Jack’s Winning Words  5/31/22  “Our dead are never really dead until we have forgotten them.”  (George Eliot)  I seldom miss going to a cemetery on Memorial Day…ever since I was child.  It wasn’t a sad time.  It was a time to hear stories about relatives, about my dad’s friend who died in the 1918 flu epidemic.  The cemetery, for me,  has been a place for remembering.  Some of the stones are weather-worn, the dates have faded.  Some of the graves are new.  Such is life.  We’re born, we live, we die.  But people never really leave us until we have forgotten them.  So, if there is that someone who you are mourning this year, pause at a cemetery, any cemetery, and offer a prayer of thanks for their life.  ;-/ Jack FROM HONEST JOHN:  Are any of your people buried at Riverside?    My grandparents are there….up near the Deere monument.    We went there every Memorial Day (Decoration Day’.     I heard there about my Grandfather…my Grandma still lived.    Never have forgotten those stories.   Peace,  ===JACK:  Most of our cemetery visits were to Galesburg, my father's hometown.  The only thing I know about Riverside is the statue of The Black Angel.  That was a scarey place when we were children.  I think IK saw it once or twice when I was a teen.  My mother was an ardent Cubs fan, and I went to Galesburg after  the Cubs won the World Series and attached a button to her headstone...CUBS WIN!.  My son visited there this weekend and said that the button is sstill there.  FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  i find comfort and peace at the cemetery...===JACK:  Then the place has served its purpose.  I find my family's "plot" to be a place of rmembrance. FROM DAZ IN CO::  I miss the ceremony at Pine Lake Cemetery. That was a good time for remembering.===JACK:  Because of Covid, it's been a virtual observance for a few year.  Back to live this year.  About 75 in attendance withe WB Police Honor Guard.  It's similar to what the celebrations "used" to be like. FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  well said,  Jack!   Rabbi Kushner says that memories are the one thing that death cannot take away.   and i would add photos and mementos too.===JACK:  There's something about a tombstone that I like...the letters aged by time and the weather.===SP:  i preached last year at East Union, MN for LSS.  that country church was established in 1856,  two years before MN became a state.   their cemetery had a couple of graves of men who had served in the Civil War and also a couple of graves of persons killed in the Lakota Sioux Uprising in 1862.  talk about old and weathered tomb stones!   some were not legible at all but an old man at the church took me around the cemetery.  fascination stuff for a history buff.  ===JACK:  What a privilege to be able to preach at such a place as that old church...and to walk amongst the saints of old.  Did you feel their presence there?  There's a religious song with the line about Jesus: "I felt His presence there."  Eeerie, when you think about it.     FROM CR:  I can’t remember if I shared with you a link to the essays of Heather Cox Richardson, historian and professor. She writes frequently and shares her work with anyone interested.  I enjoy the historical context she offers to current events.  She’s available to follow on Facebook, Twitter, or  you can sign up for emails.  I thought this one was quite interesting. ===JACK:  I always like it when people give me "follow up" information. FROM SR RD:  This is exquisite, Jack!!!  Thanks.===JACK: "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder."  Is it wrong for the creator to admire his work?  I happened to like this Winning Words, too.

 

Jack’s Winning Words  (5/27/22)  “I feel the need - the need for speed.”  (Tom Cruise:- Movie Top Gun)  Some people drive the speed limit…and some people feel the need to exceed the limits.  Tom Cruise, as “Maverick” in Top Gun, was one of those who felt the need for speed.  Scott Dixon is the fastest qualifier for Sunday’s Indy 500 at over 234 mph.   That’s goin’ fast…compared to when the first speeding ticket was issued for going 8 mph in a 2 mph zone.  I remember hitch-hiking once and getting a ride from a driver who went over 100 mph.  I felt the need for less speed.  We all have our needs…more important than going fast.  What is it that drives you?...that brings out the “Maverick” in you?  ;-)  Jack FROM PITT PAUL:  ...thanks for the "speed" message! I'm headed to Indianapolis as I do each year to quench my "need for speed" at the 500. Always a great spectacle! Hope you are doing well!!===JACK:  I will the singing of Jim Nabors, but the Indy 500 goes on.  Be sure to say HI to my son David and his wife when you meet them in the crowd. FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  That must have been a hair-raising hitch-hiking ride—I can’t imagine the terror of being in that complete stranger’s car but God had better plans for you than being in a car accident that day.  What drives me is seeing animosities between folks, and also divided in myself, and needs for reconciliation.  But God is in charge of bringing about reconciliations and so He slows me down and counsels patience and also gives me a better frame of mind while I’m waiting for change to take place—still doing my little hopefully constructive actions and praying and to not be an obstacle to His Work.  That’s enough Maverick for me, Pastor Freed, I’m actually not a thrill seeker, like Tom Cruise.  Enjoyed ruminating on this quote from him though, another interesting WW topic.  You find them everywhere and from everyone, seems like.===JACK:  I can't imagine seeing you in a race car.  The place for you is in a garden where things move at a slower pace.  (you feel the need, the need for SEED!)  How is your garden growing this year?  What things do you plant, and who is that gets the harvest?   FROM WILLMAR REV:  Trying to find a gas station’s restroom when my water pills have kicked in and I’m in dire need to relieve myself?!?! 0;-)) ===JACK:  The need for speed....INDEED!   FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Wow, Indy already. We are rebuilding a home in Etna, OH time is moving so quickly it's hard to believe Summer will be gone soon.   I suppose, "I feel the need for speed!" Is better suited to bravado than my theme of,  "I feel the need for effectiveness and sustainability over the decades." ===JACK:  I feel the need for LESS speed.  Last night I re-watched the movie, Field of Dreams.  I remember playing catch with my father in our backyard alley...I remember playing catch with my son on the actual Field of Dreams.  Those experiences happened ONLY ye4sterday.  Now, I have more yesterdays that I have tomorrows..  I suppose it's that way with you, too! FROM PASTY PAT:  Being told I shouldn’t travel somewhere alone?! 😊 ===JACK:  The hidden message....AT YOUR AGE, you shouldn't  travel somewhere alone.  The maverick rears its head!===PP:  : LOL --- that’s it exactly!  The time has just flown by and tomorrow I return to Jerusalem for 2 days, and then home again. Apparently I’m getting to J just in time for “A Day of Rage” scheduled for Sunday. The march will go right through my neighborhood in the Old City, which makes me think it’s a good day to spend washing the desert out of my hair and possibly even trimming my toenails. 😊 My room is in a Catholic convent and I’m sure the sisters will have it all under control.  This has again been a unique experience and I suspect that when I awake in my own bed next week it will all seem like a dream.  ===JACK:  Sooner than later, your yesterdays (and their experiences) will compose a list a whole lot longer that your tomorrows (and their plans).  Such is life.   FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  hitchhiking? what a wildman.===JACK:  You should have seen me in the "younger" days.  I don't suppose that you ever hitchhiked, except in a group.  In the past, it was the WILD WEST.   Today, it's the WILD WORLD.===LIZ:  i'd never hitchhike. i am a girl, in the first place... and wary of dangers.===JACK:  Male or female...dangers are always lurking.  "Better safe than sorry" is good advice for all of us at any time. FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:   i was once picked up while hitch hiking and the guy drove like an idiot.   in a Corvette Stingray.    he said if the cops followed him, he would "race them to Chicago"  (from Detroit). i could not wait to get out of that car!! ===JACK:  I can't remember the last time I saw a hitch-hiker.

