Jack’s Winning Words 10/31/19 “I’ve learned that there are 3 things never to discuss with people: religion, politics and the Great Pumpkin.”  (Linus)  I really miss Charles Schulz…but we do have his classic reruns like:  The Great Pumpkin.  For me, it’s a story about faith, my faith.  I wonder if my religious beliefs are like Linus’s…believing without proof?  Is faith really like that…a feeling of being in touch with  a world beyond the here and now?  Faith isn’t faith if we have all of the answers.   ;-)  Jack     FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i heard of this acronym some years ago.   FAITH     Forsaking All,  I Take Him.   a little corny perhaps  but still, words full of hope and promise.   i also think of faith something like the old Groucho Marx show,  You Be Your Life!   and we do, literally... ===JACK:  That FAITH acrostic is something I learned long ago in Luther League...and Groucho is one of my favorite theologians. FROM WALMART REV:  Interesting to hear the descriptive answers of ones “higher power” at the AA meetings every 18 weeks when I share on the topic of “Spirituality”. I use the old televised short film, “Packy”, with Bob Newhart and Jack Klugman for a starter preceding the presentation and beginning with the thought, none of us chose to be born, our name and nationality, whether being a male or female or the environment we began with. We can chose though how to work with that to the best of our ability, as AA did in their beginning, recognizing the need of a higher power?!  0;-)===JACK:  Curious...Do you have to be a recovering alcoholic to participate in AA?  Also...I have no problem referring to God as "A Higher Power."  Whatever describes him/her....===REV:  I’m sure a “recovering alcoholic” would carry stronger credibility...Of course I’m not nor are those psychologists and psychiatrists necessarily with the clinic dealing with court-ordered attendees.  “Whatever describes him, her or it...” 0;-))===JACK:  I was just curious about "the rules."  FROM HONEST JOHN:  Our faith is anchored in an historical person...not an unseen pumpkin ===JACK:  Isn't the historical person the incarnation of the unseen?===HJ:  Yes.   That is the point.   Our Lord is not amongst the unseen....very much an historical person...Not an unseen Great Pumpkin. FROM SHALOM JAN: Amen, Jack!  Faith is trust beyond certainty.  :-)===JACK:  Faith without faith is no faith! FROM TL:  My family raises their brow at my love for the Charlie Brown stories.  And it never occurred to me why The Great Pumpkin is my favorite, until now.  Thanks for connecting the lines and letting me know it’s OK to be in touch with a world beyond the here and now. Thanks again for your daily inspirations.  You intercept the rat race with intention, purpose and great meaning.===JACK:  What's wrong with seeing God as a pumpkin?  The omnipotent God can be anything he/she chooses to be.   FROM DS IN SOCAL:  I really like the last sentence:  "Faith isn't faith if we have all of the answers."  In my bible study group, there always seems to be one or two guys that "have all the answers".  I know I don't.  I question so many things I  hope God doesn't hold it against me. Best to you always, my friend===JACK:  Don't let those who "know all of the answers" make you feel guilty.  Be on guard!

“If yu’ can’t have why you choose, yu’ just choose what you have.”  (Owen Wister, The Virginian)  This is something like the Sheryl Crow song, “It’s not having what you want, but wanting what you got.”  So many people out there…wishing for what they once had…rather than appreciating what they have.  A group of Indians, complaining about painful feet, threw their moccasins into a pile.  After trying on the others, they came away choosing their own.   ;-)  Jack

FROM PM:  Good morning!  Your timing on this one is perfect! A year ago we moved from my absolutely perfect dream house (open floor plan, Lots of natural light) to a home that feels tight and dark. I’ve been working on my mindset to appreciate where we are but it has been a real struggle. Not always but the struggle seems to come in waves. My attitude has been very poor lately and I’m feeling homesick for our old home.  Your email is helpful this morning.===JACK:  I like the word, serendipity...good things that happen by chance.  When I sit down to write Winning Words, I have no idea how they will be received.  It was the same way when I was writing sermons.  The Holy Spirit guides in mysterious ways.

FROM SHALOM JAN:  My grandmother said, "If everyone put their troubles out on a line like clothes, we'd all go out and bring in our own."===JACK:  It would be hard to hang moccasins on a clothesline, but the idea is the same...."Thou shalt not covet!"

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Why can’t we humans be happy with what we have.  It’s always:  if I just had that, or if I just did that, or I just need that!  But that the nature of humans.   I have two Indian friends.  One is an Blackfoot and one Odawa.  Their histories are unreal!  I live the old Indian sayings.  Some were very  wise!===JACK:  I want my own moccasins and my own set of concerns.

Jack’s Winning Words 10/29/19
“If not actually disgruntled, he was far from being gruntled.”  (P.G.Wodehouse)  Gruntled is an actual word, just like sheveled and turbed.  Put a “dis” in front of each, and you turn them into their opposite.  To be gruntled is be satisfied, pleased, contented.  We’re all aware of disgruntled people in today’s political world.  I find that life is more pleasant when I look for the good that’s  around me, good people doing good things.  I like being gruntled.  How about you?   ;-)  Jack

FROM HAPPY TRAILS IN NOVA SCOTIA:  is that like "flammable" and "inflammable"?  If you know some German, I sometimes (once every few years) enjoy asking a German "if ungeziefer is an insect, what's a geziefer"===JACK:  I always thought that flammable and inflammable seemed to be the same.  nonflammable makes more sense to me.

FROM DR J:  I like being gruntled too… should I grunt hip hip hurray???  Enjoy the day! ===JACK:  "Grunt" is the sound an oldster makes when she gets out of the chair.(in Maumee).

FROM SF IN FL:  That is a good word!===JACK:  Somehow, I always associate grunt with a pig.

