I wanted to express heartfelt condolences to Mike's family. There's such a sense of helplessness when a loved one dies. I'd like to share some scriptural thoughts that really helped me. Prayer is so valuable at this time, but it's not that prayer simply makes us feel better. 2 Cor. 4:7 says that God can give us, "...power beyond what is normal", to go from one day to the next. This does not mean that we no longer cry or that we forget, but it means we recover. The reason we recover is because of our hope. Jesus Christ talked about our hope in John 5:28, "...all those in the memorial tomb will hear his voice and come out". Jesus was referring to the resurrection; this is our hope that helps us recover and gives us power to go on. Thinking deeply on this promise can powerfully affect our emotions and give us peace. 2 Cor. 1:3 describes our Creator as, "...the God of all comfort". One way that God comforts us is by moving people who care about us to give us words of encouragement that we need to hear. May God (Ps. 83:18) grant you peace and comfort now during this time of sorrow.