 

Jack’s Winning Words  5/26/22 “When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive – to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love.”  (Marcus Aurelius)  I’ve never thought of Marcus as being a real person (except that one of my seminary classmates was actually named, Marcus Aurelius).  I learned of the first Marcus in my study of philosophy.  I was impressed by his writings (Meditations).  He was referred to as the last of the Good Emperors of Rome…like having a President that everyone admired (not even Abe was liked by everyone).  Do you enjoy life as Marcus did?  …to be alive, to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love?  ;-)  Jack FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  good one, Jack! i love your historical perspectives.  blessings on your day. ===JACK: good one, Jack! i love your historical perspectives.  blessings on your day.  FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  I get a daily newsletter  Marcus Aurelius is a prominent topic with Ryan Holiday.  I am reading a few of his books.  I find stoicism a good starting point in business, not acting too quickly tempering your words (Proverbs) and not reacting politically and emotionally when the situation does not call for it (which is almost always).  I find the Stoics generally helpful in my daily Christianwalk.===JACK:  Stoicism seems to help me deal with the stuff that's going on in the world today...and even with personal stuff.

 Jack’s Winning Words  5/25/22

“O for a book and a shady nook…”   (John Wilson)  My favorite libraries have been The one in my hometown with name Carnegie over the door.  It’s where I truly learned to appreciate books.  My 2^nd favorite is the Denkmann Library at Augustana College where I learned the meaning behind the words in a book.  As for books, my favorite is Only In America by Harry Golden.  Surprisingly, the runner-up is one that I never really read, cover to cover, but had a big influence on my life: The Man On The Balcony (I’ve forgotten the author).  Isn’t that strange?  Reading a book can help us slow down and think, instead of just reacting to the latest social media rants.  What book helps you do that?.;-)  Jack

FROM WILLMAR REV:  “It’s the B I B L E,   hat’s the Book for me,  I stand upon the Word of God The B I B L E!   0;-)===JACK:  I'm not surprised.  Are yopu surprised that I know that song?

FROM DANDI SANDI:  Spoken like a ‘socialized introvert’, which I call myself. The only thing I like better is family and friends around me. A combination makes a perfect day!!📚🤓💕===JACK:  I have mixed feelings about "giving away" my library...but, on the bright side, it's like giving away friends to friends.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Have you ever seen the Arbor-Readum that uncle Dan constructed for the children on the Michigan property?  It’s been well over a decade but he basically made a simply treehouse in view of the cabin and the water and threw a pillow and blanket up there.  The absolute best!===JACK:  That sounds like the perfect nook for reading a book.  Was it big enough for adults, or was it just sized for children?

