Prayer Circles

Dear Angel Moms, ~ I just finished reading one of Bob's messages that touched me so deeply, I just had to share it here in our circle of love. As Sandy would say ... I am sure it will speak volumes to you too! :)

Love & Hugs,
Verna

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All stories copyright 2005 Bob Perks
Today's Message:

"Always"
By Bob Perks
Bob@BobPerks.com

As I sat down to write this message only one word came to mind..."Always."

Always what?

When I sign a note or card to my son Evan, I sign it, "Love, Always and all ways."

Maybe that is the point I am to make here today.

There will be times in your life when you feel empty. There will be times when you feel lonely. There will be times when you are buried so deep in life that you feel you cannot, will not ever see the light.

Remember, you are loved, always and all ways.

At the very moment on the very edge of despair, you are loved.

In the beginning and in the end, you are loved.

Somewhere in the middle of it all, when you think you've gone too far or not far enough, and you cannot go any further, you are loved.

At the very second you were conceived, before you had the chance to see the world, before you dared to open your eyes, and long before anyone ever thought you could be, you were loved.

When he said "Goodbye" and you cried all night, you were loved.

When you held her hand until the last moment of her life, you were loved.

When you feared the worst and the worst came, you were loved.

You are loved now, will be as you lay your head on your pillow tonight, and if blessed with another day, you will be loved, still.

"Always."

Now I understand. The message is perfectly clear. God wanted you to know you are loved...always and all ways.

"I believe in you!"
Bob Perks
Bob@BobPerks.com

copyright 2005 Bob Perks I encourage you to
share my stories with your friends but, when copying
I ask that you keep my name and contact information
attached so that new readers can find their way here.
Use of this story for commercial use is prohibited without
direct permission from the author.
********************************************************

Hi again, Barb, ~ Just wanted you to know that I had the correct email address added to the site so hopefully your emails to me will get through. If not, then I will try to find out from AOL what the problem is. You can always contact me here until I get it all worked out.

Love & Angel Hugs,
Verna

Dear Angel Mom Barb, ~ Today marks the sixth year anniversary of your beloved Carol's reunion with our Lord and Savior. My candle is lit in loving memory of your Carol. She made sure that I wouldn't forget to be there for her Moma today! :) Talk about pennies from heaven! :)I realize there really are no words that will bring an end to your sadness and longing to see your beloved Carol, and hold her in your arms again. Nevertheless, ... May it comfort you to know that you will see her again some day, and hold her in your arms again, and when that time comes,... there really are no words to describe the endless joy that awaits you! Oh, what a joyful reunion that will be!

It is my heartfelt prayer that the prayers and words of encouragement that I and others share with you today will bring you a measure of peace, Barb, just knowing that we care.

Gods, peace and blessings,
Verna
oooooooooooooooooooooooo
From Roy Lessin's Neverforgotten~ Always Loved
[April 2 reading]

The Lord fills your heart with great joy ... your soul with great delight ... your life with the beauty of His glory. He makes you glad in His love ... rich in His grace ... whole in His mercy and His kindness.

An all time favorite of mine from this little inspirational calendar: :)

God's purpose is not to destroy us, but to restore us. The enemy is the destroyer, but God has promised to restore the things the enemy has taken from our lives-all the years of lost joy, all the times of frustration and defeat, all the moments of regret, all the pains of lost opportunities, all the hurts of broken relationships. God is building His kingdom within you- a kingdom of joy, love peace, righteousness, victory, redemption, and right relationships.

