Jack’s Winning Words 6/8/21

“It’s hard for me to answer a question from someone who really doesn’t care about the answer.”  (Charles Grodin)   One Sunday I laughed to myself when I saw a wife jab her sleeping husband during one of my sermons.  I was trained to preach sermons that connected the Gospel to the events of “today”…and people seemed to relate to that.  Last Memorial Day a veteran’s speech was muted when he connected the day’s observance to Memorial events after the Civil War.  Some people still need a jab in the ribs.  ;-)  Jack

FROM CZB:  I hadn’t heard about this, but from the articles I just read, it doesn’t sound like speaker needed a jab in the ribs. It sounds like the censors needed a slap upside the back of the head. I’m not quite sure why they didn’t approve of his content. Because it honored blacks? Yikes. You’ve probably heard a lot more about this based on your proximity to Ohio.===JACK:  Our pastor came to us after having established a church in that city.  People there considered him to be liberal...while he was just normal.  I'm glad that those ordered the mic to be muted were ousted by the Legion.  The story that was censored had to do with the participation of slaves in the first day of remembrance for both Confederate and Union soldiers who had died in the Civil War.

FROM ANDOVER:  Why was he muted?  I just read an Atlantic article where a man spoke at a Confederate Memorial Day event and insisted the CW wasn‘t about slavery?!?!===JACK:  He was muted, because those in charge of the program thought that talking about the origin of Memorial Day weren't appropriate for a day honoring veterans.  I think that they must have been absent from school that day when the subject was covered.  I think that the wrong person was muted.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Didn't God do that to Adam to get his attention of a most beautiful "helpmate"?! I have always wished he would have popped that Tempter in the nose and fought him off her there in the Garden!! 0;-) ===JACK:  Violence begets violence.  Joan is disturbed about how much violence there is in the Old Testament.  How do you "preach" the OT without condoning violent behavior?

FROM CZB IN NH:  I had to read the articles over trying to figure out what was so controversial about what he was saying. Nothing.  That is sad.  This polarization of people based on ideas, party-affiliation, race and so on is terrible. I hope and pray it is a “phase” and people will once again listen and assume the best of one another. I would have hoped that fighting a pandemic together might have helped but even that tore people apart!===JACK:  Just because you attend school does not mean that you pay attention when history is being discussed.  

 Jack’s Winning Words 6/7/21

“We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope.”  (MLK Jr)  to see my blog  Do you remember times of infinite hope?  The first date?  Going off to college?  Starting your  dream job…and that dream marriage?  Infinite hope!  Life has its disappointments, but they can be temporary, finite!  I remember Jesus as being the God of second chances.  Sins (mistakes) can be forgiven.  That’s our infinite hope.  Whew!  One of my favorite parables is ”the Prodigal Son has a Welcoming Father?”  Is there one that undercores your hope?  ;-)  Jack 

FROM HOMELESS:  I have never thought of sins as mistakes. Puts a less harsh light on the subject. I like and appreciate that.  I questioned just yesterday if what I felt was a sin was truly a sin because I knew in your eyes you would applaud my choices.===JACK:  A basic theological premise is that there are no gradations of "sin."  Sin is sin...meaning that every time we act contrary to what God sees as "best", we sin.  ALL need to come to the point where we say, "I have not done my best, forgive me."  We get into trouble when we think that there are worse sinners than I am.  Forget about others; concentrate on self and our relationship to God.  Read again, The Parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.===H:  I have never thought, "There are worse sinners than myself." However, astute observation. I shouldn't have tried to see my actions through your measuring glass but through God's. Thank you...I think. 😊===JACK:  Don't thank me.  Thank God who loves you (and me) in spite of....===H:  Sometimes I think that I am a harsher judge of my character and actions than God. Do you ever feel that way?===JACK:  I have a hard time with the concept of GRACE, but I'm glad that God doesn't.

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 6/4/21

“Difficult to see…Always in motion…Is the future.”  (Yoda)  I took it as a compliment when someone referred to me as a ”Yoda”.  The one who said that was not referring to me as a small. green humanoid from Star Wars.  He was seeing me as Yoda, the mentor. The one who helps us to see into the future, what we might become.  I’ve had my mentors.  You can probably recall someone,  too, who’s helped you the possibilities in your future.  Thank God for Yodas.  ;-)  Jack 

FROM HUMBUG JOHN:  You are a Yoda to me and such a blessing.===JACK:  Is there such a thing as being a Yoda to a Yoda?

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  i think you have been a good Yoda to many,===JACK:  In my life, I notice that I morph into a Yoda when the opportunity arises.

FROM DR J:  I see the resemblance!  And you are one of my mentors 🙏❤===JACK:  Yoda doesn't look strange to other Yodas.  Take a look at Twilight Zone, Episode 39 "Eye of the Beholder," and get back to me.

