Jack’s Winning Words 6/24/13
“Courage is being scared to death, but saddling up anyway.” (John Wayne) Have you ever heard of hippotherapy? It refers to the beneficial treatment of disabled people with the help of a horse. The horse’s rhythmic movement has a calming effect. My g-daughter once worked with children where therapy horses were stabled. Gene Autry’s, “Back In the Saddle,” is helpful, too. “…back where a friend is a friend.” ;-) Jack
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: What an interesting WW again this morning. Hippotherapy--the first new thing I've learned starting out this beautiful summer day. Thanks!!!!====JACK: The Greek word for horse is, hippus, and the word for river is potamus...hence, hippopotamus, river horse.
FROM WALMART REV: Got all excited when my father and mother told me we were going out to visit a family from our church who lived on a farm (back when I was in 1st or 2nd grade in school). I asked if they had any horses I could ride...they said maybe. When we arrived, the farmer said sure you can, and took me to his barn...there he showed me a saw horse sitting in the middle of the barn floor..."hippotherapy" for me that day wasn't working too well!====JACK: It's good when we have friends and family who have a sense of humor and will share it with us when we are children.====REV: So true... I surely enjoyed my upbringing in Kansas, the church and especially my family (more so now as I've experienced so many who have not had such a privilege of being reared in a God-fearing enviorment)...my father was one of those, but found Christ when I was two and I was certainly blessed by the fruit of His decision to follow the life and teachings of Christ. Thankfully blessed-
FROM HONEST JOHN: Had a person in the church who was a physical therapist and used that kind of therapy.====JACK: Therapy means treatment, or healing. I wonder if Jesus might be called a therapist in today's world?
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: We love John Wayne. My brother-in-law Ken is a groupie and he's 3 years younger than me! It's hard to believe John still has such a following. He wasn't perfect but we love his ideals. My friend Sue has such a stable on Gratiot. They work with many different kinds of people, not just kids. (Love Gene Autry too)====JACK: Thanks to Google, you can listen to Back In the Saddle Again again.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: LAL====JACK: Duke, horses, Gene...lots to like.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: Certainly True! I think of the courage it takes my friend Jim, with cerebral Palsy, to get up at dawn to get ready to go to his job at the IL State Library...unable to walk, talks with great difficulty, arms don't obey his mind's commands often, etc. Yet he has a keen mind, with a Master's degree in Library Science, and is a committed Christian. He has had a significant impact on many, many, lives; does volunteer work, calls on the sick in the hospital, just amazing. One of my grandsons is named after him.
"The truth is you don't have to be perfect or remarkable. You can be ordinary or an outsider, flawed and failed, tried or tired. No matter what shape you're in, God will use anyone from any walk of life to fulfill his plans and purposes." (Carol Osteen Comes) May we all have the courage of the "Jims" in the world to fulfill God's purposes!====JACK: Sympathy and empathy are similar words, but we can never really know what it's like to live as another lives. Even identical twins are not identical, are they?====OAKS: No, very similar, but with individual traits, as well..
.FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Who said that courage is greatest virtue?...I just finished reading Ike;s Bluff about bluffing the Russians in the fifties. I guess that is where I read it.====JACK: Talking about courage...How the courage needed to launch the D-Day invasion, knowing the lives that would be lost and the possibility of failure?.
FROM MK IN MICHIGAN: My niece Jess is the director at Banbury Cross in Metamora she was one of the very first people in Michigan to obtain a degree in this type of therapy, she works with many kids with autisim and brain injuries, it is truly amazing what a horse can do to stimulate the brain! They are now starting a program for soldiers! She loves what she does she is a dynamic person, the holy spirit just flows out of this lady! We are just a tiny bit proud of her! Jessica Moore! PS I know what a horse does for my soul too! Love it!!====JACK: I once had dinner at the White Horse Inn in Metamora. It opened in 1850 and was once a stagecoach stop. It recently closed, but Metamora remains a "horse" area. When we moved to West Bloomfield, we could see occasional horse riders on some of the unpaved roads. There was even a riding arena near to our home. I, too, know a therapy trainer.
FROM LH IN MICHIGAN: Have you heard the one: "Courage is fear having said its prayers"? I like that one a lot, too.====JACK: That quote is attributed to Dorothy Bernard, but it's appeared in many places... and it's a good one.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Friday, June 21, 2013
Winning Words 6/21/13
“Be realistic! Plan for a miracle.” (Osho – Indian mystic) Norman Vincent Peale is known for his book, The Power of Positive Thinking. I guess if you believe in miracles it’s OK to pray for one. A miracle is something beyond human power and attributed to the divine. So, if you believe in the Divine, miracles can happen. In the Lord’s Prayer we’re taught to pray, “Thy will be done.” “God’s will” is the real miracle. ;-) Jack
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Here is Henri Nouwen's meditation for today. Among all the words and the things all of us people say to each other, I think the gist of these two things is really the miracle I appreciate most and hope in the most, hope in Christ Jesus. No need to despair, don't have to be perfect in my speech, Someone else is/was perfect for/in place for us, learning into understanding it more and more in life.
" Growing into the Truth We Speak (Henry Nouwen) Can we only speak when we are fully living what we are saying? If all our words had to cover all our actions, we would be doomed to permanent silence! Sometimes we are called to proclaim God's love even when we are not yet fully able to live it. Does that mean we are hypocrites? Only when our own words no longer call us to conversion. Nobody completely lives up to his or her own ideals and visions. But by proclaiming our ideals and visions with great conviction and great humility, we may gradually grow into the truth we speak. As long as we know that our lives always will speak louder than our words, we can trust that our words will remain humble."====JACK: That God is able to use us (as imperfect beings) is truly miraculous.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: I like Sharon's quote from Henry Nouwen, "If all our words had to cover all our actions, we'd be doomed to permanent silence." (!) I read a quote from Ben Franklin in THIS WEEK newsletter which stuck with me, as well. "As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence". Good to ponder! I've seen some bona fide miracles, (in my belief), and believe they can happen! Probably not as often as we'd like, but someday we'll have that "perfect" knowledge as to why.... ====JACK: The real miracle is that there is a G-d who knows, cares and loves us. Without that belief, the longing and praying for miracles is wasted effort.
FROM WALMART REV: God's will is truly the "Miracle Working God" working miracles noted in His Word beyond our understanding and experienced by folks even today that at times leave us standing there scratching our heads in wonderment! I'm amused though at those who demand such, instead of ,“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Thankful for all those little miracle touches by God in my life throughout the years...supplying all our needs during those 5 wonderful years in WB is one of them.====JACK: One of my favorite poems is The Power House by Christopher Morley. "Out for my evening stroll I discovered on 84th Street A power-house, quietly humming to itself, And though I lived near-by I had never known it was there. Some people are like that." Our miracle working God is sometimes like that, too.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Miracles are in the eyes of the beholder. Some people call them good fortune. The old "saw" goes, "One man's meat is another man's poison."====JACK: That "saw" is the name of a book by E. B. White that I have on my shelf.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Amen! God shows us miracles everyday if we just take the time to look around. We have seen them in our lives. Do you believe in Miracles?====JACK: I believe in God, the ultimate miracle, who makes all things possible.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Yes, I believe in miracles, but I also believe that one should live like everything depends on you and pray that everything depends on God.====JACK: In you believe in miracles, the Rays have a chance to win the World Series.
“Be realistic! Plan for a miracle.” (Osho – Indian mystic) Norman Vincent Peale is known for his book, The Power of Positive Thinking. I guess if you believe in miracles it’s OK to pray for one. A miracle is something beyond human power and attributed to the divine. So, if you believe in the Divine, miracles can happen. In the Lord’s Prayer we’re taught to pray, “Thy will be done.” “God’s will” is the real miracle. ;-) Jack
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Here is Henri Nouwen's meditation for today. Among all the words and the things all of us people say to each other, I think the gist of these two things is really the miracle I appreciate most and hope in the most, hope in Christ Jesus. No need to despair, don't have to be perfect in my speech, Someone else is/was perfect for/in place for us, learning into understanding it more and more in life.
" Growing into the Truth We Speak (Henry Nouwen) Can we only speak when we are fully living what we are saying? If all our words had to cover all our actions, we would be doomed to permanent silence! Sometimes we are called to proclaim God's love even when we are not yet fully able to live it. Does that mean we are hypocrites? Only when our own words no longer call us to conversion. Nobody completely lives up to his or her own ideals and visions. But by proclaiming our ideals and visions with great conviction and great humility, we may gradually grow into the truth we speak. As long as we know that our lives always will speak louder than our words, we can trust that our words will remain humble."====JACK: That God is able to use us (as imperfect beings) is truly miraculous.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: I like Sharon's quote from Henry Nouwen, "If all our words had to cover all our actions, we'd be doomed to permanent silence." (!) I read a quote from Ben Franklin in THIS WEEK newsletter which stuck with me, as well. "As we must account for every idle word, so must we account for every idle silence". Good to ponder! I've seen some bona fide miracles, (in my belief), and believe they can happen! Probably not as often as we'd like, but someday we'll have that "perfect" knowledge as to why.... ====JACK: The real miracle is that there is a G-d who knows, cares and loves us. Without that belief, the longing and praying for miracles is wasted effort.
FROM WALMART REV: God's will is truly the "Miracle Working God" working miracles noted in His Word beyond our understanding and experienced by folks even today that at times leave us standing there scratching our heads in wonderment! I'm amused though at those who demand such, instead of ,“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Thankful for all those little miracle touches by God in my life throughout the years...supplying all our needs during those 5 wonderful years in WB is one of them.====JACK: One of my favorite poems is The Power House by Christopher Morley. "Out for my evening stroll I discovered on 84th Street A power-house, quietly humming to itself, And though I lived near-by I had never known it was there. Some people are like that." Our miracle working God is sometimes like that, too.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Miracles are in the eyes of the beholder. Some people call them good fortune. The old "saw" goes, "One man's meat is another man's poison."====JACK: That "saw" is the name of a book by E. B. White that I have on my shelf.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Amen! God shows us miracles everyday if we just take the time to look around. We have seen them in our lives. Do you believe in Miracles?====JACK: I believe in God, the ultimate miracle, who makes all things possible.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Yes, I believe in miracles, but I also believe that one should live like everything depends on you and pray that everything depends on God.====JACK: In you believe in miracles, the Rays have a chance to win the World Series.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Winning Words 6/20/13
“Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.” (Victoria Holt) Victoria was an English writer of romance novels. Her quote could probably apply to some situations in her fiction. It could also relate to some everyday life experiences. You can find romance and the pits in relationships, if that’s what you’re looking for. The “key” is to realize that life has ups and downs. So, live a little, and learn a lot. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: I was reading Hebrews 11 the other day and noticed that those living sheltered lives never made the "Hall of Faith" examples...everyone of them that lived for a length of time here on earth definitely had their "ups and downs"!====JACK: Some things never seem to change, but we keep hoping that they will.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Everyday life does have its ups and downs. It's to keep us mentally alert. The longer we live, the more we learn. I don't think we ever graduate from the School of Hard Knocks. ====JACK: In the UK it's referred to as The University of Life. I seem to remember that the early Greek philosophers taught their students out in the open, in parks and on the streets. Perhaps that was the first teaching of "Street Smarts."
FROM SAINT JAMES: Good one...I still read your WWs each day.====JACK: I read them each day, too. Some days, it's wonderful; some days, it's an experience.
FROM IKE AT THE MIC: It has also been said: Good judgment comes from experience..experience comes from bad judgment.====JACK: "Wonderful" response!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: It's easy to not regret but it's much harder not to forget. I used to read her novels when I was young. She was or even still is, a good write. She writes under a lot of names which I used to know but can't remember....much to my regret.====JACK: Victoria said, "Never regret." Easier said than done. But like Frankie sang: "Regrets? I've had a few."
“Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.” (Victoria Holt) Victoria was an English writer of romance novels. Her quote could probably apply to some situations in her fiction. It could also relate to some everyday life experiences. You can find romance and the pits in relationships, if that’s what you’re looking for. The “key” is to realize that life has ups and downs. So, live a little, and learn a lot. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: I was reading Hebrews 11 the other day and noticed that those living sheltered lives never made the "Hall of Faith" examples...everyone of them that lived for a length of time here on earth definitely had their "ups and downs"!====JACK: Some things never seem to change, but we keep hoping that they will.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Everyday life does have its ups and downs. It's to keep us mentally alert. The longer we live, the more we learn. I don't think we ever graduate from the School of Hard Knocks. ====JACK: In the UK it's referred to as The University of Life. I seem to remember that the early Greek philosophers taught their students out in the open, in parks and on the streets. Perhaps that was the first teaching of "Street Smarts."
FROM SAINT JAMES: Good one...I still read your WWs each day.====JACK: I read them each day, too. Some days, it's wonderful; some days, it's an experience.
FROM IKE AT THE MIC: It has also been said: Good judgment comes from experience..experience comes from bad judgment.====JACK: "Wonderful" response!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: It's easy to not regret but it's much harder not to forget. I used to read her novels when I was young. She was or even still is, a good write. She writes under a lot of names which I used to know but can't remember....much to my regret.====JACK: Victoria said, "Never regret." Easier said than done. But like Frankie sang: "Regrets? I've had a few."
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Winning Words 6/19/13
“Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden?” (Robert Brault) I have an apple seed attached to my computer as a reminder of what can happen when a “seed” is planted and allowed to grow…apples and more apples. A maple seedling is growing in our bushes. A “helicopter” seed evidently took root. A nest on our front porch produced 4 baby robins. Everyday miracles! ;-) Jack
BERNARD BERENSON (American Art Historian)"Miracles happen to those who believe in them."
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Miracles don't have to be big for me--they can be little and meaningful, like one perfect rose, one sweet strawberry, the first one of the season, one little bean plant grown in a first-graders paper cup. Thanks for your WW, the fact that you're so faithful in conveying them each morning is also a miracle to me. I always look forward to reading them!!!!!====JACK: Large or small, a miracle is still a miracle.
FROM WALMART REV: More than we can ever comprehend this side of eternity...enjoy planting and experiencing your's today as I will mine..."Multiplied,multiple multiplicities of miracles!"====JACK: Be on the lookout for God's miracles today...even the little ones that can slip under the radar.
FROM HONEST JOHN: I grew up on eleven acres...planted a lot of gardens...harvested a lot of fruit and grapes and berries, etc. still love to garden...the bunnies, et. al. And I share the produce.====JACK: Carl Sandburg wrote a little book, The Rootabaga Stories. Did you ever grow rootabagas?====JOHN: Don't like them except in pasties...did grow popcorn, however...a fairly unusual crop====JACK: Did you ever grow horse radishes?====JOHN: Radishes, yes...let horses grow their own
FROM PASTY PAT: Amen, amen (from the shores of Lake Superior with more miracles all around me!) ====JACK: The formation of a Petosky stone is a miracle, too. Do you see any on the shore?
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like. A lot.====JACK: Perhaps LAL could be a new Facebook abbreviation.
FROM RUTHIE IN ILLINOIS: I have spent the last week watching a sparrow couple feed their babies-what a joy! They made the nest in one of my hanging planters, close to the house,&they dont seem to mind me watching them:) God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform:)====JACK: Here's another song that you might like.
Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Refrain
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Refrain
====RUTHIE: Ha! I replied before I read about your robins-synchronicity-I love it...I have been thinking of my father alot this week, writing a song for him-...he taught me to plant seeds. I still see his hands, showing me. Such a great lesson-to plant a seed & have faith that it will grow:)
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: “The Lord is good to me...And so I thank the Lord...For giving me the things I need..The sun and rain and the apple seed. Oh, the Lord is good to me!” Johnny Appleseed”s song! Darts! Seeds! Gifts to stimulate awareness and remind us of .....Jesus’ parables! Re Honest John....There’s a delightful story in The Rootabaga Stories that he(because he grew popcorn)might enjoy : The Chinese Silver Slipper Buckle....I love it...and so did all the children to whom I read it. I touched the sleeve of Carl Sandburg’s black suit jacket at the U. of I. .....I didn’t wash my hands for days.====JACK: My father grew up in Galesburg when Carl Sandburg also lived there. I once visited Sandburg's home and have a picture of him on a wall near my computer. From what I heard from my Galesburg relatives, Carl had some rough edges.
“Why try to explain miracles to your kids when you can just have them plant a garden?” (Robert Brault) I have an apple seed attached to my computer as a reminder of what can happen when a “seed” is planted and allowed to grow…apples and more apples. A maple seedling is growing in our bushes. A “helicopter” seed evidently took root. A nest on our front porch produced 4 baby robins. Everyday miracles! ;-) Jack
BERNARD BERENSON (American Art Historian)"Miracles happen to those who believe in them."
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Miracles don't have to be big for me--they can be little and meaningful, like one perfect rose, one sweet strawberry, the first one of the season, one little bean plant grown in a first-graders paper cup. Thanks for your WW, the fact that you're so faithful in conveying them each morning is also a miracle to me. I always look forward to reading them!!!!!====JACK: Large or small, a miracle is still a miracle.
FROM WALMART REV: More than we can ever comprehend this side of eternity...enjoy planting and experiencing your's today as I will mine..."Multiplied,multiple multiplicities of miracles!"====JACK: Be on the lookout for God's miracles today...even the little ones that can slip under the radar.
FROM HONEST JOHN: I grew up on eleven acres...planted a lot of gardens...harvested a lot of fruit and grapes and berries, etc. still love to garden...the bunnies, et. al. And I share the produce.====JACK: Carl Sandburg wrote a little book, The Rootabaga Stories. Did you ever grow rootabagas?====JOHN: Don't like them except in pasties...did grow popcorn, however...a fairly unusual crop====JACK: Did you ever grow horse radishes?====JOHN: Radishes, yes...let horses grow their own
FROM PASTY PAT: Amen, amen (from the shores of Lake Superior with more miracles all around me!) ====JACK: The formation of a Petosky stone is a miracle, too. Do you see any on the shore?
