Pastor's Blog

Phil Sims has been admitted to the hospital and is in CCU.  Obviously, there are some issues with his heart.  Pray that the medical folks can get to the cause and give Phil the proper treatment/procedure.

Rumor has it that Amy Huhn will be having oral surgery tomorrow.  Someone said, “that will not keep her from talking!”  I know who that person is but I am not going to throw him/her under the bus!  Pray for Amy!

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading –  2 Samuel 3-5; Luke 14:25-35

Caroline Ford was originally scheduled to have surgery today but her blood count remains so low that surgery is not an option at this time.  They will be doing a test today to try and understand why her blood count is staying low.

Elizabeth Sessions will be having a procedure on Thursday to begin the process of eliminating some of her kidney stones.  She has somewhere around twenty (20) stones with at least one being really large.  Those of you who have experience with kidney stones can certainly feel her pain!  (I thank God that I am not in that number!)

Maria Wainwright’s mother is at home in Louisiana.  Maria is there with her.  Not exactly sure what the latest update is but do know that Mrs. Hamilton continues to be physically low.  Keep praying.

“Potluck with the pastor” takes place tomorrow, 4/19, immediately following our 10:00AM service.  The meat (roast beef), bread and drinks will be provided.  You are asked to bring the sides and desserts.  Please bring enough for whoever is coming with you plus one or two more.  Pass the word!  Come join us for great food and even greater fellowship!

Lisa and I will be driving into a foreign country (Mississippi) today to visit with a pastor friend and his wife.  They are faced with a difficult challenge in their ministry and we are simply going to talk, pray and encourage them through this time.

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

Ok, let me share some things that I left out of my earlier entry this morning:

I failed to mention a very, very important group of folks who were involved in our three worship services yesterday – our nursery/extended session workers!  While I have no clue who they were I do know that those folks ministered in a place that does not get much credit.  I am very thankful to each one who served in this area.  Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I also failed to mention our audio/video guys.  All of them, minus one, did great!  I appreciate them!

Our greeters did a nice job too.  That is such a vital part of making our guests feel welcome.  Thank you to all who took part in that ministry.

Prayer time tonight from 5:00 – 7:00PM in the auditorium.  Enter/exit the West side door.

GROW visitation tonight beginning at 6:00PM.  Meet in the church office, please.

We will be having our “potluck with the pastor” this Wednesday, 4/19, immediately following our morning service.  The meat will be roast beef.  It, along with the drinks and bread, will be provided.  You are asked to bring the sides and the desserts.  Please bring enough for you and whoever is coming with you plus one or two more.  Pass the word!

I am pretty sure that I have left some other things off.  If they are brought to my attention, I will list them.  Did I mention that our video man totally messed up the first song in our 10:30AM service?

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading – April 17 2 Samuel 1-2; Luke 14:1-24

Tuesday, April 18 – 2 Samuel 3-5; Luke 14:25-35
Wednesday, April 19 – 2 Samuel 6-8; Luke 15:1-10
Thursday, April 20 – 2 Samuel 9-11; Luke 15:11-32
Friday, April 21 – 2 Samuel 12-13; Luke 16
Saturday, April 22 – 2 Samuel 14-15; Luke 17:1-19
Sunday, April 23 – 2 Samuel 16-18; Luke 17:20-37

Well, Easter weekend 2017 was great!  We had two professions of faith which is obviously the highlight!  The adult choir, under the direction of Jeanette Bates, did an outstanding job of presenting the Gospel through song in our third morning worship service yesterday morning.  Our bus workers and Sunday School teachers received an “A” for their efforts on Saturday.  Ditto for Aaron Chinners and Deidra Taylor as they respectively led children’s church and preschool church on Saturday.  Some of our deacons and their wives did a great job of coming on Saturday morning to ready the auditorium for Sunday’s services.  Jeff Holifield and Rita Broome led our Spanish service at 9:30AM yesterday morning and did their usual great job.  Randall Broome, the praise team, the special singers, the instrumentalists and the praise band all did wonderful with our musical worship.  We are blessed!

So how many different folks were involved in our services Saturday/Sunday?  Somewhere between eight hundred and nine hundred wold be my best guesstimation.  We had around six hundred and fifty to seven hundred different folks on the campus yesterday morning.   We are very grateful to God for His giving the increase!  Thank you Friendship family for being faithful!

My Easter Sunday afternoon consisted of a really long nap which is way out of character for me.  It was good!  Lisa did not get that luxury as she was cooking and preparing to host our family for supper at 5:00PM.  She did a superb job.  Obviously, Ann, Deidra and Daphne cooked some things as well but Lisa is an awesome hostess.  Good looking one too!  I am thankful!

I will update those on our prayer list in tomorrow’s entry.  We are “hospital free” right now and that is a good thing.

