Jack’s Winning Words 7/29/20
“I’m a little pencil in God’s hand.”  (Mother Teresa)  By her words and her life, Mother Teresa expressed God’s love for the poor and needy.  No wonder she’s be named, “a Saint.”  I recall Paul  Gilbert’s poem:  “You are writing a Gospel, a chapter each day, By deeds that you do, By words that you say.”  His poem ends with the question: “What is the Gospel according to you?”  In these days of confusion, many are looking for living examples of God’s Gospel.  Remember that you, too, can be a little pencil God’s hand.  ;-)  Jack

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Once again, a great post.  Thanks for leading me to the poem! ===JACK:  A very pointed question at the end!  

FROM BLAZING OAKS:    Yes I remember that poem! Good reminder! I try not to be negative, which is often difficult in this era of gov't. (Or should I say NON-gov't?!) and this terrible

pandemic, but we need to find humor, do kindness and keep our loving spirit in focus for the sake of our friends and family, and those we meet along the way!  My Cardiologist's nurse remarked yesterday, "It's so nice to see you dressed so beautifully (!) AND a  constant smile on your face! You don't know how that brightened my day!" I was totally taken by surprise, and it reinforced my awareness that you never know who might need a little uplift just by a smile!!  She brightened my day by telling me that, and I  let her know that!!  Yes let's "write" positive things with our pencils!

===JACK:  When little children draw faces, you usually add a smile...and pictures like that make me smile.  ...and "when you're smilin' the whole world smiles with you."  It's contagious..

FROM RUTHIE:  Love, love the message.  Thank you dear, Jack. Your life could be a permanent marker💕===JACK:  God's permanent marker...I like it...except that sometimes I want to erase some of my words.  But, with God, our sins (thought words and deed) are not permanent.

FROM MY FRIEND FLYNN:  That was a real good one Jack, as I’m sitting on a plane waiting to take off for Juneau.  We’re going to meet our new grandson. I’ll be thinking about my gospel.===JACK:  It's a scary thing to imagine my name attached to a book in the Bible.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Mine still is found with a corrective eraser needed at times on the other end. 0;-)===JACK:  Jesus uses "white-out."  Tho your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow.

FROM GOOD DEBT JON:   Juxtaposed against merely reading the Bible, living its themes can be more far more difficult. ===JACK:  That's why we shouldn't "believe" everything we read about people.  Edgar Guest wrote a poem, "I d rather see a sermon than hear one any day."

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  While people may evaluate you by the story of your life; it is most often the children in our lives who learn from that story. What will your children learn from the Gospel according to you?  Some books are banned, especially for children, because their content is inappropriate for young minds. Others are best sellers or required reading because he story is so good and the lessons to be learned are so powerful. Which would you rather the story of your life to be?  Many families have someone in the family tree that they just don’t talk about or talk about only in whispers, so that the children don’t overhear. These are not the role models that are held up to the children to emulate, but rather the bad examples to be avoided. Their Gospel is one of shame.  So what is the Gospel according to you? What things are you writing in your Gospel today that you want your children to learn from? Would you be proud to see that your gospel is being read or would you have to caution, “Don’t do what I did?”  The best way to write a bestseller with your life is to be like Mother Theresa and let God guide your pencil. Maybe you can add to your prayers, “God please guide my actions today so that they may make a great chapter in the Gospel of my life.”===JACK:  To be an example is mighty burden to bear.