Winning Words 11/10/10
“Keep calm and carry on.” (Seen on a British mug) In 1939, when it appeared that the Nazis might invade England, a now-forgotten person designed a poster with this slogan, meant to “buck up” the public. It has been rediscovered and is being used as inspiration for today’s difficult times, whatever they might be. When life’s events cause us anxiety, let’s take the mug’s advice: be calm and carry on. ;-) Jack

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Keep calm. What a strong but simple statement. If we would all stop to take a deep breath before speaking or acting, what a different outcome we would have in our lives. I will try to remember it!
FROM JACK: I remember the "Cuban crisis" when there was the danger of nuclear missiles being fired at us. We were are reminded to keep calm. Any crisis situation which affects us needs a reminder to "Keep calm!"

FROM PRAW IN ILLINOIS: Jack, I always like message mugs. My family gave me one that reads :" If it is going to get done, then I have to do it.".....my favorite arrow shot at my kids for not doing their jobs. I know better now...but the kids are grown and gone.....so now, this arrow has become a motto. FROM JACK: I have a mug that reads: FIELD OF DREAMS Dyersville, Iowa. My son and I played catch on that field. What a great memory. He's now in Florida, playing in the Roy Hobbs hardball World Series in the over 45 age division.

FROM CJL IN OHIO: Ingrid's friend, Kaz, sent me a tee shirt from Britain with this phrase on it. I wear it proudly & with clear memory. FROM JACK: Do you wear it when you go to those high school games? You probably need a reminder to Keep Calm.

FROM MO IN ILLINOIS: Excellent advice...although keeping calm is often difficult! I received a call today for instance that my pastor had collapsed in his office, and was now at St. John's hospital and unresponsive, I called all of my S.S. class for prayer, and felt sick thinking he might not survive. he is 55, and has a pace maker and a defibrulator implanted already. Well, they have now (I learned at choir practice tonight) ascertained that he did not have either a heart attack or stroke, but is hospitalized to try to find out why he passed out, etc. We carried on, but not too calmly. When Bill was 59, he dropped dead on the handball court at the "Y", and they worked on reviving him for 45 minutes. Less than 5% or heart arrests outside the hospital are revived! He finally started breathing again, and was rushed to the hospital, where he had nine by-passes, recovered, and was preaching again by March. (This was on January 19th). The Doctors called him "Miracle Man," because they didn't expect his brain to function after that long period of "death". He WAS blind when they brought him in, due to lack of oxygen to his eyes, and for a few days couldn[t remember anything, but his sight returned within three days...(Just like Paul...Ha!) We laughed, when he was being questioned to see what he could recall: he didn't remember his 4 children, or what town he lived in, or what church he served, etc. The one thing he did know was that he had a wife named Marilyn!! Too funny. But he fully recovered. His message after that was "Today is all you have...live as though every day was your last, because someday it will be!~!" Helps you set priorities...He was just short of his 75th birthday when he died of the brain tumor. I was given the strength I needed at the time I needed it, which certainly strengthened my faith! I found I could "cope"! FROM JACK: Coping is an every day challenge, because you never know. If FAITH is a coping mechanism, I'll take it.

FROM AP IN MICHIGAN: I saw this quote somewhere at the beginning of the school year. I wrote it down and keep it by my desk at school. Did you see this quote yesterday in the Free Press - "Music is the only art that engages the left and right brain simultaneously, the emotion and the intellect. It's the voice of God."
(Quincy Jones) But then, we knew that already, didn't we? FROM JACK: I saw the QJ article, but didn't read it carefully enough to see the quote. Thanks for being my eyes on that one...and I agree.