Cartoonist/Illustrator - Jeff Larson
Minnesota
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A popular saying in the 1980s was "He who dies with the most toys wins." The quote is attributed to flamboyant millionaire Malcolm Forbes. In stark contrast to the advice of Mr. Forbes I recall as a kid in Sunday School learning the story in Mt 19:16-26 where after the dejected rich young ruler leaves Jesus he tells his disciples "it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter Heaven." This was GOOD NEWS for my lower middle classed family and BAD NEWS for those 'blessed with RICHES' living on the other side of the tracks.  AND.. It was clear even to my elementary school understanding of physics no big ol' hairy desert beast of burden will pass through an eye of any needle. I later learned the 'eye of the needle' Jesus was referring to was a small gate in Jerusalem a camel could only pass through if it stooped and had its baggage removed. This is a great analogy of wealth which can be a great blessing and resource for self and others in this life, but.. "you can't take it with you." . So clearly the smirky advice of 'Rich Man' Malcom Forbes (even if true) pales in comparison to 'Poor Man' Jesus words of eternal perspective. But what about me? As a relatively poor man I find myself strangely affected by the thoughts of the Rich Young Ruler. Let me paraphrase Mt 19: 16-22 if I was talking to Jesus. Ok, as I said I am more poor than rich, so how would that conversation look? Jeff: Teacher, what must I do to get eternal life? Jesus: keep the commandments.. don't murder Jeff: CHECK Jesus: don't commit adultery Jeff: CHECK Jesus: don't steal Jeff: CHECK, Jesus: tell the truth Jeff: CHECK Jesus: honor father and mother Jeff: CHECK Jesus: and love your neighbor as yourself Jeff: CHECK. Jeff: {thinking so far so good} Jesus: "Now give yourself totally to me. Give me your time, your leisure, your resources, your thoughts, and trust me when life is good and when it is difficult. Ready?" <insert awkard pause here> Jeff: I thought you were going to ask me about money? Money is ok to give up since I don't have much, but I need my TV time to unwind at night. No more than 3 hours.. and my sports.. let me keep my sports, ok? If Jesus would ever slap his head, and mutter "Oh brother".. It would be after this conversation.  ME ME ME ME FIRST!
I agree with the teaching of the rich young ruler.. but also if honest I am not sure I give myself totally to Jesus. In fact, I know I don't. I have to say honestly that today I am seeking God like never before in my life. I have a rush of passion for Jesus, and pursue him humbly like never before.. BUT .. oh what a wretched sinner I am. I think of my past, my regrets, my SINS, hurt relationships, and know I could have only done better. I think about my present state of exhilaration in pursuing God and feel a bit stuck, and that whatever God calls me to do big or small.. I WILL MESS IT UP. I claim to put God first.. but I have a lot of ME in me. I like, I want, I slip up, and am afraid of messing up my witness, and/or give of my time. BUT I KNOW.. whether a 'Rich Man' or a 'Poor Man' we daily need to say to God I am yours. It will take our daily pursuit of Him (prayer, Bible, and fellowship), and an assertive effort to serve Him. In big or small, whether rich or poor.. all to the Glory of God. My prayer is all of the RICH and POOR folk of God be faithful in the lives we live and the resources we are blessed with. May we all be about the business of sharing Jesus to a world that is lost as 'One body, many parts'.. God bless y'all! Jeff (relatively poor and content) Larson  I have a continued concern for the American Church that is caught between THE ROCK and a HARD WORLD. This WORLD mocks Christians as
In response, THE CHURCH claims our ROCK is Jesus... and sing 'A Mighty Fortress is our God', but our knees shake as we become hyper-introspective based more on the world's judging lens instead of God's loving truth.  We apologize and/or hide our views when God's unchanging truths do not fit nicely with our secular society. We go mostly silent as not to stir the anti-Christian hornet's nest world view. We don't like people to call us names.. who would. So we become like a deer caught in society's pious headlights and honking horns. This HARD WORLD demonstrates a compromised view of a life equally cynical of Christians and mocking of our God. "The Church is more afraid of offending the world than offending God". - A W Tozer So the choice is ours. Serve God or appease man. Stand up for God's Truth or attend a Sunday Social club we call church and live our muted lives as Christians in name only. Only one life 'twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last. - Charles Studd Truth is GOD'S TRUTH is not lost... not in the Church, not in the world. God cares deeply both for his church and for a world that does not know him. This is our opportunity to make a difference not just attending church but being the church. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Col 3:17  Oh we will stumble but get back up again where Jesus is our Rock while living in this Hard World. Don't be caught in between THE ROCK and this HARD WORLD. Instead stand on THE ROCK. Psalms 18:2 I pray as always His church (we the people) turn daily to God, seek Him first,.. love HIm with our lives, serve Him in all that we do, and love and care others like Jesus did. May God find us faithful, bless us, and use us in ways that are beyond our dreams and for His Glory only.  Blessings
