“Happy is the person who knows what to remember of the past, what to enjoy in the present, and what to plan for in the future.”  (Arnold Glasgow)  This is the last day of the infamous 2020.  Has there been a year like it?  The virus, the election and the death of some close friends.  I’m looking forward to better things in 2021.  What they will be, God only knows, and I trust in His omnipresence and omnipotence.  What did you enjoy about 2020?  ;-)  Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  i am looking forward to a brand new decade! ===JACK:  I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

FROM SF IN BSFL:  Happy New Year to you and your entire family. Wishing you safety and good health and happy moments through the coming year. Thank you for your daily encouragement. It means a lot!===JACK:  Your thoughtful responses are appreciated, too. 

FROM TRIHARDER: Happy, Healthy New Year, Jack. I hope the coming years to a reunification of family and friends.===JACK:  If it's a healthy year and friendships continue, it will be a happy new year.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i enjoyed your WWs.   thanks, Jack.   and a happy new year wish for you and yours. ===JACK:  Your insightful and humorous comments have been enjoyable, too.

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  .  It's been great to reflect upon how God is blessing us through this year and be thankful and grateful rather than just complaining and being disappointed and angry at Him.  Of course though grieving deaths caused by the corona virus has been hard and our hearts ache realizing so many people are keeping mind, body and soul together in this dismal economy of tremendous adversities.  Take care, Pastor Freed,===JACK:  Your extra-ordinary responses to my Winning Words have always interested me and have been an inspiration. 

FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH:  A nice thing about California is that we can and do garden all year.  Perfect Pandemic and physical activity.  Not surprisingly, you have a great perspective and attitude on life.  How did WW come to you? ===JACK:  When I retired in 1992 my youngest daughter gave me a cd of short positive quotes, knowing that I had an interest in that sort of thing.  You may or may not have known that in ministry I always included a “Sentence Sermon” in each Sunday bulletin, following the example of my home pastor.  I would cut out sayings and keep them in an empty cigar box.  As I listened to the cd, I heard things that I wanted to share with friends.  Those friends shared with other friends…so today thyere are more than 500 on the e-mail list.  One “friend” has a school bus company with 200 drivers.  He shares winning words with them on their daily morning postings….and so it goes.  I call what I am doing: C-WOW….my Church WithOut Walls.  I glad to have you and some of your family as members. 

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Until March, some plays and dinners out...After that, times with family and very close friends, playing cards and games, and sharing meals!  Did have one nice trip to Lake Tahoe and San Diego for 3 wks. in September. Thankfully no one got sick because of that trip!!!===JACK:  Covid doesn't seem to have you isolated.  Have a happy 2021. 

FROM PASTY PAT:  Happy New Year, Pastor Freed ... and thank you for another year of Winning Words. I’m hoping that 2021 will bring healing to this troubled world.===JACK:  There will be healing, to be sure, but if time teaches anything, it teaches usw to be ready for new wounds.  Such is life.

  

  

 Jack’s Winning Words 12/30/20

“We shrink from change; yet is there anything that can come into being without it?”  (Marcus Aurelius)  I was reading an article on what to expect next year.  There’ll be change, but no change.  The pandemic will get worse before it gets better.  Work on climate change will improve the environment, but 2021 will be the hottest on record.  There’ll be an increase in bankruptcies…I-phones will improve and fold (like my old flip-phone)…Teezo Touchdown will be in the news.  What changes do you expect, or want?  ;-)  Jack

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Blessings on President Biden as he copes with all the changes that come! We have to welcome the new year hoping it will bring better things, but no matter, our Lord will be with us in it.===JACK: Blessings on the changes that will come into your life in 2021...and  as they come to each of us.

FROM JB IN OLV:  May you enjoy all good things in the New Year and learn from the bad.......this from my dear departed Mother.  Every year during the time between Christmas and New Year this was  a sentence my Mother used often.  It was good preparation for a young person to expect the good and to to accept that there will be some bad experiences too.===JACK:  Saintly advice from your mother.  It was good for you as a youth and, now, as an adult.  A gift that keeps on giving.

FROM GUSTIE:  You paint a pretty picture.  Uff Da!===JACK:  Think of the changes that came in 2020....Are we ready for another NEW year?===G:  I want to start going backwards.===JACK:  Wouldn't that be interesting?  I think that we'd begin to miss the adult experiences as we retreat to the teens, to the toddler phase and even to birth.  Are you sure you want to live backwards?

FROM JJ IN SJ:  Positive thought for the day.  The snow is light and fluffy and it’s 20 degrees out !  However if I see you out making snow angels I will call 911. ===JACK:  You "paint" a pretty winter scene....pretty awful: para-medics picking me up.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i have always liked a change of underwear... ===JACK:  As we used to say when handling dirty underwear in my growing up home...P! U!