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words  5/24/22 “If I have a stupid day, everything looks wrong to me.”  (Anna Freud)  As a teen I came across a list of “sugar-coated” swear words, like: Gosh Darn, Gee-Zoo and Son of a Monkey, and I tried not to use them.  Lately I’ve caught myself frequently saying, STUPID, when I’m frustrated.  It’s origin is from the Latin, stupor, meaning: without thinking, or brain not working.  We are all frustrated, at times.  How do you deal with it i8n your world?  Some people handle it by doing a simple act of kindness.  To me, that’s better than saying Son of a Monkey or S.s.s.s.tupid!   What is it that helps you turn a bad day into a good one?  ;-)  Jack FROM GDJ:  I turn a bad day into a good day by reading Winning Words. ===JACK:  You brightened my day with your response.  I had good memories of our times spent together.  FROM ETR:  I was always told NOT to use the word "stupid". Stupid is one of the worst and most degrading words one can attribute to themselves or someone else. I feel it should be shunned in the same way "retarded" was/is. No one is as bad as stupid is.===JACK:  I used to feel that way, too...especially when referring to someone else.  But if' better that swearing when life becomes frustrating.  I think that soe of us are guilty of doing stupid things...acting with out using common sense.  There's a Frank Sinatra song, Stup;id.  Have you heard it before?   FROM WILLMAR REV:  Trying my best to avoid stupidity daily and instead enjoy a stupendous day, every day! 0;-)===JACK:  As you age you begin to look a little stoop-ed. FROM BB IN CHGO:  “Stupid” was the “S-word” when our children were little.  We treated it like a swear.  They did not know the conventional “S-word” until much later.===JACK:  I think that we had a similar experience.  I now use it as an expression of frustration.  STUPID! (I should have known better)).  What constitutes a swear word?  The word itself.?  The context?  Who's to say? FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  I watch George Carlin and his routin of the 7 words you can’t say on television.===JACK:  George Carlin is funny.  Edgy, at times, but funny and clever and timely. FROM LS IN WB:  Yes. Simple acts of kindness provide me joy and all the frustration, negative energy, magically is gone.  I do not feel the frustration nor often remember it but to acknowledge its existence with a whole body smile. ===JACK:  I can't imagine someone spending time in Lansing or having endured some experiences such as you have, without being moved to say, OH< #$*&@%

 

Jack’s Winning Words  5/23/22 “After all…tomorrow is another day.”(Scarlett O’Hara –- Gone with the Wind)  I just read that the average person makes around 35,000 decisions a day…What to eat, to wear, to believe, family issues, job issues…Whew!  Some of them can wait ‘til tomorrow.  There’ll be better alternative,  more information -- tomorrow.  Like it, or not, God knew what He was doing when He gave us Free Will.  But, along with this gift comes responsibility.  Today or tomorrow, how we choose is “our call.”  I like The Gambler song…You've got to know when to hold ‘em , know when to fold ‘em.  Come on!  Make your choice! What choices are most difficult for you?  ;-)  Jack FROM CPA MIKE:   Difficult choice..should I say something or just keep my mouth shut.===JACK:  If that's a difficult choice, our trust level needs  to improve.===CPA:  One of the best classes I ever attended was Assertiveness Training. It taught me how to present my views in an Assertive but not abusive manner. It has helped me time and again in resolving conflict without upsetting  others or myself.===JACK:  Oftentimes , in business, among friends, in a marriage, people don't know how to tell the message that they want to get across...without being misunderstood.  Some classes are more worthwhile than others. FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  Discernment is everything, free will licenses it. ===JACK:  Can discernment be taught?

 

