Timothy J. Pruitt's Blog, page 12
July 29, 2023
Sketch William Powell
Happy Birthday William Powell
July 28, 2023
Art Unboxed Benedetto
Artists can inspire people they will never meet. This has been the case for me with a number of them, but there are a few that stand out. This past week as many have seen, one of those was a painter named Anthony Dominick Benedetto, whom we all knew as Tony Bennett. I was a huge fan of his music, and of his paintings, beyond that he helped inspire me to make art of my own.
The irony is I can’t sing, I don’t play an instrument. Yet the fact that this man who could sing incredibly also wanted to draw and paint helped encourage me to do so. When I first started, after years of not drawing, I had a lot to learn. While I still do, I have been blessed to learn a lot. While I’ve written about him before, I would like to share some thoughts on how and why he inspired me to do so.
First I will say that there have been several people who helped me on this art journey. It’s something that has become part of my life, my ministry, and my family. My four year old wants to paint watercolor with his Dad and I love that. What makes it even more special is that my wife Ashley was a major catalyst inspiring me to pick it up again.
So was Tony Bennett, early on I looked at his paintings for inspiration. Somehow I felt if he could do it, I could too. That’s also my first point, don’t just find someone to inspire you to try, let it confirm to you that it is doable.
My second point is that art for Tony wasn’t about an additional revenue stream. While one museum curator put a high figure on his paintings in an interview, that’s not why he started. It was about learning, not achieving. Strive to learn,. None of us will learn everything and that’s part of the joy, to keep learning something along the way.
The third point is use your art to inspire others. There is an arts high school in Astoria founded by Tony Bennett, which does not bare his name. He refused to let them name it after him, but he did get to choose the name of it. It’s named after another painter not famous for his canvases, it is the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts.
Frank Sinatra was a friend, hero, fan, and promoter of Tony Bennett’s, Tony deeply admired him. Sinatra was also a painter himself, and though in art alone the world may know more about Tony Bennett than Sinatra, even in his art Tony gave something back. Something back to Sinatra’s memory, but also added a piece to his legacy.
Every young person who goes through that school may be there because of Tony Bennett, but they will also be attached to the legacy of Sinatra. It’s important to note this because art isn’t about the artist alone. Who we inspire and honor is so much more important than who we are.
In all the interviews I’ve heard about Tony Bennett, I never heard him say that he was a great painter, but I did hear him say how great many of the painters he knew were. Tony Bennett mentioned artists I never would have heard of if he hadn’t spoken about them. I think that’s one of the main reasons I enjoyed him, he was a promoter of others.
In all areas of life including art, the greatest people I’ve ever known spent their time talking about everyone but themselves. As for my favorite piece of Tony Bennett’s art, it wasn’t a painting at all. It was a drawing of clarinetist Jack Mayhew.
This drawing reflected a concept I heard Tony Bennett talk about. He said once about art what you left out was more important than what you put in. In this piece there is enough to be beautiful, but enough left out to be impactful.
Above the drawing, written in uppercase letters is the name JACK MAYHEW, at the bottom simply signed Benedetto. In his actions and his art forms, Tony spelled out others prominently while signing his work with humility. May we all practice that form of art.
With Me In The Winepress – Ephesians 1:4-5
We hope you are enjoying our online Bible study on the book of Ephesians.
Ephesians 1:4-5 (ESV)
4 even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love
5 He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will,
As humans, our nature is to skip things, I wanted to skip verse four and go right to verse five. I’m an adopted parent, and more than ever we are passionate not only about adoption, but how God adopted us all in Him. However you can’t skip the process, it’s the process that helps you appreciate the fulfillment of the promise.
My wife and I waited ten years to have our son, but there was something we didn’t realize about those ten years until after he was born. Waiting isn’t wasted time, nor is it just about getting you willing to wait. It’s not even only about teaching you to wait.
Waiting is sowing, waiting is building, and waiting is an anchor. As an example, when you become a parent, there are hard days, some with little sleep. You deal with the unexpected, but you deal with it all with love and appreciation. You love your child dearly, but you also appreciate even the worst moments, because you remember the moments without them.
Ashley and I remember the tears longing to hold our son. We remember the pain of the quietness. It doesn’t mean we’re perfect, far from it. It doesn’t mean that sometimes a four year old’s shouting at invisible villains isn’t distracting, but it does mean we wouldn’t trade one moment of this precious adventure for anything.