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like. A lot.====JACK: Perhaps LAL could be a new Facebook abbreviation.
FROM RUTHIE IN ILLINOIS: I have spent the last week watching a sparrow couple feed their babies-what a joy! They made the nest in one of my hanging planters, close to the house,&they dont seem to mind me watching them:) God works in mysterious ways, his wonders to perform:)====JACK: Here's another song that you might like.
Under His wings I am safely abiding,
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,
Still I can trust Him; I know He will keep me,
He has redeemed me, and I am His child.
Refrain
Under His wings, under His wings,
Who from His love can sever?
Under His wings my soul shall abide,
Safely abide forever.
Under His wings, what a refuge in sorrow!
How the heart yearningly turns to His rest!
Often when earth has no balm for my healing,
There I find comfort, and there I am blessed.
Refrain
Under His wings, oh, what precious enjoyment!
There will I hide till life’s trials are o’er;
Sheltered, protected, no evil can harm me,
Resting in Jesus, I’m safe evermore.
Refrain
====RUTHIE: Ha! I replied before I read about your robins-synchronicity-I love it...I have been thinking of my father alot this week, writing a song for him-...he taught me to plant seeds. I still see his hands, showing me. Such a great lesson-to plant a seed & have faith that it will grow:)
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: “The Lord is good to me...And so I thank the Lord...For giving me the things I need..The sun and rain and the apple seed. Oh, the Lord is good to me!” Johnny Appleseed”s song! Darts! Seeds! Gifts to stimulate awareness and remind us of .....Jesus’ parables! Re Honest John....There’s a delightful story in The Rootabaga Stories that he(because he grew popcorn)might enjoy : The Chinese Silver Slipper Buckle....I love it...and so did all the children to whom I read it. I touched the sleeve of Carl Sandburg’s black suit jacket at the U. of I. .....I didn’t wash my hands for days.====JACK: My father grew up in Galesburg when Carl Sandburg also lived there. I once visited Sandburg's home and have a picture of him on a wall near my computer. From what I heard from my Galesburg relatives, Carl had some rough edges.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Winning Words 6/18/13
“Forty is the old age of youth, and fifty is the youth of old age.” (French Proverb) This proverb reminds me of the saying, “You’re as young as you feel.” The young are often trying to appear older, and the old are trying to appear younger. Like the song goes, “It’s a strange world, Master Jack.” Did people care about their age before there were calendars? If someone told you to act your age, what would you be doing? ;-) Jack
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I would continue with little regard to the non-specific command. How does one provide a good answer to a bad question; or in this case, a useful response to a poor directive? Does such a command better identify how the other would behave in that circumstance of time? And then, what would that have to do with me and my life in this circumstance of time? Oh, I forgot, we're all supposed to be the same, act the same, think the same.====JACK: I don't whether or not you're acting your age....but you are being you. And that's good!
FROM WALMART REV: I told myself earlier on to enjoy every life stage I find myself in...whether I have or not, I don't really know, but it feels like I have... thinking now that I'm in the final stretch, prepared to greet humbly but with gracious expectancy my Creator!====JACK: You sound like Paul writing to the Philippians.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: i pay no attention to "numbers."====JACK: How do you play the lottery without using numbers?
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Act my age? "Acting" usually means to assume a role in a performance. So you can expect me to carry on as though I am younger than my actual years. If someone told me, "Live your age", then I'd be sitting on a park bench leaning on my cane.====JACK: Teenagers long to be older than they really are. When, if ever, does that feeling pass?
FROM RS IN TEXAS: If someone told me to act my age, I hope I would be playing golf ..........probably not real well, but playing.====JACK: Don't you wish that you could shoot your age on the golf course? For 18 holes, not 9.
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: Living down to the fun of my youth. Hopefully, at no one else's expense. Pretty much my goal in life====JACK: Isn't it interesting how the description of fun changes as the person's age changes?
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Do you think that people real change as they age? Just in observing my friends and family it seems like they all keep up their interests and activities just as they did when we were all young. ====JACK: I think that evolve is the word. The people I've met and the experiences I've had along the way have had a major influence on me...and, yet, there's a basic something that seems to hang on.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: OR SOME SAY 50 IS THE NEW 30! THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE ARE MUCH MORE ACTIVE AND HEALTTHY IN OLD AGE, THAN USED TO BE TRUE. HOW DO YOU "ACT" 83??! I REFUSE TO SIT IN A ROCKING CHAIR AND ROCK AWAY THE DAY...IN FACT MY NIECE (JAN'S YOUNGEST, 54) AND I ARE OFF TO THE GOLF COURSE TO PLAY 18 HOLES ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY. I AM BLESSED, AND I KNOW IT!!!====JACK: I remember a time when I tried to see how fast I could play 18 holes. I ran from shot to shot. I don't think that that would interest me anymore. But maybe you're in better shape than I am.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: I imagine age was “measured” by “bones”, failing sight, diminishing agility, gray hair and beards and the like,,,,,,Much like now...only we put it on an age-range scale...or where we are on the bell curve of life. As Popeye said, “I yam what I yam...”and though “time’s winged chariot {is} hurrying near..”,I feel much as I remember as a child.... wanting/trying to do to keep up and/or surpass....... with some success and some deferred gratification. Life is good! Another TG WW.====JACK: Do you think that Methuselah really had 969 candles on his birthday cake?
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Jumping rope! Ha!====JACK:
Call the Army, call the Navy
So-so's gonna have a baby.
Wrap it up in tissue paper,
send it down the elevator,
(Rope turned double time)
Boy, girl, twins, triplets, boys, girls, twins, triplets, etc.
--(Whichever the jumper misses on is the number of babies she's going to have.)
====MARLYS: I never did that one--we did Johnnie over the ocean--Johnie over the sea--Johnie broke a bottle and blamed it on to to me--I told Ma--Ma told Pa--Johnie got a licken so Hee hee hee. How many ??? did he get--1-2-3-and so on. We did others too. It was always fun. I never did master the Double Dutch tho.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I would be playing with Barbies and swinging on a swing.====JACK: Your response reminds me of this song.
Would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar?
And be better off than you are?
Or would you rather be a mule?
A mule is an animal with long, funny ears
He kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny and his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And, by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: At the drive-through window at Taco Bell the cashier asked me if I would like a 'senior's drink' with my order - so I guess I'm older than I feel ; )====JACK: My laugh for the day. When my mother was 85, the clerk asked to see her ID to prove that she should have a senior discount.
“Forty is the old age of youth, and fifty is the youth of old age.” (French Proverb) This proverb reminds me of the saying, “You’re as young as you feel.” The young are often trying to appear older, and the old are trying to appear younger. Like the song goes, “It’s a strange world, Master Jack.” Did people care about their age before there were calendars? If someone told you to act your age, what would you be doing? ;-) Jack
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I would continue with little regard to the non-specific command. How does one provide a good answer to a bad question; or in this case, a useful response to a poor directive? Does such a command better identify how the other would behave in that circumstance of time? And then, what would that have to do with me and my life in this circumstance of time? Oh, I forgot, we're all supposed to be the same, act the same, think the same.====JACK: I don't whether or not you're acting your age....but you are being you. And that's good!
FROM WALMART REV: I told myself earlier on to enjoy every life stage I find myself in...whether I have or not, I don't really know, but it feels like I have... thinking now that I'm in the final stretch, prepared to greet humbly but with gracious expectancy my Creator!====JACK: You sound like Paul writing to the Philippians.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: i pay no attention to "numbers."====JACK: How do you play the lottery without using numbers?
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Act my age? "Acting" usually means to assume a role in a performance. So you can expect me to carry on as though I am younger than my actual years. If someone told me, "Live your age", then I'd be sitting on a park bench leaning on my cane.====JACK: Teenagers long to be older than they really are. When, if ever, does that feeling pass?
FROM RS IN TEXAS: If someone told me to act my age, I hope I would be playing golf ..........probably not real well, but playing.====JACK: Don't you wish that you could shoot your age on the golf course? For 18 holes, not 9.
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: Living down to the fun of my youth. Hopefully, at no one else's expense. Pretty much my goal in life====JACK: Isn't it interesting how the description of fun changes as the person's age changes?
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Do you think that people real change as they age? Just in observing my friends and family it seems like they all keep up their interests and activities just as they did when we were all young. ====JACK: I think that evolve is the word. The people I've met and the experiences I've had along the way have had a major influence on me...and, yet, there's a basic something that seems to hang on.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: OR SOME SAY 50 IS THE NEW 30! THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT WE ARE MUCH MORE ACTIVE AND HEALTTHY IN OLD AGE, THAN USED TO BE TRUE. HOW DO YOU "ACT" 83??! I REFUSE TO SIT IN A ROCKING CHAIR AND ROCK AWAY THE DAY...IN FACT MY NIECE (JAN'S YOUNGEST, 54) AND I ARE OFF TO THE GOLF COURSE TO PLAY 18 HOLES ON A BEAUTIFUL DAY. I AM BLESSED, AND I KNOW IT!!!====JACK: I remember a time when I tried to see how fast I could play 18 holes. I ran from shot to shot. I don't think that that would interest me anymore. But maybe you're in better shape than I am.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: I imagine age was “measured” by “bones”, failing sight, diminishing agility, gray hair and beards and the like,,,,,,Much like now...only we put it on an age-range scale...or where we are on the bell curve of life. As Popeye said, “I yam what I yam...”and though “time’s winged chariot {is} hurrying near..”,I feel much as I remember as a child.... wanting/trying to do to keep up and/or surpass....... with some success and some deferred gratification. Life is good! Another TG WW.====JACK: Do you think that Methuselah really had 969 candles on his birthday cake?
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Jumping rope! Ha!====JACK:
Call the Army, call the Navy
So-so's gonna have a baby.
Wrap it up in tissue paper,
send it down the elevator,
(Rope turned double time)
Boy, girl, twins, triplets, boys, girls, twins, triplets, etc.
--(Whichever the jumper misses on is the number of babies she's going to have.)
====MARLYS: I never did that one--we did Johnnie over the ocean--Johnie over the sea--Johnie broke a bottle and blamed it on to to me--I told Ma--Ma told Pa--Johnie got a licken so Hee hee hee. How many ??? did he get--1-2-3-and so on. We did others too. It was always fun. I never did master the Double Dutch tho.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: I would be playing with Barbies and swinging on a swing.====JACK: Your response reminds me of this song.
Would you like to swing on a star?
Carry moonbeams home in a jar?
And be better off than you are?
Or would you rather be a mule?
A mule is an animal with long, funny ears
He kicks up at anything he hears
His back is brawny and his brain is weak
He's just plain stupid with a stubborn streak
And, by the way, if you hate to go to school
You may grow up to be a mule
FROM KF IN MICHIGAN: At the drive-through window at Taco Bell the cashier asked me if I would like a 'senior's drink' with my order - so I guess I'm older than I feel ; )====JACK: My laugh for the day. When my mother was 85, the clerk asked to see her ID to prove that she should have a senior discount.
Monday, June 17, 2013
Winning Words 6/17/13
“Who’s the most important man this country ever knew?” (Spike Jones) Who’s the most important? “Barney Google, with those goo, goo, googly eyes.” He was Google before Google. Barney, the comic strip character, first appeared on this date in 1917. In fact, I once belonged to a Barney Google fan club. I liked Spike Jones’ music, too. Back to the subject, who would you name as our country’s most important person? ;-) Jack
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I would say the person with whom I am with most, the person I wake up with every morning, and the person to whom I would be wise to better serve. It's the same person - my wife. Thanks for an easy question!====JACK: To day would be a good day to tell her so.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Martin Luther King, Jr., and I think I say that because the most pressing challenge in my life right now is how are people going to make a more equitable and just and fair society in my own community which is just adjacent to the City of Detroit so that we have a neighborhood that is peaceful and safe to live in and enjoy having our home in. Yep, it's Martin Luther King, Jr. ====JACK: Last night I saw part of the movie, "To Kill a Mockingbird." When will be ever learn? MLK Jr was an important teacher. Each generation needs its teachers and motivators.
FROM WALMART REV: ...grew up with heroes...watching some of the old "Saturday Morning Western Shows" I bought at Wal-Mart the other day (150 of them)...these were the Anne Oakley 30 minute westerns (4-5 of them)...the bad guys never got away with their crime...Anne was right on top of things...I could use a few new heroes in my life from those here in America presently...don't hear of them much anymore...seems like everyone has their skeletons exposed to the world (even suggested ones, not always proven to be so) by those wanting to defame a person)...Jack, come to think of it-you are one of my heroes that I can count on to inspire me to greater worth each day! Thanks...====JACK: In a college speech class, I was asked to give a George Washington's Birthday talk. The prof gave me an A on the presentation, but also gave me a lecture (in front of the class) because of the content. I had dug up many historical negative facts about GW. The class laughed, but I was told that it was inappropriate to try and denigrate honored people for laughs. ====REV: That is very interesting...definitely a different outlook today..."closet material" more accepted, sought after and expected, and unfortunately present in all our lives...very humbling to me. Makes me not want to be in the spotlight...but at times will find myself stumbling up to the front row!====JACK: One of the problems that pastors face....The pulpit is usually placed higher than where "the people" are.
FROM TS IN INDIANA: Abraham Lincoln====JACK: That's a very good answer and just what I'd expect from a "Civil War buff."
FROM HONEST JOHN: Abraham Lincoln====JACK: I thought that you were going to say..." Theodore Celms or Martin Holcomb."
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: Living: Pres. Obama Dead: Tie between George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. One got us started, the other kept us going. I am a little worried about where we are going.====JACK: Worried? You're in good company. There was uncertainty after The Revolution, after the Civil War, after the Nuclear Bomb, after the Racial Revolution, after Obama's election, etc. Before TV, picture news was presented on the movie screens with the title...Time Marches On!====ME: Probably for many different reasons, there is an absence of political leadership in our country, in both parties. Long on form, but short on substance.====JACK: Perhaps it's because we're more media driven than before. The instantaneous reporting tends to make us more fickle. It's hard to be a leader when daily polls are taken indicating whether or not people think you're doing a good job. I'd hate to have a daily performance review.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: I think it is the same person whether looking forward or back: "The common man" (or common person, if you will). There are no so called important people without the mass of humanity that is America. The common man lifts, builds, shapes, both land, shelter, and means of production he is the foundation of society, without him and her there are no Warren Buffet's, Mellon's, Edison's, Tesla's, or pampered politicians(Romans 12:4-5). It is the mom, Mrs. Palmer the social studies teacher, it is kid at the fast food joint, the West Virginia Coal mine worker, my Barista Melissa at Starbucks (where I am heading now). It is the Detroit auto worker, even the ones currently in Alabama and Tennessee. It is the man who builds the fence, Jim brokering churches, it is Mrs. J. from Vietnam that tailors my suit, Dana the businessman that risks his capital to provide services for our little town, it is the young team with the next Google, Youtube, or Twitter. It is the college student that figures out the answer is not in a book. It is you, me, your blog readers, that are the most important. All of the Most Important People you read/hear/see in media would not be there without the effort of the common man mixed with their own unique initiative and discipline. Take away the scorecard of money--and then who is the greatest? I'm going with Mrs. Palmer, my sixth grade Social Studies teacher. ====JACK: Your response reminds me of a favorite music piece of mine...Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland. Carl Sandburg also eulogized the Common Man in much of his poetry.
FROM RJP IN NAPLES: I too loved Spike Jones and his crazy band. I would list these men.
Washington, because he set the tempo for the Presidency, Edison, because without him we would be devoid of so much. Franklin, because without him the continental congress would have been divided.
Noah Webster for his contribution to education Carver, who proved color did not separate genius,
Adams, Jefferson, Madison and the other founding fathers who had the vision. John Smith, who had the courage, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Mellon and the giants of the 19th century who helped America explode into history economically Far too many that have made great contributions to name just one.====JACK: This shows that you were paying attention during history class. Just like the United States is strong because of each individual state, it is also strong because of many individual persons...like you.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: WOW!! TRYING TO PICK "ONE" AS THE MOST IMPORTANT??! IMPOSSIBLE, I'D SAY! AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME WOMEN, TOO! ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, WOULD BE ONE HELEN KELLER, ETC. OUR COUNTRY HAS A WONDERFUL LEGACY OF OUTSTANDING PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPROVED OUR LIVES WITH INVENTIONS, SCIENCE DISCOVERIES, RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP. HOW BLESSED WE ARE. AS BILL CLINTON SAID, "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH AMERICA, THAT CANNOT BE CURED BY WHAT IS RIGHT WITH AMERICA." WELL SAID!====JACK: You didn't name Barney Google. Rosa Parks would be a good one. The first female president should be another on the list.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: That is a very hard question. In the beginning it would have to be George Washington. But then you have to consider Abraham Lincoln because we not be one country today but several like South America.====JACK: It's like asking someone, "Which person is most important to the family?"
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I had that record--a thick one--about 1/4 inch--on my grandma's old Edison crank phonograph. I played it all the time when I was at the farm. Almost wore it out! I could sing it for you now! ====JACK: We could sing it as a duet.
FROM CWR FORMERLY FROM B'MORE: Snuffy Jones.........====JACK: Close. Snuffy Smith. Also, Spark Plug, Loweezy, Tater, Jughaid, Elviney, Lukey and Parson.
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: There are many but my top 3 choices Jesus Christ, Abe Lincoln and Thomas Edison====JACK: The Mormons believe that the resurrected Jesus lived in America, so I guess that counts. Lincoln and Edison are worthy choices.
FROM DS IN MICHIGAN: H-m-m-m. Define important.====JACK: Chief, critical, crucial, essential, exigent, foremost, importunate, mattering much, meaningful, paramount, signal, significant, vital.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Abe Lincoln ====JACK: I suppose he referred to you as, Chet, too.
