Cartoonist/Illustrator - Jeff Larson
Minnesota
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note: It is my Christmas tradition to retell this story most every year. It is like watching a Charlie Brown Christmas, or It's a Wonderful Life.. for dogs. Dateline December 2004: My wife Mary and I have several nativity sets we put on display each Christmas season. The year 2004 was a Christmas season like most all the others, EXCEPT our year-and-a-half-old dog Baylie (Husky Springer Spaniel mix) still liked to chew on things that were not her designated chew toys. One of those items is my kneaded eraser, which I use when drawing my cartoons, which looks like a lump of clay. Baylie would sneak it off my desk, chew it up but never swallow it. Leaving a mangled pile of eraser fragments on the family room floor. I push the crumbs back together and continue to use it. I know, I know... Ewwwww!! But she cleans the pencil lead out of it and dog drool seems to be an active agent in making the eraser .. erase. Now in the year 2022 my dog, Cooper does the same thing! BUT I DIGRESS.  Back to the Larson Nativity sets. One afternoon in December 2004 my wife and I came home to what looked like a Nativity Mob Kill scene. The wooden cart from the stable was in pieces, a shepherd laying face down on the coffee table, and a baby sheep took a fall off the table and onto the living room carpet. I can’t imagine the horror in eyes of the 3 wise men who traveled so far only to see Baylie walk off with Baby Jesus in the clutches of her jaw. The question remained why?
 Good News: A short time later the 'baby Jesus' hostage crisis was over. The son of God in ceramic form was returned to his ceramic parents Mary & Joseph who were beside themselves with worry. Baylie was thankful God did not strike her with lightning which was within His right. I mean,... He is God.
But.. just a couple weeks later Baylie was shocked (literally) when she chewed the lights on our Christmas tree. Coincidence? I think not. Moral of the story. If you really love Jesus don’t risk God revoking your ticket to Heaven just because your nativity sets are low enough for Baby Jesus to be mauled by the family dog. AND.. just like Baylie could not get Jesus in her heart by eating a figurine, neither can any of us have Jesus in our hearts just by going to church. May this Christmas be a peaceful season of adoration and personal faith where Jesus is in our hearts, not just our nativity sets. Christmas Blessings Jeff 6/6/2022 God.. and Rescue Dogs My wife and I have a rescue dog named Cooper and I have written a 'beautiful' poem that captures my life with him. Ode to Cooper Cooper is our little rescue dog; there's no doubt he LOVES my wife Mary,. BUT despite the fact I rescued him; .. for me.. Cooper is still wary. I so want Cooper to love me too.. but he's a work in progress.. You see Cooper does not trust me .. leaving me judged without due process. Thank you, thank you But then I stop and realize.. I am SORTA a rescue dog too.  For example, in this big old bad world I might turn on the evening news and .. I get uneasy as I can sense the tension EVERYWHERE. So I start to growl at partisan politics as I pace the room. My demeanor only gets worse as these 'News SHOWS' spew hatred, racism, and violence all wrapped in their biased narrative void of truth leaving me finally in a state .. out of control barking my panic and distrust of this world.  This state of panic and unease over just the evening news can leave me in reality wary of .. God. He is my perfect loving Heavenly Father, Jesus my Savior, and the Holy Spirit my comforter. My God is my RESCUER from both the evening news and anything else found in this broken world. But still I bark. So just like Cooper I need to chill. Chill and realize this broken world is the result of man's free will, and compromised desires. This brokenness was never a part of God's plan, and my hope is NOT found in this world. So chill Jeff, and realize in God I will find hope, a future, and a true joy while stranded in this world that is NOT MY HOME. . So Jeff.. No more barking.  May each of us find our hope (rescue) in the loving Heavenly Father who sent his son Jesus as our savior, and his Holy Spirit as our comfort.
