Barbara Johnson - Splashes Of Joy In The Cesspools Of Life

Splashes
of Joy

in the Cesspools
of Life

Splashes
of Joy

in the Cesspools
of Life

BARBARA JOHNSON

SPLASHES OF JOY IN THE CESSPOOLS OF LIFE

Copyright 1992 by Barbara Johnson. All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form, except for brief quotations in reviews, without written permission from the publisher.

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Scripture quotations used in this book are from the following sources:

The King James Version of the Bible (KJV).

The Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishers.

The New King James Version (NKJV). Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publisher.

The Revised Standard Version of the Bible (RSV), copyrighted 1946, 1952, 1971, 1973 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. Used by permission.

The Living Bible (TLB). Copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois. Used by permission.

The Holy Bible, New Century Version (NCV). Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991 by Word Publishing, Dallas, Texas 75039. Used by permission.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Johnson, Barbara (Barbara E.)

Splashes of joy in the cesspools of life / Barbara Johnson.

p. cm.
ISBN 0849906989 (tp)
ISBN 0849933137 (sc)
1. WomenReligious life. 2. WomenConduct of life. 3. Johnson, Barbara (Barbara E.) I. Title.
BV4527.J62 1992
248.843dc20

9141830

CIP

Printed in the United States of America

05 06 07 08 09 BAN 54321

This book is dedicated to my OLDER and THINNER sister, Janet, who has fondly called me Punk for as long as I can remember. Her best quality is her tender heart. When our kids were small, Janet and I took them to see the movie The Adventures of Tom Sawyer at a drive-in theater. It was much too violent for her. When Toms Aunt Polly thumped him on the head with her thimble for being mischievous, Janet made us leave. But she has always been there for me, as she has for so many others. She cries easily (but always appropriately), and she will surely cry when she reads this excerpt from Carey Martins essay, What Is a Sister? which is especially true for her:

A sister is one of the most precious people in the story of your life. Together, you have shared some of the most special moments two people have ever shared. A sister is a perspective on the past, and shes a million favorite memories that will always last. A sister is a photograph that is one of your most treasured possessions. Shes a note that arrives on a special day, and when theres news to share, shes the first one you want to call. A sister is a reminder of the blessings that come from closeness.

A sister is a confidante and a counselor. Shes a dear and wonderful friend, andin certain wayssomething like a twin. Shes a hand within your hand; shes so often the only one who understands.

What is a sister? Shes someone more special than words; someone beautiful and unique. And in so many ways, there is no one who is loved so dearly.

Other Books by Barbara Johnson

Where Does a Mother Go to Resign?

Fresh Elastic for Stretched-Out Moms

Stick a Geranium in Your Hat and Be Happy

Pack Up Your Gloomees in a Great Big Box,

Then Sit on the Lid and Laugh

Mama, Get the Hammer, There's

a Fly on Papa's Head

Look for the Barbara Johnson Joy Box wherever
Barbara Johnson products are sold.

w

Introduction
Barb, I Need a Splash of Your Joy...

Smile! It Kills Time Between Disasters

How to Lay Down Your Agonies
and Pick Up Your Credentials

We Must Understand That It Is Not
Always Necessary to Understand

Wherever I Go, There I Am

S.D.D.D.D.
(Same Doo-Doo, Different Day)

Laugh and the World Laughs with You...
Cry and You Simply Get Wet!

How Can I Be Over the Hill
When I Never Even Got to the Top?

Motherhood Isnt for Wimps

Oh, Lord, Let My Words Be Tender and Sweet
for Tomorrow I May Have to Eat Them!

We Are Easter People
Living in a Good Friday World

ENCORE ENCORE
Going Up with a Splash

Endnotes

I gratefully extend appreciation and thanks to the many people who have so graciously shared with me the stories, poems, letters, and other materials that appear in this book. You have provided some of the biggest splashes of joy in my life!

Diligent effort has been made to locate the author and copyright ownership of all material quoted in this book. However, because I receive clippings, handwritten notes, church bulletins, etc., from friends and readers all over the world, there often is no way of identifying the original source. Many of the anecdotes and tidbits used in this book are combinations of materials from different sources, and the letters I share have been changed and/or combined so that the writers identities are protected. If any readers know the correct source of the items now designated as Source unknown, I would appreciate hearing from you so corrections can be made in later printings and proper credit can be given.

Special acknowledgment and my sincere thanks also go to the following individuals and companies for these materials:

Ashleigh Brilliant for permission to use Ashleigh Brilliant Pot-Shots and Brilliant Thoughts (Brilliant Enterprises, 117 West Valerio St., Santa Barbara, California 93101).

The Russ Postcard cartoon feature by Dana Summers, included in chapter 1. Used by permission.

Edgar Guests poem, To All Parents, from All in a Lifetime (Freeport, N.Y.: Books for Libraries Press, 1970) is reprinted in chapter 2 with permission of the Ayer Company, Salem, New Hampshire.

Jane Wagners poem, Why Escape? included in chapter 5, is taken from Ten Fun Things to Do Before You Die by Karol Jackowski. Copyright 1989 by Ave Maria Press, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556. All rights reserved. Used with permission of the publisher.

Ernest Lowe has given me permission to reprint his poem about having diabetes. It appears in chapter 5.

The cartoon feature, My Stair Treads Have Started to Wear Out, included in chapter 7, is from Recycled Paper Products, Inc. All rights reserved. Original design by Hadley Robertson. Reprinted by permission.

In chapter 8, the cartoon feature, Children are a great comfort in your old age.... 1989 is by Gretchen Jackson Clasby. Used by permission.

Also in chapter 8, the words (but not the character) in the cartoon feature I try to take just one day at a time.... is borrowed from the book of the same name by Ashleigh Brilliant (Santa Barbara, Calif.: Woodbridge Press, 1987). Used by permission.

Included in chapter 10 is the poem from Tell Me Again, Lord, I Forget by Ruth Harms Calkins 1974. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.