Jack’s Winning Words 7/31/13
“There is no time like the pleasant.”  (From: My Mother Tried To Tell Me)  This quote was in a book I once gave to my mother.  Wouldn’t this be a great world if there were more pleasantness—on the roads—at work—in stores—at home?  Have you heard of Pleasantville, NY?  In Michigan we have Paradise and Hell.  I’ve been to both places.  Mother tried to tell me that when you’re nice to people they’ll be nice to you.    ;-)  Jack

 FROM JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU:  What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness?

 FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Just this past summer, I was listening to a priest preach and he said we need to "give respect to people in order to get respect." I like that too. Whatever--kindness, being nice, pleasant, giving respect, the ability to do all these things seems to arise from a heart which knows God loves him/her and loves the world and is active in it. That's pretty cheeky for a town to call itself Hell--I bet there are a lot of nice people in it and I bet there are some ornery people in Paradise. I respect their freedom to call their towns Paradise and Hell and live pleasant lives there.====JACK:  There's a town in New Zealand called, Taumatawhakatangihangakoauauotamateapokaiwhenuakitanatahu.  I wonder if it's a pleasant place?

 FROM HONEST JOHN:  I think that Hell in Michigan has a much better PR group than Paradise.  I have often been told to go to Hell but not once to go to Paradise,====JACK:  In my youth I was told that Hell was a swear word, but it was OK to substitute, Heck.

 FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER:  Nobody wants to go first these days. Guess I'll have to do it. Have a nice day!====JACK:  Jesus said that the first shall be last.  Go to the end of the line!.

 FROM TARMART REV: Another good post today, Jack . . . "reaping back what we sow first"!

 FROM PEPPERMINT MARY:  your mother was correct!====JACK:  I added a post script to the book's title: .....But I Wouldn't Listen.

 FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  Thanks for the pleasant thoughts.====JACK:  I know someone who lives in Carefree, Arizona.  How's that for the name of a city?

 FROM KF IN MICHIGAN:  I spent a week in Paradise (cabin) and Hell is where we used to go to pick corn!====JACK:  I sent a post card to my mother from Hell to prove that I had been there.

 FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  How right your mother was.  BTW we have another 103 year old man who is active and plays clarinet in a community orchestra.  Isn't that amazing.  He just got a stationary bicycle for his birthday ====JACK:  When are you getting your 3-wheeler?

 FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I've been to Carefree, AZ and to Hell in MI...they get  lots of tourists who want to send a card from "hell"! But never to the L0000000000000000NG titled city you described in the blog1 (What the?????!) Anyway have a pleasant day, because there IS no time like the PLEASANT! Thanks for that reminder!====JACK:  There's a city in Colorado called, Loveland.  Some people, on their honeymoon, go there and send postcards with the city's postmark.

 FROM ANONYMOUS:  The quality of mercy/pleasantness is not strained.....it blesseth him ....that gives and him that takes....An adaptation of Portia"s speech came to mind as descriptive of the effect of pleasantness. Good feelings all around...warm memories....an impetus towards expressing God"s love for all, caring, and personal comfort with self......

 FROM CH ON CAPE COD:  A bunch of our members and summer visitors are all from the Lutheran church in Pleasantville,NY.  (I think they were also one of the first churches to get solar panels)====JACK:  I always remember it as the home of The Reader's Digest.  Dave Barry and Tina Turner are from there, too.  Do they ever visit your church?