Pastor's Blog

Today’s Bible reading – Ezekiel 42:1-43:27 James 5:1-20 Psalm 119:1-16 Proverbs 28:6-7

Rachel Jackson and those family members who traveled with her are returning home today.  Her nephew continues to receive his chemotherapy treatments as they fight this aggressive leukemia.

Miss Jackie Goff told me yesterday that their son-in-law, Billy Anderson, did not get a good report from the doctor regarding his cancer.

Bro. Benny and the bus/children’s workers will be hosting the annual Bus Ministry Thanksgiving meal this Sunday, 11/23, immediately following the 10:30AM service.  Takes place in the CAB.  Pray for this ministry.

Pastor Alton Stokes confirmed yesterday that his church (Grand Bay Church of God) will be providing two special music selections in our community Thanksgiving service this Sunday, 11/23, at 6:00PM.  The music should be really great with those two numbers plus one by our choir and one by Gordon Alford from Cloverdale Baptist.  (Pastor James Messer asked to borrow an outline from me yesterday but I told him that he was on his own)  It is going to be a great service and I hope you do not miss it!

Remember, we are having our 10:00AM service this Wednesday, 11/26.  It will be a special Thanksgiving service and we will be out by 11:00AM and then everything shuts down until Sunday, 11/30.  If you are in town and off work, come join us.

This is the front end of a major holiday with school being out the entire week for Thanksgiving.  I know that we are going to have families out of town this weekend and the following one too.  I am totally good with that.  My prayer is that those of us who remain in town will be faithful to attend the church services Sunday morning and evening.

Not a lot in the way of important college football games this Saturday especially in the South.  The following Saturday is the ticket!  Of course, that only comes after the huge Navy vs USA game on Friday @ 2:00PM.  Yes, I am tailgating with David & Kim and my nephew-in-law, Adam, who is a graduate of the Naval Academy will join us and will bring his two sons.  I am still fretting over what to wear!  Maybe I should call David and we can talk about it?

So, you cannot complain about those who complain?  That Bill Kendrick is one smart dude!  (You think that until you see him in that OM garb! LOL!)  Yesterday’s comments.

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

The Thanksgiving meal for the senior adults of our community was a huge success!  Junior Bosarge counted and there were exactly 300 senior adults in attendance.  I think it would be safe to say there were probably 60 – 70 volunteers in attendance too.  It was a real blessing to have fifteen or so students from Alma Bryant High School do an outstanding job of volunteering before, during and after the meal.  Special thanks to each person who helped in any way.

I received the following from Robin Nicely:

“Pastor Teddy,

Thank you for lifting John up in your prayers. He’s still in tremendous pain. Going back in for surgery this afternoon at 4:30. They’ve changed his antibiotics to more powerful stuff.”

If you think of it, would you pause and pray for Dr. John at 3:30 Alabama time?  This will be his third surgery in about one week’s time.  Such a wonderful guy!

Robin Corley was moved to a rehab facility today.

Rickey Barkley’s brother, Johnny, lives in WV and was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer.  I spoke to him via the phone this afternoon and his attitude is amazing!  Pray for him.

The company installing the gutters is working today and that is (I believe) the final step in the storm water project.  Obviously, we have to do some sod work and such later but this completes the work we need done by outside companies.  I appreciate Carl Ray Moulds taking charge of this gutter installation process.

Today’s Bible reading – Ezekiel 40:28-41:26 James 4:1-17 Psalm 118:19-29 Proverbs 28:3-5

Big day with the Thanksgiving meal for the senior adults of our community taking place in our CAB from 10:00AM until noon.  Pray that this will be a meaningful day of ministry.  If you are bringing a casserole, turkey, dessert, et cetera, please have it in the CAB by 9:00AM.

As far as I know, no significant changes in any of the folks for whom we have been praying.

Regular schedule this Sunday morning as far as the services are concerned.  A major addition will be the annual Bus Ministry Thanksgiving meal for the children, their parents and the bus workers.  That will take place in the CAB immediately following the 10:30AM service.

Good day in our services yesterday/last night.  We had several guests in our evening service and also during the 7:30PM Bible study which is always a good thing.  God gives the increase and we give Him the glory!

Pattie Suthoff commented on yesterday’s entry about those whining men in her house.  I had just spoken to Dana Faucette and Amy Reynolds about whining at church last night.  I thought we were supposed to be “being thankful” instead of “complaining?” Am I complaining about those complaining?

