Jack’s Winning Words 5/29/19
“Press on.  Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.”  (Ray Kroc)  I don’t know if they’re the best batteries, but a few days ago I bought some Energizers, partly because of that Bunny ad.  They keep going and going!  A woman came to Jesus asking for him to heal her daughter.  For some reason he refused.  But she persisted, and eventually her request was granted.  Prayer requests aren’t always answered immediately, so follow Ray Kroc’s advice.   ;-)  Jack 

 FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  and it all started with one little hamburger stand in CA, i think it was...===JACK:  I think he bought the name and concept from the McDonald brothers.  It was a small operation...probably more than one "joint."  I suppose you've eaten at McDonald's in other countries.  Is the taste the same?  we ate some of their ice cream cones in Indonesia in 1995.   it was soooo hot and humid outside that anything would have tasted good.   i have heard that they do alter their menus somewhat in places like China, etc.   also, did you know Ray only paid his secretary with stock for several years because they were short on cash.  she retired a multi-millionaire!    not bad work, if you can get it,  as they say.====JACK:  WWs has some interesting responses.  Read this nect one fro Gustir Marlys.

FROM GUSTIE MARLYS:  As an interesting side light—my aunt Nina was Ray Kroc’s personal secretary for many years.===JACK:  WWs reader Paul said that Kroc paid his secretary in stock and that she retired as a millionaire.  Do you know if this is true?===MARLYS:  I do not.  They never had any children but took in several from Wheaton College.  I have a feeling that is where their money went.  She always dressed like a millionaire that is for sure.  They retired to Winewood Springs in Colorado Springs with a bunch of other Covenenters.  They belonged to the church that Warner Solmon (of the painting of Christ fame) belonged to.  They were always very good to me and my cousin too.  ===MORE:  She came from a family of 12 kids.  She was the last—the 9th girl—so they named her Nina!  She got to do all the things the other kids never could.  Interesting.  She was really pretty too


   FROM TAMPA SHIRL: One day at a time!===JACK:  Where did you learn that slogan?  It's a good one. ===SHIRL:   Since I got older I guess! Right now I have many graduations, birthdays, and great grandchildren and many trips! The iPhone is so great to keep everyone posted! Right now a grandson is flying to Hamburg to attend a meeting. Another family is leaving for two weeks in Europe this Sunday! ===JACK:  I wonder if there's a McDonald's in Hamburg, the city where the hamburger is said to have been invented?   

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  How very true!  We press on toward whatever goals and prayers needed!===JACK:  Prayer (words) are good, but there are times (like now) when they need legs.  

 FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Jan (my twin) and I ate at McDonald's in London, Paris, & in Scotland...you always got a great cup of coffee!  Menu similar, but not as extensive as in US.. don't
often frequent MAC'S IN THE U.S. but this saying is true: persistence often beats out Talent in vying for jobs, acting roles, and athletic ability!===JACK:  Kroc was persistent in saying that "quality matters."  And that's true for more than a hamburger.  It;s basically true for your life and mine.

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  I always enjoy reading your Winning Words.  Today's are especially interesting to me.  Wondering if the reference regarding the woman coming to Jesus, asking him to heal her daughter, is from the story about the Canaanite woman in the Gospel of Matthew?  Actually, somehow I got hold of a whole dissertation written about this story, on amazon.com and, in that dissertation, the student makes a case that the woman was a Jewish proselyte, evidently women pagans could become Jewish proselytes and in the Jewish way of conversion, the person is asked three times in sort of a brusque manner about their sincerity or something, their seriousness and Jesus was doing this very sort of querying publicly in front of his disciples.  It seems that Jesus did heal the daughter but without compelling the Canaanite woman to convert more than she was converted into being Jewish-Christian or something--if I remember the study with any understanding.  Written to a Jewish-Christian community where there was all of this navigation as to what Jewish laws need to be abrogated in order to be a follower of Jesus, the story had a lot of meaning in the old days and evidently was preached on by some preacher in the Pseudo-Clementine times in the Third Century.  In our own times, when there is all of this shuffling about of folks between denominations and so forth and so forth and it almost seems like denominations wondering if the identity is to just be "Christian" or is there any value any more to even having a denominational identity which reflects some serious theological stands on theological issues, to me anyway--this story in the scriptures--where Jesus himself is involved in some sort of "navigating" of the Canaanite woman's religious identity carries volumes of meaning to me.  According to the dissertation anyway, Jesus seems to have been very sympathetic to the total context of this woman's life and, I believe, making it easier for her, not harder, for her to live in her community.  Strange you quoted this kind of quote today, Pastor Freed, never thought there would ever be any occasion for me to share some of my reading and interests on the subject of the Canaanite woman.===JACK:  That's all very interesting, but it all comes down to the question...Why dies God (seemingly) refuse to answer all of our prayers?  That feeling can be very stressful.