Pastor's Blog

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

Got a message from Larry Whitehurst himself yesterday afternoon.  He was obviously feeling much better and is ready to come home.  Pray for Larry & Judy as they plan to travel home today.  Pray for Larry’s healing.

Heard from Mark yesterday.  Courtney has been placed on oxygen and a hospital bed has been brought in because she can no longer get up.  She is basically not responding.  Difficult days.  Pray for Courtney and her family.

Dave Sellers’ father, David Sellers, suffered a stroke this past week and was airlifted to New Orleans.  The stroke affected his right side.  He can move his right side but has not control.  Plans are to move him to a rehab facility.  Pray for Mr. Sellers and his family.

Regular schedule this morning and evening.

Wedding shower for Chloe McGath & Garrett Keating this afternoon in the fellowship hall.  All ladies of the Friendship family are invited to attend.

Soy & Deidra will travel to Wetumpka, Alabama today to be with Pastor Doug Chappelle and the Thelma Baptist Church family.  Pray for them as they travel and speak in the evening service.

Where are Morris Bryant & Raymond Wilkinson when you need them?  I ended up officiating four basketball games yesterday.  You may say, “but Phillip Turner officiated all six games!”  I agree.  However, Phillip is half my age and half my weight!  Phillip runs 5K, 10K, marathons, triathlons, iron man races, et cetera and all I do is run to the table at meal time.  Just saying!

I pray that you will have a great Sunday 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 received the following from Judy Whitehurst last night – “Larry was discharged from the hospital today around three. He’s doing much better. Once the pain got better the BP went down. He was able to get the MRI and the results did show that there is a small amount left. We go back next month and I think we will discuss what to do about that. We are thankful to be out. We know that all the prayers offered up yesterday is the reason The Lord touched Larry last night. If all goes well we will be home Sunday evening. Please thank the church family on our behalf for lifting us up in prayer!”  Good news indeed!  To God be the glory!  Continue to pray for Larry & Judy.

Communicated with Mark Hubbard yesterday morning.  No significant change in Courtney’s situation.  Keep praying!

Basketball today from 8:00AM until 2:00PM.  Pray for this ministry.

Bus workers’ meeting today at 8:30AM.

Regular schedule tomorrow morning and evening.  The low tonight is forty seven and the high for tomorrow is sixty eight with only a very slight chance of a shower.  Translated – we should have a great attendance in our services.

We continue to tweak our security measures.  It will be an ongoing process.  Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

I will spend today reflecting as it was one year ago today that Carla Felps Kyser entered Heaven.  It was one year ago yesterday that Miss Kathleen Henderson entered Heaven.  Our double loss.  Heaven’s double gain.  Then Monday, 1/22, will be C’s birthday.  May the God of all comfort be our source!

We had basketball in the CAB on Thursday night.  Kayla Hatcher messaged me beforehand and said she was bringing me some of her mom’s sweet onion muffins.  She brought me two of them – oh my!  Size wise they were like the cheese muffins at Jim n Nick’s.  Taste wise they were obviously way different but they were totally awesome!  Props to Debbie!

Today is my nephew Josh’s birthday!  I do not normally mention birthdays.  Why mention Josh’s?  Same reason as last year – to aggravate his sister, Jamie.   She gets so upset when I do not mention her birthday in November!  Oh well!

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)

Judy Whitehurst has been very faithful to keep me updated on Larry’s situation.  I have already heard from her this morning.  Larry did not have a good first twenty four to thirty six hours following his surgery.  He was in a lot of pain and his blood pressure was too high.  However, as of 4:00AM today they “think” they have things under control.  Judy is thinking that Larry may actually be discharged today which means they will go to the hotel which is located on the hospital campus.  Keep praying for Larry.

Heard from Mark Hubbard yesterday afternoon and Courtney’s situation remains basically the same.  Courtney is a remarkable young lady.  Keep praying for her and her family.

I told Dana that she needs to be walking to help move this upcoming delivery along.  So, she took me at my word and walked for two and one half hours yesterday.  One problem – she walked while she and Gina were shopping!  That “walk” cost me a pretty penny!  I now have her on complete bed rest!

We are on are on a regular schedule this Sunday.  The colder temperatures are gone (which is sad) so we should be good to go.  I hope that the members of the Friendship family will be faithful to attend our services and classes.

Next to last Saturday of basketball tomorrow beginning at 8:00AM.

Bus workers’ meeting tomorrow morning at 8:30AM followed by their visitation.

I am “off” today.  You should see the list of what to do that Lisa has for me!  But I have to get out of this house because Deidra has the heat way too high!  She loves spending her dad’s money too!  Killing me!

Hey, speaking of Deidra, sponsors of children in our feeding center need to bring their picture to church this Sunday.  Soy & Deidra will be in Wetumpka but you can give them to Lisa or me.  Thank you.

