Jack’s Winning Words 1/29/18
“There, but for the grace of God, go I.”  (John Bradford)  As Larry Nassar walked out of the courtroom last week, I thought of Bradford’s 16th century words, spoken as he watched criminals walk to the gallows.  What is it that keeps us from walking that walk?  What is it that determines the choices that we make?  Nature of nurture?  I’ll always be grateful for those who taught me right from wrong.  But ultimately, “free will” says that the choices I make are mine.    ;-)  Jack 

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  We all need all the help we can get-especially the grace of God👍 ====JACK:  Seen, or unseen, our faith assures us that God is always with us.====SHIRL:  We were so lucky 🍀 to have grandparents and parents with such strong faith. It is much harder these days with our crass culture ====JACK:  Just a reminder...you are now the parent, the Gparent and GGparent, the someone who is sharing the faith.====SHIRL:  And I ❤️ it all don't u?====JACK:  Yes

FROM SF:  My grandfather said this all the time. So do I. Thanks for the reminder! ❤️====JACK:
Like it, or not, teachers and preachers are looked upon as paragons.  Sometimes that's a heavy burden to bear, but it goes with the job.====SF:  Teachers...not so much any more. Still awfully proud of what we did, though!!

FROM GJ IN WI:  Good 😊 morning Jack!  How are you doing! K and I often share your words to start our day.  " But for the grace of God..."  is something my mother taught me and it started me on the path of compassion and humility.  I'm curious. The time stamp on your Winning Words is often deep in the night. Do you stay up late, wake up really early or is it an automatic post?   Things here are great. K& I are both officially retired. After 8 years of taking Interims etc. I'm DONE.   Love waking up to your words and the delicious irony of you still mentoring me after all these years.  ====JACK:  First...It's good to hear from you again.  Second...It's my feeling that "the grace of God" (together with our right choices) has kept us out of many troubling situations.  There's a song, titled, "My God and I."  In some ways it's syrupy, but the point is that God is active in our lives.  I like the 3rd stanza..."My God and I will go for aye together,  We'll walk and talk just as good friends do;
This earth will pass, and with it common trifles,  But God and I will go unendingly.
This earth will pass, and with it common trifles,  But God and I will go unendingly."  ...Finally, I try to send out Winning Words so that they are among the first words that people see on the screens in the morning.  Maybe it's habit, but I do wake up in the middle of the night.  Rather than toss and turn, I send out the WWs (if it's after 3 am...midnight on the west coast) and then go back to bed to resume tossing and turning.  I remember going into Detroit with you and seeing the neighborhood where you grew up.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  These were also (supposedly) the words of Billy Sunday, when he passed a drunk sprawled in a gutter.  Sometimes it seems like a seemingly innocuous decision turns out to have life-long consequences, either positive of negative. Some H.S .friends of Bill's, as Seniors, got the bright idea one night, of climbing his hometown  water tower, and painting the class graduation date, and their initials on it. Bill tried to talk them out of it, to no avail, and he decided not to participate, and went on home. they were caught "desecrating public property"...expelled from school, not allowed to graduate with their class, One young man who was an outstanding athlete, from a poor and unstable family, lost his college scholarship, since he didn't graduate, and ended up going down a path that led to incarceration for several years.  Oh, to have that few minutes back, to reconsider...!  They knew right from wrong, but as you say, with free will, chose poorly! ====JACK:  A seemingly "harsh" punishment for a high school prank.  From my point of view, I think that it could have turned into a more positive learning experience.  As I've said before, "The Greatest Generation" tended to see things as black and white...right is right and wrong is wrong, and you have to pay the consequences.  The fact remains that "free will" can be a dangerous gift. ====OAKS:  The Chief of Police insisted on severe consequences. The guys could graduate at the end of the summer, if they publically apologized for their "illegal act", which most did, and went on to college (or jobs) but this guy,backed by a couple of rowdy brothers, refused to comply...:-( ====JACK:  At least "grace" was offered.  It's the same with God's grace.  It's offered, but whether you take it or not is up to you.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Evil is strong in this Fallen world.  Temptation is at our finger tips.  It’s so very easy to think you can handle it, but for the Grace of God, we go there!  Somehow good people get caught up in bad stuff.  Not sure why.====JACK:  "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God."  The difference is to rely on the grace of God.  "God, be merciful to me, a sinner."

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  I read once that there is a certain common strain in the DNA of serial killers.  The author said he had that, but that the love and caring he had in his childhood allowed him to overcome that tendency.  I agree that we all bear the responsibilities of our choices, but also that we are the products of our environment and that people can change/repent and make better choices going forward.  Chuck Colson might be an example of that.  Thank God that it is never too late to repent. ====JACK:  The bottom line is that sin is personal, an individual's need for God's grace.  Society make one sin worse than another...but, sin is sin.  There is no DNA that I know of that shows anyone to be sinless.