F️ROM RS IN TEXAS:  Yes, thank God for Yoda's.....including the one who splits his time between the Twin Cities and West Bloomfield.===JACK:  I wish that there was one who would visit the QAnon..===RS:  Even if there was, I doubt their members would listen.  They are too busy basking in the belief Trump will be reinstated as President this summer.====JACK:  I wonder how they will react when they discovert that there ain't no Santa Claus?

 Jack’s Winning Words 6/3/21

“A drop of love can bring an ocean of tears.”  (Yiddish Wit)  Recently I saw on Facebook a Service of Farewell for a beloved pastor.  The remembrances of shared “love” brought many tears.  I’ve seen the same thing at cemetery gravesides…at graduations and weddings.  There’s a book, “When Therapists Cry.”  Therapists do cry…and so do pastors.  How about you?  What is it that brings tears to your eyes?    The Bible says that even, “Jesus wept.”  ;-)  Jack

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL: i have sometimes stated that tears are liquid love.   ever noticed how good you feel after a good cry?   go back to bed, Jack:):):) ===JACK:  Did you ever cry in the presence of a church member? ===SP:  several times.   at funerals of children.  some of the saddest funerals i have ever done.===JACK:  I agree with that.  

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Interesting WW this morning, Pastor Freed.  A "drop of love" made me associate with a "drop of blood" and an "ocean of tears" made me associate with the "blood and water that gushed from the side of Jesus" and finally whenever anyone does something that demonstrates "sacrificial love" it always brings tears to my eyes.  I can really get emotional with newscasts/stories/movies/ sometimes even a powerful sermon ===JACK:  I've read of sermons have have brought people to tears.  I don't know that I've ever preached one.

FROM JLF:  I bet Jodi tells you this story - When Jodi and I went to LA we were in the audience for the filming of a live tv game show.  The audience was supposed to remain quiet.  However one question to the contestant was “What’s the shortest verse in the Bible?”  and I blurted out “JESUS WEPT!”   I had learned that piece of trivia in your confirmation class 😀 and without thinking I just shouted it out!  We thought we were gonna get kicked out.  Ha!===JACK:  Sometimes people laugh so hard that they cry.  That's happened to me. 

FROM DR J:  Well I just read the blog and Jeanne didn’t get the story exactly right. The funniest part of the story was that she said to me “don’t open your big mouth ... I know you think you know all the answers and you’re going to blurt out your answers“ and then it was Jeanne who blurted out “Jesus wept“. That now that’s a classic!===JACK:  I'd like to see the two of you on a game show.  Which one would it be?

FROM WILLMAR REV:  It doesn't take much nowadays. 0;-) ===JACK:  You seem to me to be the kind of empathetic pastor who cries easily with those who are grieving.  Right? ===REV:   More so noticeable in recent times than earlier on . . . especially now with those of my generation. 0;-)===JACK:  Lately, showing your emotions has seemed to be a sign of weakness.....for example, "There's no crying in baseball." 

FROM SHALOM JAN:  Baptisms make me cry . . . because they are the most important "incident" in a person's life, a forever incident of God's grace. ===JACK:  Various church events seem to bring tears...confirmations, weddings, funerals...I've seen people walk from the altar with tears after receiving Communion.

FROM MINDFUL MATT:  I read obituaries every day. I’m struck by the lives people led and the love that pours out. The deaths of people dying at early ages saddens me.===JACK:  It was the death of a little four-year-old girl that brought me to tears.  I still have a picture of her actively swinging from a tree limb.

FROM ANDOVER:  You might not be surprised to know I (Jens) cry at a whole lot of things, including coffee, beer and insurance commercials.===JACK:  There are some commercials that make want to yell...STOP IT!  For example, the ads promoting casino gambling.

FROM QUILTING CAROL:  Many years ago we attended the funeral for Bob’s cousin’s husband who was a mortician.  It was in a Catholic Church and the priest read a scripture reading from one of the books in the Apocrypha that pertained to “those who care for the bodies of the deceased”.  I have always remembered that Gary and his occupation were also remember in scripture readings.  It brings tears to my eyes as he was a very carrying person and died way too young!  Some hymns and some popular songs can bring tears to may eyes as well as special times in my family’s lives.  Sometimes I can cry for just no reason at all – it feels good.  I’m sure they are “love” tears.===JACK:  I had never known of that reference in the Catholic scripture.  I'll have to llok it up.

FROM GUSTIE:  Clem’s confirmation Bible verse! ===JACK:  "jesus wept." 