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

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

Please note that the church office will not open until 10:00AM this morning.

The best news to report this morning is basically a repeat of my second entry yesterday.  Larry did well through his surgery.  The surgeons got all of the tumor that they could.  However, he was confident that the remaining tumor could be handled through other means in the future.  I spoke to Judy following the surgery and she said they much like the hospital, the surgeon, and all that has taken place there thus far.  It is possible that Larry could go back to his hotel room today but will need to remain in Jacksonville for several days for observation.  Praise the Lord for this good news.  Keep praying for Larry.

Again, Dana, Lisa and I are very thankful to each person who called, messaged, et cetera us yesterday.  The support was pretty overwhelming.  Dana is home and is literally “fat and happy!”  We are sitting on ready!

Mark Hubbard sent me a message last night and nothing has really changed with Courtney.  Just keep praying.

Evangelist David Miller’s son, Josh, has been having some really serious health issues ever since last Friday or Saturday.  Of course this is Edna Glover’s cousin.  Pray for Josh as the Lord brings it to your mind, please.

Yesterday was certainly a different day with the office being closed and us not having services.  I went to the hospital early and then spent time in the office during the afternoon before going to visit Mark & Courtney.  Our family did take advantage of the opportunity to share a meal together at a restaurant in Pascagoula.  Probably our last “out to eat” meal before the Taylor family heads back to Guatemala so it was nice.

We have three tornadoes staying here right now and two more joined them last night.  Man, I needed some Calgon, Tylenol and a sound proof room!

I am going to admit that it was pretty cold yesterday.  How cold?  Cold enough that I actually put a sweater in my car just in case.  Was wearing a short sleeve shirt but decided I “might” need a sweater.  Thankfully, it never got that cold.

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

Larry Whitehurst did well through his surgery.  The doctor did not get all of the tumor and it will take a MRI to determine exactly how much they did remove.  If all goes well, Larry could be discharged tomorrow and will then stay in the hotel for an undetermined number of days.  The doctor has a plan for what remains of the tumor.  Again, I am grateful to those who made the trip to Jacksonville to be with Larry and family.  Keep praying.

Our daughter, Dana, was discharged from the hospital today.  She is doing good.  We are not playing the proverbial waiting game.  Thank you to each person who has checked on her and that has been a large number.  We are grateful.

Lisa and I visited Mark & Courtney late in the afternoon.  Courtney seemed to be weaker to me.  Keep praying.

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

Important announcement for the Friendship family – there will be no services/classes/activities on our campus at all today, 1/17, morning or evening.  Again, nothing on our campus today – morning or evening.  It is a little after 3:00AM as I write this entry and we have a little snow on the ground and I would imagine some ice on the roadways/bridges.  I know that will clear before tonight but the expected temperature at 6:00PM will already be below freezing again.  As a matter of fact, the forecast only calls for like three or four hours above freezing for us all day.  It is presently twenty three degrees and is expected to hit seventeen degrees around 7:00AM.  Folks, for our area this is cold!

Second important announcement for the Friendship family – the church office is closed today, 1/17.  It will open tomorrow morning, 1/18 at 10:00AM.  Please note that I am available in the event of an emergency – 24/7.

I have made these decisions on my own.  If you agree, great.  If you disagree, great.  Who are you going to call at 2:00AM to discuss this matter?  Exactly!  (The State Convention is not going to be happy but I have to do what I have to do!)

So, I need our thirteen blog readers to spread the word about no services today.  I know it is a tall order but you can do it!

Ok, now to the matters at hand.  The most pressing matter for the Friendship family is Larry Whitehurst’s surgery that is schedule to take place at noon (CST) today.  Larry is at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL.  Pray for Larry, Judy, the boys and the family.

Amy Huhn’s father was discharged from the hospital early yesterday morning.  Everything seems to be good.

Visited with Mark & Courtney Hubbard early yesterday morning.  Her condition seems to be about the same.  She is very weak physically but we did have a brief conversation.  Keep praying for Courtney.

Our daughter, Dana, is in the hospital.  She had some “issues” yesterday that caused her to spend most of the day at the hospital and then the doctor made the decision early last night to admit her.  Is she about to give birth?  Probably not but the possibility does exist as she is thirty eight weeks into her pregnancy.  Pray for Dana.

I made the decision last night to not travel to Jacksonville to be with Larry & Judy.  It was a very tough decision because of my relationship with Larry but it was an easy decision because of my love for Dana.  Can I just say what an awesome attitude Larry displayed when I called him.  As a matter of fact he said, “you do not worry about me and you tell Dana that we are praying for her!”  And here is the deal – it was real.  That is Larry.

