Winning Words 8/20/12
“Either you run the day, or the day runs you.”  (Jim Rohn)  Most of time our day is determined by circumstances, but how we respond to them really determines our day.  I like the movie line, “Run, Forest, run!”  Do you remember what he was running from …or to?  Malcolm Boyd wrote a book connecting prayer and ordinary life.  It’s called, “Are You Running With Me, Jesus?”  It’s 75 cents on half.com.    ;-)  Jack

FROM PASTY PAT:  I remember both the book and the movie line.  Does that mean I'm getting old or that I'm old but at least my memory is still functioning reasonably well?////FROM JACK:  How old does something have to be in order to make it old?  The past minute is old.  Only those who have experienced the past are able to remember.  Thank God for the gift of memory.  As the "old" saying goes: "Memory allows us to have roses in December."

FROM PRDM IN MICHIGAN:  ...Or like the movie line from "Dead Poets Society" that I utilized yesterday in conjunction with the Ephesians text... "Carpe diem!"////FROM JACK:  I, too, have used those words.  Here's "the rest of the story."  The poet, Horace, used the phrase is part of the longer Carpe diem quam minimum credula postero – "Seize the Day, putting as little trust as possible in the future", and the ode says that the future is unforeseen, and that instead one should scale back one's hopes to a brief future, and drink one's wine. That could be the start of another sermon.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  You have to grab the day and hold on with two hands!  We just got home from a ten day vacation with the whole family.  We stayed in a cabin with our two little granddaughters...all we did was run.  We stayed at Mill Creek Campground at Mackinaw..  It was absolutely beautiful.  Out our front window we could see the Mackinac Bridge.  It was beautiful, especially all lit up at night.////FROM JACK:  As Dean Martin used to sing, "Memories are made of this," for you and for the whole family.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  I guess that I didn't see that movie or read the book.  I did see Cool Running about the Jamaican bobsled team, which was interesting, especially because of the years we spent in the Bahamas.////FROM JACK:  I don't suppose you watch TV's South Park (Your grandchildren might), bu one of the characters in Chief Running Water.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I remember that book by Malcolm; Jan's husband Hal, loved that  book!  It's true that sometimes the day "runs" us...there are times I don't get one thing done I had planned, due to unforeseen happenings!  I'm happy to have my computer "up and running",  after 3 visits from A T & T techs!  I've been off-line since Thurs.////FROM JACK:  Here's the first prayer in Malcolm Boyd's book.
"It’s morning, Jesus. It’s morning, and here’s that light and sound all over again.
I’ve got to move fast…get into the bathroom, wash up, grab a bite to eat, and run some more.
I just don’t feel like it. What I really want to do is get back into bed, pull up the covers, and sleep. All I seem to want today is the big sleep, and here I’ve got to run all over again.
Where am I running? You know these things I can’t understand. It’s not that I need to have you tell me. What counts most is just that somebody knows, and it’s you. That helps a lot.
So I’ll follow along, OK? But lead, please. Now I’ve got to run. Are you running with me, Jesus?"
 
 FROM GP IN MICHIGAN:  Somewhere in my old books, I have Malcolm's  Are You Running With Me Jesus.  He gave a copy to me when he was living in Ann Arbor too many years ago.  He was a client of mine and I had more than a few visits with him. I helped arrange his being a principle speaker at my old church men's summer retreat back in the late 60's. I saw him on one hand, a very complex person and yet, one who could get to the real meat of a situation with words we all could understand. When he left Ann Arbor, his insurance records were transferred and I never heard from him again.  I believe that Forest was running from his feeling of loss of his Ginny and other aspects of his life.  I believe that all of us at one point or another have had some from of "running from" in our lives. That is when many people run into Christ Jesus.////FROM JACK:  Sometimes we forget the human side of "famous" people.  Sometimes we forget the human side of God, so that's why there is Jesus.  I'm impressed that a copy of Boyd's book was given to you by him.  A mutual friend of ours also knew Malcolm when he was the campus pastor at her university.

 FROM DP IN MINNESOTA:  Don always said, "Plan your work, and work your plan"////FROM JACK:  That was a good plan and enabled him to all the work that was placed before him.  It can work for us, too.