Pastor's Blog

I did not get knocked over by folks wanting to help with the loading of the container in the morning.  So, we are taking all comers beginning at 8:00AM (11/16/22).  Come one, come all!  McGyver cannot be there so we are running in mud from the beginning!  Can you spare an hour?  If so, just show up!  Thank you!  Blessings!

Todays marks Miss Kittie Camp’s 95th birthday.  Still hard to imagine her being gone but it is comforting to know that she is home with Pastor L.G. Camp, Jr.  Pray for Jeanette and family today.

Steve Morris remains in the hospital.  There is still some “confusion” as to exactly what the next step(s) will be for Steve.  Keep praying.

Myrtle is being given a couple of weeks break from treatments and such.  Pray for this to be a good time of rest, recovery and with her family.

Senior adults, if you have not let Bro. Jerry know yet, please contact him today regarding the meal this Thursday, 11/17.

Friendship family, if you can help load a container in the morning beginning at 8:00AM, please let me know today.  Should be finished in about an hour.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.

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

Bro. Jerry Hovel is hosting a Thanksgiving meal for the senior adults of the Friendship family.  This will take place this Thursday, 11/17, from 10:00AM until noon.  Thank you to those who have signed up already.  If you are a senior adult and have not signed up, please contact Bro. Jerry (251) 445 5412.

Also, I need some men to help load a container this Wednesday, 11/16, beginning at 8:00AM.  If you can help, please send me an email (pastor@friendshipfamily.net) or send my wife, Lisa, a text at 251 259 8072.  It would help if I could hear from those able to help by noon tomorrow (Tuesday).

We only have one hour to get the container loaded so we should finish by 9:00AM.  Nothing heavy this time.

Thank you!

What a great Sunday at Friendship!  The spirit was excellent, the attendance was very good and the fellowship was so sweet.  Our deacons, staff and their wives hit it out of park when it comes to hosting the supper (sure did miss Katelyn though).  Stacy Dyess was, once again, spot on with the meat and beans.  Jeanette and her “youth choir” were excellent!  God used Pastor Randy to speak a most excellent Word to us as a church family.  Just an all around great day of blessings by our great God!  Thank you Friendship family and glory to God!

What a huge surprise to see Tim Knighten in both of our worship services yesterday!  I was amazed!  Just amazed!  Keep praying for Tim!

Steve Morris has been moved from the rehab into a regular room.  Not sure what all of that means but keep praying for Steve & Virginia!

Obviously, Myrtle Bowden was missed in our services yesterday as she is such a huge part of the Friendship family.  We all know that if it were humanly possible Myrtle would have been present.  Keep praying for Myrtle & Sammy daily.

We are on a regular schedule for this Wednesday – morning and evening.  I hope to be joined by many members of the Friendship family along with guests.

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

Heard from Tim & Peggy around noon today and they were heading home.  Pray for them as they will most likely drive all the way.

Aninha’s cousin, Sally, passed from this life yesterday afternoon.  Pray for her husband and the rest of the family as they walk through this valley.

I made a mistake in my earlier entry today.  Imagine that – me making a mistake!  Anyway, Steve Morris did not have a radiation treatment yesterday.  They set everything up for one.  I misunderstood.  My apologies.  Keep praying!

Steve Morris met with more medical folks yesterday and the decision was made to begin his radiation treatments again.  So, he received one yesterday afternoon.  Keep praying for Steve & Virginia.

Tim & Peggy Knighten remain in a Houston hotel near the hospital.  This surgery has set Tim back a bit more than the others pain wise.  Tim is doing good but is not jumping any fences just yet.  I do suspect he will be running his sawmill within the next day or two!  Keep praying!

Shawn Grant remains in the rehab facility.

Keep praying daily for Myrtle Bowden.

I had a website that gave some great bio information on Pastor Randy Von Kanel.  For whatever reason, it will not open this morning.  Suffice it to say that Bro. Randy is one of the nicest men you will ever meet.  He has served in some important churches in the States and now serves in the Cayman Islands.  I believe God is going to use him in a most special way here tomorrow morning and evening.

Remember, we need the members of the Friendship family to bring the sides and desserts for the supper.  Stacy & Gayle are doing the pulled pork and the baked beans.  The church is providing the bread and drinks.  The service will begin at 5:00PM and the supper will follow immediately.

Sunday School at 9:15AM followed by worship at 10:30AM.

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

Happy eleventh birthday to our granddaughter, Lizzi!  Lizzi was born on 11/11/11 at 11/16AM.  Lisa traveled to be with Lizzi this week on her special day.  Lizzi loves the Lord, love her church, loves where she lives,  and is bi-lingual.  We love Lizzi and I hope her day will be great!

THANK YOU to each veteran of the US Armed Forces!  Thank you to each present member of our active military.  Veterans, several restaurants are offering free food to you today.  Wendy’s is offering a free breakfast until 10:30AM.

