Winning Words 1/26/10
“The best way out is always through.” (Robert Frost) One of my favorite lines from Psalm 23 is: “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me.” Life’s dark valleys can be frightening and a test of faith. It’s a comfort to know that we are not alone, and that there is a way out. ;-) Jack

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: We're wrestling with Lazarus and the rich man in our Bible study. It certainly does look like Lazarus just stuck it out and went through being poor but the rich man didn't go through being rich very well but evidently chose not to see his situation through enough so he could get out too. The rich man was alone, Lazarus was not. FROM JACK: That's a good comparison. "The love of money is the root of evil."

FROM GUSTIE MN: Have you read the book “Going on a Bear Hunt”? It says—“Can’t go over it, can’t go under it, gotta go through it” It is a kid’s book. FROM JACK: At our library, I just checked out, The Closing of the American Mind. Next time I'll go into the Children's Section and look for the Bear Hunt.

FROM SG IN MICHIGAN: Indeed. I have always said that you simply cannot circumvent reality. FROM JACK: ....except in your mind. Your mind can do all sorts of things.

FROM CJL IN OHIO: Frost gets the message of the Psalm: THRU! But we've got to keep going in order to get thru! A great & comforting thought & truth. FROM JACK: "....for thou art with me" are the key words.

FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Similar: If you're going through hell, keep going. Winston Churchill FROM JACK: Winnie knew what he was talking about.

FROM MOLINER CF: I wonder if RF took the word "throughout" and interpreted a different meaning. I await your lesson. FROM JACK: Frost experienced much grief and loss in his life, and some of his writings reflect that. Today's quote seems to indicate that he had found a way out of his depression. He taught at the Univ of Michigan for a while, and his Ann Arbor home has been moved to the campus of the Henry Ford Museum, located about a half hour from where we live. He encouraged young poets to put the sound of the human life into their writings. He's a favorite of mine, because he did just that.