Jack’s Winning Words  5/20/22 “A lie doesn’t become truth, wrong doesn’t become right and evil doesn’t become good, just because it’s accepted by the majority.”  (Booker T. Washington)   Booker T lived in post-Civil War times when the majority of people accepted the outcome of the war.  Yet, a strong minority held on to the view that the war did not resolve “the issues".  A long-held belief is that in civil societies there should be an attempt to bring majority and minority closer to a view that is acceptable to both.  What do you think?  In conflict situations,  do there always have to be winners and losers?  ;-) Jack FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  no, we don't but our human nature sure seems to "push" us in that direction.  it has sooo much to do with our pride,  our ego,  and even our sense of self-esteem.===JACK:  I found that a part of my pastoral ministry was to get a variety of church members to see themselves as part of a team and to "pull" in the same direction.    FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Reflecting upon your WW, I think I don’t always believe in “compromise” solutions but do believe there is real truth—Jesus tells Pilate I think it was—that he Jesus is the Truth and I believe most deeply in my heart that it is possible, through the Work of the Holy Spirit, that the side in error is brought to True understanding and repentance and the other side to mercy and forgiveness and so that kind of solution comes about, more in line with God’s Will for us than our human abilities to engineer how we live together in our human society.  I guess, from this theological perspective, there are no winners and losers but God over us all and all become winners in the grand scheme of things.  Often though, what we perceive through our rational human lenses, we can lose faith and hope in God and that is a danger we face.  Why we need the Church to keep shoring us up to keep praying and working for justice, in my opinion and experience anyway.===JACK:  Where there is no compromise, there is no progress.  Sometimes we have to take a step backward in order to move two steps forward.  Compromise is hard, but it's the way to get things done.===SS:  I guess you’re right, Pastor Freed.  That’s certainly the pattern we’ve been following on racism and abortion and sexual issues and economic justice and so forth and so on.  Reality.  Thanks.===JACK:  Progress is often excruciatingly slow, but it's better than no progress.  It's sort of like the differences between the ELCA and more conservative denominations.  The ELCA  allows the brain to be used. FROM ROBERT:  I choose the peace, “peace that surpasses all understanding”… Phil 4:7===JACK:  Peace, no matter what the cost?  It seems that it would be difficult to be a member of the Society oFriends religion...but it seems to work for some. FROM WILLMAR REV:  Seems to be a stand-off with this regard at the present, with the two leading political parties and media…rhetoric conversations abound about who's at fault?!?! 0;-/===JACK:  Without a willingness to compromise, we are at a stalemate and neither side is happy...unless they are "happy" with the status quo.  Religion has learned to live with compromise, accepting one another's way of worshipping without trying to enforce agreement. FROM PASTY PAT:  An especially apropos question where I am now. I only wish I had ANY answer. Like Dickens I can only say “it was the best of times and the worst of times ===JACK:  Without compromises, you are in the Unholy Land.  I have a hard time believing that God is pleased with the strife over who's right and who's wrong.…. FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH:  In a pluralistic society, compromise is necessary. The more pluralistic, the more principles vary.  Compromise of principle is difficult for almost everyone.  It causes me to question, for the first time in my life, whether a democratic society as pluralistic as ours, with what appears to be either an absence of leadership or a damaged political system, can both prosper and survive.   I do not have an answer but I feel our generation is the first in my lifetime to leave our children a lesser world.  People do not seem nearly as happy today and the world seems more full of stress than happiness.  s a consequence, I believe many people, like me I am sorry to say, become more insular, watch less news which in general is more stress inducing, turn more inward and focus on the happiness of themselves and those most important in their own, immediate life.  To me the saddest example of our world’s current state that I have ever witnessed is the brazen invasion of Ukraine which essentially has rendered 48 million people homeless while the entire rest of the world watches and remains politically correct and thus far, ineffective, without answer.  Depressing.  And I have always seen myself as a positive person who liked to find answers.  ===JACK:  Yours is the response that I had hoped today's WWs would generate.  As a follow-up on the Ukraine, the seemingly non-response by "the world" might be to prevent the onset of WW 3 and the nuclear holocaust that it would bring.  The Ukraine invasion seemed to be a Soviet reaction to the possibility of the Ukraine becoming a NATO nation.  The move of Finland and Sweden toward becoming NATO-related appears to be a way of protecting themselves against what is happening in the Ukraine.  Ergo, an attack on a NATO nation is regarded as an attack on all of the treaty countries.  This still might result in WW 3 when an unbalanced person controls the weapon.  You're right...this generation is leaving major problems to the next generation.  No, where do the People of God and God fit into the equation?===ME:  That answer will have to come from God himself or a man of God, the latter of which I do not believe I qualify.   Going back to confirmation class, I still have trouble believing things I either do not understand or which require the apparent leap of faith.  Formal religions have disappointed me so many times that I think I believe primarily in what I understand as "The Golden Rule", namely,  to do unto others as you would have them do unto you.  Unfortunately, I also believe that power corrupts and seem to believe that absolute power corrupts absolutely.  I always thought that our American democratic political principle of checks and balances would keep our government honest.  While I have never studied either politics or religion, what are the checks and balances that keep religion honest?  Or must we have faith to rely upon the absolute power of God?===JACK:  Unfortunately, "religion" is a step by step process (which includes unlearning certain concepts that were incorrectly taught.  Confirmation was but a step.  Other steps must be taken...and along with each step there needs to be a competent teacher.  I am still learning today, and I'm moving beyond the Golden Rule.  I have moved to the occasion when the :holy men" asked Jesus what is the greatest commandment, and he responded: "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself."  When the rabbis asked, "Who is my neighbor?" Jesus responded wit the Parable of the Good Samaritan.   Is my neighbor at the Mexican border?  Is my neighbor next door?  Is my neighbor a Ukrainian?  Is my neighbor one of 2000 different religions?  Is my neighbor LGBT?  I love the ELCA because it allows for such questioning.  What kind of a person does God want you to be?  When Michelangelo was in his 80s he said, "Ancora imparo." I ajm always learning.  When it comes to religion, "Ancora imparo."  FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I have this on my kitchen wall! Such a good one! Blessings,===JACK:  It's good to have reminders around us.  This generation needs to know that there was a Booker T, and that he spoke wise words.  Are there any other wise words in your memory bank?===OAKS:   A quote from Bill:'Want what you have and you'll always have what you want '!!===JACK: That reminds me - I think I was supposed to see if my friend you could have that saying put on to a magnet so that you could give it to family and friends - or was I dreaming?

 

Jack’s Winning Words  5/19/22 “There are worse things than getting a call at 4 AM, that’s a wrong number – like it could be the right number.”  (Sent by My Lawyer)  Former actress Marlene Dietrich described a “true friend” as someone you can call up at 4 am, and it doesn’t matter.”   A NY Times article (4/3/20) talks about the value of “talking things out” with a trusted friend, no matter what the time.  The problem can be job-related, a relationship-issue, a health concern – whatever…. 4 am or 7 pm, whenever… - “I’m there for you!”  Do you have a friend as described by Marlene?  If so, count yourself as one of the fortunate ones.  ;-)  Jack FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  this is rather profound.    yes,   let those middle of the night calls ALL be wrong numbers!===JACK:  Personal, or work-related, those night calls are usually important to someone. A person with dementia issues had my number and kept calling in the middle of the night.  My friends at the Police Dept were able to get help for her.  ...and then, there are "those other calls."  They are part of being a pastor. FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  You and Robert are two of them!===JACK:  Don't forget to mention Paul; and Joan.  The 3 amigos has expanded to 4.

