Jack’s Winning Words 4/19/21

“Impossible is potential.  Impossible is temporary.  Impossible is nothing.”  (Muhammad Ali)  I remember when someone asked a seminary professor if God could create something so heavy that Jesus couldn’t lift it.  I can’t remember the answer, but I think that the discussion moved to “mixed metaphors.”  During a discussion, Jesus once told his listeners…” With man, some things are impossible.  But, with God, all things are possible.”  (Mixed Metaphors, again)  Ali was no dummy.  He knew the meaning of, impossible.  He knew that too often we’re inclined to “give up” too soon.  “With God, all things are possible.”  What do you think this means?  ;-)  Jack

FROM HOMELESS:  I love this one because it really makes you stop and think, read and re-read, and think some more.===JACK:  If so, today's Winning Words have been a success. ===HL:  It has. I even used it to send to my regional offices. I will forward you the email. It's cute.

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Reflecting on your WW.  Really the quote is impressive.  Especially the "Impossible is nothing" which as I am pondering could stand for nothing is achievable or more optimistically impossible is so unrealistic that it actually means nothing, in God's Eyes and therefore in our eyes too.  I am on the list too for Father Jeff's Flocknotes which are daily prayers, some composed by saints and other spiritual writers, some composed by him.  ===JACK:   Ali sometimes seemed to speak in riddles.  I wonder where he got his "smarts?"

FROM WILLMAR REV:  If I remember correctly you are not an avid follower of Facebook, but I awakened early one morning last week with the word ‘evoke’ coming to mind and put together a paragraph or two for my weekly “Sunday Sermon Takeaway” using  it. Your post made me think of it again about the ‘possibilities’ with God’s help.  Sunday Sermon Takeaway—ONE’S FAITH PLACED SINCERELY IN GOD ‘EVOKES’ (brings forth · prompts · encourages · sparks · stimulates · stirs up · awakens · arouses · energizes · raises · reproduces · encapsulates · captures · expresses · obtains) POWERFUL RESPONSES FROM WITHIN AND FOR OUR WELL-BEING!  0;-)  “We pondered Your love-in-action, God, waiting in your temple: Your name, God, evokes a train of Hallelujahs wherever It is spoken, near and far; your arms are heaped with goodness-in-action” (Psalm 48:9-10 The Message Bible).===JACK:  I may not always understand how Facebook works, but I do read your stuff.===REV:  Since not being in the church pulpit hardly at all any more, it’s  my “sermon prep discipline” and sharing in smaller scale to that of earlier days gone by. 0;-) ===JACK:  I liked the video of you preaching the funeral sermon.

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  ink that what Muhammad Ali was referencing was more along the lines of the headline for this post – that impossible is a state of mind and not an absolute. Impossible just means that you don’t see how it can be done, yet. ===JACK:  Good insight....Thanks.

FROM JUDEE:  Jack, What this means is that God does not give you what you cannot handle. My mom died last Sunday. She was unique, kind, quirky, and a complete giver to everyone she encountered. I will miss her everyday moving forward; but I will  move forward because that is what she would have wanted. My heart aches, but I have 60 years of memories to carry with me. You’ve traveled this road Jack, you lost Mary, but now you have a new life between Michigan and Minnesota. I lost my dad, uncle and dog, in August, and now my mom. I’m retiring June 30. I need to reinvent myself. I have to move on and start the next phase of my life. Part of me wants to crawl under a rock; another part of me wants to quit right now and move, another part wants to tie things up neatly, gracefully leave, and then sleep for a week or two. I have a new puppy to help me through. I’m so tired of the pretenses at work. Thanks for listening. I will do what is right because that is what my mom would have wanted. Take good care,===JACK:  I remember when you were first for the job that you  aree leaving.  I did not know you at that time and wondered who you were and what made you qualified for the job.  Now, I know.  You have become my friend, my personal friend...and mutual lover of dark chocolate.  I'm said for the losses that have recently come into your life, but I'm also confident that you will rebound.  God will continue to walk with you down life's road.  There's a spiritual that I like... I want Jesus to walk with me.  I want Jesus to walk with me.  1 I want Jesus to walk with me.  All along my pilgrim journey, I want Jesus to walk with me.  In my trials, Lord, walk with me.  In my trials, Lord, walk with me.  When my hearty is almost breaking, Lor, I want Jesus to walk with me.  When I'm in trouble, Lord, walk with me.  When I'm in trouble, Lord, walk with me.  When my head is bowed in sorrow, Lord I want Jesus to walk with me.  (You can YouTube the singing of it)  ===J:  I really want Jesus to walk with me; especially over the next 8 weeks – then forever. I also love the poem Footprints in the Sand. I may need Jesus to carry me.  Thank you for your friendship and for your prayers. Take care

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words 4/16/21

“You can’t be sad when daisy is around.  She won’t let you.”  (Maryam Faresh)  Botanists from around the world have agreed that there about 400,000 different kinds of flowers.  Do you have a favorite?  People in England and Scotland seem to prefer the daisy….white petals surrounding a bright yellow center.  It’s a “happy” flower, often used at weddings.  “Daisy” brings a smile to my face…like Daisy Duke and Daisy Mae Yokum   Do you have a Daisy in your life who brings a smile to your face?  ;-)  Jack

FROM JOEAN:  Every Spring I search and search to spot my first robin. Finally yesterday there he was sitting in my tree when I opened up bedroom shades. That little bird brought a huge smile to my smile to my face. For me that robin is symbol that the long cold winter is over.===JACK:  I saw my first robin (in fact, two of them) yesterday also.  Spring is sprung.

