Cartoonist/Illustrator - Jeff Larson
Minnesota
 In 1971, John Lennon wrote the song 'Imagine' encouraging us to imagine a world at peace without borders, religion, nationality, or attachment to material possessions. This song, 'Imagine,' is intended as a message for our world: choose anarchy over order, insults over compliments, greed over generosity, crass over clever, profane over profound, hatred over love, war over peace, and violence over peace. This song 'Imagine' shares a hope for bliss in this world that is a mess, while I would happily settle for imagining my world without rush-hour traffic, fewer aches and pains in my body, and where calories I consume would treat my waistline with a bit of respect. John Lennon's Imagine shares a 'nice' broad brush imagination of a 'world living as one.' Still, without the Gospel message (not the religions of man), this tumultuous world can only place its hope in the devices and schemes of finite man. These well-meaning but finite plans ultimately fail when compared with the perfect ways of our Omnipotent, Omnipresent, perfect-in-love Heavenly Father. Note: It seems silly to compare the 'imaginings' of the Creator of All Things with the collective wisdom of all men from all times. The 'infinity edge' goes to God. DROP THE MIC!  Next, let's fast forward 30 years from John Lennon's 1971 song Imagine to 2001, when Bart Millard of the Christian Music band MercyMe released the song 'I Can Only Imagine.' This MercyMe song ponders some day Heaven and be standing before our Heavenly Father. But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him" 1 Cor 2:9 With this all in mind, let me share the side-by-side lyrics of 'Imagine' and 'I Can Only Imagine.' I will call this... 'The Dueling Imaginations'
 For those of you who kept reading this blog until the end, I pray you enjoyed and were blessed by doing a little Imagining where peace on Earth today and the promise of Heaven someday is found in Christ alone.
Jeff (Imagining cartoons) Larson 12/31/2024 Resolutions for Good Peeps It is time again for New Year Resolutions. Promises to eat less, exercise more, live on a budget, and be a better person. Side point: Why is it that in a year, we don't move on to PHASE II of this year's resolutions and become a nutritionist, cross-fit athlete, financial advisor, and/or the next Billy Graham? Instead, we unabashedly repeat our past failed resolutions. - askin' for a friend -  Of course, resolutions are mostly 'tweaks' in the lives of mostly good folk. Every day people who could lose a pound or two, watch less TV, or tweet less... but never hear anyone say they resolve to be involved in fewer felonies. And it is safe to say Hitler, Stalin, and Hannibal Lector were not typical New Year Resolution kinda guys. There is 'not a smidge' of curbing evil in their resolutions as evil continues to do evil while good folk like you and me tweak our lives with resolutions. But then a serious question. Why would good folk need a Savior?  Sure, dictators, serial killers, bank robbers, and IRS agents NEED A SAVIOR. After all, they are REAL major-league sinners. But most of us are just run-of-the-mill New Year's Resolutions kinda sinners? I mean, should I go to Hell because I need a 'tweak'... or because I tweet? Truth is, I am a sinner, and sorry to inform the rest of you, but you are sinners too. There is no doubt we all need a savior. We are the reason Jesus Christ died on the cross, a sinner's death in our place.
 I still contend I am not a bad person, and most of what everyone sees of me supports this, BUT you don't know my quiet selfish thoughts played out in subtle selfish ways. You don't see the anger I sometimes feel, or the little white lies I may convince myself are true. You do not know my desires, bitterness, or the pity parties I sometimes throw for myself when I am down. You don't know the wasted moments that have accumulated in my life... you don't know... but I know, and God certainly knows. So again, I am not such a bad person.. but I certainly am a sinner; it's just that my sins don't make the evening news... AND I certainly need a savior. So, how about you? I am sure most of you are pretty GOOD PEEPS, too. You are probably just a couple of Resolutions (tweaks) from being GREAT PEEPS. You may not even admit to as many private attitudes and actions of sins as I do, but I will go out on a limb here and say with confidence that you, too, need a savior. Let me close with a parable Jesus taught about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector. 9 He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt: 10 "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed[a] thus: 'God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.' 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, 'God, be merciful to me, a sinner!' 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted." Luke 18:9-14  I thank God for this good life, and this New Year filled with opportunities. I resolve this year to lose a few pounds, be more productive, exercise, and repent with the prayer of the tax collector: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!"
