Hello readers!
I am excited to announce the launch of a new summer series called Sunlit Stories: Guest Writers’ Summer Sentiments. This series is a special collection of reflections from guest authors. I introduce them below with their biography and picture. They will be sharing their heart from impactful or humorous experiences and readings. Each story is a unique glimpse into moments of their lives that offer inspiration and insight.
Every Tuesday throughout the summer, a guest writer will be featured. Posts will be available on my website, sent out via my email newsletter, and shared on my Facebook page. These stories will not only entertain but also provide encouragement and opportunity for reflection.
Please join me to engage in these inspiring stories that promise to brighten our summer days.
Stay tuned and happy reading!
With my sincere love,
julie fillinger
Eric Fillinger
Eric Fillinger, DPM, is a foot and ankle surgeon in North Central Alabama with 27 years of experience. He attended Cedarville University in Cedarville, OH where he excelled in Cross-Country and Track earning All-American status 13 times in his 4-year career. In his senior season he injured his foot which propelled him into his clinical interest of foot and ankle surgery, and he developed a passion for performance medicine. While at Cedarville, he not only earned degrees in Chemistry and Biology, but also minored in Biblical Studies.
Eric is passionate about God’s Word and has served the local Church by teaching Sunday School and discipleship classes, deacon ministry, committee work, and leadership teams. In addition to his medical practice and faith-based work, he enjoys public speaking, the outdoors, and loves to hike, backpack, hunt, and pursue athletic interests as both a participant and a spectator.
Eric is married to Julie Bowling Fillinger whom he met at Cedarville. They have been married for 35 years and relish embarking on adventures and supporting their adult son, Drew, in his professional theater career as he performs in various places around the country.
Robin Cook
Robin Bowling Cook is a follower of Jesus, a wife, mother, daughter, sister, and teacher. She holds a Bachelor’s in Speech from Cedarville University, Master’s in English from the University of Alabama Huntsville and a Master’s in Education from Liberty University. She has worked in both the private sector as a professional recruiter and the public sector as an educator.
Robin is an avid sports fan and roots for her hometown teams including The Cincinnati Bengals, Cincinnati Reds, and The Ohio State Buckeyes.
Robin is a huge advocate for the Holocaust Education Center and was named a Belfer Fellow for her work with this organization. She has also been named a Jewish Foundation for the Righteous Fellow and Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial Foundation Fellow.
Robin is a coach at Cullman High School having worked with the CHS tennis team and the CHS Cross Country teams. She sponsors First Priority (a Christian Outreach organization) on the CHS campus, and is also the proud co-sponsor of the Senior class each year.
Robin teaches English at CHS and introduces and teaches AP Seminar to 10th graders. She enjoys cooking, gardening, reading, traveling and spending time with her family.
Joe Johnson
Joe Johnson, MD was born and raised in Birmingham, AL and graduated from WA Berry High School (1983). He then went on to Samford University to graduate with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology (1987). He received his Doctor of Medicine degree from The University of Alabama School of Medicine (1987) and completed his residency in Family Practice at the College of Community Health Sciences from the University of Alabama (1995). He has been practicing Family Medicine in Cullman ever since.
He has been a member of Northbrook Baptist Church for 29 years, has served as a deacon and is now serving as a Bible Study Class leader and as an Elder of the church. He has been married to Kim since 1989. They have 3 daughters: Natalie, Caroline (Marn Chong), and Mallory, and an 8 month old granddaughter, Phoebe.
He enjoys fishing, reading, and travelling in his spare time.
Katie McGee
Katie McGee is an English instructor at Wallace State Community College’s Oneonta campus. Originally from Cullman, Alabama, she graduated from Cullman High School in 2001 and later earned her Bachelor of Science in secondary social science education from Athens State University in 2013. Her academic journey continued at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she completed a master’s degree (2017) and an Education Specialist degree (2023) in secondary English language arts education. Katie is excited to pursue a Ph.D. in Educational Studies at Auburn University, with plans to begin in the fall of 2025.
Before joining Wallace State, Katie taught 7th-grade English Language Arts for nine years at Cullman Middle School. She is a National Board Certified Teacher (2019) and was honored as a Top Four Finalist for Alabama Teacher of the Year in 2023.
Outside the classroom, Katie enjoys spending time with her husband, Adam, and her three children: Juliet (23), Fisher (21), and Emmy (5). She is an active member of First Baptist Church in Cullman and performs as a vocalist with her cover band, The Overtones. In her spare time, she relishes a good cup of coffee and visits to the beach.
Denise Burroughs
Denise Burroughs is a proud mom to three grown and thriving kids: Jesse Burroughs, Libby Burroughs, and Kacy (Brady) Patterson. She has an MA in English, an Ed.S., and is a National Board Certified Teacher. She teaches AP Literature and Composition at Cullman High School and enjoys traveling and experiencing as much of The Lord’s beautiful creation as possible. She has been married to Jeff for 32 years.
Looking forward to this!
Thank you! I hope you have enjoyed it so far. Dr. Joe Johnson is my guest next week!
Very interesting! Thanks for sharing. Enjoyed learning things about other’s interests and accomplishments that we didn’t know about.
thank you!