Pastor's Blog

Are you dead, sick, missing, et cetera?  These are the questions that have been asked of me in recent days via e-mail or phone as I have not written a post since last Friday.  Rest assured that all is well with my family and me.  I traveled to Birmingham for the AHSAA final four on Friday & Saturday and then was out of town on a personal matter Sunday afternoon through Tuesday afternoon.  I did not even turn a computer on from Saturday night until last night which is pretty amazing for me!  Thanks for your interest and for your prayers and I apologize for my slothfulness in blogging!  (I am not doing so well in my jogging either!)

Dave Childress was discharged from the hospital yesterday and for this we are grateful.  Presently, we do not have any member of the Friendship family hospitalized – PTL!

Our caretakers in Guatemala, Paul & Cristy Leytham, have had some trials in recent weeks.  Cristy broke her ankle which will sideline her for about three months.  Paul was literally run over by a tuc tuc (one of those taxi vehicles) in Chimaltenango and was bruised and battered pretty good.  Please pray for Paul & Cristy as they go through this time in their lives. 

We will have a work day, Lord willing and weather permitting, this Saturday, 3/10, from 8:00AM until noon.  My hope is that a large number of folks from the Friendship family will assist us in getting the buildings and grounds ready for the Spring.

Time changes this Sunday, 3/11, as we SPRING FORWARD one hour before going to bed on Saturday night.  Please do not forget this important fact!

Today is a regular Wednesday for us and it begins with our prayer meeting/worship service at 10:00AM.  I hope that you will join us!  Pray for us!

Thank you to each person who prayed yesterday as we had the funeral service for Ken Ford.  The weather was not favorable but the service went well as we remembered the life Ken lived on this earth and looked forward to joining him in heaven. 

Again, a special thanks to those who helped provide the food for the Ford family.  You did a great job of ministering to this family during their hour of sorrow. 

Lynda Sims did give birth to Brianna Michelle on Wednesday night.  Brianna checked into this world weighing 8 lbs 9 oz and was 21 inches long.  Mother and daughter are doing fine and we are grateful to God for a safe delivery. 

Our thoughts and prayers are certainly with the families who lost loved ones yesterday in the severe weather that hit our state.  We also want to pray for those who were injured. 

I probably will not blog tomorrow unless something happens to necessitate it.  So, I hope to see you in church this Sunday as we worship the risen Savior!

Please pray for the Ken Ford family this morning as the funeral service for Ken will take place beginning at 10:00AM.  Pray that the weather will be favorable too.

Thank you to each member of the Friendship family who helped last night as we had a regular schedule plus the visitation.  I especially want to thank Nate Blaylock for leading our senior high students so I can be with the Ford family. 

I also want to thank those who served as hostesses last night, those who baked cakes, and those who will bring food and/or serve as hostesses today for the meal for the Ford family.  The Friendship family has done an exceptional job of ministering to another family going through a time of sorrow. 

Dave Childress was moved into a regular hospital room yesterday.  The doctors are scheduled to make a decision tomorrow as to whether or not skin grafts are necessary.  Please continue to pray for him.

Lynda Broome Sims was very near giving birth to her first child last night.  I will update this news on my next entry.

The visitation for Ken Ford will take place tomorrow night, 2/28, from 5:00PM until 8:00PM in the church auditorium.  The funeral service will take place on Thursday morning, 3/1, beginning at 10:00AM in the church auditorium.  The interment will take place in Mobile Memorial Gardens immediately following the service. 

Please note that we will not have our 7:00PM prayer meeting service tomorrow night, 2/28, and we will not have our 8:00PM college/young professionals Bible study. 

All other services/classes/Bible studies i.e. 10:00AM, SHBS, JHBS, children’s choir, RA’s, GA’s et cetera will take place.  Folks attending these classes/Bible studies in the evening are asked to park on the south side of the Christian Activities Building.  For more information please call the church office at 445-5412. 

The call came shortly after 3:00PM today that another member of the Friendship family, Ken Ford, had passed from this life.  Ken was in a local medical facility and I had seen him this morning and his condition seemed basically as it had been for the last several days.  His passing wasn’t a surprise based on the medical opinions given recently but death still has that sting.  Pray for Caroline and the entire family. 

