JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/29/06
“There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness is the true method.” (Herman Melville) Herman must have been looking at my desk. Can you think of other circumstances where Melville’s words might fit? ;-) Jack

N. R. BURR HAS AN INTERESTING FOLLOW UP....There's a "careful disorderliness" about flea markets, which I think makes them interesting, encourages people to look things over, and buy.

MORE ON DISODERLINESS FROM S. H.
The careful disorderliness of The Church in the Bible gives encouragement to keep on keeping on in the careful disorderliness of The Church today, making my desk and house awash in things to be read and studied--interesting is an understatement of what I think about this circumstance. Sometimes it's just plain frustrating.

It is best to do things systematically, since we are only human, and disorder is our worst enemy.
Hesiod

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/28/06
“True luck consists not in holding the best of the cards at the table; luckiest is he who knows just when to rise and go home.” (John Hay) This quote isn’t just about cards. Even today there are circumstances when decisions involving gray areas have to be made. You can surmise what they are. I hope that you are lucky in the choices you have to make. ;-) Jack

FROM KENNY ROGERS' SONG, "THE GAMBLER"
You got to know when to hold em, know when to fold em, Know when to walk away and know when to run. You never count your money when youre sittin at the table. There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/27/06
“In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences.” (Robert Ingersoll) These words seem appropriate when applied to the “global warming” debate. I suppose they could also be applied to decisions we make in general. ;-) Jack

N. R. BURR COMMENTS
Ingersoll's comment is somewhat deceptive. "Consequences" are results of some action, and could be classified as positive or negative results. In essence, that could be translated into "rewarding" or "punishing".

D.R. REMINDS ME
Mark Allen Powell, professor at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, said in a recent lecture: Jesus never talked about good or bad, right or wrong – only wise and foolish!

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/26/06
“Every great advance in natural knowledge has involved the absolute rejection of authority.” (Thomas Huxley) Huxley was a 19th century scientist in England and a defender of Darwin’s theory of evolution. Here’s question for today: Who is the protector of the mind of man/woman? Is a protector needed? ;-) Jack

THE "APE MAN" AND THE ARCHBISHOP
Huxley is best known for his famous debate in June 1860, at the British Association meeting at Oxford. His opponent, Archbishop Samuel Wilberforce, was not-so-affectionately known as "Soapy Sam" for his renowned slipperiness in debate. Wilberforce was coached against Huxley by Richard Owen. During the debate, Archbishop Wilberforce ridiculed evolution and asked Huxley whether he was descended from an ape on his grandmother's side or his grandfather's. Accounts vary as to exactly what happened next, but according to one telling of the story, Huxley muttered "The Lord hath delivered him into my hands," and then rose to give a brilliant defense of Darwin's theory, concluding with the rejoinder, "I would rather be the offspring of two apes than be a man and afraid to face the truth."

HERE'S WHAT C.F. IN M.,I. THINKS
Man is his own protector of his mind. Only he accepts or rejects input.

JACK RESPONDS TO C.F.
You surmise that everyone has similar values when making judgments. What is one person’s garbage is another man’s treasure. The terrorists who blow themselves up believe that they will have a reward in heaven for that. Someone taught them to believe that. While they are free to choose, they are led toward making a decision based on someone else’s beliefs.
IN THE END, as the Bible says…1 Corinthians 2:16.

FROM S.H. IN SOUTHEAST MICHIGAN
I personally continuously find that I find the Jewish writings fascinating. In the end it seems I can't get too enthralled about what impersonal nature is doing or not doing as much as asking what God is doing through His creation and wondering if nature is, in fact, not impersonal but rather somehow flowing out from a benign God always working to bring us back from idolatry. Somebody like a Jerry Falwell who attributes catastrophes in parts of our own country to the sinfulness of that area and punishment, etc., etc., etc. well I suppose maybe we all are being brought back to God and instead have been allowed to see the consequences of our communal decisions. I hope this kind of analysis doesn't seem trite and simplistic and not concerned with the depth and tragedy of being able to descend to the pain that people experience when they lose their homes, all of their possessions, their very livelihoods of jobs and their churches/synagogues/mosques where they went to worship and be strengthened in their faiths. Can't know the reasons so maybe the best thing is to just concentrate on the known reality and try to come together as community to help each other but one wonders if we can get even some more faithful understanding of what we might be being called to be learning. Did Christianity remove forever Jewish relationship and understanding of God's working in our lives, for example this writing on the miraculous? That is one big question I have for God when I get to heaven.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/25/06
“Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.” (Rules for a Happy Life) We can’t all be the best at everything, but we can bounce back from our losses and disappointments and move on. Today is a day for moving on. ;-) Jack

