{"id":1972,"date":"2024-12-20T09:31:45","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T09:31:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/KP2\/?p=1972"},"modified":"2024-11-04T21:20:27","modified_gmt":"2024-11-04T21:20:27","slug":"december-20-there-is-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/december-20-there-is-time\/","title":{"rendered":"December 20, &#8220;there is time&#8221;"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"1972\" class=\"elementor elementor-1972\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<section class=\"elementor-section elementor-top-section elementor-element elementor-element-6072ffdd elementor-section-boxed elementor-section-height-default elementor-section-height-default\" data-id=\"6072ffdd\" data-element_type=\"section\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-container elementor-column-gap-default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-column elementor-col-100 elementor-top-column elementor-element elementor-element-485637b2\" data-id=\"485637b2\" data-element_type=\"column\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-wrap elementor-element-populated\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-56136a12 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"56136a12\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n<p>\u201cBut when the time had fully come, God sent His Son born of a woman\u2026\u201d Galatians 4:4<\/p>\n\n<p>Christmas. Just days away. What are your thoughts?\u00a0\u00a0Are you panicked at how quickly the opportunities of preparation are fading?\u00a0\u00a0Are you overwhelmed at how much you need to accomplish at home, at work, or perhaps even at church?\u00a0\u00a0What are your thoughts?\u00a0\u00a0Maybe you have resisted the cultural sway of last-minute preparations, and now you are relaxed, peaceful, and caught up.\u00a0\u00a0But whether you are stressed out or caught up, the question for Christmas still remains: \u201cwhat are your thoughts?\u201d<\/p>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized is-style-default\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1973\" src=\"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/KP2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmas-tree-716x1024.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"331\" height=\"473\" srcset=\"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmas-tree-716x1024.jpeg 716w, https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmas-tree-210x300.jpeg 210w, https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmas-tree-768x1098.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/12\/christmas-tree.jpeg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 331px) 100vw, 331px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<p>Here are some suggested thoughts to fill your mind in the form of questions during these final days before Christmas. There is one question for each day from now until Christmas.\u00a0\u00a0(Apply these questions in the \u201c<em>first person<\/em>.\u201d)\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p><strong>Question #1<\/strong>: Is there someone I have lost connection with and need to seek to restore the relationship?\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Question #2<\/strong>:\u00a0\u00a0Is there a project I have needed to do for or with someone, and procrastination has taken over?\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Question #3<\/strong>: Is my home truly centered on the mission of Christ?\u00a0\u00a0Is there a family alter (figuratively speaking) that gives us time to worship Jesus\u00a0<em>as a family\u00a0<\/em>and focus on His love for the world?\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Question #4<\/strong>: Are there neighbors that I have too often passed by that need a contact, greeting, or an expression of love?\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Question #5<\/strong>: Do I need to rest?\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>These five questions are significant, because unless I miss my guess, most of us will have time to work on all of these this Christmas season.\u00a0\u00a0Below are possible answers to the above questions:<\/p>\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Question #1 \u2013 You will likely spend time with friends and family; take the time necessary to nurture, strengthen, reconnect, or restore relationships.<\/li>\n<li>Question #2 \u2013 Most everyone is given some time off at Christmas; if so, plan at least one afternoon to take care of that project that would be a true blessing to someone in your family.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Question #3 \u2013 Busy schedules interrupt much needed family time together in Scripture reading and prayer; more than likely, all will be together at some point during the holidays.\u00a0\u00a0Plan a \u201cfamily alter\u201d time where you and yours gather for meaningful prayer, scripture reading, and even the singing of some of our most sacred Christmas carols.\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Question #4 \u2013 As you drive in and out of your neighborhood over the next few days, remember that Christmas time is the perfect reason to stop by a neighbor\u2019s house you rarely get to visit.\u00a0\u00a0Drop off a card or a baked good. Or, simply stop by and wish your neighbor a Merry Christmas.\u00a0\u00a0Don\u2019t forget your neighbors.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/li>\n<li>Question #5 \u2013 Rest.\u00a0\u00a0Sit down, grab a blanket, and rest.\u00a0\u00a0But, make it meaningful rest.\u00a0\u00a0Sometimes we view rest as recovery.\u00a0\u00a0Instead, rest for discovery.\u00a0\u00a0Slow down, sit down, and allow your mind and body to be still.\u00a0\u00a0You never know what God may do, or what He may show you when you \u201cstop.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Or, you may never know how much rest you need until you give yourself permission to be still.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<p>As I reconcile my own life with these questions, one significant encouragement from the Bible comes to mind:\u00a0\u00a0<em>redeem the time<\/em>(Ephesians 5:16).\u00a0\u00a0Most scholarship agrees that this exhortation is the simple reminder of making the most of every opportunity.\u00a0\u00a0The original phrase expresses the act of buying back or purchasing, thus giving the idea \u201cto redeem.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>During this time of year, as we are blessed by Jesus having come in the fullness of time (Galatians 4:4, \u201cat just the right time\u201d), allow others to benefit from you redeeming the time \u2013 make the most of the time you have at home and with others this Christmas season.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0This is opportunity!\u00a0\u00a0This is Christmas!\u00a0\u00a0This is Jesus!\u00a0<\/p>\n\n<p>READ<\/p>\n\n<p>Read Ephesians 5:15-21 to rediscover how our lives can make the most of opportunities this season and always!\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cBut when the time had fully come, God sent His Son born of a woman\u2026\u201d Galatians 4:4 Christmas. Just days away. What are your thoughts?\u00a0\u00a0Are you panicked at how quickly the opportunities of preparation are fading?\u00a0\u00a0Are you overwhelmed at how much you need to accomplish at home, at work, or perhaps even at church?\u00a0\u00a0What are &hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"> <a class=\"\" href=\"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/december-20-there-is-time\/\"> <span class=\"screen-reader-text\">December 20, &#8220;there is time&#8221;<\/span> Read More &raquo;<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":1973,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-todays"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1972"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3453,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1972\/revisions\/3453"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1973"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/drkenrpruitt.com\/KP2\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}