Timothy J. Pruitt's Blog, page 409

Alaskan Silver Gray Gold

  They still didn’t know the Pick Axe organization’s objective, so they set their trap. Pin and Carl had the whole town so focused on the gold coins, it was the only thing people thought about.  What they didn’t know was that some times, the pocket which holds the gold, is more valuable than its contents.

From his cabin outside of town, the head of the Pick Axes sat by the fire.  Two of his men had just arrived.  “He’s here boss.”  “Don’t call me boss!  I know who I am, and I don’t want anyone else to know.  You call me Sanders like I told you, or you’ll think Silver’s wolves are puppies compared to me.”

“Yes Sanders, but he’s here, arrived a few minutes before we left.”  Sanders laughed, “They think they’re so smart.  Coins, if I wanted them, I would have them already.  I would like to see the look on Silver’s … Yes, yes I would.  Get me my coat, and four of my best men.  Tell them we leave at midnight, hurry!”

“Sanders, you can’t be serious, why risk it?”  The boss stood and poked the fire out as he talked low. “It’s always good to show a man who’s going to beat him. It’s particularly important, when he’s going to lose everything! Plus, I like irony, I’m going to introduce our Alaskan Silver to the concept of Gray Gold!”  He laughed deeply at his own joke as the fire went cold.

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iPainting Trimming The Tree

 

Merry Christmas from PruittWrites to you with an early Christmas card!

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iPainting A Merry Nashville Christmas

  #PruittWrites wishes everyone a Merry Nashville Christmas today!

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Do It Yourself Christmas Kit

  It was snowing in the North-West Territory, but then it was always snowing here. Or at least it seemed that way to Clara. She had lived here half of her life, after marrying Henry, her Canadian Policeman. Now they were retired, and contemplating moving back home to her beloved New York. Actually, she was doing more than contemplating, she was packing.

Not clothes, but household items, things they wouldn’t need to take with them. Truth be told, Clara was depressed. She needed something to jar her out of it, and wasn’t sure what it was. Henry watched his Wife, he knew exactly what was going on. He just didn’t know how to help her, so he thought he would help her pack.

It was on his first trip to the Garage that he hit on it. It was a box of Christmas lights, tangled and quickly wrapped up. He grabbed a sharpie from his tool belt. “No, that won’t work, it has to be a red one. Oh, wait here it is.” Henry collected an item here and there, and carefully carried his box to Clara.

“What’s this?” “It’s a guaranteed anti depression remedy. Now don’t deny it, you’re missing family. You need something to jar you out of it. We’ll be in New York soon enough, but until then.” He handed her the box.

It had the old line from the Christmas song written on it. “We need a little Christmas, right this very minute.” She opened it, and instantly began to laugh. It was a box of tangled Christmas tree lights, a battery, a small plastic tree, and a Christmas ornament. Inside was a paper tag that read, Do It Yourself Christmas Kit.

She kissed her husband, and they had a cup of coffee. It would have been the last time she thought of it, until her plane ride. Clara shared the sweet memory with the passenger across the aisle. You would have thought it was genius, the lady was so enthused. Just the idea of it seemed to make her happier.

Clara filed that fact away in the back of her head before they got off the plane. The next few weeks were constantly busy, and they loved being near family. Still, Henry knew that something was bothering Clara. “What is it honey? Aren’t you happy that we moved?”

“Oh yes, very, but that’s just it. You and I are happy, but people around here don’t seem as happy as they used to. It seems like everyone is sad, depressed, or in a hurry.” “I guess it’s the way of the world. Everyone could use a little spark to brighten their day.” “A little spark, yes, yes, I think they could.”

With that, she preceded to share with Henry his idea, version 2.0. They would buy some small plastic trees, a battery powered set of miniature lights, and a few tiny ornaments. When they met someone who seemed to need a smile, they would get their address, and send them a little Christmas.

