Pastor's Blog

Miss Lillian Brinkman suffered a stroke this morning and has been admitted to the hospital.  She was alert and talking when I visited her around 10:00AM.  Pray that she will fully recover.

Anna Carol Bosarge was admitted to the hospital yesterday afternoon with chest pains.  A heart cath was done this morning and showed one blockage that the doctor says can be treated with medication.  Pray for Anna Carol.

Tyler Peters, thirteen year old grandson of Mark & Brenda Timberlake, was attacked by a dog late Saturday night.  He has some pretty extensive damage to his face/neck areas.  Surgery took place yesterday morning.  He “may” be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.

William “Smidge” Freeman, brother-in-law of Bobby Broome & Ann Clark and first cousin of Betty Creech passed from this life yesterday morning around 9:00AM.  The visitation with the family takes place this Wednesday, 4/4, from 9:30AM until the 11:30AM service time.  Visitation and service will be at the Jones Funeral Home in Richton, Mississippi.  Pray Smidge’s wife, Sue, and the family during this difficult time.

Easter Sunday 2018 was a huge blessing!  The first ever sunrise service on the campus of Friendship Baptist was very good.  The temperature was a bit cool for us but the attendance was good and the spirit was excellent.

Our 8:00AM service was well attended.  Our 10:30AM service was our best attended service of the day.  It was also the service that produced a salvation decision during the invitation.

I just cannot adequately express my appreciation to each person who helped with the three services.  Guys came on Saturday night to get things ready for the sunrise service, folks came at 5:30AM on Sunday to do likewise, people moved chairs, bleachers, et cetera and basically folks did whatever it took to make the day a success.  God blessed in a special way and we give Him the glory.

I do want to say a very special “thank you” to each person who was present for all three services yesterday.  I am fearful of missing someone so I am not listing names.  However, those folks know who they are and they also know that I am very thankful pastor!

Lisa and I drove to Millbrook, AL and back yesterday afternoon/evening.  We had a delightful time visiting with Josh, Mandi & Ruby Fortner along with Ken & Katherine Huff.

Ok, I am all in for “Go Blue” tonight.  I have many, many “Go Blue” fans as friends.  Do I think UM will win tonight?  No.  However, upsets can, and do, happen!  Can you believe a 9:24PM Eastern time tip for the game?  That is crazy!

Watched the last four minutes of the MSU vs ND championship game last night.  Cannot believe that MSU lost in the finals again. I like their coach.

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

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

This entry is way late and now I have decided to make it way later.  Have had something come up that I want to check on before posting an entry.  So, at some point today I will post today’s entry.  Thanks for understanding.  Blessings!

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

I did not make contact with Larry Whitehurst yesterday regarding his MRI as I was basically “disconnected” from the world on Good Friday.  I plan on talking to Larry this morning.

Marie Brooks spent Thursday night in the hospital.  She had an episode that they later determined (as far as I know) to be vertigo.  She was discharged from the hospital yesterday morning.

Big weekend for the Friendship family begins this morning with our buses running their routes followed by Sunday School at 9:15AM, Preschool Church & Children’s Church at 10:10AM and then all egg hunts at 11:00AM.  Things should end around 11:30AM or so.  Pray for this morning.

I need some guys to meet me at the church at 6:00PM today to either set up the chairs for tomorrow’s 6:30AM service or at least to have them ready.  Then need some folks to arrive a few minutes early (6:15AM or so) to make sure the chairs are ready/dry for the service.  The low for tonight is expected to be around forty nine degrees so keep that in mind regarding the 6:30AM service.  If you are cold natured, have a cold, et cetera then you may want to attend one of the later services.  I would suggest a jacket for those attending the early service.

Our 8:00AM service tomorrow may or may not be an outside service.  We will make this decision in the morning but we will definitely be having a service at that time.

Our 10:30AM service will definitely be in the auditorium.

I encourage the members of the Friendship family to be faithful in every area this weekend – praying, attending, giving, et cetera.  We tend to have strong numbers on Easter Sunday but our offerings are not always as strong.  That has always puzzled me to a degree.  We will celebrate that fact that Jesus gave so it seems that is the least we can do on this special day.

By the way, we are getting real close to offering online giving.  Details soon to come.

