Pastor's Blog

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT:  the work day scheduled for tomorrow has been postponed!  The screws we need are not an “in stock” item and we have had to order them.  We will reschedule this work day once we have a definite delivery date on the needed materials. 

What does that mean?  It means that all of those guys who weren’t going to come this Saturday can now talk about they “were” going to come had we not postponed it!  LOL! 

Adam Blackwell & Amanda Cook will get married tomorrow afternoon at 2:00PM in the church auditorium.  All members of the Friendship family are cordially invited to attend. 

Liz Whalen sent an e-mail yesterday to report that the doctors are pleased with the results from the latest tests on Miss Joyce Bosarge.  So, they will keep on giving her the chemotherapy. 

Our missions committee will meet again this Sunday afternoon and they may be on the verge of making a major recommendation to the Friendship family.  The Sunday night service would be a good place to be! 

Wow, I have listened to comments all day about the message from the services Wednesday.  Folks who missed the services are now wishing they had attended!  Oh well, our reel to reel recorder was not operating during those services! 

Our basketball team needs your prayers.  We are playing a team of giants tomorrow night and we will have six players at the most.  Tony Hacker is too old to play very many minutes so we will basically have five players if “coach” shows up! 

The University of Michigan held their Spring football game last Saturday.  Their intent was to set the attendance record for a Spring game.  They are excited about having 50,000 fans in attendance.  Please!  Alabama will probably turn away almost that many tomorrow for their A Day game.  Ross & Ryan Genzink, you catch that game on ESPN at 3:00PM if you want to see real football!  The “Little Eleven” conference is so weak! 

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

Marisa called me yesterday afternoon to say that Larsyn had gotten a good report from the doctors.  PTL!  It was good to see Sharon Jardee in our service last night.  Likewise, it was good to see Miss Joyce Bosarge in our service too. 

Thank you to each member of the Friendship family who attended the funeral service for Mary Brown’s sister.  Mary was very grateful!

T. Garrett Wright made an interesting comment on yesterday’s post.  I have heard lots of excuses but have had far less folks to commit to helping us this Saturday.  Please let me know if you can help as we have thousands of screws to remove & replace. 

Max Peacock was supposed to be fitted yesterday for a mask to wear during his radiation treatments.  However, they delayed the fitting until next week. 

I was right!  Lane Lofton checked into this world at 21 inches.  I had said somewhere between 10 & 40 inches – it feels good to get one right every now and then! 

Our basketball “coach” is going to Birmingham this weekend to run in a 5K race.  We have a game Saturday night and we will already be missing three players.  However, one of those three is Rusty.  Losing Rusty is like picking up two good players!  “Coach” needs to commit to the team or running races.  No man can serve two masters!  We may start a grass roots campaign to replace our “coach” soon! 

I have an appointment in court this morning.  Going to court is not on my list of “favorite things to do” today!  However, it has to be done.  I hope to see Perry or Ben while I am there! 

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

This used to be a day that found me very busy up until a midnight run to the post office as I scurried to get my taxes filed.  However, I have gotten much better in that regard and we actually filed in early March this year.  So, I will be thinking about those who are “racing against the clock” today to beat that deadline. 

Speaking of tax deadlines, for many years our good friend, Lloyd Stokes, filed our tax returns and always found time for us on April 15th.  I learned last night through Lloyd’s brother, Pastor Alton Stokes, that Lloyd has been hospitalized for about two weeks.  I know Lloyd – if he is in the hospital during tax season then he is really, really sick!  Pray for Lloyd! 

Reb Nevin’s cousin-in-law, Dave Reilley, is very sick.  Rob & Reb’s daughter, Wendy, is also battling pneumonia.  His church family members are taking turns to help with the twins while Wendy’s husband, Eric, goes to work.  Pray for Dave & Wendy!

Larsyn Kyser will see the doctor again today.  Pray that she will be much improved as she has been one sick little girl.  Pray for Carla & Marisa too as they give her care. 

As far as I know, Brooke & Lane are doing great.  I would figure they will come home from the hospital no later than Friday.  Pray for them.

The funeral service for Peggy Sherman (Mary Brown’s sister) will take place today at 2:00PM.  It will be preceded with an hour of visitation with the family.  Everything will take place from St. Mary’s by the sea Episcopal Church in Coden. 

