January 1, 2024

I have apologized time and again to my daughters for the amount of “stuff” they are going to inherit. There is a meme on the internet of a father standing in front of an open storage compartment filled with stuff.  He says to his son, “One day, you’re going to inherit all of this”.  The son is not impressed.  Neither will my girls be.  Oh my. 

It could end that I spend every dime of their financial inheritance but for sure, I’m leaving behind my stuff. For example, a great amount of money was spent when I sold a property and bought a lake place and a mountain cabin. Then there was the Homestead property of my parents where we converted our Dad and Mom’s barn into a chapel and continue to work on it.  There are the rental storage areas full of plunder to keep them going and of course, my own personal stuff. They will be shaking their heads and rolling their eyes. Again, I’m sorry.

I’m often reminded of the scripture that warns us not to store up treasures on earth but in heaven. That is going to be my new years resolution.  I’m going to downsize and focus more on heavenly treasures but I can’t imagine I’ll get rid of that much to begin. 

I am guilty of earthly treasure worship but in 2023, there are plans to work on that error.  That won’t involve my journals though.  I won’t part with my fifty- plus handwritten journals but will in fact possibly expand them with spiritual writings of growth and glory.  There are probably more than fifty journals at this writing, but who’s counting. When I die the girls, out of curiosity might begin that task of counting them.  They will be worn out too because for a good many years, a new journal was begun every year and sometimes even two or possibly three.  Again, who’s counting?

So, what would be so interesting that a person would write daily.  Well, in all honesty, there are days I don’t write in my journal.  When I was in a working environment and had a desk it was easy to jot things in a book every day but being retired, the schedule is so up an down, I may not write for a week or so but when a writing happens, it is more of a factual entry of things occurring in real time.

During the pandemic, a Pandemic Journal was kept,  so it will be of interest to pandemic historians.  As a staunch conservative, all of the scare tactics will not be in there but can be compared to the majority of untruths put out by current left news outlets in their pandemic files online.  What a difference they will read. 

While it has been in me to write even as a child, my yearly journal endeavors really began in the 1980’s.  Since photography has also been of importance, all American presidents since Ronald Reagan have been written about and photographed, including the trips and observances.

Highlights in my journals have been the raising of two girls, their lives and events but in between, having witnessed history, I’ve followed, photographed and journaled about Condi Rice, Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich,  the home of Martin Luther King, his children, and gone to the funeral of Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Jacksonville Mayors, American Presidents including Carter, Reagan, Obama and Trump, visited NASA with the famous astronauts and the list goes on, including the visits with Queen Elizabeth II and the Prince and King of England. Ha! 

Today, January 1, a new journal was begun. The old one was put among the others for another day and in “my stuff” for my girls.  “Girls, I’m sorry for all of the stuff” but you’re more valuable to me than all of the folks covered in the journals. I’ve told all about you in those writings so enjoy…

Meanwhile, I’ll keep you posted on my effort to focus on Jesus not stuff.

See you tomorrow,

Nan

“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Matthew 6:19-21