Wednesday, July 31, 2019





Jack’s Winning Words 7/31/19
“All that I have seen teaches me to trust the creator of all that I have not seen.”  (Emerson)  Some claim that the Moon Landing never happened…that it was staged.  A  NASA engineer is a friend of mine and assures me that Neil Armstrong really did walk on the moon.  Without need for proof, I take him at his word.  My belief in a God, who is the source of all, is not based on proof.  Something within me says that what I’ve read and heard is true.  I call it, my faith.   ;-)  Jack

FROM DB IN WB:  Asking for a piece of your wisdom ……. How do we frame it in our mind (in order to have serenity) when we see so much turmoil in the news and our fellow man acting like such idiots?===JACK:  I trust that, in the end, God sorts all things out.  There is a final judgment.  "The wrong shall fail, the right prevail". I can't control idiotic behavior, but I can control my own.

FROM KZB IN THE MOUNTAINS:  I was reading The Lutheran the other night, the article about where people see God.  I thought to myself “nature”, and looked out the window...  this is what I saw!
(JACK:   Beautiful mountain sunset pictures.  Unable to attach.  Sorry)  The brilliant rays concentrated into that orange hovering light, right above that angel cloud (third picture).  How’s that for God saying goodnight?!  What a show off! 😍===JACK:  Jesus is not meant to be a picture of God, but a show and tell of how he wants us to live.  p.s.: You probably know the NASA engineer.

FROM GUSTIE MARLYS:  Amen

FROM BB IN CHGO: What a nice quote today; thanks for sharing and for the inspiration always. ===JACK:  Don't let the human evils hide the Godly marvels.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Yes, no matter how many doubts about our faith we resolve, the mystique of God is such that it will always rely on faith to be a believer in what we have seen and heard, and still have NOT seen and heard. There are always cynics who seem to fly in the face of fact and even first-person journals, photographs and recorded movies to say "It never happened". Boggles my mind!===JACK:  Synonyms for "boggle"...blow, bobble, bollix (up), boot, botch, bugger (up), bumble, bungle, butcher, dub, flub, fluff, foozle, foul up, fumble, goof (up), louse up, mangle, mess (up), muck up, muff, murder, screw up===OAKS:  WOW! Quite a list!! Foozle is new to me! :-) ===JACK:  Now, instead of saying, "It boggles my mind," you can say "It foozles my mind."  Watch people do a double-take.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  you won't believe this  Jack, but i quoted this exact line in my sermon last Sunday.  let me add two more of my favorites:  :   Gerald Manley Hopkins,  The world is charged with the grandeur of God if we would only stop long enough to notice it.   and from Elizabeth Barrett Browning,  The earth is crammed with heaven and every living plant is alive with God. ===JACK:  Robert Louis Stevenson wrote:  "The world is so full of a number of things, I'm sure we should all be as happy as kings."






Tuesday, July 30, 2019


Jack’s Winning Words 7/30/19
“Do your own thinking.  Be the chess player, not the chess piece.”  (Ralph Charell)  I sense that more and more people are feeling less control over their lives.  Politicians, money-people, shysters…pushing us around like chess pieces.  If someone’s going to move me, I want it to be the hand of God.  There’s a song that I like:  “Lead me, guide me along the way, for if you lead me I cannot stray.  Lord, let me walk each day with thee.  Lead me, Oh Lord, lead me.”   ;-)  Jack


FROM RYB:  This is one of my favorite songs !!!===JACK:  I YouTubed some versions, and now I can't get it out of my head...nor do I want to.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i also like this line:   do you want to be a thermometer or a thermostat?   one measures room temperature while the other controls the room temperature.  big difference! ===JACK:  Sometimes your job calls on you to be both.

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  Love it!===JACK:  In today's political arena, the thermometer says: "Turn the thermostat down!"===PAUL:  I wish those who should know better become chess players.===JACK:  I've read that there are chess player ratings all the way from Grandmaster to Amateur Class J.  World leadership seems not to be in the Grandmaster category.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Sooooo many people are being led by what they hear or read in the news....it’s scary!   I know it’s a saying but it’s true...,there’s so much fake news.  As the old but true saying states:  “Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear!”   My heart is with the Lord...not with this fallen world. We have much to gain with Him and nothing to lose. ===JACK:  Just because some says, "Fake News", doesn't mean that it's fake news,  In fact, in today's internet world, don't believe everything you read or hear.  Use your brain.===JUDY:  It’s hard to tell because the news is all so slanted one way or the other.===JACK:  Use your brain!  Don't be afraid to think for yourself.===JUDY:  Even when it’s not politically correct? ===JACK:  Especially when it involves politics.  Right is right, and wrong is wrong.   ===JUDY:  We are living in a world of made for tv politics   Where it’s more important to get on camera by saying something extreme than it is to do something constructive.  (From Gary) ===JACK:  I dislike the rhetoric! ===JUDY:  I would say it’s 50/50...the rights and wrongs on both sides are equal.===JACK:  I haven't kept track, but I know that there are some people I don't want to associate with.

FROM LBP:  I know that song.===JACK:  Let's sing it together!

FROM HONEST JOHN:  Big money seems to be in control....think 1828-1860 and 1870-1900....history is repeating itself ===JACK:  What's it called when you believe that "Ultimately, God is in control?"  Triumphalism? ===JOHN:  I call it “Christ’s Resurrection”===JACK:  I'm looking foe a philosophical word that describes it.===JOHN:  Absolutism===JACK:  Then I believe in Divine Absolutism.===JOHN:  Both Plato and Aristotle were “Divine Absolutists” ....truth exists...had to get a Handle on it....”Augustinianism” is another.   On and on....”a Priori” in Kant===JACK: Thanks for helping me out.  Divine Absolutism says that ultimately "the wrong shall fail, the right prevail."

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  The gift of faith is a true gift! It is sad to see the gift refused by some! ===JACK:  Life (for good or bad) is a matter of the choices we make.

FROM DR J:  I love this quote.




wor 


Monday, July 29, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/29/19
“I shut my eyes in order to see.”  (Paul Gauguin)  Besides the 5 senses (touch, sight, hearing, smell, taste) I would add another…imagination, the ability to give form to the mind’s ideas.  It allows the artist to “see” a picture before it’s put onto a canvas.  Imagination let John Lennon “see” a world at peace before it was made into the song, “Imagine.”  If this world is to be made great, some imagination will be needed.  Shut your eyes and describe what you see.   ;-)  Jack


FROM JT ON THE TRAIN: I like it.  Another really good one   Thank you===JACK: A church member was a railroad engineer and arranged for me to ride in the cab with him. 