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Repeating the words of a good pastoral friend of mine this morning, "There’ll be change, but no change." 0;-)===JACK:  Danger time in the Church....When a new pastor comes and he hears, "We've never done it this way before."  In my first congregation they were used to a printout at the end of the year with the name of each member and how much they contributed during the year.  It was handed out with the Sunday bulletin.  From the pulpit I saw people scanning the sheet instead of listening to the sermon.  The next year, a change was made...and (to the surprise of some) giving increased.===REV:  How true...timing is so important and being able to read our congregation’s responsiveness for our best interests. 0;-)===JACK:  It's nice when things go smoothly.

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 12/29/20

‘”Getting over a painful experience is much like crossing monkey bars.  You have to let go at some point in order to move forward,”  (C.S. Lewis)  I know of few (if any) people who haven’t faced painful life experiences: unexpected death, disappointment in one form or another, loss of job, illness, divorce.  However, among these people are some who can tell recovery stories.  A commonality for their success is the ability to let go and move on…like with the monkey bars.  Do you know of stories like that?  ;-)  Jack

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Are you asking for those ‘skeletons’ found in my closet? Hopefully you will find many on the floor, as I found letting go and letting God have them has worked best for me! 0;-)===JACK:  "Amazing Grace" is more than a hymn with a nice tune...especially the line..."that saved a wretch like me."

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  It’s always a  matter of good judgement when talking to someone who recently faced some tragedy. Move on is not the first thing they want to hear and I know that’s not your message. Compassion and empathy acknowledging emotions are many times the most helpful in my experience. Just listening is probably the best action a friend can do. The right time to discuss “Move on” is a very tricky matter and calls for really good judgement.  Always thought provoking! Thank you.====JACK:  Ecclesiastes says that there is a time for everything...a time to hang on and a time to let go."  There's also a time for empathy/sympathy and a time  to say: It's time to move on."

FROM TG IN MI:  Always ask yourself: "What will happen if I say nothing?”  (Kamand Kojouri) ☘️===JACK:  Was it Kenny Rogers who say: "You gotta know when to hold 'en\m and when to fold 'em."  In a sense, you and I are both in the business of making that decision...more than once.

FROM DS IN SOCAL:  Seems to be a "constant" for me anymore, Jack.  I have to learn to "trust" Him.  I have been blessed in so many ways all my life, and yet I still worry about the "future"===JACK:  I think that I worried more about the future when I was younger.  The older you get the less of a future you have to worry about..

  

 

Jack’s Winning Words 12/28/20

“Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.”    (Dr. Seuss)  Older people keep picture albums.  As I page through mine…Oh, the memories: My mom and dad, the dog I had as a boy, my 6^th grade school class (I remember most names), high school, college, seminary,  the wedding, the children…I feel like Clark Griswold locked in the attic.  I need to thank God more often for the gift of memory.  What’s a moment from the past that you treasure?  ;-)  Jack

FROM KT IN MI:  Thanks for this one!  I’ve been trying to record lots of memories about my dad. Precious gifts to remember and to record.===JACK:  The Memory Bank shows various deposits, some new and some old.  Even with the passing of years I am able to recall good times with you and your family.   It's sad when dementia makes withdrawals from "the bank", as happens with some people. 

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  My family made scrapbooks from the late 1800’s.  Before my parents passed away, I took those albums and had them tell me the names of the people in them!  Most people they knew.  I thank God for those gifts of the albums!===JACK:  Are you still carrying on the tradition of scrapbooking?  And, who, in your will, is to receive your outhouse collection?

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Just give me a minute, its right here on the tip of my tongue . . .!?  0;-)===JACK:  Did you ever lose your train of thought during a sermon?  I have...some stuttering and stammering before the train got back on track.===REV:  Early on as a youth pastor coming back from a weekend youth retreat with our youth and told the pastor I was good for preaching the Sunday evening sermon...did the same, shuttering and chasing the proverbial rabbit not in sight...early alter call (we prayed around the alter on Sunday evenings)...really did not have the proper notes and thought I could “wing it”...on the way out of the church that night the pastor said “that will fly only once” as the congregation felt sorry for me...I’ve used manuscript sermons ever since. 0;-)===JACK:  Those "wing it" sermons are bound to crash more often than not.  Reading a sermon from a manuscript can be a snoozer, too.===REV:  True, put myself asleep with a few of them, but work well down the road when preparing a message where they fit better than previously! Funerals especially! Latest count: 332 since September 27, 1998

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  good one, Jack.  and this year we have more time to remember and reflect and give thanks for 1,000s of good memories.===JACK:  One of the great things about starting a new congregation is the experience of having memories that no one else has..to have had the experience to bring something into being from when there was nothing.  

