Pastor's Blog

As I was returning home from the Mila Lingle funeral service, Carl Bradley called to say that his niece, Crystal Davis, had just passed away (1:45PM or so).  She has battled cancer for some time now even though she was only about 27 years old.  The arrangements are incomplete at this time.  Please pray for this family. 

I am thankful that there are actually folks out there reading these entries.  I was contacted several times yesterday with folks wanting to know why there was no blog entry?  Sorry for not blogging but suffice it to say that my life has been a bit of a blur for the past couple of days.  Thanks for understanding. 

Nanette Fontenot did well through her surgery yesterday.  I spoke to her very briefly via the phone last night.  The service on Wednesday afternoon for Mickey Howard went well too.  Pastor Bryce Evans was obviously emotionally shaken by the loss of a dear friend and church member.  As far as I know, there has been no significant change in the situation for Tim Lee, Crystal Davis, or Melanie Byrne.  There has seemingly been some improvement in Sandy Atcheson’s condition although she remains in an intensive care unit in a local hospital.

I have received a couple of e-mail requests for prayers.  First, my sister’s husband, Tony Smallwood, had sinus surgery in February.  It has now been determined that he has MRSA staph infection because of that surgery.  He has really been having a difficult time related to this so please pray for him.   

Vera Bosarge has asked us to pray for Mary Claire Bice.  This young girl is from the Irvington area and is around 9 years old.  She had an accident involving a fall from a horse, is in a local hospital, and I understand the situation is critical.  Please pray. 

I will preach the graveside service today for Mila (pronounced Mela) Lingle today around noon.  Obviously, this will be a difficult service as Mila was only five days old when she passed from this life.  Please continue to pray for Jason, Jenn, Ava, Kenny, & Nancy.  Pray that God will use me to help comfort this family during this difficult time. 

Lord willing, Lisa, the girls, and I will drive to Tuscaloosa this afternoon in order to attend Bama’s homecoming game tomorrow.  This really is more about family than it is a game as Brad & Daphne and Michael & Deidra will join us for the weekend.  For us, this is an annual tradition and we look forward to some family time.  I’m sure my sons-in-law can’t wait for this “bonding” time with me! 

I am looking forward to our prayer time in the auditorium tomorrow night.  You are invited to join us at 9:00PM as we ask God to bless our Sunday services and bring other petitions to Him. 

I probably should ask you to pray for Wes Bates as his beloved Cubs are down 0 – 2 in their series.  However, I am sure Wes is keeping the faith! 

The next post from me should come on Monday.  I hope you have a great weekend.  I hope the members of the Friendship family will join us in our services this Sunday.  I encourage all of our other readers to be in their respective churches this Sunday too. 

I hope you will have a great weekend with Jesus.

It is a special Wednesday around the Turrentine household as Gina & Dana celebrate their 11th birthday!  What an absolute delight they have been in our lives!  God is good and we thank Him for blessing us with Gina & Dana!  (Thanks Mark & Tina Mast and family for the e-greeting sent to them this morning!) 

Today will be a busy day with the morning service and then all of the activities this evening.  The funeral service for Mickey Howard will take place at 2:00PM this afternoon.  Please continue to pray for Jennifer and her family. 

The Lingle family plans to have a visitation this Friday morning, 10/5, from 11:00AM until noon at the Ascension Funeral Home on Hillcrest Road with a graveside service to follow.  I am not sure which cemetery they will be using.  Pray for Jason, Jenn, Ava, Kenny & Nancy. 

I haven’t heard from Tim Lee but Bro. Jerry did visit with him yesterday.  I will update tomorrow.  Please continue to pray for Crystal Davis and Melanie Byrne too.  Nanette Fontenot is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow morning. 

Hope to see you in our services today if you live in the area. 

My heart is hurting for the Lingle family this morning as they mourn the passing of Mila Lingle.  Lisa and I had the opportunity to visit with Jason, Jenn, & Mila last night and to meet Jenn’s father who had flown in from Michigan.  Kenny & Nancy had spent the day at the hospital and had gone home to take care of Mila’s older sister, Ava.  Pray for this family.

