Mark Spruill – Page 34 – Various stuff from the life of J. Mark Spruill

What Happened in Vegas…

Nov 072009

“What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas,” they say. The say it often because they want you to believe it. But it’s not true. I know. I just got back from Vegas where I’ve been doing something I’m not proud of, and this time, it came back with me.

For years I have been going to Las Vegas. I go for a convention. It’s part of my job. This year, it was no different. I went to the convention as usual and found things in Vegas pretty much as they always are. Although the city has a few good qualities, for the most part, it has earned the nickname of which it is so proud: Sin City.

It is a place where immorality is encouraged. Excesses of every kind are the foundation of its success. From the casinos, to the buffet lines, to the lewd shows and legal, advertised prostitution, the city stands as proof that greed and lust are deeply rooted in the heart of mankind. Greed, and lust, and something else which showed its ugly mark in me this time. And it was the prostitution that did it. Continue reading »

My Wife Dressed Me

Misc. 1 Response »

Oct 292009

Ok, I admit. My wife was right. I may never say that again so remember it. She picked out some clothes for me to wear to work today. I wore them and got several complements. And I thought they were out of style. Turns out, she knows style. Or at least she knows what a lady likes to see on a man. My problem is, when I dress myself, I wear what a MAN likes to see on a man. Right? I am a man and I pick what I like to wear. So the moral of the story? If you want to dress for the opposite sex, let the opposite sex pick your clothes.

I suppose there could be some spiritual parallel here about attracting the right people by letting God pick our spiritual wardrobe, or coming out ahead by putting others’ preferences first. But hey, let’s just leave it at that because tomorrow . . . ? I’ll probably dress myself. I can’t always let my wife have it her way, even if it IS what’s best for me.

Your Adversity

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Oct 192009

I saw a blind person in the airport yesterday. She didn’t see me. I was traveling with a couple of heavy bags and a coat. She was negotiating an international airport without sight. It was inspiring.

I think most of us are inspired by others overcoming adversity . . . we just don’t want to be the ones that do the inspiring.

2Cor 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
10 Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. -NKJV

Why Make the Bed?

Consider This, Misc. 3 Responses »

Oct 112009

My wife Tammy has been gone for several days. In her absence, Marshall and I are doing OK. We have cooked and cleaned a little, worked a little, and goofed off a litt . . . er . . . a lot.

Typically, while she is gone, there are certain things that just don’t get done. At least not until the day before her return. The laundry, the floors, the dishes, kitchen counter, and sink. We don’t exactly let them get horrible, but they are not quite up to the standards of a good housekeeper. And the bed? Why make the bed when you are just going to get right back in it when evening rolls around. The bed almost never gets made until the morning of her arrival. Almost, except for today. Continue reading »

I Don’t Love You Because . . .

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Oct 012009

I don’t love you because of the way you look.
I don’t love you because of the things you do.
I don’t love you because of the way you make me feel.
I don’t love you because of something you said, or didn’t say.
I don’t love you because of where you came from in life,
Or because of where you are going.
I don’t love you because of anything . . .
I just love you.

A Mark Spruill interpretation of 1 Corinthians 13.

Drying Out & Cleaning Up

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Sep 272009

Cleaning up after the flood

We’re finally drying out in Atlanta. The flood caused a mess in a lot of basements, including ours. We’ve spent the past week moving furniture, pulling up wet carpet, and drying out floors. There was dirt hiding under the carpet, and some mold hiding under the vinyl in the hallway.

The thing about the mold under the vinyl is, I think it’s been there a long time. It took a flood to finally give us the incentive to pull it up and pour on the bleach. Don’t get me wrong. I regret the flood happened. But, if it hadn’t been for the flood, that old carpet dirt and moldy vinyl would still be on the floor. It might even be making us sick.

The floor is hard and rough looking now. No carpet pad sandwiched between dirt and dog pee. Just plain, cold concrete. Even so, there is something refreshing about it. It is what it is. There’s nothing covered up. Nothing lurking under the surface. And the basement is beginning to smell clean.

Sometimes I think people are like that dirty carpet and moldy vinyl. Washed clean on the outside, but with dirt and goo underneath the surface. Perhaps we should all learn a lesson from my basement. Pull up the mess and get rid of the facade. Stop pretending and come clean. We might see a few rough edges, but I bet the air will be a bit fresher.

The sun is shining

Misc. No Responses »

Sep 242009

Well, no rainbow, but the sun is shining. We have a mess in our basement that needs to be cleaned up. At least we still have a basement . . . and a home . . . and a family. Not everyone in the Atlanta area is so fortunate. The flood came so quickly and unexpectantly. Most of us were not prepared for anything like this. Oh well, if we failed at preparation, maybe we can at least respond well.

Floods

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Sep 222009

It has been raining for days. The basement is flooded. The carpet is ruined, but sooner or later, there has got to be a rainbow.

Collections

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Sep 192009

I went to an estate sale last week-end. It’s not something I would normally do, but my wife wanted to go, and she assured me we could find wonderful treasures there. I think she might have been right, if we had been there a day earlier.

As it was, most of the good stuff was already gone. The things that were left were the kind of things you can find at almost any garage sale. Little machines that grill sandwiches, old radios, drip coffeemakers, and all those “as seen on TV” gadgets that everybody buys and nobody uses.

I made my way down to the basement, hoping to find some overlooked jewel. This was the lair of the man of the house. The man-cave. The retreat from the world. If there was ever any guy stuff of real value, it would have to be lurking in the basement. Continue reading »

Hi Y’all

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Sep 192009

Hey yall. I got fed up with the facebook stuff so I decided to host my on site. I don’t know how much I’ll post here, but if you want to know what’s going on with us, or see pictures from our latest outings, etc. Check here!

FYI, Our latest fun trip was to Cloudland Canyon. Check it out!

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