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words 6/2/21

“You’ll never look into the eyes of a person who God doesn’t love.”  (Sent by Pr Jennie)  If we were to put ourselves in the place of God, this statement would make no sense.  St. Paul, writes, “Who has known the mind of God?”  Who can figure out grace (forgiveness without recompense)?  Let’s keep in mind that there are no gradations of sin; sin is sin.  Heaven is not based on God liking us, but on God loving us.  Paul, the one we call a saint, referred to himself as the “chief of sinners.”  Would you ever say such a thing about yourself?  ;-)  Jack

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Excellent quote today!! This is a hard truth, that there is no gradation of sin; It is so impressed in our society that  some "sins" are much greater than others.like taking another's life!  If all the "minor" sins are counted, we can all sayl like Paul, "I am the chief of sinners", and be VERY thankful for God's unconditional love!!  Remembering EVERY one we meet if loved by God, is a good way to accept and have God's love for even the hard to love!!  When living in the parsonage, I got very tired of answering the phone, which seemed to ring far too often, and you daren't ignore it, as it might be a crisis call! (Rarely was!)  My husband said, "Try thinking,"Oh, a Child of God wishes to speak to me!" when you pick up the phone. It did help...but to  this day, I don't talk on the phone any more than I have to! ===JACK:  Sometimes we're like the Pharisee who said, "I'm a sinner, but not as bad as that publican.  It's hard to accept that all have sinned and fallen short...that eveyone is in need of grace.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  ". . . sitting in a front row seat, I am!!" 0:-/ ===JACK:  Being saved by our works seems such an easy thing to do...especially compared to saying, "I don't deserve to be called a "Godly person."

FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  For sure, Pastor Freed, I know I am "chief of sinners".  when I get tempted to feel myself self-righteous and that happens often enough, some event or person comes along to cause me to pray to God on my knees again and know I am a created creature and not the Creator of myself. That said, I believe what the Franciscans teach and I think Martin Luther taught, that Christians can live into knowing the Mind of Jesus and I believe St. Paul's testimony on his conversion experience where the Lord talked to him and passed on his teaching to the Apostle. In my understanding and faith the Scriptures are inspired by Holy people but God does love everyone, also the unholy people too.  Enjoyed reflecting on Pr Jennie's quote and your reflection, Pastor Freed. ===JACK:  Grace is a hard word to understand...even harder to accept. ===SS:  That's why I'm so much an admirer of Martin Luther, Pastor Freed.  He walked a difficult path to being authentic and honest with himself and God.  Over the years have acquired quite a library here.

aFROM NORM'S BLOG:  (I like) comment about God’s grace - forgiveness without recompense – and the fact that there is no sliding scale for sins or forgiveness. So, we don’t have big sins and little indiscretions, just sins. And God does not use a scale from 1 to 10 to measure out his grace.  As he usually does in his blog, Freed challenged the reader with a question - Paul, the one we call a saint, referred to himself as the “chief of sinners.”  Would you ever say such a thing about yourself?===JACK:  The figure depicting JUSTICE is often shown holding a balance scale.  The figure representing grace is Jesus mon the cross.  What's the difference between the two?

FROM HONEST JOHN:  I see Universalism is being pedaled in the church...it is based on human logic.   Grace transcends logic.   It is a question best left alone....and it undermines the Great Commandment.===JACK:  If "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world" is Universalism...so be it.===HJ:  There is a difference between being loved by God and eternal salvation.   We do believe that we are so loved.   Judgment is both affirmed in both OT and NT and is assigned to God.   We are not to replace God as Judge.===JACK:  Exactly    

 

Jack’s Winning Words 6/1/21 “I never lost one minute of sleep worrying about what might have been.”  (Tina Turner – Proud Mary)  Tina Turner intrigues me.  So much energy!  Life hasn’t been easy for her, but she’s been able to leave the past behind…and move on..  One of life’s temptations is to live in the past, good or bad.  A line from The Optimist’s Creed urges: “to forget (or to learn) from the mistakes of the past.”  In other words…to move on.  How are you doing with that?  ;-)  Jack  FROM NORM'S BLOG:  All of us get so wrapped up in trying to meet (or exceed) our own needs that we do not focus upon the needs of those around us. We call it being self-centered or sometimes being selfish. It is understandable that one must provide for the needs of his family .as well as him/herself; however most of us go well beyond just meeting those needs and the question becomes one of what do we do with our excess of wealth or time or ability.===JACK:  Sleeplessness?  Caused by concern for self, for others or by circumstances?   FROM WILLMAR REV:  With what?! 0;-))===JACK:  Is there an itch that you are unable to scratch?  Is there some concern that continues to bug you.  "Take it to the Lord in prayer" seems to work sometimes, but what about those times when God seems to turn a deaf ear?===REV:  Reminds me of another chorus...”  Whisper a prayer in the morning, whisper a prayer at noon, whisper a prayer in the evening, to keep your heart in tune! 0:-) ===JACK:  As you probably know...another verse says: "God answers prayer in the morning etc>" FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  Enjoyed your WW this morning.  Doing good here with moving on, in our opinions.  Having studied philosophy, thought you might also enjoy today's commemoration of St. Justin Martyr.  I especially like it that he found Christian religion answered great questions about life and existence best.===JACK:  But those "unanswered" questions continue to bug me.   FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.  funny how that little creed has stayed in my brain after all these years.  i recall all those breakfasts in the basement of Frank's restaurant.  i always thot it was a fire trap but luckily we all lived thru it:):)===JACK:  A wealthy member of the club died some months ago and left "lots" of money   The club still gives a Ledge Scholarship and they're now adding a $1000 one in other of Ed.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 5/28/21

