Please Pray.

My heart is heavy tonight for several beloved families who are going through deep valleys right now. I know that many readers of this blog are Christians who believe deeply in the power of prayer and in the fact that God is in control of each and every situation. If you can, please keep the following families in your prayers over the next days.

Pray for Ron and Karen and their family........Ron is a fellow professor and is facing a difficult battle with pancreatic and stomach cancer. Ron starts chemotherapy tomorrow. Please pray for God's supernatural peace and strength for he and his family as they face this leg of their journey.


Pray for Jenny and her family.........Jenny's husband--a childhood friend of mine--just committed suicide late last week, leaving behind Jenny and their four young children, one middle school-age daughter, and lots of extended family. I can't imagine what this young woman, who is only in her mid-20's, must be experiencing at this moment. Thank God that He hears and owns the cries of her soul. And my heart just bleeds for these precious, beautiful children who are now faced with the reality of life without their Daddy. I'm not sure of the words, but just pray for this family like you have never prayed before. They need Jesus to hold them closely to Himself in the coming days, months and years. And, Praise God, I know that He will.

Pray for Brent and Tonya and their kids.......Brent just underwent back surgery and will be in recovery for the next 8-12 weeks. This leaves a lot of extra responsibility for Tonya and their four great kids as they run a dairy farm, a household, and all of the other things that come along with school activities and church. Pray for complete recovery for Brent (as well as patience and peace in the process), awesome and over-the-top providence for the financial demands of this time, and extra strength, patience and peace for Tonya as she assumes the bulk of the load during Brent's recovery. This family loves the Lord and is an awesome picture of faith to so many.

Pray for Val.......she is one of my friends from high school who has been battling leukemia. Such a young, vibrant person with a husband and two young kids. She is doing well right now and there is no sign of the cancer to date, Praise God!, but she still undergoes regular treatment and doctor monitoring. She is my age, and I can't imagine what it must be like to face this type of disease and to wonder about the future......but she has an awesome testimony, and is a great picture of what it means to trust with all your heart.

On behalf of these precious families, thanks for joining their team through prayer.