Weep with those who weep...

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.- Matthew 5:4

This morning the Lord called home one of His faithful followers, a man that "Walked with God" daily. He truly was amazing and I miss him VERY much. He was such a blessing to me and those around him. So if you could be in prayer for us during this time, especially for his wife Connie. She is such a kindred Spirit and she has such an amazing Godward focus right now, she has been such a humongous blessing to us as we mourn her husband's death. But also be in prayer that our thoughts wouldn't be focused down here on what we have lost but where he has gone. He has gone home. He is happy and he is perfect now! I must admit that I felt very selfish these last couple hours in that I wanted him here with me. But Jesus knows better, and just think... someday we will all be together in the presence of God. No more tears. No more sorrow. No more heartache. I can't wait for that day...

I strongly urge you to go read my dad's blog. He explains what I am feeling so much better than I ever could...

"When I grow up, I wanna be just like Stan."

Pray for

Patrick

He is a little boy from Ireland who is currently staying at one of our friends' house.
Due to the intense fighting from where he is from (Belfast) he is here to stay for about 5 weeks, so he has about 3 weeks left. Pray that we would be able to witness to his dear soul. He's a very sweet boy and he misses his family VERY much.

If you could be in prayer for a family in our church right now. One of their little boys has a sudden life-threatening illness. Pray that they would depend totally on Christ for everything, and that they would be a testimony to the nurses and doctors at the hospital that they are at.

for me to live is Christ and to die is gain...

I posted earlier in the week about my Grandma's death. I thought instead of writing a post explaining it or giving verses and whatnot I thought I'd send you to a couple of blogs that I found EXTREMELY comforting. Ana has a great one on this and so does Katya.

If you could be in prayer for my family at this time. My grandma, my Dad's mom, passed away Sunday morning. If you want to you can swing by my Dad's blogs and leave him a comment. I'll post about more details later but for right now if you could just be in prayer.

Theocentric Exegesis Forum

Toward a Godward Passion

Addition to the Prayer Request

I asked you yesterday if you would pray for one my friends who was about to loose her dad to cancer. Well, her dad passed away yesterday morning. Now I ask you that you would pray that I would have the grace and wisdom in talking to her about it and comforting her as well. And that this would bring her to Christ. But above all that Christ would be glorified. Thank you all for your prayers. Here is something I read a while ago and I thought it fit very well with this...

"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." - John xvii. 24.

O death! why dost thou touch the tree beneath whose spreading branches weariness hath rest? Why dost thou snatch away the excellent of the earth, in whom is all our delight? If thou must use thine axe, use it upon the trees which yield no fruit; thou mightest be thanked then. But why wilt thou fell the goodly cedars of Lebanon? O stay thine axe, and spare the righteous. But no, it must not be; death smites the goodliest of our friends; the most generous, the most prayerful, the most holy, the most devoted must die. And why? It is through Jesus' prevailing prayer-"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am." It is that which bears them on eagle's wings to heaven. Every time a believer mounts from this earth to paradise, it is an answer to Christ's prayer. A good old divine remarks, "Many times Jesus and his people pull against one another in prayer. You bend your knee in prayer and say 'Father, I will that thy saints be with me where I am'; Christ says, 'Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am.'" Thus the disciple is at cross-purposes with his Lord. The soul cannot be in both places: the beloved one cannot be with Christ and with you too. Now, which pleader shall win the day? If you had your choice; if the King should step from his throne, and say, "Here are two supplicants praying in opposition to one another, which shall be answered?" Oh! I am sure, though it were agony, you would start from your feet, and say, "Jesus, not my will, but thine be done." You would give up your prayer for your loved one's life, if you could realize the thoughts that Christ is praying in the opposite direction-"Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am. " Lord, thou shalt have them. By faith we let them go.

-Charles Spurgeon, Morning and Evening, March 22, pg. 165

Prayer Request

A quick prayer request here. One of my friends/teammates from softball is loosing her dad to cancer. They estimate that he has less then 2 weeks to live. Her family has been dealing with this for 2 years and his time is slowing coming to an end. Pray that I would have the love and grace to comfort her. That she would turn to our loving Lord for the comfort and peace that she can receive no where else. That I would be able to be there for her when she needs me. But most of all pray that God would be glorified in this. Lord not my will but thine be done. Thanks for praying!