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading – 1 Samuel 27-29; Luke 13:1-22

Good morning!  Big day/weekend in front of the Friendship family.  It all begins around 8:00AM this morning when our buses hit the road to bring folks to Sunday School and church.  Yes, we will have these two things for our preschoolers and children this morning.  Thank you in advance to our bus workers, teachers and all those involved in helping with this special day.

Of course tomorrow is a huge day for us and every other evangelical church in the world as we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus!  He lives, He lives, He lives!  Hallelujah!  Someone said to me this week, “I hope you have a Happy Easter” and my thought process was “how can a follower of Jesus not have a Happy Easter?”  It then dawned on my some ways that such a person could not have a Happy Easter and one of those was to not gather with fellow brothers and sisters in the Lord to worship and celebrate on this most special day.  I realize some folks are providentially hindered (such as Sharon Jardee who would love to be in church with us tomorrow) but most of us have a choice as to whether or not we will join in corporate worship tomorrow.  So, I hope to see the house filled three times tomorrow morning with a special emphasis on the Easter musical at 10:30AM!

Spent all day Thursday in the yard with most of that time spent on the backside of a weed eater.  Soy had done much of the mowing which was a big help.  I stopped working in the yard in the late afternoon, grabbed a quick shower and headed to Lake City, Florida arriving there shortly before 1:00AM yesterday morning.

Yesterday morning I was able to attend the celebration of life service for Jim Chinners’ mother.  As you know, Jim preached that service and did a very nice job.  Justin Chinners, Ian Tagert and “Miss Deanna” Tagert shared a couple of messages in song.  It was a good service.  I was thankful the Lord allowed me to attend.

Arrived home around 5:00PM yesterday and went right back to the weed eater until dark thirty.  About to hit it again this morning before being at the church at 8:00AM.  Full day with the church activities this morning, yard work, a pre-marital counseling session and then a Sunday School class fellowship.  God is good!

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading – 1 Samuel 22-24; Luke 12:1-31

Lisa’s father, Charles Clark, was discharged from the hospital yesterday.  I know he is happy to be home.

After yesterday morning’s service, I drove over to New Orleans to make two hospital visits.  First, I visited with Elaine Brown’s husband, Larry.  Yesterday morning, he had a stent placed in a vein going to his liver.  All went well and he “may” be discharged today.  Larry is one of Lillian Brinkman’s sons-in-law.

Also, I was able to visit with Maria Wainwright’s mother, Irma Hamilton, who is in the same hospital.  So I was able to not only visit with Mrs. Hamilton but also with Mr. Hamilton, Maria’s sister, other family members and Maria.  Mrs. Hamilton was doing much better and was most likely going to be moved from ICU back to a regular room.  Amazing!

I left the hospital shortly after 3:00PM and it took me to almost 4:00PM to get over the high rise bridge on I-10.  It was smooth sailing after that so I was happy to have gotten away when I did.

Our granddaughter, Sydney, will have her adenoids taken out today and tubes placed in her ears.  Simple procedure.

Logan Hatcher, seven years old, broke his arm last Friday.  His mother, Kayla, only took him to the doctor yesterday!  Poor child!  Actually, she made him leave on Saturday and go out of town for the weekend.  Really?  Kayla is not going to win “mother of the year!”  I think Logan gets a cast today.  His arm was in a sling last night at church.  (If only Kayla would listen to Ryan!).

The visitation with Jim Chinners and family takes place tonight in Lake City, Florida.  Service tomorrow morning.  Pray for Jim as he will preach that service.

Donald Butler was kind enough to post the obituary for Miss Couch as a comment on yesterday’s blog entry.  That service takes place next Wednesday, 4/19.  (Donald is such a nice guy!  Kind of makes me want to take back some of the bad I have spoken against the Pentecostals since he is one! J/K!  LOL!)

It is Spring break for the MCPSS and that probably affected our attendance some last night.  I never made it over to the CAB.  We had about an average number in Bible study both morning and evening.  I am thankful for faithful people!

I have much to do tomorrow so I am changing my off day this week to today.  Soy, yes Soy, did me a huge favor yesterday by mowing a lot of the fifteen acres on the hill.  Will make my job a good bit easier today.  However, there is probably still more to be done than I will be able to finish.  It is all good.

The good news is that I do not have to go to Walmart today as is normal for my off day!  Hooray, you say!  The bad news is that Lisa demanded that I make our weekly Walmart run last night!  Are you serious?  I had a long day with two church services and the trip to New Orleans.  She did not care!  So, I was blessed to leave home shortly after 9:00PM and get back before 11:00PM.  I keep trying to tell you guys that Lisa is a slave driver when it comes to me!  By the way, I discovered something last night.  It does not matter whether you go to Walmart early AM or late PM – they are only going to have one register open!

Christmas is good.  The birds seem happy.  In hopes of getting more this weekend.

Got to go as Lisa is hollering that the grass needs finishing and the garden needs watering.  Wow!

