Pastor's Blog

We were blessed with good services yesterday as we saw two make professions of faith and another come for baptism.  God is faithful! I appreciate the folks who attended our services as well as we had a good attendance in the morning services.  We were down some in the evening service as a number of folks left to go out of town yesterday afternoon.

Kaitlyn Mast did well in sharing the Word through song.  Steve Osborn gave a good word/report in the evening service.  I give Pastor Clint Landry and the fine folks from 1st Bayou La Batre a shout out for hosting Steve yesterday morning.

I remind members of the Friendship family that I will be preaching this Thursday night, 4/25, at 1st Baptist Moss Point.  The service begins at 6:30PM.  It would be great if you could join us for that service.

Miss Kathleen Henderson is back in the hospital.

Liz Cole’s sister-in-law is the same.  They are waiting on her son to arrive from out of the country before taking any action.

Sharon Jardee is at home.

Kevin Woods is scheduled to be discharged from the hospital tomorrow.  Talk about a happy camper!

The NBA playoffs are rigged!  How else do you explain the Lakers getting beat by the Spurs?

I am writing this entry shortly before midnight.  Got be up by 3:00AM in order to get Kaitlyn to the airport for an early flight.  Who booked her flights?   A late arrival and an early departure – seriously!

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

Liz Cole sent an e-mail last night saying that her sister-in-law, Tanya, is now in a coma that is not medically induced.  The doctors have told her husband, Jack, that the damage from being without oxygen is significant.  The doctor said it is a “grim” situation.  Pray for the Love family.

Virginia Morris had a brother-in-law in Iowa to pass away unexpectedly so pray for that family too.

I appreciate Miss Kittie and Miss Willie going today to support Marisa and her family during the funeral service.  Thanks to all of those who prayed.

I am “renting” internet access from Soy as we do not have it and Centurylink says it will not be available until tomorrow morning sometime.

Hope to see many members of the Friendship family in our services tomorrow.

Blessings!

The funeral service for Marisa’s uncle takes place this morning at 11:00AM preceded by an hour of visitation with the family.  Everything from Serenity in Theodore.

Kaitlyn Mast arrived safe and sound late last night.  (I appreciate Soy going to the Gulfport airport with me to pick her up.  It was a great bonding time or something like that!)  Kaitlyn is excited about being here and is looking forward to ministering through song tomorrow.

All members of the Friendship family who are in town are encouraged to be in their rightful place tomorrow morning and evening.  This is the first weekend of Spring break for the public school system and we have a number of families out of town.  Good for them.  I just pray those of us left in town will be faithful.

Yesterday was a wash – literally!  Got to try and get some grass cut today.

Lisa and I visited with Amy Reynolds (she had been complaining that her Sunday School teacher had not visited) this week and I was impressed with Will’s garden.  The boy has talent!

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

The arrangements for Marisa Felps’ uncle are as follows:  visitation with the family on Saturday, 4/20, from 10:00AM until 11:00AM.  Service at 11:00AM with burial to follow in the Grand Bay Cemetery.  The visitation and service will take place from Serenity Funeral Home in Theodore, Alabama.  Pray for the family.

Visited/prayed with Tanya Love yesterday morning.  Liz put a comment on yesterday’s entry to share that Tanya is now in a natural coma.  She needs a miracle to live.  Pray for her, her husband, Jack, and the entire family.

Attempted to see Sharon Jardee but they had already taken her for tests.

Marisa’s uncle, Franklin Odom, passed away Wednesday afternoon.  There will be a funeral service at  some point tomorrow.  It will be held from either the church auditorium or the funeral home chapel.  I will post the arrangements once they have been completed.

Sara Ladnier was scheduled to have surgery next Tuesday but that has now been delayed as the doctors try to formulate a treatment plan.

Lisa visited Heather Baria yesterday.  Heather was scheduled to be discharged later and I assume that happened.

Interesting happenings overnight in Boston.  Pray for those involved in the manhunt for the second suspect in this past Monday’s explosion.

Kaitlyn Mast will be our guest in the services this Sunday.  The girl can sing!  Hope you will be present to worship with us!  Thanks to Jeanette Bates for being so flexible/willing to accompany Kaitlyn.

Brad & Daphne will become the parents of another girl in September.  That is, if Sharon Poiroux is right in the reading of the ultrasound.

I predict an Auburn and an Alabama victory in tomorrow’s games.

