Pastor's Blog

Welcome to what seems to becoming – the afternoon blog entry!  Sorry!

Bro. Abel asked me to emphasize that the early bird registration and evaluation takes place this Saturday, October 19, from 1:00PM until 3:00PM in our CAB.  You can save fifteen dollars by attending this registration as the fee will be sixty dollars.  After this Saturday, the fee will be seventy-five dollars.  Please note that each player MUST go through the evaluation process.  Planned leagues are K5 – 1st grade; 2nd & 3rd grades; 4th & 5th grades; 6th & 7th grades and 8th & 9th grades.  There must be enough players to fill four teams in each league or that league will not exist.  Practices begin on November 18 and league play begins on Friday, 12/6, & Saturday, 12/7.  Questions?  Need more information?  Contact Bro. Abel.

Word came to me yesterday morning that Maxine Dupont from Texas took a fall last Wednesday, 10/9, breaking both arms.  Her heart went into afib and she had to be shocked.  Surgery cannot be done on her arms due to her heart condition.  So, pray for Maxine, Anthony & Valori.  Maxine is now in the ClearSky Rehabilitation Hospital of Harker Heights, Texas.  The address is 750 W Central Texas Expressway  Harker Heights, TX 76548.  Maxine is in room 524.  Join me in praying for Maxine.  One of the absolute finest Christian ladies I have ever known!

Andy Hamil is very concerned about his son-in-law and his battle with dementia.  Pray for Andy’s daughter and her husband.

Keep praying for Robert Baria.

Flag football this Saturday, 10/19, beginning at 8:00AM.  Pray for this ministry!

There will be a meeting this Sunday immediately following our evening service.  This is for all who want to help with our Trail of Truth and Treats which will take place on Sunday, November 3, from 3:00PM until 5:00PM.  We need donations of candy!

Want to bless a student at Colegio JET with a new pair of shoes for Christmas?  You can for only thirty dollars.  More details in our morning service this Sunday.  Others can contact me for more details/information.

I will be taking part in a pastor’s conference in Guatemala this Monday, 10/21, through Thursday, 10/24.  So, not sure about the blog entries those days.  Just FYI.  Pray for the conference.

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

I know, I know, I know, the second entry never got posted yesterday.  My apologies.  No excuses.

So, here it goes – Pastor Joe David Bailey from Danville Baptist Church has taken the lead in getting every student and worker at Colegio JET new shoes for Christmas.  There are over two hundred students and around thirty-four teachers/workers.  The shoes will be purchased in Guatemala at a cost (+/-) of thirty dollars each for the students and seventy-five dollars each for the adults.

Do you want to give toward this worthwhile cause?  If so, you can give online through shininglightabroad.com or at aglimpseofgrace.com.  Or you can make a check payable to either SLAM or GRACE Ministries and mail it to P.O. Box 223 Grand Bay, AL 36541.  All gifts are tax deductible.

For simplicity’s sake, please email Pastor Joe at jdbua@yahoo.com or joe@danvillebaptist.org to let him know you are purchasing a pair (or more) or shoes.  Thank you for giving to the Lord!

Regular schedule on our campus today – morning and evening.

Keep praying for Robert Baria

Also, continue to pray for Miss Dottie Clark and Carla Parker.

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

Hallelujah!  The special offering received this past Sunday for the hurricane relief in North Carolina totaled seven thousand dollars ($7,000).  Praise the Lord!  Thank you for giving to the Lord!

Robert Baria was taken to the ER on Sunday night and diagnosed with pneumonia.  He was sent home to recover.  Pray for Robert & Roseanne.

Received some tough news yesterday morning.  The doctor called Carla Parker (Clubhouse Ministries) to say that her recently found malignancy is a very rare type and that it is very aggressive.  I talked to our daughter, Daphne, about it and she confirmed that this is not a good situation.  “But God!”  Folks, pray for Mike & Carla.

Dottie Clark took another fall and injured her hand.  So much so that it took eleven stitches to close the cut.  When you consider how small Miss Dottie’s hand is, that is a lot of stitches.  Pray for Miss Dottie and Dr. Mike.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.  Join us!

I am going to write another entry later today offering our thirteen readers the opportunity to be a blessing for Christmas.  Stay tuned!

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

P.S. – Go South!  Beat the Trojans!

