Jack’s Winning Words 3/9/17
“Many problems in life are caused because we act without thinking or because we think without acting.”  (Unknown)  Have you ever written a computer message to someone, hit “Send”, and immediately regretted doing so?  ThinkThink!  Even worse is to choose to do something without thinking of the consequences.  StupidStupid!  On the other hand, there are times for immediate action.  Luther once said, “How soon, not now, becomes never!”    ;-)  Jack

FROM SHALOM JAN:  "How soon not now becomes never."  No commas necessary, nor present, in this quote.  Glad to see it used today!!  I was on the phone last night till 12:30 a.m. with a man I'm helping to mentor into seminary (he lives in another time zone so it was only 11:30 for him).  He has puttered around with these ideas for years and there are now three wise women urging him that NOW is the time to act!  One of those women is on the candidacy committee of his synod of residence, so, in a way, he should already know he's an acceptable candidate or she wouldn't have been spending her time consulting with him.  Thanks, Jack, not just for today but for every day of your "Winning Words"!====JACK:  Someone recently re-translated Luther's "How soon not now..." for me, using
these words: "You snooze, you lose."

FROM HONEST JOHN:  I think that happens way too often when we are in our cars on the street. ====JACK:  Not only inattentive driving, but inattentive living, too.  "A mind is a terrible thing to waste."

FROM TARMART REV:  I tangle at times with being in a hurry to reply to someone's request and having spell-check helping by applying its interpretation of my misspelled word . . . wishing I had taken an extra moment to check what I had said again before realizing what I just inappropriately "sent"!====JACK:  Slow me down, Lord... Let me take time to "smell the roses," to appreciate all this world has to offer.

FROM RJP IN NAPLES:  One thing I have learned is to write angry responses in draft mode and put them away for a day to settle. Often they never get sent. Unfortunately the written word can never convey inflection or facial reaction and is also more easily misinterpreted. Older, wiser means don't react, let things settle and have a clearer view at another time. Good lesson today!!!!====JACK: I don't TWEET, either.  It's too much "spur of the moment" thinking.  In fact, I often pause before I write a response to a Winning Words response.  I try to be sensitive the other person's feelings (most of the time).====RJP:  How come you aren't  sensitive to mine???????? You seem to have great pleasure in giving me the occasional jab........ Oh well if you can't jab your friends who can you jab?????====JACK:  You're a target too big to miss.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Such wise advice! As Michel de Montaigne observed, "We can be knowledgeable with another person's knowledge, but we cannot be wise with another person's wisdom"...!  We have to monitor our own thoughts and actions, and often experience makes us wiser in that regard !  Good Luther quote I had gleaned from your blog before, and used with my S.S. lesson! Keep the  WW coming!====JACK:  Knowledge and wisdom are "a different breed of cat."  See if your Bible Study group knows that expression.  And, don't forget Paula Poundstone.