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  Athletes, especially those at the highest levels of their sport often use “visualization”,  which is a form of imagining to “see” the play or shot that they are about to try, in order to practice and perfect it in their minds. Note that imagination starts with the same root as image – the visualization of something.   Many of us likely spend some time imagining what we might do with the money as we buy our Lottery tickets. It is amazing how generous we can be in our minds with imaginary money. I wonder how many would carry through on that imagined generosity if they actually won. I wonder what I would do?  For many, a time of prayer is also a time when we close our eyes, so that we can “see”. What we are looking for is our imagined image of God. ===JACK:  In seminary I remember reading a book, "Imago Dei," the image of God.  I came to see "Jesus" as God's way of coming to earth in human form, speaking and acting in human ways, so that humans could understand (see) God's will for them.  Of course,, Jesus was more than that...but I look at Jesus and see God in human form, a form that I can understand.  In Jesus, the unknowable God becomes more knowable.  Theology 101!

FROM DR J:  I see trees of green…. red roses too. Oh wait… That’s what Louis saw.  I see harmony and caring for one another and our earth.  Peace and Sustainability.  enjoy the day! Maybe I’m going to get to see you this week?===JACK:  Here's another good song  with hopeful lyrics...  
Said the night wind to the little lamb
Do you see what I see
Way up in the sky little lamb
Do you see what I see
A star, a star
Dancing in the night
With a tail as big as a kite
With a tail as big as a kite
Said the little lamb to the shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
Ringing through the sky shepherd boy
Do you hear what I hear
A song, a song
High above the trees
With a voice as big as the sea
With a voice as big as the sea
Said the shepherd boy to the mighty king
Do you know what I know
In your palace wall mighty king
Do you know what I know
A child, a child
Shivers in the cold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Let us bring him silver and gold
Said the king to the people everywhere
Listen to what I say
Pray for peace people everywhere
Listen to what I say
The child, the child
Sleeping in the night
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light
He will bring us goodness and light

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Imagination is one I feel was very necessary to instill in my children and grandchildren.  For Joshua, it was stories of a deer, a train and himself.  For Noah it was stories based on his books he read.  For Alyssa is was true stories of people in the early days of the USA.  Melanie liked stories of heroes.  Ethan likes facts...how things run and why.  Imagination is key to good learning.===JACK:  In many ways, I think that children are better at imagining things than are adults.  Children aren't afraid to color outside of the lines.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I wish I could "imagine" a new engine for my car, but unfortunately, I'll have to replace it with the real thing! Ouch!  Oh well, just a 'thing". Don't sweat the small stuff, as I told my BFF Donna, taking care of her, while she is recuperating from her broken hip...I'll tell her to imagine herself walking gaily down the street, when the rehab gets tough. Maybe it will help!! She's
determined to walk again with walker or cane!===JACK:  Your friend dreams of what might be.  Do you remember the song, "Did you ever see a dream walking?" ===OAKS:  Yes! I'm humming it right now! A "Golden Oldie"! :-)===JACK:  Songwriters are dreamers, too.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  That is each day is interesting and challenging!===JACK:  Today has already been surprising for me.  At today's meeting of my Optimist Club I heard a cancer survivor speak.  Amazing.

FROM DR JL:  Good morning. I just read this quote again for the third time. I don’t know why, but it really touches me. I guess because I work so much with sensory issues and the recognition of the five senses plus the sixth of intuition, energy, and empathy. You have just added imagination and I really like it. Like I said, it touches me. I haven’t fully identified why, but I want to thank you.===JACK:  I've always been proud that in my high school yearbook...next to my picture were the words: "Brains and a vivid imagination."===JL:  That's fantastic!

Friday, July 26, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/26/19
“Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt.”  (Oath of the Special Olympics)  Today marks the date, 29 years ago, when the American Disabilities Act was passed, ensuring equal access to transportation, jobs, schools…to any public place.  Even before that, someone came up with the idea of a Special Olympics for physically challenged athletes.  If you want to be inspired, go to a S.O. when one is held in your area.  “Winning isn’t everything!”   ;-)  Jack


FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  A church secretary of mine was in a wheel chair because she got polio two weeks before the Salk Vaccine came out in the early 1950s.  she was from Michigan, waaay up in the U P.  anyway, she told me that before the ADA was passed and implemented, when she drove home to the U P,  there was only one bathroom she could access with her wheel chair.  and it was about a 10 or 11 hour trip as i recall.  she said she drank almost no liquids and sometimes needed an adult diaper.  the ADA and the interstate hiway system was a huge gift to her.  she and her husband divorced two years after we moved to MN.  i have often wondered what happened to them.   their daughter called me several times here in MN begging me to "fix" the marriage which i obviously could not do.  but her pleas for help still ring in my ears sometimes.===JACK: I can't understand how some parents would resist having a child being vaccinated to help prevent polio.  How cruel and short-sighted.  What chance would the ADA  have in being passed today?===SP:  Good question. and of course there is this idiot doctor in the UK who wrote a book linking (falsely) autism with the measles vaccine.  he should be put in jail for promoting such a harmful sehood.===JACK: Jail?  I have a different suggestion.  How about having him spend his sentence confined to a wheelchair? ===SP:  you got my vote!

FROM BBEL:  This is perfect for me right now. I am in the interview process  for the position of Supervisor of Special Education. These interviews are a grueling process. I need to be brave and put my best into it... that's all I can do!  Thanks for your daily inspiration!===JACK:  One of my favorite message songs is "Que sera, que sera.  Whatever will be will be."  From my experience of looking in the rearview mirror...things work out the best for those who do their best.  Be patient; be brave... and continue to do your best!  It'll all work out in the end.

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  Maybe that's why they are called Special.  It's great to appreciate and enjoy the effort, and more importantly the joy of participation, than what has become the fanatical focus on medal count for the country.===JACK:  Maybe it was back in 1936 (Jesse Owens et all) that the Olympics became a contest of country versus country rather than finding the "best athlete" in a particular event.  The Special Olympics, by way of its motto, seems to recaptured the spirit of true competition.===RS:  Agreed.  Much more aware of special needs now that we have a Down Syndrome grand daughter. God teaches us in her special ways===JACK:  I knew that this quote would resonate with you.  Roy Rogers and Dale Evans had a Down Syndrome daughter, Robin.  Dale wrote a book about the effect that she had on their family.  She titled the book, Angel Unaware.

