heaven, but he did earnestly want 

that test from the beginning of 

and all the attendants that no one 

for the director of medical staff 

to see their grandchildren know 

our relationship.” 

else would ever drink from the 

services at two hospitals and was 

and love the grandmother he 

It’s always inspiring to know 

Wallace’s marital cup. 

hired. However, she continued to 

knew she would be. The Wallace’s 

the way couples were and even 

The Wallaces continued their 

support Charles and his ministry 

kitchen cupboard reflects the 

more encouraging to know 

joint ministry of music over the 

at the churches where they served. 

answer to Charles’ prayer. It’s 

couples like the Wallaces who 

next years while raising their son, 

In June of 2013 Becky was 

lined with goodies for John and 

continue to radiate the joy of 

John, and daughter, Elizabeth. As 

diagnosed with multiple myeloma, 

Hannah’s two children and 

“togetherness.” 

parents, Charles and Becky 

a blood cancer. The prognosis was 

Elizabeth and Chris’ two. 


12 • JANUARY 2024

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14 • JANUARY 2024

READER 

SPOTLIGHT 

June 

PICKLE 

Why did you decide to make Rankin 

County your home? 

When I was six years old, my parents moved to 

Pearl from a small town in North Mississippi. 

Pearl and Brandon have always felt like home. 

How long have you lived in Rankin County? 

58 years except for a quick six month move to 

Knoxville, Tennessee. 

Tell us about your family. 

I met Bobby in 1981. I was cutting hair at the 

time. I cut his hair and a year later we were 

married. We have two boys, Brett and Lake. 

Lake married Lacey Ainsworth last year and 

Brett got married this summer to Anna Beth 

Houston. 

What is your favorite memory of living 

in Rankin County? 

How can I name just one? I could name the 

street I grew up on in Pearl, the places I have 

worked, or my church. But when I thought 

about this, it is all because of the people. The 

relationships have been the best part. 

Where are your three favorite places to eat 

in Rankin County? 

We love Osaka, Jerry’s Fish House, and 

Fernando’s. 

What are some fun things to do in Rankin 

County on the weekends? 

We enjoy going to the movies and we must get 

popcorn. We like walking at the nature trail in 

Flowood and getting coffee at Mocha Mugs. 

Tell us about your occupation. 

I recently retired from Rankin County Schools. 

What a joy it was to work there. I was an 

assistant teacher, librarian, and an office worker. 

I started working at the schools because I thought 

it was the best job to have, being a mom. And it 

was, but God showed me so much there. I loved 

the teachers, and the children touched my heart 

and truly changed my life. I have such good 

memories in the classroom and in the office. 

Share some things you enjoy doing in your 

spare time. 

Brett, our oldest son, lives in Laurel. When 

Bobby and I go visit him and Anna Beth, we 

also love to go look for the houses they redo on 

the HGTV show Home Town. It’s like a treasure 

hunt to us. We like to take daytrips around 

Mississippi and find little hidden treasures, 

such as the town of Rodney. We have a group 

of ladies (we call ourselves the Sassy Divas) that 

get together once a month. We go on trips in 

Mississippi, play games, or just eat out together 

and it is always fun. 

What are three things on your bucket list? 

Bobby and I would love to go to the Holy Land 

to see all the places of the Bible. I would love to 

go to Amsterdam to see Corrie ten Boom’s 

home/museum. My daddy was in World War 

II, and I have always wanted to go to Germany. 

Who is someone you admire and why? 

Joyce Miskelly. When I met Joyce, we were both 

cutting hair at Paul’s of Pearl. We both were 

single. She was a Christian, I was not. I did not 

like her, but she was still kind to me. She never 

judged but always chose love. I knew there was 

something different about her. One day I 

wanted what she had, and my life totally 

changed. If anyone knows Joyce, they know she 

always gives gifts, but she showed me the best 

gift—Jesus. 

Where do you see yourself in ten years? 

Bobby and I would like to travel more. 

What is your favorite childhood memory? 

Randa Massey (now Randa Blakeney) lived 

across the street from me in Pearl. We lived at 

each other’s houses. She was and is family to 

me. They had said on the news we might be 

getting snow, and the schools would be 

closed. That hardly ever happened. That night it 

started snowing. We could not believe it! Our 

parents let us spend the night together on a 

school night. We loved it. We played in the 

snow and Momma made snow ice cream. It was 

simple fun. 

If you could give us one encouraging 

quote, what would it be? 

Above all, love each other deeply, because love 

covers a multitude of sins. 1 Peter 4:8 


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18 • JANUARY 2024

The Van Normans 


Bobby (54) – enjoys hunting and gardening 

Jennifer (49) – enjoys working in her flower beds, making floral 

arrangements, traveling, and spending time with kids/grandson 

Hayden (25) and Claire (25) Hayden is a graduate student (class of 

’24) in MC’s physician assistant program. Claire holds her BSN from 

MC and is a labor and delivery nurse at Women’s Hospital in Flowood. 

They just welcomed their first son, Carson Brooks on October 23. 

Hayden and Claire both received their undergrad degrees from 

Mississippi College. Hayden graduated high school from Hartfield 

Academy and Claire graduated from NWR. 

Kaylee (23) graduated from USM with a major in biology and minors 

in chemistry and Spanish. She is currently in grad school at MC where 

she is a part of the physician assistant program (Class of ’25). She is also 

a graduate of Hartfield Academy 

Kendall (12) is a 7th grader at Hartfield Academy, where she has 

attended since K3. Kendall enjoys playing volleyball on the middle 

school team and also rides western-style horseback. 


How did you meet and how long have you been married? 

We will celebrate our 28th wedding anniversary on December 16. 

We met during my freshman year of college at Mississippi College, 

where Bobby was a senior. We were both working part-time as 

contract students at the Corp of Engineers Waterways Experiment 

Station in Vicksburg. We were introduced by a mutual friend. 

Do you allow time to be with your spouse for a date night? 

Date nights are a luxury in this stage of life with busy work responsibilities 

and a middle schooler who has an active calendar. We laugh 

because most of our friends have reached the empty nest stage, but 

our sweet surprise blessing keeps us experiencing parenthood stages 

all over again! We have learned over the years that not all “datenights” 

must look like dinner out by ourselves. Sometimes, it is just a 

ride into town together to check on things at the school, or having a 

cup of coffee while Kendall is horseback riding. It may even be 

sitting out on our back porch or working in the flower beds together. 

The key is making sure that we prioritize communication and not 

letting our busy schedules get in the way. 

What brings you the greatest joy as a parent? 

Outside of knowing that our children have all experienced a 

salvation moment with Christ, our greatest joy is watching our 

children chase their dreams and become the people that God has 

designed them to be. That looks different for each child, and it is 

such an honor to see them set goals and work hard to reach them. 

With our adult children, it is humbling to watch them make adult 

decisions and show maturity and independence. When you see them 

embrace the values and spiritual foundation that you tried to model 

over the years, it brings such joy. 

Who is the financial manager in your home? 

Bobby is definitely the financial manager in our home, as he is much 

more organized and detail oriented than I am! I prefer to have the 

10,000-foot overview whereas he is going to be the one that knows 

every small detail. When we were building our home a few years ago, 

I was the dreamer and he was the planner, keeping binders filled 

with every receipt and communication with contractors. I am 

grateful for his ability to focus on the details. Again, the key comes 

down to communication. We each know what is important to the 

other and truly try to approach all decisions as a team. 

When your children were younger, what was your 

discipline philosophy? 

I would say that our discipline philosophy has evolved over the years. 

When Hayden and Kaylee were younger, we were much more 

inclined to react immediately before hearing all the details. I admit 

that this did lead to times where we had to admit that we got things 

wrong. Bobby and I both believe that you admit to your children 

when you mess up and offer apologies. I think it shows transparency 

and builds trust that they can always come to you. As we have gotten 

older and hopefully gained more wisdom, I think we approach 

things a little differently with Kendall. Our older two may say that 

we are more lenient with Kendall, but I think that we just now 

realize what really matters and let some of the smaller details go. I 

see so many young parents worried about so many small things, and 

I want to reassure them that in the long run, many of those things 

will not matter. I think our greatest responsibility as a parent is 

ensuring that our kids are secure in their identity in Christ and have 

a solid foothold on what they believe. There are so many distractions 

in this world, and they will need to return to these truths over and 

over again. 

What do you see in your role as the greatest benefit 

to your family? 

I think the greatest benefit to our family that Bobby and I can share 

is that we are a living example of what a life of grace, forgiveness and 

hard work can do. I want our children to see that life is not always 

fair. You will have seasons of struggle and heartbreak, but when 

Christ is at the center of everything that you do – you can not only 

survive but thrive. We want our kids to see a marriage that is real. 

It may not always be easy, but we do not give up. We admit when we 

are wrong, we always seek to grow and be better, and we rely heavily 

on God’s direction to guide our decisions. 

What’s a quick go-to meal that isn’t fast food? 

And who does the cooking? 

A pot roast in the crockpot is our favorite comfort food. There is 

nothing better than walking in from church on Sunday and smelling 

the roast cooking. Bobby and I share a lot of the cooking responsibilities. 

He is a master on the grill and the entire family would say that 

we would put his steaks up against any you can find in a restaurant. I 

did joke, though, that with all my work travel, for many years, Bobby 

had every restaurant in Rankin County memorized that offered free 

kid’s meals and what night they served those! 

20 • JANUARY 2024

How long has Brandon been your home? 

We moved to Brandon in 2007 when I (Jennifer) was asked to serve 

as the children’s minister at the Reservoir Campus of Pinelake 

Church. Although my educational background is in healthcare, I had 

been serving as the children’s minister at a church in Vicksburg for a 

few years and accepted the offer to join Pinelake’s staff where I 

served for six years. 

What are some of your favorite things about Rankin 

County? 

We love that there is both opportunity and a small-town comfort in 

Rankin County. It would be much easier to live in a town with a 

major airline hub with my work travel, but we choose to continue to 

make Rankin County home because of the people and relationships 

we have built here. We are committed to the vision of Hartfield 

Academy to see every student fulfill their God-given purpose. We 

feel honored that as a family, and Bobby’s service to the school, we 

have been able to play a role in seeing that be fulfilled. 

I am the vice president of sales for the immersive healthcare division 

of Penumbra, a medical device company based out of the bay area in 

Alameda, CA. I hold my undergrad degree in occupational therapy 

from the University of MS and my MBA is from LSU. I have one 

brother that played football at MSU and another brother that played 

baseball there. I laugh that I am the most mixed-up SEC fan with 

ties to all three schools! 

What drives me in my career is seeing other people be empowered to 

succeed and grow. I have a life motto that “investing in others will 

always pay dividends.” I have seen this be true when working at the 

church and investing in small-group relationships, to working in the 

corporate world and building top performing teams. It all comes 

down to how well you value other people. 

How do you spend your summer breaks? 

We usually take a couple of trips every summer to the beach. As the 

older kids have gotten into graduate school, coordinating breaks has 

become a challenge, but we tend to spend the July 4th week in the 

Destin area. We also take a small trip every Labor Day weekend with 

my entire extended family to Gulf Shores. This past Labor Day we 

had 27 people in one large beach house! My parents were able to 

enjoy all the kids, spouses, grandkids and great-grandkids. Lots of 

memories are made each year! 

What accomplishments make you proud during your time 

living in Rankin County? 

I want to take the opportunity to say that I am so proud of how 

much Bobby has been invested in the growth of Hartfield. He has 

such a servant’s heart and would never tell you how many hours he 

spends ensuring that the school is able to operate. He loves being a 

part of what all the school is doing. Seeing Hayden and Kaylee 

graduate from Hartfield, and both having very successful college and 

graduate school careers, makes us proud of the investments we have 

made in their education there. 

