Prayer Circles

Hi Barb, I'm so happy for you too that this Circle brings you a bright spot in your day, God love you, we all love reading your loving, compassionate postings! As for myself, I live one day at a time now, and realize that I'll always miss my Shane, just as you will always miss your Carol, and just as all the other wonderful moms here will forever miss their children. But we have this wonderful Circle to draw strength and love from, so I agree wholeheartedly with you Barb, Our Heavenly Father certainly has blessed this Circle, what love is on these pages!! I have a very deep feeling that He sends people here, and we do our best, with His help, to offer comfort and love back to them! Everyone who posts here ia a precious jewel of His, and I love all of you too.
Yes, I loved your Memoriam, it truly does speak from the heart! I know that Carol loved it too, shining down on her beautiful mom. I hope you're feeling better now Barb, I know the pain never really goes away, but I pray with all my heart that you have some peace in your life, and that some of that peace comes from this Circle. Love you bunches Barb, and you're in my prayers,
Luv Sandy

Hello mej80, I'm so happy to see you posting again. I pray that the family that you posted here for prayers is doing alright, losing a child is the worst nightmare of any parent, but I pray that they find some comfort from you and others close to them. What a beautiful thing you did for them, by posting here for prayers. Prayers have so much power, I know firsthand how they can and do help you! Welcome to the Circle, and it's so nice to see you posting to others, you have a loving, compassionate heart also. Our prayers are still with the family, and now also with you, I'm glad you found this Circle also!!
Luv Sandy

sandy (shaner) thank you so much for making me feel so welcome in this prayer group - it is so wonderful to know that there are wonderful people out there praying for eachother! and i am so happy that i am able to contribute to the group and help others by giving my prayers to God. thank you all so much!
*Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you* 1 Peter 5:7

Hi Sandy,you are such a treasure.Your sweet words just make my day.Sandy,i know how much you miss Shane everyday and how much you are hurting too but you are still here all the time for each one of us and i surely love you for it.It shows what a kind loving person you are.You know i think by listening to the Mothers here you can tell what wonderful children we all had.How could we not have had such precious loving children.And i was so proud of my girl as i know everyone feels the same way.God has the joy now of having our kids with him.I know they must keep him happy.They surely did down here.Sandy,i need you and the others to please pray for one of our students and his family.His Father was killed Tuesday.Him and his friend were at work and they decided to run out and get something for lunch.He had a Mustang and he was traveling 100 mph and lost control.We know that wasn't a smart thing to do but now it doesn't matter,what matters is his hurting son and family.Please help me pray.Take care.I love you lots,Barb

Hi Barb, thank you for your kind words, your posts and those of others here make my day too! I always feel better when I'm really down by visiting the Circle. I agree, Barb, God gave us such wonderful, loving children in our lives, they were called home earlier than we were, and that love and sunshine that they brought into our lives is what we miss the most! Now as you say, they're lighting up Heaven, and what a light they all must be shining! We're always going to miss their presence in our lives, Barb, but hopefully we'll learn how to live with that loss, until we get called home ourselves and see them again! Shane was more than my son, he was also my best friend, we did a lot of things together, and that part I miss so very much. He wasn't embarrassed to go with his mom and play a game of pool, or invite me out for a drink with his friends. :-). I miss all those special times, but I have wonderful memories to hold dearly onto, as you do with your Carol. I think you and your Carol were best friends too! All the children on these pages are so very special, and that's why all us moms miss our wonderful children so much, they had a special quality to them and they brought so much love and happiness into our lives, for which we're thankful to Our Father.
Oh, I'm so sorry about one of your student's losing their dad, poor child, it's painful too to lose a parent, and so suddenly, God love him, he and his family will surely be prayed for here, losing a parent when you're young yourself is so very hard. God bless you Barb for asking for prayers for this family, you too reach out in your own pain with a loving, compassionate heart, and I love you for it! I hope you're feeling more peaceful yourself, and you know that you and everyone else here are always in my prayers,
Luv Sandy

Dear Father: ~ Thank You so much for family and friends who pray for moments of peace for all bereaved parents. Thank You for this wonderful prayer circle; which gives each of us a chance to reach out and show compassion toward others who are also grieving their losses. Father, I pray that You will continue helping us to seek the kind of peace and joy that only You can provide; even during times of sorrow. Lord, we know that we cannot do it alone!

