Pastor's Blog

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

YES, we are having “in person” attendance in all of our services during the month of December and beyond.  That includes this Wednesday morning and evening, 12/9.  It includes all three worship services this Sunday, 12/13, Sunday School, the buses running their routes, et cetera.  (We will not have any evening activities on Sunday, 12/27 or any activities on Wednesday, 12/30, but otherwise we are on a regular schedule.)  This is a fluid situation and could change but plans call for us to be very normal for the rest of 2020 and then into 2021.  Pass the word!

Our children’s choir will present their Christmas musical this Sunday evening, 12/13, beginning at 6:00PM.  Please come support Miss Tena and these children.

Our basketball leagues begin practice this week with the first games taking place on Saturday, 12/19.  Need more information?  Contact Eddie Albritton or Amy Reynolds.

Jeff Holified remains in the hospital.  He has a breathing treatment this morning and will then be evaluated.  He will have great input as to when he is discharged.  Pray for Jeff.

Marisa sent me a message yesterday saying that Donnie was doing good but then has gone backwards a bit.  Pray for Donnie.

Tina Sprinkle’s dad is in a rehab facility.  He has a ways to go.  Keep praying.

Keep praying for Larry Crawley.

I “think” there are three of us within the Friendship family who are presently battling the virus.  I am blessed in the fact that I remain symptom free.  I do not take this blessing lightly.  Pray for the other two who are having symptoms.

Lisa, Dana & Jayden arrived home just before 10:00PM last night with Lizzi, Sydney & Audrey in tow.  They are staying with Dana & Gina so all I could do was wave to them from our garage.  Thank you to my niece, Jamie Glenn, for getting the girls through the airports, et cetera yesterday.  She did great!

I picked Auburn to beat A&M.  I really believed they would.  Would make the same pick again.

YES, we are having “in person” attendance in all of our services during the month of December and beyond.  That includes this Wednesday morning and evening, 12/9.  It includes all three worship services this Sunday, 12/13, Sunday School, the buses running their routes, et cetera.  (We will not have any evening activities on Sunday, 12/27 or any activities on Wednesday, 12/30, but otherwise we are on a regular schedule.)  This is a fluid situation and could change but plans call for us to be very normal for the rest of 2020 and then into 2021.  Pass the word!

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)

Nadine Holifield has been faithful to keep me updated on Jeff’s situation.  The respiratory doctor has decided that Jeff needs to be in the hospital for five days due to his inability to breathe deeply and his cough.  Keep praying for Jeff.

As far as I know, Tina Sprinkle’s dad is now in a rehab facility.  Keep praying.

Donnie Felps continues to recover at home from his surgery.  Pray for Donnie (and Marisa)!

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.  Bro. Abel will be preaching in all three services.  Folks attending the 8:00AM service are asked to wear a face covering if they sit on the lower level.  Those not wearing a face covering are asked to sit in the balcony.

I am asking that no one enter our Preschool Building tomorrow morning or evening unless they are a preschooler or a parent taking a preschooler to class or picking up a preschooler after class.  Thank you in advance for understanding.

The 8:00AM and 6:00PM services will be live streamed.  All three services will be available on the radio feed in our parking lot.

Yes, we do encourage “in person” attendance but only for those who feel comfortable doing so.  If you are elderly or have underlying health issues then be careful.

Friendship family – think offering!  Online giving is an option 24/7.  I have used that option twice this week – once for our regular offering and once for our sponsorship of a student in Colegio JET.

We will NOT be doing the GA Post Office this year.  It is requested that folks use the USPS for distributing their cards and that they not pass them out on our campus.

I “thought” I had mentioned the meal Mariam Moates brought to us while Lisa was down with the virus.  Homemade chicken noodle soup, fresh baked ginger cookies and peaches.  How nice was that?  Thank you Mariam and please excuse my tardiness in thanking you.

I get asked daily, “how is Lisa doing?”  Hello!  Lisa no longer has the virus – I do!  Where is the love?  LOL!  I am on day six and my problem is “hill fever!”  I am most likely not contagious at this point but I am honoring the doctor’s orders which keep me on this hill until this Thursday, 12/10, at 3:00PM.  I still have had zero symptoms and I am very, very thankful.  God has blessed me!  I know that!

I did receive a get well card yesterday that was addressed to “the best pastor in Grand Bay South of Highway 188!”  I was feeling pretty good about that until I realized that I am the only pastor in Grand Bay South of Highway 188!

Lisa & Dana will leave today in order to get Lizzi, Sydney & Audrey from the Huntsville, AL airport tomorrow afternoon.  The girls will stay at Dana’s until I get off restriction!

Not sure if I will post in the morning or not so let me go ahead and wish Lisa’s dad, Charles Clark, a happy eighty fifth birthday!  I may go visit him tomorrow – LOL!  Folks, Charles will outlive me!

Remember, on Monday of this week I called for Auburn to beat A&M today.  Sticking with that prediction.

One more thing – it is 2:30AM.  The temperature in Grand Bay is thirty nine degrees while is is thirty three degrees in Holland, MI.  To my Yankee friends, enough with the “it gets so cold here” talk.  Just saying!

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

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

As far as I know, there are no new cases of the virus within the Friendship family.  As a matter of fact, in addition to me, I “think” there are only one, maybe two, others actively fighting this virus right now.  I hope that “thought” is correct.

Jeff Holifield was admitted to the hospital yesterday with viral pneumonia.  He “may” be discharged today.