FROM MK IN MICHIGAN: Now that is a tuffy! Would depend on where you come from I guess! Can’t think of one I would pick, for me it would have to be someone who brought about peace, who is your pick?====JACK: You're right. It would depend on circumstances. I would have to choose someone from my lifetime, since historians have a way of writing their own version compared to reality. I'm going to say, Harry Truman, because he became president by accident and made some difficult decisions which greatly affected the direction of the country. He was was also the first president I voted for.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: WW poses a question that I would deign to answer.....To my way of thinking...”Good” reflects personal effort and commitment...”Better” is what is built upon it...and “Best” reflects the combined efforts of all three.......with the support of equally committed persons.,,,,but I’m limited in my philosophical training/background. Good Question. Allows and accepts everyone’s opinions. Thanks for the darts.====JACK: I'm taking a poll. When you cast your first presidential ballot, who did you consider to be the better candidate?
FROM AW IN ILLINOIS: Spike Jones was my favorite band leader at that time. I have several of his records including "You alwasy hurt the one you love". He was very inovative with his music..but he finally made special newslines when he went after his wife with a pistol threatening her. Kind of tarnished the image I had of him.====JACK: Maybe he'd sipped Cocktails for two...more than he should have.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Abraham Lincoln...of course, who else would we say was the most important? But, we really do think he was!====JACK: Someone answered, Jesus.
“Who’s the most important man this country ever knew?” (Spike Jones) Who’s the most important? “Barney Google, with those goo, goo, googly eyes.” He was Google before Google. Barney, the comic strip character, first appeared on this date in 1917. In fact, I once belonged to a Barney Google fan club. I liked Spike Jones’ music, too. Back to the subject, who would you name as our country’s most important person? ;-) Jack
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I would say the person with whom I am with most, the person I wake up with every morning, and the person to whom I would be wise to better serve. It's the same person - my wife. Thanks for an easy question!====JACK: To day would be a good day to tell her so.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Martin Luther King, Jr., and I think I say that because the most pressing challenge in my life right now is how are people going to make a more equitable and just and fair society in my own community which is just adjacent to the City of Detroit so that we have a neighborhood that is peaceful and safe to live in and enjoy having our home in. Yep, it's Martin Luther King, Jr. ====JACK: Last night I saw part of the movie, "To Kill a Mockingbird." When will be ever learn? MLK Jr was an important teacher. Each generation needs its teachers and motivators.
FROM WALMART REV: ...grew up with heroes...watching some of the old "Saturday Morning Western Shows" I bought at Wal-Mart the other day (150 of them)...these were the Anne Oakley 30 minute westerns (4-5 of them)...the bad guys never got away with their crime...Anne was right on top of things...I could use a few new heroes in my life from those here in America presently...don't hear of them much anymore...seems like everyone has their skeletons exposed to the world (even suggested ones, not always proven to be so) by those wanting to defame a person)...Jack, come to think of it-you are one of my heroes that I can count on to inspire me to greater worth each day! Thanks...====JACK: In a college speech class, I was asked to give a George Washington's Birthday talk. The prof gave me an A on the presentation, but also gave me a lecture (in front of the class) because of the content. I had dug up many historical negative facts about GW. The class laughed, but I was told that it was inappropriate to try and denigrate honored people for laughs. ====REV: That is very interesting...definitely a different outlook today..."closet material" more accepted, sought after and expected, and unfortunately present in all our lives...very humbling to me. Makes me not want to be in the spotlight...but at times will find myself stumbling up to the front row!====JACK: One of the problems that pastors face....The pulpit is usually placed higher than where "the people" are.
FROM TS IN INDIANA: Abraham Lincoln====JACK: That's a very good answer and just what I'd expect from a "Civil War buff."
FROM HONEST JOHN: Abraham Lincoln====JACK: I thought that you were going to say..." Theodore Celms or Martin Holcomb."
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: Living: Pres. Obama Dead: Tie between George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. One got us started, the other kept us going. I am a little worried about where we are going.====JACK: Worried? You're in good company. There was uncertainty after The Revolution, after the Civil War, after the Nuclear Bomb, after the Racial Revolution, after Obama's election, etc. Before TV, picture news was presented on the movie screens with the title...Time Marches On!====ME: Probably for many different reasons, there is an absence of political leadership in our country, in both parties. Long on form, but short on substance.====JACK: Perhaps it's because we're more media driven than before. The instantaneous reporting tends to make us more fickle. It's hard to be a leader when daily polls are taken indicating whether or not people think you're doing a good job. I'd hate to have a daily performance review.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: I think it is the same person whether looking forward or back: "The common man" (or common person, if you will). There are no so called important people without the mass of humanity that is America. The common man lifts, builds, shapes, both land, shelter, and means of production he is the foundation of society, without him and her there are no Warren Buffet's, Mellon's, Edison's, Tesla's, or pampered politicians(Romans 12:4-5). It is the mom, Mrs. Palmer the social studies teacher, it is kid at the fast food joint, the West Virginia Coal mine worker, my Barista Melissa at Starbucks (where I am heading now). It is the Detroit auto worker, even the ones currently in Alabama and Tennessee. It is the man who builds the fence, Jim brokering churches, it is Mrs. J. from Vietnam that tailors my suit, Dana the businessman that risks his capital to provide services for our little town, it is the young team with the next Google, Youtube, or Twitter. It is the college student that figures out the answer is not in a book. It is you, me, your blog readers, that are the most important. All of the Most Important People you read/hear/see in media would not be there without the effort of the common man mixed with their own unique initiative and discipline. Take away the scorecard of money--and then who is the greatest? I'm going with Mrs. Palmer, my sixth grade Social Studies teacher. ====JACK: Your response reminds me of a favorite music piece of mine...Fanfare for the Common Man by Aaron Copland. Carl Sandburg also eulogized the Common Man in much of his poetry.
FROM RJP IN NAPLES: I too loved Spike Jones and his crazy band. I would list these men.
Washington, because he set the tempo for the Presidency, Edison, because without him we would be devoid of so much. Franklin, because without him the continental congress would have been divided.
Noah Webster for his contribution to education Carver, who proved color did not separate genius,
Adams, Jefferson, Madison and the other founding fathers who had the vision. John Smith, who had the courage, Carnegie, Rockefeller, Mellon and the giants of the 19th century who helped America explode into history economically Far too many that have made great contributions to name just one.====JACK: This shows that you were paying attention during history class. Just like the United States is strong because of each individual state, it is also strong because of many individual persons...like you.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: WOW!! TRYING TO PICK "ONE" AS THE MOST IMPORTANT??! IMPOSSIBLE, I'D SAY! AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME WOMEN, TOO! ELEANOR ROOSEVELT, WOULD BE ONE HELEN KELLER, ETC. OUR COUNTRY HAS A WONDERFUL LEGACY OF OUTSTANDING PEOPLE WHO HAVE IMPROVED OUR LIVES WITH INVENTIONS, SCIENCE DISCOVERIES, RELIGIOUS LEADERSHIP. HOW BLESSED WE ARE. AS BILL CLINTON SAID, "THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH AMERICA, THAT CANNOT BE CURED BY WHAT IS RIGHT WITH AMERICA." WELL SAID!====JACK: You didn't name Barney Google. Rosa Parks would be a good one. The first female president should be another on the list.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: That is a very hard question. In the beginning it would have to be George Washington. But then you have to consider Abraham Lincoln because we not be one country today but several like South America.====JACK: It's like asking someone, "Which person is most important to the family?"
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I had that record--a thick one--about 1/4 inch--on my grandma's old Edison crank phonograph. I played it all the time when I was at the farm. Almost wore it out! I could sing it for you now! ====JACK: We could sing it as a duet.
FROM CWR FORMERLY FROM B'MORE: Snuffy Jones.........====JACK: Close. Snuffy Smith. Also, Spark Plug, Loweezy, Tater, Jughaid, Elviney, Lukey and Parson.
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: There are many but my top 3 choices Jesus Christ, Abe Lincoln and Thomas Edison====JACK: The Mormons believe that the resurrected Jesus lived in America, so I guess that counts. Lincoln and Edison are worthy choices.
FROM DS IN MICHIGAN: H-m-m-m. Define important.====JACK: Chief, critical, crucial, essential, exigent, foremost, importunate, mattering much, meaningful, paramount, signal, significant, vital.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Abe Lincoln ====JACK: I suppose he referred to you as, Chet, too.
FROM MK IN MICHIGAN: Now that is a tuffy! Would depend on where you come from I guess! Can’t think of one I would pick, for me it would have to be someone who brought about peace, who is your pick?====JACK: You're right. It would depend on circumstances. I would have to choose someone from my lifetime, since historians have a way of writing their own version compared to reality. I'm going to say, Harry Truman, because he became president by accident and made some difficult decisions which greatly affected the direction of the country. He was was also the first president I voted for.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: WW poses a question that I would deign to answer.....To my way of thinking...”Good” reflects personal effort and commitment...”Better” is what is built upon it...and “Best” reflects the combined efforts of all three.......with the support of equally committed persons.,,,,but I’m limited in my philosophical training/background. Good Question. Allows and accepts everyone’s opinions. Thanks for the darts.====JACK: I'm taking a poll. When you cast your first presidential ballot, who did you consider to be the better candidate?
FROM AW IN ILLINOIS: Spike Jones was my favorite band leader at that time. I have several of his records including "You alwasy hurt the one you love". He was very inovative with his music..but he finally made special newslines when he went after his wife with a pistol threatening her. Kind of tarnished the image I had of him.====JACK: Maybe he'd sipped Cocktails for two...more than he should have.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Abraham Lincoln...of course, who else would we say was the most important? But, we really do think he was!====JACK: Someone answered, Jesus.
Friday, June 14, 2013
Winning Words 6/14/13
“Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow.” (Jesse Brown) Where did you learn your values? I learned patriotism when we said “the pledge” each day in grade school. I learned diversity when we sang in Sunday School, “Jesus loves the little children…red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight.” I’ll put out the flag today, because it’s Flag Day, and I’ll continue to appreciate the rainbow. ;-) Jack
FROM BD IN MICHIGAN: Putting up the flag, This is good.
FROM TS IN INDIANA: Thank you for the reminder. I did not remember, nor did I see any other reminder of flag day.====JACK: It's a grand old flag; it's a high flying flag!
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I think you have touched a subject that has a fundamental basis of faith. As children of God, aren't our values determined through the very likeness of the One by whom we are created? Vaules aren't what we value as much as states-of-being that have value. Yet, how is it that so many of us find difficulty in the development of our values? Saul (Paul) persecuted Christians with great zeal because they contradicted his understanding by virtue of what he was taught. He was whole-heartedly following his values of truth and justice in his determination to root out, for him, this abomination. He would have said that he loved God with all his might; and there were these Christians who were defiling the God whom he followed. After his enlightenment, Paul (Saul) continued with the very same zeal as before --- only in a new direction. In other words, he didn't change his values, only the manner of his application of them. I think we are like Paul in this regard. Our values don't change; they are instilled in our souls. Nonetheless, they need to develop and flourish into that which the seed has already designed. Our context (family, culture, society) serves as the soil for their development. To know thyself, and to be true to that, is a very difficult challenge because it most often requires one to "break away" from the crowd that "taught" them --- at least these (Truth, Honesty, Understanding, Fulfillment, and Love) are the values that have been woven into my soul from the "beginning", and which I seek to make manifest in my own sojourn through the desert of this world in which I find myself.
====JACK: When I think of my value system, I remember a book that I was introduced to by my English professor...E. B. White's, "One Man's Meat Is Another Man's Poison." I learned that all value systems aren't the same. I also remember a course that helped shape my "political" views..."American Ideals." I learned that we can have a personal value system, but it's not necessarily the same for everyone. One man's meat etc.====RAY: That statement is true in its generality. Yet, one man's meat just might be his own poison as well. Hence, "to thine own self be true" (directed to me by my English Shakespeare teacher in High School). This suggests that "values" exist within thine true self, and not external to the person. Meaning, no one can "give" you values; they can only help another to cultivate them from within. Don't you think that if each person was truly focused on being accountable for him/herself, that there would be little if any time for attempts to manipulate another person's value-focus to coincide with one's own? The former process requires life-long attention; the latter is a complete avoidance. AND, isn't politics really a version of the latter?====JACK: A value-system doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's person-al. Religious (as well as political and moral) values are also taught (shared). It could be said that they were "in-spired," but that depends on a belief-system.
FROM MAHATMA GANDHI: "Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny."
FROM HONEST JOHN: My sister and I would stand and face East at 11 am on Nov 11...and our Dad would march with the WW1 guys in the July 4th parade...lessons in Patriotism...East Moline was diverse..so I learned about diversity on the playground.====JACK: Every classroom in our grade school had a flag displayed in the front. We, too, would observe Nov 11, as you described. Other "flag" occasions were also remembered. While we did have diversity in the classroom, the stereotypes persisted.
FROM WALMART REV: ...I'll sing “Jesus loves the little children…red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight” right along with you, Jack...don't have a flag to post, however sang our National Anthem and led in prayer before the stock car races last night at the fairgrounds...====JACK: BIG-TIME at the KRA Speedway! Did you sit in the stockcar pits waiting for drivers and pit-crew members to stop by for conversation?
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: we are making flags today at school and having a parade to celebrate flag day. when i learned the pledge it stated, "one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". sometimes feel that when the "under god" was added the people forgot about the importance and freedoms connected with diversity and a rainbow world. i think i'll fly my rainbow flag today beside the red, white, and blue.
btw-you also gave me my song of the day! thanks!====JACK: I remember a song: "O who can make a rainbow, I know I can't, can you?" I can't find the lyrics. Do you know it?====MARY: yes. google the lyrics from willy wonka and the chocolate factory. i think that sammy davis, jr also sang it. now i have two songs for the day!====JACK: Good, but not the one I was thinking of.
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: Nice.====JACK: Do you see any flags flying at "the beach?" ====ME: Not yet today, because I have not been out of house. They are flying here as I still have all my red, white and blue toys out from Memorial Day and they last well past the 4th of July. I also bike regularly by the American Legion Yacht Club on Balboa Peninsula where there are always lots of flags. Not only there, but all along the Coast on boats, homes, bridges and businesses.====JACK: I sometimes wonder about the huge flags flying in front of a business...patriotism?...attention getter? We have zoning restrictions covering attention getters, but American flags are excepted. Maybe, I shouldn't be so cynical.
FROM DMF IN MINNESOTA: Thanks for the reminder to put out the flag.====JACK: Count the ones on the block!
FROM BLAZING OAKS: FLAGS ARE FLYING IN P'BURG, (SMALL TOWN, U.S.A.) AND MINE IS OUT. MY CHERUB CHOIR USED TO SING THAT SONG: "O WHO CAN MAKE A FLOWER (RAINBOW, ETC ETC) I KNOW I CAN'T, CAN YOU? O WHO CAN MAKE A FLOWER (RAINBOW, ETC.) NO ONE BUT GOD, IT'S TRUE. I USED TO HAVE THEM COME UP WITH SOME THINGS THEY COULDN'T MAKE, BUT GOD COULD...GOT SOME INTERESTING ITEMS ! (KITTY-KAT, BEETLE-BUG, DANDELION, AND SO FORTH...) THEY LOVED TO SING IT. LOVED THE WW TODAY..====JACK: I always tried to make church fun for people...young and old. Last year on Father's Day (the pastor was on vacation, so I led the worship), I had the fathers come up with their children for the Children's Message. That was fun. It would have been interesting to have had the kids teach their dads a children's song, like, "O, who can make a flower?".
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: My grandparents and parents made sure us children knew why, how, when and who died, lived and worked for our freedom. The flag was out there everyday and still is at all of our homes. God made us the rainbow and I believe we never should be judged by our colors but by our hearts. ====JACK: As I recall, your flag is displayed 24/7 and lighted at night.====JUDY: That's correct. I lost three of my best friends in Vietnam, plus some uncles in World War II. My brother-in-law is in the Army and my nephew is in Afghanistan...special ops medic. And of course, all of the men and women who died for us and are currently protecting us. This is a great nation under God.. ====JACK: Yes, you have many reasons to fly the flag and to keep it flying.
FROM MY FLORIST: Very nice!
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Same with me.====JACK: I know you to be of the patriotic sort.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Embarrassed to say I did not realize it was flag day until I received your post. I always liked Jesus loves the little children too.====JACK: If you did know it was flag day, what would you do? BTW, perhaps you can quietly hum "Jesus loves the little chiildren." Fun?
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: My flag flies every day. And all night. Believe it or not, there was a rainbow over it one time. Not a lie. I didn't have a camera handy. (Long before cell phones.)====JACK: How do you observe "special" days, if every day is special?====PFC: Why does the flag have to wait for one day a year to be flown?====JACK: It's a free country.
FROM MOLINER JIM: Our Flag hangs every day (in good weather).====JACK: My favorite flag flying picture is the one of the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima in 1945.
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I couldn't agree more with this.====JACK: Robert Heft, born in Michigan, designed the 50 star flag as a high school art project and received a grade of B-. When the design was accepted by Congress, the grade was changed to an A.
“Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow.” (Jesse Brown) Where did you learn your values? I learned patriotism when we said “the pledge” each day in grade school. I learned diversity when we sang in Sunday School, “Jesus loves the little children…red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight.” I’ll put out the flag today, because it’s Flag Day, and I’ll continue to appreciate the rainbow. ;-) Jack
FROM BD IN MICHIGAN: Putting up the flag, This is good.
FROM TS IN INDIANA: Thank you for the reminder. I did not remember, nor did I see any other reminder of flag day.====JACK: It's a grand old flag; it's a high flying flag!