May God bless all of you GOOD PEEPS this New Year. I pray for God's best in your lives as you serve Him. I pray His church seeks His will like never before and that 2021 is a year of resolutions, repentance, and a revival (the 3 Rs?) that is long overdue. Jeff 12/25/2024 Merry Christmas Wishes w/cartoonsHere is where I will confess the obvious: Cartoons are not the best medium for capturing the beauty and significance of that first Christmas night. Then again, by this world's standards, the birth of Jesus in a smelly barn because Joseph & Mary did not make reservations online at the Bethlehem Holiday Inn Express is unforgivable. The perfection of that first Christmas Night when the Son of God was born to a world that needed (and still does) a savior is not a story that any 24/7 news channel could ever grasp, but it is precisely the story the world needs to know. READ MORE> Merry Christmas Wishes... Jesus is our Savior is BORN!
 Like that ugly ornament I cannot bear to throw away, so is my retelling of a Christmas Concert from a few years back. (It's kind of like the year 2020, UGLY and unforgettable) In December of 2007, my wife and I went on a Christmas date to get the season started, but it did not end up like anything 'dreamed of' by Bing Crosby singing White Christmas. We started the evening with a nice dinner at a local steak house in front of a roaring (gas/fake) fireplace as the weather outside was as the Christmas classic described accurately as frightful. More specifically, it was very COLD. After dinner, we were off to downtown Minneapolis to the Pantages Theatre to listen to an A Cappella group called the Blenders for their Christmas concert. Note: I am not usually an A Capella kind of guy, but I got the tickets for free from my cousin, and I am a free ticket kind of guy, so I thought I would go where the cool kids go... or something like that.  Gentlemen... start your engines! As we approached downtown, we soon learned parking on a Friday night during the holiday season would not be a picnic. There was a Christmas parade in progress near the theater, so we began driving in a slow-moving car conga line consisting of a series of one-way right-hand turns for about 30 minutes, resulting in us parking about 5 city blocks from the theater, like a slower, colder version of NASCAR without a winner. Once parked, we began our Frozen Mecca to the Pantages Theater, where the air temperature was about 2 below zero and the wind chill was 14 below.  It was Minnesota Fresh! Oh, by the way, we were walking into this wind, not with it. To complicate things for poor little old me, I was not wearing a hat, and my coat was not excellent for MinneFROZEta. Along our walk, we passed by several downtown establishments. One was a gay bar, and then we passed a club advertising topless girls, with the words.. hot, hot, hot over the topless ad. Now, this is where I was tempted.. not to see topless girls.. but I asked my wife since they were hot, maybe we could go in for a moment and warm ourselves with their heat. Honestly, there was no temptation here for me, just an excuse to share another bad pun with my wife so she could roll her frozen eyes at me. Pantages at last! We finally arrived about 15 minutes before the concert began. Shivering and frozen, we bought a $3 cup of coffee from the cash bar in the lobby, which my wife and I took turns holding to keep warm. When another couple entered the theater and sat next to us, they were visibly cold. I offered to let them hold my coffee for $1 apiece. They both laughed, but I did not see what was so funny.  It's SHOWTIME. So inside we go, and the concert begins. The Blenders are very good, but for me, one evening with an A Cappella group will be enough... for my lifetime. The Blenders are 4 guys, I would guess, in their mid to late 30s in suits with choreographed movements like four Caucasian Temptations crooning Christmas songs minus Jesus. To add to the atmosphere, a group of well-dressed professionals filled a large block of seats just before us. I am guessing they were part of a company holiday party dressed in suits and dresses. They were loud, 'notice me types,' which is not my type. Then, during intermission, they all stood in front of my wife, making FULL use of the cash bar in the lobby, and there was also one young, good-looking guy passing a flask with something that I am pretty sure was stronger than 7-Up. After two hours of listening to an A Capella Christmas, we retraced our frozen steps to our car and then headed back to our warm home, free of anyone in my living room passing a flask and standing in front of my TV. So, to sum it all up. We had dinner in front of a fake fire, participated in downtown traffic jams, crowded parking ramps, snow, and ice, and passed by topless & gay bars, all to sit behind loud-drinking young professionals while being entertained by Minnesota Night and the Pips?  The next night... was a more low-key Larson type of Christmas, which we spent with our son Nate, his then-girlfriend Kendra, and our daughter Erin. We listened to Christmas music, made gingerbread cookies, and played the Protestant-approved card game. Rook. It was a great evening, including a mini-fight with flour while making cookies.
