Poll #1

In the interest of full disclosure, I'm asking you to be a guinea pig of sorts. Below (if this works) I'm placing a polling widget I've created for CrossWorld. It's not a scientific poll by any stretch, but we want to hear what you think. So, make a selection and click on the Reply button.

And if you really want to help us out, use the Get Widget button at the bottom to place the poll anywhere on the internet you like -- your social networking pages, a web page, etc.

Now, let's see what happens!

Thank you

I have found over that past few years that I am more and more profoundly moved by all of the people who have done something for us. Maybe because I have needed it more, but also because I appreciate it more and am humbled that you would think of me, and that God would give us such good gifts through His people. The past two or more years have been heaped with blessings from you, His people. And this seems to be the best time to tell you all, "Thank you from the bottom of our hearts".

We try to remember to thank you individually, and we know we have missed some, but your kindness, generosity, love, and prayers are not missed. They have been the manna that has sustained us these past few years and without it...well...I'd rather not think about it. But WITH it, we have been blessed, at peace and full of humble gratitude to our Lord for his people.

What I am trying to say is, "Thank you, to all who have read our stuff, sent in money, prayed for us, sent food, loved us, made us laugh, wiped our tears, kept us going, called, emailed, gave us advice, and much much more. Some of you did or said things that touched us deeply and you will never know it. Thank you ALL!"

Just saying "thank you" seems small in comparison to all we have received, but I know our Lord is setting about rewarding you in ways we never could! I'm very glad He can do that, otherwise we would go broke trying to repay you in Thank You Cards!

Thanks, really...we mean it!

Love and Hugs from Germany

Last night I waded through a couple of plastic bins worth of slides, photos, and transparencies of Pat's artwork from over the years. The thing about artwork is that when you no longer have it in your possession -- you no longer have it in your possesssion. So if you want to do something with the image in the future, oops.

But last night was like Christmas. From the disorganized pile I kept pulling up high quality slides and transparencies of important pieces Pat has done. Sweet! The two most significant finds were what I hope are going to be usable images of a two-piece set Pat did about depression (and how God stills sees us) some years back. We left the originals in Dusseldorf, Germany until...whenever.

Yesterday I sent out a mass emailing about a little thing Pat is doing to get some rather creative work out to help pay for some medical bills. This morning I found a reply from our dear friend Eve in Dusseldorf. Turns out the depression pieces are no longer hanging in Adaumir's apartment where we left them, they're now in a much more public place where our friends in Dusseldorf hold their Sunday gatherings. Sweeter!

She sent me a link to the site about the place where this all takes place. I don't read German, but Eve described it as an "artist compound with a nightclub". The pictures show fashion shows, indoor classic car displays, trendy lighting, and uber-cool places to sit, confab, and eat. Bascially, the kinds of places we never get invited. How exciting!

Eve signed her email with "Love and Hugs from Germany." Back at ya', Eve!

And our condolences to our neighbor's Dick and Susan on the loss of Mary (wife and mother). Mary brought happiness into our lives and we're thankful to have known her. We love you all.

God Restores

Don't want to hit anyone overhead with the metaphor, but I got to speak at our church last Sunday as the cleanup guy in our "Grasping God's Story Together" series. This final episode of the story (yet to happen but already written), is 'God Restores'. (Follow this link to a page where you can listen to the message.)

The metaphor part, at least for me, was that not only was Pat able to be there -- as she said in an earlier post, going to church on Sunday morning's is physically demanding on her -- but that it hasn't completely wiped her out until the middle of this week. That would have been standard operational procedure before now. But, though tired from it all, she's still been pretty active and it's now Tuesday morning. Slowly but surely (and that last word is the important part) God is continuing his work of restoring Pat's health. Sweet.

Okay, now back to work...

sorry for the late post...

It is refreshing to say, we have been busy! Not in a bad way, Kevin just working away on CrossWorld projects, making something very technical called a "widget" for Urbana Conference and a video, too.

Pat working on exercising and using her brain...in a correct manner. Everything is PT (physical therapy - or occupational therapy) Buying groceries is PT, typing correctly is OT, emptying the dishwasher, cooking, cleaning, laundry...all OT. Walking, using the exercise bike (while watching judge TV) stretching, using the yoga ball for balance...all PT. Actually even at this point, everything is relearning for Pat's brain, and it is tired (her brain that is) some days. It is getting better slowly and she is able to do more, slowly. Slow is frustrating for her...she dreams big.

Kevin is teaching at Westwind Church tomorrow. Pat is praying she will get to go, church is a whole bunch of PT exercises all wrapped into one, and it still takes a lot out of her.

Pray for Kevin as he finishes his lesson, He is also struggling with a coldish/fluish something or other... Thanks.

Thanks for all your support and prayers! We wouldn't be where we are if we didn't have them!

It's All Coming Back to Me Now...

I always hesitate to use the word 'normal' when describing, well, anything at all to do with the lives of Kevin and Pat. But this week, things are closer to normal, as I remember it, as they've been for some time. This week, quiet is the new normal.

Actually, what feels normal right this moment is me, sitting hear in my office at the computer. Pat's sitting at the dining room table with the laptop, singing softly along with Basia on the headphones. But the this-is-how-it-should-be part is that we're working on a project together, she on the visuals and me on the words. Word-Man and Visual-Woman once again together battling the forces of...er, non-videoness. Sorry, guess I lost steam on the metaphor along the way, but you see where this is all heading.

Anyway, we're working together on a CrossWorld video to be used at the upcoming Urbana conference between Christmas and New Years. Won't let any cats out of the bag just yet, but you'll be getting tastes of various things we're doing for this over the coming weeks. Stay tuned.

And a shout-out to Sally for the pumpkin bread. With a bow, no less!

Where Are They Now?

I see them often on junk-news-as-mind-candy sites that I have to admit are a guilty pleasure of mine, those Where Are They Now? articles that tell the current state of someone we haven't seen in the news or media for awhile. Today I'm thinking more along the lines of Where Isn't Pat Now?

She isn't in bed. She isn't in physical therapy. She isn't in the pit of despair (well, never really was but that's fodder for the book). For that matter, she isn't even at home as I type this, she's out having lunch with a dear friend.

Oh yes, she still has to be careful and not push the pedal to the metal with her activities, and she'll likely be that way for some time. But honestly, that's just good advice for us all. In the end, the things she's to do to continue "rehabbing" herself are pretty much what we all should do: take care of herself, get enough rest and exercise, that sort of thing. Oh, and she's not to even mimic the movement problems she had before as that is a signal to her brain it's okay to do that kind of thing again. So, we're all agreed not to ask her, right?

But, Our Girl has had her brain "rebooted" (so to speak) and is through with any further treatments. She's doing well. Yesterday our friend Katie pointed out that the whole thing reminds her of this passage in Romans: "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." I'm fairly wrenching the passage out of context, but the metaphor is a good one indeed.

And where are YOU now? If you're one of the many who helped us on this journey over the last few months, you're in our hearts that's for sure. We thank God for you, and for his putting us in front of medical people who knew what to do to help Pat. That was my prayer for quite some time.