Winning Words 4/30/13
“One day at a time.” (A.A. slogan) Alcoholics Anonymous traces its roots to The Oxford Group, founded in 1929, by Franklin Buchman, a Lutheran minister. The idea was that lives can be changed…”one day at a time.” Over a million people attend AA meetings. Newt Gingrich said, “AA saved my life.” Whether it be the struggle with substance abuse, or another of life’s struggles, take it “One day at a time!” ;-) Jack
FROM TRIHARDER: One day at a time, Every long journey, Or, the pessimistic corollary, where do I start?====JACK: Or the optimistic response, "How soon can I start?"
FROM WALMART REV: I'm a real advocate of AA...have spoken and continue to speak quarterly at one of our centers on "spirituality"...it was The Big Book that has been noted as the ingredient that began to turn it around from its dismal beginnings to what it is today...diluted somewhat nowadays from the original "King James Version" to include any desirable "higher power" one chooses to put his/her trust in. I try to approach my presentation from a historical point of view of the original discovery and leave the rest to the listeners to sort out. I appreciate the opportunity I have to share my thoughts.====JACK: I think that some of the AA members can teach us in "the religious profession" something about spirituality.
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: In the larger picture of life, the statement does remind us of how easily distracted we can get from our primary "seeking"...whether it be in our effort to pacify our suffering, control the yesterdays and tomorrows, or lose track of the authority for the breath we breathe. "Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." (Matthew 6:34 ESV)====JACK: One of life's problems is knowing when to use the telescope and when to use the microscope. Ultimately, God is (and is not) at the end of either.
FROM CJL: Keep reading, Jack. Sounds good....and accurate.====JACK: Thanks for giving me the information about the origin of AA. It was interesting to read about the Oxford Group and how it got its name.
FROM PH: Gingrich should also attend adulterers anonymous meetings.====JACK: It could be a pretty crowded meeting, don't you think? Matthew 5:28====PH: That verse is kind of a game changer. The good news is that after the bar has been raised to such an extraordinary level, the disciples ask, “then who can be saved?” and Jesus says, “what is impossible for mankind is possible for God” and therein is our hope.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: AA could also stand for Always Available because the support people are just that. I commend them.====JACK: The "Higher Power" is also AA.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: There was a sitcom with the same name. This is a great slogan. It's a blessing to know we have one day, right now, to live, love and learn in this world.====JACK: Bonnie Franklin, from that show, died recently at age 69 from pancreatic cancer. She knew what it was to take "one day at a time."
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Winning Words 4/29/13
“Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius.” (George-Louis Leclerc) Many sailors have fingers tattooed with the letters H-O-L-D and F-A-S-T. This goes back to clipper ship days when the sailors had to grip the rigging tightly to keep from falling overboard. I suppose we could also have these finger tattoos: P-A-T-I and E-N-C-E, a reminder to have patience with certain people and certain situations. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: Patience is always a good word of remembrance for us to be reunited with...so be it in my life today!!====JACK: FYI....Tattoos By Camilla 515 Pacific Ave SW, Willmar, MN 56201 » Map (320) 214-7889. You might want to pay Camilla a pastoral visit.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Patience would be a wonderful word to have tattooed on our arms. Sometimes, I am the one who needs to read it over and over again for I fall short in the patience area many times.====JACK: The song, "Tonight You Belong To Me," was sung by Patience and Prudence. The song was featured in the movie, "The Jerk." Patience on one arm...Prudence on the other.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: this is tailor made for me... & a close relative. i will etch it on my brain, if not my hands. i will hold fast! thank you.====JACK: I've read that the earliest tattoo dates back to 4000 BC, and is thought to be related to some kind of healing process. There are people today have piercings for the same "healing" reason.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Don't think I want a tattoo for ANY reason. I think a string around the finger would work just fine!====JACK: Just for fun, why not take a magic marker and "tattoo" H-O-L-D and F-A-S-T (or patience) on your fingers and see what it would look like if you did get a tattoo.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Include the thumbs and you could have I-M-P-A-T and I-E-N-C-E. ====JACK: Why would you want the name of a flower tattooed on your hands?====PFC: I'm a flower child.====JACK: Do you also know the correct spelling of the flower I referred to?===PFC: As a young man, my father-in-law sailed on the four-masters. Up and down the west coast and sometimes around the Cape. He never got tattooed or wore a ring in his ear for crossing the Equator. But he did have some pretty "hairy" tales to tell. Didn't know how to swim and when I asked him why, his answer was. "where to?"
They docked out of San Francisco and he was there visiting when the earthquake hit and never went back. His ship was The Falls of Clyde, built in Scotland and is now a museum ship in Honolulu.====JACK: The ship has fallen on hard times and may have to be sunk...according to Google info.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Yes, and patience is a virtue.====JACK: Do you know the other six Catholic virtues (without looking them up)?
FROM JS IN MICHIGAN: Unfortunately, patience is not one of my virtues. It needs to be, though! ====JACK: But, you have many other virtues, as listed by the Catholic catechism: Humility, Liberality, Chastity, Meekness, Temperance, Brotherly Love, Diligence.
FROM JT IN MINNESOTA: Thank you.====JACK: I understand the meaning of those words, Thank You. Hold Fast!
“Hold on; hold fast; hold out. Patience is genius.” (George-Louis Leclerc) Many sailors have fingers tattooed with the letters H-O-L-D and F-A-S-T. This goes back to clipper ship days when the sailors had to grip the rigging tightly to keep from falling overboard. I suppose we could also have these finger tattoos: P-A-T-I and E-N-C-E, a reminder to have patience with certain people and certain situations. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: Patience is always a good word of remembrance for us to be reunited with...so be it in my life today!!====JACK: FYI....Tattoos By Camilla 515 Pacific Ave SW, Willmar, MN 56201 » Map (320) 214-7889. You might want to pay Camilla a pastoral visit.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Patience would be a wonderful word to have tattooed on our arms. Sometimes, I am the one who needs to read it over and over again for I fall short in the patience area many times.====JACK: The song, "Tonight You Belong To Me," was sung by Patience and Prudence. The song was featured in the movie, "The Jerk." Patience on one arm...Prudence on the other.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: this is tailor made for me... & a close relative. i will etch it on my brain, if not my hands. i will hold fast! thank you.====JACK: I've read that the earliest tattoo dates back to 4000 BC, and is thought to be related to some kind of healing process. There are people today have piercings for the same "healing" reason.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Don't think I want a tattoo for ANY reason. I think a string around the finger would work just fine!====JACK: Just for fun, why not take a magic marker and "tattoo" H-O-L-D and F-A-S-T (or patience) on your fingers and see what it would look like if you did get a tattoo.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Include the thumbs and you could have I-M-P-A-T and I-E-N-C-E. ====JACK: Why would you want the name of a flower tattooed on your hands?====PFC: I'm a flower child.====JACK: Do you also know the correct spelling of the flower I referred to?===PFC: As a young man, my father-in-law sailed on the four-masters. Up and down the west coast and sometimes around the Cape. He never got tattooed or wore a ring in his ear for crossing the Equator. But he did have some pretty "hairy" tales to tell. Didn't know how to swim and when I asked him why, his answer was. "where to?"
They docked out of San Francisco and he was there visiting when the earthquake hit and never went back. His ship was The Falls of Clyde, built in Scotland and is now a museum ship in Honolulu.====JACK: The ship has fallen on hard times and may have to be sunk...according to Google info.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Yes, and patience is a virtue.====JACK: Do you know the other six Catholic virtues (without looking them up)?
FROM JS IN MICHIGAN: Unfortunately, patience is not one of my virtues. It needs to be, though! ====JACK: But, you have many other virtues, as listed by the Catholic catechism: Humility, Liberality, Chastity, Meekness, Temperance, Brotherly Love, Diligence.
FROM JT IN MINNESOTA: Thank you.====JACK: I understand the meaning of those words, Thank You. Hold Fast!
Friday, April 26, 2013
Winning Words 4/26/13
“Follow your bliss, and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” (Joseph Campbell) In the comic strip, Get Fuzzy, Bucky the cat has lost his door. He faces a blank wall. Sometimes that’s the way it is with life. We face a blank wall. How can I get out of this situation? Bucky will find his door. A religious faith has helped me and many people find the door, a door that leads to the way, to truth, to life. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: I'll say a quick Amen! to that of my faith walk as well, Jack! Riding along with a man this morning to Rochester, MN where he will say good bye to his brother-in-law before they "pull the plug" on his life. Thankful to be able to comfort him on our way there and back.====JACK: Bliss is described as "ultimate happiness." That's why heaven is referred to as, bliss. Perhaps "pulling the plug" is the gateway to "bliss." No more pain; no more tears. "We'll understand it all...by and by."
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I find Joseph Campbell's work to fit so well with the rest of your comment (and with which I would agree). If one might wonder what does it mean to follow one's "bliss", Campbell might say that our bliss is the most natural expression of our Souls. As we are children of the Light, let us also walk in the Light...because this is who we are most naturally! The World may offer its enticements; but we would be better to not conform to it. Rather, we are to conform to the image and likeness in which we are most basically formed. This is Bliss and its pathway.====JACK: The word, bliss, has gotten a bad rap. Some see as a description of not being in touch with reality. "Blissfully unaware," for example. I guess you have to experience it in order to understand it. Perhaps Mick Jagger's song should be retitled..."Can't get no bliss."
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: God does and will open doors where there are walls...and our final bliss will be a Heavenly one!====JACK: Some will walk through the door; some will ignore the door and continue to stare at the wall with frustration. So it goes with the "gift" of free-will.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Often" finding" our bliss is harder than following it. Some are distracted by a thousand opportunities, often only mirages of true bliss, yet the journey the hunt, the pursuit, the constant hope of bliss propels us forward; ever optimistic that behind the next door will be the elusive mistress. ====JACK: Distractions can be a real problem. Some people are so enamored by the journey that they forget that there's a destination, a goal. "Keep your eye on the donut and not the hole."
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Love Joseph Campbell; thanks for sharing!====JACK: Joseph Campbell is referred to as :The Great Mythologist." Some people are frightened by the word, myth. They ought to listen to the famous series, "The Power of Myth," where Bill Moyers interviews Campbell. It's fascinating and enlightening.====BBC: Yes yes yes. I saw the series on PBS and it changed the way I feel about that word. I was raised Missouri Synod where everything was literal. The born-agains/fundamentalists are primarily literalists too…I recently took a class at the Catholic church down the block from our house and was surprised to discover that they are not biblical literalists. Amazed to see the threads of similarity between the ELCA and Catholic views on many aspects of worship and faith life.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like.====JACK: Do you like the comic strip, Get Fuzzy?
“Follow your bliss, and the universe will open doors where there were only walls.” (Joseph Campbell) In the comic strip, Get Fuzzy, Bucky the cat has lost his door. He faces a blank wall. Sometimes that’s the way it is with life. We face a blank wall. How can I get out of this situation? Bucky will find his door. A religious faith has helped me and many people find the door, a door that leads to the way, to truth, to life. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: I'll say a quick Amen! to that of my faith walk as well, Jack! Riding along with a man this morning to Rochester, MN where he will say good bye to his brother-in-law before they "pull the plug" on his life. Thankful to be able to comfort him on our way there and back.====JACK: Bliss is described as "ultimate happiness." That's why heaven is referred to as, bliss. Perhaps "pulling the plug" is the gateway to "bliss." No more pain; no more tears. "We'll understand it all...by and by."
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I find Joseph Campbell's work to fit so well with the rest of your comment (and with which I would agree). If one might wonder what does it mean to follow one's "bliss", Campbell might say that our bliss is the most natural expression of our Souls. As we are children of the Light, let us also walk in the Light...because this is who we are most naturally! The World may offer its enticements; but we would be better to not conform to it. Rather, we are to conform to the image and likeness in which we are most basically formed. This is Bliss and its pathway.====JACK: The word, bliss, has gotten a bad rap. Some see as a description of not being in touch with reality. "Blissfully unaware," for example. I guess you have to experience it in order to understand it. Perhaps Mick Jagger's song should be retitled..."Can't get no bliss."
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: God does and will open doors where there are walls...and our final bliss will be a Heavenly one!====JACK: Some will walk through the door; some will ignore the door and continue to stare at the wall with frustration. So it goes with the "gift" of free-will.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Often" finding" our bliss is harder than following it. Some are distracted by a thousand opportunities, often only mirages of true bliss, yet the journey the hunt, the pursuit, the constant hope of bliss propels us forward; ever optimistic that behind the next door will be the elusive mistress. ====JACK: Distractions can be a real problem. Some people are so enamored by the journey that they forget that there's a destination, a goal. "Keep your eye on the donut and not the hole."
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Love Joseph Campbell; thanks for sharing!====JACK: Joseph Campbell is referred to as :The Great Mythologist." Some people are frightened by the word, myth. They ought to listen to the famous series, "The Power of Myth," where Bill Moyers interviews Campbell. It's fascinating and enlightening.====BBC: Yes yes yes. I saw the series on PBS and it changed the way I feel about that word. I was raised Missouri Synod where everything was literal. The born-agains/fundamentalists are primarily literalists too…I recently took a class at the Catholic church down the block from our house and was surprised to discover that they are not biblical literalists. Amazed to see the threads of similarity between the ELCA and Catholic views on many aspects of worship and faith life.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like.====JACK: Do you like the comic strip, Get Fuzzy?
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Winning Words 4/25/13
“The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.” (Marcus Aurelius) My first attempt at dancing was a disaster; so was the second. Those who interpret this quote say that there’s a difference between wrestling and dancing. The good wrestler is ready for the unexpected, the unforeseen moves, and is prepared to respond to them. Most dancers just waltz with the music. Life has some strange moves, so...Be prepared! ;-) Jack
FROM CLIMBING ED; reminds me of the Lee Ann Womack song "I hope you dance"====JACK: When Lee Ann asked me...and I answered...she boogied away. I suppose you're a dancer, too.====ED: ...try starting with the other foot :) Easy fix :) my mom gave me that song for my birthday years back. i love it, as it always reminds me of her 'message' to me :)====JACK: Our youngest daughter didn't always sleep through the night. "Her" song was, "Rock Around the Clock."
FROM WALMART REV: One week from this Saturday, my first dance from many years before and most-likely henceforth...it will be with my daughter at her wedding...walking her down the aisle, giving her away and conducting the ceremony, while trying to hold back the tears that are trying to break, even as I write...====JACK: I remember the days when dancing was considered to be a sin, along with having a beer, card-playing, going to movies on Sundays, etc. The pastor's family, especially, was under the community microscope. BTW, there's a song called, "Dancing on the Ceiling." I hope that's not the way you'll be dancing at the reception.====REV: Well, our very conservative church has now arrived on the dance floor...most weddings I conduct or attend nowadays have the reception away from the church for the enjoyment of the bar and dance floor...no bar offered for ours, but the dance floor and DJ is being offered. Not unusual for me to notice a deacon or two participating in both at their kid's weddings or others they are attending. 0:-/====JACK: Times change...but there was wine at the wedding at Cana.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Daniel Webster and Joseph wrestled with the devil and I think we all do at sometime during our lives, sometimes quite a bit through our lives. But, we will win eventually.====JACK: We had a member do an interpretive dance to The Lord's Prayer during the worship service. It was beautiful.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: I think, maybe, "the art of living" is about as prevalent as four-leaf clovers. It seems to me that few of us plot the course of life, instead we react or respond to the demands of life. In our latter years it becomes clear that we missed some things, and wish we could have another chance to pursue some choices we negligently disregarded when we had the chance.====JACK: Of course, you remember what Thomas Wolfe wrote: "You can't go home again." If it were possible, I'm afraid I'd still be a disaster on the dance floor.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: It's been a long time since I've seen a waltz on the dance floor! Can't believe that quote goes clear back to Marcus Aurelius! Dancing today is no "cuddle"! With young people it's hard to see who is paired with whom...they are all just "jivin' , shimmying and shakin' en masse! But suppose the dance with the Father at weddings is a slow dance....Anyway this is an interesting quote; ; You certainly wrestle with a lot of diverse situations as you dance down the path of Life!!====JACK: Grandson Joseph introduced me to the Gangnam Style dance on YouTube. "It's the most watched video ever," said Joe. Has it hit Petersburg yet?
“The art of living is more like wrestling than dancing.” (Marcus Aurelius) My first attempt at dancing was a disaster; so was the second. Those who interpret this quote say that there’s a difference between wrestling and dancing. The good wrestler is ready for the unexpected, the unforeseen moves, and is prepared to respond to them. Most dancers just waltz with the music. Life has some strange moves, so...Be prepared! ;-) Jack
FROM CLIMBING ED; reminds me of the Lee Ann Womack song "I hope you dance"====JACK: When Lee Ann asked me...and I answered...she boogied away. I suppose you're a dancer, too.====ED: ...try starting with the other foot :) Easy fix :) my mom gave me that song for my birthday years back. i love it, as it always reminds me of her 'message' to me :)====JACK: Our youngest daughter didn't always sleep through the night. "Her" song was, "Rock Around the Clock."
FROM WALMART REV: One week from this Saturday, my first dance from many years before and most-likely henceforth...it will be with my daughter at her wedding...walking her down the aisle, giving her away and conducting the ceremony, while trying to hold back the tears that are trying to break, even as I write...====JACK: I remember the days when dancing was considered to be a sin, along with having a beer, card-playing, going to movies on Sundays, etc. The pastor's family, especially, was under the community microscope. BTW, there's a song called, "Dancing on the Ceiling." I hope that's not the way you'll be dancing at the reception.====REV: Well, our very conservative church has now arrived on the dance floor...most weddings I conduct or attend nowadays have the reception away from the church for the enjoyment of the bar and dance floor...no bar offered for ours, but the dance floor and DJ is being offered. Not unusual for me to notice a deacon or two participating in both at their kid's weddings or others they are attending. 0:-/====JACK: Times change...but there was wine at the wedding at Cana.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Daniel Webster and Joseph wrestled with the devil and I think we all do at sometime during our lives, sometimes quite a bit through our lives. But, we will win eventually.====JACK: We had a member do an interpretive dance to The Lord's Prayer during the worship service. It was beautiful.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: I think, maybe, "the art of living" is about as prevalent as four-leaf clovers. It seems to me that few of us plot the course of life, instead we react or respond to the demands of life. In our latter years it becomes clear that we missed some things, and wish we could have another chance to pursue some choices we negligently disregarded when we had the chance.====JACK: Of course, you remember what Thomas Wolfe wrote: "You can't go home again." If it were possible, I'm afraid I'd still be a disaster on the dance floor.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: It's been a long time since I've seen a waltz on the dance floor! Can't believe that quote goes clear back to Marcus Aurelius! Dancing today is no "cuddle"! With young people it's hard to see who is paired with whom...they are all just "jivin' , shimmying and shakin' en masse! But suppose the dance with the Father at weddings is a slow dance....Anyway this is an interesting quote; ; You certainly wrestle with a lot of diverse situations as you dance down the path of Life!!====JACK: Grandson Joseph introduced me to the Gangnam Style dance on YouTube. "It's the most watched video ever," said Joe. Has it hit Petersburg yet?
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Winning Words 4/24/13
“Let a good man do good deeds with the same zeal that the evil man does bad ones.” (The Belzer Rabbi) The younger of the Boston terrorists was called “an angel” by his father. True angels try to make this world a better place, to help, rather than hurt. John Newton, composer of Amazing Grace, was a slave trader before he changed his life’s direction. It’s truly “amazing” what a God-directed person can do. ;-) Jack.
FROM WALMART REV: My mind jumps to, actually, similar words from Christ, but to the vast majority of us who are simmering in the middle of the two: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Rev. 3:15-17). Perhaps that why we have some over-zealous "radicals" and "terrorist" on both sides of the spectrum, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked to the Truth? 0:-/++++JACK: Most of us shy away from being labeled, "a radical." I'm moved by the hymn which says, "Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side." Not to choose is to choose.