 Jack’s Winning Words  5/18/22

“Without music, life would be a mistake.”  (Friedrich Nietzsche)  I’m eclectic in my taste for music -  from symphonies to pop, to country/western, to Spike Jones.  I’ve even learned to appreciate Eminem.  Maybe I can’t sing like Andrea Bocelli or whistle like Elmo Tanner, but I know a good song when I hear it.  Part of my fascination for symphonies came from listening to The William Tell Overture as it was used as the theme song for The Lone Ranger radio program.  I wonder what Rossini would think if he heard his music used in this way?  Is there some tune that helps you feel better when you’re in a funk?    ;-)  Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:   like you, i like something from every genre...===JACK:  Have you ever heard Elmo Tanner whistle, Nola?  The sound is amazing...at least it is to me.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  You mentioned the Willam Tell Overture with The Lone Ranger radio episodes . . . I subscribe to a radio app that plays all the variety of radio programs telecasted from the mid to late 40's well into the 50's, with The Lone Ranger being one of them . . . On many occasion I've asked myself, "Will they every get through playing that overture as it seemed to play on and on . . . I think they used that to fill time early on knowingly compensating for a shortened version of the story that week. 0;-/===JACK:  "I Love A Mystery" was a radio show that used classical music as a theme.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  listening to anything sung by the St. Olaf or Concordia concert choirs.      Jack,  you are truly a Renaissance Man with such a wide variety of tastes and interests.   likely one of the secrets to your long life.  ===JACK:  My appreciation probably began in grade school when part of our gym class consisted of listening to Sousa marches on a wind-up Victrola and marching to the beat.  Singing hymns and choruses was a big part of Sunday School for me, too.  ...and yet, I can't play a musical instrument (except for playing the piana with one finger).  

FROM INDY GENIE:  So many songs get up in me and lift my spirits but my current favorite is Jon Batiste’s “Freedom.” So good===JACK:  I'll have to check it out.  I'll always remember that you introduce me to "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown.  You (or Mary) also led me to Iris DeMent's - Let the Mystery Be.  Great theology.===GENIE:  You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown was so much fun ….we sang and acted it out around the piano. I was lucky enough to see it in NYC during one of my early visits to see sister Pat. Waited at the stage door to meet the cast members…I’ll  never forget it!  Jon Batiste is Stephen Colbert’s bandleader on the Late Show. He is amazing. So talented and has a great story, too.

FROM CHIEF FITZ:  We certainly do have the same taste in music and use the same descriptive word when describing our taste in music.  And the story of your fascination with symphonies came the same way to me.  Pulling out the old 33 rpm record my parents had of “Lone Ranger” episodes.  I still remember how cool that theme song was but as a young kid, never realized that was Classical Music.  It just sounded cool.  Thanks for the memory.===JACK:  I have lots o0f LPs on a closet shelf.  Jackie Gleason was more than Ralph Kramden.  He played good dance music.  2001, A Space Odyssey was more than a movie.  The music was good, too.  ===CF:  Nice! And as you know,  the music can make or break a movie or TV show.  It sets moods, gives a show it’s audio identity, maybe even becomes iconic in itself.===JACK:  I wonder if Rossini would approve the use of his music for the Lone Ranger episodes.  I'd like to think so.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Bing Crosby, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, The Mills Bros (I have these on tape; and have a little tape player!) Lots of others... ===JACK:  "Paper Doll" by the Mills Bros was a good one.

 

Jack’s Winning Words  5/17/22 “In order for the light to shine brightly, the darkness must be present.”  (Sir Francis Bacon)  The darkest dark that I have ever seen was in the depths of Carlsbad Caverns.  At one point our guide lit a candle and the massive cavern flooded with brightness.  Some rooms are like that…filled with darkness and sadness.  Then, suddenly, a person with just the right words speaks, and the whole atmosphere changes.  Perehaps you can be “that light” to someone today.  “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”  ;-)  Jack FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  and are we not glad that light dispels darkness and not the other way around!?===JACK:  There seems to be a real danger of that in our world today.  I had in mind (what I thought was) a clever response, but "politcal correctness keeps me from using it.     FROM NORM'S BLOG:  Darkness seems to be forever linked with bad things happening, but is may just be an indication of how someone is reacting to things going on around them. The world can seem to be closing in on them, blocking out the goodness (the light) that is still there. They focus on the darkness and don’t see the light.   If you know someone who seems surrounded and overcome by darkness,  Perhaps you can be “that light” to someone today.  “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine!”===JACK:  There's a song I learned in Sunday School..."In this world of darkness we must shine...you in your small corner, and I in mine."  FROM BB IN CHGO:  Wonderful    !  I think I sent a book to you about darkness, written by an Episcopal pastor.  She referred to certain Christian circles as having “full solar spirituality” i.e. denying the darkness because we have a risen Lord.  That truth allows us to carry the light within and hopefully be a light to others.  Yet, it does not mean we do not also experience difficulty and darkness in our journey.===JACK:  I'm in the dark.  I can't recall getting that book.   FROM WILLMAR REV:  ". . . shine all over Willmar, yes, I'm going to let it shine . . . let it shine, let it shine, let it shine!!" 0;-)===JACK:  While singing that song, did you ever wave your finger in the air, pretending that it was a candle?  FROM INDY GENIE:  So true and one of my favorite songs! My granddaughter Grace had her First Communion celebration on Saturday and the last song in the service was “This little light of mine!” You know we were all singing it with gusto and hand movements. And a little dancing too:) ===JACK:  Leave it to the Lillstrom girls to "jazz up" a church service.  What a great song for a child's Communion celebration. FROM GUSTIE:  So true!===JACK:  Was "This Little Light of Mine" part of the Larks' song list? FROM CAROLE R:  Winning and wise words.===JACK:  I try to make them worth your reading.  FROM NORM'S BLOG:  One of life’s toughest tasks may be becoming comfortable just being yourself. Most of us spend a good deal of our lives (some spend their entire life this way) trying to be something or someone that we are not, usually to please someone else. These charades begin in childhood when we are constantly told by our parents to act in certain ways, ways that may not necessarily be how we want to act. We go along to get along.  As we age, we become more cognizant of how others are acting and how they react to us, we start playing the games of emulating the look or actions of others in order to “fit in”. The fact that we can never actually be like someone else leads to frustration and, in some, can lead to depression. The fact is that we have not become comfortable just being who we are. ===JACK:  I remember a poem with the title: Be Whatever You Are...by Douglas Malloch.

