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Christianity motivation

Passion Brings Possibilities

Passion for our work and life is a curious emotion. If what we are doing fires us up, time and difficulties vanish. But if we are not careful, challenges can begin to extinguish our flame. That is why it is so important to keep our fervor because passion brings possibilities.

www.brainyquote.com/s/a_1fb24

What Fires Our Souls?

This quote by Jean de La Fontaine fires me up! What is it does the same for you? Is it a god-given talent that you love to use? Could it be the people or place you grew up with? How about the family you are raising?

In our world, passion gets confused with the love someone has for another. And yes, that is one facet of passion. But it is much more than romantic love.

We may be good at something. But as I learned from a friend, we can have talent, yet our passion lies somewhere else. We may excel at our jobs, but long for something more fulfilling. When we find our enthusiasm, passion brings possibilities.

The Passion of Christ

When I first heard that phrase, I was confused. Society’s definition was all about romantic love. Why would anyone call Jesus’ road to the cross a passion?

But today, I see that emotion was the key to Jesus’ commitment. Why else would anyone give up their life for anyone else? Everything within us wants to live as long as we can. While it is true some contend with tragic situations and emotions that cause them to take their lives, it is a whole other level to willingly give one’s life for the sake of the other. Such sacrifice is profound.

Passion causes us to have hope and a future. It brings possibilities far beyond our imaginations. Never discount the value of passion. It not only makes life worth living, but it also renews life.

Christ’s passion for us caused the impossible to become possible. It is amazing how passion brings possibilities.

Categories
motivation

Why is it Important to Have a Sense of Humor?

Erma Bombeck was born 95 years ago today in 1927. She was a writer that had a great wit and style. One of her quotes goes right to why it is important to have a sense of humor.

“When humor goes, there goes civilization.”
Erma Bombeck

Erma Bombeck Quotes. BrainyQuote.com, BrainyMedia Inc, 2022. https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/erma_bombeck_131317, accessed February 21, 2022.

A few years ago, the editor at a blog I write and draw cartoons for interviewed me about why I contribute. One quote from that article sums it up:

“The one thing I love about humor, if you’re dealing with a serious topic, humor can ease the blow.”

Kevin Spear
Photo of me drawing on a light table.

Yes, I just quoted myself. No, I don’t think I’m that important. On the contrary, the nice thing about quoting yourself is that it is easy to verify the source!

The Healing Power of Humor

Humor is important because it can break the tension in a situation. It can bring healing when we are able to see there is something in a tragedy that we can laugh about. When we feel stuck by a malady, or by circumstances out of our control, humor has great power to ease the blow and be a healing balm.

I may not know what your situation is or what you have experienced. In fact, I may not have had as challenging of a situation as you have had. But one thing we can all agree on is that we have all experienced tragedy, heartache, and situations that have broken other people.

How do some go one while others break under the pressure? I have observed that those with strong faith and a strong sense of humor can make it while others cannot.

Humor is not some frivolous act. It can get us through a lot. As Erma said, humor is important because civilization needs it to survive. We need it. I am going for the trifecta and adding a third quote for today.

“Humor is a prelude to faith, and laughter is the beginning of prayer.”

― Reinhold Niebuhr

Categories
CHOG News Newsletters writing

IYC 2022 Speaker: Chip Taylor

Last month, I had the pleasure of interviewing the featured speaker for the Church of God International Youth Convention (IYC 2022). Chip Taylor is a fabulous youth leader with a heart of gold. Here is a link to the article

Former IYC Student, Longtime Leader to Return as Featured Speaker

Chip serves at a church where my wife was the children’s pastor for a time. Although they haven’t worked together at the same time, my wife is a leader with Intern Academy and they’ve worked together in that organization.

Former IYC Student, Longtime Leader to Return as Featured Speaker

One of his quotes shows his approach to youth ministry.

“You have to be relational with today’s youth. You have to go to their turf. Positions don’t work anymore. You have to identify each kid as they are and acknowledge them. Relationships take precedence over roles.”

Chip Taylor

Chip will be a great speaker for IYC 2022. If you have a teen that is considering going, I would highly recommend it.

Categories
children's ministry CHOG News church cartoons Newsletters

For the Love of a Baptistry Heater

Featured Image for Cartoon 4177 Baptistry Heater

My grandfather and pastor baptized me when I was seven years old. One of my many memories that day is that the water was cold. I’m pretty sure it was in the warm months. But when you have several gallons of water sitting around for a while, it’s going to be freezing. It makes you long for a baptistry heater!

My wife is a children’s minister. One of her duties is to guide children who want to be baptized about the journey. Frequently, one of the kids will ask if the water is cold. Sometimes, we’ll get a parent who has read up on the latest baptistry heater technology.

I shudder whenever I hear these comments. I want to announce, “In my day, we were baptized in a frozen lake, and we were grateful for it!” So of course, this led me to a cartoon idea!

Cartoon of a man staring at a frozen man in a baptismal. He says "I thought you said this baptismal was heated."
©2022 Kevin Spear: Published in the February 2022 CHOGNews

What’s a Bathtub Doing in My Church?

Baptisms have been an interest of mine since my wife was looking for a suitable guide for her kids several years ago. When she couldn’t find one, I wrote and illustrated one for her called, What’s a Bathtub Doing in My Church.

What's a Bathtub Doing in My Church Cover

One of the best experiences we can have at church is when someone has made a decision to follow Jesus Christ and to be baptized. It is a time full of celebration and joy. Perhaps some would think it is not the appropriate time for humor. But I find wherever there is joy, there is also a little humor.

What’s more, children tend to have innocent questions that to adults, are humorous. Who would have thought to ask if they should bring their snorkel that morning but a kid?

And anyone who has taken the plunge has to be wondering if the water is cold. Oh for the love of a baptistry heater!

Categories
motivation

Why Move Forward?

When we make our plans, we like to think that the path we have laid out is the only correct one. But when we have trouble plotting that path, it can spin us into an infinite loop of analysis paralysis. We tend to forget that there are many ways to move forward.

www.brainyquote.com/s/a_18d40

Frequently, there is more than one way to make progress. And it is better to move than to sit still. Yet the fear of getting the journey wrong can stop us. It did for me several years ago. I learned that fear is not motivational. It just freezes us in our tracks.

When We Are Lost

There are times when it is better to stand still. When we are lost, it is better to stay put while someone attempts to find us. That is good advice when we are lost in a wilderness and we know someone is looking for us.

If we have no clue of what “forward” is, then perhaps it is best to wait until we have a sense of what our true north is. However, if we are called to do something, and we know the general path, It is best to get moving.

Our plans of how we get there may change. But if we have a destination, detours and unforeseen roadblocks are okay. After all, a GPS or map app usually has two or three ways to get to a destination, does it not? If we know where we are going, an alternate route will get us there too!

It’s the difference between strategy and tactics. Our strategy may be solid while our tactics need to change with new circumstances. Even if we have gone a similar path before, new data and challenges may force us to readjust our path.

There are many ways to move forward. But standing still when we should go isn’t very helpful.