FROM THE LIP: Someday we can have a great discussion regarding morality. Piaget, a biologist turned to analyzing child development, wrote about objective and subjective development of morality. The main question is: Why do people "do the right thing"?====JACK: It's the old problem of trying to compare apples and oranges. While we're at it, let's include a discussion on values.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: the boston bombers believe(d) they were "god directed." ====JACK: "God" is in the mind of the beholder. I don't believe that they were God directed. BTW, I just finished reading a good book by Rob Bell, "What We Talk About When We Talk About God." Perhaps your library has it. Or half.com has it for under ten bucks.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: As we saw from the news coverage, there were a LOT more good deed doers than evil on the day of the attack. People are generally good when they are tested. The Holy Spirit works us all for the good.====JACK: There's an old proverb, "The truth will out." It's sometimes said, "The good will out," meaning that good eventually overcomes evil.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: IF WE COULD ONLY CATCH THE "ANGELS" BEFORE THEY BECOME BAD, WHAT A BRIGHT WORLD IT WOULD BE! IT SEEMS SOME YOUNG ONES JUST NEVER HAVE MUCH OF A CHANCE TO TURN OUT WELL. THIS BOY WAS NOT BORN EVIL, BUT HIS SITUATION ALLOWED EVIL TO OVERCOME HIS GOOD SIDE. HOW SAD FOR ALL OF US WHEN THIS HAPPENS!!====JACK: In the beginning, each of us is "conceived and born (into a sinful world)." Nurturing is so important! As the tree is bent....
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: The good man had better do it with more zeal or it's a standoff. ====JACK: As a member of the Optimist Club, I believe that there is more good than evil in the world.
ROM JM IN MICHIGAN: You need to know what I have recently learned by reading "Bury the Chains" by Adam Hochschild about the abolition of slavery in the British Empire: John Newton, though he stopped slave trading as his occupation, did not speak out against slavery for over 30 years afterward but continued to be supportive of the "institution". He did experience a conversion experience after a great storm at sea but, unfortunately little known, he did not turn against slavery at that time. He preached thousands of sermons, wrote well over 200 hymns, but all the while he continued to happily socialize with old ship captain buddies and invested much of his savings with his former employer (as a ship's captain), and owed his position as curate of Olney to the Earl of Dartmouth, a slavery supporter. He even preached a sermon more than 25 years after leaving the slave trade about the sins of Great Britain, but slavery was not mentioned in this list.
Yes, God's grace is amazing, and He is patient!!!====JACK: I suppose you're going to tell there's no Santa Claus, either.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: My take on this is "g00d" is in the eye of the beholder, If you are of a family that values obedience to familial traditions and faith..."good" becomes evaluated in terms of how you follow the familial traditions and beliefs, An "angel" in our Christian (eyes of the beholders) may have different qualities than those of other beliefs. How do we effect a change to our beliefs and/or they to ours? It's a conflict for both arenas, as I see it.. Who's winning?====JACK: Whose god is God? I'll repeat what I earlier wrote to FACEBOOK LIZ... I just finished reading a good book by Rob Bell, "What We Talk About When We Talk About God." Perhaps your library has it. Or half.com has it for under ten bucks. You can Google a review.
“Let a good man do good deeds with the same zeal that the evil man does bad ones.” (The Belzer Rabbi) The younger of the Boston terrorists was called “an angel” by his father. True angels try to make this world a better place, to help, rather than hurt. John Newton, composer of Amazing Grace, was a slave trader before he changed his life’s direction. It’s truly “amazing” what a God-directed person can do. ;-) Jack.
FROM WALMART REV: My mind jumps to, actually, similar words from Christ, but to the vast majority of us who are simmering in the middle of the two: “I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth! 17 You say, ‘I am rich. I have everything I want. I don’t need a thing!’ And you don’t realize that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked" (Rev. 3:15-17). Perhaps that why we have some over-zealous "radicals" and "terrorist" on both sides of the spectrum, “wretched, miserable, poor, blind and naked to the Truth? 0:-/++++JACK: Most of us shy away from being labeled, "a radical." I'm moved by the hymn which says, "Once to every man and nation comes the moment to decide in the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side." Not to choose is to choose.
FROM THE LIP: Someday we can have a great discussion regarding morality. Piaget, a biologist turned to analyzing child development, wrote about objective and subjective development of morality. The main question is: Why do people "do the right thing"?====JACK: It's the old problem of trying to compare apples and oranges. While we're at it, let's include a discussion on values.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: the boston bombers believe(d) they were "god directed." ====JACK: "God" is in the mind of the beholder. I don't believe that they were God directed. BTW, I just finished reading a good book by Rob Bell, "What We Talk About When We Talk About God." Perhaps your library has it. Or half.com has it for under ten bucks.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: As we saw from the news coverage, there were a LOT more good deed doers than evil on the day of the attack. People are generally good when they are tested. The Holy Spirit works us all for the good.====JACK: There's an old proverb, "The truth will out." It's sometimes said, "The good will out," meaning that good eventually overcomes evil.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: IF WE COULD ONLY CATCH THE "ANGELS" BEFORE THEY BECOME BAD, WHAT A BRIGHT WORLD IT WOULD BE! IT SEEMS SOME YOUNG ONES JUST NEVER HAVE MUCH OF A CHANCE TO TURN OUT WELL. THIS BOY WAS NOT BORN EVIL, BUT HIS SITUATION ALLOWED EVIL TO OVERCOME HIS GOOD SIDE. HOW SAD FOR ALL OF US WHEN THIS HAPPENS!!====JACK: In the beginning, each of us is "conceived and born (into a sinful world)." Nurturing is so important! As the tree is bent....
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: The good man had better do it with more zeal or it's a standoff. ====JACK: As a member of the Optimist Club, I believe that there is more good than evil in the world.
ROM JM IN MICHIGAN: You need to know what I have recently learned by reading "Bury the Chains" by Adam Hochschild about the abolition of slavery in the British Empire: John Newton, though he stopped slave trading as his occupation, did not speak out against slavery for over 30 years afterward but continued to be supportive of the "institution". He did experience a conversion experience after a great storm at sea but, unfortunately little known, he did not turn against slavery at that time. He preached thousands of sermons, wrote well over 200 hymns, but all the while he continued to happily socialize with old ship captain buddies and invested much of his savings with his former employer (as a ship's captain), and owed his position as curate of Olney to the Earl of Dartmouth, a slavery supporter. He even preached a sermon more than 25 years after leaving the slave trade about the sins of Great Britain, but slavery was not mentioned in this list.
Yes, God's grace is amazing, and He is patient!!!====JACK: I suppose you're going to tell there's no Santa Claus, either.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: My take on this is "g00d" is in the eye of the beholder, If you are of a family that values obedience to familial traditions and faith..."good" becomes evaluated in terms of how you follow the familial traditions and beliefs, An "angel" in our Christian (eyes of the beholders) may have different qualities than those of other beliefs. How do we effect a change to our beliefs and/or they to ours? It's a conflict for both arenas, as I see it.. Who's winning?====JACK: Whose god is God? I'll repeat what I earlier wrote to FACEBOOK LIZ... I just finished reading a good book by Rob Bell, "What We Talk About When We Talk About God." Perhaps your library has it. Or half.com has it for under ten bucks. You can Google a review.
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Winning Words 4/23/13
“Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you.” (Joey Adams) Do you remember your first kiss? Were you playing “spin the bottle,” or was it on a date? History first mentions kissing, 3000 years ago. The Greeks introduced the romantic kiss. The study of kissing is called, philematology. Joey’s point is that we should be wise in the choice of those we permit to be close to us. Each day presents choices. Choose wisely! ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: ...one might turn into a "bull frog" full of bull, if not careful!////JACK: It's not only in fairy tales that a frog can be turned into a prince. The high school yearbook doesn't always show the true"picture."
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: My first kiss was on my 16th birthday by Mike Crome. He was later killed in Vietnam, but I will always remember him. It's so important to bring along friends in your life who will uplift you, stand by your side and love you when you aren't lovable.////JACK: We can remember the past, but we are destined to live in the present.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: HA! KISSER BEWARE! :-) SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE, AND HAVE HAD GOOD KISSERS IN OUR LIVES.!! INTERESTING BIT OF HISTORY ON THAT. THANKS FOR STARTING MY DAY WITH A SMILE...////JACK: As you may know, in the Greek language, there are three different words for our English word, love. I wonder if there are different words to describe the different kinds of kisses.
FROM SBP: You bet!....and we're still kissing...61 years later!
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: A kiss is the bushes is worth two on the hand.////JACK: What's a buss on the bus worth?////CHESTER: A token of affection?////JACK: I'll accept that. Put it in the till.
“Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you.” (Joey Adams) Do you remember your first kiss? Were you playing “spin the bottle,” or was it on a date? History first mentions kissing, 3000 years ago. The Greeks introduced the romantic kiss. The study of kissing is called, philematology. Joey’s point is that we should be wise in the choice of those we permit to be close to us. Each day presents choices. Choose wisely! ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: ...one might turn into a "bull frog" full of bull, if not careful!////JACK: It's not only in fairy tales that a frog can be turned into a prince. The high school yearbook doesn't always show the true"picture."
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: My first kiss was on my 16th birthday by Mike Crome. He was later killed in Vietnam, but I will always remember him. It's so important to bring along friends in your life who will uplift you, stand by your side and love you when you aren't lovable.////JACK: We can remember the past, but we are destined to live in the present.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: HA! KISSER BEWARE! :-) SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE, AND HAVE HAD GOOD KISSERS IN OUR LIVES.!! INTERESTING BIT OF HISTORY ON THAT. THANKS FOR STARTING MY DAY WITH A SMILE...////JACK: As you may know, in the Greek language, there are three different words for our English word, love. I wonder if there are different words to describe the different kinds of kisses.
FROM SBP: You bet!....and we're still kissing...61 years later!
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: A kiss is the bushes is worth two on the hand.////JACK: What's a buss on the bus worth?////CHESTER: A token of affection?////JACK: I'll accept that. Put it in the till.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Winning Words 4/22/13
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” (C.S. Lewis) I read recently that Douglas MacArthur kept a poem in his office which described “How to Stay Young.” Paraphrasing: Youth is not an age, it’s a state of mind. People grow old by deserting their ideals. You are as young as your hope and as old as your despair. Dr. Oz says that your real age and your actual age often are not the same. True? ;-) Jack
FROM TS VISITING IN ILLINOIS: I particularly enjoyed your words this morning, and all of your distinguished references.////JACK: Do you ever read the distinguished Dr. Oz?
FROM HONEST JOHN: I don't mind being old...I am loving these years...and still have dreams, goals and aspirations.////JACK: Do you feel that you are more, or less, of a curmudgeon as you age?////JOHN: I am more of a Troll...lie to grab folks from under the bridge.////JACK: I've read that "Scandinavian trolls tend to be very big, hairy, stupid, and slow to act. Any human with courage and presence of mind can outwit a troll. They are said to have a temperament like a bear- which are, ironically, their favorite pets- good-natured when they are left in peace, and savage when they are teased. Trolls live throughout the land, dwelling under bridges."
FROM CS IN WISCONSIN: What an appropriate quote for today – Bob’s 70th birthday. He certainly doesn’t act his age! He’s already been at the pool swimming for an hour, will probably ride his bike for an hour in the basement and maybe take a couple walks about town for an hour or more today. This is his normal routine. Some of those trips to town involve stopping to have coffee with friends. Party time tonight with family and friends – if we don’t get snowed out. Predictions are for another 6-10” of snow tonight. ////JACK: Sunny and 60 degrees here in Michigan. No swimming. No biking. No walk-a-bout. But there will be coffee and a jaunt to the ballpark to watch my grandson play baseball.
FROM WATERFORD JAN: I'm glad it was your sump pump and not your cardiac pump. It made my pulse jump when there was no jackswinningwords.////JACK: Do you remember this old hymn?
Some day the silver cord (cardiac pump) will break (for each of us),
And I no more as now shall sing;
But, O the joy when I shall wake
Within the presence of the King!
////JAN: I never imagined what the silver cord was. That image is more personal, and powerful.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: LOVED THESE WW FROM A MASTER OF WORDS! IT'S NOT THE YEARS IN YOUR LIFE, BUT THE LIFE IN YOUR YEARS, EH WHAT?! TOTALLY AGREE. "TO BE WHAT WE ARE, AND BECOME WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING IS THE ONLY END OF LIFE" (BARUCH SPINOZA, Forbes.com) I'M OFF TO MY FIRST ROUND OF GOLF ON A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY, WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING IT THROUGH 18 HOLES!!! YIKES!////JACK: I remember playing on the putt-putt course in Moline. I didn't know that you had one in your neighborhood.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Have you done the RealAge quiz online? It’s great – fun – and I think has some merit. Lifestyle choices and genetics play a big part in our longevity and quality of life. You’re fortunate to have gram's tough genes!////JACK: I don't have Levi jeans. "Comfort-fit" feels better.
FROM CPA BOB: My mother often was willing to try something new, although her passion was bridge, which she was teaching up to the day she died at 92. But the thing that seemed to be the most fun for her in her last couple years was playing poker, which she first learned when she was 90.////JACK: My mother was also a bridge and poker player, but rummy, crazy-eights and Old Maid were the only card games I knew.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: The real trick is to never grow up. Look with "wonderment" on everything.////JACK: Bette Davis said it. "Old age isn't for sissies." Do you remember when a favorite taunt was..."You're a sissy?"
FROM DONNA THE BADGER: You Jack, are one of the "youngest" people I know. ;o)////JACK: One of my favorite baseball players was Satchel Paige who said, "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." I try to keep looking ahead, with an occasional backward glance.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: And Mark Twain says that age in an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. I think that you just have to keep exercising your body and your mind. My news project, given to me by my youngest grandson (8} is to take Flat Stanley with me for a week and to record what we do. It should be an interesting week.////JACK: So...I had to look up Flat Stanley...and discovered that he came from the mind of a 3rd Grade Canadian teacher who encouraged pupils to take Stanley with them and to write about where they went. The purpose was to facilitate letter-writing. You probably knew that. I didn't!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: There is a book out, "Orphan Train", which I just finished reading. My great grandfather was on an orphan train. I'm sure my great grandfather had a lot of dreams and I wonder if they were ever reached. It will be a new goal to find out about him.////JACK: My short-term goal is to Google "Orphan Train." I haven't heard of it.
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” (C.S. Lewis) I read recently that Douglas MacArthur kept a poem in his office which described “How to Stay Young.” Paraphrasing: Youth is not an age, it’s a state of mind. People grow old by deserting their ideals. You are as young as your hope and as old as your despair. Dr. Oz says that your real age and your actual age often are not the same. True? ;-) Jack
FROM TS VISITING IN ILLINOIS: I particularly enjoyed your words this morning, and all of your distinguished references.////JACK: Do you ever read the distinguished Dr. Oz?
FROM HONEST JOHN: I don't mind being old...I am loving these years...and still have dreams, goals and aspirations.////JACK: Do you feel that you are more, or less, of a curmudgeon as you age?////JOHN: I am more of a Troll...lie to grab folks from under the bridge.////JACK: I've read that "Scandinavian trolls tend to be very big, hairy, stupid, and slow to act. Any human with courage and presence of mind can outwit a troll. They are said to have a temperament like a bear- which are, ironically, their favorite pets- good-natured when they are left in peace, and savage when they are teased. Trolls live throughout the land, dwelling under bridges."
FROM CS IN WISCONSIN: What an appropriate quote for today – Bob’s 70th birthday. He certainly doesn’t act his age! He’s already been at the pool swimming for an hour, will probably ride his bike for an hour in the basement and maybe take a couple walks about town for an hour or more today. This is his normal routine. Some of those trips to town involve stopping to have coffee with friends. Party time tonight with family and friends – if we don’t get snowed out. Predictions are for another 6-10” of snow tonight. ////JACK: Sunny and 60 degrees here in Michigan. No swimming. No biking. No walk-a-bout. But there will be coffee and a jaunt to the ballpark to watch my grandson play baseball.
FROM WATERFORD JAN: I'm glad it was your sump pump and not your cardiac pump. It made my pulse jump when there was no jackswinningwords.////JACK: Do you remember this old hymn?
Some day the silver cord (cardiac pump) will break (for each of us),
And I no more as now shall sing;
But, O the joy when I shall wake
Within the presence of the King!
////JAN: I never imagined what the silver cord was. That image is more personal, and powerful.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: LOVED THESE WW FROM A MASTER OF WORDS! IT'S NOT THE YEARS IN YOUR LIFE, BUT THE LIFE IN YOUR YEARS, EH WHAT?! TOTALLY AGREE. "TO BE WHAT WE ARE, AND BECOME WHAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF BECOMING IS THE ONLY END OF LIFE" (BARUCH SPINOZA, Forbes.com) I'M OFF TO MY FIRST ROUND OF GOLF ON A BEAUTIFUL SPRING DAY, WITH THE GOAL OF MAKING IT THROUGH 18 HOLES!!! YIKES!////JACK: I remember playing on the putt-putt course in Moline. I didn't know that you had one in your neighborhood.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Have you done the RealAge quiz online? It’s great – fun – and I think has some merit. Lifestyle choices and genetics play a big part in our longevity and quality of life. You’re fortunate to have gram's tough genes!////JACK: I don't have Levi jeans. "Comfort-fit" feels better.
FROM CPA BOB: My mother often was willing to try something new, although her passion was bridge, which she was teaching up to the day she died at 92. But the thing that seemed to be the most fun for her in her last couple years was playing poker, which she first learned when she was 90.////JACK: My mother was also a bridge and poker player, but rummy, crazy-eights and Old Maid were the only card games I knew.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: The real trick is to never grow up. Look with "wonderment" on everything.////JACK: Bette Davis said it. "Old age isn't for sissies." Do you remember when a favorite taunt was..."You're a sissy?"
FROM DONNA THE BADGER: You Jack, are one of the "youngest" people I know. ;o)////JACK: One of my favorite baseball players was Satchel Paige who said, "Don't look back. Something might be gaining on you." I try to keep looking ahead, with an occasional backward glance.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: And Mark Twain says that age in an issue of mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter. I think that you just have to keep exercising your body and your mind. My news project, given to me by my youngest grandson (8} is to take Flat Stanley with me for a week and to record what we do. It should be an interesting week.////JACK: So...I had to look up Flat Stanley...and discovered that he came from the mind of a 3rd Grade Canadian teacher who encouraged pupils to take Stanley with them and to write about where they went. The purpose was to facilitate letter-writing. You probably knew that. I didn't!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: There is a book out, "Orphan Train", which I just finished reading. My great grandfather was on an orphan train. I'm sure my great grandfather had a lot of dreams and I wonder if they were ever reached. It will be a new goal to find out about him.////JACK: My short-term goal is to Google "Orphan Train." I haven't heard of it.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Winning Words 4/18/13
“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” (Albert Einstein) There are many Albert quotes, but this one seems to show his humanness. Can’t you just see him sitting there with a bowl of grapes, playing, “Eine keine nachtmusik?” When riding with my grandchildren we sometimes alternate the choice of radio stations. It’s been a learning experience for them and for me. ;-) Jack
FROM MT IN PENNSYLVANIA: Nice choice today...and oh, how much simpler life would be if more and more people could be happy with less and less. I visited your blog for the first time, and was delighted to see what lively connections you have built through Winning Words. It is truly a wonderful, and worthwhile mission.////JACK: I'm reminded of this line from Omar Khayyam..."A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou beside me."
FROM RP IN MICHIGAN: Someone to love.////JACK: I wonder if Einstein was ever in love?
FROM WALMART REV: With a beautiful Italian wife as I have, we would have to add a little cheese in that picture!////JACK: Aren't you the BIG cheese in your family?
