Books
"…'Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow' is a factual book that
reads like great fiction… Written in a warm, informal style, the book
reads almost like talking to an old friend. It will pull you in and
compel you to find out what happens next to this courageous
woman…"
--Mary Connealy, Lyons Mirror-Sun
Excerpts from “Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow: Overcoming Adversities in Life.” By Janet Eckles
Chapter 15
“…Evenings were the worst. Rather than being a relaxing time at the end of the day, Gene and I would be forced to face and discuss the next step to take in order to survive this ordeal.
I would wait nervously, dreading what Gene would read to me. The IRS rejected once again our plea for more reasonable payment plans. This government entity was to me a merciless tyrant. It was holding us prisoners behind imaginary bars of relentless force.
They were meticulous about making sure that they had access to all our funds. This included the income tax refund, which was seized to add to the payments we owed. It seemed as if all our personal finances were property of the government. We no longer had any say regarding the handling of our funds.
Everything had to be accounted for, from the dry-cleaning bills to the tuition we paid for our sons; it was all information that had to be scrutinized by the IRS agent assigned to us at that time.”
[Our angst continued but so did our commitment to tithe. Months dragged by until Gene received a call from a potential employer. They not only offered him a position, but the level was higher than he had applied for, and the salary was incredibly more than we dreamed. In one year, we paid off the full debt to the IRS and to those family members who helped us.]
Chapter 5. My World Closing In
Page 49
…My way to find anything around the house was and still is to feel with my hands. When our youngest son Joe was four, he had the ability to express himself very well. He often managed to have an explanation for everything. I overheard him once explain to his friends that his Mom had eyes at the end of her fingers because that’s how she sees.
Those “eyes” that Joe told his friends I had at the end of my fingers did not work too well all the time. Ironing was another physically painful chore at first. It took only one time to burn my hand before I decided to reach for the hot iron by following the electric cord leading up to it. This way I was sure to find the handle rather than the hot iron itself. Doing the laundry was not difficult, but separating the white clothing from the others certainly was. As a result I had a higher level of appreciation for Gene’s patience, as he never complained about wearing pink underwear!…
Chapter 7. Come Into My Bedroom...
Page 63
…He came home from work one evening and, with a cold and indifferent tone, not at all typical for him, informed me that we needed to take a ride. His demeanor was more silent than usual. I got ready quickly, putting on my bright red sweater and off-white corduroy pants. I don’t know why, but the details of the clothing I wear in moments in which I face intense emotion are vividly engraved in the depths of my memory. I proceeded to comb my hair quickly and joined him as he silently walked me to the car. He opened the door; I slipped into the passenger’s seat. Clueless about what he wanted to talk about, I clicked on my seat belt. He started the car and we rode silently as the car took us out of our neighborhood without any specific destination. Where we were going was not important because I wanted to know what was on his mind. I asked with curiosity and apprehension.
He began to talk to me with a tone of sadness and at the same time indifference. He informed me of his dissatisfaction with our marriage and our relationship. He explained that the lack of attention I had demonstrated toward him was painful. He added that there was someone at work he had been talking to about his emotions and had found comfort in her listening ear and her much needed understanding…
Chapter 20. Unthinkable Tragedy
Page 149
…It was Sept. 7, 2002, at 2:30 in the morning, when the phone rang. A few moments later our middle son Jeff abruptly entered our room to inform us that Joe was badly hurt. As Gene and I frantically rushed out the door, my heart and mind began to live the most grueling episode of my life. Jeff, Gene, and I drove to the hospital where Joe had been taken. The ambulance had already arrived, and they informed us that “They were working on him.”
My desperation was overwhelming and impossible to describe. Once in the emergency room, we received the heart-wrenching news that Joe had not made it. There are no words in any language or dialect to express the ripping and crashing pain to a mother’s heart as she hears the news that she has lost a child…
Preface to second section of
Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow
Page 162
“…You’ve read the first half of my story. The better part is yet to come. It will be presented to you in a slightly different format, in order to bring to light the reasons for each event in my journey. In Part I, you and I have walked through the steps that took me around corners, finding joyful as well as painful detours. The unavoidable happened—great gains and horrid losses—with each step of my journey forcing me to see life differently. As a result, I filled the “see” drive of my heart with large files of lessons learned, insights gained, priorities re-arranged; but more importantly—irrefutable truths were drawn from the Word of God. What purpose does all this stored information serve? The only one who could give the answer to that is you. It will depend on what you decide to do as you scroll down each file, whether you choose to delete them from your memory or save them in the files of your heart. Even if you decide to save some of them in your temporary file for future reference, the purpose of sharing my story with you was well served! Now that you have a hint of what the next pages contain, allow me to take a few steps ahead of you. I will take the handle of the door, open it gently, and invite you to come in. Come in to the den of my heart where the intimate files are stored. I reserved a place just for you. Make yourself comfortable on the seat next to me. I will hand you a cup of insights, sweetened with anecdotes, with a touch of humor for flavor. I’ll put before you a platter of warm reflections prepared by God in the oven of my heart. They will be garnished with sincerity, candor and truth. No need to worry about calories—it’s nutritious food to strengthen your soul!…”
To order Janet’s book, Trials of Today, Treasures for Tomorrow, visit one of these sites:
• Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com
• Barnes and Noble http://www.bn.com