A POEM ABOUT RESPONSIBILITY quoted by Charles Osgood

There was a most important job that needed to be done,
And no reason not to do it, there was absolutely none.
But in vital matters such as this, the thing you have to ask
Is who exactly will it be who'll carry out the task?

Anybody could have told you that everybody knew
That this was something somebody would surely have to do.
Nobody was unwilling; anybody had the ability.
But nobody believed that it was their responsibility.

It seemed to be a job that anybody could have done,
If anybody thought he was supposed to be the one.
But since everybody recognised that anybody could,
Everybody took for granted that somebody would.

But nobody told anybody that we are aware of,
That he would be in charge of seeing it was taken care of.
And nobody took it on himself to follow through,
And do what everybody thought that somebody would do.

When what everybody needed so did not get done at all,
Everybody was complaining that somebody dropped the ball.
Anybody then could see it was an awful crying shame,
And everybody looked around for somebody to blame.

Somebody should have done the job
And Everybody should have,
But in the end Nobody did
What Anybody could have.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/22/06
“I can’t believe that God put us on this earth to be ordinary.” (Lou Holtz) I wonder if Coach Holtz used these words in a pep talk to his football team. They can fit in many situations. One definition of ordinary: “Inferior in quality, or second-rate.” This reminds me of a slogan I saw on a tee shirt…God don’t make junk! ;-) Jack

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/21/06
“There is no bad in good.” (Doug Horton) You can’t go wrong, if you do the good thing. You might be criticized. You might become disappointed and discouraged, but you can’t go wrong, if you do the good thing.. So, as Nike says, Just Do It! ;-) Jack

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/21/06
“There is no bad in good.” (Doug Horton) You can’t go wrong, if you do the good thing. You might be criticized. You might become disappointed and discouraged, but you can’t go wrong, if you do the good thing.. So, as Nike says, Just Do It! ;-) Jack

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/20/06
I had a million questions to ask God, but when I met him, they all fled my mind, and it didn’t seem to matter.” (Christopher Morley) What is it that really matters to you? AND…Do you have any questions for God? Those two question marks should keep your brain occupied for a while, today. ;-) Jack

FROM FRIEND, J.S.: Reminds me of my mother-in-law.
(She suffers from dementia, but sometimes she stumbles on some lucid thoughts.)
She is constantly telling us, "When I get up there, I'm going to have a long talk with God and straighten him out on a bunch of things."
I can only hope that Christopher Morley is right.

DALE SHARES THIS WITH ME....Jack, this one really hits home. As I get "older" I find myself with so many questions I want to ask God.....most of which begin "why". Just last night I mentioned to my wife about how beautiful the sunset was and how much I loved them, and I said I wondered if I would see beautiful sunsets in heaven (assuming with hope that I would be there some day), and she said it will be even MORE
beautiful.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/19/06
“We all need money, but there are degrees of desperation.” (Anthony Burgess) On Sunday I saw a man on the side of the road holding a sign: Homeless and Hungry. The traffic was too congested for me to stop. How do we help those who are needy? ;-) Jack

FROM MARY L. IN ILLINOIS...
support your area homeless shelter and give-give-give of yourself and your $.
also-voting responsibly doesn't hurt either.

FROM L.P. IN A.A...
For some time I carried a package of peanut butter crackers and a tuna salad kit in my glove box for such occasions. I have not yet put such supplies in my new car, though its nearly a year old. But I overheard an interesting conversation on the bus the other day.
There an exit to the parking lot of Arborland Mall, that all east bound Washtenaw travellers must use, where an array of people stand with signs. It seems ever day there is a different person and sometimes they are different by the time of the day. Anyhow, as my bus to campus passed that spot a woman across the aisle commented scornfully to her seatmate about how shameful it is that people should beg there when there are 'so many' organizations that can provide service. This comment would have seemed offensive but her appearance and and knowledge of the matter led me to believe that she may have at some point used those services.
So, the question that has plagued me, even when passing peanutbutter crackers out my window, is how to get people a more substantial solution. In a recent church report the social concerns committee reported that the number of people using our food pantry for emergency groceries has risen from a few dozen per year to a few hundred in the last 5 years. So, to the crackers should I stick on a phone card, pamphlet of local organizations and some bus tokens?
I suppose it's better than what I've done lately... drive by.

