Pastor's Blog

As I have been told by the family, the visitation with the Mary Cook family will take place in our auditorium this afternoon from 5:00PM until 8:00PM.  The service will take place tomorrow, 4/20, beginning at 11:00AM also in our auditorium.  Pray for James, Gracie and the family during this time.

Please note that the online obituary lists the same dates but different times for the visitation and service.  I fully believe the times listed in the previous paragraph are correct.

Thank you to those who are helping with feeding the Cook family following the service tomorrow.  Please have your food in the Preschool Building no later than 11:00AM.  Building will be open beginning at 8:00AM.

I had a nice visit with Winston Gulley and his oldest daughter, Christy, yesterday.  Winston is doing better and is still scheduled for surgery this Thursday, 4/25.  Pray for Winston and his family.

Elizabeth Sessions has plans to plant the garden at the church tomorrow, 4/20, beginning at 9:00AM and ending at 2:00PM.  This could change due to the funeral service.  However, I “think” it will take place.  If so, volunteer helpers are needed.  This was a very effective ministry last year thanks to William Sessions and his family.

The Lord answered a prayer yesterday and we will now have a very special messenger share with on Sunday morning, May 5.  This will be our annual senior adult day and I am praying for a SRO crowd.  It is going to be good!

Then, our evening service on May 5 is going to potentially life changing for our church family.  Pray, pray, pray and then attend these two services.

Dylan & Elizabeth shifted gears and actually left Grand Bay heading to Town Creek yesterday afternoon.  They will finish their trip today.  Pray for them to have traveling mercies.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday.  Chapter four of “I Am A Church Member” during the evening service.  I will be preaching both services this Sunday, Lord willing.  Hope to be joined by each member of the Friendship family who will be in town this Sunday.

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

UPDATE – Enough volunteers have answered the call and there is no longer a need for any more food to be provided.  Thank you so much to each person is helping with this ministry.  

The Friendship family will be ministering to the Mary Cook family following the celebration of life service this Saturday, 4/20.  We need folks to volunteer to bring food for a meal which will take place following the burial.

Those who will help are asked to call Clara Broadus at 251 281 4537.  All food needs to be brought to our Preschool Building on Saturday morning between 8:00AM and 11:00AM.

Questions?  Just ask Clara.

Here are the tentative arrangements for Mary Cook.  Everything will take place at Friendship.  Visitation tomorrow (Friday, 4/19) afternoon from 5:00PM until 8:00PM.  The celebration of life service will take place Saturday morning, 4/20, beginning at 11:00AM.  Continue to pray for James, Gracie and the family.

Winston Gulley has been moved to a regular hospital room.  Keep praying for Winston!

Tim & Peggy Knighten will be traveling to M.D. Anderson on Saturday.  Pray for all to go well.  Pray for traveling mercies.

Join me in continuing to pray for Danny Lewis.  He and Pam are in great need of our prayer support.

Continue to pray for young Harleigh Kirkland as she has begun her treatments.  Pray for her parents and family too.

Ladies Helping Hands will meet tonight in the Preschool Building beginning at 6:00PM.  All ladies invited to attend.

“Potluck with the pastor” was a huge success!  Our morning attendance was awesome!  The food was superb and the fellowship was off the charts!  Thank you to Stacey & Gayla Dyess for cooking the roast and helping service.  Thank you to Kayla Hatcher for serving as the host.  Thank you to Scott Fontenot for being a great “do whatever it takes” guy.  Thank you to each person who helped with the clean up.  Thank you Jesus for a great day!

Friendship family, mark the evening service on May 5 on your calendars.  Make plans to join us for that service.  Pray!

Bro. Dylan, Elizabeth, Ellie & Cash will leave tomorrow morning heading to Town Creek, Alabama.  A sad time for us but an exciting time for this family.  Pray for them!

Larry Whitehurst graciously filled two bottles of propane for me.  I think he put eleven and a half gallons in each bottle!  Thank you Larry for your kindness to me!

