Another important prayer request.

We would like Kyrie's blog readers to find a moment today to say a prayer for little Edouard Chartier (pronounced "Edward Shar-Tee-ay").

Edouard is 6 years old and lives with his family in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. I received an e-mail this morning from Jill Hunter, the sister of Edouard's aunt:

[Edouard] woke this week barely able to walk, throwing up profusely, and unable to recognize his sister.  They took him to the doctor to find that he has an orange-sized tumor in his brain.  They live in Montreal, Quebec where they have socialized health care, which hasn’t proven to be very good to their family in the past.  Please pray for him and the family ...  Thank you and pass this on to anyone else you know who prays regularly, if you would.

And ...  he is currently in surgery today, Friday, March 12, 2010.  They expect his surgery to take 10 hours. And it is likely that he will need further surgeries in the near future.  

Once again, I know that our hearts hang so unbearably heavy for the Chartier family because we know. We know this. Again, trying to steer away from fearful thoughts and instead focusing on hope and complete healing. Let's transform any anxious energy into staunch spiritual support that will reach from wherever you are to the very room where Edouard is right now.

I have asked Jill to keep us posted, so we will let you know any information that the family would like to share as soon as we have it. 

Easter Bunny needs your help!

Three months zooms by so fast, doesn't it? Three months ago, Frosty and Elf Rita were packing their sleigh full of toys and surprises for their Christmas visit to Wesley Hospital. And what a joyful visit it was, plus the local news came along to capture the value of this visit for all to see.

Now, with the spirit of the giving season behind us, Easter Bunny & Eggbert are hoping we can tap into that holiday generosity to make their Easter visit possible, too. For those of you new to the blog, this is how Easter Bunny's first visit started. Since 2007, she & Eggbert have been bringing baskets of cheer to an otherwise anxiety-filled place, a place where children are frustrated and parents try to hide their anguish. You wouldn't believe how much a sheet of stickers or a $10 gift card can do!

From Easter Bunny:

Dear Friends & Family,

 

Just 1 month from today…

Good Friday - April 2, 2010

"Easter Bunny" & "Eggbert"

will hop over to the

Wesley Pediatric & PICU Floor

to deliver Easter cheer, Bunny hugs, and lots of GOODIES

to the children that are stuck in the hospital over

the Easter Weekend!

 

This will be our 4th year for the

Kyrie Easter Trip to Wesley Hospital!!

http://www.kyriethome.blogspot.com/

 

"Frosty" & "Rita the Elf" had INCREDIBLE support

for our Annual Kyrie Christmas Trip…WOW!

 

But…this is 3+ months later and there will be a

whole new batch of kids that will be

oh-so-appreciative of the treats we bring them.

 

IF you are interested in helping,

we will gladly accept the following donations:

 

          CASH - New Toys - Games - Books - Craft Kits - Puzzles -

        Crayons - Markers - Dolls - PlayDough - Items for Teens -

        $10.00 McDonalds Gift Cards - $10.00 Spangles Gift Cards

 

We will need all donations by:  03/26/2010

 

  Susan Jae Eckel

  3738 S. Dugan

  Wichita, KS  67215

 

As always…you truly have no idea how much your help is appreciated!

We could not do this without all of YOUR contributions!!

 

On Good Friday a little angel will be looking down on all of us, chanting…

 

     Go Kyrie, Go!  Go Kyrie, Go!!

 

:-)

 

Happy Easter!

Susan Jae & Rita

(E.B. & Eggbert)

Sunrise.

Sometimes it gets the best of me.

Sometimes that old sadness descends from the furthest corner of the room and swaths me in beleaguering heaviness. Some days I've had the good sense to pad myself with enough good thoughts and good moments that I can insulate myself from the cold. Other times I spend hours shivering like last year's leaf still clinging to a dormant branch in March, a leaf that should have dropped in November.

I consciously steer my thoughts away from meandering down the "what would have been" path. Like a shock from an electric fence, I stick to the pasture of reality, grateful for the good, quick to dismiss the pain remembered, reserving it for a good cry later. Because the truth is, whether I agree, like it or not, this was His plan all along. This is how it would turn out despite our efforts to the contrary.

As frustrating and preposterous as this is for my pea brain to understand, I'm trying to find comfort in not knowing and not having to know.  Sometimes that means suspending my incessant analysis, my constant desire to learn from circumstances, which I happen to think are good qualities.  Sometimes that means I must make peace with walking blind. And ... to find comfort in the meanwhile.

So meanwhile ... as we live the days that draw closer to the anniversary of Kyrie's heavenly homecoming, there are, indeed, good seeds and deeds emerging from once frozen ground. You wouldn't believe all the tiny ideas and "what if" e-mails that have accomplished so much for this work that we are all pursuing here. For example, this scrapbooking crop. Do you know how many do-good donors come together to make this day happen? It's amazing! The food, the beverages, the venue, the vendors, the organizers, the goodie bags, the prizes, the special extras, the printing, the transportation to converge all of these items, the word of mouth, the registration ability, the t-shirt printing, the set-up, the clean-up, the special guests—all little "yeses," little miracles that bond together to form an amazing event, like a swarm of butterflies lofting on a breeze that began somewhere near the coast of Bali.

