Pastor's Blog

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Hey, what do you know?  An early blog entry.  I was inspired as Lisa told me last night of another blog reader that I did not have in our readership numbers.  That pushes our total number of readers back up to thirteen!  Is that impressive or what?

There will be no services/classes/activities on our church campus this morning or tonight.  This has been a “normal” thing for us during Thanksgiving week for years.  Do not know what to do with a Wednesday night off from church?  Go to the Lighthouse and enjoy fish and grits!

Thankfully, this has been a quiet week with no major happenings.  As far as I know, all is well in South Mobile County.  That is a good thing!

I did make a hospital visit yesterday morning.  The patient was waiting to have one more scan done and then was most likely going to be discharged.  I pray that took place.

The church office will be closed tomorrow as we observe Thanksgiving Day.  I have no plans to go anywhere over the weekend so I am available if an emergency arises.  Call our house phone.

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

I am a creature of habit and when I get out of a habit it can be difficult for me to get back into it i.e. writing a blog entry every day.  So, this one is late too!  No excuses.  (Actually I went by to see Bo this morning and she would not stop talking!)

Well our string of not having anyone in the hospital for the past several weeks ended on Sunday.  I do not know if I have the liberty to say who is in the hospital but I did visit yesterday.  Scan today and possible discharge if everything goes well.  Just pray.

Nanette Fontenot has a blood clot near the place where they did her recent surgery.  They are putting her on blood thinner for the next three months in hopes the clot will dissolve.  Pray that comes true.

Remember, no services/classes/activities here tomorrow morning or evening.  This is a quiet week on our campus.

The church office will be open today and then again tomorrow but will be closed on Thursday for Thanksgiving Day.

Lord willing, I will attend Anna’s game at Faith Academy today.  She is pretty pumped about me being there!

Titus has a birthday this Saturday and he is acting like Rita Padilla Broome as he wants it to be a week long celebration!

Soy & Deidra are cooking/serving a traditional Thanksgiving meal to the children in the feeding center tomorrow and Thursday.  It will definitely be different for them.

I do not watch or listen to Finebaum.  I heard that he says both Alabama and Auburn could be in the final four this year.  That would be wild!  Can you imagine if those two teams met each other in the national championship game?  Not sure the national ratings would be high but this State would go crazy!

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Sorry this entry is late.  No excuses.  I also did not post anything for the past several days.  Was unexpectedly out of town on Friday with our oldest twin, Dana, and then expectedly with Lisa, Daphne, Titus, Emmy and Nora on Saturday.  Was able to visit family in Hartselle too so it was all good.

No prayer time tonight.  No GROW tonight.

Let me go back to last Thursday, 11/16.  The annual community senior adult Thanksgiving meal was, once again, a huge success.  Many thanks to each person who helped in any way to make that day special.  Dale Bosarge did a very good job of sharing the Word and doing an illusion.  One sweet lady, age 90, told me she is going to live long enough until she is the oldest person present for that service.  This year’s oldest was 96 years old (two ladies).

We were blessed with a very good day in our services yesterday morning.  Thanks to Bro. Jerry Hovel and those who helped with the food baskets.  Did not have any public decisions but did have some folks talk to me afterwards about decisions they need to make.  God is good.

Last night’s service at the GBCOG was good too.  Al, Brad, Jeanette & Randall all did a nice job with the music which included our choir and the COG praise team.  Associate Pastor Jamie Passman did a nice job of sharing the Word.  The attendance was good and I am thankful for each member of the Friendship family who attended.  The offering went to the “Faith By Works” ministry which is a local ministry here in Grand Bay.

Bro. Jerry Hovel is on vacation this week.  I respectfully ask that he not be contacted about any matter.  I am in town and available all week long with the exception of 2:30PM – 6:00PM on Saturday!

Last night’s weather was great!  Open windows night!  I love it!

Friendship family – no services/activities/classes this Wednesday.

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

We were blessed with a really good day in our services yesterday morning and evening.  We give God the glory!  The Friendship family needs to note that we will not have any services/activities next Wednesday, 11/22.

Today is the annual senior adults Thanksgiving meal in our CAB.  I appreciate all who have helped in any way up to this point and all who will help today.

Our bus ministry Thanksgiving meal will take place this Sunday, 11/19, immediately following our 10:30AM service.  Thanks to all who help with that meal too.

The annual community Thanksgiving service will take place this Sunday evening, 11/19, beginning at 6:00PM at the Grand Bay Church of God.  The GBCOG is located on Old Pascagoula Road.  Hall Road ends at Old Pascagoula and that is where the church building is located.  We need a strong attendance from the Friendship family.

Our new system is in place.  There are some adjustments to be made but it “seems” to me that it is going to be great.  I appreciate all who have helped with this matter.

I am trying to decide if jack came to Grand Bay while I was out of town?  I know he was in Michigan with us back in October.  I would love to see him.

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Good morning from Grand Bay, Alabama.  Lisa and I arrived home safe and sound around 10:30PM last night.  We had a wonderful week with our family and for that we are most thankful.  I may share more about that in later posts.

Regular schedule today and tonight.

Senior adult Thanksgiving meal tomorrow from 10:00AM until noon.  This is for our entire community.  It is always a great day.

The installation of our new sound system should be completed today.  I appreciate the ad hoc committee that has handled this matter.

