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If we keep these two commandments, the rest is just details - hence the importance of keeping the priorities. There is only one Great Commandment.

Amen, Alamo-Girl! Only one.

"And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:
And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.
And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates...
Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;
(For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.
Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God" -- Deuteronomy 6:5-9;14-16

"But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother." -- Matthew 12:48-50

Thank you both oh so very much for your encouragements and especially for those beautiful passages of Scripture!

Deuteronomy 6:5-9;14-16 which Dr. Eckleburg quoted stresses the diligence required to keep our priorities straight - think the Great Commandment with every conscious moment, teach it, speak it, write it on our hands and between our eyes, put it on the posts of our house and our gates.

We mortals are small-minded and easily distracted - the media yells "watch the birdie" and we do. We "rubber-neck" over all kinds of things. We stub our toe and that becomes the most important thing in the world.

Truly, only one command is first, only one command is great:

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. - Matt 22

This is the meaning of life, the purpose for our existence:

Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. - Revelation 4:11

Whatever it takes, we must not subordinate the Great Commandment.

Some might be helped by wrapping a string around their finger or carrying a pebble in their shoe to cause them discomfort. Some might train their minds to think of Jesus with every breath they take.

Some might leave notes to themselves on their todo lists, shopping lists and other places around the house. I confess to doing this, I write NWK on every puzzle I work (because they are 'watch the birdie' to me) --- repeating the priority from the Lord's Prayer: Thy Name be hallowed, thy will be done, thy kingdom come.

To GOD be the glory, not man!

Mad Dawg, Psalms 115 begins with the perfect thought to finish this sidebar, quoting verse 1:

Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, [and] for thy truth's sake.

Praise God!!!