Tuesday, June 30, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/30/15
“There is one word which may serve as a rule for all one’s life—reciprocity.”  (Confucious)  A friend of mine has written a book about how to run a successful business.  One chapter is on the need for reciprocity…treat others as you would like to be treated…the Golden Rule.  The successful company (organization) exists where people work together for mutual benefit.  Today, think of how you can co-operate to make your corner of the world a better place.    ;-)  Jack

Monday, June 29, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/29/15
“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”  (John Maxwell)  The words hospital/hospice come from a source meaning, a place of shelter for people needing care.  They began and continue to be a sign of a civilized society.  In the Health Care debate we often lose sight of the fact that we are fortunate to have places where we, or our loved ones, can go when special care is needed.  I like the Parable of the Good Samaritan.    ;-)  Jack


 FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  this has been a favorite motto of mine for years.  I fear we have a few too many pastors who  somehow feel over and above their flock and working way too hard to impress others without really serving them.  I know too that there are many, many fine pastors out there doing their level best every day to serve their congregations.====JACK:  People will put up with so-so sermons when they have a pastor who does not neglect the personal needs of the parishioners.  I don't know where it says in the Bible that the main duty of pastors is to craft and deliver an captivating sermon.  I like Mark Twain's comment.  "I never trust a man who makes a living with his mouth."


FROM TARMART REV:  Appreciation given for the "Winning Words" this morning from a Hospice chaplain.====JACK:  Working in a hospice setting takes a special talent.  God has blessed you with it.====REV:  Thanks, Jack...It has been a rewarding experience when folk are in need of a pastoral friend walking along beside them into death...many have pastors and churches, but many as well do not.


FROM HONEST JOHN:  The parable of the Good Samaritan urges U.S. On but also condemns us....all too often we find ourselves bring the Priest/Levite figure...a pointer to the need of Christ's Graciousness.====JACK:  It's been said that the task of the pastor is "to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable."  It seems that Jesus had that in mind when he spoke the Parable of the Good Samaritan. 


FROM REV JT:  Thanks for directing us to the Gospel account of the Good Samaritan.  We could follow up this Monday morning meditation with an Epistle lesson from I Corinthians 6:9-11. The Good News is expressed by the Apostle Paul in verse 11: "And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of God."  Eric Wahlstrom in his book, The New Life in Christ, commented on I Corinthians 6:11: "Whatever these people had been before, they had passed through a radical spiritual transformation which Paul can characterize as "being made alive" and they were new creatures in Christ." ====JACK:  One of the blessings of my life has been the seminary education that I received, and Dr Wahlstrom was one of the best of the educators.  On one occasion I thought I knew what I wanted, but he encouraged me to go in another direction.  I shall be forever grateful.


FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Jack, I'm pretty sure, that quote is from Caveat Roberts, originally.  He was the founder of the National Speakers Association.  He lived 1906-1997. I remember buying his cassette tapes in 1979?   Great words nevertheless....have a wonderful day...====JACK:  You're probably right about the source of that quote.  John Maxwell, the preacher, was born about 40 years after Cavett Robert.  Clergy sometimes do quote without giving credit to the source.  Here's a Cavett quote that I like.  "When it's foggy in the pulpit, it's cloudy in the  pew."   That's worth saving for a future WWs.


FROM JB AT LSTC:  I didn’t know the source of the quote. There’s a DJ at a Chicago area jazz station who uses that phrase as his sign-off.====JACK:  A friend in Ohio e-mailed to say that the author of the quote appears to be Cavett Robert, founder of the National Speakers Association.  A good thing about WWs is that I learn something, too.  Do remember a character from the Rocky and Bullwinkle show named Mr-Know-It-All?  I'm not that guy.


FROM ANNE McC:  Me too.====JACK:  Parables really make you think...and lead to AHA moments.


FROM BLAZING OAKS:  FOR SURE : YOU HAVE TO HAVE A DECENT RELATIONSHIP WITH A PERSON, BEFORE THEY CARE AT ALL WHAT YOU THINK!  I DO A  LOT OF CALLING ON SHUT INS AND NURSING HOMES AND CERTAINLY AGREE WITH YOU THAT WE ARE FORTUNATE TO LIVE IN A COUNTRY WHERE THESE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED, AND USUALLY WITH GOOD HUMOR AND KINDNESS, AS I'VE OBSERVED. BLESS THOSE THAT MINISTER TO THE ELDERLY AND INCAPACITATED...MY OWN GRANDDAUGHTER IS ONE OF THEM!  AND SHE USUALLY WORKS ALL NIGHT! GOOD WW!====JACK:  I remember seeing a picture of a nurse carrying a lantern as she tended the sick at night.  Was that Florence Nightengale?  That picture would make a good gift for your granddaughter.


FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Truer words were never spoken.====JACK:  A sad sentence..."I couldn't care less."


FROM CHESTER, THE GOOD:  And sometimes they tell you more than you care to know. ====JACK:  People who need people are the luckiest people in the world....as your friend Burt put it.

Friday, June 26, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/26/15
“Every time you find some humor in a difficult situation you win.”  (Charles Schulz)  C.S. often addressed the social issue of “equality” in his Peanuts strip.  Peppermint Patty played on a baseball team that included boys…and a dog.  Franklin (in 1968) sat in an integrated classroom.  Pogo and Doonesbury are other examples of comics with a social twist.  President Reagan was a master at diffusing tense situations, often with self-deprecating humor.    ;-)  Jack


  FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  You know who I think has this down better than anyone I have ever met???... T. G.!  I have seen her in all kinds a very tense situations, and she always comes through with her sense of humor. I marvel at the way she does it.====JACK:  A bubbling personality are two words that describe Teri.  To meet her is to like her.


FROM KF IN MICHIGAN:  Boys and dogs would have been helpful on all the girls' softball teams I played on. Definitely were "bad news bears"........: ) ====JACK:  Co-ed teams (especially volleyball and softball) seem the way to go for the millennials.


FROM CHESTER, THE GOOD:  My all-time favorite quote from the "strips" is from Pogo..."We have met the enemy and they is us."====JACK:  Pogo's creator, Walt Kelly, often inserted his words into the mouths of the Pogo characters...."I refuse to have a battle of wits with an unarmed person."  "God is not dead.  He is merely unemployed."===CHESTER:  Al Capp was another one who was not afraid to make a comment.====JACK:  He was often on the conservative side...like today"s Mallard Fillmore.


FROM JE IN MICHIGAN:  This is so very true and poignant  at the same time. To be able to find humor in difficult situations requires inner strength, resiliency, humility and maturity. Charles Schulz was a master at this! He modeled it for us but some living examples include Bette Midler, Sheryl Sandberg and even Gilda Jacobs; strong, smart, sensible women who serve our world and community lifting others  up. As a professional communicator, I know “human humor” is critical in coping, surviving and thriving after loss and crisis. This made me think of my colleague’s license plate: DONTW8T. After reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book, “Lean In,” I applied, was accepted and am almost half done with a master’s degree that I have wanted and tried to earn a few other times in my life. So my plan is that at 54 to earn my master’s degree. Life can be difficult, challenging and humorous at the same time. Thanks for helping me keep my sanity Jack!====JACK:  Gilda Radner is another one who was able to laugh through her tears.  Gilda's comedy character, Roseanne Roseannadanna, would say, "It's always something.  If it ain't one thing, it's another."  Cancer came to Radner at age 42.  She thought she had it beat, but it kept coming back.  So, she titled her autobiography, "It's Always Something."  I miss her.

