Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Changing the name
Just wanted you all to know that I've changed the name of my blog to "From my Heart to Yours." I decided that what I've been writing about has very little to do with my job and everything to do with what's on my heart, thus the name change. It is still located at principalpruett.blogspot.com. Thanks for reading!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Weirdness Part 2
You may remember I have been reading the book Weird by Craig Groeschel and I did a blog on being weird with your time a few weeks back. The next topic for Pastor Groeschel in his book is weirdness with our money. Now here's a topic the Pruett family can get behind. We have always seemed to have a different approach to how we spend our money. Imagine my delight to find out we can embrace our bizarre attitude! Let me give you some examples...
After leaving a store one time, we discovered they did not charge us for a certain item. We went back in to the store to pay for it. The employees gave us a definite once over as we tried to explain that we were bringing the item back in to pay for it, not to get our money back. Weird.
One of our boys found $20 on a shelf in Best Buy and we made him take it to the front and turn it in. Weird.
My husband found $80 in cash by the door at an outlet store in Branson. He turned it in and got a call 3 months later that no one had claimed it and it was his if he wanted to come get it. Weird.
But it's not just money that is the object of our weirdness. Our attitude toward our possessions has also been labeled as abnormal. We have a flatbed trailer that spends more time on loan than in our driveway. It's not shiny and new anymore but it sure has helped a lot of people.
I remember one time we let a co-worker take our almost new video camera to a family reunion (along with our van to get her whole family there). She was able to video the event, including some footage of her brother-in-law doing some silly impressions. A few weeks after they got back, he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away very soon after. The images taken that weekend became ever so precious to her family.
There are many areas in our lives we need to work more diligently to improve but I really think my family has this one nailed. We have loaned out our tools, our power washer, our compressor, our tiller, our car and even our house. Long ago we determined that what God has been gracious enough to give us, we would share.
"When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God." Eccl. 5:19
Got something you need to borrow? Come on over!
After leaving a store one time, we discovered they did not charge us for a certain item. We went back in to the store to pay for it. The employees gave us a definite once over as we tried to explain that we were bringing the item back in to pay for it, not to get our money back. Weird.
One of our boys found $20 on a shelf in Best Buy and we made him take it to the front and turn it in. Weird.
My husband found $80 in cash by the door at an outlet store in Branson. He turned it in and got a call 3 months later that no one had claimed it and it was his if he wanted to come get it. Weird.
But it's not just money that is the object of our weirdness. Our attitude toward our possessions has also been labeled as abnormal. We have a flatbed trailer that spends more time on loan than in our driveway. It's not shiny and new anymore but it sure has helped a lot of people.
I remember one time we let a co-worker take our almost new video camera to a family reunion (along with our van to get her whole family there). She was able to video the event, including some footage of her brother-in-law doing some silly impressions. A few weeks after they got back, he was diagnosed with cancer and passed away very soon after. The images taken that weekend became ever so precious to her family.
There are many areas in our lives we need to work more diligently to improve but I really think my family has this one nailed. We have loaned out our tools, our power washer, our compressor, our tiller, our car and even our house. Long ago we determined that what God has been gracious enough to give us, we would share.
"When God gives any man wealth and possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in his work--this is a gift of God." Eccl. 5:19
Got something you need to borrow? Come on over!
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Recovery
I just got back from my second trip to Joplin to help with the recovery efforts after the massive tornado that hit there on May 22nd. The first time I was there was two weeks after it happened and one of the things you noticed immediately was that there was not a leaf on any of the trees in the damaged area. Any tree left standing was literally just a bare stick in the ground.
This time I noticed something amazing as we drove into the devastated areas. Little tufts of leaves were growing on probably 90% of the trees. If you can recall your childhood science lessons, you will realize that for the tree to continue to grow, it must have leaves to get it's food but something much more powerful than a scientific explanation occurred to me. Nature immediately kicked in to survival mode after this tragedy and it proceeded to do what it needed to do to continue with life. God created the things of nature with this automatic response to move on past something that threatened their continued growth.
I must say that this response is exactly what I have seen in the people I have come in contact with in Joplin. Their natural reaction has been to do what needed to be done to pick up and move on. Praise the Lord I have not had to deal with such physical devastation in my life so far but it has certainly made me examine my reaction to the things that cause me difficulty.
God has given each of us everything we require to push past our trials and continue on with life. We need only access this strength and power by trusting Him. Sounds simple enough, right? Oh but we are such stubborn creatures at times that we believe we must try to solve all troubles ourselves first, then when all else fails, call on the Lord.
The trees in Joplin didn't have to think about their recovery. They just did what God created them to do. Should we be any different?
This time I noticed something amazing as we drove into the devastated areas. Little tufts of leaves were growing on probably 90% of the trees. If you can recall your childhood science lessons, you will realize that for the tree to continue to grow, it must have leaves to get it's food but something much more powerful than a scientific explanation occurred to me. Nature immediately kicked in to survival mode after this tragedy and it proceeded to do what it needed to do to continue with life. God created the things of nature with this automatic response to move on past something that threatened their continued growth.I must say that this response is exactly what I have seen in the people I have come in contact with in Joplin. Their natural reaction has been to do what needed to be done to pick up and move on. Praise the Lord I have not had to deal with such physical devastation in my life so far but it has certainly made me examine my reaction to the things that cause me difficulty.
God has given each of us everything we require to push past our trials and continue on with life. We need only access this strength and power by trusting Him. Sounds simple enough, right? Oh but we are such stubborn creatures at times that we believe we must try to solve all troubles ourselves first, then when all else fails, call on the Lord.
The trees in Joplin didn't have to think about their recovery. They just did what God created them to do. Should we be any different?
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