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/25/19
“I’m a Marxist, of the Groucho tendency.”  (Unknown)  With all the rhetoric these days about socialism, pro and con, I think that it’s time to lighten up.  Enough about economics…and more about comics.  Groucho is one of my favorites…his walk, his moustache, his cigar, his quick wit.  But, Groucho is gone and America’s funny bone seems to have gone with him.  Perhaps there is still someone whose humor cracks you up.  …or, you can YouTube: You Bet Your Life.   ;-)  Jack  


 FROM TRIHARDER:  My favorite Groucho line:  I don't care to belong to any club that will have me as a member. ===JACK:  Have you ever been "excluded" from an organization...purposely?  ===TH:  I sought to be on the board of the Erb Family Foundation, an environmental organization.  They sent me a polite "no thank you" letter. Than I looked at the composition of the board and I understood.  Very high brow.===JACK:  ...and, how about organizations that you're proud to belong to? ===TH:  Detroit Maccabi, ADL, WB Environmental Board, Opp Fund, Michigan State Bar. ===JACK:  I don't see any country club on that list.

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  My dad loved Groucho. We never missed”You Bet Your Life.”  As a kid watching it with him, I looked at Groucho as an old man making people look stupid.  Isn’t it funny how kids interpret things?===JACK:  Groucho's accent?...Was that a Jew making fun of a stereotypical Jew?===PAUL:  Nope!===JACK:  Now that I think of it, Groucho always talked that way...even in interviews..., or maybe he was always on stage.

FROM ST PAUl IN ST PAUL:  :  he was also quite a womanizer from all that i have read about him.    he and Tallulah Bankhead had a long standing tryst going among others.   pretty sure this is correct info.   still,  he was a hoot, as you noted.  some of their old movies are still quite funny.   and yes,  we do need to lighten up in this country.===JACK:  Womanizers?  They seem to be "a dime a dozen" these days, especially in DC.  ===SP:  i like the joke that they cancelled the Nativity Scene in DC this Christmas  because they could not find 3 Wisemen or even one Virgin.  but they did find a whole LOT of Jackasses! ===JACK:  How come the blog "comments" seem to have fixated on Groucho while not touching today's conversation about socialism/Marxism?  ===SP:  for some folks,  those are rather touchy topics.  also,  people often have a very distorted understanding of progressive socialism.===JACK:  What's the difference between socialism and progressive socialism?  Is there a difference between Marxism and  Groucho Marxism?

FROM DR J:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0fmC0hVIa4
Groucho made the world brighter by being in it… You have too! 
I watched this video and it brought a good laugh… a great way to start the day!
===JACK:  Google and YouTube are two of my favorite modern-day resources.

FROM MY LAWYER:  One of the funniest episodes of You Bet Your Life was when he had Gonzalez Gonzalez as a guest. Watch it on UTUBE.===JACK:  Is it just me...or aging?  Was humor funnier in the "olden days?"===ML:  Today, people, in general, are too tightly wound and can’t laugh at themselves. Too much political correctness. Today, Groucho would be labeled a racist for making fun of Gonzales. That word is used too loosely. Just my opinion.===JACK:  Sometimes political correctness reaches an over-reach.    

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  I have a grandson in Tampa who is great with puns!===JACK:  (Groucho quote) Look, if you don't like my parties, you can leave in a huff.  If that's too soon, leave in a minute and a huff. If you can't find that, you can leave in a taxi. 


FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Steven Wright cracks me up.  So did Don Knotts.===JACK:  I think that we've all come across a "Don Knotts" type person in our life.

FROM KF IN FL:  I saw a dog trotting around town yesterday with a chewy stick treat hanging out of his mouth - very much like Groucho and his cigar!  I also saw a shark at the beach ......===JACK:  Groucho's looks are as funny as his jokes.  Did the shark have moustache and bushy eyebrows?

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/24/19
“Success is 99% failure.)  (Soichiro Honda)  As a student, Honda was a failure, dropping out of school to become a mechanic.  The Model T Ford fascinated him.  He became such a successful car builder that People magazine dubbed him the Japanese Henry Ford.  I remember a time, post-WW 2, when it was considered unpatriotic to drive a Honda.  But generations come and go and Hondas are now best-sellers.  Do you think that today’s prejudices will turn around also?   ;-)  Jack


FROM ST [AUL IN ST PAUL:  good one, Jack!   i will add this one to my perseverance file. ===JACK:  Would it be a miracle if today's prejudices would turn around into something positive? ===SP:  Yes! we can surely hope and pray for that!===JACK:  But, do you think that there's a possibility that it might come pass?===SP:  don't hold your breath.   you will turn blue for sure.===JACK:  I'm already blue (Democrat).

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: Yes, over time like WW II justifiable dislike of Germans & Japanese, countries who now are among our strongest allies.===JACK:  Might it be possible that in the future Muslims, Christians and Jews will celebrate their commonality through Abraham?  Just wondering!===GEORGE:  Will they all think of Jesus Christ as their Savior?===JACK:  So...your answer is, "NO! There will always be strife among people over religion." 

 FROM RS IN TEXAS:  If we can stop putting people into categories and blaming entire groups for the actions of a few.....and try to understand their point of view and why they feel the way they do. ===JACK:  "IF" is a little word with a BIG meaning.===RS:  Amen to that!

FROM GDJ:  Yes. The human pendulum will swing back toward tolerance. I just wish, hope and pray it will swing all the way to love.===JACK:  I'm not so sure that God uses the Gregorian calendar or even a clock, but as the hymn puts it:

Our times are in Thy hand;    O God, we wish them there;
Our lives, our souls, our all, we leave    Entirely to Thy care.

Our times are in Thy hand:    Whatever they may be;
Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,    As best may seem to Thee.

Our times are in Thy hand;    Why should we doubt or fear?
A father’s hand will never cause    His child a needless tear.

Our times are in Thy hand;    We’ll always trust to Thee,
Till we possess the promised crown,    And all Thy glory see.