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I think you have touched a subject that has a fundamental basis of faith. As children of God, aren't our values determined through the very likeness of the One by whom we are created? Vaules aren't what we value as much as states-of-being that have value. Yet, how is it that so many of us find difficulty in the development of our values? Saul (Paul) persecuted Christians with great zeal because they contradicted his understanding by virtue of what he was taught. He was whole-heartedly following his values of truth and justice in his determination to root out, for him, this abomination. He would have said that he loved God with all his might; and there were these Christians who were defiling the God whom he followed. After his enlightenment, Paul (Saul) continued with the very same zeal as before --- only in a new direction. In other words, he didn't change his values, only the manner of his application of them. I think we are like Paul in this regard. Our values don't change; they are instilled in our souls. Nonetheless, they need to develop and flourish into that which the seed has already designed. Our context (family, culture, society) serves as the soil for their development. To know thyself, and to be true to that, is a very difficult challenge because it most often requires one to "break away" from the crowd that "taught" them --- at least these (Truth, Honesty, Understanding, Fulfillment, and Love) are the values that have been woven into my soul from the "beginning", and which I seek to make manifest in my own sojourn through the desert of this world in which I find myself.
====JACK: When I think of my value system, I remember a book that I was introduced to by my English professor...E. B. White's, "One Man's Meat Is Another Man's Poison." I learned that all value systems aren't the same. I also remember a course that helped shape my "political" views..."American Ideals." I learned that we can have a personal value system, but it's not necessarily the same for everyone. One man's meat etc.====RAY: That statement is true in its generality. Yet, one man's meat just might be his own poison as well. Hence, "to thine own self be true" (directed to me by my English Shakespeare teacher in High School). This suggests that "values" exist within thine true self, and not external to the person. Meaning, no one can "give" you values; they can only help another to cultivate them from within. Don't you think that if each person was truly focused on being accountable for him/herself, that there would be little if any time for attempts to manipulate another person's value-focus to coincide with one's own? The former process requires life-long attention; the latter is a complete avoidance. AND, isn't politics really a version of the latter?====JACK: A value-system doesn't exist in a vacuum; it's person-al. Religious (as well as political and moral) values are also taught (shared). It could be said that they were "in-spired," but that depends on a belief-system.
FROM MAHATMA GANDHI: "Your habits become your values, Your values become your destiny."
FROM HONEST JOHN: My sister and I would stand and face East at 11 am on Nov 11...and our Dad would march with the WW1 guys in the July 4th parade...lessons in Patriotism...East Moline was diverse..so I learned about diversity on the playground.====JACK: Every classroom in our grade school had a flag displayed in the front. We, too, would observe Nov 11, as you described. Other "flag" occasions were also remembered. While we did have diversity in the classroom, the stereotypes persisted.
FROM WALMART REV: ...I'll sing “Jesus loves the little children…red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight” right along with you, Jack...don't have a flag to post, however sang our National Anthem and led in prayer before the stock car races last night at the fairgrounds...====JACK: BIG-TIME at the KRA Speedway! Did you sit in the stockcar pits waiting for drivers and pit-crew members to stop by for conversation?
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: we are making flags today at school and having a parade to celebrate flag day. when i learned the pledge it stated, "one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all". sometimes feel that when the "under god" was added the people forgot about the importance and freedoms connected with diversity and a rainbow world. i think i'll fly my rainbow flag today beside the red, white, and blue.
btw-you also gave me my song of the day! thanks!====JACK: I remember a song: "O who can make a rainbow, I know I can't, can you?" I can't find the lyrics. Do you know it?====MARY: yes. google the lyrics from willy wonka and the chocolate factory. i think that sammy davis, jr also sang it. now i have two songs for the day!====JACK: Good, but not the one I was thinking of.
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: Nice.====JACK: Do you see any flags flying at "the beach?" ====ME: Not yet today, because I have not been out of house. They are flying here as I still have all my red, white and blue toys out from Memorial Day and they last well past the 4th of July. I also bike regularly by the American Legion Yacht Club on Balboa Peninsula where there are always lots of flags. Not only there, but all along the Coast on boats, homes, bridges and businesses.====JACK: I sometimes wonder about the huge flags flying in front of a business...patriotism?...attention getter? We have zoning restrictions covering attention getters, but American flags are excepted. Maybe, I shouldn't be so cynical.
FROM DMF IN MINNESOTA: Thanks for the reminder to put out the flag.====JACK: Count the ones on the block!
FROM BLAZING OAKS: FLAGS ARE FLYING IN P'BURG, (SMALL TOWN, U.S.A.) AND MINE IS OUT. MY CHERUB CHOIR USED TO SING THAT SONG: "O WHO CAN MAKE A FLOWER (RAINBOW, ETC ETC) I KNOW I CAN'T, CAN YOU? O WHO CAN MAKE A FLOWER (RAINBOW, ETC.) NO ONE BUT GOD, IT'S TRUE. I USED TO HAVE THEM COME UP WITH SOME THINGS THEY COULDN'T MAKE, BUT GOD COULD...GOT SOME INTERESTING ITEMS ! (KITTY-KAT, BEETLE-BUG, DANDELION, AND SO FORTH...) THEY LOVED TO SING IT. LOVED THE WW TODAY..====JACK: I always tried to make church fun for people...young and old. Last year on Father's Day (the pastor was on vacation, so I led the worship), I had the fathers come up with their children for the Children's Message. That was fun. It would have been interesting to have had the kids teach their dads a children's song, like, "O, who can make a flower?".
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: My grandparents and parents made sure us children knew why, how, when and who died, lived and worked for our freedom. The flag was out there everyday and still is at all of our homes. God made us the rainbow and I believe we never should be judged by our colors but by our hearts. ====JACK: As I recall, your flag is displayed 24/7 and lighted at night.====JUDY: That's correct. I lost three of my best friends in Vietnam, plus some uncles in World War II. My brother-in-law is in the Army and my nephew is in Afghanistan...special ops medic. And of course, all of the men and women who died for us and are currently protecting us. This is a great nation under God.. ====JACK: Yes, you have many reasons to fly the flag and to keep it flying.
FROM MY FLORIST: Very nice!
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Same with me.====JACK: I know you to be of the patriotic sort.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: Embarrassed to say I did not realize it was flag day until I received your post. I always liked Jesus loves the little children too.====JACK: If you did know it was flag day, what would you do? BTW, perhaps you can quietly hum "Jesus loves the little chiildren." Fun?
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: My flag flies every day. And all night. Believe it or not, there was a rainbow over it one time. Not a lie. I didn't have a camera handy. (Long before cell phones.)====JACK: How do you observe "special" days, if every day is special?====PFC: Why does the flag have to wait for one day a year to be flown?====JACK: It's a free country.
FROM MOLINER JIM: Our Flag hangs every day (in good weather).====JACK: My favorite flag flying picture is the one of the Marines raising the flag on Iwo Jima in 1945.
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: I couldn't agree more with this.====JACK: Robert Heft, born in Michigan, designed the 50 star flag as a high school art project and received a grade of B-. When the design was accepted by Congress, the grade was changed to an A.
Thursday, June 13, 2013
Winning Words 6/13/13
“That which is beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.” (Ninon de L’Enclos) I saw a listing of the 10 best cities in world in which to live. # 1 was Melbourne, Australia. Detroit was not on the list, but neither was the place where you live. Ninon’s words caused me to think. What makes a city beautiful? Parks? Buildings? The economy?…or the people? What’s good about your place? ;-) Jack
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I suppose what I would say is "good" is really what I like, namely: sunshine and clear blue skies, its warmth, the quiet of the desert, its beauty, its vastness, the surrounding mountains and the view of the mountain ranges on the horizon, an assortment of wildlife that roams or flies so freely, the absence of cement and glass, and a peace that cities lack. I think the desert experience is a part of Life's process.; i.e., there is a time for it and a season for it. Much like the city, which has its time and place, so does the desert have its own. The two don't truly work together; but their contrasts serve the parts the other cannot. ====JACK: In a sense, the past has made the present possible for you.====RAY: Absolutely true. For myself, the city was the place in my youthfulness to work the soil with vigor and fruitful attention. Today, the desert is the place where I can find some usefulness for the harvest of my work. All in their rightful time and place.
FROM TRIHARDER: I have a real, ongoing problem with physical "ugliness" being portrayed as "evil" in children's cartoons; goodness as "beautiful". What a poor message it sends to the impressionable. It's a lesson that is not easily unlearned in life.====JACK: I like the Ray Stevens song which goes like this...
Everything is beautiful in it's own way.
We shouldn't care about the length of his hair, or the color of his skin.
Don't worry about what shows from without, but the love that lives within.
And we're gonna get it all together now; everything gonna work out fine.
Just take a little time to look on the good side my friend,
And straighten it out in your mind.
Ah, sing it children!
Everybody's beautiful in their own way,
Under God's heaven the world's gonna find a way.
====TRIHARDER: I love that song. Late 60s. I think his next song was Guitarzan.====JACK: Guitarzan preceded "beautiful." Two other songs of his that I like are..."I'm My Own Grandpaw" and "The Streak."
FROM WALMART REV: Our place used to be farm land. Now it's suburb but interestingly still carries signs of its having been farmland, i.e. the old apple trees we have in our yard, we still have much wildlife roaming around among us people living here--deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, sometimes a fox, etc., etc. The people who made the charter and designed the layout for our suburb must have really appreciated its farm-like nature because we have streets like "Southfield" and many of our streets are actually called "roads" and not streets or avenues. When I walk around, I come across many people and we greet each other with a smile and a "how are you?" They all seem like beautiful people to me. It's really a beautiful neighborhood --homey and comfortable and not too fancy, which wouldn't be to my taste at all. And it's beautiful because I'm here living contently?! Great quote again today. Thanks for passing it on to us to think about .====JACK: I suppose you wear bib overalls and a straw hat, too. Our house was the first to be built on what was once a farm. Of course, that farm was previously an Indian hunting ground.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: A beautiful place can be filled with deadly snakes and spiders such as Melbourne, Australia. But it's also filled with beautiful scenery and beautiful people. I understand (although we've never been there) the people of Australia are especially nice. Cities and towns aren't like they used to be. People were out on the porches and walked nearly everywhere. Everyone knew everyone else's business...sometimes that's good and sometimes that's not so good. But, we live in a small sub on a cul du sac. There are five homes on our cul du sac and we are very close. Close enough to watch out for our children and grandchildren, close enough to be available to help each other, have meals together and have fun together. It's a little city within a city for which we are deeply grateful! ====JACK: Didn't you once write that you and your husband are planning to move (sometime) to your "dream" house up north. I sounds as though you're already living in a dream house.====JUDY: Gary will hopefully retire in two years. Then we will commence to find a home with a lot of acreage and a stream or lake or some kind of water on the property. We want a destination place where the kids can ride their dirt bikes, 4 wheelers and golf carts (when we get one).====JACK: What constitutes a "dream?"====JUDY: It's something you hope for pray for and work for. It's also something which could be elusive. But it's always fun to dream. We dream for a lot of things we know we will never have or really even want: like winning the lottery. I really don't want to win it but it's fun to think of all the things we would do with the money...that's dreaming. Did you have to read "The Lottery" in school? We did. It still makes me stop and think. Some books never leave us do they?====JACK: To dream the impossible dream. This is my quest.
FROM HF ON THE BAY OF FUNDY: Friends and people who want to make a better place and Nature
Thank you Jack for the winning words. I look forward to them every morning.====JACK: Nature is all around us...and so are potential friends.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Ultimately it is the people, their values, and acceptance of others. It is what makes my area great. As I like to tell my children as one that has survived a period of narrow thinking, "Wide open acceptance of others, leaves little room for the narrow minded to make a mark." ====JACK: I read an article recently which raised the question..."Is living in a diverse community a sign of acceptance or just one of learning to adapt?" Since I live in a very diverse community, the article caused me to wonder. ====GOOD DEBT: I don't know whether I adapted or accepted, but I made a conscious effort to find the good in it.====JACK: I celebrate the diversity, hoping that I'm not rationalizing.====GD: What's that song? "Whatever gets you through the night...it's alright, it's alright"====JACK: It fits. Elton John, like many singers, expresses truisms through music.
FROM JE IN MICHIGAN: Rob and I have lived in Dunham Lake for 21 years. We feel so very fortunate to be in a place that is peaceful; offers great walking trails; has lake that is more than 100 feet deep, is clear and you can see the bottom; has NO motor boats and three beautiful beaches; has a wonderful golf course; is in a great location close to freeways and downtown Milford, and best of all, the people are caring, giving and have become extended family. We lucked out when we bought our home in Dunham! We’ve made our house our haven, home and refuge. I continue to work on gardens, plant trees and make our house a home. We have so many incredible memories of times with family and friends in Dunham Lake.====JACK: There's a place in Iowa called, "A Little Bit O Heaven." It looks like you've found such a place in Michigan.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Regarding the WW, I agree with the first half...but I don't agree with the other half. And about cities, the perception of a beautiful city is so subjective, one should never let someone else decide for them which is best. As a matter of fact, perceptions change, such as Cleveland, which was considered a loser back in the 70's, then was an award winner in the 90's, and now it's considered so-so. Despite that, there's enough "beauty" there to hold some people through thick and thin. Good luck Detroit! ====JACK: Beautiful and good are subjective words. Who can really judge a beauty contest, or who is to judge between good and evil?
FROM MARCY IN FLORIDA: Weather and much slower, joyful place. Happy seniors!! A lot of smiles ====JACK: I liked that movie, "Grumpy Old Men." It evidently wasn't filmed in your neck of the woods.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: "Heaven seems a little closer in a house beside the water": "Those lucky enough to live beside the water are Lucky enough!" My small lake in the middle of Illinois is a pleasant place to be! Almost 300 homes around its shores, and mine is one of them....No Jet Skis allowed. Wild life including deer, and friendly neighbors who potluck together once in awhile, golf course at the end of my road. I say a prayer of thanks every day for such a blessing, and for family and friends who come to enjoy it! It is "GOOD"!====JACK: Edgar Guest says that a home is more than a house. Your home is what makes you happy...health...friends...family...memories...church. God is good!
It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind,
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus on yer mind.
FROM JT IN MINNESOTA: Thank you for your continued winning words. So many of them seem directed to my situation and life.====JACK: Like in Jesus' parable of the sower. I feel like I'm the sower each morning when I "throw" out Winning Words. Evidently some take root in Minnesota.
FROM BS IN MICHIGAN: Your question made me think about the obvious & not so obvious: (In addition to spouse, children, grandchildren & other nearby relatives.) Friendly neighbors, feeling comfortable, feeling safe (but trying to be careful at the same time.), pretty surroundings, services - both public & private, nearby & accessible; good friends – both “old” & “new”; honest, ethical, hardworking business associates. There are sad days, of course, but, in general, I feel lucky all the time. This little exercise could be good for many people who often only see the negatives in life & society.====JACK: There's a "religious" word that seems to fit, and that is...BLESSING. G-d is good!
“That which is beautiful is not always good, but that which is good is always beautiful.” (Ninon de L’Enclos) I saw a listing of the 10 best cities in world in which to live. # 1 was Melbourne, Australia. Detroit was not on the list, but neither was the place where you live. Ninon’s words caused me to think. What makes a city beautiful? Parks? Buildings? The economy?…or the people? What’s good about your place? ;-) Jack
FROM MICHIZONA RAY: I suppose what I would say is "good" is really what I like, namely: sunshine and clear blue skies, its warmth, the quiet of the desert, its beauty, its vastness, the surrounding mountains and the view of the mountain ranges on the horizon, an assortment of wildlife that roams or flies so freely, the absence of cement and glass, and a peace that cities lack. I think the desert experience is a part of Life's process.; i.e., there is a time for it and a season for it. Much like the city, which has its time and place, so does the desert have its own. The two don't truly work together; but their contrasts serve the parts the other cannot. ====JACK: In a sense, the past has made the present possible for you.====RAY: Absolutely true. For myself, the city was the place in my youthfulness to work the soil with vigor and fruitful attention. Today, the desert is the place where I can find some usefulness for the harvest of my work. All in their rightful time and place.
FROM TRIHARDER: I have a real, ongoing problem with physical "ugliness" being portrayed as "evil" in children's cartoons; goodness as "beautiful". What a poor message it sends to the impressionable. It's a lesson that is not easily unlearned in life.====JACK: I like the Ray Stevens song which goes like this...
Everything is beautiful in it's own way.
We shouldn't care about the length of his hair, or the color of his skin.
Don't worry about what shows from without, but the love that lives within.
And we're gonna get it all together now; everything gonna work out fine.
Just take a little time to look on the good side my friend,
And straighten it out in your mind.
Ah, sing it children!
Everybody's beautiful in their own way,
Under God's heaven the world's gonna find a way.
====TRIHARDER: I love that song. Late 60s. I think his next song was Guitarzan.====JACK: Guitarzan preceded "beautiful." Two other songs of his that I like are..."I'm My Own Grandpaw" and "The Streak."
FROM WALMART REV: Our place used to be farm land. Now it's suburb but interestingly still carries signs of its having been farmland, i.e. the old apple trees we have in our yard, we still have much wildlife roaming around among us people living here--deer, raccoons, rabbits, squirrels, sometimes a fox, etc., etc. The people who made the charter and designed the layout for our suburb must have really appreciated its farm-like nature because we have streets like "Southfield" and many of our streets are actually called "roads" and not streets or avenues. When I walk around, I come across many people and we greet each other with a smile and a "how are you?" They all seem like beautiful people to me. It's really a beautiful neighborhood --homey and comfortable and not too fancy, which wouldn't be to my taste at all. And it's beautiful because I'm here living contently?! Great quote again today. Thanks for passing it on to us to think about .====JACK: I suppose you wear bib overalls and a straw hat, too. Our house was the first to be built on what was once a farm. Of course, that farm was previously an Indian hunting ground.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: A beautiful place can be filled with deadly snakes and spiders such as Melbourne, Australia. But it's also filled with beautiful scenery and beautiful people. I understand (although we've never been there) the people of Australia are especially nice. Cities and towns aren't like they used to be. People were out on the porches and walked nearly everywhere. Everyone knew everyone else's business...sometimes that's good and sometimes that's not so good. But, we live in a small sub on a cul du sac. There are five homes on our cul du sac and we are very close. Close enough to watch out for our children and grandchildren, close enough to be available to help each other, have meals together and have fun together. It's a little city within a city for which we are deeply grateful! ====JACK: Didn't you once write that you and your husband are planning to move (sometime) to your "dream" house up north. I sounds as though you're already living in a dream house.====JUDY: Gary will hopefully retire in two years. Then we will commence to find a home with a lot of acreage and a stream or lake or some kind of water on the property. We want a destination place where the kids can ride their dirt bikes, 4 wheelers and golf carts (when we get one).====JACK: What constitutes a "dream?"====JUDY: It's something you hope for pray for and work for. It's also something which could be elusive. But it's always fun to dream. We dream for a lot of things we know we will never have or really even want: like winning the lottery. I really don't want to win it but it's fun to think of all the things we would do with the money...that's dreaming. Did you have to read "The Lottery" in school? We did. It still makes me stop and think. Some books never leave us do they?====JACK: To dream the impossible dream. This is my quest.