We will have a “regular” Wednesday with our Bible studies, prayer meetings, et cetera.  I hope many members of the Friendship family will join me. 

We need men who are unafraid of heights to join us this Saturday, 4/18, from 7:00AM until noon as we replace the screws on the CAB roof.  (Tom Compagner & Ross Genzink – why don’t you guys come for a visit this weekend?)  Kerry Woods says bring your drills and knee pads.  He says that we Baptists aren’t used to being on our knees for extended periods of time!  LOL!  Let me know if you can help us!

I wrote several days ago that TCU was offering housing for their homosexual students.  The university has now reversed course and has decided to not offer that housing.  Just an FYI.

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

David Lane Lofton checked into this world today around 5:00PM via the c-section route.  He weighed in at 8 pounds 2 ounces.  (I do not know his length but it was probably somewhere between 10 & 40 inches!)  Mother, Brooke, and father, Eric, are doing fine!  Congratulations to Eric, Brooke, and their entire family on this addition to their family!  FYI – he will be called Lane. 

I was pleasantly surprised yesterday morning when my brother, Eddie, and my dad showed up for an unexpected visit.  Eddie & Sue had gotten in from China on Sunday afternoon so to turn around and drive 350 miles was too much.  The main reason for their visit was to bring Lisa & me an absolutely beautiful oil painting done by an artist in China.  Eddie’s wife, Sue, went to Guatemala with GRACE Ministries last November and took a picture of some children watching a house being built by our team members.  Sue sent that picture to this lady and she matched that picture perfectly from that e-mail photo – wow!  Folks, you have to see this work of art! 

Speaking of Sue, her mother, Sarah Reeder, has spent the past couple of days in an ICU in Decatur, AL.  She was transported to a hospital in Huntsville last night for a test this morning.  The doctors say she is in congestive heart failure.  Pray for Miss Sarah. 

I have not heard from Lewis Jackson’s test or Sharon Jardee’s surgery but assume they did well.  Carla Kyser’s daughter, Larsyn, has been sick and to the doctor a couple of times.  The funeral service for Jamie Miller will take place this afternoon in Lucedale.  Peggy Sherman’s service will take place tomorrow at 2:00PM from Coden.  Pray for all of these folks.

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

The Easter ’09 weekend proved to be a blessed time at Friendship.  The most important thing is that we saw two professions of faith in our morning services – praise the Lord! 

The choir & drama team did a nice job of sharing the Gospel in song/word/action all three nights.  The children’s ministry/bus ministry had a good morning on Saturday of teaching/reaching the children.  We had really good attendance in all three of our morning worship services and a house full for Sunday night’s service.  Yes, God blessed and we had a wonderful weekend celebrating our risen Savior! 

Sharon Jardee is having surgery this morning and Lewis Jackson is having a test performed.  Pray for these folks. 

The funeral arrangements for Mary Brown’s sister are as follows:  visitation with the family this Wednesday, 4/15, from 1:00PM until the service time at 2:00PM.  All of this will take place at St. Mary’s by the sea Episcopal Church in Coden. 

The funeral service for Jamie Miller will take place on Tuesday at 2:00PM from a funeral home in Lucedale.  Jamie is related to the folks who own the business across the road from our church buildings.  She was 27 years old.  Pray for that family too.

We need men who are not afraid of heights to help us on the CAB roof this Saturday, 4/18, from 7:00AM until noon.  We need cordless drills with torque setting (if available), (electric drills with heavy duty extension cords will do too), ratchet sets, old towels/rags, & utility knives.  If you can help, please let me know so we can plan accordingly. 

I was pulling for Kenny Perry to win The Masters but it wasn’t meant to be.  I don’t play golf but I do enjoy watching The Masters and The U.S. Open. 

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

I was called to Mary Brown’s home yesterday morning as her sister, Peggy Sherman, passed away during the night.  This was very unexpected so it obviously caught Mary off guard.  The arrangements are incomplete at this time.  Pray for Mary and Peggy’s two sons along with their families during this difficult period.

Bro. Kerry, the choir, and the drama team did a nice job of sharing the Gospel through song and drama last night.  They will be presenting the Gospel again tonight at 6:00PM. 

Of course, our day begins at 9:15AM with Bro. Benny, Bro. Dale, & Bro. Josh leading our children in a time of Bible study and worship.  Pray for our bus workers, teachers, and all who will be involved in those activities today. 