What drives you to have the job that you have? 

And what do you do for a living? 

Bobby is the director of facilities for Hartfield Academy. He has 

been there since the school first opened. He is driven by his heart to 

work behind the scenes to allow the school to operate successfully. 

He also loves that he has been able to be on campus and available to 

all three of our children during their times at Hartfield. 

QUESTIONS FOR THE CHILDREN 

What’s your favorite thing to do as a family? 

Hayden and Kaylee both say that their favorite thing to do is having 

all the family over to the house to hang out by the pool and have her 

dad grill burgers or steaks. 

Kendall loves our annual trips to the beach with the whole family, 

but she said she also loves her solo trips to different places throughout 

the year with just mom and dad! 

What your favorite restaurant? 

Kendall loves Amerigo. And all the kids enjoy our Christmas Eve 

tradition of worship together at Pinelake followed by dinner at 

Table 100. 


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Management. The LPL Financial Registered Representatives associated with this site may only discuss and/or transact securities business with residents of the following states: AL, AR, CO, DC, DE, FL, GA, KY, LA, MA, MD, MS, 

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22 • JANUARY 2024


24 • JANUARY 2024

When 

Seconds 

Mary Mullen Brinson 

Count 

Elizabeth Ann Howell, VP of design and culture at Miskelly Furniture, 

saved her husband, Tyler’s, life thanks to her fast-acting response in 

performing CPR and calling 911 immediately when she discovered 

him unresponsive in the middle of the night in January 2023. 

Elizabeth Ann (Miskelly) and Tyler met 

in 2017 while Tyler was in his fourth year of 

medical school, and they married the 

following year. In 2022, Elizabeth Ann was 

trained in CPR at work, but she assumed 

that if someone in her family ever needed 

CPR, her physician husband would be able 

to help. She never imagined that the training 

she received would allow her to help save 

her husband’s life a year later when he 

suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in the 

middle of the night. 

Elizabeth Ann awoke in the night, 

hearing a noise. She thought it was the dog, 

then she realized the noise was coming from 

Tyler. “I tried to shake him awake,” she said. 

“I thought he was just having a bad dream. 

In that moment, the training that I had 

learned from our CPR class kind of kicked 

in,” said the relieved EA, as she is known to 

family and close friends. “I called 911, put 

them on speaker phone, pulled him off the 

bed, and started doing chest compressions. 

I was on the phone with 911 for nine minutes 

before the first responders arrived to take 

over and provided the necessary shocks from 

an AED (automated external defibrillator).” 

Once the first responders arrived, EA 

called her family and a close friend, who is 

also a cardiology fellow and happened to live 

just a few blocks away from the Howells. 

He was able to quickly get to their house, ride 

in the ambulance with Tyler, and support 

him through a series of very scary and 

life-threatening events. They got him to a 

local hospital, where he was immediately 

placed in the cardiac ICU and put on a 

ventilator. 

Later in the night, Tyler awoke and was 

quickly aware of what had happened. He 

was able to communicate with hospital staff 

and his wife, Elizabeth Ann. This was a 

major reassurance because the medical staff 

was concerned about the possibility of brain 

injury due to the amount of time his organs 

went without oxygen. Tyler had no visual 

or mental effects from the event and was 

thankful to have received an implanted 

defibrillator a few days later. The defibrillator 

allows his heart to maintain appropriate 

rhythm, should his heart ever stop again. 


As EA and Tyler think back to that night, 

they want everyone to know that they don’t 

believe any of the things that happened were 

coincidence. EA knows that she was trained 

in CPR for a reason, and that miracles do 

happen, and we don’t always need to know 

the why or the reasoning behind them. 

As Tyler states when asked about that 

night, “I’m just beyond grateful for this miracle. 

Being on the other side of healthcare– 

the patient-side instead of the provider-side– 

will certainly change the way that I practice 

medicine in the future.” 

Elizabeth Ann now also knows that a 

cardiac episode could happen at any time, to 

anyone. According to the American Heart 

Association, 70 percent of heart failures 

happen at home. She now has an AED in 

her car. “So, we’re just thankful to be able to 

share with people the importance of CPR 

because nobody ever thinks it’s going to be 

them that has to perform CPR.” 

The Howells are thankful for everything 

that allowed Tyler’s life to be saved that night. 

Tyler is especially thankful to be able to 

watch their precious daughter, Everly, grow 

up. More time with family is something the 

Howells do not take for granted, as they 

know that Tyler’s outcome is not the case 

for many who suffer from a similar cardiac 

event. 

The Howells will serve as the Open Your 

Heart Honorees at the 46th Annual Metro 

Jackson Heart Ball. The event will be held 

on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at the 

Country Club of Jackson, where Elizabeth 

Ann and Tyler will help raise crucial funds 

to support the local work of the American 

Heart Association. They are proud that 

100% of the funds they help raise through 

Heart Ball will stay in Mississippi to help 

support CPR education, policy for first 

responders, and research for future lifesaving 

discoveries. 

For information on corporate sponsorship, 

ticket sales, or to make a 100% tax-deductible 

mission donation in their honor, please reach 

out to Jordan Walker, director of this year’s 

Heart Ball, at Jordan.Walker@Heart.org, 

601-321-1215, or visit heart.org/jxnheartball. 

26 • JANUARY 2024

Hands-Only CPR 

Hands-Only CPR 

Join a Nation of Lifesavers today. 

Join a Nation of Lifesavers today. 

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause 

of death, with nearly 400,000 out-of-hospital 

cases occurring every year in the United 

States. About 89% of people who suffer an 

out-of-hospital cardiac arrest die. Research 

shows that hands-only CPR (without 

mouth-to-mouth breaths) performed by a 

bystander is just as effective in the first few 

minutes of sudden cardiac arrest outside of 

a hospital. 

No matter where you are, if you witness 

a teen or an adult suddenly collapse, you 

need to act fast — a delay of just a few 

minutes could be the difference between 

life and death. The American Heart Association 

offers these two easy steps: 

Call 911, or have someone else call 

immediately and keep your phone on 

speaker mode. 

Push down hard and fast in the center of 

the chest at a rate of 100-120 compressions 

per minute. 

A song like Bee Gees’ disco hit “Stayin’ 

Alive” can help you keep the correct pace. 

Hopefully, you’ll never have to use 

hands-only CPR, but in the event of an 

emergency, your preparedness could save 

a life. Learn more about hands-only CPR at 

www.heart.org/handsonlycpr. 

The American Heart Association is a 

relentless force for a world of longer, 

healthier lives. We are dedicated to ensuring 

equitable health in all communities. Through 

TWO STEPS TO SAVE A LIFE 

Transforming a Nation of Bystanders into a Nation of Lifesavers. 

heart.org collaboration with numerous organizations, 

and powered by millions of volunteers, we 

fund innovative research, advocate for the 

public’s health and share lifesaving resources. 

The American Heart Association has 

been a leading source of health information 

for nearly a century. Connect with the 

American Heart Association’s local social 

media channels @ahamississippi. 

1 2 

1 Call 911. 

Push hard 2 and fast in 

the center of the chest. 

Know it. Feel it. 

Push it. Keep it. 

Mary Mullen Brinson 

© Copyright 2023 American Heart Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. All rights reserved. 

Unauthorized use prohibited. WF213148 5/23 

Communications & Marketing Director 

American Heart Association 

4830 McWillie Circle, Jackson, MS 

Transforming a Nation of Bystanders into a Nation of Lifesavers. 

heart.org 

TWO STEPS TO SAVE A LIFE 

Call 911. 

Push hard and fast in 

the center of the chest. 

Know it. Feel it. 

Push it. Keep it. 

601-321-1214 

© Copyright 2023 American Heart Association, Inc., a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit. All rights reserved. 

Unauthorized use prohibited. WF213148 5/23 


Slow Cooker Mac & Cheese 

• 1 lb. uncooked elbow macaroni 

• 2 cups half and half 

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted 

• 8 oz. cheddar, grated 

• 8 oz. Monterey jack, grated 

• 4 oz. cream cheese, cut into pieces 

• 2 (12 oz.) cans evaporated milk 

• 1 tsp. ground mustard 

• Kosher salt and black pepper 

to taste 

Stir together macaroni, half and half, 

butter, cheddar, Monterey jack, 

cream cheese, evaporated milk, and 

mustard in the bowl of a 5- to 7- 

quart slow cooker. Season with salt 

and pepper. Cover and cook on low, 

stirring every 30 minutes, until 

macaroni is tender, 2 to 2½ hours. 

Slow Cooker BBQ Pulled 

Pork with Cabbage Slaw 

• 4 lbs. boneless pork shoulder or 

butt, trimmed of excess fat and 

cut into 6 pieces 

• Kosher salt and freshly ground 

black pepper 

• 1 yellow onion, chopped 

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped 

• ¾ cup ketchup 

• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 

• 2 tsp. mustard powder 

• 2 tsp. cumin seed 

• 2 tsp. smoked paprika 

• 4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar, divided 

• Hamburger buns 

Combine onion, garlic, ketchup, 

tomato paste, mustard powder, 

cumin seed, paprika, and 3 Tbsp. 

vinegar in the bowl of a 5- to 7-quart 

slow cooker. Season pork with salt 

and pepper and place on top of 

ketchup mixture. Cook on high 

until pork is very tender and easily 

shreds, 5 to 6 hours on high or 10 

to 12 hours on low. Transfer pork to 

a cutting board and shred meat 

(discard any fat). Return to the bowl 

and stir in remaining Tbsp. vinegar. 

Set slow cooker to warm. 

Slaw 

• ¼ head small cabbage, shredded 

• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced with 

a vegetable peeler 

• 2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 

• 1 Tbsp. olive oil 

• 1 Tbsp. country style Dijon 

mustard 

• Kosher salt and ground black 

pepper 

Combine cabbage, carrot, vinegar, 

oil, mustard in a bowl. Season with 

salt and pepper. Serve pork and slaw 

on hamburger buns. 

Slow Cooker 

Green Beans & Potatoes 

• 1 lb. fresh green beans, trimmed 

• 1 lb. small new potatoes, halved 

• Water to cover 

• 2 (1 inch) cubes salt pork, 

or more to taste 

Layer green beans and potatoes in 

the bottom of a slow cooker. Add 

just enough water to barely cover. 

Top with salt pork. Cover and cook 

on low until tender, 6 to 8 hours. 

28 • JANUARY 2024

Crockpot Hot Chocolate 

• 3 cups whole milk (must be whole 

for the best texture) 

• 1 cup half and half or heavy cream 

• 6 oz. dark or bittersweet chocolate, 

coarsely chopped 

• 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar 

• 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder 

• 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

• 2 tsp. instant expresso powder 

(optional) 

• Pinch of kosher salt 

Toppings of choice: marshmallows, 

whipped cream, caramel, extra 

chocolate chops 

Place all the ingredients except for 

toppings into a 3 to 5-quart slow 

cooker. Briskly whisk to dissolve the 

cocoa powder as much as possible. 

Keep whisking until none of it floats 

to the top; one to two minutes. 

Cook on low two to three hours. 

Whisk every 45 minutes to make 

sure chocolate doesn’t burn on the 

bottom. Set to low or warm. 

Cowboy Brisket 

• 2 Tbsp. Cowboy rub 

(such as McCormick Cattlemen’s) 

• 1 Tbsp. dark brown sugar 

• 2 tsp. smoked paprika 

• 1½ tsp. kosher salt 

• 1 tsp. ground cumin 

• 1 (6 lb.) flat-cut brisket 

• 1 large sweet onion, sliced 

• 3 garlic gloves, minced 

• 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro 

Slow Cooker Crack Chicken 

• 2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken 

• 1 oz. packet ranch seasoning mix 

• 16 oz. cream cheese 

• 8 slices bacon (slices, cooked 

and drained) 

• 1½ cups shredded cheddar cheese 

• ½ cup sliced green onions 

Add the chicken to the slow cooker. 