FROM MARMAR:  I just want to say that I have driven Hondas for more than 20 years and I love them!===JACK:  The workers at the Honda factory in Ohio appreciate your loyalty.

FROM CPABM:  The most extraordinary tourist attraction we’ve seen (probably second to the Grand Canyon and the Alps in Winter) are the Postojna Caves in Slovenia.  For a starter, you ride a train in  the caves for fifteen or twenty minutes before you can walk and explore the caves.  Check them out. ===JACK:  Have you ever been to Carlsbad Caverns National Park?  During the cave tour the lights are turned out.  DARK!

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  I have driven only Honda’s for 19 years.  We’ve never had a problem with any of them.  Honda’s are the only “foreign” car in the Henry Ford Museum.  My Hondas are 100% made in the USA.      I would like to believe these prejudices will end...I pray they will.    PS.  Someone keyed my Honda.===JACK:  I suppose that the profits from the sale of American-made Hondas go back to Japan.  Business is business.

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/23/19
“The traveler sees what he sees.  The tourist sees what he has come to see.”  (Gilbert Chesterton)  Traveler or tourist?  Which are you?  Do you remember...Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been?  I've been to London to visit the Queen   Pussy cat, pussy cat, what did you there?  “I frightened a little mouse under her chair.  Pussy cat was a mouse-minded tourist.  In your travels, what’s the most interesting thing that you’ve seen?  For tourist me…the Grand Canyon.   ;-) Jack


FROM HONEST JOHN:  China....in 1980 ===JACK:  Back "in my youth," China and Africa were the lands where missionaries went.  Now my children, grandchildren and friends go to those places for vacations.  ===HJ:  It was a part of my doctoral program...studied the church in China as it came out of jail and hiding....great trip....some really interesting people from the church were involved.. ===JACK:  Yep!  You're the traveler, and I'm the tourist...in many ways.

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  A Kodiak bear....up close and personal …..probably about 30 yards away..... while we were bear watching in Alaska.  Too close for comfort.===JACK:  That experience sounds like something "touristy" to me.===RS:  Indeed it was. As it turned out, maybe a little tourisky. ===JACK:   Tou-risky!  I like it!

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  Iceland was also quite fascinating but i would not want to live there. ===JACK:  Advantages of living in Iceland...Beautiful scenery...Cheap energy...Booming economy...Gender-equal Parliament...to name a few.===SP:  So true!   also geysers and volcanos:):):)     some of the hotels in Reykjavik get their hot water right out of the ground and its so hot at times they have to cool it down for human use.    they also lay piping under some of their sand beaches to heat the sand for summertime swimming.  pretty ingenious.   they also make a lot of aluminum there because bauxite is so prevalent.  and we also have a military base there that was very important during WW II      more info than you wanted... ===JACK:  One of our church member families are native Icelanders.  FYI...In a marriage, the wife keeps her maiden name.===SP:  we flew on Icelandic Airlines.  everyone of the flight attendants was drop-dead gorgeous.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Were travelers.  We take the back roads.  We see what the tourists see but we see the little things.  The most interesting I’ve seen was the grave of a woman who died in Oregon on the Oregon Trail.  People lovingly take care of her grave which is basically a mound covered with branches piled high.  However, each of the 50 states has left a special spot in our hearts. ===JACK:  The Arch, The Corn Palace, The Queen Mary, The Everglades, The Elk, Puget Sound, The Church in the Wildwood, The Indy 500, The El, The Mighty Mac, The Twin Towers, to name a few. ===JUDY:  Saw everyone except the Twin Towers.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Spending 3 weeks touring Japan during cherry blossom time... breathtakingly beautiful; the Taj Mahal in India, the Indian Olympics in Alaska ( awesome athletic ability!!!)Certainly The Grand Canyon, Versaille (sp?) in France, the Wren Cathedral in London, the list could probably be endless. Africa had interesting cultures and people, but have not developed their land. they do have natural beauty in nature!  Travelers and Tourists receive many blessings~~! ===JACK:  The quintessential travelers...Bill and Mar.






Monday, July 22, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/22/19
“There’s no half-singing in the shower.  You’re either a rock star, an opera diva, or you’re not.”  (Josh Groban)  What’s your favorite shower song?  Singin’ in the rain?  Shake it off?  I feel pretty?  Wake me up before you go?  There are scientific reasons why shower-singing is better than karaoke.  It has to do with the tiles.  Josh calls the shower his “confidence cube,” where his favorites are usually from classic rock…especially those by Journey.   ;-)  Jack


FROM HONEST JOHN:  Most of my favorite songs are either hymns or swing music from the 40s and 50s.===JACK:  One of m,y favorite Shower-Songs is sung to the tune of the Battle Hymn of the Republic...
I wear my pink pajamas, in the summer when it's hot. 
I wear my flannel nighties in the winter when it's not. 
And sometimes in the springtime and sometimes in the fall, 
I jump right in between the sheets with nothing on at all.
Chorus:
Glory, glory, Hallelujah; 
Glory, glory, What's it to you? 
Balmy breezes blowing through ya, 
With nothing on at all.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  the one i like is:  what's that thing growing on my back?!!  yikes ===JACK:  Have you ever sung The Freckle Song?  "She's got freckles on her, but..."===SP:  No, I haven't.   but it sounds like fun.===JACK:  

THE FRECKLE SONG by Hank Penny - YouTube

===SP:  where do you get this stuff??    too funny===JACK:  My father brought The Freckle Song  home when I was about 20.  I thought that it was hilarious.  In fact, I still have that 78 rpm record.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Have to smile at that quote. Your voice does resonate in the shower,  bit-time. Who knows what song will come to mind when you step inside a shower stall?! :-) I know a great variety to choose from; Musicals, Big Band era, folk and church. My songs from The King and I, and Music Man are some favorites....Just keep singing, it lifts the spirit!!===JACK:  In the Music Man, I like it that 76 Trombones and Goodnight My Someone use the same notes, each with a different tempo.  I like them both.  Didn't you once play Eulalie Mackechnie Shinn?  Was that a type-cast?
===OAKS:  Ha! Maybe a little...We all like to feel "important" and in charge?! I loved that part, and the musical!  Wish I'd been young enough to play Marion, but no Muni in Dixon or Elgin...Springfield had many opportunities for singers and actors, but by then I was  40; not too old to play Mrs. Anna in the King and I, or Irene in IRENE, so lucky
me!===JACK:  Ahhhh!  But you were once a Marion and an Anna.  Enjoyable times!   ===OAKS:  Wonderful memories, and thankful for a spouse who "let me be me", and proudly supported me in my acting endeavors.===JACK:  ...and the endeavors that were not staged.  I'm sure that there were times when he just shook head and smiled. 