Lisa and I also had the opportunity to visit with Tim & Sherry Lee last night.  Tim is 42 years old and is battling cancer that is in his bones and liver.  According to the doctors, he is in the final days of his life.  We didn’t know this family but were well received and Tim was very thankful for our prayer support.  He and Sherry have four children ages, 11, 7, 2, & 2 (twins obviously).  I ask you to pray for this family and this is a wonderful opportunity for the Friendship family to minister.  They live in the same subdivision as Joey & Stephanie Guidry.  I appreciate Marie Brooks arranging this visit for us.

Miss Carmen Reyer’s brother-in-law, Melvin Hinton, will be buried today with the funeral service taking place just north of Hattiesburg, MS.  Lord willing, Lisa and I will drive to Hattiesburg where we will meet my first cousin, Rachel Crouch, and her husband, Pastor Roy Crouch.  I haven’t seen Rachel in many years and have never met her husband.  Roy pastors a church in Ellisville, MS.  I didn’t even know this fact until he ministered to Edna Holifield when her father passed away last year.   

Lisa and I will then attend the funeral service and drive back through Richton, MS where we will visit the cemetery where her brother, Michael Clark, is buried.  Where have those 21 years gone? 

We will return home in time to attend the visitation for Frank “Mickey” Howard which will take place tonight, 10/2, from 5:00PM until 9:00PM at the Higher Ground Baptist Church.  That funeral service will take place tomorrow afternoon, 10/3, at 2:00PM from HGBC.  Pray for Jennifer and her family. 

I ask the members of the Friendship family to remember the GRACE meal being sponsored by our high school students this Sunday, 10/7. 

Also, the Upward evaluations are set for next week on Monday, Tuesday, & Thursday nights.  If you have questions or need more information, please contact Bro. Benny McGath. 

Happy wedding anniversary wishes go to Rhett & Heidi Butler today!  What a great couple!

I pray that you will have a blessed day with Jesus. 

Kenny Lingle called around 10:15PM Monday night, 10/1, to tell me that Mila Lingle had passed from this life to enter heaven.  Mila was born last Wednesday afternoon, 9/26.  Obviously, the arrangements are incomplete but please pray for Jason, Jenn, & Ava Lingle, Kenny & Nancy Lingle, the other set of grandparents, and the entire family. 

Let me recap the just completed weekend – over 300 women gathered for the conference on Friday night and/or Saturday morning.  Thanks to the men who cooked, served, and cleaned.  Bryant won their homecoming game 17 – 14 over Citronelle.  Congratulations!  Faith won their game against Cottage Hill.  It appears Faith will now make the playoffs and Cottage Hill can still win their division.  We had a good number of men come to unload/reload the container on Saturday morning and they made quick work of it – thanks guys!

We had a good day yesterday in our services.  The workers meeting at 4:30PM was well attended.  Bro. Kerry and the praise team ministered at 1st Chickasaw last night so Jon Cowart led our musical worship.  A large number of folks came forward to take part in “Operation Homecoming” as we look to our 60th anniversary as a church family on 11/11. 

We were saddened with news of two folks passing away this weekend.  Carmen Reyer’s brother-in-law, Melvin Hinton, passed away during the night on Friday.  His service will be tomorrow, 10/2, in the Hattiesburg, MS area. 

Frank “Mickey” Howard (father of Jennifer Davis, uncle of Carla Cooper, & brother of Pastor Johnny Howard) passed away Saturday afternoon.  His arrangements are incomplete at this time but they are looking at a Tuesday night visitation and a Wednesday morning service at Higher Ground Baptist. 

Mila Lingle entered this world on Wednesday afternoon.  She is the granddaughter of Kenny & Nancy Lingle.  Her parents are Jason & Jenn Lingle.  She has several physical problems.  Jenn went home from the hospital yesterday but Mila remains hospitalized. 

