Jack’s Winning Words 4/5/17
“None of us can change our yesterdays, but all of us can change our tomorrows.”  (Colin Powell)  As I read this quote I began thinking about how choices we make affect the direction of our life.  Every day we come to a fork in the road.  Colin P came to one of those forks when both political parties wanted him as their candidate for President.  For a variety of reasons he chose not to run.  But, what if….?  Forget the “What ifs”!  Let’s live our chosen way.    ;-)  Jack

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  Powell will go down as one of the most interesting people in the Iraq War era after 9-11.  So articulate..so intelligent..and mislead. He never fully recovered in the public view.  Such an interesting person!====JACK:  No one is above reproach, but I think that the "public" has admired Powell more than any other candidate in recent history.  I've read that his wife had an influence on his decision not to be a candidate.  Wise husbands often listen to their wives.

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  The way to forget the "What ifs" is to never look back.  Maybe we should look ahead with "Suppose that..." and then do all we can to achieve a chosen goal.====JACK:  I like the figure of the god, Janus, a head that can look forward and back at the same time.  To be able to look back (memory) is a great gift.  To be able to look ahead (to foresee what might/can be) is also a great gift.  However...I do like your (Suppose that...) point.====RI:  You are correct that memory is a great gift.  It enables us to keep with us past pleasures we otherwise would be unable to enjoy.  From here on I'll depend on memory for support in my remaining years.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Guidepost magazine had a quote appropriate to today's thought:"Nothing you've done in the past is wasted. It's all grist for your future". Habitat Changers (M.J.Ryan). One of the valuable spiritual insights I've learned is that God does not reveal His future plans to us, but we discover them along our journey of faith,  trusting that we are living in his caring, loving presence. The decision to try to follow Christ affects every nook and cranny of our lives!====JACK:  I know what a nook is, but I've never seen something referred to as a cranny...even though I'm familiar with the "nook and cranny" phrase.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  What if you are turning 67 and you decide to buy a farm?  The possibilities are unlimited.  Forget the realities and go for it!  We are having a great time, sleep like the dead (because we nearly are half of the time), are muddier than we've ever been, and love it!!! ====JACK:  As a slang expression, "buying the farm" referred to using death benefits to pay off the mortgage on the farm.  In your case I hope that it means having a happy and peaceful life.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Life is all about making decisions everyday,isn't it? Think of all of the years we have lived and what we have lived through.  We are all still here for a reason, and we just have to remember that every day. By the way, the Rays had a great opening game with the Yankees, but not so great last night. C'est la vie.====JACK:  The Greatest Generation lived during some exciting and interesting times.  I'm glad to have been a part of it.