Pastor's Blog

Tonight, Sunday, August 14, Dani Jordan, daughter of Jonathan & Jamie Jordan came on the platform during the invitation to share with me that she has asked Jesus into her heart as her personal Savior.  Great news!  However, I failed to introduce her to those in attendance.  Total mistake on my part.  No excuses.  I am sorry for his huge error.

I spoke to Jamie via the phone and she was so gracious and very Christlike.  I am grateful.

This Sunday, 8/21, I will present Dani at the beginning of our 10:30AM service, Lord willing.

Folks, you cannot fix stupid – I am living proof!  Again, my apologies to Dani and her parents.

Tim Knighten will have blood work at noon today followed by his scan at 12:55PM.  Join me in praying for Tim.  And Peggy!

Anna Carol Bosarge is scheduled for surgery tomorrow.  Pray for Anna Carol.

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.

Hope all eleven of our blog readers will be in church today!

Tim & Peggy Knighten are in Houston in order for Tim to have his scan in the morning!  Pray for great results!

Bibbi Bosarge is some better and actually had to go to work for a few hours yesterday.  It just seems that no one else can head those shrimp like she can!  Keep praying for Bibbi!

Great news – Coley & Katelyn Johnson will go on Tuesday, August 23, to adopt!  They have prayed and waited for what seems like forever!  I am so happy for this family!

Once again, John Milton Ladnier has supplied us with garden produce.  This time it was okra!  Thank you John Milton for being so generous.

Not to be outdone, Bill Kendrick gave us a bag full of bell peppers this week.  (They must have been on sale at Sessions!)  Thank you Bill for remembering us!

Joey & Bibbi Bosarge blessed us with shrimp yesterday!  So nice!  Thank you Joey & Bibbi.

Evan Cramer heads to Troy University today to begin his college career.  Others from the Friendship family may be doing likewise.  Join me in praying for these young adults.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.  Study in Romans begins at 4:45PM; Bible baseball from 5:00 – 6:00PM and children’s choir from 6:00 – 7:00PM.  Sunday School begins at 9:15AM.  Worship services at 8:00AM, 10:30AM and 6:00PM.  Join us!

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

Good intentions alone never get the job done!  Case in point – yesterday’s blog.  My apologies.

Karen McGriff did have a tear in her rotator cuff which they repaired Wednesday.  Surgery went well.  Keep praying for Karen.

Richard Bentley also had successful surgery on Wednesday.  Per his daughter, Leslee, there was more wrong than thought.  Keep praying for Richard and for Angie as she nurses him back to health.

Sonny Bates’ doctor took him off one of his medications in hopes of bringing his cancer numbers down.  Giving him something to hopefully help his energy level.  Another visit is scheduled four months from now.  Keep praying for Sonny.

Miss Kittie remains in Montgomery and has good days and not so good days.  Pray for Miss Kittie.

Tim & Peggy Knighten will be in Houston this weekend in order for Tim to have a scan Sunday morning.  Pray for traveling mercies and that all will go well with the scan.

Anna Carol Bosarge is scheduled to have surgery on Monday.  Her surgery is also on her shoulder.  Pray that all will go well.

Bibbi Bosarge has been battling pneumonia for about two weeks.  Her condition remains largely unchanged.  The doctor put her on another antibiotic yesterday.  He says it could take weeks for her to fully recover.  Pray for Bibbi!

I “think” that Bro. Jerry & Josh will return from Connecticut tomorrow.  Johnny & Charlene will come home later next week.  Pray for traveling mercies for all four.

Keep praying for David & Sandra McElwee!

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.

Our most famous blog reader, Dr. Rex Looney, has informed me that he missed the blog whenever it was not posted for sixteen days and thanked for me for posting again.  Not every writer of a blog can say that “Dr. Rex” is a daily reader.  Just saying!

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

Sonny & Jeanette Bates will travel to New Orleans today in order for Sonny to meet with the doctor(s).  Pray for traveling mercies and that all will go well.

Karen McGriff will have surgery today.  Not sure of the time.  They will be checking for a possible tear in her rotator cuff.  Pray for the procedure to go well.

Richard Bentley will also have surgery this afternoon.  He has a tear in his rotator cuff along with other problems that need to be surgically corrected.  Pray for his surgery to be a success.

Tim & Peggy Knighten are scheduled to travel to Houston this weekend in order for Tim to have a scan on Sunday morning.  Did you just say, “a scan on Sunday morning?”  I did.  Pray for the scan to show no malignancy!

Bro. Jerry, Josh, Johnny & Charlene remain in Connecticut doing missions.  Pray for them and keep up with them via social media.