Thursday, June 25, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/25/15
“Complaining about a problem without posing a solution is called whining.” (Teddy Roosevelt)  The internet has plenty of whiners (grousers, gripers, moaners, bellyachers).  There seem to be few of them who present positive suggestions for problem solving.  T.R. faced opposition, but, in spite of it, worked for forest preservation, food inspection, conservation, anti-prejudice, improved working conditions.  We are indebted to the old Bull Moose.    ;-)  Jack 


FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  and after leaving the White House he also went on safari in Africa and shot over 500 big game animals. so he was also a man of some contradictions.  but a true leader nonetheless.  he was a real trust buster (breaking up monopolies like certain railroads, etc.)  that took some guts!====JACK:  Environmental issues evolve.  Big game hunting then was not the issue it is now.  If Teddy knew then what we know now...  It works that way with most of us.  Hindsight vision id 20/20.  On what issues has your vision changed?  I've become more accepting of other religions. ====ST PAUL:  me too.  I have always said that I hope God is revealed in ALL religions of the world in one fashion or another.  however, I still think he is revealed most fully in the person of Jesus Christ.  without this particular revelation,  we would be greatly impoverished.   also,  like it or not,  many of the world's religions are basically "brownie point" or "merit badge" religions.  Islam for example is about doing 5 things (pray 5 times a day, give alms to the poor, fast during Ramadan,  make a hajj or pilgrimage to Mecca at least once in your lifetime, and make the confession that there is no god but Allah and Mohammed is his prophet.)  do these five things and you are "in".  its works righteousness.   Christianity has nothing to do with merit badges and brownie points!   nothing in MY hands I bring,  simple to the cross I cling.  all for sin could not atone; Thou must save and Thou alone.  this is a major different between real Christianity and some other religions altho I would be the first to admit that the church has often perverted the true gospel and turned our faith into a brownie point system.  somehow we humans like brownie points because it makes us feel better about ourselves.====JACK:  I'm glad that you recognized at the end that Christians, too, have been motivated by "brownie points," in spite of years of teaching and preaching to the contrary.   






FROM MAMA4:  This quote is going up in my kitchen! It's summer but the boys sure have found a lot of 'complaining' already!====JACK:  Ask them to come up with ideas on how to improve the world, the neighborhood, yard, their parents, their brothers, themselves.  Make it a fun(ny) thing to do, and write their ideas on a big sheet of paper.


FROM TARMART REV:  No whining from me today...we will cross that bridge again tomorrow, though?!====JACK:  Do AGs consider the use of "whine" to be a sin?

Wednesday, June 24, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/24/15
“Good health…That’s what I want for everyone!”  (Victor Espinoza)  Did you see the news item that Espinoza, the “Triple Crown” jockey donated his winnings to The City of Hope, a charity that helps people with life-threatening diseases?  Trainer Bob Baffert did the same.  They are to be admired for their generosity.  Charity has a Latin origin and means to show caring with love.  Charities are more than tax deductions.  They’re ways of showing that we care.    ;-)  Jack
 


FROM TARMART REV:  Very commendable...and delightful to read this morning!!====JACK:  I suppose that some of your race car drivers have done some commendable things, too.


FROM HONEST JOHN:  "Faith, hope and CHARITY, these three.====JACK:  Of course, the typical translation is--faith, hope and love (especially as used in a wedding service).  But I think that "charity" is the more expressive, especially when the root of the word is examined.


FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  Did not see this news item; so much of what we read is negative.  Thanks for this inspiration.====JACK:  American Pharoah wasn't the only "winner."


FROM DC IN KANSAS:  I picked up these words from Gandhi.  Be the change you want to see in the world.====JACK:  I can't remember seeing a story like Espinoza's connected with horse racing, but I'm sure that there are some.  You can find good people in many places; you just have to be on the lookout.


FROM DFL IN OREGON:  Thanks for the info on the info you sent about the jockey and trainer and their generosity!  Your added definition on “Charity” could well be applied to your gift of time and talent which you so generously share with all of us!====JACK:  The gift often gives more pleasure to the giver that to the givee.


FROM FM IN WISCONSIN:  Jack, I had not heard that – an example that more of our high paid athletes could learn from!====JACK:  We once had an improvement project in the church.  A member could have paid for the whole thing, but asked that the congregation make pledges toward it.  In the end, the donor, anonymously made up the difference.  She wanted to have the members feel that they had a part in making it happen.  I'm sure that there are athletes who also make significant anonymous gifts.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Wouldn't it be wonderful to give the gift of good health?  We can help by buying mosquito nets and water filters for the needy.====JACK:  Our Sunday School children have been raising funds to provide mosquito netting for people where malaria is a problem.


Tuesday, June 23, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/23/15
“Your wrinkles either show you’re unpleasant and cranky, or that you’re always smiling.”  (Carlos Santana)  Santana is more than a guitarist.  His quotes (like today’s) make us stop and think.  Our looks can be determined by how we live.  Facially, there really are worry lines, frown lines and laugh lines.  Maybe we put too much emphasis on appearances.  Santana also said, “I love who I am.”  I guess that, in the end, I’d rather have smile lines than cranky ones.    ;-)  Jack 


"Peace begins with a smile."  (Mother Teresa)


FROM TARMART REV:  Another good post this morning, Jack...let's smile together!!====JACK:  There's a saying..."Life is short.  Smile while you still have teeth."


FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  "Let a smile be your umbrella for a rainy rainy day."====JACK:  I'm smiling today...The sun is shining...no need for an umbrella
FROM BLAZING OAKS:  AS ORPHAN ANNIE SAYS, "ALWAYS GREET THE WORLD WITH A SMILE"...THEY SAY THAT A SMILE EVEN REFLECTS OVER THE PHONE; IT CERTAINLY IS A WAY TO INSTANTLY IMPROVE OUR APPEARANCE!!  GOOD TO KEEP IN MIND! THANKS FOR TODAY'S WW.====JACK:  Even the computer has a way of communicating a smile.  :-)



Monday, June 22, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/22/15
“You can’t ever take the next step until you take the first.”  (Deacon Jones)  In the movie, Revenge of the Nerds, a song advises…”Put one foot in front of the other when you have an uphill climb, when life is a daily grind.  Just keep on keepin’ on…Steady as she goes.”  That hill before us (whatever it might be) can really look imposing.  But…just one step, and then another.  The Little Engine that Could made it, and, with God’s help, you can make it, too.     ;-)  Jack


FROM HONEST JOHN:  Perhaps we could say " With God's direction"====JACK:  Direction or help....How do you see it manifested?  Conscience?  Circumstances?  People?  Other?