Daphne Patterson’s aunt, Sandy Atcheson, remains in an intensive care unit in a local hospital.  As far as I know, Crystal Davis and Melanie Byrne remain about the same. 

Marie Brooks has asked us to pray for Tim Lee.  Tim is 42 years old and was recently diagnosed with cancer and given only a very short time to live according to the doctors.  I don’t know Tim but have been asked to visit with him so please pray for that visit. 

We are in the final six days of our forty days of prayer emphasis.  I pray that we will finish well.  “Team Barnabas” led by Dewayne Lavelle, Chris Taylor, and me will meet in the auditorium this Saturday night, 10/6, at 9:00PM for a time of corporate prayer. 

Lisa and I will begin our second Foundations of Friendship class this Sunday night, 10/7, beginning at 5:00PM.  We still have room for a few folks to join us so contact either of us if you would like to be a part of this class. 

Our high school students going to Guatemala next summer will host a GRACE meal this Sunday, 10/7.  Please make plans to join them for that meal as it helps them financially with their trip. 

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

Dana & Gina will celebrate their 11th birthday next Wednesday, 10/3.  Since their birthday falls on a Wednesday, we had their party at “Pump It Up” last night.  They were pretty “pumped” themselves.  Lisa and I appreciate those who took the time to attend this celebration.  It was a good night! 

Tonight will see Bryant host Citronelle and this will be Bryant’s homecoming game.  I really hope that those guys can win the game tonight as they have come really close in a couple of their games only to come up short on the scoreboard.  I have always found Coach Collier to be such a nice guy and I really hope they can turn the season around beginning tonight! 

Tonight will also see Faith Academy visit Cottage Hill Academy.  They will have a huge crowd for that one and it should be a good game.  Again, we have students in both schools so it is a “neutral” game for me but I will be rooting for John Vickers as he is the only student we have actually playing in the game.  Best wishes to the Rams and to the Warriors! 

Over 300 women will gather tonight for the Women Walking Worthy conference featuring Bridget Taylor.  Pray for tonight’s session and the one they will have in the morning. 

We will have men cooking/serving tonight.  I need some of those men who can’t come today/tonight to show up in the morning at 7:00AM to help unload/reload the container. 

I did not get a report on Kayla Schoen yesterday except to hear that Kathy was coming home and then going back to Tuscaloosa. 

There are a couple of serious prayer needs.  Kenny & Nancy Lingle’s daughter-in-law gave birth to a girl late Wednesday afternoon.  As of yesterday afternoon, the doctors were telling the family that they simply didn’t see the baby living very long as she has several serious complications.  I will update this situation as I receive word this weekend.  Pray for this baby and this family. 

Daphne Patterson has an aunt, Sandy Atchison, who is in ICU in a local hospital.  The doctors don’t expect her to live very long.  She has been in this position in years past but has always recovered.  However, the doctors simply don’t think that will happen this time.  So, please pray for this family too. 

Suffice it to say that there are more “unspoken” requests than I can say grace over that are worthy of your prayer support.  We must pray.  Our 40 days prayer emphasis will move to the prayer room tonight due to the women’s conference being in the auditorium. 

Several long distance folks contacted me yesterday to order a wall calendar for 2008.  If you want to order one or more, please contact me via e-mail by this Sunday, 9/30.  They are $6 each and are really nice.     

I hope you have a great weekend.  I don’t plan on another post until Monday unless something happens that needs to be shared for prayers. 

The Lord blessed and we had good services yesterday and last night.  I firmly believe God is honoring our prayer emphasis and we are seeing the results in our services.  Praise the Lord! 

This will be a busy place for the next couple of days as the women prepare for the conference with Bridget Taylor.  Men are needed to help cook/serve tomorrow.  Pray for the sessions Friday night and Saturday morning.

We need some men to come Saturday morning at 7:00AM to help us unload and reload the container.  We need to find the boxes marked “Christmas” and reload them near the door.  Some teams will transport these via suitcases on their upcoming visits to Casa Aleluya. 

