Pastor's Blog

It’s wedding day for Wes Bates and Rebekkah Holley as they will be united in marriage at 2:00PM.  You are invited to join them for this ceremony and the reception which will follow in the Christian Activities Building.  Wes is a son in the ministry and I am honored to be a part of this ceremony along with Pastor Ron Gilstrap. 

I spoke to Raymond Wilkinson last night and he said that Linda Green was doing well.  As a matter of fact, she may be discharged from the hospital at some point today. 

I have not gotten any further word from Trish Cohen but assume all is the same there.

Bro. Johnny Tucker called me last night around 10:30PM and his group had been delayed in Atlanta.  Supposedly, they were about to board the Delta flight headed to Mobile.  I am assuming they did arrive but it would have been near midnight at the earliest which means that got “home” early this morning.  Derrick sent me an e-mail saying the group had done well and had gotten a lot accomplished. 

I spoke with Ryan Hatcher early this week and he told me that the doctor has decided to induce labor on Kayla this Monday, 7/23.  She will be admitted to the hospital Sunday night.  Pray for Kayla and Ryan as Hannah Hatcher is set to make her debut into this world Monday! 

I do not have plans to blog tomorrow unless something takes place that needs to be shared immediately.  However, I do hope each member of the Friendship family will be in his/her rightful place tomorrow for Sunday School, Discipleship Training, and the worship services.  Don’t forget – we will be observing the ordinance of baptism as a part of our evening worship service.  Hope to see you tomorrow! 

To both of our out of town readers – go to church tomorrow! 

I just came in from cutting grass and found several e-mails updating me on Linda Green’s situation.  Yesterday, they found two racing electrodes (I am clueless) and they corrected one but didn’t do the other to keep from having to implant a pace maker. 

Today, the doctor came in and suggested she receive a pace maker anyway.  A surgeon was available as was an operating room so they took Linda in and implanted a pace maker.  Word is that she is doing fine. She isn’t real happy about having to have this device but is doing fine otherwise. 

Thanks to Tori, Tina, and Raymond for the updates.  Please pray for Linda as she will remain in the hospital until ???. 

In my opinion, the service for Ronnie Wayne Owens exalted Jesus and glorified God.  Mary Lee, Vicki, & Kevin and their families did well.  Pastor Doug did a wonderful job of sharing about his father-in-law.  Doug did the graveside service which I missed as I left Grand Bay a bit late, got snarled in road construction, and arrived at the cemetery at 3:14PM.  Those of you who know me and my desire to always be early know how happy I was with myself!  However, I got to spend about thirty minutes speaking with the family so it was a good time.  I am still not too happy with myself about being late regardless of the reason.  I wish Lisa would have been with me so I could blame it on her! 

I did not get an update on Linda Green.  Bro. Jerry was there with the family during that procedure and I am going to assume that no news is good news. 

I did call Bernard Cohen yesterday afternoon and also received an e-mail from Trish’s daughter, Lisa.  Trish did remarkably well during the surgery and she thanks everyone for their prayers.  The surgery went much quicker than anticipated and they removed her left kidney.  The tumor, which they believe is cancerous, seemed to be contained as everything around the kidney looked cancer free.  They hope to get a report early next week and Trish will be in the hospital for four or five more days.  So, keep praying. 

Bro. Johnny’s team heads home from Guatemala today.  A team from 1st Baptist Waxahachie, Texas is scheduled to arrive Monday.  This team will be first timers.  Pray for both of these teams as they travel. 

Speaking of traveling, my family will leave today to visit with the Turrentines in the Hartselle area and then attend the wedding for my younger brother’s daughter, Whitney, tomorrow evening.  Pray for their safety as they travel. 

Charles will not let me leave as he has threatened to never consider placing me in the will unless I cut grass today.  Wow, he is tough!

Plus, I have the privilege of being present for the Bates/Holley wedding rehearsal tonight and the ceremony tomorrow afternoon.  Pray for Wes & Rebekkah and their families and they do all of that last minute stuff in preparation for the ceremony. 

This tidbit is for all of you long time members of the Friendship family – Beaver Charpie will be preaching at 1st Baptist of Citronelle in view of a call this Sunday, 7/22.  The vote will take place this Sunday too.  So, pray for Beaver and the family at 1st Baptist. 

Also, today is Pastor Robbie Howard’s birthday.  I think he is 144 years old but he acts and preaches like he is 44!  He is like that rabbit in the television commercial as he just keeps going and going!  Happy birthday Bro. Robbie – my grandfather and mentor in the ministry!  I love and appreciate Bro. Robbie as he and Miss Peggy were greatly used by the Lord to influence my life as a Pastor.  Miss Peggy is in heaven now but God is still using Bro. Robbie to inspire me! 