Grant Tillman is living a charmed life!  Just saying!

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

Mary Wright Cook departed this life and entered Heaven at 7:45PM last night.  Her family is heartbroken but thankful that Mary’s physical struggles are now behind her.  Pray for James, Gracie and the entire family.  Arrangements pending.

Winston Gulley is improving and, if nothing changes, he will have a heart valve replacement surgery on Thursday, April 25.  Keep praying for Winston.

“Potluck with the pastor” takes place today immediately following the morning service which begins at 10:00AM.  Each person who attends the service is invited to stay for the meal.  We simply ask you to bring sides and a dessert – enough for those attending with you and two more.

The evening schedule for today will be regular and begins at 6:30PM.  Bro. Chris Scofield will be teaching/leading our young people.

Yesterday was Miss Edna’s last day as our church secretary after fifty-two years of service. I am happy for her as she enters this new season of her life.  She will now be working for Glover Electric – just saying!  Thank you Miss Edna for all you have done for fifty-two years plus as our secretary!

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

Mary Wright Cook had an incident this past Friday night which required her to be taken to the hospital and to be placed on a ventilator.  Her husband, James, has made the most difficult decision to remove the vent tonight around 7:00PM.  I ask you to join me in praying for James, their daughter, Gracie, and the rest of the family.  Mary is only forty-two years old.  Difficult day to say the least.

Praise report – Angie Bentley got a good report today from her test of last week.  I do not know all of the details but I know Richard & Angie are praising the Lord!

I had a nice visit with Winston Gulley yesterday afternoon.  He remains in ICU and your prayers are appreciated.

There is another major prayer need and I ask you to join me in praying for that situation.

Actually, I am aware of two or three other “major” needs that are worthy of our prayers but I am not at liberty to share those publicly.  Just pray, please.

“Potluck with the pastor” takes place tomorrow immediately following our morning service.  Meat, drink & bread furnished.  Those attending are asked to bring sides and desserts.  This is open to anyone, regardless of age, who attends the morning service.

Stacey & Gayla Dyess will be cooking the roast for tomorrow.  All I can say is that this couple can cook!  Big time!  Such kind folks and they have always been very kind to my family and me.

Daphne and crew arrived safe and sound on GRACE Mountain after a stop (unplanned) in El Salvador.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.  Bro. Chris Scofield will be teaching our youth.

John Milton Ladnier came over to our property this past Saturday afternoon bearing seed, fertilizer, plants, et cetera.  He then used his planter to plant snap beans, okra and squash for us.  How nice is that!  I am telling you that John Milton is way too good to my family and me.  I was even able to plant this year without the help of the boys.  They were such a big help last year!

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

Welcome to the late morning addition of the blog!  Why late?  Yes!

First, I want to say “thank you Jesus” for His blessings on our services yesterday.  I was very pleasantly surprised by our attendance especially in the morning service.  God is good!

Winston Gulley is in ICU.  He is not doing so well.  Pray for Winston and his family.

Betty Creech came home from the hospital but then had to be taken back to the ER.  She was in the morning service yesterday so all is well.  Keep praying for Betty.

There is another person in an ICU but I do not have the liberty to post that just yet.  God knows so please pray.

The sign has been straightened.  I was told that Stacey Dyess & Jason Taylor were going to do this.  Are they the ones?  Not sure but I will find out.  Just know that I am grateful to whomever!

“Potluck with the pastor” this Wednesday immediately following our morning service.  Lisa and I are furnishing the meat (roast), drinks (tea and water), and bread.  You bring the sides and desserts.  This is open to each person who attends the morning service.

Johnny & Sharlene Sessions will host a fish fry for our senior saints on Wednesday, 5/15, immediately following our morning service.  More details coming.  Mark this date on your calendar.

Senior adult Sunday on Sunday, May 5.  Catered meal following the morning service.  Senior adults, please join us for this service and meal.