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

Today’s Bible reading – Ezekiel 39:1-40:27 James 2:18-3:18 Psalm 118:1-18 Proverbs 28:2

The funeral service for Kim Bosarge, Junior’s sister-in-law, takes place this afternoon at 2:00PM preceded by two hours of visitation.  Visitation and service will take place at the Oddfellow Hall in Bayou La Batre and the burial will take place in the adjoining cemetery.  Pray for the family.

Urgent prayer request for our friend, Dr. John Nicely, in Michigan.  He has been transported from a hospital in Holland to one in Grand Rapids.  He will now be under the care of an infectious disease specialist.

Rachel Jackson and other family members are traveling to GA today to be with her nephew, Phillip, who began receiving a ten day regiment of chemo yesterday.

Robin Corley is not going to need surgery.  She will be moved to a rehab facility for twenty one days.  That move should take place this Friday, 11/21.

C sent me an iMessage last night saying that she is feeling better.  Still waiting on that phone call.  Still wondering why she ever married Rusty?  LOL!

Daphne’s latest round of chemo has knocked her for a pretty good loop.  We are very much aware that it could be so much worse but this one has been pretty tough on her.  Labs this Friday.

Keep praying for Lisa Thompson as she continues to not feel well.

Pastor Jack Bailey plans on attending the service at Danville Baptist tonight.  Rumor has it that he is only going b/c they serve supper but I do not believe that!  Obviously, he is improving.

Regular schedule today/tonight.  Soup for supper for the 7:30PM Bible study.  (Is my mother-in-law great or what?)

Huge day tomorrow with the Thanksgiving meal for the senior adults of our community.  Prayers and help needed.

I am a bit ashamed of myself as I gave in and turned the heater on last night.  Set the thermostat all the way up to 65 degrees.  I must be getting weak in my old age!  Turned it off early this morning but do not tell Lisa and the girls as they do not realize it.

Here is what confuses me – in the Summer time folks want the air conditioner set at 68 degrees or lower and complain about being hot.  However, in the Winter time they set the thermostat at 70 degrees or higher and wear a long sleeve shirt with a coat inside and complain about being cold.  Is 68 not 68 year around?  70 the same?

The weather forecast for Friday, 11/28, is calling for rain (60%).  Kim, this old boy will not sit in the rain to watch your beloved Jaguars play football!  Do you guys deliver?

BTW, if you need directions to the Oddfellow Hall in BLB simply contact Karla Cooper or Dana Taylor as they are natives.

I pray that your Wednesday is great with Jesus.

Learned from Jerry Whitmore this morning that Robin Corley is in the hospital.  She suffered a broken hip in a fall last week and it was just now properly diagnosed.

The Bosarge family has finalized the arrangements for Kim Bosarge’s service.  They are as follows:  visitation tomorrow, 11/19, from noon until the 2:00PM service time.  Visitation and service to take place at the Oddfellow Hall and interment in the Oddfellow Cemetery.

You will need to contact Miss Vinnie Brewer if you have questions related to helping with the food for the Bosarge family.

Today’s Bible reading – Ezekiel 37:1-38:23 James 1:19-2:17 Psalm 117:1-2 Proverbs 28:1

Barbara Gulley passed from this life over the weekend.  The funeral service takes place today at noon from Oddfellows in BLB.  Pray for the family and for Pastor Jiggs Ramsey as he preaches the service.

Rachel Jackson has a twenty six year old nephew, Phillip, who has been placed in a Georgia hospital with acute leukemia.  She and other family members will be traveling there tomorrow.  Pray for the doctors to know how to treat it.

Dr. John Nicely (Michigan) remains hospitalized.  His wife, Robin, sent an e-mail last night saying that he had a “tough day” yesterday.  Pray they can get this infection under control.

At the time of this post, it is unclear when the funeral service for Junior Bosarge’s sister-in-law, Kim, will take place.  I will post the arrangements once they have been finalized.  I do know that we have been asked to “help” with the meal with someone else being responsible for coordinating it.  You can contact Miss Vinnie Brewer if you need more information about helping with the food.

Bill Kendrick posted a comment on yesterday’s blog about Pastor Saeed and his imprisonment in Iran.  An important deadline is rapidly approaching.

