Pastor's Blog

Happy birthday to my older brother, Eddie.  I hope his day goes great!  I am very thankful to Eddie and his wife, Sue, for the great care they gave to our Dad and for the great care they continue to give to our Mama.  A huge blessing!

Speaking of Mama, the surprise birthday party for her last Saturday, 2/11, was a great success.  One hundred plus folks attended and that number included four pastors other than me.  Mama was surprised and pleased.  That made me happy.

We were blessed with a really good day in our services this past Sunday.  A great spirit continues to be present in all of our services.  To God be the glory!

Lee Sessions remains in a local rehab facility.  Keep praying for Lee.  He is making small steps in his recovery.

Senior adults fellowship today from 10:00AM until noon.  All senior adults invited and encouraged to attend.

The father of Dr. John Nicely from Michigan passed from this life yesterday.  Pray for Dr. John and his family.

A young father of one our the students at Colegio JET in Guatemala passed away at 3:30AM today.  The service will take place at 3:30PM.  Heartbreaking!  Pray for his wife and children.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.

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

Happy eighty-fourth birthday to my Mama.  I hope she will have an absolutely enjoyable day!  It will be a bitter sweet day for me as it also marks Dad’s eighty-seventh birthday.  Yes, they share the same date of birth three years apart.  Lisa and I are only twelve days away from the exact same scenario.  (Only difference is that Lisa is three years older than me – just saying!)

Keep praying for Lee Sessions!

Thank you to those who helped minister to the Judy Hall family yesterday.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – 9:00AM; 10:00AM; 5:00PM & 6:00PM.  I hope to be joined by many members of the Friendship family and guests in these opportunities to study and worship.

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

Pray for Yancey Hall and family this morning as they host the visitation and then have the celebration of life service for Judy.

Happy birthday to our granddaughter, Sydney.  She reaches double digits today.  Big day for her and I hope her day will be all she wants it to be!

Matt Everett and his mother will be traveling to Florida this Saturday in order to be with Matt’s grandfather who is battling a malignancy.  Pray for traveling mercies and for physical healing.

Praising God for Tim Knighten’s great report!

The Friendship family will be feeding the Judy Hall family following the services this Friday.  Want to help with this ministry?  Contact the church office for more information.  Keep praying for Yancey and family.

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.  I pray that the members of the Friendship family will be faithful to attend.

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

Judith Marie Williams Hall, age 78, a resident of Grand Bay, AL, passed away February 6, 2023.

She is survived by her husband, Yancey Hall, Jr.; daughter, Jennifer Hall Cliburn; son, Yancey Hall III (Michele); grandchildren, Kristyn Cliburn Bosarge (Matt), Ronald Cliburn, Jr., Brayden Riley Cliburn, Taylor Yancey Hall, and Clara Vivian Hall; great-granchild, Lera Asteria Cliburn; brother, Robert Williams; sisters, Helen Williams Andrews Myrick, Patsy Williams Salter, Shirley Williams Langley, Cindy Williams Greenwell (Doug), and Debra Williams Whitehead; sisters-in-law, Barbara Jarvis (Doug) and Regina Newberry; nieces, nephews, other relatives, and many friends.

Visitation will be held at Serenity Funeral Home on Friday, February 10, 2023 from 10 AM-12 PM, followed by service at 12 PM. Interment will be held in Serenity Memorial Gardens.

Just received the following from Peggy Knighten:

“Still sitting in Dr. office, but just got the ALL CLEAR– no active cancer!!!!!

Will return every 3 months til 1 year post surgery!

Thank you all for prayers!!!”

Can I get an Amen!  To God be the glory!

Short and sweet this morning.  First, happy seventh birthday to our grandson, Asher!  I hope his day will be great!  We love Asher!

Yancey Hall will meet with the funeral directors today to make the arrangements for the visitation and celebration of life for Judy.  Once they are finalized, I will post another entry with the details.

Visited with Clinton Stringfellow yesterday.  I am not so sure he had open heart surgery as he looked very good.  He was telling me some of his plans for his garden (which is really more like a farm) this year.  Amazing!