Hit the garden a little early yesterday afternoon for some “quiet time” as the rains were heading our way.  It was not my usual “quiet time” as I had a guest and then Deidra came to help on the final seven rows.  (Deidra does not like be in the garden with a hoe but she had spent the entire day working in our flower beds which she enjoys.  I would rather be stuck on the top a disabled ferris wheel with Soy & Rusty than to work in a flower bed so I give Deidra her props!)  Then Soy showed up and actually plowed most the middles with the tiller.  Are you serious!  That allowed me to jump on the back end of a weedeater until dark thirty.

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

Liz Cole’s sister-in-law, Tanya, coded during surgery on Tuesday and is now in a drug induced coma in SICU.  Bro. Kerry visited with her yesterday and had a word of prayer.

Infant Bailey Browning in Alaska has an infection which prevented the doctors from doing the surgery yesterday.

Sharon Jardee will have most tests today and remains hospitalized.

Heather Baria’s doctors tend to think that her problem is an infection in her lungs but they do not know what type infection.

Marisa Felps has an uncle who was burned in a house fire.  He was not expected to live but I do not have an update yet this morning.

Heard from Mark Hubbard last night.  Courtney received her first treatment yesterday and will be heading home today.

Donald Loyd will be traveling to the M.D. Anderson hospital in Houston today.

Kathleen Henderson, Imogene Reviere, and Kay Landry were all discharged from the hospital.

We had a good day in our services yesterday/last night.  We give God the glory!

Kaitlyn Mast will be our special guest this Sunday as she will be sharing the Word in song.  I look forward to her ministry.

The money folks from the Friendship family i.e. Bro. Chris & Nicole, Rusty & Caryn, Betty Clair will be going to hear Tim Tebow speak tonight.  That raises a question – how can Rusty pay to go hear Tebow on a Thursday night but cannot attend a “free” Bible study at his own church on the Wednesday night prior?  Just saying!  (The “beast” from the pawn shop really should go hear Timmy as she needs all of the spiritual help she can get!)

Lakers win!  Lakers win! Lakers win!  Levi Seymour and I are happy campers today!

Was able to have some more “quiet time” from 4:30PM until 6:00PM yesterday afternoon.  Lisa visited and told me that my strawberry plants looked good.  Problem is that I do not have any strawberry plants!  Actually, she knew that and was just joking.  My wife is not only great looking but is very smart too!  Am I blessed or what!

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

Katie Sessions Browning’s baby, Bailey, will have a surgical procedure today.  She is the one born prematurely some weeks ago.  They live in Alaska.  The doctor says the surgery should be ten minutes and everything will be fine.  The parents are nervous.

Kay Landry had a major surgical procedure yesterday.  As far as I know, everything went well.  (Folks, if you survived raising Pamela then not a lot else can be a challenge to you!)

Mark & Courtney Hubbard fly to Houston today where Courtney will have port surgery at 8:30AM, meet with her doctor at 11:00AM, and then receive the first of nine chemo treatments at 1:00PM.

Chastity Touchstone, Sanna Collier’s niece, had her fourth chemo treatment this past Monday and still has four more in front of her.

Saw Sharon Jardee briefly yesterday morning as she was headed for tests.  She said she felt okay.

Visited with Imogene Reviere and she was thinking that she would go home yesterday.  Not sure if that happened or not.

Visited with Kevin Woods as well.  He is doing great and is scheduled to be discharged from the hospital next Tuesday, 4/23.

Visited with Miss Kathleen Henderson.  She was thinking that she might go home today but I am not sure if that was her hopes or the doctor’s opinion.

Heather Baria was admitted into a local hospital early yesterday morning.

George Beverly Shea passed away yesterday.  He was 104 years old (I think he and Andy Hamil graduated high school together!).  When I think of Billy Graham then I almost always think of George Bev and Cliff Barrows.

We are on a regular schedule this morning and tonight.  We could use a van driver for our students on Wednesday nights.  Interested?  Contact Bro. Chris.

Began my traditional Spring quiet time yesterday afternoon i.e. worked in the garden!  I usually sing “I come to the garden ALONE” as make my trek that way!  All of the family was outside until they saw the hoe in my hand and then miraculously they disappeared. All except Gina.  She helped work to make it a Santa Claus garden even though she has never had a hoe in her hand previously.  She did good!

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

Sharon Jardee had an episode yesterday morning that caused her to be taken to the emergency room.  I believe she was admitted to the hospital and I will be checking this morning.   Pray for her.

Visited with Miss Kathleen yesterday morning.  Actually, just prayed for her as she was sleeping soundly and I do not wake patients up never knowing how long they have been asleep, if they slept the previous night, et cetera.  Lord willing, I will be checking on her again today.

