Jack’s Winning Words 3/6/17
“Warren Buffet has always said the measure (of success) is whether the people closest to you are happy and love you.”  (Bill Gates)  The TV ad says that you might win $7000 a week for life.  Have you thought of winning that prize?  Rich men, Buffett and Gates, say that money is a poor measure of success.  Warren once took Bill for lunch at McDonald’s and paid the bill using coupons.  Friends do goofy things like that.  What’s your measure of success?    ;-)  Jack

  FROM LBP IN PLYMOUTH:  Our adult study yesterday had the topic of 'money.' One of the first questions was what does success look like. The group in the room all were 60+ (execpt me leading it) and their answers were all 'it's changed a lot over the years.' A question later was what does 'enough' look like.====JACK:  Even churches fall into the trap of equating success with measurables...the number of members...the giving level.  Here's an interesting idea.  At pledge time...Instead of just asking members for a  pledged amount of money for the next year, ask for a pledge of getting a new member for the church during the year (preferably a non-churched person).

FROM TARMART REV:  "Spending time with Jack on those rare occasions at Panera's in West Bloomfield, Michigan!!"====JACK:  It's being willing to pick up the tab without remembering (or caring) who did it last time.

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  True, true.====JACK:  Yes...but how did you measure success when you were running your business?  And, how did you measure success on the basketball court? ====GEORGE:  The balance sheet, new friends, employee attitude.====JACK:  I can see how that translates to basketball...the standing, the teammates and the team spirit (pos or neg).

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  This morning I was notified of the death of a longtime friend.  I got to know him when we were in graduate school together.  He was Scottish, with a charm and good humor that was enviable.  When we were in the UK we stayed at his home in his village in Scotland, and he stayed with us when he traveled here.  Once we went to lunch together and he ordered more than he could eat, so he asked if I would like to take some of it.  As a Scotsman he was frugal.  Then true to his heritage he expected me to pay for part of his meal.  As you said, "friends do goofy things like that."  I'm not sure what my measure of success is...but it isn't how much money you have. ====JACK:  Taking home someone's half-eaten leftovers is goofy.  Some friends of mine took me out for lunch and secretly told the waitress that it was my birthday (when it wasn't).  As we were finishing lunch the waitresses came to our booth with a lighted birthday cake and singing the birthday song.  Talk about goofy!  (BTW, they did pay for the cake.)

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:   He's right on target.  Money is nothing compared to love of family and friends.====JACK:  In Greek, the word for missing the target is translated, "sin."

FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH:  Happiness with a sense of accomplishment.====JACK:  Added to that is hearing the voice of God saying to you on Judgment Day: "Well done, good and faithful servant.  Enter into the joy of the Lord."

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  That was a topic in our SS. class yesterday!  As we've aged, "enough" has become much simpler. Wily Satan (and the TV. newspaper and magazine ads) is always whispering "you need a little more to be really happy" ...but if we can pay our bills, have enough to share some, have food and a roof over our heads, we are blessed! If you can travel a bit, and enjoy some recreational actvities, that is frosting on the cake, but not under the "need" column.  But love of family and friends, and respect of others, and reasonably good health, sure tops the list!  Interesting insight into W. Buffet and B.Gates!====JACK:  I remember, as a teen-ager, when I made my first pledge to the church.  It was $1 per week.  In my ministry we once had a tithe-test Sunday, when each member was encouraged to "tithe" their income for the week.  WOW!  The offering that week was significantly higher.  After the test, it was back to normal.

FROM ST PAUL IN MESA:  did i ever tell you that Margaret's nephew,  Douglas Anderson, was Buffett's chief legal counsel, for over 20 years.  he just retired in January.  has traveled the world with Warren.  knows him well, obviously, and has only good things to say about him.  among other things,  he is challenging the richest people in the world to give away at least half or more of their wealth.  Doug is a really good man too.====JACK:  In this case, the words from Jesus Christ Superstar can apply to Warren Buffett,,,"He's a man  He's just a man."  But, he's a good man.

FROM CHESTER THE GOOD:  Warren Buffet was asked why he bought Union Pacific and replied that his dad wouldn't  buy him a train set when he was a kid.====JACK:  I tend to think that you're into writing fiction.