Jack’s Winning Words 9/4/13
“Keeping your body healthy is an expression of gratitude to the whole cosmos.”  (Thich Nhat Hanh)  Back when I was a teen, I recall being taught that “the body is the Temple of God” (1 Cor 6:19); how we use it or abuse it, has a Spiritual implication. That teaching has continued to influence my thinking on health issues.  BTW, today’s quote is from a Buddhist monk, once nominated to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.    ;-)  Jack

FROM TARMART REV:  Remember the Jack LaLanne  Show on television those many years, Jack? . . . for some reason your post brought back his memory for me this morning . . . pulling large trucks with his bare teeth even at a ripe old age, he was!!! 0;-)   Francois Henri "Jack" LaLanne (September 26, 1914 - January 23, 2011) was an American fitness, exercise, and nutritional expert and motivational speaker who is sometimes called "the godfather of fitness" and the "first fitness superhero."====JACK:  One of the first "Jacks" who was a health nut was Jack Sprat who "could eat no fat."

 FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  To my mind, today's WW also includes human sexuality and being together with someone in a healthy bodily way. I'm grateful to the Church for thinking this is an important enough subject, involved in our gratitude, that theologians and not just doctors study and look to the Bible and so forth for guidance for people wishing to care for the body's healthiness.====JACK:  We are more than just a body.  The body is only a corpse, unless there is that "spirit" that gives it life.  Maybe that's what i meant by "created in the image of God."

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  I'm not sure the whole cosmos would be happy if I lost some weight but I do know I would be.====JACK:  The underlying question is not about the cosmos, or self...but what is God's will for my life?  That involves a variety of issues.

 FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  Good morning.  I wrote something in the WW, and thought it was probably "too much".  Just the same, I was inspired by the quote to write something...  I'll at least share it with you:
Buddhism offers a multitude of valuable lessons for Christians through its philosophy. The Buddhist philosophy was originally developed through the way or the life of the Buddha. Buddha wasn't a "god"; as his title confirms -- merely one who was "enlightened". Hence, Buddhism isn't a theology, but a philosophy of enlightenment.   It seems all great philosophers have been blessed with the gift of enlightenment to some degree. Maybe some more than others. I'm glad that they have shared their wisdom with the rest of us. Still, Solomon, a great philosopher himself, comments that Wisdom is torment; for it seems that the "love of wisdom" simultaneously exposes one to the destruction of decit and its widespread influence on the "unwise". "Ignorance is bliss" has a bit of truth in it when considering the costs that accompany wisdom or enlightenment.  Buddhism says that "life is suffering", and it is true if one sees only the world. For myself, the philosophers have sometimes helped me to understand and better apply the teachings of Jesus the Christ --- not just a great philosopher, but the Son of God, the Source of Life itself, and the Way of eternal life.  All philosophies and theologies develop certain religious rituals that indicate a sense or need to "search" for something that is beyond the reach of the casual or normal functioning. Christianity's rituals (religion) "bind" and "connect with" the Eternal Christ (communion). The rituals of other philosophies or theologies cannot make such a claim. Their theologies are different and, as such, their religions serve a different purpose. We can be thankful when that purpose brings harmony to the world rather than dissonance. We can be most thankful for being selected as a member of the Body of Christ, and rightly, behave in like manner with Him who commanded that we love one another as we have been loved by Him who loves us.  There it is. Thank you again for instigating worthy thoughtfulness and triggering my mind to focus on that which is important to consider. "For the simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps" (Proverbs14:15) comes to mind.====JACK:  Long or short...Good thought is worth sharing.  Even though I have philosophical and theological views, I realize that we know only "in part."  To become "fully aware" is something for the future.  At least, that's what my faith says to me.

 FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  That is all very good advice.  It must be harder in Michigan in the winter time.  We have just returned from Ann Arbor where we left 50 years ago.  Actually, the weather was OK but at times just as hot as Florida.  The MIchigan game was really hot but it was all fun.====JACK:  "Into each life some rain must fall."  That's why I enjoy the seasonal changes in Michigan.  Mark Twain wrote:  "If you don't like the weather in New England, just wait a few minutes."   I wonder if he ever visited Michigan.