Pastor's Blog

Art Elliott is back in the hospital with another infection.  I plan on visiting with him today.  Pray for Art!

Thanks for the ministry!  Last night I attended about half of the service at the church.  We had a choir loft full of folks ministering through song.  Then Bro. Jerry Hovel shared the Word through preaching.  I counted around 30 other folks there doing ministry.  Thank you guys for being ministers!

I left the service and went to Holder Wells for the visitation with the Ory family.  David & Kim French were there ministering to the family.  I feel certain some other members of the Friendship family had already come and gone before I got there.  Thank you guys for being ministers!

I will be preaching the funeral service for Norma Jean Wittner this morning.  Pray for that service.

Looking forward to tomorrow – Mission of Hope men in the 10:30AM service and then baptism tomorrow night.  Hope many members of the Friendship family will join us.

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

Bro. Kerry and the music ministry of the Friendship family will host the men from the Mission of Hope for a service tonight beginning at 7:00PM.  Everyone is invited to attend this service.

We will also host the men from the Mission of Hope this Sunday morning during our 10:30AM worship service.  Afterwards, Kenny Lingle has coordinated a meal for the men that will be hosted by our deacons and their wives along with the staff.

The visitation with the Linda Straub Ladnier family takes place today at 11:00AM followed by a noon service.  Everything is from Serenity.

The visitation with the Bettye Ory family (Melinda Eckert’s mother) is tonight from 6:00 – 9:00PM at the Holder Wells Funeral Home.  The service will take place tomorrow at 10:00AM from the Arlington Heights Baptist Church in Pascagoula, MS.

The visitation with the Norma Jean Wittner Carter family takes place tonight from 5:00 – 8:00PM at Radney’s Funeral Home on Dauphin Street in Mobile.  The funeral service takes place tomorrow at 10:00AM from the chapel.  Lord willing, I will be preaching that service.

We will be observing the ordinance of baptism in our service this Sunday evening, 9/30.  All baptismal candidates should meet Bro. Jerry in the auditorium at 5:30PM.

We will have a Wednesday night meal on 10/10.  Folks can purchase tickets in advance to guarantee a plate.  Walk ups will be allowed too as long as the food supply lasts.

Folks, Bro. Benny McGath has done a wonderful job in the CAB!  He has had help but he has been the point man and the CAB has never looked better.  I am grateful!

I have had a change of heart and now do have plans to attend the Ole Miss vs Bama game tomorrow night.  Yes, Lord willing, I will be in the pulpit Sunday morning and evening.

Soy helped me mow last Thursday afternoon and I gave him his props.  Yesterday afternoon?  Are you kidding!  I have mowed for about the last six Thursday afternoons and he feels that he has now done his part!  Charles is upset because I mowed our yard yesterday and not his – wow!

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

As far as I know, Morris Dupont was released from the hospital yesterday afternoon.  Those were the plans and I have heard nothing to indicate otherwise.

Linda Green’s brother, Clay, remains hospitalized and the next couple of days are critical.

Sam Schjott’s uncle remains hospitalized as well.  He has now undergone three surgeries and has been in the hospital for over one month.

Linda Straub Ladnier’s arrangements are as follows – visitation with the family tomorrow, 9/28, from 11:00AM until the 12:00PM (noon) service time.  The visitation and service will take place at Serenity Funeral Home in Theodore, Alabama.

The arrangement’s for Melinda Eckert’s mother, Bettye Ory, are – visitation tomorrow night from 6:00 – 9:00PM at the Holder Wells Funeral Home in Moss Point, MS.  The service will be at 10:00AM on Saturday, 9/29, from the Arlington Heights Baptist Church in Pascagoula, MS.

We will host the men from the Mission of Hope tomorrow night, 9/28, beginning at 7:00PM.  Everyone is invited.  We will then host them again on Sunday morning, 9/30, during our 10:30AM service.  We will provide a meal for them after each of these services.

We will not be hosting Pastor Alton Stokes and the Grand Bay Church of God this Sunday evening, 9/30, but will do so at a later date, Lord willing.

We will be observing the ordinance of baptism this Sunday evening, 9/30, as a part of our worship service.  Those folks desiring to follow Jesus in believer’s baptism need to meet in the church office at 5:30PM.

The official who awarded the Seahawks the touchdown on the final play of the game this past Monday night should be given a nice financial bonus.  Why?  He basically ended the lock out with that one call!

