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Birthday Chorale

Most of us like to be acknowledged on our birthdays. On a Sunday, what would be better than a birthday chorale singing in our honor?

Birthday chorale cartoon: A boy says, "It's my birthday, Pastor. Why didn't the choir sing, 'Happy birthday?'"

When I first posted this, it was my wife’s birthday and she was directing the children’s ministry at our church. Since her birthday fell on a Sunday that year, I got the kids in Happy Birthday to her.

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cartoon children cartoons gag cartoon single panel cartoon webcomic

Dignified Birthday Cartoon

Birthdays can bring out the party animal in adults and kids. A particularly exciting celebration in the past inspired this dignified birthday cartoon.

Dignified birthday cartoon. A boy says, He says to a girl, "Every year, I try to live a dignified birthday. But then the cake comes out..."

When a birthday comes, we try to find new and unique ways to express our good wishes. Here are a few, dignified examples if you came here, searching for the right words for a birthday card. After all, birthdays are great ways to put someone in the spotlight who rarely gets recognition.

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children cartoons children's ministry church cartoons

Birthday Expectations

When a friend or family member has a birthday, there can be all sorts of expectations. Some want a very special day. Others want the most low key birthday possible. Then there are those that want a little attention, but not too much.

I have never seen a choir burst out in a spontaneous rendition of Happy Birthday, but I think that would be so awesome. Because I haven’t seen it before, the surprise would be priceless.

Kids love to be noticed on their birthday. When I created this cartoon, I thought of how children love to be the center of attention when it’s their day. There have been many times when a child has come up to me to announce his or her birthday. Then there are the introverted ones who have a friend relay the message. Most kids want to be acknowledged on their special day.

Today, I get to honor someone at my work with a birthday celebration. We’ll have a brief acknowledgement and a few cookies. I don’t think we’ll be singing Happy Birthday though. We are a creative group, but I don’t think any of us are musically creative. And it may be a little short notice to hire a choir.

What has been your favorite birthday memory? Share it in the comments below.

Cartoon of boy and pastor
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holiday webcomic

The Simple Things For a birthday

Cartoon of a guy with a balloon. A woman says, "If I knew that’s all it took to give you a happy birthday, I wouldn’t have ordered the mariachi band.”

It’s the simple things that make a birthday the best. Whether it’s a balloon, cake or noisemakers, it doesn’t take much to get a celebration going. It’s the little, frivolous things that make a celebration fun.

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illustration

Happy 18th Birthday to my daughter

Mariah birth announcementEighteen years ago, I drew a birth announcement. It was very risky since a cartoon version of a family member can come back to haunt you.
And that is exactly what happened last week! My mother-in-law printed some pictures to celebrate my daughter’s birthday. One of the prints was the birth announcement I drew to announce the big day. My daughter appeared amused. I had to clarify that no cartoon could ever be as cute as the real thing. To prove it, here is a photo of the two of us. We both looked much younger then than now!

Dad-Maria1996Heaven knows I’ve made my share of mistakes with my kids. Drawing cartoon versions of them is probably one of the least mistakes I’ve made. One of the worse mistakes was when I struggled between getting my freelance work done and spending time with my kids. As much as I loved illustrating for books and magazines,  it all seems to trivial now compared to the time I had with my them.

My dear daughter, you are now a young lady. You have brightened my world. And I have cherished every moment with you. Happy eighteenth birthday!