Jeff side note: See below a good barometer for life. “Rules for Self Discovery: 1. What we want most; 2. What we think about most; 3. How we use our money; 4. What we do with our leisure time; 5. The company we enjoy; 6. Who and what we admire; 7. What we laugh at.” ― A. W. Tozer 9/9/2020 Pick me.. pick me! 2020 I Remember back as a kid in gym class and did not want to be that last kid chosen for a team? Well I don't like to brag (as I puff out my 63 year old chest past my gut that puffs out on it's own but I was not that kid. I was a decent athlete even if the game was dodge-ball I was always a solid pick. Of course if there was a robotics team back then I may have been been that last pick, then placed on the 'my brain hurts' injury reserved list. We can all breath a sigh of relief God does not operate that way. He seems to like the odd ducks, misfits, and unlikely picks to be on his team, even LEAD his team. Hmm.. I might even be chosen on God's robotics team. So here is a partial list of those God chose for his team. "if you build it they will come". These are the paraphrased words of God from the book of Genesis as 600 year old Noah is chosen to craft an Ark with his 100 year old sons. And.. not just any Ark, a 'Desert Ark'. As a spry 75 year old, Abraham was instructed by God.. "pack up the Winnebago (figuratively speaking) and hit the road." So much for the Golden Years. "I will make you a mighty nation." added the Lord. A mighty nation?.. Abe and the Mrs. were past the age of having their own kids, so unless God is talking about some 'Mighty Nation' game for his smartphone then he did not know how this was going to happen. Moses, prince of Egypt exiled for MURDER is working in a land far far away as an overqualified tender of sheep when God speaks to him from a burning bush. "Moses .. you and I are going to free the children of Israel. Ok, mostly I will free them, but I will keep you busy." I don't know about you, but I would not have chosen a guy on the run for murder who smells like sheep to lead the captive/slave people of Israel. Speaking of sheep, God chose a shepherd boy named David to 1. slay a giant named Goliath, and 2. become the first great KING of Israel!
 Then off to the NEW TESTAMENT.. where Jesus did not choose men right out of seminary' as his disciples. Their resumes referenced such talents as 'fishing' and 'collecting taxes but nary a youth pastor, or worship leader credential to be found. Not even experience as the side usher at the Temple. So without checking their LinkedIn profiles, Jesus simply said.. "Follow me." And remember Jesus words to the thief on the cross.. "This very day you will be with me in paradise." shortly before he died. noting the obvious: Being a thief is NOT who we 'good Christians' would choose. At the very least we might require a probationary period and yet Jesus did just that. He chose the thief, he chose a sinner.. for his team. That is how big God's Grace is.  Next, God chooses the very first 'Missionary' to share the Gospel to the world! "With the first pick, in the first round of the first ever Gospel Missionary Draft, I choose Saul of Tarsus" These are the paraphrased words of Jesus on as Saul travels the Road to Damascus. His actual words were "Saul why do you persecute me?" which included a blinding light. WHAT? This same Saul was Pharisee of Pharisees, and recently spotted checking coats at the stoning of Stephen? Yep, that Saul. .. Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest Acts 9:1 Serious Red Flag .. choosing a guy breathing threats and murder against the disciples is RISKY. But that's just me.  Now fast forward a couple thousand years and some change to year 2020.. I have not experienced a literal burning bush while walking my dog, or blinding light on my way to the Grocery store, but I still believe I am chosen and capable. Not that it makes sense based on my relative and limited qualifications of cartooning (aka coloring between the lines), but in fact we are all chosen. Chosen not only for eternity in Heaven, but also to serve in big and small ways now.  So do not keep God in a box, or a lid on what is possible with regards to the blessings and opportunities to serve.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8 Just like Isaiah, be listening for God's leading in big and small ways, and when God calls on you.. reply "Here am I. pick me! pick me!" May God bless and use you in ways that are BEYOND YOUR DREAMS and all that God intends. Jeff (Chosen.. go figure) Larson 8/12/2020 Ant Farms & Worker Bees 2020 The ants go marching one by one hooray! hooray! The marching of the little people is what makes this world work. You see there are presidents, kings, superstar athletes, CEOs of major corporations, and then there is me. There are men of great strength, Hollywood celebrities, super models, great authors, and there is me. So where do you fit into this world? Are you a superstar or a worker bee? Do you run a major corporation or are you just part of life's ant farm? Truth is I like it here on the farm. Just another face in the sea of faces.. and you know what they say.. all ants look alike. I have not polled any ants or bees, but I think the message they have is being about the business that needs to be done, and not being jealous of the queen bees or the bossy foreman of your ant farm staff. So how does that fit in with the body of Christ? Selfless service and simply doing what needs to be done no matter if you are the next Billy Graham, the next church janitor, or even.. a cartoonist!  Whether you are the head of a corporation, work in the mail room, or a server at the local pie shop. What if you are a mom buried with the responsibilities of caring for your preschool children, or a teacher of 4th graders, or a senior widow woman slowed by old age? All one body of many parts, and all parts important. 1 Corinthians 12 The list of possibilities go on and on.. , BUT..
