Daniel's Graduation Speech

**************Daniel's Graduation Speech****************

Mr. Tedder, Mr. Warren, Faculty and Staff of Victory Baptist Academy, and Honored Guests,

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
two roads diverged in a wood, and I --
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference."

I recently found out that my mother and I both share a love of poetry by Robert Frost. His poem, "The Road Not Taken" has undoubtedly provoked the thought of many a graduating senior through the years.

Two years ago, I had come to the place in the path of my life where the road forked and went off in two very different directions. Like the traveler of the poem, I had to pick a path to take, and standing at the fork, the paths did not look very different on the surface. The paths were my educational choices, and I could pick public or private school. My choice was to come to Victory Baptist Academy, and like the traveler’s choice in the poem, taking the road less traveled has made all the difference.

Sometimes, I am not sure that you can fully appreciate the blessings in your life until you have been without them. I came to appreciate VBA very quickly, with all that it stands for, and I was thankful to have found my way here, even if I was about 10 years late.

Now I’m gonna preach a little. One of my favorite Bible passages deals with being thankful. In the 17th chapter of Luke, 10 lepers came to Jesus begging to be healed. Now I can relate to these lepers somewhat, because this year, I came down with a nagging case of psoriasis that has just about itched me to death.

I can only imagine the agony these 10 fellows were in when they came to Jesus for relief. Jesus promptly healed them and sent them off to see the priests who would proclaim them clean and fit to re-enter society. In their extreme jubilation over being healed, 9 of the lepers forgot to even say "Thank you" to our Lord. Only one man came back to thank Jesus. By failing to thank the Lord adequately, the text tells us that the other nine failed to give glory to God.

Tonight, I do not want to leave this place without giving the Glory to God for the past two years of my life, and I want to try, in my own feeble way, to extend my thanks to all of those who have given of themselves so that I could leave here a better man.

To Mr. and Mrs. Tedder,

Thank you for having the vision over 30 years ago to see that education in a Christian setting is the right thing for people of faith!!! Thank you for making a place where boys and girls can come and learn from Bible-based curriculums and from men and women of high moral character.

I have appreciated the opportunity to hear the Creation story as it should be told---the way everything began as recorded in Genesis. I have been so proud to not have to listen to the wild theories of men or read from godless textbooks about where I supposedly came from.

Mr. Tedder, thank you for marrying such a gracious lady full of inner beauty and character. She does such a wonderful job of teaching the little ones here, and she is a great encourager of us older ones, too. Her smiling face was often the first one we saw here every morning.

I will always remember the tremendous lessons you have taught us, and I will forever be grateful for your vision and your commitment to youth.

Romans 13:7 says, "Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour."

Mr. and Mrs. Tedder, tonight, I honor and thank you both!


To Mr. and Mrs. Lyn Warren, Mr. and Mrs. Loyd Warren, and Mrs. Leathers,

You have been my teachers, my advisors, my directors, and coaches during my two years here. My mother says you all have her deepest sympathies.

I think that somehow, there was a mistake made this year when I won the basketball award for being Most Teachable! I fear I am not the easiest student you have ever taught. Even though I haven’t tried to be difficult, I know there were days that you would have pulled your hair out if you could (well, those of you that have any to spare.)

It has been said, "A teacher affects eternity: he can never tell where his influence stops." I believe this is true. Your influence will go on with me through the years. I know that each of you, and all the teachers here, sacrifice much to try and produce well-rounded students. I know that few see the hours that you put in here, many times long after all the students have gone home. You have to be extra-vigilant, because you are people who care if what we study is true to the Word of God and morally right. That is time-consuming, and for all that you have done for me in this regard, I thank you. For all the time that every member of the VBA family takes away from their own personal lives for the good of the students---I admire you all, and I offer you my gratitude.

Proverbs 4: 11-13 says, "I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths. When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble. Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life." You have instructed me; now, it is up to me to hold fast to the Word of God.

To Mr. Lyn, Miss Angela, Mr. Loyd, and Miss Emily Warren and Mrs. Kimberly Leathers thank you, and God bless you all!

I would be remiss if I left this stage without remembering a few more people who have touched my life in ways that I will never forget.

To the Bible class teachers I have had through the years who guided me in my study of the Word of God-----thank you for your work and your prayers for me. People like Annie Lou McCarty make an impact on little 6 and 8 and 10 year old boys who will soon grow up to be teenagers, tempted in this world. Miss Annie Lou wrote me countless letters through the years, thanking ME for coming to Bible class and doing my lessons! Thank God for faithful men and women who see the future of the church in the children of today and steadfastly encourage us to remember our Creator in the days of our youth.

There are many people here at VBA who take on the role of servants. They do the many thankless tasks that make a school run smoothly. To the many who take on roles of servitude here at VBA---like Mrs. Hull, the cafeteria lady--thank you for doing more than filling my stomach. You gave me that figurative cup of cool water on so many days when I did not know if I could take another step. In Matthew 25: 37 and 40 it says, "Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? .....And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."