From: Never Forgotten~Always Loved
by Roy Lessin

Hello dearest Barb, my love and prayers are with you today, the 6th year passing of your precious Carol - oh how these special days are so difficult for us! You're encircled here though in this Circle of Love, I also pray that you find your pennies today dear one.
Much love, prayers & Angel Hugs,
Sandy

Hi my dear Barb, my heart goes out to you, we understand my dear sister. Today is a very special day for everyone, the Pope is there now, our dear dear Pope is in Heaven. I asked him last night that if he was going to go, to please take care of our Angel kids, he loved young people, and I know that all of our Angel kids are there to greet him, and he will take care of all of them untill we get there. Now our Angel kids will have another helper, he will take care of them my sister. Love Selva

My dear sisters. Terri will live in Heaven with all of our Angel kids, and she is there also to greet our Papa. Selva

Hi my dear sister, it's so sad that we have lost our beloved Pope, John Paul II, I feel as though I have lost a member of the family. Well, we have. I know though that he is touching the face of Christ, and with his great love of young people, who always shouted "John Paul Two, We Love You", our precious children in Heaven will have a special guardian and friend.

It's so heartwarming to see all people, our other brothers and sisters in Christ, our elder brethren in faith the Jewish people, Muslims, Hindi's, every faith imaginable, coming to the Catholic Boards and offering prayers and sending their condolences to we Catholics. My heart is so touched by their outpouring of love, so many of them write "I'm not Catholic, but the World is sorely going to miss John Paul II, who showed Christs love for all."
How true.
Much love,
Sandy

Hi everyone, Verna, Selva and Sandy, I got through yesterday fairly well. We went and put flowers and her cross that I put each year out by the road where I lost my sweet Carol. Thank you all so much for your love and prayers. They mean so much to me. And now the Pope is with our children. What a loss to the world but he is in a good place now. He was a special man. You don't have to be catholic to see that. I love you all and I am glad I came back to this site. Selva you are not alone in your anger of the way Terri was treated. It broke my heart to know she had to go through that. Verna that is the address I mailed to but I will try again. Sandy I pray you had a good rest. I will go now. Love and prayers to you all. Barb

You have not lost Shane. He still continues to touch the hearts of many and as with people I can no longer verbaly hear or touch, they live through me in all my thoughts and actions. Thank you for sharing your son with us.

Hi our dear Barb, I'm happy for you that yesterday wasn't too painful, I know it must have had it's moments, perhaps going to the spot where your precious Carol was taken and putting a Cross, flowers there helped a little.
You always have our love and prayers, and we're so happy you're back here too, :-). Thank you too for your kind words about John Paul II, I've been so upset since they announced he was near death and then died, we all feel like we've lost a family member,
Much love, prayers & Angel Hugs,
Sandy

Hello earlyriser, thank you so much for your very kind and comforting words, they truly touched my heart and I know they touched Shane's spirit too.
May God bless you in whatever way He know's you need,
Love, prayers & Angel Hugs,
Sandy

Hey, Cindy, ~ Sorry I couldn't get this through to you in an email. So I am sharing it here. :) Please know I join others in prayer for you, Jerry, and family on this your Krissy's birthday. My candle is lit in loving memory of your beautiful, precious, & beloved. :)

Love & Prayers,
Verna

In a message dated 4/6/2005 2:27:04 PM Central America Standard Time, VCLAY100 writes:

Happy Heavenly Birthday, Krissy!

In Loving Memory of Kristina Ann Schell
Dear Angel Mom Cindy,

In loving memory of your Krissy's special day
I tried to think what I could say
To help you make it through the day
But having walked this path with you

I realized there really are no words
To take away what I know you must go through
But still I hope in some small way
It helps to know I remembered Krissy's day

And said a special prayer for you and her dad
Oh how I wish there was
Something more I could do!
I thought about that special prayer

That God gave to me in a dream ...
I know you know the one I mean
The words seem appropriate
To share on your Krissy's day ...

A special prayer from your Krissy
That's meant for you and her dad ...
Unconditional love awaits you both ...
Far greater than any you have ever had!

The Dream
Today in a peaceful dream ...
God let me walk you to the door
I knew I'd see you here no more
And as we reached those heavenly gates
He let me peep inside ...

And as far as I could see
Old friends of yours and family
Rushed down that beautiful heavenly path
To welcome you inside.

