Thank You for Your Prayers and Thoughts
As some of you might of heard by now, my beloved brother Kent whom I wrote of here has lost his battle with ALS. His passing was totally unexpected at this time as he was doing very well under the circumstances. The prayers of the TANC family have already worked mightily and I beseech your continued support. When I received word and was en-route, I had to make a call on my cellphone and request prayer as I was having difficulty breathing and was becoming physically sick. God answered those prayers. The situation in the midst of his passing is very difficult, but as we know, God will bring good out of it though bittersweet. More later as I am able.
In Christ our only hope,
paul
Paul's Passing Thoughts 
Paul,
It must have been Divine Providence that the following post appeared in my Facebook newsfeed today. I posted this passage on this very day 3 years ago. I hope that it will be an encouragement to you today and in the next few coming days as you deal with the grief over Kent. We have a Father above who cares about His children!
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.
Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.
Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble;
incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
For my days are consumed like smoke,
and my bones are burned as an hearth.
My heart is smitten, and withered like grass;
so that I forget to eat my bread.
By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
I am like a pelican of the wilderness:
I am like an owl of the desert.
I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
Mine enemies reproach me all the day;
and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
For I have eaten ashes like bread,
and mingled my drink with weeping,
Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
My days are like a shadow that declineth;
and I am withered like grass.
But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever;
and thy remembrance unto all generations.
Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion:
for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
and favour the dust thereof.
So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD,
and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
When the LORD shall build up Zion,
he shall appear in his glory.
He will regard the prayer of the destitute,
and not despise their prayer.
This shall be written for the generation to come:
and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
To hear the groaning of the prisoner;
to loose those that are appointed to death;
To declare the name of the LORD in Zion,
and his praise in Jerusalem;
When the people are gathered together,
and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
He weakened my strength in the way;
he shortened my days.
I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:
thy years are throughout all generations.
Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth:
and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure:
yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
– as a vesture shalt thou change them,
and they shall be changed:
But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.
The children of thy servants shall continue,
and their seed shall be established before thee.
~ Psalm 102:1-28
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I’m so very sorry for your loss – may God give you and your family peace and hope in your grief.
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I am still grieving with you and the rest of your family, Paul, my dear brother in Christ. Please don’t neglect yourself, and please lean on those near and dear to you (Susan, what a pillar!). As Andy has said: We have a Father who cares about His children.
Love and prayers.
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I am sorry to hear of your loss. Death is still the last enemy, I don’t think even as Christians who have a certain hope in the resurrection of the dead we are meant to pretend to look forward to or be glib about when our time comes, nor those whom we love. If so, the apostle Paul would not have told Christians to ‘comfort one another’ with the promise that the dead in Christ will rise set out in 1 Thess 5. I hope those words there will comfort you.
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Dear Paul,
Your brother Kent is now at Home. Breathe with ease.
Love,
Martin
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So sorry to hear this. I know you were all happy as Kent doing well with his treatment. The shock of his passing so soon must be jolting. Jesus heals the brokenhearted-praying for you and Kent’s family.
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Thank you all for this great encouragement…Blessings.
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