Jack’s Winning Words 12/17/14
“In the name of God, stop a moment, cease your work, look around you.”  (Leo Tolstoy)  Look around you right now.  Yes, stop and look!  Maybe it’s a person or a room or a cubicle or the out-of-doors.  Stop and look and appreciate.  Robert Louis Stevenson wrote: “This world is so full of a number of things.  I’m sure we should all be happy as kings.”  We live our lives from day to day, so often taking for granted the people and things that God has given.    ;-)  Jack

 FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  I would be happy if some of us would "look" when going through a round a-bout!  I think this might be one case where closing your eyes and praying you will get through may not be enough!====JACK:  I love round-a-bouts.  They allow traffic to move much more easily.  The bane is those who go too fast or too slow. 

FROM QUILTING CAROL IN RICE LAKE:  In last week’s Advent service, our lay pastor asks us to ‘stop, be still and listen’; to find a quiet place to be and ponder the coming birth of Jesus and know that God is with us.  For many of us that week we needed to hear those words as we served four funeral luncheons and had our W-ELCA Advent/Christmas luncheon.  We also thought of the families who had lost loved ones in the approaching Christmas time.  Added to these activities were other holiday parties, concerts, school programs, birthday parties and loved ones in hospitals involving the lives of the many men and women helping us serve those meals.  Yes, we do need to stop, look and appreciate what is before our eyes.  Be ever thankful for our families, friends and God’s ever presence in our lives.====JACK:  Sometimes, when we stop and look, we see more than we wanted to see.

FROM LP IN PLYMOUTH:  I recently "read" (listened to) a fictional interpretation of the biography of Robert Louis Stevenson. Quite enjoyable. I then listened to Treasure Island. :)====JACK:  You might look at getting Stevenson's, "A Child's Garden of Verses" for your children (and you).

FROM MEL IN WL: Thank you for the reminder!! I'm breathing now:)====JACK:  Steve H. says that one of the problem with having ALS has to do with breathing.  To be able to inhale is good, because it provides oxygen for the body.  When you have trouble exhaling, it's a major problem.  You have to get rid of the used air in order to receive the fresh air.  It is fatal, if you don't.  It's important to be able to inhale, too.  We take breathing for granted, until it becomes difficult for us.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  IT'S HARD TO STOP FOR A MOMENT AND CEASE OUR WORK, WHEN WE HAVE CARDS TO GET OUT, COOKIES TO BAKE FOR THIS AND THAT, SHOPPING TO  DO, PARTIES  AND CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS TO GET TO, ETC. ETC. WE'RE DANCING AS FAST AS WE CAN, AND BURNING THE MIDNIGHT OIL!!  GOOD REMINDER TO DRAW A  DEEP BREATH, AND KNOW THAT IN GOOD TIME WE WILL GET IT ALL DONE, AND SURVIVE!  THANK YOU, LORD, FOR STRENGTH AND ABILITY TO "LOOK AROUND US"!!====JACK:  When you're getting out those cards...STOP...Look at one of addresses and say a brief prayer for those people.  When you're baking cookies...STOP...Think back and remember for a fleeting moment, the experience of baking cookies with your mother.  When you're shopping...STOP...Steal a glance at the person waiting on you...Make it a point to say a personal comment to them.  You get the point.

  FROM SBP IN FLORIDA:  What a wonderful response you gave to BLAZING OAKS!
"How I love go up in a swing;;; Up in the world so high...."I read and reread RLS's A Child's Garden.....as a child and to my children. And I felt the "swing" poem when I climbed the birch trees and saw the "world" from a swaying branch. There are a lot of admonitions to "Stop and smell the roses.". And though our range of vision of the world decreases as we age, we do have memories to revisit and enjoy. Thank you for the thought for today!====JACK:  I always liked The Land of Counterpane, even though I didn't know what a counterpane was until I looked it up when I reread the poem as an adult.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Ah yes, this is a perfect time of the year to stop and look around at everything God has given us.  We have a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, a beautiful house filled with sparkling lights, wonderful friends and family and blessings upon blessings!  God is good..... all the time!