Connections.

A big, warm, thankful hug to all of you who were able to tune in to see our little 3-minute blip on KAKE's midday news show. It's a very difficult to task to succinctly say all that this foundation means, all that we are doing in 180 seconds.

Lacie & I were both a bit nervous, not because of the television cameras, but because we wanted to get it right. It is a constant struggle to build and grow and get the word out amidst a billiongajillion distractions in our lives. With every three minutes like this, we have the opportunity to engage someone, to connect, to inspire, to encourage. We never know when or why or who may decide to walk alongside us to help make a difference. This could be one of those divine connections.

Originally, our friend Brittany had put us in contact with Jemelle Holopirek as a way to help promote the scrapbooking fundraiser in two weeks. However, since nearly full up for the krop (thank you!!!!), we had the opportunity to simply talk about how we started and what's around the corner.



Though we supplied and anticipated the photos of Kyrie that ran under Lacie's answers to Mike Iuen, the images struck us anew. I view these photos nearly every day, but somehow seeing Kyrie's face on the screen, knowing that people would see her face for the very first time, images that I see on the insides of my eyelids every night, knowing that these are all the photos that we'll every have no matter how many times KAKE invites us back, well, it brought newness to old feelings. For a moment, I could have sworn she was here again. Saying and broadcasting her name, an utterance that seemed like a mid-air raindrop quickly seeking for its earthly home, made her here again. Maybe it's just my feelings playing tricks on my mind. Maybe it's just this time of year. Maybe it's just the pink tulips that have sprouted in her garden. Everything, her memory, what we're doing to save these children, shows up on the page in technicolor vibrancy right now for me.

And this happens to coincide with the making of another new angel. Four-year-old Sicily Zeka has been in my prayers for quite awhile after learning of her battle with kidney cancer. She arrived in heaven this weekend, and although I am crushed to learn that this, again, was God's will, I am inspired by the way her family accompanied her in this passing. Please read her mother's entry today. It so reminds me of another mommy & daddy we know here.

The Kyrie Foundation on KAKE-TV

Hey, KAKEland viewers! The Kyrie Foundation is scheduled to be on the midday show with Jemelle Holopirek on Monday, March 22. Hope you have a chance to tune around 11:15-11:30 a.m. !!!!!!!!!!!!

If you're out this weekend ...

If you're out shopping this weekend or if you happen to be paying bills, it sure would be nice to consider sending something to the Easter Bunny & Eggbert.

I have a little sumpin' to put in the post barring the blizzard that is purportedly on its way. Maybe you have a restaurant gift card that you know you won't use or maybe there's a new pack of markers in the closet waiting for your child who already has a set open. It all makes a difference when it's put to use like this.

And ... remember our dear sister organization in Holland, Michigan, Kyrie's Gift? The mission of Kyrie's Gift is to deliver coloring books and crayons to bring some amount of joy and normalcy to children in hospitals. Marjorie, the founder and all-round nice person extraordinaire, was inspired by the photo of Kyrie and Lacie coloring on the hospital floor in our very first post here on Kyrie's blog. Kyrie's Gift has done spreading goodness through this effort. And now ... Kyrie's Gift is a part of the Easter Bunny's visit, too. They have generously given hundreds of coloring books and crayon sets. Isn't that so beautiful? I just love this divine connection.

So remember the Easter Bunny needs all donations by FRIDAY, MARCH 26.

Cash - Toys - Books - Craft kits - Games - $10.00 McDonald's gift cards - Teen items

Please send to:

Susan Jae Eckel
3738 S. Dugan
Wichita, KS 67215

Update on Edouard

From Jill:

Here is the most recent email from my brother in law. Keep in mind that he is French, therefore sometimes uses broken English. 

Bad news. Test results came out today.
Edouard tumor is cancerous. Which means he gonna need chemo treatement for the next 2 months minimum before they can operate. Plus 4 months after that for precautionay measure.
Monster blow after he walk and talk fine for the first time yesterday.

