Jack’s Winning Words 3/21/18
“If you have a life and a garden, you have everything.”  (Cicero)  When all else fails, one of the ways to disparage other people is to yell, “Get a life!”  OK, what is “a life” for you?  What is it that inspires you…that makes you want to get out of bed each day?  Cicero evidently saw his garden as one of those things.  For me, it’s going to the computer and magically getting in touch with people,,,family and friends.  YOU inspire me!  After that, it’s a cup of Sumatra.    ;-)  Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  👍====JACK:  I like the "thumbs up," and what is it that you like?

FROM GOPHER LYNN:  I’m a Caribou Coffee person myself – but love a good cup of JAVA! ====JACK:  I liked Caribou, too, but they pulled out of our area...I think they had some financial difficulties.  Sumatra is a dark roast...not for "breakfast blend" people.  We'd appreciate a few March Madness cheers for the Wolverines.

FROM JE IN WLCSD:  – the cup of Sumatra and some dark chocolate. I agree with Cicero – life and a garden -- just wish the gardening season would start. I love seeing my iris and poppies come up and especially my forsythia, lilacs and azaleas blooming. And of course, my magnolia tree!!! What inspires me is authentic people helping others. That’s why I love our principals and teachers who really care about kids and families. Thanks for reminding me how blessed I am. We are coming up to Holy Week and I have a lot to confess and to be thankful for.  Take care Jack – spring weather is coming – I feel it!!!====JACK:  The cycle of seasons is so pronounced in Michigan...people enjoying the summer and complaining about the heat, enjoying the fall and complaining about cold days, enjoying winter sports and a white Christmas and complaining about the snow and below zero temps, enjoying the melting snow and the budding trees and plants and complaining about the potholes.  Each year, it's the same song.

FROM RJP IN NAPLES:  Could not agree more. And you inspire me everyday.  I just sent sent a message to a friend who has not communicated with me since the Trump election as they are strong liberals. I asked to have lunch soon to talk about family and laugh together over all the things we enjoy together,. Life is short and my father was my inspiration regarding the simply things are the best to be appreciated and enjoyed. A nice meal a glass of wine and laughter with friends an people you care about. My dad Never would dwell on disagreements but rather happy relationships. That is why he NEVER and I mean NEVER had an enemy. I only wish I was that good.  Thanks Pastor for charging my batteries.====JACK:  How did you acquire your "salesman-type" personality?  Was it from a parent/grandparent?  It's interesting how some basic qualities become part of our persona.  There's only ONE RJP that I know of.  God must have thrown away the mold.====RJP:  Thank you, I think??? I have always said good salesmen have one quality in common. Not personality but integrity. That is what shows through to customers. I would like to believe  have that quality. But I do appreciate that there was only ONE MOLD, however God improved it greatly when he made my son.is an incredibly good, generous salesman and a special man of faith.====JACK:  In The Music Man it was said about Harold Hill that he was a good salesman, because "he knew the territory."  He knew what the people wanted to make them happy, and it was his job to make them happy.  Some thought he didn't have the ingredient you mentioned....integrity.  But, he changed.

FROM STARRY KNIGHT:  I'm glad you have that and that we inspire you back because you surely inspire hundreds of people every day!!====JACK:  What a difference the years can make.  When I retired in 1992 I never dreamed that I would still be preaching today, in a new way, reaching far more people every day that I ever did once a week preaching in a pulpit.====SK:  Wow... that is truly amazing and remarkable! And wonderful!!!!!

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Just enjoying each beautiful day and my family and friends. Everyone knows that I have no green thumb and I get lots of artificial flowers====JACK:  Does the everyday blooming season in Floria ever get boring?====SHIRL:  Not to me but I am very thankful for air conditioning when summer comes although we have had lots of 80 degree days this winter ====JACK:  Sometimes we use A/C in the summer, too.  No 80 degrees this winter for us.  ====SHIRL:  It snowed on may 23 or 26 in Ann Arbor the year we moved to Tampa-1963 ====JACK:  Snow in Michigan in May...Not that unusual.  It keeps the heat away.

FROM SANDY IN MICHIGAN:  Thank you for your “Winning Words,” Pastor Freed. They are a faith-filled way to start the day.====JACK:  I remember the morning glories that bloomed in our yard.  The flowers close at night and miraculously reopen in the morning...something like my lifestyle with WWs.

