Post by JasonPensa on Apr 26, 2004 1:14:40 GMT -5
Dear Friends:
For Jason and his debate partner Matt… their days of glory… were over. Oh, and how it did end. With a mighty crash, what had been a good debate season died rather pitifully. Rather then getting better, our debate season got worse. This debate season, I had expected little more then last years debate season. I didn’t know how Matt and I would do… the goal of qualifying seemed almost laughable. However, when we started breaking at tournaments and pulling records that totally shocked me, my thoughts eventually began to change. Maybe I could qualify for the National tournament… maybe. We did well at Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Peoria IL… and then at the Illinois tournament, we met a sad unfortunate end, but understandable with the pool of judges we had. After four tournaments of success, having one tournament of failure simply meant we had an off tournament, right? Wrong. Hillsdale met us with the same defeat as the Illinois tournament reeked upon us. Being our last tournament it seemed to be a bitter end. I must confess in all honesty that it was rather… depressing. On top of all that, and perhaps what hurt the worst, is the college I had most wanted to go to, rejected me. Life is full of disappointment.
"It is not the critic who counts... the credit belongs to the man whose face is marred by dust and sweat and tears and blood... who spends himself for a worthy cause, and if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
I know what it is like to win, and I know what it is like to loose. I know what it is like to work your self to death and your only reward seems to be failure. I’ve seen others excel in many arenas of life, and sometimes I’m tempted to wonder… where is my gift, where is my talent?? When you are in something like speech and debate competition, you are subjecting yourself the probability of disappointment.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."
Colossians 3:23-24
"With great power comes great responsibility." Whatever gifts God almighty gives to you, use them to the best of your ability and He will reward you. Whether you win or loose. Jesus said, "to whom much is given, much will be required." One day, you will stand before the throne of God to whom you will have to give an account for your life. I hope that you will hear these words, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master." It won’t matter if no one ever heard your name mentioned. It won’t matter if they ever called you up on stage. What will matter in the end is the effect you had on others. The things that you do for Jesus Christ, are, in the end the only thing that matters in this life. Oh sure, perhaps you can have allot more fun living your life for yourself right now, but you won’t find that to be fulfilling in the end. Believe me, I’ve been there, I’ve lived life for me for many years… but I was a dissatisfied customer. The only purpose in life is found in Christ.
For those of you who are trying and yet failing. Hear this—don’t give up. Finish the what you start. Discouragement, and disappointment I have known well. They are not easy roads to take. But stick with it. See it to the finish. You’ll find life is more rewarding that way. The only life worth living is the one that has failures as well as victories. The only victories that are rewarding are the ones you have to work to accomplish.
Godis4u! – Romans 8:28, 31
His Servant,
Jason
For Jason and his debate partner Matt… their days of glory… were over. Oh, and how it did end. With a mighty crash, what had been a good debate season died rather pitifully. Rather then getting better, our debate season got worse. This debate season, I had expected little more then last years debate season. I didn’t know how Matt and I would do… the goal of qualifying seemed almost laughable. However, when we started breaking at tournaments and pulling records that totally shocked me, my thoughts eventually began to change. Maybe I could qualify for the National tournament… maybe. We did well at Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Peoria IL… and then at the Illinois tournament, we met a sad unfortunate end, but understandable with the pool of judges we had. After four tournaments of success, having one tournament of failure simply meant we had an off tournament, right? Wrong. Hillsdale met us with the same defeat as the Illinois tournament reeked upon us. Being our last tournament it seemed to be a bitter end. I must confess in all honesty that it was rather… depressing. On top of all that, and perhaps what hurt the worst, is the college I had most wanted to go to, rejected me. Life is full of disappointment.
"It is not the critic who counts... the credit belongs to the man whose face is marred by dust and sweat and tears and blood... who spends himself for a worthy cause, and if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place will never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."
Theodore Roosevelt
I know what it is like to win, and I know what it is like to loose. I know what it is like to work your self to death and your only reward seems to be failure. I’ve seen others excel in many arenas of life, and sometimes I’m tempted to wonder… where is my gift, where is my talent?? When you are in something like speech and debate competition, you are subjecting yourself the probability of disappointment.
"Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve."
Colossians 3:23-24
"With great power comes great responsibility." Whatever gifts God almighty gives to you, use them to the best of your ability and He will reward you. Whether you win or loose. Jesus said, "to whom much is given, much will be required." One day, you will stand before the throne of God to whom you will have to give an account for your life. I hope that you will hear these words, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master." It won’t matter if no one ever heard your name mentioned. It won’t matter if they ever called you up on stage. What will matter in the end is the effect you had on others. The things that you do for Jesus Christ, are, in the end the only thing that matters in this life. Oh sure, perhaps you can have allot more fun living your life for yourself right now, but you won’t find that to be fulfilling in the end. Believe me, I’ve been there, I’ve lived life for me for many years… but I was a dissatisfied customer. The only purpose in life is found in Christ.
For those of you who are trying and yet failing. Hear this—don’t give up. Finish the what you start. Discouragement, and disappointment I have known well. They are not easy roads to take. But stick with it. See it to the finish. You’ll find life is more rewarding that way. The only life worth living is the one that has failures as well as victories. The only victories that are rewarding are the ones you have to work to accomplish.
Godis4u! – Romans 8:28, 31
His Servant,
Jason