December 18, 2014 Gift

Gifts come in many forms and none is greater than Love.

 observing what is written in the Law of the Lord: Every first-born male must be consecrated to the Lord

The New Jerusalem Bible. (1985). (Lk 2:23). New York: Doubleday.

I am the first born of my siblings. I am dedicated to the Lord. He is my refuge, my shield and my sword. His gifts have been many. Though I am not rich, I count my wealth in those who are counted among our friends.

Grab a cup of your favorite beverage and bear with me because this will be a somewhat long post.

It has been over 2 months since my last post. At that time there were some decisions to be made. One of them was to put blogging on hold to take care of personal needs and family needs. In that time there have been many things happening, most of which have been taken care of. Some things still need to be addressed. Jill, my DW, had cataract surgery in October and November. Her risk was higher than normal because she was legally blind without her glasses. She is now 20/20 in both eyes and the surgeon was surprised at how well everything turned out. Her eye doctor was elated and told her it makes him happy to see her results were so good. We know the Lord had a lot to do with that and we praised Him all of the way. There was a lot more going on before all of this but that is for another day.

Several of you were very supportive during a difficult and trying time and I would like to acknowledge that support at this time. Jill and I have been pretty much home bound lately and you have made our days on several occasions with personal emails and cards of encouragement. Thanking you personally has already been done but there are several individuals that have left us honored and humbled. It is very much appreciated and for that I would like to thank you publicly. I know it is not expected but your gift of giving and caring is so special to both of us. 

Mary H has been a blessing in many ways. Early on Mary was an encouragement to both of us. I know she was busy at some of those times but she still paused to encourage us both to do whatever was needed. Thank you Mary. You have been a very special and endearing angel for your gift to us.

Darnell is someone most of you probably know. As busy as she has been, she still found time to email us and send cards of encouragement to Jill. She is a dynamo extraordinaire. With all of your own goings on it is special that you thought of Jill and I and reached out both online and with cards. I think it only appropriate that I share your Christmas card as well.

Bibiana is very special to Jill and I. She is from Columbia, South America now residing in California. She has a heart of gold that is as big as all out doors. She is one of those people who amazes me in more ways than I can express. She has a You Tube site for her tutorials, a French blog, a Latino blog and is on several design teams. Yes, she speaks several languages. To say she is busy is an understatement. With all of this going on, and then some, she still found time to email us and show she cares. I would like to share the Christmas card from Bibiana. As you can see she is talented and then some.

These little gifts were included. 

 

The gift for each of us is so special and endearing to us. 

Em Fairley is an assistant pastor and someone I hold dear. Her kindness and compassion is what makes her very special. What a joy it must be to attend her church. Thank you so much for your card. It is beautiful and will be among my treasures.

I have not had much chance to talk to Em yet but hope to do so in the new year. Thank you for being so special. 

It is not possible to give a shout out to all of those that have shared with Jill and I in this post but I will be giving more shout outs in the future. There are so many special and talented people that have come into our lives. For now, Thank you for understanding.

It is time for an update to the painting. There has been a big improvement since you last saw it. There are a few more days invested all told. I am not sure how many but I would not be far off if I said it was at least 60 to 70 hours off and on. That is a little over an hour a day. Not much considering it is 2.5 months since I last posted. Here is the Update. First the colors Used.

Most of the colors were used by themselves so that when I go back to mixing them I have a better idea what may be running out. Most are finished as stand alone colors. I am sure I missed a spot here and there but they will be done when Most everything is done. Now the painting.

 It does not look like it but there is a LOT left to do. Most of the big stuff is done. Most of the small detail is not visible until enlarged. Very few of the mixed colors have been touched yet. 17 of the colors that need to be mixed are untouched. That should give you an idea  of the work left to do.

I do hope everyone is well and I pray for everyone each night after bible reading. It is hoped that all is well with everyone and all are healthy and ready for the coming celebration of Christ's birth. It is the beginning of the greatest gift we have ever received. May you all be blessed with all that matters in life, health, happiness and love. Of course that includes some of the other fineries and extras as well. GOD bless and remember to LOVE THE DETAILS.