FROM MK IN WL:  The movie "Please don't eat the daisy's" brings a smile to my face!  The daisy is one of my favorites & tulips. Chuck & I had tulips at our wedding. ===JACK:  I've read that Daisy is the favorite name for a female dog.  I've never heard of a dog named, Tulip

FROM KZB IN THE ROCKIES:  My dog “Daisy”, now 14 1/2 (vet said she would only live to 8 due to epilepsy) 😍 She’s the sweetest goofiest doggo ever.===JACK:  Docs have a hard time predicting the lifespan of a human, let alone a dog.  Long live Daisy!

FROM THE FISH IN NOVA SCOTIA:  when the male pheasant who lives in our woods stands next to the empty ground-level bird feeding station and watches my bathroom window attempting to put the whammy on me and get me to put on some shoes and bring some food out===JACK:  Now, that brought a smile to my face.  Why are some people called, "birdbrains?"

FROM LBP:  My magnolia had a scale infestation last year. So glad to see it was strong enough to make some buds at the end of the season. The arborist says I did a good job scrubbing that pest off. Hoping for a better year for my pretty tree :) ===JACK:  I thought that "mags" wanted warm weather.  Mom's fav is the daisy. I tend to be partial to a zinnia. But, I enjoy seeing all types. The daffodils are blooming but some of the other new bulbs I planted last fall have not opened yet. Curious to see what they will look like. 

FROM 2ND CHANCE:  Forget-me-nots.   Jack-in-the-pulpit 🙂===JACK:  Have you ever seen a Jack in the pulpit?  Too late, now!===2C:  I've seen a Jack-in-the-pulpit, but never THE Jack in the pulpit.  😃===JACK:  As Archie and Edith used to sing...."Those were the days, my friend.  I though that they'd never end."

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Love the variety of them and their colors in the Springtime. ===JACK:  One lady told me that she hated going to the Easter service.  Why?  Because she could stand the smell of Easter lilies.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  wasn't Donald Duck's girl friend or wife Daisy Duck? ===JACK:  You're probably right.  At that time I was concentrating of Daisy Mae Yokum.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I love the combination of white daisies with roses, esp pink ones  They are festive and highlight other flowers' colors when mixed with them!  They Last quite a long time in a bouquet, too.===JACK:  Did they ever send flowers home with the pastor when they weren't picked up after the Sunday service?  We had a BIG collection of flower vases.

 Jack’s Winning Words 4/15/21

“Don’t tax you.  Don’t tax me.  Tax that guy behind the tree.”  (Russell B Long (Louisiana Senator)  Long made this comment in 1973, after hearing many complaints about Income Taxes.  “Tax the other guy!”  Even in Jesus’ day tax collectors were named among the chief of sinners.  I wonder if Jesus ever filled out a 1040?  But, he did say, “Give to Caesar (the government) the things that are due.  The truth of the matter is that we can’t have an organized society without having it paid for.  I may appear strange, but I don’t want the “guy behind the tree” paying my share.  ;-)  Jack

FROM JU IN NC:  When I was younger, I appreciated being able To pay taxes.  I knew my Mother was getting more for social security than she had paid in.   ===JACK:  It's that way for many of us.  We get more than we pay in.

FROM MY TAX ADVISOR:  Taxes are the price we pay for a civilized society  Everyone is entitled to pay the minimum amount of tax allowable under the law.   Supreme Court quotes that I remember.  Too lazy to look up exact quotes and their authors.===JACK:  Who said: "There is no Free Lunch?"

FROM DAZ IN COLORADO:  But unfortunately that's what has been promised  (tax only the super rich) which we of course we don't  believe. ===JACK:  Taxing only the super-rich leaves you and me out of the picture.  Thanks for introducing me to the "Long quote!"

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  especially if the guy behind the tree is up to no good and using Dark Money to bribe politicians...===JACK:  Jesus said: "Render to Caesor what is Caesar's."  I wonder if Jesus ever paid taxes.===SP:  i suspect he did not as he had no steady income and owned no property.   i would imagine Joseph and Mary did.  ===JACK:  It's hard to translate our time into his time.  It was a different world.===SP:  i think we can hardly imagine just HOW different.   this is one reason why i have always liked history.   just what was it like to have been alive at that time in history?? ===JACK:  There's a hymn that asks: "If we met Jesus on Earth today, would we know that it was He, the man of Galilee?"===SP:    were you raised in the old Augustana Synod?  you seem to know a lot of hymns from both church school and weekly worship.  i wonder if our kids today remember any of those old hymns that we seem to cherish.  and camp songs don't count because i don't think they have any real "staying power"===JACK:  I was Augustana before I was Lutheran...and, yes, I'm part of a lost generation of Lutherans that is able to connect theology with Gospel music..   

