Pastor's Blog

Please continue to pray for Exie Woods, Sarah Thornton, and Lou Ricci as they remained hospitalized.  I am praying that they will all get to go home at some point this week. 

Folks who are involved in our Upward basketball ministry need to note that the games scheduled for Saturday, 12/22, have been moved to the Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, & Friday preceding that Saturday.  Bro. Benny has worked very hard to accommodate everyone and feels this may be the best case scenario with the fewest conflicts.  Your understanding and cooperation are greatly appreciated! 

Our Convalsecent Home ministry will host their annual Christmas party tomorrow evening beginning at 6:00PM.  If you haven’t brought your gift to the church yet, please do so before noon tomorrow.  Thanks!  All members of the Friendship family are invited to attend this special party.

We will be on a normal schedule for the next two Wednesdays and this Sunday too.  Our adult choir will present their cantata this Sunday evening beginning at 6:00PM.

I sent a poll to the folks who participated on our just completed GRACE trip and was wanting a response by tomorrow.  To date, there has been one response from Michigan, one from Canada, and two from Alabama.  If you were on that trip and read this blog, please reply. 

Speaking of GRACE trips, we have a full trip for February but could still take a few folks from Alabama.  If interested, contact me yesterday! 

I hope you will have a great day with Jesus!  Remember, He is the Reason for the season!

Sorry this entry is late but it has been a Monday all day long!  Thanks for understanding!

Today is a special day in the Turrentine household as we celebrate “adoption day!”  It was nine years ago today that Judge Red Noonan issued the order that allowed us to “officially” become the parents of Gina & Dana.  Of course, we have had them in our care for basically their entire lives (thanks to Wayne & Wanda Garner) but it became official on this day.  Lisa, Deidra, Daphne, & I are very grateful to our Heavenly Father for allowing us to be a part of Gina & Dana’s  lives – we are blessed! 

Exie Woods and Sarah Thornton remained hospitalized and will most likely be there for a few more days.  Sara Nell Moulds continues to rehab at home and is doing well.  Lou Ricci (Canada) was moved from ICU last night so she is making progress in her recovery too. 

Yesterday was a good day for us in our services.  It was special last night to sing “happy birthday” to Buddy & Craig (if only Kim French could have been there too!) and thanks for generously giving to their offering – those guys received $225 each!  (Several others have since shared their date of birth with me!)  Wow! 

We focused on John the Baptist in our services yesterday morning and last night.  I continue to be amazed that Jesus stated that “For I say unto you, Among those that are born of women there is not a greater prophet than John the Baptist: but he that is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”   May we be found faithful in doing the Father’s Will! 

I was saddened to learn of the killings in Colorado yesterday at the mission training center and the church.  Tragic!  Pray for those families! 

I hope you have a great evening with Jesus!

You can read the comment from yesterday’s post regarding Lou Ricci to see that she is doing well – all things considered.  Please continue to pray for Lou & Don. 

Miss Exie Woods had strep throat but that is no longer her problem.  It appears that she will be in the hospital for several days as they battle low blood pressure and a low heart rate. 

Sarah Nell Moulds should come home from the hospital today as she is doing well following her knee replacement surgery.

Sarah Thornton remains hospitalized and will probably be in the hospital for a few more days.  She was asleep when I visited yesterday morning so I really don’t have a definitive word.

Coma Hoven, cousin of Marie Brooks, passed away this week and his visitation/funeral will take place in Jackson, AL today.  Pray for that family.

Upward basketball begins this morning at 8:00AM and ends tonight around 8:00PM.  Pray for Bro. Benny and all those involved. 

Hope to see each member of the Friendship family in his/her respective place tomorrow. 

Missionary Mark Mast from Canada sent me an e-mail this morning to tell me that Lou Ricci, wife of Don Ricci, had a “very serious heart attack” last night.  Don was in Winnipeg so Lou called Mark around 11:00PM saying she felt terrible.  Mark went to her home and found her in a semi-conscious state.  He rushed her to the hospital and they have now transported her to a hospital in Fort Frances where she is in stable condition but will remain in intensive care for possibly several days.  Don arrived at the hospital during the night. 