FROM CB IN MICHIGAN:  Thanks, Jack - something I really needed to hear today.====JACK:  At 5 am, today... I shot an arrow into the air (You probably know the HWL poem.).


FROM TARMART REV:  "The pathway is narrow But He leads me on, I walk in His shadow My fears are all gone.  My spirit grows stronger, Each moment, each day, For Jesus is leading Each step of the way." One of those treasured little songs that come to mind ever-so-often. Glad to have them stored in my head for such an occasion they rise to the top to bless me once again along the way 0;-) ====JACK:  Sunday School has sometimes been referred to as "The most wasted hour in the week."  It wasn't that for me.  I can still sing the songs that I learned during "that hour," besides remembering life lessons that are with me today.====REV:  I wish somehow others today could see such value in presenting SS with fresh enthusiasm as it was in our earlier years or enrolling their family in it were it is still provided...Christian education in story form or musically inspired is such a dynamic tool for our  longevity of faith. 


FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  How many times did we read The Little Engine That Could.  Probably at least 500.====JACK:  The story first appeared in Swedish in 1902.  It was later published in English to teach children optimism and the value of hard work.  It's been named one of the Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  True statement.  Sometimes I take the first step over and over.  Today my cousin is taking a first step...again.  Her house burned down last night and their two dogs were killed.  Thankfully, the family wasn't home.  Our family is getting together everything they will need.  It's a wake up call for the rest of us.====JACK:  Each day God sends "wake up" calls in one way or another.  I'd just as soon not have it be a house fire.
FROM BLAZING OAKS:  YEP, THAT WORKS! I DIDN'T KNOW "THE LITTLE ENGINE" STORY ORIGINATED IN SWEDEN! (WHERE HAVE I BEEN?!) WE'VE ALL TAKEN  OUR CHILDREN THROUGH THAT STORY OFTEN, AND THEN THE 'GRANDS"! "ONE DAY AT A TIME, SWEET JESUS" COMES TO MIND! RIGHT NOW I'M HAVING TO BE MORE PATIENT THAN I LIKE, IN GETTING THIS BIG LAKE HOUSE SOLD!! WHAT A CHALLENGE! BUT ONE STEP AT A TIME....!====JACK:  Det Lilla BlÃ¥ Loket. Jag äger inte denna film utan den ägs av skaparna....etc.


FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  Well, I thought that I had come up with that phrase “keeping on keepin on”.  But, I ran across in the KJV of the New Testament.  We do it and as we say many “  Thank you, Lord” prayers.  Think about Paul and his companions as they took one step at a time ever many distances to further their purposes!====JACK  The steps probably were harder in Paul's day...even in the days when we were younger.   Today's high schools have huge parking lots for the students.  I can't remember that MHS, in our day, even had a parking lot.

Friday, June 19, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/19/15
“Ordinary riches can be stolen, real riches cannot.  In your soul are infinitely precious things that cannot be taken from you.”  (Oscar Wilde)  Identity theft is a big concern these days.  Don’t give sensitive information to “strangers!”  The Bible gave a warning, too.  “Don’t store up your valuables on earth where burglars can get them, but put them in the place where they’re safe.”  What do you suppose is meant by that?  What are your valuables?    ;-)  Jack


 FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Yeah, Oscar.... nice====JACK:  Sometimes he comes up with some wilde observations that cause us to pause and think.
FROM TARMART REV:  A hearty "Amen!" from your Amen Corner!!====JACK:  Do people ever shout out, "Amen!" when you are preaching?====REV:  Nowadays, one could count on the fingers of his one hand the "Amen's"  heard probably in any given year . . . the nod of the head, most likely.====JACK:  Nodding might indicate falling asleep.


FROM LBP IN PLYMOUTH:  Also, today I celebrate 16 years of marriage. Finding a partner to share life... Priceless!====JACK:  I just checked...The current price of gold is $1200, per ounce.  A good family life is more "precious" than gold.   You're right!  Priceless.====LBP:  2 songs from my current playlist for your consideration: George Ezra, "Budapest"; Paul Coleman, "The One Thing." ====JACK:  I listened to both.  I like them.  "Budapest" seems to relate to today's WWs.  I kept thinking that the Coleman song related to God's love, even though he was probably interpreting that in the typical way.   
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN:  Treasures in Heaven!  My treasures are my husband and daughters. : ) ====JACK:  Some people spend so much time and effort amassing material things, that they fail to appreciate that which is infinitely more valuable.  You have the right priority.

Thursday, June 18, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/18/15
“The sea is but a library of all the tears in history.”  (Lemoy Snicket)  I read recently that there are more atoms in a teaspoon of water than there are teaspoons of water in all the oceans of this world.  I checked with a physicist, and he said that it’s probably true.  What I like about the L.S. quote is the thought that each tear shed has its own story, sorrow or joy.  Think of your own experience and the remembrances you have.  Tears can be unspoken words.    ;-)  Jack


FROM TARMART REV:  ...they come ever-so-quickly nowadays, especially with those special family moments...====JACK:  As a child, I remember hearing...."Stop crying!  Don't be such a baby."  I'm sure that I'm not the only one who's heard it.  ====REV:  Yep!! "Big boys don't cry!!" Sure, if they have tuned 60 yet!


FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Nice, WW. Very emotional and picturesque...   I recently wrote a song called "Parking Lot of Souls." I walk almost everyday at Glen rest cemetery, for the peace and beauty; and it reminds me of my 15 or so loved ones earthly resting place.  One of the lines is: "Acres of emotion still damp from tears."  Have a great day, life is good....====JACK:  Eric Clapton wrote a song...."No More Tears in Heaven."  In our church hymnal, there's a song...Soon and Very Soon.  One of the stanzas says about heaven..."No more crying there, We're going to see the King."
FROM RI IN BOSTON:  The WW quote today is poignant.  It reminds me of another comment I read some years ago, that in primitive tribal societies, the death of the keeper of the tribal history was comparable to a library burning to the ground.  Your follow-up comments about atoms and teaspoonfuls struck me with how incomprehensible vast numbers are...how many teaspoons of water in all the oceans, how many grains of sand on the shore, etc.=====JACK:  Speaking of BIG numbers, James Joyce wrote....“What must it be, then, to bear the manifold tortures of hell forever? Forever! For all eternity! Not for a year or an age but forever. Try to imagine the awful meaning of this. You have often seen the sand on the seashore. How fine are its tiny grains! And how many of those tiny grains go to make up the small handful which a child grasps in its play. Now imagine a mountain of that sand, a million miles high, reaching from the earth to the farthest heavens, and a million miles broad, extending to remotest space, and a million miles in thickness, and imagine such an enormous mass of countless particles of sand multiplied as often as there are leaves in the forest, drops of water in the mighty ocean, feathers on birds, scales on fish, hairs on animals, atoms in the vast expanse of air. And imagine that at the end of every million years a little bird came to that mountain and carried away in its beak a tiny grain of that sand. How many millions upon millions of centuries would pass before that bird had carried away even a square foot of that mountain, how many eons upon eons of ages before it had carried away all. Yet at the end of that immense stretch time not even one instant of eternity could be said to have ended. At the end of all those billions and trillions of years eternity would have scarcely begun. And if that mountain rose again after it had been carried all away again grain by grain, and if it so rose and sank as many times as there are stars in the sky, atoms in the air, drops of water in the sea, leaves on the trees, feathers upon birds, scales upon fish, hairs upon animals – at the end of all those innumerable risings and sinkings of that immeasurably vast mountain not even one single instant of eternity could be said to have ended; even then, at the end of such a period, after that eon of time, there mere thought of which makes our very brain reel dizzily, eternity would have scarcely begun.”
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Tears are God's way of washing away our pain.====JACK:  "Jesus wept!"
FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I had a quote by Kahlil Gibran, (after Bill died) which went, "WHEN YOU ARE SORROWFUL, LOOK AGAIN IN YOUR HEART, AND YOU WILL SEE THAT IN TRUTH YOU ARE WEEPING FOR THAT WHICH HAS BEEN YOUR DELIGHT." So true. the Joy and the Sorrow are closely aligned!  Good WW today, and always!====JACK:  It seems that we are coming into an age where it's OK to show your emotion....but some still live by the sayings...keep a stiff upper lip, bite the bullet and keep your chin up.  (Oops! that last one reminds me of the song, "You'll Never Walk Alone."  Hold your head up high!)