    

FROM PM:   Yes!! I agree. And I worry it’s unhealthy for the person that’s in the position of others paying all of their share. I think everyone needs skin in the game to feel whole and to be a part of it. Few people truly enjoy the feeling of being a weight on others shoulders. But I think it’s so common in some areas that it’s just accepted. And I think I’m our efforts to “help” we’ve created a sort of disaster.  I don’t mean to be political- it’s not my style, I just worry about those that aren’t able to feel self pride and satisfaction. I desire for all to feel a deep healthy, happy. ❤️ Keep them coming! I enjoy your emails so much. Sometimes I race you to see who’s up the earliest. You send some of these out at a time that others might consider the middle of the night. ;)===JACK:  Politics...that which often divides Americans rather than bringing them together.===PM:  Sadly, it's true.

FROM DR J:  I’m with you! Public goods are the cornerstones of a democracy and they don’t come free. I think taxes are a part of what Kennedy was talking about and he said “ask what you can do for your country”. We contribute our knowledge, skills, and yes - our tax dollars, to make and keep it great.===JACK: I've never seen the Kennedy quote used in the way you suggest.  I like it!

FROM WILLMAR REV:  I'm with you, Jack; however, The Twelve didn't seem to mind the coin found in the fish's mouth?! 0;-)===JACK:  Money has corrupted more than a few of "God's servants." ===REV:  Yes sit! Just talked to a recent widow formerly of our church who was befriended over a website of sorts on the internet and let the gentleman have (she said) $500,000 of her lifesavings and suddenly has disappeared. I’m sure he shared his faith and godly practice with her before asking for the $$$$$$!  ===JACK:  I hate to hear of stories like this.  Is that why God created a Hell?===REV:  How a person could feel good about himself after doing something like this is beyond me. 0:-/

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I've traveled and spent time in many different countries, and I've always come back to USA happy to pay my share of taxes. We are truly blessed to live in this country!  A lot is wrong with is, but an awfully lot is right, too. Freedoms (esp. women) that many countries do not guarantee!!  I always vote in large and small elections, and I used to be an active volunteer in many services It's part of the ;price to live Here.===JACK:  I like it, too, that you have taken advantage of the "opportunity" to protest when you think that people aren't being treated fairly.

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 4/14/21

“A problem isn’t a problem until it actually happens.”  (Julie A Ross & Judy Corcoran)  Perhaps you’ve heard of the word masochism, which is allowing something painful because that “something” has a strange way of giving pleasure.  There are people I know who seem to “enjoy” jumping from the frying pan into the fire.  Is that a form of masochism?  I remember hearing of someone who kept hitting his head with a hammer.  “Why are you doing that?” he was asked.  “Because it feels so good when I stop,” was the reply.  The lesson? Don’t generate pain for yourself by creating trouble before it exists.  ;-)  Jack  

FROM WILLMAR REV:  ...I’m reminded this morning of watching the “Three Stooges” comedy acts and asking myself why this was supposed to be humorous?! 0:-)===JACK:  A wasted childhood....not being entertained by The Stooges!

FROM JR IN ANDOVER:  Always thought of the „hammer“ story as German.  Maybe my dad told it to me.===JACK:  There's a whole new world out there....jokes told in "another" language.

FROM HO,ELESS IN FL:  Such a valuable lesson, and one that I have to remind myself nearly daily to adhere to. Somehow, over the last few years, I have become a worry wart. I am unhappy with myself for allowing it to come to fruition. It's a horrible habit that I am working on breaking. "Don't borrow trouble", my grandmother used to say. Do you ever borrow trouble, Jack?===JACK:  I write "Winning Words" each day, but I need to pay more attention to what I'm writing.  I think that life is a combination of positive/negative thinking.  I try to "practice" what "I preach."

