Pastor's Blog

Betty Creech’s mother, Miss Walley, will have knee surgery today.  Gloria Whitmore meets with the doctor today to find out the next step on the road to her surgery.

Richard Glass had surgery on Tuesday and was in ICU for one day.  He is now in a regular room.  It is my understanding that the surgery was on a blocked carotid artery.

Teddy Ray Jackson’s dad remains hospitalized with pneumonia and Rachel’s grandmother is also hospitalized with pneumonia.

Courtney Cavin’s mother had a scan done yesterday and will consult with the doctor today.

Carla Kyser will have scans tomorrow and Monday and then receive a treatment next Wednesday.

Rebecca Bates Taylor is at the point of giving birth to her first child which will also be the first grandchild for Sonny & Jeanette.  If nothing happens earlier, Rebecca will be induced on 12/17.

I did not get an update on Rosita Miranda.  Hopefully, I will hear from Tico today.  Pray for all of these folks and their situations.

Bro. Kerry is taking a group of senior adults to Cook Springs, AL today.  They leave at 8:00AM and will arrive back home late tonight.  Pray for safety in travel.

We had a blessed day in our services yesterday.  Our morning attendance was very good in spite of the cooler temperatures.  Again, I am blessed by the faithfulness of our people.

Mark Mast, I got it!  However, I cannot find the name of the church.  Can you help me?

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

I have been blessed to visit several sites in my life and one of the ones that stands out in my mind was when Lisa and I visited Pearl Harbor in 1994.  It was a bittersweet moment indeed!  Today, I am reminded of the tremendous sacrifice made by that generation of soldiers and I am thankful.  Say a prayer of thanks today for our military personnel – past and present!

Karen McGriff sent an e-mail last night to say that Mac’s mother is not doing well as she receives treatments.  The doctors are not hopeful that her remaining life expectancy on this earth will be long even with the treatments.  Pray for Mac’s mother and family.

Armando Miranda’s wife, Rosita, will have surgery in Guatemala today.  Armando is the chaplain at the seminary in Chimaltenango.  He was in our church two years ago.  A person who is a great friend of GRACE Ministries has stepped up and covered the cost of this surgery.  I say “thank you” to that person and family.  Pray that the surgery will go well.

We are on a regular schedule today at Friendship with the morning service at 10:00AM and the evening activities.  I hope many members of the Friendship family will join us.

Lisa and I want to remind everyone of our Christmas open house this Sunday, 12/11, from 3:30 – 5:30PM.  We hope many members of the Friendship family will attend.

Finance committee members, please make plans on attending a meeting this Sunday, 12/11, from 5:00 – 6:00PM in my office.

Laurie & Melissa Vargas arrived home safe and sound yesterday.  We enjoyed having them for the past two weeks.  I pray they had a good time.

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

Good morning from the Mobile airport. It is 5:00AM and I am about to board a plane with the Vargas girls as they head home to Guatemala. I will fly to Atlanta with them, put them on their next flight and I will return home. We have enjoyed having them with us. Lisa and the girls have been great hostesses.

No updates on the folks on our prayer list. Should have more info tomorrow. Keep praying.

Our open house takes place this Sunday, 12/11, from 3:30 – 5:30PM. All members of the Friendship family are invited to attend.

Kim French came by the house yesterday to discuss ideas about the “AU 4 UA” club. Lisa and I made a financial contibution to her. See Kim for more details on how to join.

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

The Lord blessed us with a good day in our services yesterday.  I appreciate the job done by our children’s choir in last night’s service.  We had a strong attendance in all of our services yesterday.  I was able to take part in our Spanish service for the first time in three weeks and that was a blessing too.  We praise God for His goodness to us!

I am not sure if Richard Glass was discharged from the hospital yesterday.  However, I do know that he will be having heart surgery in the near future.  The doctors feel that he needs to get some strength before undergoing surgery.  Pray for him.

Maxine Dupont was in our first service yesterday morning.  She is so faithful!

It is my understanding that Miss Helen Ruth Brinkman is having some physical problems too.  I believe she has gone to her son’s home in Florida for the time being.  Pray for Helen Ruth.

Xavier Blackwell is set to have surgery in Birmingham on December 14.  Pray that all will go well in the preparations and that his father, Adam, can get home from Germany where he is stationed with the military.

Teddy Ray Jackson’s father, Mr. Andrew Jackson, is hospitalized with pneumonia.  Pray for him.

