Pastor's Blog

The funeral arrangements for Vaughn Womack are as follows:

Visitation – Wednesday, 3/5, 5:00 – 8:00PM  Serenity Funeral Home

Service – Thursday, 3/6, 10:00AM  Serenity Funeral Home Chapel

Members of the Friendship family interested in helping with providing food for the Womack family can call the church office at 445-5412. 

We will have our regular schedule of Bible studies and services tomorrow.  Our folks are encouraged to attend the morning service thus allowing them to attend the visitation.  Those unable to attend the morning service are encouraged to attend the visitation prior to the 7:00PM service. 

In the event folks don’t know, Vaughn is a brother to Judy (Larry) Whitehurst.  Please continue to pray for this family.

I just received word from the Womack family that they are going to the funeral home at 3:00PM this afternoon to make the arrangements for Vaughn’s service.  I will update as soon as those arrangements are complete. 

My thoughts all during the night have focused on Vaughn Womack’s family as they walk through this dark valley.  Yes, they have an assurance that Vaughn is “absent from the body thus present with the Lord”but death still stings.  I made an entry on 1/17 stating that Vaughn’s leukemia was the worse kind a person can have and a little over six weeks later he has been taken from this world.  Life is so uncertain.  Pray for the Womack family.

Yesterday was a Monday all day long but it was a productive day.  I did attend the funeral service for Rusty Suthoff’s grandfather.  They will have another service today in the Philadelphia, MS area so please continue to pray for them. 

Vera Bosarge has gone to Huntsville, AL to help her brother, Danny Vesper, and his wife as he recovers from his surgery which took place last week.  Pray for Vera as she ministers to her family.

Our student ministry will host another GRACE meal this Sunday, 3/9, immediately following Sunday School for those attending the early service and then immediately following the second service for all others.  Proceeds help our high school students who will be participating in a GRACE mission trip this summer. 

Speaking of this Sunday, I encourage you to remember to “spring forward” one hour this Saturday night as we begin saving daylight!  Several folks have asked me if I am sure that the time change happens this Sunday and, yes, I am sure!   

The folks going on our November GRACE trip are asked to meet with me immediately following our 7:00PM service tomorrow night.  This is important!

Rachel Jackson is now one half of a century old as today is her birthday!  Wow, that’s pretty old – half of a century!   Lindsey Hatcher is celebrating a birthday today also but she is not nearly that old!  Happy birthday Rachel & Lindsey!

I hope you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus! 

Tonight, shortly after 10:30PM, Vaughn Womack departed this life and entered heaven.  Vaughn was feeling great this morning and went to the doctor’s office for a “new” shot.  He passed out there and was admitted to the hospital.  The doctor said the leukemia simply took over. 

Please pray for Vaughn’s wife, Pat, their three sons and their families, his three siblings and their families and all of the other members of the Womack family.  I will post the arrangements here once they have been completed. 

We had an awesome day in the Lord’s house yesterday and we give God the glory for all He did in our midst!  We welcome Andrew Rutherford into the Friendship family by transfer of letter.  Last night’s service was great as Pastor Terry Rainey from South Carolina brought the message from God’s Word and we saw twelve folks follow the Lord in believer’s baptism.  Amazing! 

Bro. Benny took our children on a skating outing yesterday afternoon and one young girl broke one of her arms.  She is five years old and they are supposed to place her are in a hard cast today.  Bro. Benny did well in taking care of this girl as he went to the hospital to be with the mother during the surgical procedure of setting the arm and so forth.  Pray that everything will go well as this young girl’s arm mends. 

Rusty Suthoff’s grandfather passed away early Saturday morning and they will have a visitation and funeral service today in Escatawpa, MS with the burial taking place in Philadelphia, MS.  Pray for the Smith family. 

Pastor Rodney Coleman is having some problems relating to his recent heart surgery and is back in the hospital.  Pastor Charles Fields is having heart surgery today.  Carla Kyser received another chemo treatment last Tuesday.  Vaughn Womack is supposed to receive a new type of treatment beginning today.  Pray for these folks!