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Apparently Einstein was a man of complex thinking and down-to-earth thinking, the latter coming through in these Winning Words. Recently your WW quoted Niels Bohr about "the future" and it reminded me of Einstein's comment, "I don't concern myself with the future...it will be here soon enough."////JACK: As you were behind locked doors in Cambridge, did you have thoughts about the future?
////RI: Actually I was in Milwaukee. But amazingly, the news reporting there of the situation, was as thorough as the Boston news media did it here. Everyone was talking about the manhunt, and the coordinated effort by all the authorities to apprehend those young men. I spoke with H by telephone and she told me that the area all around our home was void of people and vehicles...it was like a ghost town. On Saturday, most people in Milwaukee were talking about the outstanding manner in which Boston dealt with the situation.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: For me, a recliner, tasty snack, and good book at the end of the day... whatever floats your boat, as the cliche goes! "Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is." (writer Maxim Gorsky)////JACK: For me: a chair, a computer and some messages from friends....That's what floats my boat.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like.////JACK: I wonder if Al would ever have a Facebook account?////LIZ: He was too smart for that.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: If you don't have a violin, step on the cat's tail.////JACK: ...or the cat's gut.
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: Well, you know how I feel about music. However, I have given up (temporarily) on my flute, piano and recorder. But still playing "the voice" : ) Can't live without all kinds of music!////JACK: ...even country and western?
ROM AW IN ILLINOIS: The gift of Faith and love of a good woman.!////JACK: Life has been good, hasn't it?
“A table, a chair, a bowl of fruit and a violin; what else does a man need to be happy?” (Albert Einstein) There are many Albert quotes, but this one seems to show his humanness. Can’t you just see him sitting there with a bowl of grapes, playing, “Eine keine nachtmusik?” When riding with my grandchildren we sometimes alternate the choice of radio stations. It’s been a learning experience for them and for me. ;-) Jack
FROM MT IN PENNSYLVANIA: Nice choice today...and oh, how much simpler life would be if more and more people could be happy with less and less. I visited your blog for the first time, and was delighted to see what lively connections you have built through Winning Words. It is truly a wonderful, and worthwhile mission.////JACK: I'm reminded of this line from Omar Khayyam..."A jug of wine, a loaf of bread and thou beside me."
FROM RP IN MICHIGAN: Someone to love.////JACK: I wonder if Einstein was ever in love?
FROM WALMART REV: With a beautiful Italian wife as I have, we would have to add a little cheese in that picture!////JACK: Aren't you the BIG cheese in your family?
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Apparently Einstein was a man of complex thinking and down-to-earth thinking, the latter coming through in these Winning Words. Recently your WW quoted Niels Bohr about "the future" and it reminded me of Einstein's comment, "I don't concern myself with the future...it will be here soon enough."////JACK: As you were behind locked doors in Cambridge, did you have thoughts about the future?
////RI: Actually I was in Milwaukee. But amazingly, the news reporting there of the situation, was as thorough as the Boston news media did it here. Everyone was talking about the manhunt, and the coordinated effort by all the authorities to apprehend those young men. I spoke with H by telephone and she told me that the area all around our home was void of people and vehicles...it was like a ghost town. On Saturday, most people in Milwaukee were talking about the outstanding manner in which Boston dealt with the situation.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: For me, a recliner, tasty snack, and good book at the end of the day... whatever floats your boat, as the cliche goes! "Happiness always looks small while you hold it in your hands, but let it go, and you learn at once how big and precious it is." (writer Maxim Gorsky)////JACK: For me: a chair, a computer and some messages from friends....That's what floats my boat.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like.////JACK: I wonder if Al would ever have a Facebook account?////LIZ: He was too smart for that.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: If you don't have a violin, step on the cat's tail.////JACK: ...or the cat's gut.
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: Well, you know how I feel about music. However, I have given up (temporarily) on my flute, piano and recorder. But still playing "the voice" : ) Can't live without all kinds of music!////JACK: ...even country and western?
ROM AW IN ILLINOIS: The gift of Faith and love of a good woman.!////JACK: Life has been good, hasn't it?
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Winning Words 4/17/13
“Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.” (Aesop) I once met a lady who was a direct descendant of Alexander Hamilton, and I have a friend who is related to the naturalist, John Muir. Do you have any famous ancestors? A cousin contacted me about information for a family tree he was researching, but I never did see the result. Are you into that kind of stuff? My father played baseball against 3-finger Brown. ;-) Jack
FROM HAPPY TRAILS IN NOVA SCOTIA: My most famous ancestor is also my namesake--Jim Fisher, Jr.. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, but his real clame to fame was receiving the trophy (still in the family) as the most artistic liar in the frontier. In the absence of television, competitive lying was a major source of entertainment. He lived in what is now Transylvania County in Western North Carolina.////JACK: Maybe lying in your family goes back even further than old Jim Jr. How about Eve telling God that the snake made her eat the apple?.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: My husband is related to Daniel Boone. My Greatgrandfather was a ward of the King of Denmark, which I used to believe he was in the Royal Family but it turned out that he was an orphan and the King took care of all the orphans. Anyhoo, that's how our ancestors are famous. They were good people.////JACK: Future branches on your family tree will have some interesting things to say about you...I'm sure!
FROM WALMART REV: To save me time writing, Jack...look up Major Samuel McCulloch...spelled differently, but told he is my fifth generation uncle.////JACK: Wow! Now, that's an ancestor! Maj. Sam won fame by his bravery and daring deeds fighting Indians during the early settlement of the country, and by his leap from the summit of Wheeling Hill down a steep declivity of 310 feet. He was killed by the Indians who abstracted his heart and ate it, "To make us brave like him."////REV: Such a heritage, uh?! All heart, am I!
FROM JS IN MICHIGAN: And I could add......good stewards of our earth.////JACK: I've read that the word, steward, has its origin in "keeper of the sty"...sty-ward.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I have a friend who is really into that stuff. She was researching her own relatives and doing a Civil War project for Watertown, MN Historical Society and she found my great grandfather. He was featured in the whole display. Big picture and all. Now she is doing something else about Nels Mattson. Kind of fun to see. Guess I will be going out to Waconia to see it again.////JACK: There were several regiments from Minnesota in the Civil War. Was your great grandfather in one of them?
FROM BANJO SUE: Oh, you mean Mordecai Brown, who had a farming accident and lost parts of two fingers? Was your dad in the major leagues? Tell me more! Thanks for this tidbit of info!! PS: No, I didn't know him until I googled him.////JACK: 3-Finger was on a team of major-leaguers which barnstormed during the off season, playing local teams. When they came to Galesburg, IL, my dad played 1st base for the team that faced Brown.
FROM MOLINER JT: Famous ? Yes My Mom and Dad.////JACK: Great people! I remember them well.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Alas, my ancestors came into the USA from Denmark but they were poor. Gary however, came from a very famous family....both on his grandmother and grandfather's side. His grandmother was a Fraser. There was a cousin who was an explorer...he was the famous Fraser in Canada. There is a Fraser River, Fraser Mountain and numerous other Fraser areas and places named after him. Gary's mother was the 7th cousin of Abraham Lincoln which of course, makes Gary the 8th cousin removed from Abraham Lincoln. In fact, his grandfather was named Abraham Raymond Lincoln and was a doctor for Lutheran Social Services in the 1900's. Our legacy is passed down from generations. ( PS I did have an uncle who was a rum-runner during Prohibition...he was shot and killed running rum across Lake St. Clair.) ////JACK: Fraser...Lincoln...and a rum-runner...Now, there's a combination.
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: I'm saving that research for "retirement"..... The only thing I know about my ancestors is their time in Michigan - living in the area of Monroe, Plymouth and Northville. Farming families. My grandmother (Johanna Oldenburg) had a brother who owned a general store in Northville on Center Street. We have pictures of Uncle Fred in front of the store. The building is still there, and there is a sign on the back that says "Oldenburg Building". Mark's mom makes up stuff about their relatives : )////JACK: What kind of business is in the Oldenburg building? Make something up, if you don't know.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Yes. I believe that we should be good examples for our children, grandchildren, etc. I have written my work for them of their heritage of the De Taeyes and the Guffeys. Fightin' Jim Guffey fought in the Revolutionary War. We went to the Highland Games in Dunedin on Saturday where the clans have booths, the bagpipers have a contest, the kilted dancers compete, the competitors throw telephone poles, have a tug of war, throw a large bag of rocks over a high bar, and the sheep dog does its herding. By the way, I went to my OLLI class this morning, and one of the speakers was Richard Gonzart who is the head of the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City and he was also a graduate of the University of Denver.////JACK: A community near here has Highland Games, too, but I've never attended. I'm not into wearing kilts. BTW, where is Ybor City?////SHIRL: Ybor City is in the southeastern part of Tampa. It was the place where the cigar factories were and where the Spanish speaking residents lived. It has gone through many stages including the gangsters, the failed urban development, many attempts to revitalize it. The heart is 22 St. and 7th Ave.////SHIRL: It's pronounced eeeebor.
FROM WATERFORD JAN: My grandmother was a Wolf, my mother was a Colley, and my father was a Boxer. That's as close as I can come to notoriety in my ancestry. Maternal grandmother Wolf married a man named Colley and their only child was my mother, Clara. My mother married a man who boxed professionally for a few years.////JACK I read that the TOP name for female puppies is, Anna. I didn't see Clara on the list.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: MY MOTHER'S GREAT-GREAT-UNCLE WAS MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA...(PHILLIPS) I HAVE BOUND COPIES OF MY FAMILY TREE ON BOTH MY MOM AND DAD'S FAMILIES, BUT GUESS THEY ARE JUST FAMOUS "INSIDE" THE FAMILY! I WOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH REQUIRED TO HAVE IT DONE AND PUBLISHED, BUT FORTUNATELY MY AUNT ON MOTHER'S SIDE, AND COUSIN ON DAD'S SIDE WERE ZEALOUS ENOUGH TO GIVE THE TIME TO IT, AND WE ALL BENEFITED!
I WONDER IF WE WILL BE GOOD ANCESTORS?? "THE ULTIMATE TEST OF A MORAL SOCIETY IS WHAT KIND OF WORLD IT LEAVES ITS CHILDREN" D. BONHOEFFER. GULP!!
////JACK: There should be some cartoons accompanying some parts of your life story.
FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: My mother, when she was attempting to get us to practice our music lessons, said that she was related to the famous Polish pianist Jan Paderewski. Her maiden name was Patzke, and I used to kid her about her polish relative. She never explained how we were related – I can’t check it out now, as my mother died in 1992 – almost 104 years old!////JACK: Did you ever learn to play the piano?////FM: I played a piano accordion and a piano a bit – but quit before I was very good. My sister tool piano lessons for 8 or more years.////JACK: Just think...If you'd kept up with those lessons on the piano accordian, you might have landed a job with Frankie Yankovic, instead of becoming a preacher.
“Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors.” (Aesop) I once met a lady who was a direct descendant of Alexander Hamilton, and I have a friend who is related to the naturalist, John Muir. Do you have any famous ancestors? A cousin contacted me about information for a family tree he was researching, but I never did see the result. Are you into that kind of stuff? My father played baseball against 3-finger Brown. ;-) Jack
FROM HAPPY TRAILS IN NOVA SCOTIA: My most famous ancestor is also my namesake--Jim Fisher, Jr.. He was a veteran of the War of 1812, but his real clame to fame was receiving the trophy (still in the family) as the most artistic liar in the frontier. In the absence of television, competitive lying was a major source of entertainment. He lived in what is now Transylvania County in Western North Carolina.////JACK: Maybe lying in your family goes back even further than old Jim Jr. How about Eve telling God that the snake made her eat the apple?.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: My husband is related to Daniel Boone. My Greatgrandfather was a ward of the King of Denmark, which I used to believe he was in the Royal Family but it turned out that he was an orphan and the King took care of all the orphans. Anyhoo, that's how our ancestors are famous. They were good people.////JACK: Future branches on your family tree will have some interesting things to say about you...I'm sure!
FROM WALMART REV: To save me time writing, Jack...look up Major Samuel McCulloch...spelled differently, but told he is my fifth generation uncle.////JACK: Wow! Now, that's an ancestor! Maj. Sam won fame by his bravery and daring deeds fighting Indians during the early settlement of the country, and by his leap from the summit of Wheeling Hill down a steep declivity of 310 feet. He was killed by the Indians who abstracted his heart and ate it, "To make us brave like him."////REV: Such a heritage, uh?! All heart, am I!
FROM JS IN MICHIGAN: And I could add......good stewards of our earth.////JACK: I've read that the word, steward, has its origin in "keeper of the sty"...sty-ward.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I have a friend who is really into that stuff. She was researching her own relatives and doing a Civil War project for Watertown, MN Historical Society and she found my great grandfather. He was featured in the whole display. Big picture and all. Now she is doing something else about Nels Mattson. Kind of fun to see. Guess I will be going out to Waconia to see it again.////JACK: There were several regiments from Minnesota in the Civil War. Was your great grandfather in one of them?
FROM BANJO SUE: Oh, you mean Mordecai Brown, who had a farming accident and lost parts of two fingers? Was your dad in the major leagues? Tell me more! Thanks for this tidbit of info!! PS: No, I didn't know him until I googled him.////JACK: 3-Finger was on a team of major-leaguers which barnstormed during the off season, playing local teams. When they came to Galesburg, IL, my dad played 1st base for the team that faced Brown.
FROM MOLINER JT: Famous ? Yes My Mom and Dad.////JACK: Great people! I remember them well.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Alas, my ancestors came into the USA from Denmark but they were poor. Gary however, came from a very famous family....both on his grandmother and grandfather's side. His grandmother was a Fraser. There was a cousin who was an explorer...he was the famous Fraser in Canada. There is a Fraser River, Fraser Mountain and numerous other Fraser areas and places named after him. Gary's mother was the 7th cousin of Abraham Lincoln which of course, makes Gary the 8th cousin removed from Abraham Lincoln. In fact, his grandfather was named Abraham Raymond Lincoln and was a doctor for Lutheran Social Services in the 1900's. Our legacy is passed down from generations. ( PS I did have an uncle who was a rum-runner during Prohibition...he was shot and killed running rum across Lake St. Clair.) ////JACK: Fraser...Lincoln...and a rum-runner...Now, there's a combination.
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: I'm saving that research for "retirement"..... The only thing I know about my ancestors is their time in Michigan - living in the area of Monroe, Plymouth and Northville. Farming families. My grandmother (Johanna Oldenburg) had a brother who owned a general store in Northville on Center Street. We have pictures of Uncle Fred in front of the store. The building is still there, and there is a sign on the back that says "Oldenburg Building". Mark's mom makes up stuff about their relatives : )////JACK: What kind of business is in the Oldenburg building? Make something up, if you don't know.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Yes. I believe that we should be good examples for our children, grandchildren, etc. I have written my work for them of their heritage of the De Taeyes and the Guffeys. Fightin' Jim Guffey fought in the Revolutionary War. We went to the Highland Games in Dunedin on Saturday where the clans have booths, the bagpipers have a contest, the kilted dancers compete, the competitors throw telephone poles, have a tug of war, throw a large bag of rocks over a high bar, and the sheep dog does its herding. By the way, I went to my OLLI class this morning, and one of the speakers was Richard Gonzart who is the head of the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City and he was also a graduate of the University of Denver.////JACK: A community near here has Highland Games, too, but I've never attended. I'm not into wearing kilts. BTW, where is Ybor City?////SHIRL: Ybor City is in the southeastern part of Tampa. It was the place where the cigar factories were and where the Spanish speaking residents lived. It has gone through many stages including the gangsters, the failed urban development, many attempts to revitalize it. The heart is 22 St. and 7th Ave.////SHIRL: It's pronounced eeeebor.
FROM WATERFORD JAN: My grandmother was a Wolf, my mother was a Colley, and my father was a Boxer. That's as close as I can come to notoriety in my ancestry. Maternal grandmother Wolf married a man named Colley and their only child was my mother, Clara. My mother married a man who boxed professionally for a few years.////JACK I read that the TOP name for female puppies is, Anna. I didn't see Clara on the list.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: MY MOTHER'S GREAT-GREAT-UNCLE WAS MAYOR OF PHILADELPHIA...(PHILLIPS) I HAVE BOUND COPIES OF MY FAMILY TREE ON BOTH MY MOM AND DAD'S FAMILIES, BUT GUESS THEY ARE JUST FAMOUS "INSIDE" THE FAMILY! I WOULD NEVER HAVE DONE THE RESEARCH REQUIRED TO HAVE IT DONE AND PUBLISHED, BUT FORTUNATELY MY AUNT ON MOTHER'S SIDE, AND COUSIN ON DAD'S SIDE WERE ZEALOUS ENOUGH TO GIVE THE TIME TO IT, AND WE ALL BENEFITED!
I WONDER IF WE WILL BE GOOD ANCESTORS?? "THE ULTIMATE TEST OF A MORAL SOCIETY IS WHAT KIND OF WORLD IT LEAVES ITS CHILDREN" D. BONHOEFFER. GULP!!
////JACK: There should be some cartoons accompanying some parts of your life story.
FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: My mother, when she was attempting to get us to practice our music lessons, said that she was related to the famous Polish pianist Jan Paderewski. Her maiden name was Patzke, and I used to kid her about her polish relative. She never explained how we were related – I can’t check it out now, as my mother died in 1992 – almost 104 years old!////JACK: Did you ever learn to play the piano?////FM: I played a piano accordion and a piano a bit – but quit before I was very good. My sister tool piano lessons for 8 or more years.////JACK: Just think...If you'd kept up with those lessons on the piano accordian, you might have landed a job with Frankie Yankovic, instead of becoming a preacher.
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Winning Words 4/16/13
“Why couldn’t Pheidippides have died here?” (Frank Shorter) Runner Shorter used these words in tribute to the Boston Marathon and its tie to the first Marathon run when P died after announcing the end of the Greek/Persian War. Joy mixed with tragedy. Life is like that. It was like that yesterday in Boston. The race has ended, but the War of Terror continues…for how long. “The answer is blowin’ in the wind.” ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: Sad but so true...will be interesting to see how our nation responds in comparison to 911, if this develops into being more that the Oklahoma bombing...I'm sure a very trying time for our President. 0:-(////JACK: Uncertainty is a terrible burden to bear for anyone. Faith helps.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Boston is shrouded in gloom and disbelief. Its long-established tradition hosting the Boston Marathon as an event of exuberance and high spirits will from now on come under the shadow yesterday's tragedy. A writer for The Boston Globe described it well: "Thousands of spectators had lined the route to celebrate the greatness of the human spirit. Instead they were plunged into the depths of human depravity." ////JACK: There's a difference between an accident and a planned attack. Injuries and deaths happen in both instances, The "terrorist" (whether an individual or a group) has a broader goal in mind. Depravity is a fitting word.
FROM LH IN MICHIGAN: Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Boston.////JACK: "Oh, the in-humanity!"
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Terror will continue until the end of time. Unfortunately, with free-will comes terror. However, we will all triumph in the end because joy comes in the morning. Watching all of the people who ran to help, not knowing the person they were saving, not knowing if another bomb would go off, not knowing the consequences of the actions, but helping none-the-less. That is how people triumph, with the helping hand of the Holy Spirit! We go on!////JACK: Terror and fear seem to be synonymous. There are many references to "fear" in the Bible. The unknowns make for an unsettled life. The word, faith, describes a way of facing fear. It can be a religious faith or a common faith (belief).
