Pastor's Blog

I was not aware that Joey Switzer was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon.  He will have a MRI done later. 

I also wanted to mention the need to pray for the Winters family and the First Baptist Maryville, IL church family as they deal with the untimely death of their husband/father/pastor during their first service yesterday morning.  Two other church members were injured in the attack with one of them remaining in serious condition.  Pray for all involved including the young man who did the shooting/stabbing. 

The visitation with the Henry Bosarge family (Tina Sprinkle) will take place from 5:00 until 8:00PM tonight at Serenity Funeral Home.  The service will take place tomorrow, 3/10, at noon from the chapel at Serenity. 

The visitation with the Charles Taylor family (Diane Cordelle/Keith Brown) will take place from 5:00 until 8:00PM at Radney’s Funeral Home in Saraland.  The service will take place tomorrow, 3/10, at 2:00PM from First Baptist Creola, AL. 

After my FA run, I am going to check on Joey Switzer.  Pray for those who continue to battle cancer.  Bobby Broome is having a signifcant fight with a kidney stone! 

Thanks to all of those who remembered to “spring forward” yesterday morning.  Also, thanks to those who came to the service last night.  Sam & Labreska Atkinson did a good job of ministering through song. 

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

Word came to me last night that Diane Cordelle & Keith Brown’s maternal grandfather, Mr. Charles Taylor, passed away yesterday afternoon.  Pray for this family. 

I do not know the arrangements for Henry Bosarge but will post them once I do. 

Joey Switzer was hospitalized during the night on Friday.  He was originally placed in an ICU but was moved to a regular room last night.  Tests are the order of the day for him.  Pray for Joey & his family. 

I learned yesterday afternoon that Henry Bosarge passed away.  He is an uncle to Tina Sprinkle, grandfather to Danya & Austin, father to Daniel, & brother to John Wayne.  Pray for this family. 

I was also told that Mr. Charles Taylor is not doing well as the family was going to stay at the hospital last night.  This is Diane Cordelle & Keith Brown’s maternal grandfather. 

Don’t forget “The Taste of Friendship” tonight and to spring forward one hour before going to bed! 

Oops, I almost forgot to post an entry today.  I thought about it around 5:00AM but didn’t do it then and now it is pushing 8:30AM.  Sorry! 

Do you believe in miracles?  Well, today around 10:00AM there will be one taking place in Mobile, Alabama.  It is only the 6th day of March and I am scheduled to meet with our CPA to do our taxes!  Why so early?  I don’t have a clue!  I have always waited until 4/15 or later but feel compelled this year to “git er done” or something to that effect!  If Jack Ciak lived in AL then I would perhaps use his services.  When TJ Vice grows up and becomes a “real” CPA the maybe I will use him!  However, for the time being I am very pleased to use Byron Sherman as he does an excellent job! 

Don’t forget “The Taste of Friendship” takes place tomorrow night from 5:00 – 8:00PM.  Our students need your support! 

Also, don’t forget that we “spring forward” tomorrow night meaning we lose an hour of sleep and we move our clocks forward one hour. 

Pray for the family of the young teenage girl who was tragically killed in the car accident yesterday morning.  I didn’t know her but do know several folks who were close to her and her family. 

I talked to Donnie Felps yesterday and he told me that Carla had a really good weekend this past weekend.  She receives another treatment this coming Tuesday.  Pray for all of those who are battling cancer. 

I pray that you will have a great Friday with Jesus!  Go to church this Sunday!  (That includes you T. Garrett!) 

We had another good day in our services/Bible studies/classes yesterday and we give God the glory for His blessings.  Our Wednesday morning numbers seem to increase week by week and I appreciate those folks being faithful to attend that service. 

Bobby Broome is having a procedure done today and Sammy Bowden begins a treatment on his face & arms related to skin cancer.  Tina Wilkinson didn’t get any results from her tests yesterday.  Stephanie Guidry will have another spot surgically removed on 3/16 and Max Peacock will have a procedure done on 3/18. 

Miss Joyce Bosarge was in our service last night and it was so good to see her.  She had a good day yesterday. 

Did I mention that this Sunday, 3/8, is time change Sunday?  Spring forward one hour before going to bed which means we effectively lose one hour of sleep this Saturday night.  Don’t forget!

The “Taste of Friendship” takes place this Saturday, 3/7, from 5:00PM – 8:00PM in the CAB.  I hope you will support our students in this fundraiser for their summer camp. 

