Pastor's Blog

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

I am sorry to write that I do not have any updates on our local folks for whom we have been praying.  All I know to do is to ask you to keep praying.  Pray for miracles!

Tracy Prater in North Alabama is doing much better since she had the feeding tube put in place.  My brother, Eddie, said yesterday that Tracy is a very strong lady.  Everyone who knows her says the same thing.  Pray for Tracy.

We need a covered trailer that we can use for two weeks.  It needs to be parked on our campus and remain there.  This relates to the container that will be shipped to Guatemala soon.  Can anyone local help?

We need all donations of toys and/or virus PPE to be brought to the church by this Sunday, 9/13.  I realize that Deidra probably gave a later date but she is no longer in charge of this thing.  There is a new sheriff in town!

I need all available able bodied folks to plan on joining us on Thursday, September 24, to load the container that will be shipped.  The time will be announced but probably not until the day before.  This is the call of the shipping company.

Tomorrow will be a sad day on this hill.  We are always so glad to see them come and then so sad to see them go.  Pray for all involved.

Regular schedule tomorrow morning and evening.

By the way, Becky & Jeanette did a very nice job on the special this past Sunday evening.  Ditto for Ian & Dede in the morning services.  Thanks to Jeanette for filling in for Brad and Becky filling in for Jeanette.  Thanks to Tena for doing extra.

The blog readers are beginning to come out of the woodwork.  I have now heard from twelve of the thirteen readers.  So far Alabama, Canada, Guatemala, Michigan & Texas are represented.  Is it possible we could surpass thirteen regular readers?  Oh my!

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

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

As expected, our attendance in our morning services yesterday took a hit.  The virus plus the holiday weekend provided a double whammy.  We especially saw it in our second morning service.  However, our evening service was fairly well attended for which I am grateful.  I am very thankful to those who were faithful to attend.

It was great hearing our AWANA students reciting their respective verses as they entered the auditorium last night.  Thank you to each person who is working in this ministry this year.  Good stuff!

The church office is closed today for Labor Day.

I have now heard from eleven of our thirteen readers of the blog.

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

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

We are on a regular schedule on our campus today which means worship services at 8:00AM; 10:30AM and 6:00PM with Sunday School at 9:15AM.  Lord willing, I will be in the pulpit for all three services today.

Obviously, it is a major holiday weekend.  We have folks out of town.  So, I encourage each member of the Friendship family who is in town to be in attendance today and tonight.

The 8:00AM service will be live streamed.  That is the only service today that will be live streamed.  The radio feed will be available for all three services.

I want to remind the members of the Friendship family about our online giving option.  This is an excellent opportunity for you to worship through giving even if you are out of town and cannot be present in our services.

The church office will be closed tomorrow in observance of Labor Day.

Lord willing, we will resume our bus ministry next Sunday, 9/13.  Want to be a part of this vital ministry?  Contact Dylan Westbrook.

I have now heard from like nine of our thirteen blog readers.  Two more and we will be up to ten readers.  Dr. Rex Looney sent a message saying he is on board.  Sandra McElwee whined for two months but has she let me know she back on board?  Exactly!

They say college football began this weekend but, for me, it does not begin until the SEC conference begins play on 9/26.  I am ready for those games!

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

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

The visitation with the Belynda Sprinkle family takes place tomorrow from 11:00AM until the noon service time.  Everything will be at First Baptist Heron Bay. Pray for Will, Bibbi and the entire family.

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

Eddie Albritton and I attended the Theodore vs Bryant game last night.  Good game and good win for the Bobcats.  The Hurricanes are an improved football team.  Eddie & I did not get to stay for the entire game because Eddie was upset that there was no popcorn or candy being sold at the concession stand.  I had to stop at Dollar General on the way home to buy him a “prize!”  Never again!

Big win for South Alabama football last night.  Ditto for UAB.  It is good to have college football back.  I wish the SEC was playing this weekend but it is what it is.  Cannot wait until the Big Ten begins play!  Wait, they are not playing this Fall!

Labor Day weekend which means folks will be traveling out of town.  Everyone on the hill minus Charles, Ann & me will be gone.  As a matter of fact, everyone except Lisa & Deidra have already left.  Those two should leave early this afternoon.  By the way, the local State Farm office will close at 4:00PM today which is an hour earlier than normal.  Folks, you cannot get that type of information on any other blog!

If you are going to give toys for the “toy drive” for Guatemala then you need to act sooner than later.  Read Deidra’s blog for information.  Deidra tells me that Ollie’s is a great place for good, small toys.  (I thought Ollie’s was a bbq joint)

We need many able bodied adults to keep Thursday, 9/24, open.  Time TBA.  We will be loading the container that day.  All hands on deck!

Ok, it is Labor Day weekend and Lisa has given me the mandate to “labor” today for mowing.  Charles has done a great job this Summer of keeping much of the grass mowed.  I have tried to tell Lisa that he enjoys it so we should let him mow it all.  She is not buying it!

Lord willing, I will be in the pulpit this Sunday morning at 8:00AM, 10:30AM and 6:00PM.  I hope all of the members of the Friendship family who are in town will join me for these services.  Sunday School begins at 9:15AM.  We plan on resuming our bus ministry next Sunday, 9/13.