What a life this could be if we were all happy living in God's ant farms or being His little worker bees. A life not burdened with the status of man but instead living for the Kingdom of God.  God's Bugs? what a high calling! Maybe the bar should set a bit higher, lest the classic Hymns for us 'bugs' be The Ants Go Marching One By One, Hooray! and the Flight of the Bumblebee.
note: This is not a call to a life of underachievement where you settle for less than what God has called you, but simply a call to be useful and to serve as God leads in the moments that make up each day. My prayer for each of today is to be true to who God made us. This makes God smile, and leads us to a place of contentment and success. Blessings Jeff ( a bit buggy ) Larson 7/28/2020 Those Pesky Temple Idols? I am reading through my Bible again this year and learning so much. One of the interesting facts I have been reminded of is the number of different kings of Israel or Judea that there were. Some bad, some just plain evil (see Ahab in toon on the right), others good.. but even good kings were often reported to being good EXCEPT for leaving up a few Temple Idols here or there. Now when Josiah became king he was 8 years old! That's a year younger than my grandson Everett, and while he is a great kid.. he is not ready to be king. Anyways, Josiah was a good king and did what was right in the eyes of the Lord 2 Kings 22:2. One of the great undertakings of Josiah was to clean out the Temple of the Lord of all the idols to Baal, etc. please read below.. 2 Kings 23: 4-8 4 And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest and the priests of the second order and the keepers of the threshold to bring out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels made for Baal, for Asherah, and for all the host of heaven . He burned them outside Jerusalem in the fields of the Kidron and carried their ashes to Bethel. 5 And he deposed the priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to make offerings in the high places at the cities of Judah and around Jerusalem; those also who burned incense to Baal, to the sun and the moon and the constellations and all the host of the heavens. 6 And he brought out the Asherah (pagan goddess idols) from the house of the Lord, outside Jerusalem, to the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron and beat it to dust and cast the dust of it upon the graves of the common people. 7 And he broke down the houses of the male cult prostitutes who were in the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the Asherah. 8 And he brought all the priests out of the cities of Judah, and defiled the high places where the priests had made offerings, from Geba to Beersheba. And he broke down the high places of the gates that were at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which were on one's left at the gate of the city.  Wow!.. Now if I was king of Israel I would like to think I would NOT tolerate temple idols. Get your cow statues, pagan idols, and yes no more prostitutes in the temple. That should be a given.. and don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. GET OUT! But in our modern world of so many idols.. who am I kidding?.. and where should I start? We may not keep our idols in the temple (aka church).. then again maybe there too. Some churches seem much more a moment to a denomination (sparing no expense) or to a minister (man or woman) who has clearly taken center stage and prospered while God is somewhere in the back.. maybe.  But how about idols in my own life. In my home, and/or in my heart. This society offers so much to worship that is not in any stretch of the imagination.. God related. Where is my worship? Where is my focus? Am I in a constant attitude of prayer 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 or in a constant attitude of self indulgence absorbed reading box scores from last night's sports? I do love my sports and can spend hours following my favorite teams (Packers, Brewers, Bucks, Badgers, etc).. and I do like movies. Neither sports or movies are bad, BUT.. I can spend too much time and emotion watching sports, and/or maybe watching a movie out of curiosity that ends up having zero redeeming value. So.. what is your idol? Career, fitness, status, and/or leisure? Maybe it is even a vice like DRINK (that was one of mine for about 15 years). No matter, it is time to clean out those pesky temple idols in our lives. Time always to reexamine our hearts for compromise who or what we choose to worship. You may say "just checked, and no temple prostitutes in my life." but maybe lust and/or the dark power of porn has a hold on you. In all these things and more let's give them up. Throw these idols out of our lives.  If you think the Bible is dry and difficult to read, church is honestly boring, and you find no real interest in spiritual things, I would challenge you to go deeper. If you are in awe of this amazing world from the wonder of nature, to the infinite cosmos.. know there is a creator.