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words 4/13/21 “By desiring little a poor man makes himself rich.”  (Democritus)  Democritus is (one of :the BC Greeks) known as the “laughing philosopher” because of his emphasis on the value of cheerfulness.  In his day (as it still is today) one of the basic ways to be happy is to want fewer things.  Think about it….all those ads on TV….designed to cause us to want more.  In the movie, The Jerk, all that Navin needed to make him happy was an ashtray - and a paddle game - and a lamp.  “That’s all I need - and a remote control.”  I think Democritus would have liked watching  The Jerk.  It’s called, The funniest movie ever made. FROM THE SHARK:  All I want is a set of golf clubs :)===JACK:  Do the lessons come first...or the clubs?  Did you ever play golf in Iraq? FROM JU IN NC:   Loved the words that won today. I have discovered on many occasions that when I do less in one area that I may find great increases in another.===JACK:  Life is strange, and if you take the time to sit back and think about some of the really weird things that happen unexpectedly. FROM AA IN FLORIDA:  SORRY JACK,  LANES, TRAINS AND AUTOMOBILES HAS TOPPED THE LIST FOR YEARS.  CLOSELY FOLLOWED BY YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN.  AND SOME OF MY OTHER FAVORITES, HAROLD AND MAUD, TAKE THE MONEY AND RUN AND BEST SPORT COMEDY SLAP SHOT.===JACK:  Sorry, AA!  Steve Martin has passed by your generation.  The movies you listed are funny, but you have to have "a certain brain" to truly enjoy The Jerk...."I'm picking out a thermos for you!"  Singing that song while in the bathtub....Hilarious!  Ask Teri to explain it to you. FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I think as we age, we lose the desire to accumulate "more" stuff, and do simplify your life...Of course I always had Bill's sign on the fridge,  "Want what you have, and you'll always have what you want"...which curbed our buying! As Irma Bombeck observed in her last book;, "I wish I had invited friends in, more often, in spite of  a shabby sofa or stains on the carpet!"  I'm sure she was exaggerating a bit, but our homes are usually never show places and perfect, and we have to settle for comfortable and lived in, but fellowship is so important!! We need to remember that!! ===JACK:  Google "Steve Martin singing "I'm picking out a thermos for you" and see if it doesn't crack you up.  Ask your children to explain it to you.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 4/12/21

“Once we choose hope, everything else is possible.”  (Christopher Reeve)  Because of his Superman role and his own paralysis, Reeve became the symbol of hope for thousands of people who believed that they “would be able to walk again.”  I learned a hymn long ago in  Sunday School:  "Only believe,  Only believe;  All things are possible.  Only believe."  That  "hope" has served me well through the years… "All things are possible!"   Miracles are promised for those who do not give up hope.  What is it that you’re hoping for?  ;-)  Jack

FROM HONEST JOHN:  Con Trued said a person can not live without hope===JACK:  We've all had our mentors.  Constantine was one of yours.  I admired him too.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  a more peaceful and united America...===JACK:  That's a HOPE in really big letters.

FROM JOEANN:  Now Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in You.—Psalm 39:7. I love this verse. My hope is that we all can find a way to get peace from our burdens.===JACK:  My mind kicked into gear, and I figured out who's writing about HOPE while facing day to day burdens.  "Our hope is in the Lord!"

FROM WILLMAR REV:  ". . . waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ!" (Titus 2:13 ESV). I've sung of it for more years that I can remember-- There is coming a day, When no heart aches shall come, No more clouds in the sky, No more tears to dim the eye, All is peace forever more, On that happy golden shore,  What a day, glorious day that will be. [Refrain]: What a day that will be, When my Jesus I shall see, And I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace; When He takes me by the hand, And leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day that will be. There’ll be no sorrow there,  No more burdens to bear, No more sickness, no pain, No more parting over there; And forever I will be, With the One who died for me, What a day, glorious day that will be. [Refrain] (What A Day That Will Be, Jim HilL===JACK:  Many hymns of HOPE have sustained us in our growing up years.

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 4/9/21

“Starting over again is like dancing with the devil.”  (Demi Lovato)  “Dancing With the Devil” is Lovato’s story about successfully facing drug addiction.  “It can be done, but there are dangers.  You’re never really free from the demon.”  Any kind of “starting over” has its problems.  Whether it be a new job, or a  new relationship…It’ll never happen unless (you) take the first step.  There’s a song that I’ve found to be helpful in advising others…”One Day at a Time, Sweet Jesus…that’s all I’m asking of you.”  In dancing with the devil?  One step at a time, sweet Jesus.  ;-)  Jack

FROM ST PAUL ST PAUL:  i read a whole article about this woman.   she is or was really messed up in a lot of ways.  i hope she has not gotten her life back to some degree of normalcy.===JACK:  We are each (dancing with) our own demons  ===SP:   is yours a blond or a brunet or a red head?     or maybe even purple or green or orange these days? 😀===JACK:  Have you ever seen a pastor with wildly coloredb hair...trying to identify with a "younger" crowd? 

FROM HOMELESS IN FL:  Thanks for the reminder!! Lots of slates wiped clean and new beginnings now. I do feel like I am starting at square one in so many aspects of my life. Is there a point that there may be too many? I find I keep having to "ground" myself. Exercise, the beach, friends and family, are my current grounding points. The tethers that keep me from spinning about crazily. Thank you, God, for each of them!===JACK:  Starting over doesn't necessarily mean "relearning everything."

