Jack’s Winning Words 11/3/16
“Only the hand that erases can write the true thing.”  (Meister Eckhart)  Before ballpoint pens, when I was in school, we used #2 pencils, with erasers .  My eraser always seemed to wear out before the pencil.  In Meister E’s mind, that was a good thing.  Only the perfect God is able to use a pencil with no eraser.  Don’t be discouraged by life’s mess-ups (sins).   God is a God of 2nd chances as this poem expresses it…  : https://www.wattpad.com/290000064-poetry-to-guide-you-the-new-leaf         ;-)  Jack

FROM HONEST JOHN:  I do the NY Times Crossword n pen...makes you think before you put in any old answer....====JACK:  I, too, do crossword puzzles (not NY Times) with ink.  Instead of using an eraser, I just overwrite the correct letters.  It looks messy, but that's a parable of life. ====JOHN: Don't see many young people who do the crosswords anymore...wonder if they will become relics?====JACK:  My daughter Beth does them.  I used to see a bishop do the Tribune one during Augustana College Board meetings.

FROM MY LAWYER:  However, most good country club's golf courses have pencils without erasers.  That's so an entered score cannot be altered.  The person keeping score had better be accurate!!!  I remember about 40 years ago when the first South American golfer apparently won the Master's Tournament; but, then was disqualified for writing in a wrong score on a hole.  He erroniously entered a higher score for a hole than he actually played.  Nevertheless, he was disqualified.  I don't think that has happened since in a big tournament.  Wouldn't an eraser have been handy!!!====JACK:  The only time I really cared about what score I put down was when I got a hole in one.

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  That poem, "The New Leaf", expresses so tenderly the grace of God, bearing with us, and encouraging us to keep trying to be better.  It seems the well of forgiveness is infinite.====JACK:  Standing before God on Judgment Day...more than my lip would be quivering.
====RI:  Me too, Reverend.  So I would like you to be with me as my advocate.====JACK:  One of the nicknames for Jesus is, Advocate.

FROM GUSTIE MARLYS:  I ALWAYS use a pencil.  Now Clem on the other hand did crossword puzzles with a pen!!====JACK:  I usually wrote my sermon notes in pencil.

FROM BB IN ILLINOIS:  Great thoughts. Love it.  Why did I think  your winning words were going to be “Cubs Win”!?====JACK:  I live in the Eastern Time Zone, so I went to bed before, "Cubs Win...Cubs Win!"  I stopped watching in the 6th inning.

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  Time was a thief  Turn over a new leaf.  Make this one better  Be a go getter.  God will give you a hand  And all will be grand.  Turn over a new leaf  And give Him your belief====JACK:  Good thoughts!  Did you compose this?

FROM QUILTING CAROL:  Thank God that He’s gives us forgiveness and grace.====JACK:  Were you ever "allowed" to clean the erasers in school?  Cleaning today's whiteboard wipers is more complicated, so they're generally thrown away...another job lost to technology.

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  Having a pencil with an eraser on your golf cart can do wonders for your golf scores as well.  God is the best at giving mulligans.====JACK:  Without Mulligans there'd me no one in heaven.  One story says that it originated with David Mulligan, one-time manager of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.  He was playing golf with a group of friends and hit an errant drive.  He teed up another ball and called it a correction shot.  The friends decided to rename it a Mulligan.

FROM CS IN ROYAL OAK:  I gave my grandchildren and other younger children each an EARaser shaped like an ear--pretty funny.====JACK:  Their friends might be accused of bullying if they said, "You have a funny looking ear."

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  What a beautiful poem and a Grace-filled God!!!====JACK:  It's a poem with picture words.