At this time, the funeral arrangements are incomplete.  I will post them once they have been finalized.  Please do us a favor and contact others who knew Ken but may not be reading these blogs.  Thank you! 

The Lord blessed us with three good worship services today plus Sunday School and Discipleship Training.  Our 10:30AM service saw Kelley Hall join the Friendship family by transfer of letter.  Kelley moved to Mobile to go to college and now she is teaching within the public school system.  She has been faithful to attend on Sunday mornings, Sunday evenings, and our college/young professionals Bible study on Wednesday nights.  We thank God for the increase! 

Dave Childress remains in the burn center at a local hospital.  There is a possibility he will be moved to a regular room tomorrow.  He has second degree burns along with some third degree burns on his right arm. 

We learned this morning that Jill Lee’s grandfather passed way this past Thursday night.  His funeral service was today in Hokes Bluff (Gadsden).  Pray for this family.

Lynda Broome Sims is scheduled to give birth to her first child this Tuesday, 2/27.  Pray for Lynda, Todd, and the baby along with the entire family.

Our students are selling gourmet apples to help offset the cost of their summer camp and/or mission trip.  These apples will be available in the days leading up to Easter.  Thank you in advance for supporting our students. 

I thank God for you!  You are a wonderful people!

As we prepare to gather for Bible study and worship today, our prayers and thoughts are with Dave Childress.  Dave was burned Friday night in a work related accident and is in a local burn center.  His hands, arms, and the upper right half of his body suffered second degree burns.  Please pray for Dave as he deals with the pain and his body recovers. 

Ken Ford remains in a local facility and his situation is basically unchanged.  Vivian Rhoads, Stacey Bryant, and Doris Keith all spent time in the hospital this past week.  I think all three are now home. 

Mary Burkholder, Alisia Crawley’s mother, is seemingly in the last stages of her cancer.  It has now spread into her bones which is very painful.  She is at home under hospice care so please pray for her and the family. 

Yesterday we were a part of the funeral service for Steve Miller.  I want to thank each member of the Friendship family who attended either the visitation or service and a special thanks to those who helped prepare food for the Miller family.  Pray for Kim, David, Stephanie and the entire family as they adjust to life on earth without Steve.

Today we gathered to remember the life of Mary Ann Glover.  She was a vital part of the Friendship family and will be missed greatly.  Again, thanks to those who came and to those who helped with the food preparation for the Glover family.  Bro. Jerry’s class did a great job in leading that ministry.  Pray for Allen, Kevin, Sharon, and the Glover family as they continue on without Mary Ann. 

Tonight we had a great Taste of Friendship.  A very special thanks to each person who helped in any way!  It seems that everyone enjoyed the food and the fellowship.  What a blessed night it was! 

The forecast calls for some pretty severe weather during the night and early morning.  It is my prayer that it will pass in time for each member of the Friendship family to get up and take part in worship and Bible study. 

Our ladies are asked to remember the wedding shower for Deidra Ramires tomorrow afternoon from 2:00PM – 3:30PM in the fellowship hall.   

The funeral visitation for Mary Ann Glover will take place from our church auditorium tomorrow night, 2/23, from 5:00PM until 8:00PM. 

The funeral service will be held on Saturday, 2/24, from the church beginning at 10:00AM.  The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service’s beginning. 

As a result of these services, our service at the Mission of Hope scheduled for Friday night, 2/23, has been cancelled.  Also, the work day scheduled for Saturday morning, 2/24, has been postponed until 3/10. 

The Taste of Friendship will take place on Saturday, 2/24, from 4:00PM until 7:00PM in the CAB. 

It is with a heart of sorrow that I write this morning to share that another member of the Friendship family passed away during the early hours today.  Mary Ann Glover, age 61, wife of Allen, departed this life for heaven after being admitted to a local hospital late yesterday afternoon.  The attending physician thinks that the probable cause of death was an infection. 

Tentative plans call for a visitation tomorrow night, 2/23, and a funeral service Saturday, 2/24.  Again, these are tentative and we will post the confirmed arrangements as soon as they are in place. 

Please pray for Allen, Kevin & Patricia, Sharon & Jerry and their families as they walk through this valley.