Winning Words 9/25/12
“When we’re afraid, it’s because we don’t know enough.  If we understood enough, we would never be afraid.”  (Earl Nightengale)  If you remember Bullwinkle, he would, on occasion, pretend to be Mr. Know-it-all, explaining, for instance, “How to remove a moustache.”  I learned a lot by watching TV with my kids.  What interesting things have you learned by keeping your eyes, ears and mind open?    ;-)  Jack

 FROM GP IN MICHIGAN:  Good Morning.  Read this.  Thought of you.  "When my car won't start, I call on AAA. When my happiness won't start, I call on the other Triple A—Action Alleviates Anxiety."   So can you!////FROM JACK:  So, you're starting your own Winning Words?  Good!  The more positive messages, the better.

 FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  For when I babysit for my 3 1/2 year old Godson, Ephraim, I got some DVD's from Augsburg Fortress for us to watch together. They are called "Holy Moly" and are really different. A week ago we watched the DVD on Jesus' birth. What was really interesting to me is I think they are really a little visual commentary on the scripture. It was really interesting to see how God was portrayed and to see the angel Gabriel struggling to get the message through to Mary and to see her running away, around the house, to get away from Gabriel and then finally she came back and said "Yes". Fascinating to watch and Ephraim liked it too. Watching the whole DVD through, right to the little toddler playing with the Wise Men's gifts, I do think it would help little kids and even us adults get a handle on fear. Old conservative me, though, next babysitting day will see if Ephraim will sit still enough for me to read to him from a children's Bible. I would be afraid if he got all his theology from movies and television.////FROM JACK:  There's nothing wrong with getting theology from DVDs.  The Word of God was first of all, oral, then etched in stone, hand-written on scrolls, and then printed by Gutenberg.  Each was something different from the previous...An interpretation of the same Word.

 FROM RI IN BOSTON:  The problem is we can't always "know enough."////FROM JACK:  Only God is omniscient!

 FROM SON DAVID:  You wouldn’t let us watch Bullwinkle and Rocky.  Only Yogi Bear and Huckleberry Hound.////FROM DAD:  Wrong!  If I let you watch The Three Stooges, I would certainly let you watch a cartoon about a squirrel and a moose.

 FROM SAINT JAMES:  I love Rocky and Bullwinkle!////FROM JACK:  How about Boris Badinoff and Natasha?

 FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Earl is a favorite of mine, was listening to him yesterday morning. Earl Nightingale is the only artist to receive a gold record for the spoken word. He sold millions of the recording "The Strangest Secret" on 33 rpm vinyl.  He included the story of Acres of Diamonds on it. I still buy recordings from Nightingale- Conant, a real Chicago success story… ////FROM JACK:  Earl was one of the first "radio" motivational speakers.  He himself was motivated by a little booklet, called, THINK.  He went on to say that we become what we think about.

 FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER:  To keep my mouth shut!////FROM JACK:  I seem to remember that Snuffy Smith would say, "Well, shut my mouth!"

 FROM JM IN VIRGINIA:  Last night Lizzy "made" me sit down for a minute and watch the "How It's Made" program in which they went through the hot dog making process. . . I knew it was going to be bad, but . . . So good argument for keeping our eyes closed once in awhile!////FROM JACK:  I don't know if you're aware of it, but your grandfather had a job as a safety inspector and had to go into a place where hot dogs were made.  Afterward he said, "If you saw how hot dogs were made, you'd never eat one again."  I never saw him eating a hot dog..

 FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I was never much of a cartoon or comic reader, and I see I missed out on quite a lot!  One of the excellent series on TV was Nat'l. Geographic's on the Universe: Land, Sea, Sky, and all the   wild life therein. Learned so much, and so did my family!!  I still remember vividly the one on Caves...and bat dung up to the waist. Yech!////FROM JACK:  No cartoons or comics?  Worse that being in dung up to the waist!

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  American  Lutheran had a presentation drama by an actor, Frank Runyeon.  He was once a soap opera star and in many tv programs.  He did the book of Mark by himself.  It was a wonderful production.  Have you ever seen him?  The title was "Afraid".  He did a very interesting acting through the whole book of Mark.  We loved it.  But in the end, the question he asked was..."Are you afraid to spread the Gospel?"  It made you really stop and think.  He does many other books of the Bible too and I guess he has a funny presentation about the 3 1/2 days of Christmas.////FROM JACK:  Spreading the Gospel?  I like this poem by Leroy Brownlow.

There's a Gospel according to Matthew; To Mark;
To Luke; and John too.
There's another gospel that many are reading...
The Gospel according to You.

All teachings we find in the Bible
Are facts we know to be true;
You must live them to make them the Gospel...
The Gospel according to You

Many read not the words of the Bible;
I will tell you what some of them do...
They are reading the book you are writing...
The Gospel according to you.

There's Great Power In Gospel Preaching
The Bible teaches that this is true.
But the sermon most likely to influence others
Is The Gospel according to You.

God help us to be faithful to Jesus...
To live all His teachings so true,
So that all may see His Spirit
In the Gospel according to You

You are writing a gospel, a chapter each day;
By things that you do; By things you say.
Others read that gospel, whether faithless or true!
Say! What is the Gospel According To You?