“Aren’t you afraid that someone will think we’re trivializing Christmas? Or that we’re ignoring the real meaning of it?” “No, because we’re going to send them a tag, like yours. On one side, it will say Do It Yourself Christmas Kit. On the other it will say, He traveled far so you wouldn’t be sad, this is a reminder to be happy.”

It was the middle of August, but they started their personal goodwill campaign. They didn’t just stop with family and friends. The store clerk at Macy’s got a kit, the man in the elevator that never smiled got one too.

They had arrived in an election year, so the Mayor and his top rival each received one after the debate. Only theirs had a customized card about letting Brotherly love continue, and the other’s name written on the card. It didn’t stop the campaigning, but it made the next two debates much nicer.

This little enterprise continued sporadically for the next year, until a reporter showed up at their door. Wil Zolman was a good reporter, and a very pessimistic young man. “I traced three boxes back to your address. I know this was you, tell me, what’s your intention? Are you starting a business? Is it a religious message? What do you hope to gain out of this?”

Henry had seen his Wife mad, what husband hadn’t, but he hadn’t seen her this mad in a long time. “Young man, you might want to rephrase that.” She didn’t give him the time to however. Clara was too angry to wait.

“What do I want out of this? Perhaps a world filled with less cynics like you. A place where everyone doesn’t have an angle, where you do something nice period. Let me ask you the same question. What do you get out of being suspicious of everybody you meet? Do you enjoy being miserable?”

The reporter was shocked, he just sat there a minute. After the rush of emotion had fainted, Clara felt bad. She didn’t want to hurt the young man. “I’m sorry, it’s just that this world is so full of misery. When you try to do something good, people think you have a gimmick. Honestly, we just wanted to see people a little happier. I suppose if they know it came from an old couple in Brooklyn, it’ll lose it’s magic.”

Wil still hadn’t moved. Her words had stung him, and he knew why. He was miserable, he had been that way for so long, he missed it when he had a fleeting moment of happiness. It wasn’t that he enjoyed it, just that he was accustomed to it. “Tell you what, if I can have one of those kits to go, no one will ever know.”

Clara smiled, went to the closet, and handed him one. He smiled, thanked them, and went on his way. He stopped in the coffee shop, typed up a very different story, and emailed it. Next, he headed for his next stop.

She hadn’t expected him, they hadn’t dated in over a year. Alda Cox was also a reporter, they had met through the paper, and at first she thought things were going well. The trouble was, a few months into the relationship, Wil seemed to find reasons to push her away.

Eventually she became so frustrated, that she ended the relationship. She’d read his byline from time to time, miss him, and go about her day. For some reason, every one she dated after him, ended near the same way. Either her or they lost interest, and she would think of him in passing.

That didn’t mean that she was happy to see him. Truth be told, she had made it clear every time they ran into each other she was still angry. He didn’t expect this to be easy, he thought he was crazy for trying, but he was tired of being miserable.

Wil knocked on her door. When she answered he placed the brown craft covered box in her hand. “Look, don’t say a word yet. Just listen, but first, can I come in?” Alda stepped back, but just far enough to let him inside the door.

“Christine Parmenter, my girlfriend in college. Actually my fiancé, until she returned the ring with a wedding invitation for her and my replacement. I hadn’t known we were in trouble, there were no signs of it. It’s easier to be suspicious that someone is going to leave you, than to not expect it at all. I know it’s probably too late, but would you like some coffee? At least open the box ok?”

Alda kept a blank stare on her face, he had no idea what she was thinking. She sat the box down, unwrapped it, and pulled out the tiny tree, the battery, the lights, and the ornament. She read the card, and the extra piece of paper that Alda hadn’t told Wil about. It read …

I could be wrong, but I suspect this young man is miserable because of a girl. Whether you are the one that caused the misery, or the victim of her, you’re the one he gave the box too. If he gave you this, he’s asking for another chance. That’s what Christmas is about, God came to Earth to give man a second chance. It couldn’t hurt to follow His example could it?

