Butterflies, A Benefit, And A Baby

It's that time of year for me. Busy--busy!  It starts with the return to school, my job in late August, confirming a date for my annual fundraiser, NephCure Kidney Int'l., and starting to plan this event, in addition to two of my ministries returning in their new season, Aspiring Writers' Forum and Coffee Break.  

What does that look like?  A lot of e-mails, texts, meetings, conversations, brain-storming, writing curriculum, attendance, posts, follow-up, "team meetings," signing on the dotted line, mailing stuff, picking stuff up,  meeting new faces, asking, some pleading and the most important...listening and praying! 

I love all of it!  Thank you Lord!  

This last week culminated (almost) with the Walk for Kidney Disease in which I am the Inland Empire Coordinator. In the push of the last two weeks before the walk, I began to feel that this year might just be the best yet. If you are my friend, and read this blog often, you know that the butterfly comes into my life often, bringing me a sign from Heaven that God is ever present, and the lifter of my head--literally. 

They flutter on wings of HOPE...(and a little excitement!)  The few days before the walk, they found me where ever I seemed to be! I posted individually on Facebook, but when you put them all together and SEE God's supernatural communication to my heart in such AFFIRMATION, well it's just so awesome. 

Thursday, October 15th: It started with a community trip with my class to the library. I didn't notice the cut-out on the chair I sat in until I got up to leave. 

Friday, October 16th: My son finds a "dead" butterfly on the sidewalk in front of our home--a specific butterfly. He picks it up and brings it inside. I wasn't home. Nervous; not sure how I am going to react, but I love the fact that he gently brought it in the house for me. I have my "considerable thoughts," but we'll leave it at that. 

Monday , October 19th: The week of the Walk, and I find my own sidewalk butterfly walking to class with tons of kids trudging along side me. I bend down to grab the glittery object, stop in awe as I gaze down at its shape and sparkle, confirming that "dead" things still have life if we see the Hope. It's missing a few of it's rhinestones...but aren't we all!  

Thursday October 21st: Another trip to the Chino Hills Library with my class, and this time I sat facing the window. Looking up, I saw them, capturing my attention and heart.  God is so good, I thought. By this time, I noticed a pattern for the last few days. Once again,  I am filled with His love and inspired. 

The Benefit, NephCure Walk, 2016
About 116 in attendance and $5000 raised so far!

Saturday, October 24th: My friend Liz came to my walk, serving me by taking photography. She greeted me with a sweet picture of a flufy butterfly and notes,  put together by her 3 young boys. They traced their hands and each wrote a personal message on the palm.  

"I hope they find a cure..."  From Jayson

"Dedicated to Timmy's Troopers, Revelation 21:4,  "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death, no sorrow, no crying. there shall be no more pain, for former things have passed away."  From Andrew

"God please help the children."  From Kyle. 

Did I...have I mentioned that I serve an awesome, comforting, amazing, affirming, promise-giving, healing God?  

The Walk?  The BEST YET!  Old friends of my sons I haven't seen in years came, friends from work, friends from high school, friends from Ted's work, friends from church, neighbors, 5 other teams and their support, the weather: perfect, the donations: generous and the kids...the kids; they have my heart. 

One of my dearest friends, with so much going on in her life, made the trip out after just moving back home, relocated for 6 months because of a flood. She brought her son and youngest daughter expecting a baby in 11 days.  As you might guess by the title of this blog, a little walking around a lake on a fall morning just might start the process of birth. About 5:00 later that night, my friend gave me call that her daughter's labor had started and that she and the baby's dad were on their way to the hospital.

A beautiful little, precious-in-His-sight baby girl, Mallorie, came into the world at 6:45p.m. on October 24th!  For this baby, her mother and dad, we have prayed. God is Good. 

Butterflies, Benefits and Babies!  God is Good and I give Him praise for all He does for His children and all he leads us to, to know Him and make Him known. To God be the glory!  

Thank you for letting me share. For information about NephCure, click here. http://nephcure.org/

To make a donation to our particular Walk, click here:  http://support.nephcure.org/site/TR/Walk/General?team_id=3200&pg=team&fr_id=1531


Thoughtfully yours, Coleene  


P.S.  This morning, I clicked over to my Google + account after a reminder from the site to post a picture from the Walk. When I posted the event several weeks ago, the virtual photograph above the event was a live shot of a butterfly flapping its wings on a bush! So, just one more!   God is good.  