Sprinkle over the ranch seasoning 

mix. Place the cream cheese on top 

of the chicken. Cover and cook on 

low for seven hours without opening 

the lid during cooking time. Shred 

the chicken, I do this right in the 

slow cooker with two forks. Stir the 

cooked cream cheese into the 

shredded chicken and stir in the 

bacon. Spread out into an even layer. 

Sprinkle cheddar cheese and cover 

for 10 more minutes for all the cheese 

to melt. Serve over rice and top with 

green onions. Can also be served on 

a baked potato or on sandwich rolls. 

Stir together the first five ingredients. 

Trim fat from brisket leaving a thin 

layer; cut into three-inch chunks. 

Rub evenly with spice mixture. 

Arrange meat on top of onions and 

garlic in a lightly greased 5- to 6-quart 

slow cooker. Sprinkle with cilantro. 

Cover and cook on low eight to nine 

hours or until brisket shreds easily 

with a fork. Serve drizzled with a 

small amount of the cooking liquid, 

or cover and chill up to 4 days. 

Slow Cooker Apple Crisp 

• 6 large Granny Smith apples, 

peeled, cored and cut into slices 

• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice 

• ¼ cup white sugar 

• 1 tsp. cinnamon 

• 1 tsp. vanilla extract 

Topping 

• ½ cup rolled oats 

• ½ cup all-purpose flour 

• ¾ cup light brown sugar 

• ¼ cup white sugar 

• 1 tsp. cinnamon 

• ½ tsp. baking powder, double acting 

• ¼ tsp. nutmeg 

• ¼ tsp. salt 

• 8 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cold, 

cut into pieces 

Place sliced apples in slow cooker. 

Add lemon juice, cinnamon, white 

sugar, and vanilla extract. Stir until 

apples are evenly coated. In a separate 

mixing bowl add topping ingredients 

(oats, flour, baking powder, brown 

sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, 

and salt). Stir to combine. Cut butter 

into flour mixture. Using a spoon or 

your hands, combine flour mixture 

and butter until ingredients look wet 

and crumbly. Sprinkle topping on top 

of apples evenly. Place lid on slow 

cooker and set on high for 

two hours. Open lid 

part way and cook for 

one additional hour. 

Serve warm and top 

with vanilla ice cream 

if desired. 

Slow Cooker Honey Garlic 

Pork Chops 

4 boneless pork chops, thick cut 

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

Kosher salt and pepper to taste 

2 tsp. minced garlic 

½ cup honey 

¼ cup chicken broth 

3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 

2 Tbsp. cornstarch 

2 Tbsp. water 

2 Tbsp. chopped parsley 

Season the pork chops generously 

with salt and pepper on both sides. 

Heat the oil in a pan over high heat. 

Cook the pork for 4-5 minutes on 

each side until deep golden brown. 

Place the pork chops in the bottom of 

the slow cooker. In a medium bowl, 

whisk together the garlic, honey, 

chicken broth, and vinegar. Pour the 

sauce over the pork chops. Cover the 

slow cooker and cook on low for 4 

hours. In a small bowl, whisk the 

cornstarch and cold water. Add the 

cornstarch mixture to the slow 

cooker for the last 30 minutes of 

cooking. Cook until the sauce 

thickens and the pork chops are 

tender. Sprinkle with parsley and 

serve over potatoes. 


30 • JANUARY 2024

OUR 

jacksonprep.net I 601.939.8611 

Inpatient mental health services for senior adults ages 65+ 

Psychiatric assessments may be necessary 

if an individual has trouble with: 

• Memory loss 

• Mood disturbances 

• Depression or anxiety 

• Coping with losses and transitions 

• Activities of daily living 

• Substance use 

We can help with no-cost assessments 

available 24/7. Walk-ins are welcome and 

most insurances accepted. Call us today 

at 601-936-7886 to take the next step. 

Learn more at brentwoodjackson.com. 

3531 Lakeland Drive • Flowood, MS 39232 

601-936-7886 

Model representations of real patients are shown. Physicians are 

on the medical staff of Brentwood Behavioral Healthcare, but, with 

limited exceptions, are independent practitioners who are not 

employees or agents of Brentwood Behavioral Healthcare. The facility 

shall not be liable for actions or treatments provided by physicians. 

For language assistance, disability accommodations and the 

nondiscrimination notice, visit our website. 232304-2988 11/23 


32 • JANUARY 2024 

advertiser spotlight

Wesley Biblical Seminary 

Developing trusted leaders for faithful churches 

Melanie McMillan 

For nearly 50 years, Wesley 

Biblical Seminary has been 

training spiritual leaders from 

all over the world, right here 

in our community. 

Located in Ridgeland, the seminary’s 

most important mission is to raise up trusted 

pastors. “There is a deep need for biblically 

sound pastors in Mississippi as well as across 

the country and beyond,” says Wesley’s 

Director of Development Kaitlin Godfrey. 

Offering undergraduate and graduate degree 

programs, Wesley is dedicated to preparing 

students for ministry through on-campus and 

online study. 

As a global institution, WBS follows a 

polysynchronous model, meaning students 

can attend in person or online. “Wesley had 

implemented online learning long before 

COVID, so during the pandemic, other local 

colleges and universities reached out for 

guidance on remote learning for their students,” 

says Godfrey. “We are proud to be able to serve 

370 students, with approximately 60 of those 

from outside the United States.” 

Wesley has seen a significant increase in 

enrollment since becoming the first school to 

offer an approved Global Methodist Church 

course of study, which consists of educational 

requirements for students desiring to be 

ordained. The GMC list of recommended 

educational institutions for ordination 

candidates is short, so the fact that Wesley was 

the first to be approved speaks to the caliber 

of the faculty and curriculum. It’s fair to say 

that other schools are looking to Wesley as 

the benchmark for successful implementation 

of a GMC course of study. 

In addition to programs for ministerial 

students, WBS offers the Wesley Institute, 

a 9-month course designed for lay people. 

Participants can choose between the Bible 

or theology tracks, both of which provide 

seminary-level instruction to those desiring 

a deeper understanding of the Bible and 

growing in their faith. These classes are taught 

by Wesley faculty members. 

While the name Wesley certainly brings 

to mind the Methodist denomination, and 

Wesley Biblical Seminary is on the approved 

GMC list, the school itself is not affiliated with 

a particular denomination, nor do they receive 

any funds from a denomination. “Because our 

first priority is to fulfill the mission we are called 

to, Wesley never turns a potential student away 

due to his or her ability to pay,” says Godfrey. 

“Last year we provided students with 

$505,000 in unfunded scholarships, so the 

support of lay people is extremely important in 

continuing the work of the seminary.” A little 

over a year ago, Wesley launched the “Steadfast” 

campaign, with a goal of raising $4.17 million 

to drive long-term funding needs. In just a 

year, $3.1 million has been raised, 76% of the 

total goal, and this is before the public launch 

of the campaign in January 2024. 

Wesley Biblical Seminary is not just 

physically located in the community, but 

faculty and staff members are actively involved 

in the community as well. Teaching and 

preaching all over the metro area, faculty 

members are committed to serving in local 

churches, leading students by example and not 

just through instruction. A current WBS 

student says, “In my previous course of study 

at another seminary, the instructor came into 

the very first class and announced, ‘the Bible 

is not inerrant, and it is not the Word of God.’ 

I was stunned. In contrast, Dr. Ayars joined 

my first class at Wesley Biblical Seminary to 

affirm that the inerrancy of Scripture is a core 

value that WBS will never depart from. 

I thought to myself, ‘I’m home.’” 

Wesley Biblical Seminary invites the 

community to a reception on Thursday, 

January 11th, from 10am-12pm to launch the 

Steadfast giving campaign. 

For more information on Wesley Biblical Seminary, 

visit wbs.edu or find them on Facebook and Instagram. 


Steen’s Creek Presbyterian Church 

Christmas Party 

December 9, 2023 / Home of Sara & Grant Fox 

Steen’s Creek Pres is a church plant of the Presbyterian Church in 

America and the Presbytery of the Mississippi Valley, located in Florence. 

Pastor Danny Ruth began shepherding the congregation in August and has 

moved to the community with his wife Carlye and their children. 

To learn more about Steen’s Creek Pres, contact Pastor Ruth at 

601-559-9857, danny@steenscreekpres.org, or visit steenscreekpres.org 

34 • JANUARY 2024


36 • JANUARY 2024

CHRISTY HENDERSON 

The Lord Will Answer 

Overcoming the Isolating and 

Often Silent War on Depression 

Sarah Rein 

“Then your light will break forth like the 

dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; 

then your righteousness will go before you, 

and the glory of the Lord will be your rear 

guard. Then you will call, and the Lord will 

answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: 

Here am I.” – Isaiah 58:8-9 

Christy, what were you like growing up? 

Actually, I was recently thumbing through old pictures. 

Thats always fun to do. I come from a big Italian family - my 

twin brother and I are the youngest of five children. So, there 

was always a lot of energy in my home—especially around the 

holidays. 

I can remember fun memories of playing in my neighborhood. 

I was a tough little girl. There were no girls my age around, but I 

loved riding bikes and playing sports and could hang with all the 

little boys. I had a huge imagination, so a lot of my time was spent 

playing creatively. Drawing and painting. I would make pretend 

farms and barns for my pretend animals. I spent hours in the 

sandbox and on my swingset. I think people would have viewed 

me as a shy, quiet child, but under the surface, I felt a lot of deep 

emotions...some were pleasant, and some were really difficult. 

I’ve always had a highly sensitive soul—meaning I experienced 

things in life vividly. Still do. That goes for beauty in life. 

I see colors and things in nature that other people might not 

notice, and music will move me to tears at times. I am able to 

experience the greatest joy...but also deep darkness. I remember 

being young and sensing things around me that were definitely 

dark, even spiritual darkness, that I had no language for. That was 

terrifying at times. 

You know, high sensitivity often has a negative connotation. 

But I hope people see that it’s part of some of our wiring. I believe 

it’s a gift. We are able to experience life to the fullest. If I could go 

back and talk to myself as “little girl Christy,” I would encourage 

her to speak out about her brilliant emotions—the things that she 

is sensing and not hold them in. I would hold her and listen to all 

of the stories behind the difficult feelings. Because of some 

traumatic things that I experienced, I think all of the anxiety and 

sadness got stuck inside me and I began feeling a very heavy 

darkness. I can remember having my first depressive time as a 

seven-year-old. This became a pattern for me from then on. 


Share with us about marrying and transitioning into 

adulthood. 

When I grew up and entered high school, I felt a reprieve from the 

heavy emotions. I met Chip his junior year in college. When I saw 

him the first time I fell head over heels for him. I’d never met anyone 

like him before. We were friends for about a year and then we started 

dating. That was a high point in my life, for sure. We had the most fun. 

We were the exact opposites in personality. The old saying rings true 

for us. Opposites do attract. He made me feel special, and it was 

amazing to be with someone who was fun and spontaneous and 

who was following Jesus. I had given my life to Christ the same 

month I met him. I graduated high school in 1990 and went off to 

college at Ole Miss. My first day of class, Chip drove to Oxford from 

New Orleans where he was in seminary. He picked me up, and we 

drove to Memphis where he proposed. Three months later we got 

married and moved to New Orleans where he was in seminary. 

We were wildly in love and things were exciting, but when he wasn’t 

around I found myself alone in our tiny apartment much of the 

time with no friends. I became very isolated. And that is a breeding 

ground for depression. 