Don & Lou were a part of our June ’07 GRACE team led by Bro. Jerry.  Don was a part of the GRACE team that just returned on 11/30.  Good folks and good supporters of GRACE Ministries.  Please pray for Lou’s healing, for the medical personnel giving care to Lou, for Don to find God’s grace sufficient during these days, and for Mark to have wisdom as he ministers to this family. 

I will post updates as they become available.  Thank you for your prayers!

Pearl Harbor Day – a day that always serves as a reminder to me to be thankful for our military personnel.  Tough days that demanded a tremendous sacrifice by so many Americans – in the military and at home.  Why don’t you take a moment today and thank God for those who have served in the military and those who are presently serving.

Wow, December is supposed to be a slow month regarding hospitalizations, surgeries, et cetera but we are having a run right now.  Miss Exie Woods was admitted to the hospital yesterday with strep throat and dehydration and Sarah Thornton had emergency surgery last night.  (Thanks to Bro. Jerry for covering that one)  Sara Nell Moulds remains hospitalized and began physical therapy yesterday (that was the roar you heard about 9:00AM).  She is supposed to come home tomorrow. 

On a positive note, Rachel Long did come home from the hospital yesterday.  The doctor has ordered no school attendance until after the Christmas break.  You can imagine how that made an eleven years old girl feel! 

Also, I received word yesterday that the doctors at M.D. Anderson found no cancer in Blake Stokes body – praise the Lord! 

Speaking of miracles – I actually did my Christmas shopping for Lisa yesterday!  That means I am exactly eighteen days ahead of schedule.  I had to go to Sam’s Club for the church anyway and figured that I might as well kill two birds with one stone (no offense to the folks from PETA – just a figure of speech).  I hope she likes that slicer dicer – just like the one shown on television!  Now I have just got to figure out what I am going to do on Christmas Eve day!  I am calling out Benny McGath, Morris Bryant, Deacon Dewayne, Deacon Dirk, Kerry Woods, Larry Whitehurst, Sonny Bates, et cetera to get with the program as far as this Christmas shopping for your wife is concerned!  (Slicer dicer = $19.95 at Sam’s Club and it works or your money back!)

We need those gifts for the convalescent home residents by this Sunday, 12/9. 

This Sunday evening, 12/9, we are going to receive a special offering for two of our favorite church members.  One had a birthday on 11/16 and the other is having a birthday today, 12/7.  It will be a surprise to them so don’t mention it but do come prepared to help them celebrate.  Thanks to those who have reminded me of this ministry opportunity! 

I hope you will have an awesome Friday with the Lord! 

We continue to study the book of Romans on Wednesdays and yesterday we looked at chapter 12, verses 13 – 16.  We spent a good deal of time on verse thirteen discussing what it means to “distribute to the necessity of the saints” and being “given to hospitality.”  This season of the year provides the opportunity to minister to the needs of fellow Christians and to pursue friendliness with strangers i.e. angels unaware?  I encourage you to look for those opportunities. 

Sara Nell Moulds did well through her surgery and will now be in the hospital for a few days.  Rachel Long hopes to be discharged from the hospital today.  I am hearing that Blake Stokes continues to get good reports from the doctors at M.D. Anderson.  Last night, we were asked to pray for Tom Russell, a teacher at Faith Academy, who is also at M.D. Anderson this week being evaluated. 

Bro. Kerry and our senior saints are scheduled to return home at some point today.  Pray for their safety in travel. 

Our senior high students will have a “game night” tomorrow night from 7:00 – 10:00PM in the student ministry building and CAB.  Y’all come! 

We will receive a special offering for the Lottie Moon Christmas Offering for international missions this Sunday.  I ask the members of the Friendship family to join us in reaching/exceeding our goal.  Please use the GA post office to send Christmas cards to fellow members of the Friendship family. 

Folks who “adopted” a resident at the GBCH for Christmas need to bring those gifts to the church no later than this Sunday, 12/9, as the party takes place next Wednesday, 12/12. 