With hugs & kisses they whisked you in
Saying thank You Jesus time and time again
And then I saw you kneel in silence
to say a special prayer

And in that prayer I heard you say
To those of us grieving here today ...
"You have no reason to be sad ...
You did what you could do

For that I thank you all, you said.
But, please, don't think of me as dead.
For in your hearts I will never die!
So, don't be sad ... And please don't cry!"

And then I saw you lift your head ...
And turn and smile that beautiful smile! ...
I could not say good bye ... So I said,
"I'LL see you in a little while!"

Written by: Verna R. Clay
{1996}
Copyright 2003
All Rights Reserved

The special days are oh so difficult on all of us; but it helps to know that others care, and our precious and beloved children want so much for us to know that they are alive, healthy, happy, and in no pain! No matter how hard we try, we cannot help feeling the sadness, the longing to hold them in our arms again. Some days are just harder than others. We are intitled to let the tears, the anger, the whatever take over whenever the need arises. That is just how grief works. We must let it out, or let go of the pain a little at a time. It literally takes years, and we are never completely whole again. Nevertheless, ... We know in our hearts that our children want so very much to help ease our pain and sadness. It is my prayer that today, Krissy will send many signs to her mom, dad, sis, and the rest of her family and friends to assure them all that she is alive and well in God's kingdom, having the time of her life with the other angel kids in the beautiful heavenly gardens! In the words of her mom, Cindy, ... "Soar with the Angels, Krissy!" :)
Much love,
Miss V.
Diane's Mom

Love And Hugs From Heaven:

I knew how much it would break your heart
When God said my time had come ...
When He sent His Angels to bring me back
To heaven where I came from ...

It broke my heart to leave you
I knew how sad you would be
Therefore, I asked God's permission
To take part of your heart with me

The gapping hole that seems bottomless
In time will begin to be filled
With the oh so many fond memories
That we've shared throughout the years

May we hold onto each treasured memory
That assures we are never far apart
For we carry each memory ~
Today and always ... Forever in our hearts!

Love & Hugs From Heaven,
~ Your Guardian Angel ~
Verna R. Clay
Copyright 2005
All Rights Reserved

Heavenly Father, ~ Please comfort all angel moms & dads throughout their grief journey. I thank You, Father of All! Amen

To all of the parents who have lost children my heart & prayers go out to you. I don't know how it feels to lose a child but I was 12 yrs old when I lost my dad (21 yrs. ago)& I was just devested. For 2 yrs I lost my faith. Even though it's been 21 yrs. the void & some of the pain is still there. I now have faith again & trust the Lord to guide me. Here is a poem I have that I thought I would share. It was given to my mom back in the 70's & I thought I would share it.

TO ALL PARENTS
"I'll lend you a little time a child of mine," He said
"For you to love while he lives and mourn for when he's dead.
It maybe six or seven years or twenty two or three,
But will you, till I call him back, take care of him for me?
He'll bring his charms to gladden you, and should his stay be brief,
You'll have those lovely memories as solace for your grief."
"I cannot promise he will stay, since all from earth return,
But there are lessons taught down there I want this child to learn.
I've looked this wide world over in search for teachers true,
And from the throngs that crowd life's lane, I have selected you.
Now will you give him all your love, not think the labor vain,
Nor hate me when I come to call to take him back again?"
"I fancied that I heard you say 'Dear Lord They will be done,
For all the joy Thy child shall bring, the risk of grief we'll run.
We'll shelter him with tenderness, we'll love him while we may,
And for the happiness we've know, forever grateful stay.
But should the angels call for him much sooner than we'd planned,
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes and try to understand.

Written by Edgar A. Guest

Dear Angelsfromheaven, ~ Thank you so much for your kind words of compassion for all who have lost a beloved and precious child. It means so much to angel moms/dads when others come here and not only read, but take the time to offer their own personal prayers and words of encouragement, and other expressions of kindness in their own way.

As I'm sure you will agree; We never get beyond the grief of losing a loved one. We do find ways to deal with the sadness, the anger, the void, that will always be a part of our lives. That is the price we pay for the unconditional love bond that we share with each of our loved ones who were called home before us.

