Jack’s Winning Words 7/10/13
“If you can’t be nice, be quiet.”  (Unknown)  Thumper said something like this is “Bambi.”  Perhaps your mom gave you similar advice.  In my lifetime I’ve seen “News” replaced by negative political commentary.  My lifetime has also seen the invention of the channel changer.  I’m not denying a need to point out things that are wrong, but I happen to think that we should “accent the positive and eliminate the negative.”   ;-)  Jack

 FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  news should attempt neutrality. that would be a positive.====JACK:  I'm currently re-reading a book from my freshman English class.  It reminds me of the "news" scene today.  "One man's meat is  another man's poison," by E.B. White.  There's a verse in the Bible that seems to speak about neutrality.  "So, because you are lukewarm--neither hot nor cold--I am about to spit you out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:16)

 FROM WALMART REV:  Sounds good to me . . . ‘cause I want to always "latch on to the affirmative and not mess with Mister In-Between!"====JACK:  That was a good song.  I'll bet that you can sing it right now!

 FROM SL IN HOUSTON:  As Tony and I sit quietly this morning and share your thoughts we again appreciate your gentle words and thoughts.  You give us something to ponder each day.  How long does each one take you to think of and create?  Your quiet, gentle words inspire me each day, thank you! ====JACK:  Creating something is a strange experience.  There are ideas that suddenly pop into my mind, and then there are times (like today) when I'm waiting for inspiration regarding Friday's Winning Words.

 FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  My mother-in-law is also always saying "good news doesn't get reported, only the bad news." Personally, I take comfort in that reality in scripture that God, I think through Christ Jesus, wrote everything we need on each of our hearts, everyone's heart, and that the problem isn't that there is bad news or that there is good news but actually the way we see bad news and good news. We tend to want to box it up in a nice tidy little package, something that we can get our limited minds around and think we understand instead of just letting God act freely throughout this history of the world He is constantly creating. On my good days I am real good with the concept that there is redemption even through suffering, on my bad days I struggle with that along with trying to understand this great mystery and to be able to trust throughout it. I do believe the public discourse--the politics, the art, the music, the media are somehow carrying us through this period of time in the U.S.A. and helping us to face things and also at the same time yearn for peace and relationship with God.====JACK:  There's a saying that seems to have originated many years ago in the Mideast..."This too shall pass."  It have served to calm many people in difficult situations, knowing that tough times eventually pass.====SHARON:  I know some Africans who immigrated from Liberia. In fact, I am Godmother to one of their children. The home is, in fact, very important to this family and their extended family are people they can really count on. I count myself and my husband blessed that they also consider us family. Don't exactly understand very much what happened in their country but it became very dangerous, divided and crazy so people had to flee for their lives. Now some of them have gone back because they love so much their home country and didn't feel that much at home here in our country. Except for the kids who feel they have more opportunities here. We all want to be family together however we can do that.

 FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  The "news" has become almost entirely op/ed. Surprisingly, pro-lifers are at a record high, & most Hispanic voters favor border control before reform. The "news" indicates otherwise... agenda?====JACK:  I watch fewer and fewer news programs.  Too many ads.

 FROM RJP IN NAPLES:  "And latch on to the affirmative, don't mess with Mr. in between. to illustrate that last remark. Jonah's in the whale and Noah's in the Ark." I used to sing this song as a kid. I loved the positive message.====JACK:   I think that successful "sales" people have to have a positive outlook.

 FROM PH IN MINNESOTA:  amen to that!  sadly, we humans seem to thrive on the negative.  we slow down to see a car crash, we are fascinated by mayhem which is dished up nightly on TV programming, , etc.    part of our perverse human nature...====JACK:  Curiosity, perhaps?  On the other hand, blood and guts movies seem to be box office hits.

 FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  I am reminded of Ecclesiastes 3:1-8: "For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven...". It seems to cover a multiple variety of seasons for sure --some not so nice, maybe even "negative". But, I think even the not-so-nice seasons are for "good". If not, the not-so-nice are likely to be just plain "negative". It is certainly a difficult call to make! Justice is certainly "not mine". Mary and I are currently in Glacier National Park. Standing at the foot of a mountain looking up at the majesty and beauty surrounding little old me, keeps my position in relationship to the Creator of all this in its proper place. I'll leave it in the hands of Him who made all this! ====JACK:  Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite Bible books, and Glacier is one of my favorite National Parks, and Mary is one of my favorite persons.

 FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  My wife gives me this advice often, and sometimes I take it. Jack, I think "Positive News" channels have been tried but failed to attract an audience. Though Success Magazine (third iteration) started in 1902 by Dr. Orison Marden is still out there. Maybe with all the new delivery channels, and outlets,  a Positive Channel could work. Oprah? OWN?  I haven't turned on the boob tube for about a week, and-- I  am feeling better...====JACK:  I'm not saying...ONLY positive news.  I'm saying less emphasis on negative thinking.  Negativity tends to create more negativing.  I wonder how Orison got his name.  I'll have to look it up sometime.  I'm familiar with Success Magazine.

 FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS:  I like the song too; now have to look and see who made it popular. ====JACK:  I think Johnny Mercer wrote it...and also wrote The Atchison, Topeka and  the Santa Fe.  His is an interesting story.  Google it.

 FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER:  Problem with that, Jack, is that positive news for one  is negative new for another. We can't change that. difference of opinion s why The United States exists in the first place! ====JACK:  No problem for me.  I hold the "clicker."

 FROM BLAZING OAKS:  OH YES, "IF YOU CAN'T SAY ANYTHING NICE, DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL!"  I GREW UP WITH THAT ADMONITION.  OUR WORLD HAS BECOME SO SMALL THAT WE HEAR THE NEWS IMMEDIATELY FROM THE FARTHEST ENDS OFTHE WORLD, AND OF COURSE THE CATASTROPHIC HAPPENINGS MORE OFTEN MAKE THE NEWS. YEARS AGO WE DIDN'T HEAR OF HAPPENINGS IN THE WORLD SOMETIMES UNTIL MUCH LATER, AND OUR REACTIONS WERE MORE MUTED.MUCH OF THE EARTH IS IN TURMOIL, IT SEEMS, ON A DAILY BASIS, AND WE ARE AWARE OF THIS LIKE NEVER BEFORE.  STILL, WE CAN  BE "NICE" IN OUR LITTLE CORNER, AND SPREAD POSITIVE VIBES TO THOSE WITH WHOM  WE COME  IN CONTACT....YOU KNOW THAT SONG! "BRIGHTEN THE CORNER....."====JACK:   "Instant news" rends to get people all worked up.  In the olden days, by the time people heard of events, they were old news.  There's a saying: "Old news is no news."  Brighten the Corner is an "old" song, too, going back to the days before planes, trains and automobiles.  I still like it.

 FROM CWR NOW IN MICHIGAN:  "                           ". ====JACK:  If I would expect this kind of response from anyone, I'd expect it from you.