FROM KF IN FL:  Pm “Day is Done” Peter Paul & Mary AM “You Raise Me Up” Josh Groban. ; )===JACK:  AM Hymn "Rise up, O Saints of God" - PM  "Day is dying in the West"

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  If I had a voice like Josh’s I’d be singing too!===JACK:  Why don't you try singing, "You Raise Me Up"?  A new career for you????


Friday, July 19, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/19/19
“The most important thing is never stop questioning.”  (Albert Einstein)  A Harvard-study shows that children ask 40,000 questions between ages 2 and 5.  The kids aren’t really trying to annoy parents.  They just want to learn.  Yes, it can be attention-getting or defiant, but they do want to (need to) learn.  In fact, that “need to know” should continue to be part of our adult life.  I find myself becoming curiouser and curiouser as I age.  What questions are yours these days?   ;-)  Jack


FROM PROUD MARY:  i am much like a toddler. i am a curious question-asker. maybe sometimes a bit too inquisitive, if that's possible. i figure it never hurts to ask and am not offended if people don't want to answer my questions. toddlers always answer my questions.===JACK:  I'm an avid user of Google.  Another answering site is called DogPile.


FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  how did Trump ever get elected?:):):)    (actually, i know how but maybe not why)===JACK:  That's one of those "never stop questioning" puzzles.

FROM LBP:  Was that an Alice in Wonderland reference? Curiouser and curiouser...  As a researcher, it is my job to ask, and try to answer, questions.===JACK:  What makes you think of "Alice?"  Do you remember "Mr Know-It-All" in Rocky and Bullwinkle?===LBP:  No. I remember some bits of Rocky and Bullwinkle but few details. But, thanks to google, Mr Know-it-all, just explained to me how to change a tire. : )===I wish I could have implemented this with my 7yo yesterday. We had family night at the day camp he was attending. Everything was going well until he learned that the end of the evening was looming and we didn't have time to swim. Then everything was awful. Of the 2 hours we were there he really only enjoyed 1 minute of it... just 1 minute! Everything else was terrible (and sadly I didn't have photo evidence of his grinning face just moments before). It continued to be terrible all the way home. And then he got a snack. Lesson learned: If all seems lost, he's probably just hungry===JACK:  As Michelangelo wrote when he was in his 80'sw...Ancora Imparo!

GROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  i also am curiouser.===JACK:  I think that you're just a kid dressed like a grown-up.

FROM ESF:  Many questions...how long will I or can I work, when should I move, should I slow down...===JACK:  I wonder how many questions people ask as they age...maybe not 40,000, but important, just the same.  I guess that "each age" has its own puzzlers.

Thursday, July 18, 2019


Jack’s Winning Words 7/18/19
“Confidence is contagious.  So is lack of confidence.”  (Vince Lombardi)  “What happened to you?  You’re different!”  I had just come home from a week of Sensitivity Training.  ST was popular at that time.  For me, that week was a real confidence builder and helped change my ministry.  Pastors need a confidence lift, too…especially if they are going to “give legs” to the Bible verse, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”  It’s really true!   ;-)  Jack 


FROM DR J:  Indeed! You can do it! All this are possible! My PT training is going really really well. In fact my young doctor took a video of me walking unassisted yesterday so he could show his brothers who are also surgeons... but  they tease that the younger brother cannot be that good yet. The video was the way for the younger surgeon to tease back. I like the banter between the brothers and it made me smile and gave me confidence. I know my doctor has confidence too as he wanted to show off a bit to his brothers. I hope your PT is going well and I know you can do it!===JACK:  I think recovery has something to do with competitiveness.  "I'm going to show them!  ...the PT, the doctor!"  I know that I have that steak in me.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  Amen and Hallelujah to that!===JACK:  Shout it out, brother! and bang that tambourine!

FROM HONEST JOHN:  Confidence is only worthwhile, to me, if built on reality. ===JACK: I think that it's possible to psych yourself up to a level beyond reality.  As the old song (Swinging on a Star) puts it..."You can be better than you are!"  

FROM MV AT ML:  I say that Bible Verse every night before sleep and at other times of need. \\\JACK:  ...a great way to go to sleep...and a great way to wake up!

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength."We've found that to be true, haven't we? I think having an identical twin boosted our confidence...we were noticed, and felt confident to tackle athletics and performances together.  I had to boost my
confidence when I married and carried on "alone" by reading N.V. Peale's book! :-)   "Whenever I feel afraid, I hold my head erect, and whistle a happy tune, so no one will suspect, I"m afraid"...as the young son sings in "The King and I". Keep your head up !===JACK:  None of us is so strong that we can always go it alone.  "Call on me in the day of trouble, and I will answer you."  There are "those" times, aren't there?

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Accent the positive!===JACK:  ...and eliminate the negative!

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Never quite thought confidence was catching.  I’ll have to do some experimenting on my own.     (We’ve been up in East Tawas with the family.  Beautiful place on Lake Huron.). No WiFi though.  Hope you are having a good summer.===JACK:  I like to hang around with positive people.  Negative outlooks can be catching, too





Wednesday, July 17, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/17/19
The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea.”  (Isak Dinesen)  Panacea, the Greek goddess, was thought to have a remedy for every ill and problem.  No wonder her temple was a popular place.  Modern medical discoveries are called, panaceas, in honor of her.  We’re still looking for a way to end all problems.  Today, Isak suggests going sailing..  I like God’s “cure for anything”…“Call on me when you’re troubled, and I will give you rest.”   ;-)  Jack

Tuesday, July 16, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/16/19
“The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.”  (Lee Iacoccoa)  Yes, that is one more mark of The Greatest Generation.  “Smile, Though Your Heart Is Breaking,” a song of that era illustrates it.  Even the writer of Winning Words can have a bad day.  When things aren’t going well, I look for the good can come out of the bad…and I find it!  Feeling down in the dumps?  Listen to Lee!.   ;-)  Jack


FROM PROUD MARY:  so dear friend...once again you give me the song of the day. just because i haven't been responding doesn't mean i don't look forward to my first communication of the day. winning words is the first thing i read each morning. i can't thank you enough for your daily affirmations and "hopes". they have gotten me through the toughest of days.  my sister passed away on june 29th in nyc.  johnny and i were at her side. now i am home going through her things. mailing off to friends and family a bit of remembrances. trying to find a new normal. i know it will come. it has before. you have been by my side throughout this journey. you're a good traveling partner! love, ===JACK:  Yes, "Smile, though your heart is breaking " seems to be the right song for now.  I think that I'll youtube it.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  good words,  Jack.  thanks. 