What was it like for both of you in those early years 

as you dealt with depression? 

When Chip first noticed it, it really pushed him away. He didn’t 

know what to do with me. He didn’t have a category for depression. 

Chip was raised to be super-independent. He didn’t have anything 

in him that felt like he could say ‘I need help or I’m struggling.’ 

His attitude was ‘I’m fine, I can take care of myself.’ I have great 

compassion for him because there were some difficult stories behind 

that narrative in his head. So it was hard for him to be present. He 

didn’t know what to do so he would try to escape this pain - he’d 

go hunting or play basketball just to get away from all the discomfort. 

Looking back, we had some difficult seasons with all of this. 

When you feel isolated in your depression, it’s extremely hard to 

get out of. God opened up an opportunity for me to get out of the 

apartment and meet some good people. As an artist I was thankful 

to find a ceramics class. The lady who taught the class managed 

the business office on campus. She gave me a job and I started 

connecting with people and making friends. This helped me in many 

ways. I had another season of relief. After several years we began 

having our beautiful children—Rachel, Kenzie, and Regan. It was both 

a beautiful and brutal season. I had terrible bouts of postpartum 

depression. It was a different level of struggle than I’d had before. 

I think the deep-rooted feelings from the past began to come back 

up, combined with the overwhelming responsibilities and all the 

hormonal changes. It was the perfect storm. 

Postpartum depression is so heavy because it carries much 

shame. I would ask myself ‘Christy, you are so blessed. What is wrong 

with you? This should be such an enjoyable time.’ But I was really 

struggling emotionally and mentally. I was trying to keep my head 

above water. It was so hard not having anyone who truly understood 

the silent struggle that I was dealing with. I can remember 

rocking my babies, thanking God for them and at the same time 

weeping because of the pain. I did have sweet friends and my mom 

would come help me, but it was the first time I realized I needed 

professional help. I speak out about this a lot because I don’t want 

moms to feel shame. Postpartum depression is a very real thing 

and there’s a lot that contributes to it. There are people who DO 

understand what you are going through and they can support you 

in your suffering. Please don’t be afraid to seek that help. 

How would you describe your journey with depression 

since then? 

There was a long time of feeling isolated in my pain. I felt like a 

misfit. I felt like there were many people observing me, but very few 

really knew me. In the darker days, I doubted if I would ever be free. 

I wondered if the clouds would ever part. My connection with God 

was the only thing that kept me grounded. When my mental and 

emotional state was a wreck, I can remember going to my closet 

where I wrote God’s word on 4x6 cards and tacked them to the 

wall. My wall was covered. It helped me meditate. There were 

mornings that I would spend hours in there. I would light a candle 

to help me visualize the Holy Spirit as I prayed for strength. God held 

me in that space. But the depression was relentless. It was like I was 

in a war for my life. Off and on for four decades, I suffered to some 

degree. 

I know there are people out there who need to hear this—in 

the lowest moments, I didn’t want to live. This is hard to say, but I 

can remember waking up and being disappointed that I woke up. 

But I knew I had to live. God had a purpose for my life. There was a 

lie that Satan would whisper to me—’everyone would be better off 

without you,’ But I would look into the eyes of my children, and I 

knew that they needed their mama. This gave me the drive to 

persevere—to get out of bed and make breakfast and care for them. 

Recently, there came a breaking point for me. Things became 

unmanageable. I was under the care of physicians who had done 

everything they could to help. I had been placed on a terrible 

combination of medication that was toxic to my system. I was 

underweight and very weak, physically. I was in a state of disconnect 

with myself, my loved ones, and even feeling extremely disconnected 

from God. I’m 51 now and that happened when I was 47. By God’s 

grace, He put my feet on a healing path. I went to a place far away 

and spent a month and a half in intensive therapy. There were 

compassionate professionals there who helped me. It was very 

difficult going through a medical detox and then uncovering all of 

the pain that I had buried for so long. But with each session, I began 

to feel a difference. Slowly the light and freedom came to those 

wounded places inside my soul. God helped me dismantle false 

belief systems as I acknowledged the root causes of my pain. 

I felt the miracle begin in my body. It was a sacred space 

where I found greater intimacy with God than I could ever imagine. 

I tell people all the time that “Jesus reintroduced Himself to me.” 

Today the work continues. I still have someone I talk to therapeutically. 

I have a new physician. I am on safe medication with no side effects. 

38 • JANUARY 2024

I still have mornings that are a struggle for me. My life used to be 

80% some level of depression and 20% freedom. But I’d say it’s 

reversed now. That 20% is still there, but I have tools that help me 

process those thoughts and emotions. And I think maybe God has 

allowed that to remain so that I can be most effective as I empathize 

with others. 

As a Christian, and more specifically a pastor’s wife, 

what has it been like facing this darkness spiritually? 

That is a tough one. There was a lot of pressure there. In the 

beginning, I was young and I didn’t know what I was doing. I was so 

insecure. I was a Christian, but I was never really discipled. I didn’t feel 

like I had someone to walk through Scripture with me. I didn’t develop 

much spiritually in those early years. Looking back now, I realize 

Jesus was with me in the darkness even when I didn’t know what 

verse to quote or what to pray. He sustained me in those times. 

With depression, there’s a disconnect between what you know to 

be true and what you feel in your body. When that happens, it’s a 

shaming feeling and the enemy uses that. I had many beautiful 

people who loved me and showed up for me. Their sincere prayers 

supported me and I will forever be grateful to them. They know 

who they are (smile). But unfortunately, people can, and did, use 

their words and even used scripture to shame me. Some just wanted 

to step in and slap a Bible verse on me and stop my suffering and 

tears. But they didn’t know me. 

As the Body of Christ, we have the power to heal. That may look 

differently than most people have come to expect. We cannot put 

God in a box. The more we are able to really lean in and be with 

people in their pain and hold sacred space for their story the more 

healing we will witness. 

When I read scripture now, I see that Jesus himself was a sufferer. 

He felt the deepest most difficult emotions and there was no shame 

in that. David praised God in the psalms but he was also brutally 

honest about his suffering and his doubts. Yes, the scriptures say 

‘Don’t be afraid.’ But God was talking to people who were afraid. He 

wasn’t scolding them. There is a tenderness in His words. I interpret that 

as ‘Don’t fear because I’ve got you. You are mine.’ 

A couple of my favorite verses are John 16:33 where Jesus says, 

‘In this world you will have tribulations, but take heart, I have 

overcome the world!’ And in 2 Corinthians 4:16-17 it says that it’s 

no wonder we don’t give up. For even though our outer person 

gradually wears out, our inner being is renewed every single day. 

We view our slight, short-lived troubles in the light of eternity. We 

see our difficulties as the substance that produces for us an eternal 

glory far beyond all comparison. I don’t want people to feel shamed 

by scriptures. I want them to be empowered by them! His Word is 

not generic and void of emotions. I want them to know that Jesus is 

near to the brokenhearted and He rescues those whose spirits are 

crushed. He makes provision. He’s okay with you not being okay. He 

can bring healing to your spirit, your soul, and your body and mind. 

IN THIS WORLD 

YOU WILL HAVE 

TRIBULATIONS, 

BUT TAKE HEART, 

I HAVE OVERCOME 

THE WORLD! 

JOHN 16:33 


What have you learned about depression and mental 

health that you want to share with others? 

I want people to understand that there is a reason for the way 

you are feeling! There are stories underneath each emotion. 

Whether it is depression or rage or anxiety or addiction. So much of 

it is because of your experiences in life. Your traumas. Those 

traumas can look like lots of things, big and small. Do not minimize 

your past pain. I believe that healing is possible for anyone. It may 

not always be physical healing, but I know that no matter what, our 

hearts can heal. 

Too many people end their lives because they are in despair. 

They give up hope. We all have struggles at some point in our lives 

whether we admit it or not. We are relational creatures and we 

need each other. We need others to hold hope for us and to remind 

us that we are strong. We are overcomers. This is where healing can 

touch mental and emotional illnesses. Sometimes medicine can 

help support you, but connection with other compassionate, 

empathetic people . . . THIS is what God can use to bring true 

healing. 

Why is there so much shame around the idea of suffering 

emotionally? 

Shame is a tactic of the enemy. If he can keep us in isolation, it’s 

much more likely he can destroy us. The Bible says that’s what 

Satan comes to do – ‘to kill, steal, and destroy.’ But Christ said that 

He came so we could have life—abundantly. He desires us to be 

seen and heard and known. You know you would go to a doctor to 

fix a broken leg. People aren’t shamed for getting treatment for 

their cancer. There’s no shame in pursuing healing in any other part 

of the body. But there has always been a stigma about mental and 

emotional health. One of my missions in life is to help people 

understand they are NOT ALONE… and God is not ashamed of you. 

He loves you. He has a purpose for your life and He can redeem 

your heartache. This is my own testimony. 

How has this struggle affected your family? 

How have they handled it? 

Depression touches the whole family. I know that it affected our 

children. They were so strong and resilient though. They championed 

me. And when I went off for treatment, they were my biggest 

cheerleaders. 

I can see now how God has used our experience with pain to 

shape all three of our children into amazing young adults. They 

have a trust and faith in God that is strong and secure. They 

witnessed His faithfulness as He sustained me and as He ultimately 

brought healing. While sometimes they probably were discouraged, 

they never gave up hope. Now they are not afraid to engage their 

own stories of pain. They are not afraid to ask for help. They are 

empathetic and they’ve offered our story as a testimony to many 

who are suffering. It is really beautiful. They are not ashamed of me. 

They are not ashamed of our story. 

I do think Chip has had an honest struggle with my mental and 

emotional health. But he loved me, and he prayed fervently for me. 

It has been beautiful to see how God has used this to bring out so 

much compassion in this man! Over the years, His life has changed 

in many ways as a result of our journey. It has opened his eyes to 

his own pain. All the things he kept concealed. 

When I went away and started my work. God was already 

moving in him. After some time, Chip started doing his own work in 

therapy and it has brought a deeper connection and more honesty 

with me. And I can see it’s what God intended for marriage - to be 

naked and unashamed. Not just physically but a true soul connection 

and openness without shame. Now God’s work is flowing out 

of our family’s pain as it’s affecting many individuals and families our 

community. 

What words of hope would you like to leave readers with? 

I would encourage people to be vulnerable. Be open and honest 

and transparent. Be willing to be known. The more the body of 

Christ can be honest about their story, I have GREAT HOPE that 

shame will be broken, and healing will occur. 

To people in the middle of this struggle…allow God to nurture 

you spiritually. He desires to apply the fullness of the gospel to your 

life and redeem every part of you. Meditate on scripture. Listen to 

podcasts - they are like free therapy! One of my favorites is The 

Place We Find Ourselves, by Adam Young. Find someone you can 

trust to talk to. Even if you can’t afford a counselor or therapist, 

you can still heal. 

Step into a community that will love you, champion you, and 

be vulnerable with you. Our ultimate hope always has to be in Jesus 

Christ. God’s presence is holding you no matter what you’re going 

through. He is faithful. 

Looking back on my pain in my darkest places, He was there. 

I know that now. In light of eternity, the suffering you’re going 

through is temporary. God is a redeemer. He is redeeming my 

heartache by allowing me to sit in the presence of fellow-sufferers. 

It is an honor and I am humbled to hear their stories that lie beneath 

the surface and to witness the bit of relief and healing that comes 

even with one honest conversation. I have come to understand that 

we can hold suffering and hope at the same time. K.J. Ramsey says 

it like this. ‘Grief does not cancel out goodness. Hurt does not 

silence our hope.’ 

40 • JANUARY 2024

We asked Christy’s family to share what they learned 

and experienced as she dealt with her depression. 

