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!

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!

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?

A Tribute to my Dad

Father's Day is just around the corner. Last night my dear, sweet, almost-like-a-daughter, friend Amanda posted a tribute to her father who passed away a couple of years ago from cancer. It touched me so deeply, it was an hour before I was emotionally stable again. I was reminded of how blessed I am to still have my own father on this earth with me and it inspired me to write my own tribute while he can hear it with this world's ears. So, taking my cues from Amanda, this is for you Daddy...

It's silly what specific things you remember from your childhood. I remember the time a snake was in the mud puddle between the house and barn. Being the hero that you are, you swiftly killed that creature and calmed my hysteria so I could get back to the house. I remember you letting us ride in the scoop of the tractor while we looked for baby calves in the pasture, even though I'm sure you could have probably done it much quicker without us. I remember you smoking the occasional cigar and letting us kids blow out the match, an event we would fight over like it was some major accomplishment. I remember making gravy thickening for the coleslaw dressing because it was the only recipe I could recall and how you ate it anyway, telling me it wasn't that bad. I remember helping to innoculate the soy beans before you planted them, sitting in the truck waiting for you to come back around the field and fill up the planter. I remember you coming in after dark, covered in dirt, eating the dinner we saved for you. I remember seeing you reading your Bible every night before you went to bed and watching you stand at the communion table at church and pray.

Although I don't remember ever being awake for it, I am told that you came in every morning before milking to check on us and cover us up. Although I rarely ever spoke with you on the phone after I went to college, I am told that it was you who insisted Mom call to see how I was doing. These things are so indicitive of who you are--always in the background, working hard, loving deeply but never loudly, the personification of quiet strength.

You have taught me the proper work ethic--always give 110% without asking for recognition. You have taught me that relying on God for our every need is not an option, it is a way of life. You have taught me that to love the Lord and live for Him does not always have to be an emotionally charged response. It can be a steady, humble, faithful walk that never waivers even during times of difficulty. I would not be the woman I am today were it not for your daily example of Jesus inspired meekness.

I know there is a great possibility we will be separated physically some time in the future but I know that should you go to Heaven before me, you will save me a place at the feet of Jesus where together we can spend eternity praising Him. I love you Daddy. You are my hero.

Proud to be in the Midwest

Unless you have been living in hole somewhere for the last month, you are aware of the massively destructive weather we've been having here in the Midwest lately. Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri have been hammered with storms that have flooded and/or destroyed thousands of homes. But we Midwesterners have a curious way of dealing with such tragic events. Let me try to explain, even though words really can't do this topic justice.

Since Joplin is geographically close to me, I have had the opportunity to be personally involved in the cleanup after an EF5 tornado left an 8 mile path of rubble in its wake. This particular tornado was unique in that not only was the funnel itself spinning but there were multiple vortexes inside it spinning also. Add to that a relatively slow speed of 30 mph and you have the effect of a garbage disposal, chewing up everything for a good 45 seconds before moving on. Not a leaf left on the trees, some houses literally reduced to splinters, cars crushed and mangled, concrete walls tossed around like styrofoam. And all of this is as far as you can see. Pictures just cannot capture the pit-of-your-stomach feeling you get when you are standing in what used to be someone's home, sifting through debris in a desparate attempt to find something, anything that homeowner could salvage of their previous life. Then after working for hours in the heat and humidity, you look around and realize that what you  accomplished was only a thimbleful of what still needed to be done.

As heart wrenching as all of this was, though, the curious thing was the atmosphere you encountered no matter where you went or who you spoke to. There were people EVERYWHERE; cleaning up, handing out food, offering water, ice, Gatorade, helping people fill out forms, giving free Tetnus shots, unloading truckloads of donations. There was the sound of chain saws, dump trucks, cranes, and surprisingly, laughter. You saw people of all ages, nationalities, and socio-economic levels working together for one goal--to bring hope to someone who had just survived a horrendous experience.

Hope was our primary job. Hope that things can be replaced. Hope that someday things would get back to normal, or at least something close to it. Hope that there would be people to help and we wouldn't stop coming until we were no longer needed. Hope that they were not alone in this tragedy and others were feeling their pain.

This is the mindset of people in the Midwest. Maybe I'm prejudice because I live here but I can't imagine a better place to call home. And the response of the people putting hands and feet to their faith, digging in and giving of their time, money, and resources has to be the closest thing to heaven I've seen in a long time. But probably the most positive thing that can come from these terrible tragedies is that the world is watching. Others are seeing first hand who we are as Christians and what that looks like put into action. A hundred sermons preached by the best pastors in the country could not speak as effectively as what has been witnessed on the now unidentifiable streets of several Midwestern towns. I can say without hesitation that I am proud to be from the Midwest!

