Pastor's Blog

Chuck Hodges called me around 9:30PM last night to share that the medical personnel didn’t feel Wayne Hickman would live through the night.  It is now 6:30AM and I haven’t tried to call Chuck to get an update.  Wayne is Chuck’s stepfather.  He has battled cancer for several years now.  Pray for the Hickman family during this time. 

I saw Helen Ruth Brinkman yesterday afternoon as I was visiting with Miss Vivian in the hospital.  Her collarbone break is mending nicely.  Miss Vivian is doing well too.  Praise the Lord!

Bro. Benny & Miss Julie hosted a meal for the bus workers last night.  They graciously allowed Lisa & me to join them and we appreciate that.  I am really grateful to God for our bus ministry and those who work in it. 

Today is a regular Wednesday schedule.  Our morning service attendance will probably be off a bit because a number of our senior adults are on a cruise. 

This post is number 800 in the life of this blog.  What does that mean?  Nothing other than it comes after 799 and before 801. 

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

I had the opportunity yesterday afternoon to spend some quality time with Miss Vivian & Myrtle.  Miss Vivian is doing so much better.  She had taken a rather long walk earlier in the day and was sitting in a chair playing a board game with Myrtle.  I think Miss Vivian was winning but that isn’t saying much since she was playing against Myrtle!  Keep praying for her complete healing! 

I promised not to mention it again until next year so you will have to read my previous two posts in order to know what I am talking about!  Glory to God!  (I figure on giving God a handclap of praise this Sunday morning!  He is worthy!) 

I have received some really nice e-mails from the folks who were a part of our most recent GRACE Ministries mission trip.  I also received a very encouraging e-mail from Terry Stephan of Dauphin Way Baptist Church stating that their November trip was the best yet.  I am not sure if the members of the Friendship family fully understand or appreciate the impact you are having on others as a result of GRACE Ministries.  Thank you for being obedient to the Lord! 

It appears my friend, Pastor Jack Bailey, will be busy next summer with the wedding.  I feel certain he will be asked to officiate, pray, or something.  Congratulations, Dr. Jack! 

I pray that you will have a Merry Christmas!

God is good!  I stepped  home for lunch and Edna called to say that someone stopped by the office with an additional $1,203 for the LMCO which brings our total to $31,776.13 – hallelujah!  Praise the Lord!  Glory to God!  (I guess you can tell that I am excited!) 

Please note that any gifts given after today will go toward our 2010 LMCO goal.  (The GA post office receipts are the exception)

Praise the Lord and hallelujah!  Our goal was to receive $30,000 for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for the SBC IMB by November 30, 2009.  God blessed your obedience and our total given now stands at $30,573.13!  Thank you Lord and thank you Friendship family!  Awesome! 

Our largest LMCO to date was $31,014.25 in 2006 which means that if our GA Post Office receives $441.13 then our 2009 LMCO will be the largest in the sixty-two year history of the Friendship family.  I fully expect our GA’s and their leaders will exceed the $441.13 total. 

I am a happy camper with a grateful heart!  Thank you to each member of “Lottie’s Legion @ Friendship” and to all others who gave to this offering.  Glory to God!  He deserves all of the praise!  Our God is an awesome God! 

There will be no more mention of the LMCO this year except for references to our GA Post Office which will operate through 12/16.  We will be asking folks to join Lottie’s Legion @ Friendship for 2010 with giving beginning in February.  I’m pumped!

I am putting out an APB for November ’09 – where did it go?  Wow, I don’t know if it is the “having fun” or “getting older” thing but time sure is flying! 

The Lord blessed and we had a good day in our services yesterday.  Our attendance in all three services was good for a holiday weekend.  It was great to see folks from out of town.  I appreciate Pastor Travis & Amy Northcutt attending our 8:00AM & 6:00PM services. 