FROM HF ON THE BAY OF FUNDY: Friends and people who want to make a better place and Nature
Thank you Jack for the winning words. I look forward to them every morning.====JACK: Nature is all around us...and so are potential friends.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Ultimately it is the people, their values, and acceptance of others. It is what makes my area great. As I like to tell my children as one that has survived a period of narrow thinking, "Wide open acceptance of others, leaves little room for the narrow minded to make a mark." ====JACK: I read an article recently which raised the question..."Is living in a diverse community a sign of acceptance or just one of learning to adapt?" Since I live in a very diverse community, the article caused me to wonder. ====GOOD DEBT: I don't know whether I adapted or accepted, but I made a conscious effort to find the good in it.====JACK: I celebrate the diversity, hoping that I'm not rationalizing.====GD: What's that song? "Whatever gets you through the night...it's alright, it's alright"====JACK: It fits. Elton John, like many singers, expresses truisms through music.
FROM JE IN MICHIGAN: Rob and I have lived in Dunham Lake for 21 years. We feel so very fortunate to be in a place that is peaceful; offers great walking trails; has lake that is more than 100 feet deep, is clear and you can see the bottom; has NO motor boats and three beautiful beaches; has a wonderful golf course; is in a great location close to freeways and downtown Milford, and best of all, the people are caring, giving and have become extended family. We lucked out when we bought our home in Dunham! We’ve made our house our haven, home and refuge. I continue to work on gardens, plant trees and make our house a home. We have so many incredible memories of times with family and friends in Dunham Lake.====JACK: There's a place in Iowa called, "A Little Bit O Heaven." It looks like you've found such a place in Michigan.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Regarding the WW, I agree with the first half...but I don't agree with the other half. And about cities, the perception of a beautiful city is so subjective, one should never let someone else decide for them which is best. As a matter of fact, perceptions change, such as Cleveland, which was considered a loser back in the 70's, then was an award winner in the 90's, and now it's considered so-so. Despite that, there's enough "beauty" there to hold some people through thick and thin. Good luck Detroit! ====JACK: Beautiful and good are subjective words. Who can really judge a beauty contest, or who is to judge between good and evil?
FROM MARCY IN FLORIDA: Weather and much slower, joyful place. Happy seniors!! A lot of smiles ====JACK: I liked that movie, "Grumpy Old Men." It evidently wasn't filmed in your neck of the woods.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: "Heaven seems a little closer in a house beside the water": "Those lucky enough to live beside the water are Lucky enough!" My small lake in the middle of Illinois is a pleasant place to be! Almost 300 homes around its shores, and mine is one of them....No Jet Skis allowed. Wild life including deer, and friendly neighbors who potluck together once in awhile, golf course at the end of my road. I say a prayer of thanks every day for such a blessing, and for family and friends who come to enjoy it! It is "GOOD"!====JACK: Edgar Guest says that a home is more than a house. Your home is what makes you happy...health...friends...family...memories...church. God is good!
It takes a heap o' livin' in a house t' make it home,
A heap o' sun an' shadder, an' ye sometimes have t' roam
Afore ye really 'preciate the things ye lef' behind,
An' hunger fer 'em somehow, with 'em allus on yer mind.
FROM JT IN MINNESOTA: Thank you for your continued winning words. So many of them seem directed to my situation and life.====JACK: Like in Jesus' parable of the sower. I feel like I'm the sower each morning when I "throw" out Winning Words. Evidently some take root in Minnesota.
FROM BS IN MICHIGAN: Your question made me think about the obvious & not so obvious: (In addition to spouse, children, grandchildren & other nearby relatives.) Friendly neighbors, feeling comfortable, feeling safe (but trying to be careful at the same time.), pretty surroundings, services - both public & private, nearby & accessible; good friends – both “old” & “new”; honest, ethical, hardworking business associates. There are sad days, of course, but, in general, I feel lucky all the time. This little exercise could be good for many people who often only see the negatives in life & society.====JACK: There's a "religious" word that seems to fit, and that is...BLESSING. G-d is good!
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Winning Words 6/12/13
“What do we live for, if not to make the world less difficult for each other?” (George Eliot) “Alfie” is a film about a self-centered young man who is led to question his reason for being. Burt Bacharach put it to music: “What’s it all about, Alfie?” What is your life’s purpose? The answer turns out to be, “love,” much like the answer given by the poet, and by Jesus. The greatest of the commandments is to show love. ;-) Jack
FROM HONEST JOHN: The greatest commandment is to love God. That opens the possibility of fulfilling the second great commandment...to love the neighbor====JACK: Just like a pious Swede... not mentioning the love of self!====JOHN: If you read the commandment, love of self is taken for granted ====JACK: Some people have trouble seeing good in themselves.
FROM WALMART REV: Ready to do the same this morning...odds are in my favor that I won't be called out again for doing so...stayed tuned...====JACK: How early do you start occupying your Walmart seat? ====REV: Always a few stops before...been having a leisurely lunch there lately, but bypassing the late afternoon visits for awhile.
FROM JE AT SCHOOL: Great one Jack. Praying for a peaceful, event less last half day of school today. Waiting to hear if bus drivers are going to show up! Waiting to see if the storms hold off until students are safely home this afternoon!====JACK: Into each life some rain must fall. Perhaps it will hold off until tomorrow.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like.====JACK: I like the Alfie song, too.====LIZ: me, too. everything bachrach & david!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: It's so easy to love most people and harder to love some. We sponsor a little girl in India. She has become a family member to each of us. It's interesting to observe my one grandson, Noah. He brings me coloring book pages, pictures, a little notes for her all the time. He has taken this sponsorship very seriously. He has a great capacity to love...everyone he meets is a friend. He also says the most beautiful prayers, it's amazing! ====JACK: I'm not worried about the future, when the world has people like Noah.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: "ALFIE" WAS A MEMORABLE FILM! AND THE SONG SO POIGNANT AND RELEVANT TO THE MOVIE MESSAGE. BILL PREACHED A SERMON USING THAT EXAMPLE, AND PLAYED IT OVER THE CHURCH SOUND SYSTEM DURING THE MESSAGE. HAD QUITE AN IMPACT AT THE TIME....LOVE GIVES US REASON AND STRENGTH TO TRY TO MAKE OUR CORNER OF THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE ====JACK: Oftentimes, music can energize the will. The "right" hymn can make a difference.
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: St. Francis said: Proclaim the Gospel every day. If necessary, use words. Jack, these may not be the exact words, but the message is there.====JACK: I grew up in a time when "saints" were looked upon negatively. The good old days weren't always good in some ways. I'm glad to have become acquainted with St. Francis...and some others.
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: wise words, oh Wise One...====JACK: George Eliot is the wise one. I'm just the messenger.====PH: and wasn't that a pen name for a women whose writings would have never been accepted if people knew the author was a female??====JACK: Yes
FROM CS IN MICHIGAN: Many of your "words" hit home for me but this mornings quote spoke to me as we try to help ease the struggles of our grandson with his recovery from a closed head injury he had back in September. ====JACK: I can't do much...but I can add him and his family to my daily prayer list.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Those are great winning words.====JACK: There are many stories of people doing things to make life easier for other people. We just don't always hear them.
“What do we live for, if not to make the world less difficult for each other?” (George Eliot) “Alfie” is a film about a self-centered young man who is led to question his reason for being. Burt Bacharach put it to music: “What’s it all about, Alfie?” What is your life’s purpose? The answer turns out to be, “love,” much like the answer given by the poet, and by Jesus. The greatest of the commandments is to show love. ;-) Jack
FROM HONEST JOHN: The greatest commandment is to love God. That opens the possibility of fulfilling the second great commandment...to love the neighbor====JACK: Just like a pious Swede... not mentioning the love of self!====JOHN: If you read the commandment, love of self is taken for granted ====JACK: Some people have trouble seeing good in themselves.
FROM WALMART REV: Ready to do the same this morning...odds are in my favor that I won't be called out again for doing so...stayed tuned...====JACK: How early do you start occupying your Walmart seat? ====REV: Always a few stops before...been having a leisurely lunch there lately, but bypassing the late afternoon visits for awhile.
FROM JE AT SCHOOL: Great one Jack. Praying for a peaceful, event less last half day of school today. Waiting to hear if bus drivers are going to show up! Waiting to see if the storms hold off until students are safely home this afternoon!====JACK: Into each life some rain must fall. Perhaps it will hold off until tomorrow.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like.====JACK: I like the Alfie song, too.====LIZ: me, too. everything bachrach & david!
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: It's so easy to love most people and harder to love some. We sponsor a little girl in India. She has become a family member to each of us. It's interesting to observe my one grandson, Noah. He brings me coloring book pages, pictures, a little notes for her all the time. He has taken this sponsorship very seriously. He has a great capacity to love...everyone he meets is a friend. He also says the most beautiful prayers, it's amazing! ====JACK: I'm not worried about the future, when the world has people like Noah.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: "ALFIE" WAS A MEMORABLE FILM! AND THE SONG SO POIGNANT AND RELEVANT TO THE MOVIE MESSAGE. BILL PREACHED A SERMON USING THAT EXAMPLE, AND PLAYED IT OVER THE CHURCH SOUND SYSTEM DURING THE MESSAGE. HAD QUITE AN IMPACT AT THE TIME....LOVE GIVES US REASON AND STRENGTH TO TRY TO MAKE OUR CORNER OF THE WORLD A BETTER PLACE ====JACK: Oftentimes, music can energize the will. The "right" hymn can make a difference.
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: St. Francis said: Proclaim the Gospel every day. If necessary, use words. Jack, these may not be the exact words, but the message is there.====JACK: I grew up in a time when "saints" were looked upon negatively. The good old days weren't always good in some ways. I'm glad to have become acquainted with St. Francis...and some others.
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: wise words, oh Wise One...====JACK: George Eliot is the wise one. I'm just the messenger.====PH: and wasn't that a pen name for a women whose writings would have never been accepted if people knew the author was a female??====JACK: Yes
FROM CS IN MICHIGAN: Many of your "words" hit home for me but this mornings quote spoke to me as we try to help ease the struggles of our grandson with his recovery from a closed head injury he had back in September. ====JACK: I can't do much...but I can add him and his family to my daily prayer list.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Those are great winning words.====JACK: There are many stories of people doing things to make life easier for other people. We just don't always hear them.
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Winning Words 6/11/13
“Don’t let anyone rob you of hope.” (Pope Francis) A lot of Catholic people and others have positive expectations regarding the new pope. Recently he met with a group of children and said to them, “Ask me anything.” Hands went up. “Do you still see friends from grade school?...How do you like being pope?...How should we handle poverty in the world.” Today’s WWs were his advice to the children and us. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: "Strength for today and hope for tomorrow!"====JACK: "Fret not thyself about the morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring." A Jewish friend attended our clergy meeting on Thursday. On Saturday he died suddenly at the synagogue.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: I saw a twitter quip this morning: "Worrying is like praying in reverse…" Deb Scott====JACK: I worry about worrying. Is faith supposed to eradicate the need for fretting?
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Can anyone rob us of hope, or do we just abandon it ourselves? The poet says, "Hope springs eternal". Hope is always there for us. So have some...no expiration date.====JACK: Hope becomes important for those who have something to hope for. It's not easy to always be optimistic and hopeful, but it's better than always being pessimistic and hopeless.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Hope" is the most important word in the English language." Or probably any other language, as well. Hard to live in any meaningful way without it! Pope Francis is "spot on"!====JACK: This thought just came to mind....Is hope more significant to the children who have life before them, or to the elderly who tend to look at life, using the rear view mirror? ====OAKS: It's so significant for all of us, it is hard to say which is MORE significant, but my guess would be it is more needed when we are younger and dealing with a multitude of situations with marriage, children, jobs, social mores, and whatever illnesses and frustrations delve into our daily lives; as we age, hopefully we are sustained and calmer about what's "around the corner", especially if we have had a meaningful life....Agree?====JACK: Yes
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Like====JACK: It appears as though you are being influenced by Facebook Liz.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like.====JACK: "Like" father, "like" daughter
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Accentuate the positive. There is a song about that, too.====JACK: ...and you probably know the words and can sing it.
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: faith...hope...and love abide...====JACK: When the Bible says that the greatest is love....It was not meant to denigrate the others.====MARY: can love really be without the others? something to ponder.====JACK: If Paul had meant love, alone, he would have excluded the others...which he did not.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Is "hope" in itself sufficient? (I know, the Pope was addressing children.)As an older child I find "faith, hope and love (charity)..these three...but the greatest of these is love.)also good advice.WW continues to be stimulating..challenging...enlightening. ====JACK: Jesus called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." What do you suppose that means?
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: Is "hope" in itself sufficient?(I know the Pope was speaking to children.) As an older child I find "faith. hope and charity (love) ....these three...but the greatest of these is love."..also good advice. WW continues to stimulate, challenge and enlighten.====JACK: Beyond the theology...There are times when our faith is tested and upholds us. There are times when hope, beyond hope. That's a part of faith, too. And, finally, without the grace (love) of God, faith crumbles and hope evaporates. The three can be compared to a 3-legged stool. The stool needs all three.
“Don’t let anyone rob you of hope.” (Pope Francis) A lot of Catholic people and others have positive expectations regarding the new pope. Recently he met with a group of children and said to them, “Ask me anything.” Hands went up. “Do you still see friends from grade school?...How do you like being pope?...How should we handle poverty in the world.” Today’s WWs were his advice to the children and us. ;-) Jack
FROM WALMART REV: "Strength for today and hope for tomorrow!"====JACK: "Fret not thyself about the morrow, for thou knowest not what a day may bring." A Jewish friend attended our clergy meeting on Thursday. On Saturday he died suddenly at the synagogue.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: I saw a twitter quip this morning: "Worrying is like praying in reverse…" Deb Scott====JACK: I worry about worrying. Is faith supposed to eradicate the need for fretting?
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Can anyone rob us of hope, or do we just abandon it ourselves? The poet says, "Hope springs eternal". Hope is always there for us. So have some...no expiration date.====JACK: Hope becomes important for those who have something to hope for. It's not easy to always be optimistic and hopeful, but it's better than always being pessimistic and hopeless.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: As Eleanor Roosevelt once said, "Hope" is the most important word in the English language." Or probably any other language, as well. Hard to live in any meaningful way without it! Pope Francis is "spot on"!====JACK: This thought just came to mind....Is hope more significant to the children who have life before them, or to the elderly who tend to look at life, using the rear view mirror? ====OAKS: It's so significant for all of us, it is hard to say which is MORE significant, but my guess would be it is more needed when we are younger and dealing with a multitude of situations with marriage, children, jobs, social mores, and whatever illnesses and frustrations delve into our daily lives; as we age, hopefully we are sustained and calmer about what's "around the corner", especially if we have had a meaningful life....Agree?====JACK: Yes
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: Like====JACK: It appears as though you are being influenced by Facebook Liz.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: Like.====JACK: "Like" father, "like" daughter
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: Accentuate the positive. There is a song about that, too.====JACK: ...and you probably know the words and can sing it.
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: faith...hope...and love abide...====JACK: When the Bible says that the greatest is love....It was not meant to denigrate the others.====MARY: can love really be without the others? something to ponder.====JACK: If Paul had meant love, alone, he would have excluded the others...which he did not.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: Is "hope" in itself sufficient? (I know, the Pope was addressing children.)As an older child I find "faith, hope and love (charity)..these three...but the greatest of these is love.)also good advice.WW continues to be stimulating..challenging...enlightening. ====JACK: Jesus called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." What do you suppose that means?
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: Is "hope" in itself sufficient?(I know the Pope was speaking to children.) As an older child I find "faith. hope and charity (love) ....these three...but the greatest of these is love."..also good advice. WW continues to stimulate, challenge and enlighten.====JACK: Beyond the theology...There are times when our faith is tested and upholds us. There are times when hope, beyond hope. That's a part of faith, too. And, finally, without the grace (love) of God, faith crumbles and hope evaporates. The three can be compared to a 3-legged stool. The stool needs all three.
Monday, June 10, 2013
Winning Words 6/10/13
“Dear God, be good to me. The sea is so wide, and my boat is so small.” (Prayer of Breton fishermen) During a naval training exercise, a friend of mine was dropped on a raft in the middle of the ocean. The chopper radioed, “We’ll be back.” My friend told me of the aloneness and apprehension he felt. I’m comforted by God’s promise, “Lo, I am with you always,” even during times when I feel like a face in the crowd. ;-) Jack
ASTRONAUT THOMAS K. MATTINGLY II: "It's hard to take yourself seriously when you look at the world from outer space."
FROM HONEST JOHN: My first practice debate at Augustana was against Phil Hubbart, the best debater in Augie history. I was demolished. Fortunately, he was also a very gracious person. A little grace helps when you feel crushed.====JACK: When life hands you a lemon...crush it...and then make lemonade. We are made better by an occasional setback. ====JOHN: They give a ring at West Point to the best debater in the nation...debate's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy...Hubbart won it twice...and was second the other time...no one else is close to him even though Augie has had some great debaters
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: who are Breton fishermen?====JACK: There's a peninsula jutting out from France which is called, Brittany (Breton, "Little Britain"). It's the home of many fishing ports.====PH: I just knew there was a story here and that you would know it!!
