Category: holiday

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holiday

First Sunday of Advent

Single lit Advent Candle
Cartoon of a boy rejoicing because Christmas is coming
Christmas is Coming! ©2006Kevin Spear

I love this time of year because the anticipation is building. True, yesterday, I lamented how Christmas music in some areas has been playing for a month. but this is where the excitement of Christmas becomes real.

This morning, I get to teach the lesson to our elementary kids at Salem church. We will start with the prophecies in Isaiah 9, 53 and Micah 5. In churches across the world, the first candle of Advent will be lit.

In the darkness, a single candle of hope begins. After a few days of Thanksgiving and gratitude for the present, we can focus on hope and anticipation for the future.

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holiday motivation

Fear and Pumpkin Spice

Cartoon of a woman and a trick or treater. The woman says, "Happy Halloween! Here, have a pumpkin spice latte!"

The goblins will be out in a few weeks. They will scurry down well-lit streets for their treats. Adults who don’t want to shell out their life savings for treats will hunker down in coffee shops for some pumpkin spice concoctions. the irony is that those hand-crafted drinks may cost as much as a couple of bags of “fun-sized” treats.

Halloween will be one of those few times people will meet their neighbors. Another irony is that most of those neighbors will wear masks and costumes. Perhaps that is why some may be inclined to vacate their premises and go elsewhere while the little ghosts, goblins and super heroes roam the neighborhoods. It’s an ironic time of year!

We fear what we don’t know. Some of us will respond by stocking their cupboard with treats in order to minimize the tricks. Others will simply abandon their abode for one night. Is one better than the other? I can’t answer that. Personally, I’d prefer to give out the pumpkin-spice lattés. But I’m guessing they would lead to more tricks than treats.

In any case, face your fears and make sure your little goblins will be safe.

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Adobe Photoshop Bible Christmas holiday The Gospels

The Christmas Story in a Speed Drawing

This year, I had the chance to illustrate the Christmas story for a family party. I narrated the story from Luke 2 and Matthew 2 in the Bible. 

May you have a merry Christmas!

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cartoon children cartoons Christmas holiday

Naughty, Nice or Gross?

Cartoon of a boy and girl. The boy asks, "I can't be naughty during Christmas? What about gross? Can I be that?"
When people talk about doing something they know is wrong, they frequently describe it as feeling dirty and want to get clean. Boys, on the other hand, love to play in the mud. They jump at the chance to get messy and gross. If they can get Mom, a sister, or a friend that is a girl to be repulsed by their condition, so much the better!

This Christmas, maybe the best gift would be to let a boy get messy without getting on Santa’s naughty list. There has to be a place in the garage or in the basement you can spread out some paper and let the kids get a little creative and messy this holiday season. Just watch out for glitter. Once that is out of the container, that stuff shows up everywhere!

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cartoon Christmas holiday The Gospels

Manger Recall

Cartoon of two boys at a manger scene. One says, "Good thing Caesar Augustus didn't order a safety recall on mangers."That first Christmas was not a safe Christmas. A stable would have been a nightmare for a first time, germaphobe mother. A manger was not a safe alternative to a crib. Who knows what critters were scurrying around at night?

Maybe Christmas is not supposed to be safe. Most amazing events never are. There’s some risk involved. That said, safety recalls are still a good idea!

I drew this cartoon for Church of God Ministries, Anderson, Indiana