Jack’s Winning Words 12/27/13
“When there’s snow on the ground I like to pretend that I’m walking on clouds.”  (Ikkaku, Hosaka & Kawabata)  Pretending is lots of fun.  Sometimes it’s a child’s game.  At other times it can make the adult world tolerable.  One of the favorite Beatles’ songs is, “Imagine.”  What are some of your imaginations?  The Fiddler sang, “If I were a rich man…”  Pretend that you’d won the lottery.  How would that affect you?    ;-)  Jack

 FROM HAPPY TRAILS IN NOVA SCOTIA:  I did win the lottery, in 1966—I went to church and found Hannelore====JACK:  I agree!  What were the odds of finding someone like her?====HT:  one in several billion, providing only one can meet all of them====JACK:  Once you find the "pearl of great price," you stop digging.

 FROM  MICHIZONA RAY:  The good thing about having what one needs, is that one might take advantage of the opportunity to cease from seeking more. Once one has everything, (s)he has the opportunity to understand its vanity first-hand. If one already has one winter coat, would winning two more make that person any warmer? Those of us who have been blessed with much, can do much through that with which we have been blessed. We have already won the lottery of sorts, and now we get to share the blessings in a variety of ways! By the way, I don't look to our government for charity by legislation; nor for its involvement that corrupts what it touches. I think it better to "look to the hills" for the Spirit of Charity and the guidance of its fruitful direction. But, that's just my opinion. ====JACK:  When "common" charity does not reach the needy, the government (all of us) steps in to help...Social Security, Medicare, FEMA, food stamps, etc.  Most of us give to charity, but few give "until it hurts."  There was a Japanese Christian, Kagawa, who was known for never having a shirt on his back.  Whenever he was given a shirt for himself, he'd give it away to someone who was needier than he was.  Even if I won the lottery, I doubt that I would use it in the way that Kagawa would.====RAY:  As much as it was originally intended, the government is not "us" by any stretch of a wish that it were. If the government has to "step in" to provide what has not otherwise been provided, it is because of a lack of Charity; it is in no way an extension of it. It is by the cunning of deceit that the charitable people rely on the government for what has been conveyed to be charity. Just like the Pharisees, whose works were corrupted by their own spirit that served its own purpose, so does our government parallel the same. I suppose if I were to believe that Justice comes from the Law or the Courts, I might also believe that charity comes from the government. I don't think it is even close to being possible; but that's just my opinion.====JACK:  Like it, or not...perfect, or imperfect...the government is us.  That's what democracy is all about.  The Representatives are called representatives, because they represent us.  As an aside, do you think elected officials should vote "their knowledge of an issue," or should they vote according to the polling of their constituency?====RAY:  They haven't represented me for many years, I have written many times about how I preferred to be represented by them, and without exception, their responses have been with regard to what they think. I have clearly been in the minority. Nonetheless, I have never been able to understand how so many are so easily and repeatedly led astray by these who deceive for their election to office and for their sense of power.  We are a democratic republic, and as such, the imperfections of the system might be held at bay a little longer than a simple democracy. But in time, and without correction, the damage takes hold. I only wish my "representatives" did indeed represent me. They don't. Frankly, they cannot whilst they believe that God can be separated from them, us, and me.  To the issue of today's WW though: Charity is the work of the Church, by its members, who are members of the Body of Christ. We are His "representatives"; and to my mind, expecting "someone else" (like a government) to be and do charitable service is an abomination to what Charity truly is. Caesar confiscates the first fruits of our work through our taxed wages. Can you imagine if the religious organizations did the same with what is otherwise our tithe? Would either "contribution" be considered "free-will" offerings? I would say not. Charity cannot be forced upon us; nor can it be deferred to a government. I will not stand before God when He asks what I have done with my talents and claim governmental programs as my service. If so, I expect I will be cast away just like the servant who buried his talent in the same way. ====JACK:  The voters elect their representative.  That's how democracy works. Each representative has a designated constituency.  It is impossible to think that the one elected can vote, pleasing everyone who has voted...and not voted..

 FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I JUST  READ YOUR MENTION OF KAGAWA IN TODAY'S WW, AND REMEMBER WHEN HE WAS A LEADER AT THE AB NATIONAL  CONVENTION. SUCH A HUMBLE MAN. I REMEMBER HIS SAYING, "IT SAYS IN THE BIBLE THAT "JESUS WENT ABOUT DOING GOOD. I AM HUMBLED THAT I AM SO EASILY CONTENT TO JUST GO ABOUT...." HE PUT US ALL TO SHAME!!====JACK:  ....and he had to show his Christian love, often in an hostile environment. 

 FROM TARMART REV:  "I can only imagine!!"====JACK:  Do you mean that you've never bought a lottery ticket?====REV:  True story . . . Stopped for gas on a Sunday afternoon here in Willmar several years ago now . . . after I filled up, the cashier gave me a lottery ticket as they were giving one per fill-up or over so many gallons of gas . . . I asked him if he would explain how it works . . . he scratched it of for me and it said I got a free one . . . he thus gave me another, scratched it off again for me and behold I won $50.00 . . . I was so greedy I forgot to give him a tip . . . so officially I'm way ahead of the game . . . to the best of knowledge, I did buy one in West Bloomfield, thinking maybe God had given me the numbers in my sleep, finding out later it was the winning numbers from the time before. That's it. I heard a message on it one day explaining one could only win at the loss of countless others. I believe he called it coveting?!?! I'm now waiting for the next dream!!

 FROM TRIHARDER:  Actually, it was John Lennon without the Beatles.====JACK:  Picky, picky!  But, I guess that goes with being a lawyer.

 FROM PASTY PAT:  I'd have to be really careful to save a little for my travel fund because otherwise I'd give it all away.====JACK:  Would you splurge and travel first-class?

 FROM MOLINER JT:  Interesting thought. I don't believe anyone "knows" how they would be affected by a big winning. It wouldn't affect me at all, because I don't play any lotteries. However, it's fun to dream. ====JACK:  You never win, if you never play.  Of course, you never lose, either.  The odds of winning the recent mega-lottery were about 1 in 259 million.

 FROM CALUMET BOB:  Keweenaw County reports 141 inches have fallen thus far.  The clouds are thick up here.====JACK:  With that much snow, you're walking in the clouds.

 FROM RI IN BOSTON:  Little children are so easily satisfied...the simplest sort of "let's pretend" becomes exciting for them.  They get a lot of enjoyment from being "frightened" when they know the so-called monster scaring them is granddad.  To comment on winning the lottery, that good luck becomes double jeopardy...after you have the money, to find a safe way to hold on to it, or if you're giving it away, to distribute it prudently to some really deserving recipients.  In my situation now I'm satisfied with the status quo.====JACK:  Before a building can be designed, it has to be imagined.  Even God has to be imagined.  Winning the lottery is wishful thinking.  Actually winning it can turn out to be a nightmare.