FROM LBP:  How do you share out those memories?===JACK:  I do it by telling (and retelling) stories to  my children and grandchildren.  Just recently, David videoed me telling one of those memories.  I was laughing hard even in the retelling.

FRO ER IN SKO:  Great quote! Very appropriate for the week of New Year's.  👍 ===JACK:  One of my recent entries has your face in it.===E:  Uh oh....

FROM MD IN BSFL:  First thought was Holy Spirit baseball team. You on the mound Don Zimmer behind the plate remember when he broke his finger?Ghastly. Ralph Green hitting the ball a mile and the young bucks who fielded and ran the bases like we could not. Can you remember their names?===JACK:   What a fun memory...the Holy Spirit softball team.  I still have my red shirt with Holy Spirit printed on it.  Chuck Sturtz was one; Ralph Green could hit them out of the park.

FROM DAZ IN DENVER:  Finger was only dislocated not broken  When I went into ER with Holy Spirit tee shirt the nurses were amazed because they had been talking  about the laying on of hands and the Spirit===JACK:  I remember your yelling (almost crying).  But big men don't cry...much.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Beautiful – thank you for the inspiration.  On Christmas eve our pastor used the Charlie Brown Christmas special as an illustration.  If you watch closely, Linus drops his famous little blue blanket when he recites the Christmas story; he then wraps it around the tree.  For decades, none of the Charlie Brown characters could wrest the blanket from him, no matter how hard they tried.  In the moment he recites the message of hope/salvation, he no longer needs the security blanket.===JACK:  What a nice remembrance of Christmas...and what a great sermon idea.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Yes, how precious memories become as we age!  Crutch Carothers being elected Home coming king, and in the Spring, Prom King, which meant as his girlfriend, I got o sit with the Royal Court..(!), My wedding to Bill, the birth of our 3 sons, and finally, a daughter!  Our 50th anniversary 3  day retreat at Turkey Run State Park, with all our kids and a grand baby, and Jan and Hal, etc etc. Like you say, SO MANY good things!!  We are blessed indeed!!===JACK:  Precious memories, how they linger.

FROM EMT SINGS IN TC:  So many I can't count them, but surely an important one happened November 10th, 1990!===JACK:  As with many weddings I've performed, I've wondered, "How's this one going to turn out?"  Thanks for giving me a good answer.  One bride came in during the first week telling me that she was filing for a divorce.  I thought that her wedding was going to be a winner. 

 Jack’s Winning Words 12/24/20

 “And now, this is the sweetest and most glorious day that ever my eyes did see.”    (Donald Cargill)  For many people Christmas Eve is their favorite day of the year.  Bit, I think that my favorite is Thanksgiving and the idea of giving thanks for all the blessings that we have.  What day is a favorite for you?  Birthday?  Religious-related?  Anniversary?  We each have reasons for calling a day, “sweet and glorious.”  I was surprised at Cargill’s reason, but that’s another story.  ;-)  Jack

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  So I looked up Donald Cargill because it is someone I knew absolutely nothing about. After reading who he was, I knew more about him before I looked him up!===JACK:   You did what I was hoping some curious people would do...explore the "why".  Cargill was a "believer" who was a martyr (beheaded) because he would not recant his faith.  For him, it was a glorious day, because he would at last know what heaven was like.  Aside from the beheading, put yourself in his place.  To finally know what it beyond this life, to finally "see" God and be able to have Him answer the insoluable questions...grand and glorious!  Curious people expand their knowledge

FROM HONEST JOHN:  .My favorite time is the day I can get out in the Spring and work on starting the garden for the year.===JACK: Spring is my favorite season, too.  Had you ever heard of Donald Cargill, the martyr?

FROM MAGGIE:  Thank you for the light that you send us each weekday. ===JACK:  Winning Words begins with my interest in this positive and a desire to share them with others in a world that so often highlights the negative.

FROM GD JC:  I like Halloween. S likes Thanksgiving like you!===JACK:  As a pastor I always like to teach that Halloween stands for "All Hallows (Saints) Eve", the night before All Saints Day when believers would dress up in spooky outfits to scare away evil spirits that were lurking nearby.  Probably MORE than you wanted to know.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Thanksgiving Day, just before all the secular hype coming into play competing with the reason for the season of Christmas. 0;-) ===JACK:  I don't think that we can thank God enough for the many blessings He showers upon us...blessings that we so often take for granted.

FOM LBP:  The two days that could take that phrase are for the birth of each of my two kids. Otherwise days blur with days and I have to remind myself to stop and take in the glorious.   Music for the day: https://youtu.be/wOkjvAfFOpw

===JACK:  The miracle of birth....We don't appreciate it enough.  Cargill's words highlight an appreciation for another miracle, the end of life as we know it.

FROM BS IN ENGLAND:  I think Easter Sunday. It is a day of rejoicing and every where is bursting with colour.===JACK:  Christmas is just the start of the "Jesus story."  Easter gives an answer to, Why?

