Pastor's Blog

I thank God for the rain late yesterday afternoon even though it had a negative effect on our attendance last night.  However, the rain didn’t keep God from showing up and He did a great work in our service.  Once again, we had an almost full house and many decisions were made for Jesus.  Kamery Steele and Samantha Smith followed the Lord in believer’s baptism.  What a great service to the glory of God!  I encourage each member of the Friendship family to pray for tonight’s service, attend that service, and bring someone with you.  Ken will be sharing his testimony tonight and I believe it is going to be awesome.

Sharon Jardee did well through her surgery yesterday.  Dominique Wilcox had a skin graft done late yesterday afternoon and did well too.  Vaughn Womack is making some progress.  Lillian Brinkman will be having eye surgery today but plans on being in the service tonight if everything goes as planned.  Pray for these folks. 

I received an e-mail during the night from Pastor Daniel Villatoro in Guatemala.  His wife, Milly, may have a cyst on an ovary which may require surgery.  Pray for Milly.

The container is supposed to leave the church property today.  Can you say hallelujah?  Pray that all goes well and it arrives at Casa Aleluya in a timely fashion with no hidden charges. 

I forgot to mention that the Vriesland Church in Michigan was unable to have services this past Sunday due to blizzard conditions.  So, they met Monday night and listened to their prospective pastor preach and then had a Q&A time with him.  Everything went well and the process continues but I am not exactly sure what that process is since it isn’t a Baptist church.  Pray for Vriesland, the leaders, and Pastor Tim.   

I hope you have a great day with Jesus!  Join us in the service tonight!

Yesterday I mentioned Jack & Kerri L. joining the Friendship family.  Their last name is Lastorka.  Kim Woods and Kerri are sisters. 

I received a call from Tom Compagner this morning telling me that his wife, Shari, had been involved in an automobile accident.  The road conditions in Michigan are hazardous due to the weather and a vehicle crossed the center line hitting Shari’s vehicle head on and totaling it in the process.  I just received a second call from Tom telling me that Shari has been released from the hospital and is, obviously, going to be fine.  (This accident was difficult on Tom because he was in Illinois as all of this unfolded)  I am thankful to God that Shari is okay!  She does a whole bunch for GRACE Ministries.  She and Tom are dear friends!  (I did not get a report on the person(s) in the other vehicle)

Sharon Jardee is in surgery this morning having her knee replaced.  This surgery was scheduled for 2/22 but they moved her up due to a cancellation.  I went early and prayed with Sharon and Bro. Jerry is there now. 

The service last night was very well attended and, once again, God showed up in a mighty way.  There were more salvation decisions and I thank God for each one.  Pray that we will have another blessed service tonight.  The weather forecasters are calling for the possibility of some pretty nasty weather late this afternoon and into the evening hours.  I pray that the weather will not be so severe as to keep folks from the service.  (We do have services when it thunders – that is for Tom & my CRC friends!) 

Friendship folks are the finest folks in the world!  I really believe that!  Yesterday, we had eleven guys show up to unload/load the container.  I was blown away by that number!  We had some older men (retirees) and younger men (some took off work just to help) and they all gave a great effort.  As a matter of fact, the containers were unloaded/loaded in two hours!  Amazing!  Special thanks to each of those men! 

Marisa e-mailed me this morning to say that Carla is doing better and actually went to work for a few hours yesterday and has gone back to work today.  Please keep praying. 

Two families are mourning today.  First, the family of Wendell Howerin will gather for a visitation tonight and service tomorrow at the Bayou La Batre Church of God.  Wendell was 23 years old and passed away last Friday.  He is a first cousin to Jordon Zirlott. 

Second, Charles Bazzel, 40, was killed in an accident on I-10 yesterday morning.  He is a friend of Scott Fontenot’s.  His wife is friends with one of Tena Hovel’s sisters.   Pray for these two families. 

I hope you will have a great day with Jesus.

Glory to God!  The three worship services yesterday were awesome as God showed up in a mighty way!  It all began with seven salvation decisions in the first service and the Spirit just continued in a mighty way the rest of the day.  The count will probably be 50 or so saved yesterday when all is said and done.  Last night we literally were almost packed out as we had to bring chairs in to seat everyone!  Again, glory to God! 

We also welcome Jack, Kerri L. and Kim Woods into the Friendship family by transfer of letter.  They made that decision last night. 

Of course, we have been praying and I had an idea that God was going to do a great work when Jon Cowart’s car was stolen from the hotel Saturday afternoon.  We had put Jon at the same hotel where Ken is staying (which happens to be the same one we used this past summer for our out of town wedding guests) and somewhere between 3:30PM & 6:30PM someone took his car!  I appreciate Jon’s attitude about the whole situation but I feel really bad for him as I picked the hotel! 

