Pastor's Blog

Let me begin with a PSA – Stacey & Gayla Dyess are cooking seafood gumbo this weekend as they are helping a granddaughter’s cheer squad raise funds to go to nationals.  Seventy-eight ($78) a gallon; twenty ($20) a quart.  Orders need to be placed no later than noon tomorrow, 1/10/25.  Gumbo will be delivered on Monday, 1/13/25.  You can contact Gayla at (251) 463 0577.  Stacey has a good reputation for his gumbo.  No obligation.  Just FYI.

Pastor Reed continues to make progress.  Thank you for praying!

Tonya’s great-nephew obviously continues to need our prayer support.

Miracle of miracles – Deidra posted a blog on the SLAM website today.  Pretty transparent.  She is so jealous of my baker’s dozen readers and only wishes she had such a following.  Just saying!

The first team of 2025 to do ministry on GRACE Mountain arrived on 1/2 and left early this morning.  One small problem – the winter storm in Dallas which is their connecting point.  So, they are delayed.  The second team was set to arrive on GRACE Mountain today.  One small problem – the winter storm in Dallas which is also their connecting point.  They are working now to try and get to GRACE Mountain tomorrow.  Pray for these two Michigan teams.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday, 1/12.

Basketball leagues resume play tomorrow night, 1/10, and Saturday, 1/11.  Pray for this ministry.

I pray that you will have a great rest of your Thursday with Jesus.  Let’s go!

NO 10:00AM service on our campus today, 1/8/25.  I have made this decision out of respect and concern for our senior saints due to the “colder than normal” temperatures for our area.  The wind from the North is a major factor in this decision.  As I wrote yesterday, I do NOT want our senior saints to attend our 6:30PM service either.  Senior saints, stay home, stay home, stay home!

Tonya Gordon’s great nephew, Rylan, came through his surgery well yesterday.  Keep praying!

Pastor Jim Reed had another good day yesterday.  He remains on a vent but the settings are minimal.  All stats and vitals remain in the acceptable range.  I do appreciate the updates that Burl Brewer has sent to me.  Burl is a great updater!

A big change is coming to the Friendship campus!  It began yesterday.  I am excited and blessed!  Answer to prayer.

Are you remembering to forget the past and to press toward the mark?  Let’s go!

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

Our daughter, Daphne, read my earlier entry and called to let me know that the message about Rylan’s relative came from Tonya Gordon.  I should have remembered that as Tonya has faithfully asked us on Wednesday nights to pray for her soon to be born great nephew.  Tonya, I am sorry for not remembering but I have been, and am, praying for Rylan, the doctors and the family.  Tonya is a sweetheart!  (I fully expect Deidra will call soon to also remind me!)

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT – I have made the decision to NOT have our 10:00AM service tomorrow, 1/8.  (Ignore what I wrote in my letter yesterday)  The real temperature at 10:00AM tomorrow is forecasted to be forty degrees which is not bad.  However, the forecast also calls for wind from the North at ten miles per hour which means the wind chill will be chilly!  Our morning service is mainly attended by our senior saints and I feel it is best for them to stay home.  They are our most faithful group within the church.  I do not want them to then try to come to our 6:30PM service.  Senior saints, stay home tomorrow!  Please pass the word!  (For whatever reason, there are those who seemingly get a thrill out of telling me that not everyone reads my blog daily!  I have gone for all these years thinking the entire eight billion folks on the earth are daily readers.  Talk about being disappointed!  As long as Deidra and Daphne are daily readers, I am good!)

YES, we will have our 6:30PM service and activities tomorrow night.  Pass the word because not everyone reads my blog daily!

I received a text message earlier this morning from someone asking me to pray for their great nephew, Rylan, who is having heart surgery this morning.  Rylan was born on 12/31/24.  (My phone only showed a number and not a name.  Whoever it is was headed to UAB when they contacted me) The Lord knows so please pray for Rylan.

Pastor Jim Reed got another new critical care doctor onboard yesterday.  He is wanting to start the process of waking Pastor Jim up.  Pray for all his stats to remain good and for healing to his lungs and kidneys.  Pray, pray, pray!

Walter Kessler, NBA player and former Auburn player, is the boyfriend of the new Miss America.  He and a friend were watching the pageant on a cell phone and his reaction was priceless when the winner was announced.  Do you know what Walter’s friend said?  “Let’s go!”

I pray that you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus.  Stay warm!  Senior saints, stay home!

Still having some internet “issues” at the house so needed to wait until getting to the office before trying to post.  Of course, getting to the office almost always involves phone calls, visits, et cetera which means a bit of a delay in posting.  Sorry!

The Lord blessed us with a good first Sunday of 2025.  Attendance was good and the spirit was excellent.  Thank you to those who took part in our weight lifting competition during the morning service.

Last update on Pastor Reed from Hurley, MS is that things have improved.  Still room for improvement.  Keep praying.

Beginning tonight the forecasted lows for Grand Bay are 29, 29, 29, 39, 36 & 30 to round out this week.  Our forecasted highs at 46, 50 51, 50, 55 (with rain) and 49.  For those of us living South of I-10 those are cool temperatures.  Of course, these numbers will change as the week progresses.

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

Our basketball leagues continue play today.  Pray for this ministry.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow – morning and evening.  Bible study led by Bill Kendrick will meet at 3:45PM.

I have not gotten an update on Yancey Hall since his surgery.  He was in excellent spirits when I visited with him pre-surgery.  Keep praying.

Pastor Jim Reed is not out of the proverbial woods yet but things are looking better.  Keep praying for miracles!

If the weather folks are correct, we will see a high of seventy-three in Grand Bay tomorrow and then we will be in the forties and fifties as highs for the next almost two weeks.  We will even see several nights in the twenties for our lows.  Now, I realize that is not “cold, cold” but for this area it is colder than normal.  I like it!  Soup weather!

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

Best wishes on this second day of 2025.  Sorry for no communication for the past few days.  We are without internet in our house and also without our landline (what is a landline our younger folks are asking?).

Roy Porter has been hospitalized with fluid on his lungs.  He was admitted to the hospital this past Saturday and was discharged yesterday.  Roy will turn ninety-one years old next month.  He has such a positive attitude.  Pray for Roy!

Yancey Hall is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow (Friday).  I do not know all of the details but do ask that you join Lisa and me in praying for him.

Miss Vinnie called to let us know about Pastor Jim Reed from Hurley, MS.  He is in the hospital and on a ventilator.  He pastors the Full Life Church.  Pray for Pastor Reed, his family and the Full Life church family.

Deidra and the girls left yesterday afternoon and arrived on GRACE Mountain around 12:30AM today.  Thank you for praying.  The first team of 2025 arrives today!

What a terrible thing that happened in New Orleans.  Pray for those folks who are injured and for the families of those who were killed.  Tragic!

Our basketball leagues resume play tomorrow night and Saturday.  Pray for this ministry.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.  Come join us!  By the way, the Bible study being led by Bill Kendrick will resume this Sunday afternoon, 1/5, beginning at 3:45PM.

The bowling fellowship this past Sunday evening was a huge success!

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