The lady with the heart condition in Guatemala still has not had the surgery.  Supposedly, she is going to be taken to the hospital in Guatemala City today and operated on in a timely fashion.  It appears that she needs this surgery immediately so please pray that it can happen today.  Louise Mason & Eugene Dighero are doing a great job of helping us in this situation and I appreciate their help. 

We have another night of FAITH ministry tonight.  I appreciate all the folks who have been participating in FAITH for the past couple of weeks as follow up visits have been taking place.  I have an appointment tonight to visit a couple of folks awaiting baptism. 

We have a GRACE trip planned for the dates of November 18 -25, 2008.  I need to meet with the folks who have signed up for that trip.  This meeting will take place immediately following the 7:00PM service this Wednesday.  Any, and all, persons interested in being a part of that trip need to attend this meeting. 

Shari, let me know if you have any more confirmed names.  Bret, got the box of screws – thank you! 

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

I figured that I had better blog today since I won’t have the opportunity to blog on this “date” until four years from now. 

I received word from Louise Mason & Eugene Dighero about the lady, Antonia, from Santo Domingo Xenacoj.  Yesterday, she was taken by ambulance to a hospital in Antigua.  The doctor there says she needs surgery immediately and that he will accompany her to the hospital in Guatemala City today to inform the doctors of her situation.  Louise & Eugene are taking some money to them this morning at 7:00AM in order for this process to begin.  Please pray for this situation.

Donna (Billy) Morris, Sharon (Gary) Self, Steve Brown, Debbie Landers & Linda Roden are friends from Danville.  Their father, Robert Brown, Jr., passed away Wednesday and they will have the visitation tonight and the service tomorrow morning.  Pray for the Brown family during their time of sorrow. 

Meagan DeGeer & Scott Older will be united in marriage tonight at First Baptist.  The ceremony is by invitation only but you are encouraged to pray for this couple as they begin their life together.  I am not doing the ceremony but did the pre-marital counseling with them.  Scott & Meagan have been very faithful to attend our services and I look forward to the Lord using them in the days ahead. 

So, Morris and I will catch a couple of games this morning before heading back to Grand Bay.  It has been a good week and I have enjoyed the time away.  I look forward to joining the members of the Friendship family in Bible study and worship this Sunday. 

I hope you have a great Friday with Jesus. 

Our church secretary, Edna Holifield, has a great-grandson who is in the ICU in a local hospital.  He was born prematurely and has not developed the sucking instinct yet.  Please pray for him, his mother, Rachel, and the entire family. 

I didn’t mention it yesterday but would ask that you pray for the Collier family today as they will have the funeral service for Eric & Spencer’s mother at 10:00AM. 

Also, Vera Bosarge has been sick this week but her concern has been with her brother, Danny Vesper, who underwent ten hours of surgery in a battle against his cancer.  He is in a Huntsville hospital.  Please pray for him. 

On our trip to Guatemala last week, the doctors treated a lady in Santo Domingo Xenacoj who apparently has a heart condition.  Eugene & Louise took her to a hospital yesterday morning arriving around 9:00AM.  They would not let anyone go “back” with her and she finally appeared around 4:00PM having seen an intern.  He told her that she needed to take her medications but otherwise she was okay.  She could “see” a doctor if she would wait another three hours.  So, they came home and will try again next week to see a doctor.  Pray for this situation. 

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

I am about to walk over to the BJCC to watch six high school basketball games.  The first day was not good as all of the games except one were lopsided affairs but yesterday’s games were much better including one overtime game.  I have had a good time thus far as my younger brother, Freddie, is here along with my lifelong friend, Rod Gillott.  I also spent some time with the guy who was the best man in our wedding, Bruce Fitzgerald.  Bruce pastors a church in Lawrence County and also teaches/coaches at Danville High School. 

I spoke to Claude and Clint this morning via the phone regarding Joseph Hughes Landry’s condition.  He was born this past Sunday night and was placed in the NICU due to some problems with a bubble in his chest.  He is doing much better now.  Suzanne is going home today and they fully expect Joseph to do likewise in a few days.  Thanks to all who have prayed for Joseph and his family! 