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

Mr. Morris Dupont did very well through is surgical procedure yesterday.  Miss Maxine told me that the doctor wants to get him home as quickly as possible.  By the way, Mr. Morris is 94 years old (I had said in an earlier post that he was 9o or 91)

I am writing this post at 3:30AM and the only obit I see in the papers is one stating that the arrangements for Melinda Eckert’s mother, Bettye Ory, are pending.  I do not know for certain if the Mobile paper’s online obits have been updated for today.  I do know that Norma Jean’s family is meeting with the funeral director today and looking for a Saturday funeral.

We are on a regular schedule today/tonight.  Menu at the house for the 8:00PM Bible studies is ham along with macaroni and cheese.

We will be hosting the men from the Mission of Hope two times this weekend.  First, Bro. Kerry and the choir will host our regular fourth Friday of the month service beginning at 7:00PM.  Obviously, that service will take place in our auditorium. Everyone is invited.

On Sunday morning, 9/30, the men from the Mission of Hope will take part in our 10:30AM worship service.  Afterwards, Bro. Kenny Lingle will lead our deacons and their wives in hosting the men for a meal.

The annual women’s conference takes place on Friday, 10/5.  All women are invited to attend this evening of fellowship and worship.

So, Lisa and I (actually Lisa) hosted a meeting last night for some students.  Begin at 7:00PM and over at 8:00PMish.  That is cool!  Only one slight problem – one of the students obviously did not get the memo as he is presently asleep on our couch!  Did his mother think it was a spend the night event?  He was crying at bedtime last night and could not go to sleep.  I gave him a Coach Saban doll, a Bama blanket and sang the Bama fight song to him and he went fast to sleep.  He looks so cute cuddling that doll this morning!

It gets worse!  Nanette Fontenot sent me an e-mail last night asking if I wanted to join her & Scott on a trip to Tennessee that is designed for them to join Scott’s siblings and their spouses.  I asked if Lisa could join me and Nanette said no!   Folks, that is just weird!

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

Norma Jean Wittner passed from this life Sunday morning.

Linda Straub Ladnier passed from this life yesterday afternoon.  This is Grant Whitehurst’s maternal grandmother.  Linda worked at the drug store in Grand Bay for many years and then owned/operated Savannah’s Florist.

Miss Bettye Ory, Melinda Eckert’s mother, passed away this morning.  She suffered a cardiac arrest on Saturday morning and never recovered.

Pray for these families.  As far as I know, arrangements have not been made for any of these services.  We will post them as soon as we receive them.

Morris Dupont will have a surgical procedure on his heart today. Mr. Morris is 90 or 91 years old.  Pray for him.

A gentleman from 1st Baptist St. Elmo who went on our June ’12 GRACE Ministries trip was hospitalized yesterday.  If his blood is not too thin, they will do a heart cath today.  Jim Chinners visited him last night and I appreciate Jim’s help.

I ask our high school and college students who plan on taking part in either of our GRACE trips next Summer to attend a meeting at the house tonight beginning at 7:00PM.  This is important.

I made a mistake on the date for our upcoming work day.  It is going to take place on Saturday, October 20, with breakfast being served at 7:30AM and the work beginning at 8:00AM.   Alabama and Auburn will both be out of town for their games on that day.  USM plays at home but not until 7:00PM that night.  (That does not really matter but it makes Chris & Courtney feel better)

I watched the Packers vs Seahawks last night.  I did not have a dog in the fight but the way it ended seemed questionable at best.  I suspect we may see the regular officials brought back fairly soon.  Maybe not.

It was sad to read about the student coach at Auburn who passed away unexpectedly this past Saturday just before the football game.  He was 23 years old (I think) and was born with a heart problem.  He was proud of his 2010 national championship ring and I am proud for him.  Football is merely a game!

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

We enjoyed a good day yesterday.  I appreciate the 18 men who attended the ordination council for John Milton Ladnier, Jr.  Bro. Robbie did a nice job of giving a charge to John Milton.  Randall did a great job of sharing the message in song.  It was a blessed service.

Jacqueline Crawley had to have an emergency appendectomy last Thursday afternoon.  She did well and came home from the  hospital on Friday.  Tyrone told me yesterday morning that she was running a fever but at church last night he told me it seemed to be back to normal.

Mr. Morris Dupont, Maxine’s husband, will have a heart cath this afternoon and then have a heart surgery involving a valve tomorrow.  This will be only the third surgery of this type to be done in Mobile as it is a new procedure.  Pray it will go well.