FROM BLAZING OAKS: INDEED. MY G.DAUGHTER, MOTHER OF 3 BOYS AND WIFE OF A STATE POLICEMAN, IS RUNNING THE MARATHON IN CHAMPAIGN/URBANA THE LAST WEEKEND IN APRIL. ONE WONDERS IF THESE VENUES ARE BEING SINGLED OUT, OR WHAT?/! THERE ARE ALWAYS 100'S OF RUNNERS AND SPECTATORS.... MAKES ONE SAD THAT THESE TERRIBLE, VIOLENT, ACTS ARE HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD...NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO THE DANGER, IT SEEMS. GOD BE WITH US ALL, AND TODAY ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE FAMILIES GRIEVING OVER LOST AND MAIMED LOVED ONES!! ////JACK: The ultimate goal of the terrorist is to cause people to live in fear. FDR, in his first inaugural address said, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."
FROM CS IN MICHIGAN: My granddaughter lives in Boston and was at the marathon. She is safe but shaken. Please let us pray for all the traumatized people.////JACK: Tragedy is always magnified when those we love are in the mix. I remember when the tornado came through West Bloomfield several years ago. It was over an hour before we were able to contact two of our children who were in the area. Everything was blocked off. While prayer is not strange to us, it becomes particularly intense when there is the unknown.
FROM MAWKEYE GEORGE: Only God knows.////JACK: God knows a lot of stuff that we don't know.
“Why couldn’t Pheidippides have died here?” (Frank Shorter) Runner Shorter used these words in tribute to the Boston Marathon and its tie to the first Marathon run when P died after announcing the end of the Greek/Persian War. Joy mixed with tragedy. Life is like that. It was like that yesterday in Boston. The race has ended, but the War of Terror continues…for how long. “The answer is blowin’ in the wind.” ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: Sad but so true...will be interesting to see how our nation responds in comparison to 911, if this develops into being more that the Oklahoma bombing...I'm sure a very trying time for our President. 0:-(////JACK: Uncertainty is a terrible burden to bear for anyone. Faith helps.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Boston is shrouded in gloom and disbelief. Its long-established tradition hosting the Boston Marathon as an event of exuberance and high spirits will from now on come under the shadow yesterday's tragedy. A writer for The Boston Globe described it well: "Thousands of spectators had lined the route to celebrate the greatness of the human spirit. Instead they were plunged into the depths of human depravity." ////JACK: There's a difference between an accident and a planned attack. Injuries and deaths happen in both instances, The "terrorist" (whether an individual or a group) has a broader goal in mind. Depravity is a fitting word.
FROM LH IN MICHIGAN: Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Boston.////JACK: "Oh, the in-humanity!"
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Terror will continue until the end of time. Unfortunately, with free-will comes terror. However, we will all triumph in the end because joy comes in the morning. Watching all of the people who ran to help, not knowing the person they were saving, not knowing if another bomb would go off, not knowing the consequences of the actions, but helping none-the-less. That is how people triumph, with the helping hand of the Holy Spirit! We go on!////JACK: Terror and fear seem to be synonymous. There are many references to "fear" in the Bible. The unknowns make for an unsettled life. The word, faith, describes a way of facing fear. It can be a religious faith or a common faith (belief).
FROM BLAZING OAKS: INDEED. MY G.DAUGHTER, MOTHER OF 3 BOYS AND WIFE OF A STATE POLICEMAN, IS RUNNING THE MARATHON IN CHAMPAIGN/URBANA THE LAST WEEKEND IN APRIL. ONE WONDERS IF THESE VENUES ARE BEING SINGLED OUT, OR WHAT?/! THERE ARE ALWAYS 100'S OF RUNNERS AND SPECTATORS.... MAKES ONE SAD THAT THESE TERRIBLE, VIOLENT, ACTS ARE HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD...NO ONE IS IMMUNE TO THE DANGER, IT SEEMS. GOD BE WITH US ALL, AND TODAY ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE FAMILIES GRIEVING OVER LOST AND MAIMED LOVED ONES!! ////JACK: The ultimate goal of the terrorist is to cause people to live in fear. FDR, in his first inaugural address said, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself."
FROM CS IN MICHIGAN: My granddaughter lives in Boston and was at the marathon. She is safe but shaken. Please let us pray for all the traumatized people.////JACK: Tragedy is always magnified when those we love are in the mix. I remember when the tornado came through West Bloomfield several years ago. It was over an hour before we were able to contact two of our children who were in the area. Everything was blocked off. While prayer is not strange to us, it becomes particularly intense when there is the unknown.
FROM MAWKEYE GEORGE: Only God knows.////JACK: God knows a lot of stuff that we don't know.
Monday, April 15, 2013
Winning Words 4/15/13
“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” (Niels Bohr) 70 million Americans read their horoscope every day. I’m not one of them, although I’m curious about what the future might hold. In the Fusco Brothers comic strip Axel, the wolverine, introduced me to the word…tyromancy…telling the future by looking at the coagulation of cheese. Now, who can tell me that they’ve done that before? ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: Not I, Jack...we had Sunday lunch at a Chinese's restaurant yesterday...I asked for my money back for I had no "fortune" in my fortune cookie...He smiled and said. "That's miss-fortune-ate! " I left him with my Chinese name: "Hey You!" Smile, Jack! Smile! 0;-)////JACK: Someone at church yesterday asked about Walmart Rev (she reads the blog). I had a chance to tell her about your ministry in Michigan and now in Northern Minnesota.////REV: It is unique...it's validity would be in the eyes of the beholder...some churches would have a hard time justify something like this...others like the one I'm with have seen an increase of attenders because of it...by far, more people ask and talk in favor of its uniqueness as something they wished their pastor would do something like this.
FROM JACK: I just came across this quote from the Nightengale website. "Change your life today.
Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." (Simone de Beauvoir: French writer, intellectual, philosopher, activist, feminist, and social theorist)
FROM RI IN BOSTON: "Witty" isn't the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the name Niels Bohr, but it seems he was, in the true spirit of the Danes. Looking into it, I found that he saw humor in his work and people around him. Niels was a Bohr...but not a bore.////JACK: Each of us is more than appears on the surface. Creating a "scratch" to reveal what is underneath is not always a bad thing to do.
FROM LF IN FLORIDA: I saw Niels Bohr in 1959 or 1960 when I was working at CERN near Geneva. I was in the audience when he gave the speech at the inauguration of the proton cyclotron. Werner Heisenberg also spoke. At the reception afterward they were just a few steps away. Oppenheimer also spoke.////JACK: I could imagine a quote like this coming from a scientific lecture. A friend of mine, who worked with the NASA project of putting (and retrieving) a man on the moon, introduced me to the acronymn, UNK-UNK (unknowns). When they'd came to some problem that had no obvious answer, they'd refer to it as an UNK-UNK.
FROM LG IN MICHIGAN: Hee hee : )////JACK: When photographers want people to smile, they'll call out..."Say, cheese!" or "Say, Hee, Hee!"
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: If you are reading the future through a mess of cheese, you have definitely gotten ahold of some bad weed!!////JACK: FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: If you are reading the future through a mess of cheese, you have definitely gotten ahold of some bad weed!!////JACK: The only weed I know about is the dandelion.////PH: We used to make dandelion salad in the boy scouts. True story. Luckily no body died from it. I think we used a LOT of dressing…
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: it is interesting to look at your horoscope at the end of the day. uncanny sometimes. leo. you?////JACK: LEOS are good at being warm hearted, generous and kind. Ruled by the Sun, they love to shine and are great extroverts. Leos enjoy company and love to spoil everyone and share their own good fortune. Their pride and dignity makes them the kind of person others naturally look up to, and are always first to offer advice and counsel. Like the King of Beasts that is their zodiac symbol, Leos like to be the boss, and expect everyone to defer to them. The trouble is, Leo pride refuses to admit that it is ever wrong about anything. When that advice is offered, Leos expect it to be followed to the letter. Make sure you really have the other person's best interests at heart, and don't just want to dominate them. Things can get downright ugly when Leo pride ignores someone else's right to a mind of their own. VIRGOS are good at organizing stuff. Ruled by Mercury, they are neat, tidy and thoughtful people who always remember how their individual friends take their coffee. They actually have organized workshops with a place for everything and everything in its place. They are good at things like gardening and healing, because they care about details and make sure that measurements are correct to the merest gram. Analytical Virgos tend top pick everything to pieces, even their relationships, to see how they work. They tend to worry about things that other people don't even notice. This leads to panic attacks and stomach pains that could turn into ulcers.
The trouble is that Virgos can become so hung up on details that they drive everyone crazy. Make sure you stop and just smell the roses now and then, because it just gets ugly when you turn into a nit picking pain.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Now we all know that the moon is made of cheese. And the future is directly related to the phases of the moon. SO, ask the man in the moon about your horoscope.////JACK: A policeman recently told told me that when there is a full moon, they get more calls about people acting in a wild and irrational way.////PFC: Hospitals report the same thing. "Loonies"////JACK: Loonie and "lunatic" come from the belief that the moon can cause "madness." The Roman goddess, Luna, was said to be the personification of the Moon. I guess, more correctly, it should be the Woman in the Moon.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Oh my, my cheese doesn't usually give me any messages except perhaps....it will give me high cholesterol. It's hard for me to accept predictions from anyone because, as you know, daily we have predictions from our learned meteorologists and they are correct one out of four times.... so...I predict no one can correctly predict anything.////JACK: You must like the song, "Que sera, sera."
FROM BLAZING OAKS: I'D HAVE TO SAY, I HAVE NOT, BUT PROBABLY COAGULATED CHEESE IS AS ACCURATE AS SOME OTHER WAYS! I'VE HAD A WEEKEND OF CELEBRATIONS FOR MY 83rd, OLDEST SON'S 61st, G.DAUGHTER'S 23rd, AND "GREAT'S" 3rd BIRTHDAYS. ALL THE FAMILY CAME IN FOR FOUR DIFFERENT B.DAY VENUES, AND I MUST SAY I PRAY FOR A DECENT FUTURE FOR THOSE WHO WILL BE ALIVE TO ENJOY IT!! I WONDER UNDER WHAT SIGN OUR FEARLESS LEADER IN NORTH KOREA, FALLS??! :-( A CONCERN.////JACK: It looks like life presented you with some pretty good birthday presents. BTW, Kim Jung-un was born 1/8/84, and his sign is Capricorn...and that seems to fit...
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: it's out 35th wedding anniversary. i'm hoping the future holds many more! ////JACK: A "2nd Honeymoon" in Ecuador was a pretty exotic way to celebrate.
“Prediction is very difficult, especially if it’s about the future.” (Niels Bohr) 70 million Americans read their horoscope every day. I’m not one of them, although I’m curious about what the future might hold. In the Fusco Brothers comic strip Axel, the wolverine, introduced me to the word…tyromancy…telling the future by looking at the coagulation of cheese. Now, who can tell me that they’ve done that before? ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: Not I, Jack...we had Sunday lunch at a Chinese's restaurant yesterday...I asked for my money back for I had no "fortune" in my fortune cookie...He smiled and said. "That's miss-fortune-ate! " I left him with my Chinese name: "Hey You!" Smile, Jack! Smile! 0;-)////JACK: Someone at church yesterday asked about Walmart Rev (she reads the blog). I had a chance to tell her about your ministry in Michigan and now in Northern Minnesota.////REV: It is unique...it's validity would be in the eyes of the beholder...some churches would have a hard time justify something like this...others like the one I'm with have seen an increase of attenders because of it...by far, more people ask and talk in favor of its uniqueness as something they wished their pastor would do something like this.
FROM JACK: I just came across this quote from the Nightengale website. "Change your life today.
Don't gamble on the future, act now, without delay." (Simone de Beauvoir: French writer, intellectual, philosopher, activist, feminist, and social theorist)
FROM RI IN BOSTON: "Witty" isn't the first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the name Niels Bohr, but it seems he was, in the true spirit of the Danes. Looking into it, I found that he saw humor in his work and people around him. Niels was a Bohr...but not a bore.////JACK: Each of us is more than appears on the surface. Creating a "scratch" to reveal what is underneath is not always a bad thing to do.
FROM LF IN FLORIDA: I saw Niels Bohr in 1959 or 1960 when I was working at CERN near Geneva. I was in the audience when he gave the speech at the inauguration of the proton cyclotron. Werner Heisenberg also spoke. At the reception afterward they were just a few steps away. Oppenheimer also spoke.////JACK: I could imagine a quote like this coming from a scientific lecture. A friend of mine, who worked with the NASA project of putting (and retrieving) a man on the moon, introduced me to the acronymn, UNK-UNK (unknowns). When they'd came to some problem that had no obvious answer, they'd refer to it as an UNK-UNK.
FROM LG IN MICHIGAN: Hee hee : )////JACK: When photographers want people to smile, they'll call out..."Say, cheese!" or "Say, Hee, Hee!"
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: If you are reading the future through a mess of cheese, you have definitely gotten ahold of some bad weed!!////JACK: FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: If you are reading the future through a mess of cheese, you have definitely gotten ahold of some bad weed!!////JACK: The only weed I know about is the dandelion.////PH: We used to make dandelion salad in the boy scouts. True story. Luckily no body died from it. I think we used a LOT of dressing…
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: it is interesting to look at your horoscope at the end of the day. uncanny sometimes. leo. you?////JACK: LEOS are good at being warm hearted, generous and kind. Ruled by the Sun, they love to shine and are great extroverts. Leos enjoy company and love to spoil everyone and share their own good fortune. Their pride and dignity makes them the kind of person others naturally look up to, and are always first to offer advice and counsel. Like the King of Beasts that is their zodiac symbol, Leos like to be the boss, and expect everyone to defer to them. The trouble is, Leo pride refuses to admit that it is ever wrong about anything. When that advice is offered, Leos expect it to be followed to the letter. Make sure you really have the other person's best interests at heart, and don't just want to dominate them. Things can get downright ugly when Leo pride ignores someone else's right to a mind of their own. VIRGOS are good at organizing stuff. Ruled by Mercury, they are neat, tidy and thoughtful people who always remember how their individual friends take their coffee. They actually have organized workshops with a place for everything and everything in its place. They are good at things like gardening and healing, because they care about details and make sure that measurements are correct to the merest gram. Analytical Virgos tend top pick everything to pieces, even their relationships, to see how they work. They tend to worry about things that other people don't even notice. This leads to panic attacks and stomach pains that could turn into ulcers.
The trouble is that Virgos can become so hung up on details that they drive everyone crazy. Make sure you stop and just smell the roses now and then, because it just gets ugly when you turn into a nit picking pain.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Now we all know that the moon is made of cheese. And the future is directly related to the phases of the moon. SO, ask the man in the moon about your horoscope.////JACK: A policeman recently told told me that when there is a full moon, they get more calls about people acting in a wild and irrational way.////PFC: Hospitals report the same thing. "Loonies"////JACK: Loonie and "lunatic" come from the belief that the moon can cause "madness." The Roman goddess, Luna, was said to be the personification of the Moon. I guess, more correctly, it should be the Woman in the Moon.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Oh my, my cheese doesn't usually give me any messages except perhaps....it will give me high cholesterol. It's hard for me to accept predictions from anyone because, as you know, daily we have predictions from our learned meteorologists and they are correct one out of four times.... so...I predict no one can correctly predict anything.////JACK: You must like the song, "Que sera, sera."
FROM BLAZING OAKS: I'D HAVE TO SAY, I HAVE NOT, BUT PROBABLY COAGULATED CHEESE IS AS ACCURATE AS SOME OTHER WAYS! I'VE HAD A WEEKEND OF CELEBRATIONS FOR MY 83rd, OLDEST SON'S 61st, G.DAUGHTER'S 23rd, AND "GREAT'S" 3rd BIRTHDAYS. ALL THE FAMILY CAME IN FOR FOUR DIFFERENT B.DAY VENUES, AND I MUST SAY I PRAY FOR A DECENT FUTURE FOR THOSE WHO WILL BE ALIVE TO ENJOY IT!! I WONDER UNDER WHAT SIGN OUR FEARLESS LEADER IN NORTH KOREA, FALLS??! :-( A CONCERN.////JACK: It looks like life presented you with some pretty good birthday presents. BTW, Kim Jung-un was born 1/8/84, and his sign is Capricorn...and that seems to fit...
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: it's out 35th wedding anniversary. i'm hoping the future holds many more! ////JACK: A "2nd Honeymoon" in Ecuador was a pretty exotic way to celebrate.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Winning Words 4/12/13
“When someone does something good, applaud. You will make two people happy.” (Sam Goldwyn) Who doesn’t like a compliment? Here’s one that you might try out on a friend. “You are the cat’s pajamas and the kitten’s mittens.” And another that I like… ”You are the gravy on my mashed potatoes.” Be on the lookout to give a genuine compliment to someone today, and see what kind of reaction you get. ;-) Jack
FROM HONEST JOHN: "You are the rutabaga in my Pasty"////JACK: You caused the first smile of my day. I'm happy! When was the last time you saw a rutabaga in Kroger's?
FROM WALMART REV: Jack! “You are the cat’s pajamas and the kitten’s mittens” in my life . . . talk again, Monday (the Good Lord willing)!////JACK: I've never see a cat in pajamas, nor a cat wearing mittens.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: That is very true! There are some people who have a problem with clapping in church after a song or choir singing or whatever. I have mixed feelings but sometimes people have to show their love of what they heard or saw or whatever. It's a reaction and it sometimes feels very good to hear and to do.////JACK: Customs change with the times, but everyone doesn't change at the same pace. Many things seen and heard in church today would outrage a previous generation. I remember seeing, for the first time, someone drinking coffee from a styrofoam cup during the service.
ROM EMT SINGS IN MICHIGAN: I am genuinely complimenting you on the joy you bring into my day with your Winning Words. Thanks!////JACK: The joy is mine, but Thanks!
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Thanks for all of your winning words. They always give me something to think about.////JACK: I'm looking forward to the start of that proposed "Brain Study" project which mich might lead to a discovery of why we "THINK" as we do.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: On Friday mornings I visit Margaret 91 years old in the assisted living. It is our tradition now to sing "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. I'll always love you my little sunshine, please don't take my sunshine away." Her Mom used to sing it to her when she was a kid and I used to sing it to my daughter when she was a kid. We help each other to be happy by singing this song to each other.////JACK: The version I remember best was sung by Gene Autry. In fact, it's singing in my brain right now. A one-time Governor Louisiana was Jimmie Davis, who was also a country singer. His signature song was, "You Are My Sunshine." It was named the State Song for Louisiana. I don't what Michigan's song is.
FROM SBP: I'm clapping and smiling...smiling....smiling!Upper Upper Michigan! Pasties! Rutabagas! A wonderful, memorable combination. Thanks for stimulating an all day smile. You made that happen! Can you hear me clapping?
FROM SBJ: The "thank you" and clapping is for Honest John AND you, Jack. :)
FROM JE IN MICHIGAN: Jack…. Look what you started…….. "Have a nice weekend.
Honey, TGIF!! I hope you had a good day. So far, so good, here. I am hoping to leave by 5 p.m. You are the Chip to my Dip. I Love You, Robbie" "Robbie, TGIF!! Have a nice day. You are sunshine on a rainy day!! Love you, J"
FROM KF: Reaps so much more reward than criticism!////JACK: Is there such a thing as a constructive compliment?
FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: My wife prepared a fine dinner this evening, and I thanked her. Her response, “That was very nice”. Yesterday afternoon I was seeing a couple of seniors – a bit older than I. One, a lady who is 99 and tells me she weighs just 82 pounds. Before I visit her, I call her and let her know I plan to stop. This week I tried several times to reach her, but didn’t get an answer on the phone. So I was a bit concerned that she might be in the hospital or up visiting her son in Whitefish Bay. So I called her son, Peter, and he said she should be home, and that I should just go out to her apartment house. So I did, and rang the bell to her apartment. The place is secure, so she has to ‘open’ the entrance door. I tried to get her by ringing her apartment several times, but no response. Another member of our parish lives in the same building, so I rang Harold’s number and told him that I was attempting the reach Cora. He said that he’d go up and attempt to ‘rouse’ her. So to make the story short, I met Harold up in her apartment. Harold is 93 years old, and a very faithful attender at our church. When Cora is able to attend church, Harold brings her. As I visited the two of them and as I readied for the private communion service, Cora was ready to receive the sacrament. I asked Harold if he would like to receive the sacrament too, and he said, “Indeed, I missed church last Sunday as I have been doctoring with several issues.” So we celebrated the Eucharist with those two saints, one 99 and the other 93. When I finished and was getting ready to leave, Harold said to me, “Pastor, thank you so much. That is the most significant communion I have ever received.” He was so thankful, and I was so thankful that I had persisted in getting to see Cora yesterday. ====JACK: I had an aunt who used an expression when she didn't like something..."I wouldn't give that one clap!" Regarding your response...CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!