The members of our missions committee are asked to meet in my office this Sunday afternoon, 3/8, at 4:00PM. 

Our evening service will feature the music ministry of Sam & Labreeska Atkinson.  Labreeska is the niece of Miss Vinnie Brewer.  I encourage the members of the Friendship family to be present for this special service. 

Faith Academy calls.  I hope you will have a great Thursday with Jesus!   

I owe a huge shout out to Tony Hacker & Carl Bradley for their work all day yesterday in installing the remainder of the tile in the foyer and then for coming back last night to grout it.  They did an awesome job!  As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, there were a number of other folks who helped in this process and I deeply appreciate their efforts too.  Honestly, it wasn’t a two day job but Tony & Carl are as “slow as Christmas!”  They do good work but they are really slow!  If you need to hire them, do so by the job and not by the hour!  Plus, they want breakfast, lunch, & supper!  I think I personally would have come out better financially to have hired this job out! 

I received word via an e-mail yesterday morning that Dan Ash has entered Heaven.  Pray for his wife, children, and the rest of the family as they deal with this loss.  Dan was an employee at Chevron. 

Our meeting last night was attended by thirteen folks and, in my opinion, it was a productive meeting with great dialogue and input.  I was pretty impressed that the group basically agreed unanmiously on the first two priorities.  We will continue this process as we seek to follow God’s leadership regarding our physical plant. 

Today is a regular Wednesday with the 10:00AM service and then the various Bible studies, choirs, classes, and services beginning at 6:00, 7:00, & 8:00PM.  I hope each member of the Friendship family will join us for one of these! 

I need to start reminding you now to “spring forward” this Saturday night meaning we lose an hour of sleep.  This is my least favorite Sunday of the calendar year!  Don’t forward to set your clocks forward one hour before going to bed! 

Also, the Taste of Friendship takes place this Saturday night, 3/7, from 5:00 – 8:00PM.  You need to get your ticket tonight!  This is a time of great food and greater fellowship!

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

Bro. Jerry sent me an e-mail late last night to share that two folks were led to the Lord during our FAITH ministry.  Praise the Lord!  They live in the Theodore area so we may see about connecting them to a church in that area in order for them to be discipled.  I don’t know which of our teams had this privilege but I do know Who does the saving and His name is Jesus! 

I attended the funeral service for Miss Lurline Webb yesterday afternoon.  It was a short & sweet service.  Thanks to those from the Friendship family who attended that service.  By the way, I learned that Miss Webb was the longest tenured resident of the Grand Bay Convalescent Home (13 1/2 years) and also their oldest resident at 95 years of age. 

I owe a big “shout out” to the folks involved in the removal/installation of the tile in the foyer of the auditorium yesterday/last night.  That process continues today and we are hopeful this solves basically what has been an unexplainable situation.  A big “thank you” to each person who has helped and the Lord has taken note of your acts of service! 

We will meet tonight at 6:30PM to begin discussing the needs of our physical plant.  This is an open meeting for members of the Friendship family.  Plans call for us to be out no later than 8:00PM. 

Faith calls.  Hope you have an awesome Tuesday with Jesus! 

Once again, the Lord blessed and we had a wonderful day in worship.  What a joy to see three more folks follow Jesus in believer’s baptism.  That is always a good way to conclude a worship service! 

I would ask you to pray for the Lurline Webb family as Miss Lurline passed away this weekend.  The visitation with the family will take place today from 1:00PM until the 3:00PM service time.  The visitation and service will take place at Serenity Funeral Home in Theodore. 

Also, Benny Dolbare had a niece and great nephew who lost their lives in a plane crash in Louisiana this past weekend.  Pray for the Dolbare family.

Drew Crawley, son of Michael & Alisia Crawley, had an emergency surgery this past Friday night and is now at home recovering.  Jeff Camp was discharged from UAB on Friday afternoon.  Pray for these guys.

Miss Kathleen Richards, Stephanie Guidry, & Tina Wilkinson all have appointments with doctors this week to further evaluate reports they have recently received from tests.  Pray for them as they have these consultations. 

Shea Childress, Joyce Bosarge, & Carla Felps Kyser all continue to battle their respective cancer.  Dan Ash, a co-worker of our guys at Chevron, has terminal cancer and is in a New Orleans hospital.  Pray for these folks as they battle this disease. 

Rex Looney, Minister of Worship at Crosspointe Church in Madison, AL, had some issues with his heart last week.  I believe they placed three stents in his heart and he is at home.  Pray for Rex! 

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