So my question is 'What is more fascinating and breathtaking.. to study more about the CREATION (our world, the cosmos), or the CREATOR of of our world and the cosmos. May God bless each of you in your lives. May He be real to you and the focus of your worship. Blessings Jeff (cleaning out my idol junk closet) Larson 7/21/2020 JOYFUL.. without a goofy grin Sometimes Christians are just so smiley and so ‘Ned Flanders-like’ happy I could just slug-em. I know the joy of the Lord is my strength, but what’s with the ‘goofy-grins’? I heard a good sermon a while back about the Fruit of God’s Spirit. You know.. love, joy, peace.. blah, blah, blah… and included in this list is JOY which I happen to misplace from time to time in my life.. Real Joy is not a serene surreal spiritual experience, but instead every day rubber meets the road with a pot-hole or two along the way experience.  Real joy is independent of circumstance. Most of us may not have your state of joy challenged by jail time, but joyful despite bumper to bumper traffic is instead our modern day challenge. Joy is even independent of having Covid-19. How about joyful when doing the dishes? How about joyful and QUIET while doing the dishes? How about.. Can I be joyful when .. it appears God procrastinates, or .. when my financial status and credit rating are less than (MAYBE WAAAY LESS) than perfect? .. how about joyful when like today.. I have back spasms. Yes.. joy is found in the difficult, tedious, stressful, and despite pain.  Can I be joyful when my relative prosperity can only be measured by God? … or can I be joyful when I have been married for what seems like one bazillion years! After a bazillion years of marriage your newlywed young love and passion is slowly replaced with something that includes a few disagreements (aka fights), money & health issues, raising kids without a road map, and living your til death do us part marriage with too often more questions than answers. BUT.. we can learn so much from Jesus about joy. I don’t believe Jesus was the subdued passive image of joy and God that we often stereotype. I believe Jesus was both passionate, and expressive. Jesus knew when it was time to be serious, worshipful, diligent all while being the friend of the common folk all while never compromising God’s values or God’s truths. I believe His joy was found in being faithful and unwavering to the Father in all circumstances. Children loved Jesus, and sinners were attracted to Him because of his teaching was the perfect blend of truth with hope. The Pharisees hated Jesus for this very same teaching of perfect truth with hope. The Gospels are full of Jesus telling great stories with purpose that resonated with man, but maybe Jesus laughed out loud and told great jokes. Maybe ‘milk comin out yer nose jokes.’ <pause> Ok, scratch that last one, that goes beyond even the goofy grin category of joy.  My point is that Jesus was real. He did not need to be vulgar or crass to be noticed, but he certainly would not be confused with Ned Flanders. It was not a somber sober demeanor that attracted people to Jesus, it was a man who loved life and lived his life with a joyful passionate purpose that honored God the father and cared for His fellow man. I won’t even digress ‘long’ on my next point, BUT Jesus turned water into wine AFTER all the wine was gone. He did not make Welch’s Grape Juice, it was wine. Point is .. maybe Jesus liked to laugh and have fun with friends.. and we should to. PLEASE NOTE.. THIS IS NOT AN ENDORSEMENT OF DRINK (I personally don't drink anymore as I was not very good at it.. or too good at it..BUT I DIGRESS) .. I am just thinking out loud.  So where do we find Joy today? Now with all of the bad news in our world right now.. my joy is challenged. I think of the Covid-19 related issues, racial tensions, hatred, greed, the media who lie as easy as they tell the truth, and all this stirred by the 2020 elections. All of this and what I see as the Church (Christians) who are not salt and light. A church that compromises God's loving firm truth with the compromised views of our secular society. A church that lives in fear and too often is more concerned with offending the world, than offending God. A church that lives in Fear instead of Hope. note: I am not pointing a finger at others here.. as I am a part of the Church. This is a sober reminder to love one another while we love and obey God. Now back to the answer of the question.. Where do we find joy today? Know that joy is not found in who wins the upcoming elections. There are consequences to our actions, our votes, and in the direction our country chooses. Our joy is found in the Lord through difficult times. It does matter that we love and obey God, but even if the whole world chooses NOT to obey God.. we must stand strong with Him always. Through good times and bad.. Joy is ultimately and eternally found in obedience and love of our God.