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

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

The celebration of life service for Belynda Sprinkle will take place this Saturday, 9/5, beginning at noon.  It will be preceded by an hour of visitation with the family.  The visitation and service will take place at First Baptist Heron Bay.  Keep praying for the Sprinkle family.

I was thinking Andy Hamil had not finished his radiation treatments but he did so last Thursday.  Good for him!

Keep praying for Larry Crawley.

As far as I know, Tracy Prater had a feeding tube put in place yesterday.  Tracy needs fervent prayers!

Hurricane Nana made landfall early this morning in Belize.  The assumption is that Chimaltenango, Guatemala will be affected by the rain from this storm.

The Lord blessed us with a good day in our services yesterday.  Our morning attendance was up considerably from where it has been in recent months.  Good evening attendance too.  Thank you Jesus.

Regular schedule this holiday weekend Sunday.

Coach Collier and his Bobcats travel to Bryant tonight to face the Hurricanes.  I hope it is a good, competitive game.

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

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  (Psalm 46:1)

The date of September 2 will forever be etched into my memory as it was on this date in 1986 that Lisa’s only brother, Michael, was involved in an automobile accident that would claim his earthly life.  A day I will never forget!  Just three short years later, John M. “Dub” Ladnier, Sr. would depart from this life after a battle with cancer.  Michael & Dub were big buddies and it is somewhat ironic that they passed from this life on the same date.  So today is a walk down memory lane for me.  Folks, thirty four years later, death stings!  I have already prayed for Charles & Ann this morning and also for Cecil, Myrtle & John Milton.

Bibbi Bosarge & Will Sprinkle have a sister, Belynda, pass from this life last Friday.  The final arrangements are still pending.  Pray for the Sprinkle family as they walk through this valley.

Tracy Prater from North Alabama returned home from M.D. Anderson on Monday night and was basically taken directly to the hospital in Huntsville where she was admitted.  They will put a feeding tube in today.  Tracy is one tough lady and has battled her cancer very bravely.  Pray for her, please.  By the way, her brother-in-law, Spencer Cole, has been a great friend to my family and me for years.  Tracy, Stacy & Spencer went with us to Guatemala a few years back.

Andy Hamil has been receiving radiation treatments.  If my memory serves me correctly, he has one today and one tomorrow and then he is done.  Pray for Andy.  He and Betty have been great friends of mine for over forty one years.

Larry Crawley continues his battle against cancer.  He has such a positive attitude and is totally depending on God.  Keep praying for Larry.

Nanette Fontenot sent me a message yesterday saying their grandson, Isaiah, did well through his surgery.  A rod was installed and his elbow was put back in place.  He is at home doing well.

Carol Miles is a friend from Michigan.  She makes some mean Monster cookies.  I call her Monster Miles.  She is battling cancer and has had some really tough days.  Please pray for her.

Speaking of Monster cookies, the Mast family loaded us down with them this past weekend – nice!  Thank you Mast family.

Well, it finally happened!  The back forty on our campus was crawling with children yesterday afternoon as they were involved in soccer practice.  This is somewhat of a dream come true and I am thankful for all those who have helped it become a reality.

Thank you to the “seems like father/son team” of Bob Evans and Eddie Albritton for their help yesterday afternoon in loading some more items on the container.  We are going to need an “all hands on deck” effort on Thursday, September 24, as we will load the actual container going to Guatemala.  Time to be announced.

Well, I heard from two folks, Kayla Hatcher & Pastor Jordan Lollar, expressing their happiness in seeing the blog yesterday.  We had gotten up to thirteen readers before taking a break and our goal is to be back up to ten readers before 12/31/20.  Pass the word!

Regular schedule on our campus this morning at 10:00AM and this evening at 6:30PM.  Join us.

Bobcats vs Hurricanes tomorrow night in Irvington.

I am mowing our yard grass twice weekly.  I am so ready for some cool weather but I am always ready for cool weather.  Actually, cold weather.

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

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”  (Psalm 46:1)

The blog is back after an almost two month absence.  There are probably three or four folks who will be pleased but, honestly, most folks never even knew there was no blog being posted.  If my count is correct, I had less than ten folks ask me about the blog over the past two months which tells me it is not that big of a deal one way or the other.

Scott & Nanette Fontenot’s grandson, Isaiah, had surgery on a broken arm yesterday.  Pray for him to mend quickly which will probably happen as he is four years old.

Belynda Sprinkle, Bibbi Bosarge’s sister, passed from this life last Friday, 8/28.  Arrangements pending.  Pray for the family during this most difficult time.

Tracy Prater is a friend from North Alabama.  She has been battling cancer for several years now and is really in a struggle right now.  She spent the weekend at M.D. Anderson and was scheduled to arrive home last night.  Pray for Tracy and her family.

Our daughter and her family are set to travel next Wednesday, 9/9.  Pray for traveling mercies.

Coach Collier and his Bobcats travel to Irvington this Thursday night, 9/3, to battle the undefeated Bryant Hurricanes on the gridiron.  Should be a good game.

Regular schedule tomorrow at 10:00AM and 6:30PM.  Join us.

We will continue our live stream of the 8:00AM service on Sundays for the time being.  The evening service will no longer be on live stream.  The radio broadcast is available for all services.

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