Cancer gives mom a mission

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF WOOLLEY INSTITUTE FOR SPOKEN-LANGUAGE EDUCATION

“Ever Singing for Joy”

The Woolley Institute for Spoken-Language Education preschool opens the new school year in a permanent facility

BY TRACY RIGGS

Cancer. A word everyone fears and no one expects to happen to them. Hearing the word changes lives forever.

However, God can bring good out of the worst of times — and Ashley Huffstutler’s story is an example of His faithfulness. After testing concluded she had a brain tumor, and despite dealing with chemo, radiation and language difficulties, Ashley said she felt God call her to write a children’s book. “When I Hold You” was released in April.

“I wrote this out of obedience to Christ,” Ashley said. “As I started my recovery from my initial surgery and treatments, I never set out with the intention to write a book. I just wanted to put my words together for my daughters to have something to read and know

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that God is ever present.

“The further I got into the process, the more I questioned God on if I could even write this,” Ashley admitted.

Always wanting to be used for Him, in 2016 the Huffstutlers prayed God would give them opportunities to share His faithfulness. They were active at The Church at Brook Hills in Birmingham and had no idea the twists and turns their lives were about to take.

In October 2017, David said, “Now, if you had told me a year ago that I’d be sitting in a semiuncomfortable chair in a Neuro-ICU room at UAB writing a blog at 12 a.m. after quite possibly one of the toughest days I’ve ever faced, and it was the answer to that prayer…I honestly would have doubts about actually praying that prayer.”

“The Lord heard our prayer.”

“However, the more I live this story, the more I see one thing clearly: the Lord heard our prayer and faithfully provided,” David said. “He has, for His reasons, set us on this journey. He is sovereign, and as hard as it may be, He truly is providing an opportunity to make His name known.”

Ashley’s first symptom wasn’t that ominous: she lost sight in the right half of her right eye. Since she was pregnant with their second daughter, she couldn’t have a test to definitively diagnose the problem.

They delivered their daughter early, and Ashley was tested again. The diagnosis: a low-grade glioma. A brain tumor. Cancer.

Their first reaction was to cry.

“This is my wife we’re talking about. My best friend, my bride, my love. She’s sick and I can’t fix it,” David said.

But their next step was to turn to Jesus.

“The real answer to keeping it together is knowing you don’t have to,” David wrote in the family’s blog. “Everything is broken and dying. Everyone is broken and dying. Every situation is broken and dying. There is absolutely nothing that you or I can do on our own accord to prevent/stop/heal that brokenness and dying.”

“Lay it down.” “Not to get all Ecclesiastes on everyone (‘everything is meaningless’), but we literally have no hope of rescue in this world…apart from Jesus. The only call on my life is to lay it down. The only call on your life is to lay it down. That’s the beauty of true Christianity.”

The next four years brought ups and downs for the Huffstutlers. Ashley has had multiple rounds of chemo and radiation, deals with seizures and has difficulty with communication, memory, stability and weight-loss. She even contracted COVID-19 in February 2021.

“But the more time I spent in isolation,” Ashley recalled, “I realized this isn’t about me. It isn’t about COVID. It isn’t about cancer. It IS about trials. It IS about hardship. It IS about knowing God more intimately.

“I pray God would continue to use these trials to grow my faith, to increase my hope and to build my confidence. I’ve asked Him to teach me more of Who He is; that in anything we have to deal with, that He’d help me to seek Him in all circumstances.

When I Hold You ends with, “When our day fades into night, I gaze at dark but dwell on Light.”

It’s apparent the Huffstutlers gain strength from “dwelling on the Light,” evidenced by their faithfulness.

“One of the main truths I continue to find myself saying has provided sure footing…I’m sure many of you have heard it, but take a minute and read this. Once you finish, take a deep breath and read it again,” David wrote in the blog.

One constant: Jesus. “God works all things together for our good for those who love Jesus, and ultimately all things are used by Him for His Glory” (Romans 8:28 and Colossians 1:16-18, 27).

“I really find that remembering that nothing is wasted by God and that through everything (not a few things, not some things, but all things) God is working for the good of those who love Jesus and for His ultimate Glory. If we truly believe what Scripture tells us, there is not a single circumstance that happens outside of the sovereignty of God’s authority, and if it is not outside of His authority, it is being used by Him for our good and for His glory,” David wrote.

“For all of the unknowns and all of the change, there is but one constant … Jesus.”

When I Hold You, a beautifully illustrated board book with scripture intertwined in each image, is available at major retailers. Read about the Huffstutlers’ journey on their blog, “Ever Singing for Joy,” at blogger.com/profile/07096570516933963113.

