Winning Ways -- Hillcrest Baptist Church

The Most Important Word You'll Learn This Week
by Tom Goodman
November 10, 2010

Maybe you read about the South Korean woman who was just granted her driver's license after 960 tries. Her tenacity has given new meaning to a popular Korean term: sajeonogi.

It's the most important word you'll learn this week. But first, the driver's license story.

In September, the New York Times wrote about Cha Sa-soon, a 69-year-old widow who lives in a remote village in South Korea. She wanted to learn to drive so she could take her grandkids to the zoo without relying on the bus system. But Ms. Cha had limited reading skills, having begun school at 15 only to drop out for lack of funds a few years later. So, her biggest obstacle was the 50-minute written test consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions. She failed this exam 959 times, at a cost of $5 for each try.

But she never gave up, and she's the proud owner of a driver's license today. She's also the proud owner of a $17,000 car from the people of Hyundai, who feature her on prime-time commercials in Korea.

The NYT piece says she's become the embodiment of sajeonogi -- and that's the most important word you'll learn this week.

It's a conflation of four words that capture a proverb on perseverance: Sa means four, Jeon means "to be knocked down," Oh means "five," and Gi means "to rise." So, sajeonogi means to rise five times when knocked down four times. The idiom became popular after Korean boxer Hong-Su-hwan won the 1977 super bantamweight championship by a knockout after being floored four times.

You'll need a commitment to sajeonogi to leave your mark in this life.

Each Sunday in November we're looking at what it takes to become a person of influence. The series is called "Leave Your Mark," and it's a look at Paul's first missionary journey as recorded in Acts 13-14. It's for parents and coaches and teachers and managers and civic leaders and anyone else who knows the importance of influence. You can catch up with the series on our website.

This Sunday we'll discover that no one makes an impact on the lives of others without perseverance. Paul faced many setbacks in his efforts: a co-worker abandoned him, his health broke down, and he met with hot opposition. Still, he never gave up, and so "the word of the Lord spread through the whole region" (13:49).

Join us at 10 a.m. each Sunday morning in November for this important series!

--Tom

Weblog: Check out my blog, "Get Anchored," with its Links to Your World -- interesting and informative links, posted every Tuesday.

Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them!

Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail.

FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST UPDATED WEEKLY: www.hillcrestaustin.org

LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS: Click here.

MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: Click here. If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.

Winning Ways - from Hillcrest Baptist Church, Austin, Texas	Contact Tom Goodman, Pastor
Manage Your Subscription -- Subscribe/Unsubscribe	Contact Us About Your Subscription
The Most Important Word You'll Learn This Week by Tom Goodman November 10, 2010 Maybe you read about the South Korean woman who was just granted her driver's license after 960 tries. Her tenacity has given new meaning to a popular Korean term: sajeonogi. It's the most important word you'll learn this week. But first, the driver's license story. In September, the New York Times wrote about Cha Sa-soon, a 69-year-old widow who lives in a remote village in South Korea. She wanted to learn to drive so she could take her grandkids to the zoo without relying on the bus system. But Ms. Cha had limited reading skills, having begun school at 15 only to drop out for lack of funds a few years later. So, her biggest obstacle was the 50-minute written test consisting of 40 multiple-choice questions. She failed this exam 959 times, at a cost of $5 for each try. But she never gave up, and she's the proud owner of a driver's license today. She's also the proud owner of a $17,000 car from the people of Hyundai, who feature her on prime-time commercials in Korea. The NYT piece says she's become the embodiment of sajeonogi -- and that's the most important word you'll learn this week. It's a conflation of four words that capture a proverb on perseverance: Sa means four, Jeon means "to be knocked down," Oh means "five," and Gi means "to rise." So, sajeonogi means to rise five times when knocked down four times. The idiom became popular after Korean boxer Hong-Su-hwan won the 1977 super bantamweight championship by a knockout after being floored four times. You'll need a commitment to sajeonogi to leave your mark in this life. Each Sunday in November we're looking at what it takes to become a person of influence. The series is called "Leave Your Mark," and it's a look at Paul's first missionary journey as recorded in Acts 13-14. It's for parents and coaches and teachers and managers and civic leaders and anyone else who knows the importance of influence. You can catch up with the series on our website. This Sunday we'll discover that no one makes an impact on the lives of others without perseverance. Paul faced many setbacks in his efforts: a co-worker abandoned him, his health broke down, and he met with hot opposition. Still, he never gave up, and so "the word of the Lord spread through the whole region" (13:49). Join us at 10 a.m. each Sunday morning in November for this important series! --Tom Weblog: Check out my blog, "Get Anchored," with its Links to Your World -- interesting and informative links, posted every Tuesday. Do you know friends who would appreciate Winning Ways? Just forward this e-mail to them! Have you subscribed to Winning Ways? You can subscribe by clicking here and following the instructions. Your e-mail address will not be sold or given away to anyone, and you can automatically change your subscription or drop it by following the easy steps provided with each e-mail. FRESH NEWS AT HILLCREST UPDATED WEEKLY: www.hillcrestaustin.org LISTEN TO RECENT SERMONS: Click here. MANAGE YOUR SUBSCRIPTIONS TO OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS: Click here. If you do not have access to the web, please send a note to newsmaster@hbcaustin.org to tell us of any changes you would like to make.