Today I have decided to act on courage and write.
I have been blessed to enjoy first-hand experience with the family history of my great grandparents, Joseph E. and Mary Josephine Dolezal, and believe that am being called to share my family history story with my relatives. My response to the "call" is to write a book on family history. The title of the book, "The Bohemian Outfit", seems to best fit the legacy of our family and the sub-title, It's All About the Land, seems to best describe the key values of family legacy. So, the targeted "audience" for the book is the kin of Joseph E. and Mary Josephine Dolezal. The purpose of the book is to a particular sense of self for individual members of our family and strengthen the family bond we share going forward. The content of this book is not necessarily true. It is based on my interpretation of various facts (from various government agency documents), from stories relayed to me by other family members, and from first-hand interaction and conversation with Joseph E. Dolezal, George W. Dolezal (my grandfather), Jack A. Dolezal (my uncle), James R. Dolezal (my father), Irene Dolezal (my great aunt), and various other relatives. The primary character is Joseph Edward Dolezal (my paternal great grandfather). The content is structured into various "Chapters". Possible Chapter Titles: - The "Beginnings" - life in Dzbanov and the travel to America - Oxford Junction, Iowa - waiting to homestead in Nebraska - Pleasant Hill, Nebraska - Education Will Be Important - Valparaiso Business Institute - The "Bohemian Outfit" - 1889 Oklahoma Land Run - A true "Sooner" - Waiting (including jail time) for the next Run (1893 Cherokee Strip Land Run) - Staked a claim on the "wrong side of the tracks" - Blacksmith, County Clerk, Noble County Abstract - Planning for passing "fair" inheritance - I am going out to live on the farm and momma stays in town - Farming 640 acres all alone
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I have a story to share and have a strong felt need to share it in writing.
The roadblock seems to be I feel inadequate about writing. Perhaps the targeted audience is a factor. Perhaps my way of thinking (which is in terms of the world of possibilities) is a factor. Regardless of the various factors for feeling stymied, I retain hope and resolve for responding to the felt need of writing. I have a story to share and by God's grace it will be shared! According to Merriam-Webster, "Time is the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues : DURATION
: a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future." Reading (and pondering on) the definition generates interesting questions. For example, just what is a "measurable period"? And, just what "condition" must exist for it to be measured as "time"? Oh, and just what is a "nonspatial continuum"? My grandfather had a particular cliche he shared about "time". He would say, "The hours and days can be long but, the years are short and pass quickly." And as I ponder on "time" this morning, this cliche seems to hold some truth. Take a few minutes to reflect on your life, on some of the hours or days that, at the time, seemed to pass slowly and, think of just how quickly the years have passed. I find it interesting to think of how every thing we "do" (including, doing nothing) requires the precious resource of time and of just how limited amount of time we often face. It is also interesting to think about how quickly time seems to pass when we enjoy what we are doing or experiencing and how slowly it seems to pass when we are experiencing difficulty or problems. It seems to me that the concept of "time" is innate and necessary for making sense out of life and living. It also seems to me that some are more consistently conscious about "time" while others are not. I am one of those who seems to be more conscious about time. I am not sure why I am but, I do know that this leads me to hold certain expectations for myself and for others. ' One thing I feel certain about is that "time" is worth pondering on and that God has created us with existence that resides in this "nonspatial continuum" and that we are called to live in the continuum for His Glory! The F4 tornado (with wind of over 200 mph) struck the new home we were having built out on our farm (we were about 2 weeks away from moving in and were living in a small apartment at the back of our new garage at the time). Our home was severely damaged but, by God's grace we were able to track the path of the tornado as it approached and were able to leave our property and drive into town (Perry) to stay at my in-laws' home.
We were not personally harmed but, we lost most of our personal property (which was being stored in a metal building at one of our neighbors while our new home was being finished. The good news is that our builder stayed with us and re-built our new home and we moved into the house in September, 1999. Below is a photo of the tornado (taken by one of the many storm trackers working in the area. My wife and I have been married for 54 years (as of this June 9th) and the love we share grows each day. We are thankful that God has blessed our marriage union and it is for God's glory! One of the simple ways my wife shows her love for me is by bringing me a cookie or other "sweet" when she returns home from club meetings or other activities that have sweets available. Given my "sweet tooth" desire, I am blessed with my "sweet wife" and her simple gesture of love! A few years ago, my wife (a Master Gardener) suggested we grow Crossvine in place of the Trumpet Vine we had on an arbor in front of our house. The Trumpet Vine, while attractive, was quite invasive.
Now that our Crossvine is in full bloom, it turned out to be a fantastic idea. Thanks, Mary Louise, for your gift for gardening! Here at Bittersweet Ranch we are blessed with opportunity to enjoy beautiful sunrises. What a simple but powerful sign and reminder for us to let our lives shine!
"We are called to embrace a cruciform life, in which the cross doesn't simply teach us that Christ has died, but teaches us how to live."
For some reason (being human, I presume) I have a tendency to expect each day to be free of worry or of the need to “carry a cross”. Richard J. Neuhaus, in his book, "Death on a Friday afternoon, suggests, "The way of the Christian life is cruciform. Jesus did not suffer and die in order that we need not suffer and die, but in order that our suffering and death might be joined to his redemptive victory. The Christian way is not one of avoidance but of participation in the suffering of Christ.” So, my tendency to expect freedom of worry, freedom of suffering, and freedom from having to bear my cross is “un-real”. For me to keep this expectation is waste and worthless. Lord, please keep me reminded that my sufferings are to participate in your suffering and that my death connected to your death. This is the way of discipleship and the way I want to travel. I need you with me and I need you to be my Sheppard. AMEN! We are blessed to live out in the country where we can enjoy the fresh air, the beauty of nature, and many refreshing sunrises.
Each day we have opportunity to enjoy a "Breath of Freshness" for living! Take a few seconds to ponder on and pray the following prayer:
Thankful For Today We thank you God, for creating the world and for preserving it until now. We thank you for the regular return of day and night, and of the seasons, and for the dependability of nature and of time. We thank you for memory, which enables us to build on the experiences of the past; for imagination, which admits us to a wider world than we could otherwise know; and for foresight by which we plan for the future. We thank you for your patience with us in our failings; for friends and family with whom we can celebrate our successes; and for those closest to us who support us in our times of need. Bless those who are unable to be with us this day, and those who have gone before us in faith. We ask this in your name. - Author Unknown |
AuthorJohn Dolezal is a seeker of God through pondering with prayer. ArchivesCategories |