Regular schedule on our campus this morning at 10:00AM and this evening at 6:30PM.  This will be Bro. Dylan’s first time to lead our students as our full-time minister to students.  It will also be Bro. Abel’s first time to join us in our Wednesday evening service in the auditorium.  Both of these men are excited!

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

First thing this morning – very grateful to the folks who graciously contacted me yesterday thanking me for the blog entry.  So very sweet words were shared.  I do not see the blog very important but others seemingly do.  So, “thank you” to those who read it even the ones like Katie Tillman who read it like once every two weeks to “catch up!”  Just saying!

Received an update from Bro. Jerry Hovel yesterday morning.  All is well.  Here is what he wrote – “Folks can follow us at my Facebook sight Jerald Lee Hovel or NSBC building project. Both will have pictures.”

The Lord knows what we need when we need it and He sends a time of refreshing at the exact moment it is needed.  Someone contacted me last night and was that exact breath of “fresh air” that I needed.  Who?  What?  Does not matter as God knows and I hope that person knows how refreshing that was to me.

A professional athlete recently said, “All I can do is control what I can control” and he is so right.  I learned years ago that I cannot control what other people say, think or do so there is no need to worry about it.  That same athlete’s five year old son was quoted as saying, “Every time I’m with my dad I love it because he gives me picks and makes me really happy. … I love the whole world, I love God and Jesus and I love my family.”  What an awesome quote!

Pray for those folks mentioned in yesterday’s blog.  Sonny & Jeanette Bates will travel to New Orleans tomorrow to meet with Sonny’s doctor.  Pray that all will go well.

Spoke to Sandra McElwee yesterday and the plans call for a memorial service for Mark to take place on Friday, 8/19, on Lookout Mountain in Gadsden, Alabama.  David and Sandra are entrusting me to preach that celebration of life service which I count as an honor.  Keep praying for David & Sandra.

Spoke to my brother last night and our Mama had a good day yesterday.  She finally listened to the staff where she is living and had no issues.

I am a bit crazy (no comments) but I so enjoyed the rain yesterday.  Even went out in a light drizzle to meet with William Sessions regarding a spot for a community garden.  By the way, William wants to have a brief meeting regarding the garden immediately following the 10:30AM service on Sunday, August 21.  Interested?  Need more information?  Contact William.

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

A blog entry?  Serious?  I am!  The lack of entries has been intentional.  No explanation to be given.

First, I want to say congratulations to Dylan Westbrook who is now our Minister to Students after receiving the call by the church family last night.  His first day as a full time staff member is today.  I believe Dylan is going to do well in this position.  Pray for him, Elizabeth, Ellie & Cash.

Bro. Jerry & Josh Hovel have joined Johnny & Charlene Sessions, along with others from the Mobile Baptist Builders, in Connecticut on a mission trip.  They arrived on Saturday and immediately went to work.  Pray for them to have a good and successful week.

It is with a sad heart that I share about the passing of Mark McElwee.  Mark is David’s & Sandra’s son who was only two days short of his fiftieth birthday when he passed from this life.  The McElwees live in the Birmingham area but were very active in the Friendship family while David served as Grand Bay’s Postmaster.  A memorial service will be held at a date to be announced later.

Richard Bentley will be having surgery this Wednesday afternoon.  He has several things that need surgical attention.  Pray that all goes well.

Karen McGriff will also be having surgery this Wednesday.  They will be checking to see if she has a tear in rotator cuff.  Pray that will go well.

Tim & Peggy Knighten will travel back to Houston late this week in order for Tim to have a scan on Sunday morning.  I am joining Tim & Peggy in praying for the scan to show an “all clear” result.  Pray with us!

Miss Kittie Camp has not been feeling well physically.  Please keep praying for her.  What a godly woman!

Myrtle Bowden continues to need our prayer support.  Pray, pray, pray!

Gina and the baby were discharged from the hospital yesterday.  Cooper checked into this world weighing eight pounds and five ounces and is twenty one and a half inches long.  Mother & son a doing fine.  Thank you for praying.

My Mama had another fall late Saturday night.  No harm.  She has got to learn to keep her walker readily available at all times.  Thank you for praying for her.

A few folks within the Friendship family are battling the virus.  Pray for all of them to be well soon.

We had a salvation decision in our second morning service yesterday and another person united with us on transfer of letter.  I then had the privilege of leading a young man to the Lord after the evening service.  Bro. Abel lead one of our youth to the Lord after the evening service on 7/31.  God gives the increase and we give Him all of the glory!

Regular schedule this Wednesday – morning and evening.  I hope many members of the Friendship family will attend.

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