My understanding is that Pastor Johnny Howard did very well and I am assuming that he is now at home.  I got an e-mail telling me that Pastor Rodney Coleman is at home doing well following his heart surgery.  Burnie Barnes remains hospitalized but is improving.  I haven’t heard from Carla Kyser but do know she continues to receive her treatment. 

The contribution forms for 2007 are being mailed to all of our Michigan friends today and/or tomorrow.  Thanks to Miss Kittie for taking care of this for me.  There are two or three that I think have discrepancies so please give me a holler if your’s is not correct. 

I hope you have a great Wednesday with Jesus. 

Glory to God!  We had a great day in the Lord yesterday as we saw a number of folks at the altar during the 10:30AM service, had one (Chance Bosarge) make a profession of faith in the evening service, had two (Desiree Hovel & Marilyn Thomas) join the Friendship family by transfer of letter, had one (Tanya Bosarge) come forward desiring baptism since she has been saved, baptized ten folks as a part of our evening service, and had an excellent Spirit in the all three of the services.  Yes, it is a God thing and we give Him the glory! 

I am already excited about next Sunday’s services as there are already folks planning on making decisions.  I know that at least seven folks are planning on being baptized and two more are planning on being baptized the following Sunday.  We are seeing folks in our services that haven’t been present in awhile and that has been such a huge blessing to me!  God is good! 

The Taste of Friendship was a huge success.  Thanks to each person who helped and to each person who attended.  Special thanks to Diane Vickers, Tena Hovel, and Melissa Brown for heading this effort.  It was great!

Pastor Johnny Howard (Carla Cooper’s dad) was admitted to the hospital Saturday with some heart problems.  They will do a cath today to determine the treatment.  Pray for Bro. Johnny and his entire family. 

Bobby Henley left yesterday following Sunday School traveling to Florida for MLB’s spring training.  Pray for Bobby as he wants to be a godly example to those guys for these forty-five days of training. 

Claude & Kay Landry are grandparents for the second time.  Suzanne gave birth to a boy last night around 6:15PM.  Congratulations to Clint & Suzanne and the entire family.  Clint is the Minister to Students at 1st Wetumpka. 

Today, Morris Bryant and I will make our annual pilgrimage to Birmingham and the AHSAA Final Four basketball tourney.  These will be vacation days for me and, oddly enough, sitting in the gym from 9:00AM until 10:00PM each day watching basketball is relaxing and refreshing to me.  My preference would be to not be gone on consecutive weeks but that is the way the calendar fell this year.  I appreciate your understanding.  I do not know how much I will post this week.  Plans call for us to be back Friday in time for Megan & Scott’s wedding. 

I hope you have a great week with Jesus!

As I am preparing to leave Guatemala bound for home, I wanted to remind the Friendship family of three important things.  First, we are going to receive an offering this Sunday, 2/24, to help Jon Cowart in his quest to get another vehicle.  His was stolen during our revival services.  This is a love offering and should be given above your regular offering to the Lord through the church. 

Second, the Taste of Friendship takes place this Saturday, 2/23, from 4:00 – 7:00PM.  This is a major fundraiser for our students attending Wild Week ’08 and your participation is vital to its success.  I believe tickets can be purchased at the door.  You can contact Diane Vickers, Tena Hovel, or Melissa Brown via the phone if you have any questions. 

Third, we will observe the ordinance of baptism this Sunday evening as a part of our worship service.  All baptismal candidates should meet with me at 5:00PM at a location TBA during our morning services. 

I want to add one prayer request.  Jimmy Keenum is in a Birmingham hospital battling cancer.  One of his sons, Tim, pastors a church in the Athens, AL area.  Tim and I attended school together for all twelve years during our elementary and high school years.  As it comes to your mind, please pray for Mr. Keenum. 

O by the way, the container that left our property on 2/13 is in Guatemala and was supposed to be at Casa Aleluya yesterday.  Wow! 

I hope you will have a great day with Jesus.  Pray for us as we travel!