Pastor's Blog

On the prayer point today – Charles Clark, Norman Richerson, Dianne Trotti.  jack@danvillebaptist.org.  P.O. Box 70 Danville, AL 35619

Tomorrow, 1/1/14 – Beth Bradley, Rick Bradley, Janice Smith.  After that, the proverbial well is dry.  We need 30 more (new) prayer warriors to join this effort and that will take us through Saturday, 1/11.  Contact me via e-mail before tomorrow night so I can list your name of the 1/2 blog entry.

Amazingly, Mitchel Fox was discharged from the hospital yesterday.  He will see the doctor again once he has finished this round of antibiotics.

Per Bro. Jerry, Carolyn Blaylock is to have a test done today.

I have gotten a few messages about this past Sunday’s service.  Each one of them shared the same word – Wes Bates did a nice job of preaching the Word!  That is good news!  It blesses me!

Would you like to join me in reading the Bible through in 2014?  If so, send me an e-mail.  I will post the readings each day on this blog and will build a group e-mail in order to stay in touch.  You can read whatever version best suits you.  I have not fully decided which version I will read this year.  It will be great for those of us who have done it before and a delight to those who have never gotten to do this.  So, send me a message today and we will get started tomorrow.

Our final day of skiing was awesome!  Another couple of inches of snow on top a freshly groomed slopes made the first few runs the best of the trip.  As I type this, we are on a plane somewhere between Denver and Atlanta.  We have been blessed and have had a great time together as a family.  I love my wife and daughters – I am blessed!

Remember, text alerts begin tomorrow!

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

On the prayer point today – Ronnie Baggett, Ann Clark, Danny Lewis.  jack@danvillebaptist.org  P.O. Box 70 Danville, AL 35619

Miss Camp e-mailed me yesterday to let me know that Carolyn Blaylock is in the hospital.  She has a touch of pneumonia and fluid in her lungs.  Pray for her.

I have not gotten any reports but I assume (pray) that everything went well in our morning service yesterday.  I am confident that Wes did a nice job of preaching the Word.  Thank you to each member of the Friendship family who attended that service.

The church office is open today, tomorrow, and Thursday of this week.  It should be “all hands on deck” with the exception of me as no one else is on vacation.  The ministerial staff are available from 8:00AM – 12:00PM and 1:00 – 4:30PM each of those three days and the office will be open until 5:00PM.  (Obviously, the office will be closed on Wednesday for New Year’s Day)  Once again this week, no services, classes, Bible studies, et cetera on Wednesday.

Lisa, Dana, Gina, & I attended the morning service at the Fraser Valley Baptist Church which is a few miles west of the WP resort.  I was amazed and pleased at the difference a year makes.  This family of believers had gone three years without a pastor before calling Pastor Dustin in July of this year.  If I remember correctly, there were about 15 – 18 folks present at the morning service in December of last year.  Yesterday, there were around 85 folks in attendance – praise the Lord.  It was a good service and we enjoyed it very much.  IMO, there is no church family like the Friendship family but it is always good for me to see how other churches worship.  Thank you for affording us the opportunity.

We awoke to 9.5 inches of fresh fallen snow and then got to watch it snow for an hour or so.  Absolutely beautiful.  God cares about even the little things in our lives as I hoped (not prayed) it would snow while we were here even though the weather folks said, “no way.”  God is good!  Our skiing was cut to half a day but God surely blessed us with good snow!

I have had one major problem thus far on this trip.  A young man working the Zephyr lift on Saturday afternoon, a young lady worker in the pizza place here in the resort on Saturday night, and a young lady attending the church service yesterday morning all shared one thing in common.  Let me explain – the young man asked me what the elephant on my hat stood for and I simply said “Alabama” to which he replied, “I’m Auburn.”  (He graduated from AU last May); Lisa and I are standing against the wall in the pizza place waiting on our “to go” order when the young lady comes from behind the counter and says, “I cannot let you stand against the wall of our business wearing an Alabama jacket without saying “War Eagle!”; the young lady in church this morning (she works with Young Life which is a good thing) comes in carrying an AU coffee mug.  Folks, they are everywhere I go and they seek me out!  Could this be my thorn?  LOL!  (Life is so much more than a ballgame)  However, I am going to deck the next one who speaks to me!  (In Christian love of course!)

