Jack’s Winning Words 12/21/21

“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.  If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.”  (Anne Bradstreet)  People keep asking why I choose to live “up north” in the winter, instead being a snowbird.  To me, winter is kind of a punctuation mark for the seasons.  Ahhh, this is different!   It helps also to have a fireplace and warm clothing, and enough money to pay the bills.  Growing up in the Great Depression shaped my thinking with regard to material things.  Has there been a “shaper” for you? ;-) Jack

FROM CAROLE-ING:  I think learning to live on not much money builds resourcefulness and appreciation. I used to think I might write a cookbook about how to make a chicken feed you for a week (two of us then). Back then we typically had $5.00 left after bills and essentials at the end of the month. I remember having to put new tires on our Sears credit card and then seeing the interest charges come in.  We scrimped more and learned to save for big purchases to avoid paying interest when we could. Going out for our family might be a picnic in the park or making popcorn and watching M. A.S.H. on the 12” black and white t.v.  Kids grew up in hand me downs and garage sale toys, mostly.  My daughters now are grown with their own families and much more comfortable financially but, they know how to make their own fun, reuse and recycle, realize that the little things are the big things, and they appreciate their blessings.  I feel really good about that. And, now I have enough money to buy new tires  😊 ===JACK:  Popcorn on a string and other homemade decorations for the  Christmas tree.  Buying this with a credit card and having a hard time paying just the interest.  Who would do such a thing...way back when?

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Experiencing almost 75 years here on Planet Earth with its “hills and valleys” has certainly gotten my attention. 0;-)===JACK:  The clergy seem to be pretty well taken care of these days.  I remember when bags of vegetables, fruit and eggs would be dropped of at our backdoor....and they were really appreciated.  But, God always seemed to provide, often in unusual ways. ===REV:  I still remember one Christmas there in West Bloomfield when a visiting husband there with his spouse that attended regularly slipped a Christmas check blessing to our family for $1000.00. A very pleasant surprise and gift indeed! 0;-)===JACK:  Who says there ain't no Santa Claus? 

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  good one, Jack!  not too many these days can say they grew up in the Great Depression.===JACK:  Every person has some significant event that has been a "shaper."  What has been yours?===SP:  one of them was meeting you...    another was meeting Margaret...   and i can easily  think of 100 more... ===JACK===The rest pale in the brightness of Margaret.  It was a great day when God thought up the idea of matching the two of you.

FROM KLM:  Thanks for your winning words. I look forward to reading them daily and am grateful for your efforts in writing them. I like the winter too and enjoy getting out to walk and ski. Wishing you  Merry Christmas and happy and healthy new year.===JACK:  I find myself being defined by "Jack's Winning Words."  However, I am more than that.  I wish that you could know more about me, and that I could know more about you.  Gud Jul!  

FROM JU IN NC:  The shaper for me was the winter ! When Joan left for college, I inherited her top floor bedroom in our non- insulated house.  I used to open the windows to let some of the cold air out.  I crawled in to bed with a jacket and a heavy winter coat on. After a year in Vietnam, I told myself "I don't have to freeze every year". I headed South.  I remember the folks up North as they talked.  In the spring it would be "Man that was the worst winter I can remember. I hope we can grow enough food to last through the next one.  In the summer, it was I hope we can cut enough hay to feed the cows this winter.  In the fall. It would be we hope we can cut enough firewood to stay warm this winter ❄️.  In the winter I would hear Boy this must be the worst winter ever"===JACK:  I remember those cold mornings.  It was job, as a kid, to go down the basement and "fix the fire "  (Get it going.  We had lump coal, and I had break up the big chunks.  After it began burning, I went upstairs and stood over the register.  Ahhhh!.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I love having 4 distinct seasons!  Winters have been much warmer, not so much snow and ice, but snow can be very pretty as it covers the ground and trees with white; Since the pandemic we have not traveled to CA in January, as was my son John's habit, for a break in winter.  I'm old enough that staying home sounds good to me!===JACK:  These days, with automatic heat and AC, what the kids will remember is the frightening wail of tornado sirens.===OAKS:  I haven't experienced that myself, but am sure it is scary;!! When we have warnings on TV, i go to an inner room, but the sirens haven't sounded.===JACK:  ...and don't forget to crawl into the bathtub!===OAKS:  .Unfortunately;, I just have walk-in Shower!! Doubt that's much protection! HA===JACK:  I guess you'll have to do what the disciples did when a terrible storm came up while they were in a boat on the Sea of Galilee.  "Master, save us!  We are perishing."

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FROM DAZ IN CO:  Me too. But this year we are still waiting for winter weather. ===JACK:  If you want snow, the mountains are in your backyard.  Remember the Wisconsin winters!  I do, and there was lots and lots of snow.  I even recall when Orchard Lake was closed because of deep snow on a Sunday.  David, me and rolf Weeks were the only ones who showed up.  We had a short sermon, took up the offering and walked back home. ===DAZ:  We’re having a no snow winter. We haven’t had any here and the mountains are very low on snow but they should get some later this week. Skiing is bad.===JACK: We each have a grandchild whose winter enjoyment comes from skiing.