Brad & Titus are in Europe.  Daphne and the rest of the Hutto clan left this morning heading to Guatemala.  Pray for all of them to have safe travels.  By the way, very much appreciate Jeanette Bates filling in for Brad yesterday.  As always, she did great!

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

Short and sweet this morning but important.

The graveside service for Laura Morie’s father takes place this morning in Mobile.  Pray for the Smith family.

Betty Creech had a surgical procedure done yesterday.  One kidney stone was crushed and a stent was put in place.  She was discharged from the hospital.  Thank you for praying for Betty and pray for a very quick recovery

Jason Fosmore’s mother did well through her surgery.  She will know the results of the next within the next two weeks.  Also, she will begin radiation treatments soon.  Keep praying for Mrs. Fosmore.

Gary Walton called me last night to share that Mr. Houston Busby, Jr. is not doing well and is possibly near the end of his time on this earth.  Gary considers Mr. Busby a grandfather.  Very close relationship all of Gary’s life.  Pray for Mr. Busby, Gary & Rachel, and the family as they go through this time.

I am thankful to God this morning as I left home at midnight Wednesday and drove to Knoxville, TN to deliver some items to be placed on a container.  Got home just before 8:00PM last night.  Thankfully, my brother, Eddie, met me in Birmingham and did the lion’s share of the driving from there to Knoxville and back to Birmingham.  I am very thankful to Brad & Daphne allowing us to use their “bus!”  God is good and I thank Him for His watchcare.

Soccer tomorrow.  Hooray!

I pray you will have a great Friday with Jesus.

Betty Creech sent word last night that she is in the hospital – kidney stones!  Ouch, ouch, ouch!  They “may” place a stent this morning.  Pray for Betty!

Jason Fosmore’s mother will be having surgery today.  This is related to her cancer.  Pray that all goes well.

The child for whom we prayed for on Sunday morning will begin receiving treatments this Monday.  Pray for this young child and the family.

There will be a graveside service for Laura Morie’s father in the morning beginning at 10:00AM at the New Hope Cemetery.  Pray for the Smith family.

Special thanks to Chris Scofield and his five sons for their help yesterday.  Much needed and much appreciated!

I was impressed with our morning attendance in yesterday morning’s service.  Those folks are faithful!  Wow!

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.  Back to “I Am A Church Member” on Sunday evening.

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

Those bringing food to help feed the Richard Adkinson family need to have it in the Preschool Building no later than 10:00AM this morning.  Thank you to Rita Boutwell & Clara Broadus for heading this ministry and also to each person providing the food.

Obviously, I am thankful to Rita, Clara and those who helped with the feeding of the Westbrook family yesterday.

I saw a good number of the Friendship family at the visitation with the Richard Adkinson family last night.  Thank you.  The celebration of life service will begin at 10:00AM today from the chapel of Mobile Memorial Funeral Home.  Pray for that service.

There will be a graveside service for Laura Morie’s father this Friday, 4/12, beginning at 10:00AM from the New Hope Cemetery in Mobile.  Pray for the Smith family.

Thanks to Jason Fosmore for finding some really good tables to be used in our classrooms.  If you need it, Jason can find it!  Just saying!

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and night.  Bro. Dylan will be teaching the students one final time.

Speaking of Wednesday services, we will have “potluck with the pastor” on Wednesday, 4/17, immediately following the morning service.  The meat (roast), bread and drinks will be provided.  Those attending are asked to bring sides and desserts.

Our annual Senior Adult Sunday will take place on May 5th.  Seniors, make plans to attend the morning service and join us for lunch in the CAB.

Miss Edna H. Glover has submitted her resignation as our church secretary effective April 19, 2024.  I am not sure why she is leaving so quickly as she has only been doing this for fifty-two years!  We will need to fill this part time position with someone who is computer savvy – that will be one of the main requirements.  Just FYI.

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