Helpers.

So remember that Easter Bunny who visited the children at Wesley Hospital this past spring, Susan? Funny thing—she's in good with St. Nick, too!

With the talented help of her elf, Rita, Frosty (a.k.a. Susan) will be visiting Wesley Hospital again to deliver toys, goodies and good cheer!

Spirit of the season, no? Isn't this, this good, isn't this what IT is all about? Doing something kind for others? Helping the world spin in such a way that it's better off for having you here?

A dear friend of mine knows a Good Deed Doer who said that she works to have money so that she can give it away. So profound.

The dynamic Christmas duo is accepting donations for the visit by way of new toys, gift cards (gas, grocery, restaurants for the parents) and dollars. (Please no coloring books, clothing or used toys.) If you would like to donate to the effort, please send to the team no later than December 14 to:

Susan Jae Eckel
3738 S. Dugan
Wichita, KS 67215

Also, since they are covering Wesley, Susan is encouraging/inspiring any of you Good Deed Doers our there to do the same for another hospital, children's home or special need location. And these words of inspiration come from Susan, too. Count me in as one of the flakes! ;)

...you know how it takes lots of
snowflakes to come together to
actually make a snowman.

well, trust me, this is not just a
one-snowman-show.

there are many individual and unique
flakes that are being rolled all together
to enable THIS snowman to do "her thing".

each and every snowflake plays a very important role...
kinda makes me look forward to our first snowfall now.

hmmmmm...
"Frosty"

Novemberings.

Hope we all thanked and gave this November, the month that symbolizes much of our thinking here, especially last week as we reached for hugs, passed the gravy and contemplated the moment.

In the next few posts, we'll have some swell news about Kyrie Foundation happenings. Until then, though, here's something to ponder:

Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something outside of yourself to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored.
Earl Nightingale

Thankful Thursday

The biggest Thankful Thursday of the year!!

Today I'm thankful for tradition and the wisdom that tradition doesn't just happen on its own. Somone has to make the tradition happen. Thankful for the ability to bear life and keep going, even when we don't want to. Thankful for the promise of what comes next so that gathering together means gathering all together.

Most of all, I'm thankful for friends & family, those near, far & above.

What are you thankful for?

Today.

This week, NBC's Today Show is highlighting work done at St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, and this morning they profiled a very young girl who was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer before she was two. Although the kind of cancer this child had was not a PNET like Kyrie's, the prognosis was just as terrifying.

If you caught the segment, you would have a seen a snippet where they interviewed Dr. Larry Kun with St. Jude's. A few months ago, the Kyrie Foundation was in touch with him, too, as we narrowed our focus for our research dollars. Good work being done there, and we're happy to say that the our monies can go to support his work and other doctors around the country just like him.

We want you to know that what we are all doing is very real, not just a black, nebulous hole of charity. If you are reading these words, you are a part of our team, a part of this real work to save little children. Thank you!

Smart, in more ways than one.

This Friday is unequivocally known as "the biggest shopping day of the year," the kick-off to the gift-giving season where consumerism is at a peak and seasonal grumpiness takes root. Here's a small suggestion: instead of the exasperating check-out lines, the mad runs on hot items, the cart wrangling, the crowded parking lots, lugging packaging to the car and trying to get them out the car without getting caught, what if you could shop wearing your fuzzy slippers with just a few clicks?

iGive(and iBakeSale & GoodShop) has been great. I ordered a few gifts two weeks ago, and-poof-they showed up on my doorstep, AND I earned money for the foundation. I even found gifts that aren't available in the brick & mortar stores. It's like an online mall--better, in fact, because you have hundreds of stores to choose from. Depending on your total, some stores even offer free shipping. Bonus! Anyone else tried it? Mind sharing your experience?

'Tis.

In 1981, a slender music teacher with cotton-ball-white, spherical hair and briliant, red-rimmed glasses taught Clearwater Elementary School's first grade class the song "Simple Gifts." Her berry-red lipstick mouthed the words over and over again as her skirt draped over the piano bench and her determined fingers plunked the ivory keys. Thank you, Ms. Ray.

A simple song written by a Shaker in the 1800s. A song that has gone on to TV, movies, Broadway, universities and even on cellist Yo-Yo Ma's CD. Now it even includes two (more modern) verses.