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  I suppose that you could greet someone who approaches with a smile by saying, “You look particularly gruntled today.” They probably wouldn’t know how to react to that.

How do you react to gruntled people when you encounter them during your day? Is your reaction
one of trying to bring them down – sort of what the heck are you so happy about? Or do you immediately share their gruntleness and smile back? After all, isn’t it more pleasant to be happy with them than to force them to join you in whatever state of disgruntlement that you were in?===JACK:  To greet some people in that way might discombobulate them.  Is combobulate a word?

FROM WALMART REV:  You just "undisgruntled" me this morning, Jack with your blog . . . ready now to face my new day with new enthusiasm! 0;-)===JACK:  Don't tell your wife that she looks "gruntled" today.  She might slap you.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  We’ll both Gary and I learned something new today...before our coffee!  Gruntled sounds like an unhappy word such as:  I got bit by a gruntled bear.===JACK:  It's always a good day when we start it out by learning something new.

FROM LBP:  Huh! Had to look that up because "gruntled" only sounds like a contented or happy word if you are a pig. I'm sure you saw that MW dictionary explains that "disgruntle" has been a word since the 1600s, but the antonym use of the word "gruntle" is attributed to a comedian in the 1920s, after which it was picked up in more serious settings. Originally, gruntle meant grumble. Fun how language evolves. : )===JACK:  Language nuances is a reason why it's so hard to have a discussion with people who take the Bible literally.===LBP:  You know for my first personal Bible I picked King James since I figured it was an older translation so probably closer to the original? Ha ha. I’ve got a more modern translation now. But it’s  fun to go to an online Bible site and switch between translations.===JACK:  When I was a teen I belonged to the PTL (Pocket Testament League) where members pledged to carry a New Testament with them wherever they went...and to read a portion each day.  I can't recall that there was anyone to explain to us what we were reading. ===LBP::  But did you talk amongst yourselves about it? Or just have accountability to each other ===JACK:  The main thing was to always carry it with you.  I can't remember that we discussed it with anyone...although we may have.  I'm not denigrating what was done...only pointing out the path from the past until now.

Jack’s Winning Words 10/28/19
“A life without faith in something is too narrow a space to live.”  (George Woodberry)  Tiny Town in Detroit is a group of 25 tiny houses (250-400 sq ft on 30x100 lots) built for low income people (sr citizens, students, homeless) who can rent to buy.  Methodist pastor Faith Fowler is overseeing the project.  She has the perfect name for what she is doing…Faith!  Surprising things can be done when you have faith.  Do you know of examples where a little faith has led to big accomplishments?    ;-)  Jack

FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  I've read about this project before. Excellent.===JACK: I've seen pictures of those houses.  Size isn't everything.  It remains to be seen how the tiny neighborhood will be cared for.  I'm hopeful.===JON:  Me, too!

FROM WALMART REV:  In my eyes, those early steps of feeling a call to ministry, 4- years systematic studies at a Bible College, early struggles of feeling secure in the adventure and now looking back over 50 years of progression, I must say it has been worth it all! 0;-)===JACK:  As I look back, some of the little steps turned out to be giant steps.  God is good!

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  wonder how i would do in one of those.   in some ways,  it sounds very appealing...a simpler lifestyle.===JACK:  Perhaps it would be like trying to stuff SOTV into the SLLC building.  One size doesn't always fit all.===SP:  well,  that is for sure===JACK:  A pastor is a pastor, whatever and wherever the call. 

FROM LBP:  I’ve seen that project as I drive up the lodge. Always wondered exactly what was up. Clearly I don’t watch the local Detroit news channels! How awesome. Love it===JACK:  Something to consider in a few years when you and Chris are ready to downsize.===LBP:  there are days when I wonder why I felt we needed as much space as we have. if I hadn't just moved the family, i'd be seriously considering downsizing.===JACK:  I wonder is "early mankind" talked about getting a bigger cave?===LBP:  depends on what the cave was used for I suppose===JACK:  I wonder, if in those days, there was such a thing as "cave envy?"  My cave is bigger and better and in a more exclusive area than yours!"===LBP:  Why not? There were certainly more advantageous areas than others. Goodness, even Cain and Abel had jealousy issues... and the 10 commandments specifically states "do not covet"===JACK:  You paid attention in Confirmation classes, didn't you?===LBP:  Tried to. Have had to teach those two stories a few times since then as well. : )

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  Out of faith grows the hope for a better life. Out of faith comes the courage to try. And, it is faith that give us the strength to try again in the face of failures. Faith embraces the idea that there is something working in our lives that is bigger than us and stronger than us. Faith requires that we

accept something that we cannot see or touch, yet it touches us in every aspect of our lives and “sees” everything that we do. Faith requires that we believe, rather than understand; that we accept what happens, rather than futilely fighting; that we trust, rather than demand; and, that we openly accept God in our lives, rather than stubbornly rejecting His help.===JACK:  I remember this acrostic: F-A-I-T-H:  Forsaking   All   I   Take   Him 

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Just raising a family takes a lot of faith which is very rewarding!===JACK:  It always takes faith to bring a child into the world...at whatever time.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  I can’t imagine not having the Grace of God in my life.  Or His Mercy and Love!===JACK:  His promise..."I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Jack’s Winning Words 10/25/19
“The hardest thing is to take less when you can get more.”  (Kin Hubbard)  I read of a man who’s suing Golden Corral, because he was refused more food, after already eating between 50 and 70 pounds.  “The sign says, All you can eat!”  There are at least 100 verses in the Bible that advise moderation.  It’s not in the Bible, but many of us have heard it: Moderation in all things!  The Catholic Church has made a list of the 7 worst sins…Gluttony is one of them.   ;-)  Jack.  

