Jack’s Winning Words 2/19/15
“A caring heart, a listening ear…A thoughtful word, a gentle tear…Will help to relieve the heavy load…Of weary souls along life’s road.”  (Dennis DeHann)  Some people have a way with words…giving a message in an entertaining way.  Do you have a favorite writer?  For me: Carl Sandburg, Sydney J. Harris, Edgar Guest, the writers of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes...there are so many.  Let’s be careful so that we don’t miss the message as we read.    ;-)  Jack

  FROM HONEST JOHN:  "are we weak and heavy laden cumbered with a load of care?" ====JACK:  I like the story behind that hymn, "What a Friend," ...a son writing caring words to his ailing mother in the form of a poem. 

FROM TARMART REV:  "Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter and Paul" . . . I know, sounding like "a cocky Pentecostal preacher!" 0;-/====JACK:  As they say on the street, "Its ok to be cocky if you're the shiznit."

FROM JE IN MICHIGAN:  I really like this quote today. It's apropos for the second day of Lent, that happens to be a frigid day that is deceiving with its bright sunshine. The pace of life is sometimes daunting; I catch myself doing tasks while I talk on the phone. Sometimes I'm even proud that I watered the plants, emptied the dishwasher and completed some emails while having a phone conversation (you can't do that on FaceTime)-- that's not "a listening ear." Real listening means we stop what we're doing and think about what the other person is saying -- NOT think about how we are going to respond. To answer your question: A few of my favorite authors/books of late include: Melanie Benjamin, The Aviator's Wife, William Landay, Defending Jacob; Sue Monk Kidd, The Invention of Wings and I'm listening for the third or fourth time to Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert.====JACK:  With regard to "doing" things while talking on the phone (or even face to face), I came across the quote today...""You can't fake listening.  It shows."  (Raquel Welch)

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  you are a good writer. like.====JACK:  Thanks for the writer comment.  It reminds that there's a letter that I have put off writing.  It's not terribly important, but I have procrastinated.  Right now I'm looking at the words posted beside my computer...JUST DO IT! ====LIZ:  if you were given a book of your life, would you read ahead?====JACK:  The temptation might be to take a quick peek, but I usually don't do that when reading an ordinary book.  But, since the future is unknown...Que sera, sera.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I'm a fan of Philip Yancy, and Anne LaMott, Doris Kearns Goodwin, David McCullough (sp?) and Walter Isaacson's biographies, Max Lucado, Francine Rivers, David Baldacci, Dianne Mott Davidson's  clever food mysteries, and about 100 others. We used to love reading Sydney Harris's columns, and have all of his books, too!  There are just so MANY good books in many different genres!!!  Developing the art of listening has been a lifelong goal!! Good WW, Jack!!====JACK:  I forgot to mention three "clever" authors that I like...O. Henry, Ogden Nash and Ashleigh Brilliant.