Tag: cartoon

Categories
motivation

Get Ready for Thanksgiving!

Are you ready for Thanksgiving 2021? No? Me neither! A few years ago, I did a post on how to have a happy Thanksgiving. I had a cartoon that wasn’t based on real experience.

Cartoon of a couple. The wife says, "We're having a traditional Thanksgiving. Here's a musket. The turkey is in the backyard."

I am thankful I never had to go out and shoot our Thanksgiving turkey. Though if you haven’t already thawed the bird, you’re much more likely to have turkey tomorrow if you go hunting.

For 2021, an old-fashioned, traditional Thanksgiving is what most of us yearn for. We had an interesting, if not desirable one last year. Most of us didn’t get together at all or did so through Zoom. I hear the travel for this year is back to pre-pandemic levels.

Yet, I also know some friends who are still dealing with COVID in their families. And there are some of us who will be missing loved ones at the dinner table. In my family, I can think of a couple we will be mourning over this year.

Through it all, my prayer for you is that no matter the situation, you will remember something to be thankful for. It’s okay to mourn the losses. But also remember the blessings. They are out there. Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Categories
church cartoons holiday

We Gather Together

We Gather Together Headline

Thanksgiving is coming in the United States. So there is nothing better for me than to dole out another Thanksgiving cartoon! It’s like an extra helping of oyster dressing and cranberry salad.

The church I grew up in felt obligated to sing We Gather Together each Thanksgiving season. The challenge was that the worship leader would sing it the Sunday before the holiday. To a child, that seemed an eternity away. We might as well sing a Christmas Carol while we were at it! Of course, that came the next Sunday. My poor immature mind couldn’t take this hymnal time warp every season.

The hymn wasn’t exactly kid-friendly either. The first verse was a lot to take in. There isn’t even a chorus! It didn’t exactly roll off the tongue for me.

“We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing;
He chastens and hastens His will to make known.
The wicked oppressing now cease from distressing.
Sing praises to His Name; He forgets not His own.”

Theodore Baker 1894

So this year, I decided to modernize it a bit. Here is my version:

Cartoon of a couple singing a hymn. It's a parody of "We Gather Together."
Published in the November 2021 CHOGNews.

I realize “scones” is a little high class. But “donuts” didn’t have the same ring to it. Besides, I know a dear lady at one of our previous churches that makes the best scones. Whenever I bit into one, I felt quite grateful.

So have a happy Thanksgiving! enjoy a warm gathering and some scones. It may cause you to break out in singing.

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

Categories
children's ministry cartoons church cartoons education

David, Goliath, and Flying Objects

Cartoon of two boys with flying toys overhead. One says, "When the preschoolers learn about David and Goliath, look out for flying objects!"

When a lesson makes an impact, we tend to act it out. Whether we realize it or not, kids continually act out something they’ve learned through watching television, peers, or their families.

When a young child finishes watching a TV show, take some time to observe how it affects their play. Does it affect their imagination? Does it affect their actions and speech? Most times it does!

I remember getting into my dad’s pickup truck with my brother. We loved watching Star Trek. Somehow, we were able to convert that old jalopy into the bridge of the US Enterprise. Dad wasn’t too happy when he would get into his truck and discover that our play resulted in the pickup’s engine flooding. How else are you going to go Warp Factor Three without using the gas pedal?

As adults, we like to think we’re beyond that. But after you watch a news story about angry people, do you feel yourself getting a little angry? Does your work culture affect how you act at home? How about an effective sermon that inspires you to make a change or make worship a bigger priority?

We’re all affected by what we learn. Let’s be sure we’re learning the right lessons and not end up throwing things around the house!

It was good revisiting this cartoon. I drew it before but polished it up for this month.

Cartoon of two boys with flying toys overhead. One says, "When the preschoolers learn about David and Goliath, look out for flying objects!"

I drew this cartoon for the November 2022 CHOGNews.

Categories
CHOG News church cartoons motivation Newsletters

Remote Work Makes Every Day Casual Friday

Cartoon of a man in a bathrobe and an annoyed women. The wife says, "When we get to go to church again, this WON'T be your new church look."
Published in the April 2020 CHOGNewsletter

If you have been working from home, have you found that every day has become casual Friday? I thought of this cartoon idea because I knew Easter Sunday was coming. It’s a time when churchgoers get dressed up. This year was quite different from the past. It was far different than Irving Berlin’s old song.

I didn’t look quite as bad as the guy in my cartoon. Still, it was far more casual than past Easters. I heard stories of people dressing up anyway for the holiday. I would say they probably felt better and it helped lift their spirits. I will have to try it this weekend.

If you have been working remotely and have been a little down in the dumps, it may help to get dressed up as if you were going to your workplace or for an event. In the meantime, I know we’re all looking forward to the day when we can get out their and parade in our Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it.

I drew this cartoon for the April 2020 CHOGNewsletter.

Cartoon of a man in a bathrobe and an annoyed women. The wife says, "When we get to go to church again, this WON'T be your new church look."
Published in the April 2020 CHOGNewsletter
Categories
cartoon

Do You Do What the Song Says?

Cartoon of two men in church. One has his hands lifted. The other says, "Do you mean when the song says, 'We lift our hands in praise,' you actually do it?"

A few weeks ago, I was in church singing with the congregation. One song had the lyrics, “We lift our hands in praise.” So I did it. My eyes were closed at the time because, well, that’s what I sometimes do when I get into the music. When I opened them, I was surprised there were just a few others doing what the song says. Scandalous!Cartoon of two men in church. One has his hands lifted. The other says, "Do you mean when the song says, 'We lift our hands in praise,' you actually do it?"

This morning, I am probably in church doing the same thing. A few decades ago, I may have been self-conscious about it. Maybe I still am and that’s why my eyes are closed. Regardless, if I am going to sing a praise and worship song, I’m going to do what it says. If I don’t what’s the point?

I drew this cartoon for the September 2019 Church of God Newsletter.