FROM TRIHARDER:  My quandary  -- when we go out with coupled, we invariably split the bill, which includes alcohol. I'm a very light drinker and I pay for the very expensive taste of friends who order two from the top shelf. So, do I make up for it by ordering an expensive dessert or appetizer?

Back in collge, when we looked our resources to go shopping, I refused to pay for cigarettes. It's a little more contentious to draw that line during dinner. My brother, though refused to pay for alcohol at his son's batchelor party.  He was roundly criticized for it. Have a boo-tiful week. ===JACK:  If I’m treating, I’m treating.  No quandary.  bIf we’re splitting the bill, I’m paying more than my share…que sera sera.  If I don’t want to pay for the drinks or cigs, I say so…and take the heat.  Life isn’t always fair.  Which are the important battles?===TH:  I don't fight many of the battles I used to engage in. Too many ruffled feathers. Sometimes it's just easier to keep friends.  But, no, I've had friendly arguments with friends who have imbibed a little too much about driving home.===JACK:  Friends don't let friends drive drunk, as the saying goes.

FROM WALMART REV:  Definitely, "a whale" of a problem, even hitting close to home this morning! 0;-)===JACK:  At some point you'll reach that age when you will naturally take smaller portions.  I'm at that point...and feel better because of it.

FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  I hope they at least let him go to the desert bar.===JACK:  Ask your lawyer wife how she thinks the suit would turn out.===JON:  It's a bit ridiculous.===JACK:  Ridiculous?  A tow truck driver in Florida was clearing wreckage from an accident when fire ants crawled up his leg and bit him. But he later changed his tune when he sued the towing company, claiming he was injured by battery acid—even though his medical records show he told his doctors that fire ants bit him.  During the trial, a medical specialist verified that it was fire ants, not battery acid that caused the driver’s injury. Yet a jury still awarded the driver $5.2 million in damages.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i like these two sayings.   live simply so that others may simply live.     he who dies with the most toys is still dead! ===JACK:  I'll bet that you're living more elegantly (and with more toys) than your parents did....Not bad or good, but just the way it has turned out to be.===SP:  so right you are.   but now we are trying hard to downsize  and even minimize..   i love that old question we should all ask of  our possessions:  Do I own that thing or does that thing own me??    And if it owns me,   get rid of it!===JACK:  I'm still trying to come to grips with downsizing.  One of these days I'll be able to let go of my file of old sermons.===SP:  that is a Sacred Cow for me too!    after all,  we worked sooo hard in writing and delivering them.   we should have had them published!   they are sooo full of wisdom,  are they not??===JACK:  I have graduated to a shorter version...Winning Words.  While I'm (somewhat) proud of the past, I think that I have moved on to something better (in my eyes).  I don't see my best as being behind me.  Life goes on.

      

Jack’s Winning Words 10/24/19 “…and now I need a bath!”  (Albert Einstein)  This quote was cited in the comic strip, Get Fuzzy. “How do you know Einstein said that?”  “Well, he must have said it at some time.”  The fact is that famous people are common people in many ways.  A friend told me that someone she knows checks out the toilet before Queen Elizabeth uses it.  A hymn says: “We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear.”  Even Jesus cried when he heard of a friend’s death.   ;-)  Jack     FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:       Jack,  we just saw the movie version of Downton Abbey.   when the King and Queen come for a visit, in a bout 1922(?)  their staff comes ahead of time:  maids, chefs, butlers, body guards, valets, etc. etc.  and one of them does indeed inspect all the bathroom facilities. ===JACK:  Another example....Does Trump comb his own hair, or does someone do it for him?===SP:  i thought it was a wig.    we call him Agent Orange.. ===JACK:  I was taught not to make fun of people's looks....It's continually a work in progress. ===SP:  you are correct.  its like judging a book by its cover without knowing anything about the contents.  good point...JACK:  I hate it when I see my imperfections.  ===SP:  don't we all.   i like the line:  i am so glad when i step out of the shower each morning and the mirror is steamed over!===JACK:  That probably means that you wouldn't feel comfortable in a nudist camp.     FROM JT IN SJ:  Wonderful.   You made that quote powerful. And it was kind of a silly quote. Just proves===JACK:  Einstein put his pants on, one leg at a time. FROM HUNGRY HOWIE:  Other things we have all said at least once      And now I need a drink  And now I need a friend  And now I need a nap  nd now I need to leave ===JACK:  Another......I need to use the bathroom FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  when i read online of meghan markle’s troubles trying to adjust to royal life, the comments were cruel... “w/all that money, blah blah blah.”  after witnessing diana’s struggles, we should know better. the heartbreak is amplified for people like her and meghan.===JACK:  What a pain it must be....to live always in the spotlight!  Give me privacy! FROM WALMART REV:  I'm thinking Jesus must have brushed He teeth or used some kind of mouth wash as well?! Bathroom etiquette? Headline this morning on one of my news app's: "Not washing your hands after using bathroom worse than eating raw meat, study finds" 0;-)===JACK:  I have trouble wrapping my head around Jesus being an actual human being...going to the bathroom...bathing...belching...scratching...etc. ===REV:  I'm with you as well . . . I use this Scripture along with posting a daily hymn or song, “After they sang a song, they went out . . .” (Matthew 26:30 NLV) . . . I have a hard time picturing Jesus either leading, playing a musical instrument or singing along with the disciples too?! 0;-)===JACK:  I wonder if Jesus cracked a joke, or whistled. or ran, or skipped? FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Humorous words but oh how true.  Even Jesus used the outhouse, ate, drank and cried.  We should never despair!  He overcame it all and made sure we were able to share life-everlasting with Him!===JACK:  Jesus was God, in human form, showing/telling us what we can be as humans.===JUDY:  Yes, aren’t we blessed?  We will meet each in Heaven.  Bring your Winning Words.  The people who said them will talk to you about them!  😊 ===JACK:  I'm sure that in Heaven there will be more interesting things to talk about than Winning Words..  At times I feel that "the Spirit" leads me to write what I write. ===JUDY:  Won’t it be fun to talk to all the authors you have quoted?  I’m sure the Winning Words are a ministry you were led to do.  The Holy Spirit gives us guidance.

