Categories
Adobe Illustrator cartoon children cartoons church cartoons gag cartoon recreation Religion Cartoons single panel cartoon vacation webcomic

Packed for VBS Cartoon

Since the first word of VBS suggests we’re going on a vacation. I had some fun with the ideas and drew this Packed for VBS cartoon.

Packed for VBS Cartoon: A boy says, "Thanks for inviting me to vacation Bible school. I'm all packed!'

When you think about it, vacation Bible school is false advertising. After all, shouldn’t it be called staycation Bible school? This isn’t an all-inclusive vacation to Cancun. We can try to use props to make the sanctuary look like a jungle or the Holy Land. But we’re not fooling anyone over six years old.

Categories
Adobe Illustrator cartoon children cartoons church cartoons gag cartoon Religion Cartoons single panel cartoon webcomic

Sermons in 3D Cartoon

Some churches are always searching for the latest technology to enhance a worship service. So one day, I thought of this “Sermons in 3D Cartoon.”

Sermons in 3D cartoon. A mom says to a pastor, “He’s listened to all of your sermons since I told him you presented them in 3D.”

Isn’t it amazing what a little creativity and technology can add to a sermon or presentation? Still, I think 3D technology would be a bit distracting. However, it could be effective, and a little convicting when a pastor would reach right out to you.

Categories
Christianity Christmas holiday Religion Cartoons

Day After Christmas

What would the day after the first Christmas have looked like? How would the day after the shepherds have looked?

  • Would there have been some curious people strolling in because they heard the shepherds’ proclamation?
  • Could the innkeeper caved into the guilt and got the new family a room, or at least some comforts?
  • Did Joseph have to scramble to the busy marketplace to find some food for the starving, exhausted mother?
  • Did the barn animals behave themselves? Surely they couldn’t keep quiet as the baby laid in the manger!
Cartoon of a nativity scene with a cow and donkey. The cow says, “Nonesense, my dear Donkey! It wasn’t my lowing, but your braying that woke the poor baby!

I think back to the days after my children were born. We were grateful for the grandparents’ help. Our small group made sure we were well fed and cared for. At the same time, we were exhausted and equally thankful when we were home and the excitement had died down… then came the work of raising a brand new human!

How was it for the new parents? No grandparents were nearby. All the support was ninety miles away in Nazareth. Did they help from others that were brought together for the census?

Maybe it was a silent night, but the next day was probably a cacophony of noise, smells, and activity. It makes me that much more thankful that hope, light, and love had come.

Categories
Christianity Religion Cartoons

What does it mean to be spiritually mature?

What a good topic for a Sunday! What does it mean to be spiritually mature when we are in lockdown and are longing to have normal events like church services? I miss the time to get together with friends and mentors as we discuss spiritual matters and learn from the pastor’s sermon. While it’s true there are online services, it’s not the same, and there are many churches and congregants that don’t have the technology or the resources.

What Does Spiritual Maturity Mean Today?

When I posted this cartoon and post thirteen years ago, I was working for a Christian publisher. Yet looking back, I don’t know if my definition of spiritual maturity then would mesh with my understanding today. I hope and pray I have matured since then. My wife certainly has, as I alluded to in that previous post. I continue to learn a lot from her. But I know I have a long way to go.

Everyone is being tested through this crisis, even the spiritually mature. However, spiritual maturity can give us resilience during this crisis. What does it look like? Keep in mind I am looking at this from a Christian perspective since that is my background.

Spiritual Maturity is…

  • Putting your faith in God because you know you are not in control
  • Looking for ways to be generous and help others, because you know it’s not about you.
  • Realizing owning things will never fully satisfy
  • Forgiving others
  • Displaying the Fruit of the Spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control
    (Galatians 5:22-23)
  • Acknowledging that you have never fully arrived

We have a great opportunity to strengthen our spiritual, emotional, and mental maturity through this crisis. Like you, I have my bad days. We all struggle. It helps me to remember we are all experiencing trials and troubles and that we can grow from them. Have a blessed Sunday!

Cartoon of two men. One says, "That's the first time a girl has turned me down because I'm not spiritually mature."
Categories
Encouragement Religion Cartoons

Banishing the Boogeyman

The last month has been one rife with fear and dreaded predictions. We don’t really know what the coming weeks will bring, but we do know that unprecedented measures have been taken, and will need to be taken to get this COVID-19 pandemic under control.

While I take this crisis we are in seriously, I also know that fear can make us do irrational things. We can make a problem worse by worrying about it and beginning to hoard things because we don’t trust those around us. We may be tempted to do things that would have shamed us in normal circumstances.

Since I am a person of faith, I choose to give my anxieties to someone who is much bigger than governments and much more powerful than a spiky-looking, viral boogeyman.

I urge you to limit your daily dose of bad news, banish the boogeyman and find some ways to be an encouragement and help to others. We can still do this while practicing social distancing. In the meantime, forget about the armless, two-fanged purple people eater. His bark is worse than his bite.

Cartoon of a sleeping guy next to a monster. The guy says to the monster, "Sorry! Ever since I gave my anxieties to God, you just don't bother me anymore."