For us, the hospitals are empty.  However, Kayla Schoen is in the hospital in Tuscaloosa.  Her mother, Kathy Wadkins, left yesterday to go be with her.  Pray for Kayla. 

The first Saturday night in October will see us begin a new phase of our prayer ministry as we will have folks gathering in the auditorium for a time of corporate prayer.  This ministry is being led by our staff & deacons.  You can volunteer to join one of these four teams which involves coming to the church one Saturday night per month.  We will have sign up sheets available this Sunday. 

Operation Homecoming is a phrase that will be used a lot in the coming days.  More details will be shared this Sunday evening during our service.  That service will also feature the ministry of Jon Cowart as he will lead our music and bring the message in song.  Jon has been leading the music for our senior high and junior high Bible studies on Wednesday nights. 

Our students are selling wall calendars for 2008 at a cost of $6 each.  These are beautiful calendars and all proceeds will help our students go to camp and/or on a mission trip next summer.  If any of our long distance readers would like to order some of these, please send me an e-mail stating so by this Sunday, 9/30.  We’ll get the calendars to you via the postal service.  You will have them by the end of October at the very latest. 

I pray that you will have a blessed day with Jesus.   

I realize that today’s entry is way late and I simply ask for your forgiveness and understanding.  I am emotionally spent.  I have attended/preached literally hundreds of funerals in my life/ministry and I am always seemingly most affected when the service involves a fellow Pastor or a young person. 

Honestly, I think Jonathan’s passing greatly affected me because of his age but also because of my appreciation, love, and concern for his grandmother, Edna.  My wife, Lisa, and our friends, Ross & Kathy Genzink, were with me when I received the initial call about Jonathan’s accident and they can verify that my first comments voiced my concern for Edna.  She is a strong lady but I have watched as she has buried her husband, both parents, and now a grandson, whom she helped raise, in the past nineteen months.  So, my heart goes out to Edna, Stacey, Savannah and the entire family. 

Thank you to those who prayed for me yesterday.  I received e-mails and words of support from several folks expressing your prayer support and I am very, very thankful for your kindness. 

Please continue to pray for the Vance May family too.  I visited with Nancy & Kenny and Linda yesterday but did not stay for the service as I felt the need to be with Edna and her family.

We had a good service this morning and are looking forward to tonight’s respective Bible studies and services.  I hope the members of the Friendship family will join us tonight.

I would use this space as a means to announce that my niece, Jamie Glenn, and her husband, Adam, are expecting their second child but she hasn’t bothered to inform me yet!  What’s up with that?  The news is on guesswhoishavingababy.com and every Turrentine in the world except me has received a call from Jamie herself.  She has called folks she doesn’t even know but hasn’t called me!  So, I can’t make that announcement!

Wow!  The number of folks who attended the visitation for Jonathan Seaman was amazing!  Folks stood in line an average of two hours to get the opportunity to express their love, prayers, and support to the family.  The public visitation began at 5:00PM and ended shortly before 9:30PM.  What an incredible blessing to this family! 

I was particularly impressed by the administration, teachers, and students of Faith Academy.  Jonathan’s girlfriend, Carrie Wilson, is a senior at FA and those folks came in strong numbers to support her even though many of them had never met Jonathan.  In my opinion, that was a strong, positive testimony for Faith and their caring for one of their own.

The Friendship family did well in attending the visitation and hosting the large number of family members and friends too.  Thank you for being ministers! 

So, today we will gather around two gravesides.  First, Vance May’s service will take place at noon from Serenity and he will be buried in Serenity Memorial Gardens.  Pray for Vance’s family especially Nancy & Linda. 

Then, Jonathan’s service will take place at 2:00PM from the auditorium and he will be buried in the Grand Bay Cemetery.  Pray for his family too especially Stacey, Savannah, and Edna.

Lord willing, I will attend Vance’s service and then will preach Jonathan’s service.  I would appreciate your prayers as I pray and study this morning for that service.  As the Lord brings it to your mind, would you take a few moments to pray during the 2:00PM hour today?  Thank you!