M.L. CHIMES IN FROM ILL.: it is amazing how we can answer our own questios when we are prompted to ponder. thanks for the ww springboards!
maybe a list of area oganizations could be added to the glove box.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/18/06
“Life is the art of drawing without an eraser.” (John W. Gardner) This is a very descriptive quote, isn’t it? Some of the most interesting experiences happen, because we don’t have an eraser. ;-) Jack
An extra for Tiger fans: “Let’s not get panicky.” (Branch Rickey) Mr. Rickey went through many baseball seasons as a general manager. You win some. You lose some. That’s the way it is in the game of life, too.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/15/06
“Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.” (Einstein) Wouldn’t it be interesting if there were stock market listings for the things that really count. What things would you expect to see there? A long time ago, I learned a little song: Count your many blessings. Look for it on the blog. ;-) Jack

FROM JUDY....Things that count? Hmmmmm! I would say: good health, good friends, a strong family, grandkids, a cooling breeze, a warm Fall night, and most of all a graceful, merciful God. Thanks for the words....

COUNT YOUR MANY BLESSINGS by Johnson Oatman, Jr.
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
And it will surprise you what the Lord hath done.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/14/06
A good friend can tell you what is the matter with you in a minute. He may not seem such a good friend after telling.” (Arthur Brisbane) Why not tell someone today that you appreciate their friendship…. and you don’t necessarily have to tell them what’s the matter with them. Save that for the appropriate time. ;-) Jack

FROM GOOD/DEBT JON IN OHIO:
Proverbs: (in there somewhere) I know a lot of Bible, I just don't know where it is.
"Better the stings of a friend than the kisses of an enemy."
(Jon, it's in Proverbs 27:6.)

FRIENDSHIP - Cole Porter

If you're ever in a jam, here I am If you're ever in a mess, S-O-S If you ever feel so happy, you land in jail; I'm your bail. It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship. When other friendships have been forgot, Ours will still be hot. Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle dig, dig, dig. If you're ever up a tree, phone to me. If you're ever down a well, ring my bell. If you ever lose your teeth, and you're out to dine; borrow mine. It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship. When other friendships have been forgate, Ours will still be great. Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle, chuck, chuck, chuck. If they ever black your eyes, put me wise. If they ever cook your goose, turn me loose. If they ever put a bullet through your brrain [sic]; I'll complain. It's friendship, friendship, just a perfect blendship. When other friendships have been forgit, Ours will still be it. Lah-dle-ah-dle-ah-dle, hep, hep, hep.

FROM PEPPERMINT MARY IN ILLINOIS

This should probably be taped to your bathroom mirror where you could read it every day. You may not realize it but its 100% true!

1. There are at least 2 people in this

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/13/06
“Be interesting. Be enthusiastic…and don’t talk too much.” (Peale) Today is being observed as Positive Thinking Day. Try to speak positively in response to negativism that you might hear…and don’t talk too much. ;-) Jack

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/12/06
“Forgive your enemies as part of the price you pay for the privilege of being forgiven. Realize you are sometimes a pain in the neck yourself.” (Sent by Glen H.) Don’t you find that it’s difficult to forgive those who are a pain in the neck? Now, you know how God feels. ;-) Jack

FROM D.R. IN L,M: Jack, Here’s one that is a nice companion to today’s WWs:
“If you wait for others to become worthy of being loved, you will wait for the rest of your life. Because they are waiting for you to love them so they can be worthy of your love. They need to be loved if they are to become better.” --Louis Evely (Our Prayer)

FROM A GUY NAMED, JOE:
I find this especially hard. I have always had a problem with this part of "The Lord's Prayer."
"Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us."
I don't want God to forgive me as I forgive others. I want God to do better than that.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/11/06
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” (Confucius) Many of us recall sadly seeing falling buildings and falling airplanes five years ago. Our country remembers and our country shall recover. It’s the same way when we have “falls” in our personal lives. We shall recover! ;-) Jack