God chose us all, He didn’t plan for us to sin, but like a good parent, He was not going to make robots. Again like a good parent, He had a plan B. If man made the wrong choice, He would rescue them, but He would do through the vehicle of time. This wasn’t too make man sit in time out, God doesn’t need time to correct, He took time to have mercy.
Verse four is about so much, but part of it is that the time between Eve’s promise and Emmanuel God With Us was preparing the field. Each moment of Abraham’s life and so many others wasn’t just about them. It was about those who would follow on this journey, and need to experience what happens in the waiting.
As our Pastor, Pastor Denny Livingston said so beautifully recently, in the waiting David killed a bear and a lion to help to prepare him to face Goliath. It wasn’t the preparation of physical strength, but of understanding God’s faithfulness, His protection for His people, knowing that the battle was God’s, not David’s.
David knew if it’s God’s battle, He wasn’t called to defeat Goliath, David was only called to resist Goliath. David resisted by showing Goliath someone will stand against you, but God will fight you. We must remember this in our spiritual battles. God calls us to stand against the enemy, not to gain the victory. The battle is not ours, it’s The Lord’s.
Waiting feels horrible while you are waiting, many times because we don’t understand that waiting is active, not passive. While we should be working while waiting, I’m not referring in this case to what we are doing, but what He is doing. The best way I know to describe it is with our own situation.
Before we were able to adopt our son, in the middle of surgeries and poly cystic ovarian syndrome, we were foster parents for six months for our nieces. My wife’s brother and sister in law were fighting some things and we were there to watch their kids until things straightened somewhat.
We didn’t just learn how to take care of babies, we didn’t just learn how to let go and accept God’s Will. I’ve written about that part previously, but God was building a storehouse of experiences, memories, and understanding inside us. Storehouses that we would pull from often as Nick’s parents, in our testimonies, and in ministering to others.
None of these things were what we did, all of them were what He was doing in us. You can’t skip verse four to get to verse five. If you don’t experience four, you’ll never get to five. Four is about He chose us. Five is about God’s determination.
God purposed to rescue us, and would let nothing stop Him. The flood didn’t change His plans, the enemy’s kingdom building attempts didn’t affect God’s position or His decision. Abram’s impatience, Isaac’s shortsightedness, and Jacob’s failings couldn’t alter God’s plan.
We can refuse to be a part of His mercy, but we will never stop His mercy! As another verse says it so well, why would we neglect so great a Salvation? We have to remember, if He’s determined to rescue man, He will rescue us in our trial when we call on Him.
2 Samuel 15:18-22 (ESV)
18 And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.
19 Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home.
20 You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”
21 But Ittai answered the king, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.”
22 And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him.
The theme of adoption runs throughout Scripture. God adopted Abraham to follow Him, Jacob to trust Him, Moses to represent Him, and Israel to be His people. A harlot named Rahab became an Israelite, and the Mother of Boaz. A Moabite named Ruth became an Israelite and the Great Grandmother of David.
There’s another adopted individual that we don’t talk about much, his name was Ittai. He has fascinated me since I was a young man, partially because we know so little about him. We know he was a warrior, a follower of David, a leader, and that he was a citizen of Gath.
One scholar says his name means With God, another says it means With Me. Either way fits, because God looked at all of us and basically said He went through Calvary so humanity could be “With Me”. With God, that’s what Salvation is about, relationship.
2 Peter 1:8 (KJV)
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I have never seen a soul fall who’s number one desire was to be “With God”. I have seen them conquer adversity, sickness, lethargy, rejection, mistakes, sins, failures, and successes to be “With God”. I can see Bishop David Rowell in my mind singing, “I’ll let nothing separate me from His Love.”
We don’t know much about Ittai’s early life. We don’t know when he chose to follow David and Israel, but we know he did choose. At some point he realized that God and The Man Of God were more important than his traditions, heritage, and family history. We don’t know how his life began, but we know he made his life count.
This Philistine became one of the leaders, not only of the Philistine guards of David, but of the entire Israeli army. This man who’s name meant either With Me or With God was with both God and The Man Of God. David’s name by the way means beloved. When you choose to follow God, you stand both with Him and His Church.
