Pastor's Blog

The Lord blessed and our first Wednesday evening with the earlier starting time was a success.  Our numbers were up across the board.  Even our morning attendance was up!  Thank you, Jesus.

Tim Knighten’s brother, Mark, had surgery this past Monday.  It was more involved than anticipated.  He remains in the hospital and is being closely monitored.  Pray for Mark and his family.

My source is Bill Kendrick so keep that in mind – LOL!  Carol Lucky is home and had another dialysis yesterday.  Prayerfully it was as successful as Monday’s.  Keep praying for Carol.  She is a lady of great faith.  Pray for Terry too.

As far as I know, there is no significant change in Andy or Betty’s situation.  Betty seems to be doing very well.  Keep praying for this fine couple!

Jeanette Bates has not been a good patient!  That is all I have to say about that!

There will be a meeting this Sunday afternoon, 8/16, in the auditorium beginning at 4:00PM.  This is for students (6th – 12th) and their parents regarding next Summer’s youth camp.  It will take place during the month of July.  Folks attending the meeting are expected to stay for the 5:00PM worship service.

Also, there will be a meeting on Monday, 8/24, at our house beginning at 6:00PM for those students (9th – 12th) and their parents regarding next Summer’s GRACE Ministries mission trip.  That trip will take place in June.

Lord willing, Lisa and I will leave tonight in order to drive to Hartselle to visit my Mama.  We will return home tomorrow.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday, 8/16.  Come join us!

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.

Major change for the Friendship family as tonight’s service/classes/Bible study will begin at 6:00PM which is thirty minutes earlier than we have ever began on Wednesday evenings.  This will be the new normal moving forward.  Please pass the word and come join us.  Everything should be over around 7:00PM.

Stacey Sessions continues to wait on a plan of action regarding the situation with her leg.  Keep praying.

Tommy Johnson’s wife, Kathy, passed from this life.  The visitation will take place tomorrow night, 8/13, and the service will be held on Friday.  Pray for Tommy and his family.

Regular schedule on our campus today – 10:00AM & 6:00PM.  Come join us!

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.

We are going to have a meeting this Sunday afternoon, 8/16, at 4:00PM in the auditorium students (6th – 12th) and their parents.  This will be about youth camp for next Summer (2027).  Dates, location, cost, and fundraiser will all be discussed.  Please note, everyone attending this meeting is required to stay for our evening service.  No exceptions.  Questions?  Contact me personally.

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.

Wednesday night time change begins tomorrow night, 8/12!  Our new starting time will now be 6:00PM.  Please remember this and pass the word!

I am assuming that Carol Lucky got home yesterday.  Keep praying.

Edna Pearl Morgan sent me a text yesterday saying that she had gotten a good report from the doctor.  She may be able to get the boot off of her left foot in two weeks.  Still no weight on the right foot and there still remains some concern on the wound healing.  The bones in her right foot are healing nicely.  So keep praying with a special emphasis on the healing of the incision.  Pray for Edna and Phil.

Andy Hamil has thrush on his lips and in his mouth.  It appears the healing process has begun.  Pray for Andy & Betty.

Jeanette Bates’ daughter, Adrian, did not have a MRI yesterday.  She had an ultrasound on her neck.  MRI tomorrow.  The ultrasound came back normal.  Praise the Lord.  Keep praying.

Today is election day in parts of Alabama including Mobile County.  The turnout is expected to be very low.  I would say “very, very” low.

Remember our new starting time for tomorrow night’s service – 6:00PM.

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.

First, Friendship family, please note that we are making a change regarding the starting time for our Wednesday night service/classes/activities.  Beginning this Wednesday, 8/12/26, we will begin everything at 6:00PM.  Please note this major change!  Pass the word!

Jeanette’s daughter, Adrian, is having a MRI today.  Pray that all goes well.

Carol Lucky will have dialysis in Grand Bay today and then go home.  Pray for her to be able to complete the treatment as this is basically a must.  Keep praying for Carol & Terry.