“If everything seems under control, you’re not driving fast enough.” (Mario Andretti)  Mario showed an interest in racing at age 2, using a pot lid for a steering wheel.  As a grown-up he raced real cars, winning both Formula One and Indy 500 championships (at over 200 mph).  I read that the first Indy 500 was won at a speed of 74.6 mph.  I could have competed in that one.  Unlike Mario, I like to have things under control.  However, Mario’s got a point….sometimes complacency sets in, and we need to push the accelerator of life a little harder to live life to its fullest. ;-)  Jack

FROM HONEST JOHN:  In debate, when we were crushing someone, we would get worried and work even harder....never know what is around the corner! ===JACK:  In life, it's that way, too.  We never know what's around the corner.  Have you had some surprises that have changed the direction of your life?

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  this is a long story but when i was in high school in Livonia,  a neighbor of ours who was a ranking Ford employee invited me a Memorial Day  Indy 500 Race.   he was an engineer and he had a lot to do with the Ford Lotus that was racing that year.   the night before the race we were actually down in the Pits with all the cars and most of the drivers who were making last minute adjustments.   you could cut the tension with a knife.  i think A J Foyt won that year and Parnelli Jones was in the lead until he ran out of gas on the last two laps.  it was a very memorable weekend for me.  have a good weekend, Jack.  and remember to remember the fallen.===JACK:  I, too, had a one-time experience at the Indy 500.  Jim Nabors sang, "Back Home Again In Indiana."  That, with the release of thousands of balloons, was a thrill in and of itself.   David and I had pit passes from the Roger Penske Team.  The race was kind of boring, because the cars would zip by us and be gone as they circled the track.  Zip, and they were gone again.  The many campers parked outside of the track put on a show of their own.  Beer, beer...and more beer...and catcalls to the ladies passing by.  We did enjoy the experience.

FROM GUSTIE:  We went to some racing place West of Detroit where Clem even had tickets for the pit.  Mario was very young and he was racing.  I think Carol was 3 so that was a very long time ago.===JACK:  That was probably the Michighan International Speedway.  I once rode with a driver on that track.  We went over 100 mph, and that was mighty fast.  Race car drivers go over 220 mph.  Not for me!  

FROM BB IN CHGO:  Great quote.  Is control really something we value so highly?===JACK:  One of the problems that goes along with the aging process is the gradual giving up of being in control.

FROM JU IN NC:  I have encouraging news.  As I become older, I find I am getting stronger.  I used to need two hands to carry $90. Of groceries.  Now I need only one.  Happy Memorial Day===JACK:  Lots of things are different from the "good old days."  Growing up on the ranch would have been easier (but not as much fun) with inventions that we have today.  Running water and electricity are just two examples.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 5/27/21 “When I pray coincidences happen, and when I don’t, they don’t.”  (William Temple)  There are stories of answered prayer in the Bible, but I’m seeking first-hand examples of how prayer has been answered in today’s world.  This one appeared in Guidepost magazine…”Thank You Lord that my son was invited back for an individual interview for a job after the group interview last week! Please Lord, forgive my anxiety and doubts. Lord watch over him when he has his interview and help me to say Thy will be done and I really mean it.”  Do you have a an example of how prayer has worked for you?  ;-)  Jack   FROM WILLMAR REV:  Today's rewarding results in ministry, I believe, is from yesterday's continued prayers from a countless number of folks including my own for God's "watchful eye" being placed over me. I will never forget the continuous prayers of my mother for my family and ministry while she was alive. 0;-) ===JACK:  In 1954, when I wasa ordained as a pastor in 1954, my grandmother wrote me a letter saying that she would be praying for me.  Even though her funeral was my first "official act" as a pastor, I feel that her prayers have continued to bless my ministry. FROM BB IN CHGO:  What a lovely and honest prayer; thank you for including that example===JACK:  .Guideposts is meant to inspire....I'm glad that it did so for you. FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I've had so many rather dramatic answers to prayer, but one  comes to mind from years ago, when Sarah,who'd graduated college, was applying for her first job; Everytime, Sarah, complained they asked if she had experience: "No, not yet", and that would be that. .We  continued to pray. One day not long after, she called to say she had an interview with  a well-known and fairly prestigious agency in Chicago...! She aced the interview and was hired. It was only months later that they discovered her application had been placed in a file for persons of 4 yrs. or more experience in that field ; that's how she was called  for an interview when they had an opening! Coincidence indeed!  She performed very well in that position, and her work experience went smoothly from then on! :-)  I have to keep in mind that sometimes the answer to my prayer is NO, such as physical healing for son Mark...but I remain faithful in prayer, the habit of ===JACK:  I sometimes compare prayer requests to God to requests a child mahes to a parent.  A loving parent doesn't answer "yes" to everything.  Sometimes it's, "Let's wait and see about that."  Sometimes the loving parent has more imnformation than the child and answers, :No." FROM YOGA GURU:  .How long do you have?    We should all be keeping prayers answered journals!  I call them mini miracles. Thank you for the reminder - all Glory to God!===JACK:  I wonder if there's such a thing as a "minor" miracle?  Whenever we see God, we see a miracle.  There's a song, "All creatures great and small, the Lord God made them all.  The elephant and the microbe...created by God.  You and I, and all that we are...God's fingerprint is on us.

