Some health issues are self-inflicted. Such is the case with this canine remedy cartoon. This poor dog needs to stop chasing cats!
There are some dogs that are adept at chasing cats. Then there are others that really should find another hobby! We had a dog that wasn’t cut out for cat-chasing since she was not bigger than most of her targets. I have learned to beware of dogs and fools!
I have heard some lamenting over the past year when it comes to workers in the church. This cartoon I drew about volunteers and donuts in 2013 reminds me that volunteering has changed dramatically since the pandemic.
While some teenagers may still be as enthusiastic as the guy in the cartoon, it has been a challenge to recruit volunteers. This article from Christianity Today illustrates the challenges many churches are facing.
If life hands us lemons, we can get good at making lemonade. And if you start a lemonade stand, provide good customer service, right? That said, I have seen great customer service representatives take a trying situation and make the best of it. That can be tough when circumstances out of their control bring angry customers into their lives.
Are you tired of making the best of a situation? I suppose we can try what Stephen Lyons suggested in the Chicago Tribune and suck on some misery. But beware of taking satire as gospel truth! One thing he makes clear in his commentary is if we think things are bad now, we could always find ways to make things worse. Conversely, the opposite must be true: we can always find ways to improve our situation.
Nurseries are magical places. grandmotherly types get to rock babies and workers get to dole out Cheerios® and Goldfish® Crackers by the truckload. Yet, new volunteers still get intimidated by the church nursery. Fear not! For Behold! I give you 10 myths about a church nursery.
I first wrote this humorous list in a time before COVID. Since the pandemic, volunteering in nurseries has dropped off dramatically in churches across the United States. Yes, churches are still waiting for volunteers to come back.
It appears we are living in heavy times. Between plagues and wars, it is enough to bring a person down. But the heavier the situation, the more we need to keep the children laughing.
It is their innocence that gives us hope for the future. Besides, can you really trust someone who hates a child’s laughter?
“Beware of him who hates the laugh of a child.”
Johann Kaspar Lavater
When a baby discovers something surprising for the first time, their spontaneous laughter can be contagious. I suppose this is another reason I love working in children’s ministry. The pure joy of a child’s laugh is a balm for society’s ills.
I once asked in a post, “Can a baby be too happy?” I thought it was possible then, but not so much today. Bring on the laughter! We could use a lot of it this year.
One redeeming quality of YouTube is it’s easy to find laughing baby videos. I leave you with this clip and pray you will find some joy and laughter on this day. And keep the children laughing!