Weirdness

I am currently reading Craig Groeschel's book Weird: Because normal isn't working and it has really made me start looking at areas in my life where I look like everyone else. The first subject he addresses is time and the million dollar question is "Do I spend my time like the majority of our population or am I weird?"

Let's take a look at normal first. You get up at the crack of dawn and move some laundry from the washer to the dryer, do some dishes, and get breakfast started. Get the kids up, dressed, and to the breakfast table. Turn on the TV to catch the news and weather. If you are technically addicted (like we talked about in my last blog), you get on the computer to check your facebook, e-mail, twitter, etc. Or maybe you are one of those that gets up at the last minute, shouts at everyone to hurry up, and flies out the door 10 minutes late while the kids eat a pop tart in the car on the way to school. After school, you take the kids to soccer practice, gymnastics, dance lessons, karate sessions or any number of other options that are available for our children these days. You drive through McDonald's, Taco Bell, or Wendy's on your way home, eat half of it in the car and the other half at home in front of the TV. Then it's time for homework, baths, and possibly more TV. You drop into bed at 11:00 or later, exhausted from the day.

Now, let's look at wierdness for a minute. You get up at the crack of dawn because that is the only time that the house is quiet enough to spend some alone time with the Lord. The routine is basically the same but without the stress, screaming, or rushing. You spend your day at work or at home being productive and looking for opportunities to share Jesus with whoever you meet. You always have a smile on your face and an encouraging word on your lips. The kids come home from school and go immediately to finish their homework without whining or complaining, then race outside to run and play until dinner time. You have dinner on the table at an appropriate time, there is stimulating conversation from everyone in the family, followed by group games or story reading before baths and bedtime. When all is quiet in the house again, you spend time reading the latest inspirational book while taking notes on how to apply it to your life. You slip into bed at 10:00, ready to face another day.

Okay, I know what you're thinking...be serious!! That never happens! You're right--that's why it's weird. But could it happen? I believe at least parts of it could. Or at least I could move toward making parts of it happen. And actually I know families that look very close to this weird model so it really can be done.

The book talks about a lot of other areas where weirdness can exist. It is making me more aware of my areas that don't really look any different than anyone else in the world. I've decided to make a concerted effort to look "weirder." How do you look?

Techno addictions

Wow, it seems like forever since I updated this blog. This is a really busy time of year for a principal but it won't be long before silence will take over these halls and I'll start wondering how long before my kiddos come back!

I want to take this opportunity to talk about this addiction we seem to have to our technological gadgets. John and I went to the movies the other night and after we found our seats, we pulled out my iphone and began to play Scrabble on it together. This is something we have taken up doing whenever we have several minutes to kill. It is a great way to keep our minds sharp--that's important you know, for us older people to do!

This particular night though, I looked around as I was waiting for John to play and noticed that about 75% of the theater goers had out a phone and were playing games, surfing the internet, checking their e-mail, etc. It occurred to me at that moment that we have become a generation that doesn't know how to wait. There is no such thing as just sitting and doing nothing in our world today.

We recently drove to Myrtle Beach for a family reunion and, in preparation, I packed a big canvas bag full of novels, puzzle books, movies, etc. to give me endless hours of things to do while riding. I found myself just sitting and watching the scenery but feeling terribly guilty for neglecting all that great stuff I brought to do! The idea of just doing nothing was such a foreign concept but after a few minutes I relaxed and just enjoyed myself. Since there were four of us in the car and no one liked the same kind of music, we didn't even have the radio on. Of course, I had my earbuds at the ready should I need to fill that void but slowly I began to embrace the silence instead of dreading it.

Is it any wonder that I often whine about how I wish God would just tell me what His will is when I'm so rarely ever quiet enough to hear Him? Oh, I have my hour or so in the mornings when I do my quiet time but what if He wants to talk to me at some other time besides 5:00 in the morning? What if I turned off my radio in the car on my drive to work? What if I left the television off when I get home instead of watching the news? What if I didn't spend every minute of my "waiting" time texting, facebooking, playing games, or some other socially acceptable preoccupation.

I'm not saying that music, TV, reading, or games are bad things. Those are some of my favorite ways to unplug my brain from the issues I have to deal with. What I am saying is that I am going to look for more times to just sit, quietly, and listen better. Maybe spend more time swinging in my hammock. Now if I could just get it to STOP RAINING!