Jack’s Winning Words 1/28/19
“I you’re happy, and you know it, you might be in Finland.”  (Christian Century excerpt)
The United Nations recently declared Finland to be “the happiest of all the nations.”  Is it their good economy?..their good social services?..their many heavy metal bands?..a general satisfaction with life?..or maybe it comes from sitting in the sauna.  How do you read America’s happiness? I sense a lack of satisfaction.  Perhaps we need more saunas…or is it something else?   ;-)  Jack

FROM LBP:  "Happy" is probably not the one word I'd have chosen to summarize my Finn family members. However, they are a branch that left Finland prior to the first world war. Sisu is the word most commonly passed around for Finns. Maybe the happiness formula is 1 part social setting and 1 part sisu. Somehow I think you need both. ===JACK:  Sisu is a good word to describe Finns, particularly of an older generation.  Yes, it does seem strange to see Finns categorized as the happiest people.  Times change.

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  I would love to see a study titled:  A study examining population perception of self happiness and satisfaction relative to a country’s  diversity index.  What do you think some of the findings would be!  Is their a positive or negative correlation between a country’s diverse population and the general happiness of the people?  Is their any relationship at all?  Thanks for stimulating my thoughts, Jack!===JACK:  Is anyone surprised...not...to see Americans named as the happiest people?  What puts Finns at the top are ..Good economy...Good social services...Many heavy metal bands...General satisfaction with life...and Saunas!  Ponder that!===PAUL:  Yup... I did ponder that...===JACK:  Two things seem to be missing in the USA...Good social services and a general satisfaction with life...and a third...saunas!

FROM DR J:  Maybe it's the LOHIKEITTO...Creamy salmon soup is a common dish in Finland and other Nordic countries. It consists of salmon fillets, boiled potatoes and leeks. The soup is served hot, with some dill. There is a discussion about the ingredients of the dish, whether milk should be used as an ingredient===JACK:  How about  Sfeeha, Laban, Kafta or Kusa?  Personally, I'd rather have bratwurst and kraut!===DJ:  All delicious. My grandmother (Sitto) would bribe me to come over and visit with a fresh pot of Kusa… (stuffed squash)! It worked every time. yum!===JACK:  Weren't you surprised to see that I mentioned those dishes?===DJ:  yes… very … you’re a wise (and funny) one!

FROM IKE AT THE MIC:  I feel Americans would be happier if we could convince our politicians to think & act as adults instead of thinking & acting in childhood bickering.  Saunas are great for temporary  joy,but not for an ongoing satisfying & happy life.===JACK:  Often children know how to get along better with each other than adults do.  Sometimes our legislators are referred to as, Solons.  Solon was an Athenian statesman, lawmaker and poet. He is remembered particularly for his efforts to legislate against political, economic and moral decline in archaic Athens. His reforms failed in the short term, yet he is often credited with having laid the foundations for Athenian democracy.   Ironic, isn't it?

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  wait, aren’t finns the crabbiest people on earth? i sorta recall 60 minutes’ show abt their being hateful to ouTsiders/heavy drinkers...===JACK:  Recent travellers have told me how gracious the Finns were when they met them.  I'll take that first-hand observation over a past 60 Minutes report.  Generalization tend to be just that,,,generalizations!

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  My children and grandchildren and friends are happy and busy with day to day living. You do have to have a strong faith these days! My grandson in Tampa is preparing for confirmation in May!===JACK: There can be pockets of happiness in most countries, if you want to look for them.  Confirmation is usually one of those happy occasions.

 FROM DB IN WB:  There is too much media which stresses people out: too much news information, texting, etc. ….people are tired (emotionally, mentally, physically).===JACK:  Life is what you make it.  There's an On/Off switch for the TV.  Push OFF, and then go sit in the sauna.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Yes, more Pasties!  The Finns brought them to us to eat when they went down into the mines.===JACK:  Another Finn favorite of mine is Trenary Toast, either cinnamon or cardamom.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Thanks for the smile.  I think Sweden is rated highly as well.  Last week we saw the funniest excerpt about the Swiss and guns on Trevor Noah’s daily show.  Apparently they have family shooting weekends where beer is served from kegs and children/parents/families go to the range together.  The firearm death rate in Switzerland is low at 3/100,000 vs. USA 12/100,000.   Sweden’s is 1/5 per 100,000.   The bit was truly funny as they were quizzing children and teens about fears of school shooting or gang retaliation and they all looked either terribly confused or simply laughed and said, “we don’t have this problem”  Of course the unanswered question is, “why” or “why not”?===JACK:  "Guns kill people" or ."People kill people"   We have an increasing problem with violence in America...and we won't be "happy" until that problem is faced and brought under control.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  With our government in such disarray, it's hard to be happy or hopeful! In our huge country, there is so much diversity and division, it's difficult to get along!!  In a small country they don't have so many ethnic groups or factions. I remember How I was struck by the "one mindedness" of the people of Japan when I visited there for 3 weeks. They had very few "Aliens" and very few dissidents or different ideas. Interesting!===JACK:  Here in America (unlike  Japan) we have a problem with regimentation.  In the "Land of the Free" no one's going to tell me what to do!  Kick out the "different people!"  Don't tell me I can't have any kind of gun I want!  Get the guvermit off my back!  As the old song goes..."It's blowin' in the wind!"

FROM DLaM:  I'm happier when I don't avoid my "to do" list. A little Bible reading each day helps me too.===JACK:  We once gave out Bibles to members of our congregation...free...in a modern translation...and divided in such a way that it could be completely read in one year.

FROM PROUD MARY:  So that explains my happy nature. Although I don’t live there, my people are from there. I vote saunas for everyone!===JACK:  You seem like a Finn to me.  Have you ever experienced a sauna?===PM:  I love running out of the sauna,down the hill,and jumping in the water ===JACK:  BRRRRR!

FROM EF:  Thank you, your messages help keep me on a spiritual path..easy to take sidesteps some days when upset===JACK:  With over 500 daily readers, I generally know that some are stressed because of various circumstances.  I purposely try to send "words" that, in some way can be a ray of hope in a world that can appear hopeless.  Your smile and friendly words make the world a better and happier place.