Jack’s Winning Words 5/2/14
“A thing moderately good is not so good as it ought to be.”  (Tom Paine)  The old Sears mail-order catalog would rate items as good, better, or best.  A purchaser knew that something was “good,” but also that there was something “better,” or even, the “best.”  So is life.  Choices are before us. Is good enough, good enough?  Tom Paine is known for his treatise, “Common Sense.”  In life’s choices, let’s use common sense!     ;-)  Jack

  FROM HONEST JOHN:  Define. "Common Sense."====JACK:  I suppose it can mean different things to different people in differing situations...but for Tom Paine, I think it meant using words that spoke both to the common folk, as well as to the intellectuals, about the need for a revolution.  Ergo, common sense can mean putting thoughts into words that appeal to a broad populace.  Of course, one person's sense is another person's non-sense.  ====JOHN:  Your definition went all over the place and tells us that "common sense" is whatever folks want it to be.   Often a rationalization of their own strange behavior.====JACK:  You asked for my definition of common sense.  It is what we make it to be.  You might have asked me for my definition of God.  ====JOHN:  Relativism at its utmost.  W/o definitions.  Discourse is impossible.====JACK:  You've said stuff like this about me before.  Slippery Jack is my name.

FROM JK IN CALIFORNIA:  Jack, Thanks for all your winning words. I read them everyday, think about them and even share them with others. :)====JACK:  One of my favorite parables from the Bible is "The sower and the seed."  ...which reminds me of the old Gospel song...
Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,
Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;
Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain:
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;
Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,
Fearing neither clouds nor winter’s chilling breeze;
By and by the harvest, and the labor ended,
We shall come rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.
Refrain:

FROM TARMART REV:   . . . the "best" is always yet to come . . . but hopefully, "good enough" for today?!?! Even, better on Monday!!====JACK:  We must always be ready for the time when Monday doesn't come..====REV:  But..."Until then my heart will go on singing, Until then with joy I’ll carry on, Until the day my eyes behold the City, Until the day God calls me home!"

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  good is good enough, as long as you gave it your best.====JACK:  The word, good, is good when used as an opposite to the word, bad (or, evil).

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  This reminds me of an old Dear Abby column that I cut out and kept on file, "Good enough is not good enough!".  We can always do "better"!  In other words, don't be content with giving the minimum effort.  Common sense involves the practical, and it is amazing sometimes how we lack the sense we were born with!  Hopefully most of the time  our choices do involve common sense. We need to be sense-i-tive! :-)====JACK  I didn't think that we were "conceived and born" with common sense.  I thought that it was "conceived and born in(to) sin."

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  This discussion is reminding me of a discussion we had a couple of weeks ago in Bible study. Some of us were wondering if sort of a low level of sinning was perfectly human and we didn't need to "beat ourselves up over it". Like some people always apologizing for everything. Others of us were thinking more that even no low level of sinning was acceptable--little sins not paid attention to lead to bigger sins eventually. Someone was emphasizing the consequences of "pride" At least we came away from that Bible study realizing what we all were most concerned about and wonder if those of us who are "hardest" on ourselves had an impact on others who are very at ease with themselves and vice versa. Maybe we've all been able to grow to be better--because of being afraid of pride won't write "best" yet.====JACK:  I think the problem we face is trying to judge what is sin.  It is God who is  the ultimate Judge.  We have all sinned and fallen short...It's not whether sin is large or small.  We all are in need of God's grace.  I'm reminded of two people who tried to jump over a chasm, 10" wide.  One person could leap 9'-11", while the other could only jump 3'.  Who was the better leaper?

FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  I completely forgot about “good, better or best”  how did that get lost?  Sometimes that’s what we want to know.  Mom said, “you can’t have everything”!====JACK:  I always wanted the "best," but the "good" was usually good enough, but not usually as flashy!

FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  I really like the question "What is common sense?" Is it choice of behavior learned through personal and vicarious experience? Is it innate and/or intuitive? Is it taught? Is today's "common sense" the same as in prior periods of history? Is it theological or pragmatic? If I still had my "round table" what a discussion we could have! Thanks, again. ====JACK:   Tell me more about your Round Table.  It seems to be the perfect shape for questions that have varieties of answers, like "What is common sense?"