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The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent May 26. 2021 “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…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent Dec 3, 2015 “Don’t allow yourself to be overcome by evil. Take the offensive. Overcome evil with good.” (The Bible) I’ve been struck by the fact that so many shootings have happened at places or times where people were trying to help people…the disabled, planned parenthood, churches, schools. The response to terror, whatever that terror might…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent Jan 18, 2016 “When you are right you cannot be too radical. When you are wrong you cannot be too conservative.” (MLK Jr)  Was King a conservative or a radical? Radical, in the sense that the civil rights changes he helped bring about were extreme. Conservative, in the way that change was accomplished…through peaceful marches. Too many…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent Jan. 2, 2012. “I think in terms of the day’s resolutions, not the year’s.” (Henry Moore) In Glenn McCoy’s cartoon The Duplex, Eno worries about keeping his New Year’s resolutions. Fang, his dog, tells him not to worry, because the day will be over in a few hours. That’s the way it is with resolutions. Keeping them – one day at a time – should be…

Jack’s Winning Words – Reposts of the blog posts of Pastor Jack Freed. Originally sent September 22, 2015. “We get so worried about being pretty. Let’s be pretty kind, pretty funny, pretty smart, pretty strong.” (Britt Nicole) The first Beauty Contest in America was after the Civil War, and now there’s conversation about banning such contests, especially of children. Although many seem to…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent August 27, 2020. “The older I get the less I listen to what people say and the more I look at what they do.” (Andrew Carnegie) Yesterday I heard that a neighbor said of me, “Jack’s been around here since Jesus was an altar boy.” Now, that’s old…old enough to comment that what people do is more important than what they say. Long-ago-Detroit-poet,…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent August 3, 2018. Reposts from the blog of the late Pastor Jack Freed. “Never lie to someone who trusts you and never trust someone who lies to you.” (Mark Twain) I read that 60% of people will lie at least once during a 10-minute conversation – little white lies, mostly. Whatever…truth is taking a beating these days. We used to believe: “A man’s…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words 7/14/25 – Reposts from the blog of the late Pastor Jack Freed – Originally sent March 2, 2021. “Laugh when you can; apologize when you should; and let go of what you can’t change.” (Posted by Carrie Goldring) Carrie is a friend of mine and writes regularly about how to cope after divorce. Divorce can be a roller coaster ride, creating stress, anxiety, and fear.…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent July 12, 2013. Reposts of the advice posts from the blog of the late Pastor Jack Freed. “There are two disappointments in life. One is not getting what you want. The other is getting it.” (Oscar Wilde) Disappointments? We all have them. A job loss, a broken relationship, a health issue… I like the advice in this old song, “When my chin is on the…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Reposts from the blog of the late pastor Jack Freed. Originally sent July 1, 2015 “Be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, and tolerant of the weak, because someday in your life you will be all of these.” (G.W. Carver) Often I can go into a gathering of people and know that I have once been the age of each person. Empathy is the ability to feel…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent Sept 17, 2018. Reposts from the blog of the late Pastor Jack Freed. “If you have to choose between being kind and being right, choose being kind, and you will always be right.” (Sent by Tara Kane) My friend Tara teaches more than public safety to college students. She explains to them (as illustrated in her quote) the importance of knowing how…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally posted 1/15/21- Reprints of posts to his blog by the late Pastor Jack Freed “You can look anywhere and find inspiration.”  (Frank Gehry)  Vanity Fair named Gehry the most important architect of our time.  His quote today became a challenge for me to look around…  What can give me inspiration?.  My hand?  Max Lucado’s book, Wonderful?  How about the…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent June 16, 2009. “Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good.” (Regina Brett) Brett’s quote is a reminder that expecting perfect equity often leads to frustration. But when we separate the idea of “fairness” from “goodness”, we recognize that even when we’re dealt an unfair hand, there are still positive experiences, growth and beauty in this world.…

Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent 5/16/19 – Reprints from pasts to his blog by the late Rev. Jack Freed. “A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking, because her trust is not on the branch, but on her own wings.  Always believe in yourself.”  (Unknown)  In the Bible Paul wrote to some friends of his…”I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”  As I look…

Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent Nov 12, 2015 – Reposts from the blog of the late Pastor Jack Freed “Don’t put the key to your happiness in someone else’s pocket.” (Sent by MBO) When John Lennon was 5-yrs-old the teacher asked what he wanted to be when he grew up. When he answered, “Happy!” he was told he didn’t understand the assignment….but I think he did. The pursuit of happiness…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words –  Originally sent Sept 12, 2022. “Old people just grow lonesome, Waiting for someone to say, ‘Hello in there… Hello.” (John Prine lyrics) The late John Prine was a magician when it came to writing lyrics. “Hello in There” is a poignant song about lonesome old people who have stories to tell…if only someone would listen. Take a look around you. Is there someone…

The Best of Jack’s Winning Words – Originally sent May 25, 2009. “Death leaves a heartache no one can heal. Love leaves a memory no one can steal.” (Seen on a headstone in Ireland) This is a good one to think about while Memorial Day is still fresh in our minds. We all have our memories that can never be taken away from us, don’t we? 😉 Jack The sharp pain of the loss of a loved one may fade…