Fruitful Fridays... update on my dad

This week has been an unusual week, and I have not really gotten all that much artwork done, even though I needed to. So goes the ebb and flow of life. There have been more pressing family issues that I have had the privilege of dealing with.

So many of you have prayed for and asked about my dad. Four years ago he had a very mild heart attack. They put in a stint then and he recovered quickly and quite well. After doing a stress test a couple of weeks ago, they found he had major blockage again in one of his arteries... after looking at the pictures from the surgery I could see that it was almost completely blocked. And it was right at the site where they had put in the stint previously. Weird. He also has 50% blockage in another artery. They dissolved the major blockage and put in a new stint inside the old one. Again, he seems to be recovering well... I am happy to report that I spoke with him just a few hours prior to writing this (around 10 pm Thursday night), and he was doing very well. He had even made a small trip to Wal*Mart. He is being well taken care of, and I am very thankful about that as I am 2 1/2 hours away. I am thankful for all that the doctors can do and what God does through them. I am also very thankful for all of you for your prayers and e-mails. You are the best!

I will try to have more fruits of my "artwork" labor next week. Since this is a new blog which was started in June, I wanted to post here what I shared on my old blog about my theme for this year:

[Originally posted January 2008] We have officially turned the page on 2008, and I wanted to share my theme for the year: Fruit of Thankfulness. (I like a “theme” so much better than making resolutions.) There’s a reason for this theme, and I thought I’d share that with you dear friends who come here to read my thoughts and look at my photos.

I began 2007 with learning a higher level of web design through Macromedia Dreamweaver and then in February launching the Charm & Grace website. I ended 2007 fully into web design and also sharing with you the drawings I had done for family. In the midst of it all I was encouraged by family and friends in both these artistic endeavors, as well as others I have been involved in (painting, calligraphy, writing, even silk flower design.) Back at the beginning of 2007, I realized that I would need to incorporate my business if I were going to be paid to do web design. So, I began to think and pray about what name to give my business. As I looked for names, I discovered the Greek word for fruit, “karpos.” When I think of creativity and the source of it, I know that my gifts have been given to me by God. I am thankful that 2007 was a fruitful one, and my goal for 2008 is that my creative pursuits will yield fruit inspired by my thankfulness for all God’s many blessings. I hope to share some “fruit” with you throughout the year, and soon I will be launching my Karpos website (now launched) which will showcase the different facets of my business. (And now I also have a website showcasing my artwork here.)

Not only am I thankful for all that has happened in 2007, in my creative endeavors, but I am also thankful for all the friends I have made through this amazing technological world. You have enriched my life and encouraged my pursuits. You have shared a bit of yourself with me, and for this I am truly grateful. May each of you have a richly blessed 2008.

I am truly thankful for and inspired by each one of you who take time to stop by my blog, to read my posts, to look at the photos, and to leave comments. I really don't understand why you would, but you do. Each one of you is dear to me and cherished.