I was surprised to see Bradley Phillips in our second service on Sunday morning as he was just recently  deployed to South Korea.  He is home because of the passing of a very close friend, Will Miles.  Mr. Miles coached Bradley in park baseball for years and thought of him as a son.  The funeral service will take place this morning in Gautier.  Mr. Miles was only 36 years of age.  Pray for his family and for Bradley as he returns to South Korea tomorrow.

Sad day in Boston yesterday.  Obviously, we need to pray for the families of those who were killed as well as those who are hospitalized as a result of this senseless act.

The lone abortion clinic in Mississippi was almost closed down but, once again, a judge has spared it.  Folks, I am of the opinion that a number of the judges in our country continually step out of bounds.  The law says that a doctor performing abortions in a Mississippi clinic must have admitting rights to a local hospital and that clinic has no doctor who meets that criteria.  They have had about two months to find a hospital who will accept them with no success.  Do you just ignore the law and let them keep looking indefinitely?  Apparently that federal judge thinks so.

So, I go out Saturday morning to check the garden and determine it is too wet to hoe even though it needs it.  The weather forecast calls for heavy rain on the following day.  Enter Soy!  I look out the window around 6:00PM and Soy is watering the garden!  Am I surprised?  No.  I am surprised that he did not water it on Sunday afternoon too!  LOL!

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

As I figured, our attendance took a hit yesterday in all of the services due to the rain.  I have to accept that fact that it is apparently the “way it is” when it comes to folks and their church attendance.  However, I am extremely grateful to the folks who were in attendance. Your commitment and faithfulness is deeply appreciated by me and duly recorded by God.  We were blessed with good services and we give God the glory!

I am going to give a limited update on some folks for whom we have been praying and will attempt to be more detailed in tomorrow’s entry.  Imogene Reviere, sister to Janice Smith and Juanita Gulley, has been diagnosed with stage four cancer and is in the hospital.

Miss Kathleen Henderson is in the hospital again.  I will visit with her today to get an update as Joey is basically unreliable when it comes to sharing information!

Tom Thornton has a ten month old great niece, Charlotte Hampton, who has some serious health issues and is in the hospital.

Marisa told me yesterday morning that Carla is doing okay.

Jack & Kerrie told me yesterday morning that Kevin Woods is doing good and is now looking to be discharged from the hospital later this month.

Bro. Kerry told me that Miss Edith continues to show signs of decline.  She is not eating properly.  She remains at home.

Tom & Shari Compagner’s grandson, Louis James, was discharged from the hospital yesterday afternoon.  That is good news!

This coming Sunday, 4/21, will see us host Kaitlin Mast to sing in all three of our worship services.  Kaitlin presently lives in Nashville where she graduated from Belmont University.  She will be moving back home to Michigan next week in order to attend Cornerstone seminary.  She is gifted musically and I believe you will enjoy hearing her share through song.  I wanted to get her here before she went North.  She is the daughter of Kurt & Carla Mast.  She is also single and looking!  She has some of the nicest looking collar bones you will ever see!

My great nephew, Jace, celebrated his 5th birthday this past Saturday.  Happy belated birthday to him! (His mom, Jamie, is mad b/c I did not call on Saturday so this is a peace offering!)

I have to give Soy his props as I arrived home to a mowed lawned and to a garden that is doing well.  Actually, Soy replanted most of the garden while I was away and it came up nicely.  Does that mean that from this point forward I will cut Soy some slack?  Are you serious?

Believe it or not, I watched some (as in a little) of Yale’s victory in the NCAA hockey championship while also watching Nebraska beat Vandy in the NCAA women’s bowling championship.  I also enjoyed watching the DVR of Adam Scott winning the Masters.  Who said that I am not well rounded when it comes to sports!

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

We are on a regular schedule today.  As I write this in the early hour, I am concerned that some folks will “abandon” the church services today due to the forecast of rain (one local television station calls for 70% chance while the Weather Channel calls for 90 – 100% from 8:00AM until around 6:00PM).  I have said many times that “one drop of rain will keep forty Baptists away from church” and I hope that is not true today.  The rains never seemingly keep us from sporting events, shopping, family gatherings, et cetera but they are always a good “excuse” to miss a church service.

Lord willing, I will be in the pulpit three times today/tonight.  I hope to be joined by many members of the Friendship family.  For those who live elsewhere – go to church today!

I pray that your Sunday will be great with Jesus!