The Lord has blessed and we have developed a good core of about 20 folks in our Sunday afternoon Spanish service.  I so appreciate all those who help with that ministry.  The December meals are covered so now we are looking for folks for January – contact Lisa if you can help. 

I am writing this reasonably early so I do not have an update on our LMCO.  I will probably post again later today with an update.  Our GA post office is up and running through Wednesday, 12/16, so consider using it for your “in church” Christmas card delivery. 

I do want to congratulate Pastor Jack Bailey and the folks at Danville Baptist as they are nearing their LMCO goal of $60,000.  Praise the Lord!  I fully expect Pastor Jack to legally change his name to Jack “Lottie Moon” Bailey before he passes from this life! 

Carla Kyser has another test this week and should get the results from last week’s test too.  Cecil told me yesterday that Miss Vivian continues to improve.  Keep praying. 

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

Obviously, many of us watched the Bama versus Auburn football game today.  My hat is off to the Auburn team and coaches for a game well played and coached.  My sister, Melissa, who is a die hard Auburn fan tells me that Coach Chizik is a fine person and a Christian.  (Of course, she thinks all AU fans are Christians! LOL!)

Alabama showed some resiliency in coming back from 14 points down and then 7 points down.  It was a hostile environment.  I am sure that my brother, Freddie, & his wife, Mary Jane, Pastor Bob Harvey, Renee Winkler, and others did their part to make the noise very much a distraction for the Bama team.  However, a win is a win and the season continues. 

In the end, it is just a game.  I do my best to keep that in perspective.  So, congratulations to Bama for getting the win and to Auburn for playing their hearts out! 

I do not like the Friday setting for this game!  I will probably get up and go to church tomorrow and wonder why no one else is there!

Diane Cordelle & Keith Brown’s grandmother, Lillian Brown, passed away yesterday.  The visitation will be tonight from 5:00 – 8:00PM at the Radney Funeral Home in Saraland with the funeral taking place tomorrow at noon from Mobile Memorial Gardens Funeral Home.  Pray for this family as they go through this time of grief.

Thanksgiving Day ’09 will go down as “different” for the Turrentine family but “different” in a good way due to the birth of Titus.  We spent the morning at the hospital and then had our Thanksgiving meal at Cracker Barrel.  It was “good” but it wasn’t Ann’s cooking!  We will have that this Sunday!

I have to tell you that the staff at the hospital has been superb!  Lisa and our girls were born in the same hospital as Titus and I cannot say enough good things about the doctor, the nurses, and the entire staff.  They have gone above & beyond to take care of Daphne & Titus.  I have been impressed and grateful!

Also, on behalf of Brad & Daphne, I say “thank you” to those who have visited and/or called the hospital.  We are blessed.  Daphne & Titus will come home this morning! 

I don’t have an update on Miss Vivian or anyone else – sorry about that!  However, I am assuming that “no news is good news” in this situation. 

It is 3:30AM and I am about to join Lisa on a quick run to Mobile.  Have I lost my mind?  Probably!  However, Home Depot has some things on sale that will benefit GRACE Ministries.  Otherwise, I would be in the bed! 

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

Word came to me yesterday that Homer Perkins fell out of his bed and broke his neck.  He is hospitalized and in traction.  It sounds as though he will be in traction for an extended period of time. 

Miss Martez Richerson had cataract surgery and did fine.  Miss Jean Jackson is at home but is not well.  Miss Vivian Ladnier’s situation is basically unchanged.  Carla Kyser goes for more tests next Tuesday.  Pray for all of these folks!

I am told the the annual Thanksgiving meal for the senior adults went very well with some 225 in attendance.  Praise the Lord! 

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

Today is a busy day in the life of the Friendship family as we host the annual Thanksgiving meal for the senior adults of our community.  This makes thirty something consecutive years for this ministry opportunity.  Pray for all those who will attend as well as those who are involved with the cooking, serving, et cetera. 

As far as I know, there are no significant changes in the folks who are hospitalized, battling cancer, et cetera.  Keep praying!

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