Wednesday, June 17, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/17/15
“Nothing is permanent in this world—not even our troubles.”  (Charlie Chaplin)  During the social unrest of the 50s and 60s, Joan Baez sang, “All my trials Lord.”  No matter how bleak, the struggle will soon be over.  Originally, the song was a lullaby, describing a dying mother comforting her children as they gathered at her bedside.  “All these trials…soon be over.  Don’t you cry.”  When this world gets you down, remember God’s promise of a better one.    ;-)  Jack  


FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  One day at a time.  That is all we have to live.====JACK:  I've often quoted this poem at funerals. 
“The clock of life is wound but once,  And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop  At late or early hour.
The present only is our own,  So live, love, toil with a will,
Place no faith in "Tomorrow,"  For the Clock may then be still.”
― Robert H. Smith
FROM TARMART REV:  Have been reminded of this often of late . . . an overly-fair share of funerals with those I've known and pastored as senior adults these past 25 years now passing away . . . reflecting upon my own position here on earth as well.====JACK:  Time marches on, and, sooner or later, each of us drops out of the parade.

Tuesday, June 16, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/16/15
“Humans see what they want to see.”  (Rick Riordan)  If you’re a South Park fan you know who Mr Derp is.  A derp is someone who keeps believing the same thing no matter how much evidence shows that their belief is completely wrong.  Do you know of any “derps” in today’s world?  As for religion, belief is not based on proofs; it’s a matter of faith.  When it comes to God, it’s a kind of “knowing,” not needing evidence…sort of like being in love.    ;-)  Jack 


FROM TARMART REV:  Being a member of the "Flat Earth Society", I'm not sure I understand?!?! ====JACK:  So....there are derps among the AGs?====REV:  With a capital "D", I'm sure . . . a many looking through "a glass darkly." 0;-/====JACK:  I think that we've all been derps at one time or another.  Education is designed to deal with that.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ  i like your analogy to being in love...====JACK:  A few years ago I attended at county fair in Wisconsin which featured a polka band.  One of the songs that I remember was, "Fools Fall in Love." ====LIZ:  hmmm... what does that say about believers?====JACK:   We're all believers in something, at one time or another.  You might want to check out the lyrics of the song.
FROM BLAZING OAKS:  This reminds me of a saying by Lao Tzu: "    THOSE WHO HAVE KNOWLEDGE DON'T PREDICT. THOSE WHO PREDICT DON'T HAVE KNOWLEDGE." It does seem that the more knowledge you accumulate, the   less certain you are about what you "know", and you are more open to new concepts, ideas, and discoveries.  Mr. Derp is new to me (your WW are so educational! ) but what a great term Derp is!====JACK:  I remember hearing someone complain about a new translation of the Bible.  "I don't like it.  If the King James version of the Bible was good enough for Paul, it's good enough for me."

Monday, June 15, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/15/15
“Rap is just somebody getting something off his chest.  That’s all it is.”  (Ice Cube)  Unless you’re into rap, I’d suggest not looking at Ice Cube quotes…Oh, maybe these are OK:  “I think the worst thing you can do about a situation is nuthin.”  And, “Just wakin up in the morning gotta thank God.”  For “a certain generation,” rap is just entertainment.  D’ja know that there are Christian, Jewish and Muslim rappers?  Maybe Amos could have rapped his message.    ;-)  Jack


   FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  I don't mind some rap music but I do think they could turn down the volume a bit....and this is coming from a guy with something of a hearing loss....====JACK:  I remember my parents saying, "Turn that volume down!"  And I was just listening to Lawrence Welk, or was it George Beverly Shea?


FROM DR J:  Tru dat! I like some rap.... Soulful really I think!====JACK:  Detroit's Eminem usually has a message behind his words.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  My daughter is sort of a rapper. Every once in a while, when she calls, something aggravating has been happening in her life. But she lets me know she is rapping (she calls it venting) and tells me "I don't want any advice or suggestions, Mom, I just need to vent." So I go along and don't say my 2 cents worth but do send up prayers to God that He will intervene somehow and relieve the situation's pressure. Ice Cube might be asking for the same consideration. ====JACK:  Some pressurized engines (like steam engines) have a BOV (Blow Off Valve).  When it senses that the pressure is too great, it blows off steam in order that the engine doesn't explode.  Maybe Ice Cube (and your daughter) are on to something.====SHARON:  In fact, just attended our small local Sojourner's meeting where we discuss faith and current topics monthly. Saturday's discussion was on racism. We're all mostly older people so one woman shared how, when she was a kid living in Paradise Valley in 1943, angry men were walking past her door with rifles and clubs and she didn't understand why. Another woman shared that her experience with young people is they don't want to carry the baggage of our older generation. But I don't think anyone can get rid of baggage by just snapping our fingers. It takes work and good hearts and maybe listening to a lot of crappy language, trying to get deeper inside to the peace-making language. I appreciate you, Pastor Freed, for picking out some of Ice Cubes quotes which are examples of language we may all be able to appreciate too. Calls to my mind how every year in church, hearing the scripture about the Jews and Jesus' crucifixion and then one year I heard a Pastor preach and say "the Jews but not all the Jews" or something to that effect and that was also welcome and healing language too.
Thanks for this morning's WW.====JACK:  A BIG problem in this world is that we "write off" certain people without listening to that they have to say, or without asking, "What do you mean by that?"


FROM TARMART REV:  "Mak'n lemonade out of a lemon, Jack . . . an "ice" cold lemon, at that!! Sweet!!====JACK:  That's pretty good for a geezer.


FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Rap isn't my favorite but if Christian rappers get their message out to other rappers then it's a good thing.====JACK:  The millennials probably aren't into your style of music, either.  The generational gap will always be with us.  The point that Ice Cube makes was that rap gives him a chance to get a message across to those who listen.  The prophets and evangelists did the same thing in their own way.  Jesus often used parables, as a means.....


FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Rap is not something that I appreciate or try to understand. I have just returned from a three week trip to West Palm Beach and to Fort Worth TX we had three graduations and two confirmations.  It  is amazing to see the younger generation and how inspiring they are. It is amazing, too, to meet their friends from all over the world, Brazil, Argentina, Singapore, South Africa, Ethiopia, etc.====JACK:  Were you surprised that I used a rapper quote today?  Why do you think I did that?
FROM BLAZING OAKS:  It would help us listen, if  most weren't so profane....if it  is humorous, or intelligent (to me) I  can appreciate the thought it brings, but it would never be my favorite....i'd love to  hear someone "rap" a sermon; bet that would be attention getting...We had a Christian comedian at our Senior's  Event who did rap a message to music, and insert some humor,  and we loved it!  Have to be on your toes to talk (and listen) that fast!====JACK:  Profanity seems to be more of a turnoff to an older generation, but not so much so for the younger crowd.  I see it even becoming "acceptable" on Facebook.  Why?   

Friday, June 12, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/12/15
“We must use time as a tool, not as a couch.”  (JFK)  Do you happen to have one of those new Apple watches?  I’ve read that the first wristwatch was made in the 1570s, adapting a pocket watch to be worn as a bracelet.  I received my first wristwatch as a confirmation present from my parents, and I still have it.  Watches are called “time-keepers,” but can we ever keep time?  Jim Croce lamented, “If I could save time in a bottle.”  NOW’s the only time we own!    ;-)  Jack


 FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  That's the song we chose for our wedding dance...41 years ago!====JACK:  If I could dance, I could dance to that song.
FROM TARMART REV:  . . . my first one . . . graduation from High School . . . can't say like John Cameron Swayze anymore—“It’s still ticking!” 0;-/====JACK:  I took my watch to a watchmaker, and he told me that it's stopped clicking for good.  I'm still saving it, in case I decide to get a 2nd opinion.====REV:   I've got a couple like that . . . One was awarded me when I bowled a 298 score in bowling. Trophies for recalling the memories when wearing them.
FROM HONEST JOHN:  Augustine said that he knew what time was but don't ask him to define it.   We not only live within time...it lives within us.    In the next world my understanding is that time is a non-factor.    There is no yesterday nor tomorrow.  So, of course, today also becomes an irrelevant term.    Impossible even to imagine.====JACK:  Is there a difference between everlasting and eternal?  Everlasting seems time-related.  Which will it be for you....Life eternal, or Life-everlasting?  Unending time seems boring to those of us who use calendars and clocks.====JOHN:  I think we are talking about timelessness.   Impossible to even think about.
FROM MY LAWYER:  My first watch was a Mickey Mouse watch.  Oh, how I wish I still had it!  Probably worth a fortune.  It kept good time too.====JACK:  Back when you wore the Mickey Mouse watch, Shinola was just making shoe polish.  Now, you're wearing an elegant Shinola watch.  Time pieces change.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  I like this.  In 2004 when I was finishing Good Debt, Bad Debt, in the chapter about the past I wrote, “Use your past as a reference, not a place to live.”  I have seen so many people that live in the past, dwelling on one thing they think would have changed their life.  On the watch issue, I haven’t worn a watch since 1985 or 1987 when cell phones (very portable ones)came out.  Deleting the watch was one more way to make sure I didn’t forget my phone, and the phone always had the time on it.  Have a great day sir. ====JACK:  Isn't it interesting?  Twice a year we give up, or gain an hour, and after a day or so, it doesn't seem to matter.  I we gave up an hour a day for 24 days straight, would we have gained a day in our life...or lost one?  ====JON:  It is. I suppose you can only gain depending on what you do or don't do, with the supposed hour.
FROM RI IN BOSTON:  My first wristwatch was a prize I won as the top-selling salesman in our high school magazine sales contest.  I don't know what happened to it years later.  These days, I don't use a wristwatch anymore.  When I need the time I go to my cellphone, or I look for a passer-by who has a wristwatch, and I ask him the time.  (I just used some of my valuable time to give you this report, but you give me so much of your time that I feel I owe you.)====JACK:  I wear my watch to church in order to time the sermon.  It's about the same length each week.  My home pastor used to be called "20 Minute Tillberg," because he preached sermons that were always 20 minutes long.  Today's are about half that.  A local minister once held the Guinness Record for the longest sermon.  It lasted over a day.

Thursday, June 11, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/11/15
“Ambition is the path to success.  Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.”  (Bill Bradley)  It’s been called “The second greatest moment in TV history,” when Mary Tyler Moore tosses her hat in the air as these words are sung…”You’re gonna make it after all.”  Mary epitomized the ambitious 20-something on the road to success. Ambitions are important, and so is persistence.  They continue to be part of a successful life, no matter what our age.    ;-)  Jack 


FROM IKE AT THE MIC:  I think to be accurate the quotation should read:  Ambition is the path to success. KNOWLEDGE is the fuel that gets you there.  Persistence is the vehicle you arrive in.
It has been wisely said, "The next worst thing to not knowing is not knowing that you don't know".
Just thinkin...====JACK:  Yes, to be ignorant of your ignorance is often a problem.  But, it is a glorious feeling when someone (or something) leads to an AHA moment...Now, I see!  "None are so blind as those who choose not to see."====IKE:  On that theme it has been said:  "The next worst thing to a blind believer is a seeing denier."====JACK:  That's a good one.  I think I'll save it for use as a Winning Words.


FROM TARMART REV:  . . . persistence . . . walking that second and third mile . . . not giving up . . . keep banking on it . . . most generally all pay a richer dividend at that last mile of the way!! ====JACK:  At least, that's what the optimist would say.  The pessimist, on the other hand....  ====REV:  Those "one liners or phrases" pop up ever-so-quickly . . . I must have a head full of them . . .====JACK:  Is that what is meant by a "head full of steam?"
FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  I never understood that hat throw.  Thanks for filling me in; the Bradley quote is great.  I just listened to a clip about his last book.  Maybe will read that one; very hopeful. ====JACK:  I was going to use B.B. in my comment section, because I respect him so much, but I decided to go.  But, I also respect M.T.M. for maintaining ambition and perseverance, in spite of life-difficulties along the way.  She's got spunk!
FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Talking about "Success" reminded me of a good poem my friend Bill Killen wrote in 2008 before he died.:
Some people will judge you by the car that you drive, The bigger, the better no doubt,
But let me tell you, my friend, when it comes  to the end,
That's not what Life's all about!
Others will judge you by the house that you have; The big one that really stands  out,
But  let me tell you my friend, when it comes to the end,
That's not what Life's all about!
Some will judge you by the job that you have, Especially if  you have lots of Clout,
But let me tell you my friend, when it comes to the end,
That's not what Life's all about!
Then some will judge you by the money you make, it seems  you never go "without"...
But let me tell you my friend when it comes to the end,
That's not what Life's all about!
So now, my friend, we have come to the end, And all the chips are out on the board,
Did you put your faith in material things, Or  did you place your Faith in the Lord?
Yes, now  my friend, we are here at the end, to find what really does count;
I hope you put your faith  in the Lord: Living for Jesus is what Life's all about!
He was a dear, sweet man who walked his talk, and was successful in every way that counted. He was also an artist, but his "Day Job" was Engineer.  I, too , loved MTM, and she has had some real trials in her life!!====JACK:  Good poem.  Thanks.  MTM, like most of us, had her ups and downs.  She was a favorite.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  An addendum from my cryptogram book: “It took me a long time to figure out that real big-time success come from taking lots of small, ordinary steps in the right directiion. And you can’t ever take the next step until you take the first.” Deacon Jones.====JACK:  Is that Deacon Jones, the football player?  Regardless, I'll be using the quote sometime in the future.


FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:   there is a bronze statue downtown on a sidewalk somewhere of Mary tossing her hat skyward.====JACK:  The statue in front of the Nicollet Mall in Minneapolis.  It should show the woman, with a puzzled expression, looking at Mary.  She's a real Minnesotan, Hazel Fredericks, who happened to be shopping that day when the picture was shot.  She has become so popular that Mary has introduced her as her co-star.




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Wednesday, June 10, 2015


Jack’s Winning Words 6/10/15

“My father told me: It’s not how much you make or earn, it’s what you do with it.”  (Ronald Pieper in Thrivent magazine)  I learned how to manage money when I saw my mother take her “pay” each week and put it into envelopes marked, “food, rent, church etc.”  I also was taught by Glen who wore a t-shirt with “10-10-80” on it.  10% for God, 10% for savings, and 80% for self.  If you were to make such a shirt for yourself what would it say?    ;-)  Jack


FROM HONEST JOHN:  10% to charity  10% to savings  25% to Uncle Sam  55 % to bills and fun
I think the "self" category makes no sense.   For example, it includes taxes which is money that the bible would put under the tithe.    Also, there is a fine...often not discernible...line between bills and fun.   Is an iPad expense to be put under bills?====JACK:  It looks like you're going to need an X-LG t-shirt, or use small print.  iPads, for many, ought to be classified as entertainment.  And so...you would recommend that those who tithe should include taxes when figuring the 10%?   ====JOHN:  No.  I tithe and also pay taxes.   However, we should not forget that the tax is a contribution to our  general well being.====JACK:  So, in reality, you're going beyond the tithe.  Good for you!  I grateful for the many benefits that my tax money helps provide.  Yes, there is always waste.  Many garbage cans line our street on pick-up day. 



FROM PASTY PAT:  My Mom did the 'envelope thing' too --- hadn't thought of that in years.====JACK:  I think envelope-budgeting might have been a sign of "hard times."====PAT:  It certainly was in our house. I remember more than one meal that was only potatoes!====JACK:  My mother had a knack for "whipping something up."
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  Another good one. One of the best things Sue & I did was to start tithing on our gross income in the first year of our marriage.====JACK:  There are good habits, and there are bad habits.  A successful life (marriage) is based on a foundation of good habits continued.
FROM TARMART REV:  Can't really improve on that formula, Jack . . . works very well!!! ====JACK:  Do you classify the cost of your daily bag of popcorn at Target as a business expense, or entertainment?
FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  All good. Dave Ramsey has an excellent section on this too. Another truism to add to this; I tell people that don't seem to know where their money goes is, "Most likely tracking is lacking..."  4 or 5 dollars a day here and there doesn't seem like much, but times 30 days times 12 months times 20 years, it is real money. "Like a monkey peeing on a cash register,  pretty soon it runs in the money." Have a great day Pastor, I'm in the middle of my 6 mile walk, waddle, and jog routine. Kinda nice here under this big oak....====JACK:  Some people have given up smoking when they've stopped to figure out the cost of a pack-a-day x 365 days a year.  I like the Everett Dirksen quote..."A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money."  But, then, I read the truth.  It seems Dirksen never actually said this. The Dirksen Congressional Research Center says that fully 25% of enquiries to them are about the quotation. They could find Dirksen did say "a billion here, a billion there", but not the "pretty soon you're talking real money" part. They had one gentleman report to them that he had asked Dirksen about it on an airflight and received the reply: "Oh, I never said that.  A newspaper fella misquoted me once, and I thought it sounded so good that I never bothered to deny it."====JON:  Yes the quote, "The harder I work the luckier I get" Is a slight twist on something Thomas Jefferson said. Recently, I saw songwriter that is heavily credited with saying that.====JACK:  I knew a man whose father-in-law was a Tin Pan Alley songwriter.  He said that Irving Berlin did not compose many of his songs.  He bought them "for a song" from someone who needed the money, no matter how little it was.


FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  "1% or 99% ...guess where I am?====JACK:  Knowing that you probably have a great retirement, I'd say that you are a 99%-er.


FROM JB IN MICHIGAN:  My father always said you should live on 1/2 of what you make.
10% give away   10% invest   30% goes to the government  50% pay your bills first and if there is any left go have some fun.====JACK:  I'm glad that I had a chance to meet your father.  I can picture him saying those words.  My father-in-law would often say, "I am who I am."

Tuesday, June 09, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/9/15
“Reality has a way of intruding into one’s life.” (Joe Biden)  Biden spoke these words recently during a commencement address.  Sometimes we overlook the fact that that famous people are people living in the real world.  This past week the V.P.’s son was buried.  Years before, his wife and young daughter lost their life in a car accident.  It can happen to anyone.  The words to the graduating students were probably more “real” than any of them imagined.    ;-)  Jack  








FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  A strong man, the vice-president...====JACK:  ...and shown to be a human being, too.






 FROM LS IN MICHIGAN:  Yes And that is why the phrase my grandma Always said when we said see you tomorrow grandma - " God willing " - as I grew up my dad would say it is human actions intervening not God's will - God is a parent there to walk w us, beside us or carry us through life when it happens. This is my belief today.   ( example - a plane crash And one person survives - God choose that person to survive ??!?! ).====JACK:  There's a hymn that goes..."Our times are in thy hand, O God we wish them there." 






FROM HONEST JOHN:  I like Biden.   I think he would be a good friend.   He also has been a fighter for the downtrodden.====JACK:  He was out of the ordinary.  He made it a point to ride the commuter train home each night in order to be with his family...a family man, too!




FROM KS IN MICHIGAN:  Good Morning Jack.  So true-we all face the reality.  This past Friday at 6:10 am, a client of mine was hit by a driver of a stolen van and killed on his way to work in Flushing.  He was 52, married with two daughters in their 20’s –very good people.====JACK:  We each can recall Biden-like stories that have happened around us.  Re-read his quote!




FROM TARMART REV:  An old adage that has been with me for many a year (I know I have shared it with you before) . . . The optimist invented the airplane, the pessimist, the parachute, but it is the realist that flies the plane. As realists, we are found rolling with the punches until the opportunity of the "knockout blow" for success presents itself . . . I suppose it is like waiting for Christ's return or our departure to Him everlastingly?!====JACK:  I guess it depends on what the K.O. blow is, and who delivers it.  In my mind, I can't picture Jesus as a prize-fighter.