 So there you have it. Maybe there is a world of Christian existence that is somewhere between a Ned Flanders goofy grin, and those Christians who look like they are in pain in church.
How will those people survive in Heaven when they learn they will have to be happy. So ‘Smile Mon!’ Joyful Christians without goofy grins? I know it will be a challenge, but we are just the people to do it. May God bless and use each of you in ways that are beyond your dreams. I pray you find joy in the Lord in every circumstance. Jeff (silly smirking) Larson 7/17/2020 Yes, those WAVES are real! Most of us remember the story of Jesus telling Peter to walk on water, but as 'Pete' noticed the VERY REAL waves about him and as the seeming nonsense of walking on water began to sink in.. so did Peter. When I was younger I thought “Oh Pete of little faith, I would have done cartwheels on the sea with my perfect faith of Jesus intact”. But now after wading around in the seas of life’s experience.. I see the waves in my life are just as real as those literal waves Peter faced 2000 years or so ago, and at best I look like Gilligan hollering for SKIPPER!.. but of course this analogy falls flat as I am not comparing the Skipper with Jesus... and I am too 'husky' to be Gilligan... BUT I DIGRESS!  So with my assessment that my faith is often at best an undersized mustard seed as I choose to get out of the boat and trust God. I may sink at times like Peter but.. the same Jesus who calmed the seas, healed the sick, fed the multitudes,walked on water, and rose from the grave is my answer to life’s figurative (but VERY REAL) waves of health, finance, family, or fear. I could expound on this fact, as like many of you I experience seasons of waves, and tests that put my trust in God to the test. Trust in the Lord with all your heart soul and mind and lean not unto your own understanding .. in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. Pr 3:5-6  EASY WORDS to say.. DIFFICULT WORDS to comprehend just like walking on water MAKES NO SENSE.. but I choose to believe both to be true.
May God bless each of you this day in your journey. May we all learn to trust God when life is great, when life is difficult, or when all seems lost. Trust in the Lord as your providence, Trust in the Lord as your source for answers, Trust in the Lord for blessings, and Trust in the Lord for perspective that is beyond the limits of any circumstance.. so even when the waves swell and the storms rage.. we can give the triumphant shout.. SURFS UP Blessings! Jeff (flappable) Larson 7/16/2020 Too Too Much Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Phil 4:5-7 I live in America where moderation is not the modus operandi. We like big, more, and we supersize whenever possible. Too much for us often is not enough.  While I am not saying having nice home, car, etc are bad things at all, but modesty and moderation does not come easy to Americans. IMO But what if we temper our lives with those 3 verses in Philippians. What if we were known for our moderation, prayerful, and thankful to our God? Then the peace of God that does pass all understanding is there for each of us no matter if we are living check to check or encumbered with the trappings of wealth. Let me leave you with a couple more scriptures of perspective in a world and even some in the church where moderation does NOT come easy.
May God will bless, lead, and use us all for His glory (not ours) in ways that are beyond your dreams. I pray we keep in mind Phil 4:5-7, Mt 5:3, and Mi 6:8 as a guide for our lives. Jeff (slightly supersized) Larson 7/14/2020 King or a Cog When I am weak.. you make me strong. When I am blind, you shine your light on me.. and I will never get by standing on my own abilities. – This is the lyric of one of Casting Crown’s songs and it makes me smile. The KINGS of this world delegate to those like me who are COGS, and I am OK with that arrangement. The Kings we all know about but us Cogs are the every day folk who are vital to the world functioning.. and when the world struggles to function the optics shine on the bad king/leaders of countries, states, cities, companies and the church. But know while the world sees the kings.. the importance of us cogs goes unrealized.  Politicians, superstar athletes, movie and rock stars are the kings of our pop culture. We all know who they are. We are a society of hero worship, BUT.. the cogs? Not so much. No posters on walls to recognize a teacher, custodian, factory worker, computer geek, etc etc. Everyone from these factory workers, stay at home moms, custodians, teachers, and the rest of us little people (including cartoonists.. maybe) are the ones that make the world work. We all fly under the radar with very little fanfare.  While this world’s measure of a man’s worth is.. his bank account balance, his home on a lake, fame, a trophy wife or two, and a really hot ride for someone my age.. Unfortunately it IS NOT traditionally based on how many colors he has in his coloring box, but if it was my answer would be 64 bright and shining Crayolas. It is amazing the complexity of society, and how each of us are wired differently but together with our own set of gifts are called to serve God and others to make society function. We are all the hands and feet of Christ in our jobs, families, churches, and society. Some are gifted to be kings and God bless those kings they are gifted to be leaders as God uniquely wired them.. BUT in the same way God has wired so many COGS too. The body of Christ is made up of many parts as called by God to serve Him and care for others.  The good message of this ramble is how we each have our own unique calling by God to serve Him, and all our unique abilities are important.. even if you are armed only with 64 crayolas and a vocabulary that includes the under appreciated word… UM.
