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Bible Proverbs webcomic

How a book can give wisdom

Cartoon of a dad and a boy with a broken window

Cartoon of a boy with a baseball bat and a broken window. An angry dad says, “That was NOT a wise choice, young man! Go inside and read Proverbs!”

I drew this old cartoon when I was thinking how I would need to discipline my newborn son. I believe he had to go to his rooms a few times, though I don’t remember if I specifically told him to read out of Proverbs!

When it comes to books in the Bible, Proverbs is unique.  There are no stories. It is a book of wise sayings that will keep you from big trouble if you follow its advice.

But reading Proverbs or any book does little good if you don’t put it into practice.  I have read many a book with great advice that I have never put into practice. The danger in that is you can feel you have accomplished something without really doing it. It’s all the satisfaction without the hard work!

My goal today is to actually put into practice what I’ve read today. Now where is that Bible?

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church cartoons webcomic

Why the little things get us riled up

Cartoon of a guy eating a sub sandwich at church

Cartoon of a guy eating a sub sandwich in a church pew while a disapproving elderly woman looks on. the caption reads, “It all began when they allowed coffee in the sanctuary…”

I thought of this idea when I saw a lively forum discussion about allowing or refusing coffee in a church’s sanctuary.  Some were vehemently opposed to such nonsense. Others were insistent that all parts of the church should be welcoming and as long as it wasn’t a distraction, why not?

Personally,  I bring my coffee with me into the sanctuary. There was a time this was a no-no in our church. But we let go of that controversy years ago. I haven’t seen anybody bring a full meal into the sanctuary.

When I was younger, I thought of having a pizza delivered into the sanctuary (That would have been a major faux pas then). Hey! if it’s good for the youth group, it would be good for the rest of the church, right? Fortunately, young love and marriage kept me from such foolishness before I had the money to try such a stunt.

It does amaze me how little things like this can get people worked up. We focus on these little irritations because it is so much more difficult to focus on the difficult issues. It’s much more difficult to love your neighbor than to have an opinion on coffee/church etiquette.

I drew this for the February, 2014, Church of God E-newsletter.

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children cartoons

Five reasons why kids need Saint Valentine’s Day

Cartoon of a boy holding a valentine and a jaded girl

Cartoon of a boy holding a poster with a heart on it and a jaded girl. The girl says, “Do you realize that heart isn’t anatomically correct?”

Saint Valentine’s Day can arouse some negative emotions, especially when people feel pressured to impress their loved one with extravagant gifts.

But if we treat Valentine’s Day right, it’s a great opportunity for kids to see love in action. Here are five reasons why kids need Valentine’s Day.

  1. Kids need to see love is far more than the physical attraction popular culture tries to make it out to be. Valentine’s Day may focus on the romantic side of love. But it can also be an opportunity to show selfless love (agapĂ©), family/affection love (storge) or brotherly/friendship love (philia)
  2. Kids need to receive a note of encouragement. We all need to hear something positive about ourselves once in a while
  3. It’s an opportunity for kids to hear why love is so great (and challenging). Take the time to read 1 Corinthians 13 with your child.
  4. Kids need to see that love is more than a feeling but is  action.  We can love even the unlovely, the grumpy and those family members that get on our nerves!
  5. And kids need lots of candy hearts. Come on! Who doesn’t need candy hearts with corny sayings on them?

Valentine’s Day is a great reminder that love goes far beyond physical attraction and getting our selfish needs met. After all, when it comes down to it, we all need faith, hope and love. And the greatest of these is love.

 

 

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New Riders Internet Yellow Pages

Web site gods

Cartoon of the greek god of web sites
Copyright 1998 Kevin Spear & New Riders Publishing

Cartoon of a nerdy guy next to an old PC. The caption says, “Ernie was the Greek god of web pages.”

It feels romantic whenever you take something modern and bring some mythology to it. That’s why I have always loved comic books. It takes the mythology of old and brings it into the modern age. The most obvious example is Thor, the Norse god of thunder and lightning. Then there’s The Flash. That guy is Mercury,  the Roman god, in tights.

I have admired web coders and designer for quite some time. I drew this cartoon as part of a book entitled “The New Riders Yellow Pages.” At the time I drew this, The Internet had taken over the public. The web bubble had not burst yet. web designers and coders were almost looked at as gods, even if their name was Ernie!

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Creative Writing webcomic writing

The Secret Guardian of the Front Porch

Cartoon of a man in a porch swing

Cartoon of a middle-age man sitting in a porch swing. He says to a woman, “Care to join me? I’m part of a secret group known as, ‘The Guardians of the Front Porch.'”

Frank had a crush on Edna for a lo-o-o-o-ong time! His adoration for her went all the way to the fourth grade. She was always with her friends on the playground. He would try to get her attention by pretending he didn’t notice her. Unfortunately, that worked too well. Edna didn’t notice Frank until eighth grade.

By that time, Frank was quite sensitive about his acne. He had one pimple that refused to leave until senior high. When they were both juniors, Frank almost asked Edna to the prom. Unfortunately, Percy, “The Rock,” Marbel also had the same idea.

Edna and Percy dated until they both split for college. Frank stayed home after graduation and worked at the local cardboard box factory. The one time Edna returned from college, Frank decided this was the day to meet up with her. Unfortunately, he was boxed in a tragic taping accident and shipped to Des Moines.

Thirty years later, Frank was fully recovered from the unfortunate boxing match. As he sat on his mother’s front porch, he spotted Edna walking downy he street. His lip quivered as he thought what would be the wittiest thing to say. He had just seen a television special on secret societies. What could be wittier than that? He called for Edna. She turned and smiled. She walked up to the porch. Now was Frank’s big chance…

This was part of the Write practice writing prompt entitled, “What is your Character’s Secret?”