We were blessed with good services yesterday.  God is faithful!

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus!

I visited Carol in the hospital yesterday morning.  It seems that the plan “may” be to move her into a rehab facility for twenty-one days.  She wants to go home but is willing to whatever it takes to get better.  I will find out today where her situation stands. Keep praying for Carol & Terry.

Andy Hamil remains about the same.  Someone asked if he can have visitors?  Yes.  Andy appreciates folks who take the time to visit with Betty and him.  Keep praying!

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday, 8/9.  Join me in praying for our services.

Lisa and I enjoyed lunch with Charles & Ann yesterday as a partial celebration of Ann’s birthday.  We had a blessed time together. I am thankful for my in-laws (well at least one of them!).

I pray that you will have a great Friday with Jesus.

Happy birthday to my mother-in-law, Ann Clark.  How old?  Yes!  I hope that Ann will have a great day.  She is truly a sweetheart and, in my opinion, the best mother-in-law ever.  No one cooks a better dressing than her.  It is the highlight of our Thanksgiving and Christmas meals.  Happy birthday, Ann!

We had a good day in our services yesterday.  I can say with almost complete confidence that we will move the starting time for our evening services on Wednesdays to 6:00PM.  Final call to be made very soon.  If you attend our evening services, feel free to contact me via email to share your thoughts.

Well, things did not go as planned yesterday.  Carol Lucky remains hospitalized.  What happened?  She did not get to dialysis until much later than planned and it has been determined that she needs some blood.  Will she be discharged today?  Great question.  Time will tell.  Keep praying.

Had a good visit with Andy & Betty Hamil yesterday.  Andy has gotten weaker but his faith remains extremely strong.  Betty is doing well.  Pray for Andy & Betty.

We had a young lady pray to receive Jesus as her personal Savior about three Sundays ago.  She has been absent since that Sunday.  Found out that she sustained a broken foot which has limited her mobility.  Her plan is to be present this Sunday.  Pray for her, please.

Keep praying for Edna Pearl and Jeanette in their respective recoveries.

Volcano Fuego in Guatemala has calmed down.  Here is the latest posting:  Right now, on the evening of August 5, 2026: routine. INSIVUMEH ended the August 3-5 eruptive phase at 1:50 PM after 50 hours and put Fuego back at 4-6 weak-to-moderate explosions per hour. Two things have not gone back to normal: lahar risk in the ravines while it rains, and the closure of the Acatenango and Fuego hiking routes, which INGUAT was still keeping in force after the eruption was declared over.  This is good news and we are thankful.

I pray that you will have a great Thursday with Jesus.

If all goes as planned, Carol Lucky will be discharged from the hospital today following her dialysis treatment.  She will be transported home by ambulance (is Terry really that bad of a driver?).  Keep praying for Carol & Terry.  Thank you Bill Kendrick for the update.

Lord willing, I will get an update on Andy & Betty today.

Keep praying for Edna Pearl Morgan.  And Phil.

Ditto for Jeanette Bates and her recovery.

Regular schedule on our campus this morning and evening.  Come join us!  Listening for thoughts on the starting time for our Wednesday evening services.  Presently, we begin at 6:30PM.  Would a 6:00PM start be too early for those who work?  (This only applies to those who attend our Wednesday evening services)  Let me hear from you if you so desire.

Much attention has been given to Volcano Fuego since Monday morning’s eruption.  The concern is appreciated.  Things are good on GRACE Mountain.  Fuego has been erupting since 2002.  June of 2018 was really bad.  We can see the puffs of smoke and sometimes the fire.  It sets behind Acatenango when looking from the mission house.  Could something “big” happen with Fuego?  Yes, but that is always a possibility.  I would simply ask that you pray for continued safety for Deidra, her daughters and everyone involved with GRACE Ministries.  For folks like Tom Compagner, Ross Genzink, Stacey Dyess, Eddie Albritton, Sammy Anders, John Gissal, Steve Compagner, Don Redder (i.e. big money folks) you can send cash to me (small, unmarked bills) and I will get it to Deidra.  Just saying!  I will post an update if anything significant happens.