 Jack’s Winning Words  5/16/22

“In the Spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.”  (Margaret Atwood)  The word dirt has its origin in the Old English, meaning dung, but dirt has also come to mean soil, that which makes up the dry surface of the planet.  Most gardeners probably want to smell like soil.  There’s an avid “dirt person”  that I know who even grows plants during the winter.  During the Great Depression many families  depended on gardens for daily food.  One family that I know of even kept a cow in their backyard to provide milk for the children.  Do you know of anyone who smells like dirt?  ;-)  Jack

FROM CPA MIKE:  Our neighbor, John Platte, owns and operates a commercial plant farm in Indiana. When in Florida he fills our neighborhood with flowers and plants that he purchases and plants himself. Sometimes I think that I have seen more of his backside than his face.   His labors create an environment that we all enjoy everyday.   We are grateful to have him as a neighbor.===JACK:  I’ve been sitting on the patio this morning watching the backsides of Joan and her daughter, Rachel, as they’ve been planning their garden.  It’s an every year ritual.

FROM SALON SUZY:  I did yesterday. Worked in the yard all day💪🏼===JACK:  I never was a gardener, but I now envy those enjoy that work and are able to do it.  There are some things that I might consider if life had do-overs.

FROM DR J:  in the summer …my FEET almost always smell like dirt :-) ===JACK:  No matter what season, mine always smell that way. 

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Not sure about 'dirt' but have smelled a few who seemed like they hadn't bathed for a few days?!?! 0;-/===JACK:  I can't imagine Jesus turning away from someone because of their smell...The same for a community chaplain. 

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  my father in law was a very good farmer from Martin County MN.  he, on occasion,  smelled like dirt.... or at least his bib overalls...===JACK:  In retrospect, the country church that I served was made  up, in large part, with people who wore bib overalls.  Those were great days being among great people.  One of the "funniest" plays I've seen was titled, "Barn Smell."  

FROM THE SCIENTIST:  . I smelled like dirt this weekend after digging around in the garden. I also ended up with sap in my hair and leaf crumbles on my shirt. But progress was made!===JACK:  One of the expressions I heard as a child was this: "You look like dirt!"   Was that a criticism or a compliment?

FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH:  Both of us garden every day.===JACK:  Flowers or vegetables?===ME:  Flowers in an extensive fairy garden that includes art and sculptures and continues throughout front and back yards. 

FROM BLAZING OAKS:   AFRAID IT'S NOT ME! I'M NOT MUCH OF A GARDENER;  i BUY HANGING BASKETS FOR FLOWERS.DEPEND ON THE GROCERY STORE FOR FOOD! wHEN THE KIDS WERE SMALL WE TRIED HAVING GARDENS BUT THEY NEVER AMOUNTED TO MUCH! :-( ===JACK:  Didn't you ever have a Victory Garden while growing up in Moline during WW 2?  

 

 

 

 Jack’s Winning Words  5/13/22

“Take me out to the ballgame…Let me root, root, root for the home team.”  (Jack Norworth)  Are there “firsts that you can remember?  First day of school?  First date?  First job?  I saw my first major league baseball game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.  After Happy Birthday, one of the most popular songs is Take Me Out To The Ballgame (written by a couple of guys who’d never been to a ballgame.  The most significant baseball event during my lifetime occurred in 1947 when Jackie Robinson played his first major league game.  The next might be the 1984 season, when the Tigers were the World Champions..  How about you?  What do you “Root. Root” for?  Is it a baseball team…or something other?  ;-)  Jack

FROM HY YO SILVER:  Love it!===JACK:  I knew that you would.  ....so many memories connected with "the old ballgame!"

FROM WILLMAR REV:  I try to make 'every day' a 'rooty toot toot!' kind of day!  0;-) ===JACK:  Is there a song called, Take Me Down to the Bowling Alley?  I know that there's one calleds, Get Me to the Church on Time.

FDROM CPA MIKE:   I love baseball and have since a child. Jackie was a good player and ranks 38 on all time list with Ruth being first. Really disappointed in Tigers so far. I had great expectations for them this year.===JACK:  Kirk Gibson made the Tigers "come alive" for me.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  I just read the lyrics to be sure I was right or that the book was right.  The 1908 and 1927 versions are both Never get back….The lyricist also wrote, “Shine on Harvest Moon” and I love that song too.===JACK:  "They don't write 'em like they used to"...and as for never or ever....what word did Harry Caray use?  When he and Ron Santo interviewed my mom...Ron said, "She doesn't 91, does she?"  Harry responded, "She doesn't 19, either."  My mom and Nancy never liked Harry after that remark.  In fact, they never liked him before that remark.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  The Cubbies===JACK:  Even though I was once a Cubs fan, Cubbies makes them sound like sissies.  BEARS is a really strong nickname.  Who names a team after a bunch of meat packers?