And this is just one collection of goodness. You wouldn't believe what else is on the horizon.

Little bit of greatness can really add up.

If you need a little inspiration to amp up your do-gooding, take a look at this post from marketing expert Seth Godin.

You rock.

This is deceptive. 

You don't rock all the time. No one does. No one is a rock star, superstar, world-changing artist all the time. In fact, it's a self-defeating goal. You can't do it.

No, but you might rock five minutes a day.

Five minutes to write a blog post that changes everything, or five minutes to deliver an act of generosity that changes someone. Five minutes to invent a great new feature, or five minutes to teach a groundbreaking skill in a way that no one ever thought of before. Five minutes to tell the truth (or hear the truth).

Five minutes a day you might do exceptional work, remarkable work, work that matters. Five minutes a day you might defeat the lizard brain long enough to stand up and make a difference.

And five minutes of rocking would be enough, because it would be five minutes more than just about anyone else.

From our Easter Bunny ...

3 dieters + TONS of clothes + 12 lady shoppers in 3-1/2 hours = $300.00 CASH

WOW-WEE!!

Our "Almost FREE...but with a Catch - Clothes Sale" was soooo successful that we are giving those who missed out a 2nd chance!

Monday, March 8, 2010
5:30 PM - 7:30 PM

Susan Jae Eckel's Home
3738 S. Dugan
Wichita, KS 67215

RSVP to: susaneckel@shelleyelectric.com

There are still LOTS of clothes left!! Better hurry before we box them all up and donate them to the Klose Kloset!

Wowwee-wow-wow! Mom and daughter look happy & healthy for 2010!

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for best friends. I know. Sounds cliche, doesn't it? I promise I don't have a ukulele behind my back. It's just so nice, so very, very nice, to have somebody to whom we can turn for advice, for an hour of venting, for feedback, for support, for enthusiasm. And perhaps the reason why friends are so essential—the real, good, down-in-the-ick-with-you-pulling-you-out kind of friends—is because these friends are our kindred spirits, meaning our family spirits. Friends like this become your family, don't they? And likewise, sometimes we are blessed with family members who roll double-duty and function as friends as well.

I'm thankful that you all have become our best friends. Without your support, your belief in what we're trying to do, we'd likely still be mired in unspeakable misery. Your prayers, you telling your own best friends about Kyrie, you coming up with ideas to help us, your advice, your time: you exemplify friendship in a brand new and grand sense.

Sometimes the term "best friend" can sound a little exclusive, like you can only have one or that it's a cliquey duo or something. Not here. The adjective "best" in our case simply describes this type of friend who expresses the best and most beautiful qualities of friendship. He or she willingly stands close to us.

I'm thankful for all that you are and all that you given freely to grow this cause into what it has become.

What are you thankful for today?

Getting ready for the big krop!

With a little peekage of sun this week, thoughts turn to bright blooms, cabana stripes, peppy typography and sparkling glitter. And where can you surround yourself with all of this plus free coffee, lotsa laughs and burgeoning creativity? None other than The Kyrie Foundation 2010 Krop!



Come scrapbook, make some cards, work on an album, organize your photos, get ideas, gab with the girls, shop around and have a creative day away to help raise research funds for The Kyrie Foundation!

Saturday, April 10, 2010
9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Family Church, 11135 W Kellogg
Wichita, Kansas

Just $45 per seat includes:
complimentary coffee, tea, water and soda
lunch
dinner
great goodie bag
fab freebies
shared tool station
chance to win door prizes from K&Company, EK Success, Inkadinkadoo, Creativity Inc. and more!

And if that weren't enough, we'll have on-site massage therapy, a mini silent auction and our oh-my-goodness! garage sale—all to raise some extra dollars to save children from this blasted cancer.

Wait—there's more! Vendors are coming on board to give you a shopping stretch break: the charming Brittany West with Premier Designs Jewelry, the creative Julie Whitecraft with Button Rings, the delightful Bonnie Kissinger with JuicePlus (remember her DEE-licious smoothies from last year?), the wonderful Kathy Clapp with Close to My Heart, the super-fun Scrappy Chicks, the immensely caring Stephanie Murrell with Scentsy candles, Niki Gehring with Uppercase Living & her own gorgeous faux finishings, our lovely Bead Queen Terry Casley with her handmade Creative Jewelry by TLC and more on the way!

Our dear, dear, dear friend-of-a-friend Cara with Scrappin' Boot Camp has once again made it possible for you to easily and securely register online through her Scrappin' Boot Camp site. She has been so generous with us each and every year. Or, if you'd rather contact the magnificent Christy Freeman to reserve and purchase your seat, you can send her an e-mail at christycmc@sktc.net. Oh—did I mention that seating is limited? Yep, it is and that's so you'll have plenty of space and elbow room.

When you register, you'll also have the option of purchasing a t-shirt with this year's Scrap Like You Mean It design on it!



Feel free to e-mail or Facebook this on to your friends or family that may be interested in a local, day-long, creative getaway like this. All you have to do is click the little envelope icon underneath this post to e-mail or click the "Share this on Facebook" link in the right-hand column over there.

And ... if you've ever been to a Kyrie Foundation Krop, would you mind leaving a comment to help others get sense of what it's all about?

Can't wait to see you next month!!