Pastor's Blog

The Lord blessed us with a really good day in our services yesterday.  Praise Him.  A family spoke to me following the morning service expressing a desire to join the Friendship family.  Looking forward to them following through on this decision.  God is good!

JoNell Barnes is now recovering at home.  This sweet lady has been through it since last Monday.  Pray for a complete recovery now.

Obviously, it has been great having Deidra, Lizzi, Sydney, Audrey & Chino with us since last Monday.  Today, they will finish packing and I will then drive them to the New Orleans airport for a late afternoon departure to Houston followed by their flight to Guatemala City.  Pray for traveling mercies!  (The good news for us is that Deidra and the girls will be back here arriving on Wednesday, 10/23)

Thank you to those who have given financially to Deidra for their personal expenses.  Wow, unexpected but totally appreciated.

Also, thank you for Johnny Sessions for the beautiful bench he made to set beside Soy’s grave.  Very nice!  A blessing!

Wow, thank you for the tremendous response to the request for the girls in Guatemala.  Goal reached!  So, along with the great response from our friends in Michigan on Thursday night, all thirty-six girls are now covered.  What a blessing!  Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I believe Deidra will post pictures on the SLAM website following those days.

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

Happy twenty-eighth birthday to our twins – Dana & Gina.  Dana is the oldest by one minute.  We love Dana & Gina and are grateful they are our daughters.  Yes, adoption is truly the loving option.  I pray Dana & Gina will both have a great day today!

Heidi’s brother, Chip, has passed from this life.  His physical struggles are over.  Pray for his parents, Heidi and the entire family.  There will not be a public service.

JoNell was released from the hospital early Tuesday evening.  Pray that she will do well in her recovery.  Thank you to Peggy for the updates.

Miss Dottie Clark is not doing well per Dr. Mike.  Please keep praying.

The service for infant Maxi Payne will take place tomorrow at 3:00PM from the Hughes Funeral Home in Daphne, AL.  Pray for the family.

Thank you to Jeff Holifield and Bro. Abel for filling the pulpit yesterday morning and evening respectively.  We were blessed with a good family day.  God is good!

I received a ton of electronic messages yesterday from near and far.  I am grateful.  I tried to reply to each one with at least a “thank you!”  Again, I am blessed beyond measure.

Today, Deidra, Daphne and I will fly to Grand Rapids for our annual GRACE Gathering which will begin at 6:30PM tonight.  I love seeing our Michigan friends.  The three of us should be back in Pensacola just after 10:00AM tomorrow.  Pray for traveling mercies.

Flag football leagues on Saturday, 10/5, beginning at 8:00AM.  Pray for this ministry.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.  Video Bible study (Dr. Frank Turek) led by Bill Kendrick begins at 3:45PM.  Adult choir practice begins at 4:15PM.

In a most unusual move, I will not be taking my laptop with me to Michigan.  “If” I blog tomorrow it will be after lunch.  Lisa does not think I can do it.  So, I have a point to prove – LOL!

If you need to contact me today or tomorrow, just contact Lisa and she will track me down via Deidra or Daphne.

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

One year.  Three hundred and sixty-six days.  Seems like an eternity.  Seems like yesterday.  On October 2, 2023, our son-in-law, Michael “Soy” Taylor left this life and entered Heaven.  I can honestly say that it has been the longest year of our collective lives as a family and I feel that Curtis & Myrna would say the same.  Death stings!

Here are the two most asked questions to me:  how are Deidra and the girls doing?  They are taking it step by step and finding God’s grace sufficient each step of the way.  Deidra has literally cried every day since Soy’s passing.  The last two or three months have seen Lizzi going through the grieving process.  Sydney & Audrey handle it in a different way perhaps because of their age.  Thank you for asking.

Second question:  have they apprended the persons responsible for Soy’s death?  No.  The truth is that they will most likely never make an arrest in this case.  If that ever changes, we will make that announcement.  Again, thank you for asking.

Thank you to the Friendship family for standing beside us during this time.  It has been encouraging.  Every pastor should know the measure of support I have received during this time.  Bro. Abel, Bro. Chris and our deacons have been amazing!  I am blessed.  I am thankful.

Today, we will travel to Richton, MS to visit Soy’s grave.  This will be the girls first time since the burial.  Yes, it will be emotional but, prayerfully, it will help in the healing process.  Complete healing will only come once we are all in Heaven.  Thank you for your continued prayer support.  Someone wrote me this morning to say that they are praying and fasting today.  How nice is that!  We are grateful.

I was asked over the weekend if Deidra will receive electronic messages?  Yes.  Two things – do not expect an immediate, if any, reply.  Please do not send pictures or videos as those are triggers for Deidra.  Thank you for understanding.

No updates on those for whom we have been praying.  Please continue to pray.  Regular schedule on our campus today.

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

” And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died so you will not grieve like people who have no hope.  For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died.

 We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves.  Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.  So encourage each other with these words.” (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)

So far I have not missed a single day (Monday – Friday) of blogging in October 2024.  How about that!

Visited with JoNell Barnes in the hospital this morning.  The surgical procedure went well yesterday.  She “may” be discharged today.  It all depends on her blood pressure which is running low.  JoNell is a sweetheart.  She is a faithful member of the Friendship family.  She has never eaten McDonalds.  True story!  Pray for JoNell!

I spoke to Gary Walton yesterday afternoon and Rachel’s procedure went well.  The doctor had previously told her that there was nothing wrong with her shoulder.  However, they were able to repair it yesterday.  Pray for Rachel as she recovers at home.

I am thankful to Bro. Abel for being there for both of these surgical procedures.  We are blessed to have him on staff at Friendship!

Keith Barrett had his annual transplant review yesterday in Birmingham and all is well.  Praise the Lord.  Keith & Aninha are a amazing couple!  I love having them as a part of the Friendship family.

I spoke to Heidi this morning.  Chip’s condition has not changed much over the past few days.  He remains in a hospice facility.  Keep praying for Chip, his parents, Heidi and the rest of the family.

Ben & Michelle Thomas’ granddaughter, Maxi, passed from this life on Friday night, 9/27.  A celebration of her life will take place this Friday, 10/4, beginning at 3:00PM from the Hughes Funeral Home in Daphne, Alabama.  A visitation with the family will begin at 2:00PM.  Pray for this family.

Claude Landry continues to receive daily radiation treatments.  Pray for Claude!

Keep praying for Dr. Mike & Miss Dottie Clark.

Deidra, the girls and Chino arrived in New Orleans yesterday morning.  We had a great afternoon together as a family.  Tomorrow, 10/2/24, marks the one year anniversary of Soy’s passing.  Hard days.  Thank you to those who are praying.  FYI, Deidra, Lisa, Daphne & Chino have all deactivated their respective Facebook accounts for the time being.  If you try to message them through FB then they will not see it.  Deidra is very grateful for the prayer support but she is not in a place where she can can view pictures, videos, et cetera.  Thank you for understanding.  Most of all, thank you for praying.

The Waffle House in Grand Bay is now closed for the next three months.  (Does any other blog give you this type of information?)  Peggy Knighten may not be able to function now!  Just saying!

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.

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