“When someone does something good, applaud. You will make two people happy.” (Sam Goldwyn) Who doesn’t like a compliment? Here’s one that you might try out on a friend. “You are the cat’s pajamas and the kitten’s mittens.” And another that I like… ”You are the gravy on my mashed potatoes.” Be on the lookout to give a genuine compliment to someone today, and see what kind of reaction you get. ;-) Jack
FROM HONEST JOHN: "You are the rutabaga in my Pasty"////JACK: You caused the first smile of my day. I'm happy! When was the last time you saw a rutabaga in Kroger's?
FROM WALMART REV: Jack! “You are the cat’s pajamas and the kitten’s mittens” in my life . . . talk again, Monday (the Good Lord willing)!////JACK: I've never see a cat in pajamas, nor a cat wearing mittens.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: That is very true! There are some people who have a problem with clapping in church after a song or choir singing or whatever. I have mixed feelings but sometimes people have to show their love of what they heard or saw or whatever. It's a reaction and it sometimes feels very good to hear and to do.////JACK: Customs change with the times, but everyone doesn't change at the same pace. Many things seen and heard in church today would outrage a previous generation. I remember seeing, for the first time, someone drinking coffee from a styrofoam cup during the service.
ROM EMT SINGS IN MICHIGAN: I am genuinely complimenting you on the joy you bring into my day with your Winning Words. Thanks!////JACK: The joy is mine, but Thanks!
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Thanks for all of your winning words. They always give me something to think about.////JACK: I'm looking forward to the start of that proposed "Brain Study" project which mich might lead to a discovery of why we "THINK" as we do.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: On Friday mornings I visit Margaret 91 years old in the assisted living. It is our tradition now to sing "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. I'll always love you my little sunshine, please don't take my sunshine away." Her Mom used to sing it to her when she was a kid and I used to sing it to my daughter when she was a kid. We help each other to be happy by singing this song to each other.////JACK: The version I remember best was sung by Gene Autry. In fact, it's singing in my brain right now. A one-time Governor Louisiana was Jimmie Davis, who was also a country singer. His signature song was, "You Are My Sunshine." It was named the State Song for Louisiana. I don't what Michigan's song is.
FROM SBP: I'm clapping and smiling...smiling....smiling!Upper Upper Michigan! Pasties! Rutabagas! A wonderful, memorable combination. Thanks for stimulating an all day smile. You made that happen! Can you hear me clapping?
FROM SBJ: The "thank you" and clapping is for Honest John AND you, Jack. :)
FROM JE IN MICHIGAN: Jack…. Look what you started…….. "Have a nice weekend.
Honey, TGIF!! I hope you had a good day. So far, so good, here. I am hoping to leave by 5 p.m. You are the Chip to my Dip. I Love You, Robbie" "Robbie, TGIF!! Have a nice day. You are sunshine on a rainy day!! Love you, J"
FROM KF: Reaps so much more reward than criticism!////JACK: Is there such a thing as a constructive compliment?
FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: My wife prepared a fine dinner this evening, and I thanked her. Her response, “That was very nice”. Yesterday afternoon I was seeing a couple of seniors – a bit older than I. One, a lady who is 99 and tells me she weighs just 82 pounds. Before I visit her, I call her and let her know I plan to stop. This week I tried several times to reach her, but didn’t get an answer on the phone. So I was a bit concerned that she might be in the hospital or up visiting her son in Whitefish Bay. So I called her son, Peter, and he said she should be home, and that I should just go out to her apartment house. So I did, and rang the bell to her apartment. The place is secure, so she has to ‘open’ the entrance door. I tried to get her by ringing her apartment several times, but no response. Another member of our parish lives in the same building, so I rang Harold’s number and told him that I was attempting the reach Cora. He said that he’d go up and attempt to ‘rouse’ her. So to make the story short, I met Harold up in her apartment. Harold is 93 years old, and a very faithful attender at our church. When Cora is able to attend church, Harold brings her. As I visited the two of them and as I readied for the private communion service, Cora was ready to receive the sacrament. I asked Harold if he would like to receive the sacrament too, and he said, “Indeed, I missed church last Sunday as I have been doctoring with several issues.” So we celebrated the Eucharist with those two saints, one 99 and the other 93. When I finished and was getting ready to leave, Harold said to me, “Pastor, thank you so much. That is the most significant communion I have ever received.” He was so thankful, and I was so thankful that I had persisted in getting to see Cora yesterday. ====JACK: I had an aunt who used an expression when she didn't like something..."I wouldn't give that one clap!" Regarding your response...CLAP, CLAP, CLAP, CLAP!
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Winning Words 4/11/13
“In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” (Leo Tolstoy) Tolstoy did other things besides write, “War and Peace.” This Russian author also was an influence for Gandhi and for MLK Jr. In later years he became an ascetic, giving up family wealth, seeking to find God in austerity. Today’s quote suggests that we can see God in the common things that we often take for granted, such as… ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: ...in the simplicity of a small child's trust and love for a parent.////JACK: It's a comparison with the child/parent relationship that we have with God...so simple and so profound.
FROM HY YO SILVER: Isn't that the motto of our State (well, kind of)?! This rings true on several notes, Jack. Mainly, it is about the need to pause from the incessant grind of work and to appreciate foundational priorities like family and faith.////JACK: Do you remember the words..."The pause that refreshes?" And do you remember the product connected with it? BTW, Michigan's state motto is, "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice."
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: ...the quiet of the desert, the majesty of the mountains, the breeze against our skin, the songs of the birds, the recognition of our breath, the sounds of play, of laughter, and of love, the taste of ice cream, the smell of coffee, the eyes of a loved one, a smile, a kind word, and all the blessings of another day....and then again, tomorrow.... ////JACK: Sit back with that coffee and say....AHHHHHHHH! Life is good!
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Such as the rays of morning sun streaming through the pines trees...or the robin with its beak full of straw and string preparing to nest in the apple tree.////JACK: Isn't it interesting that each bird species can build its home with only the plans in their head, using free materials and with no contractors or inspectors to deal with?////RI: Yes, it's rather incredible that when the time is right, a bird proceeds to build a nest, which must be inherently instinctive, because that bird was unable to learn by watching its parent build the nest from which it was hatched.////JACK: Last Sunday, in my sermon, I asked, "What miracles have you seen?" You saw a robin getting ready to build a nest.
////RI: It's just so amazing to watch...the bird brings its dry grass, and string, and twigs, and deposits them in the crotch of two or three tree branches, then selectively puts each piece in place, intertwining and arranging them carefully so they become a tight unit. I've examined some abandoned nests too, and they have mud plastered among the twigs to bond them and shape a nice smooth bowl bottom which gets lined with some feathers to create a soft warm receptacle for the eggs. God's creations are so totally beyond man's imagination.///JACK: And people used to be mocked by calling them, "bird brain."
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: My life partner, my children and grand kids. A beautiful sunrise or sunset a blue summer sky with a few billowing clouds here and there. God is truly everywhere, constantly with us. AMEN////JACK: I like the hymn, "Earth and All Stars," especially these stanzas...
Earth and all stars,
loud rushing planets,
sing to the Lord a new song!
O victory, loud shouting army,
sing to the Lord a new song!
He has done marvelous things.
I, too, will praise him
with a new song!
Hail, wind, and rain,
loud blowing snowstorms,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Flowers and trees,
loud rustling leaves,
sing to the Lord a new song!
He has done marvelous things.
I, too, will praise him
with a new song!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Wonderful words to live by everyday. It's such a blessing to be able to get up, walk to my window and look at the beautiful world outside. This is not a perfect world but it is an awesomely beautiful world if you do take the time to open your eyes and really look! God has blessed us with beauty all around. Just look!////JACK: Even the rain is beautiful..."April showers bring May flowers."
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: like.////JACK: There are many things to like in this quote and in the responses received.
///JUDY: Yes, it is beautiful but we are getting too much. Our creek is a river. It has overflowed the banks and drowned all the Red Winged-Blackbird babies. We are in no danger of floods because we are 20 feet up on the hill. But it's hard to see the parent birds flying back and forth. There are hundreds of parents. All is silent now...they no longer call back and forth...just sit on the reeds. They will nest again though. They have three broods.////JACK: Have you read the poem, "The Field Mouse" by Gillian Clarke?
FROM BLAZING OAKS: TOLSTOY WAS A COMPLICATED PERSON...A COUNT, A WRITER, HUSBAND, FATHER OF 14, AND IN LATER YEARS AN AESTHETIC AND MORALIST, ETC. ETC. NO WONDER HE AND WIFE SOFYA HAD SOME TURBULANT YEARS! GOOD QUOTE FROM HIM FOR TODAY. HE TRIED TO MAKE HIS LIFE COUNT! INTERNATIONALLY ADMIRED.... STILL. I'VE READ HIS NOVELS, AND SOME SHORT STORIES. HE HAD KEEN INSIGHTS!////JACK: Tolstoy...a complicated person? Aren't we all? War and Peace? I'm into O. Henry.
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: Such as all the things that are blooming today, in spite of the fact that we have had snow showers! : )////JACK: I like the blooming onion at The Outback.
“In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.” (Leo Tolstoy) Tolstoy did other things besides write, “War and Peace.” This Russian author also was an influence for Gandhi and for MLK Jr. In later years he became an ascetic, giving up family wealth, seeking to find God in austerity. Today’s quote suggests that we can see God in the common things that we often take for granted, such as… ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: ...in the simplicity of a small child's trust and love for a parent.////JACK: It's a comparison with the child/parent relationship that we have with God...so simple and so profound.
FROM HY YO SILVER: Isn't that the motto of our State (well, kind of)?! This rings true on several notes, Jack. Mainly, it is about the need to pause from the incessant grind of work and to appreciate foundational priorities like family and faith.////JACK: Do you remember the words..."The pause that refreshes?" And do you remember the product connected with it? BTW, Michigan's state motto is, "Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice."
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: ...the quiet of the desert, the majesty of the mountains, the breeze against our skin, the songs of the birds, the recognition of our breath, the sounds of play, of laughter, and of love, the taste of ice cream, the smell of coffee, the eyes of a loved one, a smile, a kind word, and all the blessings of another day....and then again, tomorrow.... ////JACK: Sit back with that coffee and say....AHHHHHHHH! Life is good!
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Such as the rays of morning sun streaming through the pines trees...or the robin with its beak full of straw and string preparing to nest in the apple tree.////JACK: Isn't it interesting that each bird species can build its home with only the plans in their head, using free materials and with no contractors or inspectors to deal with?////RI: Yes, it's rather incredible that when the time is right, a bird proceeds to build a nest, which must be inherently instinctive, because that bird was unable to learn by watching its parent build the nest from which it was hatched.////JACK: Last Sunday, in my sermon, I asked, "What miracles have you seen?" You saw a robin getting ready to build a nest.
////RI: It's just so amazing to watch...the bird brings its dry grass, and string, and twigs, and deposits them in the crotch of two or three tree branches, then selectively puts each piece in place, intertwining and arranging them carefully so they become a tight unit. I've examined some abandoned nests too, and they have mud plastered among the twigs to bond them and shape a nice smooth bowl bottom which gets lined with some feathers to create a soft warm receptacle for the eggs. God's creations are so totally beyond man's imagination.///JACK: And people used to be mocked by calling them, "bird brain."
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: My life partner, my children and grand kids. A beautiful sunrise or sunset a blue summer sky with a few billowing clouds here and there. God is truly everywhere, constantly with us. AMEN////JACK: I like the hymn, "Earth and All Stars," especially these stanzas...
Earth and all stars,
loud rushing planets,
sing to the Lord a new song!
O victory, loud shouting army,
sing to the Lord a new song!
He has done marvelous things.
I, too, will praise him
with a new song!
Hail, wind, and rain,
loud blowing snowstorms,
sing to the Lord a new song!
Flowers and trees,
loud rustling leaves,
sing to the Lord a new song!
He has done marvelous things.
I, too, will praise him
with a new song!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Wonderful words to live by everyday. It's such a blessing to be able to get up, walk to my window and look at the beautiful world outside. This is not a perfect world but it is an awesomely beautiful world if you do take the time to open your eyes and really look! God has blessed us with beauty all around. Just look!////JACK: Even the rain is beautiful..."April showers bring May flowers."
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: like.////JACK: There are many things to like in this quote and in the responses received.
///JUDY: Yes, it is beautiful but we are getting too much. Our creek is a river. It has overflowed the banks and drowned all the Red Winged-Blackbird babies. We are in no danger of floods because we are 20 feet up on the hill. But it's hard to see the parent birds flying back and forth. There are hundreds of parents. All is silent now...they no longer call back and forth...just sit on the reeds. They will nest again though. They have three broods.////JACK: Have you read the poem, "The Field Mouse" by Gillian Clarke?
FROM BLAZING OAKS: TOLSTOY WAS A COMPLICATED PERSON...A COUNT, A WRITER, HUSBAND, FATHER OF 14, AND IN LATER YEARS AN AESTHETIC AND MORALIST, ETC. ETC. NO WONDER HE AND WIFE SOFYA HAD SOME TURBULANT YEARS! GOOD QUOTE FROM HIM FOR TODAY. HE TRIED TO MAKE HIS LIFE COUNT! INTERNATIONALLY ADMIRED.... STILL. I'VE READ HIS NOVELS, AND SOME SHORT STORIES. HE HAD KEEN INSIGHTS!////JACK: Tolstoy...a complicated person? Aren't we all? War and Peace? I'm into O. Henry.
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: Such as all the things that are blooming today, in spite of the fact that we have had snow showers! : )////JACK: I like the blooming onion at The Outback.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Winning Words 4/10/13
“When life is too much, roll with it, baby!” (Steve Winwood) This line is from Winwood’s song, “Roll With It, Baby.” Hard times? Has the world turned its back on you? Roll with it, Baby! YouTube has a rock version of, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” arranged by Steve and sung with Ashley Cleveland. It’s strange how a quote has led me to discover new and interesting things…like a “rock” hymn. ;-) Jack
FROM HONEST JOHN: Most of the people we tend to admire are those who wouldn't roll with it but fought for a better world.////JACK: "It takes all kinds"....I guess. When life become difficult, I try try to be one who "rolls with it"...but that's not always easy to do.
FROM WALMART REV: ...our day and age, Jack..."rolling down the river"... "singing a new tune to the old words" ... and "rockin all the way!"////JACK: Right now I'm listening to a song, "God, Loves Rock & Roll." It's great!////REV: );-) That's me...letting my one or two hairs down a little!
FROM RI IN BOSTON: One never knows where some nugget of wisdom may be revealed.////JACK: Maybe that's why Jesus associated with tax collectors, prostitutes and other sinners.////RI: As we move along the path of life, we meet people to whom we are destined to give, and we are blessed to meet some from whom we will receive.////JACK: You never know what waits around the bend.
FRIM TRIHARDER: One of my all-time favorites from rock, "and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Lennon/McCartney I used to write it on my college folders.////JACK: I always liked the line from the song used in the Mary Tyler Moore Show...."Love is all around, no need to fake it." The Beatles had good "message music," too.////TH: ...the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls. ////JACK: Re: Much graffiti...Is it the art or the message? One that I liked..."Love thy everyone!"
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Rock 'N Roll is not a part of my life, but I like the quote. As Carl Lewis (Olympic Champion) once said, "If you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way to lose." So roll with the punches, and come out on top! Much easier said than done, I'm aware....////JACK: Alan Freed (no relation) is called, "The Father of Rock & Roll." I like this song:
Cheer the light
Still the fires
Raise your voice for
God, love, and rock and roll
We that fear
The way is clear
The day has come for
God, love, and rock and roll
Sing your song
We all belong
Now's the time for
God, love, and rock and roll
Alright, sing we believe
Come on (we believe)
Lemme hear you now
(We believe) everybody sing
(We believe) alright
In God, love, and rock and roll
FROM CJL IN OHIO: It's kinda nice to be able to keep current on the changing church. (I have musical friends who have kept me abreast of what's happenig in music. Keeps the cobwebs from getting too thick. And a one writer, Simeon Stylites said when describing the life he hoped we would lead, "Moving right to left"...////JACK: "Perhaps you remember a liturgics prof who said, "A hymn should appeal to the head and not the foot." In later years I asked him if he still agreed with that statement. He replied, "Times change."
FROM SAINT JAMES: That is a good one!////JACK: I remember when Sears & Roebuck would put out their catalog of items for sale, listing three options, depending on price: Good, Better, Best.
FROM HR IN MICHIGAN: Do you like Jethro Tull also, didn’t know you were an old rock and roll fan. ////JACK: I'm a fan of Homer and Jethro. One of their "hit" songs was this one. You can YouTube it.
Oh, many, many years ago
When I was twenty-three
I was married to a widow
Who was pretty as can be
This widow had a grown-up daughter
Who had hair of red
My father fell in love with her
And soon the two were wed
This made my dad my son-in-law
And changed my very life
For my daughter was my mother
'Cause she was my father's wife
To complicate the matter
Though it really brought me joy
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy
This little baby then became
A brother-in-law to Dad
And so became my uncle
Though it made me very sad
For if he was my uncle
Then that also made him brother
Of the widow's grown-up daughter
Who of course, is my stepmother
Chorus
I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny I know
But it really is so
Oh, I'm my own grandpa
My father's wife then had a son
Who kept them on the run
And he became my grandchild
For he was my daughter's son
My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue
Because although she is my wife
She's my grandmother too
Now, if my wife is my grandmother
Then I'm her grandchild
And every time I think of it
It nearly drives me wild
For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw
As husband of my grandma
I am my own grandpa
FROM DM IN MICHIGAN: I like this one! For some time now I've been a fan of rock hymns. Consider listening in to Detroit's Praise radio at http://praise1027detroit.com/ . This is rock gospel at its best! ////JACK: I like to use the word, eclectic, when it comes to my preference for hymns...so, I'll give 1027 a listen.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: I have not heard the song, but the title is a great one. Or you could say one day at a time.////JACK: As I read more about the life of Steve Winwood, I began to have a better understanding of him as a songwriter. There's so much more to each of us than meets the eye...or ear.
“When life is too much, roll with it, baby!” (Steve Winwood) This line is from Winwood’s song, “Roll With It, Baby.” Hard times? Has the world turned its back on you? Roll with it, Baby! YouTube has a rock version of, “I Need Thee Every Hour,” arranged by Steve and sung with Ashley Cleveland. It’s strange how a quote has led me to discover new and interesting things…like a “rock” hymn. ;-) Jack
FROM HONEST JOHN: Most of the people we tend to admire are those who wouldn't roll with it but fought for a better world.////JACK: "It takes all kinds"....I guess. When life become difficult, I try try to be one who "rolls with it"...but that's not always easy to do.
FROM WALMART REV: ...our day and age, Jack..."rolling down the river"... "singing a new tune to the old words" ... and "rockin all the way!"////JACK: Right now I'm listening to a song, "God, Loves Rock & Roll." It's great!////REV: );-) That's me...letting my one or two hairs down a little!
FROM RI IN BOSTON: One never knows where some nugget of wisdom may be revealed.////JACK: Maybe that's why Jesus associated with tax collectors, prostitutes and other sinners.////RI: As we move along the path of life, we meet people to whom we are destined to give, and we are blessed to meet some from whom we will receive.////JACK: You never know what waits around the bend.
