Alex Stroud

A New Season Brings Renewal

BY THE REV. ALEX STROUD

Before March 2020, we all had habits and ways of living, which were disrupted in what seemed like an instant. Over the course of the pandemic, many of us learned new hobbies and adapted to new ways of learning and working. In the past few months, prepandemic normalcy has gradually returned to our lives, and many of us have started doing new things again. The pandemic has, in many ways, been a reset. So, what will we make of it?

In Isaiah, we read God’s words to the people of Israel: “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” — Isaiah 43:19 (NIV)

Life was not easy in Israel. God was there all along, though, setting the stage for a season of renewal and rebirth.

Now, I believe God is at it again. On the other side of hardship, new life is springing up. As we find ourselves getting back into the rhythms of life, what will be different? What should be different?

I don’t believe that God caused people to fall ill or that this virus is some sort of divine punishment that we’ve had to endure, but I do believe that what awaits us on the other side is a better life than the one we knew. The old, bad habits we were shackled to before don’t have to be taken up again. Our former ways can be renewed as a new season begins.

Talk to a neighbor you only waved to before. Share a meal with someone you didn’t have time for before. Rebuild relationships with the people in our community and with God, too. It’s time to chart a new course. Seize opportunities, and you’ll not only discover a better life for yourself, but in doing so, you’ll also bless the people around you.

The Rev. Alex Stroud has been the senior pastor of Kennesaw United Methodist Church since 2019. He lives in north Cobb with his wife, three kids and dog.

A time-honored tradition of cooking with wood makes the difference at J.D.’s Bar-B-Que.

Athree-day decision to buy a small barbecue stand has led to a thriving multi-location business that keeps Chip Allen on the road between Acworth, Woodstock and Canton.

Chip moved from his hometown of Tarheel, North Carolina, to Atlanta in 1996, and worked in construction for three years until he found an ad in the local paper that simply stated, “small BBQ stand for sale.” He called on a Wednesday; set up a meeting for Thursday, where he made a handshake deal; and quit his job on Friday. He started working the stand on Sunday, officially launching on Sept. 19, 1999.

As a boy growing up in the sandhills of eastern North Carolina, he had been introduced to the lost art of stick burning. This style of barbecue cooking uses 100% oak and hickory firewood as the heat source. He lives by the stick burner’s creed, “if you want good food, cook with wood,” and he still cooks barbecue that way.

As a new entrepreneur 22 years ago, having owned the business just a few days, he added his own recipes and decided to give his stand a name. It hit him like a bolt of lightning — he chose the name J.D.’s Bar-B-Que, in memory of his brother Jeff and his father David, both whom he lost at a young age. Eventually, Chip claimed the name J.D., after getting tired of telling the story and answering the question: “Are you J.D.?”

Demand Led to Rapid GROWTH

Chip learned about the service side of the business from that small stand. After four years, he moved from the stand to what he describes as a hole-in-the-wall location in Woodstock. It was a small building, with seats for about 40 diners.

As more customers discovered J.D.’s Bar-B-Que, Chip decided to open a second location in downtown Acworth, to accommodate the growth. After renovating an old schoolhouse built in 1925, he opened the doors there on Sept. 22, 2011.

Back in Woodstock, Chip moved from the hole-in-the-wall spot to a bigger location, just down the street. In 2018, he opened a seasonal seafood restaurant on Allatoona Lake that was in the Netflix television series “Ozark.” It was the Blue Cat Lodge in the series, but he calls it J.D.’s on the Lake.

J.D.’s Acworth location.

PHOTOS: WWW.TELLITUSA.COM

The DIFFERENCE at J.D.’s

Throughout the growth and changing locations, Chip has stayed true to his unique style of cooking and service for his customer base. Each of his restaurants has a smokehouse, where customers can see his time-honored tradition of barbecuing in action.

“I do it like they did hundreds of years ago; basically, a style of cooking that uses wood as the heat and smoking source,” he said. “It’s cooked low and slow, nothing over 250 degrees, and it takes hours to smoke the meat.”

Chip uses cherry wood for whole hogs, and hickory and oak in the restaurants on a daily basis. Diners at the Acworth location can enjoy their barbecue on a large patio in the shade of a 120-year-old oak tree. To take advantage of such a pleasant setting, the restaurant will start to feature live music on the weekends.

J.D.’s Bar-B-Que

www.jdsbbq.com

ACWORTH: 4424 S. Main St., 770-974-8434 WOODSTOCK: 6326 Bells Ferry Road, 678-445-7730 J.D.’S ON THE LAKE: 6979 Bells Ferry Road, Canton, 770-213-4127

Waitress Allie Zaring chats with lunch customers

On the MENU

The menu offers a variety of items but, far and away, the pork barbecue, brisket and ribs are the most popular. The newest choice on the menu is homemade cheddar jalapeño sausage, which is made from scratch. Chip grinds the pork, then adds his own special blend of spices that has made this item a big hit.

All of J.D.’s sides are made from scratch, with the spicy collards, mac and cheese, and Brunswick stew the most popular.

Chip is looking forward to fall and football, celebrating J.D.’s 22nd anniversary, and feeding families for the holidays. Fresh turkeys, ham, prime rib — along with holiday sides and pumpkin cobbler — will be available for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

This fall also will be a special time at J.D.’s for a new reason: J.D.’s is the official barbecue provider for Kennesaw State University. On game days, J.D.’s will be handling all of the private catering for the university.

“The main reason I wanted to open a barbecue restaurant was how it brought people together. The fellowship with barbecue touches people’s souls and builds lasting bonds,” Chip said. “Some of our most loyal customers have been with us from the very beginning, and that is what lets us know that we are doing all the right things to bring the very best barbecue to you. Stop by and see what hard work and dedication taste like.”