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FReeper Canteen~HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!~15 June 08
The Canteen Crew ^ | June 14, 2008 | Serving the Best Troops in the WORLD!

Posted on 06/14/2008 5:10:05 PM PDT by Brad’s Gramma


 
 

 

 


 


THE LOSER WHO NEVER GAVE UP

For "Sparky", school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked physics in high school, getting a grade of zero. He also flunked Latin, algebra and English. And his record in sports wasn't any better. Though he did manage to make the school's golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. Oh, there was a consolation match; he lost that too.

Throughout his youth, Sparky was awkward socially. It wasn't that the other students disliked him; it's just that no one really cared all that much. In fact, Sparky was astonished if a classmate ever said hello to him outside of school hours. There's no way to tell how he might have done at dating. He never once asked a girl out in high school. He was too afraid of being turned down... or perhaps laughed at. Sparky was a loser. He, his classmates... everyone knew it. So he learned to live with it. He made up his mind early that if things were meant to work out, they would. Otherwise he would content himself with what appeared to be his inevitable mediocrity.

One thing WAS important to Sparky, however -- drawing. He was proud of his artwork. No one else appreciated it. But that didn't seem to matter to him. In his senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the the yearbook. The editors rejected the concept. Despite this brush-off, Sparky was convinced of his ability. He even decided to become an artist.

So, after completing high school, Sparky wrote Walt Disney Studios. They asked for samples of his artwork. Despite careful preparation, it too was rejected. One more confirmation that he was a loser.

But Sparky still didn't give up. Instead, he decided to tell his own life's story in cartoons. The main character would be a little boy who symbolized the perpetual loser and chronic underachiever. You know him well. Because Sparky's cartoon character went on to become a cultural phenomenon of sorts. People readily identified with this "lovable loser." He reminded people of the painful and embarrassing moments from their own past, of their pain and their shared humanity. The character soon became famous worldwide: "Charlie Brown." And Sparky, the boy whose many failures never kept him from trying, whose work was rejected again and again,... is the highly successful cartoonist Charles Schultz. His cartoon strip, "Peanuts," continues to inspire books, T-shirts and Christmas specials, reminding us, as someone once commented, that life somehow finds a way for all of us, even the losers.

If you follow the comic strip for a while, you will begin to notice one other thing as well. It isn't anger, resentment or in-your-face sarcasm which fuels Schultz's creativity and resilience. It's his faith. In fact, one study of the comic strip, published several years ago, made precisely that point. It eventually became a popular book entitled, "The Gospel According To Peanuts."

Sparky's story reminds us of a very important principle in life. We all face difficulty and discouragement from time to time. We also have a choice in how we handle it. If we're persistent, if we hold fast to our faith, if we continue to develop the unique talents God has given us, who knows what can happen? We may end up with an insight and an ability to inspire that comes only through hardship. (Read Jeremiah 29:11 and Romans 8:28.) In the end, there are no "losers" with God. Some winners just take longer to develop!

CAPT J. David Atwater, CHC, USN

 

 


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; Free Republic
KEYWORDS: chaplain; fathersday; freepercanteen; lovedad; military; troopsupport
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To: StarCMC

81 posted on 06/14/2008 7:35:42 PM PDT by PROCON (No more politics, I promise!)
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To: All

82 posted on 06/14/2008 7:36:04 PM PDT by laurenmarlowe
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To: StarCMC

Happy Birthday to you!


83 posted on 06/14/2008 7:39:44 PM PDT by TheMom (My baby just graduated from High School - send money for college!)
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To: laurenmarlowe

Thanks so much.


84 posted on 06/14/2008 7:42:54 PM PDT by TheMom (My baby just graduated from High School - send money for college!)
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To: Lady Jag
Good Lord's Day, Lady J....cool Daddys there.


85 posted on 06/14/2008 7:52:15 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (~ RIP Brian...heaven's gain...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~)
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To: All

86 posted on 06/14/2008 7:55:40 PM PDT by MeekMom (Go Celtics!!!)
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To: StarCMC

.....Star!!!
May it be the best ever!!

87 posted on 06/14/2008 8:03:15 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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To: StarCMC

88 posted on 06/14/2008 8:03:26 PM PDT by MeekMom (Go Celtics!!!)
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To: Eaker; TheMom

Eaker and TheMom
~Gary Morris~The Wind Beneath My Wings
[click]

89 posted on 06/14/2008 8:08:14 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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To: Brad's Gramma; Texas Songwriter; HiJinx; PROCON; mylife; Tanniker Smith; SandRat; All
Happy Father's Day
Dads of the Canteen
and troops!
"FATHERS AND SONS"
Jeff Russell


90 posted on 06/14/2008 8:19:33 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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To: All; laurenmarlowe; The Mayor; Kathy in Alaska; Colonel_Flagg; GodBlessUSA; Mrs.Nooseman; ...
Happy Father's Day
Dads of the Canteen
and troops!
MY FATHER'S EYES
Eric Clapton


91 posted on 06/14/2008 8:25:38 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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To: Kathy in Alaska

92 posted on 06/14/2008 8:37:51 PM PDT by Lady Jag (Donate to FR anytime at https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate)
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To: HiJinx; SandRat; ConorMacNessa; PROCON; Tanniker Smith; mylife; Old Sarge; txradioguy; ...
I just stumbled over this.....I am ROTFLMBO!! It works perfectly!!

Instructions For New Fathers "Spread the diaper in the position of the diamond with you at bat. Then, fold second base down to home and set the baby on the pitcher's mound. Put first base and third together, bring up home plate and pin the three together. Of course, in case of rain, you gotta call the game and start all over again."

93 posted on 06/14/2008 8:52:54 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (~ RIP Brian...heaven's gain...the Coast Guard lost a good one.~)
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To: All; HiJinx; SandRat; Tanniker Smith; PROCON; mylife; BIGLOOK; Randy Larsen; SoldierDad; ...
Happy Father's Day
Dads of the Canteen
and troops!
SONG FOR
MY FATHER

George Benson


94 posted on 06/14/2008 8:58:04 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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To: Kathy in Alaska

funny Ma


95 posted on 06/14/2008 8:58:28 PM PDT by MeekMom (Go Celtics!!!)
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To: LUV W

Evening Luvy! ((hugs))
How hot did it get for you today?
Today here, was not as bad as it has been. Got up to 86. :)


96 posted on 06/14/2008 8:59:32 PM PDT by MeekMom (Go Celtics!!!)
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To: MeekMom

It was at least 100. *sigh*

The steering wheel nearly BBQ’d my hands when I started to
drive home from work.

I want your 86!...in the daytime! It’s that right now at 11pm! Gasp!


97 posted on 06/14/2008 9:01:36 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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To: MeekMom

Oh!

((((MM))))

Mustn’t forget that!


98 posted on 06/14/2008 9:02:15 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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To: LUV W

?


99 posted on 06/14/2008 9:04:05 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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To: LUV W

?


100 posted on 06/14/2008 9:04:05 PM PDT by luvie (((((hugs)))) heal!)
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