Jack’s Winning Words 10/23/19 “You are perfectly cast in your life.  I can’t imagine anyone but you in that role.  Go play!”  (Lin-Manuel Miranda)  If a movie were to be made of your life, what *star* would fit as you?  The old song is right...”There’ll never be another you!” Fingerprints, facial recognition, DNA?  God has made each of us as “one of a kind.”  In the Bible the psalmist wrote: We are wonderfully made, intrically woven.  “Quiet on the set!  Scene 10-23-19! (You’re on!) Go play!”  Jack ;-)  FROM SF IN FL:   Good morning! Love this!===JACK:  As I was paying for breakfast this morning, the cashier said, in passing, "These days there are cameras everywhere."  Smile, you're on camera somewhere. FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Who would play my life?  I have no idea.  Most of the actresses are unknown to me.  But it would be a comedy.===JACK:  Since you're on your own Green Acres, how about Lisa (Eva Gabor) playing you?  Oops!  I just read that she's dead. FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  Good one, Jack.  Thanks FROM ETR:  Very cleverly written. Bravo!!===JACK:  Have you even been mistaken for someone else.  Someone came up to me once and thought that I was Gordie Howe, the hockey player. FROM BLAZING OAKS:  So creatively put: I loved this!  My students used to say I looked just like the mother in "Happy Days" with Ron Howard and Fonzie. Since I was always at church on Wed. nights when it played on TV I didn't get to see her...But fun that they often made that comparison! :-)  yes, we are all unique, and fearfully and wonderfully made; (There is a great book by that title, by Dr. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey. Jaw-dropping info. on how intricately our physical bodies are made! I re-read it every so often to remind myself of how marvelously created we are to function on Earth!!) YOU are one of his marvels! Thanks, Jack===JACK:  Recently, as the doctors were looking for a source for the infection that was bugging me, I had a chance to look at test results for the various organs in my body.  The echo-cardiogram was especially fascinating.===OAKS:  Yes, I've watched my echo-cardiogram, and heard the loud swooshing, as blood surged (which you don't hear as it swirls through the valves and veins ordinarily!) It is interesting, and a little unnerving!===JACK:  ...and to think that it's been operating that way, day in, day out, since birth.  Wow!

Jack’s Winning Words 10/22/19
“Be not simply good.  Be good for something.”  (Thoreau)  As a kid I was pretty good at paddleball; I still have my last paddle with high scores marked on it.  I was good, but good for nothing--except for personal enjoyment.  Thoreau was an idealist, believing that we’re put on earth to make a positive difference..  I know of someone who does volunteer work, lots of it…for no pay.  I call her a good for nothing.  Do you know of people like those Thoreau described?   ;-)  Jack

FROM FEEDSTORE:  You give a whole new meaning to… good for nothing! I could use some extra prayers in regards to a situation we find ourselves in, knowingly and willingly. S and I are taking care of my aunt who has dementia, someone who is far too young, strong , active and full of life, for the state her mind is in. Our mind is an amazing “puzzle” at times, to say the least. I am grateful for my extended family here in Michigan, who is definitely helping with her care.  Thank you for your strength and perseverance through your hardships and challenges in life. I am forever grateful for your ”winning words”!!===JACK:   Prayers are an added blessing, but with or without our prayers, God continues to watch over "His" people.  Thinking of your aunt, I'm reminded of the verse that says...Not even one sparrow falls to the ground but that God is aware and cares.  May God continue to bless the many "good for nothing" caregivers today.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  w/o personal enjoyment it would be a pretty dull and stressful existence, nd we would not have the stamina to volunteer our services to others... which gives me an idea. basketball league for the homeless!===JACK:  A basketball league for the homeless!  What a great idea, and I'm going to run with it.  I'll let you know what happens.

FROM COPPER COUNTRY BOB:  To build upon your "be good for something"  I'm attaching a pamphlet which I'm using for confirmation this Sunday.===JACK:  Your pamphlet gave me another Winning Words idea which I shall use in the near future.  You come up with some good ones! 

FROM WALMART REV:  I can still recall those earlier bowling days (around 10 years worth) trying to carve out a reputation of being one of the best...one season feeling on top of my game and enjoying the compliments and successes that came with ii and other times finding myself in a slump feeling defeated, very disappointed and dreading the self-imposed desire to get back on top of my game somehow.  Must admit, ministry, even in my lowest times, never gives me the feeling of “all this for nothing” but always “the best is yet to come!” A good measure of servitude without gratuity, but very fulfilling!  Blessings on your day ahead, Jack!===JACK:  I know that you "show" your ministry at places like Walmart and the Willmar Race Track.  Have you ever ministered at the local bowling alley...perhaps by offering to be a sub for a team?  ...or by working at the counter?   ...or by offering a prayer at the beginning of a season...or at the ending banquet?===REV:  Actually haven’t bowled since 1997 as my legs have given out to keep up with the game at a level I would enjoy.  Henceforth, my continuing satisfaction with ministry at my present age.===JACK:  How about giving basic bowling lessons to children (or learning adults) at the bowling alley.  Some kind of ministry to do in your spare time.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  pastors are paid to be good.  but when they retire,  they have to be good for nothing!:):):)===JACK:  Perhaps by being a "Worker Priest" would help ease the guilt...if there is any.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Wherever we served, I conducted 2 & 3 church choirs without pay, over the years, but that held many great memories and friendships! I'm still able to participate in our meals for the homeless...getting ready to decorate the tables, and hand out favors and treats for a festive Halloween meal on the   30th. They are always very appreciative of our efforts, which encourages us to want to do it, month after month.  There are far more needs for volunteers everywhere, than people to do it. Bless those who spend their lives for something that will outlast it!!===JACK:  Most churches are volunteer organizations...volunteer choirs, Sunday School teachers, youth group leaders, Church Council members, committee members, etc....and you are the Queen of Volunteers!

