FReeper Canteen ~ Sunday Chapel ~ THE LOSER WHO NEVER GAVE UP ~ November 7, 2010

Serving The Best Troops and Veterans In The World !! | Brad's Gramma

[Kathy in Alaska]

 

 

 

 

 

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

 

[SevenofNine]

What kind of childhood you could have if you are son of Keith Richards

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-1327167/Keith-Richards-son-Marlon-real-hero-growing-normal.html

[Kathy in Alaska]

They need all the prayers we can offer. Our dubious “leaders” are not doing anything to help them. *sigh*

A good Lord’s Day to you and yours.

[oldteen]

Evenin' ML! *hugs*

A most Blessed Sunday to you!

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

Our dubious “leaders” are not doing anything to help them. *sigh*

And the US government claims to be friends with Israel. But they currently seem more interested in kissing up to the muzzies than in helping Israel. *extra big sigh*

[Kathy in Alaska]

And a wonderful evening to you, Mac...*HUGS*

A nice day today? Resting the knee? I loved Sir Winston in his Election Day shirt. A really bright spot in the day.

And to you and your family, a Blessed Lord’s Day as well.

[SevenofNine]

If you want watch Burma election Reuters have blog on it

http://live.reuters.com/Event/Myanmar_elections

[ColdOne]

**hugs** Hows things? I sure hope all is dandy with you and yours.. God Bless Our Military and Support them always..

God Bless you and yours oldteen!

[oldteen]

Thank you, ColdOne! Things are as dandy as allowed I suppose. Like most I know, it's one day at a time!

Troops are always supported as a Nam Vet lives in the house! :)

[ColdOne]

:)

[SevenofNine]

Hey Kathy is my buddy Godzilla up in Alaska hang out with Sarah Palin ROFL

BreakingNews Breaking News
5.3-magnitude earthquake strikes northern Alaska, 85 miles southwest of Kaktovik http://bit.ly/brlu9F

[Kathy in Alaska]

Welcome to the Canteen, Sir_Ed. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

A Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good Lord’s Day to you and yours, Dubya. Thank you for the Soldiers Prayer.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Thanks, Mac, for Amazing Grace! How sweet the sound. Beautiful song.

[left that other site]

Hi Teenie!

A Blesses Sunday to you too.

This morning I went out to water my Garden, a an enormous bougainvillea bush had fallen down in the wind right onto my herb garden! I had to saw the whole thing up with a little hand saw, and the thorns are NASTY! It had been really top-heavy, and i had been Putting Off trimming it because of the thorns, but now I had NO CHOICE.

I wore gloves, but still got stung a few times.

[luvie]

Thank you...you, too! Missed you last night somehow! Hope
you were doing something fun! :)

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, teen...*HUGS*...hope you had an allergy free day. Do you get many of those?

Grammie is hoping to be here later.

And a Blessed Lord’s Day to you and yours.

[Kathy in Alaska]

Amazing Grace ~ Cherokee

Elvis ~ In The Garden

Jim Ed Brown ~ Chapel Bells Are Ringing

John Berry ~ Old Rugged Cross

Kitty Wells ~ Dust On the Bible

Red Sovine ~ Deck of Cards

The Statler Brothers ~ Church in the Wildwood

Tennessee Ernie Ford ~ Faith of Our Fathers

The Gaithers ~ What A Friend We Have in Jesus

Elvis ~ Precious Lord

Ray Cornelius ~ One Set of Footprints

How Great Thou Art ~ Choctaw

Amazing Grace ~ Cherokee

Elvis ~ In The Garden

Jim Ed Brown ~ Chapel Bells Are Ringing

John Berry ~ Old Rugged Cross

Kitty Wells ~ Dust On the Bible

Red Sovine ~ Deck of Cards

The Statler Brothers ~ Church in the Wildwood

Tennessee Ernie Ford ~ Faith of Our Fathers

The Gaithers ~ What A Friend We Have in Jesus

Elvis ~ Precious Lord

Ray Cornelius ~ One Set of Footprints

How Great Thou Art ~ Choctaw

[Kathy in Alaska]

Good evening, ML...((HUGS))...maybe some of those will reset themselves. LOL! If you have lessons tomorrow, ya better make sure all your alarms are done first! And then hope your clients remembered. d:o)

A Blessed Lord’s Day and Shavua Tov to you and yours.

[Dubya]

[oldteen]

Ouch!...not a good thing to have to do!