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 4/8/21

“We don’t stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing.”  (George Bernard Shaw)  My favorite episode of The Twilight Zone is called, “Kick the Can.”  A group of people living at an “Old Folks’ Home” decides that they could recover their childhood by playing “Kick the Can.”  One night they “sneaked” outside and did indeed become children again.  One grouchy old man refused to play along, thinking that the group had become insane.  In the end, he was the only one who remained old.  Never turn down an invitation to play, “Kick the Can.”  ;-)  Jack

FROM BB IN CHGO:  , I’ve seen and loved that episode of Twilight.  Probably watched it at your urging.  Thanks.===JACK:  I'm still interested in playing Kick the Can.  What "childhood" game did you like?

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Our family are the prime game players of all time, I think! WE constantly play cards and other games when we are together!! Children at heart? I hope so! My mom always played games with us in the evening, so we grew up loving to play a variety of games. Now our kids do the same! :-) ===JACK:  My mom and dad played cards, but it didn't rub off on my sister and me.  "Playing cards" was counted among "sins," like close dancing and going to movies on a Sunday afternoon.

FROM DAZ IN COLORADO:  Good advice. We've had a year of no playing. Let's get outside 0r inside and play. ===JACK:  It must be kind of hard to play "kick the can" indoors.  

FROM PASTY PAT:  Omigosh! Every evening til the streetlights came on, on my block in Ahmeek! 😊===JACK:  Did they have streetlights in Ahmeek?  How about a traffic signal?  And a DQ?===PP:  Surely you jest! 😀 Actually Ahmeek did have streetlights but the closest traffic signal was a blinking yellow light as you entered Calumet 5 miles away.===JACK:  I've been thru Ahmeek, but I must have missed it.  Maybe I'll try again sometime and look for the blinking light. ===PP:  I didn’t explain it well. The blinking light is in Calumet. Ahmeek is practically a ghost town now with all the businesses closed, etc. My Mom is likely “rolling over in her grave” at the condition of the home I grew up in.===JACK:  Sometimes the sod does its job well by hiding certain things from our eyes.

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  that’s a great zone, isn’t it?===JACK:  We're never too old for fun and games...are we?

FROM JU IN NC:  GREEEEEAT!!!!!!!===JACK:  What other childhood games do you remember?  ...like running with your eyes closed from the barn to the house (and almost making it.)

FROM HOMELESS IN FL:  Oh boy. That advice could get me into T-R-O-U-B-L-E !===JACK:  Some of those things we did as kids would get us into all kinds of trouble as adults.

FROM JACK:      The object of the game (Kick the Can) is to put all the players in “jail”, capturing them by identifying them in their hiding spots. Once a player is “jailed” the only way to be freed is for another player to beat the “IT” person to the can and kick it.

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 4/7/21

“There’s a sucker born every minute.”  (P.T.Barnum - died: 4/7/1891)  Barnum, known as the Greatest American Showman was also a great huckster (giving people what he thought they wanted – the world’s smallest man (Gen Tom Thumb) and the Fiji Mermaid and the Barnum Bailey Circus.  It’s said that he had an affair with “the Swedish Nightengale” Jenny Lind, while sponsoring a series of American performances by her.  During my “growing up” years when the “circus” would come to town, a staple was the Barnum display of unusual people.  ;-)  Jack

FROM J&S:  Have you seen the Greatest Showman movie? We watched for the first time a few weeks ago.===JACK:  The bio-movies tend to stretch the truth a bit.  I have not seen the movie.

FROM LBP:  Do you ever find that people around you become part of the scenery? Neighbors in the yard are as common to see as the birds at the feeder. Or people at the grocery are as expected as the the boxes on the shelves. Sometimes I look at the person in the car beside mine at the stoplight and try to actually see them as an individual. It’s an exercise.===JACK:  Do you mean...Do I see them as people before or after I HONK at them to get going?

FROM HOMELESS IN FLORIDA:  What kind of "unusual" people did you see at the Barnum displays?===JACK:  I'll have to think about that.  Maybe, The World's Heaviest Woman...or the man with skin like a snake.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  There is a great museum of Barnum in Sarasota Florida.  My favorite part of the exhibit is the scale train set that shows in miniature, how many food cars and supply cars for the animals and such were required to move the circus from place to place around the country at the turn of the…last century. ===JACK:  I appreciate the opportunity to have seen it in "life-size" and in operation.

FROM COPPER COUNTRY PASTOR:  My great grandpa, with the long beard of 17 ft. 6 in. was one of his "freaks" for a couple of years.  He quit because folks thought it fake and tried to yank it off.  The beard is now in the Smithsonian  ===JACK:  Now, I actually know a "freak". or someone related to one.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  The movie THE GREATEST SHOWMAN indicated that affair...He certainly created a magical world for people in that day. I can remember watching animals unloaded at the train station; elephants! Tigers! etc, It was pretty exciting! I loved the circus! Especially the trapeze high wire performers!===JACK:  Nothing  can replace my childhood memories.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 4/6/21