FROM AA IN FL:  my favorite day is my Happy Half Birthday.  No mandatory gifts to return and you are not  a year older.===JACK:  I haven't heard of that one, altho Ellen's Bakery in Sylvan Lake sends me a discount card, both on my birthday and my half birthday./...and I use them, too.

   

 

Jack’s Winning Words 12/23/20  “I stopped believing in Santa Claus when I was six,  Mother took me to see him in the department store, and he asked me for my autograph.”    (Shirley Temple Black)  The Bible says, “When I was a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became an adult I put away childish things.”  I loved believing in Santa, but, as an adult, I appreciate knowing about the “real” St. Nicholas who went around giving gifts of food, clothing and firewood to the poor.   In this time of Christmas, let’s remember St. Nicholas. He wasn’t make-believe.  ;-)  Jack FROM WILLMAR REV:  Little Nicholas was so excited to go up to Santa and be lifted upon his lap. "What's your name little boy?" "Dummy, it's the same as your Santa!" said little Nicholas. "Well then, George, what is it you want for Christmas!!" says Santa. 0;-)))===JACK:  That's a good one.  Did you ever "play" Santa Claus in your glorious past?===REV:  West Bloomfield's Parks and Recreation had me suit up as Santa a couple of times during those 5 years, and even an Easter bunny on one occasion.===JACK:  Are there any pictures from the archives?  FROM VK:  Love ur messages.  Start each day with them.===JACK:  It's good to know that you're on my "reader's list.   FROM MY LAWYER:  Playing Santa ranks as one of the thrills of my lifetime.  I treasured every moment wearing that costume and interacting with kids and their parents and relatives during the Christmas season.===JACK:  You were perfect for the job at the Optimist party for needy children.  You have done a lot of good things in your lifetime...and I'm proud to call you, FRIEND."

 Jack’s Winning Words 12/22/20

“There were certainly things I was scared to do, but I never thought I wasn’t up to the challenge.”  (Rodney Mara)  Actress Mara was no “Evel Knieval” daredevil, but she said that even being an actress can be stressful. Our pastor announced: “Who wants to go zip-lining with me?”  I did not raise my hand…but others did.  “To each, his own.”  We all face challenges that are  ours alone.  I’ve found that having a belief that God is there with me helps a lot.  ;-)  Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  i’m w/you... no way!===JACK:  When I was a kid there  there was an amusement part in Chicago called, Riverview.  The scariest ride was a roller coaster, The Bobs.  There were no safety features like used today.  We'd fly from side to side and lift off our seat.  It was excioting...but I was younger then.

FROM SMILIN' TERI:  Really good one....===JACK:  I miss our face to face conversations

FROM CF IN KH:  Amen Jack, Amen to your winning words today.===JACK:  Did you know that in some churches they have an "Amen Corner" where some of the deacons sit.  Their job is to yell out "Amen" while the preacher is preaching as a way of encouraging him.  The word, "Amen, means, "Let it be this way," or "You said it brother."

FROM LBP:  Might have to post this one in my office. Fear sometimes drives procrastination.===JACK:  Trusting people to do jobs assigned to them (of accepted by them) goes only so far.  I never was good at being a disciplinarian. 

FROM ER IN SKO:  God works in my life in very mysterious ways. Yesterday and today rank right up there. I am always grateful, but I typically don't see the path until after the pieces fall into place. A continual reminder that he is always with me. ❤===JACK:  More and more people these days are saying these days that they may not be "religious",but that they are "spiritual." I see yours as a spiritual experience.  Good.   

 

Jack’s Winning Words 12/21/20 

“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the face.”  (Victor Hugo)  In pictures I’ve seen, it seems that Inuit people are usually smiling.  It appears that cold weather just doesn’t bother them.  Today’s the first day of winter…the shortest day and longest night, and usually bitter cold. Writer Hugo wrote about his “winter” experience and suggests that laughter has a way of making us warm.  If you find yourself getting “the winter blues.”…try smiling.  ;-)  Jack 

FROM LBP:  Cats! Cats are a great source of laughs ... and annoyance... but mostly laughs :)===JACK:  I'm a dog person.  My favorite cats are in the musical, "Cats."  Have you seen it?===LBP:  My 9 yo sees laughter as his way of connecting with the world right now. He loves watching silly videos online with me and his dad at the end of the day.  He’s always studying to see what we laugh at most.===JACK:  Are the Three Stooges off limits for him?===LBP:  It was the first musical I saw and I loved it! Dad had the book of poems and mom got the music on record. Used to be I knew all the songs. It’s been a while ... 

FROM QUJILTING CAROL: We “smiled” when we saw your Christmas card.  I think we saw a whole new side of you!  Loved it!===JACK:  We started on our walk this morning, but the wind was so strong that we had a hard time standing up....so, back to the warmth and calm of the home.