Hated to see the Cowboys lose last night – not!  Romo or Orton have proven that they can find a way to lose the game late.  Seeing Jerry Jones leave his suite in disgust last night was priceless.  Why do I not like the Cowboys?  Two words – Tom Landry!  He got a raw deal in my opinion.  Landry forgot more about football than Jones will ever know.  Now, Jones is a great businessman.  (Reminds me of Joey Switzer)  He just is not a football man!

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

On the prayer point today – Maxine Dupont, Debra Elliott, Pam Lewis.  jack@danvillebaptist.org  P.O. Box 70 Danville, AL 35619

Mitchel Fox remains in the hospital and will likely be there for another ten days or so.

Larry Whitehurst left me a voice mail yesterday to share that his brother, Ed, is back in the hospital and is not doing well.

Sandra McElwee sent an e-mail saying that David was discharged from the hospital yesterday.  Praise the Lord!  He will go back to the hospital on Monday and every other day after that to be checked.

Paul Leytham sent an e-mail last night giving an update on Miss Cristy.  She is on a strict diet having lost around twenty pounds already.  She will most likely go the alternate medicine route.  Paul said that she looks good and is feeling very well.

As far as I know, Kevin Sprinkle’s brother, Archie, remains hospitalized in Birmingham.

We are having one service only today and that service begins at 10:30AM.  Student Pastor Wes Bates will be bringing the message.  Bro. Jerry Hovel will be in charge of the service.  Friendship family – I pray that you will be faithful!

Lisa, Dana, Gina and I will be attending the morning service at the Fraser Valley Baptist Church today.  It is a SBC church.  I attended a service there last year.

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

On the prayer point today – Hilda Gunter, Marjorie Peacock, Arnold Strahan.  jack@danvillebaptist.org.  P.O. Box 70 Danville, AL 35619.

(Yesterday’s prayer point folks were Juanita Gulley, Andy Hamil, Terry Lucky – think my mind was on skiing or what!)

No prayer updates today.  Mitchel remains hospitalized but, as much as I know, that is it as far as the hospitals are concerned.

Student pastor Wes Bates preaches tomorrow morning in our only worship service for the day.  That service begins at 10:30AM.  Faithfulness is the key!

Remember, folks wishing to get tax credit for donations must get those in before January 1, 2013.  They can be given in this Sunday’s offering, brought by the church office next Monday or Tuesday (8:00AM – 12:00PM; 1:00 – 5:00PM), or mailed in with the check dated in December and the postmark being 12/31 or earlier.  Lets finish the year strong in this area.

Yesterday may have been the most perfect day weather wise that I have ever experienced in my seventeen years of skiing.  The snow was great, the sun was shining, and the temps were probably in the 40’s.  I have never had a better view from the top of the Parsenn Bowl which is 12,060 feet.  You could see the towns of WP and Fraser.

Right now, it is 10 degrees outside and I have the bedroom window slightly open – does it get any better than that?

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

This entry is coming from Winter Park, CO, where I am waiting on daylight and 9:00AM to hit the slopes.  Our drive from Denver to WP was long as there was an accident (no injuries) in the eastbound lanes which included a fire.  The westbound lanes were backed up for miles simply because people were gawking – amazing!  At any rate, it was a beautiful day and the driving conditions were perfect.

I got a couple of messages from Tiffany Dawn yesterday.  Mitchel had a surgical procedure and that went well.  I really do not have any other updates but do know we need to keep praying for those who are battling cancer.

Student Pastor Wes Bates will be preaching in our 10:30AM service this Sunday, 12/29.  Remember, this is the only service for the day.  Again, I encourage the members of the Friendship family to be faithful in attending this service.

Soy has called me about twelve times wanting to know if he can fly out and join us.  Says he misses me!  Gave him the chance to join us but he & Deidra declined – something about having small children.  So, my first run of the day is going to be in honor of Soy!  (It will have to be on a green slope as those are his speciality)

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

Before our Christmas Eve service, I asked Larry Whitehurst about his brother, Ed.  He is at home and had actually been able to get home and walk a little with the aid of a walker.  Keep praying.

