Winning Words 4/26/11
“Today proved that you can achieve anything you set your mind on.” (Jennifer’s father) 3 years ago Jennifer was paralyzed from the waist down after a car accident. Her planned wedding was put on hold, because she was determined to “walk” down the aisle. She did that recently…wedding gown, walker and a smile. Jennifer inspired me as I saw the video. Her comment afterward: “Everything was great!” ;-) Jack

FROM TS IN MICHIGAN: The world is expecting, hoping, praying that Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords will make a complete recovery. She is walking with help; speaking single words. A long, difficult process and she is already in the top 5 per cent. Already a miracle, by some standards. Sometimes we have to adjust our expectations without attaching disappointment. We have to hope for a complete recovery but not be disappointment if it's not. FROM JACK: Sometimes small steps are incredibly big steps. People like Gabby and Jennifer encourage the rest of us as we fight our own battles out of the spotlight. MORE FROM TS: I guess sometimes we can boil many of the philosophies into the words, "every journey begins with one small step" FROM JACK: Yes, those newlyweds have a journey before them....as do all newlyweds. I think it's good that we only have to take one step at a time, without seeing the road ahead.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: The story was an amazing one...and Jennifer is an amazing person! All She needed was the faith of a mustard seed. FROM JACK: The Finns have a word that describes her determination ...SISU! To the Finnish people, sisu has a mystical, almost magical meaning. Sisu (pronounced - see'-soo) is a unique Finnish concept. It is a Finnish term that can be roughly translated into English as strength of will, determination, perseverance, and acting rationally in the face of adversity. It also means...GUTS. MORE FROM OUTHOUSE: Thank you for the new knowledge. Maybe SISU will be a new word in my vocabulary. I would say Jennifer had Sisu!

FROM SH IN MICHIGAN: Truly inspirational!!!! FROM JACK: Jesus said to the man, "Take up your bed and walk." The bedridden man had to believe that he could do it, before he did it.

"Change your thoughts and you change your world."
— Norman Vincent Peale: Was a minister and author of inspirational books

FROM MOLINER CF: And God bless the boyfriend who stuck with her! FROM JACK: ...and the husband who, after the ceremony, scooped her up in his arms and carried her back down the aisle of the church. MORE FROM CF: Marvelous, heartwarming story. FROM JACK: There are others out there, waiting to be told. Some make the "news," and others don't.

FROM JT IN ILLINOIS: My goal for Easter Sunday was to walk to communion without walker, cane or holding on to Max (my wife)-- I did it !! FROM JACK: Hallelujah.

FROM BLAZING OAKS: What a triumph for her!~! I had the video series of Bill Moyers (aired first on TV) about how powerful the Mind is over Matter (Can't recall the exact title, but it was amazing what the mind could control!) I think there is a level of communicating that we haven't even touched yet. I am fascinated by the experiments at Drake U. of people sending mental images of, say a bowl of fruit, or a carton of eggs, and having people in another part of the world receiving the image, and drawing it. I'm sure thought-transference is entirely possible. We never stop evolving, do we?! FROM JACK: When the explorer Marco Polo returned from a 24-year trek to the Orient, people had a hard time believing him when he told of all that he had seen. He responded, "...and I haven't told the half of it." The mind is more amazing that we can ever imagine.

FROM JC IN HONG KONG: "All things are possible with God", is a better one. ;-) FROM JACK: I see that you're into Possibility Thinking....and believing. MORE FROM JC (NOT THE FAMOUS JC): Possibility Thinking ... watching that video reminded me of the occasional need of 5 loaves and 2 fishes. Or was it the other way around? I forgot to give you the instigator video, worldslastchance. FROM JACK: I looked at the site. I buy into the warning that we should always be ready for the end of life, because no one knows the day nor the hour. Apocalyptic thinking doesn't scare me. AND MORE FROM JC: Ha, right, you're not scared of thinking! You liberals are always the first to run away from reality. FROM JACK: How can that be? Someone has described me as a realist.

FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: I too was moved by the news clip I saw on her wedding. . . . and by the observation of her father. I’m reading Paul Allen’s IDEA MAN. My, what Paul and Bill Gates accomplished! They too set their young minds on something, which has changed all of our lives. FROM JACK: Idea Man sounds like a good book. I'll have to check into it. There should be a book like that for the clergy.