Immediate Prayer Requests

I try to save the prayer requests that I issue out to my blog friends as the "pretty big deals". Today is no exception.

1) I just passed my across-the-street neighbor as I returned to my house. She is headed to the hospital for a "last hope" scan to see if anything can be done for the cancer that has invaded her body. Last week she went in for a routine gall bladder removal surgery, and instead of being able to complete that, they closed her back up, recognizing cancer was running rampant through many of the organs and tissue surrounding. The diagnosis is very dire - but if the scan shows a concentrated enough area of the cancer, they can try to surgically remove it which is what today's scan will reveal. Her name is Joy. Her and her husband are both retired, probably mid-60's - and I know Butch would be just absolutely lost without her. John's had the opportunity to pray on the phone with Butch, but I'm not sure what kind of hope or faith they have pertaining to her future. Please pray for positive results today and a peace that passes understanding for their family.

2.) Secondly, my "miracle-niece" Ali, is going up to OHSU today to have a liver biopsy done. She is 14 and is just an incredible girl with so many accomplishments and talents to be proud of. To top it off, this is the girl that was born at 27.5 weeks, right around 2 pounds - so how far she's come is REMARKABLE. We are so proud of her. However, there have been some "mystery issues" she's suffered through in these past couple of years that doctors have just not been able to nail down. She's been a trooper enduring through a gluten-free diet for a while now, even though her stomach has never really been the problem. This has been a hope of the doctors to solve some of the other problems she's been having. A liver biopsy is quite invasive involving an overnight stay, but hopefully this will give the doctor's clarity. Please pray for Ali, her mom, Mary Beth, and her sister Andie as Ali goes through this procedure - for peace, for painlessness, and of course, for a positive outcome. We want to know answers, but most importantly we long for the outcome to be something easily treated and solved.

Thank you faithful readers!