Had a nice visit with Sammy & Myrtle too.  Myrtle looks better than she has in months.  Sammy?  Not so much!  Just saying!  Keep praying for Myrtle.

The women’s ministry will have their monthly diaper give away this morning.

Bro. Abel says there was a packed house last night for the soccer parents meeting.  Crazy!  Soccer fields work day this Saturday, 2/11, from 9:00AM until noon.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.

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

Bro. Jerry just called me to share that Yancey Hall’s wife, Judy, just passed from this life.  Pray for Yancey, his children and the family during this time.

Wow, the Lord blessed us with a really good weekend.  The basketball awards night was great and was highlighted by basketball spinning artist, Robyn Slain.  Yes, I was impressed by her ball handling skills but even more impressed by the Gospel message she shared with those in attendance.  She had our service last night and perhaps did even better last night than she did the night before!  Thank you for Bro. Abel for bringing Robyn here to share with us.  Good stuff!

Also, our basketball teams did an outstanding job of bringing diapers (over eight thousand) to give to our women’s ministry.  Our women’s ministry gives away diapers to those in need within our community on the first Tuesday of each month.  Obviously, tomorrow is the first Tuesday of this month so this gift comes at just the right time.  Thank you coaches, players and parents!

While we are on our sports ministry, our soccer leagues parents meeting takes place tonight in the CAB.  Contact Bro. Abel if you need more information.

The Lord blessed our morning service yesterday.  Good attendance.  Great spirit.  It was good to see “greatness” among us.  How great is our God!

Today I plan to visit Judy Hall in the hospital, Clinton Stringfellow at home, Myrtle Bowden at home, et cetera.  Pray for these folks.

Jimmy Tagert had emergency surgery (appendectomy) Saturday morning.  He did well and came home.  Pray for his recovery.

Speaking of the Tagerts, they tell me that Dede is doing an outstanding job of teaching our ladies during the 5:00PM hour on Sundays.  Ladies, if you have not done so already, join this class!

Tim & Peggy Knighten are in Houston as Tim will have a scan today and then meet with the doctor tomorrow.  Pray that all goes well.

Jason Husband is supposed to hear on Wednesday from his test results.  It was good having him in our services yesterday.  Thank you to Jay & Angie Oakwood and Kevin & Tina Sprinkle.

Miss Vinnie Brewer as not well physically yesterday and had to miss our services.  In my opinion, no one in the Friendship family is more missed than Miss Vinnie whenever she is unable to attend (which is very rare).  Pray for Miss Vinnie!

Congratulations to Terrell & Marie Brooks as they celebrated their sixty-third wedding anniversary yesterday which also happened to be Terrell’s eighty-sixth birthday!

Lord willing, I will be taking vacation days the rest of this week beginning tomorrow.  If all goes as planned, I will be back in the pulpit this Sunday, 2/12.  With that being said, I “may” blog tomorrow but then will not plan to do so again until Monday, 2/13.

Just in case, I want to wish our grandson, Asher Hutto, a happy seventh birthday tomorrow (2/7) and our granddaughter, Sydney Taylor, a happy tenth birthday on Wednesday, 2/8.  Might as well go ahead and wish my Mama a happy eighty-fourth birthday on Saturday, 2/11, which will also mark dad’s eighty-seventh birthday.

I continue to be blessed by the many folks checking on me and praying for me.  Yes, I had to walk to the church service last night but it is what it is.  Thank you to Matt Moore for stopping to offer me a ride.

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

Regular schedule on our campus today – 9:00AM; 10:00AM, 5:00PM and 6:00PM.

Tim & Peggy Knighten will leave this afternoon heading back to M.D. Anderson for a scan and consultation with the doctor.  Pray for traveling mercies and for a good report.

Marie Brooks’ surgery went well on Thursday.

Keep praying for Clinton Stringfellow, Lee Sessions and Myrtle Bowden.

Our basketball leagues ended yesterday and, once again, they were a success.  Special thanks to Bro. Abel, Shawn & Kristie for a job well done.  Thank you to each person who helped in any other way.  Now, soccer begins!

A belated happy birthday (2/3) to my nephew, Cody Smallwood, and to our daughter, Henni Tran, (yesterday).  They both turned thirty-one.  Wow!

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