Winning Words 11/4/09
“When it’s dark enough, you can see the stars.” (Charles A. Beard) Beard is called “a progressive historian.” I remember using one of his books as a text in college. These are “dark” days for some people facing a variety of problems. But the stars are still shining, and they will still be shining tomorrow. Sometimes it takes real darkness to enable us to see unexpected beauty. Keep looking up! ;-) Jack

FROM MT IN PENNSYLVANIA: What a profound and beautiful thought! FROM JACK: One of my favorite paintings is Van Gogh's "Starry Night." Beauty is all around us, so we need to keeping looking.

STARRY NIGHT by Vincent Van Gogh is his most famous painting and one of the most well known images in modern culture and one of the most replicated prints. Google it and see for yourself!

VINCENT, A SONG ABOUT VAN GOGH

Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.

Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.

For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.

Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.

Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: One dark and clear night, our family was driving through South Dakota. Out of the sky, we watched a meteorite fly through the air and actually watched it hit the ground. It's a sight we will never forget! Sky watching and star watching are a favorite of our family...especially when the meteorites are soaring across the sky in August....our favorite! FROM JACK: Do you remember the song, "Oh, give me land, lots land under starry skies above. Don't fence me in.?"

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: One of my favorites....as sung by the Mitch Miller group! I have his CD's!

DON'T FENCE ME IN
Oh, give me land, lots of land under starry skies above,
Don't fence me in.
Let me ride through the wide open country that I love,
Don't fence me in.
Let me be by myself in the evenin' breeze,
And listen to the murmur of the cottonwood trees,
Send me off forever but I ask you please,
Don't fence me in.

FROM L IN ILLINOIS: It's always darkest before the dawn. FROM JACK: That's what they (the Van Patten family) say. When the night is dark, it's really dark...in more ways than one.

FROM LP IN MICHIGAN: More to your point, I've always found peace in rainbows. I caught a glimpse of one a few weeks ago and gave me that "peace-that-passes-understanding" feeling as the Sunday school
song goes. Perhaps I'll take a new look at the stars tonight... MORE FROM LP: Verity and I enjoyed looking at the harvest moon last night. We called Granddad (my dad) so he could enjoy it too. FROM JACK: The sky...so beautiful...so mysterious! STILL MORE FROM LP: The depth of which is interesting to explain to a 2 year old. I said "the moon IS big tonight" then I realized that the moon doesn't change but just our perspective. I decided to explain that the moon was far away and at night we got to look at it when it was dark. A lot of mental editing went into the construction of that explanation!
Verity pointed out it looked yellow.

FROM LG IN MICHIGAN: I like this one, Jack! Here's one I just found that you might like...
"A rock pile ceases to be a rock pile the moment someone sees in it the exciting vision of a cathedral." (Antoine Saint-Exupery-adapted)
This was included in a church bulletin so I don't know anything about the author of this statement. But I do know that my daily prayer includes a request that I be given the eyes of Jesus to see in everyone I meet what he sees in them. So many are less because no one sees their potential... FROM JACK: Those who have eyes to see, let them see!

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: Amen, brother!