“You better be glad you’re cute. An I want good coffee, not some cheap place. In fact, I might order steak, just because I feel like it.” Then she smiled at him. The next Wedding invitation wouldn’t be sent out for several months, but both of their names would be on it, and she did order steak, for all five hundred guests.

In case you’re wondering, the article read something like this. ‘While their identity will remain a mystery, two very special people felt that New York needed a little Christmas, right this very minute. She was in too much danger to wait for December winds to blow in smiles and laughter, so they used the mail.’

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The Native: From Their Sins

​ Matthew 1:21

 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.

Many times in translation, because of the difference in language, small words are necessary in English to explain the thought of the Greek or Hebrew. The concept is there, but an and, or the, is added to make the English make sense. This is not the case in this verse.

The word for their in the Greek original is autos, and the definition of it is worth its weight in gold. Much more than a preposition, it contains the concept of a baffling wind. Wind is easily explained, but baffling can mean inexplicable, impossible, and puzzling. When you put the two together, it’s a very specific description of our sins.

Just as people have watched the threat of a hurricane or a tornado on the horizon, the same thing held true with our sinful nature. The only difference was , before Christ, no matter how much warning you had, there was no escape. They were neither out-runnable, or deniable, and prior to Calvary, they most certainly weren’t dis-solvable.

He calmed the storm that was locked in our souls, washed away the stains, and removed the hold they had on us. Tweet This

Yet, Christ came to save His people from their sins. So that inexplicable, impossible grip man’s transgressions had, would no longer hold any power. The God we serve, not only forgave our sins, He separated us from them. Jesus was born so that you and I could be made new.

He calmed the storm that was locked in our souls, washed away the stains, and removed the hold they had on us. The word not only translates their, but both him and her. Jesus came to redeem the world, and to be a Personal Savior.

He cares about us individually just as much as He cares about the Church as a whole. No problem is too small for His attention and nothing is so big as to baffle Him. It may confuse us on our own, but not our Christ.

Sin’s winds may intimidate us, but they hold no terror for Him. The God that rescued us from a destroying wind, spoke to Job in the whirlwind. He took Elijah home in a whirlwind, and empowered the early Church by filling the Upper Room with a Mighty Rushing Wind. Mighty in the Greek indicates violent, wind translates Breath, and Rushing is phero, to carry some burden, or to move one with force or speed.

As our Lead Pastor, Pastor Denny Livingston once preached, He didn’t only carrry something into the Upper Room, He expelled some things. The God we serve is powerful enough to still the winds that rage against our soul, separate us from their power and their practice, and bear whatever burdens we will face in the future.

In this season, we don’t rejoice because of an age old story, we celebrate a very present Savior. The God we worship in Bethlehem, greeted us this morning. He is present above, around, and inside us. We feel Him, we see His work, and know that He is soon to return.

It may confuse us on our own, but not our Christ. Tweet This

If you don’t know Him, I challenge you to bring your past sins, and your present condition to Him. Allow The Lord Jesus to show you why Bethlehem changed everything. If you know Him, don’t allow temporary problems to rob you of the joy of the season. He is in your present season with you, and He will bring you through to the next season, with something greater than you had before.

The gift of Christmas is not complete without the rest of Christ’s life, and it’s not meant to be. As Pastor Livingston preached so wonderfully yesterday, birth is just the beginning. We follow on, no matter how cold the season, or how dark the days, in the warmth of His light.

Jesus saved us to transform us, giving us a whole new life. One that isn’t isolated from the problems of this world, but insulated against them. We face a very real, and very dangerous world, but we face it with a very real, and very formidable God on our side. He matches the wind with a whirlwind. His voice is louder than the waves of the sea. Finally His hand is powerful enough to takes us from Earth to Heaven.  Whatever your their is, He is strong enough to deal with it!

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iPainting: Christmas Hayride

We hope you enjoy our first Christmas iPainting of the season, “Christmas Hayride”.

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Alaskan Silver The Golden Fleece

  Carl Lafayette looked at his head of police, who like his rank, was so much more than he appeared.  “Gold, it’s got to be.”  Pin smiled. “Mayor, this isn’t the old west, there’s no gold shipment coming through.”  