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words 5/26/21

“Winning doesn’t always mean being first.  Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve ever done before.”  (Bonnie Blair)    While speed skater Blair was an Olympic medal winner, her focus was on something other than the gold.  While she’s proud of her medals, she concentrates on improving herself rather than on beating others.  Life would go better for many of us if we’d focus on “self-improving,” rather than on what others are doing. What is on your schedule today? Can you do it better than you’ve ever done it before?  ;-)  Jack

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  We have unfortunately become a society fixated on the concept of winners and losers. In order to be a winner, it seems, someone else must lose – you must beat someone or be better than them at something. There are very few focused upon creating win-win scenarios, where everyone is a winner and there are no losers required. The Special Olympics is one organization that focuses upon everyone who competes being a winner. Support the Special Olympics in your area. Be a winner.  Our political scene has become such a dysfunctional mess because the politicians’ ability to find compromises where everyone feels like they won has been lost. Politics has become a knock-down winner-loser contest with jaws set and compromise out of the question. Don’t let yourself get dragged into that morass. Be a winner.===JACK:  I hate it when somebody calls another person, a loser.  Imagine if, after a Little League baseball game, the members of the team when up to the other team and chanted: "Losers, losers, nah, nah, nah."  Instead, the custom is to shake hands with them and say, "Good game!"  

FROM MARCHE SWEDE:  Hi, Thank you for your winning words. I enjoy reading them daily. I found Covid to be very challenging and your words have been a real treat.===JACK  I write THE WORDS, first of all, for myself, then my editor, and then the rest of you...including Kim.  It's fun and at time challenging, but it starts my day off in the right way...a winning attitude.

FROM OPTIART:  I really like this one Jack. I hope I can do a better job of applying it as I move forward. Thanks===JACK:  As I grow older, I care less and less about whether or not I'm first.  "Been there; done that.".

 

 

Jack’s Winning Words 5/25/21

“It’s choice, not chance, that determines your destiny.”  (Jean Nidetch)  When I looked up life as a choice or chance, it was suggested to “Google yourself.”  I never realized that that there were so many “of me” out there.  I also never realized how much my life depended on “chances” and what chances I took.  We are what we were…Life is full of quirkiness.  “If I had done this instead of that?”  I believe that God has been by my side.  How’s it worked for you?  One of the great gifts of God is individual Free-Will…the opportunity and the wisdom to choose.  ;-)  Jack

FROM NORM'S BLOG:  There is a tendency to use the words fate and destiny as if they have a common meaning and indeed the dictionaries often show them as synonyms; however, when I did a little quick research, I found some useful definitions of the differences –  “Fate and destiny are both words dealing with a predetermined or destined future. That's why they are so easy to mix up. However, while fate is concrete and determined by the cosmos, destiny depends on your choices in life.”  It is that ability to make choices that is made possible by free will and the impact of free will is further defined in these two sentences that I found –  fate brings you opportunities, and free will determines whether or not you take them.  Fate parades options in front of you, but you have to use your free will to reach up and grab one.  So, rather than believe that God has somehow pre-determined the course of your life, it is perhaps more accurate to think that God already knows what choices fate will present to you and can foresee the choices that you will make. There are all sorts of sayings about God being one’s co-pilot in life or being there with you as you make those choices. It is also comforting to know that even if you make bad choices, God forgives you and sticks with you.===JACK:  Free Will is the wild card.  "I am the master of my fate" is a statement that calls for clarification.