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  Live on the sunny side of the street!===JACK:  "Grab your coat; don't forget your hat.  Leave your worries on the doorstep..."

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Sing Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Gets ya thru the darkest day,  When cares pursue ya, Hallelujah! It will shoo those blues away.===JACK:   I see that the lyrics .are from the Ella Fitzgerald version.  Good!  How do you like Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah?"

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  I grew up in the era with some of the early proponents of changing one’s attitude. Norman Vincent Peae wrote his famous book ‘The Power of Positive Thinking” in 1952. Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, was on TV espousing a positive attitude through faith. Of course, there was Dale Carnegie and who could leave Zig Zigler off such a list. More recently, lives have been influenced by the works of Eckhart Tolle, Thomas Anthony Harris, Tony Robbins and a host of self-help gurus. What all of these people have in common is the notion that you can change your life by changing your attitude.  In physics it can be shown that, in order to change the direction of an object that is in motion, some sort of force must be applied to that object – a force in a different direction than the object is traveling. The same is true of the trajectory of your life. It will  continue down the path it is on, unless some force is applied that causes it to change direction. That “force” can be some external event or it can be an internal change of attitude, which causes you to react differently and take a new direction. One could sit around and hope that something happens to change things in your life or one can take the first steps of changing your attitude towards life.  Perhaps the greatest “force” that can change the direction of your life is the force of a belief in God and in God’s impact on your life. Nothing will change your attitude about  life more than accepting God’s role in your life and learning how to see and do what God has in mind for you. You may not understand the “why” of it all and maybe you cannot yet be able see the “how” it will all play out; but, if you accept the will of God in your life, as in “not my will, but Thy will be done”, the outcome in your life will definitely change.
The outcomes that we desire or dream about are basically expectations or hopes. We try to visualize or “see” the desired state at the end of an effort. Many people set goals for themselves based upon an outcome that involves acquiring and owning some new thing – a car, a house, a boat, something. They may envision themselves being happy once they have acquired that thing. Few find any real happiness in even the best outcome of such  goals. They find that having the items does not bring happiness, only a temporary sense of achievement of that goal; then it is on to the next goal.

Perhaps the biggest change that one can make to change the trajectory of their life is to alter their perception of the desired outcome. Since there is an inevitable end to life on earth, the question becomes, “What is the outcome that I want at that point?” People of faith have an answer for that question; and, having found that  answer, their lives are altered and their goals change. They find satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment in service to others as they progress towards that ultimate goal.===JACK:  Positive thinking must be followed by positive action.  The Benedictine monks had a phrase, "ora et labora," Latin for prayer and works...the two go together.  It's one thing to pray about a situation.  Some prayers are answered because of some work on our part.


Monday, July 15, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/15/19
“The most important thing in communication is to hear what isn’t being said.”  (Peter Drucker)  In college it was called, Speech; in seminary it became, Homiletics.  In both it meant, Learning how to communicate. Know your audience, their expectations—Be confident—Be prepared—Modulate—Be entertaining—Drucker’s advice is good, too.  A judge once said, “I know pornography when I see it.”  I know a good speech/sermon when I hear it.   ;-)  Jack

FRO HY YO SILVER:  90% of communication is non verbal ===JACK:  High-Five for that!

FROM NOVA SCOTIA FISH:  Fits with the book I am reading—Holy Envy. I expect to send you and others a note on it when I have finished it.===JACK:  Perhaps envy is neither "holy" or "evil."  It is what it is.===FISH:  Barbara Brown Taylor subtitled this 2018 book "Finding God in the Faith of Others". She is an ordained Episcopal priest who now teaches comparative religion at Piedmont College. But the term apparently was originated by Krister Stendahl, who as you probably know was at Yale Divinity School.===JACK:  I did meet Stendahl when we was on our campus.

FROM LS IN MI:  Good morning.  Thank you for your email.  To this mornings winning words I add - I know “good” when I feel it.  Simon Sinek’s teaching and wisdom inspired me to explore this theory he articulates about how we are motivated to act as human beings.  Through his Ted Talk entitled Start With Why speaks to Why we do what we do.  Then if you are interested,   his Ted Talk - The Golden Circle goes further.  As reading your Winning Words each morning ,  a passion is awakened inside me, guiding me to understand more about people and myself.===JACK:  What is the measurement for good?  Jesus was asked, "What is the greatest commandment?"  His response was, "Love God...and love your neighbor as you love yourself."  That's GOOD!===LS:  And I do practice my love of God - and find God in each human being brought to me .....===JACK:  Jesus then said, "Do this (LOVE), and you shall live!"


FROM HONEST JOHN:  I taught speech at Augie....and coached debate there when I was going to sem.   Also taught Homiletics at the Sem. After Karl Mattson died and Art Arnold became Interim Prez.     I only taught the First Year students.   Dr. Arnold wanted me to come back to LSTC and teach there....I loved Parish ministry and wasn’t thrilled with teaching speech...turned him down.    I really liked him.    Loved Holcomb at Augie....===JACK:  Would you like to have done a "George Bailey" in It's a Wonderful Life to see what might have been (just for fun)?  ...JS as a prof!   ===JOHN:  My original intention was to teach PolSci....was working on that at Harvard when I
Received the call to ministry....I think God did me a big favor....loved my life as a pastor.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  That's a good point to ponder...it takes more critical listening than we usually do!  Anyone who has done counseling (most pastor's & wives!) knows this is as important as what the person is trying to say.  A sympathetic ear is invaluable to all of us! It has forged many a strong friendship, in my experience.===JACK:  Sometimes the spoken words can be used subconsciously as a distraction.  I'm usually on the alert for an unspoken message.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  a Rabbi once told me that if you haven't struck oil after 20 minutes, you should stop boring:):):)  ===JACK:  There's a town in Oregon named, Boring.  I wonder if they have a Lutheran Church....Boring Lutheran Church?