“Who’s that little chatter box?  The one with pretty auburn locks?  Who do you see?  It’s Little Orphan Annie.”  The first radio show combining a cartoon character with a “sales pitch” directed toward children was Little Orphan Annie, debuted in 1931, sponsored by Ovaltine and Quaker Puffed Wheat.  I actually thought that puffed wheat was made by shooting wheat from guns.  Sandy (Arf), in my mind was a real dog, too.  Later on came Jack Armstrong (the All-American Boy), sponsored by Wheaties.  Local pro baseball players were hired to sit in a department store window eating their Wheaties…and we’d gawk at our heroes.  ;-)  Jack

FROM HOMELESS:  Thanks for the snapshot back into your youth. Fun! ===JACK: Yes, I once was a kid...and enjoyed the experience immensely. ===HL:  You and me both, but you have a much better memory.===JACK:  The only horses I got to ride were on the merry-go-round.  You actually rode real, live ones.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett for me in the 50's! 0;-) ===JACK:  Davey, Davey Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier.  When did your heroes become Billy Meyer and Don Carter?

FROM DAZ IN COLORADO:  That's a trip down memory  lane. The good old days. ===JACK:  Those were times when I actually looked forward to the commercials.

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Great stories. I wonder if Wheaties are actually healthy at all for you?  Now our pro athletes eat Kale and Salmon😊===JACK:  I'd rather eat my Wheaties.  In a kid's mind, I could feel the muscles actually growing.

FROM ME IN NEWPORT BEACH:  Nostalgic and secular.  A new tack? ===JACK:  My editor son accuses me of abandoning "Winning Words" in favor of nostalgia.  He's probably right.  So what?  

 Jack’s Winning Words 4/5/21

“Zoom, Zoom. Zoom  We’re going to the moon. If you want to take the trip, climb aboard my rocket ship.  Zoom, zoom, zoom we’re going to the moon  (Kiboomers)  The #1 song on the Kids’ Play List is the Zoom Song by the Kiboomers.  Even the Mazda car company is using it as a commercial.  How many of you have been Zooming?  We Zoom our church’s Bible Study and “Coffee and Conversation” on Sunday mornings.  We even had a family get-together by way of Zoom.  The 3 amigos (plus one) Zoom for an hour on Saturday  mornings.  It’s catchy - Zoom, zoom, zoom.  I love it.  ;-)  Jack

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I'M REALLY "OUT OF IT" ! NEVER HEARD THIS SONG! SOUNDS VERY CATCHY.  AB WOMEN HAVE HELD ZOOM MEETINGS, AND OF COURSE CHURCH, WHEN COVID TOOK OVER. I DON'T ZOOM WITH FAMILY OR FRIENDS, BUT WE SKYPE, EMAIL, PHONE AND TEXT. SURE IS WONDERFUL TO HAVE THIS TECHNOLOGY WHEN WE CAN'T MEET FACE TO FACE! THO SINCE WE'VE HAD OUR SHOTS,  MY DAUGHTER, SON & WIFE, AND GRANDDAUGHTER AND HUSBAND ALL JOINED US FOR EASTER WEEKEND HERE. ===JACK:  Parking Lot Easter Worship doesn't "do it" for me.  I guess that I'm getting to be an OLD POOP>

FROM WILLMAR REV:  You have reminded me of the little boy with his pet turtle having blisters in its feet?! Dad couldn’t figure it out until he noticed the lad over in the corner playing with his turtle on the carpet, moving it forward constantly saying, “Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!” — Different time, different era! 0;-) ===JACK:  "If the shoe fits, wear it!"

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 4/2/21

“I’m selfish, impatient and a little insecure.  I make mistakes.  I am out of control and at times hard to handle.  You be the one who nurtures and builds.  You be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart, the one who looks for the best in people.”  (Marilyn Monroe)  Both Joe DiMaggio and JFK tried to control an out of control M.M.  Neither seemed to be successful in doing so.  “A forgiving heart” is not easy to come by.  I wonder what each of these powerful men were looking for in Marilyn.  She was a complex person!  Aren’t we all?  ;-)  Jack

 Jack’s Winning Words 4/1/21

“Beginning well is a momentary thing; finishing well is a lifelong thing.”  (Ravi Zacharias)  I remember when the fastest long distance runners were from Finland…Paavo Nuirmi, called, “The Flying Finn.”  His Olympic records have been shattered by Ethiopians and Kenyans. My grandchildren all ran cross-country in high school, and near the end of races the fans would shout “finish strong!”. Whether it is a project, a race, or life….remember to finish well!  One of my favorite movie lines is: “Run Forrest, Run!”  Finish well!  ;-)  Jack

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/31/21

“When you cannot answer your opponent’s logic, you can still call him vile names.”  (Elbert Hubbard)  A friend of mine was a champion debater, winning the prestigious West Point Debates while in college.  I’m willing to bet dollars to donuts that he knows an ad hominem when he sees one  During the recent election cycle, politicians often used ad hominems like there would be none left for tomorrow.  I could point out examples, but who wants to relive those campaign speeches?  ;-)  Jack

FROM MAGGIE:  Can’t post on blog site so... Had to look up ad hominem. Stay well, Jack.===JACK:  Now, after looking up ad hominem, try to avoid using them.

