Pastor's Blog

Happy birthday to my brother, Eddie.  I hope that his day is blessed.  Eddie & Sue have positively impacted so many folks through their generosity.  They are great caregivers to our mama and I will be forever grateful.  Happy birthday, Eddie!

Dusty Coffman is in the hospital having had exploratory surgery this past Saturday. The surgery did allow them to diagnose his problem.  Jamie asked that we pray for a quick healing.

The Lord blessed us with a good Sunday.  Aunt Pam did a nice job of sharing the message in song during both services.  Bro. Danny did very well as he brought us the Word of God through preaching.  The morning attendance was strong and the evening attendance was good.  Praise the Lord!

Tonight, we will begin our service at 6:30PM.  I am encouraging each member of the Friendship family to pray, attend and bring someone with you.

Lord, send a revival and let it begin in me.

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

Happy eighty-third birthday to my mama.  I hope she will have a blessed day.  (Today also marks my dad’s eighty-sixth birthday) So, as crazy as it sounds, I am leaving in a bit to head to Hartselle in order to see mama and then will drive back home early in the morning in order to be home before noon.  Yes, Lisa is going with me because she wants to see mama and she is worried about me driving so much in such a short period of time.

Pray for Phil Morgan and family as they will be in Sweet Water, AL for his mama’s celebration of life service.

Our friend, Decker Terry, in Montgomery got a good report from his recent surgery.  Praise the Lord!

Basketball awards night tomorrow beginning at 5:00PM.

Revival services begin Sunday at 10:30AM.  Preceded by Sunday School beginning at 9:15AM.  Pray for revival.

Folks planning on taking part in the June 16 – 23 GRACE Ministries trip MUST email me by Sunday, 2/20.  This applies to those who have already signed up.  No email, no spot on the team.  Important.

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

This entry is considerably late.  My apologies.

Bro. Jerry tells me that everything went well in the services yesterday morning and evening.  I had already heard that our morning attendance was good and he said the same was true for the evening service.  Thank you to those who were faithful to attend the services.

Visitation with the Valerie Morgan family this afternoon from 3:00PM until 5:00PM at Serenity Funeral Home.  Keep praying for the family.

R.B. “Pat” Patterson is a dear friend of Andy & Betty Hamil.  He has been having some physical problems in recent weeks.  Pray for Pat Patterson in Gadsden.

Our basketball leagues will have their awards ceremony this Saturday, 2/12, beginning at 5:00PM in the CAB.  It is going to be a great event featuring the “crazy tie guy!”  He will then be in our children’s church on Sunday morning.

Pray for Evangelist Danny Long as he prepares to come preach at Friendship this Sunday morning, 2/13, at 10:30AM and then again that afternoon at 5:00PM.  Pray for revival!  YAM!

I am presently in Guatemala City and will soon be heading to the airport to come home.  Scheduled to land in Mobile at 9:35PM.  Pray for traveling mercies.

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

Valerie Phillips Morgan, age 89, of Theodore, AL passed away on Thursday, February 3, 2022. Valerie was born August 30, 1932.

Valerie loved God and her churches as she attended in both Theodore and Aimwell. She loved her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and a host of many other children through the years. Valerie taught school for many years starting her career at Nan Gray Davis where she became one of Pearl’s Girls and became part of a sisterhood of educators. She moved to private schools where she taught at Theodore Christian and Magnolia Springs Christian. After she retired from teaching, she became caretaker of several members of her family. She was an avid reader, loved to work puzzles, watch television, and in her younger years, loved to sew.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Luther Morgan; mother and father, Asa and Myrtle Phillips; mother-in-law and father-in-law, Zeb and Berta; and siblings, Jim, Ruth, John, and Jo.