One of our bi-vocational staff members, Chris Taylor, is having a birthday today too.  Happy birthday Chris!  Beth Bradley turned 40 yesterday and I am sure she really appreciates me sharing the fact with all of cyberspace!  Diane Bryant is 50! 

I hope you have a great day in the Lord! 

Linda Green will be having a procedure done today around noon at a local hospital.  Trish Cohen will be having her left kidney removed beginning around 7:30AM (our time) in Jacksonville, FL.  Please pray for these ladies and their families today. 

Thank you to each person who attended the funeral visitation for Ronnie Owens last night.  The family is doing well but can certainly use our prayers this morning during the service at 10:00AM and then the graveside service at 3:00PM in Greenville, AL.  Again, I appreciate those who brought refreshments last night and those who will help with the noon meal today.  You are a blessing.

I want to thank Chris Taylor for leading our senior high Bible study in my absence last night.  I am told everything went great and that is a good word! 

I keep hearing that Vince, Tanya, Madison, Morgan, and Chance Bosarge are back in town although I have yet to see them.  I did see Chance in the gym last night but didn’t get the opportunity to speak to him.  I am thrilled they are back!  I don’t know what they did wrong for the Lord to send them to Michigan for a year but I am certainly glad they repented and He allowed them back to the promise land! (That was for all of my Yankee friends!)  Seriously, we have missed the Bosarge family and I can’t wait to see them.

Our Personnel Committee met last night and accepted the resignation of Imelda Davis as our church custodian due some personal health concerns.  This resignation is effective Sunday, July 29, 2007.  The committee (Vinnie Brewer, Andy Hamil, Jim Sciple, Ben Vickers, and Kerry Woods) will be accepting applications for an interim custodian.  If interested in the interim position, please contact one of the committee members. 

Our missions committee met last night too to discuss a number of matters relating to our GRACE Ministries.  Derrick & Jodie will be coming home shortly to resume his seminary studies.  We support them through our Mission Antioch designations.  I simply ask that you join my family in giving to this ministry over the next six weeks.  May we finish well!  Thank you to all those who have given over the past year and a half. 

My plans call for me to preach Bro. Ronnie’s funeral this morning and then drive to Greenville for his graveside service.  His son-in-law, Pastor Doug Chappelle, will be sharing/preaching too and I am blessed that he will be an integral part of these services. 

I hope that you will have a great day with Jesus. 

The arrangements for Ronnie Owens are as follows:  visitation tonight from 5:00 – 8:00PM in the church auditorium followed by the service tomorrow morning, 7/19, at 10:00AM.  The burial will take place near Greenville, Alabama with a graveside service at 3:00PM.  Please pray for Mary Lee, Vickie, Kevin, and their respective families as they go through this time of sorrow. 

Also, please note that we will not have our morning or evening prayer service/Bible study in the auditorium today.  All of our adults are asked to attend the visitation with the Owens family.  The same applies to our college/young professionals Bible study.  However, we will have all other classes including our middle school and high school Bible studies. 

Thank you to those who will help with the refreshments for the Owens family tonight and the meal tomorrow.  If you are interested in helping with the meal, please contact Miss Kittie in the office today at 445-5412. 

I spoke with Bro. Johnny via the phone last night and received an e-mail from Derrick during the night too.  The group is doing well and may actually complete 25 houses.  Bro. Johnny and IMA have been a huge blessing to GRACE Ministries and I am grateful for the ministry God has given to Bro. Johnny. 

We are going to observe the ordinance of baptism this Sunday evening as a part of our 6:00PM worship service.  All baptismal candidates should meet in the Pastor’s office at 5:30PM Sunday. 

I had the joy of having a root canal done yesterday.  I am blessed that I haven’t had any pain or discomfort from this procedure.  Dr. Tommy Hannahan did the procedure and he is really good – maybe because he is an Alabama football fan?   Of course, my personal belief is that men simply handle pain so well. . .

Pray for the Bates and Holley families as they focus on getting the buildings ready for Saturday’s 2:00PM wedding.  You are invited to attend the ceremony.

I pray that you will have a blessed day in the Lord.

It is little after 6:00AM and I just received word from Pastor Doug Chappelle that his father-in-law, Ronnie Owens, just passed away.  I am heading out the door to be with Miss Mary and will update later today.  Pray for this family. 

I just returned from being with the Owens family.  Pray for Doug & Vickie as they travel from Wetumpka and then for the family as they go to the funeral home to make the arrangements.  As it stands presently, the visitation will take place from the church auditorium tomorrow night, 7/18, at a time TBD.  The funeral service will take place on Thursday morning, 7/19, at a time TBD.  The burial will take place in Greenville, Alabama. I will post an update once the arrangements have been finalized. 

Please note that we will not have our adult prayer meeting tomorrow morning or evening.  All other classes i.e. Mission Friends, RA’s, GA’s, Senior High, & Junior High Bible studies will meet as usual.  I am asking our adults to attend the visitation to support this family during this time.  Please help us pass this word to folks who don’t read these blog entries.  Thanks! 