FROM JU IN NC:  I try not to listen to one speaking illogically, because I have discovered that a (fool and his word is soon unheard).  How refreshing to hear the still small voice of my Heavenly Father.===JACK:  Sometimes that still, small voice has a way of BOOMING.

FROM LBP:  My teen had to study logical fallacies for a language arts class. There are so many ways to twist folks thinking or to steer a debate off track. Sigh===JACK:  Don't tell me...you are the parent of a teen!D

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 3/30/21

“Be always restless, unsatisfied, unconforming. Whenever a habit becomes convenient, SMASH IT!”  (Nikos Kazantzakis)  Nikos is probably best known for writing, “The Last Temptation of Christ.”  He had a “Smashing” style of writing.  In “The Last Temptation” his screenplay has Jesus coming down from the cross, marrying Mary Magdalene, and becoming a builder of crosses for the Romans. Evangelist Bill Bright is said to have purchased the negatives for the film in order to have them destroyed.  That’s one way to SMASH what you don’t like.  BTW, have you seen The Last Temptation?  What did you think of it?  ;-)  Jack

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Hmmm. I’ve never seen the Last Temptation.  I never had a real interest or knew the premise.  All I can say on the Bill Bright is that you cannot destroy art; especially in this digital age.  Art lives on in the minds and hearts of those who’ve seen it and in the imaginations of those who have not. ===JACK:  Those who have walked the halls of the Chicago Art Institute know how difficult it is to destroy art. 

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I did not see that, but it sounds as though it would have been very disturbing to committed Christians!  He certainly sounds very aggressive and bold!! I wonder if he was as anti-Christian as his words portray or was he truly rebellious?!===JACK:  SMASH IT!

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  it was an excellent film and made for a great sermon illustration.    in the movie,  Jesus, played by Willem DaFoe, (i think) does not go to the cross, as you noted.     and the final scene of the movie is sooo poignant.    Jesus and his disciples are now old men sitting around a campfire and his disciples are ridiculing Jesus for forsaking his true calling in life and for avoiding the cross.  it was a powerful reminder for all Christians to stay the course and follow where Jesus would lead us.  any alternate path will ultimately be disappointing and perhaps even humiliating===JACK:  The actual crucifixion was probably more gross than The Last Temptation.===SP:  agreed.   altho i think Mel Gibson's version in his movie was overdone.  Gibson had crows eating out the eyes of the two robbers  and when they nailed Jesus to the cross while he was still laying on the ground,  they flipped the cross over and "pancaked" Jesus between the cross and the ground while they bent over the tips of the nails that had come all the way thru his hands and the wood.   the Romans would never do such a thing for two reasons:  one, it wasn't the nails that kept him on the cross but more likely ropes too  and secondly, the Romans re-used the nails so why bend the tips.  it would be so much harder to pull them back out of the wood cross beam.   

FROM QUILTING CAROL:  I have seen many remarkable nature photographs over the years but this photo of a nesting Falcon in an old tree is perhaps the most remarkable nature shot I've ever seen. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Nature is truly breath-taking!T  Please send this to your older friends, since they will probably enjoy this shot.   The younger ones don’t seem to appreciate such photos these days and probably have never seen a falcon, anyway.  They probably wouldn't recognize it...which is such a shame!  http://i.imgur.com/YW6Fufm.jpg

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/29/21

“I don’t  know how to be on Facebook if my life depended on it.”  (Sarah Jessica Parker)  If my name were Mark Zuckerberg I’d be one of the richest people in the world, but I wouldn’t know how to do the simplest stuff on Facebook.  Bill Matlack and Facebook Liz can run circles around me with it.  Sarah Jessica Parker and I are in the same Facebook boat, and for us it's a sinking ship. Facebook and other social media platforms can connect people and enhance their lives, but sometimes users seem to be anti-social. Is Facebook fun for you?  ;-)  Jack

FROM FACEBOOK LIZ:  fb liz says there are both good and bad aspects to fb. don’t take it too seriously, yet pay attention!===JACK:  I think I know FBLIZ well enough to determine when to take her seriously...and when not to.===FBLIZ:you may be surprised! 😉===JACK:  I know your tricks

FROM DAIRYLAND DONNA:  I love looking at friend's family photos especially their Grandkids. I am also in touch with people from high school I would not be "talking" to without Facebook. Don't like how political it became prior to the election. Better now.  Have a nice Monday.===JACK:  I "do" FB by looking at someone else's pictures and reading their comments.

FROM JULIE'S CHEESE:  Good morning Jack.  I am not getting through to your blog.  Security has me locked out…. Passwords, as usual my nemesis.  I am on Facebook, but I’m not good at it either.  I think Facebook is useful for many.  I am concerned that it fortifies our own thinking silos and easily spreads misinformation.  If any complaint I have, it's too powerful.===JACK:  FB is for nosey people.===JC:  Some of us just are…. Nosey.  We love them .