FROM WILLMAR REV:  Early on in my ministerial experiences, a younger group of us were at a pastor's retreat and the pastoral counselor and presenter handed out a sheet of paper with a list of questions on one side (name, family names, address, church pastoring, college/seminary attended, hobbies enjoyed, memorable family vacations, etc.) and on the other side was a blank sheet asking us, (within a certain number of words) to answer the question, "In God's eyes, 'Who Am I?'" After waxing eloquently I'm sure with my many spiritual descriptions now completed and having turned it in, did I find the best responses were the ones who made a list once again of the information they had previously written on the other side of the blank sheet, for that was who they were in God's eyes?!  0;-) ===JACK:  Do you know the Bible Camp song...."He's got His eye on you.  He's got His eye on you.  My Lord, sittin' in the Kingdom...He's got His eye on you." 

FROM CF IN KH:   Great contemplation there Jack.  You can always wonder what if but once you take a fork in the road you can’t go back.  If you feel you took the wrong route you can only look to change your path at the next fork.  Made me think of my family.  When I got hired at Southfield PD I also had employment offers with Auburn Hills PD, Grand Rapids PD and Wyoming, MI PD all at the same time.  If I had taken the GR or Wyoming offer it’s a pretty sure bet I wouldn’t have met and dated my wife, then married and had my two daughters.  But what didn’t I have by not going to GR?  Not something to worry about.===JACK:  For better or worse, we are responsible for how we use Free Will.  You and I seem to be satisfied that we have chosen wisely.

FROM BLAZING OAKS:  As long as we lean in on our faith, our choices can't be too bad, tho some are obviously better than others! Women didn't have the wide range of choices that are offered to girls today, but I am happy   with my life, as it turned out! Baptist clergy when we entered the ministry, was very strict about no alcohol and no smoking, and divorce was pretty  much a death warrant to ministers'  careers...all of which has greatly modified in recent years, as has options for women in ministry. (I never aspired to be an ordained pastor, but totally supported Bill's ministry as a team member.) My music ability was always a plus in the ministry !  God's unconditional love through all of our choices is definitely a comfort!! Interesting definition of Fate and destiny in Norm's blog;  Good to ponder!!===JACK:  Ordained, or not, we each minister (serve) in our own way.  Some are Marys; others are Marthas.  You seem to be a combination.

 

 Jack’s Winning Words 5/24/21

“Remember, nobody will ever get ahead of you as long as he’s kicking you in the seat of the pants.”  (Walter Winchell)  Winchell was the Andy Rooney of his day,.  He was one of the first to make the news entertainment, with gossip and jokes interjected among the news items.  One big mistake was to align himself with Sen Joseph McCarthy.  When Joe lost popularity, so did Walter...the advent of TV played a part, too…and so did death threats from the NYC “Mob.”  But, thanks to YouTube, we can relive yesteryear.  Next time you feel you’re getting kicked around, remember that you’re ahead of the one doing the kicking.  ;-)  Jack

FROM WILLMAR REV:  A pastor friend of mine once told me when I asked how he was doing, the church board is running me out of town but  I’m running as fast as I can and acting like I’m  leading a parade! 0;-)===JACK:  That's a good one....turning a negative into a positive.

FROM THE SHARK:  So much for the saying: “I’m kicking ass and taking numbers” 😂===JACK:  "Kicking ass" seems to be a "boss" expression.  In my work, I was my own boss, and I never really had people working for me.

"Kicking ass" meant kicking a donkey.

FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  Joe McCarthy was a very sick man.   alcoholic,  mentallly imbalanced,  paranoid, etc. ===JACK:  I never thought that anyone could trump him, but someone did.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 5/21/21 “I really believe that waiting tables makes you a better person.”  (Judy Greer)  Today is Waitstaff Day, time to put down “something extra as a TIP.  Daughter Beth’s first real job was as a waitress at Joey’s Café.  It was her introduction to “the demands of the public.”  Eddie, the cook, was quick to give her tips (non-money).   It doesn’t matter what your occupation is, you can still be a servant and make someone’s life better.  If you worked as a server, what interesting event do you remember?  ;-)  Jack FROM WILLMAR REV:  Still at it . . . several similarities found in serving in a local coffee shop and serving in the local church?! 0;-) ===JACK:  Some pastors sometimes take a part-time job as a coffee shop server (or other restaurant server) so they can get a different kind of contact with people.  Have you ever done that?===REV:  The various chaplaincy outreaches serve as such (some volunteer and a couple are paid). (*) A G Hours spent out and away from the Church Building and Office: ...almart/Subway...Routine Community Outreach: 7 hours (Mondays)...   Law Enforcement Cener ...   Rice Hospital ER & Ambulance Services ...   Willmar Fire Department ...   Divine House Administrative Offices (Paid) ...   Divine Home and Hospice Care Administrative Offices (Paid)...   Frieda’s Cafe ...   Other retail business and hospital offices, as I walk by visiting with those listed above.  ===JACK:  It doesn't look like you have time to serve coffee at sTARBUCKS, or to be a WALMART greeter. FROM ST PAUL IN ST PAUL:  working in the Livonia Convalescent Home for $1.10 an hour as a orderly one summer.   i got into some very "human" and smelly situations but it was a good lesson for life. ===JACK:  There are "situations" that help build empathy.  When we avoid them, because "we don't like the smell, the sight, the feeling," our lives are the less because of it.  Livonia helped you become a better pastor...as I see it.===SP:  i would agree.    also running Jack Hammers for the Wayne County Road Commission for two summers in college.   i met a group of workers that i would never have been exposed to otherwise.  i also sold Mary Jane shoes for two summers (parttime work) and that too was a real learning experience.   also worked at two Bible Camps during seminary summers.   lots of exposure to lots of different people. ===JACK:  "People (who have the opportunity to be among ordinary people) are the luckiest people in the world." FROM NORM'S BLOG:  In your post there's this piece of advice from a restaurant worker – “It doesn’t matter what your occupation is, you can still be a servant and make someone’s life better.”  There is a lot in this piece of advice that is rooted in the  teachings of Christ – serving others and making their life better. There is purpose in service to others and a rewarding feeling of accomplishment if something that you do makes someone else’s life better.===JACK:  Thanks for always coming up with something that helps cement the idea behind my WWs. FROM JU IN NC:  We serve at whatever we do.  When I hear people at work complain about Monday morning, I remind them that Monday morning is the best opportunity to begin serving our customers for the rest of the week.===JACK:  I seem to recall from reading your diary that the way you worked and treated people was appreciated at the PX.  I think that the training you received during your growing up years paid off in the long run.  I like servers who do good work...not for the tips...because that's their nature. FROM BB IN CHGO:  I served for a decade at many restaurants.  I still dream of tables of people waiting for food and kitchen glitches.  The work was hard on your feet but rewarding and I felt my enthusiasm made for a better day.  The tips often depended on making some kind of connection with the people and making them feel you’d gone out of your way to make their experience pleasant.===JACK:  Whether as a waitress, or just as a person in general, things go better when you make the people around you feel that they're having a pleasant experience.  You are that kind of person. FROM BLAZING OAKS:  I never waited on tables in a restaurant, but my daughter Sarah worked in an upscale Pizza place (if there is such a thing!) And often said the people who look least likely to afford a generous tip were often the ones to do so, and every once in a while she had a party of 8 or10 who were a lot of work and left nothing!!  Life lessons...:-)===JACK:  Some restaurants pay a low wage, figuring that tips are part of what is earned.  Since I haven't been in that business I'll leave employer and employee to come to an agreement.  Pastors often get a gift after performing pastoral duties. I never looked upon those as a tip...but they have to be reported to the IRS as income.  FROM A SUNSHINE BOY:  working my way thru college and wanting to eat, I had a meal job serving fraternity boys - no tips but I did get fed -  thus I don't recommend serving fraternity boys or fraternity boys period . . . course I'm sure I'm bias ===JACK:  Serving fraternity boys beats going hungry...and teaches social skills, sometimes negatively.  You came out OK with no visible scars. FROM MAGP:  I remember Mike and my Mom, Eileen, telling about being a carhop at A&W when she was young. They had to pay for any broken glass root beer mugs out of their earnings. I guess that was to make them more careful.===JACK:  Waiting tables involves more than witing tables.  It means "learning to be careful...the value of cleanliness and good service...the value of money...how to get along with different kinds of people.  I read this morning that A&W was the first fast-food restaurant, started in 1919. FROM LBP:  Does DQ girl count? Given the long lines in the summer I’d think so. It was my first job, outside of babysitting, and I will still recite things I learned there.===JACK:  Ah! Patty and  Frank!  "Hey,  I'm not paying you to talk to your boyfriends."  Frank has since died, and Patty has remarried.. ==LBP:  “I’m not paying you to be worried about school or your boyfriends. Leave all that at the back door. You can pick it up on your way out”  As a manager now, that’s a hard one, Especially with folks working from home now.  We cannot always leave it at the door. ===JACK:  Frank was a successful manager, because he was "hardnosed."  If you want the manager's job, then you have to take what goes with it.  Personally, that wasn't for me.  I would have let you talk to your boyfriends.