FRIM TRIHARDER: One of my all-time favorites from rock, "and in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make." Lennon/McCartney I used to write it on my college folders.////JACK: I always liked the line from the song used in the Mary Tyler Moore Show...."Love is all around, no need to fake it." The Beatles had good "message music," too.////TH: ...the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls. ////JACK: Re: Much graffiti...Is it the art or the message? One that I liked..."Love thy everyone!"
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Rock 'N Roll is not a part of my life, but I like the quote. As Carl Lewis (Olympic Champion) once said, "If you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way to lose." So roll with the punches, and come out on top! Much easier said than done, I'm aware....////JACK: Alan Freed (no relation) is called, "The Father of Rock & Roll." I like this song:
Cheer the light
Still the fires
Raise your voice for
God, love, and rock and roll
We that fear
The way is clear
The day has come for
God, love, and rock and roll
Sing your song
We all belong
Now's the time for
God, love, and rock and roll
Alright, sing we believe
Come on (we believe)
Lemme hear you now
(We believe) everybody sing
(We believe) alright
In God, love, and rock and roll
FROM CJL IN OHIO: It's kinda nice to be able to keep current on the changing church. (I have musical friends who have kept me abreast of what's happenig in music. Keeps the cobwebs from getting too thick. And a one writer, Simeon Stylites said when describing the life he hoped we would lead, "Moving right to left"...////JACK: "Perhaps you remember a liturgics prof who said, "A hymn should appeal to the head and not the foot." In later years I asked him if he still agreed with that statement. He replied, "Times change."
FROM SAINT JAMES: That is a good one!////JACK: I remember when Sears & Roebuck would put out their catalog of items for sale, listing three options, depending on price: Good, Better, Best.
FROM HR IN MICHIGAN: Do you like Jethro Tull also, didn’t know you were an old rock and roll fan. ////JACK: I'm a fan of Homer and Jethro. One of their "hit" songs was this one. You can YouTube it.
Oh, many, many years ago
When I was twenty-three
I was married to a widow
Who was pretty as can be
This widow had a grown-up daughter
Who had hair of red
My father fell in love with her
And soon the two were wed
This made my dad my son-in-law
And changed my very life
For my daughter was my mother
'Cause she was my father's wife
To complicate the matter
Though it really brought me joy
I soon became the father
Of a bouncing baby boy
This little baby then became
A brother-in-law to Dad
And so became my uncle
Though it made me very sad
For if he was my uncle
Then that also made him brother
Of the widow's grown-up daughter
Who of course, is my stepmother
Chorus
I'm my own grandpa
I'm my own grandpa
It sounds funny I know
But it really is so
Oh, I'm my own grandpa
My father's wife then had a son
Who kept them on the run
And he became my grandchild
For he was my daughter's son
My wife is now my mother's mother
And it makes me blue
Because although she is my wife
She's my grandmother too
Now, if my wife is my grandmother
Then I'm her grandchild
And every time I think of it
It nearly drives me wild
For now I have become
The strangest case you ever saw
As husband of my grandma
I am my own grandpa
FROM DM IN MICHIGAN: I like this one! For some time now I've been a fan of rock hymns. Consider listening in to Detroit's Praise radio at http://praise1027detroit.com/ . This is rock gospel at its best! ////JACK: I like to use the word, eclectic, when it comes to my preference for hymns...so, I'll give 1027 a listen.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: I have not heard the song, but the title is a great one. Or you could say one day at a time.////JACK: As I read more about the life of Steve Winwood, I began to have a better understanding of him as a songwriter. There's so much more to each of us than meets the eye...or ear.
Tuesday, April 09, 2013
Winning Words 4/9/13
“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, ‘I’m possible!’’” (Audrey Hepburn) The “madness” is finally over. For the Wolverines, the possible became impossible. Changing the subject…Actress Audrey Hepburn was more than a pretty face. Her passion was to work among profoundly underprivileged children, and she lived with them in Africa, Asia and South America. She was a possibility thinker and doer. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: Nice to see Michigan back in the spot light once again...many other university would have given anything to have been in their place.////JACK: I just came from listening to a group of Middle School girls and boys participate in an Oratorical Contest. Even though first place winners were chosen, all of the kids were outstanding. Ultimately, it's not the winning or the losing...it's in the participation.
FROM PL IN MICHIGAN: Why am I not surprised hat you are he only person I know who could link Audrey Hepburn to the Wolverines and last night's game! Well Done!!!////JACK: Using the wide angle lens...there are things more important than a basketball game. Audrey Hepburn was also a part of the Dutch Underground during WW 2. Today...she "My Fair Lady." This is not to take away from a great Final Two game last night.
FROM CHURCH LADY LOU: Love it!////JACK: On Facebook, you'd probably write, "like."
FROM LK IN OHIO: Will Burke return for his junior year at UM?////JACK: If not, Spike will be there. No one's irreplaceable.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Speaking of impossible, Pop will be 103 this month and his granddaughter and grandson have just bought him a neat looking three wheel motorcycle for him to ride around the block. They also take care of him and of a mentally challenged brother who live down the street together. When families take care of each other, there is much more happiness in the world.////JACK: Helping just one person in need is like lighting a candle in a dark world. One line from an old song puts it this way..."And, if everyone lit just one little candle, What a bright world this would be!"
FROM BLAZING OAKS: This is a keeper for sure. I never thought of "I'm possible" as an adaptation of the word! I once thought it was impossible for Bill and I to sell our home, our business, and cart two boys off to seminary, but it proved very possible, as have many other "impossible" situations! Life has untold surprises! What's not to love?!////JACK: I'll bet you thought of Audrey Hepburn as just another movie star....I know I did.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: It's too bad she didn't say..."for God". I'm not sure if she believed in God but she worked hard in this life.////JACK: Obviously, her quote is taken out of context, but I don't think that she intended to make a theological statement. It seems that she is just encouraging people not to "give up."
“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, ‘I’m possible!’’” (Audrey Hepburn) The “madness” is finally over. For the Wolverines, the possible became impossible. Changing the subject…Actress Audrey Hepburn was more than a pretty face. Her passion was to work among profoundly underprivileged children, and she lived with them in Africa, Asia and South America. She was a possibility thinker and doer. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: Nice to see Michigan back in the spot light once again...many other university would have given anything to have been in their place.////JACK: I just came from listening to a group of Middle School girls and boys participate in an Oratorical Contest. Even though first place winners were chosen, all of the kids were outstanding. Ultimately, it's not the winning or the losing...it's in the participation.
FROM PL IN MICHIGAN: Why am I not surprised hat you are he only person I know who could link Audrey Hepburn to the Wolverines and last night's game! Well Done!!!////JACK: Using the wide angle lens...there are things more important than a basketball game. Audrey Hepburn was also a part of the Dutch Underground during WW 2. Today...she "My Fair Lady." This is not to take away from a great Final Two game last night.
FROM CHURCH LADY LOU: Love it!////JACK: On Facebook, you'd probably write, "like."
FROM LK IN OHIO: Will Burke return for his junior year at UM?////JACK: If not, Spike will be there. No one's irreplaceable.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Speaking of impossible, Pop will be 103 this month and his granddaughter and grandson have just bought him a neat looking three wheel motorcycle for him to ride around the block. They also take care of him and of a mentally challenged brother who live down the street together. When families take care of each other, there is much more happiness in the world.////JACK: Helping just one person in need is like lighting a candle in a dark world. One line from an old song puts it this way..."And, if everyone lit just one little candle, What a bright world this would be!"
FROM BLAZING OAKS: This is a keeper for sure. I never thought of "I'm possible" as an adaptation of the word! I once thought it was impossible for Bill and I to sell our home, our business, and cart two boys off to seminary, but it proved very possible, as have many other "impossible" situations! Life has untold surprises! What's not to love?!////JACK: I'll bet you thought of Audrey Hepburn as just another movie star....I know I did.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: It's too bad she didn't say..."for God". I'm not sure if she believed in God but she worked hard in this life.////JACK: Obviously, her quote is taken out of context, but I don't think that she intended to make a theological statement. It seems that she is just encouraging people not to "give up."
Monday, April 08, 2013
Winning Words 4/8/13
“Anything’s within walking distance, if you have enough time.” (Steven Wright) In 1977, Canadian athlete, Terry Fox, lost his leg to cancer. He determined that some day he would run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research. The run began in 1980, in Newfoundland. 26 miles a day. But he ran out of time and died in Thunder Bay, after 143 days and 3339 miles and raising $500 M. Terry delivered the message. ;-) Jack
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I love Steven Wright and I admired Terry. It's wonderful to be so committed. Whether committed to making someone laugh or earning money for cancer cures. What are you committed to?////JACK: I guess I'm committed to trying to be a positive voice where there is negativity.
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: In our travels we have stopped at the memorial to Terry Fox on the Trans Canada hiway outside of thunder Bay. I was moved by the words of the memorial.////JACK: I've seen pictures of the memorials, but have not been able to retrieve the wording, but, important is the memory of what he did.
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: there is a bronze statue of Terry Fox along the hiway just outside of Thunder Bay. we have stopped there a couple of times in our travels. quite a tribute to his character and determination. ////JACK: Many people have stopped to see that memorial, because many have been inspired by what Terry did.
FROM ED IN ARIZONA: Ha! I love Steven Wright. "I bought some powdered water, but i didn't know what to add"////JACK: Part of his repertoire are paraprosdokians.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Tomorrow is my one year Fataversary, I just pulled up my spread sheet and looked when I saw this post. My cause is not as grand as cancer, but just to become more fit. I have logged an average 4.3 miles per day walking, waddling, and rarely jogging. That's 1569 miles over the year. I have done 12,460 push-ups (34.4 a day average-I started I could only do 8). I expect push-ups to be 20K plus this year and miles about the same. My steps are tracked electronically by fitbit.com (I would probably estimate in my favor). Time is the thing and bit by bit, as Jack says. Oh yeah, down 53 pounds and blood pressure medicine cut 80 percent. Life is good.////JACK: Congratulations! Maybe you should start raising funds for research of heart problems.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: sad like.////JACK: Terry took the bad and turned it into something good. He died doing what he wanted to do. If that happened to you or me...would it be sad?
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Heroic efforts are driven by inner forces sometimes too complicated for mortal man to comprehend.////JACK: A survey named Terry Fox Canada's Greatest Hero.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: I'D SAY 500 MILLION WITH THE TIME HE HAD, WAS SPECTACULAR. HOW HUMBLING THAT HE THOUGHT OF EVERYONE BUT HIMSELF WHEN HE WAS FIGHTING CANCER. MY WALKS ARE SHORT INDEED ANYMORE, EVEN ON THE GOLF COURSE; FRIDAY WILL MARK MY 83RD ANNIVWERSARY ON THIS EARTH! BUT OF COURSE THE QUOTE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, IF YOU CAN PERSERVERE!! HERE'S TO MAKING OUR "WALK" COUNT FOR SOMETHING THAT WILL OUTLAST IT!////JACK: I remember (when I was younger) trying see how fast I could play a round of golf. I ran from hole to hole. I didn't keep track of the score, but it was lots of fun. I should try it again...sometime.
FROM WALMART REV: Very interesting story...was that $500 million?////JACK: Yes...and the fund keeps growing. The meaning of the quote is that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! In my Children's Message on Sunday, I taught them how to say, "omnopotent" and the meaning of the word."
FROM WATERFORD JAN: During a Circle Tour of Lake Superior many years ago, I saw the statue of Terry Fox in Thunder Bay, Ontario within sight of Lake Superior. It is impressive. I wish I could recall the inscription, and more so, I wish I knew where my pictures are of the statue and the inscription.////JACK: I tried to Google the inscription, but couldn't find it. I guess I'll have to drive to Thunder Bay.
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: I am slowly but surely getting back into my walking groove - after taking almost 2 yrs off! About 4 - 5 miles, 5 days/week! There is so much to see around here, and we are so lucky to have the lakes to walk around, and the WB trail - newly extended from Arrowhead to Haggerty! Want to know how many snakes I've seen so far (& how I reacted)???////JACK: Did you know that West Bloomfield is a habitat for rattlesnakes. Be on the lookout!
FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: There was an article in our newspaper last Sunday of a 49 year old woman who walked around Lake Michigan – now has walked the shore of Lakes Huron and Erie. She said she does it to be alone in God’s world . . . and it is accomplished one step after another.====JACK: Your response reminds me of the old Gospel song: "Trying to Walk in the Steps of the Savior."
“Anything’s within walking distance, if you have enough time.” (Steven Wright) In 1977, Canadian athlete, Terry Fox, lost his leg to cancer. He determined that some day he would run across Canada to raise funds for cancer research. The run began in 1980, in Newfoundland. 26 miles a day. But he ran out of time and died in Thunder Bay, after 143 days and 3339 miles and raising $500 M. Terry delivered the message. ;-) Jack
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I love Steven Wright and I admired Terry. It's wonderful to be so committed. Whether committed to making someone laugh or earning money for cancer cures. What are you committed to?////JACK: I guess I'm committed to trying to be a positive voice where there is negativity.
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: In our travels we have stopped at the memorial to Terry Fox on the Trans Canada hiway outside of thunder Bay. I was moved by the words of the memorial.////JACK: I've seen pictures of the memorials, but have not been able to retrieve the wording, but, important is the memory of what he did.
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: there is a bronze statue of Terry Fox along the hiway just outside of Thunder Bay. we have stopped there a couple of times in our travels. quite a tribute to his character and determination. ////JACK: Many people have stopped to see that memorial, because many have been inspired by what Terry did.
FROM ED IN ARIZONA: Ha! I love Steven Wright. "I bought some powdered water, but i didn't know what to add"////JACK: Part of his repertoire are paraprosdokians.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Tomorrow is my one year Fataversary, I just pulled up my spread sheet and looked when I saw this post. My cause is not as grand as cancer, but just to become more fit. I have logged an average 4.3 miles per day walking, waddling, and rarely jogging. That's 1569 miles over the year. I have done 12,460 push-ups (34.4 a day average-I started I could only do 8). I expect push-ups to be 20K plus this year and miles about the same. My steps are tracked electronically by fitbit.com (I would probably estimate in my favor). Time is the thing and bit by bit, as Jack says. Oh yeah, down 53 pounds and blood pressure medicine cut 80 percent. Life is good.////JACK: Congratulations! Maybe you should start raising funds for research of heart problems.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: sad like.////JACK: Terry took the bad and turned it into something good. He died doing what he wanted to do. If that happened to you or me...would it be sad?
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Heroic efforts are driven by inner forces sometimes too complicated for mortal man to comprehend.////JACK: A survey named Terry Fox Canada's Greatest Hero.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: I'D SAY 500 MILLION WITH THE TIME HE HAD, WAS SPECTACULAR. HOW HUMBLING THAT HE THOUGHT OF EVERYONE BUT HIMSELF WHEN HE WAS FIGHTING CANCER. MY WALKS ARE SHORT INDEED ANYMORE, EVEN ON THE GOLF COURSE; FRIDAY WILL MARK MY 83RD ANNIVWERSARY ON THIS EARTH! BUT OF COURSE THE QUOTE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, IF YOU CAN PERSERVERE!! HERE'S TO MAKING OUR "WALK" COUNT FOR SOMETHING THAT WILL OUTLAST IT!////JACK: I remember (when I was younger) trying see how fast I could play a round of golf. I ran from hole to hole. I didn't keep track of the score, but it was lots of fun. I should try it again...sometime.
FROM WALMART REV: Very interesting story...was that $500 million?////JACK: Yes...and the fund keeps growing. The meaning of the quote is that ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE! In my Children's Message on Sunday, I taught them how to say, "omnopotent" and the meaning of the word."
FROM WATERFORD JAN: During a Circle Tour of Lake Superior many years ago, I saw the statue of Terry Fox in Thunder Bay, Ontario within sight of Lake Superior. It is impressive. I wish I could recall the inscription, and more so, I wish I knew where my pictures are of the statue and the inscription.////JACK: I tried to Google the inscription, but couldn't find it. I guess I'll have to drive to Thunder Bay.
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: I am slowly but surely getting back into my walking groove - after taking almost 2 yrs off! About 4 - 5 miles, 5 days/week! There is so much to see around here, and we are so lucky to have the lakes to walk around, and the WB trail - newly extended from Arrowhead to Haggerty! Want to know how many snakes I've seen so far (& how I reacted)???////JACK: Did you know that West Bloomfield is a habitat for rattlesnakes. Be on the lookout!
FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: There was an article in our newspaper last Sunday of a 49 year old woman who walked around Lake Michigan – now has walked the shore of Lakes Huron and Erie. She said she does it to be alone in God’s world . . . and it is accomplished one step after another.====JACK: Your response reminds me of the old Gospel song: "Trying to Walk in the Steps of the Savior."
Friday, April 05, 2013
Winning Words 4/5/13
“Every individual matters, every individual has a role to play, every individual makes a difference.” (Jane Goodall) I had a chance to attend a Jane Goodall lecture recently. What a fascinating person! She has worked tirelessly to improve living conditions for chimpanzees, and now she’s developing a program, Roots and Shoots, to improve living conditions for all of us. “What are 3 things that you might do to make a positive change happen for our environment?” www.rootsandshoots.org ;-) Jack
FROM CZB IN CHINA: It's funny to get your winning words in the evening now. Usually I get them first thing in the morning. But.... I'm in china! So it's 5:00 in the evening. Saw the great wall today. Wow Happy day on the other side of the globe to you :)////JACK: My first smile of the day!! As Yakov Smirnoff might say, "What a world!"////C: Pleasure. Seeing my daughter who is studying abroad in china this term. We meet up with her in Lijiang tomorrow. Yay! The Naxi people live there- a matrilineal society. Should be interesting ////JACK: Ràng zìjǐ kuàilè!
FROM HONEST JOHN: Not if you are a part of the 47%!////JACK: "The Great Divide" is one of the problems besetting our country. If we can't separate people by race, we separate them economically.
FROM PL IN MICHIGAN: drive less...buy locally produced produce...vote for candidates or standing elected officials who have a positive record on environmental issues.////JACK: I think that Jane would support those suggestions.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: A related quote just went out to the very diverse group of volunteers who work at our local community farm, "I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap." One thing Jane Goodall and also the person who worked so much with the famous gorilla (can't remember his name) who learned so many words, was helping us to have a deeper, more understanding relationship with animals and also appreciate animals more for how awesome they are. One of our church people is passionate about the United States taking a different course from allowing so many genetically-modified foods to be sold and eaten. I'm going to shop, advocate and garden in a way that is part of "the resistance" to Monsanto and other corporations doing the same to spread the use of GMO. ////JACK: The missionary Frank Laubach used this slogan to motivate people to educate others: "Each one teach one." The same can be said of those who want to improve the environment.
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I think 85% of the time you are the first note I receive each week day. ////JACK: Somebody in China said that they get Winning Words at suppertime.
FROM WALMART REV: Now you've got me thinking again...no quick response really on this post today...but that's good...one needs time to reflect on occasion. Enjoy your weekend while I work on being a more responsible citizen!////JACK: A responsible citizen see that the environment is more that birds and bees and trees.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: To be conservative in all things, such as saving water, electricity, etc. One of my new courses at USF is on water management, which is big in Florida. We do think about sinkholes but can't do much about that problem, I guess. We finally got rain yesterday which was very welcome.////JACK: One of the great things about Michigan is the abundant source of fresh water and the rarity of sinkholes.. BTW, I have a grandson in Florida on spring break. He doesn't like the rain.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: She is quite a person. I have seen a few of her documentaries. She reminds me of Rachel Carson. They both impact the world.....JACK: Jane is doing her part to spread the message of protecting the environment...300 speaking engagements this year.
