Pastor's Blog

Miss Vivian Ladnier is scheduled to have a stent placed in her esophagus today.  David Bosarge’s mother, Maxine Rogers, will be put to sleep today as they do a dye test on her kidneys.  Miss Joyce Bosarge continues to receive radiation treatments.  Carla Kyser is set to begin her next series of radiation on Monday.  Betty McMann’s brother-in-law is also receiving radiation treatments.  I learned yesterday that Trudy from Serenity Funeral Home has cancer and is receiving radiation too. 

I really appreciate the members of the Friendship family who attend the Pugh and/or Emmons visitation and funeral service.  I also commend those who prepared food for the Emmons family.  Thank you for ministering during a time of need. 

I wanted to give our students, Bro. Chris, & Bro. Dale their props as they had 115 students present in Bible study Wednesday night.  Wow! 

I have been asked how much we have received toward the scholarships for the pastors’ conference.  As of this writing (12:25AM on 9/18), we have in hand or pledges a total of $6,030.  We need $10,000 to house & feed the 250 folks and another $5,000 to provide conference materials.  I share only because I have been asked by a number of folks. 

Friday facts – even with my arm in the condition it is in, I had to mow yesterday afternoon as we have had so much rain and the grass has been growing very rapidly.  Charles asked (demanded would be more accurate) that his yard be first.  It was painful (the arm) but I managed to get it done without Soy’s help – he didn’t even offer to help!  Mind you that I mowed (with a push mower) his yard last Friday afternoon.  Why?  Only for Deidra’s sake! 

Football predictions – I will only make one pick this week.  I say Miami 33  Georgia Tech 17. 

I pray that you will have a great weekend.  Lisa, the girls, & I have plans to travel to T-town and sit in the rain to watch Bama play.  I hope UF hangs 75 on UT.  Lord willing, we will see you in church Sunday morning at 8:00AM!

Carla Felps Kyser had another chemo treatment yesterday and will begin a series of ten radiation treatments on Monday.  Maxine Rogers, David Bosarge’s mother, is back in the hospital.  Miss Vivian’s situation is basically the same.  Mrs. Reed may go home from the hospital today. 

The funeral service for Mr. Pugh will take place this morning at 10:00AM.  The visitation for the Emmons family will take place from noon until the service at 2:00PM.  All of this will take place at Serenity Funeral Home.

Troy Brock was involved in a serious automobile accident in Texas this past Saturday morning.  His truck was totaled but he is okay physically.  The driver of the other vehicle involved was killed and a second passenger, at last report, was in critical condition. 

We have been asked to pray for the Quinn Henderson family.  He is the  6 year old boy who was killed in an autombile accident this past Sunday night as he was on the way to Moffett Road Baptist Church with his mother & brother.  Pray for Pastor Terry Cutrer as he ministers to the family during this time.  Pray for all of the needs that have been mentioned in this entry.

I will attend the Pugh service and will preach the Emmons service today. 

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

The obits in today’s paper show that Serenity Funeral Home will be the location for Mr. Clifford Pugh’s service & for Richard Emmons’ service.  Mr. Pugh’s will take place from the funeral home chapel at 10:00AM tomorrow, 9/17, and Richard’s at 2:00PM.  The visitation with the Pugh family takes place tonight from 5:00 – 8:00PM and with the Emmons family tomorrow from noon until the 2:00PM service time.  Pray for these families.

No new news on the folks hospitalized or those battling cancer.  Vera Bosarge did call yesterday to say that she will have a test new week to try and find the source of the problems with her back.  She also asked us to continue to pray for her neighbors. 

We are set for a regular Wednesday with the 10:00AM service followed by the evening activites beginning at 6:00PM.  I pray that many members of the Friendship family will join us for these services.

GRACE Ministries has really been blessed.  Yesterday, we received checks from Tennessee & Texas with folks sponsoring pastors for the upcoming conference.  What a blessing!  Thank you to all of those who have given financially thus far.  Thank you to those who are bathing this conference in prayer.  God is good!

