How do you pack your suitcases?

Thought: Our days are identical suitcases-all the same size-but some people can pack more into them than others.

Biblical text: "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15,16)

Sparky didn't have much going for him. He failed every subject in the eighth grade, and in high school, he flunked Latin, Algebra, English, and Physics. He made the golf team, but promptly lost the only important match of the season, and then lost the consolation match. He was awkward socially?more shy than disliked. He never once asked a girl to go out on a date in high school.

One thing, however, was important to Sparky-drawing. He was proud of his artwork even though no one else appreciated it. He submitted cartoons to the editors of his high school yearbook, but they were turned down. Even so, Sparky aspired to be an artist. After high school, he sent samples of his artwork to the Walt Disney Studios. Again, he was turned down.

Still, Sparky didn't quit packing his suitcase! He decided to write his own autobiography in cartoons. The character he created became famous worldwide-the subject not only of cartoon strips but countless books, television shows, and licensing opportunities. Sparky, you see, was Charles Schulz, creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. Like his character, Charlie Brown, Schulz may not have been able to do many things. But, he made the most of what he could do!