By the Book Prayer Requests for Sunday12/19/2010

Praises, travel mercies:
We welcomed two guests to class: Diane Heyden and her daughter, Kristin. A special-call (short) business meeting was held at the beginning of the 11 a.m. service for the purpose of voting on inviting Jay Holladay to be our new youth pastor. The vote was unanimous in favor. Jay and his family are expected at Potomac Crest around 9 January.
We had a good visit at the Flowers' home on Saturday -- a smaller crowd than we would have preferred, but we had a good time and ate extremely well. John adds praises (and relief) for being done with the big proposal at work; they are now in the negotiation phase.

Prayer requests:
Cathy Clement asked for prayers for a work situation -- a couple of colleagues fighting at her workplace.
Our visitors, Diane and Kristin, asked for prayers. They are both, mother and daughter, going through a difficult situation related to divorces. Please pray for endurance and for the ability to let go of anger, and trust in God to help them find their way.
John Clement asked for prayers for his son Jay: he is battling depression again, and has come down with strep throat -- and he can't take his antidepressants and his antibiotics at the same time. We ask that he find his way forward; the holidays are hard -- there is a lot of separation going on in his life.
Jerry Pruitt (greeter at the 8:30 services, deacon candidate) asked that we put his daughter Cheryl Hartung on our prayer list . She is going to have surgery on December 28; Jerry said it was a touchy operation.
Also, Harry Stickley (a deacon) asked for prayers for a coworker, Samantha. He writes: "My co-worker Samantha was contacted by her doctor earlier this week while she was on travel to come in immediately because of test results. Samantha was overseas so could not go. She is reluctant to hear bad news so decided not to see the doctor even after she returned from the trip. Apparently the doctor called again today urging her to come in to discuss the test results and “options”. Samantha says that she does not want to hear bad news so will wait and see the doctor next week. I told her that we would pray for her but I’m not exactly sure what to pray, except that her condition is not life-threatening."
Becky Bolton said things with her family are good, but issues are still difficult (some financial). Becky finished her second semester of nursing school with great grades; Jason is doing well at CDL training, and hopes he can find a job at the end of training, in mid-January. She asked that we continue to pray for the family's needs, financial and otherwise. We pray that Becky and Jason will find their way forward, with God's help.
We continue to pray for Cathy's dad, Ron Smith; and for Bill Rickard, battling leukemia. He's back home and doing better.
Also, please pray for those with money or job troubles in Woodbridge and Prince William County as well as the people suffering the cholera epidemic in Haiti.