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Yes, I do.  Lots of people I know do volunteer work.  They are a blessing to all those thru serve.===JACK:  I, too, know lots of volunteers.  I'd hate to try to lead a church without them.

FROM ETR:  Yes, she's very good for nothing.  Thank you for seeing that in her and supporting her passion.===JACK:  You don't meet very many people these days who go out of their way to do something, not expecting to be paid for it.  A simple "Thank you!" is more than enough pay for them.

Jack’s Winning Words 10/21/19
“Be the Bridge!”  (Poster in a lab)  The late Elijah Cummings had one face to face meeting with Donald Trump and said to him, “Mr President, you’re now 70-something; I’m 60-something.  Very soon you and I will be dancing with angels.  We need to figure out what present can we leave to generations unborn.”  Elijah has certainly left his.  Now, it’s up to the President, the other lawmakers and us to be “the Bridge” to a better life for future generations.   ;-)  Jack

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  He is certainly trying every day’===JACK:  In what ways do you see him trying to make life better for the "unborns?"  Just curious!

FROM SF IN FL:  You are an optimist, my friend! Elijah Cummings was an exceptional human being. A great loss. 😢===JACK:  He was a living bridge back to MLK Jr.  I'm an optimist, because no bridge is built without optimism.  Polarization is not solved without someone making the first move.

FROM LBP:  Lots of things we can bridge aren’t there===JACK:  What I'm talking about is us being Ithe bridge to another generation.  What is there of significance that we bring with us to give to them?  It seems as though most of the time time we concentrate on negatives.  There are (can be) positives.  

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  Trump is only interested in what benefits him and how good it makes him look! “Never apologize”  is his motto! No chance of being a bridge! He lives by his wall!  ===JACK:  I control what I can control.  I will try to be the bridge.  Cummings tried to be the bridge.  Both walls and bridges can be used as analogies.

FROM WALMART REV:  A Biblical perspective from James 1:17 might be a good directive those ladies and gentlemen from Washington DC might benefit from...don’t hear much reference from them in this regard in recent times:  “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.”  At least you and I can keep the “Light” on without any repercussion...at least, that is, not yet?!===JACK:  Reading the Bible may be a good first step.  I've found that the next step is equally important....Who will help you to understand what you have read?  

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  While I would hope the president does the right things, I don't think I'll hold my breath on it.  379 days until election day 2020, but who's counting?===JACK:  Cummings was trying to be a bridge when he met the president face to face.  I'm pretty sure that that meeting was not his favorite thing to do...but he did it.===RS:  Yep -- Kudo's to him for tirelessly fighting for the the oppressed and discriminated against.  Wish we had more like him.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:    Elijah made his life count....It would be good if Trump danced out of office, before he destabilizes the whole world! :-( I TRY to pray rather than worry...It's a challenge!! ===JACK:  Prayer is not meant to be used for the easy stuff.  I can't remember the last time I prayed for President Trump.  Is that good, or bad?  Many of us pray....and continue to carry whatever burden it is.  Do remember singing..."Take your burden to the Lord and leave it there?"

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  I wonder how many people pray for our President?  We should all be praying for God to be with and guide, our government no matter who their affiliations.===JACK:  Why do we find it so hard "to pray for our enemies?"  Jesus never said that we are to pray only for those we like?

FROM LBP:  Perhaps I'm looking at bridge as a connection between two unconnected groups and you are seeing it specifically in the connection from current to future? Being in one of the middle generations right now it's interesting to look back at how I perceived folks my age when I was young. But, frankly, looking forward is frightening.===JACK:  A bridge simply connects one side to another.  America is definitely a 2-sided nation at this time.  Some of us optimists believe that something to bring the  two together must be attempted.  That means we can't be intransigence.  I will TRY to be a bridge (rather than a wall.

FROM DAIRYLAND DONNA:  Unfortunately Mr. Trump cares about no one but himself.
It is up to the rest of us to love our neighbor and do what's right.===JACK:  The "roadblock" will not deter me.  I will find a way to outwit the dimwit.  My faith tells me that "in the end, right will be successful."

FROM AW IN IL:  Hi...I had a difficult time in one parish until I accepted the fact I was only a bridge from the last Pastor until the next one.===JACK:  A "perfect" example! 

Jack’s Winning Words 10/18/19
“Hey! Hey! Keep on Truckin’!”  (Hippie Slogan)  Someone asked me recently if I was still “truckin’.”  Well,  I just finished a battery of tests which showed that, while I’m not a semi, I’m a vintage pickup that’s still in shape.  One test allowed me to see my heart beating…and, what has caused it to keep on truckin’ year after year without stopping?  Amazing!  Yes, there is a God!    To me, “Keep on Truckin’” means, “Keep on goin’ on.”  That’s my wish for you and your heart!  ;-)  Jack.  

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:       you are a good example of why life insurance companies love clergy!   we live longer,  pay our premiums on time,  and collect later than the general populous!  congrats on your good health! ===JACK:  When asked what he did for a living, a pastor responded, "I sell eternal-life insurance."  (I know that you've heard that one before)  

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  And our wish for you, Jack===JACK:  We're still paying our life insurance premiums, aren't we?