FROM WALMART REV: I've had that experience at times...in the middle of a large crowd, feeling all alone...thankfully those times do pass on, especially when I begin to reach out to others in welcoming ways. ====JACK: "To have a friend, be a friend," except those times when your reaching out is seen as an intrusion into "private" space.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: As a child I felt comfortable living in the small town where I was born. I can remember, about age 5, occasionally my father taking me with him into the big city about 20 miles away. Driving into the bustling metropolis, with the busy streets, fast traffic, tall buildings, and crowded sidewalks, was a scary experience. The city was so big and I was so small. What if I got separated from my father? The security of his hand holding mine as we walked the streets was so reassuring. Through all the later years of my life my confidence came from knowing that I was still secure in the hands of the Father.====JACK: Canadian Anne Murray had a religious "pop" song, "Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water."
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: That is how I feel today. Just recvd word that a friend a young man in our congr was called home during the nite. A man that has had more problems than most. I know he is in a far better place than this harsh world.====JACK: Yesterday I heard that a Jewish friend suddenly died. He was one who made this harsh word a better place. David walked the talk. G-d is the same, yesterday, today and forever....in that eternal "better" place.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: I HAVE THIS POSTED IN MY "SEA SHELL" DECORATED BATHROOM! ALL MY GRANDCHILDREN AND "GREATS" KNOW IT BY HEART...SO TRUE! I FUNCTIONED FOR YEARS GROWING UP AS A "TWIN", SO WHEN WE MARRIED, AND LIVED VERY SEPARATE LIVES, (BOTH MARRIED TO MINISTERS, BUT GEOGRAPHICALLY WIDELY APART) I HAD TO LEARN TO "STAND ALONE" . NO ONE TODAY WILL BELIEVE THAT I WAS ONCE THE "QUIET TWIN" ! HA! I GREATLY ENJOYED THE BURL IVES DOUGHNUT HOLE SONG WHICH I'D NEVER HEARD, AND JUST LISTENED TO THIS A.M. ALWAYS EJOY YOUR WW AND THE BLOG COMMENTS!!====JACK: Burl Ives' LP also has these "old favorites"....The Little White Duck, Froggie Went a-Courtin' and Fooba Wooba John.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: It's such a wonderful feeling to know that no matter where we go, what we have to do, what we have to face and who we have to deal with, God is always always there. We are never ever alone.====JACK: And he's also there at those "oops" times when we've strayed from the straight and narrow. But that's the way it is with God. He's ALWAYS there!
FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: WW today reminded me of this photo – zoom in and see how God sees us as individuals – even when we are along on the ocean of life.! Hiding in a crowd? No more. Wait till this loads and zoom in... So you thought you might hide in the crowd......This picture was taken with a camera 70,000 x 30,000 pixels (2100 MegaPixels).It can identify a face in a multitude.The cameras are not sold to the public and are being installed in strategic locations. (This one is in Canada) Place the cursor in the multitude of people and left double click a couple times. It will continue to show the people much closer, when you double left click again or click more if needed. Amazing!! There were thousands of persons and yet one can spot and recognize any face.Imagine what this means... both police and Army have it.
http://www.gigapixel.com/image/gigapan-canucks-g7.html====JACK: My Little Boat is no longer lost.
FROM CS IN WISCONSIN: BE SURE AND WATCH TO THE END WHEN THERE IS A 1:35 MINUTE VIDEO....REALLY INTERESTING Subject: Grains of sand magnified up to 250 times
YOU WILL NEVER SEE A SANDY BEACH IN THE SAME WAY AGAIN!
http://inspirationgreen.com/magnified-grains-of-sand.html ====JACK: Even a grain of sand is not lost in the beach.
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: sounds like max's journey to where the wild things are. it's maurice sendak's birthday today. did you know?====JACK: Someone else mentioned Maurice to me...so I had to look him up. Some librarians were reluctant to put his stuff on the shelves, until they saw him through the eyes of their children customers.
FROM MS IN MICHIGAN: Just returned from a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Seeing the stark lava up thrusts and being under the milky way seemed liked getting a glimpse of creation. Makes us very small. ====JACK: One of the most unusual places in this wonderful world.
“Dear God, be good to me. The sea is so wide, and my boat is so small.” (Prayer of Breton fishermen) During a naval training exercise, a friend of mine was dropped on a raft in the middle of the ocean. The chopper radioed, “We’ll be back.” My friend told me of the aloneness and apprehension he felt. I’m comforted by God’s promise, “Lo, I am with you always,” even during times when I feel like a face in the crowd. ;-) Jack
ASTRONAUT THOMAS K. MATTINGLY II: "It's hard to take yourself seriously when you look at the world from outer space."
FROM HONEST JOHN: My first practice debate at Augustana was against Phil Hubbart, the best debater in Augie history. I was demolished. Fortunately, he was also a very gracious person. A little grace helps when you feel crushed.====JACK: When life hands you a lemon...crush it...and then make lemonade. We are made better by an occasional setback. ====JOHN: They give a ring at West Point to the best debater in the nation...debate's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy...Hubbart won it twice...and was second the other time...no one else is close to him even though Augie has had some great debaters
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: who are Breton fishermen?====JACK: There's a peninsula jutting out from France which is called, Brittany (Breton, "Little Britain"). It's the home of many fishing ports.====PH: I just knew there was a story here and that you would know it!!
FROM WALMART REV: I've had that experience at times...in the middle of a large crowd, feeling all alone...thankfully those times do pass on, especially when I begin to reach out to others in welcoming ways. ====JACK: "To have a friend, be a friend," except those times when your reaching out is seen as an intrusion into "private" space.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: As a child I felt comfortable living in the small town where I was born. I can remember, about age 5, occasionally my father taking me with him into the big city about 20 miles away. Driving into the bustling metropolis, with the busy streets, fast traffic, tall buildings, and crowded sidewalks, was a scary experience. The city was so big and I was so small. What if I got separated from my father? The security of his hand holding mine as we walked the streets was so reassuring. Through all the later years of my life my confidence came from knowing that I was still secure in the hands of the Father.====JACK: Canadian Anne Murray had a religious "pop" song, "Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water."
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: That is how I feel today. Just recvd word that a friend a young man in our congr was called home during the nite. A man that has had more problems than most. I know he is in a far better place than this harsh world.====JACK: Yesterday I heard that a Jewish friend suddenly died. He was one who made this harsh word a better place. David walked the talk. G-d is the same, yesterday, today and forever....in that eternal "better" place.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: I HAVE THIS POSTED IN MY "SEA SHELL" DECORATED BATHROOM! ALL MY GRANDCHILDREN AND "GREATS" KNOW IT BY HEART...SO TRUE! I FUNCTIONED FOR YEARS GROWING UP AS A "TWIN", SO WHEN WE MARRIED, AND LIVED VERY SEPARATE LIVES, (BOTH MARRIED TO MINISTERS, BUT GEOGRAPHICALLY WIDELY APART) I HAD TO LEARN TO "STAND ALONE" . NO ONE TODAY WILL BELIEVE THAT I WAS ONCE THE "QUIET TWIN" ! HA! I GREATLY ENJOYED THE BURL IVES DOUGHNUT HOLE SONG WHICH I'D NEVER HEARD, AND JUST LISTENED TO THIS A.M. ALWAYS EJOY YOUR WW AND THE BLOG COMMENTS!!====JACK: Burl Ives' LP also has these "old favorites"....The Little White Duck, Froggie Went a-Courtin' and Fooba Wooba John.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: It's such a wonderful feeling to know that no matter where we go, what we have to do, what we have to face and who we have to deal with, God is always always there. We are never ever alone.====JACK: And he's also there at those "oops" times when we've strayed from the straight and narrow. But that's the way it is with God. He's ALWAYS there!
FROM FM IN WISCONSIN: WW today reminded me of this photo – zoom in and see how God sees us as individuals – even when we are along on the ocean of life.! Hiding in a crowd? No more. Wait till this loads and zoom in... So you thought you might hide in the crowd......This picture was taken with a camera 70,000 x 30,000 pixels (2100 MegaPixels).It can identify a face in a multitude.The cameras are not sold to the public and are being installed in strategic locations. (This one is in Canada) Place the cursor in the multitude of people and left double click a couple times. It will continue to show the people much closer, when you double left click again or click more if needed. Amazing!! There were thousands of persons and yet one can spot and recognize any face.Imagine what this means... both police and Army have it.
http://www.gigapixel.com/image/gigapan-canucks-g7.html====JACK: My Little Boat is no longer lost.
FROM CS IN WISCONSIN: BE SURE AND WATCH TO THE END WHEN THERE IS A 1:35 MINUTE VIDEO....REALLY INTERESTING Subject: Grains of sand magnified up to 250 times
YOU WILL NEVER SEE A SANDY BEACH IN THE SAME WAY AGAIN!
http://inspirationgreen.com/magnified-grains-of-sand.html ====JACK: Even a grain of sand is not lost in the beach.
FROM PEPPERMINT MARY: sounds like max's journey to where the wild things are. it's maurice sendak's birthday today. did you know?====JACK: Someone else mentioned Maurice to me...so I had to look him up. Some librarians were reluctant to put his stuff on the shelves, until they saw him through the eyes of their children customers.
FROM MS IN MICHIGAN: Just returned from a trip to the Galapagos Islands. Seeing the stark lava up thrusts and being under the milky way seemed liked getting a glimpse of creation. Makes us very small. ====JACK: One of the most unusual places in this wonderful world.
Friday, June 07, 2013
Winning Words 6/7/13
“As you go through life, make this your goal. Watch the donut, not the hole.” (Burl Ives) A friend has reminded me that today is National Donut Day. Do you have a favorite? Krispy Kremes? Mmmmm. Donut Day was established in 1938, by the Salvation Army to honor the women who served donuts to the soldiers in WW 1. No KKs in those days. Back to today’s quote…You can probably sing that song. ;-) Jack
FROM RI IN BOSTON: When I was a school kid there was nothing like coming home from school and finding a plate of freshly made donuts. On a day when mom had a little extra time, she would mix up the dough, press out the "o's", drop them into the oil, then shake them in a bag of sugar and stack them on a plate. With a glass of milk, there was nothing comparable. (Recently in one of your WW you commented that often we don't cherish what we have until it's gone...certainly true about moms.)====JACK: Not related to donuts....but I used to reach up on top of the refrigerator and surreptitiously take a cookie from the cookie jar. One time...SNAP!...my father has placed a mousetrap in the jar. Everyone had a laugh when they heard the "thief" being caught.
FROM HONEST JOHN: French Crullers====JACK: I agree. Those are good. However, I hard time turning my nose up at any donut.====JOHN: "Yield not to Temptation" ====JACK: I yielded and went to Tim Horton's for a dozen.====JOHN: We went to Greenfield Village and had tea and scones at the Cotswald Cottage Tea Garden....so I guess I yielded as well....yielding is such sweet sorrow....
FROM WALMART REV: Must respectfully center my thoughts on the "hole" and 55 pounds off my body...I remember the day that 3-4 KK's and a cold glass of milk would "make my day!'====JACK: Do they sell donut holes at Walmart? The probably come free, if you buy the donut.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: I've been feeling over-worked and over-stressed. Burl Ives/your WW are the perfect WW to read this morning!!!!! Thanks again for the spiritual uplift!!!!!====JACK: There's nothing like a hot cup of coffee, a fresh donut and Burl Ives to relieve the stress.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: the qc's only krispy kreme closed a couple of years ago. :(====JACK: My first donut of the day was a KK. You may not have Krispy Kremes, but you have Whitey's.
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: but i love donut holes!!====JACK: That because you're a hole-y man.
FROM CS IN WISCONSIN: Now that your mention the Salvation Army Donut Hole Day, I can remember as a child getting the little cardboard donut on a string – if you made a donation. That was a lot of years ago and a memory I’d forgotten.====JACK: The Salvation Army has done many good things with the contributions received.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: I guess the original Krispy Kreme is here in Tampa on Kennedy Blvd. The children used to sell boxes of them as fundraisers for school and teams. Knowing what is important in life is very important.====JACK: It's said that you learn something new every day, of you pay attention. Now I know Krispy Kreme originated. Some say that Dairy Queen originated in Moline.====MORE FROM SHIRL: You are really jogging my memory. When I lived on Riverside Drive at International Drive in New York,Burl Ives and his family lived right next door, and one of my friends was a baby sitter for his children. We liked his music, too. Juillard Music School was across the street, and one of our friends lived in the tower with her harp. Harping back to the old days,even though we were graduate students from all over the world, the women lived in one wing and the men in another. We only shared the cafeteria and the lobby and the auditorium. What a difference 50 years make. With DDay being yesterday, I wonder what the GIs would think of the country they saved 69 years ago today.====What about the WW 1 vets who made the world "safe for democracy?"
FROM DMF ON THE WAY TO MINNESOTA: You should have put a link to the song in your WW. ====JACK: Burl Ives - The Doughnut Song - 1951.wmv - YouTube
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: I remember reading essentially the same saying on the end of a donut carton that my Dad used to purchase, do not remember the brand. "As you travel on through life Brother, whatever be your goal, keep you eye upon the donut and not upon the hole."====JACK: The years have passed, but as I remember him, your dad was one who had his eye on the "donut."====ME: Literally and figuratively.
FROM LISA IN ARIZONA: Thank you for the link to the Burl Ives song; I'll have that stuck in my head for a few days now! I always think of him and the good ol' Christmas cartoon specials! My favorite donuts are crullers. The Koci's used to always bring donuts into entice us high schoolers into their Sunday School class. With their class, they didn't need the extra enticement, but, they definitely got me hooked on crullers! Those were my grandpa's favorites, too.====JACK: I remember certain SS teachers, too, and not just for the treats.
FROM RJP IN NAPLES: The proper way to say it is As you go through life brother, let one thing be your goal, keep you eye upon the donut and not upon the hole.......I have been telling my kids that for over 40 years as a way of saying.... Focus on what is important, not the frivolous. Burl Ives was not the first to use this phrase as it has been around almost as long as you........ but not quite dating back to Moses ====JACK: The quote is attributed to several people...even to Ogden Nash (probably not true).
FROM INDY GENIE: Burl Ives was one of the Lillstrom kids favorites. Our dad bought a Burl Ives LP for us and we memorized every word of it! Good music...good man (Burl and our dad)....great memory :) ====JACK: I never met Burl, but I knew your dad, and I liked him very much. He was a good man.
“As you go through life, make this your goal. Watch the donut, not the hole.” (Burl Ives) A friend has reminded me that today is National Donut Day. Do you have a favorite? Krispy Kremes? Mmmmm. Donut Day was established in 1938, by the Salvation Army to honor the women who served donuts to the soldiers in WW 1. No KKs in those days. Back to today’s quote…You can probably sing that song. ;-) Jack
FROM RI IN BOSTON: When I was a school kid there was nothing like coming home from school and finding a plate of freshly made donuts. On a day when mom had a little extra time, she would mix up the dough, press out the "o's", drop them into the oil, then shake them in a bag of sugar and stack them on a plate. With a glass of milk, there was nothing comparable. (Recently in one of your WW you commented that often we don't cherish what we have until it's gone...certainly true about moms.)====JACK: Not related to donuts....but I used to reach up on top of the refrigerator and surreptitiously take a cookie from the cookie jar. One time...SNAP!...my father has placed a mousetrap in the jar. Everyone had a laugh when they heard the "thief" being caught.
FROM HONEST JOHN: French Crullers====JACK: I agree. Those are good. However, I hard time turning my nose up at any donut.====JOHN: "Yield not to Temptation" ====JACK: I yielded and went to Tim Horton's for a dozen.====JOHN: We went to Greenfield Village and had tea and scones at the Cotswald Cottage Tea Garden....so I guess I yielded as well....yielding is such sweet sorrow....
FROM WALMART REV: Must respectfully center my thoughts on the "hole" and 55 pounds off my body...I remember the day that 3-4 KK's and a cold glass of milk would "make my day!'====JACK: Do they sell donut holes at Walmart? The probably come free, if you buy the donut.
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: I've been feeling over-worked and over-stressed. Burl Ives/your WW are the perfect WW to read this morning!!!!! Thanks again for the spiritual uplift!!!!!====JACK: There's nothing like a hot cup of coffee, a fresh donut and Burl Ives to relieve the stress.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: the qc's only krispy kreme closed a couple of years ago. :(====JACK: My first donut of the day was a KK. You may not have Krispy Kremes, but you have Whitey's.
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: but i love donut holes!!====JACK: That because you're a hole-y man.
FROM CS IN WISCONSIN: Now that your mention the Salvation Army Donut Hole Day, I can remember as a child getting the little cardboard donut on a string – if you made a donation. That was a lot of years ago and a memory I’d forgotten.====JACK: The Salvation Army has done many good things with the contributions received.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: I guess the original Krispy Kreme is here in Tampa on Kennedy Blvd. The children used to sell boxes of them as fundraisers for school and teams. Knowing what is important in life is very important.====JACK: It's said that you learn something new every day, of you pay attention. Now I know Krispy Kreme originated. Some say that Dairy Queen originated in Moline.====MORE FROM SHIRL: You are really jogging my memory. When I lived on Riverside Drive at International Drive in New York,Burl Ives and his family lived right next door, and one of my friends was a baby sitter for his children. We liked his music, too. Juillard Music School was across the street, and one of our friends lived in the tower with her harp. Harping back to the old days,even though we were graduate students from all over the world, the women lived in one wing and the men in another. We only shared the cafeteria and the lobby and the auditorium. What a difference 50 years make. With DDay being yesterday, I wonder what the GIs would think of the country they saved 69 years ago today.====What about the WW 1 vets who made the world "safe for democracy?"
FROM DMF ON THE WAY TO MINNESOTA: You should have put a link to the song in your WW. ====JACK: Burl Ives - The Doughnut Song - 1951.wmv - YouTube
FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH: I remember reading essentially the same saying on the end of a donut carton that my Dad used to purchase, do not remember the brand. "As you travel on through life Brother, whatever be your goal, keep you eye upon the donut and not upon the hole."====JACK: The years have passed, but as I remember him, your dad was one who had his eye on the "donut."====ME: Literally and figuratively.
