A Verse A Day In June and a Prayer Request

Matthew 22:37-39 (NIV)

Jesus replied, "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' "This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"

I have often thought that you could boil the Bible down in about 3 points. Please--this isn't to take the greatest book of my life and belittle it! No, no. What I mean is...through each lesson, each parable, each glimpse of life, I return to these thoughts:

1. Love Me.
2. Love Your Neighbor (insert family, neighbors, friends, the poor, your extra-grace-required folks--you know who they are, o.t.h.e.r.s)
3. It's not about You
4. Therefore, it's about Me.

Okay, so there's 4--I never said I could do math. ;) Anyway...back to The Word. This seems like such an easy verse to memorize and to keep hidden in my heart an apparent in my actions. Um...I fail at this every day. Usually about the loving others part. I'm so grateful that He knows my heart, knows that I will fail, but knows that I love him enough to ask for a mulligan each day. Great is His faithfulness every morning! Woot Woot! Maybe that's why I'm a morning person. I love the idea of a fresh slate, don't you?

I mentioned a prayer request in the title of this last post, which led me to this verse, and which led me to you. I figure, Dear Ones, that most of you must be bought-in Christians, or you wouldn't be reading and/or posting a Verse a Day in June. So here's the scoop. A dear friend of mine needs prayer for her grandson. Little A., who is about 2 or 3 months old, was at the doctor's office for help because he was throwing up. He proceeded to code in the MD's office, and req'd much work to be stable enough to get to Children's Hospital in Seattle. After a bit more of CPR, he was stable enough to be placed into ICU. He is a first baby, a first grandchild, and it doesn't matter if he was #15, he's so precious, and the whole family, as you can imagine is terrified. I ask that you pray for my friend M., and her daughter and baby A. Obviously, I lift up the whole family--just giving the relationship for clarification. Will you love on them today in your prayer time? I'll keep you posted as I know more.

Lord, I thank you for new mercies each day. I thank You for Your perfect love that we can be blessed and bless others. Today, I lift up little A and his entire family. I can only imagine the terror this brings their family. Thank you for sparing his life thus far, and I pray Your perfect healing on his little body. Restore A to perfect health, I pray. Comfort and bring Your peace to his parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other family. This little boy is so loved. Thank You for A. and for loving him even more than any of us could. I cry out to you to heal him, Lord! In Jesus' name. Amen.

Soli Deo Gloria!

***UPDATE 9:00 PDT*** This from our church's office mgr.

Some of you know that M.'s grandson was taken into emergency surgery last night. Apparently, he was born with his large intestine above his stomach. They removed a portion of his large intestine. Everything seemed to go well when they reconnected everything. The issues now are two-fold. There is some concern there may be brain damage due to the lack of oxygen during the crisis period. The other is....his blood gasses are off and the blood is acidic. His liver and kidneys need to return to proper function. We just heard that he made it thru the night okay. Please pray for this family and especially for little A.who is 2 1/2 months old.