FROM GUSTIE:  I also saw my first Major League baseball game at Wrigley Field.  How about that.  I was 13.  ===JACK:  Ahhhh! to be 13 again when the world was exciting and new and memories were being created.  Wrigley Field was a perfect place to see a first major league baseball game.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i like rooting for root beer.  does that count for anything?:):)===JACK:  Which is your favorite?  A &W, Hires, Dad's, home-made, Pabst Blue Ribbon?

FROM HONEST JOHN:  1916….cubs win!===JACK:  The Cubs farm team in Moline was called the Plows.  I belonged to "Thje Knothole Gang" and got into the games FREE.  I remember once when the Cubs were in town and catchers from both the Cubs and the Plows stood below The LeClair Hotel and tried to catch balls thrown from the top of the building.  As I recall, no balls were caught, but they bounced really high when they hit the pavement.

 Jack’s Winning Words  5/12/22

“Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature.”  (Saint Augustine)  Have you ever prayed for a miracle to happen?  Perhaps, right now, you’re asking for a miracle.  One of the reasons why I feel comfortable “preaching” about miracles is that they give hope to people.  We don’t know everything about every thing!  The unexplainable does happen.  Call it a miracle, or an act of God, if you will.  So, keep on hoping.  A father came to Jesus asking for his son to be healed.  Jesus asked, “Do you believe?”  The man replied, “I believe; help my unbelief.”.  Have you experienced any miracles?  ;-)  Jack

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Good morning, Thought-provoking WW.  I appreciate St. Augustine and his contribution to the Church.  Wise man, I believe.  Also appreciate that Martin Luther got a lot of faith formation reading St. Augustine.  One thing I’ve observed about some Christians is that people can have trouble accepting that God can overturn laws of nature, when it serves His purposes and so everything that happens, even everything in the scriptures, they seek to understand rationally, according to laws of cause and effect of human scientific logic and reasoning.  A lot of stuff becomes improbable for them and so they just substitute symbolic or metaphorical interpretations in trying to make things relevant in their lives.  In the face of all this, one just has to be humble and accept the mystery of God’s and man’s different ways and thoughts and try to live peacefully among all the unknown stuff, while still keeping faith in God’s goodness in creating us and all of His creation and believe fervently He is leading and guiding and redeeming us.  God is good all the time; all the time God is good.  Enjoyed reflecting on these WW,.  Thank you for generating them. ===JACK:  Augustine was very important to the early Church.  St Augustine was the first settlement of Europeans in America.  I went to Augustana College, which got its name from the Augsburg Confession which got its name from Augsburg, Germany, which got its name from Saint Augustine.

FROM MAGGIE:  Thank you, Jack, for helping me refine what a miracle is… I posted Augustine’s quote on my FB page. I hope it offers others hope.===JACK:  Winning Words is meant to be a daily brief message of enlightenment and hope.  I'm always pleased to know when it "hits the mark."

FROM COPPER COUNTRY BOB:    See if these qualify:  *  Tanzania evangelism service.  We attended as guests.  The next morning the report was that a man's leg was lengthened one inch and he could walk as normal.  *  Messiah Church, Mqt.      I preached the sermon.  As I sat down in the front pew my body was in uncontrollable shaking and I saw the ceiling of the chancel filled with angelic beings. *   In Tanzania, I was asked to preach in a church recently burned by Muslims because one of the youth had pissed on his buddy's Koran.    As the pulpit hymn was being sung my Bible began to vibrate.  I took the hand of my interpreter and placed both of our hands on the Bible.  We both experienced the vibrations.  God is alive!    Easter is real!   Alleluia!===JACK:  I take it as you have described, since I was not there.  Jesus did many miracles that only a few experienced.  Do we doubt that Jesus performed miracles, because we did not see them?  Do we doubt the resurrection, becaused we were not able to put our fingers in the nailprints, or to put our hand into the wound in His side?

FROM THE SCIENTIST:  I keep a playlist of such songs. At one point a few friends at work would share a “happy” song of the day with each other as a pick-me-up.===JACK:  I've got a list of "pick me up" songs" ...in my head.  

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  y initial inclination was to add two words to the last part of the quote to make it read “what we think we know about nature.”   The second though that I had was that we are pretty good at suspending disbelief to enjoy movies like the wave of superhero movies of late. Perhaps, we would enjoy life more and experience more miracles if we suspended our disbelief in them and just let them happen.  Mankind’s ego is what drives him to try to explain and understand the things that are happening all around him in life. Rather than just letting life happen and enjoying it, we find the need to understand why something happened, what caused it, and figure out a way to control that cause in the future. So, for most, it’s all about control or trying to seize control of the future.

Since trying to control the future is a futile cause to begin with, we are constantly frustrated and perhaps even angry about how things unfold. What are we to do? The Bible tells us - Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. (Proverbs 3:5-6) ===JACK:  Trust is easier said than done when it comes to trusting people....and trusting God.  There's a song:  "Trust and obey, for there's no other way."