“No, but there is a museum exhibit coming to town.  One of the artifacts is a set of Greek gold coins worth millions.  I’ve tried to down play there value, but they must have found out.”

The Mayor, like any city leader, strongly believed in the future of his city.  To that end, he wanted to improve every area of life.  One of those areas, was the culture of the town.  

The Lafayettes had spent their own money spear heading the foundation of a museum for the city.  The Mayor had arranged a special exhibition to kick off the grand opening.  The star of the show was going to be this Greek artifact collection his family had purchased.  

“It’s supposed to be here next week.”  Pin shook his head. “That can’t be it.  They would just rob the museum, but it does give me an idea.  I don’t believe it’s the reason, but we can use it to, if you’ll pardon the pun, fleece them out.”

Pin outlined his plan to the Mayor.  They were going to announce the value, not hide it.  As far as everyone was concerned, the entire force would be focused on the coins, nothing would seem more important.  

“They’ll think were distracted enough for them to show us what they’re really up to. Then, we’ll strike back, and they won’t know what hit them. The wolves haven’t slept since the attack, they’re going to pay for costing them their sleep.”

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Happy Thanksgiving 2015

  PruittWrites would like to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving from our family to yours, with our original iPainting, “Happy Thanksgiving 2015”!

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Thanksgiving and Pizza

  My first job was in a pizza place, and the night before Thanksgiving was one of the busiest of the year.  Up until then, I never associated pizza with November in any way.  It seemed everyone was so busy cooking tomorrow’s dinner, that no one wanted to make that night’s meal.

Most people were nice, some were not, but we couldn’t allow it to affect our reactions.  When their pizza was boxed up, and they turned to leave, we were smiling at the next person in line. It was more than good business, it’s a wonderful prescription for enjoying this season.

Someone you meet in the next twenty four hours will be either angry, or grouchy. You may not realize it, but rude people lurk around the spice aisle where you buy nutmeg once a year.  You can’t isolate yourself from them, but we can insulate ourselves.

First, find the joy in this time of year for yourself. What about it makes you happy? Once you know, lock that down in your heart. Don’t allow others to steal your happiness these next few days and weeks.

Second, view others, especially the irritable ones, through eyes of compassion.  Their anger, attitude, and actions, could stem from depression, heartache, or loneliness.  Remembering this, will alter your entire view of the man who just snatched the last stalk of celery you needed.  

Lastly, if you find their moods affecting you, watch for it. You’re human, people are going to get on your nerves, don’t let them stay there.  Refuse to allow a momentary interaction to dictate your actions the rest of the day.

Thanksgiving and Christmas and all the other special events of your life, are too important to allow others to ruin them. Mentally box up the few minutes you spent with them, and push it out of your mind.  Then smile at who or what is ahead of you, knowing that you’re happiness is safe behind the counter of your heart.

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Cranberry Sauce

  I bought some this week, cranberry sauce, not the fresh kind, but that jellied, can shaped substance people make fun of.  I always did, until I married my Wife Ashley, she loves it. Now it’s part of our Thanksgiving traditions.  

Before we were married Ashley enjoyed the Macy’s parade, but she had no idea how important it was, until she met me.  Now, it’s something that must not be missed. Such is the case with family traditions, they are pieces of a relationship.

They’re not the relationship, merely things that bring us closer.  Traditions change, as families add members, new ones are created.  Sometimes we try too hard, and make holidays more difficult than they have to be. 

It’s not just about the parade, the food, or even the football game.  Thanksgiving is about being thankful for who God has placed around your table.  They are more important than if the turkey is perfect, or if the mashed potatoes have enough salt.

Making a new tradition means creating a new memory.  It doesn’t have to be big, or elaborate.  The only requirement is that we focus on those we love.  It may be as simple as a can of red goo, but if it’s important to the love of your life, you’ll give it a proper place on your table.

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