We are going to need a new wave of prayer warriors beginning about 1/2/14.  It is my desire to have 120 different folks taking one day to pray specifically for revival and to contact Dr. Jack Bailey by e-mail, card/letter, or text.  If you will take a day, send me an e-mail or  tell Bro. Jerry this Sunday.

Speaking of Sunday, remember that we will have one service only and that begins at 10:30AM.  Student Pastor Wes Bates will be brining the message.  I pray that the members of the Friendship family who are in town will be faithful to attend this service.

Also, keep Thursday, 1/9/14, open as we will be having a very special service that evening beginning at 6:30PM.  Thursday?  Yes.  I think you are going to be blessed in a great way by attending that service.

We are ever so close to the end of 2013.  Each year, many folks take inventory of their giving to the Lord through the church and give an end of the year gift.  You can do that this Sunday, 12/29, or bring your offering to the church office on Monday, 12/30, or Tuesday, 12/31, in order to receive tax credit for 2013.

This one made me laugh this morning.  Keep in mind that I do not know who or when and will not know because that is not relevant. One of our prayer warriors sent Dr. Jack a note of encouragement and prayer support.  He is how it read – “You are in my prayers today. We are looking forward to tolerating your preaching our revival next month. In the meantime, I hope you and your family have a wonderful Christmas!”  (The person then sent a note of apology explaining that spell check had changed the original word which happens all of the time)  Of course, Dr. Jack got a huge laugh out of it too.  My problem is that I think the person probably got Dr. Jack’s preaching confused with mine!  LOL!  Folks, laughter is good medicine!  (That Morris really should have someone proof read his messages!)

Blessings!

On the prayer point today – Sharon Jardee, Carol Lucky, Max Peacock.  jack@danvillebaptist.org  P.O. Box 70 Danville, AL 35619

Glenda Chinners posted a comment on yesterday’s entry which is a call to prayer for a family in Africa.  Pray for the Ken Whiddon family as they are battling typhoid fever and possibly malaria too.

Pastor Bud Parker will have surgery today to have two of his toes removed.  Bro. Bud was a good friend to Bro. Robbie Howard and has been a friend of Andy & Betty Hamil for many years.

Marisa Felps great-granddaughter has been battling health issues too.

Nancy West has a great niece who is only six months old and she also is having physical complications.

I talked to Tiffany Dawn by phone yesterday morning.  They are growing a culture to try and determine the root of Mitchel’s problem.  It appears he will remain hospitalized for at least 14 days.

Our family enjoyed a good Christmas Day.  Lisa, Dana, Gina and I left Grand Bay at 1:45PM and arrived in Denver at 12:15AM (Bama time).  We thank God for safety in travel.  Today, we will get a rental vehicle and head to the hills!

Sammy Bowden, the ballast is at my house.

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

Merry Christmas 2013!

On the prayer point today Betty Hamil, Martez Richerson, Gloria Whitmore.  jack@danvillebaptist.org.  P.O. Box 70 Danville, AL 35619.

Visited Mitchel Fox yesterday morning.  Talked to Tiffany Dawn at church last night and she told me he is now most likely going to stay in hospital for 14 more days.

The Lord blessed and we had a very good Christmas Eve service.  The attendance was good, the music was good, and the Spirit was excellent.  Thanks to those who prepared the Lord’s Supper and to the deacons for serving it.  Our Christmas Eve service is without a doubt one of my favorite services of the year.  I encourage families now to plan their 2014 Christmas Eve family activities around this service.  Is there a better way to celebrate Christmas than to gather on the eve of His birth to worship Him?  Make a statement of faith to the younger generation in your family that says Christmas is first and foremost about Him!

It was great to see Pastor Abel Garcia and his family last night.  They are in the process of moving from Texas to Rainbow City, Alabama.  He will be serving as pastor of our church there.  Pray for their transition.

Lisa, Dana, Gina and I will leave shortly after noon today heading to Denver, Colorado for a few days of family time and skiing.  I love the cold (46 degrees is not cold Bro. Jerry Whitmore – LOL!) and I love to ski.  Colorado is a beautiful state.  Lord willing, we will return home next Tuesday.

The church office is closed until Monday, 12/30, but our other staff members should be available in the event of an emergency.  Call them about 2:00AM each morning just to tell them that you have no emergency!

