When I heard Keith was sick.

I worked at a mortgage company for almost 9 years. From 4 months before I was married until about 8 months after Lucy was born. Let's just say that I did not choose to leave my employment at that time and leave it at that.

I was out of work for about 6 weeks. During that time our family was able to do a lot of things together. One of those things was to go out to see a movie in the park that our park district was hosting. The movie was Racing Stripes. While we were watching it, our cell phone rang. We had only just got a cell phone and only 1 or 2 people knew the number.

It was my Dad on my phone to tell us of Keith's illness. 10% use of his Kindeys and about the same in his heart. A few months before after Lucy was born Amy was hospitalized for the same diagnosis but within 2 days was given a clean bill of health. How we hoped and prayed this was a similar situation.

That was not the case of course and less than 3 years after the original diagnosis, Keith was gone. One thing that did strike me was that at a time when Keith needed me the most I was able to be there for Him. During the time I had off work, I was able to visit him regularly at the hospital and even spend a week with Him when he was being checked out at the Mayo Clinic.

That time especially taught me so much about reaching out to those that are hurting and being an advocate for them. I am still struck how God freed up my schedule tominister to Keith but also provided a new job for me within the time needed to provide for my own family.

A Bet I Wish I Lost

Originally posted the day he died

My brother Keith had been in and out of hospitals and nursing homes since 2006. He had heart and kidney conditions uncommon in a man so young. I visited him in 5 hospitals, 2 nursing homes from here to Minnesota. Last summer at the end of an almost 3 month stint in hospitals and nursing homes I offered him $100.00 if he could avoid the aforementioned for a period of a year. This winter and spring he had been making the hospital and nursing home circuit again.

This April he was taken in an ambulance from his nursing home to a nearby hospital with cardiac arrest. He did not survive the trip. That is $100.00 I would have gladly parted with. Parting with him will be another deal entirely. I covet prayers for his family. That they would trust God knowing that Keith lives now with his Heavenly Father. That we'd be able to live without him.

Remembering my Brother

My Brother Keith would have turned 39 today. Every 39 minutes a remembrance from myself, a family member, or a friend will be posted in tribute. I will rerun a few of the posts that have already run here. Once the tribute is completed I will weave them into some sort of keep sake.

This is a picture of when Keith visited me in Russia in the summer of '94.

Getting The Run Around

I went to Parents day at Awana last week. I got this footage of Lucy in a footrace.

When we are her age, run-a-round is a good thing. It means getting exercise and having fun with friends and family.

Getting the run-a-round for adults is another matter entirely. It means being led around in circles and never actually getting to your destination. When I was in college the administration building was called Sherman Hall. Trying to procure permission to change majors or graduate early or build a better bird house usually meant going through a routine called the Sherman Shuffle. You would start in one office and be routed to another and another until you finally achieved your goal or until the offices closed for the day. I am sure every college campus and many other bureaucracies have an imaginative title for the run-a-round.

Lucy loves to run-a-round she also loves to cut tape although she has never had to cut through red tape.

Perhaps it is the childish adventuring spirit that can handle running around in circles and the World weary adult who seems beleaguered by it. So the next time you're getting the run-a-round try to make it an adventure rather than a drudgery.

Deer

We live around quite a few deer and we see them from time to time. The best of these times is when as pedestrians we encounter them and we have camera in hand as we did on a recent trip to the library.