Each of us in our own time, and with God's help, will reach a point where we don't think of them 24/7 because by the grace of God, the pain settles in and is not so intense. Still, ... The intense sadness will return from time to time, when we least expect. It's a slow process, but eventually, our faith is restored, and we are able to fully depend on God as our main source of strength.

Once we get pass the anger, we can then appreciate the unconditional love our heavenly Father has for each of us, and rely once again on the help He sends our way, daily, to give us the courage and strength to press on.

If you have read some of the many pages here at our circle of love, I am sure you have a greater understanding of the magnitude of the grief that is felt by the angel moms/dads who bear their souls here; sometimes, especially during the beginning stages of grieving their loss, they come here and share each others pain daily. Those of us who are a bit farther along, have found that by reaching out to other bereaved moms/dads, we feel the healing of our own heart and soul is taking place.

Although there are some who seem to have moved on, or can't post for whatever reason, many continue to read, and pray for us just as we continue to pray for them.

We have what we sometimes refer to as valley days, and hilltop days. :) On Valley days, we embrace the ones who are having a difficult time. This usually happens during our children's special days; like birthdays, heavenly dates, or any holiday occasion that reminds us that our child is no longer with us in the physical. But, as our chief angel mom, Sandy, often reminds us; there is power in prayer. Yes, ... We angel moms/dads do move on; but in a different way.

Thanks again for sharing with us, and telling us about your loss, and also for sharing such a heartfelt poem. :) I pray that God will continue to bless you in every way He knows you need.

God's peace & blessings,
Verna
Diane's Mom
8/16/60 ~ 8/31/96
Never forgotten, Always loved


This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

ive never lost a child but this summer i thought i would my baby was born and the doc were testing him for some rare cancer it was devastating but all biopsies came back negative . the doctors were shocked but i knew it was gods healing hand all tests so far are still negative and my baby is a happy healthy little boy but if you read this please continue our prayers for his future health thank you and i pray for all parents who are dealing with the lose of their child god bless

Dear Moonlover555, ~ Thank you for sharing your painful, yet happy-ending story with us today; and for praying for all parents who are dealing with the loss of their precious and beloved child; and in some cases, children. As you've learned; even the thought of losing a precious child is almost too much to bear. Yet, there are those among us, including myself, who at some point in time have experienced a mother's worst nightmare; that of losing a precious and beloved child.

In some cases, like our sister, Selva, the mom only had that one child. Her precious daughter, Solange, was her life; her reason for living. Like me, and many other angel moms/dads, she did not want to go on living. Another mom's child was called back to heaven even before her precious child was born. I continue to pray for that dear angel mom, just as I do for all angel moms/dads, no matter when or how the loss occurred. Still another, only got to hold her precious infant for a few moments before God called her precious angel back home. Angel dad, Angelo, lost his precious daughter, Angela, due to a violent, senseless act of violence. I still have difficulty understanding how anyone could intentionally hurt; let alone murder a precious child.

Many, like the rabbi, have experienced living through years and years of painful, grief, knowing that eventually, their precious and beloved child would die at an early age. Some, like me and others who post here, didn't have the chance to say good-bye. None of us wanted to outlive our precious child. None would have hesitated to give their life to save their child. All, at some point went through periods of severe depression, and questioned their faith after their loss. I, personally, got so angry with God that words fail me when I try to express the magnitude of my heartfelt grief. Yet, because of what we angel moms and angel dads have come through, and are going through, we have learned and are still learning to focus on what's really important in life; Family, friends, reaching out to those in need, and seeking to fulfill the ultimate purpose God has for us in this life. Each of us must continue on our journey living with the pain of knowing that we will never be able to hold our child in our arms again in this life. We press on; not because we want to, but because we must. To give up or give in to the grief and pain is not an option for any of us. We go on, as the rabbi points out, for our children. Our children are counting on us to live out the rest of their lives.