As of this past Saturday, 11/11, we had twenty plus children available for sponsorship in our feeding center ministry in Guatemala.  As of this past Sunday night, all one hundred children now have a sponsor.  We have a waiting list as there may be one or two openings over the next few days.

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Happy 6th birthday to our granddaughter, Lizzi!  She was born 11/11/11!  We are thrilled to be here celebrating with her.

“Thank you” to our Veterans!  I hope that America never forgets these men and women.

There will be a 90th birthday celebration for Miss Kittie Camp this morning.  It will take place in our fellowship hall and I am pretty sure the time is from 10:00AM until 11:30AM.  All members of the Friendship family are invited to attend this celebration for this most special lady.

Word came to me from Bro. Jerry Hovel that Pastor David Jones passed from this life last night.  This is a brother to Nadine Holifield.  Pray for the Jones family as they walk through this valley.

Dale Bosarge preaching at 8:00AM tomorrow and Bryan Drake preaching at 10:30AM.  Or is it Bryan at 8:00AM and Dale at 10:30AM?  I get confused!

We are now enlisting sponsors for the children in our feeding center in Guatemala.  If you have an interest in being a sponsor ($40 per month) in 2018 then contact me personally via e-mail (pastor@friendshipfamily.net).  We have like twenty five children ready to be sponsored.  More boys than girls.

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading – Jeremiah 40 – 42; Hebrews 4

Good morning from  a Delta flight sitting at the gate in Huntsville, Alabama.  I thought you were not going to blog this week?  (So asked Dr. Rex Looney)  Well, I have a couple of minutes to spare and needed to share a couple of things.

First, Bro. Jerry asked me to share that the art class is not meeting today due to the election.  What election?  Something about a fire.  I am thinking “our twelve readers are not very artsy” so I know none of them are in an art class.  FYI, I made a “F” in first grade in art – just saying!

I posted the arrangements for Miss Jackie Goff in a separate entry last night.  Pray for the family.

I failed to mention yesterday that the Friendship family is not hosting the community Thanksgiving service on Sunday, 11/19.  It will now take place at the Grand Bay Church of God,  Why the change?  They simply outbid us!  Pastor Alton and those folks have some money!  Nothing else changes except the location.

Lisa and I made it safely to Hartselle yesterday afternoon.  Lisa had a dental “emergency” and Dr. Ashley Holladay came to her rescue.  Thank you Dr. Ashley!  We enjoyed our meal with dad, mom, Eddie & Sue.  Best part of the meal was that Eddie paid!  I then joined Eddie & mama in attending a revival service at Danville Baptist Church.  I was able to see many long time friends including Bernard’s BFF – Willard.

Regular schedule tomorrow morning and evening.  Kirk Lightfield will be sharing in the auditorium services.

Only about nine or ten hours before Lisa and I see Lizzi, Sydney & Audrey!

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

Obituary for Sybil “Jackie” Jean Goff

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading – Jeremiah 37 – 39; Hebrews 3

Wow, we were blessed with a really good day in our services yesterday.  Praise the Lord!  We saw at least one salvation decision, five come for baptism, one join on statement and one join by letter.  The Spirit was great and Bro. Keith & Miss Shirley were most complimentary of the Friendship family.  That was before they received the love offering check and you did very well in that regard too.  Thank you Holy Spirit.  Thank you Friendship family.

I spoke to Miss Jackie’s family this morning.  They meet with the funeral directors this afternoon.  They hope to have the service tomorrow but that will depend on the funeral home’s schedule.  Katelyn Johnson will coordinate the ministry of feeding the family following the service.  The family will eat in our fellowship hall.  Pray for Bro. Bill, his daughters and their families as they go through this time of sorrow.

So sad about the situation at the church in Texas yesterday.  We certainly pray for those folks.

GROW ministry tonight at 6:30PM.

No prayer time tonight, 11/6, or next Monday, 11/13.

Lisa and I are about to drive to Hartselle, Alabama in order to have a 61st wedding anniversary meal with my parents.  (Their actual anniversary date is 11/13)  Lord willing, we will board a plane in Huntsville, AL early in the morning and fly to Guatemala for a week of vacation.  Obviously, we are going to see Soy, Deidra and the girls.  My brother, Eddie, and his wife, Sue, are going with us.  This trip was planned for October but we had a couple of “breaks” that changed all of that.  Kirk Lightfield will be sharing in the services this Wednesday.  Dale Bosarge will be preaching this Sunday, 11/12.  I honestly do not know if I will blog or not during my time away.  I hope to relax and just get away from everything.  That is very hard for me to do because of the way I am wired.  My prayer is that everything will go extremely smooth while I am away.

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading – Jeremiah 34 – 36; Hebrews 2

It is a little after 2:30AM and I have just spoken to Miss Jackie’s family.  She has taken a turn for the worse and it seems that she is now nearing the end of earthly life.  Simply ask that you keep praying for Miss Jackie, Bro. Bill, their girls, and the family.

Four services today – 8:00 & 10:30AM and 5:00 – 6:00PM featuring the preaching ministry of Evangelist Keith Fordham.  Pray.  Attend.  Invite others.  We will have Sunday School at 9:15AM.

Deacons will meet today at 4:00PM.  Brothers, be a tad early, if possible, and we will get started early.

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