Archives for April 2007

Internets, Are You Ready To Rally?

document.jpg Back in January, when we first started to organize our little For Kelli web-a-thon, I really and truly thought it was a one-time deal. In fact, I think I even said something about the fact that the next time I would ask for donations would be approximately, oh, never.

But apparently, as best I can tell, “never” is officially here.

Because what I never dreamed was that a another friend would find herself in the middle of a medical crisis; I never dreamed that Heather, my talented, sweet, funny blog designer, would find out that she has a brain tumor. And I never dreamed that a second situation where our blogging community can so tangibly make a difference would cross our paths so soon.

So on Wednesday, April 18, we’re going to have an opportunity to love on Heather and her family. Heather and her husband Mark will be leaving April 25th for the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota – the number one neurosurgery hospital in the country. The fact that Heather even got an appointment is a miracle, and there is absolutely no telling what further miracles God will do through the hands of the gifted physicians there.

And here’s what I’m thinking. :-)

I’d love for us to give Heather and Mark a love offering before they leave for Minnesota, to be able to take care of some of their financial obligations so that they can focus on the most important aspect of their trip: getting the absolute best treatment for sweet Heather without worrying about how they’re going to pay for it. Before Heather knew that we were going to step in and try to offer some help, she posted about some of their financial concerns surrounding their trip to Mayo; you can read the details here. If you don’t know the specifics of the challenges Heather’s family has faced over the last few years, you can read about that here. What you read will bless your socks off.

And please understand: I have absolutely no set amount in mind for this love offering. Maybe what we’re able to present to Heather and Mark will pay for a few meals at Mayo; maybe what we’re able to give them will cover a couple of nights’ hotel expenses while they’re away from home. Or maybe – just maybe – we’ll be able to cover their hotel costs for the whole trip (THAT WOULD BE SO COOL). But here’s the bottom line, at least for me: whether we collect $50 or $500 or $5,000 for this love offering, God will get all the glory. He is the Source of all love, of all hope, of all joy, of all generosity. Anything we’re able to do for Heather will be an extension of the love He has lavished upon us.

So if you feel led to give, you can stop by here on April 18th and click on a “Donate Now” badge that will take you to PayPal. You can pay via PayPal, checking account, or credit card (and if you are more comfortable sending a check, email me and I’ll tell you how to do that). Just for kicks, let’s set a minimum donation of $1.00 – but you certainly may give as much as you’d like.

The money will go straight into an account for Heather and Mark. I won’t know how much you give; I won’t even know who gives (unless, you know, you tell me). I won’t be involved in the financial end at all aside from the fact that I’ll have the Donate Now badge for contributions on my blog. There is absolutely no pressure for you to participate financially – please know that. And if, for whatever reason, you can’t give a monetary gift right now, you can offer something even more valuable: your prayers.

If you’d like to help spread the word and put the For Heather button (thanks, Laura!) on your blog, that would be great. If you’d like to put the For Heather button in your sidebar, email me and I’ll be glad to send you the code so that you can do that. Just be patient with me on the email end…we’re heading out of town later today, so it may take me a few hours to get back to you.

If you have any questions, just let me know. And thanks, Jada, for setting all of these wheels in motion yesterday.

April 18th is For Heather. I hope with all my heart that you’ll be here.

Several Of You Have Asked…

…if there’s any kind of fundraiser in the works for Heather, especially in light of this most recent news.

And the answer is OH MY WORD YES.

I should have more details tonight – but I want to get everything worked out with PayPal before I get too specific. There were lots of lessons when we did the For Kelli thing, with the main lesson being CONTACT PAYPAL FIRST, THEN RAISE THE MONEY. So that is what we will do.

So stay tuned…I’ll be back with more info as soon as there’s more info to give!

Encouragement Is The Order Of The Bloggy Day

This post by our sista friend Beth Moore on The LPM Blog offers a great, oh-so-funny perspective on motherhood. I really wish I’d been able to read it Monday afternoon around 5:00 when Alex and I were about to meet some friends for supper and he was SCREAMING! ALL! HIS! WORDS! and asking “MAAAA-MA?! ARE WE GOING! TO TURN!? LEFT!? OR! RIGHT?!” and I thought every nerve in my body had not only risen above the surface of my skin but was being rubbed with coarse sandpaper, to boot.

Good times.

Anyway, I think most of you who read here probably already read The LPM Blog, but if you don’t, you’re missing a bonafide bloggity treat.

And this post and update from Heather will blow you away; her determination and her faith are nothing short of inspiring.

Finally, I’m going to follow Mary’s lead with this next one: if you have a minute, stop by Kelli’s blog and offer her a little encouragement…she is still in a tremendous amount of pain, and she has a long recovery road ahead of her. I know she would appreciate your prayers.

Later, interpeeps!

Returning To Random With A Bang, Not A Whimper

I have a question that’s going to seem totally out of left field when I ask it, so just trust me when I tell you that there’s a method to my apparent madness.

I’m actually asking this question for someone near and dear to me, and after a week of trying to figure out how to work it into a post so it’s not quite so much of a non sequitur (LOOK, Y’ALL! LATIN!), I’m just going to throw caution to the wind and ask it.

So here we go:

Do any of you know Kate Spade or know how to get in touch with Kate Spade?

See? I told you. Seems totally random, doesn’t it? I might as well have asked if anyone out there has Oprah’s home phone number (and LORD HAVE MERCY, if you do, WHY HAVEN’T YOU SHARED THAT NUGGET-O-INFORMATION-GOLD WITH ME?).

Anyway, email me if you happen to have any Kate Spade info…because if you do know how to get in touch with her, she would probably appreciate it if you didn’t leave her contact information in a crazy blogger woman’s comments on the interweb.

And if you know someone who might know someone who knows, email me with that info, too, because I really can’t think of anything Kate Spade would enjoy more than knowing that a stranger in Alabama is requesting information about her for another stranger, and if need be both strangers will contact all manner of friends of friends and third cousins twice removed in hopes of tracking her down, NOT THAT IT MAKES US STALKERS OR ANYTHING.

That is all.

Oh! Except if you don’t know anything about how to get in touch with Kate Spade but you have had a real-life encounter with some other famous (or semi-famous) person, then please tell us all about it in the comments because I for one think that would be terribly entertaining (and yes, real-life friends, I asked this question about a year ago when y’all were the only ones reading, so feel free to repeat yourself if you so desire).

Here’s mine: I once saw Amy Grant in a grocery store in Nashville. She was wearing yellow Ray-Ban Wayfarers.

You may now commence with the “oooh”-ing and the “aaah”-ing.

Psalm 34:1-8

“I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. My soul will boast in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice. Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

AI – Top 8

No AI blogging from me tonight – just don’t have it in me, to be honest. But if you blogged about it and want to add your post to the Mr. Linky, link away, my friends. And if you have any thoughts about tonight’s show, I’d love to read them in the comments!