Mrs. Hull, you have refreshed my soul and encouraged me to always take the high road. I will always remember your wise counsel. Thank you!

To Miss Emily--the wind beneath the wings of the 2004-2005 VBA chorus this year....thank you for your untiring service to those of us who wanted to go to Convention and win in all the music categories. You worked with us out of the goodness of your heart, when you could have been using your musical talent to land a paying job! Your selflessness afforded several of us some of the sweetest moments of the entire year. Thank you for your sacrifices for us all! Psalm 95:1 says "O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation." Thank you, Miss Emily, for making it possible for us to sing to the glory of God!


To another servant, Mr. Larry Haggard---to those of you who may not know Mr. Haggard, he is a quiet man who goes around and takes pictures at events here at VBA. Then just as quietly, without any pomp or glory-seeking for himself, he shares his pictures. You don’t know the joy you bring to people through your form of serving others. People like you--people full of quiet humility---you are my heroes. Matthew 5: 5 says, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." Mr. Haggard......thank you for your example!

(Dana's note: the following is about a young man with a severe case of cerebral palsy. His mind is very good, but his body is frail. He has a wonderful outlook and spirit.)

To those like Tracy Wade, who wear a smile day-in, day-out and are natural born encouragers of men, I am so grateful! Tracy, even though your physical body is probably not the earthly tent that you would pick if you could, your mind and your spirit are enviable. Each and every time you came to one of our basketball games and cheered us on, you lifted me up with the eagles! I pray that one day, we’ll walk together on that street of gold in heaven in our perfect glorified bodies! Matthew 5 : 8 says, "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God." Tracy....thank you for what you have taught me!


And while I am on the Wades, let me thank Mrs. Wade, the third and fourth grade teacher for her constant belief in me and her encouragement in my years here. I guess uplifting others just runs in your family! I Thessalonians 5:11 says, "Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do." Mrs. Wade, you and Tracy have both edified and comforted me this year, and I will never forget you!

To the man we all affectionately refer to as "Brother Loyd,"

I don’t think I have ever seen you without a smile on your face, unless it was a time when we were all sorrowful over something. The Bible says that "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine." I could not possibly count all the times that your smile was like medicine to my soul. You could even hear the smile in your voice as you introduced the Victory Baptist Patriots to the court at each and every home game. And you always made me laugh with the nicknames you thought up for this gangly old boy on the ball court! I cannot get that voice out of my head---I will probably remember it the rest of my life, and each and every time I do, I will smile!

Your happiness is contagious, and it can be said of you, Brother Loyd, as it was said of Solomon in I Kings 10:8, "Happy are thy men, happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and that hear thy wisdom." You’ve taught me a lot, Brother Loyd, and I appreciate the spirit in which you have done it!


I love all my family, and to all of you who came tonight to see me complete this journey, I give you my loving thanks.

But worthy of special mention is my grandfather, Ronald Edwards. To show you what a selfless man he is...... last fall, on the very day of his mother’s burial, he was more concerned with instructing me and encouraging me in the Lord than he was with his own grief. He had but a few brief hours to say goodbye to his beloved mother, but he took time for me. There are few people left in this world anymore who are able to put self aside and put others first. I will always remember that day, Pappy, as well as the many sacrifices you made for our family throughout the years.

Pappy’s hair has turned white now, probably mostly on account of Sam and me! Proverbs 16:31 says, "The hoary head is a crown of glory, IF it be found in the way of righteousness." Leviticus 19:32 says, Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD."

Pappy, you have done something right, for you have 5 kids and 8 grandkids who all love the Lord. For the righteous life you lead and the example you have set as a decent and honorable man among men, I honor and thank you tonight!


And lastly, to my mother, Dana Nolan. Mom, you undoubtedly are the leader of this extraordinary group of people I have listed tonight. I cannot count all the times you have lifted the spirits of someone, let alone your own son. You have been as selfless as a person can be over the years, only wanting to see the happiness of those you love. On those innumerable occasions when I would crawl up in your bed and talk with you, you gave me hope when you yourself had very little to spare. You calmed my doubtings and struck down my fears. You trained me up in the way I should go, and I am resolved not to depart from it so long as I have breath within my lungs. You have been more than a provider for me-- you have been my mentor and my best friend. I hope that the Lord will allow me to continue on the road of life with you by my side! I love you, Mom!


And finally, someone has said,

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

Whether you follow the path less taken or you forge your own way in life, the important thing is to stay on the narrow road that leads to heaven, and leave a trail of kindness and goodness behind you.

Tonight, I complete one leg of the journey here on this earth. I leave here tonight thankful to have known each of you and to have drawn from your life’s experience. I take the gifts you have freely given--- your example, your sincerity, your servitude, your counsel, and your love, and I will try to freely give back whenever and wherever I can.

And now I leave you and dedicate to you one of the sweetest blessings penned in Scripture:



"The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:

The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:

The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace."

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