And... for anyone by chance from that corporate America party who 'LOUDLY' sat in front of me at the Pantages Theater in 2007, I am sorry you missed out on my great Saturday night making cookies with my family. Then again, the risk of flour fingerprints on your $500 suits and the probability of gingerbread crumbs falling into the cleavage (front or back) of your black, backless & low-cut dresses without a flask in sight would not be what all would call fun. Merry Christmas Blessings. May your family times be warm and... A Capella free! Jeff This whole Christian dialogue thing on X is messy. Who knew?  Christian News gleaned on X today... (maybe)
These and other equally 'important' topics will be decided today on X.  We 'Christians' are too often insulting, indignant, and... wielding a few other fruits of the spirit when engaging in 'Christian X dialogue.' A 280-character limit will not hold our deeply spiritual digs... I mean points. For example, The Chosen is a 'drama' depicting Jesus as the story unfolds in the Gospels. It is truly a lightning rod among the Christian X brethren. Note: The Chosen is a dramatic depiction of Jesus's life containing conversations that may have occurred in and around the Gospel verses. This is problematic for some who believe the presentation of the true Gospel message is compromised.  Hmmm, different believers believe differently when interpreting God's Word? I am AGAHST, but then realize we (the church) Christians have soooo many differences in interpreting most ANY scripture like... ALL THE TIME. Why else are there many blessed Protestant Denominations? I always am amused by us 'good' protestants judging those 'bad' Catholics so harshly when we are divided into one bazillion (I counted) denominations, calling each out for our protestant differences as heresy. We can't just disagree; it seems imperative that someone is declared a heretic. That's how we WIN... I guess? But at least in the end we do all then unite and declare Catholicism a cult. <insert head slap here> LOL, we are lucky God does not strike us down with lightning on the spot. Also, regarding The Chosen, there is a scene in the upcoming season where Jesus counsels Judas to guard his heart lest he fall into temptation. This is not in the Gospels, but maybe it could have been one of those many conversations with Jesus in between the scripture verses. Maybe, maybe not. Well, this stirred the anti-Chosen mob again saying it was not scriptural and that Judas was a devil chosen by God to betray Jesus, and was the vessel formed by God from the beginning for destruction (see Romans 9) as the potter (God) can do what He wants with the clay (Judas). STINKS TO BE JUDAS.  These points would have to first take into account if I am a Calvinist believing in predestination. Well, I am not, and do not. I respect and appreciate my Calvinist friends, but disagree strongly. I believe God knows every decision that any of us will make at every moment, but He does not predestine any of us to Hell. I do not believe the above Romans 9 passage stands alone, especially when you consider John 3:16 where whoever believes will not perish. THIS topic is more complex than man can comprehend the will of God. I believe He knows all that will happen, and all the decisions we make to obey Him or not, yet His Spirit speaks to us no matter our ultimate decision. We should obey, but that is our free will choice. That we deny His Spirit's promptings does not mean He stops speaking to us.  I believe the same is true with Judas. Jesus foreknew Judas would betray Him, and I believe it broke His heart, but that does not mean His spirit was thinking... well, Judas is lost anyway, so there's no sense wasting my words on him anymore. The Gospels obviously do not include every conversation Jesus had with His disciples, so it is unfair to judge a drama like The Chosen for doing an admirable job of considering what these conversations might have been. IMO So, back to the big picture of 'Christian X Wrestlemania, ' our God, His truth, word, grace, and love are bigger than any Protestant (remember one billion denominations) or Catholic box. We are to seek His truth in prayer, in His word, and in His church but know that even with the Holy Spirit, we are water-wing theologians dog-paddling in God's ocean.  And... I believe the Gospels and the rest of the Bible are more than a rote script of God's blueprint from the beginning to Jesus's Return. I see God's Words as the living script of God's perfect plan, considering every possible event and wild-haired scheme of man. I see that there is NOTHING we can do to compromise His sovereignty. His Rules, Grace, Love, and even Wrath are all perfectly blended in this life, and this is truly amazing.