BTW, there will be no entry from me tomorrow, 4/14.  It will be Good Friday and I have a practice of not posting on that day.  Focus on His sacrifice for us.

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

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading – 1 Samuel 19-21; Luke 11:29-54

I am assuming that Maria Wainwright’s mother remains in the ICU in a Louisiana hospital.  Brittney was going to contact me if anything changed during the night.  Pray for Mrs. Hamilton and all involved.

Donald Butler commented on yesterday’s entry sharing that Miss Ruth Couch passed away over the weekend while in New York.  A service will be held at some point next week.  Miss Couch taught in Pascagoula, MS for many years and has lived in Grand Bay all of her adult life as far as I know.  Pray for the Couch family.

The visitation with Jim Chinners and family takes place tomorrow night in Lake City, FL with the service taking place on Friday morning.  Jim will be preaching his mother’s service so pray for him.  Pray for the family as they walk through this valley.

Charles remains in the hospital but I “think” he may be discharged today if all went well through the night.  Folks get concerned whenever he gets sick.  I am telling you that he will live to be one hundred and eighteen!

Ann Clark will be having another eye surgery today.

Billy Broome, brother of Bobby & Ann, took a fall last Saturday and broke his hip.  It was surgically repaired in a Hattiesburg, MS hospital.  I think he was discharged yesterday.

Regular schedule this morning/tonight.  Our 6:30PM Bible study will meet in the choir room while our choir meets in the auditorium.  Sloppy Joe will be in our 7:30PM Bible study.

Christmas is here!  My birds are enjoying it!  Soy did a nice job!

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

The doctors have moved Maria Wainwright’s mother into ICU and are not hopeful that her earthly life will last more than a few days. Pray for Mrs. Hamilton and her family during this time.

Mrs. Marjorie Helen Nason, 72 of Lake City, passed away on Sunday, April 9, 2017 at the Haven Hospice Suwannee Valley Care Center.  She was born in Parkville, Illinois and had made her home in Lake City, Florida since 2006.  Mrs. Nason was formerly a longtime resident of Crystal River, Florida and longtime member of the Red Level Baptist Church in Crystal River.  She was a former teacher and principal at the Red Level Christian Academy.  Mrs. Nason enjoyed spending time with family, reading and studying her Bible, and being active in her church, when able.  She was preceded in death by her father, Charles Raymond Pease and her husband of 23 years, Alan Bernard Nason.

Survivors include her mother, Marjorie Thomas (Darrell), Palatka, FL; her children, James R. Chinners (Glenda), Mobile, AL, Karen E. Cacace (Tony), Lake City, Laurel Nason (Dick), Tucson, AZ,  Eric Nason (Jennifer), Mobile, AL and Daryl Nason (Margie), Crystal River, FL; ten grandchildren, Aaron Chinners, Justin Chinners and Joshua Farabee all of Mobile, AL, Adam Nason (Loren), Shana Amason (Chase) and Taylor Nason all of Mobile, AL, Darah Nason, Jacob Nason, Maryn Nason and Seth Nason all of Citrus Springs, FL; three great-grandchildren, Savanna and Madelyn Nason, and Ronan Amason all of Mobile, AL.

Funeral services will be conducted on Friday, April 14, 2017 at 9:30 AM at Fellowship Baptist Church with James R. Chinners officiating.  Interment will follow at Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell, Florida at 2:00 PM.  Visitation with the family will be from 5-7:00 PM Thursday evening at the funeral home.  In lieu of flowers memorial contributions may be made to either the Haven Hospice Suwannee Valley Care Center, 6037 W US Hwy 90, Lake City, FL 32055, the Alzheimers Association or the American Cancer Society.

“As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.” I Peter 4:10

Today’s Bible reading – 1 Samuel 17-18; Luke 11:1-28

Maria Wainwright’s mother had some tests done yesterday to try and determine the cause of the infection within her body.  They did not pinpoint it but do suspect that her liver is having some failure issues.  Maria’s sister, Kathy, had to be taken to the ER due to high blood pressure problems.  So, this family continues to need our prayer support.

Sharon Jardee was discharged from the hospital yesterday.  Good for her!

Lisa’s father, Charles Clark, was admitted to the hospital yesterday afternoon.  His problem is related to his pancreas.  He cannot have anything to eat or drink for the next day or two.  Once he can tolerate soft foods they will send him home.

Everyone else on the hill ran to the hospital once Charles had been admitted.  Me?  Went over to Charles’ house and made sure his last will and testament was safe and secure!  Just trying to be prepared as you never know!  I am about to leave and go sit with him for an hour or so until Ann gets to the hospital.  Think I will have a cup of coffee and biscuit while I sit with him!

Sad day in Montgomery yesterday but it was obvious it was coming.  Pray for Governor Ivey.

Keep praying for those battling cancer.

The good news is that after almost six months of working on it, Soy is close to finishing my chicken coop addition!  I am going to name it Christmas!

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