Prayers for today...

Today is the viewing in Maryland - we're going down to spend some time praying and releasing Tim to Jesus... tomorrow is the funeral in Maryland at 11am at Grace Community.

Thank you so much for your prayers!

Please pray for the Barranco family:
Salvador, Sandy, Todd, Mary, Andrew, Joe, and Joanna.

~Pray for all the little details of getting ready to greet so many that loved their son - pray for grace and strength and peace and wisdom and words and compassion.... Pray for insight in others into creative ways to serve the Barranco family.
~Pray for God-sized comfort and wisdom - for a sense of purpose in the suffering that comes from the Lord.

Please pray for the pastors and counselors near to Tim:
Mike Emlet, Aron Osborne, Dan Muelners, Jeremy Hetrick, Jeremy Bell, Trevor Haines, Paul
~As they are searching for words to share to serve God's people, they are also grieving the loss of a dear friend. Ask for God's nearness to provide strength and peace that "passes all understanding."

Pray for dear friends of Tim:
Tara and Pete, Jaime and Mike, Jeff, Nathan, me... so many others...
~Pray that we can look for God's purposes for us in this today... that we will see God's compassion in our grief and cry out in times of need.

Pray for CCEF staff - especially interns and counselees that knew Tim well.

Pray for the Westminster students - finishing exams this semester...

Pray for the campers, counselors, and staff of Beachmont Christian Camp...



Tim was my good friend while I was at Westminster last semester, and we'd also been courting since March - we were spending time together to see if God would have us marry someday. In the eight months that I've known him, Tim's character, service, and obvious passion for God stood out so clearly that I've been compelled to learn from him.

I'm still learning from him.

During our courtship, Tim's gentle and sacrificial leading of our relationship has affected me so deeply that I've changed my career goals - reoriented my priorities to glorify God even more. Because of his patience in sitting down and walking me through the word of God, I have a completely different perspective on marriage and on love. I know this is because of Tim's precious investment in me.

I know that God is sovereign, and that He loves us well. It gives me hope to know that all burdens of earthly living are now far behind Tim as he stands before our savior. How precious to rest in the knowledge that any joy I could have offered him here in what "could have been" cannot even compare to what he is now experiencing with God!

I can just see him there - full of joy, being welcomed with open arms... and seeing our Father place his hand on his shoulder and speak to him: "Well Done!" Doesn't that give you such a hunger for heaven? Don't you just want to be with him? =)

Ask God for words of wisdom and direction in our thoughts, that we'd experience the nearness of God, and be reminded regularly of the sovereignty of God.

Pray that I'm able to grasp onto the steadfast love of the Lord in times when the waves of grief are overwhelming.

I miss him so much...

Thank you for your prayers and your support...

~Shelah