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  Beautiful!===JACK:  A few rust spots on the chassis; the windshield is a bit dirty, and it's sometimes hard to get out of first-gear, but the old pick-up is still putting along.  Still lookin' OK

FROM SB:  Glad to learn that you’re doing well health-wise. Keep on preaching through your “Winning Words!”===JACK:  Winning Words is truly my NEW style of preaching.  If I were to begin ministry all over again in these times, I'd try to find a way to reach of to the many who claim to be spiritual, but not religious.  They are an untapped source of strength.

FROM MY LAWYER:  You’re a semi in my book!===JACK:  ...and you're the one I'd call when the semi gets pulled over.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:    t only are you truckin’ in your vintage pickup, you are still passing the other trucks on the road. yep, god’s at the wheel.  keep on keepin’ on, and so will i!===JACK:  As long as I've known you, I see you as a Beetle that needs repairs now and then, has a tank that could always use a little more gas...but is dependable.  Beep Beep!===LIZ:  i’m a ferrari. wild, fast, expensive to repair.===JACK:  Believe it, or not; my Chevy is serviced by the Ferrari dealer. ===LIZ:  what do you drive? i’m a volvo wagon driver at the moment. my mom bought her first volvo bc she saw an ad that said they last 17 yrs... alas, i found out volvo is chinese now, so this will be my last one.===JACK:  In Detroit there's a factory where you can see "your" Ford vehicle being made.  There's an enclosed walkways beside the assembly line.  The ad says, "Think Ford First!"

FROM WALMART REV:  You're all heart, Jack!! Thanks!! 0;-)===JACK:  I see you as one of those stock cars that need "praying over" each week.

FROM COPPER COUNTRY BOB:  Delighted to receive the analogy of a "vintage pickup" and that you continue  carrying a full load of  "joy in the Gospel" down the road.===JACK:  ...and you're one of those farm trucks that just gets the job done, not caring about much about anything other than that.

===BOB:  Yep, an old farm truck on a road of pot holes.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Yes and it helps to have good genes! Didn’t your mother live to be over 100?===JACK:  She and I were competitive in games.  She lived to be 102; I want to reach 103.

Jack’s Winning Words 10/11/19
“Lettin’ the cat outta the bag is a whole lot easier’n puttin’ it back.”  (Will Rogers)  I just noticed that this is the 2^nd Rogers’ quote used this week.  I must like him.  I like his wry smile and use of “real” language, words understood by common people.  His political humor is relevant today in Washington, as it was in his day.  I like the sound of saying his hometown: Oogoglah, OK.  I also like it that Will had an affinity for the poor and minorities.   ;-)  Jack

FROM ESKOELIZ:  I like this one! It's my favorite so far. Light-hearted with a serious underlying message.===JACK:  Did you try to say his hometown?  OO-GOG-LAH  Gog, like in synagog.  Modern spelling is Oologlah.

FROM WALMART REV:  I can still remember seeing him occasionally on the old black and white TV programs in the 50's and actually walked through a museum dedicated to him in Claremore, OK. 0;-)===JACK:  I liked the way he scratched his head as he talked.

Jack’s Winning Words 10/10/19
“Not the power to remember, but it’s the very opposite; the power to forget is a necessary condition for our existence.”  (Sholem Asch)  Two old friends meet.  One says, “I’m sorry, but I can’t remember your name.”  The other replies, “How soon do you need to know?”  Memory loss is no joke, but I’ve read that being able to forget is important for mental health.  It’s also important for allowing us to forgive.  Is there something you need to let go of today?   ;-)  Jack

FROM VW MARY:  Right now, the way I get treated at the airport and the fact that security has taken away two little items that I've traveled with for years.....===JACK:  It's the price we pay for not being hi-jacked or blown up.

FROM SF ON THE WAY TO FL:  G’s lament: I remember EVERYTHING, especially when he has messed up! That’s not good!! 😂===JACK:  Remembering or forgetting, the power of the brain is marvelous (when it works).

FROM TAMPA SHIRL: If u forget some these days u can check with google! What a wonderful life it is these days!  If u forget some these days u can check with google! What a wonderful life it is these days!===JACK:  I can't comprehend being in school with today's search engines.

FROM DS IN SOCAL:  Jack, I find it harder to forgive myself than to forgive others.===JACK:  Hard to forgive self or others?  Just picture what's on God's plate!

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  My kids often remember things from their childhood that I've forgotten; it seems we are so busy while raising family that it all becomes somewhat of a 'blur"...I can remember

short nights most of the time during those years! We all probably wish we'd spent more time "smelling the flowers",  in our hectic schedules, but on the other hand, Looking back over 90 years,  my life has been filled with blessings!!===JACK:  Somebody needs to record the "memories" before everybody forgets them.  Maybe...a Memory Jar on your kitchen counter where everyone can write down a memory and place it in the jar.  You can add a few, too...like running out of gas on the way to school...

FROM JDR IN CA:  Couldn't agree more.

Jack’s Winning Words 10/9/19
“If there are no dogs in heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”  (Will  Rogers)  When it comes to questions about heaven, St Paul said something like this - Heaven is going to be better than any mind can imagine, beyond our wildest dreams!  Streets of gold?  Gates of pearl?  Only people?  Any room for pets?  Who knows?  I think that God did a good job when he created Earth, so I’m for letting him decide what Heaven will be like.  ;-)  Jack

FROM WALMART REV:  I'm told there will be three great surprises when we get there-- 1) Some will be there that we thought never would; 2) Others will be missing that we thought for sure would be there; but, 3) the biggest surprise, when we behold the holiness of God and His Heaven, is we are actually there?! 0;-) ===JACK:  That's a Martin Luther quote.  You must have heard it from me.

FROM PEE WEE:  Great inspiration, and I thank you for your perspective! Let him decide.  ===JACK:  I know someone who has a pet fish, named Fish.  Fish was created by God.