Father, we know we will always miss the physical presence of our precious children; but we are grateful to You for giving us the assurance that we will see them again someday. Until then Lord, help us to focus on the things You left us here to do. Remind us often, Lord, to count our many blessings which You provide so
willingly on a daily basis. For, even as we grieve, Dear Lord, we know that somewhere in this world, many newly bereaved parents have joined us on our painful journey. Lord, there is no way they can travel this journey alone! they will need our prayers, dear Lord. Please, Father, lead those newly bereaved parents to this wonderful prayer circle, so that we can
pray for them, and provide the heartfelt compassion they so desperately need; as they begin their painful journey. Lord, let each newly bereaved parent know that they will not have to carry their cross alone! Father, we know that no amount of time will cause us to stop missing our precious children. Help us to remember all the love, joy, and laughter our children brought into our lives!
Thank You, Father, for hearing my heartfelt prayer! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen

Hello Verna, I'm happy to see you posting again, a beautiful prayer for all, and more importantly, I'm very happy that you're feeling better! Continued blessings and prayers to you, our dear Verna of this Circle!
Luv Sandy

and you continue to pray and write to people. You have helped renew my spirit in people. All of you have. Sometimes all you really need is to know that someone cares enough to share your pain. That is not an easy task to take on. All of you are my inspiration!!!!!!!!!! I am thankful to have started a garden of memories when my mother died in 1997. I have added to that for several years now and it is truly the best outlet for me when I'm sad or feeling stressed. This year it is really coming to life and I find even the weeding to be thraputic for me. Everyday is a new day for all of us, and watching the beauty of nature restores my faith as do all of you here on this site. We have to help and encourage each other You are all in my prayers. I'm the lucky one!!

I'm sorry but part of the last entry diddn't get posted and I was trying to tell Sandy how very thankful I feel to have this site to come to. All of you that post here are so special. I want Sandy to know that i'm thinking of her and her family and praying for them. I know the anniversary of Her Shane's death is very difficult. You are such a special and caring person! I bet you didn't know when you started this circle that it would be as theraputic for yourself and for so many. To Verna and Barb; both of you are so special and I'm so thankful to have found you also in this circle. And Tammy; you are truly special!!! You have not lost a child but you have such compassion for everyone here and I feel you are a Godsend for all of us. You have helped restore my faith in mankind and have helped renew my spirit!!!! May God Bless you and your family!!!! Thankyou for reaching out to all of us here!!! That is not an easy thing for most people to do when someone has lost a child. Most people stay away or avoid a conversation about the loss and it can really make the affected person feel so isolated sometimes. But you reached out and I'm so thankful for that! I'm sure everyone in this circle is. I'm praying for all of us here!! All of you are special!!!! Love, Barbara

Hi Sandy,isn't that so special when you can do things with your kids and they aren't embarrassed.Shane wanting you to be with him like that is such a dear dear memory.It is a testament to you of how proud he was of his Mom.Carol was also my best friend.She would rather be with me than her friends and i felt the same way.I loved what you said about our children lighting up Heaven.I can just see it.And yes all these children on these pages are so very special.Thank you for your prayers for John.I pray so that when he comes back to school that i can touch him some way so he will know how much i care and just to be there for him.Love ya,Sandy and God bless.Love,Barb

Dear Verna,i am so glad you are back.I have sure missed you.You are always missed because we look so forward to your words of comfort and prayers like the one above.I am happy you are feeling better.I love you a bunch.Love,Barb

Hi Barbara,I am also glad you are posting again.It has been awhile and i have missed you.Thank you for your kind words.Isn't this circle awesome? I love it and all the people here.We are all family on these pages.I feel such love when i come here.If i am down someone always brings me up.Sandy is such a treasure.I'm like you,i am sure Sandy didn't realize at the time how wonderful this circle would be for us all.I know it is from God and i believe it will keep going on and touching lives.Our precious Lord knows what we need and he gives it if we will let him.I am so glad that your garden of memories that you started for your Mom is helping you.I know it must be beautiful with all your loving care.I know she is watching you working in it from Heaven and remembering her special daughter.Take care and God bless.Love,Barb