Daughter Rachel 

When mom was struggling, it was difficult to see God in it at 

times. We would have hopeful seasons, but when the darkness 

would come over her again, I felt frustrated and questioned 

whether or not God was interested in completely healing her. I just 

wanted her to be well and be free, for God’s glory, and for her to 

not have to fight anymore. 

I saw her faith to be out of this bondage and the faith of those 

praying for her, so it was confusing to me what His holdup was. I 

could feel my hope for the situation fading at times, like maybe this 

would just be our reality and I should get used to it. Looking back, I 

see now that He was big enough to handle my doubts and frustrations 

and that He was with her (and me) throughout it all. 

When God finally opened doors for a plan that would set her 

free from this cycle, I saw freedom in her like I never had before. It 

strengthened my faith that God is always ahead of us and His timing 

is perfect, even if it’s not what we would have chosen. It’s so 

important to hang on to what you know is true and not let your 

situation determine your faith. 

My encouragement to people going through this is to let people 

around you know what you’re going through and what is helpful for 

you. It’s not too much for them and you’re not a burden. Your 

people really want to help and often don’t know how best to 

support you beyond prayer. So, communicating that is so helpful. 

For those who know a loved one struggling, ask them how you 

can help! What makes them feel seen? What makes it worse? Be 

there to listen and remind them of scripture, but understand that 

your words likely won’t make everything all better. 

Daughter McKenzie 

Looking back on my mom’s life and her experience with mental 

health, the biggest thing that I learned about God is that He is 

ALWAYS working. Even when you can’t see Him and He feels a 

million miles away, He is at work. It was so hard to see my mom 

struggle for so long, but to look at what God brought her through 

to where she is now is a beautiful thing. Outside of simply just being 

there for someone you love, one of the encouragements that I 

think touched my mom most was to just tell her how strong she is. 

To go through struggles with emotional health is hard, and people 

need to hear how strong and courageous and brave they are even 

when they don’t feel it. And healing is possible. Every person’s 

journey is different, but God is in the business of doing redeeming 

work in our lives. 

Son Regan 

Back in those days, I’m not sure that I fully understood what 

mom was going through. I can remember when I was much 

younger, thinking something must have happened to a family 

member or something bad happened if I saw her upset. As I got 

older, I probably knew more of what depression and anxiety were. 

It became something I would see come and go in waves. Not really 

sure when the next would come. I just felt sad that she was 

continuing to wrestle with this with no easy way of helping it. I just 

wanted to hold her hand or do whatever I could to make her feel 

a little bit better. I never saw it as something being wrong with her, 

but I knew there was another way of life and I wanted her to be 

able step into it and out of the darkness. 

I have learned that it is not God’s will or plan for someone to 

remain in that pain. The truth of Jesus defeating death means we 

can be brought out of darkness. We are now heirs to the kingdom 

of light. It’s not a question of ‘Is it just God’s will for me to be 

downcast/confused/anxious?’ I have seen myself, and those around 

me, be brought out of those places when we call out. I know many 

people can struggle to find their way out of those places. It may 

sound easier than it is. 

Romans 12:2 says to be “transformed by the RENEWING of your 

MIND.” The enemy’s only weapon against us is lies. If we are 

reinforcing lies that he feeds us, it may seem impossible for us to 

break free from that bondage. But if we can renew our mind with 

truth, even when we don’t feel that it’s true, we will see change. 

Renew your mind to align with the truth of the gospel. 

Husband Chip 

To those in the thick of the fight, I would say lean in to your faith 

in Jesus instead of running from faith in Jesus. In the midst of the 

hardship, God is working, revealing Himself, refining your faith, and 

ultimately shaping you to be more like Jesus. You can’t handle it or 

make it through on your own, but the Holy Spirit will strengthen 

you and sustain you. 

In the darkest and hardest times, reading the Bible and listening 

to worship music really helped me. I also learned that I couldn’t fix 

Christy’s battle with depression. That was a helpless feeling. But what 

I learned was that Christy didn’t need me to fix it or try to fix her. 

What she needed was me to be present and to love her unconditionally 

and reassure her I was with her. That’s sometimes harder 

for us to do than trying to fix it, but in the end our presence and 

love are healing. 

What I learned about faith and God is that He is faithful and sees 

your struggle. There were days when I said to God - ‘I don’t think 

I can do this anymore‘ and I needed Him to help me. Then He would 

do something that let me know He was with me, He saw me, and 

I was going to make it through. I also learned that God’s ways of 

doing things are not always what I want or expect. But His ways 

and timing are always perfect. 


Your skin. your story. 

At Solstice Dermatology, our holistic approach to care and strong patient 

relationships are the foundation of our practice. Dr. Ashley Emerson specializes 

in diagnosing and treating skin concerns and conditions for patients of all ages, 

using cutting-edge techniques for effective, remarkable results. 

Medical Dermatology • Cosmetic Dermatology • Surgical Dermatology 

1675 Lakeland Drive, Suite 200, Jackson, MS 

(769) 768-SKIN | hello@solsticedermatology.com 

solsticedermatology.com 

© Copyright Solstice Dermatology. All rights reserved. 

Dr. Ashley Emerson, 

MD, FAAD 

Happy New Year 

from all of us at 

Hometown 

Magazines. 

42 • JANUARY 2024


44 • JANUARY 2024

KIDS WHO CARE 

Kelby 

Desper 

PolkMistie 

CHANGING THE WORLD 

ONE FRIENDSHIP AT A TIME... 

Pearl Junior High School 8th grader 

Kelby Polk may just be “treating everyone the 

way the Bible tells us,” but to her peers and 

community, she is changing lives of those 

around her. Kelby’s family, dad Jeff, mom 

Robin, and sister Callie, are invested in their 

home church, Truitt Baptist. There, Kelby 

helps her mom in the preschool Sunday 

school class and enjoys any activity the church 

hosts where she can serve others. “I really 

enjoy helping with the little kids.” 

Also active in school with theater, archery, 

and band, Kelby is a typical teenage girl that 

enjoys movies, shopping, and hanging out 

with friends. Shying away from some of the 

social norms of today, Kelby and her best 

friend, Casey, are showing the world that 

there is so much love and respect between 

them and they are just normal best friends, 

despite Casey’s special needs. 

Kelby met Casey through their church 

seven years ago and had an “instant bond.” 

Casey is a few years younger than Kelby, but 

they share a deep connection with one 

another. “I love her so much. She is like a 

little sister. When we met, we quickly 

became best friends.” 

Casey’s mom, Rachel Roberts, said, 

“People like Kelby see the world with so 

much compassion. It is so easy to get lost in 

the hurdles of being a special needs parent. 

It can be so isolating and full of fear. She 

shows Casey how she is worthy of love and 

respect, and it is such an encouragement to 

us all. Even when Casey was mistreated by 

others, Kelby supported her. Her heart just 

doesn’t understand how others can be so 

hurtful.” 

Kelby added, “I am believer in what the 

Bible tells me which is to treat everyone with 

love and do unto others as you’d want them 

to do to you. I want everyone to treat Casey 

well and with the same respect as anyone 

else. We all need to be there for each other.” 

Robin added, “She has always loved 

helping. I had two strokes a few years ago 

and she stepped right in doing whatever I 

needed of her. Kelby just always wants to do 

the right thing by everyone. She is very much 

a rule follower. God knows our plans always 

and giving me Kelby, especially as an older 

mom, has been such a blessing. She has so 

much compassion for life, for church, and for 

God. I couldn’t be more proud of who she is.” 

Kelby grew up having a family member 

with a physical disability, and often went to 

work with mom, Robin, at Hudspeth 

Regional Center where she gained a true 

understanding of how people could be 

treated because they were different. This 

deepened Kelby’s love of people in general and 

she saw, early on, the value and importance of 

everyone, no matter their physical or mental 

challenges. Robin said, “She just simply has a 

good heart.” Kelby said, “It makes me think 

of my favorite Bible verse, Jeremiah 29:11, 

which says, ‘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 hope 

and a future.’ Everyone should be treated the 

same, especially those with special needs.” 

Best friend Casey added, “Kelby is my 

friend and I love her.” 

Kelby’s former teacher, Ginger Plaisance, 

already knew she was “always willing to help 

a classmate” but noticed her more because of 

her friendship with Casey. Having a daughter 

with Down syndrome, Ginger admits the 

worry she feels about how her daughter will 

be treated. “Knowing that there are still kids 

like Kelby out there gives me hope for her 

future, a hope that she will also be seen and 

recognized and loved for the person she is 

rather than a label society sees.” 

When asked how she felt about being a 

role model for other young ladies who 

witness her love and compassion for others, 

she concluded, “I think it is great to be 

looked up to and it’s such an honor to be 

noticed. I think it is important to be yourself 

and to be nice and respectful to everyone 

you meet. I heard a quote once that I have 

always loved, ‘Be the woman who fixes 

another woman’s crown without telling the 

world it was crooked.’” 

Although only in the 8th grade, Kelby 

hopes to pursue a career in the law field one 

day and be an advocate for those who need a 

voice. Kelby is changing the lives of those 

around her and showing others the importance 

of grace and kindness towards others. 


BEST OF 

THE BEST 

46 • JANUARY 2024

Nominations were accepted in 108 categories, 

and online voting was used to determine 

the winner in each category. 

Winners will be announced at the 

gala on January 24th and 25th. 

Anyone in the top five of any category has 

clearly established themselves as a leader– 

and for that we congratulate you! 

We wish you continued success in 2024 and 

are honored to celebrate your achievements. 

Nominees 


Dining 

ASIAN 

Osaka Japanese Restaurant 

Ichiban 

Fuji Japanese Sushi & Grill 

Asahi Sushi & Sake 

Sushi Village 

BAKERY 

Southern Sweetness 

SweetTee’s Treats and Design 

Sugar Magnolia Takery 

That Special Touch 

Turquoise Chandelier 

BAR 

The Gallows 

Shaggy’s on the Rez 

Sunset Grill 

Table 100 

Burgers & Blues 

BARBECUE 

Kenova Smokehouse 

Sonny’s BBQ 

Dickey’s Barbeque Pit 

Boo’s Smokehouse 

Little Willie’s BBQ 

BREAKFAST 

A’ha Donuts & More 

Another Broken Egg 

Primos 

Jo’s Diner 

Donut Shop 

BURGER 

Foundation Burger 

Cross Roads Store & Grill 

Burgers & Blues 

Mug Shots 

Taste of Detroit 

CATERER 

Fresh Cut Catering & Floral 

Resa’s Place 

Bless This Food 

Georgia Blue 

McClain Catering 

CHEF 

Danny Eslava, Eslava’s Grille 

Jay Benson, Cerami’s Italian Restaurant 

Bridget Williams, Amerigo 

Jamie Patrick, Table 100 

Kendall Adkins, Kenova Smokehouse 

CHICKEN 

Chick-fil-A 

Mama’s Kitchen 

Abner’s Famous Chicken 

Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers 

Genna Benna’s 

COFFEE SHOP 

Mocha Mugs 

Bougee Coffee Shop 

Rollin’ Beans Coffee Company 

Bonnie Sue’s 

Cups 

DELI 

Frisco Deli 

McAlister’s Deli 

Newk’s Eatery 

Jersey Mike’s 

Firehouse Subs 

DESSERT 

Table 100 

Crumbl Cookies 

The Yard Milkshake Bar 

Amerigo 

Tom’s Fried Pies 

DINNER 

Amerigo 

Table 100 

Half Shell Oyster House 

A’HA Crawfish Bistro 

Cerami’s Italian Restaurant 

LUNCH 

Nonna’s Cafe 

Mama’s Kitchen 

Genna Benna’s 

Grant’s Kitchen 

Chicken Salad Chick 

MEXICAN 

El Cabrito Mexican Restaurant 

Fernando’s Fajita Factory 

El Sombrero 

El Potrillo Mexican Restaurant & Grill 

Papito’s Mexican Restaurant 

PIZZA 

Lost Pizza Co. 