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  Good note, jack.

Friday, July 12, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/12/19
“When a thing is done, it’s done.  Don’t look back.  Look forward to your next objective.”  (George C. Marshall)  If you had to describe, The Marshall Plan, could you do it?  Today’s  world is largely the result of a plan formulated by General Marshall.  After a war, the winning side usually crushes the opponent.  After WW 2, the plan was to help “the enemy” recover and become a friend.  It happened…Germany, Italy and Japan became allies.  Thanks, George!   ;-)  Jack

FROM PRDR:  Thanks Jack! What a wonderful thought as I reflect on this Sunday’s gospel and what it means to be a good neighbor.===JACK:  These are times when the teachings of Jesus are more relevant that ever and just as hard to take as when he first told them.  “Neighborliness” needs to be redefined.  Think how the Marshall Plan would go over in today’s America….OUCH!   That’s the message from my tiny pulpit.

FROM TAMPA SHIRL:  After the end of the war the Marshall plan was a great idea and we r still reaping the results today! What a wonderful world in which we live===JACK:  Those who have experienced a "situation" usually have a better commentary than those who've read about it on the internet.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  The USA still help this world.  We are still generous with foreign aid and we’re the first ones on site in an emergency with our special teams trained for just those emergencies.===JACK:  That's the USA I remember, but I seem to have read that there are those who think that we've done too much of that, and we should not do it anymore.  I hope that's not true.

FROM N0RM'S MILFORD BLOG:  When you are driving in a car, you cannot move forward (at least not very far or fast) by continually looking in the mirror to see where you’ve been. You must look forward to see where you are going. In life, some people seem to fixate on the mirror, spending their time looking back, perhaps in regret for things done or left undone. We sometimes refer to them as “living in the past”. But, the truth is that one cannot live in the past. The past is done and it cannot be undone, no matter how much we may wish that things could be different.   Perhaps the issue for some is that they don’t have a “next objective” to look forward to and to work towards. I have noticed that when I awaken in the morning on a day that I have nothing planned, I manage to get very little done, and the day just drags along. However, if I have things that I knew ahead that I wanted to get done that day, I awaken with a sense of purpose to accomplish those objectives – I can’t wait to get started. The ends of those two types of days are also very different, too – one with relief that the day is finally over and the other ending with a sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.  I’ve also noticed that people who can’t seem to let go of the past, who are fixated on the mirror are less happy with life. That might include those who cannot put the loss of a job aside and go on with life; or those who cannot find a way to put the loss of a loved one  into a place of good memories and move on. Perhaps it includes those who cannot put a snub or social slight into its proper place of un-importance; or perhaps those who cannot see beyond preconceived prejudices from their past. For whatever reason these people have fixated on the mirror of the past.  So, the take-away from Marshall’s quote is to put down that mirror. What’s done is done. Accept it and move on. Find a new objective and focus upon that. Find that new job, maybe one that involves something that you really love to do. Recognize and deal with the preconceived notions about people that you’ve been carrying around like baggage and see if life doesn’t get a little more interesting when you allow different points of view  into your thinking. Look for new relationships than might lead to finding a new significant other – not to replace the lost loved one, but to crate new memories in addition to those fond memories from the past that you can glance at in the mirror from time-to-time  Life continues to move forward, whether you are looking in the mirror or looking ahead. Life is just a whole lot more satisfying when you are pursuing new objectives, rather than trying to live in the past. The current Chevrolet commercial tag line is “Find new roads”; maybe that’s what Marshall meant.  Don’t spend your time looking in the mirror; find the new roads of your life and look ahead to your next objective.
===JACK:  Your blog is one of my favorite readings of the day.  I enjoy your insights.  There's a reason of the windshield being bigger than the review mirror.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  AMEN!! What a plan, and he was able to sell it to our country very bitter over war losses...!===JACK:  IMO, Something like the Marshall Plan, in today's America, would have "a snowball's chance in Hell" of getting support.  A sad state of affairs....







Thursday, July 11, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/11/19
“ just respected the game, now my name is in the news.  Got a lot more to prove.”  (Megan Rapinoe)  Talk about excitement! The USA soccer team recently won the women’s World Cup.  Rapinoe’s Nippsy Hussle-like quotes brought excitement, too.  Here’s how I translate what she said:  “I did my best, but I can do better.”  Playing a game, going to school, raising a family or working at a job…“I did my best, but I could do better!”…It’s like that with WWs, too.  ;-)  Jack   

FROM INDY GENIE:  It would be fun to be in the room and watch if you and Megan ever met. I believe the two of you would become fast friends===JACK:  I'd like to see her and Trump go one on one in the same room.

FROM JP IN NAPLES:  Sorry you would see fit to quote someone so disgraceful. Her disrespect of the country that gave her the opportunity to be on the world stage is disgusting. She has set back the enthusiasm for soccer in many quarters. I feel sad for her  team mates like O'hara who scooped up the flag and wrapped around herself. Sorry no justification for Ra===JACK:  Forget the name.  Look at the message.  "I did my best, but I could do better."  Those are words that I would expect you to affirm.  Just because we do not like a person's politics does not mean that we should ignore a positive message from them.

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Now if she deserved the respect!===JACK:  The quote was about respecting "the game of soccer," doing your best in whatever you do...and trying to do better in whatever you do.  I purposely did not make it a political message.......oh, I did purposely quote Megan, because I knew it would stir some people up.

FROM GT IN NY:  Sorry but I think “respect” and Ms. Rapinoe’s name don’t belong together. She’s quite crude —even during parade in front of young children.===JACK:  What I sought to to was to highlight the idea that even though we've done well, we can do better.  I try to live by that, and if a soccer player says that even though I played well in a game, I can do better.  ...and as for public behavior, I think that we could all (including Megan) stand a refresher course from Miss Manners.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  i was rooting for the netherlands. is that unpatriotic of me?===JACK:  I thought that the World Cup was about which team played the best soccer.  I didn't think that it was a referendum on the best nation in the world or the best behaved players.  So, you chose the Dutch?  So, your team happened to lose.  So, what! ===LIZ:  i think you play for the team that hired you, and you don’t trash your employer in public. do other countries have such spoiled, PRIVILEGED   children on their teams? if so, we don’t hear abt them. ===LIZ;  we libertarians believe that everyone should have the freedom to negotiate their own wage. the ladies generated a fraction of the revenue the men did... why should they be paid the sa

 FROM RS IN TEXAS:  ...and advocating change and equality. 👍===JACK:  There are many messages in the events of life as they happen around us.  We usually find what we're looking for.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I'm so pleased she took a stand against going to Trump's White house! My kind of Gal! I hope she continues to "do better". We all need that inspiration, don't we?  You DO better with WW'S! We all appreciate the thought you put into your daily blog!!===JACK:  I try to live by this description of the job of a pastor..."To comfort the afflicted...and to afflict the comfortable."  It was interesting today to see how a (non-political) quote became political.  Let's go back to Monday and listen to Taylor Swift's song again...YOU GOTTA CALM DOWN!