Several folks commented yesterday asking about my arm injury – it’s a little late!  I cannot bear to relive the events of that traumatic experience and to post a picture of my arm as it is now would be too graphic.  I would simply say that it appears I am much tougher than Stan Gordon!  Are you surprised by that? 

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.  Go to church!

The funeral arrangements for Mr. Clifford Pugh, grandfather of Melissa Brown, are as follows:  visitation with the family on Wednesday, 9/16, from 5:00 – 8:00PM from Serenity Funeral Home in Theodore, Alabama.  The funeral service will take place on Thursday, 9/17, at 10:00AM from the Serenity Funeral Home chapel.

Miss Vivian continues to remain about the same.  Lois Kirschenman came home yesterday afternoon (I assume).  Miss Joyce Bosarge had her first radiation treatment yesterday.  Coach Easton’s (BHS) mother-in-law, Christine Reed, is in the hospital but his father-in-law came home from the hospital Sunday.  Carla Felps Kyser will have another chemotherapy treatment followed by radiation.  Bobby Stork’s brother, Donald, still needs our prayers as he recovers from his surgery of last week.  One of our visitation teams went to the Emmons house last night but I haven’t heard the results of that visit. 

Word came to me last night that Melissa Brown’s grandfather, Clifford Pugh, passed away.  I haven’t spoken to Melissa but do ask that you pray for this family.  I will post the arrangements on this site once we know them. 

Miss Lucine Bryant’s daughter, Barbara, called yesterday asking us to pray for some friends involved in an automobile accident while going to church Sunday morning.  The mother and her two sons were injured.  It is my understanding that the oldest son, 6, was being removed from life support late yesterday afternoon.  I think that I know the family name but am going to wait until I am positive before posting it.  However, please pray for this family.

There were 13 folks present for our visitation ministry last night.  I appreciate the folks who are willing to go!  That would include the folks who go on Saturday mornings too.

I am pretty bummed that I spoke to my sister-in-law, Sue, and my niece, Jamie, via the phone yesterday and neither of them asked about my arm injury.  The folks attending visitation last night asked to see it and they were “amazed” that I was up and about! 

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

This entry is late and I apologize for that fact.  However, there is a method to my madness as I wanted to visit the hospitals before posting in order to give an update.  (I won’t even mention my severly injured arm – LOL!)

Lois Kirschenman is doing well and will go home this afternoon if her physical therapy sessions go well today.  She has such a positive attitude.

Miss Vivian is making progress.  They are going to take her completely off the vent three times today.  Her road to recovery appears to be long but at least she is on the road.  John Milton has returned to work while Cecil & Myrtle remain at the hospital. 

Marisa e-mailed me this morning to say that Carla had a not so great day yesterday as she experienced some pain.  Miss Joyce Bosarge goes for her first radiation treatment today.  Betty Taylor meets with the doctor on 9/25 to set up her surgery.  Betty McMann’s brother-in-law is in the midst of his radiation treatments.  Pray for all of these needs.

Richard Emmons, 31, was walking along Highway 98 near the Fairview community on Saturday when he was struck by a vehicle and killed.  He attended church at Friendship during his growing up years.  Pray for his parents, Rickey & Helen, and their family.

The Lord blessed and we had a good day in our services yesterday.  God is good! 

Wow, did you see where Indonesia has passed a law that makes adultery punishable by stoning to death?  Homosexuality is punishable by a public lashing and eight years in prison.  I don’t suspect there will be many affairs or folks coming out of the proverbial closet in Indonesia. 

Saturday was a good day.  Why?  Bama won while UT & ND suffered losses!  (Sorry Mike Parker!)  If only I had not injured my arm! 

Hope you have a great Monday with Jesus!

Lois Kirschenman did well through her surgery – praise the Lord!

Mitchel & Tiffany Bowden Fox’s mobile home was completely destroyed by fire last night.  They were not home but lost everything.  Of course, Tiffany is Vivian Ladnier’s granddaughter.  Pray for them.

Miss Vivian is doing really good.  She and I had a brief conversation this morning.

Pastor Travis Northcutt’s maternal grandmother does have cancer.  She will begin radiation as chemo & surgery are not options.  Pray for her.

