Jack’s Winning Words 6/1/16
"Be pleasant until ten o’clock in the morning and the rest of the day will take care of itself.”  (Elbert Hubbard)  The home address for Reader’s Digest is Pleasantville, NY.  Do you suppose the people in Pleasantville are pleasant, or the people in Crab, VA are crabby?  In large part, it depends on how we’ve been raised…and on our circumstances, too.  E.H. suggests that if we start out the day by being pleasant to others, it’ll continue to be a nice day.  Try it!    ;-)  Jack

FROM TARMART REV:  Pleasantly happy to receive your 'winning words" this morning...the rest of the day should be "a piece of cake" to walk through!!====JACK:  You always seem so happy.  Do you ever get up on the wrong side of the bed?====REV:  Funny you would ask-- it is always on the "left side" . . . that would make me a conservative, I suppose!! Can't go too far as I would hit the wall!!====JACK:  Maybe I should ask your wife.

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  Life is reciprocity, chapter 26 in my book.====JACK:  How do you respond when your pleasantness isn';t reciprocated?====HG:  It depends. But I don't do the "Don't get mad; get even."  Mostly I pray for them and for myself to understand that person better.  It's ironic how many persons have become friends thru prayer.

FROM MT IN PENNSYLVANIA:  So true, Jack. And if it were true about the people in Pleasantville and Crab, one hesitates to think what that would mean for the people in Hell, MI.====JACK: There's a sign in Hell..."The beer in Hell is safer than the water in Flint."

FROM HONEST JOHN:  I start out each morning out in the gardens...work there for over an hour...great way to start the day...sets the tone====JACK:  How does the pleasantness compare to that of working in the family garden when you were a kid?====JOHN: Loved it then, too

FROM HUNGRY HOWIE:  Readers Digest reminds me of my late father-in-law. He always read it and he I and Sue (before we were married) would do the word definition quizzes. It’s always interesting what will bring out a memory.====JACK:  In my high school English writing class we used Reader's Digest as a textbook.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i always liked this joke:   the woman says,  sometimes i wake up grumpy.  other mornings i just let him sleep!:)  btw,  what do people feel like in Hell, North Dakota.  hot and miserable??  i think there really is such a place.====JACK:  I don't know about Hell in N.D., but here is a Hell in Michigan and also a Paradise.  I've been to both places and like Paradise better.

FROM JD IN THE TWIN CITIES:  Jack, John Pearson was the Pastor of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Pleasantville and did a terrific job.The congregation had the best music and was known for it's singing.The succeeding Pastor ruined the congregation and all John had accomplished. After two plus years he was gone. John married a widow who attended Upsala. He was a fine Pastor. ====JACK:  You've jogged my memory.  I recall that he was a pastor in Pleasantville.  I also remember that he was a great musician.  Didn't he also have a musical brother?  Thanks for the "pleasant" recollections!

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  How sweet.  My grandma read Readers digest her whole life or at least as far back as I can remember.  I always read those Digests and she always saved them.  I ordered after she passed on and I don't think I ever missed a copy.  I imagine if you were happy till 10 you'd stay happy!====JACK:  I always read the "Laugh" items first in the Digest.  The, I'd move on to the "Word Quizzes."  There were no ads in the "old" days.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Reminds me of the little humorous monologue of the person in prayer, who said, "Lord, I thank you for a bright and beautiful day so far, I have a thankful heart, positive thoughts, I haven't been unkind to anyone or said hurtful things, but now, its time to get up, out of bed, and I will need your help!" It certainly can't hurt to have a pleasant  start to the day. Let's go for it!====JACK:  When I was a kid, there was a radio program which always began with this song:  "Roll out of bed in the morning with a great big smile and a good, good morning.  Wake up with a grin, there's a new day a'tumbling in."

FROM FM IN WISCONSIN:  From a very dear friend, and a very devout Roman Catholic.  "Yes, I guess it works---- because attitude rules!  Hannelore"====JACK:  Yes, It's good to hear that it works for her!   FROM FM IN WISCONSIN:  A response from our former Presiding Bishop, which I thought I had to share.   "Fred - I tried Jack's advice one day not long ago. I was pleasant until 10 a.m. In fact, I even made it to 11!. But guess what? It didn't last. So once more I had to confess at the end of the day: "I have not loved you above all things, nor my neighbor as myself." But guess what? I'll try again tomorrow and the next day ... and the next..and the next....knowing I'll never succeed.
Herb"====JACK:  This response sounds like it comes from Sisyphus.  I try to send out "winning" words each day, knowing that it's next to impossible to always be upbeat when we find ourselves in "down" situations.