 

Jack’s Winning Words 5/20/21 “I really have to go to the bathroom…IMMEDIATELY! is the best excuse for avoiding a speeding ticket.”  (Shutterstock)  Today marks the anniversary of the issuing of the 1st speeding ticket…to someone going 12 mph in an 8 mph zone.  I vividly recall receiving my 1st, and I’m sure you remember yours, too.  (Yes, some of you “lightfoots” have never gotten one).  My excuse to the officer was that “This cat got in my car without me knowing it, and I have to take it back to the golf driving range.”  Maybe I should have used the “bathroom excuse.” (Ed’s comment:  ; Although we all like to use excuses, sometimes the best approach is to fess up and admit you’re wrong-)  Jack FROM WILLMAR REV:  I've been fortunate with warnings in recent years (3, I remember) of being warned as they were stops for me going around forty mph in 30 mph zones while leaving one of the small towns out here in rural Minnesota. Two of them were in neighboring counties, and I wondered if for some reason they knew I was either a minister or a chaplain in our county? 0;-/===JACK:  I can't imagine you breaking any laws, except in the "wild days" of your youth.  I'll bet you never, ever, stepped over the foul line while bowling...and if you did, you probably said, "Excuse me!" FROM EDUCATOR PAUL:  Hasn’t happened in years, but  in today’s world? The first thing I would say is, “ No matter what t did to have you get out of your car and walk to my car… I’m sorry I put  you in that position.” ===JACK:  If you said that, he'd (she'd) probably give you a breathalyzer test.  Seriously, though, parents of color have to give the "what to do when pulled over" lecture when teaching their children to drive.  I can't remember doing that with mine.   FROM JACK:  I'd almost forgotten this one.  I was driving a car with the church's name on the door...and I was pulled over for speeding.  After giving the lecture, the cop said, "Reverand, you're supposed to scare the Hell out of people with your preaching and not your driving!  BE CAREFUL1111" FRO TRIHARDER:  "My wife ran off with a police officer, sir, and when I saw you in my rearview mirror,  I thought it was him bringing her back." ===JACK:  That's a good one, but most of the ones I've met aren't into jokes. FROM HONEST JOHN:  I wonder if anyone ever got one going to a synod convention?===JACK:  Maybe...going home from one.    FROM SAUSAGE SALESMAN:    As a 30 plus year road warrior, I found honesty and courtesy worked best. I actually had 10...yes 10 warnings in a row before getting another ticket.===JACK:  I think your dad was one of the fastest drivers I've known.  He held the record for the shortest driving time beteen Merrill and Marinette. FROM JU IN NC:  In nearly sixty years of driving, I have never had a ticket.  Maybe because I tell everyone, if you want to grow old, do it slow. Every where I have needed to go, I've always got there.  Just the other day a car dived in front of us and ahead of another   I told my wife, guess he wants to get to red light before us.  Sure nuff!===JACK:  The first traffic signal was operated here in Detroit.  I wonder how mant there now are in the USA?  Google should know.===JU:  I used to ask my Friend as he would speed from one end of town to the other, so you will get to where you're going quicker. What do you plan on doing with the two extra minutes after you arrive? ===JACK:  Did Army vehicles obey the speed limits?===JU:  They usually went slower than other traffic, but if they decided to go faster, well, no one of ever argued.===JACK:  No one argued......especially if it was a tank. FROM QUILTING CAROL:  I told the officer I was sorry and that I deserved the ticket.  I was NOT paying attention to the speed limit.  Hope I set a good example for our college aged son sitting next to me (awakened by my suddenly pulling over to the shoulder of the road).  I told him I was about to get a speeding ticket.  His comment – “You?  You never speed!”  Bless him! 😊 ===JACK:  I'll bet husbands are faster drivers than their wives. ===QC:  Not in this household…..===JACK:  I'm shocked FROM SALON SUZY:  I’ve only had one. On my way to final fitting of my wedding dress.===JACK:  Bummer.  I hope he took that as a good excuse.  If I were the cop, I would have turned on the flashers and siren and led you to the dress shop. FROM PROUD MARY:  My first and only speeding ticket was in Lake Villa. I was working at Allendale School for Boys, 1979. Was on my way back from a doctor appointment with one of the residents when he started harassing and threatening me. Thought I might get back to campus quicker if I did 40 in a 30 mile zone. When I asked the police officer if he could excuse the offense he pretty much laughed. I got back to my supervisor and told her about the situation and she pretty much laughed. When went to court and explained the situation to the judge he pretty much laughed. Have never had a ticket since. Think I learned my lesson.===JACK:  As a pastor, I might have smiled, but I would have yold you that you did the right thing.  However, I AM surprised that your slate is clean from that time until now...but who knows about tomorrow?  I gave up my driver's license yesterday (vision issues), so no more tickets for me.  The roads are now safer.