FROM LISA IN ARIZONA: Thank you for the link to the Burl Ives song; I'll have that stuck in my head for a few days now! I always think of him and the good ol' Christmas cartoon specials! My favorite donuts are crullers. The Koci's used to always bring donuts into entice us high schoolers into their Sunday School class. With their class, they didn't need the extra enticement, but, they definitely got me hooked on crullers! Those were my grandpa's favorites, too.====JACK: I remember certain SS teachers, too, and not just for the treats.
FROM RJP IN NAPLES: The proper way to say it is As you go through life brother, let one thing be your goal, keep you eye upon the donut and not upon the hole.......I have been telling my kids that for over 40 years as a way of saying.... Focus on what is important, not the frivolous. Burl Ives was not the first to use this phrase as it has been around almost as long as you........ but not quite dating back to Moses ====JACK: The quote is attributed to several people...even to Ogden Nash (probably not true).
FROM INDY GENIE: Burl Ives was one of the Lillstrom kids favorites. Our dad bought a Burl Ives LP for us and we memorized every word of it! Good music...good man (Burl and our dad)....great memory :) ====JACK: I never met Burl, but I knew your dad, and I liked him very much. He was a good man.
Thursday, June 06, 2013
Winning Words 6/6/13
“The truly educated never graduate.” (Printed on a T-shirt) Grandson Joseph, who’s graduating from high school, said to his mom, “I don’t feel like I’m graduating; I’m just taking another step in the journey of my education.” That’s life; that’s education!! We never really graduate from the learning process. An aging Michelangelo said, “Ancora Imparo!” meaning, “I am still learning.” I have those words by my computer. ;-) Jack
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: & school does not necessarily render a person educated..====JACK: ...or, schooling does not necessarily take place in schools.
FROM WALMART REV: Very true, Jack...if we give ourselves to it...we will always be learning...we will always be growing in wisdom and truth.====JACK: Where do we learn wisdom and truth?====REV: For better or worse...my understanding first begins with a biblical view of what I'm seeking. Fall prey at times being judged as too spiritual with those seeking a secular understanding...my view point is put in the "traditional viewpoint" category and dismissed as others feel God is doing a new thing to reach our current culture.
FROM CS IN WISCONSIN: When we quit learning…we die!====JACK: Some people seem to have mastered the feat of being living and dead at the same time.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Wit and wisdom sometimes come from unusual sources...T-shirts, bumper stickers, graffiti. Even if it isn't educational, it may nevertheless be a stimulus to deeper thinking in a different context. As I read them I often wonder, "who is it that came up with that simple and succinct truth?" ====JACK: Someone should publish a book..."Tee Shirt Philosophy." One shirt asks, "Who is John Galt?" ====RI: Please...spare us Ayn Rand.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: The more we learn, the more we know we don't know. Yes, we have to keep our minds and bodies in good shape. In fact, it is mostly fun to learn new things, Our generation is definitely challenged with all of this electronic stuff. It is particularly mystifying to me that all of the younger generations seem to know just what buttons to push to get things to work.====JACK: You're a perfect example of someone who continues to learn. What's the name of that school (or program) that you're involved with?====SHIRL: Osher Life Long Learning at USF. Many universities and colleges throughout the country have this program. Eckerd College in St. Pete has it also. Our senior center in our neighborhood has programs, too. The teachers in all of these programs are volunteers who are passionate about their interests.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: It’s still hard to believe that the “little guy” is graduating. Congratulations on another happy milestone in the family.====JACK: His next step in the process is 13th grade at the Univ of Michigan.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Life rewards those that keep learning. Hope pulls us forward, daily reading and writing builds our knowledge, guides our souls, and helps the earthbound creature stay engaged. "To be 'unengaged and uniformed' is to my way of thinking the meanest form of self-indifference." We despise indifference in others yet, some are indifferent to themselves. ====JACK: I've always been impressed that you have Michelangelo's words etched in stone and placed in the bricks beside your garage door. What a great idea!
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: There's the old saying, "Live and learn." Maybe it should be, "Learn and live."====JACK: It's been said that some people never learn. Does that mean they never live? They may exist, but living is another matter.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: The U. of ILL, Springfield, has the Life-Long Learning Monthly events that are stimulating. My friends who participated in Elder Hostels always learned a lot on whatever subject was being highlighted at the site, usually several days or a week. They were pricey, so a bit exclusive for some of us, but I always thought they would be a really good experience. Love to travel and to read and learn new things!====JACK: Maybe you should put a sign outside your front door reading....ANCORA IMPARO...and see if anyone asks about it.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: Eckerd College (a private college near us) sponsers OLLI programs...some of which I attend. For example, Five Cool Cats...The Rat Pack, Ancient Greek Historians, Xenophen, History and Development of the Concerto......Refreshing, mentally stimulating and fun. Learning...an ongoing process/challenge.====JACK: You and Michelangelo have something in common.
“The truly educated never graduate.” (Printed on a T-shirt) Grandson Joseph, who’s graduating from high school, said to his mom, “I don’t feel like I’m graduating; I’m just taking another step in the journey of my education.” That’s life; that’s education!! We never really graduate from the learning process. An aging Michelangelo said, “Ancora Imparo!” meaning, “I am still learning.” I have those words by my computer. ;-) Jack
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: & school does not necessarily render a person educated..====JACK: ...or, schooling does not necessarily take place in schools.
FROM WALMART REV: Very true, Jack...if we give ourselves to it...we will always be learning...we will always be growing in wisdom and truth.====JACK: Where do we learn wisdom and truth?====REV: For better or worse...my understanding first begins with a biblical view of what I'm seeking. Fall prey at times being judged as too spiritual with those seeking a secular understanding...my view point is put in the "traditional viewpoint" category and dismissed as others feel God is doing a new thing to reach our current culture.
FROM CS IN WISCONSIN: When we quit learning…we die!====JACK: Some people seem to have mastered the feat of being living and dead at the same time.
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Wit and wisdom sometimes come from unusual sources...T-shirts, bumper stickers, graffiti. Even if it isn't educational, it may nevertheless be a stimulus to deeper thinking in a different context. As I read them I often wonder, "who is it that came up with that simple and succinct truth?" ====JACK: Someone should publish a book..."Tee Shirt Philosophy." One shirt asks, "Who is John Galt?" ====RI: Please...spare us Ayn Rand.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: The more we learn, the more we know we don't know. Yes, we have to keep our minds and bodies in good shape. In fact, it is mostly fun to learn new things, Our generation is definitely challenged with all of this electronic stuff. It is particularly mystifying to me that all of the younger generations seem to know just what buttons to push to get things to work.====JACK: You're a perfect example of someone who continues to learn. What's the name of that school (or program) that you're involved with?====SHIRL: Osher Life Long Learning at USF. Many universities and colleges throughout the country have this program. Eckerd College in St. Pete has it also. Our senior center in our neighborhood has programs, too. The teachers in all of these programs are volunteers who are passionate about their interests.
FROM BBC IN ILLINOIS: It’s still hard to believe that the “little guy” is graduating. Congratulations on another happy milestone in the family.====JACK: His next step in the process is 13th grade at the Univ of Michigan.
FROM GOOD DEBT JON: Life rewards those that keep learning. Hope pulls us forward, daily reading and writing builds our knowledge, guides our souls, and helps the earthbound creature stay engaged. "To be 'unengaged and uniformed' is to my way of thinking the meanest form of self-indifference." We despise indifference in others yet, some are indifferent to themselves. ====JACK: I've always been impressed that you have Michelangelo's words etched in stone and placed in the bricks beside your garage door. What a great idea!
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: There's the old saying, "Live and learn." Maybe it should be, "Learn and live."====JACK: It's been said that some people never learn. Does that mean they never live? They may exist, but living is another matter.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: The U. of ILL, Springfield, has the Life-Long Learning Monthly events that are stimulating. My friends who participated in Elder Hostels always learned a lot on whatever subject was being highlighted at the site, usually several days or a week. They were pricey, so a bit exclusive for some of us, but I always thought they would be a really good experience. Love to travel and to read and learn new things!====JACK: Maybe you should put a sign outside your front door reading....ANCORA IMPARO...and see if anyone asks about it.
FROM SBP IN FLORIDA: Eckerd College (a private college near us) sponsers OLLI programs...some of which I attend. For example, Five Cool Cats...The Rat Pack, Ancient Greek Historians, Xenophen, History and Development of the Concerto......Refreshing, mentally stimulating and fun. Learning...an ongoing process/challenge.====JACK: You and Michelangelo have something in common.
Wednesday, June 05, 2013
Winning Words 6/5/13
“All misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune.” (Henry David Thoreau) Have you ever seen the movie, “Down and Out in Beverly Hills?” It’s a comedy with a story. Jim Carrey is a comedian with a story. Did you know that he was once homeless? So were Halle Berry, Suze Orman, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Houdini and Charlie Chaplin. Tough times don’t have to last. I like the Annie song, “Tomorrow.” It’s about hope. ;-) Jack
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Considering his experiment to live the simple life out in a wild and natural environment, those words from Thoreau seem out of character for the man. Materialism seemed of little importance to him. Perhaps he was just making an observation. Thoreau's choice of Walden Pond as the place to spend some solitary time observing and writing about nature was perfect. It's no longer remote and private, but still is a beautiful spot in the forest, once you get past the busy access road, the parking lot, the bathhouse, and children's beach.====JACK: Fortune can mean different things to different people. It isn't always attached to the material.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I did not know they were once homeless--but now they are all about giving away OTHER PEOPLE'S money and bad mouthing conservatives.====JACK: I guess, all I know about the ones I referred to is that they were once homeless and were able to escape from that problem. Sometimes misfortune turns out for the good.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: houdini was homeless... but he escaped...and .the sun will come out tomorrow. ====JACK: Yes, Harry lived in a box in Detroit.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: "Think of 5 things your are grateful for, today...now how do you feel?" (Tim Sanders) Even in misfortune, there are certainly still things one can be grateful for....and having read the bio of H.D. Thoreau, I can bet he did not mean material fortune, although for his day, he lived fairly comfortably. We rely on that old Bible phrase."And it came to pass...."====JACK: I wonder if we can think as homeless people think, if we've never been homeless.====OAKS: NO, WE CAN'T! ONE OF OUR REGULAR ATTENDERS TO OUR MONTHLY HOMELESS MEAL WAS FOUND BEATEN AND STRANGLED TO DEATH LAST WEEK. (47 YRS. OLD) SHE HAD BEEN SLEEPING ON THE BACK PORCH OF AN ABANDONED HOME, AND A MAN RECENTLY RELEASED FROM JAIL HAS BEEN ARRESTED...HE WAS WEARING AN ANKLE BRACELET WHICH PUT HIM AT THE SCENE!
IT AMAZES ME HOW MANY OF OUR HOMELESS USE THE TERM "PRAISE THE LORD" OFTEN, FOR THIS OR THAT, AND GIVE TESTIMONIES TO THEIR GROUP AT THE DINNERS. THEY'LL SAY "WE'RE NOT ALONE....THE LORD IS GOOD....ALL THE TIME!" AMAZING! AND THEY ENJOY THE HYMNS AND MUSIC. THEIR STORIES ALMOST ALL INVOLVE SOME POOR DECISIONS IN THE PAST, AS WELL AS ADDICTIONS, ETC.====JACK: "When did I see thee etc?"
FROM CA IN MICHIGAN: Thanks. This is very thought provoking. I never knew about these famous people.====JACK: They weren't famous when they were homeless.
FROM MOLINER JT: I love Annie's song !====JACK: You're not the only one.
“All misfortune is but a stepping stone to fortune.” (Henry David Thoreau) Have you ever seen the movie, “Down and Out in Beverly Hills?” It’s a comedy with a story. Jim Carrey is a comedian with a story. Did you know that he was once homeless? So were Halle Berry, Suze Orman, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Houdini and Charlie Chaplin. Tough times don’t have to last. I like the Annie song, “Tomorrow.” It’s about hope. ;-) Jack
FROM RI IN BOSTON: Considering his experiment to live the simple life out in a wild and natural environment, those words from Thoreau seem out of character for the man. Materialism seemed of little importance to him. Perhaps he was just making an observation. Thoreau's choice of Walden Pond as the place to spend some solitary time observing and writing about nature was perfect. It's no longer remote and private, but still is a beautiful spot in the forest, once you get past the busy access road, the parking lot, the bathhouse, and children's beach.====JACK: Fortune can mean different things to different people. It isn't always attached to the material.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I did not know they were once homeless--but now they are all about giving away OTHER PEOPLE'S money and bad mouthing conservatives.====JACK: I guess, all I know about the ones I referred to is that they were once homeless and were able to escape from that problem. Sometimes misfortune turns out for the good.
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: houdini was homeless... but he escaped...and .the sun will come out tomorrow. ====JACK: Yes, Harry lived in a box in Detroit.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: "Think of 5 things your are grateful for, today...now how do you feel?" (Tim Sanders) Even in misfortune, there are certainly still things one can be grateful for....and having read the bio of H.D. Thoreau, I can bet he did not mean material fortune, although for his day, he lived fairly comfortably. We rely on that old Bible phrase."And it came to pass...."====JACK: I wonder if we can think as homeless people think, if we've never been homeless.====OAKS: NO, WE CAN'T! ONE OF OUR REGULAR ATTENDERS TO OUR MONTHLY HOMELESS MEAL WAS FOUND BEATEN AND STRANGLED TO DEATH LAST WEEK. (47 YRS. OLD) SHE HAD BEEN SLEEPING ON THE BACK PORCH OF AN ABANDONED HOME, AND A MAN RECENTLY RELEASED FROM JAIL HAS BEEN ARRESTED...HE WAS WEARING AN ANKLE BRACELET WHICH PUT HIM AT THE SCENE!
IT AMAZES ME HOW MANY OF OUR HOMELESS USE THE TERM "PRAISE THE LORD" OFTEN, FOR THIS OR THAT, AND GIVE TESTIMONIES TO THEIR GROUP AT THE DINNERS. THEY'LL SAY "WE'RE NOT ALONE....THE LORD IS GOOD....ALL THE TIME!" AMAZING! AND THEY ENJOY THE HYMNS AND MUSIC. THEIR STORIES ALMOST ALL INVOLVE SOME POOR DECISIONS IN THE PAST, AS WELL AS ADDICTIONS, ETC.====JACK: "When did I see thee etc?"
FROM CA IN MICHIGAN: Thanks. This is very thought provoking. I never knew about these famous people.====JACK: They weren't famous when they were homeless.
FROM MOLINER JT: I love Annie's song !====JACK: You're not the only one.
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Winning Words 6/4/13
“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” (Newt Wallace) I read recently that the oldest newspaper boy who still delivers a route is 93 years old. Warren Buffett, Tom Brokaw, John Wayne and me…We all delivered newspapers. I was one who stood on a street corner during WW 2 and yelled, “Extra, Extra!” You can now get most newspapers online. How do you get your news? Paper? Radio? TV? Online? Other? ;-) Jack
FROM TRIHARDER: I delivered papers -- house-to-house. But, when I was really young, I went to the newspaper box, bought some papers from a box for $0.10 each, stand on a corner on Puritan (in Detroit) and wave them at passers-by and sell them for a nickel profit. I'd make $0.25 pretty quick.====JACK: I did something similar. I bought copies of the Chicago Tribune for 3 cents and sold them on the corner for a nickle. A lady reported me to the paper, because it said on the masthead...3 CENTS. PAY NO MORE.
FROM HY YO SILVER: I get my news when I wake up and read your Winning Words!====JACK: That's called, "Lite reading." You probably drink de-caf coffee, too.
FROM PL IN MICHIGAN: Do you remember a Paper called "The Shopping News"? I couldn't have a full paper route at that age so I did that one....I learned how to fold papers really fast! LOL====JACK: When I was in 1st or 2nd grade I went door to door selling subscriptions to The Saturday Evening Post. When I came to West Bloomfield to start a new church I went door to door also...2000 doors in the first year.
FROM WALMART REV: I study a read a lot trying to grasp the Good News and Google nowadays for the world-about-us news. "Extra! Extra! on a street corner...I always wondered were you got your calling for ministry, Jack!====JACK: Surprisingly, I got my calling by way of a telephone call. "Have you ever thought about becoming a pastor?" There's a hymn: "God calling, yet, shall I not hear."
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: i check the drudge report on my smartphone several times a day. it links to important news stories & to every major news service in the world... news when i want it, where i want it. & drudge gives me immediate access to all the stuff the main stream media tries to keep under wraps. i once read xinhau news service's (china) report about obama's visit to afghanistan as white house & us press denied it... it was later confirmed.====JACK: Before I read the newspaper(s), I read a synopsis of the day's news online, using the NY Times. Today I was intrigued by an op-ed piece..."The Way to Produce a Person."
FROM LISA IN ARIZONA: Wow, that is so awesome that you were one of the boys with the war news! I too used to deliver newspapers as a kid. We still get the actual paper delivered on the weekends but will probably eventually just read it online. I still enjoy the coupons you get in the paper!====JACK: You can get coupons online, too. Today I read that you don't even have to print the coupon out. Log in your phone number, and then, at the store, your discount will be applied when you give your phone number.
FROM MV IN MICHIGAN: I was a paper boy when I was 12. I delivered them in our neighborhood. ====JACK: How can the neighbors say "No" to a little boy? A little neighbor boy came to our door one day and said that he wanted to earn some money. "Can I clean your house?"
FROM WATERFORD JAN: All of the above. I always read the local newspaper, even when vacationing in Florida. I listen to an all-news radio station when I'm running short errand trips. I usually watch the 6:00 TV news, especially if I've seen a teaser new bit online when I'm checking my email. Then there's the weekly news magazine. You'd think I'd be really well informed, but most of it I don't remember! ====JACK: Just now I turned off the 5 pm news...too much sensationalism! Sometimes it's good to have some peace and quiet.
