Jack’s Winning Words 2/28/18
“Happiness is a good bank account, a good cook and a good digestion.”  (Rousseau)  What Rousseau described as “happiness” in 18th century France is much the same as today.  What more would you want?  Well, he wasn’t happy with the political situation of his day, or with the inequality of wealth, and restrictions on liberty.  He was stressed--and died of a stroke at age 66, not as a happy fellow…except for the bank account, the cook and the good digestion.    ;-)  Jack

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Those things make for a comfortable life, alright, but don't alleviate stress, which we all have; For us with faith, and belief in the power of prayer, things might go more smoothly, which brings "happiness"!  I think we're all praying hard about the direction our gov't. is taking!!====JACK:  If I had my druthers, I'd rather choose living in today's world rather than in Rousseau's.  Each has its negatives.  The positives...enough money and enough food and to have people who care for us.  Those are certainly keys to happiness.  As for stress...I'll bet Adam and Eve had it while living in Paradise.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  What funny choices.  Good family and friends, good health (which should have been one of his choices evidently) and enough food and enough money would be my choices. Of course, I would love to have a cook.  But, we have enough...not necessarily what we want, but God has taken care of "Enough".====JACK:  I'm rethinking about what makes us happy... forget naming things.  Basically, it's freedom from worry that puts our mind at ease.
Elizabeth Cheney wrote:
Said the Robin to the Sparrow:  “I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings  Rush about and worry so.”
Said the Sparrow to the Robin:  “Friend, I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father  Such as cares for you and me.”
====JUDY:  Love it!  I will have to look up her book(s)!

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  Let's see, what else would I want...........people who love me, a high capacity to love and forgive, and being able to do what you love to do.  A better political situation would be right up there, too.  Good thing God is in charge.====JACK:  Let's see....I think that God was in charge in Rousseau's day, too.  George Herbert wrote a poem, "Gratefulness."  There's one line that's often used at Thanksgiving-time...
"Thou that hast given so much to me,  Give one thing more, a grateful heart."

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  jesus was poor, never bitched abt it...====JACK:  In the musical, Jesus Christ, Superstar, Mary Magdalene sings: "He's a man, he's just a man...In very many ways he's just one more."  How would you sing about Jesus?  Is he just a man?, or is he God in human form, letting us know that he identifies with us, rich or poor.  This Jesus Parable has always caused me to think...
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.  The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.’  But Abraham replied, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.’  He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my family, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.'  ‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’  He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”  What do you think that Jesus had in mind when he told this story?====LIZ:  Share

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  He obviously worried about too many things!====JACK:  Go back and Google: "Living conditions in 18th century France" and see if you'd worry as he worried.

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  This seems hackneded but the only enduring happiness is knowing Christ as Savior.====JACK:  You probably know  that the Church during Rousseau's life was far different than the Church  of today.  It was seen as aristocratic.  "Christ as Savior" would not occur to him.  We are products of our time.