FROM LBP:  It’s a good question to reflect on. Getting caught in the day-to-day can make life float by. What is important to be doing on a bigger time scale? I had my first meeting as a mentor of a junior faculty member yesterday and I asked her to think about what she wanted her career to look like in 5 years so we can work back and make sure she is taking steps to get there and not just meandering.  Afterward it got me thinking ... what do I want my career to look like in 5 years? ... hmmm ...====JACK:  I've often advised Pastor friends to re-examine their ministry every 3 to 5 years/  People change.  Situations change.  A regular review of our personal life is a good idea, too

FROM DB:  I like this , Jack!  Gardening is one of my favorite things. English Gardens has cold-tolerant pansies on sale right now.  Nothing says Spring like pansies on the porch (I also like daffodils, too).  I would like to learn the fine arts of Pruning and Rose propagation!====JACK:  Jack-in-the-Pulpit is one of my favorite flowers.====DB:  Yes, I agree, those are really fascinating!
LOL Jack in the "pulpit"  ....you are Jack, and where does a Pastor stand? (in the pulpit!)  😊

FROM BEECEE:  Had to look up Sumatra! Assumed it was coffee, but wondered about it. Am meeting Lynn at Starbucks this morning. Maybe I’ll get a cup of Sumatra!====JACK:  It ain't for everyone, but I like my coffee strong.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Family, friends, good books, meaningful work (or volunteering, at this point!,) and yes!  a good cup of coffee is right up there ! :-) Great music is, too. driving to Chicago this weekend to enjoy Chicago Chorale's Requiem, by Mozart. Sarah will be performing in it. Always awesome music!====JACK:  As the old saying goes:  You don't let any grass grown under your feet.  How long has it been since you've heard someone say that?

FROM RI IN BOSTON:  Pardon me, Cicero, but I think it should be "If you have a wife and a garden, you have everything."  At least that was what made my life really satisfying.  And what makes me want to get out of bed every day...well, to have breakfast.  It's one of my great pleasures to have a good breakfast every day, sitting across from that wife I mentioned above.  And a cup of Sumatra magnifies the pleasure.  I hope everyone manages to "get [such] a life!"====JACK:  Much has been written about Cicero...so much that we hardly know that his was married to Terentia (a modern day feminist)  Their long marriage was not exactly a happy one.   I don't think that they did much sitting across from one another, drinking Sumatra.  Hers is an interesting story.====RI:  You have an uncanny grasp of so much diverse information.  I'm going to make you my "go to guy" when I'm stymied by something.  You always have some little gem of knowledge to share with everyone.
About breakfast and a cuppa joe, if Hiroko chose to sleep in every so often, I always had a fall-back position...to meet you for breakfast at ____________(now what was the name of that place)?====JACK: I think that the coffee shop we went to was Joey’s, now named the Early Bird.  Talk Times with friends have happened in many places through the years…Cozy Corner, Franks, Ellens, Sunnys, Leezas, the Purple Pickle, the Maple House, the Gallery, the Ram’s Horn, Leos, the Palace, Big Boy, Tim Hortons, Boskos, the Scrambler, Dawn Donuts, Dunkin’s Donuts, Starbucks, Einstein’s, Caribou, Skippers….WOW!  That’s a lot of coffee and a lot of talk and a lot of friends.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  When I’m able, I enjoy make my cards for friends and family, scrapping our trips and days with the family and working in my gardens.    And...reading your daily inspirational and thought provoking words.====JACK:  Is your farm a farm in name only, or do you raise crops?  Is your garden for flowers or vegetables or both?

FROM INDY GENIE:  I love spending time in my garden....can’t wait for the hastas to start peeking up! I’m like a kid ....I get really dirty...head to toe! And I love the first sip of the first cup of coffee in the morning! (The following sips are good too)====JACK:  I'm not a gardener, but I love what the gardens produce, the flowers and the vegetables (especially the tomatoes for the BLTs).  That's right, you only eat LTs (or is that your sisters?)====GENIE:  Oh no...I go all the way BLT! That is one of my favorite parts of summer...a REAL tomato plus the B and L:)