FROM CHUCK IN WOLVERINE LAKE: I don't read the News, I make it....Cheers and Good Morning. ====JACK: "I'll see you in the funny papers," is an old saying.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: MY NEWSPAPER "BOY" IS IN HIS FIFTIES, AND DELIVERS FROM HIS TRUCK! I LOVE HAVING THE NEWSPAPER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, NOT ONLINE, THE REAL DEAL! HOPEFULLY THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER A FULL COVERAGE NEWSPAPER AS LONG AS I LIVE!! I ALSO LOVE "THE WEEK" NEWS MAGAZINE, WHERE ;YOU GET VERY INTERESTING U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS NOT ORDINARILY SEEN IN OTHER PUBLICATIONS. KEEPS ME ABREAST OF THE WORLD! ====JACK: Do you ever do the crossword puzzles?
FROM INDY GENIE: Brother Joe was a paperboy.. Sometimes I helped him with his route. I would "go collecting" with him....a good memory :)====JACK: The think I liked about collecting was that I'd get an occasional nickle tip. The bill was 20 cents. They'd give me a quarter and say, "Keep the change."
FROM NANCI THE MUSICIAN: I still deliver newspapers. Lol. There have been lots of changes (for the worse for the carriers) that had to be made so the Macomb Daily could stay afloat, but I’m still making a decent profit (just working harder and longer, driving further, etc). I still have about 400 customers on Sundays and about 300 on the weekdays.====JACK: That's a BIG route. I'll bet you see some interesting stuff in the pre-dawn hours.
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: What exactly was the EXTRA? Was it extra news or an extra edition of the paper or what?====JACK: You're right in surmising that an EXTRA was an additional edition of the paper when special news broke. No TV in those days.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Since I grew up in a Newspaper Man's family--I still prefer the paper and ink way to read the news. I feel cheated when I go on line to find the news.====JACK: Perhaps you know what a line-o-type is.====MARLYS: I stood watching my uncle and the other fellow set type by the hour. I thought it was magical. I also know what "type lice" is. Clem learned too. I also sat on the step in front of the line-o-type to put on my ice skates when the warming house was closed as the ice rink was right behind the "Sheaf Office".
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: My daughter highlights the Drudge Report for me every day. Haven't bought a newspaper. But I do miss Prince Valiant.====JACK: In your honor, I read Prince Valiant last Sunday for the first time in a long time. You're not missing anything, because the story line hasn't changed.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: All of the above. I remember that Les used to tell the story about driving from Rockford to East Moline on December 7, 1941, and the newboys were out on the street in Dixon with the headlines about Pearl Harbor. I didn't deliver, I wrote for them. In fact, I was always planning to be a journalist until I went to Marycrest and was very much into social justice and changing the world.. ====JACK: ....and you did change the world, by the people you met (and taught) and influence of your life.
FROM MOLINER JT: Good news from you. Other TV and Paper.====JACK: The Moline Dispatch?
“Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” (Newt Wallace) I read recently that the oldest newspaper boy who still delivers a route is 93 years old. Warren Buffett, Tom Brokaw, John Wayne and me…We all delivered newspapers. I was one who stood on a street corner during WW 2 and yelled, “Extra, Extra!” You can now get most newspapers online. How do you get your news? Paper? Radio? TV? Online? Other? ;-) Jack
FROM TRIHARDER: I delivered papers -- house-to-house. But, when I was really young, I went to the newspaper box, bought some papers from a box for $0.10 each, stand on a corner on Puritan (in Detroit) and wave them at passers-by and sell them for a nickel profit. I'd make $0.25 pretty quick.====JACK: I did something similar. I bought copies of the Chicago Tribune for 3 cents and sold them on the corner for a nickle. A lady reported me to the paper, because it said on the masthead...3 CENTS. PAY NO MORE.
FROM HY YO SILVER: I get my news when I wake up and read your Winning Words!====JACK: That's called, "Lite reading." You probably drink de-caf coffee, too.
FROM PL IN MICHIGAN: Do you remember a Paper called "The Shopping News"? I couldn't have a full paper route at that age so I did that one....I learned how to fold papers really fast! LOL====JACK: When I was in 1st or 2nd grade I went door to door selling subscriptions to The Saturday Evening Post. When I came to West Bloomfield to start a new church I went door to door also...2000 doors in the first year.
FROM WALMART REV: I study a read a lot trying to grasp the Good News and Google nowadays for the world-about-us news. "Extra! Extra! on a street corner...I always wondered were you got your calling for ministry, Jack!====JACK: Surprisingly, I got my calling by way of a telephone call. "Have you ever thought about becoming a pastor?" There's a hymn: "God calling, yet, shall I not hear."
FROM FACEBOOK LIZ: i check the drudge report on my smartphone several times a day. it links to important news stories & to every major news service in the world... news when i want it, where i want it. & drudge gives me immediate access to all the stuff the main stream media tries to keep under wraps. i once read xinhau news service's (china) report about obama's visit to afghanistan as white house & us press denied it... it was later confirmed.====JACK: Before I read the newspaper(s), I read a synopsis of the day's news online, using the NY Times. Today I was intrigued by an op-ed piece..."The Way to Produce a Person."
FROM LISA IN ARIZONA: Wow, that is so awesome that you were one of the boys with the war news! I too used to deliver newspapers as a kid. We still get the actual paper delivered on the weekends but will probably eventually just read it online. I still enjoy the coupons you get in the paper!====JACK: You can get coupons online, too. Today I read that you don't even have to print the coupon out. Log in your phone number, and then, at the store, your discount will be applied when you give your phone number.
FROM MV IN MICHIGAN: I was a paper boy when I was 12. I delivered them in our neighborhood. ====JACK: How can the neighbors say "No" to a little boy? A little neighbor boy came to our door one day and said that he wanted to earn some money. "Can I clean your house?"
FROM WATERFORD JAN: All of the above. I always read the local newspaper, even when vacationing in Florida. I listen to an all-news radio station when I'm running short errand trips. I usually watch the 6:00 TV news, especially if I've seen a teaser new bit online when I'm checking my email. Then there's the weekly news magazine. You'd think I'd be really well informed, but most of it I don't remember! ====JACK: Just now I turned off the 5 pm news...too much sensationalism! Sometimes it's good to have some peace and quiet.
FROM CHUCK IN WOLVERINE LAKE: I don't read the News, I make it....Cheers and Good Morning. ====JACK: "I'll see you in the funny papers," is an old saying.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: MY NEWSPAPER "BOY" IS IN HIS FIFTIES, AND DELIVERS FROM HIS TRUCK! I LOVE HAVING THE NEWSPAPER FIRST THING IN THE MORNING, NOT ONLINE, THE REAL DEAL! HOPEFULLY THEY WILL CONTINUE TO DELIVER A FULL COVERAGE NEWSPAPER AS LONG AS I LIVE!! I ALSO LOVE "THE WEEK" NEWS MAGAZINE, WHERE ;YOU GET VERY INTERESTING U.S. AND INTERNATIONAL NEWS NOT ORDINARILY SEEN IN OTHER PUBLICATIONS. KEEPS ME ABREAST OF THE WORLD! ====JACK: Do you ever do the crossword puzzles?
FROM INDY GENIE: Brother Joe was a paperboy.. Sometimes I helped him with his route. I would "go collecting" with him....a good memory :)====JACK: The think I liked about collecting was that I'd get an occasional nickle tip. The bill was 20 cents. They'd give me a quarter and say, "Keep the change."
FROM NANCI THE MUSICIAN: I still deliver newspapers. Lol. There have been lots of changes (for the worse for the carriers) that had to be made so the Macomb Daily could stay afloat, but I’m still making a decent profit (just working harder and longer, driving further, etc). I still have about 400 customers on Sundays and about 300 on the weekdays.====JACK: That's a BIG route. I'll bet you see some interesting stuff in the pre-dawn hours.
FROM PH IN MINNESOTA: What exactly was the EXTRA? Was it extra news or an extra edition of the paper or what?====JACK: You're right in surmising that an EXTRA was an additional edition of the paper when special news broke. No TV in those days.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: Since I grew up in a Newspaper Man's family--I still prefer the paper and ink way to read the news. I feel cheated when I go on line to find the news.====JACK: Perhaps you know what a line-o-type is.====MARLYS: I stood watching my uncle and the other fellow set type by the hour. I thought it was magical. I also know what "type lice" is. Clem learned too. I also sat on the step in front of the line-o-type to put on my ice skates when the warming house was closed as the ice rink was right behind the "Sheaf Office".
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: My daughter highlights the Drudge Report for me every day. Haven't bought a newspaper. But I do miss Prince Valiant.====JACK: In your honor, I read Prince Valiant last Sunday for the first time in a long time. You're not missing anything, because the story line hasn't changed.
FROM TAMPA SHIRL: All of the above. I remember that Les used to tell the story about driving from Rockford to East Moline on December 7, 1941, and the newboys were out on the street in Dixon with the headlines about Pearl Harbor. I didn't deliver, I wrote for them. In fact, I was always planning to be a journalist until I went to Marycrest and was very much into social justice and changing the world.. ====JACK: ....and you did change the world, by the people you met (and taught) and influence of your life.
FROM MOLINER JT: Good news from you. Other TV and Paper.====JACK: The Moline Dispatch?
Monday, June 03, 2013
Winning Words 6/3/13)
“The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.” (Chuck Swindoll) Swindoll went on to say, “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” Recently someone sent me a video of some children who literally live in a dump. They have formed an orchestra, using instruments made from recovered trash. Their music is beautiful, and their attitude is outstanding. ;-) Jack
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: I've seen that video and it is impressive. If we are talking about the same video, what was also interesting to me was that they were playing classical music. Certainly impacts on people's attitudes about cultural stereotypes of poverty.====JACK: One of the great mysteries of life... Where does music come from? Some have it; some don't. I appreciate many kinds of music, but what I create is "trash."
FROM WALMART REV: The old joke about the boy wanting a pony for his birthday and he ran down to the barn his birthday morning to only find a pile of manure facing him in the stall...all excited, he jump in there with all hands and a smile on his face, saying to himself, "There's pony in this pile of manure someplace!" Now, that a positive person, I'd say!!!====JACK: "Manure" comes in different forms, and so do "ponies." It' up to us us to decide how much we want the "pony."
FROM SF IN MICHIGAN: "...and so it is with you...you are in charge of your attitude."
This quote by Swindoll is one of my very favorites. I think about it often and even had it posted in a frame in my office! It empowers me every day!====JACK: All attitudes are not the same. Each day we wake up to a menu of attitudes before us. Hmmmm. What will I choose today? I think I'll take that one labeled, "positive." It certainly looks better than that one marked, "negative." The day for us is a matter of choice..
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: With my shoulder in a sling, I've formed a better appreciation of how a one-arm person gets on with life.====JACK: Pete Gray made it to baseball's Major Leagues. ====GEORGE: With one arm? What position did he play?====JACK: Pete Gray was right-handed until he lost his right arm at age six, when he got into a truck accident. The arm had to be amputated above the elbow. His enthusiasm for baseball led him to learn to bat and field one-handed, catching the ball in his glove and then quickly removing his glove and transferring the ball to his hand in one motion. His speed and place hitting ability made him a successful minor league outfielder. The St. Louis Browns purchased his contract in 1945 from the Chicks. Gray played left and center field for the Browns. He appeared in 77 games, batting .218 with a .958 fielding percentage in center field. He played competently in the outfield, transferring the ball from glove to hand with remarkable speed. Gray set an inspirational example for disabled servicemen returning from World War II. He visited army hospitals and rehabilitation centers, speaking with amputees and reassuring them that they too could lead a productive life. "Boys, I can’t fight, and so there is no courage about me. Courage belongs on the battlefield, not on the baseball diamond."
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: someone in my distant past said " It is about attitude not aptitude" have carried that about for many years.====JACK: It still holds true in so many situations. Attitude beats aptitude every time...except maybe as a brain surgeon.
FROM SHALOM JAN: I'm sure more than one of your Winning Words recipients would like to see the video. Can you send us the link tomorrow? Thanks for the encouragement this ministry brings, Jack. I look forward to your "words" and play catch-up pretty quickly when I've been away because there is always wisdom, humor or both!====JACK: How about sending the link today? I hope you like it. "Miracles" often happen because of the proper attitude.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I have seen that video--they make better music with junk than many do with very expensive instruments.====JACK: Mary and her 3 sisters made up a string quartet when they were in high school. The 3 violins and the 1 cello that they used were all made by their grandfather. He was a shoemaker and hand made shoes for handicapped children and adults. He never made much money, but he made people happy.====MARLYS: Oh my--I hope they still have those instruments! They are priceless! ====JACK: They do.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Thank you Lord for my "string"! Some days it's in tune and some days not so much...but it's always there for me to use.====JACK: When the early Swedish immigrants came to America they had no pastor and no organ for church services. A devout shoemaker led the service the hymns were accompanied by a one-stringed instrument called a psalmodikon. You can Google it.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: One string and an attitude can create an opus.====JACK: You may remember that Opus #1 was a big hit for Tommy Dorsey in 1944. But, of course, he used a complete orchestra, instead of one string. Louie Bellson may have been the drummer for that song, since he once played for Tommy.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: "An attitude of Gratitude" was one of Bill's favorite phrases. And he had it! A "can-Do" attitude means a lot, and we all admire those with determined cheerful attitudes. Nice people to be around! Good words from Chuck Swindoll today. Max Lucado stresses positive attitude in his books. A Good sense of humor doesn't hurt, either!
“The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude.” (Chuck Swindoll) Swindoll went on to say, “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90% how I react to it.” Recently someone sent me a video of some children who literally live in a dump. They have formed an orchestra, using instruments made from recovered trash. Their music is beautiful, and their attitude is outstanding. ;-) Jack
FROM SHARIN' SHARON: I've seen that video and it is impressive. If we are talking about the same video, what was also interesting to me was that they were playing classical music. Certainly impacts on people's attitudes about cultural stereotypes of poverty.====JACK: One of the great mysteries of life... Where does music come from? Some have it; some don't. I appreciate many kinds of music, but what I create is "trash."
FROM WALMART REV: The old joke about the boy wanting a pony for his birthday and he ran down to the barn his birthday morning to only find a pile of manure facing him in the stall...all excited, he jump in there with all hands and a smile on his face, saying to himself, "There's pony in this pile of manure someplace!" Now, that a positive person, I'd say!!!====JACK: "Manure" comes in different forms, and so do "ponies." It' up to us us to decide how much we want the "pony."
FROM SF IN MICHIGAN: "...and so it is with you...you are in charge of your attitude."
This quote by Swindoll is one of my very favorites. I think about it often and even had it posted in a frame in my office! It empowers me every day!====JACK: All attitudes are not the same. Each day we wake up to a menu of attitudes before us. Hmmmm. What will I choose today? I think I'll take that one labeled, "positive." It certainly looks better than that one marked, "negative." The day for us is a matter of choice..
FROM HAWKEYE GEORGE: With my shoulder in a sling, I've formed a better appreciation of how a one-arm person gets on with life.====JACK: Pete Gray made it to baseball's Major Leagues. ====GEORGE: With one arm? What position did he play?====JACK: Pete Gray was right-handed until he lost his right arm at age six, when he got into a truck accident. The arm had to be amputated above the elbow. His enthusiasm for baseball led him to learn to bat and field one-handed, catching the ball in his glove and then quickly removing his glove and transferring the ball to his hand in one motion. His speed and place hitting ability made him a successful minor league outfielder. The St. Louis Browns purchased his contract in 1945 from the Chicks. Gray played left and center field for the Browns. He appeared in 77 games, batting .218 with a .958 fielding percentage in center field. He played competently in the outfield, transferring the ball from glove to hand with remarkable speed. Gray set an inspirational example for disabled servicemen returning from World War II. He visited army hospitals and rehabilitation centers, speaking with amputees and reassuring them that they too could lead a productive life. "Boys, I can’t fight, and so there is no courage about me. Courage belongs on the battlefield, not on the baseball diamond."
FROM CL IN MICHIGAN: someone in my distant past said " It is about attitude not aptitude" have carried that about for many years.====JACK: It still holds true in so many situations. Attitude beats aptitude every time...except maybe as a brain surgeon.
FROM SHALOM JAN: I'm sure more than one of your Winning Words recipients would like to see the video. Can you send us the link tomorrow? Thanks for the encouragement this ministry brings, Jack. I look forward to your "words" and play catch-up pretty quickly when I've been away because there is always wisdom, humor or both!====JACK: How about sending the link today? I hope you like it. "Miracles" often happen because of the proper attitude.
FROM GUSTIE MARLYS: I have seen that video--they make better music with junk than many do with very expensive instruments.====JACK: Mary and her 3 sisters made up a string quartet when they were in high school. The 3 violins and the 1 cello that they used were all made by their grandfather. He was a shoemaker and hand made shoes for handicapped children and adults. He never made much money, but he made people happy.====MARLYS: Oh my--I hope they still have those instruments! They are priceless! ====JACK: They do.
FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY: Thank you Lord for my "string"! Some days it's in tune and some days not so much...but it's always there for me to use.====JACK: When the early Swedish immigrants came to America they had no pastor and no organ for church services. A devout shoemaker led the service the hymns were accompanied by a one-stringed instrument called a psalmodikon. You can Google it.
FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER: One string and an attitude can create an opus.====JACK: You may remember that Opus #1 was a big hit for Tommy Dorsey in 1944. But, of course, he used a complete orchestra, instead of one string. Louie Bellson may have been the drummer for that song, since he once played for Tommy.
FROM BLAZING OAKS: "An attitude of Gratitude" was one of Bill's favorite phrases. And he had it! A "can-Do" attitude means a lot, and we all admire those with determined cheerful attitudes. Nice people to be around! Good words from Chuck Swindoll today. Max Lucado stresses positive attitude in his books. A Good sense of humor doesn't hurt, either!
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