Pastor Jack Bailey continues to recover at home from his surgery of last week.

As far as I know, C is still waiting on that phone call from MDA.

Bro. Chris placed an order for the printed church pictorial directories yesterday.  Not sure when they will be delivered.

Regular schedule tomorrow morning and evening.  I am thinking the menu for our 7:30PM Bible study will be soup(s) if I can talk my mother-in-law into it.

Major day on Thursday with the Thanksgiving meal for the senior adults of our community from 10:00AM until 12:00PM.  Helpers are always needed for that ministry opportunity.  Setting up, serving, cleaning up afterwards, et cetera.

We need to be excellent hosts for the community Thanksgiving service this Sunday evening at 6:00PM.  Our staff and deacons will join our regular greeters in getting folks seated, et cetera.  Our choir will be singing.  The Church of God will have folks bringing special music as will Bro. Gordon Alford from Cloverdale Baptist.  Pastor James Messer will be preaching – probably while wearing an Ole Miss tie!

FYI – the church office will be closed Wednesday afternoon, 11/26, and Thursday, 11/27.  We will not have any services/classes/ Bible studies on the evening of Wednesday, 11/26.

I found out yesterday that the USA Jaguars will host Navy on Friday, 11/28, at 2:00PM which means I can attend that game without missing the AU vs UA game the following day.  Tailgate at Ladd Stadium with David & Kim French and everything.  I am so excited!  What do I have to wear?  Does it get any better than this?  Wait, maybe Soy can join me!  Adam Glenn, you should bring the boys and come join us!

This entry has been too long.  My apologies!

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

Today’s Bible reading – Ezekiel 35:1-36:38 James 1:1-18 Psalm 116:1-19 Proverbs 27:23-27

Tuesday, 11/18 – Ezekiel 37:1-38:23 James 1:19-2:17 Psalm 117:1-2 Proverbs 28:1

Wednesday, 11/19 – Ezekiel 39:1-40:27 James 2:18-3:18 Psalm 118:1-18 Proverbs 28:2

Thursday, 11/20 – Ezekiel 40:28-41:26 James 4:1-17 Psalm 118:19-29 Proverbs 28:3-5

Friday, 11/21 – Ezekiel 42:1-43:27 James 5:1-20 Psalm 119:1-16 Proverbs 28:6-7

Saturday, 11/22 – Ezekiel 44:1-45:12 1 Peter 1:1-12 Psalm 119:17-32 Proverbs 28:8-10

Sunday, 11/23 – Ezekiel 45:13-46:24 1 Peter 1:13-2:10 Psalm 119:33-48 Proverbs 28:11

Good Sunday!  We give God the thanks!  I am so very thankful for my church family.  We have now looked at faith, family, faith family and this Sunday, 11/23, we will look at “I Am Thankful For My. . . . .”

Dr. John Nicely and his wife, Robin, are good friends and great supporters of GRACE Ministries.  They have been on numerous trips and Dr. John is always one of our lead doctors.  He and Dr. Mark Stid are constantly recruiting medical folks to join them on GRACE trips.  Dr. John has had two surgeries within the last week and was (as of Saturday afternoon) in ICU in the Holland Hospital.  He has “bilateral knee infections” which came out of nowhere.  Pray for Dr. John to heal completely.  Pray for Robin and their sons as they deal with this too.

Rita Vice’s dad’s service takes place this Wednesday, 11/19, at 11:00AM (1:00PM our time) in Riverside, California.  Pray for Rita and the family.

The arrangements will be made today for Junior Bosarge’s sister-in-law’s service.  The thinking now is a service either tomorrow or Wednesday at Oddfellows in Bayou La Batre.  We want to minister to this family by providing a meal following the service.  If you will help, please call the church office today (8:00AM – noon, 1:00PM – 5:00PM) and let us know.

Lisa Thompson has not been feeling well at all.

C had a couple of tough days but had a better night on Saturday.  Still no word from MDA.

Daphne goes for her last chemo shot of this cycle today.

Dr. Jack Bailey is slowly, but surely, recovering from his surgery of last Thursday.  He is definitely not jumping fences!

The first team with Mark Mast returns home today and the second team is en route.  Pray for travel for both of these teams.

Have you ordered your pumpkin roll from Ashley Crawley?  You can call the church office to do that too.