However, Jon, Dustin, John Vickers, Morgan Bosarge and Madison Bosarge did a great job of leading our musical worship in the services.  Ken brought some powerful messages!  God showed up and as Pastor Jack Bailey would say, “He showed out!”  Awesome day! 

I invite everyone local to join us at 6:00PM tonight and the following two nights for the services!  Pray, attend, invite! 

My thoughts were also with my friends at the Vriesland Reformed Church in Michigan yesterday as they were hosting a potential Pastor.  I pray that they had a great day in those services and the question/answer time.  What a great group of folks!

The container is scheduled to be here by noon today.  We are going to have a loading “party” from 1:00PM until 3:00PM.  All hands on deck! 

Happy birthday to my mama and my dad today!  Yes, they have the same birthday.  They also have the same wedding anniversary!  I am grateful to the Lord for allowing me to be raised by godly parents!  What a blessing! 

Hope you have a great Monday with Jesus.  If possible, join us for the service at 6:00PM tonight!

Marisa Felps sent me an e-mail this morning asking us to pray specifically for Carla.  As you probably know, Carla received a triple dosage of chemotherapy this past Monday and it has really done a number on her body.  Pray that today will be a better day for her!

Please note that the container is NOT going to be here in the morning, 2/9, meaning that we can’t load it!  This drastically changes our plans but we are going into the flexibility mode!  It appears we will be loading Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of next week but that is not a definite yet.  Stay tuned! 

I was a bit premature in saying that Vaughn Womack was on the upswing as he has had a pretty tough week.  He is doing better but the doctor seems to think it will be Monday or so before he really begins to feel better. 

Dominique Wilcox, 10, was admitted to the hospital yesterday.  He burned his foot/ankle about three weeks ago and it has become infected.  He will be in the hospital for about two weeks as they rid his body of the infection and then do a skin graft. 

The ladies and a couple of guys finished the gourmet apples yesterday.  Thanks for a job well done!  Students who sold them need to contact Becky Hatcher to pick their order up in order to distibute them.  T. Garrett, I need your address!  Bret, you are supposed to have one coming! 

A couple of our young adults are weighing their seminary options as they are completing their college studies.  Wes Bates visited Southwestern Seminary in Ft. Worth earlier this week and will go to Southern in Louisville at a future date.  Alisha Vice has visited Midwestern in Kansas City along with the New Orleans seminary and is visiting Mid-America this week too.  Pray as these young adults seek God’s will for their lives!

I spoke to Gene Davis, Texas, via the phone yesterday afternoon and he is doing well.  He will be having knee surgery followed by shoulder surgery in the fairly near future but otherwise he is okay.  He and Gena have made some changes but out of choice and not necessity.  He and Gena send their regards to everyone!  (Gene, the letter and DVD are being mailed today!) 

I think Luke 14:18A is the verse of the week for the Friendship family!  We will be unloading the contents of one container into another container beginning at 8:00AM tomorrow morning.  The Friendship folks are the greatest and I know we will have sufficient help. 

Ken Freeman called yesterday and he is ready to get here and preach the Word!  Pray, attend, invite!  Lord send a revival! 

Our missionary friend, Mark Mast, will celebrate his birthday tomorrow!  I think this will be his 61st birthday but I could be wrong!  LOL!  Mark, I hope you will have an awesome day!  Mark Mast and his family are so awesome in their service to Jesus! 

I hope you will have a wonderful day with Jesus! 

It was a huge blessing last night to see Wendy Johnston join us for the evening service.  She was discharged from the hospital on Tuesday and in the service last night.  That is not surprising considering how faithful Wendy is to the church!  Pray for her complete recovery. 

Traci Holifield is having surgery today.  Vaughn Womack seems to be on the upswing.  Miss Exie continues to rehab as does Phyllis Bush’s mother.  Carla has received her first treatment and will get another in three weeks.  Pray for these folks. 

We are just days away from Ken Freeman being with us for a series of services.  Jon Cowart is going to lead our musical worship during those services.  I ask you to pray for these services, attend each one, and bring others with you.  We need revival! 

We need about 20 folks to help us unload/load the container this Saturday morning.  We had about 10 – 12 folks volunteer last night so there is still room for more.  Let me know via e-mail or by calling the church office if you can help. 

The ladies will be back in the apple kitchen today.  I really appreciate these ladies and their labor of love! 

Our middle school students will have a game night tonight from 6:00 – 8:00PM.

Hope you have a great Thursday with Jesus. 

It is almost unbelievable but the shipping company has plans to drop a container on our property this Friday, 2/8, and we can load it this Saturday morning, 2/9.  This is an answer to prayer! 

We need a 20 – 25 folks to come to the church this Saturday morning, 2/9, beginning at 8:00AM to help us transfer this load.  We will serve you a biscuit breakfast and will finish as quickly as possible.  I anticipate this will take us 2, possibly 3 hours, to complete. 