Remember, we have three morning worship services tomorrow – 7:30, 9:00, & 10:30AM.  I hope to see you there!

My prayer is that each of us will use today as a time of remembrance.  Jesus instructed His disciples to “remember” Him each time they observed the Lord’s Supper.  May we not get so caught up in the activities of the day/weekend that we fail to remember the great sacrifice of Jesus.  Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe! 

I received this e-mail message from our State Representative yesterday:

Bro. Teddy:

I need a favor please.

I received a lot of letters from members of Friendship regarding the gambling legislation.  I am trying to return all of the letters, but it getting difficult.  Can you please let your congregation know that I oppose the legislation and I plan to vote against it.  I am also voting  against the Budget Isolation Resolution. 

I have never supported any gambling legislation and I don’t plan to start now.  Please, let everyone know that I appreciate their concerns and nice comments and assure them that I am committed to fighting the expansion of gambling in Alabama.  I am so thankful that you guys see through the deception  of “Sweet Home Alabama”.

Thanks,

Spencer Collier

I appreciate Spencer and his stand on this issue.  I also applaud Rusty Glover for his stand as he has contacted many of you personally too.  Keep praying! 

Miss June Strickler will have eye surgery this morning so please pray for her. 

We had a great Wednesday.  Wow, last night this was a busy place!  Pray for the musical and drama as it will be presented for the first time tomorrow night. 

Korie’s signing went well.  I still don’t understand why Nanette insisted that she (Nanette) and I have our picture made together?  Why was Coach Jackson there?  Can you say free food? 

Three things caught me attention on the news last night – a guy in Germany committed suicide thirty years ago by climbing a tree, tying himself to it and then shooting himself.  They found him this week!  Close family! 

TCU is now offering gay housing.  Other schools may do the same but that just caught my eye.  Of course, more & more States are “legalizing” gay marriages.  Again, just because it is legal does not make it right!

Brown University is no longer observing “Columbus Day” but will have “Fall Weekend” instead.  (They will still be off on Columbus Day) Why?  Because Columbus mistreated the native Americans.  Talk about PC. 

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

There was a lot of activity taking place on the church property yesterday as we continue to move toward the Easter weekend.  Carl Bradley & crew continued to place vinyl on the exterior of the auditorium & office building while Bro. Jerry was leading a group inside the auditorium decorating for the Easter musical/drama which will be presented Friday, Saturday, & Sunday nights.  Thanks to all who are helping in any way! 

Today is going to be a busy day too.  We will meet at 10:00AM in the auditorium for our morning service.  The adult choir & drama team will meet at 6:00PM for a dress rehearsal.  All of our regular classes/Bible studies will meet at their normal times and in their normal places with the exception of our 7:00PM prayer meeting/Bible study for adults.  We will meet in the choir room. 

There are no significant changes in any of the folks hospitalized, battling cancer, et cetera.  Scott Fontenot’s uncle did awaken yesterday so that is improvement.  The funeral service for Martha Patrick’s brother-in-law will take place this morning. 

Korie Fontenot will sign a softball scholarship with the University of Mobile this afternoon at 1:00PM.  The signing ceremony will take place in the auditorium at Bryant High School.  Why do I mention this?  First, to congratulate her.  Second, because her mother and I used to date and almost got married?  (Personally, I think Nanette still has a crush on me but I could be wrong!)  Congratulations Korie!

The UConn women’s basketball team won it all last night capping a perfect season win 39 wins!  That shaking you felt to the South was not an earthquake in Guatemala.  It was Jack Ciak jumping for joy!  Anonymous won our bracket contest among the 8:00PM Bible study group.  If I can’t find “anonymous” then Soy Taylor is the winner!  (I helped Soy with his bracket but am content with letting him bask in the glory!)

Harry Stonebraker was elected yesterday to serve a third term as the mayor of Winfield, MO.  As a matter of fact, he got 90% of the vote winning 206 – 23.  Congratulations to Mr. Stonebraker!  One minor problem – Mr. Stonebraker passed away on March 11.  Of course, this is nothing new for MO as in 2000 Mel Carnahan was elected as their US Senator even though his life had been taken a few weeks earlier in a plane crash.  You ever meet Pastor Bob Harvey of West Auburn Baptist?  He is from MO.  It would help you understand! 

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