The USA Jaguars are bowl eligible after their stirring comeback against Texas State this past Saturday.  (Folks, I really do not care but am simply trying to appease Kim French!)  They travel to play USC this Saturday and then finish with Navy at home.  Will they get picked for a bowl game?  IDK.

Today’s Bible reading – Ezekiel 33:1-34:31 Hebrews 13:1-25 Psalm 115:1-18 Proverbs 27:21-22

Junior Bosarge’s sister-in-law, Kim, passed away unexpectedly this past Friday.  Arrangements will be made tomorrow with the service most likely taking place in our auditorium either Tuesday or Wednesday.  Pray for Junior’s brother, Jimmy, and the entire Bosarge family.

The service for Rita Vice’s father will take place in Riverside, CA this Wednesday, 11/19, at 11:00AM.  It will be a graveside service.  Pray for Rita and her family.

Regular schedule today and tonight.  I pray the members of the Friendship family will be faithful.

I pray that you will have a great Sunday with Jesus.  Go to church!

Today’s Bible reading – Ezekiel 31:1-32:32 Hebrews 12:14-29 Psalm 113:1-114:8 Proverbs 27:18-20

Good morning from a chilly (26 degrees) Birmingham, Alabama.  Lisa and I drove up yesterday afternoon after the funeral service for Kooper Brannan.  We met Ross & Queen Genzink, Tom & Shari Compagner and my brother, Eddie, & his wife, Sue, for supper.  This had been planned since early August.  Obviously, we will travel over to Tuscaloosa for the game today.  (Eddie & Sue are not going to the game but I can only hope that one day they will see the light!)

Speaking of Kooper’s service – wow!  That certainly ranks right up there with the most folks we have ever had attend a visitation/service at Friendship.  Hundreds and hundreds of folks attended either one or both.  My first concern in leading a service is that God is pleased.  I hope He was.  My second concern is that the family receives comfort  and, according to their comments afterwards, they did.  Pray for Kooper’s family.

Wow – the members of the Friendship family did an outstanding job of ministering before, during and after the service.  The men who served as ushers, the ladies who provided refreshments, the folks who prepared food, the folks who served the food, the folks who cleaned up, et cetera.  The body of Christ was in action and I was blessed!  Thank you!

We are on a regular schedule tomorrow morning and evening.  Lord willing, I will be present and preaching in all three services.  I hope to be joined by many members of the Friendship family in those services.

Soy is meeting us in Tuscaloosa today which means he will be the driver on the way home.  I am grateful as that will allow me to pray, study and sleep.

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

Today’s Bible reading – Ezekiel 29:1-30:26 Hebrews 11:32-12:13 Psalm 112:1-10 Proverbs 27:17

I did not “officially” hear after Pastor Jack Bailey’s surgery yesterday but he did well.  He posted a blog entry which is always a good sign.  However, he did not include anything from Bobby Stork which means he is not at one hundred percent but  at least he is functioning.

I spoke briefly to Kevin Vice via the phone last night.  He and Rita were tired physically and emotionally from all that has taken place over the past few days.  They will be making the funeral arrangements for Rita’s father today.  Pray for the Pete Nelson family.

Visited with Edna Glover yesterday and she is supposed to be discharged from the hospital today.  She is doing very well.

Thank you to the members of the Friendship family for responding to the ministry opportunity of feeding the Kooper Brannan family today following the celebration of Kooper’s life.  Miss Vinnie Brewer and Marisa Felps have been so gracious in leading this ministry opportunity which is going to be huge as the expectation is 125 folks.  I believe everything is covered food as far as the food is concerned.  Thanks for Bro. Jerry Hovel and Logan Wainwright for their help in getting everything set up for the meal.  This will be a “team” effort and every effort is very much appreciated.  I do know that the Praise Family Church offered their help as well.

The visitation with the Brannan family begins at 10:00AM.  The family will have a very private time beforehand and I simply ask that those not in the immediate family respect their privacy.  The service begins at noon.  Bro. Chris Taylor will be assisting me as we lead this celebration.  I may be wrong but I anticipate a huge attendance.  Pray for this service.

I will “always” answer my cell phone from this point forward – always!  What?  Gary “Cooter” Walton left me a voice mail yesterday.  That would have been fine had he not left me a “singing” voice mail!  It can be summed up in one word – brutal!  LOL!  Lesson learned!

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