Jack’s Winning Words 12/30/13
“Something good eventually emerges from something bad.  As a consequence, weaknesses often become strengths.”  (Australian Wisdom)  At age 6, Pete Gray lost his arm in a accident.  Despite his adversity, and with determination, he became a major league baseball player.  In one of his letters, St. Paul wrote: “By the grace of God, when I am weak, then I am strong.”  Have you experienced good coming from bad?    ;-)  Jack

 FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  Many, many times.====JACK:  Every athlete knows the truth of this quote..."You win some, you lose some.  But you live to fight another day."====GEORGE:  I'd also include small business owners, too.

 FROM MICHIZONA RAY:  A farmer's perspective of manure brings to light its potential value: a useful metaphor for that which we non-farmers might first perceive as something "bad" and something to be avoided. After we get past the initial discomfort, we can often experience its value. Don't you think?  ====JACK:   What a great example!  "Milorganite" is the result of the City of Milwaukee turning a waste product into a money-maker.

 FROM TARMART REV:  When I experience "the bad" earlier on w/o much embarrassment and consequence . . . it becomes a "good thing" later when tempted to do it all over again . . . I just smile within and think to myself . . . "been there, done that and not falling again for it!!" I'm not going to tell you what they were, Jack . . . I'll keep you guessing!! ====JACK:  You prove the truth of the quote..."Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future."

 FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Worry is my something bad. I know Jesus says not to worry that God gives us everything we need and people constantly advise me not to worry and to have faith and that makes me worry about my worrying and lacking faith. The worry doesn't seem to become good but the fact that it drives me to seek God, over and over and over again, and low-and-behold God always seems to come-by-here and provide for me and others so actually experiencing that so consistently--what an awesome God we have!!!!!!!!even worry becomes more and more like a little puppy nipping at my heels. I keep getting stronger and stronger and I think actually being able to "reframe" difficulties so pretty much all the time the bad morphs into good seemingly inevitably--the arc bends towards justice in the world--God's Kingdom.====JACK:  Keep on paying attention to Jesus.

 FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  I believe my 2006 heart attack, or myocardial infarction if you prefer, set me on a path to eventually lose 60 pounds and seek healthy eating habits. Though I waited about five years to get serious about it.  The event caused a bit of hopelessness, apathy, procrastination, and then eventually the correct response.  I am as Winston Churchill once said of Americans, "After exhausting every other possibility, they eventually do the right thing."====JACK:  If some had said to you, "Do you want to have a heart attack?" you probably would have emphatically responded, "NO!"   Sometimes the good is wrapped up in the bad.

 FROM BLAZING OAKS:  As John Steinbeck wrote,"What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness?"  The good is twice as appreciated after something bad has happened. I've read many, many stories which pointed out how something "bad" turned out to be a blessing, and have experienced this myself, as when I was "let go" from difficult middle school teaching position in a downsize, when I didn't yet have tenure, only to be hired to teach in a great school system, where I was much happier, and stayed over 20 years!  What seemed  a catastrophe, became a real blessing! And I met my BFF at that school..====JACK:  The movie, "It's A Wonderful Life," is another example..

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Most of my bads have been turned into blessings.  In fact, I can't really name one that hasn't.====JACK:  You and St. Paul seem to be in the same boat.

 FROM HS IN ILLINOIS:  Jack, on this subject, Romans 8:28 is a good word.====JACK::  Romans 8:28....'And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him ."  Ahh, One of my favorites!