Valerie is survived by her sons, Phillip Morgan (Edna), Mark Morgan (Jeanette), Stuart Morgan (Karen), and Nathan Morgan (Sheri); grandchildren, Cara, John, Lauren, Kaylee, Daniel, Bethany, Stephen, Brad, Emily, Lucy (Gray), and Clara; great-grandchildren, Morgan, JD, Luke, Noah, Britany, Chase-Alan, Genevieve, Giselle, and Pierceson; great-great-grandchildren, Lakin, Ansley, and Amanda; sister-in-law, Karen (Peggy); nieces, Erin (Shean), Angie (Christopher), Scharlean, and Teresa; nephews, Mike, Clint, and Butch; and a host of other relatives and friends.

A special thank you to Theresa, Michelle, Mercedes, and Tammy for the care they provided. Also, for Mrs. Essie and Mrs. June for loving her like a sister.

A visitation for Valerie will be held Thursday, February 10, 2022, from 3:00-5:00 PM at Serenity Funeral Home, 8691 Old Pascagoula Road, Theodore, Alabama 36582. A funeral service will occur Friday, February 11, 2022, at 12:00 PM at Aimwell Baptist Church, 2770 County Rd 17, Sweet Water, Alabama 36782. Valerie will be laid to rest in Aimwell Cemetery, 2770 County Rd 17, Sweet Water, AL 36782.

Today, February 9, 2022, marks the fiftieth anniversary of Edna Miller Holifield Glover serving as secretary for the Friendship family.  What a milestone.  I love and appreciate Miss Edna.  Congratulations, Miss Edna.

We will have a normal schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.

The visitation with the Morgan family takes place tomorrow afternoon, 2/10, from 3:00PM until 5:00PM at Serenity Funeral Home in Theodore.  The celebration of life service will take place Friday from Sweet Water, Alabama.  Pray for the Morgan family during this time of loss.

Bro. Abel tells me that our soccer number is now at two hundred and seven and that registration is closed.  He has all of the coaches and officials needed for the leagues.  Very nice. Pray for this ministry.

Pray for revival!  Our schedule this Sunday, 2/13, is as follows – Sunday School begins at 9:15AM, worship at 10:30AM and then worship at 5:00PM.  Please note that there will be NO early worship service (someone please tell Amy Switzer!) and no activities in the afternoon/evening outside of the 5:00PM worship service.  YAM!

Anyone interested in taking part in our June 16 – 23, 2022 GRACE Ministries mission trip must let me know via email no later than Sunday, 2/20.  This includes those who have already signed up!  The regulations have changed regarding the entering of Guatemala in regards to the vaccination which is having a negative impact on our participants.  Email me at pastor@friendshipfamily.net like yesterday if you plan on joining us.

Speaking of Guatemala, our team of six had a good day of ministry yesterday.  More dental, more building and house dedications all took place.  Our students sang for the team yesterday morning.  Our music teacher, Sabrina, did a great job of leading these students.

The team leaves this morning heading to the lake for a couple of days to just rest and relax.  I will head to the city in order to fly home tomorrow afternoon.  I have appreciated the ten folks who have ministered here these past two weeks.  Really great folks!

I also appreciate Bro. Jerry, Bro. Abel and our deacons for ministering in my absence during this time.  They have done great!

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

Happy ninth birthday to our granddaughter, Sydney!  She has been marking the days off on the calendar and is excited about today.  She wanted to stay home from school but educator mama said “no way!”  We love Sydney and hope she has a great day!

The visitation with the Valerie Morgan family takes place this Thursday, 2/10, from 5:00 – 7:00PM at Serenity Funeral Home.  The celebration of life service will take place this Friday, 2/11, in Sweet Water, Alabama.  Pray for Phil and the family.

Sheila Booker’s brother-in-law passed from this life.  The only detail I know is that Bro. Abel will be preaching that service.  Pray for the family.

Last count I heard for the soccer leagues is two hundred and one – wow!  Just think what it would be if soccer were a real sport!  Lots of ministry opportunities through this ministry.  Contact Bro. Abel for details.