We are going to have a “blue moon” tonight!  What?  We had a full moon on March 1 and will now have a second i.e. “blue” full moon tonight.  February did not have a full moon this year.  Last time that happened was in 1999 and the time before that was 1980.  The next time February will not have a full moon will be 2037.  Someone remind me to post that in my February 1, 2037 blog entry.  (You can see a month having a full moon twice every three years or so)  Folks, what other pastor has this kind of information in his blog?  Just saying!

Bobby and the boys won opening game of the season yesterday.  Can they go 162 – 0?  Stay tuned!

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

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

Larry Whitehurst will have a MRI tomorrow.  He will also be meeting with three doctors.  Pray that all goes well.

Marie Brooks has been referred to an oncologist as her doctor cannot determine what he is seeing from the tests they have done up to this point.  Pray they will be able to clearly see and define this matter.

Bro. Benny’s brother-in-law remains hospitalized due to afib.  Pray this can be corrected and that he can be discharged from the hospital.

Special thanks to Bob Evans, Bill Kendrick, Steve Morris & Jerry Whitmore for answering the call yesterday regarding the trimming of the hedges.  They did an excellent job and I am grateful.  By the way, Kendall Falana has also done nice work power washing over the past couple of weeks.  Again, I am grateful.

Good day in our services yesterday.  We give God the glory.

I am going into seclusion today in order to pray, study and prepare for Sunday.  My wife will know how to get in touch with me in the event of an emergency.  Otherwise, I am off of the radar today.

No blog tomorrow as per my practice on Good Friday.  Saturday will be a full morning with the classes, church services and egg hunts for our preschoolers and children.  Pray for this special day!

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

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

I had mentioned meeting at 1:00PM today to trim the hedges around the church buildings and the office building.  Let’s move that time to 1:30PM.  Still need five or six folks to show up to help.  Total telling me they are coming – zero!  LOL!

Normal schedule for the Friendship family this morning and evening.

Marie Brooks had a test done yesterday morning but not sure if she got the results.  Pray for Marie.

Steven Johns received a shot yesterday but it did not bring the immediate relief he was in hopes of receiving.  He goes back to the doctor today.

Bobby Chandler has some procedures this afternoon.  Laurie saw the doctor this past Monday and is going to require eye surgery at a later date.  Pray for Bobby & Laurie.

Daphne and I will leave as soon as the morning service is over and go to Jersey Mike’s on Dauphin Street for lunch.  All monies received today at either of the two Mobile locations goes to the USA Children’s & Women’s Hospital.  Good food (in my opinion).  Good hospital.  Good cause.  (That is the reason for pushing the trimming time to 1:30PM – I want to make sure I am back in time)

We need one more coach to help with the youngest age group in our soccer leagues.  If you are willing to help then please contact Amy Reynolds or Coley Johnson immediately.  Folks, it cannot be that difficult as Witney Edwards and Daphne Hutto are coaching a team.  (That team will be all about the post game snacks!)  Practices begin on April 9 and games begin on April 14.

Pray for our Easter Saturday activities.  It will be a regular Sunday schedule taking place on Saturday.  This involves our Preschool and Children’s Departments.

Three Easter Sunday services – 6:30AM (outside), 8:00AM & 10:30AM.  Make plans to join us for one of these services.

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

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

We remain on the “hospital free” status and for that I am grateful.  We do not even have anyone scheduled for surgery this week so that is a good thing too.

The forecasters keep calling for rain but it never seems to materialize.  Maybe today.  God knows what we need so we shall see.

As I wrote yesterday, I would be thrilled if four, five or six folks could join me tomorrow afternoon at 1:00PM to trim the hedges around the church buildings and the office building.  Bring electric hedge trimmers, extension cords, rakes, et cetera and it should not take long at all.

Tyler Compagner and Nicole Linderman recently got engaged to be married.  They have now set the date for the last Saturday in September.  Another couple who met while on a GRACE Ministries mission trip to Guatemala.  Single?  Want to find your future spouse?  Think mission trip!  Just saying!

I did not realize that the NCAA women’s Final Four has already been set with MSU, Louisville, UConn & ND making up the field.  All four are the one seeds and they only have six losses between the four teams – wow!  Obviously, I am pulling for MSU as I am a SEC conference homer!