FROM SB IN MICHIGAN: A book group friend and I also attended Jane Goodall’s lecture at Oakland University. Wasn’t she a terrific speaker? It was fascinating to learn the life’s story of someone who has devoted herself to stewardship of God’s creation.////JACK: I heard that the lecture was a sellout. It certainly looked that way. There are people in this world who inspire...and Jane is one of them.
FROM BS IN ENGLAND: Recycle as much as possible...Leave the car at home more and take public transport...Buy locally sourced food.////JACK: Public transit is a problem out here in the suburbs, but we try to do your other two suggestions.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: JANE GOODALL IS AN ICON IN THIS AGE! I GET VERY UPSET WHEN PEOPLE "TRASH" PARKS OR HIGHWAYS; HOW HARD IS IT TO CLEAN UP YOUR MESS AND FIND A WASTE CONTAINER?! YET PAPERBAGS AND CUPS COME FLYING OUT OF CAR WINDOWS ONTO THE ROAD AND DEBRIS IS LEFT ON PICNIC TABLES AND STREWN AROUND THE PLAY GROUND AND HIKING TRAILS. RECYCLING IS SO IMPORTANT TOO...WE NEED MORE PARTICIPATION IN THAT. (I KNOW SOME PLACES DO NOT OFFER THIS SERVICE, BUT MOST DO.) AND STOP FRACKING...DON'T GET ME STARTED!! MUCH HAS BEEN IMPROVED, BUT MUCH REMAINS TO IMPROVE! "I AM JUST ONE; I CANNOT DO EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN DO SOMETHING, AND THE SOMETHING I CAN DO, I WILL DO..." AMEN ET AL.////JACK: The can and bottle deposit program in Michigan has helped clean up the roadsides. It could be expanded, but the lobbyists fight it.
“Every individual matters, every individual has a role to play, every individual makes a difference.” (Jane Goodall) I had a chance to attend a Jane Goodall lecture recently. What a fascinating person! She has worked tirelessly to improve living conditions for chimpanzees, and now she’s developing a program, Roots and Shoots, to improve living conditions for all of us. “What are 3 things that you might do to make a positive change happen for our environment?” www.rootsandshoots.org ;-) Jack
FROM CZB IN CHINA: It's funny to get your winning words in the evening now. Usually I get them first thing in the morning. But.... I'm in china! So it's 5:00 in the evening. Saw the great wall today. Wow Happy day on the other side of the globe to you :)////JACK: My first smile of the day!! As Yakov Smirnoff might say, "What a world!"////C: Pleasure. Seeing my daughter who is studying abroad in china this term. We meet up with her in Lijiang tomorrow. Yay! The Naxi people live there- a matrilineal society. Should be interesting ////JACK: Ràng zìjǐ kuàilè!
FROM HONEST JOHN: Not if you are a part of the 47%!////JACK: "The Great Divide" is one of the problems besetting our country. If we can't separate people by race, we separate them economically.
FROM PL IN MICHIGAN: drive less...buy locally produced produce...vote for candidates or standing elected officials who have a positive record on environmental issues.////JACK: I think that Jane would support those suggestions.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: A related quote just went out to the very diverse group of volunteers who work at our local community farm, "I know there is strength in the differences between us. I know there is comfort, where we overlap." One thing Jane Goodall and also the person who worked so much with the famous gorilla (can't remember his name) who learned so many words, was helping us to have a deeper, more understanding relationship with animals and also appreciate animals more for how awesome they are. One of our church people is passionate about the United States taking a different course from allowing so many genetically-modified foods to be sold and eaten. I'm going to shop, advocate and garden in a way that is part of "the resistance" to Monsanto and other corporations doing the same to spread the use of GMO. ////JACK: The missionary Frank Laubach used this slogan to motivate people to educate others: "Each one teach one." The same can be said of those who want to improve the environment.
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I think 85% of the time you are the first note I receive each week day. ////JACK: Somebody in China said that they get Winning Words at suppertime.
FROM WALMART REV: Now you've got me thinking again...no quick response really on this post today...but that's good...one needs time to reflect on occasion. Enjoy your weekend while I work on being a more responsible citizen!////JACK: A responsible citizen see that the environment is more that birds and bees and trees.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: To be conservative in all things, such as saving water, electricity, etc. One of my new courses at USF is on water management, which is big in Florida. We do think about sinkholes but can't do much about that problem, I guess. We finally got rain yesterday which was very welcome.////JACK: One of the great things about Michigan is the abundant source of fresh water and the rarity of sinkholes.. BTW, I have a grandson in Florida on spring break. He doesn't like the rain.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: She is quite a person. I have seen a few of her documentaries. She reminds me of Rachel Carson. They both impact the world.....JACK: Jane is doing her part to spread the message of protecting the environment...300 speaking engagements this year.
FROM SB IN MICHIGAN: A book group friend and I also attended Jane Goodall’s lecture at Oakland University. Wasn’t she a terrific speaker? It was fascinating to learn the life’s story of someone who has devoted herself to stewardship of God’s creation.////JACK: I heard that the lecture was a sellout. It certainly looked that way. There are people in this world who inspire...and Jane is one of them.
FROM BS IN ENGLAND: Recycle as much as possible...Leave the car at home more and take public transport...Buy locally sourced food.////JACK: Public transit is a problem out here in the suburbs, but we try to do your other two suggestions.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: JANE GOODALL IS AN ICON IN THIS AGE! I GET VERY UPSET WHEN PEOPLE "TRASH" PARKS OR HIGHWAYS; HOW HARD IS IT TO CLEAN UP YOUR MESS AND FIND A WASTE CONTAINER?! YET PAPERBAGS AND CUPS COME FLYING OUT OF CAR WINDOWS ONTO THE ROAD AND DEBRIS IS LEFT ON PICNIC TABLES AND STREWN AROUND THE PLAY GROUND AND HIKING TRAILS. RECYCLING IS SO IMPORTANT TOO...WE NEED MORE PARTICIPATION IN THAT. (I KNOW SOME PLACES DO NOT OFFER THIS SERVICE, BUT MOST DO.) AND STOP FRACKING...DON'T GET ME STARTED!! MUCH HAS BEEN IMPROVED, BUT MUCH REMAINS TO IMPROVE! "I AM JUST ONE; I CANNOT DO EVERYTHING, BUT I CAN DO SOMETHING, AND THE SOMETHING I CAN DO, I WILL DO..." AMEN ET AL.////JACK: The can and bottle deposit program in Michigan has helped clean up the roadsides. It could be expanded, but the lobbyists fight it.
Thursday, April 04, 2013
Winning Words 4/4/13
“It’s never as good as it seems and never as bad as it seems.” (Thad Matta) This quote seems to be a favorite among coaches, especially after a loss. However, I find it interesting that the words originate in another context, appearing in the book, “To Kill a Mocking Bird.” They really make sense when applied to the life situations described by author Harper Lee. Perhaps they even make sense in your world. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: "Hills and valleys, Jack, hills and valleys! Life is full of hills and valleys!" It kind of goes with, “It’s never as good as it seems and never as bad as it seems.” Seemingly, anyways!////JACK: The psalmist writes: "Yea, though I walk through the valley....I lift up my eyes to the hills."
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I think that the temporal nature of Man and all things in the World is what makes this quote relevant. Nothing lasts for forever...not the pain of loss nor the joy of victory, achievement, or satisfaction. It is all vanity (as Solomon would say). If anyone needs a "reason" to believe in God, there's one for you. Speaking of forever and the one incidence of overcoming the temporal: He is risen!////JACK: The "vanity" reference from Ecclesiastes certainly makes the point. The "resurrection" gives hope to those who are overcome with despair. There is more....
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I disagree with the "It's never as good as it seems".....but I agree with it's never as bad as it seems. We are truly blessed each and everyday! The blessings or "good" seem to gather as more and more of the day goes by. This isn't everyday, obviously, but I would say most days. It's all on how you look at yourself and the things happening around you.////JACK: It's a quote that has its application in each individual situation. I think that it's right from Harper Lee's point of view and from Thad Mata's situation (winning or losing a basketball game). Yes, with the wide angle lens, life is good-er!
FROM BLAZING OAKS: A VERY GOOD POINT TO KEEP IN MIND! "TRAGEDY IS WHEN I GET A PAPER CUT ON MY FINGER. COMEDY IS WHEN YOU FALL INTO A SEWER AND DIE" (MEL BROOKS QUOTED IN NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE). SOME TRUTH IN THAT. GOOD OR BAD FROM WHOSE STANDPOINT? HMMMM...////JACK: My golf partner and I invited a mutual friend to play a round of golf with us. It was his first time on a golf course. Mid-way through the round we substituted an off-center ball for the one he was using. He couldn't figure out why his shots were going off in such wild directions. Finally, when his putt hopped across the green and into the hole, we told him about the ball. He thought we should pay for his round for the entertainment provided.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: If it seems bad, it's bad to the seemer. If it seems good, it's good to the seemer. Seeming is in the eyes of the seemer.////JACK: Your world sounds like a seamy one.
“It’s never as good as it seems and never as bad as it seems.” (Thad Matta) This quote seems to be a favorite among coaches, especially after a loss. However, I find it interesting that the words originate in another context, appearing in the book, “To Kill a Mocking Bird.” They really make sense when applied to the life situations described by author Harper Lee. Perhaps they even make sense in your world. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: "Hills and valleys, Jack, hills and valleys! Life is full of hills and valleys!" It kind of goes with, “It’s never as good as it seems and never as bad as it seems.” Seemingly, anyways!////JACK: The psalmist writes: "Yea, though I walk through the valley....I lift up my eyes to the hills."
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I think that the temporal nature of Man and all things in the World is what makes this quote relevant. Nothing lasts for forever...not the pain of loss nor the joy of victory, achievement, or satisfaction. It is all vanity (as Solomon would say). If anyone needs a "reason" to believe in God, there's one for you. Speaking of forever and the one incidence of overcoming the temporal: He is risen!////JACK: The "vanity" reference from Ecclesiastes certainly makes the point. The "resurrection" gives hope to those who are overcome with despair. There is more....
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I disagree with the "It's never as good as it seems".....but I agree with it's never as bad as it seems. We are truly blessed each and everyday! The blessings or "good" seem to gather as more and more of the day goes by. This isn't everyday, obviously, but I would say most days. It's all on how you look at yourself and the things happening around you.////JACK: It's a quote that has its application in each individual situation. I think that it's right from Harper Lee's point of view and from Thad Mata's situation (winning or losing a basketball game). Yes, with the wide angle lens, life is good-er!
FROM BLAZING OAKS: A VERY GOOD POINT TO KEEP IN MIND! "TRAGEDY IS WHEN I GET A PAPER CUT ON MY FINGER. COMEDY IS WHEN YOU FALL INTO A SEWER AND DIE" (MEL BROOKS QUOTED IN NEW ORLEANS TIMES-PICAYUNE). SOME TRUTH IN THAT. GOOD OR BAD FROM WHOSE STANDPOINT? HMMMM...////JACK: My golf partner and I invited a mutual friend to play a round of golf with us. It was his first time on a golf course. Mid-way through the round we substituted an off-center ball for the one he was using. He couldn't figure out why his shots were going off in such wild directions. Finally, when his putt hopped across the green and into the hole, we told him about the ball. He thought we should pay for his round for the entertainment provided.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: If it seems bad, it's bad to the seemer. If it seems good, it's good to the seemer. Seeming is in the eyes of the seemer.////JACK: Your world sounds like a seamy one.
Wednesday, April 03, 2013
Winning Words 4/3/13
“Was that an earthquake, or did you just rock my world?” (Unknown) Some seismologists have suggested that April 3, might be the date of the crucifixion of Jesus. The Bible says that there was a great earthquake on that day, and scientific studies seem to indicate an earth disturbance at that place and time. Once, while in California, I felt the earth shake. It caught my attention. Different things can rock our world. ;-) Jack
FROM RB IN MICHIGAN: I knew there was a reason I enjoyed my wife's birthdate of April 3rd - today.
She came along at the right time and changed my world. Last Dec. 5th I was in Japan giving a presentation when the room shook furiously.. it was my Dad's birthday. Jesus shakes our world today with His Father's Living Word applied to our lives. Now I must go into that shaken world as He has blessed me with the morning. He is Risen indeed, Alleluia.////JACK: Earthquakes are serious business for many of the world's people. The new pastor at WB's Methodist Church has this license plate...GOD ROX.
FROM WALMART REV: The other day, someone from our church on FB said: "Pastor Paul, you rock!" Don't worry, I didn't let it go to my head, Jack...my head is big enough without an explosion doing further damage.////JACK: You're in good company. Peter was a Rock Star, also
FROM RI IN BOSTON: It's an eerie feeling when everything under and around you is quaking. Though it may last for only a few seconds, it's scary. The recent collapse in Seattle of a section of Pacific shoreline was horrifying for those living in houses right on the brink, realizing how they could have been swept away with the land. Imagine the severity if a portion of California coastline along the San Andreas Fault is sheared off, with extreme loss of lives and property damage. And people will say, "Why does God let things like that happen?"////JACK: Isn't it strange how we choose to put ourselves in harm's way, and, when some harm comes, we blame it on God?
FROM TRIHARDER: that place and time? What date? Is there a general agreement of the exact date of the crucifixion?////JACK: Since records were not kept like they are today, there is no consensus on the dates of many occurrences, religious or otherwise. The historian Josephus is the most reliable source that I'm aware of...and his work is sketchy, at best. Dates listed as B.C. or B.C.E. are examples. I suppose that if the scientists were able to pinpoint April 3, they should be able to pinpoint a year, as well.////TH: I was born on the second seder of passover (-- I think I told you that). As you know, the date is different every year if one uses the Jewish lunar calendar. "Coincidentally", The Easter holy days seem to follow those same dates. Today is the 23rd of Nissan, 5773. Did Jesus die on that date? Because April 3 would be a different date on the Jewish calendar every year.////JACK: Calendars, clocks and sundials are man's way of marking time. Regardless of how time is kept....time marches on. One of the reasons for April Fool's Day is said to be a reaction to Pope Gregory changing the date of the new year from April 1 to January 1.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: You always make me think – and smile. Have a great 4/3////JACK: Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs rock!
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: Did Elvis ever “rock” your world?////JACK: I remember when TV cameras would not show Presley below the waist. "Elvis the Pelvis" was too risque!////PH: Did you know that in the early days of TV you could not even say (for example) the word, pregnant. How far we have come! But in what direction?////JACK: Old people usually don't like change, but life is change. As I once said in a Winning Words..."Deal with it!"
FROM CJL IN OHIO: We've had a few "shakes" around here due to dumping of shale water being put back into the ground. I felt one. You're right, it does get your attention.////JACK: Around here we call that procedure...Fracking...and think that it's a bad idea, environmentally. Others think that it's the solution to the energy problem.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Funny! We've been through a couple minor earthquakes. It's a strange and scary feeling. Gary went through two big ones when he was traveling for business in California. He thought someone broke into his hotel room and knocked everything around. (He slept through the quake). Rocking our worlds would be wonderful...like announcing an up-coming birth, or a devastating rock...such as hearing about a death. We have to go over, around and under the rocks, but Christ can go right through them for us. He has beaten the rock of death and because He has, we have.////JACK: God uses various "things" to get our attention.
FROM AW IN ILLINOIS: Way I felt about Judy when I first met her. Seems that there was a romantic song used this idea This brought back memories.////JACK: When a good person comes into our life, we like to think that God had a hand in it.
“Was that an earthquake, or did you just rock my world?” (Unknown) Some seismologists have suggested that April 3, might be the date of the crucifixion of Jesus. The Bible says that there was a great earthquake on that day, and scientific studies seem to indicate an earth disturbance at that place and time. Once, while in California, I felt the earth shake. It caught my attention. Different things can rock our world. ;-) Jack
FROM RB IN MICHIGAN: I knew there was a reason I enjoyed my wife's birthdate of April 3rd - today.
She came along at the right time and changed my world. Last Dec. 5th I was in Japan giving a presentation when the room shook furiously.. it was my Dad's birthday. Jesus shakes our world today with His Father's Living Word applied to our lives. Now I must go into that shaken world as He has blessed me with the morning. He is Risen indeed, Alleluia.////JACK: Earthquakes are serious business for many of the world's people. The new pastor at WB's Methodist Church has this license plate...GOD ROX.
FROM WALMART REV: The other day, someone from our church on FB said: "Pastor Paul, you rock!" Don't worry, I didn't let it go to my head, Jack...my head is big enough without an explosion doing further damage.////JACK: You're in good company. Peter was a Rock Star, also
FROM RI IN BOSTON: It's an eerie feeling when everything under and around you is quaking. Though it may last for only a few seconds, it's scary. The recent collapse in Seattle of a section of Pacific shoreline was horrifying for those living in houses right on the brink, realizing how they could have been swept away with the land. Imagine the severity if a portion of California coastline along the San Andreas Fault is sheared off, with extreme loss of lives and property damage. And people will say, "Why does God let things like that happen?"////JACK: Isn't it strange how we choose to put ourselves in harm's way, and, when some harm comes, we blame it on God?
FROM TRIHARDER: that place and time? What date? Is there a general agreement of the exact date of the crucifixion?////JACK: Since records were not kept like they are today, there is no consensus on the dates of many occurrences, religious or otherwise. The historian Josephus is the most reliable source that I'm aware of...and his work is sketchy, at best. Dates listed as B.C. or B.C.E. are examples. I suppose that if the scientists were able to pinpoint April 3, they should be able to pinpoint a year, as well.////TH: I was born on the second seder of passover (-- I think I told you that). As you know, the date is different every year if one uses the Jewish lunar calendar. "Coincidentally", The Easter holy days seem to follow those same dates. Today is the 23rd of Nissan, 5773. Did Jesus die on that date? Because April 3 would be a different date on the Jewish calendar every year.////JACK: Calendars, clocks and sundials are man's way of marking time. Regardless of how time is kept....time marches on. One of the reasons for April Fool's Day is said to be a reaction to Pope Gregory changing the date of the new year from April 1 to January 1.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: You always make me think – and smile. Have a great 4/3////JACK: Cubs win! Cubs win! Cubs rock!
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: Did Elvis ever “rock” your world?////JACK: I remember when TV cameras would not show Presley below the waist. "Elvis the Pelvis" was too risque!////PH: Did you know that in the early days of TV you could not even say (for example) the word, pregnant. How far we have come! But in what direction?////JACK: Old people usually don't like change, but life is change. As I once said in a Winning Words..."Deal with it!"
FROM CJL IN OHIO: We've had a few "shakes" around here due to dumping of shale water being put back into the ground. I felt one. You're right, it does get your attention.////JACK: Around here we call that procedure...Fracking...and think that it's a bad idea, environmentally. Others think that it's the solution to the energy problem.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Funny! We've been through a couple minor earthquakes. It's a strange and scary feeling. Gary went through two big ones when he was traveling for business in California. He thought someone broke into his hotel room and knocked everything around. (He slept through the quake). Rocking our worlds would be wonderful...like announcing an up-coming birth, or a devastating rock...such as hearing about a death. We have to go over, around and under the rocks, but Christ can go right through them for us. He has beaten the rock of death and because He has, we have.////JACK: God uses various "things" to get our attention.
FROM AW IN ILLINOIS: Way I felt about Judy when I first met her. Seems that there was a romantic song used this idea This brought back memories.////JACK: When a good person comes into our life, we like to think that God had a hand in it.
Tuesday, April 02, 2013
Winning Words 4/2/13
“Just the facts, Ma’am!” (Sgt. Joe Friday) TV’s “Dragnet” star, Jack Webb, was born on April 2. As a police detective, he was always looking for facts to help solve cases. Some philosophers suggest that there are no facts, that truth is fluid. One of my professors said, “You can’t put God in a bottle.” Much has been made of the Higgs boson (God particle). Does that “fact” obviate “faith?” Think about it. ;-) Jack
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: so... where did the god particle originate? god is a scientist. most scientists believe. ////JACK: If the God particle is a fact, does that make God a fact?////LIZ: well, somethin's a fact, that's for sure!////JACK: Are you sure? Is anything really real?