FROM INDY GENIE:  “Let the mystery be.”===JACK:  Agnes De Met was told that she wouldn't make it to Heaven.  She's content to "let the mystery be."

FROM PROUD MARY:  i'm with iris dement on this one.

"some say we're going to a place called glory and i ain't sayin it ain't a fact.

but i heard that i'm on the road to purgatory and i don't like the sound of that.

i believe in love and i live my life accordingly.  i choose to let the mystery be."

and...fyi...all dogs go to heaven.===JACK:  Do all people go to heaven?===PM:  Is it blasphemy to believe we get as many do-overs as needed to get things right?===JACK:  I wonder who it is who's qualified to say whether or not something's blasphemy?

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  good words here today,  Jack.  thanks...

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I think that if we were able to comprehend the intricate details of Heaven in our Mortal form, Jesus would have described it for us; We have to wait, and  trust, or have faith that the place he went to prepare for us will be "Heavenly"!!  :-) Just save me a place!~!===JACK:  Is Heaven an actual place, or is it a nebulous relationship?  Agnes Demet sings: I think I'll just let the mystery be."

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  I’ll leave to God.  He knows what perfection is like.===JACK:  Good advice!

Jack’s Winning Words 10/8/19 “Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind.”  (Shakespeare)  A friend sent me a video of an old man sitting on a park bench.  A young man comes and sits beside him.  “Tell me what you see;” said the old man, “I am blind.”  The young man “saw” a blue sky, ducks in a pond with laughing children feeding them, a boy running with a kite, a birthday party.  At the end, the young man walks away, using a white cane.  True beauty is in the mind of the beholder.  ;-)  Jack FROM SF IN WBMI:  Beautiful! FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  How true that is!===JACK:  How great it is that the mind can imagine. FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH:  Nice.  Showed and discussed that video with my 11 year old grandson as I will do with your WW:===JACK:  I told you  that I'd be using your video in the near future, but didn't believe that it  would be this near.  FROM SOUNDS LIKE MIKE:  Excellent, Jack.  That opens a door though.  There is a saying that heaven is in the  mind.  Is "reality" then born out of point of view?===JACK:  Most people think in terms of an earthly-like heaven.  My heaven is more mysterious than that. FROM BB IN CHGO:   I had a dream about you last night.  We were in your childhood home in Rockford (not Moline) and I told you I thought you would enjoy seeing the old spot.  You became very excited when we peeked in your (older) sister Helen’s room and saw her bed, still in its place from the 40’s? A stuffed animal and childhood toys.  We were walking down the hallway toward your room and Nancy’s when the dream ended.  It was peaceful and joyful.  Not sure why your family is on my mind in that way but that’s dreams.  I left a message for Nancy on Herb’s birthday.  Perhaps still thinking of him/them.===JACK:  My dreams are often weird.  Often, I write them down in a "Dream" book   A couple of nights ago. in my dream, I was visiting in a home where I couldn't find a bathroom.  The lady of the house said I could use the one in the basement.  When I went down there i saw that they had turned the basement into the locker room for the Chicago Bears.  As I looked out the basement window I could see the Bears practicing in the backyard.  Suddenly the team manager came in and ordered me out.  I explained that the lady upstairs said I could use the bathroom....and then I woke up. FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  Good thought. I might use it in the prose poem I'm writing. ===JACK:  You're welcome to it. FROM WALMART REV:  Would be interesting to know if the young man had been blind from birth could still envision what he described as seeing...in other words, could someone effectively portray the scenes he described without ever seeing those scenes.?.?  Question is coming from someone who sees the potential of finding the pony in the midst of the horse manure...but I have previously seen a desired pony and have effectively stepped in the pile of manure more times than I wished to remember. 0;-)===JACK:  Sometimes simple stories lose their meaning if/when we make them more complex...as with the parables of Jesus.  Sometimes they're better standing alone, without some preacher trying to "explain" Jesus' words. FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  It’s so easy to “see” a person but to really see the real person is a blessing.===JACK:  I need more explanation with regard to what point you are making. ===JUDY:   Real love is from inside- not just outside.===JACK:  Now, I 'see." FROM NORM'S BLOG:  There is a little phrase that people often use - “in my mind’s eye”. They use it to describe the ability to “see” things in our minds.  Athletes use this ability to visualize a shot or a play ahead of it actually happening. Most of us use it to give form to our imaginations and conjure up images of the good or bad things to come. It is interesting that vision is the primary sense that we imagine in our minds and not touch or smell or sounds (although most dreams, which also take place in the mind, involve sounds as well as things that we see).  So, how does one see love in the minds eye? I would submit that is less visual than it sounds and involves the "mental" sensations of various of our senses all at the same time. One does not so much “see” love and they sense it, they experience it. You can watch love (or experience it yourself) as a child (or adult) plays with a new puppy. There is unconditional love coming from the puppy and the new owner is returning that love. You also see it many times with young couples interacting when they think no one is watching (or they don’t care if anyone is watching).===JACK:  The eye does not see; it's the mind that uses the eye to see.  It's an amazing body that we have.  Most of us don't appreciate it enough.

