About John C. Fitts, III
For a decade, Chaplain John C. Fitts, III has written, compiled and published Grace Drops, a selection of inspirational stories that readers from around the world enjoy on a weekly basis. John first conceived the idea for Grace Drops back when he was serving as a chaplain for Suncoast Hospice in the Tampa Bay area in Florida. Many of the folks John counseled at the time were living, not always happily, in nursing homes and other circumstances that were not exactly ideal. Not surprisingly, John listened to a lot of well-justified complaints. Since he couldn’t do anything to help his elderly friends change where they lived, he wondered what he could do to help them change how they lived. He mused: what if? So he asked a couple of the women he counseled, “What if people approached their concededly imperfect lives by acting toward those around them with grace instead of bitterness?” To his delight, they “got it.” After he saw these folks implement his ideas with great success, John wondered whether he himself could find a way to make his own offerings of grace in the world. It turns out he could – with Grace Drops.
For almost twenty years, John served as a church pastor in Alabama and Florida. But around 1994, he realized that he was particularly drawn to working with people and families struggling with chronic or terminal illnesses. John decided then to make a mid-life career shift from church ministry to ministry in the health care field. Serving as the chaplain for Suncoast Hospice and for a number of Florida hospitals, John felt that he had finally settled in to his true calling. Of course, John was also called for fifteen years to serve as the local representative of Baseball Chapel for the Blue Jays and the Phillies at their spring training grounds in Florida and for the teams’ minor league affiliates in the summers. John remained a health care chaplain until his retirement in 2009.
John lives with his wife, Patty, in Palm Harbor, Florida. He and Patty both love spending time with their family – three grown children and their spouses, and ten remarkable grandchildren. While Patty spends her spare time painting the vividly colorful artworks that appear on the covers of John’s Grace Drops, John finds that he has been called in retirement to yet another new form of daily devotionals – fantasy football.
For almost twenty years, John served as a church pastor in Alabama and Florida. But around 1994, he realized that he was particularly drawn to working with people and families struggling with chronic or terminal illnesses. John decided then to make a mid-life career shift from church ministry to ministry in the health care field. Serving as the chaplain for Suncoast Hospice and for a number of Florida hospitals, John felt that he had finally settled in to his true calling. Of course, John was also called for fifteen years to serve as the local representative of Baseball Chapel for the Blue Jays and the Phillies at their spring training grounds in Florida and for the teams’ minor league affiliates in the summers. John remained a health care chaplain until his retirement in 2009.
John lives with his wife, Patty, in Palm Harbor, Florida. He and Patty both love spending time with their family – three grown children and their spouses, and ten remarkable grandchildren. While Patty spends her spare time painting the vividly colorful artworks that appear on the covers of John’s Grace Drops, John finds that he has been called in retirement to yet another new form of daily devotionals – fantasy football.
Meet Patty Fitts
As you scroll through our site, as we hope you will, if you are like most people you're going to be wondering, "Who painted the stunning artwork for this website?" The answer is: Patty Fitts, an acclaimed artist who happens to be John's wife and lifetime partner.
Patty Fitts remembers fondly her childhood in northern Michigan and her college days at Michigan State University. Her paintings are inspired by the breathtaking views in Michigan, with its quaint cottages, vivid flower gardens, serene harbors and charming lighthouses. Marilyn Mars, formerly of Arts Impact, Tampa, has remarked upon Patty’s “idyllic vistas that invite the viewer into scenes they might wish to visit or remember seeing. Her strength is the poetry she conveys on canvas.”
Patty and John have spent most of their life together in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The lush beauty of these states has inspired Patty’s southern paintings. According to Ms. Mars: “Each of these paintings looks as though they come from the pages of ‘Southern Living’ magazine, along with the sunshine, beautiful scenery, and a magical glow.”
To see more of Patty’s lovely artwork and for pricing and availability, visit Patty’s fine art website. Or visit Patty's Garden Art website to see her latest foray into the world of digital art.
Patty Fitts remembers fondly her childhood in northern Michigan and her college days at Michigan State University. Her paintings are inspired by the breathtaking views in Michigan, with its quaint cottages, vivid flower gardens, serene harbors and charming lighthouses. Marilyn Mars, formerly of Arts Impact, Tampa, has remarked upon Patty’s “idyllic vistas that invite the viewer into scenes they might wish to visit or remember seeing. Her strength is the poetry she conveys on canvas.”
Patty and John have spent most of their life together in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. The lush beauty of these states has inspired Patty’s southern paintings. According to Ms. Mars: “Each of these paintings looks as though they come from the pages of ‘Southern Living’ magazine, along with the sunshine, beautiful scenery, and a magical glow.”
To see more of Patty’s lovely artwork and for pricing and availability, visit Patty’s fine art website. Or visit Patty's Garden Art website to see her latest foray into the world of digital art.
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Any copying or reproducing in part or whole, without consent, is strictly prohibited.
Any copying or reproducing in part or whole, without consent, is strictly prohibited.
