Two have come our way over the past day:

First, a friend of Greg Burke, who has been the FoxNews Rome correspondent for a while, writes to note that he’s now reporting from Beirut. She writes to ask that we pray for his safety – and for all those in the midst of this conflict.

From John Farrell:

My dad turned 80 yesterday–and it was a bitter sweet celebration because we had to have it at the rehab where he’s been since he left the hospital last Tuesday.

I wanted to ask you and any else who visits the site to keep him in your prayers.

I’m a lucky guy at my age to have had my dad around for so long. You’re never ready to say "Good-bye" and "I love you"–even when you know they’ve lived a long happy life. My dad has been on seizure meds for the past 22 years ever since he had a mild, silent stroke that caused a lesion in his brain. Up until 2 years ago he was still able to drive, walk, work on his beloved second home up in the mountains in Franconia New Hampshire, and work on his memoirs.

Complications with his medications put him in the hospital a couple of weeks ago. But it’s turned out that some kind of right-side congestive heart failure is preventing a full recovery. We’re just hoping we can get him home so he can be with my mom and the rest of us for whatever days or weeks (God willing) are left to him.

Anyone who wants to see what my dad was in his day can go here: (QuickTime movie):

http://www.farrellmedia.com/1975.html

He got out of college after World War II (his navy flight program being cancelled at the close of the war); got his BA from Boston College, and then raised 8 of us with my mom. On a newsman’s salary (and some shrewd investments) he put all of us through 12 years of Catholic school and private colleges. I think the ritziest vacation he any my mom might have taken during all that time was a long weekend up to Maine or something. The rest of the time he was having too much fun teaching us how to skate, taking us hiking or to various mountain swimming holes that he had a talent for finding where no one else could.

He was the managing editor of the Boston Herald Traveler in the 1960, and the lone pro-life political columnist for the Boston Globe for years until 1985. If I ever measure up to half what he was, I’ll consider myself a success.

Anyway,  I’d appreciate it if you could keep him in your prayers.