Now, I rest in the fact that our bus director, Bro. Benny McGath, and the chairman of our deacons, John Ladnier, are in Jacksonville with Larry and family.  They will pray him through there and we will be praying him through from here.  Larry’s family is with him and we have others from the church family there too.  I appreciate these folks ministering during this time.

I have to be honest – I was all set to leave around 3:00AM today and travel to Jacksonville.  I would then just travel back when Larry’s surgery was complete.  Soy, Deidra and the girls arrived home last night.  Soy decided that he would ride to Jacksonville and back with me.  That cemented my decision!  Last thing I want to do is ride fourteen hours with Soy.  It was a sign and I took it!  Just saying!

Folks, be safe and stay warm.  Mark Mast can talk about their cold weather but our cold weather is colder even though it is sixty degrees warmer.

I pray that you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus.  Remember, nothing on our campus today or tonight.

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

Katie Tillman’s surgical procedure went well yesterday. The doctor told her to stay off work today and then go about her normal life.  Katie is a sweetheart.  She sent me a message last night asking me to express her thanks to each member of the Friendship family who prayed for her.  Keep praying for Grant & Katie.

Amy Huhn sent me a message late yesterday afternoon saying that her dad did well through his procedure too.  I think he spent the night in the hospital and should come home today.

Larry & Judy are in Jacksonville.  Lord willing, I will be leaving today heading that way so I can be with Judy during Larry’s procedure tomorrow.  There are several other members of the Friendship family who will also travel to Jacksonville.  I am going solo because my schedule could change at any moment due to the birth of our eighth grandchild.  Pray for Larry!

Heard from Mark yesterday and Courtney is about the same.  I plan to ride over this morning and visit with them before heading toward Jacksonville.   Keep praying for Courtney.

Remember, no morning service tomorrow due to the colder temperatures.  Please pass the word!  However, regular schedule tomorrow night beginning at 6:30PM.  Bro. Jerry will be preaching in that service as I will be in Florida, Lord willing.

We had basketball games last night and will do the same tonight, Thursday night and then again on Saturday.  Pray for this ministry.

Am I blessed or what?  I got to spend about four hours with “Little Stella” yesterday.  On top of that I got to be interrogated by the one who is over the voting in Mobile County as to why I use my Global Entry card as my form of identification when voting?

Our little NFL boycott group is up to four as Bill Kendrick & Tina Wilkinson posted a comment on yesterday’s entry.  Jeff Holifield had posted one a few days ago.  Do I expect a call from the commissioner?  Nope!

Soy, Deidra and the girls are in the Danville area.  The girls would love to see it snow.  I sure hope that happens for them.

The next two nights are supposed to be cold ones!  Stay warm!  (I will be gone so Lisa will turn the heat on!).

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)

It was a good thing to see Edd Gillespie in our first service yesterday morning as we joined Sandy & him in celebrating their good news regarding his malignancy.  Praise the Lord.

Katie Tillman will have a surgical procedure today as a result of her miscarriage.  Pray for Grant & Katie.

Amy Huhn’s father, Bobby Morrison, will have a heart ablation today.  They are doing this ablation on a side of his heart that they did not want to do previously but now seemingly have no other option.  Pray all goes well.

Larry & Judy will travel to Jacksonville today, he will have some pre op stuff done tomorrow and then surgery on Wednesday. Pray for Larry.

We have a considerable number of folks within the Friendship family battling the flu, et cetera.  Pray for them too.

Blessed with three good services yesterday.  Our attendance was really good in all three services.  The prayer time last night was significant.  We thank God for His continued blessings.

I am writing this entry a little after 3:00AM and the outside temperature is twenty nine degrees.  Today’s high is projected to be fifty eight, tonight’s low thirty six (beach weather) and then tomorrow’s high fifty three.  It is then that we get another blast of cold air as Tuesday night’s low is expected to be twenty two, Wednesday’s high forty and Wednesday night’s low twenty one.

So, once again we will not have our Wednesday morning service this week.  We will have all of our regularly scheduled Wednesday evening activities, classes, service, et cetera.  Bro. Jerry will be preaching in the 6:30PM service.  Please pass the word.

We will now have cancelled two of our Wednesday morning services in a three weeks period of time.  Just learned that this has not been approved by the Alabama Baptist State Convention which means we may have to make up these missed services.  That would mean going from 10:00AM until noon for two future Wednesdays.  I appealed this ruling but was denied.  So, I have scheduled these make up Wednesdays for January 5 & 12, 2028.  Please mark those dates on your calendar!

Are you serious?  It seems to me that the liberal media and the NFL take the American public for a bunch of dummies!  NBC has announced they will show any players participating in that game who choose to kneel during the national anthem as they have to since it is a live event.  Are you serious?  Every single second of the Super Bowl is choreographed.  The network is making a political statement.  News flash to the liberal media – these protesting players are not civil rights activist!