FROM LZW IN ATL:  Merry Christmas!  I sent out my cards to all finally. In your card I wrote the old line "Take care of yourself" - thinking about you and my Dad during the pandemic. I got a little nudge and thought " Who really takes care of you."  My devotional today says it best -  To know why Jesus came to Earth, we must understand what it means to be lost. Without God, we’ve lost:  • Our direction. We’re bound to have little understanding of where we should go and what we should do in this life.  • His protection. We’re on our own when we’re not under the Lord’s protection. That’s a huge reason many people are stressed out. They’re trying to live under their own care and protection instead of God’s.   • Our potential. We’ll never know half the gifts and talents we have if we’re not in a relationship with him.  • Our happiness. We can have all the money and power in the world, but without God we will never have true joy.   • Our home in Heaven. God allows us to rebel while we’re here on Earth, but there’s no rebellion in Heaven.  You are in my prayers - I know God is with you and my Dad.  Happy  2021!===JACK:  I have a positive that we'll get thru this.  In fact, it's reassuring that your dad and I are in the age-group that is scheduled to get an early vaccination.  Meanwhile, I plan to stay in my bubble and resist wearing a mask when necessary.  

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Laughing our way through the pandemic as we try to discover “Who’s” on first!  Enjoy Christmas week, Jack, and the first day of winter. 0;-)===JACK:  Did your "sense" of what was humorous change when you went from the bowling alley to the pulpit?  I had a church member who would always refer to the wise men as the 3 wise guys...and they he'd laugh.===REV:  I remember in one of Bible College classes where I asked if the instructor had heard that Oral Roberts University had sent out a long play record of Christmas music to its supporters but many were returned as the hole in the middle of the record kept healing and closing. I was corrected in front of the class by the instructor saying that was being sac-religious. 0:-/===JACK: That was a funny joke.  That instructor probably would have beeen aghast at was said and done by the bowling crowd.  You should have the instructor if he thought that Jesus ever told a joke...or laughed.

FROM HONEST JOHN:  Have you ever run across a pissed off Inuit?     Not a pretty sight!===JACK:  Eeww!  I had originally used "Eskimo," but my editor (son David), who is more politically correct than I am, changed it to Inuit.

FROM INDY GENIE:  I love winter! I love the cold weather and snow ...it makes me smile. I also like wearing winter clothes...especially hats:)===JACK:  You probably like the cold weather, because you were born in "cold weather" country, like the Inuits.

FROM LK IN OH:  Thank you, Jack! I have long regarded WINNING WORDS as its own Christmas each day! I am grateful!   Now it happens that this morning's mail brings a really cute card from you and Joan. Great!!  I would say the Tigers, perhaps also the Wolverines, have a better chance of recovering than does my old/former GOP. Note: I became a registered Independent years ago when I volunteered for our former Ohio Governor, John Kasich.  Indeed, FOLLOW THE STAR!!!===JACK:  I think that each of us needs a positive start for the day...so, Winning Words continues as long as..

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  .There is no doubt a good laugh is  good for the soul, the digestion, and every thing else!  I just got your Xmas card mailed today!! Praying it reaches before Christmas!!  I'm slower than usual right now.... I saw a comment that made me smile: "Retailers say this promises to be the best Christmas ever:  I thought the First One was...." :-).===JACK:  I think that the USPS has not recovered from the shenanigans going on prior to the elections.  Don't worry about my card getting to me on time...unless you sent it to Minnesota.  One of my daughters forwards Michigan mail to me until we go to Michigan at end of January..  My latest Christmas "bug" is that people focus so much on the "baby"...and lose sight of what the baby said and did as an adult.  So....what else is new? 

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words 12/18/20

“Good men must not obey the laws too well.”  (Unknown)  As a child I was always taught to obey the law!  As I grew older, I realized that there were exceptions.  I learned about “Jim Crow” laws.  I even learned that some “laws” espoused by the Bible had exceptions.  A man was told that Jesus said, “Love your neighbor.”  The man responded, “…but Jesus never met my neighbor.”  Would Mr. Rogers be comfortable living in your neighborhood?” ;-)  Jack

FROM WILLMAR REV:  I use this often when closing my funeral messages— Three surprises will be found when walking the streets of gold in Heaven- 1) finding some you never thought had a chance of being there; 2) some not there you thought surely would be; 3) the biggest surprise when seeing the glory of God displayed before you your very eyes, that you were there?! Have a blessed Friday, Jack!! 0;-)===JACK:  Another surprise......I think that the quote is from Martin Luther.  He thought tht he was more sinner than saint.

FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Thought-provoking as always, you bring up an excellent point about the Jim Crow laws.  Shiva Ayyadurai mentioned this, an MIT Ph.D., known by the New York Times as “always the smartest man in the room” in his Massachusetts Supreme court case he won a few days ago against the Republican party.   Oddly his Jim Crow reference referred to how the voting machines were used in a Senate race to allocate only 3/5 of the vote for his voters. Dr. Shiva knows a bit about this; he came from India as an untouchable and moved to the top of his field.  Only in America can you change your social-economic class through hard work. He invented email when he was 14. He is interesting to listen to; we take our liberty and freedom for granted and eschew opportunities to give thanks and be grateful.  Dr. Shiva is in year four of his battle. If his rights can be taken that easily by corrupt politicians and a few machines, I think we all have to wonder about the fragile nature of our rights.===JACK:  Law is never simple.  Even when Jesus said, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and love your neighbor as yourself,"  it's subject to interpretation: "What does this mean?"  Countless sermons have not fully come up with the answer. ===JON:True enough. The law is not simple but the results of simple math are. No one of sound mind believes now or then that blacks were or are 3/5th of a person.  I presume that would apply to all humans?  It is only when you cast people or groups as less than human that things like this are thought permissible. 

FROM MY LAWYER:  Me and Jesus would have been pals!!!===JACK:  You might have been able to help him with the Law.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  MY NEIGHBORS SEEM TO BE KIND AND CARING,  BUT I HAVE NO  IDEA WHAT ACTIVITIES THEY ARE INVOLVED IN EXCEPT FOR  A VERY FEW. I FEEL THEY ARE GOOD PEOPLE !  i THINK MR. ROGERS COULD COUNT ON ANY OF THEM TO "DO THE RIGHT THING".  SOME LAWS WE MARCHED AGAINST IN LONG GONE YEARS, WERE ABOUT UNFAIR HOUSING LAWS, AND UNEQUAL SCHOOLING FOR MINORITIES. IN CHICAGO THAT IS STILL A PROBLEM, AND PROBABLY IN MANY BIG CITIES..===JACK:  It must have been exciting to be "activists" for a just cause in those days.===OAKS:  So true! I guess it made us feel we were standing up to be counted in a just cause. The Congress passed a Fair Housing Law, the Fall after we marched, making it  unlawful to refuse to rent to or sell to ANY individual.   Which helped, but the ones who integrated neighborhoods still suffered consequences!===JACK:  I will not forget one of Bill's "favorites," Once to Every Man and Nation Comes the Moment to Decide."

 

Jack’s Winning Words 12/17/20

“Every wall has a door.”  (Emerson)  I don’t know if Michael Jordan ever read Emerson, but he said something similar about walls.  When Jordan was cut from his H.S, Basketball Team, he refused to give up.  “When faced with a wall, don’t give up.  Figure out how to climb over it, how to go thru it, or work around it.”  He also said, “I’ve failed many times, and that’s why I’ve been successful.”  Remember, when you encounter a wall, look for the door.  ;-)  Jack  

 

Jack’s Winning Words 12/16/20

“Wow!  Face it…God’s crazy about you!”  (Pr Bob Langseth)  I admire “farm boy” Pr  Bob who’s able to take “religion” and apply it to today’s world.  “God loves you” becomes, “God’s crazy about you.”  People loved the stories Jesus told, because they related to everyday life…”A farmer went out to sow.” is an example.  Today’s quote was used to begin a Confirmation Day sermon. I believe that God does get excited when young people confess their faith.  “In today’s lingo, God might say that he thinks you’re the GOAT!  ;-)  Jack

FROM RVB IN WB:  My youngest son has a shirt that says:  God is dope and thinks the same of me!===JACK:  Are you sure that the shirt says, "dope?"  Maybe it says, "God is hope."===RVB:  Jack, you read it correctly!  One millennial meaning is: Awesome or the best ever   Ask your great grandchildren, ===JACK:  I asked my daughter, and she said: "I knew that!"

FROM LBP:  I guessed right about what GOAT means. Yay! My 9 yo likes to be aghast at the things mom doesn’t know. My 13 yo just sighs===JACK:  I like to play with people's minds.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  THIS DINASOUR DOES NOT KNOW THE CU;RENT MEANING OF GOAT! :-(  but as Yancy has said, "God is crazy about you! He'd have your picture in his wallet, & on his refrigerator!" I think others have said very similar things, and we can be assured his love is unconditional !! That is a great comfort!  Thankful for your daily words which make us THINK! ===JACK:  G.O.A.T. = Greatest Of All Time.  Another millennialism is "dope."   God is dope! = God is the greatest.  Try these on your grandchildren, and they'll probably think that old gram is really with it.