Wednesday, July 10, 2019

Jack’s Winning Words 7/10/19
“To be a great leader…one must of necessity have been a great thinker in action.  An eagle was never hatched from a goose’s egg.”  (James Thomas)  If anyone ever looked like a goose, hatched from an eagle’s egg, it was Honest Abe.  He even made fun of his looks..  But, how he could lead; he was a great thinker, too.  His was “pedestrian thinking,” to be sure.  Common sense is often the best sense.  When it comes to leadership, who’s your real eagle?   ;-)  Jack 


FROM HONEST JOHN:  Lincoln didn’t rely on “common sense.”    That is a kind of myth.   He knew Much of Shakespeare by heart.   BTW...ever try to define common sense.    Often, the def. given is a way of saying “I an not educated in that area and here is what I substitute for the knowledge afforded in that area.===JACK:  Yes, common sense is non-sense.  Ours is not necessarily that of another.  It's just we thing is (or should be) a truism.  Perhaps Lincoln has the perception of being a common sense person because of so many people agreeing with his statements.===HJ:  Apt reply of a Relativist.   Relativists are left with the position that no definition is possible for an y term.    We began debates with the "definition of terms."    Therefore, relativists are excluded from debate.   That must be Donald Trump's position since he in essence refuses to debate anything and, instead,, more or less ignores all negative information.   A handy but socially divisive way to go.===JACK:  I've been called a relativist before and will accept it.  All I try to do is to explain situations to people in a way that they can understand.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Our idea of a great leader is one who leads with following the laws, is honest, has morals and does what he says he will do.

FROM ME IS NEWPORT BEACH:  Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan, FDR and Arnold Palmer. ===JACK:  I never got past the idea of Reagan as a movie star (it's  my age).  ...and certainly every army needs a general, so Arnie is fit for that....great golfer, but too many ciggies.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i read the other day that James Buchanan,  Lincoln's  predecessor,  was secretly shipping weapons from the North to the South during the last two years of his presidency all in anticipation of a civil war.===JACK:  I'm going to check that out.       

Jack’s Winning Words 7/9/19
“It is curious that physical courage should be so common in the world and moral courage so rare.”  (Mark Twain)  Which of Dorothy’s friends do you identify with?  Scarecrow, Tin Man or the Lion?  To be smarter, to be more caring?  That’s me!  How about you?  …and,  most of us could stand to be more courageous when it comes to speaking up in the face of moral wrongs.  We need God (the Wizard) to help us become braver advocates for right over wrong.  ;-)  Jack  

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Definitely the Tin Man.  We could all use more intelligence and of course compassion.  In the world today morals are becoming extinct.  We could all us more God and less us.===JACK:  The Wizard of Oz is a "God-story" if you read between the lines. 

 FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  Maybe this would be a good time for “The Day the Earth Stood Still” to become reality!  Except this time he won’t get shot and he’ll help humanity be better physically and humanistically

FROM DR JUDY:  Good morning Jack. I always enjoy reading your winning words. Have you ever read Jean Houston’s The Wizard of Us: transformational lessons from oz. It’s a terrific metaphor of life and transformation. ===JACK:   The Wizard of Us?  It sounds interesting.  I like learning lessons from situations.

FROM NANCY RUTH:  I think I was trying to be courageous in the gay parade.  What do you think?===JACK:  Courageous people stand up for what they believe.  Good for you!  IN Sunday School we always had to "stand up" when we sang,  Stand up, Stand Up for Jesus.

Jack’s Winning Words 7/8/19"
As long as one heart still holds on, then hope is never really gone.”  (Garth Brooks)  Some coal miners were trapped under ground.  A faint message came from them…”Is there any hope?”  There are people today who feel trapped...in a bad relationship, in debt, by an illness.  “Is there any hope?”  The miners were told to hold on; help is on the way. God knows about us and our situation.  Hold on!  Keep the faith!  God works his wonders in mysterious ways.   ;-)  Jack. 

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Some of his songs have brilliant lyrics!  That’s one quote which resonates with everyone.  Is hope ever gone?!?  God is our Hope!===JACK:  Garth Brooks' life has not been without its clouds.  "Into each life some rain must fall."

FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE:  Jack, many thanx for all the Winning Words you have sent over the years.===JACK:  Bob Hope used to close his broadcasts by singing, "Thanks for the memories."  Yes, it is good to remember....most of the time.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  As I've mentioned before, Eleanor Roosevelt said that HOPE was the most important word in the English language.  I don't know if it trumps LOVE, but is IS right up there at the top!  My BFF Donna fell 2 weeks ago and broke her hip, (90), but she is rigorous in her rehab despite the pain, because she has the hope of returning to her home, (being renovated to  accommodate her new needs) driving again, and resuming her social activities,
and I believe she will do it! Hope is a wonderful motivator!===JACK:  It sounds as though Donna has Spunk!  I like that word.  I see it as an example of  "onomatopoeia."  In reference to Eleanor...She probably wouldn't make it in today's world where the emphasis is so much on physical beauty...but she was really smart.  

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  god also created suffering... ===JACK:  " No pain, no gain."  It is pain that keeps us from keeps us from touching fire.  It is pain that sometimes draws two people closer to each other.  I try not to 2nd guess God...but rather to ask (and try to find out), Why?  
===LIZ:  pain and discomfort can put us on the right path... or wipe us out.===JACK:  Pain, to be sure, is a paradox.  How can something so bad also be something so good?  These days I'm on a "mind-kick" seeking to find some good in evils that I see and feel.  I find it to be both stimulating and revealing.