An Extraordinary Day For My Good

A box landed on my doorstep today. I anticipated its arrival for a fundraising event I've been preparing for, for several weeks now. The event transpires this weekend. Flying quickly onto my living room couch, I opened up the plain brown wrapping, the insides filled with colorful t-shirts, bracelets, pens and clip boards, brochures and hope. 


My back faced the picture of Tim, the one transformed into eternity, the one I remember as I think of others still under wraps of this disease, cocooned in the fear of the unknown. A feeling rises up, an emotion of...not sure, and I stifle it a bit, until I turn around and see that face. 

I'm doing this again Tim. I hope you can see, ...that you're proud of me. 

I assume my normal after-work routine, retreating to my small garden in the fall afternoon. Growing, one pumpkin on an invasive vine, it increases in size every day. I check on its well being. 

And it is well.  The soul of this gourd contains a seed from last year's find--a continued legacy. 

Quiet. Peaceful, until I hear the finch; its puckered squeak, like a baby's kiss. I spy the bright yellow belly hopping from branch to branch as if he's at a buffet, gathering a variety of morsels. I stood still to watch him, wondering where his crew was, for they usually appear in number. Not this one, he gathered alone and I, a timely voyeur to his bounty. 

Are you not much more valuable than they? 

Then it comes--the answer to the inquiry I posed earlier. I hope you're proud of me. Yellow and black wings guide it over the fence and right over the top of my head. As if to check on the pumpkin, he streamlines the vine's path to the flower garden and bounces over the gate, up and over the neighbor's roof. My eyes do not leave his flight path. 

Almost November...and a swallowtail!

I grab a chair to sit, but I should have kneeled. 

He returns to fly and flutter amongst the branches of my orange tree, even landing for a few brief seconds, seconds in which I know I am loved, a second in which the Holy Spirit speaks to my heart, and an eternity of seconds that tell me Heaven is proud. 

A lifetime of my own seconds whispering that all things work together for His good.

For my good...

The pumpkin swells with gratitude that it continues, even after...
even after a natural season, or an unatural blight. It cannot be ordinary, for it thrives in a garden of flowers, herbs, and tomatoes soaking up living water and basking in the rays of redemption.

Somewhere, a butterfly tastes the nectar of nurture, sustained into the glorious heavens. Somewhere, a pumpkin opens up and the seeds of transforming salvation find their fertile soil tilled by a faithful, praying mother. 

I write so that I can share the completeness of that joy come full circle, up and over a fence and down a garden path, over a rooftop and back around, a void refilled with divine purpose. 

An extraordinary day, this day to see the butterfly. An extraordinary day to feel and know I am loved and can rest in His garden of promise.

The NephCure Walk, a report

It was a magnificent fall morning, the air recently washed by a sampling of rain. The small crowd gathered around the tables and blue easy-up covers, registering their presence, receiving their shirts. I arrived with my son and husband, a little late, beginning my morning not at 100%, but determined that a stomach upset was never going to stop me from walking. I had wondered for the last three weeks, why I had never heard of NephCure, why I did not have an organization, a support system like this when my son suffered so many years with FSGS. I cannot answer and I cannot dwell on that now, for I must move forward and be active to help other families have hope with this dreadful disease. My son Timothy, has now passed on with God, and for me, it was bittersweet seeing the little faces of children stricken, but the sweet is the taste that remains, knowing my fundraising will help to make a difference. To you who have given, Thank you, you have blessed me in remembering Tim, but have helped to give hope to other families dealing with this ailment.  


On seeing Jennifer Jacobson (a transplant recipient) and meeting her after we had exchanged messages through e-mails, the emotion took me for a few minutes and I thank God for her sharing her story so that I could help and continue to share mine as well. 




Jennifer and Coleene

I see next year, a walk in the Inland Empire that along with my friend Deanne (who never knew my son), I will help to organize and I am thankful for that opportunity. I walk because I need to move forward, not leaving my son's memory behind, but allowing his courage to walk ahead of me, giving us both a special purpose in this life.

In the words of a song by Jeremy Camp: "I have seen the many faces of fear and of pain. I have watched the tears fall plenty from heartache and strain, so if life's journey has you weary and afraid, there is rest in the shadows of His wing."


I believe that organizations like NephCure is a shadow of God's wing, a place where fellowship, knowledge and support can lead to a more hopeful life for a family dealing with this illness. 
(A reminder, my team name is In Tims Memory).


DONATE TO LOS ANGELES - CLICK HERE

DONATE TO ORANGE COUNTY -CLICK HERE           

Here are some pictures from the walk: (going to try and upload a slide show...hope I can do this so be patient...)