Today is my father-in-law’s birthday so best wishes to Charles for a great day.  I only know that he is older than me and that he will outlive me in order to keep me out of his will!  Happy birthday Charles! 

I hope you will have a great Thursday with Jesus! 

Sara Nell Moulds will be having knee replacement surgery early this morning so please keep her in your prayers as the Lord brings her to mind.  Rachel Long remains hospitalized and in need of your prayers also.  I haven’t heard a final word from Blake Stokes but the initial reports out of Texas seem to be good so keep praying. 

There are a good number of movies making their debut during this season and one those is “The Golden Compass” which targets children.  Time and space do not permit me to go into the details but I strongly urge parents to not allow their children to see this movie.  The rating is PG-13 but that is not the problem.  Basically, this is an anti-God/anti-Christian movie as the author refuses to use the word God or church.  It goes much, much deeper than that so I strongly encourage you to boycott this one! 

We are on a regular Wednesday schedule.  I expect that the attendance in our morning prayer service will be down somewhat with the seniors being gone to Nashville.  We will continue our study in Romans as we are in the 12th chapter. 

The church calendar has been updated and I ask you to look at it regarding our schedule during this month.  There are a couple of changes the last two Sundays and the last Wednesday of 2007 so please stay up to date on these changes!  I do ask that you make plans to join us for our Christmas Eve service from 5:00 – 6:00PM as that is always such a special service. 

I forgot to mention that I brought back a limited supply of coffee from the farm in Guatemala.  This will go on a first come, first served basis so see me if you are interested. 

Speaking of Guatemala, our next trip is in February ’08 and will be a building/medical trip.  We have a few openings on this trip so, if interested, please contact me immediately.

Also, we are looking into the possibility of a ski trip to Colorado in Jan/Feb.  If interested, give me a call or send me an e-mail. 

Hope you have a great Wednesday with Jesus! 

Once again, the reports of my demise are greatly exaggerated!  Sorry about not posting yesterday – I really don’t have an excuse! 

It is a day late but I do want to publicly wish our daughter, Daphne, a happy 24th birthday!  Wow, Lisa is getting old!

Life has been fairly busy since my return from Guatemala on Friday night.  I spent the morning on Saturday preparing for, and then preaching, the funeral service for Betty McDonald.  I appreciate Belvin and family waiting until Saturday to have the service so that I could be a part of it.  Please continue to pray for Belvin and his family. 

The Lord blessed and we had a good day on Sunday featuring a GRACE meal for our senior adults.  The day was capped by our children’s choir sharing their musical in the evening service.  Kathy Wadkins and crew did a great job! 

Bro. Kerry and a group of our senior adults left yesterday morning for a trip to Nashville (I have no idea why someone would actually want to go TO Tennessee!) to see the Christmas decorations/lights, et cetera.  They are scheduled to return home on Thursday.

Bro. Benny is preparing to open our newest Upward season this Saturday.  Pray for him and all involved in this ministry. 

Sara Nell Moulds will have knee replacement surgery tomorrow morning.  Rachel Long, 11, daughter of Jeff & Carol Long, is in a local hospital with a staph infection.  Jeff is in Africa with is job so this is a tough time on this family.  Blake Stokes, 15, grandson of Pastor & Mrs. Alton Stokes and Pastor & Mrs. Jiggs Ramsey, is at the M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston for an examination/evaluation.  Carla Kyser continues to recover at home from her surgery of last week.  Pray for these folks!

I won’t go into a lot of detail but suffice it to say that I am grateful that Hugo Chavez of Venezuela suffered a defeat in Sunday’s constitutional reforms vote.  A win would have allowed him to basically remain in power for life but now, as it stands, he cannot run for the office of president again in 2012.  This election has ramifications on several other Latin American countries which could have included Guatemala with the newly elected president set to take office in January. 

Our senior high students will have a game night this Friday, 12/7, from 7:00PM until 10:00PM.  This is a great time of food, fun, and fellowship so y’all come!