Since the first word of VBS suggests we’re going on a vacation. I had some fun with the ideas and drew this Packed for VBS cartoon.
When you think about it, vacation Bible school is false advertising. After all, shouldn’t it be called staycation Bible school? This isn’t an all-inclusive vacation to Cancun. We can try to use props to make the sanctuary look like a jungle or the Holy Land. But we’re not fooling anyone over six years old.
School is almost out for the summer around the USA. Kids will be rejoicing for a good five minutes or so. Then they will attempt to establish a “new bored record.” Five minutes may seem a bit ambitious, but it can be done!
I remember the days when I was bored out of my skull during the first few days of summer break. After all, there were only three or four channels to watch.
We have more channels today, but the kids still have to suffer from nothing good to watch on TV. Come to think of it, when was there something good to watch on TV?
Happy Palm Sunday! It will be an exciting time in many churches and children’s ministries today. The palm branches will be flying in many church services. It can be a confusing time for the kids and since the event happens so close to spring break, I had to draw this Palm Sunday cartoon!
For those who don’t know what Palm Sunday is, here’s an explanation. The story is found in all four of the Gospels.
Vacations usually take some amount of planning. But this year has caused plans to be taken to a whole new level. Before this year, health considerations were not at the front of everyone’s checklist. Now, everyone must consider the following:
When I first posted this cartoon, the biggest problems with vacations centered around teen angst and whether there was enough wifi for everyone. Now we are more concerned about the supply of hand sanitizer and masks.
The Book of Job reminds me that things could always be worse. Yes, we are in the middle of a global pandemic. If it hasn’t directly affected you yet, give thanks for that. If your teens are merely annoying you and are healthy and sassy, give thanks for that.
Just this week, I received word that a friend was in an auto accident and his teen daughter was killed. I can’t comprehend the pain and loss that this dear man is feeling. Suddenly, the decision about whether to wear a mask in public or determine how much distance is enough social distancing feels trivial.
There are people suffering much worse. If all we have today are a few annoyances, give thanks for it.
Have you ever noticed that when someone is in a bad mood, they’re rarely interested in a dose of optimism?
My family was getting ready for a spring break trip. For whatever reason, my wife was having a bad day. It’s entirely possible I wasn’t doing my share of the preparation. It could be that the kids were tired and grumpy. For whatever reason, she seemed to be down and I decided it was my duty to cheer her up.
The last one was a big mistake. Even though we were married, I voided her personal space. There’s only so much my poor wife could take. I went from being a purveyor of good, clean fun to just being obnoxious and annoying. She snapped. I realized my mistake and began to pout.
Minutes later, I noticed something. She was in a much better mood and I was the one in the dumps. My efforts worked, just not in the way I expected. She poured the glass of optimism all over me and she felt much better.
So how do you stay optimistic in a world that isn’t having any of it? I learned three lessons that day.
We ended up having a great trip. I learned a valuable lesson about relationships. And yes, we both have learned a lot about optimism over the years.