FROM WALMART REV: Seemingly to me, the Word of God is full of historical fact of mankind being tempted of making God an all-inclusive God, laying aside the fact that His not and that He presents blessings and curses to the contrary. From the Garden of Genesis to the Throne of Revelation I find from within an impulse to stay "with just the facts, Ma'am! Just the facts!"////JACK: Is the WORD OF GOD to be seen as a "fact" or a "faith statement"...or both? You seem to be saying, both!////REV: I believe it says "without faith" it is impossible to believe its authenticity... but because of my faith in the Word of God, I believe it to be fact...would that be a paradox?////JACK: If it were all fact, there would be no faith.
FROM HONEST JOHN: Facts come after assumptions...check out math...the assumptions are the grounds for debate...all too often we are trapped because we fail to challenge the assumptions.////JACK: As one skilled in debate, you should be able to defend both sides of the God question. As a person of faith, would you be able to do that? That's a rhetorical question. Ultimately, is God debatable?////JOHN: The God question is debatable for Agnostics
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: Alright, I'll bite on this one!
The "truth" is distinct from our impression of it (perspective, belief, reality). The Truth is the Truth regardless of what I might say, think, see, or feel, about it. One critical way towards acquiring some "parts" of the Truth is through the removal of that which is not true (what I might say, think, see, or feel, about it). Jesus said this very thing in His directive to us to "remove the beam from thine own eye". Our realities, perspectives, beliefs, knowledge, and the like, are flawed by our limited capacities to obtain all of the relative information. In turn, they serve as blockages to the recognition of what is Truth.
The Truth is by its nature "all things" or we could say that the Truth is all inclusive ---nothing left out. Thus, the Truth remains elusive to us who do not know "all things"; BUT the Truth is NOT fluid at all. One who thinks that it is relative or fluid is soooo far from the Truth that the state of being confused would be an enormous improvement. Such a misstatement presumes that the Truth is relative to "their" own blindness and apply their narcissism as a source for obviating their own flaws. If anything need be obviated, it is man's belief that he can be divine enough to know the Truth. Seek first the kingdom of God...and do so with all of thy mind, and all of thy heart, and all of thy soul....and only then is one prepared to even catch a glimpse of the Truth.
For these reasons, Faith is the most obvious and necessary result; for our first step towards Truth is always into the unknown and unseen...and it is in Faith that we then move.////JACK: Since we are humanly limited from gathering "all" of the facts, we are also limited from knowing the whole Truth. We must be content to know what we know, or think we know...and proceed from there in our search for The Truth. That's where faith comes into the picture.////RAY: EXACTLY!!!!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Jesus is the Truth!////JACK: Do you you think Pilate wanted an answer, when he said, "What is truth?"////JUDY: Yep, it would have made his decision for him. But, most people can't handle the truth...even us sometimes.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Facts are facts, and that's a fact. They're also a truth and that's the truth.////JACK: There's also sense and non-sense.
FROM AW IN ILLINOIS: Dragnet will soon be rerun on ME channel in Decatur. Thats a fact. ////JACK: I can hear the theme music in my head.
“Just the facts, Ma’am!” (Sgt. Joe Friday) TV’s “Dragnet” star, Jack Webb, was born on April 2. As a police detective, he was always looking for facts to help solve cases. Some philosophers suggest that there are no facts, that truth is fluid. One of my professors said, “You can’t put God in a bottle.” Much has been made of the Higgs boson (God particle). Does that “fact” obviate “faith?” Think about it. ;-) Jack
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: so... where did the god particle originate? god is a scientist. most scientists believe. ////JACK: If the God particle is a fact, does that make God a fact?////LIZ: well, somethin's a fact, that's for sure!////JACK: Are you sure? Is anything really real?
FROM WALMART REV: Seemingly to me, the Word of God is full of historical fact of mankind being tempted of making God an all-inclusive God, laying aside the fact that His not and that He presents blessings and curses to the contrary. From the Garden of Genesis to the Throne of Revelation I find from within an impulse to stay "with just the facts, Ma'am! Just the facts!"////JACK: Is the WORD OF GOD to be seen as a "fact" or a "faith statement"...or both? You seem to be saying, both!////REV: I believe it says "without faith" it is impossible to believe its authenticity... but because of my faith in the Word of God, I believe it to be fact...would that be a paradox?////JACK: If it were all fact, there would be no faith.
FROM HONEST JOHN: Facts come after assumptions...check out math...the assumptions are the grounds for debate...all too often we are trapped because we fail to challenge the assumptions.////JACK: As one skilled in debate, you should be able to defend both sides of the God question. As a person of faith, would you be able to do that? That's a rhetorical question. Ultimately, is God debatable?////JOHN: The God question is debatable for Agnostics
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: Alright, I'll bite on this one!
The "truth" is distinct from our impression of it (perspective, belief, reality). The Truth is the Truth regardless of what I might say, think, see, or feel, about it. One critical way towards acquiring some "parts" of the Truth is through the removal of that which is not true (what I might say, think, see, or feel, about it). Jesus said this very thing in His directive to us to "remove the beam from thine own eye". Our realities, perspectives, beliefs, knowledge, and the like, are flawed by our limited capacities to obtain all of the relative information. In turn, they serve as blockages to the recognition of what is Truth.
The Truth is by its nature "all things" or we could say that the Truth is all inclusive ---nothing left out. Thus, the Truth remains elusive to us who do not know "all things"; BUT the Truth is NOT fluid at all. One who thinks that it is relative or fluid is soooo far from the Truth that the state of being confused would be an enormous improvement. Such a misstatement presumes that the Truth is relative to "their" own blindness and apply their narcissism as a source for obviating their own flaws. If anything need be obviated, it is man's belief that he can be divine enough to know the Truth. Seek first the kingdom of God...and do so with all of thy mind, and all of thy heart, and all of thy soul....and only then is one prepared to even catch a glimpse of the Truth.
For these reasons, Faith is the most obvious and necessary result; for our first step towards Truth is always into the unknown and unseen...and it is in Faith that we then move.////JACK: Since we are humanly limited from gathering "all" of the facts, we are also limited from knowing the whole Truth. We must be content to know what we know, or think we know...and proceed from there in our search for The Truth. That's where faith comes into the picture.////RAY: EXACTLY!!!!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Jesus is the Truth!////JACK: Do you you think Pilate wanted an answer, when he said, "What is truth?"////JUDY: Yep, it would have made his decision for him. But, most people can't handle the truth...even us sometimes.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Facts are facts, and that's a fact. They're also a truth and that's the truth.////JACK: There's also sense and non-sense.
FROM AW IN ILLINOIS: Dragnet will soon be rerun on ME channel in Decatur. Thats a fact. ////JACK: I can hear the theme music in my head.
Monday, April 01, 2013
Winning Words 4/1/13
"Even the gods love jokes." (Plato) The first recorded joke goes back to 1900 BC, and has to do with a fart…believe it, or not. Jesus told parables. Do you think he ever told a joke? Jean Keaton has drawn a series of pictures which show a laughing Jesus playing with children. I wonder…Will there be laughter in heaven? There’s a verse in the Bible (Psalm 37:13) which reads: “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.” ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: "A fart!?!? Now, that's a real stinker!!" The first laugh of my day and on April Fools Day on top of that!////JACK: Martin Luther has this piece of advice: "I resist the devil and often it is with a fart that I chase him way."
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: You've got a real pip of a WW and commentary here. Looked up "joke" and found "something said or done to provide laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote or a prankish act; a matter that need not be taken very seriously; to say something in fun or teasing rather than in earnest." Wondering whether when Jesus cursed the fig tree, it was actually a prankish act. Personally, I wish not to take that part of the scripture seriously. Do think when Paul said some men should be castrated he was being witty and not theological. Have seen a couple of movies where the Jesus actor tries to be light-hearted and kid around a bit and, when I see that, for some strange reason always start thinking more about the human actor and am less convinced he is Jesus. Was it a man/woman or baby who made the first recorded fart in 1900 BC? I know this is an April Fool WW and not to be taken too seriously but it's such an interesting topic--want joy in Jesus/God/Holy Spirit but not sure I want Him teasing or fooling around or doing pranks on me or doing anything to me, for me, for that matter, that is not to be taken seriously, laughing more than working. Happy April Fool's Day!!!!////JACK: You've gotten to the heart of the matter when you say that you're not sure you want God teasing or fooling around. Does that mean you're not sure you want a God who laughs (or smiles)??
FROM BM IN MICHIGAN: Perfect for April 1st. What about pranks?////JACK: My grandson, Jason, caught me with a prank with today's first phone call. I should have known better. In my faith, I have room for a God who loves a joke....After all, he loves me.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: wouldn't be heaven w/o laughter, music, art.////JACK: ...and "Old Shep."
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: I like the laughing Jesus pictures; think a lot about his relationship with children – especially sitting in the back pews.////JACK: Yesterday, I saw a couple of fathers walk out with fussy toddlers. I think that Jesus would do that, too.
FROM HEY JUDE IN MICHIGAN: Where did April’s Fool’s come from? It is said, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull decreeing a new standard calendar for Christian Europe. Prior to the 15th century, Europe’s nations used the Julian calendar which celebrated New Year’s around April 1.. The Gregorian calendar moved the date of the new year from April 1 to January 1. Catholic monarchies were naturally its earliest adopters, though Protestant nations followed. April fools were those who still celebrated the New Year in the spring; they were the subject of pranks and ridicule. I want a God that smiles and laughs. Why is it I laugh uproariously at pain, like when my dad fell down the stairs carrying a portable bed and a tin of chocolate chip cookies? I’m not sure I want God to laugh at pain.////JACK: How about the Allstate TV commercials where the guy is always having accidents? I think that they're funny, but do they sell insurance? I've read that there's such a thing as "nervous laughter," which is a physical, stress-relieving reaction to, tension, confusion and anxiety. Perhaps that's why you laughed at your dad's accident.
FROM JEANNE IN WISCONSIN: I don't know if Jesus ever told a joke, but I have to believe that God has a sense of humor because of the proof of it in His creations - a sense of humor is "a good thing". ////JACK: From John 20..." 30Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." Maybe "telling a joke" was one of those signs not written.
FROM BS IN ENGLAND: I'm sure there will be laughter in heaven! Easter Greetings from a still very cold Norfolk--------when will it be Spring?////JACK: Technically, it's spring. In reality, spring is in the mind.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Ha! I laughed out loud at Martin Luther's resisting the devil with farts!! Who'd a thunk? And who recorded that comment?!! Humor varies age to age, and culture to culture, but imagine that particular bodily function has always engendered "jokes"! I certainly envision happy laughter in heaven. How could there NOT be??! Enjoyed the explanation of April Fool's day on your blog. Interesting info! ////JACK: FROM BLAZING OAKS: Ha! I laughed out loud at Martin Luther's resisting the devil with farts!! Who'd a thunk? And who recorded that comment?!! Humor varies age to age, and culture to culture, but imagine that particular bodily function has always engendered "jokes"! I certainly envision happy laughter in heaven. How could there NOT be??! Enjoyed the explanation of April Fool's day on your blog. Interesting info! ////JACK: Martin Luther believed that "The toot shall set you free."////BO:Ha! Another hearty laugh...thanks, Jack...I had to forward this to my kids and near and dear relatives; too good not to share!!
FROM CWR IN B'MORE: I read your WW fast, at first , and I thought you were saying that Jesus told the "fart" joke. I was going to ask you what "Gospel" that was in.////JACK: If Jesus were truly human, as we confess, then he was truly human.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: We will all laugh in Heaven...but no more tears! It's fun to try to catch someone on April Fool's Day. ( I usually get Gary and Kimberly but not Andy!)////JACK: How about "tears of joy." Sometimes we laugh so hard, it brings tears to our eyes.////JUDY: Those are the best tears. At our Easter dinner yesterday, Gary was recounting the episode of our trip into Mexico years ago. I insisted we take the kids across the border but I was also terrified because of the border problems, even back then. To make a long story very short...they all got back across into the USA but I was left holding a little bag with a little ceramic doll I had bought...anyway, it was too funny but not at the time. Now it's family legion and it's never fails to make us laugh until we cry. By the way, I made it across with even the Border Agents laughing. As dear old Maxine says, "Sometimes she cries until "tears" run down her legs.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I think there will be much laughter in heaven. We are to come to Jesus as little children, and where there are children, there is always laughter.////JACK: Children like to sing..."It isn't any trouble just to L-A-U-G-H."
FROM PB OUT EAST: Eileen and I just returned yesterday from a two weeks vacation - - visited children and grandchildren in LasVegas, my sister (age 93) in Minneapolis, and Eileen's family in Pennsylvania. The first thing I did after arriving back home was to get up to date on winning words on my e-mail. By the way, I have been saving all your w words since I first got on your list in September, 2006. I have collected over 1300 w words. Especially I liked the one on humor from April 1. It reminded me of Clair Johnson's 'Ben, did you fart?' joke. Also I thought of Jesus hilarious comments about removing the speck in your brother's eye when you have a log in your own eye! Keep up the great work ////JACK: Some retired pastors throw all of their old sermons away. My heirs will throw mine away, along with the Winning Words file.
"Even the gods love jokes." (Plato) The first recorded joke goes back to 1900 BC, and has to do with a fart…believe it, or not. Jesus told parables. Do you think he ever told a joke? Jean Keaton has drawn a series of pictures which show a laughing Jesus playing with children. I wonder…Will there be laughter in heaven? There’s a verse in the Bible (Psalm 37:13) which reads: “He who sits in the heavens shall laugh.” ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: "A fart!?!? Now, that's a real stinker!!" The first laugh of my day and on April Fools Day on top of that!////JACK: Martin Luther has this piece of advice: "I resist the devil and often it is with a fart that I chase him way."
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: You've got a real pip of a WW and commentary here. Looked up "joke" and found "something said or done to provide laughter or cause amusement, as a witticism, a short and amusing anecdote or a prankish act; a matter that need not be taken very seriously; to say something in fun or teasing rather than in earnest." Wondering whether when Jesus cursed the fig tree, it was actually a prankish act. Personally, I wish not to take that part of the scripture seriously. Do think when Paul said some men should be castrated he was being witty and not theological. Have seen a couple of movies where the Jesus actor tries to be light-hearted and kid around a bit and, when I see that, for some strange reason always start thinking more about the human actor and am less convinced he is Jesus. Was it a man/woman or baby who made the first recorded fart in 1900 BC? I know this is an April Fool WW and not to be taken too seriously but it's such an interesting topic--want joy in Jesus/God/Holy Spirit but not sure I want Him teasing or fooling around or doing pranks on me or doing anything to me, for me, for that matter, that is not to be taken seriously, laughing more than working. Happy April Fool's Day!!!!////JACK: You've gotten to the heart of the matter when you say that you're not sure you want God teasing or fooling around. Does that mean you're not sure you want a God who laughs (or smiles)??
FROM BM IN MICHIGAN: Perfect for April 1st. What about pranks?////JACK: My grandson, Jason, caught me with a prank with today's first phone call. I should have known better. In my faith, I have room for a God who loves a joke....After all, he loves me.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: wouldn't be heaven w/o laughter, music, art.////JACK: ...and "Old Shep."
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: I like the laughing Jesus pictures; think a lot about his relationship with children – especially sitting in the back pews.////JACK: Yesterday, I saw a couple of fathers walk out with fussy toddlers. I think that Jesus would do that, too.
FROM HEY JUDE IN MICHIGAN: Where did April’s Fool’s come from? It is said, in 1582, Pope Gregory XIII issued a papal bull decreeing a new standard calendar for Christian Europe. Prior to the 15th century, Europe’s nations used the Julian calendar which celebrated New Year’s around April 1.. The Gregorian calendar moved the date of the new year from April 1 to January 1. Catholic monarchies were naturally its earliest adopters, though Protestant nations followed. April fools were those who still celebrated the New Year in the spring; they were the subject of pranks and ridicule. I want a God that smiles and laughs. Why is it I laugh uproariously at pain, like when my dad fell down the stairs carrying a portable bed and a tin of chocolate chip cookies? I’m not sure I want God to laugh at pain.////JACK: How about the Allstate TV commercials where the guy is always having accidents? I think that they're funny, but do they sell insurance? I've read that there's such a thing as "nervous laughter," which is a physical, stress-relieving reaction to, tension, confusion and anxiety. Perhaps that's why you laughed at your dad's accident.
FROM JEANNE IN WISCONSIN: I don't know if Jesus ever told a joke, but I have to believe that God has a sense of humor because of the proof of it in His creations - a sense of humor is "a good thing". ////JACK: From John 20..." 30Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name." Maybe "telling a joke" was one of those signs not written.
FROM BS IN ENGLAND: I'm sure there will be laughter in heaven! Easter Greetings from a still very cold Norfolk--------when will it be Spring?////JACK: Technically, it's spring. In reality, spring is in the mind.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Ha! I laughed out loud at Martin Luther's resisting the devil with farts!! Who'd a thunk? And who recorded that comment?!! Humor varies age to age, and culture to culture, but imagine that particular bodily function has always engendered "jokes"! I certainly envision happy laughter in heaven. How could there NOT be??! Enjoyed the explanation of April Fool's day on your blog. Interesting info! ////JACK: FROM BLAZING OAKS: Ha! I laughed out loud at Martin Luther's resisting the devil with farts!! Who'd a thunk? And who recorded that comment?!! Humor varies age to age, and culture to culture, but imagine that particular bodily function has always engendered "jokes"! I certainly envision happy laughter in heaven. How could there NOT be??! Enjoyed the explanation of April Fool's day on your blog. Interesting info! ////JACK: Martin Luther believed that "The toot shall set you free."////BO:Ha! Another hearty laugh...thanks, Jack...I had to forward this to my kids and near and dear relatives; too good not to share!!
FROM CWR IN B'MORE: I read your WW fast, at first , and I thought you were saying that Jesus told the "fart" joke. I was going to ask you what "Gospel" that was in.////JACK: If Jesus were truly human, as we confess, then he was truly human.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: We will all laugh in Heaven...but no more tears! It's fun to try to catch someone on April Fool's Day. ( I usually get Gary and Kimberly but not Andy!)////JACK: How about "tears of joy." Sometimes we laugh so hard, it brings tears to our eyes.////JUDY: Those are the best tears. At our Easter dinner yesterday, Gary was recounting the episode of our trip into Mexico years ago. I insisted we take the kids across the border but I was also terrified because of the border problems, even back then. To make a long story very short...they all got back across into the USA but I was left holding a little bag with a little ceramic doll I had bought...anyway, it was too funny but not at the time. Now it's family legion and it's never fails to make us laugh until we cry. By the way, I made it across with even the Border Agents laughing. As dear old Maxine says, "Sometimes she cries until "tears" run down her legs.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I think there will be much laughter in heaven. We are to come to Jesus as little children, and where there are children, there is always laughter.////JACK: Children like to sing..."It isn't any trouble just to L-A-U-G-H."
FROM PB OUT EAST: Eileen and I just returned yesterday from a two weeks vacation - - visited children and grandchildren in LasVegas, my sister (age 93) in Minneapolis, and Eileen's family in Pennsylvania. The first thing I did after arriving back home was to get up to date on winning words on my e-mail. By the way, I have been saving all your w words since I first got on your list in September, 2006. I have collected over 1300 w words. Especially I liked the one on humor from April 1. It reminded me of Clair Johnson's 'Ben, did you fart?' joke. Also I thought of Jesus hilarious comments about removing the speck in your brother's eye when you have a log in your own eye! Keep up the great work ////JACK: Some retired pastors throw all of their old sermons away. My heirs will throw mine away, along with the Winning Words file.
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