So peace be still. Remember to use your delete key as the Spirit prompts you. Some of our golden nuggets of truth are better left in our heads. Blessings to everyone today. Our differences are not often a bad thing. We are one body of many parts, but I pray we do a little less mean spirited judgements of each other under the guise of being insightful and direct. Jeff (right some of the time) Larson 12/4/2024 Get out of Town! The Coffee Maker in the workplace is often the typical place for socializing. While pouring a cup of caffeinated fuel, people talk about the big football game on Sunday and share vacation plans. Some are brave enough to discuss politics and/or religion and have lived to tell the tale. In the same way, the coffee maker at church is a place where friends catch up on each other's lives while a few may feel compelled to share the height and depths of weighty 'spiritual' matters.  So imagine the buzz around the coffee maker in HEAVEN.. a little over 2000 years ago when God's plan for 'saving' mankind was revealed? SETTING: It was just another day at the 'office' when Larry and Betty met at 'Heaven's Coffee Maker' for their morning cup of Joe. Larry the Angel: "Hey Betty, did you hear the latest about the boss's plan for saving the world?" Betty The Angel: "No, so what's up?"  Larry the Angel: "Well, rumor has it, Jesus Christ will come to Earth as a child born of a virgin in a barn and sleep in a feeding trough for animals. His birth will not be proclaimed to the world, but to... get this... shepherds." And a few smart guys from the East. Betty The Angel: "Shepherds? .. right." Larry the Angel: "No, it's true, and Jesus will be raised by a common carpenter and his wife" for almost 30 years in rural Israel. Betty The Angel: "Good one, and so being a carpenter, Jesus will build his father's kingdom." LOL. Carpenter... build it... Get it? Larry the Angel: "I know this sounds bizarre, but I heard it all from a reliable source. And that's not all. Next, Jesus will choose 12 men to assist him as key members of his kingdom movement." Betty The Angel: "You mean like a presidential cabinet of sorts? Made up of priests, rabbis, maybe a few influential politicians, and some 'minister of defense' would seem reasonable.  Larry the Angel: "No, .. they are mostly fishermen." Betty The Angel: "I see, Fishermen... So far, we have Jesus born in a barn in obscurity except to shepherds, and his critical years of development to be the King and Savior are spent as a carpenter instead of a seminary? Larry the Angel: "I know, I know....but that's not all. Next, Jesus will take on the established religious community. He will challenge and mock their pious rules and motives, which flies like a politically incorrect Lead Balloon." Betty The Angel: "Well, if this is true, what else could they expect. Now, who is it you said you heard this all from? Were you not talking to Cliffy from the mail room again? I know this is Heaven, but Cliff is full of it, and by 'it,' I do NOT mean Spirit. Larry the Angel: "No, Betty, it wasn't Cliff; it was from a reliable source. Now be quiet for a minute and let me finish.. then you can let your jaw drop to the floor... because there is more." Betty The Angel: [ Betty motions that she is zipping her lip and smiles.. in silence ]  Larry the Angel: "All this leads to a final week when the salvation message is realized. Jesus, in this unconventional plan, lulls the leaders of the day into .. falsely arresting him and mocking him; he is beaten and whipped to the point of death. Then, to