What a Way to End the Year!

A Merry Christmas was Had by All!

Friendship Church had a wonderful month of December!
We had the normal parties, get togethers and the like. The BIG top off was the fantastic presentation of Forever Gloria by the Adult choir under the direction of Julie Norris! And I do mean "FANTASTIC"! It was one of if not THE best cantata presentation I have ever had the privilege of being blessed by. The choir did an outstanding job, and it was the first ever choir presentation in our new worship center. I am so proud of them all, they simply gave the Lord the "Forever Gloria" that He most certainly deserves!

Rodney's Home!
The big news of this week is the safe return of our own soldier hero, Rodney Bell from the war on terror in Iraq!
Rodney Bell has been in Iraq roughly since this time last year. We have been praying for his safety and basing our prayers on the forever settled promises of Psalm 91. God is good and God is gracious! With bombs going off all around him and even some of his friends and war companions getting hurt or killed, God graciously spared his life and he is now safely back on American soil!!!
Rodney is currently in Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, MS, checking in his equipment, debriefing, and all that other soldier stuff that they do when they come back from the war zone. He is spending the nights with his sweet wife, Sherry, in her family's motorhome in an RV park near by until he can return with her back to Pontotoc. Please continue to pray for Rodney's adjustment back to civilian life as a teacher at North Pontotoc Attendance Center.
Our other Soldier Hero we are praying for is Richard Anthony, son of deacon Harold and Miss Beth Anthony. He is scheduled to return as Rodney has in just a few days. Welcome home to Richard and thank you for your service to our country.
We are SOOOOOOO proud of both of these men and all of the other men and women that bravely volunteered for military service and went to fight the horrors of terrorism THERE so that we wouldn't have to HERE!
Welcome Home Guys! You TRULY are our HEROS!

What? There's MORE great News?? YOU BET!
The other great news of the month is that GOD IS HEALING NEAL DAVIS OF HIS CANCER TO THE AMAZEMENT OF HIS DOCTORS IN HOUSTON!
Neal found a large cancer on his chest, in his lungs and on his lymph nodes. He went to Houston to M.D. Anderson and took ONE experimental drug treatment. When he went back three weeks later, the growth on his chest was gone, the others seriously reduced in size. The doctors said that ONE treatment was not enough to accomplish that! Then, after another treatment, he went back two weeks ago and had another Pet Scan. This time, the doctors told him that he was as close to COMPLETELY NEGATIVE as could be without being completely negative! He NORMAL spleen, nodes, chest, everything! There was still a small amount of activity at the original spot that kept him from being declared completely negative. They said that it's impossible that the small amount of treatment could have accomplished so much in such a short time. They have graciously been told that GOD, however, CAN DO THE IMPOSSIBLE!
We give God all the glory for His gracious work in Neal's life. Please continue to pray for Donna and Neal as they walk the path to God's complete healing in his life.
Never doubt that GOD DOES THE IMPOSSIBLE! Don't let words like "cancer" or "impossible" stop you from believing the great and precious promises of God's living Word (2 Peter 1:1-6)!
What is your need today? God can meet that need! ("For my God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Phil. 4:19) God is a need meeting God. He loves you. That's why we celebrate Christmas and His coming to earth in flesh. He loved the world so much that He gave His only begotten Son! Romans 8 says that God is FOR YOU. And if God is FOR YOU, who can be against you? Take your life to the foot of the Cross today and see what Jesus can and will do with it. Whether its getting you home from a war zone or delivering you from cancer, He is ABLE!
Most importantly, make certain, I mean really certain, that you have been born again, saved, made ready for heaven. He's coming back again soon. We may go to meet Him first. Which ever happens first, the only way to be ready and certain of Heaven, is to accept His love by faith. Receive Jesus as your Lord and Savior today. Read John 3:15; 5:25; 6:40; and Romans 10:9, 10, 13.

The New year is exciting and full of great possibilities! Our church-wide focus for 2006 is to become a CHURCH OF PURPOSE! Get ready to serve the Lord with Joy and in Power in the new year!

NEW YEAR'S EVE SERVICES: SATURDAY NIGHT, 7- 8 PM
NEW YEAR'S DAY SERVICES; SUNDAY MORNING 10:30 - 11:30

I love you.
Buster Wilson, pastor