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.

Happy fourth birthday to our grandson, Cooper Burch.  At this point he is the youngest of our grandchildren which presently numbers ten.  He is deeply loved and both of his grandmothers are good at spoiling him!  I hope Cooper will have a great day today!  We love Cooper!

Visited Carol Lucky in the hospital yesterday.  She was taken to dialysis early in my visit.  Spent a few minutes more visiting with Terry.  Carol wants to be discharged from the hospital but not sure when that will happen.  Keep praying for Carol & Terry.

Stopped by to see Andy & Betty Hamil.  He did have a bad day on Sunday per his own admission but he was doing better yesterday.  Andy & Betty each have a hospital bed in their living room.  I do not see Andy being up and about much, if any, from this point on.  Pray for Andy & Betty.

Stacey Sessions (Saturday) and Laura Fosmore (Sunday) had their respective MRIs and are awaiting the results.  Pray for these ladies.

Thank you to each person who personally gave to the special need in Guatemala this past Sunday, 8/2.  You know who you are but, more importantly, God knows.  Again, thank you.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.

We received an unexpected, but welcomed, rain shower at the house late yesterday afternoon.  Thank you, Jesus.

I am absolutely loving the fiber optic cable internet.  I just did a speed test and it shows a download of 610 with an upload of 462. A bit better than the 14 and o.6 from pre-fiber optic cable days.  Three men buried the cable yesterday.  Really nice men from Oklahoma.  So, hopefully we are now all set internet wise.

By the way, thanks to Rhett Butler we are now set with fiber optic cable on our church campus too.  Folks, Rhett does so much behind the scenes that is never noticed until something goes wrong or does not work.  Here is the deal – Rhett never asks for any recognition.  The same goes for those who help him with various projects.  I am thankful for Rhett!

Speaking of being thankful, my 2026 garden has now run its course.  John Milton Ladnier, Jr and Scott Fontenot did so much work in my garden this year that I cannot even begin to describe it all.  I just sat on the back porch “smoking cigarettes and watching Captain Kangaroo” (just kidding) as they worked in my garden.  The one downer is that Larry Whitehurst never showed up with his hoe – what is up with that!  God blessed the garden and I am thankful to Him and these two men.

One more thank you – my brother, Eddie, got my new laptop set up last Friday when I went to visit Mama.  He has forgotten more about computers then I will ever know.  That may be why he is number one and I am number five on Mama’s list.  If she tells me one more time how smart Eddie is. . .

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus!

The Lord blessed us with good services yesterday morning and evening.  We praise Him!

Carol Lucky remains in the hospital.  I will be on my way to see her in just a bit.

Visited with Andy & Betty the other day and he was having a good day.  I am now told that he did not have a good day yesterday.  Pray for Andy & Betty.

Keep praying for Edna Pearl Morgan.  Tough road for her but Pearl is a tough lady who trusts God completely.  Pray for Phil too.

Regular schedule this Wednesday, 8/5.

I pray that you will have a great Monday with Jesus.

I was wrong!  Those of you who know me well are having a difficult time digesting that statement.  I wrote that the SS class that will be taught by Jeff Holifield would begin this Sunday, 8/2.  Incorrect.  It begins in September.  They will meet in the adult SS building but not until September.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.

A gift was given to me this past Wednesday night for Dana’s baby.  I was asked to give it to Dana.  Has anyone seen a really pretty gift bag just setting around on the church campus?  Could it have been stolen?  I hear nice onesies are in big demand!  I am about to get body slammed!  Just saying!

The Lord blessed me with safe travels yesterday and a good time of visiting with Mama.  She is doing really well and I continue to hold my place as her fifth favorite child.  Thank you to those who prayed for traveling mercies.

I pray that you will have a great Saturday with Jesus.  Go to church tomorrow!