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

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

The Lord blessed and we enjoyed a very blessed day in our services yesterday.  The proverbial icing on the cake was the superb job done by Jeanette and the adult choir last night.  The Friendship family did well in supporting the choir by praying and attending the service.  Thank you Lord!  Thank you Jeanette!  Thank you choir members!  Thank you Friendship family!

Easter week – what an awesome week as we remember the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.  We will observe the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper in our two services in the auditorium on Wednesday.  We will have our Preschoolers and Children present on Saturday for their classes and church services.  We will have three worship services on Easter Sunday – 6:30AM, 8:00AM, and 10:30AM.

The Friendship family is hospital free at the moment.  That is good news!

I had made tentative plans to ask some folks to join me this morning in trimming the hedges around the church buildings and the office building.  The weather forecast was pretty solid in calling for rain today so I scratched that idea.  Now the forecast calls for rain tomorrow.  So, I am going to ask folks to join me at 1:00PM on Wednesday to trim the hedges and get things ready for Easter weekend.  It should not take long at all if four, five or six folks show up with the proper tools.

I would imagine a good number of folks had Villanova and Kansas in their Final Four.  Some probably picked Michigan to be there too.  However, no one would have had Loyola Chicago unless it was as a joke.  Can they win two more games?  I seriously doubt it but I did not think they would win the first four either.  We shall see!

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

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

I have known of the possibility of Kirk’s grandson having a malignancy for the past week plus but did not want to publicize it until the biopsy results were known.  Just kept thinking that “this cannot be, the doctors are wrong, et cetera” but it is reality now.  He and his parents have been on my mind constantly since Kirk shared the results of the biopsy with me yesterday afternoon.  Folks, we need to pray without ceasing.

As far as I know, Bro. Benny McGath’s brother-in-law, Joe, had heart surgery yesterday afternoon.  I do not know the details but do ask that you pray for Joe & Cindy.

Have I mentioned the adult choir’s Easter musical scheduled for tomorrow night at 6:00PM?  My hope is for the members of the Friendship family to support this with their prayers and attendance in a big way!

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning.  Discipleship Training tomorrow afternoon at 5:00PM.

Ok, I am now pulling for the Michigan Wolverines to win it all in the tourney.  I will take any of the eight left except for Duke & Kansas.  Of course one of them will be eliminated when they face off tomorrow.  Go Blue!

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

“Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

The Friendship family will host the service tonight at the Mission of Hope beginning at 7:00PM.  Randall Broome is in charge of that service.  He will be singing and sharing.  Everyone invited.  If you attend the service, please consider taking some food with you to feed the men following the service.  Need ideas?  Contact Rita Broome today.

Visited with Luke Brown’s mother yesterday morning.  She was discharged from the hospital a short time later.  Pray for her as she goes through rehab.

Visited with Bro. Benny’s brother-in-law too.  He was “thinking” that he would have heart surgery today but was not absolutely sure.  He was to see his surgeon last night.  Pray for Joe and Cindy.

Regular schedule for the Friendship family this Sunday morning and evening.  Our evening service will be very special as Miss Jeanette and the adult choir will present their Easter musical.  I am encouraging, challenging, exhorting, whatever the members of the Friendship family to attend this special service which will begin at 6:00PM.  Let’s fill the house!  Hey, I will not be preaching so that is a good enough reason to attend!

The weather forecast for Easter weekend is now calling for great weather.  We shall see!

The Grand Bay Church of God is hosting a community egg hunt tomorrow, 3/24, from 10:00AM until noon on their property just North of Breitling School.  Good activity for your children.

The SEC conference has now officially bowed out of the NCAA basketball tourney.  Only twenty four teams remain.  I caught some of the UK vs KSU game last night.  I do not want Zach Huhn to know this but I hope Duke gets beat tonight – by 40!

Lord willing, I will spend today and tomorrow in the yard and garden.  I like it but that really does not matter.  What matters is that Lisa has told me that is what I will be doing for the next two days!  She made me go buy groceries last night so I would have all day today to work outside.  Folks, the woman is a slave driver!

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

Join me in wishing Bro. Oscar Petersen a very happy 94th birthday today, March 22.  What a tremendous blessing Bro. Oscar has been to the Friendship family.  He has had a very tough past fourteen months so I pray that today will be a good day for him.  Bro. Oscar is a good man!  Blessings to him!  Happy birthday Oscar!