The Lord blessed us with a wonderful day in His house yesterday.  Sueanna Bryant made a public profession of faith in our 8:00AM service desiring membership by baptism.  We will be observing the ordinance of baptism as a part of our evening service this Sunday, 7/22. 

Michelle Rolls did a nice job of putting together the power point presentation from our most recent GRACE trip and Brianne Woods did a great job of sharing what the trip meant to her personally.  Thanks to these two and to all who were involved in the trip. 

Speaking of GRACE trips – we will use the month of August to sign up for our Summer ’08 trips.  As always, we will give the members of the Friendship family first opportunity to sign up.  So, pray and then do as the Lord leads. 

Keith & Melissa Brown and Doug & Diane Cordell gave the necessary funds yesterday to build a GRACE house in memory of their grandfather, Mr. George Brown.  His funeral service will be at noon today and we will build that house, Lord willing, on our August trip.  Thanks to this family and all who have given to build GRACE houses in memory/honor of a loved one or friend.  What a great way to remember someone while making a tremendous difference in the lives of others.  Brianne mentioned last night that one of the highlights for her was helping build and then dedicate the GRACE house in memory of her maternal grandmother, Karen Poiroux. 

Wes Bates and Rebekkah Holley are next on the wedding calendar as they will be married this Saturday, 7/21, at 2:00PM in our church auditorium.  Busy week for those families! 

I need to get real serious about getting the contents of the container placed on pallets and wrapped.  Our resident professionals i.e. Scott Fontenot, Troy Brock, whomever need to contact me so we can get this process started and finished.  We will need lots of help!

I hope you have a good day in the Lord! 

The wedding ceremony for Dale & Karla went well.  Thanks to all of those who attended and to each person who helped in any way to make it a success.  They spent the night in Montgomery enroute to Gatlinburg, TN for their honeymoon.  Pray for their safety as they travel. 

I want to remind you of the visitation for the Brown family tonight from 6:00 – 8:00PM from Radneys in Saraland.  That funeral home is on Highway 158, Exit 13 off of I-65, exit right, turn right, funeral home on the left across from Wal Mart.  The funeral service will be from the graveside in Mobile Memorial Gardens tomorrow at noon.  Pray for this family.

I spoke to Bro. Johnny Tucker via the phone last night and they had a great first day of ministry in Guatemala as they built eleven houses, got two more framed up, and the concrete poured in three of the eleven.  Wow!  He asked that we continue to pray for them. 

I hope to see each member of the Friendship family in church today. 

There will be a visitation for the family of Keith Brown and Diane Cordell’s grandfather, Mr. George Brown, tomorrow (Sunday) night from 6:00 – 8:00PM at the Radney Funeral Home in Saraland.  The funeral service will be from the graveside on Monday, July 16, beginning at 12:00PM (noon) from Mobile Memorial Gardens on Three Notch Road. 

Well, today is the big day for Dale Bosarge & Karla Teasley as it is their wedding day.  Rehearsal went well last night and now Dale & Karla are ready to stand at the altar and commit themselves to each other for a lifetime.  Again, each member of the Friendship family is invited to join them in this worship service which begins at 3:00PM in the church auditorium.  A reception will take place in the Christian Activities Building immediately following the ceremony and you have an invitation to that also.  Pray for this ceremony and for this couple as they begin their new life together. 

Bro. Johnny & Miss Judy along with their team arrived safely in Guatemala yesterday in the early afternoon.  Pray for them as they begin building houses today and do whatever other ministry opportunities the Lord places before them.  One of their team members, Richard, has already done some repair work in Paul & Cristy’s church building making it possible for them to have lights.  Some vandalism had taken place and Richard corrected the problem.  I am grateful for this kind deed. 

I have not heard anything more definitive on Mr. George Brown’s funeral arrangements.  I will be checking the newspaper later this morning.  Again, I will post those arrangements here once they have been finalized and made known to us.  Pray for Keith, Diane, and their families during this time. 

Our nominating committee will meet tomorrow afternoon and is nearing completion of securing workers for the new church year which begins August 1, 2007.  However, there are still a number of openings and you are asked to prayerfully consider where the Lord would have you to serve Him through this church.  Contact Bro. Jerry to find out what openings are available and to tell him where you will serve. 

Also, we will begin signing up for our Summer ’08 GRACE trips in August.  Members of the Friendship family will have the first opportunity to sign up so you are asked to begin praying now about being a part of this ministry.  We plan on hosting three trips – one under the leadership of Bro. Jerry, one with me being the leader, and one for our college/young professionals age group.  Pray and sign up as the Lord leads. 

My prayer is that the members of the Friendship family will be in the worship services, Sunday School, and Discipleship Training tomorrow.  I look forward to joining you there!