Yesterday afternoon around the 3:00PM hour, Bro. Chris Scofield’s mother passed from this life.  He was sitting beside her talking, praying, reading the Bible, et cetera when she passed.  Pray for Bro. Chris and his family during this time.  There will be a memorial service at a time to be determined later.

This Sunday, 10/13, we will receive a love offering to help some of the folks in North Carolina who were impacted by Hurricane Helene a couple of weeks ago.  We will be going through Pastor David Walters and Pastor Eddie Burdette and the New Life Fellowship Church in Anderson, SC.  They are working with a church in the greater Asheville, NC area.  Pray and then give as the Lord leads.  Checks should be made payable to Friendship Baptist Church.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.  Special Bible study at 3:45PM being facilitated by Bill Kendrick.  Adult choir rehearsal at 4:15PM being led by Miss Jeanette.

There will be a banquet for the Mission of Hope tomorrow afternoon at  The Grounds in Mobile.  Interested in attending or need more information?  Contact Carl Ray or Charlotte Moulds.

We had three men nominated to serve as deacons beginning January 1, 2025.  Since that is the exact number we need then I will share those names in one of our services this Sunday, 10/13.

Flag football leagues tomorrow beginning at 8:00AM.  Keep praying for this ministry.

Pray for Miss Dottie Clark and Carla Parker in their respective battles with sicknesses.

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

Good afternoon!  Sorry for the delayed entry.  No excuses.

Bro. Chris Scofield called me this morning to share that his mother is seemingly in the last days of her life on this earth.  Pray for her, Bro. Chris and the family during this time.

My good friend, and partner in missions, Mike Parker also called me this morning to share that his wife, Carla, had a biopsy earlier today that revealed she once again has a malignancy.  Plans are to remove the malignancy through surgery and then do chemo followed by radiation.  Pray for Carla, the medical folks, Mike and the entire family.

Major change – our Trail of Truth and Treats will take place on Sunday, November 3, from 3:00PM until 5:00PM.  Please note the new date and plan accordingly.

We had a good service this morning and are looking for a good one tonight beginning at 6:30PM.

I pray that the rest of your Wednesday will go well.

My prayer list today begins with Hurricane Milton and those folks in Florida who are in his path.  As of 4:00AM today, the sustained winds are at one hundred and fifty-five miles per hour – wow!  I realize those winds are supposed to lessen prior to landfall but Milton is still going to be a major storm.  Join me in praying for those in its path.

Speaking of hurricanes, many folks are still reeling from the deaths and devastation brought by Hurricane Helene.  The western side of North Carolina was hit extremely hard.  I talked to the deacons and finance committee this past Sunday morning and here is our plan to help – we will be sending a check to the New Life Fellowship Church located in Anderson, SC.  They are partnering with the One Focus Church in Swannanoa, NC (Asheville address).  We will be receiving a love offering in both of our services this Sunday, 10/13.  Pray and give as the Lord leads.  Pastor David Walters and Pastor Eddie Burdette of the New Life Fellowship will partner with the pastor of One Focus to coordinate the relief efforts in that community.  Again, pray and give as the Lord leads.

Also, Pastor Shirlon Davis and the folks of More Life Church in Grand Bay are collecting items to take to a sister church in eastern Tennessee which will then be given to folks impacted by Hurricane Helene.  Those items are being collected through this Monday, October 14.  My wife, Lisa, can give you many more details if you are interested in helping through this means.

Deidra and crew arrived safely on GRACE Mountain at 12:30AM their time this morning.  Thank the Lord!  Thank you for praying.

Jerrod Sessions loaded us down with fresh white trout yesterday.  Did he catch them?  Um, no!  Rebecca did!  Just the facts.  We appreciate this kind gesture by Jerrod & Rebecca.  Thank you!

Speaking of kind gestures, Pepper Scofield baked not one, but two, cheesecakes and brought them to us this past weekend.  How nice is that!  She is talented in being able to take a Cotton Blues cake out of the box, place it on a cake plate and make it look homemade.  I was impressed.  Thank you, Pepper.

I am told there were fourteen folks in the afternoon Bible study this past Sunday.  Good stuff!

Not sure how many folks were at choir rehearsal but I encourage folks to attend.  The Christmas musical will take place on Sunday, 12/15.  Pray for this ministry effort.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.

Flag football this Saturday, 10/12, beginning at 8:00AM.  Pray for this ministry.

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

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.