The Cleaners by Pizza Shack 

Soulshine Pizza 

The Pizza Shack, Pearl 

Mazzio’s Italian Eatery 

SHAKES/SMOOTHIES/TEAS 

471 Nutrition 

Deep South Nutrition Café & Gifts 

Shake and Sip 

Rankin Nutrition & Hangout 

The Florence Nutrition 

STEAKHOUSE 

McClain Lodge 

Outback Steakhouse 

Longhorn Steakhouse 

Table 100 

Boo’s Smokehouse 

Health 

& Wellness 

AESTHETICIAN/ESTHETICIAN 

Megan McLeod, The Face Bar 

Stephanie Hodges, The Skin District 

Jamie Watson, The Skin Studio 

Kristen Bomar, High Society Aesthetics 

Trista Boles, The Relaxation Nook 

CARDIOLOGIST 

Julia Thompson, Merit Health 

Brett Bennett, Jackson Heart 

Donny Stokes, Jackson Heart 

Harper Stone, Jackson Heart 

Reid Cotton, Jackson Heart 

CHIROPRACTOR 

Chad Brown, Brown Chiropractic 

Chris Fowler, Fowler Chiropractic 

Haley Fortenberry, Brandon Family Chiropractic 

Clayton Pitts, Norville Chiropractic 

Brad Kennedy, Kennedy Chiropractic 

48 • JANUARY 2024

COUNSELOR/THERAPIST 

Lindsey Lemmon, mindFULL 

Allison Fulgham, New Path Counseling 

Hannah Beaver, Region 8 Mental Health 

Josh Haycraft, Thistleseed Counseling 

Ashley Franklin, Live Beyond Existing 

DENTIST 

Dustin Pambianchi, Winning Smile 

Sara Langston, Dental Wellness 

Andrew Tran, Reservoir Dental 

Jason Cox, Belle Meade Family Dental 

Lee Herrin, Family Dental 

FAMILY DOCTOR 

Allen Sheely, Merit Health 

Marc Hellrung, St. Dominic Family Clinic 

Carrie Nash, Baptist Medical Clinic 

Brannon Morris, Morris Family Medicine 

Scott Kelly, Baptist Medical Clinic 

FAMILY MEDICAL CLINIC 

Merit Health Medical Clinic, Flowood 

Baptist Medical Group, Reservoir Clinic 

On-Site Health 

Greenfield Family Healthcare 

Florence Family Clinic 

FITNESS CENTER 

Planet Fitness 

Burn Boot Camp 

Complete Fitness 

The Barre 

Flowood Fit Body 

GENERAL SURGEON 

James K Chandler, Lakeland Surgical Clinic 

Steven Patterson, Lakeland Surgical Clinic 

Jason Murphy, Surgical Clinic Associates 

Pat Scanlon, Lakeland Surgical Clinic 

Reggie Martin, St. Dominic 

MASSAGE THERAPIST 

Tiffany Melton, Relaxation Nook 

McKenzie Dragoo, Graceful Effects 

Kerri Thomas, Elevated Wellness & Massage 

Lacey Clark, The Wellness Spa 

Kasi Sepulvado, The Wellness Spa 

NEUROSURGEON 

Jack Moriarity, NewSouth NeuroSpine 

Lynn Stringer, NewSouth NeuroSpine 

John Davis, NewSouth NeuroSpine 

Adam Lewis 

Matthew VanLandingham, 

NewSouth NeuroSpine 

NURSE PRACTITIONER 

Roxi Odom, mindFULL 

Amanda Sullivan, Southern Women’s Health 

Donald Garrett, Greenfield Family Healthcare 

Karen Seago, Merit Health 

Ashley Shivers, Puckett Medical Clinic 

NURSE 

Emily Stingley, Florence Elementary 

Chelsea Papenburg, Fresenius Medical Care 

Lauren Ashworth, AccentCare Home Health 

Tammy Harvey, Baptist Medical Group, 

Reservoir Clinic 

Brittany Harris, Rankin Children’s Group 

OBGYN 

Missy McMinn, East Lakeland OB/GYN 

Chad Gnam, Women’s Health Associates 

Shea Moses, Southern Women’s Health 

Emily Johnson, Jackson Healthcare for Women 

Rhonda Sullivan Ford, 

Lakeland Premier Women’s Clinic 

OPTOMETRIST/ 

OPHTHALMOLOGIST 

Mark Allen, The Optical Shoppe 

Anna Taylor, Taylor Eyecare 

Tina Sorey, Eye Care Professionals 

Richard Pharr, Family Eye Care 

Precision Optical 

Anh Edwards, Professional Eyecare 

ORTHODONTIST 

Richard Simpson, Simpson Orthodontics 

Albert Tutor, Tutor Orthodontics 

Dodd Brister, Brister Orthodontics 

Chandra Minor, Smile Design Studio 

Camille Sandifer, Sandifer Orthodontics 

ORTHOPEDIC SURGEON 

Donald Baker, Merit Health Orthopedics 

Michael Dulske, Capital Ortho 

James Moss, Mississippi Sports Medicine 

Bradley Kellum, Capital Ortho 

Kerk Mehrle, Mississippi Sports Medicine 

PEDIATRICIAN 

Joe Edwards, Rankin Children’s Group 

Adam Adcock, The Children’s Clinic 

Alisha Vaughn, Rankin Children’s Group 

Sam Denney, The Children’s Clinic 

Joanna Storey, Children’s Medical Clinic 

PHARMACIST 

Tiffany Hutchins, Flowood Drug Company 

Ryan Harper, Brandon Discount Drugs 

Anna Claire Roberts, Olde Towne Drugs 

Kenny Willoughby, Willoughby Pharmacy 

Davis Wilson, Polk’s Discount Drugs 

PHYSICAL THERAPIST 

Blake Hobbs, Apex Physical Therapy 

Jonathan Josey, AccentCare Home Health 

Kristen Shivers, Merit Health 

Casie Peters, Performance Therapy 

Alyssa Fuller Martin, Elite Physical Therapy 

PHYSICIAN ASSISTANT 

Shelby King, Capital Ortho 

Gavin Nowell, MEA Richland 

Justin Schoop, Mississippi Sports Medicine 

Allison Durr, Mississippi Sports Medicine 

Jenn Ainsworth, Mississippi Dermatology 

Associates 

PLASTIC SURGEON 

William North 

Kenneth Barraza 

Shelby Brantley 

Scott Runnels 

Jeptha Cole 

SPECIALTY MEDICAL FACILITY 

mindFULL 

Capital Ortho 

Mississippi Sports Medicine 

Central Nephrology Clinic 

Southern Diabetes Care 

UROLOGIST 

John Baten, Urogynocolgy Associates 

Allen M. (Neil) Haraway, Mississippi Urology 

Mark Runnels, Mississippi Urology 

Ramon Caballero, Merit Health 

Sujith Reddy, Urology Specialist 


Skilled 

Services 

DJ 

David Steele 

Odie Bridges 

Angela Pittman 

Cody Hannah 

Mike Howington 

DOG GROOMER 

Chasity Wiysel, Barks and Bubbles 

Wayne Culipher, Tino’s Pet Grooming 

Haylee Cobb, Classy Canine 

Trisha King 

Amy Lee, Posh Paws 

ELECTRICIAN 

Jeremy White, WhirlWind Electric 

Mike Windham, MW Electric 

Marty Cowden, Jim Cowden Electric 

Chase Campbell, Campbell Electric 

Richie Allen, B&A Electric 

HAIR STYLIST/BARBER 

Olivia Johnson, Firefly Salon 

Jessica Hudson, Meraki Studio 

Jamie Windham, Shear Shack 

Whitney Smith, LaCru Salon 

Susan Burell, Social House 

MAKEUP ARTIST 

Carly Temple, Artistry by Carly 

Courtney Jamison, Makeup by C. Courtney 

Kayla Jones, Spray Tans by Kayla 

Alexis Coker, Reservoir Tan & Salon 

Morgan Wilmoth, Hair & Makeup by Morgan 

NAIL SALON 

Infinity Nails & Spa 

Classic Nails 

Radiant Nails 

ZaZa Nails and Spa 

Monaco Nails 

PEST CONTROL 

New South Pest 

Central Mississippi 

Family Termite 

Jefcoat Pest 

Capital Pest 

PLUMBER 

Bert Wilmoth, Water Heater Pros 

Patrick Ferguson, Draingo Plumbing 

Brooks Yates, Plumtech 

Chris Roeder, Roeders Plumbing 

Ricky White, Complete Plumbing Maintenance 

SALON/BARBER SHOP 

Firefly Salon 

Meraki Hair Studio 

Glossary Salon 

Jane Thomas Salon 

The Social House Salon 

WEDDING PLANNER/ 

EVENT COORDINATOR 

Lauren Messina, LGM Brandon 

Emily Wooten, Sweet Southern Occasions 

Elizabeth Johnson, Simply Splendid 

Carrie Taylor, Perfectly Taylor’d Events 

Kim Sharp, Kim Sharp Wedding Planner 

Professionals 

ACCOUNTANT 

Kristi Thompson, Barlow & Company 

Zack Cooper, Southern Tax Solutions 

Kimberly Foreman, Kimberly Foreman CPA 

Jennifer Brown, Garret & Garret 

Josh Windham, Windham & Lacey 

APARTMENT COMPLEX 

The Village at Crossgates 

Ashford Place Apartment Homes 

High Pointe Apartments 

Harrell Apartments 

Laurel Park Apartments 

ARCHITECT 

Jose Arellano, PryorMorrow 

Taylor Stewart, 

JH&H Architects, Planners & Interiors 

Adam Haver, 


Paul Bagley, 


Michael Rose, Clay Architecture 

ASSISTED LIVING 

Villa South Assisted Living 

Plain View Assisted Living 

Chateau Pines Assisted Living 

Cooperwood Senior Living 

The Blake at Flowood 

ATTORNEY 

Jeffrey Arnold, Arnold Law Firm, LLC 

Connie Smith, Connie Smith & Associates 

Shannon Elliott, Elliott Law Firm 

Tameika Bennett, Bennett Law 

Mel Coxwell, Law Offices of Mel Coxwell 

AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE 

A&M Auto Mechanic 

Dennis & McRee Auto Electric 

Darrell’s Auto Electric & Complete Auto Repair 

Gleason Tire & Service 

Rick Furr Pro Diesel & Automotive 

CLEANING SERVICE 

Vivian’s Cleaning 

Pace Cleaning 

Dunn Right Cleaning 

The Carpet Source 

Heavenly Helpers 

DAYCARE 

Railroad Center Daycare 

Miss Mandy’s Christian Daycare 

Circle of Friends Learning Center 

First Baptist Church Children’s Center 

Lake Village Learning Center 

DRY CLEANER 

Safeway Cleaners & Laundry 

Nu-Way Dry Cleaning 

The Cleaners on Old Fannin 

Martin’s Cleaners & Laundry 

Express Cleaners 

ENGINEER 

Matthew Miller, 

Benchmark Engineering & Surveying 

Chas Smithers, 

Smithers Engineers & Consultants 

Greg Bonds, 

Benchmark Engineering & Surveying 

Drew King, CGI Engineering 

William Dendinger, 

Smithers Engineers & Consultants 

50 • JANUARY 2024

EQUIPMENT RENTAL 

K&M Rental 

Rankin Rental 

Brandon Rentall 

Mississippi Machinery 

United Rentals 

FINANCIAL ADVISOR 

Jesse Nanney, Renasant Bank 

Tim Pickett, Community Bank 

Robert Dienelt, Raymond James 

Chas Gualano, Trustmark Bank 

Neal Broome, Power Financial Group 

HOME INSPECTION 

Cornerstone Home Inspections 

Pinpoint Home Inspections 

Magnolia Inspections 

Pilgrim Home Solutions 

Chadwick Inspections 

INSURANCE AGENT 

Matt Dennis, Allegiant Insurance 

Don Bass, State Farm Insurance 

Josh Manning, Alfa Insurance 

Clancy Walker, Insurance Protection Specialists 