Of course, we want to keep praying for those battling cancer.

Bro. Jerry (knee) & Miss Gloria Whitmore (hip) are both in need of surgery.  Pray that the doctors can fast track the surgery for Miss Gloria and that she will have a successful recovery so Bro. Jerry can have a knee replacement.  They do not want to both be down at the same time.

This is the last day for Laurie & Melissa Vargas to be with us as they fly back to Guatemala tomorrow.  Kim French is graciously taking some pictures of them today – what a sweetheart (wink, wink!).  Lisa and I have been invited to take them to have supper with Bro. Johnny & Miss Judy Tucker late this afternoon.

Kristy tells me the first day of Upward games went well.  Praise the Lord!  Keep praying for this ministry.

Kim French & Jan Cummings (AU), Bill Kendrick (Ole Miss), and Chris & Courtney Cavin (USM) were all so very excited over Bama’s inclusion in the BCS championship game on 1/9/12.  Their respective “clubs” will be meeting in the coming days to discuss creative ways to support the Tide in their bid for another national championship.

Me, I knew Bama was in all along.  Joe David Bailey is my source and he assured me from the get go that it was a no brainer!  Rusty Suthoff (LSU) is worried!  He even skipped church last night and one can only assume he was simply too worried to be out in public right before the announcement!

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

I saw Richard Glass in the hospital yesterday morning and he was doing pretty good.  However, Tony Hacker told me later in the day that the doctors had found a problem.  I do not know all of the details but do ask that you pray for him.

Trish Blackwell sent me a message during the night to let us know that Xavier will have surgery on Wednesday, 2/14, in Birmingham.  Pray that Adam gets home from Germany in a timely fashion and that the surgery will go well.

Friendship family, remember the 50th anniversary celebration for Herbert & Peggy Benefield tomorrow from 2:00 – 5:00PM.  Again, it is a come and go event and take place in the fellowship hall.

Upward games begin tomorrow.  Pray for this ministry.

We are on a regular schedule this Sunday.  Our children’s choir will present their musical during our evening service.  I hope to see many members of the Friendship family present Sunday morning and evening.

I am going to park a Sooner Schooner outside my house tomorrow night!  Kim & Jan have had a great response to their new team.  As a matter of fact, I think outsiders like Pastor Bob Harvery, my brother, Freddie, and others are asking about how to join.  That is awesome!  Bill is being a little harsh on the Ole Miss side but he will come around!  LOL!

I pray you will have a great weekend with Jesus.

Our Wednesday was good.  The day began with a really strong attendance in our 10:00AM service.  Those folks know how to be faithful!  We had good attendance in our evening activities as well.  God is good!

Lisa, Deidra, and Ann did a very nice job of cooking soup for our 8:00PM Bible study group.  I appreciate their efforts and the soup was great!  I am loving these cooler temperatures which made the soup even better!

Miss Maxine Dupont may come home from the hospital this afternoon.  She still has a way to go to be completely over her problem but she says she is doing better.  Pray for her.

Bill & Debbie’s daughter, Brandi Estes, still needs our prayers.  Jason Kirschenman was discharged from the hospital and is waiting on some test results.  Carla Kyser has a scan next Friday, 12/9.  Lisa Thompson (Brenda Timberlake’s sister) is going to receive more treatments for her cancer.  Pray for these folks.

Richard Glass suffered a stroke yesterday morning and is in a local hospital.  I will check on him this morning.  Pray for him.

Kim French & Jan Cummings are forming a group to be known as “AU fans pulling for UA” in anticipation of Bama making the BCS game on 1/9/12.  I hear that Scott Fontenot, Ross & Betty Clair Hatcher, Bev Aldrich and Sara Thornton among others are eagerly making application to join.  (Bro. Jack/Joe David, you think Sed wants to join?)  I feel as though Bill Kendrick will want to form a group of Ole Miss fans wanting to do the same.  Chris & Courtney Cavin will do likewise with USM fans.  Wow, this outpouring of support for Bama is flattering!  I am touched!  (By the way, we welcome any of our Michigan or Michigan State fans to begin their own chapter too – contact Kim & Jan for the details on how to start such a group!)

Speaking of sports, Jamie & Jessica Hall along with their Springhill College teammates are in Iowa for the national volleyball tournament.  They have lost the first two days but went into the tourney with only one loss for the entire year.  They play again today.  I wish them well.

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