The men serving on the feeding center committee for GRACE Ministries have accepted a bid on the construction process.  This has been a fairly drawn out procedure and I appreciate those men for their diligence.  We have also had help from Tico Vargas, Kirk Lightfield, and John King in Guatemala.  Hopefully, the actual construction can begin soon.

Any high school or college age student planning on taking part of a GRACE Ministries trip next Summer is invited to attend a meeting tomorrow night, 9/25, at our house.  The meeting will begin at 7:00PM and will center around fund raising ideas to help you defray the cost of your trip.  Questions?  Contact Jim Chinners.

I am asking the members of the Friendship family to mark the date of Saturday, 10/13, on their calendars as we will have a work day that morning.  We will serve breakfast at 7:30AM and the work will begin at 8:00AM.

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

Talked to one of Millie’s family members yesterday and they confirmed what I already knew about her situation.  She has been diagnosed with lung cancer and is on oxygen 24/7.  She will not receive treatments but instead  medicine by mouth.  I think she sees a doctor today.  Pray for Millie.

The ordination service for John Milton takes place this Sunday evening beginning at 6:00PM.  The ordination council will meet at 4:00PM in the auditorium and all ordained men are invited to attend.

I was reminded again yesterday of how a person can spend literally years building their testimony/witness for Jesus and then to literally have it tarnished and/or ruined with one questionable/bad/wrong decision.  I should always ask myself, “how will this affect my witness for Jesus?” before taking any action.

I have to give Soy his props as he helped me mow yesterday afternoon.  I really enjoy mowing this time of the year in the late afternoon.  We did not get finished but my today’s work will be much lighter because of yesterday’s effort.  (Do not look for Soy to be around today as I weed eat and push mow!)

Speaking of help, Josh Schlehuber will have his mom send me an e-mail after each post about my mowing.  He will say how he would love to help me because he feels sorry for me.  Nice words but absolutely no action!  Typical OU fan!

We are on a regular schedule this Sunday.  Lord willing, I will be in the pulpit for all three services.  I hope to see many members of the Friendship family in those services, Sunday School, and Discipleship Training.

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

Wow, we had a house full for our 8:00PM Bible study last night.  I am guessing about 40 total.  Nine of us went into the garage for our Bible study while the others remained in the house.  It was a good night.

As far as I know, there is no significant change in any of the folks for whom we have been praying.  There was an infant who passed away very unexpectedly yesterday morning so pray for that family.  Tena Hovel knows this family very well.

We will ordain John Milton Ladnier, Jr. this Sunday evening with the ordination council meeting in the auditorium at 4:00PM.  All ordained men are invited to join that council.

I am having to be brief with this as we have not had internet or phone service at the house since yesterday morning.  I am literally sitting outside (the cooler air feels great) “stealing” a signal from Soy.  It is dark so please excuse the mistakes!  Soy wants me to have the church give him “tax credit” since I am using “his” internet!  I refuse!  Al said the internet is free!

Speaking of mistakes, I used to count on Deidra Taylor and Jennifer Wetterer Zirlott to hammer me over any, and all, mistakes in my entries.   That was before they had children.  Now, I never hear from them – LOL!

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

Lindsey Vice underwent a surgical procedure yesterday.  She did well and I think she came home late yesterday afternoon.  (I am pretty “ticked” at TJ for not letting me know about this!  He probably was either a) worried about using up his cell phone minutes which would constitute a financial charge;  b) working on his fantasy football league; as he sat in the waiting room.  I am going with “B”)

I tried to contact Miss Millie yesterday to no avail.  Bro. Kerry & Tommy Johnson were going there last night so we should get an update today.

I have several unspoken prayer requests that have been sent to me in recent days.  (Some may not be unspoken but I do not know if I have the liberty to post names on the internet as I try to be careful about that)

We are on a regular schedule today/tonight.  Beginning tonight, we are dividing our 8:00PM Bible study into two groups for the study portion.  I encourage all of our college folks to join us as Soy will be their facilitator.

I have no idea what Bama’s 2012 football season will eventually end up looking like.  However, I have noticed that my Arkansas friends i.e. Louise Mason, Jack Ciak, and Bret Hart have been extremely quiet this year.  I do realize that Louise & Jack live in Arkansas where they only have internet one day per week.  Bret lives in TN which explains itself!  I just hope they are alive and well!

I also have not heard from Gene & Gena Davis in forever!  If Gena has stopped reading these entries then our readership is down to 7.  (Thankfully, I can always count on mama and Nanette Fontenot!)

Please stop praising Soy and mocking me about the tv thing.  You do not know the “Paul Harvey” on that one.  Do you really think I would throw Soy under the bus?

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