Looking back at our lives as we raised our two adopted children, Beth Ann and Shawn Eric is uniquely possible because of a journal. Actually my wife began by calling it a diary but later decided the word journal described it more accurately. The following material should be viewed as excerpts from my wife’s journal but I will use a quotation mark for the sake of identifying a beginning. Bill, The Wordwright, copied the text from my wife’s hand-written records. We were late getting our family started, at age 33, when some couples were close to ten years into raising a family by this time. Jean has always been historians at heart so all activities and circumstances of being new parents were sufficient impetus for beginning a journal.

Those who keep journals know the incidental values derived from such records and the reason now for putting pen to paper (but with a keyboard and monitor being the tools instead) was because of a recent casual reviewing of these records. It is hoped those who read this will find it not only interesting but also hopefully inspiring or no less than encouraging as you read Jean’s Family Journal:

“Friday, October 6, 1967 --- Tonight I start my diary. The children were both good today. Beth skipped her nap. Shawn slept 3-1/2 hours. [Thus “Page 1 began in the year 1967. To put your mind at ease, only fragments of four decades will appear here but in these few paragraphs you can get a mental picture of how life was for this couple that, because of life’s circumstances, had to wait fifteen years to start their family. Jean’s journal was not a genuine daily writing but believe me, there were few blanks and the absence of days in this presentation is not representative of this busy mother’s journal.]

[Months pass but not without writing in her journal]

Tuesday, August 27, 1968 --- … A bountiful harvest has started to arrive at our house. I have spent a good amount of time in the kitchen. Thanks to our air conditioner, I didn’t have to suffer over the hot stove. It all started with the gift of a bushel of green beans from the Rowland’s. I canned 21 quarts and had plenty to eat besides. We purchased a bushel of peaches (Golden Jubilee at $5 a bushel) so I canned 21 quarts and made 10 pints of peach preserves. No sooner than I finished those, Mother called asking if I wanted some cucumbers. Of course I said yes and got about 3/4th of a bushel. I made pickles all ways. No two batches were alike. I finished up with 25 cans [jars]. Then came tomatoes from my Uncle Otto. Nice large ones and quite tasty. I canned 21 quarts and had an ample amount to eat.

That finished one week. The following Monday a call came wondering if we wanted some beans. So we picked green, waxed and dried limas. I gave the green ones to Mother and canned 7 quarts of yellow-wax beans plus had a nice supper of them. This afternoon a call came from Bill’s Dad, “Want these grapes out here?” We picked grapes tonight and I’ll make jelly tomorrow.

If things work out I’ll be freezing corn tomorrow [the day after she made jelly] – The corn was 30 cents a dozen and picked up by a friend who brought it to us. “What a blessing this all will be next winter, YUM YUM!”

Thursday, September 5, 1968 --- The corn arrived. I froze 18 pints and we consumed about 2-dozen of the ten dozen ears I bought. September has arrived and school starts [next] Wednesday. Gee, where has the summer gone?

[More months and years pass but Jean writes on….]

Wednesday, July 7, 1971 --- I took my driving test and failed. I was so disappointed. I still can’t believe my driving was quite as bad as he [the officer] claimed. Next week I’m going back and try again. That tester was sure a strict regimented fellow. Made me feel I was in the Army or something. He gave orders with absolutely no ‘extra talk’, not even a ‘Hello’. I felt like I wanted to go off by myself and think, or join the Amish clan and go back to a horse and buggy. It’s been four days and I still feel shook, plus nervous thinking I have to go back again. Made me lose all confidence in myself. [Jean was 39 years old and had never driven a car.]

[Days go by, but not without a record.]

I have picked a good many green beans from the two rows along the north fence. Last week I planted more beans in the garden east from the bedroom window and just a few days ago I planted even more beans. The sunflowers, huckleberries and zucchinis are growing vigorously. Those zucchinis are especially interesting for they have grown so large. I put the rotted leaves on my strawberries, and then watered them well last Monday. Now the ever-bearing ones are starting to bloom again. I enjoy my gardening even though it’s scattered about the yard. It affords me a means of relaxation plus an outlet for tensions. The apple trees are growing well now that they were trimmed this spring. I have all leaves though and very few apples. The Yellow Delicious, the worst looking tree in the beginning is the only one with any amount of apples on it. The red delicious that was covered with apples now has 3 on it and the Jonathan has none. Real disappointing after the good start they made. The peach trees are both loaded and hopefully we’ll get to reap the harvest. My pear tree out front has one pear on the very top.

Wednesday, July 14, 1971 --- I took my driving test again and passed with a 95. Five points off for “slow start-up at the light”. [Don’t remember having a victory party for Jean but she deserved it!] This is the end of excerpts from Jean’s Journal.

Well, does it sound like Mrs.Wordwright ever have much time to feel sorry for her self? Our lives were very busy in those years when we adopted our two children, tried to start a printing business and keep our heads “above the water” – money was not plentiful but somehow we made it. We know how we made it – our Heavenly Father watched over us and nothing stood in our way but what God knew about and it was strength of His doing that made it all work out. We soon discovered that the “new business” was not worth the cost we were paying to make it go – our family meant more than birthing that business so I decided to find a better way to earn a living. That’s when I entered the publishing field to work for the Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company. It was one of the best jobs I ever had.