It is a gift to be simple, to be small and to have such impact. Hope we all remember that this week.

'Tis the gift to be simple, 'tis the gift to be free,
'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be,
And when we find ourselves in the place just right,
'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.
When true simplicity is gain'd,
To bow and to bend we shan't be asham'd,
To turn, turn will be our delight,
Till by turning, turning we come round right.

'Tis the gift to be loved and that love to return,
'Tis the gift to be taught and a richer gift to learn,
And when we expect of o-thers what we try to live each day,
Then we'll all live together and we'll all learn to say,
(refrain)
'Tis the gift to have friends and a true friend to be,
'Tis the gift to think of others not to only think of "me",
And when we hear what others really think and really feel,
Then we'll all live together with a love that is real.

One+one+one ...

We're over $50 with GoodSearch! Wa-hoo!

This amazing tool has woven "doing good" into our days without it being a hassle, a grudge, an obligation. It's just there, like a built-in. In so many ways, we've thunk ourselves into ease: convenience foods, convenient stores, movies on-demand, personal computers, electric locks, automatic everythings. It's nice that making a positive difference can be easy, too. Love that.

There we are!

In case you missed it Saturday, the Kyrie Foundation was GoodSearch's Charity of the Day! There we are in the upper left-hand corner!

Your connection to the Nobel Prize.

As you may know, the Kyrie Foundation's primary financial goal is to fund research for pediatric brain cancers. This goal has lead us to align with the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation in North Carolina, which will bestow a $50,000 Kyrie Foundation grant to research deemed valuable to our cause, specifically PNETs, should proposals in this area be made.

After speaking with PBTF, we are supremely confident in their measures of accountability and progress, which is why it is no surprise really that a scientist that they supported in 2000 has gone on to win the 2007 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine! Mario Capecchi, Ph.D., of the University of Utah School of Medicine won this illustrious honor for developing "gene targeting" technology in mice.

The discoveries made by Capecchi and the other scientists are being applied to everything from basic research to the development of new therapies for a multitude of diseases, the Nobel Prize committee said.

"Gene targeting in mice has pervaded all fields of biomedicine," the committee said. "Its impact on the understanding of gene function and its benefits to mankind will continue to increase over many years to come."

The PBTF supported Capecchi's work in 2000 with a grant for "A Conditional Mouse Model of Medulloblastoma." Medulloblastoma is the most common brain tumor of childhood and is associated with significant impairment and mortality.

Capecchi's project explored whether the early and intermediate events in the progression of medulloblastoma occur with a predictable sequence. The project used gene targeting to generate a mouse model of medulloblastoma in which the Patched gene was carefully controlled.

So what does this mean for you? Your pennies are really going to make high-caliber progress. Pretty cool, huh?

p.s.
Bookings have already started for our December 1 photo-fundraiser with Sandy Braun Photography!

p.p.s
Don't forget to make an honorary search on GoodSearch tomorrow where the Kyrie Foundation with be their Charity of the Day!!!

Thankful Thursday

Flipping through channels last week, I ran across that WEtv show Crossing Over with John Edwards. Not quite sure about the programs's validity, however this particular episode was of keen interest. The host was speaking with a father in the audience who had lost his 4-year-old son to brain cancer 12 years prior. After speaking with the mother via on-air telephone, John asked why she wasn't there, and she said that it was more important for her husband to go because he still mired in unrelenting guilt & blame. John asked her why she didn't feel that way, what advice could she offer to other parents that go through this, and she simply said, "Always blessings, never losses."

That statement took everyone's breath away.

The courage to think & believe that is miraculous, isn't it? After suffering in the most emotionally painful way, this mother found her grace. Such trust & faith in God's goodness despite torrential pain. Even when The Plan doesn't make sense, isn't right, isn't fair, alas, we are still His. [big sigh] Working on understanding that.

A song was written about it, too. You can download that here.

Today I'm thankful for the blessings. What are you thankful for?

And guess what?!

In a community of over 44,000 other nonprofits, GoodSearch has chosen the Kyrie Foundation to be their Charity of the Day this Saturday, November 10!!!!!!!

Can you believe that?! We're are so honored to be acknowledged, especially since we're one of the newbies in the world. And I credit you. They did not divulge their criteria for selection, (Maybe it's random. Who knows?) but maybe it has something to do with the amount of supporters that sign on for a cause. Maybe it also corresponds with search activity, for which we thank you GoodSearchers out there!