Brandy Gordon, The Insurance Center 

REALTOR 

Tabatha Johnson, Local Real Estate 

Brandie Little, Three River’s Real Estate 

Triston Cowan, Cowan Realty 

Kim Edwards, Southern Homes 

Shannon Warren, Weichert Realtors 

ROOFING COMPANY 

Complete Exteriors 

Halo Roofing 

Southern Roofing Specialties 

Watkins Construction 

Rankin County Customs 

FINANCIAL LENDER 

Shane Dubois, Community Bank 

Nick Whittington, Bank of Forest 

Kris Williams, Renasant Bank 

Rob Oates, PriorityOne Bank 

Chasity Dearman, 

Rivertrust Federal Credit Union 

FINANCIAL INSTITUTION 

PriorityOne Bank 

Community Bank 

Cadence Bank 

Origin Bank 

Bank Plus 

HEATING & COOLING 

The A/C Doctors 

AirTech Heating & Cooling 

Southern Air Services 

Pure Air Consultants 

AKM Air Solutions 

HOME BUILDER 

Clark Builders 

C&B Properties 

Heart of the South Homes 

Lyles Signature Homes 

S&S Builders 

HOME IMPROVEMENT 

Pike Construction 

Xtreme Home Enhancements 

Squared Structures 

Blueline Construction 

JLS Rebuilders 

LANDSCAPING PROFESSIONAL 

Murtagh Outdoor Services 

Ambiance Landscape 

Southern Elegance Outdoor Living 

Clean Cutz 

Murphy’s Lawn & Landscape 

MORTGAGE LENDER 

Randall Harper, Planet Home Lending 

Kasey Finklea, 

Diversified Mortgage Corporation 

Sean Cornwell, Mississippi Mortgage 

Jessica Allen, The First Bank 

Savana Skelton, Origin Bank 

NURSING HOME 

Briar Hill Rest Home 

Wisteria Gardens 

Brandon Nursing & Rehab Center 

Brandon Court Nursing 

Community Place Nursing Home 

PHOTOGRAPHER 

Charlotte Stringer Photography 

Katelyn Anne Photography 

Debbie Steele Photography 

Tristan Duplichain Photography 

Watson Photography 

POOL SERVICE 

Pool Works 

Pool Care Plus 

Bob’s Pool Service 

P&P Pools 

Clearwater Pools 

VETERINARIAN 

David May, Animal Medical Hospital 

Rick Kirby, Hometown Veterinary Hospital 

Scott Houston, Brandon Animal Hospital 

Todd Sullivan, Crossgates Veterinary Clinic 

Staci Rhodes, Crooked Creek Animal Hospital 

VETERINARY CLINIC 

Crossgates Veterinary Clinic 

Crooked Creek Animal Hospital 

Oakdale Animal Hospital 

Brandon Animal Hospital 

Hometown Veterinary Hospital 

VIDEOGRAPHER 

Zach & Zach 

Kaylan Rivera 

Warren Brothers Media 

Justin Fortune 

Stephen Truhett 

TRAVEL AGENT 

Jennifer Burrell, Mickey’s Travel 

Crystal Black, McGehee Cruise & Vacation 

Jessica Allen, Magnolia Travel 

Jennifer Muse, Muse Magical Travel 

Mindi Phillips, Beloved Getaways 


Retail 

CAR DEALERSHIP 

Bob Boyte Honda 

Fowler Buick-GMC 

Gray Daniel’s Toyota 

Rogers-Dabbs 

Noel Daniels Motor Company 

CHILDREN’S CLOTHING 

BOUTIQUE 

Itty Bitty Kids 

Vintique’s 

Willow and Grace 

The Punky Rooster 

The Carousel 

FLORIST 

Willow Blu 

Chapman’s Florist 

Green Floral 

Simply Southern Celebrations 

The Flower Suite 

FORMAL WEAR 

Southern Glitz 

Mia Bella 

Tuxedo Junction 

Southern Grace Formals 

Renfroe’s Runway 

FURNITURE STORE 

Miskelly Furniture 

Ross Furniture 

D. Noblin Furniture 

Purposely Imperfect 

T&D Furniture 

GIFT SHOP 

O! How Cute Gift Market 

Apple Annie’s 

Boudreaux’s 

Heart of the South Apparel and Gift 

Mockingbird Marketplace 

GROCERY STORE 

Ramey’s Marketplace 

Kroger 

Allen’s Super Value 

ALDI 

Fairway Foods 

JEWELRY STORE 

Jackson Jewelers 

Crossgates Jewelers 

Cara Reese Designs 

Crown Jewelers 

Courtyard Jewelers 

MARKET/PLANTS/PRODUCE 

River’s Greenhouse and Garden 

Lakeland Yard & Garden Center 

Doris Berry’s Farmers Market 

The Landing 

Cockrell’s Farmers Market 

OUTDOOR EQUIPMENT 

Woods Equipment 

Van’s Sporting Goods 

Revell Outdoor Power 

Rankin Rental 

Frederick’s Sales & Service 

PARTY RENTAL 

Great Southern Events 

Event Pro’s 

Ace Inflatables 

Fun Ventures 

Deep South Inflatables 

PHARMACY 

Brandon Discount Drugs 

Flowood Drug Company 

Polk’s Discount Drugs 

Olde Towne Drugs 

Rhodes & Robby Rexall Drug 

SERVICE STATION 

Pelahatchie Bay Trading Post 

Shell, Greenfield Road 

Circle K, Pearl 

The Service Station 

Eagle Post, Florence 

SPECIALTY ADVERTISING 

Charlotte’s Screen Printing 

Lucid Ink Printing 

The Decal Guys 

Hallett Group Marketing 

Pollchaps Custom Screen Printing 

and Embroidery 

TANNING SALON 

Tassel Hair Shack 

The Beach Look 

Reservoir Tan & Salon 

Palm Beach Tan 

Sun Kissed Tanning Boutique 

WINE/PACKAGE STORE 

042 Wine & Spirits 

Spillway Wine & Spirits 

Causeway Wine & Spirits 

Topper’s Fine Wine & Spirits 

Greenfield Wine & Spirits 

WOMEN’S CLOTHING 

BOUTIQUE 

Ballyhoo Boutique & Gifts 

Highland Park by Material Girls 

Flawless Boutique 

The Beach Look Boutique 

AllyOops Boutique 

52 • JANUARY 2024

Miscellaneous 

BAND 

Stephens Bro’s 

The McGee’s 

Sweet Tooth Jones 

The Lonely Hearts 

Storage 24 

CHEER/DANCE STUDIO 

Southern Athletics 

Vibe Dance 

Central Mississippi Dance 

Studio Sole Dance 

Rhonda Whitehead Dance 

ENTERTAINMENT/ARTIST 

Bradley Park 

The Detective Dinner Theatre 

Stephens Bro’s 

Angela Pittman 

Jenni B 

EVENT VENUE 

BellaWood Venue 

McClain Lodge 

The Ivy 

West 40rty 

Magnolia Lake Venue 

Thanks to everyone who nominated 

the Vault Venue as a Top 5 venue. 

We are honored. Because the venue is 

owned and operated by the owners of 

Hometown Publishing and the producers 

of Rankin County’s Best of the Best, we 

respectfully withdraw our name from voting. 

Good luck to all these amazing venues! 

FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT 

Spinner’s of Florence 

McClain Resort Safari 

Jellystone Park-Yogi on The Lake 

Brandon Amphitheater 

Mississippi Braves 

PLACE TO WORK - SMALL 

1-49 Employees 

mindFULL 

Three Rivers Real Estate 

MW Electric 

Local Real Estate 

Rankin County Co-Op 

PLACE TO WORK - MEDIUM 

50-100 Employees 

Mississippi HomeCare 

Netlink Voice 

MDB Health Services 

Watkins Construction 

Restoration 1 

PLACE TO WORK - LARGE 

100+ Employees 

Rankin County School District 

Merit Health 

USPFO-MS National Guard 

Southern States Utility 

Capital Ortho 

NON-PROFIT 

The Tower/Center for Violence Prevention 

5th Squad 

Baptist Children’s Village 

Ever Reaching Community Outreach 

Shannon’s Home of Hope 

...and the winner is... 


54 • JANUARY 2024


56 • JANUARY 2024


58 • JANUARY 2024

Congratulations 

TO DR. EMILY JOHNSON 

for being named 

“Top 5 Best of the Best Ob/Gyn” 

Thank you for recognizing her incredible 

dedication and commitment to her patients! 

291 East Layfair Drive, Flowood, MS 39232 (601) 936-9190 www.jhcfw.com 


Serving the South with Top-Quality 

Trailers, Service, and Parts. 

SOUTHERN STATES UTILITY TRAILER SALES, INC. 

JACKSON • MEMPHIS • MONROE 

1-800-844-9100 

www.ssutility.com 

Special THANKS to everyone who nominated and voted for us 

for “Rankin County’s Best Place to Work - LARGE BUSINESS.” 

60 • JANUARY 2024


62 • JANUARY 2024

Cosmetic Surgery | Non-Surgical Solutions | Skin Care Products | Full-Service Facial Clinic 

Natural. Refreshed. You. 

It’s time to do something beautiful! 

Aging is inevitable. Over time, skin begins to loosen on the face and neck, and facial 

bones and fat atrophy. Facial plastic surgery makes it possible to correct flaws and signs 

of premature aging that can undermine self-confidence. 

Pre-Procedure 1.5 Months After Pre-Procedure 3 Months After 

Dr. Cole specializes in deep-plane extended technical facelifts and 

is a double board-certified facial plastic surgeon 

Walk-in Injectables Clinic. 

No appointment needed. No kidding. 

Dr. Cole’s certified cosmetic injection specialists can see you today at our walk-in cosmetic 

injectables clinic. Waiting is so yesterday. Get the results you’re looking for — today. 

Injectable Happy Hour Monday–Thursday 1–5p 

$1 OFF per unit Botox®/Dysport® | 10% OFF Fillers 

Ashley Atkinson, NP 

Emilee Kahl, NP 

Botox® · Fillers · Wellness · Lunchtime Lifts · Private Botox® Parties 

204 E. Layfair Drive 

Flowood, Mississippi 

(601) 933-2004 

colefacialclinic.com 

20 

YEARS OF 

OVER 

BEAUTIFUL 

CARE 

PATIENT 

· 


64 • JANUARY 2024


66 • JANUARY 2024

You Have Done It Again! 

We could not have done 

it without you. 

The Baptist Children's Village 

is listed as a top 5 nonprofit in 

Thank you to all the staff and friends who took 

time to vote for us. We love the ministry and 

we are so encouraged that so 

many of you do also. 

baptistchildrensvillage.com 

to our patients, community, and friends for nominating 

us in multiple categories for 

Hometown Rankin's Best of the Best 2023-2024! 

Best Orthopedic Surgeon - Dr. Dulske, Dr. Kellum 

Best Physician Assistant - Shelby King 

Best Specialty Clinic 

Best Place to Work, Large Employer 


68 • JANUARY 2024


70 • JANUARY 2024


72 • JANUARY 2024


74 • JANUARY 2024

Merit Health extends heartfelt gratitude 

to our community for recognizing our 

exceptional medical professionals. 