This Sunday, 12/29, Student Pastor Wes Bates will be preaching in our 10:30AM service which is the only service we will have that day.  I pray that our attendance will be strong and that we will finish the calendar year strong financially as well.  Pray for Wes as he prepares to preach.

I pray that you will have a restful, reflective Christmas Day with Jesus.

On the prayer point today – Lillian Brinkman, Oscar Petersen, Jerry Whitmore.  jack@danvillebaptist.org

Basically, as I was writing yesterday that the Friendship family had no one in the hospital, Mitchel Fox was being transported to one.  I went to visit with him yesterday afternoon.  He was sleeping soundly so I did not awaken him.  I will check on him this morning.

We need to keep those battling cancer at the forefront of our prayer list.

The church office will be open regular hours today (8:00AM – 12:00PM; 1:00PM – 5:00PM).

We will have our Christmas Eve service from 5:00 – 6:00PM.  It takes place in the auditorium.  What a great opportunity to attend, bring others and to simply express appreciation to God for His indescribable Gift to us!  The weather is supposed to be perfect with a temperature of 46 degrees, clear skies and a brisk north wind.  Lets fill the house to the glory of God!

The church office will be closed tomorrow and Thursday.  (Thursday is a bonus off day for the staff/employees and not the norm)  The office is normally closed on Fridays so it will be open next on Monday, 12/30, at 8:00AM.

Our weather spotters provided me with the rainfall totals from Sunday – Hall Road 2.75 inches; Ladner Road – 3.0 inches; Potter Tract Road – 3.5 inches.  Folks, these are not the three brightest light bulbs in the box but I think they are close to right on this one!

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

This entry is way late and I am aware of that fact.  Why?  No real reason other than just late.  My apologies!

On the prayer point today – Vinnie Brewer, Art Elliott, Ica Pearl Walley.    jack@danvillebaptist.org.  P.O. Box 70 Danville, AL 35619. (I will list the folks on the point for the next fews days at the end of this entry)

Wow, the rains came and came and came yesterday! I did not watch the news yesterday or this morning so I do not know our rainfall total for the day.  (Maybe one of our weather spotters can let me know the total)  What I do know is that the rain hurt our attendance in all three services.  We had good attendance but it was not what it would have been on the Sunday before Christmas.  I am very thankful to those who came in spite of the less than ideal weather conditions.

The adult choir did a great job of presenting the Gospel through song last night!  I appreciate Bro. Kerry and each choir member for all of the effort given to that night of ministry.  If you missed it. . . .  .

As far as I know, the Friendship family presently has no one in the hospital.  Praise the Lord!

David McElwee & Archie Sprinkle remain hospitalized in Birmingham.

Rumor has it that Miss Shirley Hill is having some health issues and is seeing a doctor today.  Bob Henley continues to be at home in his battle against cancer.  Mitchel Fox continues to have health issues.

Kent Bragg passed away on Saturday.  I did not know him but several members of the Friendship family did.  His funeral service takes place today at 2:00PM from Franklin Creek Baptist Church.

I am praying that a good number will attend our Christmas Eve service from 5:00 – 6:00PM.  The weather forecast is good.  This is an important service!  Attend and bring others with you.

We will have a special service on Thursday, January 9, 2014, beginning at 6:30PM.  Reserve the date!

The church office will be closed Wednesday, 12/25, and Thursday, 12/26.  Next week, it will be closed on Wednesday, 1/1/14.  No services, classes, et cetera this Wednesday, 12/25, or the following Wednesday, 1/1.

Here are the folks on the prayer point for the next few days:

Tuesday, 12/24 – Lillian Brinkman, Oscar Petersen, Jerry Whitmore.

Wednesday, 12/25 – Betty Hamil, Martez Richerson, Gloria Whitmore.

Thursday, 12/26 – Sharon Jardee, Carol Lucky, Max Peacock

Friday, 12/27 – Juanita Gulley, Andy Hamil, Terry Lucky

Saturday, 12/28 – Hilda Gunter, Marjorie Peacock, Arnold Strahan

Sunday, 12/29 – Maxine Dupont, Debra Elliott, Pam Lewis

Monday, 12/30 – Ronnie Baggett, Ann Clark, Danny Lewis

Tuesday, 12/31 – Charles Clark, Norman Richerson, Diane Trotti

jack@danvillebaptist.org   P.O. Box 70 Danville, AL 35619

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