We love that this is a SUPER-EASY way for you to help doctors find a cure for pediatric brain cancer. And we cannot thank you enough for jumping on board with this. Please feel free to pass on this opportunity to friends & family in your circles. Isn't it a great feeling to know that, yes, you sitting right there at your computer today, can make a real difference? Thank you so very, very, very much.

p.s.
Today an ad is in the Lee's Summit Journal for the Sandy Braun Photography/Kyrie Foundation offer, which means if you'd like to book a spot for December 1, it would be smart to call soon!

First dibs!

Just in time for the gift-giving season, a talented friend of ours has volunteered a fantastic idea to financially benefit the Kyrie Foundation, especially if you live in or plan to travel to K.C. soon.

Sandy Braun of Sandy Braun Photography is hosting a full day of QuickFlash photo sessions on Saturday, December 1 in Lee's Summit, MO where ALL of the proceeds go directly to the Kyrie Foundation! For $100, you and your family will get a professional mini session and a 10x20 designer photo collage. All orders placed by December 10 will arrive in time to make great Christmas gifts.

The great thing about a mini session is that you get professional results with minimal commitment, which is great for kiddos & pets and those plagued with impatience. ;) Plus, with a professional photographer like Sandy, you'll get that photojournalistic style from her mini sessions where you'll see personality and dynamics captured forever in your photos. She is also keen on making you feel comfortable and relaxed, which yields the most beautiful photography.

If you're interested, check her site out and give her a call/e-mail.
sandy@sandybraun.com
816-916-4636

p.s.
There are a limited number of sessions available that day, so the earlier you call to book a session, the better!

Just in case ...

If you've e-mailed me or anyone else at the Kyrie Foundation last week, we did not recieve your messages. Server went down. We've since remedied the problem, but are unable at this time to retrieve any old messages. Please re-send your e-mails, if you'd like, and we'll respond promptly. Apologies for the inconvenience.

Love & forgiveness.

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
―Maya Angelou

With the season of togetherness looming, if you have any broken fences in your pasture, it might be a time to consider mending. Well within our control and certainly on our Do Good list, asking for forgiveness or reaching a better understanding is one of the most supreme changes for good you can make within your own life and in the life of another. Mending makes your soul bigger & brighter. Mending is powerful.

Unfortunately for real humans living in the real world, misunderstandings aren't always solved in 30-minute, sit-com style. Sometimes it drags into oblivion or mushrooms into something that takes on the presence of a rhino. Whether it's pride or the love of drama or stubbornness or embarrassment, the rhino impedes honesty, compassion & healthy living. And here's the deal: as long as you did something to mend, it doesn't matter if the other person is receptive. You've already found a degree of peace simply by making the gesture.




Luckily for us, the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness is out there and PaperSource, a chic shoppe for stationery, is on board to promote letter writing as a means of mending. Here's what they mean:

Paper Source has joined the Fetzer Institute in a national Campaign for Love & Forgiveness, an inclusive, nonpartisan project that invites everyone to think about and connect on the topics of love and forgiveness with the goal of effecting meaningful change in individuals and communities.

In addition to hosting conversations throughout the U.S., the campaign seeks to revive an interest in writing letters as a way to express kindness and deepen or renew relationships. A letter written from the heart can become a thoughtful practice that helps one stay connected — or reconnect — with cherished friends and family. Join the campaign and write your letter today.

You can even download Love & Forgiveness stationery here, or take a gander and the beautiful options at PaperSource, too.

Thankful Thursday

Today, November 1, is not only a day marked to commemorate all saints, those known & unknown, but this is also the first day of what I think is our month. This month unifies many of the ideals of the Kyrie Foundation. November is a month of gathering, when hands are joined in family prayer, when animals begin to huddle & hunker for winter and when cornicopias burgeon with blessings. November is month of gratitude, a thankful time to note all that we've been given, all that we've endured and all that we hope to come. November is a month of giving, giving time, giving extra patience, giving food, giving a second chance, giving warmth and giving thanks.

A whole 30 days to honor gathering, gratitude & giving. Sounds pretty saintly to me. ;)

I'm thankful for November. What are you thankful for today?