Your trust and support inspire us to continue delivering 

outstanding healthcare with compassion and dedication. 

NOMINATIONS FOR 2023 BEST OF THE BEST AWARDS 

Donald 

Baker, MD 

Nominated for 

Best Specialty 

Medical Physician 

Ramon 

Caballero, MD 

Nominated for 

Best Urologist 

Karen 

Seago, CFNP 

Nominated for 

Best Nurse Practitioner 

Allen 

Sheely, MD 

Nominated for 

Best Family Doctor 

Kristen 

Shivers, DPT, PT 

Nominated for 

Best Physical Therapist 

Julia 

Thomspon, MD 

Nominated for 

Best Cardiologist 

Merit Health 

Medical Group 

Flowood 

Nominated for Best 

Family Medical Clinic 

Merit Health 

Nominated for 

Best Place to Work, 

Large Business 

MH Merit Health Best of the Best Nomination 2023 Ad 8x5 3.indd 1 

12/18/23 9:43 AM 

Congratulations! 

TO OUR OWN 

ALYSSA MARTIN FOR HER 

NOMINATION AS TOP 5 

PHYSICAL THERAPISTS 

IN RANKIN COUNTY! 

Richland Clinic 

1201 Highway 49 South, Suite 2 

Richland • (769) 233-8844 

Visit us at MYELITEPT.COM to request an appointment. 


L O C A L R E A L 

E S T A T E 

T O P 5 

B E S T S M A L L 

B U S I N E S S 

Thank you for your support & for making this 

recognition possible. It's truly an honor to be 

part of this wonderful community. Our goal 

has always been to provide exceptional service 

& exceed your expectations! 

We’re grateful for the opportunity to help you find 

your dream home or grow your business, and we look 

forward to continuing to serve you in the future! 

Sincerely, Edwayne, Layla & Tabatha 

T A B A T H A 

J O H N S O N 

T O P 5 

B E S T 

R E A L T O R 

76 • JANUARY 2024

HOMETOWN RANKIN RED CARPET GALA 

BEST BANK 

2023 

BEST OF THE BEST 

NOMINEE 


78 • JANUARY 2024


80 • JANUARY 2024


When Care at Home is Not Enough… 

We’re Here For You! 

Thank You for 

Voting Us 

TOP 5 

st of th st 

214 Spell Drive Richland, MS 

601-664-1966 

Committed to excellence in providing 

compassionate and quality senior care 

www.hickoryseniorliving.com 

82 • JANUARY 2024


THANK YOU! 

C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S 

D R . J A S O N C O X 

TOP 5 BEST OF THE BEST DENTIST 

84 • JANUARY 2024

WE’RE HONORED BY 

YOUR APPRECIATI N 

Origin is pleased to announce our very own Savana Skelton was nominated for 

Best Mortgage Lender, while we were named among the Best of the Best in Rankin County. 

After supporting our employees, customers and communities for more than 100 years, we 

look forward to continuing to build even greater relationships. 

MEMBER FDIC 

NMLS# 1119600 

Origin Bank NMLS# 455990 

www.Origin.bank 


86 • JANUARY 2024


Thank You 

FOR THE NOMINATION! 

Best Orthodontist 

OUR SERVICES 

Braces 

Ceramic Braces 

Clear Aligners 

Hometown 

Rankin’s 

Invisalign Top 5 

iTero 

TMJ Treatment 

(601) 724 - 8783 3007 Greenfield Road bristerorthodontics.com Monday - Thursday: 8AM - 4:30PM 

Pearl, MS 39208 

Friday: 8AM - 11:30AM 

88 • JANUARY 2024

LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED 

GOOD ON YA, 

MATES! 

Every time you dine with us, you’re helping local charities 

thrive with great food, good fun, and plenty of warm smiles 

through our “BLOOMIN’ IS BOOMIN’!” program. 

So, keep joining us for our Awesome food served with care 

and a BIG heapin’ helpin’ of Southern charm. 

Flowood Location: 

586 Park Way, Flowood 

601.992.4045 

@jrrestaurantgroup 

See how we’re Servin’ 

the South & helping the 

community bloom. 

servinthesouth.com

90 • JANUARY 2024

WE LOOK FORWARD TO 

serving your family 

with excellence 

IN 2024! 


92 • JANUARY 2024


94 • JANUARY 2024

BEST OF 

THE BEST 

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 

OF THIS YEAR’S NOMINEES. 


96 • JANUARY 2024 

Flowood Chamber 

& City of Flowood’s 

Chili Cook-Off 

December 7, 2023 

Winner’s Circle Park


SALUTE 

to First Responders 

What made you decide to work in law enforcement? 

I wanted to work in law enforcement after riding with several 

friends who were police officers. I was immediately attracted 

to it because I saw that not only did law enforcement officers 

combat the criminal element, but they also helped members 

of the community. 

How long have you been with the Brandon Police 

Department? 

I have been with Brandon Police Department for a little over ten 

years. I’ve come to love it here and the people I work with have 

become family. 


I am engaged to Dr. Dava Sue Cleveland, and I have a fifteenyear-old 

daughter Lauren French. We have several rescue dogs 

and a parrot. 

Share some things you enjoy doing in your spare time. 

In my spare time I enjoy hiking, fishing, and gardening. 

What are three things on your bucket list? 

Hiking the entire length of the Appalachian Trail, salmon fishing 

in Alaska, and snorkeling in the Florida Keys. 

Chief 

Joseph 

FRENCH 

BRANDON POLICE DEPARTMENT 

If you could give one piece of advice to a young person, 

what would it be? 

Invest your time wisely. Time is a commodity. We don’t know 

how much we will have, once spent we cannot get it back, and it 

can easily be wasted. 

What is your favorite thing about the city of Brandon? 

My favorite thing about the city of Brandon and Rankin County, 

both, is that they have become home to me. I enjoy the growth 

that Brandon has achieved, while still keeping the hometown 

feel. 

98 • JANUARY 2024


ankin Performing Arts Presents 

December 15 - 16 - 17, 2023 

100 • JANUARY 2024


The CHALKBOARD 

Pearl Public School District 

PCSD hosted a holiday luncheon to express appreciation for our community partners who are making a positive impact on our school district 

and the lives of our students and their families. 

102 • JANUARY 2024

McLaurin 

The Star Youth Association hosted their annual Rankin County Youth Association Jamboree on September 9th, 2023. Tiger Stadium opened their gates to Florence 

Eagles, Brandon Bulldogs, Richland Rangers, and the Pearl Pirates. Players ranging from the ages of 7-12 came together for a day of sportsmanship, integrity, and fun. 

The Jamboree was sponsored by Magnolia Federal Credit Union, Wiggles and Giggles LLC., George Paul’s Body Shop Inc., Toni P. Production, Walmart, and 

Snackadoodles Boutique. Stay connected and watch the next generation flourish with Tiger Pride. 


The CHALKBOARD 

Pisgah 

A Fiery A-Rating • Kelsey Treadwell 

At Pisgah High School, we believe the heart of a Dragon is exemplified by 

“Breathing F.I.R.E.” This is displayed through students and faculty that are 

Friendly and Fierce, Inquisitive and Involved, Respectful and Responsible, 

and Excellent and Engaged. This year, Pisgah High School received tangible 

proof of just how much we have been “breathing fire” in the classroom. 

We’re honored to have received an A-Rating for the 2022-2023 school year, 

becoming the first 7-12 school in the Rankin County School District to score 

an A-rating on the current accountability model. Some notable highlights of 

this achievement include first in the Rankin County School District in both 

seventh-grade math and Algebra I, and second place in the district in both 

eighth-grade science and seventh-grade English. Conclusively, our school 

grew in eight of the ten indicators determining a school’s rating. We’re 

beyond proud of our students and faculty for this great achievement and 

commemorated this success with a school-wide celebration. All students 

received a t-shirt and spent the day enjoying activities such as kickball, 

dodgeball, a mechanical bull, and much more. What was most notable about 

this day was the true display of Dragon Pride–from parents donating food, 

water, and money, as well as their time grilling lunch, to students engaging 

with one another in friendly competition, and our faculty creating invaluable 

memories with our students. This day showcased what it means to be a part 

of the Dragon Community. Our “A-Rating Celebration” was not only a 

testament to the hard work and dedication we have achieved academically, 

but to the relationships that are built in this unique community among 

students, faculty, and parents. It is evident that Dragon Nation is “breathing 

fire” this year! 

104 • JANUARY 2024

Richland Elementary 

Richland Elementary is proud to be an A-rated school! 

Our success is possible because of our hard-working and 

dedicated staff and the wonderful students and families we 

serve. While our primary goal is to provide our students with 

a quality education, we strive to enrich their lives in a 

multitude of ways. 

At RES, we are preparing our students to be leaders in 

our school community and beyond. Each month one student 

from every class is chosen to be Leader of the Month. These 

students are recognized and celebrated monthly at the 

Leaders of the Month breakfast. 

During Start with Hello week, students dressed up 

according to a daily theme and were encouraged to be kind 

to others and make new friends. Students are also able to 

show their leadership skills through membership in our 

Kindness Club or Junior Tech Team. 

Involving our families and community is extremely 

important to Richland Elementary. Several events took place 

during the first semester. We were excited to honor many of 

our students’ family heritage by celebrating Hispanic Heritage 

Month. Several students dressed in traditional Hispanic garb 

while their parents served up delicious culinary items 

representing their culture. 

We held our annual book fair which featured a circusthemed 

parent night. Students and their families were able 

to shop the book fair and then enjoy dinner from a food truck. 

Veterans Day offered an opportunity to recognize parents 

and grandparents who served in the military. Veterans were 

treated to breakfast and a musical performance by a select 

group of RES students. This was a moving event for veterans 

and civilians alike. 

Teachers worked hard to prepare and present a plethora 

of helpful information for our Family Literacy Night. Parents 

left with a variety of strategies as well as activities to help 

their children at home. 

We are looking forward to what the new year brings! 


TheTime COIN 

Camille Anding 

When Joseph, Mary and the Babe left the stable of Bethlehem that first Christmas, 

I imagine it as being a picture of simplicity. 

Their temporary dwelling had been a stable, so there had been no cleaning, dusting or polishing. 

There was no Christmas tree or decorations to pack, and the only brilliant star had faded with 

the sunrise. There were no plans to store boxes, make gift exchanges or return broken items. 

After their guests had left, there was no gathering of articles of clothing or gifts that had been 

left behind. Their guests had been lowly shepherds bringing nothing but their rods and staffs. 

Nor had there been any sad farewells. Those that had witnessed this first Christmas weren’t 

concerned about the New Year’s economy, inflation, interest rates, or unemployment. 

Why should they be? They had just witnessed and worshiped the answer to every problem 

that would ever face mankind. They left with the promise of victory in their hearts, and this 

overshadowed any gloom or doubt about the coming year. 

Our celebration doesn’t carry much resemblance to that first Christmas. 

The present day has brought us to an era where only our imaginations 

can relieve that first miraculous event as it is told in the Bible. 

Yet, the story in Luke remains the same. Time hasn’t changed or reconstructed 

the story of Christ’s birth. The love we share with family and friends is a 

continuation of that first love that God sent through His Son. 

January is a time to pack Christmas ’23 away- all the decorations and lights 

and find a space for the gifts. There’s always a trace of sadness as I dismantle 

the tree and return Christmas storage boxes to the attic. This year I’ve asked 

God to give me the joy that the shepherds had as they left the newborn 

Messiah. Like them, I want to experience peace, love, and joy in anticipation 

of the coming year. May God grant each of us the faith to live this year in 

the overcoming victory in Jesus that has never changed and never will. 

106 • JANUARY 2024

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