Hello Barbara, I'm so delighted to see you posting again, you've definitely been missed! Thank you for your kind words, you're absolutely right, when I first started this Circle, I never dreamed it would touch so many lives, meet so many wonderful people, and see this Circle evolve into what it has become. Yes, it's benefitted me as much as it has the wonderful people who post here, I love them all. Being able to give back has helped me immensely in my our Journey.
Your memoriam garden sounds wonderful, what a fitting tribute, not only to your mom, but now to your son also. I also find much solace in nature, and find it very therapeutic. There's just something about being out in nature, whether it's a garden, or a walk in the woods that renews my soul when I need restoration. And this Circle. All of you are and continue to be an inspiration for me, and I ask God all the time for blessings for everyone. I'm glad that you're feeling better, Barbara, as best as you can be, and knowing that your faith has been restored in mankind after what happened to you son is the best news I've heard all day! God bless you, Barbara, and much continued prayers for you and your husband,
Luv Sandy

Dear LOVE2U (Miss Verna):
What a beautiful prayer from a beautiful person! I was so glad to see your post. I hope that you are feeling better. I have been praying and praying that you would receive the Touch of the Lord upon you and that He would lead your body to strength and health. I missed reading your posts. Please know how much everyone at this circle loves, cares, and prays for you and your family!
Love always,
Tammy Cooper
jaycee5@bellsouth.net

Dear eudora (Miss Barb):
I will most definately be praying for your student and his family. What a tragic loss this is for this young child. I know that you and others will be there for him and his family while they so need you, because that is just the kind of person that you are. I pray that the Lord blesses this family with comfort and peace.
Love always,
Tammy Cooper
jaycee5@bellsouth.net

Dear Babbs (Miss Barbara):
Oh how glad I am to hear from you! I checked in a couple of times to your Jason's memorial and think of you often.
Thank you so much for your kind words toward me. I just love this site, the meanings behind it, and all of the wonderful and inspiring people that post here. I agree with you when you say how special Miss Sandy is. She is working through the Lord and what a wonderful servant she is. She brings such comfort and advice to people while going through the same tragic experience and feelings as well. What a beautiful person she is!
I also have a renewed faith in mankind and spirit through the people that I have met here and from becoming more involved with my church. I grew up in a family that believed, but did not practice. My grandfather is a Methodist minister, but we still only attended church on special occassions. When I got married and had children, I just felt a special need to give my children every opportunity to know the Lord. I feel as though I must make every effort to bring them up with the ways of Jesus and give them the knowledge of the Bible while they are young and so impressionable. Hopefully, they will always choose the Lord's way. I have benefited from this choice because out of what I felt was my duty to them, I was renewed in my faith and belief. Every time I walk into my church, my heart skips a beat. I get goosebumps from the overflow of emotion. I am so happy now.
Thank you for being one of those people that have such an impact on my life! I still thank God everyday that I found this site and the people that have come to be my friends here. I treasure every one of you and pray that all find peace and comfort in their lives.
Thank you all,
Tammy Cooper
jaycee5@bellsouth.net

Hello Barb, (eudora), yes, our children are surely lighting up Heaven as bright as their beautiful spirits! Barb, knowing you the way we all do, I just know you're going to be such a big help to John, your natural loving nature will shine through for him, and we all know that your love will be a great comfort to this poor child, God bless him. It's so very difficult when you lose a parent at such a young age, but I know that you and others will help him and his family. He'll have a soft shoulder in you to cry on. Hope you're having some peaceful days, and my continued prayers and love to you,
Luv Sandy

Hi Tammy, nice to see you posting again too! I agree with everyone, you're a special person to post here and genuinely care, most people generally will avoid the topic, fall away from you, as Barbara pointed out in her wonderful post, but you've definitely been led here by God to share your loving compassion and understanding with us all, and we love you for it. I just know that you're a wonderful mom to your two little ones, and that you're doing a fantastic job of raising them, setting such a loving example yourself! Many blessings and love to you and your family,
Luv Sandy

I am so very sorry to hear about your loss. My husband and I lost our 17 year old daughter Stephanie Marie on Jan 27, 2002. She had just turned 17 on Jan 14, 2002. We are just devastated without her. The pain is just so overwhelming. She was such a loving, caring child. She helped anyone that was in need. She had a heart of gold. She is truly our little angel. I have such an empty feeling in my heart. I am just so very lost in my life right now. I know God will get us through our pain and grief but life will never be the same for us. Losing a child is the worst pain anyone could ever endure. It seems like it is getting harder and harder to bear as time goes on. I hope that you are doing ok. You are in my thoughts and prayers