Please remember this little guy in your prayers. He and his family are embarking on a journey familiar to us here. Jordan & Lacie have traveled this road. Kate McRae's family, too. Anna's family. Ethan's family. Taya's family. This family, too, will need to meet people like you to help get them through this. I've often said that we would not be where we are today with you--I mean you, there, reading, right now. You matter. Your prayers matter.

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm thankful for a finite life. I suppose that seems hypocritical to what I may have desired here in past blog posts, huh? In fact, it's contrary to what most people desire. Most people want more time, beg for more time. There never seems to be enough time.

The strange thing is that intellectually we all know our days are numbered. And as for the closing curtain, "we know not the place or time." Which is why we constantly are reminded "to make every moment count," "each day is a gift," and "life in the moment." In fact, if I rummaged through your house, office or garage sale, I'd likely find a mini book of these self-help platitudes from Hallmark. Am I right? ;)

It's one thing to know this and a completely other thing to have this knowledge affect your life.

This week, I learned of James Spring. There are complicated and unsavory details to his story, but the gist of it is that, approaching his 40th birthday, he realizes that he is "unremarkable." With 40 looming large, he wants to do something for his birthday that changes that fact. He wants to do something big. While his wife busily plans a typical birthday party, he waits for an earthquake with which he would have the opportunity to help someone. The earthquake doesn't happen, so instead he decides to find two daughters kidnapped by drug-addicted parents, who also happen to be suspected murders, who fled to Baja, Mexico. The girls' grandparents long for the girls to be returned, and the police hadn't been successful in over a month. In two days, James found them, alive, safe and needing the care of their grandparents. Remarkable.

I'm thankful that we have a time limit here on this earth, which creates a sense of value, a sense of urgency that cries out for substance.

We're familiar enough with the idea of tithing. Ten percent of our time, talent and treasure. It's easy to calculate treasure. But what about the time & talent? If each week, we all get 168 hours, then we're asked to give 16.8 hours a week to help, to goodness, to Godness. And it we want to play the math in our favor, let's take out 56 hours of that week for sleeping--how can we possibly be expected to help while unconscious? That would leave each of us with 112 hours from which we are encouraged to give 11.2 hours to help, to goodness, to Godness. Time set aside each week to make this world better for you having been here.

I'm thankful for the seasons of our lifespan: spring to leap into the world with green gusto; summer to flourish and grow like rogue honeysuckle vines; autumn to reap the bountiful harvest; winter to settle in fireside, warm & cozy, telling stories of our seasons. And when the year is over, when the work is over, when the allotted time is over, time itself, like love, becomes infinite for everyone.

What are you thankful for today?

Limited space!

Just 5 more seats left for our 3rd annual Kyrie Foundation Krop! I don't mean to alarm you, but if you would like to join us on April 10 for our fun, friendly day away to Scrap Like You Mean It, you might want to register very, very soon. A goodie bag, freebies, delish vittles, cool tune-age, lotsa laughs, plus the place and space for creative inspiration await!

Update on Edouard

We are discovering that many of you, indeed, said a little prayer for Edouard last Friday; he made it through an extremely extensive surgery! For that, we are immensely grateful. Moment by moment, child by child, we will find a way to beat this disease.

From Jill:

I found out today that the surgery actually took 17 hours!  They were able to remove more than 75% of the tumor, will conduct more tests, and will go back in a couple weeks later. Again thanks for posting this prayer request. We have prayers coming from all over the world including Tanzania, East Africa!  (I went on a mission trip there almost two years ago.)

17 hours. Can you, for one moment, imagine what it would be like to sit, stand, pace in that waiting room  for 17 hours? Desperately waiting for a doctor or nurse to come through the door with news? And what about hour 11? When they said it would be a 10-hour surgery, and hour 11 and hour 12 and hour 13 go by? Can you imagine the anxiety? And not just any surgery but brain surgery? Your sweet, little world terrorized by a tumor that threatens his very existence, which threatens to destroy your family?

Please continue to keep this family in your deepest thoughts and loudest prayers.