a jeering crowd, he is led up to a hill where he is crucified as a common criminal while being rejected by the people he came to save... JUST THE WAY HE PLANNED IT." Larry the Angel: Of course, Jesus will not stay dead. He will rise from the dead, but not everyone will witness this. So, believing in Jesus and accepting his free gift of salvation will be a matter of choice and will require personal faith in things not seen. Betty The Angel: [still silent, Betty stands with her arms crossed] Larry the Angel: "That's it, Betty, believe me or not.. that is God's honest truth (no pun intended)." <pause> "OK, now you can speak." Betty The Angel: I don't know who put you up to this.. but I would NOT tell these wild tales to anyone else... This is all CRAZY TALK.. and I have better things to do with my time. Next time you learn any more 'Revelations'.. get it in writing on God's very own BLESSED executive stationery! Next time, consider your sources before swallowing it all: hook, line, and sinker. Betty walks away, shaking her head. Larry refilled his coffee cup and returned to work, perplexed about why Betty did not believe him.  OK, it may have played out differently than this. Still, the story of Jesus, from his virgin birth that first Christmas and his 30 years on Earth culminating in his resurrection from the grave, is God's beautifully unexpected story of salvation.
So, next time you are at work and getting your coffee refill, ponder the great news of God's salvation plan that began that first Christmas. PS - Share the Good News! Jeff ( a lot lower than Betty & Larry, the angels) Larson 12/3/2024 Something to Chew on It is a great day to visit my Dentist's office. I am one of those lucky guys who had little trouble with my teeth. I confess I drink too much coffee, but my teeth are not grody like the guy on the left's, and... Rarely do I have a cavity UNTIL... I went in for my six-month checkup, and they found a cracked filling on the lower left side of my mouth, which is rubbing on my tongue and causing a canker sore. Also, on the upper right side, I have a tooth needing a root canal, and to top it off, I have five cavities! So, I had to make three more appointments to fix all this. Argh!  So, Last week, I had two fillings on the lower left; today, I had a root canal on the upper right, and I will have the remaining cavities drilled and filled this coming Friday. Yippee! So, with all this money transferring from me to my Dentist's vacation fund, let's share a few cartoons featuring all things 'teeth.' May God bless each of you with straight white teeth and nary a cavity. Jeff (still feeling Novocain) Larson
11/29/2024 Thanks a Million It is Thanksgiving 2024, just over three weeks since our 'wonderful' election process ended. Well, ended? I learned they are still counting votes for some of the House races. I guess we keep counting til' we win? But for most of us, whether our candidates won or lost, we are THANKFUL the election(s) are over, and the TV ads return to being from Big Pharma rather than election ads.  Of course, I have much more to be thankful for besides the elections being over. I have been married to the same wonderful wife for 40+ years, have 3 grown kids, and have 6 grandkids who all live near me and are dear to me. And with the Lord, I can even soar like I have Eagle's wings. So, with thanks and Thanksgiving in mind, let me share again my collection of Thanksgiving cartoons ---> CLICK HERE FOR TURKEYS & MORE  Happy Belated Thanksgiving & Black Friday wishes - Jeff 11/26/2024 Listening... for God's Voice I am not a fan of this whole getting older thing. I am now 67 and wear hearing aids. I don't like to bother with them, but I confess that, much like my bifocal glasses, they 'aid' my aging senses. Hence, the name hearing AIDS. But my ability to understand others when they spoke was even worse back in 2020, when we all donned COVID 'fashion' masks, eliminating any lip reading, and those mask-filtered voices resembled Charlie Brown's Teacher. Blah, blah, blah, blah.  