 Jack’s Winning Words  5/11/22

“All the world is sad and dreary everywhere I roam.”  (Stephen Foster)  Although Foster was born in Pittsburgh and is buried there, it was decided to remove his statue because of the perceived racism in his songs.  But, remember, he grew up in America in the mid-1800s.  Is it any wonder that he wrote: All the world is sad and dreary?  He could be writing that lyric today.  But, he also composed,  Oh, Susanna, don’t you cry.  In the midst of the “bad” he was able to see  the “good.”  Winning Words is meant, in part, to show that our attitudes can change.  Sometimes music helps that to happen.  Is there a song that helps you to escape the sad and dreary world scene?  ;-)  Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  slaves created many great religious songs to relieve the pain and drudgery. hope no one "cancels" those songs...===JACK:  Surprise!  I agree with you. 

FROM CPA MIKE:   Spirit In The Sky    Silly Love Songs     Handel's Messiah===JACK:  The story that goes along with the writing of MESSIAH by Handel is worth looking up.

FROM QUILTING CAROL:  Some days I think it is truly sad that some music, books, statues, etc are removed from our ‘eyes’ to avoid the pain of what has happened in history.  When will someone want to remove all pictures, statues, music and books that talk about Christ’s life because it is too painful for ‘some’? Too many people want to live in make believe world where everything is good and there is no evil lurking to reminds us that we aren’t perfect. Hopefully we could learn from past mistakes and move forward to make the world better for all.  We all have to work to this end. ===JACK:  History is whar it is.  There might be an appropriate time for certain lessons, but that's not for the politicians to decide.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  how about,  "Don't Worry; Be Happy":):):)   or "you are my sunshine".   i always appreciate all the little historical details you add to the WWs. ===JACK:  Were you the one who had a funeral for Bobby's mother?  I don't know hat I'd refer to Bobby's song during the service, but I might speak about how God can turn tears of sadness in tears of God.  You must have led a funeral for someone famous.

FROM COPPER COUNTRY BOB:  Zippidy do dah!  Rah, Rah, Rah,  Yeah God! ===JACK:  I seem to remember that you had a confirmation service with that theme and sang the Zippidy do dah song as one of the hymns.

FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  We are in such a quandary right now. If people object to the music of Stephen Foster, just imagine how Al Jolsen would fair.   BTW…I don’t have a good answer to either one!===JACK:  Imagine living in a world where the "police" manage the libraries and the "police" have the job of approving the curriculum.  OOPS!  It almost seems as though that's the world today.

 

 

 Jack’s Winning Words  5/10/22

“If you could ask God for anything, what would you ask?”  (Three Minutes a Day)  At the supper table one day, the 11-yr-old son of the Gonzalez family asked: “If God were here and you could ask him  anything, what would that be?”  It provided for a lively family discussion.  Now, imagine if God were sitting next to you right now, is there a question that you might ask?  The truth is that God IS by you, right now!  Go ahead…ask Him your question.  If there’s a child in your family circle, ask for their opinion.  If there’s a friend, sibling, spouse, ask them…”If you could ask God for anything…?”   ;-)  Jack

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Great to see your thoughts this morning.  You’ve stumped me this time.  I think it’s a great question for family (or any) discussion.  Your post made me think of an article I read several years ago and just found.  I thought you might enjoy the “36 questions” with your sweetheart.  I’ve not done them as proposed but printed the list and worked on them over several dinners.  They made for interesting and insightful conversation in my book.===JACK:  Meals are for more than just eating.  Think of some thought-provoking question to ask when you and your children next break bread together.

 Jack’s Winning Words  5/9/22

“When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?”  (Psalm 11:3)  Watching the world news these days is frustrating.  The reports and pictures coming from the Ukraine are beyond belief.  Direct intervention could mean the use of nuclear weapons which would bring devastation beyond belief for the whole world.  What can the righteous do…beyond prayer?  My “part-time” community in Minnesota has a group called, Cultural Bridges which works to bring understanding and harmony among the different cultures in the area.  What more, do you think, can be done to bring “Peace on earth and goodwill to all?”  ;-) Jack

FROM HONEST JOHN:  A powerful military….and a great espionage system====JACK:  Wow!  I didn't expect that from you.  I was expecting something more philosophical or religious. 

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  so there's this huge war going on but no one cares? meanwhile china has 180 million people locked down bc of cooooovid. seems only "some lives matter."===JACK:  You hardly know what to believe these days.  Even "seeing is believing" is under suspicion.  I control what I can control.  Is there a God.  Is God fake, too?  How far will you let "faith" (any kind) take you?

FROM WILLMAR REV:  The advice given Israel of old by God Himself to their king, Solomon (noted for his wisdom), might do us all well today: ". . . if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land" (2 Chronicles 7:14).  0;-)===JACK:  Who are "My People?"  Were Christians a part of that, or just the Jews?  How wide is the net that encompasses "my People?"  ....just giving some thought ideas to test our beliefs.===REV:  I believe it was at the minimum, God speaking to Israel…I’m just suggesting it might do us well to call upon the name of Israel’s God, or those who call upon His name today, or the one who spoke to Hager, the mother of Ishmael…the One you and I call upon…if there is another out there who can “turn this unwelcome tide of unrest”, be my guest?! 0;-)===JACK:  I can't can't stump you.  That's why you're such a good community chaplain.===REV:  You are too kind, Jack!! Thank you for your compliment! 0;-)

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  good question,  Jack.  i need to ponder it a bit more ===JACK:  Greater minds than mine (or possibly yours) have still not arrived at an working answer.

FROM SK IN SJ:  Much much Prayer! 

FROM CPA MIKE:   If everyone believes in Jesus truly believes and lives accordingly.===JACK:  Who is Jesus?  and what does it mean - Loves accoringly?