Jack’s Winning Words 10/7/19 “I want you to act as if your house is on fire.”  (Greta Thunberg)  Our Fire Dept encourages every resident to have a plan of escape in case of fire.  Do you have one?  My plan is to run to the bathroom (there’s a good exit window there).  When there’s an emergency, it’s important to know what to do.  Greta is that teen-age Swede who spoke to the U.N. recently about Climate Change.  Is there something on your mind that’s an urgent concern?  ;-)  Jack FROM TL:  My, you present a lot of thought in 6 lines!  You are truly special, gifted and appreciated – each day!===JACK:  6 lines seems to work for me and my message...not too long, and not too short.  Each person who receives "the words" is important to me. FROM RS IN TEXAS:  Yes...climate change.  Unfortunately, many of our politicians not only want to not admit it's urgent.....or that it exists at all.  November 2020.===JACK:  I remember extremes of heat and cold and rain and snow when I was growing up, but the melting of the polar regions is something new. FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Not really.  There are always concerns but not emergency concerns.===JACK:  ...but, you know what to do in case of an emergency, don't you?  Call 911 or 463.===JUDY:  Lol.  Yes.  I have a fire fighter son-in-law.  We have the emergency points all set up.===JACK:  Good!...but did you "get" Call, 463?  Think about that some more!===JUDY:  Yep...  GOD!===JACK:  Did you ever hear the song, "Hello Central, give me heaven?"  You can Google it.   FROM WALMART REV:  Good Morning, Jack!! I always seem to have a "mote or two, or possibly a beam" in my eye I'm praying about . . . I think I'll keep them in my prayer closet and between my Father and I instead of revealing them today!! I might disappoint you, if I tell you?! 0;-)===JACK:  The Bible sometimes uses words that I think I know, but what is a mote?===REV:  A mote is "a tiny piece of a substance", used as an analogy in Luke 6:41 KJV===JACK:  Which of these do you have in your eye?:  Atom, crumb, flyspeck, dribble, granule, molecule?  All are motes! FROM DR J:  Im with her… Greta. She’s right! The house is on fire… and I like this quote too===JACK:  I wanted to quote Greta in a way that would get the point across without using a sledge hammer.  FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  sometimes i run to the bathroom for reasons other than a fire...===JACK:  Pants on fire?===SP:  Well, sort of! FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  A most interesting read===JACK:  Do you remember what you were doing when you were 16?  What were your passions?  I can't remember that I had any.===GEORGE:  Ahh, 16: girls and basketball.===JACK:  I don't remember that we were into causes. FROM NORM'S BLOG:  It is common wisdom that when threatened most people react one of two ways – flight or fight. The flight response can take many forms – actually running away, lying to yourself and others, or just pretending not to notice. The fight response usually takes the form of some action to deal with the threat.  I would submit that the “house” that Greta alluded to is one that we all live in – the planet Earth – and the threat is not a fire but the effects of climate change. The response of many to this threat has been to ignore it or to create and spread the lie that it is not happening. That is a flight response. It is real. It is happening. Our house is on fire.  The flight response has not worked, nor will it ever work.  We must turn and fight this fire in our house. Making that choice can leave you feeling a little like those pictures you see every now and then from California when wild fires are raging. Perhaps you’ve seen the ones with the homeowner standing there with his pathetic little garden hose trying to save his house by himself. It is a feeling of helplessness and being alone in a futile battle.  That does not have to be the case.  You are not alone. There are many organizations out there that are rallying support against climate change. Some focus upon trying to get big companies to change their polluting ways; others focus on the political process and back candidates who get it and are committed to making changes to save the planet. Still others primarily focus upon educating the public and changing the mindsets of citizens who are still in flight mode by fighting against the misinformation being spread by the polluters themselves.  It’s time to take a stand and fight! It is your house. It is on fire! What will you do? Flight or fight?===JACK:  As was said in My Fair Lady,  "By Jove, I think (he's) got it!" FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Racial equality in the Justice System, is certainly an ongoing urgent cause, but that radiates out into racial biases everywhere, doesn't it?  It will always be an ongoing concern, even tho we've made some strides in recent history. I worked for the Republican candidate against Harry Truman in High school (couldn't vote, of course)...knowing what I knew later, Harry Truman would have had my vote!! A change in the White House would be so welcome today by many of us!===JACK:  I guess it's my theology, not my politics, that has changed since "youthful days," and I'm OK with that.  There's something to be said for the words, "higher education."  Of course, a lot depends on the educator...and I had some good ones.  A God-given discerning mind is important, too.===OAKS:  So true! Reading widely, as you and I do, helps===JACK:  Reading widely and wisely! FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  The shape of peoples personal finances will likely cause more trouble than weather. People don’t often take a threat seriously when it is slow moving and imperceptible. When you weigh the threat of financial ignorance against climate change there is no comparison.  We have 200 plus years of evidence on finances and saving/investing that has empirical results.  The climate alarmists have since 1970 been wrong with each and every prediction and even reversed 180 on whether we would freeze or burn and drown.   Every climate alarmist depends on flawed models and the assumption earth is static and incapable of changing again. I am for technology and innovation solving the CO2 problem (planting trees seems to be one answer) if it is a problem.  Climate change is the new moniker for control of people and the economy.  If it is to be solved or is solvable then a ten billion dollar x-Prize would bring more innovation than simply taxing and central control of world economies.  I am optimistic about millennials, they are saving more and trusting government less.  The savings rate for millennials hit 8.1 percent according to the St Louis Fed last week.  We can and should be collective in our caring and gratitude though we must be individual in responsibilities.  Greta is simply contrived just as John-John Kennedy was in the picture of him saluting his dads casket in 1963.  Though as far as contrived media goes, I favor and admire the Kennedy stunt which was later admitted to. ===JACK:  The Kennedy salute...contrived?  Now, you're going to tell me that there's no Santa Claus...and Climate Change is not as bad as the World Financial Picture?  I don't know if that makes me less concerned or more concerned about the future?  I think that it's time for you to write a new book.  We, the people, don't always know as much as we think we know.===JON:  Climate change not as bad as most (66%) of folks "personal finance's". World finance? Too big for me to fathom.  ===JACK:  The "Headlines" push and shove most of us around.===JON;  Agreed. Anxiety is the lifeblood of media. I'd go so far as to call it soft-terrorism. The media is used to shape rather than report.===JACK:  The media may not be perfect, but I think that soft-terrorism is too harsh.  An administration with no "checks" can become a dictatorship.