The New Year Happenings & Prayer Request

The start of 2012 began with my birthday which is always fun.  And then quickly, it turned sad and stressful.  A dear friend of mine, died unexpectedly on Thursday, Jan 5th.  She was a single mom on disability raising an 11 year old boy who is friends with my son.  They went to school and scouts together.  I miss her a lot and still cannot believe Michelle is gone.  She was in her early 40's and had lived with Lupus for a long time.  Within the last 7-8 years she suffered 2 strokes which affected her ability to walk, stand and basically function.  You wouldn't know it she had a debilitating disease by her spirit.  Michelle was always smiling, happy and eager to chat.  Her son Joshua is a remarkable young man who seems like a young man, since he helped take care of his mother for all these years.

These last two days, I've been scrambling to help raise money for her funeral costs.  The funeral home has been extremely generous with waving their fees and only charging the cemetery cost but we still need $4,000.
I have to turn in what we have so far, to the funeral home this morning and we're only about 2/3 the way.

Please pray that the funeral home grants us one more day to come up with the difference.  Otherwise, Michelle will be cremated and that was not her wish nor her son's.

Please pray for Michelle's best friend Jane, who is arranging all the details and taking care of her son.  Jane is a mother of 6 already and loves Joshua as her own.

Please pray for Joshua that he is not uprooted from the family he knows.

Please pray for the repose of Michelle's soul.  My dear sweet friend who I will miss!

Blessings,
Noreen