Jack’s Winning Words 11/4/16
“That’s football!  That’s why I hate football.”  (Archie Manning)  The shape of a football makes it bounce in crazy and unexpected ways,,,hence the expression, “That’s the way the ball bounces.”  You can love the game, or hate it.  Life is something like that, often depending on the bounces.  In the game and in life, much depends on how you react to the bounce.  I wonder if God purposely designed life to be like a football?  What do you think?    ;-)  Jack

FROM TARMART REV:  ...somewhat like the game of golf...the ball flies higher and farther at times before it comes back down to earth; pulled left and right and out of bounds on occasion; found in a trap or two ever-so-often; and, at the end of every round on a normal course has been picked up and out of a total of 18 holes!!====JACK:  ...or like in "your" sport of bowling.  A good or bad game can depend on the bounce of the pins.  Why do bowlers twist and turn after rolling the ball..thinking that their movements are going to affect the bounce of the pins?====REV:  Now your asking for our top secrets in the game-- it's all for show, Jack!!

FROM CR IN MICHIGAN:  It sure keeps it interesting!====JACK:  Life is far more interesting than a football game.

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:   Total stitches in each? 108 stitches...something to ponder.====JACK:  108 stitches in a baseball, too....and the Chicago Cubs just won their first World Series in 108 years.

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  It teaches us to never take things for granted...they could go the other way. ====JACK:  I once played golf with someone who had never played the game before.  After the first hole I secretly substituted an off-center ball for his.  He couldn't figure out why his shots wouldn't go straight.  When he putted, the ball would bounce in crazy ways on the green...once actually bouncing into the hole.  He let out a scream of triumph, while the rest of us were rolling on the ground.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  did you see the Kevin Turner (not sure about his name) died yesterday at 46 years old from brain trauma caused by his  years in the NFL?====JACK:  Baseball players now wear helmets, but, before they were mandated, I was at a game in St. Paul in 1953  and saw Don Zimmer get hit in the head with a pitched ball.  I'll never forget the sound of that.  He woke up two weeks later.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Life hands us the bounces.  He's our coach and his goal is to Guelph us through "The goalpost of life"!====JACK:  I don't know what "guelph" is, but God sometimes turns bad  bounces into touchdowns.====JUDY:  Punt.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  We all just have to try to make this a better world.  Everything happens for a reason.  As we grow older don't you think that it is important to keep learning and keeping busy with good things?  My 5 children and their families and their 18 grandchildren keep me busy and what is up to date.  My classes at OLLI at USF are eyeopening too.  My classes this semester are Tampa Black History and Science:What a Wonderful World.  Life is busy and interesting and a blessing. ====JACK:  I like the commercial tagline..."A mind is a terrible thing  to waste."  It started out 3 decades ago as way of encouraging "negro" students to attend college.  Now, it applies to education in general...like the opportunities that you take advantage of.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I didn't know that's where the expression "that's the way the ball bounces" came from, but 'tis appropriate!   Having a husband and 3 sons who loved playing and watching football, I became a addict, too!  (right now, however, I'm on cloud nine over the CUBBIES victory!! My mom was a life-long Cub fan...)      Bill often likened living the Christian faith to playing in ball games...We have to stay alert to "catch the ball" and carry it to the Goal...and it usually involves team effort! We need each other! Interesting WW  today!!====JACK:  I like the quote, because it comes from Archie, a great football player and the father of Peyton and Eli.  I think that he's implying that football can be a frustrating game, at times.  "We shoulda won that game, but the ball took a crazy bounce."

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  God must like football. He created pigs.====JACK:  Did you know that footballs are made out of cowhide, not pigskin?  But, God did create cows, too.