Author: Kevin Spear

I am a content creator and storyteller based in Florida, where I work for OneHope. I love digital and content marketing, writing, and the occasional doodle.

Categories
church cartoons

Fashion Sense and the Video Pastor

Cartoon of a speaker in a garish outfit. He says, "For those of you joining us online, please comment on something besides my fashion sense."
©2020 Kevin Spear. Published in the September 2020 CHOGNews

Welcome to the modern world of fashion and the video pastor. It’s a challenging time for them. Not only must they learn how to post video sermons, but they can be critiqued by a world-wide audience for their fashion sense.

I have a fascination with gaudy fashion.

I suppose it’s because I would be a tacky dresser if it wasn’t for my wife. From the moment we started getting serious, she seriously pared down my wardrobe. She made it socially acceptable in no time.

I blame my fashion sense on the eighties. It was a time of hot pink, neon green, and weird shapes. It was the decade that brought us parachute pants, vinyl jackets, and leg warmers. I was way too impressionable back then.

Unfortunately, there are plenty of pastors my age that may have taken their fashion cues from the eighties as well. Social media isn’t kind to these poor souls. People will make comments on a YouTube or Facebook Live video that they would never say to a pastor’s face.

There is a bright side to the brutal honesty of social media. In a traditional, in-person service, congregants will frequently keep their comments to themselves. It is only the rare, crusty church patriarch or matriarch that would comment on a pastor’s sermon… or his/her fashion for that matter. But social media loosens the tongues of the shy congregants. Sure, a pastor may wince at the comments, but at least they know what the majority think of his new green and red, polka dot tie.

Cartoon of a speaker in a garish outfit. He says, "For those of you joining us online, please comment on something besides my fashion sense."
©2020 Kevin Spear. Published in the September 2020 CHOGNews

I drew this for the September 2020 CHOGNews.

Categories
motivation

Good News Gives Health

Photos of a sunset and the quote: "Light in a messenger’s eyes brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." Proverbs 15:30 (NIV)

According to Proverbs 15:30, it’s official; good news gives health. We want to hear some good news so often. But it can be difficult to find.

I’m a self-confessed news junkie. Yet, I constantly see how, if I’m not careful, it can put me in a bad mood. I’ve blogged about this before in Who’s going to bring the good news and How about some good news? 

To paraphrase many a politician, after reading/hearing the news, are you better off than you were four minutes ago? I confess that most times I am not. It can be depressing to catch up on the latest news about viruses, wildfires, and hurricanes. And don’t forget it’s an election year in the United States. Yes, news fatigue is real.

How can we find good news in the middle of all this?

  • Take a walk in nature. Every time I go out I am reminded life does go on without the constant blurb of bad news. The squirrels and chipmunks are blissfully unaware of the world.
  • Volunteer to do some good. Just doing something to help humanity can remind us that we are not helpless to offer healing and relief.
  • Look for the stories of heroism. They are out there. Behind every disaster, there are people bringing relief and comfort.
  • When you see some good news, share it. We could all use a little boost.

During dark times, we could use a little light. We can remind ourselves that light overcomes darkness. Every morning, the sun overpowers the dark. Look for the light in a messenger’s eyes and take in some good news.

Categories
motivation

Obstacles and Goals

Quote: Obstacles are what a person sees when he takes his eye off his goals." E. Joseph Cossman

There are obstacles, and there are goals. Obstacles are all around us and easy to spot.

  • They can be the construction zone that makes you late for work.
  • It can be a little virus that shuts down the world for a few months.
  • They can even be something good like kids or parents that need care or a challenge at work.

Nobody has a problem spotting obstacles.

Goals are harder to see. They require some trailblazing. Yes, may ask you to boldly go where no one has gone before. They can be part of a vision that is unique to you, your family, and your situation. Goals make us reach for something that may feel out of reach. And they may inspire you to go around, over, or through an obstacle.

We will always have obstacles. But not everyone has goals. We will always have things that frustrate us. But not everyone has a vision that will help them see beyond today.

Obstacles are things a person sees when he takes his eye off the goal.

E. Joseph Cossman

E. Joseph Cossman

Mr. Cossman was an interesting guy. He would see an opportunity, then act on it. He perfected mail-order marketing and pioneered infomercials. He sold such items as “shrunken heads,” spud guns, and ant farms. Later in life, he would teach and inspire others to sell and market their products.

He saw an opportunity where others saw obstacles. That’s what a goal will do for you and me. It’s too easy to see the problems and bad news in the world. You don’t even need to look for it. It will come to you. It takes special effort to define goals and look beyond the everyday obstacles of life.

Categories
motivation

Toxic Phrases and Emotional Intelligence

I know how you feel. But can’t you just start feeling good? I’ve been thinking about times I haven’t displayed emotional intelligence when I’ve had some glib answer to a complicated issue. It’s easy to do, isn’t it? It’s very easy to be an armchair quarterback when we aren’t the one dealing with an issue.

This article from Inc.com hit home for me. I’ve probably said these phrases to someone else more than once. Have you ever said…

  • Can’t you just…
  • I know how you feel
  • How’s it going? Great, right?

Modern communication can be quite a challenge. It can be difficult because we want to be helpful. We also want to bring another person up when they’re feeling down. Yet, we tend to forget how annoyed we can feel when someone has a pat answer for a challenge we face.

I also realize the positive articles I post may turn off someone who is going through a tough time. I don’t know how you feel. Most problems are more complicated than a simple answer and I can’t possibly know your situation.

However, I also know we each need some positive content throughout our daily lives. I will resolve to continue posting positive articles while realizing I will need to handle it differently if we faced each other one-on-one.

We’re good, right? See? There I go again!

Categories
motivation

Add a Smile to Your Day

Cartoon of a pastor with a disgruntled couple. The wife says, "He can't express his feelings. he even uses emojis incorrectly!"

Have you been down in the dumps lately? We all go through those times, don’t we? We face challenges in our personal and professional lives. There is no shortage of bad news. Yet, there are some simple acts we can do to improve our outlook, even when things are looking a little glum. We can add a smile.

This article from CNBC claims that research proves if you’re feeling down, forcing a smile will eventually help you feel better.

“A ‘fake it ‘til you make it’ approach could have more credit than we expect.”

Fernando Marmolejo-Ramos: Study Author in the CNBC article

There will be times when this isn’t appropriate like I mentioned in a previous post. After all, when you have to deal with some heavy stuff, a smile may just feel out of place.

Still, we have more control over our emotions than we allow ourselves to believe. There is a reason good customer service includes a smile. It helps a person look approachable and shows that he or she is ready to help you.

So even if you don’t feel like it today, put on a smile and see what happens. You might even want to tap into your inner smiley-face-emoji.

Cartoon of a pastor with a disgruntled couple. The wife says, "He can't express his feelings. he even uses emojis incorrectly!"