Jack’s Winning Words 4/15/22 “Life teaches you a new lesson every day, if you are attentive enough in the class of life.”  (Invajy) Someone once commented to me, “You must read a lot in order to write your Winning Words."  A friend listening nearby  said, “He knows how to Google.”  Yes, that’s true, but I’m also a curious person.  Have you ever read the Curious George books?  Since 1939 over 30M have been printed in 14 languages.  You and I can learn something every day (even from the books of children) if we pay attention to what’s going on around us. Has today's world situation helped you learn a life lesson?  I’m curious as to what you think..  ;-)  Jack FROM JU IN NC:  Curiosity must be married to thoughtfulness.  It killed the cat but got man to the moon.===JACK:  I'm curious....Why do some people believe that the moon landing was faked?  And, what was it that killed the curious cat?  Do you have the answer to these questions?===JU:  When the cow jumped over the moon the cat looked up to see and the cow landed on it.  And ever since that time many folks thought only cows were able to go to the moon. ===JACK:  You have satisfied my curiosity...and I'm still alive.  Thanks. And that is the true answer to both questions. FROM CPA MIKE: Can't think of any life lessons right now. Got me to thinking about an article I wrote in the early eighties. My draft started with "in these uncertain times" I thought about it and concluded that we have always uncertain times  so I changed it and that was forty years ago. Not much has changed since then.  What comes to mind presently is let's choose our leaders wisely no matter what beliefs we have.===JACK:  You're beginning to see the light.  As to choosing Leaders wisely, we have only one vote.  I would say that it's more important that we choose our Teachers wisely.  In that case, our one vote is all important.===MIKE:   What do you mean by today's world situation?===JACK:  Ukraine, Covid, Weather, Finances, Hunger, Genocide.  We each see the world through our own eyes.  I see the world in disarray, but because of my faith, I do not see it as hopeless.    FROM GSLP:  I just learned that Lauren Kirsh-Carr died and thought you would want to know.===JACK:  Today's Life-Lesson:  Be ready, for we never know when the bell will toll for us.  She was a committed (and unique) pastor.  Her family, the Church and "the island" will miss her. FROM NOVA SCOTIA FISH:  there was a lot to learn in Pogo too. The most famous message was undoubtedly "We have met the enemy and he is us."   I think the language in it might be attacked today as racist, but my understanding at the time was that this was the language of the Okefenoke area regardless of race. I would like to see someone like Christiane Amanpour or Anderson Cooper do a retrospective of it, but have not yet got around to raising the matter with them. Any suggestions?===JACK:  IMO today's emphasis on being politically correct has resulted in our losing some of nuances of the life that is going on around us.  Pogo was one of the best cartoon strips...even.  I could hardly wait for the paper to come each day.  I think that Pogo helped puncture Sen Joe McCarthy's balloon.  I agree Christiane and Anderson are two of the best reporters around today. FROM NORM'S BLOG:  When we are very young, life is all about exploring and playing. There is some learning going on, but we really aren’t paying attention. Eventually the adults in our lives start imposing some discipline and force us to pay attention. They use the concepts of schools and classes to force us to pay attention and develop the ability to learn from what we are experiencing. Some embrace learning through paying attention and some do not. Some take the learning process from their schooling, and some do not. Some continue to pay attention to the people, things and events around them and some retreat into the comfort of being oblivious.===JACK:  When I was in school I paid more attention to the clock than I did to the teacher, but, somehow, some way (maybe by osmosis), I learned to multi-task: watch the clock aand learn at the same time. FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  I really like that you made “lesson” plural.  So much to learn!===JACK:  A good teacher multi-tasks.  My "best" teacher was one of those multi-taskers. FROM SHARIN' SHARON:   I'm learning a life lesson this week which is that things can always change and change for the better, for more peace especially.  When I was growing up in the Church of Christ in Bayard, Iowa, a little rural community, there was extreme polarization between the churches.  But Tuesday night, I went on Facebook for the Church of Christ Lenten worship and was able to worship with Bob Rogers, Minister of Church of Christ, the woman Pastor of the Methodist Church (I didn't catch her name) and also Father Ray of the Catholic Parish, and worshippers assembled together from those three congregations.  When you see stuff like that, it gives hope that other divided peoples will also, one day, see more peace and reconciliation.  Love and yearning for love, hope and faith and Jesus' Sacrifice for us outlasts hostility and all the evils in this world.  The love has been poured out upon us, I hope it spreads.  Thanks for your WW this morning, Pastor Freed.  May we make it through Good Friday and Saturday and have a joyful Easter celebration of Jesus' Resurrection!!!===JACK:  You are an example of someone who is able to "learn" in spite of faith differences.  I admire your spiritual curiosity. FROM WILLMAR REV:  Everyday is a learning day!! 0;-)===JACK:  Have you ever sung the chorus..."Every day with Jesus is better than the day before"? ===REV: Many times in earlier years…here’s another one: 0;-)    The more I trust Him, the more I love Him Nothing good for me He'll deny The longer I know Him, the better I can show Him I couldn't stop now if I tried   It gets sweeter as the days go by It gets sweeter as the moments fly His love is richer, deeper, fuller, sweeter Sweeter, sweeter, sweeter as the days go by FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH:  It has caused me to think more about the consequences of too much power.  I have a concern that Mr. Putin may Becoming the posterboy for the proposition that absolute power corrrupts absolutely ===JACK:  One of the strengths of our government is "checks and balances."  I'm distressed by those who are trying to do away with that for personal political gain.   FROM M & l:  Thank you for getting me back on board.  Yes, todays world has taught me a life lesson- you can’t give in to megalomaniacs. The response to Putin has exposed him as a mass murderer. History has celebrated many mass Murderers as conquerors and heroes. Maybe this time we can stop the revisionism. Let’s hope in the future there is never a chapter in the history books about “ Putin, The Great. “ ===JACK:  Prior to the Ukraine invasion Putin seemed to be a world leader among others.  A miscalculation can certainly make a difference in a reputation.  Megalomaniac is certainly an appropriate word. FROM SALON SUZY:  Amen to that one! Happy Easter!🐣===JACK:  FROM SR R IN SC:  YES! Just today, I learned that we are all sinners: a Ukraine woman did not want to carry a cross with a Russian one!===JACK:  Puzzling, but I see her point.  There are other crosses that the Russian-style one.