To choose God is to choose His people, it’s not an either or situation. When you are adopted into God’s family, you are part of His family, and the Church is the Bride of Christ. One commentator supposes that it’s possible that Ittai died fighting for Israel. Like Abraham, this Philistine saw a city Who’s foundations were much greater than Gath.
As for Gath, scholars tell us it means the wine press. Far greater men than me have written about the wine press, but I will mention it’s where David found both Goliath, and Ittai. Scholars also say that the Gittith mentioned in the headings of Psalm eight, eighty-one, and eighty-four is a musical instrument from Gath.
They believe it to be one brought back by David, possibly from the time he spent with Achish. David had more than a passing history with this particular city of the Philistines. It’s fascinating but not accidental that The Lord so connected Gath with David’s life.
1 Chronicles 18:17 (KJV)
17 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada was over the Cherethites and the Pelethites; and the sons of David were chief about the king.
Ephesians 2:12 (KJV)
12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
The Cherethites and the Pelethites, David’s body guards, were most likely Philistine mercenaries loyal to David. These men’s children and descendants became part of Israel all because of David. David means beloved, and how many of us foreigners and strangers became part of God’s kingdom because of The Son Of David?
I’m getting ahead of myself but I can’t help but remind you of Epehsians 2:12 at this point. However this also leads us back to chapter one and to verse five. It was The Beloved God of the universe Who predestined that there would be a Church, adopted by Christ to Himself according to the good pleasure of His will.
There is literally so much in this verse that it could be a book in and of itself. First let us deal with the word predestined. There are those who teach a doctrine of predestination which I won’t outline here. While not wishing to offend anyone, I won’t do this because I don’t believe that is what He was saying.
Revelation 22:17 (KJV)
17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Hebrews 7:25 (KJV)
25 Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 10:38-39 (KJV)
38 Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him.
39 But we are not of them who draw back unto perdition; but of them that believe to the saving of the soul.
What I will do is share what I have been both taught and believe concerning this word. Simply spoken, I believe that God determined there would be a Church, and He gave every individual the opportunity to choose whether they are a part of it, but there will be a Church.
If we accept Him, and we place our trust in Him, He will enable us to endure unto the end. If we turn our back, then it’s our choice, but if we hold on to Him, hell itself could not separate us from His love.
If it wasn’t possible to leave the writer of Hebrews whom I believe to be Paul, also the writer of Ephesians, wouldn’t have mentioned it. However he did say we don’t have to leave or to fail if we hold on to Jesus. This is my view on predestination, and while I do not claim to be a scholar, I do believe I have the book to back me up.
July 27, 2023
July 26, 2023
Photography Deer Neighbor
So this happened in our neighborhood today
CTL University
I can’t remember for sure whose idea it was, probably Mom and Dad, but I am forever grateful. When I was a young child someone pointed me to read encyclopedias when I was bored. I’m in my forties so this was before we had online encyclopedias which I use today. This sparked a lifelong desire to learn.
Today, we also have access to online videos whether you’re talking about YouTube, Instagram, Tik Tok, or the next viable platform. Regardless of which, we all can learn so many valuable things. From cooking, painting, to home improvements, I’ve learned so much from these online resources.
The writer Zig Ziglar used to promote learning through audio learning while driving. Audio books are a massive resource no matter the format. The important thing in all of these is the pursuit of learning.
I’ve also been blessed to know people who are brilliant in so many areas. Men and women who are willing to share their knowledge with others. Whether talking about books, ebooks, or relationships all are part of CTL or Continuing To Learn University.
Often we make the mistake that learning is about improving our intelligence, it’s not. Intelligence is defined as the ability to receive or infer information. Everyone is intelligent, learning isn’t about improving your brain. It’s about bettering your knowledge.
It’s not simply the act of knowing more, but knowing more so that you can better an area of your life. Learning facts just to know them may win a trivia contest. Learning the right facts can help both you and others win.
Learning is about value, knowing something that helps you to add value to yourself in others. Regardless of what you are wanting to learn, or how challenging, I would encourage you keep learning something.
We can’t know everything, nor should we, but we can all learn more about something. While I’d love to add a Bachelor’s Degree to my Associate’s, time and finances would not permit that, but I do have time to read, watch, and listen.
In our modern world, the obstacles to learning are much easier to overcome than even five years ago. Each of us has the capacity to learn, and to keep learning. The only thing stopping us from enrolling is our mindset.