THE WORDWRIGHT

Posted by Bill Venrick at 9:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

"What book is that?" you say; well, some would immediately think I might be referring to the Bible. Well, that would be fine because to hundreds of thousands the Bible is THE BOOK and the Best Seller list always includes the Bible. One author who gets a lot of my attention believes there are three books of God’s self-disclosure. Whether everyone agrees with such an interpretation doesn’t matter but it is an interesting concept, and technically I think there are some good points to consider.

The book of Psalms sheds this light: "The heavens declare the glory of God; and … showeth his handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech and night unto night show knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." Psalm 19:1-3
The book of Proverbs has an interesting thought: "…I will make known my words to you." Proverbs 1:23c
The book of Romans gives us this thought: "They are therefore without excuse." Romans 1:20
The book of Acts records: "He did not leave you without evidence of himself." Acts 14:17
It must be kept in mind that the printed Bible as we know it was NOT the resources or references in the minds of the
writers of these Scriptures.

People who have never found it enticing or needful to read the Bible are not without information nor have the truths of life been hidden or kept from them. Assuredly there is The Bible which we can list as one of those three books; and according to Leroy Garrett the other two books are: the book of nature and the book of human nature. The above four selections from the Bible makes it quite plain that somehow, without our awareness, God speaks to us—through some vehicle.
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We have grown so used to having a copy of the Bible in our homes, and many could easily have numerous copies because of the many recent versions published within the past several decades. But what about the people before the printing press was invented? The printing press was a virtual educational machine but before the sixteenth century it is safe to say, for all intents and purposes, the Bible was a private book because the hand written copies of the Bible were "at the church" and were far too expensive for individuals to own, and even if they owned one, illiteracy prevented them from being able to read. When the Bible was printed by Gutenberg it introduced a time when just being able to read was a virtual proof of innocence—even if you could only read a verse or two from the Bible!

If a person never "cracks open a Bible" does that free them of the truths of that Book? If a person never reads the Bible does that mean they do not know God? What do we see when we observe people? We see a mind at work – one person might be obviously set on a purpose to do something or go somewhere. Perhaps we can see an obvious fact of their lives: Is there something about them that tells what they’re thinking? How a person dresses might suggest that adornments or apparel are due to peer pressure. Their physical appearance–well groomed or (too) casual? Today tattoos might give us a peek into their minds–does a tattoo "say something" as to their philosophy of Life? The saying of Mark Twain might fit here: "Clothes make the man, naked people have little or no influence on society."

One thing for sure, God has not left us to wander and wonder what is good and acceptable. Watch others. Look at the animals (you don’t have to be Dr. Doolittle to watch the animals, or even talk to the animals). Do you see traits of the male gender of animals that are similar to the human males? Do you see kindness in others or does their walk show arrogance, conceit, confusion, rebellion or perhaps even bitterness?

Whatever you think of Leroy Garrett’s thoughts about Three Books, be sure there are "books" out there; in fact we are a book that others see and read. What does our life tell others about us? Here is the link to Leroy Garrett’s Web Page where his essay appears. http://www.leroygarrett.org/soldieron/number01.htm

THE WORDWRIGHT

Posted by Bill Venrick at 8:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hardly a day goes by but this shortcut phrase is spoken and immediately the hearer translates the shortcut data as "twenty-four hours, seven days a week". Our society is pretty hip on such phrases or special dates to pigeon hole events. Columbus, 1492. The War of 1812. The Civil War (1861-1865). World Wars I and II. Those in the military detail such history in their own phrases. Nine-Eleven is the shortcut term we use to identify another atrocity committed against our country.

Such expressions might be termed "buzz words". Shortcuts can honestly be advantageous if the economy of words is essential or time is limited and the ways to do the job or duty in less time and such savings in procedures produce the desired results. In the military, the response, "Roger" was a short cut for an "affirmative" in radio communications. However, when it comes to communication, how much time do we really need to save by shortening otherwise descriptive and definitive words or phrases? On the light side, two love-birds never seem to be able to cut off their lengthy telephone conversations without saying "I love you" repeatedly – but ain’t love grand?

Shortcuts might be OK if we were so limited with time or space but it seems merely like buzz words rather than an economy of conversation. Are we in that big of a hurry? Is there something really so urgent we can’t take the extra seconds to express full thoughts or are we just trying to be hip or cool? Shortened phrases are even heard at church; youth devotions are now "devos", boy, didn’t we need to save those tenths of a second to spit out a word that sounds more like the fast-pace world spinning around. Ever hear the word "Scrips"? No it is not the Scripture but an abbreviated buzz word for prescriptions.

"With this ring, I thee endow and promise to…" Cut the chatter – "Twist it on – let’s move along." Saved four words! But somehow the sacredness and sincerity is just not there. OK, OK, maybe we could find a few new words but every contact in the day does not have to match speed reading.

THE WORDWRIGHT

Posted by Bill Venrick at 1:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)