As God said to me in a poem I wrote in anger; ... We are only required to finish some of the things that our children and other loved ones and friends gone on before us, got started. In that same poem, God's instruction to me was, "You must hurry, before it's too late!" I have read that poem over and over through the years; and each time I do, God reveals something else to me about why I am still here. Now that I am older and hopefully a little wiser, I feel that I will leave this world long before I have finished all the good I desire to do in this world; not for myself, but for others who need to hear from one who has walked in their shoes, what God wants them to know. It is imperative that I do all that I can in the area of reaching out to others who have lost a precious child. But, I realize now, that is only a small but important part of why I am still here. I know that I am getting close to retirement; but I don't worry about it too much because their will always be someone to finish some of what I got started, in different areas of my life experiences along the way. And so it is with each of us. We are here to experience and share God's love in whatever way God intends for us too, according to His divine master plan. So, ... In the words of an old spiritual; Even after all I've been through, ... Still I find joy!

Like the Rabbi states in his best selling book; When Bad Things Happen To Good People, ... I don't know why some are spared, while others are called back to heaven long before we mortals are ready to give them back. I do believe, however, that either way, ... As time goes on, we become more sensitive to the needs of others. In time, ... we also discover that we are made stronger, more compassionate, and more loving towards one another because of our most devastating life experiences, as well as those that are filled with joy. The life lessons which we continue to experience on a daily basis are, in my opinion, all a part of God's Great Master plan; ... Just as it was a part of His plan for you to reach out and share your story and prayers with us here. :) There will always be questions, and things which we don't fully understand. As one author states it; I don't understand the unfolding of the pedals of a rose. I cannot understand how a robin builds his nest with such perfection. Maybe it is in the not knowing that I am able to appreciate the peaceful beauty and wonder of it all! To God be the glory!

Again, thank you for your prayers, and please know you and your precious little one will be prayed for here. May God continue to bless you Aand your precious little one, and keep you both in His loving care!

God's peace & blessings,

Verna

Hi All! ~ :) Forgive me, angel moms/dads who know me! :) I see I took us to a new page! hee-hee! So you'll have to click on the previous page to get the fullness of my ramblings! Haha! This was just one of my days to ramble on and on. I have thousands of little things I need to be doing but got caught up in one of my reflective moods, so now I will try to jump start what's left of my physical body, and run a few important errands!

Hey Sue, ~ How about this beautiful glorious day! Wow! I gotta get out and enjoy all of this sunshine! Haha! It's almost time for the Grand CUTIES to get out of school, so I'd better hurry! Also got some things I'm doing for MADD. Ya'll, I am out of here!
Love & Angel Hugs,
{Miss V.}
Verna

This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24

Hello all - anyone out there? Gee, I see it's been what, 11 days since anyone posted? Guess you didn't miss me while I was gone, lol.
Thanks dear Miss V for keeping up with the Posts, yes, I was swamped with work and Moderating the Boards here at Beliefnet, it's been an extremely busy and sad time for the many Catholics here at Beliefnet.
Add to that the left side of my neck shoulder and arm started aching on me, no, it's not Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (that's what I thought) it's a joint problem and I have to go for Cortisone shots. Other than that, lol, I'm not doing too bad!
Spring is definitely here, hurray, trees are starting to bloom, the early flowers are up and the temps. are much warmer - no more heavy winter jackets thank goodness!
Next weekend we're travelling to Ottawa to help Chris move, he found a nice apartment that's closer to his job, so that's much better for him. Also visit my dear sis Laurie and my precious little niece Selena, she's such a sweetie and no, I'm not biased, :-).
My sis entered Selena's name into a contest that MacDonald's was holding for a Dream Home for a child, worth $4,000, and she won! It's an actual scaled-down house, can't wait to see it!

My dear friend Yvonne, I don't know if you're still reading here or not, if you are, please let me know how you're doing, I think about you often, God love you.

OK, have to run to the store, ugh, hate shopping, :-) especially on a Saturday.

My darling Shane, you know you're aways in your Mom's heart and thoughts...miss you my darlin, always will,

Love & Hugs,
Sandy