FROM ME IN NEW PORT BEACH:  I have never used.  My guess is that most friends do.===JACK:  Here's one friend who doesn't.

FROM RS IN TEXAS:  I've found FB can be a great tool to share things with family and friends and only having to "post it" one time.  The real downside to FB....in my opinion....is the false information that is on it, mostly from a politically oriented perspective. That in and of itself has triggered a lot of emotional responses that later people might have regretted because what they responded to was false...or misleading.  It has morphed from what Mark first envisioned it to be into something that is much for far reaching than anyone might have imagined.  I guess like many things in life....it has a bright side and a dark side.===JACK:  I'm glad that you know how to use it.  It keeps me informed as to your actions.

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/26/21

“I love Passover, because, for me, it’s a cry against indifference, a cry for compassion.”  (Elie Wiesel)  “He was a kind and gentle man,” were the words my friend, Jeff, used to describe  Dr Weisel.  The two of them once flew in a private jet from Michigan to New York.  What an experience…to be able to talk one on one with this Nobel laureate and survivor of Nazi “death camps!”  Wiesel’s view of Passover showed the importance of his religion.  The world could use an Elie today.  During this Passover season…and always, remember to show compassion.   ;-)  Jack

www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com to see my blog

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/25/21

“Take heed: you do not find what you do not seek.”  (English Proverb)  Dr Seuss, who died almost 30 years ago finds himself in a “Cancel Culture” where six of his books are being withdrawn because they are insensitive.” I hope Wacky Wednesday isn’t one of them.  It tells of a child looking for things and finding them different from what he expected.  Sometimes our world seems wacky in that we don’t find what we’re looking for.  What is it that you seek …really?  ;-)  Jack

www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com to see my blog

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/24/21

“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth, because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.”  (Albert Einstein)  When children don’t want to hear something, they often chant loudly, Nyah, Nyah, Nyjah!  When adults don’t want to hear something, they might not chant, but they might switch to/or from FOX News or MSNBC, so they only hear what they want to hear.  This “confirmation bias” results in the maintaining of illusions.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could have a truth-teller?  Most people, these days are looking for illusion-tellers.  Where is it that you’re finding truth?  ;-)  Jack.  

www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com to see my blog

Jack’s Winning Words 3/23/21 “I remind myself every morning…Nothing I say this day will teach me anything, so if I’m going to learn, I must do it by listening.”  (Larry King)  Larry, who died recently grew up as a Jewish kid who liked to talk. By accident, he became a radio/TV host, conducting over 60,000 interviews, including Vladamir Putin.  The way he leaned in toward his guests indicated that he was listening, and, by listening, was learning.  We could do more of that sort of thing.  ;-)  Jack..

www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com to see my blog

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/22/21 “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”    (Winston Churchill)  In Michigan we have a little town named, Hell.  It’s a popular tourist attraction.  Some couples even get married there, so they can say that their marriage began in Hell.  Churchill’s hell was different.  His personal life was not an easy one, and who can describe what it must have been like to be a leader in WW 2?  Sad to say, there are people today whose lives are “hell”  If you’re one of them, today’s advice is not to give up.  Better days are ahead.  ;-/   Jack www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com to see my blog

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/19/21

“St Joseph, I am going to place you in a difficult position with your head in darkness and you will suffer as our Lord suffered, until this house is sold.”. (A Realtor’s Words)  Some people believe that burying a statue of St Joseph upside down in the front-yard will result in a “For Sale” house being sold quickly.  Do you know of a  time when this has worked?  Today is St Joseph’s Day, honoring “the father” of Jesus.  ;-)  Jack  .

www.jackswinningwords.blogspot.com to see my blog

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/18/21 The magic in new beginnings is truly the most powerful of them all.”  (Josiyah Martin)  “Play Ball!”  April 1 marks the beginning of a new baseball season.  There’s magic in something new.  Maybe it’s a new job, a new relationship or moving to a new city.  Excitement!  I’ve personally enjoyed each of these experiences.  Have you experienced the magic of a new beginning lately? BTW….No fooling….the Detroit Tigers have as much chance of winning the World Series as any other team.   Jack

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/17/21

“May the best day of your past be the worst day of your future.”  (Irish Blessing)  Irish, or not, will you be wearing green today?  Tradition says that “green” makes you invisible to leprechauns who are all around waiting to “pinch” you.  St Patrick is said to have brought Christianity to Ireland.  He died on March 17.  An “Irish Blessing,” particularly on March 17, is supposed to bring good luck.  So, Irish, or not, enjoy the day and the blessings that go with it.  ;-)  Jack 

 

Jack’s Winning Words 3/15/21

“Call it a clan; call it a network; call it a tribe; call it a family.  Whatever you call it, you need one.”  (Jane Howard)  In days gone by, Mom, Dad and the kids were family.  The TV series Friends shows how things have changed.  The concept of a family has expanded, and many of us have several groupings that are a kind of “family.”  I have about six…or more.  Whatever they might be, we need them. Who do you consider to be your family?