Editor’s Note: This article was based on their blog; used with permission. Ashley Huffstutler passed away in May 2022. This article was originally published in The Alabama Baptist, www.tabonline.org, and is reprinted with permission. Bham Family September 2022 27

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1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 eggs 2/3 cup brown sugar 4 tablespoons butter, melted 1 cup unsweetened applesauce 1/2 cup grated carrot

Preheat oven to 350°F. Generously spray mini muffin pans with cooking spray or line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, add flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir.

In another bowl, whisk eggs. Mix in the brown sugar, then add melted butter and applesauce. Stir in grated carrot.

Pour applesauce mixture over flour mixture, and stir until all the flour is mixed in.

Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling each one about two-thirds full.

Bake muffins for 15-20 minutes, or until light brown.

Source: “Baking Class” by Deanna Cool

MOON ROCK BISCUITS

Makes 24 biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 cup shortening 1 lb. sausage; cooked and cooled 1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese 3/4 cup milk 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning or garlic powder (optional)

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Add flour, baking powder, salt, and shortening to a food processor and pulse for 20 seconds or until mixed evenly.

In a large bowl, use a fork to combine biscuit mixture with remaining ingredients. Roll dough into 1 tablespoon size balls and place on a parchmentlined cookie sheet. Cook 12-14 minutes or until done.

HEART-SHAPED HAND PIES

A fun “snacktivity” with lots of room for variation—you can change up the pie filling flavor and the shape of the hand pie. Kids love making and eating these any time of year!

1 9-inch ready to bake pie crust 1 can pie filling (any flavor) 1 egg

Granulated or turbinado sugar for sprinkling

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Preheat oven to 350°F. Unroll pie crust onto a piece of parchment paper.

Cut out heart shapes (any size).

Spoon pie filling onto half of the shapes leaving the edges bare.

Place the remaining shapes on top and crimp edges with a fork to seal closed.

Brush beaten egg over the top of each pie and generously sprinkle with sugar.

Prick the top of each pie with a fork in an X shape to vent.

Transfer parchment paper to a large cookie sheet.

Bake 10 minutes or until golden brown.

For fall, an apple variation of our delicious hand pies (recipe below) would be perfect paired with Amelia Bedelia’s First Apple Pie by Herman Parish.

We also love to pair a storytime with what we’re baking in class. Some baking and book combinations we used in past classes include: • Puppy Love Cupcakes with Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion • Blueberry Mini Bundt Cakes with Blueberry Shoe by Ann Dixon • S’mores Cupcakes with A Camping Spree with

BACK-TO-SCHOOL READING RECS

Toddlers: Stir, Crack, Whisk, Bake by Maddie Frost

Preschool: Who Ate All the Cookie Dough by Karen Beaumont and Eugene Yelchin Early elementary: Every Cake Has a Story by Christina Tosi

Older elementary: The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling Middle/high school: Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte and Ann Xu

Cookbook: Super Good Baking for Kids by Duff Goldman

Mr. Magee by Chris Van Dusen • Ladybug Cupcakes with The Grouchy Ladybug by Eric Carle • Truffala Tree Cupcakes with The Lorax by Dr. Seuss • Rainbow Fish Cupcakes with The Rainbow

Fish by Marcus Pfister

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answer a question we ask, which moments they will need to linger in and discover more, or at what point they will need to guide the story. We can’t wait to see you at the theatre, and we are excited to experience what your little creators will do in an environment made just for them!

The mission of the Birmingham Children’s Theatre (BCT) is to educate, entertain, and enrich the lives of children through the magic of professional theatre. As Birmingham’s only professional theatre company with a specific focus on the education of children through the arts, BCT celebrates the unique role that it plays in the community and recognizes the importance of providing a quality experience for eager young minds across Alabama. For ticktets and more information, visit bct123. org/twinkle.

A NOTE FROM GLIMMER STARSHINE, HEAD STAR KEEPER

Hello friends! My name is Glimmer, keeper of the stars. I am so excited to meet you and get you prepared to take on one of the most important tasks in your lifetime. You’re going to help us get all of the stars into the nighttime sky! My partner in stars, Sparkle, is going to be leading his very first Star Keeper training. We will work together to teach you everything you need to know about being a Star Keeper.

Star keeper training is best suited for those who are between the ages of 0-5. If you’re a little older, that’s fine! I’m sure Sparkle and I can use your help in guiding our future star keepers. Meet us in the Playspace and get ready to reach for the stars!

Sparkle and I can’t wait to see you at the theatre, and we are excited to experience what these future Star Keepers will do in an environment made just for them.