note: God is still our rescuer even when we bark. Now if Cooper would only understand that about me. Jeff (Rescue Dawg) Larson 12/15/2021 The Dog who almost ate Baby Jesusnote: It is my Christmas tradition to retell this story most every year. It is like watching a Charlie Brown Christmas, or It's a Wonderful Life.. for dogs. Dateline December 2004: My wife Mary and I have several nativity sets we put on display each Christmas season. The year 2004 was a Christmas season like most all the others, EXCEPT.. our year and a half old dog Baylie (Husky Springer Spaniel mix) still liked to chew on things that were not her designated chew toys. One of those items is my kneaded eraser which I use when I am drawing my cartoons, and it looks like a lump of clay. Well Baylie would sneak it off my desk, and chew it up but never swallow it. Leaving a mangled pile of eraser fragments on the family room floor. I push the crumbs back together, and continue to use it. I know, I know.. Ewwwww!! But she cleans the pencil lead out of it and dog drool seems to be an active agent in making the eraser .. erase. Now in the year 2020 my dog Cooper does the same thing! BUT I DIGRESS.  Back to the Larson Nativity sets. One afternoon in December 2004 my wife and I came home to what looked like a Nativity Mob Kill scene. The wooden cart from the stable was in pieces, a shepherd laying face down on the coffee table, and a baby sheep took a fall off the table and onto the living room carpet. I can’t imagine the horror in eyes of the 3 wise men who traveled so far only to see Baylie walk off with Baby Jesus in the clutches of her jaw. The question remained why?
 Good News: A short time later the 'baby Jesus hostage crisis was over. The son God in ceramic form was returned to his ceramic parents Mary & Joseph who were besides themselves with worry. Baylie was thankful God did not strike her with lightning which was within His right. I mean, .. He is God.
But.. just a couple weeks later Baylie was shocked (literally) when she chewed the lights on our Christmas tree. Coincidence? I think not. Moral of the story. If you really love Jesus don’t risk God revoking your ticket to Heaven just because your nativity sets are low enough for Baby Jesus to be mauled by the family dog. AND.. just like Baylie could not get Jesus in her heart by eating a figurine, neither can any of us have Jesus in our hearts just by going to church. May this Christmas be a peaceful season of adoration and personal faith where Jesus is in our hearts and not just in our nativity sets. Christmas Blessings Jeff note: It is my Christmas tradition to retell this story most every year. It is like watching a Charlie Brown Christmas, or It's a Wonderful Life.. for dogs. Dateline December 2004: My wife Mary and I have several nativity sets we put on display each Christmas season. The year 2004 was a Christmas season like most all the others, EXCEPT.. our year and a half old dog Baylie (Husky Springer Spaniel mix) still liked to chew on things that were not her designated chew toys. One of those items is my kneaded eraser which I use when I am drawing my cartoons, and it looks like a lump of clay. Well Baylie would sneak it off my desk, and chew it up but never swallow it. Leaving a mangled pile of eraser fragments on the family room floor. I push the crumbs back together, and continue to use it. I know, I know.. Ewwwww!! But she cleans the pencil lead out of it and dog drool seems to be an active agent in making the eraser .. erase. Now in the year 2020 my dog Cooper does the same thing! BUT I DIGRESS.  Back to the Larson Nativity sets. One afternoon in December 2004 my wife and I came home to what looked like a Nativity Mob Kill scene. The wooden cart from the stable was in pieces, a shepherd laying face down on the coffee table, and a baby sheep took a fall off the table and onto the living room carpet. I can’t imagine the horror in eyes of the 3 wise men who traveled so far only to see Baylie walk off with Baby Jesus in the clutches of her jaw. The question remained why?
 Good News: A short time later the 'baby Jesus hostage crisis was over. The son God in ceramic form was returned to his ceramic parents Mary & Joseph who were besides themselves with worry. Baylie was thankful God did not strike her with lightning which was within his right.
But.. just a couple weeks later Baylie was shocked (literally) when she chewed the lights on our Christmas tree. Coincidence? I think not. Moral of the story. If you really love Jesus don’t risk God revoking your ticket to Heaven just because your nativity sets are low enough for Baby Jesus to be mauled by the family dog. AND.. just like Baylie could not get Jesus in her heart by eating a figurine, neither can any of us have Jesus in our hearts just by going to church. May this Christmas be a peaceful season of adoration and personal faith where Jesus is in our hearts and not just in our nativity sets. Christmas Blessings Jeff |
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12/9/2022
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