To all at this wonderful site:
I have been calling daily to the Tessa Hawkins update number (vik posted here earlier about the mother that accidently ran over her daughter with their truck), and I just thought that I would share with you that she is home now and having tests done on her neck. Please pray that these tests turn out well. The recording stated that she is progressing and eating well and just needs to keep getting rest to heal her young body. They also gave an address in case anyone wanted to send a card. The address is:
2953 Jadwin Rd.
Woodstock, VA 22664

I know that everyone here kept this family in their prayers as I did, and I don't personally know them, but wanted to give an update from my most recent call today.
Love always,
Tammy Cooper
jaycee5@bellsouth.net

Dear sunshine3731:
I am so sorry to hear about the loss of your most precious Stephanie Marie. I feel the love (and pain) through your words. Please know that you and your family will be prayed for here. You have found a site where there are such wonderful people that can help you and give you such comfort. Please know that you and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Love always,
Tammy Cooper
jaycee5@bellsouth.net

Hello sunshine3731, I'm so very, very sorry to read of the loss of your beloved Stephanie, so young herself, just turning 17. I know that you're in a great deal of pain and how devastating that pain is, for there is no greater pain than a parent losing one of their beloved children. Your loss is so very recent, just a few months ago, so I can only remember all too well how I felt at the beginning of my loss of Shane, and how you and your husband are feeling right now. My heart breaks for you, the pain in the beginning is all-consuming, it permeates every aspect of your life. I wanted to die myself, the pain was so great, so I know just how great the pain is, as do other moms on these pages. You're probably in shock and disbelief right now, hoping this is all just a bad dream. Whatever you're feeling right now is very normal, losing a child brings up emotions in us that we didn't even realize we had, so please, be gentle with yourselves right now, grieve as much as you want, and on your timetable, not someone else's. I pray that you have good, supportive family and friends around you right now, you need people to talk to about how you're feeling, and about your precious Stephanie. I found reading as many books on losing a child very helpful in the beginning, it showed me I was not alone in my feelings, and wasn't going crazy. I also joined a Bereavement Group, a support group for parents who had lost a child, and that was helpful also. But what really helped me was my strong faith and my church, so I'm happy that you also have a strong faith base. Our Lord knows of your great pain right now, and leaning heavily on Him will bring you through the darkest moments. Your Stephanie sounds like a wonderful young lady, and please remember, love is eternal, it never dies, so your bond with Stephanie is still there. I know of the emptiness in your heart right now, and how lost you are feeling, you've just lost one of the most important persons in your life, your cherished Stephanie. It does seem so hard to bear, doesn't it. But your loss has just happened, it takes a while to come to terms with a loss as great as losing a child. Here at this Circle, you have a safe haven to talk about your loss, and how it's affecting you and your husband, talking about it helps to let some of the pain out. We all care very deeply for you during this most difficult of times and we send our love, compassion, and many prayers to you and your husband. God bless you, all of us here know oh so well of that terrible pain that you're experiencing, we'll storm Heaven for prayers for you and your husband, and please post back whenever you feel like it, our most heartfelt prayers and love are with you both right now. Stephanie was your Angel here on earth, and now she's your very special Angel in Heaven, and I know she's shining down brightly on her mom and dad. Thank you for your own prayers, but more importantly, please know that we will be praying fervently for you right now. As I said, post back, you can let some of your pain out here, we're walking beside you on your own Journey of Grief. May Our Heavenly Father bless you abundantly, shower you with His graces, and give you some much needed peace.
Luv Sandy

Dear Tammy,I appreciate so much your prayers for John.I don't know when he will be back to school but i do know he will be hurting so i am thankful for all the prayers for him and his family.Thank you for your kind words for me.You always make me feel better.I am so proud of you for raising your kids in church and when they get grown it will not leave them.They may stray for awhile but the foundation for their lives has been laid and they will come back.I know that for sure.I will be praying for the little girl,too.Love you lots.Love,Barb

Hi Sandy,I wanted to tell you that a lady i do not know put the exact same memorial in the paper that i put for my daughter.The only thing changed was the name.It hurt me at first because i had just put it in there the 2nd.But then i heard that still small voice that lets you know when you are wrong.And then i thought,maybe it gave her so much comfort and peace that she wanted it put in for her loved one.That is the way God works to give us comfort and i didn't feel bad anymore.I thanked God that i could help someone else in pain.Also thanks for your sweet words.Love Ya,Barb