Jack’s Winning Words 12/15/20

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”  (Jack Kerouac-poet)  I have great admiration for writers…particularly poets.  To be able to say a lot in a few words is a gift.  Ogden Nash makes me laugh: The Perfect Husband : “He tells you when you’ve got on too much lipstick – And helps you with your girdle when your hips stick.”  (Do people still wear girdles?)  One of my goals for Winning Words is to write something worthy without being wordy.  ;-)  Jack  

FROM CZB IN NEW HAMPSHIRE:    Good morning!  Ogden Nash’s home is two doors down from ours. He used to write in the barn that was next door. Lots of fun history where I live. Our house was built in 1890. It used to be the guest house for a stately house across the street.   And to answer your question, girdles have been replaced by “foundation” garments, the category leader is Spanx. It’s huge business! Everyone still wants to look thinner than they might be!===JACK:  If only Ogden were living today...You could show him Winning Words.  As for girdles, I know that the word is passe.  I won't say it out loud, but I think that the POTUS wears spandex.  I wonder who helps put it on?===CZB:  Oh my gosh, that is a visual I could have done without!!!! hahahaha!===JACK:  At the golf course he let's it all hang out.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  "Always a challenge for the better preachers . . . when younger, I thought the sermon had to be 40 minutes to be worth its salt, and then I grew wiser?!" 0;-)===JACK:  When I started out my mentor was "20 minute-Tillberg", known for his short sermons.  I've since cut down to 10 to 12 minutes.  

FROM RS IN SAMN:  And you succeed.  Thank dear Jack, for being part of my quiet time with God.  Blessings. ===JACK:  Sometimes, I wish that Winning Words could be like Face-Time when we could have time to talk back and forth.

FROM RS IN TEXAS:   Goal achieved.===JACK:  Thx

FROM FUNERAL DIRECTOR:  Jack, you do, every day that we are blessed with an edition.  ===JACK:  Thanks for the good words.  Are eulogies just for the dead? ===FD:  What a great question!  I think a lot of folks today need to hear their eulogies now!  You’ve got me thinking……===JACK:  Success!  WWs is designed to make people think.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  O. Nash also had a great toast for a wedding couple which i have used many times:  When you are wrong, admit it.  And when you are right, forget it!    rather wise words i do believe.   take care,===JACK:  For a toast, I  though you'd use another Nashism..."Candy is dandy, but liquor is quicker," 

FROM LK IN OH:  Covid notwithstanding. . . . ."Merry Christmas" abounds!  Jack, I hope you are healthy in all respects.  May God continue to bless you and all those you love!===JACK:  Thanks for the Xmas Greeting.  I havw ni qualms about writing Xmas...because of my Greek language classes.  It was in one of my early sessions that I leaned that X was the first letter in the Greek word for Christ....Xmas: the same as Christmas.

FROM DAZ IN COLORADO"  :  W W  are never wordy and very concise also thought provoking  ===JACK:  It helps to work with an edit0or, like David. 

FROM VGW MARY:  Always worthy, never wordy===JACK:  Congratulations!  You were the first one to notice...worthy...wordy.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I no longer wear a girdle! As Jack Nicholson said you can only hold your stomach in for so many years! Ha!===JACK:  How about lipstick?  Do you remember when you first tried it?===OAKS:  Very soft colors of lipstick for special occasions in 8th grade;; More vibrant as we went high school, which was 10th - 12th grades in Moline, as you know.===JACK:  Lips that touched lipstick never touched mine until sometime after high school (maybe after seminary...I can't remember HAHA).

FROM NELLIE:  John Freed's words are worthy in any length so far as I'm concerned. You and your WINNING WORDS are one of the short list of blessings in 2020!===JACK:  Just like a sermon...long enough to make the poit; short enough to keep the interest.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 12/14/20

“I have written your name on my hand.”  (Isaiah 49:16 – God’s translation)  I was surprised to read that God has a tattoo…my name written on His hand.  My grandson’s first tattoo was his confirmation Bible verse.  I’ve come to appreciate translations of the Bible that put it into the language of today…anything that helps me to grasp the message.  My name on His hand!  I must be important to Him. There’s room for your name too, because you’re also important to Him.  ;-)  Jack.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  thankful that tattoos are becoming passe... young people are such sheep. gauges are proof that some will do anything to be “different.”===JACK:  When did you decide to be different?===LIZ:i didn’t... i just do what i do w/o regard to what people think. gisela and i are the only “girls” we know who do not have pierced ears.===JACK:  So, Gisela decided to be like you?  I'm sure thar she's her own person in other ways.  We all are.===LIZ:  gisela was not allowed to get them pierced till she reached majority age... then she no longer wanted them. same w/me. body altering decisions are for adults to make.  you obvs do not know gisela. she goes her own way, always has... and she has made it work for her. she is a leader in every respect, and totally fearless... but that’s like me, actually. 👍🏻===JACK:  Why am I not surprised?