The NFL attendance and viewership has suffered this year.  The NFL and the liberal media do not get it.  Recently Al Michaels (who will be doing the national broadcast of the game) said,  “There are a lot of empty seats, especially in the beginning of the second half. Most of the seats in most of the stadiums have been sold, but you go to Atlanta, where they just opened up a new stadium. They have behind the lower bowl a 100 yard almost mall. You’ve got stores, you’ve got bars, you’ve got restaurants, you’ve got games for the kids.”  That is definitely it Al, football loving men are going shopping instead of watching the games!

In my opinion, more of the American public needs to stand up and boycott the NFL by not watching any games.  And yet there will be churches that will dismiss their evening service or have Super Bowl watch parties.  Are you serious?

Boy, he is on a soapbox this morning, is he not?  I am.  Blood pressure just spiked!

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)

Let’s begin today with good news!  Edd Gillespie sent Lisa a text late yesterday afternoon sharing that his malignancy is in remission!  No surgery (which he already knew) and no treatments of any kind.  He goes back to the M.D. Anderson Clinic in six months for a follow up visit.  Folks, that is definitely good news.

Now for some somber news.  Bill Abendroth passed from this life around 12:30PM yesterday.  His wife, Carolyn, his daughter and her husband and several others were with him when he passed.  Pray for Carolyn and the family during this difficult time.

Grant & Katie Tillman were expecting their second child as Katie was eleven weeks pregnant.  Not sure how many folks knew this at this point.  They found out yesterday that Katie has miscarried.  They ask for prayers.  Katie will have a surgical procedure on Monday.

Mark Hubbard says that Courtney is about the same.  Keep praying.

Regular schedule tomorrow morning and evening.

Weather forecast calls for three consecutive nights of below freezing temperatures including last night – 27, 25 & 28.  Then on Monday night it warms to a balmy 35.  Tuesday night will be the tough one with a forecasted low of 17 and a high on Wednesday of 37.  Then we go 21 on Wednesday night followed by 31 on Thursday night.

So, I have made the decision to once again cancel our Wednesday morning, 1/17, service.  Just too cold for our senior adults to get out.  Too much flu and other sickness going around.  This only applies to our Wednesday morning service.  We will have a normal schedule on Wednesday evening.  Can you believe that we have now cancelled two services due to cold weather?  Am I getting soft or what!  Please pass the word about this cancellation.

I have been attending some of the Faith Academy varsity girls’ basketball games because Anna Henley plays on the team.  I normally do not stay for the boys’ game as Titus is my sidekick and he has school the next day.  Last night we watched the girls and the boys.  Anna does well.  Logan Foutz does very well for the boys.  Going to try and catch a Bryant game, if possible, before the regular season ends.

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)

This entry is late.  Sorry about that!  Why late?  Hey, at least I am not like Deidra who basically never makes an entry!  Just saying!

Communicated with Mark Hubbard this morning.  No significant change in Courtney’s situation.  He had told me yesterday that her blood pressure numbers were up from the previous day.  Just keep praying.

Talked to Larry Whitehurst yesterday afternoon.  He is basically set to head to Jacksonville next week for his surgery on Wednesday morning.  Pray for Larry.

Spoke to Edd Gillespie this morning.  He has two meetings today where the doctors will basically share with him a plan of action. Edd is in very good spirits.  Pray for Edd.

Made a hospital visit yesterday and that person needs our prayer support.  Not at liberty to share any more details.

Basketball in the morning beginning at 8:00PM.

Bus workers’ meeting at 8:30AM tomorrow morning.

Regular schedule on Sunday including Discipleship Training.

Lisa offered to take me out to supper last night.  How thoughtful!  It was a trick as she then took me to Walmart and made me buy groceries.  She sat on the bench near the entrance doors while I shopped.  That was not all bad though as she got two burgers from the folks coming in and out as they thought she was panhandling.  She was pretty aggravated that one got her fries!

Ok, back to Mark & Courtney.  A full disclaimer – I am not a cook!  Lisa was cooking a meal for the Hubbard family on Wednesday.  She has been shorthanded in her office this week so we put me in charge of watching the roast.  I worked from my computer, read and studied.  All is well except I did not watch the roast.  Let’s just say that I cooked “blackened roast” for the Hubbard family.  As black as a piece of coal.  Burned to a crisp!  I suspect I will not be cooking any more after that little incident.

How about our upcoming weather? Beginning tonight the lows are forecast to be 28, 24, 28, 35, 19 & 24!  How awesome is that!  Makes me want to go cut some firewood!

Do you not just hate it when you call someone and they say, “let me call you right back” and then they never do.  Basically shows how important your relationship is to that person.  Just saying!

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