Sadly, I see parallels between this 2020 lip reading and my listening/hearing God's Voice. When I do not still my mind, shutting off the noise (TV, podcast, radio) while quieting myself, then the voice of God and the promptings of His Spirit sound come figuratively across like Charlie Brown's Teacher. Blah, blah, blah, ... amen? It's so easy to become distracted by the 24/7 din of this world in any typical year, but this year was an election year. A time when Politicians hijacked my TV, stuffed my mailbox, and sent their minions out to ring my doorbell more times than Halloween Trick or Treaters.  If 2024 was a musical instrument, it was undoubtedly the Clanging Cymbal Marching Band described in Corinthians 13:1. But there is a better way... More QUIET, less NOISE, please. God's Word teaches us to seek a quiet place and close the door. Matthew 6:6-14 Set our minds on things above Col 3:1 and pray without ceasing, 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.  This leads us to a state of mind and spirit where we can experience God's peace and perspective that passes all understanding, which is our promise. Phil 4:7 And to a place where we can soar like Eagles; we will run and not faint. Is 40:31 ... Even in an election year. May God bless each of you as you tune out the noise of this world and hear His voice. Jeff (hearing aides in and on) Larson  PS - Happy Birthday wishes to my mom, Nellie Larson, who now resides in Heaven. Mom would have been 99 years old this year. THANKFUL for a mom who was a Godly woman and loving mother. I am truly blessed and miss her today.
11/18/2024 Wanted: Preacher-Man I am blessed to have attended Gospel preaching churches over my 67+ years. By my count, this included 7 churches served by 12 pastors. For the first 25ish years of my life in my hometown church in Cable, Wisconsin, I counted 5 pastors over this period. For the next seven years, my wife & I attended her home church in a suburb of Minneapolis, MN, and during this time, we had 2 pastors. For the following 35ish years, my wife and I attended 5 different churches served by 5 pastors. Most church changes had to do with our change of address for various reasons. No church ran us out of town, as far as I recall.  Now, being a lifelong churchgoer, these 12 different pastors had their individual strengths and weaknesses, but the one thing they all had in common was A CALLING FROM GOD to serve God and His people. But in contrast, if I can turn on the TV, browse the web, and/or social media, I have the clear impression not all preachers have A CALLING FROM GOD. Instead, they appear to be pastors who answered a job ad like the fictitious one below, thinking, "Yup, I could do that."  POSITION: Preacher Man JOB DESCRIPTION: Must be able to tell jokes and amuse antidotes while sprinkling in a few scriptures over 30-minute sermons. A good candidate must demonstrate the ability to entertain and encourage while avoiding the problem of sin or the fact that we all need a savior. Candidate must exude the 'Jesus loves you just the way you are' and 'Jesus gets us' vibe. Avoid any talk about sin, repentance, guilt, or Hell. You know, the ICKY STUFF. We seek the right individual to complement our lively worship music with self-improvement sermonettes. INCOME: You can expect to be compensated in a way that allows you to live a much better lifestyle than most congregants in our church. IF INTERESTED: Forward your resume to us here at Make Me Happy Church.  Maybe too many are responding to the above imaginary job ad saying, "Where can I sign up" and wondering if they only have to work Sundays. First, I write this to recognize and honor those who take on the challenge to lead God's people. May God bless each of you as you accept your calling. May being a pastor be a calling where God speaks through each of you even when the words from God are difficult to say and hear. I pray for your boldness and a loving spirit but also more concerned about speaking TRUTH in love than it is even to be... LIKED.  May God bless and use you all, and never answer a PREACHER WANTED posting like the one above, lest you become a preacher with a millstone around your neck.
Blessings Jeff |
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