 

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I LOVE your idea of God's hand being  tattooed with our names! If I have to give a devotional, I"m going to pass this on, with credit to you!  This is a good verse to carry with me, and easily memorized!===JACK:  The quote is from a little book by Max Lucado, and he evidently "picked up" that modern translation of the Bible verse.

FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  His hand is big enough for everyone!  As is His heart! ===JACK:  How bibg is God's hand?  He's got the whole world in His hands.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 12/11/20

“Some things are just better left unsaid, and I usually realize that right after I say them.”  (Sent by St Paul in St Paul)  Hall and Oates are famous for a “rock ‘n soul” song with the theme: It’s important to choose your words carefully, because some bad things can be made worse by the wrong word at the wrong time.  In my younger days we’d call it: A case of foot-in-mouth disease.  “Oops!  Let me re-state that!”  Has it ever happened to you?  ;-)  Jack 

 Jack’s Winning Words 12/10/20

“A candle of God’s goodness can serve as a beacon of hope for those navigating dark passages of their lives.”  (Hanukkah Quote)  One thing that Hanukkah and Christmas have in common is a message of HOPE.  God’s goodness is always with us…told by the menorah’s nine candles, or the one Christmas Star.  As we traipse the dark passages of life, let’s not forget that God is with us.  In the darkest hours, seen or unseen, our Hope is that G-d goes with us. ;-)  Jack 

FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  A good message.  What is January 6^th?  Is that the Advent?===JACK:  There are two Christmases...Dec 25 observed by those related to the Roman Catholic tradition and Jan 6 (Epiphany), observed by the Orthodox (Russian and Greek) traditions.  It is thought that the wise men arrived, probably 2 weeks after the birth of Jesus when the Holy Family had moved to other housing. Sometimes, by explanation, a simple story becomes more complex. ===JON:    Nice. I am hoping for an Epiphany myself on Jan. 6th.  All the best. ==JACK:  "Epiphany" is from the Greek....epi and phanos....a day of light (enlightenment). 

 

FROM SF IN FL:  Thank you. We are lighting the first candle this evening on Zoom with our kids. Different for sure. Praying for good health and peace. ===JACK:  I wonder it "the old-timers" would approve of Zoom or even understand it.  All that counts is that G-d knows! 

] FROM JJ IN SJ:  Thank you Jack. Those are winning words.===JACK:  Why not light a candle today....and let it be a sign of HOPE for a better tomorrow. 

 Jack’s Winning Words 12/9/20

“Remember that at the end of the day, it’s not what you say or do, but how you make people feel that matters the most.”    (Tony Hsieh – Former CEO of Zappos)  Tony was a multi-millionaire businessman who died tragically in a house fire at age 46.  He was living proof that you could be successful and a good human being, too.  His business mantra was, “I want to deliver happiness.”  It’s a good mantra for any of us as we go through life.  ;-)  Jack

FROM ER IN SKO:  For better or worse, that's my moto, too. Unfortunately, I think it's gotten me into a little trouble. ===JACK:  During times when I am conducting a wedding, I wonder if the people know what they are promising.  Life has a way of making it hard for two people to live together with a real COMMITMENT to do their best, for better or worse.

 FROM HONEST JOHN:  That's very biblical.===JACK:  Does everything have to be biblical: ===HJ:  No...but for the Christian it means that a saying that is to guide our life’s activities ought not be antithetical to the Biblical understanding of life....and this one is.===JACK:  There's a certain satisfaction that comes from knowing that you are a child of God...and that's not limited to Christians.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:   it’s a good shoe website.===JACK:  .In the olden days when I was growing up, "a good ole shoe," meant a good and reliable friend.===LIZ:like you and me! 

.FROM KLM: Hi, I enjoy reading your winning words. Thanks for all your efforts in writing and sending them. Sure has been a challenging year with Covid. I have 7 siblings and have not seen much of them, or rather not as much as I normally would and would like to.  But I have been able to see my 2 sons often and grandkids and daughter in law and husband, of course so I am grateful for that.  Hope you and loved ones are doing well. ===JACK:  I see the year 2020 as a time for reflection  and resolve.  We can (and must) do better in caring for God's creation and the gifts that are ours. 

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Anyone who has had A near-death experience comes back with the resolve to spread love, and to love all people. That is what they learned while in their view of "heaven"...My friend in Elgin who experienced this out of body event, came back saying she wanted to stay, but did not want to leave her children motherless..She said she would never fear death, but felt such love, and knew that was the way we were to live. So many NDE fascinating stories! Live Love!===JACK:  I. too, had a member who experienced a "life" after death experience.  Hers was a remembering of the doctor swearing when she (the patient) had died on the opering table.  She was floating above, watching what was happening below.===OAKS:  I read a poll (I think was in the book Life after Life, that said one in ten people have these experiences. I think they are more rare than that..===JACK:  I would agree..