Jack’s Winning Words 12/31/21

“Every time you tear a leaf off a calendar, you present a new place for new ideas and progress.”  (Charles Kettering)  Maybe it’s the “paperless society”, but I’ve noticed that there aren’t as many calendars as there used to be.  As we end 2021, we especially look ahead to 2022, hoping for better days.  Sometimes it’s not so much the events, but how we react to them that makes the difference.  I like the poem, “Our times are in Thy hand.  O Lord, we wish them there.”  Think of that at you look at 2022’s calendar.  Oh, and I like Kettering’s suggestion to note new ideas that come to mind as you move to a new month.  ;-)  Jack

FROM HONEST JOHN:  I am reading a new book on the Transcendentalists….by Gross…..you would love it….gives background on Concord as the home for that bunch….I am a Louisa May Alcott fan.===JACK:  I'm always searching. 

FROM THE SCIENTIST:     A good idea. Annual goals on New Year’s Day seem too overwhelming, and easy to put off for later in the year, so I’m trying again with monthly priorities. One month at a time. Last time I tried this, I set up monthly goals for the whole year. But that’s rigid and hard to predict. So this year, monthly priorities. All how we frame it, right?===JACK:  A favorite song of mione...One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus.  (listen to it) 

FROM SR IN SJ:  My friend, Renee tells how she participates in a Day of Recollection at the end of each year.  What a great idea...to recall the presence of God in the daily event of the past year.  More of us ought to try that.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Thanks for your thoughts.  I still have a paper calendar and love filling it in and reviewing the month.  In the empty spaces I write sermon notes.  Smile!===JACK:  Do you mean that some people actually take notes of the sermon?  That gives me a warm feeling.===BB:  Yes. I actually do from time to time. I had to do it before confirmation and it stuck with me. You cannot digest it all in one session. Like a big meal?===JACK:  I never was in the practice of asking students to take notes.  I loved the interaction of teaching confirmation classes, but I'd do some things differently in today's world.

FROM GUSTIE:  Well I got at least 30 of them sent to me that I did not even ask for.  I have passed them out to all my relatives and I still have a bunch!  And I use a paper calendar.===JACK:  I only got one, and I had to ask for that one.  Next year I'll contact you. 

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  We still like calendars and not just using our phones and computers.  Every year Brenda makes both of our families calendars using Shutterfly and photo collages.  We love having them in our home in Southfield.  You can see from the December 2022 she was able to include pictures of buying this year’s Christmas tree and now this morning Alex and Isaak gave the tree one last hug before it was taken down to be put at the curb.  Lucky grandpa and grandma could see the whole process.  Who knows where life will take us in the future?  We here in Houston are hopeful for the future and that 2022 will be blessed in probably ways we can’t even anticipate yet.  God has a way of doing that it seems—from experiences we’ve gone through anyway.  Even the troughs of life turn out paradoxically to straighten out our relationships to God our Creator and each other.  Feeling thankful for memories of 2021 and forward to making more memories in 2022.  And thankful that you are continuing to generate WW, Pastor Freed and have all of your marbles.  Many people your age struggle that way and who knows what Jerry’s and my later years will be like—hope we will be strong, courageous and resourceful like you and Joan are.  Happy New Year, Pastor Freed and Joan!!!===JACK:  You and I are "old school."

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Been a good ride this year once again for 'Winning Words'-- Happy New Year, Jack! 0;-)===JACK:  You are an example of what a dedicated pastor should be.  Thank you. 

FROM THE FISH IN NOVA SCOTIA:  haven't directly studied Boss Kett (sp?) but read about him in Alfred P Sloan book. Besides spark plugs and the like, as you may know, he invented other things such as an arrangement to cure syphilis by elevating the patient's temperature.===JACK:  There are great stories connected to the pioneers of the auto industry.  There's more to cars than "how they sell."

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