Prayer Request from FReeper frank ballenger

Kathy in Alaska

[Kathy in Alaska]

Prayers needed for FReeper frank ballenger...

My precious wife Joy, my love since 1973, passed away suddenly yesterday at home.
She lost consciousness and couldn’t be revived by medics after 911.
I have no friends or relatives around but my sisters in law and others will arrive from other states for the funeral.
I loved Joy for so long I don’t know how I can face life without her.
Please pray for her to be in Heaven and please pray for me to cope.

Thank you.—F B

Rest in Peace Joy.

Abide With Me

Abide with me; fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.

Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim; its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me.

Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word,
But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

Come not in terrors, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings;
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea.
Come, Friend of sinners, thus abide with me.

Thou on my head in early youth didst smile,
And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

I need Thy presence every passing hour.
What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?
Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me.

I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes;
Shine through the gloom and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

[frank ballenger]

Thank you , sitetest.

frank ballenger

[frank ballenger]

Thank you so much.

frank ballenger

[frank ballenger]

Thank you very much.

frank ballenger

[frank ballenger]

Thank you very much.

frank ballenger

[wardaddy]

I’m sorry for his loss

A great poster here

[frank ballenger]

The thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that she is waiting and we’ll be walking together again someday. May God bless and comfort you.

Sorry I didn't make a reply sooner. So much sadness, anxiety and sad things to do this week.

Every place we went, every object or item reminds me of Joy now and I have to get past this. I have no idea how you did it or how I could do it but I must.

I will always love her and as you said I must look toward the day I will be there with her, God willing, and be reunited with her.

Thank you for your encouragement. God bless you and your loved ones.

[frank ballenger]

Thanks for the link and the poignant song.

I so much want to be worthy of being with Joy again with God if it is His will. I miss her so much.

Thanks.

frank ballenger

[freefdny]

Prayers.

[SisterK]

Thank you for checking in on us. You have been in my prayers.
A couple of the men from my church are also going through the grieving process.
One goes to a support group which seems to be helping. He lost his wife about 15 months ago, turned into a recluse and that did not work well at all.
The other lost his wife suddenly about 7 weeks ago. He is an officer of the church so he has to be around church members a lot. We are doing our best to hold him up in love.
I Bible study with widows and am learning that we all go through grief differently.
I will pray that you will always know that God loves you, and Joy, very much. I pray that you will always know that you have FR family. This site is full of good souls who will support you and love you. Indeed, we are family and neighbors.
Stay wrapped in love and grab comfort from Our Father on High.

Ephesians 3: 16 – 19 (The Living Bible translation)
That out of His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you the mighty inner strengthening of His Holy Spirit, and I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your heart, living within you as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love; and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God Himself.

[frank ballenger]

Sorry I took so long to thank you for your kind post and prayer.

We were in love since September, 1973 when it was love at first sight for me (and Joy said a few seconds later when I smile at her it was for her, too). I prayed silently then that if God would grant me her as my wife I would owe him many years of good deeds to repay him and still fall short. He loaned Joy to me for a long time but I selfishly wanted it to never end.

Problem all must have with grief is all I want that would make me happy is to have her on earth with me again but that is precisely what I cannot have now.

I’m trying to set up some kind of group to go to but one has a 3-4 week waiting list.

I thankful for FRiends like you.

- frank ballenger

[frank ballenger]

Thank you so much.

Sorry for wait in replying.
Everything takes much too long now.

Best,

frank ballenger

[frank ballenger]

You have made such a difference to me in my time of sorrow.

Thank you for your work in posting the thread when I couldn’t.

The people here are so kind to think of me and pray for me.
I have anxiety attacks off and on and just have to make my slow passage through this. Everything since 1975 (or really 1973 when we met) reminds me of Joy, was done with her, or I wanted to tell her something about but now she is gone.

Thank you again.

Love,

frank ballenger

(Tom Staicar)

[frank ballenger]

Thank you for your mail which helps me to cope.
I especially appreciate your prayers that I will know that God loves Joy and me, too. I feel unworthy and it terrifies me to think of not being about to join Joy and God in Heaven.

Whenever I hear the Catholic, Jewish, Presbyterian and other strict rules I fear Joy and I have missed some adherence that will be disastrous. But I believe God is all love and compassion and will recognize Joy and the lesser in saintliness me as souls He will allow into Heaven. Joy never had the anger and grudge holding that are among my worst faults——she set aside anything bad done to her and forgave them instantly. So sweet to all.

A kind childhood friend of Joy’s reassured me that the strict, rigid types who set themselves above others with judgment on rules being followed or not, are not better and special——and should be ignored as intolerant.

Thanks for your prayers and mail. I have my ups and downs and realize grief can’t quickly be ended. I will pray for the 7 weeks widower and the former recluse and for you.

Best,

-Tom

[frank ballenger]

Thank you. Sorry I took so long to do this. You post and others here mean a lot to me in this sad time.

[frank ballenger]

Thanks for the good thought. I appreciate it.
Sorry for taking so long to tell you. Sad time.

Best,

frank ballenger

[frank ballenger]

Thank you for your prayers.

Sorry I didn’t answer sooner. Sad time.

Best,

frank ballenger

[frank ballenger]

Thank you.

Sorry I took so long to say so. Sad times now.

Best,

frank ballenger

[frank ballenger]

Thank you so much.

Sorry I didn’t thank you sooner. Sad times now.

God bless you and yours.

-
frank ballenger

[GOPJ]

I’m so sorry - this is a rough one Frank. The pain’s so real and stays forever. It’ll mute some after a while but it doesn’t ever go away totally. Your home will never feel this empty again.

That said Frank, remember her love and work to recover. It’s what she would have wanted...

[egfowler3]

You’re welcome. And know we are ALL praying for you.