FROM FRED IN WISCONSIN....First Samuel . . . My son, keep sound wisdom and discretion; let them not escape from you sight, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. then you will walk on your way securely and your foot will not stumble. . . " I Sam 3:21 ff

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/8/06
“A good plan today is better than a perfect plan tomorrow.” (George S. Patton) General Patton knew something about making plans and carrying them out at the expeditious time. That’s what made him a successful leader. Waffles are good on the breakfast table, but not on the battlefield. ;-) Jack

OLD BLOOD AND GUTS
George Smith Patton, Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) was a leading U.S. Army general in World War II. In his 36-year Army career, he was an advocate of armored warfare and commanded major units of North Africa, Sicily, and the European Theater of Operations. Many have viewed Patton as a pure and ferocious warrior, known by the nickname "Old Blood and Guts", a name given to him after a reporter misquoted his statement that it takes blood and brains to win a war. But history has left the image of a brilliant military leader whose record was also marred by insubordination and some periods of apparent instability. He once said, "Lead me, follow me, or get the hell out of my way."

ADVICE FROM CHILDREN (Sent by Carol from Milwaukee)
1. Never trust a dog to watch your food.- Patrick, age 10
2. When your dad is mad and asks you,"Do I look stupid?" don't answer him.- Michael, 14
3. Never tell your mom her diet's not working.- Michael, 14
4. Stay away from prunes.- Randy, 9
5. Never pee on an electric fence.- Robert, 13
6. Don't squat with your spurs on.- Noronha, 13
7. Don't pull dad's finger when he tells you to.- Emily, 10
8. When your mom is mad at your dad, don't lether brush your hair.- Taylia, 11
9. Never allow your 3-year old brother inthe same room as your school assignment.- Traci, 14
10. Never hold a dust buster and a cat at thesame time.- Kyoyo, 9
11. You can't hide a piece of broccoli in a glassof milk.- Armir, 9
12. Felt markers are not good to use as lipstick.- Lauren, 9
13. Don't pick on your sister when she's holdinga baseball bat.- Joel, 10
14. When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she's on the phone.- Alyesha, 13
15. Never try to baptize a cat.- Eileen, 8

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/7/06
“We may not know the whole story in our lifetime.” (Earl Warren) There are a number of things that have puzzled me in this life. I’m sure that God in heaven has some answers that will be shared in the hereafter. Is it the same for you? ;-) Jack

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/6/06
“I’m better today than yesterday, but not as good as tomorrow.” (David H. Anderson) If this world is going to be improved we have to start by trying to improve on what we say and do. Our tomorrows are up to us. Tomorrow is an interesting word. What does it mean to you? ;-) Jack

FROM THE MUSICAL, ANNIE.....Just thinkin' about Tomorrow Clears away the cobwebs, And the sorrow Till there's none! When I'm stuck a day That's gray, And lonely, I just stick out my chin And grin, And say, Oh, the sun'll come out Tomorrow So ya gotta hang on 'Til tomorrow Come what may Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya Tomorrow!

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/5/06
“Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero.” (Horace) Horace was one of the greatest of Latin poets. He was also a farmer and a soldier. Have you ever met anyone named, Horace? Oh, BTW; here’s the translation of the quote. Seize the day; put no trust in the morrow. That’s good advice, isn’t it? ;-) Jack

MINNESOTA MARLYS KNOWS OF A HORACE As a matter of fact, yes. We knew Horace Hanson. He was a member of our church and had been a lawyer at Nuremburg during the Nazi War trials. He was an interesting man.

JACK'S WINNING WORDS 9/1/06
“Anyone who has gumption knows what it is, and anyone who hasn’t can never know what it is. So, there’s no need of defining it.” (L. M. Montgomery) It’s been a long time since I’ve heard anyone use the gumption word. If I had any gumption, I’d expand my vocabulary by adding a new word each day. If you had gumption, what would you do? ;-) Jack

FROM GOOD DEBT/BAD DEBT JON IN OHIO
I recall a song from the Men's Emmaus Walk, with words similar to this:
Give me gas for my Ford
Keep me trucking for the Lord
Give me gumption for my unction
Help me function, function, function...