Hard times

More birthday posts are coming, but for now I will just share I am feeling really burdened for many friends. And Austin woke up throwing up last night and is still throwing up this afternoon. Poor little guy. We cannot seem to stay well in our house this fall.

You can join my in praying for 3 friends facing great difficulties. My friend and former neighbor Meg flew back to the States last week to be with her mom. Her mom has battled cancer for 10 years but went downhill really quickly a week or 2 ago. We are thankful she got there in time to talk with her mom while she was conscious and spent time with her 6 sisters, who all came in town. Her mom is still holding her own, but they are not sure how much time she has left. Meg will fly back to Asia tomorrow, which will be very hard to do I am sure.

My good friend Emily (Sydney's mom) got a call Friday that her father had suddenly passed away. He was very healthy and young (I think not more than 60) but was running and had a massive heart attack and died instantly. I went to see her that day and out together a few things for her kids on the plane ride. It is so hard to face things like this, much less from half way around the world.
My good friend Laura is in the States this fall and they have been hoping to adopt a baby in the US. They have had heartbreak after heartbreak of getting placed with a child and then having the birth mother back out or change their mind or some other reason it has not worked out. This past weekend it seemed so promising- they flew to Baltimore to pick up the baby, met the baby and birth mother and then left without a baby. They are grieving this loss and wondering if they will have time to get a baby before their time in the States is up. Laura reminded me through an article she has been reading that sometimes God "breaks our bones" in order to keep us in his grace and walking in the place that is truly best for us...but it is often very hard to walk through and see others walk through.

So...today I am praying for my friends- and for Austin- and ask you to join me.