I have heard of at least one other person who has been admitted to the hospital due to the virus.  So, pray for these needs.

A really good friend and his wife are set to become parents today.  Pray that all goes well, please.

Regular schedule on our campus this Sunday morning and evening.  Bro. Abel will be preaching in all three services.  The buses will run their routes.  Children’s choir will meet at 6:00PM.

I want to encourage the members of the Friendship family who have missed our services the past two Sundays to consider giving online.  Just go to our website, click and giving and it is really simple.  I will share that I cannot give on Safari but I can on Chrome.  Why?  Above my pay grade.

Coach Saban announced last night that he was given IV plasma last week once he was diagnosed with the virus.  Said he then had basically very few symptoms.  Well, I do not have the clout that Coach Saban does but I do know Dr. Aninha.  Hey Coach, I have had zero symptoms thanks to the Lord and Dr. Aninha!  What did Dr. Aninha prescribe?  Secret stuff!

Do I need anything?  Nope, I am blessed.  Lisa has done a great job of caring for me.  As she is leaving in the mornings she asks, “do you need anything?  If you do then you know where everything is!”  Around 8:00PM each night she says, “I am going to bed.  If you need anything you know where everything is!”  Perfect!

Loving the rain this morning.  It is not going to do so but I wish it would rain all day.  Just a slow, steady rain.  I love the rain!

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

Happy birthday to our daughter, Dr. Daphne Hutto!  How old?  Yes.  I pray that Daphne will have an awesome day!

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

Short and sweet.  As far as I know, all is well.  Keep praying for those who have been mentioned over the past week or so.

I am on known day four with the virus and not a single symptom thus far.  I am certainly blessed.  I am very grateful!

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)

Marisa tells me that Donnie has had some tough days following his surgery of last Monday.  Keep praying.  Honestly, I often think of the help Carla would be to her parents during this time.  I miss that girl!

Tina Sprinkle says the doctors are working on getting her dad into a rehab facility.  Keep praying!

I know of a couple of folks who are struggling with the virus.  I do not mention names but do ask that you pray for them.

The mission team arrived on GRACE Mountain yesterday afternoon safe and sound.  Praise the Lord!

The workers on GRACE Mountain killed two snakes yesterday near the blackberry bushes.  They both were as long as Soy is tall so around six feet or so.  One tried to bite one of the workers.  Non poisonous.  The workers killed them, skinned them, cooked them over an open fire and, as far as I know, ate them.

Jennifer Davis came through with the dumplings yesterday afternoon.  Oh my!  Dumplings, corn bread, corn bread salad, cookies & brownies.  The girl can cook!  I appreciate her generosity to my family and me!

Al & Scotty are working on the CFB national championship game excursion.  How nice is that!

I am on day three of the virus and still have had zero symptoms.  I am blessed in that regard.

Regular schedule on our campus today and tonight.

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)

It is just after 1:30AM and I would say that the virus is causing me to not sleep.  However, not sleeping well/much is part of my every night life.  So, I cannot attribute this to the virus.

I can write that I have a perfect peace about being infected by this virus.  Did I want it?  Absolutely not.  Would I rather be getting ready to head to the airport in order to fly to Guatemala with eleven other mission team members?  Absolutely yes.  Does life bring disappointments?  Sure does.  Is God faithful?  He most certainly is.

I was disappointed when I learned of testing positive because Lizzi, Sydney & Audrey were supposed to fly home with me on Tuesday, 12/8.  I did not want them to be disappointed but my greater fear was that Soy would decide to come to Grand Bay a couple of weeks earlier than scheduled in order to bring the girls.  Lord, help us!

Enter my brother, Eddie.  He stepped in and authorized the purchased three tickets for the girls to fly to the States this Sunday, 12/6, with his daughter, Jamie.  (The girls and I were on Delta while the rest of the mission team is on United)  Eddie told me that it did not matter what it cost – just send him the bill.  So, I have spent this sleepless night working on a “bill” that will total just under ten thousand dollars.  Did it cost that much?  No, but Eddie said money was not an object.  It is called working the system.

Someone criticized me for putting my situation on the internet.  Said now the whole world knows.  I agree as I have heard from places as far away as Bayou La Batre and Irvington.  However, there is a method to my madness.  Jennifer Davis, wife of Pastor Shirlon Davis of More Life UPC, sent word that she will bring homemade chicken and dumplings today!   The girl can flat out cook some dumplings!  This is a proverbial silver lining for me.

Rumor has it that Al & Scotty Stokes are organizing a fund raiser in order to send Lisa and me to the CFB national championship game in Miami, FL on Monday, 1/11/21.  How sweet is that!  My Pentecostal friends are coming through big time – dumplings and a trip to the national championship game – oh my!

Let me share a most serious note regarding COVID – 19.  This virus is real and many folks have struggled with it big time.  It has obviously taken lives.  Lisa & Gina were blessed in their respective situations.  I am only on my second known day and have had zero symptoms.  Could that change?  It sure could.  I have prayed for those who have struggled with this virus and for those who have lost loved ones because of it.  I am praying for an effective vaccine and for an end to this pandemic.  Join me in this prayer, please.

Regular schedule on our campus tomorrow morning and evening.

Keep praying for Tina Sprinkle’s father.

Pray for the mission team as they travel today.  Pray for Deidra as she leads this team!  (Actually, pray for the team as Deidra leads them!).

The present temperature in Grand Bay is thirty one degrees.  The present temperature in Holland, MI is thirty two degrees.  Would my Yankee friends quit telling me how “cold” it is where they live?

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