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.

…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!