The team in Guatemala had a good Monday.  They began the day by cooking breakfast for the students of Colegio JET.  The dentist extracted like a million teeth.  The hygienist cleaned a million more.  Kurt & Kim stayed in the Colegio JET kitchen and cooked lunch for the students.  Two more houses were built and completed brining the total finished for this team to five with three more to go.  Ten dollar Gissal and Robin took their sponsored child and family to supper in the local mall.  Yes, it was a good day.

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

Happy sixth birthday to our grandson, Asher!  Asher is a great young boy and a delight in our lives.  I hope he has a great day celebrating his special day!  We love Asher!

Our good friend, Decker Terry, who lives in Montgomery will be having outpatient surgery today.  Pray that all goes well.  Decker is a tremendous supporter of GRACE Ministries and SLAM Ministries.  He is a prayer warrior and prays without ceasing for the work in Guatemala.  I am very grateful for Decker Terry!

The team in Guatemala had a good Sunday which included church and more ministry.

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

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.  I pray the Friendship family will be faithful to attend.

Live stream available for the 8:00AM service.  No password needed.

Yesterday was like the first official Saturday of sign ups for our Spring soccer season.  Bro. Abel sent me a couple of updates and it ended with him sharing that one hundred and ninety-five players have signed up!  Amazing!  He is only allowing a total of two hundred players.  If you have a child, grandchild, et cetera who wants to play then you need to contact Bro. Abel immediately.  I am most excited that a number of these families are looking for a church home.

Our basketball leagues awards ceremony takes place this Saturday, 2/12, beginning at 5:00PM in the CAB.  Going to be a great evening.  Contact Eddie Albritton for more details.

YAM! Revival services begin next Sunday, 2/13, with the times being 10:30AM and 5:00PM.  Pray for revival.  Pray for Evangelist Danny Long.

The team in Guatemala is doing well.  Thank you for praying for them.

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

Phil Morgan’s mother, Miss Valerie Morgan, passed from this life on Thursday, February 3.  There will be a visitation this Thursday, February 10 and a service on Friday, February 11.  I will post the specifics early next week.  Pray for Phil and his family during this time of mourning.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.  Study on the book of Romans begins at 4:45PM in the auditorium.  There were thirty-one folks present last Sunday night.

I did not realize how blessed I was by the first team until this second team showed up!  Oh my goodness!  Ten dollar Gissal is killing me!  Thank God for the folks from Arizona!

The Gissal’s and the Scholz’s conducted an examination of all of the student’s teeth.  They charted them and will begin the process of extracting teeth this afternoon.

Meanwhile, Soy & Johnathan took the Bowe’s to build one house and frame a second one.  It was a very good building day.

The evening saw a time of really sweet fellowship around the supper table.  Good stuff!

Our Spring soccer sign ups are taking place.  Here is an excerpt from a phone conversation Bro. Abel had this week with a mother calling for more information:  “If we play soccer, is it ok if we start coming to church at Friendship?  We have been looking for a church home and feel this is the Lord speaking to us.”

After doing some reading this week, perhaps some of you folks owe Coach Saban an apology – “I hear these crazy people on TV who say now you’re doing it above board,” Saban said. “We never did it. We never did it. We never cheated to get a player. We never paid players to come to our school. And now that’s actually happening. People are making deals with high school players to go to their school.”  Just saying!

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

Happy 30th birthday to our daughter, Henni.  Lisa and I are very proud of Henni and where she is with her life professionally.  We love her and hope that today will be a most special day for her!

Our team of four left yesterday morning and (I assume) arrived home safely late last night.  We had four other Yankees show up on GRACE Mountain yesterday afternoon safe and sound.  Our friends from Arizona arrived (I assume) on GRACE Mountain late last night.  So, we are all set for another great week of ministry.

Soy & Deidra hosted the entire Colegio JET family a celebration supper last night.  A good time was had by all!  What a really great group of folks!

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