Back 2 School

David Olmos
Summer is almost over and for a lot of kids that means the school year is just about to begin.  With it brings new friends, new teachers, new subjects, and new adventures.  However, school also brings about new failures.  At some point over the next year we are going to fail at something we try to do.  It may be a test, a project, or a paper, but failure is inevitable.  It’s how we deal with our failure that's most important.  Winston Churchill once said, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”  We must, as the year progresses, not allow for the times when we fall short to deter us from our overall goals.  We must do our best to turn our failures into successes.  This doesn’t only apply to kids in school, but parents who work, families at home, and Christians throughout life.  We can never forget what Paul wrote to the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:4-7).  When we struggle in life we must not forget that God is there to help.  Through prayer and study we can strengthen ourselves to overcome almost any obstacle that is thrown our way.  We can, with God, turn our failures into successes. Post-it® Notes are a prime example of a moment when success came from failure.  Everyone knows what Post-it® Notes are.  They are little self-stick notepapers that many people use for school and work.  They allow hand written notes to be added to book pages, papers, and even desks and walls.  But Post-it® Notes were not a planned product.  Spencer Silver worked with the 3M research laboratories in 1970 with the intent of making an extremely strong adhesive.  He failed.  He did make a new adhesive, but it was even weaker than what 3M already manufactured.  Silver noticed that it stuck to objects, but could be removed with ease.  It was weak and never put into production. Four years later, a scientist from 3M named Arthur Fry was sitting in church services and was struggling with his songbook.  He was using paper markers to keep his place in the hymnal, but they kept falling out.  Remembering the “failed” adhesive that Spencer Silver made, Fry used some to coat his markers.  A revolutionary product was born, and a failure was turned into a success.  The note markers could be stuck to any material and lifted off leaving no remnants behind.  In 1980, after a few years of testing and product design, 3M began distributing Post-it® Notes nation wide. This coming year if you happen to find yourself in a state of failure don’t give up.  Step back and realize that any failure can be turned into a success with the right attitude.  If you fail a test, project, or paper, learn from your mistakes and next time try a little harder. Winston Churchill also once said, “Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.” God understands how to turn failures into successes.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  Spiritually we can make up for our failures by seeking God’s forgiveness and repenting of the things we’ve done wrong.  When it comes to our day-to-day lives we must have the same attitude.  Find out what you did wrong and learn how to make it right.  Just never give up trying.   I hope this school year is a successful one, but if you stumble, remember to get back up and keep on going.  God Bless. Written by: David Olmos