Jack’s Winning Words 4/25/15
“I speak for the trees, for the trees have no tongues.”  (Dr. Seuss)  Did you know that “arbor” is the Latin word for tree?  Did you know that the first Arbor Day in America was in 1872?  Have you ever heard “tree-hugger” used in a derogatory way?  Can “tree-hugger” be used positive-ly?”  In Detroit, acres of empty space is being transformed into a tree farm.  Can you think of other ways to creatively observe Arbor Day?    ;-)  Jack

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  A concentration of trees on the vacant urban land of Detroit...that's an excellent idea.  In time, when Detroit recovers, it will have its own urban forest to match Central Park, Hyde Park, Tiergarten or Bois de Boulogne.  Let the planting begin!====JACK:  People are also beginning to use empty next door lots for gardens, similar to the WW2 Victory Gardens.  More lots will open up as a demolition program continues.

FROM TARMART REV:  For me . . . I need to "brush up" on it . . . haven't given it any thought until this morning . . . I'm hugging a tree today, just because of you!!====JACK:  I think it was Martin Luther who was asked, "What if you knew that you were going to die tomorrow?"  He responded, "I'd go out and plant a tree."====REV:  BTW...while at Temple Kol Ami, our congregation planted a few trees in Jerusalem in their name as an act of gratitude for the opportunity of worshiping in their facility.  I had forgotten that before your e-mail.====JACK:  Jews, offering Christians the use of their building for use as a worship place...What a "holy" thing to do.

FROM PEPPERMINT MARY:  hug a tree!====JACK:  I wonder if anyone actually does that?

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  An increasing number of people we know are seriously concerned around Christmas time, what kind of Christmas tree they will have. One friend bought some kind of evergreen that they can keep continuously year-round in their living room. For a few years now we have had no Christmas tree because we are concerned to cut one down and don't like to anymore just toss it out in the garbage. And, because we are tree-huggers we don't particularly like plastic trees--that's sort of insulting to trees isn't it?  Thanks for starting us off this morning reflecting on the importance of trees in the world and in our lives.====JACK:  When I served a congregation in northern Wisconsin, some of the members made a living by raising and selling Christmas trees.  It was like farming.  In fact, their land was called a tree farm.  When they cut trees, they would also plant trees, much like the farmer who plants corn, harvests it, and plants again. 

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  "i think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree...."  as the song goes. I have lost seven trees on my property in the 20 years I've been here, due to tornado and old age.  Makes a big difference shade-wise!  The Reader's  Digest has a feature article about a  family who have replaced hundreds of redwood trees wherever they could be accommodated. They'll never see them mature, but  are investing in the future of the Earth!  God bless people who invest their time, money and talents to do projects like that!!====JACK:  I think that my favorite tree is a stately oak.  But, trees are living things, like people.  As the writer of Ecclesiastes says:  "For every thing there is a season." 

FROM SANDY B IN MICHIGAN:  This weekend there will be an Earth Day festival in Rochester, MI, along Main Street. Various environmental groups and vendors will be sharing info about how to protect the environment and to enjoy healthy living.====JACK:  I'll bet there'll be a lot hugging going on this weekend in Rochester.

FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER:  Years ago I saw a "Tree-hugger" ad that showed a mountainside of pine trees. Headline was, What the Sunday paper really costs." Never forgot it and I get my news electronically.====JACK:  The livelihood of many people depends on the paper industry.  Paper companies have extensive reforestation in order to maintain their supply of wood.  We like the morning paper so much that we subscribe to two of them.

FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  An "Off the cuff"contribution, I will check Google reforestation sources to see what is being done in Haiti (also California) where the denuding of trees (forests) has allowed mudslides to do such damages. ====JACK:  Every action has a re-action.