One body many parts, all are important, and DO NOT measure your worth by the world's yard stick because man’s measurement of success is as confused as America converting to the metric system! Be a KING or be a COG, but do it for God's glory and obedient to who God made you. Love God with all your heart, and others as yourself.. the rest is trivial pursuit! MEGA 'UM' BLESSINGS! Jeffrey 'Cog' Larson 7/7/2020 Behold the power of.. SLEEP! I watched a show a while back on the often overlooked fuel of sleep. When I short myself on a proper amount of sleep I compromise my mood ( i get pouty), capabilities, productivity, clarity of thought, and in general my outlook on life becomes negative. Without good sleep any circumstance I face may be tainted with depression, anger, impatience, with maybe more than a smidgen of hopelessness. Admittedly I am kind of a baby. It is often easier said then done when sleep deprived is to get more sleep, but.. when I do get enough sleep those clouds of confusion and irritation part, and what once felt hopeless is now met with a more rationale and healthy vantage point leaving me scratching my head why I ever thought my situation was hopeless.  Last night was a good example of this. In the summer of 2020 we are in an election year, dealing with Covid-19, and racial tensions are higher than any point in my lifetime. Anarchy is in the streets, and all this while the 24/7 news gleefully gaslights all this into a roaring fire where traditional values are mocked, and in God we trust is questioned if not sneered at. So this all makes me irritated. I prayed a little, but I mumble more as I find all this reporting is to sell a story, and not offer solutions or positive comments. Well my mumbling and maybe a little bit of a tired brain started me rolling down hill feeling hopeless about society, and very such feeling that way about church in America. Then comes this morning where I wake up and none of this bad world was overwhelming me. I still believe the evening news is (forgive me) a sewer, but my happiness is not defined by this sewage. Joy is not found either in the very real circumstances of this world but it starts with my relationship with God, and to see the blessings I have and so the sun is shining a bit more in my spirit. Moral the story so far? SLEEP it does a body good.  Then just as bad, no actually worse is when afflicted by spiritual deprivation where I do not take time for God declaring myself too busy. To miss out on a daily devotional time, and compromise my prayer times with God compromises .. my spirit and perspective on life just like operating on 4 hours of sleep while eating junk food all night. YECH! Yes, spiritually speaking I feel YECH! I may even confuse my life further by excluding the good life disciplines of exercise, work, and play. AND IF.. I do take time for my relationship with God I find my perspective, attitude, and joy fall short of what God intends and desires for me. In contrast, IF I honor God with prayer and devotional times the clouds of doubt and loneliness part for me as God is now included included in my day as he should be.  Summary: Be sure to get a proper amount of the overlooked fuel for my body of sleep, AND be sure to include the discipline and joy of a personal relationship with God.
May God bless each of you in this journey to honor Him with all your resources. Jeff (looking forward to a nap) Larson side note 1: I have a confession to make.. At this point in my life.. I lOVE NAPS. What was the big deal when we were kids and we never wanted to go down for a nap. Now, in the afternoon, I get a little groggy, and then will take a 20 minute (or longer) nap. It simply feels so good. side note 2: Sleeping in church is still frowned on.. though it cannot be eradicated completely even with the use of SHOCK COLLARS that are tuned into your REM cycle. |
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Back Pew - Draw Close to God
116 pages of cartoons of 'Clean Humor & God's Truth' CRITICS ARE SAYING..
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©2019 Jeff Larson - All Rights Reserved
10/8/2020
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