FROM ST. PAUL IN ST. PAUL:  lots of sadness in that family for sure...====JACK:  I remember a book, Turn Over Any Stone....I think it was about the fact that life (and what goes with it, can be found everywhere.




FROM RS IN TEXAS:  The Kennedy's were another clan that endured tragedies and challenges.  Problem is, we read about theirs but not about the ordinary person.====JACK:  I suppose JFK put his pants on, one leg at a time.  Does that make him ordinary?  What separates the ordinary from the "extraordinary?"====RS:  Probably in the eyes of the beholder.  I've seen some things I thought were extraordinary that others considered ordinary.  






FROM RI IN BOSTON:  A dose of reality every so often is good, keeps a person grounded.  From what I observe day by day around me, too much fantasy prevails.  Some people need a reality moment, like Wile E. Coyote when he's overrun the cliff some distance and gravity takes over.
====JACK:  Wouldn't it be great if the "hard falls" of life would be like those of W.E.C.  His next cartoon would be as though the previous one had never happened.  ...or, would it be great?====RI:  I'm not sure it would be great.  People don't seem to learn from experience unless there's some sort of suffering connected with it.











FROM BLAZING OAKS:  JOE BIDEN HAS CERTAINLY HAD HIS SHARE OF GRIEF, AS WELL AS SUCCESSES. I'M SURE THE LOSS OF HIS SUCCESSFUL SON, IN THE PRIME  OF LIFE, DUE TO BRAIN CANCER (I KNOW  SOMETHING OF THAT ORDEAL, AS BILL SUCCUMBED TO THE SAME CONDITION...)  IS A BITTER BLOW. AND LEAVING YOUNG CHILDREN IS ALWAYS TRAUMATIC!  WE ALL PRAY WE CAN LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO RAISE OUR CHILDREN TO ADULT HOOD, BEING CONVINCED NO ON CAN LOVE AND NURTURE THEM LIKE WE CAN!!  WHICH IS USUALLY TRUE! TO LIVE LONG ENOUGH TO HELP NURTURE GREAT-G.KIDS IS A REAL BLESSING, FOR  WHICH I AM THANKFUL TO GOD!!  WATCH OUT, DEAR JACK, THE CUBS ARE COMING TO TOWN TONIGHT! (LIKE THAT SHOULD WORRY YOU!====JACK:  There's a difference between empathy and sympathy.  You can have empathy with Beau's wife, while I can have sympathy.  Family has a way helping us cope with life's hard times.  BTW, my granddaughter, a physical therapist/athletic trainer, had an internship with the Tigers and with the Rookie League Cubs.  Jorge Soler helped carry cases of water for her during practices.  She has friends on both teams.

Monday, June 08, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/8/15
“When in doubt, tell the truth.”  (Mark Twain)  I often use “Snopes” to determine whether or not something on the internet is true.  But, how do we determine if someone in our life is telling the truth?  Do we look for flaming trousers…or a Pinocchio nose?  M.T., in his quote, is not writing about others, he’s directing the words at us.  Life goes better when we tell the truth.  And there’s another benefit:  “If we tell the truth, we don’t need a good memory.”    ;-)  Jack


















FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  Your "If...." quote will be in this week's CBS.====JACK:  How many people get the CBS report?====GEORGE:  about 200 directly in all continents but Antarctica====JACK:  Impressive!
















FROM HONEST JOHN:  One of the tests is in your explanation...is there consistency in what people say or does the "truth" change as our needs change?   BTW.  I see the term "truth" used here in an absolute sense....tsk, tsk====JACK:  Absolute truth is for philosophers to discuss.  Mark Twain wrote for the man on the street.  ...and that's the truth!====JOHN:  I have little doubt that you have hit on the truth here.   What a joy that must be for those mired in relativity.====JACK:  I like the Churchill quote:  "Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened."













FROM TARMART REV:  ...it does make life much simpler...====JACK:  One of the best pieces advice ever given is in this acronym...K.I.S.S.










FROM DRPH:  In my ministry I used a phrase that has stood up well in counseling.  “When in doubt- Don’t”  Cannot tell you the times it make a person stop and think twice before jumping off the edge of a cliff. I can think of several marriages it saved when a spouse did not file for divorce and later thanked me for helping them pause.====JACK:  Good advice is advice that works.  While I don't advocate a change, the Ten Commandments could be also be called, "10 Pieces of Good Advice."




FROM BLAZING OAKS:  RIGHT...YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT YOU SAID, IF IT WAS THE TRUTH!====JACK:  Some truths have a way of changing, from era to another...in fact, even from one day to the next.  But basic truths are able to stand the test of time.


FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  Tell the truth and you never have to remember what you said.====JACK:  Is there such a thing as "truth in advertising?"
  
  

Friday, June 05, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/5/15
“Words are but pictures of our thoughts.”  (John Dryden)  One of the benefits of living in “Detroit” is that we can hear Canadian radio and the Vinyl Café with Stuart McLean.  He’s on a par with Garrison Keillor.  Both have the ability to use words to paint pictures.  A Catholic seminary is using actors to teach potential priests how to use words in a better way when they preach.  Some rabbis are known as good story tellers.  Jesus was especially good at it.    ;-)  Jack
  




FROM TARMART REV:  ...come much easier with my jokes...must work harder at it with my sermons...got wired wrong in this area... 0;-/====JACK:  I wonder if Jesus told any jokes?






FROM ST. PAUL IN ST. PAUL:  and that is so missing in today's preaching.  I heard a sermon last sunday from a young woman seminarian on a Roman's text.  but it had not one story or illustration in it!  it would have made a good seminary lecture.  Jesus was the consummate story teller.   so should be his followers.   and if you have to explain the story,  it not a good one.====JACK:  In today's world we're used to TV surfing.  Maybe that carries over into church attendance/membership.  I was fortunate to have some great teachers, with regard to preaching.  In fact, I have in my hand a Homiletics assignment (a detailed outline for a sermon).  I turned it in a half-day-late with a note..."I forgot!"  The professor returned it with a grade of D and his note..."I remembered."  Then, at the bottom he had crossed out the D and gave me a B with the words, "I forgave."  I have never forgotten that practical lesson of GRACE.




FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  The guy who said, "The word is mightier than the sword",  had a point. (Pun intended====JACK:  That saying, in French, is, "La plume est plus forte que l'epee."


FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I guess we in the midwest are missing something by not hearing THE VINYL CAFE. Garrison Keillor is on the radio at noon on Sat. and Sun here; sometimes good, sometimes pretty mundane. Some authors have the gift of painting pictures with their words. I always thought Maeve Binchy was so talented in her book characteriztions. Those people really came alive!  She will be missed. I've read all of her novels and short stories...True WW today.====JACK: Another great story teller was Jonathan Winters.  I miss him.