I cannot wrap my mind around the vote that took place in Montana this past Tuesday to ensure medical care for babies delivered alive at any point in pregnancy, including those delivered after botched abortions.  The residents of Montana voted “NO” on this referendum!  Are you serious!  God, help us!

Tim Knighten was discharged from the hospital yesterday morning and returned to the hotel room.  He was struggling a bit yesterday afternoon with some pain.  Knowing Tim, he will get up and begin driving home today!  Tim is a man’s man which is not always a good thing!  (He was texting me like thirty minutes after his surgery ended yesterday!).  Thank God that Tim’s surgery was deemed a success!  Keep praying for Tim & Peggy!

Aninha’s cousin, Sally, came through her surgery yesterday was a miracle!  Hallelujah!  Sally still needs our prayers but yesterday was a major blessing!  Keep praying!

Steve Morris has been meeting with the medical personnel over the past couple of days and that will continue today.  Steve is struggling physically and they are trying to decide how much of a role the cancer is playing in these struggles.  Pray for Steve & Virginia in a special way.

Emma Kate Ladnier’s first culture was deemed to have been contaminated.  Therefore, she has no bacteria in her blood.  Praise the Lord!

I plan to provide some more details on Pastor Randy Von Kanel in tomorrow’s blog entry.  So looking forward to our services this Sunday – 10:30AM & 5:00PM.  Church wide supper around 6:00PM.  Church is providing the meat (pulled pork), beans, bread and drinks.  We need you to bring the sides and desserts.  Do not miss this seventy fifth anniversary!

I know nothing about Patricia Heaton and I have never watched a single second of “Everybody Loves Raymond.”  However, I read this quote from her last night and it was so spot on: “Good thought for today amidst all the political folderol…” she tweeted on Election Day along with a retweeted Dorothy Day quote that said: “I really only love God as much as I love the person I love the least.”  WOW!

As I drove through Baton Rouge yesterday afternoon, I was reminded of how much I like LSU’s colors.  That would make becoming a supporter of LSU athletics an easy decision.  Is that alone enough to leave Bama?

I pray that you will have a great Friday with Jesus.  Again, THANK YOU Veterans and active military personnel!

Peggy just talked to the doctor.  Surgery is finished (less than one hour) and everything went “exceptionally well!”  Praise the Lord!  Tim may be discharged (hotel) from the hospital later today.  Peggy is a happy camper and Tim will be even happier!  They are both very thankful for the prayer support!

Tim & Peggy Knighten are scheduled to arrive at the hospital this morning at 5:00AM.  Tim’s surgery should begin around 7:00AM.  How long will the surgery last?  Yes.  It will be robotic.  Pray that they will be able to remove all of the tumor plus the areas around it.  The tumor is situated just outside of Tim’s left kidney.  Pray for Peggy as she waits through this procedure.  (Pray for the young boy around Braxton’s age who will be using the joystick to control the robotic arm doing the surgery – just saying!). By the way, Tim’s surgeon will leave today heading to Chile in order to speak at a medical conference.  In other words, this doctor is very good!

Aninha Barrett’s first cousin, Sally, will also be having surgery today.  It is on her heart and is a very, very serious procedure.  The risk factor is elevated because of some other issues.  Pray for Sally, the surgeons and Sally’s family.

Emma Kate Ladnier was discharged from the hospital yesterday – hooray!  Pray for a complete recovery!

Myrtle Bowden remains at home.  While Myrtle is basically confined to home, it does not keep her from being a prayer warrior for others.  She is faithful to this ministry.  Keep praying for Myrtle.

Keep praying for Shawn Grant as she rehabs.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of this Sunday, 11/13, for the Friendship family.  Pastor Randy Von Kanel will be our guest messenger.  His credentials are amazing!  However, he is a much better person than even the credentials show.  Randy is a great man of God and, if you miss this Sunday, you are going to miss it!  Sunday School at 9:15AM, worship at 10:30AM, worship at 5:00PM and supper around 6:00PM.  Friendship family, bring enough sides and desserts for those coming with you plus three others as we will have guests for supper.

I had such an enjoyable time with Harold, Mary Anne and Ezabella yesterday morning at Waffle House.  Great start to my day.  Filled up with fuel in Escatawpa and headed West at 9:00AM sharp!  I crossed into Louisiana at 12:00PM sharp – traffic accident with no way to avoid the jam.  Made good time until I got about twenty miles outside of Houston and it was crazy slow – driving fifteen miles per hour on I-10 due to the heaviness of the traffic.  I was able to cram a seven hour drive into ten hours!  However, I arrived safe and sound and for that I am most grateful.

Tim & Peggy patiently waited on me in order to take me to supper.  When I saw the sign for Burger King I was not too impressed!  However, next door was a really good bar-b-cue restaurant and we were able to enjoy good food and even better fellowship.  Thanks for supper, Tim & Peggy!

One final thing – thanks to CG for his kindness to me.  What?  He knows!  I appreciate it!

Do I stay in the SEC conference (Paul) or do I dare move to another conference?  Big decision!

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