Pray for Wiley Reed from Chatom as he had surgery this morning.  I will explain who he is later. 

Pray for Pastor Terry Rainey & Pastor Eddie Burdette.  That shout you heard last night was when Clemson went ahead 27 – 24 and that moan was when GT kicked the winning field goal.  By the way, Go Michigan!

Lois Kirschenman will have one of her knees replaced this morning.  Pray that procedure will go well. 

Miss Vivian had a tracheotomy done yesterday morning and that procedure went well.  I visited with her before the surgery and she was alert and thanked me for praying with her.  She slept all day after the surgery but her vital signs were good.  Keep praying.

Whitney Bryant got a good report from the doctor regarding her scan.  She will need to take a radioactive iodine pill and they have to get one of her levels corrected.  Thanks for praying for Whitney.

Teddy Ray Jackson’s dad, Andrew, was diagnosed with an infection.  I am not sure if he remains hospitalized or not. 

David & Vera Bosarge’s neighbors are in a difficult situation.  The lady is seemingly near death.  Pray for the Armstrong family.

Darrell & Betty McMann are in Illinois to be with her brother-in-law while he undergoes radiation treatments. 

Laurie Robertson Chandler asked us to pray for her uncle, Gene Robertson, in Michigan who has cancer.  Laurie and her parents will travel to Michigan in the next couple of weeks. 

Dale & Karla Bosarge are in Michigan this weekend doing ministry at two churches.  Pray for safety in travel and for great services.  By the way, Karla’s dad, Bill Teasley, continues to recover from knee replacement surgery. 

Ian McClinton actually had an ACL replaced on Wednesday.  It has been a painful process for him.  Pray for Ian.  Gerald Poiroux was given the okay by the doctor to ride a mower so he is a happy man! 

9/11/01.  I will never forget receiving the phone call from Lisa to tell me that something was wrong in New York and that I needed to get to a television set.  Wow, around 3,000 deaths and 6,000 injuries.  It changed our lives.  Life can change in a millisecond!  Pray for those families who lost loved ones on that day. 

9/11/96.  I will never forget that day either.  That was the day that we said an earthly good bye to my good friend, Pastor Jack Williams, as we placed his casket in the ground.  I am praying for Miss Annette & her family today. 

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

We had another good Wednesday in our services/Bible studies.  I thank God for folks who are faithful on Wednesdays.

No significant changes in the lives of those who are hospitalized, battling cancer, et cetera.  Whitney Bryant goes today to get the results of her scan.  Pastor Abel Garcia has yet to hear from his nuclear stress test.  Just keep praying!

I need to remind the members of the Friendship family about signing up for next summer’s GRACE trips.  We ask you to sign up by this Sunday, 9/13.  Sign up forms are in the foyer of the auditorium. 

Also, we still need a large number of scholarships for the pastors’ conference in October.  Thanks to those who have given already.  Please make this a matter of prayer. 

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

I made a mistake – imagine that!  I forgot to mention in yesterday’s post that Bobby Stork’s brother, Donald, was having surgery.  Deacon Carl Ray Moulds was at the hospital with the family from start to finish and gave me a report late yesterday afternoon.  Donald did well and the doctors were encouraged by the outcome.  Pray for Donald Stork.

Bill Teasley, Karla’s dad, will have surgery this morning so please keep him in your prayers.

I am writing this near the midnight hour and there has been no significant change in Miss Vivian’s condition one way or the other.  Just keep praying.

Pastor Max Lara has gone home from the hospital and I assume he is doing well in his recovery.  Pray for Max.

T. Garrett has gone “above & beyond” the call of duty to help us try to secure a passport for Hien (pronounced Henny) from the Vietnamese government.  We are still in the “being reviewed” process but I do appreciate the many hours TGW has given to this effort.  We would love to take Hien on a GRACE trip with us but can’t do so without a passport. 

Speaking of GRACE, members of the Friendship family are asked to sign up by this Sunday, 9/13, for next summer’s trips.  We have folks from other churches who are ready to fill any vacancies. 

We are on a normal Wednesday schedule today with the 10:00AM service followed by the multiple services/Bible studies tonight.

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