Thursday, June 04, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/4/15
“Strange, isn’t it?  Each man’s life touches so many other lives.  When he isn’t around he leaves an awful hole, doesn’t he?”  (Clarence, the angel)  Maybe there will be a time when you think that your life doesn’t matter.  The movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, shows how each person can make a difference.  Think of someone who has affected you, and what your life would be like without that person.  It’s the same with each of us.  We’re really affecting others.    ;-)  Jack

FROM CK IN MICHIGAN:  Thanks for making me think. I pray for those who live with " That awful hole". I'm going  to mow the lawn today  And say thank you!====JACK:  It would be a whole different world without those who influence us.  Yes, that's a "thinking" idea.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  It's no wonder the IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE became such a timeless classic! It "packs a wallop" in assessing each person's unique worth in the grand scheme of life!  Hopefully, it helps us express our accolades to those special people who would leave an awful hole in our  lives when the they aren't around, BEFORE their funerals!!  "No Man is an Island" is so true! ====JACK:   The movie was initially regarded as a complete failure, a huge money-loser.  And it was said that film showed that Frank Capra had passed his prime as a director.  Our daughters went to a recent showing of the movie.  Zuzu was there, and they got a chance to hear her tell about what it was like to be one of the actors.

FROM TARMART REV:  ...never just an island into one's self...God is always watching, plus a stray cat or two demanding attention!!====JACK:  I once conducted a funeral where the funeral director was the only one present....except for God.

FROM ANNE:  Yes.


Wednesday, June 03, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/3/15
“Be a good listener.  Your ears will never get you in trouble.”  (Frank Tyger)  Being a good listener means that you will be able to hear the difference between right and wrong.  The Bible describes people who have “itching ears,” wanting to hear what pleases.  Isaiah describes them:  “Give us no more visions of what is right.  Tell us pleasant things.”  Discrimination can be a good thing when it comes to ears.  Using ears properly won’t cause you trouble.      ;-)  Jack

  FROM ST. PAUL IN ST. PAUL:  good words today, Jack,  thanks!   btw,  sometimes when my ears itch, it only means they I have too much wax in them:):)====JACK:  Maybe it's not the wax, all that ear hair that causing the itch.====ST. PAUL:  why does hair grow where its not wanted and it falls out where we DO want it???====JACK:  The Bible says that "the very hairs on your head are numbered."  I wonder if that includes nose hairs and ear hairs?

FROM DC IN KANSAS:  Yes.  God gave us two ears and only one mouth.====JACK:  ...to use accordingly.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I think I've been reminded a time or two that we have one mouth and two ears for a reason...and to figure it out! :-)  Good listeners are  a precious commodity, that's for sure. (But smooth or effective talkers are also sometimes needed!)  Good WW to remember today  ====JACK:  Do you remember Jackie Gleason in the Honeymooners?...."I've got a BIG mouth!"  That was a funny TV series.  Too short! 

FROM TL IN MICHIGAN:  I frequently find comfort in Winning Words.  Many times it just puts a smile on my face.====JACK:  It's hard to imagine how the daily WWs might come across to those who read them.  Thanks for your feedback.

Tuesday, June 02, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/2/15
“In good times, we enjoy the music.  In hard times, we understand the lyrics.”  (Unknown)  The hymn, Precious Lord, is a favorite of many people.  Thomas Dorsey wrote the words after being notified of the deaths of his wife…and his infant daughter.  Sometimes life becomes so difficult that we are caused to cry out, “Precious Lord, take my hand.”  While I often whistle the tune, the words, to me, are what “make” the hymn.  Can you think of other songs?    ;-)  Jack

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  So many of our hymns were written after people experienced tragedy or heartbreak. IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL, written after Horatio Spafford lost all four of his children when the boat they and his wife were taking to join him out West, sank, and his wife alone survived; Fannie Cosby wrote SAFE IN THE ARMS O F JESUS,  after her baby daughter died, the only child the blind Fanny ever had; WHAT  A FRIEND WE  HAVE IN JESUS, written after Joseph Scriven was betrayed by those he had thought were his friends....So lyrics often have fairly profound meaning.  I love the modern hymn SHINE JESUS SHINE, both the music and lyrics! It will be sung  at my Memorial service...:-)====JACK:  Who should choose our funeral hymns?  ...the deceased, or the mourners?  A professor of liturgics at my seminary said that hymns should appeal to the heart rather than to the feet.

FROM CG IN MICHIGAN:  so true, have a great day====JACK:  What's a favorite "message" song for you?====CG:  would have to think about that for a long time.====JACK:  Listen to September Song for an example.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  One of many of our favorite hymns are favorites because of the words.  "Just as I am" is one of them.  The words are spot on.  But there are many hymns that we have memorized because we sang them in the car on long trips, in church, or just sang them to our children.  They are the old favorites everyone loves still today!  I'm sure you know which ones they are!====JACK:  I would venture to say that most hymns were words before they were music... people trying to put their thoughts about God into words.  The music would come later.

Monday, June 01, 2015

Jack’s Winning Words 6/1/15
“Everyone wants happiness.  No one wants pain.  But you can’t make a rainbow, without a little rain.”  (Quoted by Dolly Parton)  Dolly grew up “dirt poor” in a family of 12.  The doctor who delivered her was paid with a bag of oatmeal.  She began singing in her grandpa’s church choir at age 7.  Today, Dolly’s one of the wealthiest and most charitable of all country singers.  She says that a belief in God is essential for any happy and successful life.    ;-)  Jack

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  There's a keen bit of insight in the thought expressed there.  I don't know if Dolly wrote it or just quoted it, but I find her "down home" expressions rather enlightened at times.  Like they often say, out of the mouths of "babes".....====JACK:  I didn't know that you also were an expert on "babes."====RI:  Not an "expert", but sometimes one can't avoid noticing them.

FROM TARMART REV:  ...when he added a little brown sugar, raisins and milk to that cooked oatmeal, I'll bet he had a delightful breakfast. All because of delivering Dolly Parton!!====JACK:  I'm no doctor, but that was exactly my meal this morning.

FROM SB IN MICHIGAN:  Have you see the movie about a church choir competition, starring Dolly Parton? I think the title is something like “Joyful Noise.” It’s uplifting music.====JACK:  Many country singers seem to have gotten their start in church choirs.  June Carter Cash, Loretta Lynn and Dottie West are also known for singing Gospel music.

FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  I actually have a fondness for Dolly.  Despite her complete artifice, she’s so honest, forthright and self-deprecating. A saw Dolly at an outdoor/picnic suburban concert venue when she was two and decided to name her favorite baby doll, Dolly Parton.====JACK:  I guess we all use artifice, to a greater or lesser degree.  Who among us to truly real to others?  Groucho had his cigar and fake moustache.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  We wouldn't cherish the happy times nearly so much, if we did  not have contrasting sad and "down" times in comparison!  Life is certainly a combination of both! Thank goodness for faith to walk by no matter what. I do feel that I have been blessed with an inordinate amount of the "happys"!!====JACK:  I think you were the one who once quoted Mother Teresa.  " I know God will not give me anything I can't handle.  I just wish God wouldn't trust me so much."

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  Dolly is one of the most prolific song writers in CW history. Her "I will always love you" is sung by EVERYBODY, CW or not.  One of her charities is free children's books through United Way. And she has a great sense of humor. Once to Johnny Carson.  "It takes a lot of money to look this trashy."  A classy gal.====JACK:  I liked her in the movie, "9 to 5," too!