Jack’s Winning Words 6/30/14
“Gooooaaaallll!”  (Andrés Cantor)  Cantor is the Spanish-speaking commentator who is famous for his loud, drawn-out announcement of a soccer goal being scored.  I attended a graduation ceremony for 2nd chance kids.  As each received a diploma, there were loud shouts from family members and friends.  A goal had been reached.  Perhaps there are people you know who could benefit from an encouraging word.  “Gooaall!”    ;-)  Jack 

FROM TRIHARDER:  I gave a card yesterday.  Drew in three empty check boxes:
First box, "Graduate High School"
Second box "Graduate College"
Third box, "Get off the family payroll.
I put a check mark in the first box.
====JACK:  What a great card for a graduate.  I'd like to find one like that.

FROM DEACON ROBERT:  Your word for today aligned with parts of my message yesterday which was based on the gospel of Matt. 10:34-39.  I used the US Soccer team's "losing while yet winning" as the illustration.  Focus was having a one gooooal loss in the world, turn into a win.
Loosening ourselves from the world is not a loss, but a win when we put Christ as our goal.
Your word today simply re-emphasized the message.====JACK:  When the woman at the well answered to Jesus, "Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table," I wonder if, in a modern translation, he might respond, "Goooaaalll!"?====ROBERT:  Now that is a deep thinking translation... wow!====JACK:  I think it makes the point….GIRL, YOU GOT IT!

FROM TARMART REV:   “Gooaall!” . . . most certainly would call that a Christ-like expression along life's way!! Hopefully I'm not found being in a position of a... "goalie"!?!?====JACK:  The one who is cheered is the one who scores.  On second thought, the goalie who is a good defender is also cheered.  I guess it depends on which team you're on.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Life is surely made up of goals, and our children, "grands" and "great-grands" need models more than  critics! Bill was the first in his extended family to get a college degree,  (I did as well) and I think that influenced our four children, and 8 "grands' to realize this was an  expectation for them, all of whom have at least their BA's and most with advanced degrees!  We, as parents never dreamed of graduating "Magna Cum Laude" and Summa Cum Laude, as all but 2 of our progeny did!! GOAAAAAAAL! Indeed!   I've had the privilege of encouraging my students, and church young people, but there is always so much more to do...Goaaaaal!  Good word!!====JACK:  A phrase that I use for my grandchildren (after extending congratulations for their accomplishments) is, "Remember the poor!"  ====OAKS:  AND I'LL BET THEY DIDN'T EVEN NEED THAT REMINDER, WITH YOU AND MARY AS ROLE MODELS...THEY PICKED THAT UP ALONG THE WAY.  I SEE OUR KIDS AND GRANDKIDS HAVE A SERVANT'S HEART, BECAUSE THEY ALSO PICKED THAT UP AS THEY GREW UP. MANY HAVE HAD THE  OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL AND SEE HOW WEALTHY WE  ARE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COUNTRIES, WHICH IS A LESSON, AS WELL!====JACK:  One of my "favorite" Bible stories is about the rich man and Lazarus.  Many crooked things will be made straight...in heaven.

FROM STARRY KNIGHT:  That is so nice you went to a second chance graduation ceremony!!====JACK:  2nd Chance Graduations are impressive to me, because they often are for individuals who have successfully climbed difficult mountains in their life.

FROM DMF IN MINNESOTA:  Good one.====JACK: Bob Feller said, "Every day is a new opportunity. You can build on yesterday's success or put its failures behind and start over again. That's the way life is, with a new game every day, and that's the way baseball is."   That's the way it is with trying to put out a winning Winning Words each day. ====DMF:  One of the guys I used to play baseball with said “you’re only as good as your next at bat”