If you can help, please send me an e-mail at pastor@friendshipfamily.net or tell me at church tonight.  Thanks in advance for your help!

I am sure that folks like Tom Compagner, Ross Genzink, Bret Hart, Mark Mast, & Travis Northcutt would love to help but the distance factor rules them out! 

Yesterday was a beehive of activity around the church as the morning was spent loading more stuff on the container.  I really appreciate the five guys who gave up their morning to help with this project.  I have asked that the next loading fall on a Saturday morning so many others can be involved in the process.  That will be fun! 

We had some ladies who began working at 5:45AM yesterday morning and stayed until 8:00PM or so last night making the gourmet apples.  Wow!  I don’t think our students come close to realizing what a huge sacrifice these ladies make to help them lower thier out of pocket cost for the GRACE trips.  (Of course I am not going to mention how much time I spent stirring the pot – a little literally and a lot figuratively!) 

We also had a couple show up last night to clean the carpet in the choir room – what an act of service!  It ranks up there with the lady who comes and cleans the nursery each Monday!  The Friendship family is blessed with some wonderful folks!  I thank God for these ministers who do so without any fanfare!  Your rewards await you in Heaven!

I received word last night that Rusty Suthoff’s grandfather is not expected to live.  He lives in the Barton, MS area.  Bro. Jerry sees the doctor today as he continues to have a lot of pain.  I did not get an update on the other folks yesterday but will do so today. 

Liz Cole mentioned in our prayer service last Wednesday night that Gene Davis (Texas) is not doing well physically.  Today is Gene’s birthday so join me in wishing Gene a happy birthday as well as praying for him! 

I received an e-mail from Steve Osborn early this morning sharing that another of the children in their care has gone to be with Jesus.  This makes two in the past few days so please pray for Steve, Shyrel, and all of the folks at Love The Child in Guatemala. 

Pray for the folks in the areas where the tornado activity took place yesterday.  A lot of it was in the greater Memphis area and Deidra called me several times to keep me informed.  Pray for the families who lost loved ones due to these storms. 

A few folks from Faith Baptist of Bartlett, TN are in Guatemala this week making contacts and getting ready for their upcoming trip which will take place in May.  Pray for them. 

Yesterday was dubbed “Super Tuesday” which is an important day related to politics but today is National Signing Day which is an important day too!  (Important enough for one guy to take off work!)  The Arkansas fans (all fourteen of ’em) like Bret Hart are excited because the Razorbacks are supposed to sign a guy who can actually read the scholarship he is signing! 

I heard through the grapevine that Terrell & Marie Brooks celebrated their 48th wedding anniversary yesterday!  Congratulations! 

Today will be a regular Wednesday.  I am not sure where we will be attendance wise as the public schools are still not in session.  I hope those folks in town will join us this morning or tonight.  It is my understanding that children’s choir will meet at 6:00PM today! 

I hope you will have a great Wednesday with Jesus! 

I apologize for not posting an entry yesterday but it was Monday all day long for me!  I had great intentions but. . . .   Yesterday was Hien’s 16th birthday which we actually celebrated last Thursday night with her surprise party. 

Vaughn Womack had a tough weekend but seems to be on the way back up now.  Things are pretty much going just as the doctor had told him they would.  Wendy Johnston remains in the hospital as they cannot get her blood levels correct.  Carla Felps received her first chemo treatment yesterday.  She was scheduled to get one treatment a week for three weeks but they mistakenly gave her the equivalent of three treatments yesterday.  This will work but it just makes life tougher on Carla. Pray for these folks!

Becky Hatcher is leading a crew today that will be making gourmet apples.  In my opinion, no one in the world makes a better gourmet apple than the ladies from Friendship.  There are still some apples available for sale with all of the proceeds going to help defray the cost for our high school or college students taking part in one of our GRACE mission trips this summer.  We could use help today and/or Thursday in the preparation of these apples.

We will begin at 9:00AM unloading a container from Birmingham onto the container located on our back property.  Plans then call for the contents of that container to be shipped to Guatemala in short order.  That’s the plan!  If you can come help us this morning, that will be great! 

Ken Freeman will be with us beginning this Sunday, 2/10.  I had thought that Seraph was going to be here for a couple of those services but there has been a conflict and that isn’t going to happen.  I ask you to pray fervently for these services!

Happy birthday wishes go to Rhea (Rhea, Rhea to me) Wilkinson today as she celebrates number seventeen!  Also, Matt & Ross DeYoung from Michigan are celebrating their 18th birthday today so best wishes to the DeYoung twins too! 

I realize many of you are probably thinking of Morris Bryant & me as American heroes after our dramatic rescue this past weekend but we are just ordinary guys.  My estimates may be off a bit but that bank appeared to be 1,000 feet steep, the water 300 feet deep, and the rapids were racing at 50 miles per hour!  No fanfare please!  LOL!

I hope you will have a great Tuesday with Jesus!