Speartoons

I'm an illustrator and author. I write with pictures and draw with words.

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Confessions of a Pastor's Husband

Confessions of a Pastor's Husband

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Stubbornness or Tenacity

I could have been stubborn and refused to stop and heal my leg. And through this month, I’ve been tempted to get back out there and run, though my knee isn’t fully healed. But I know that further damage could force a longer recovery. Tenacity has gotten me through some challenging circumstances. Crossing that line into stubbornness can only make things worse. I still believe I can train for a…

Stubbornness or Tenacity

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Cruelty for Cruelty's Sake?

You can be good for the mere sake of goodness; you cannot be bad for the mere sake of badness. You can do a kind action when you are not feeling kind and when it gives you no pleasure, simply because kindness is right; but no one ever did a cruel action simply because cruelty is wrong C. S. Lewis in Mere Christianity We may try not to think about the stranger who is suffering next to us. And we…

Cruelty for Cruelty's Sake?

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Men Without Chests

We make men without chests and expect from them virtue and enterprise.C. S. Lewis in  The Abolition of Man What do we expect of men today? I read and hear stories about a crisis of manhood. And then I see men trying to display their manhood with big trucks, macho attitudes, and a disdain for anything that hints of femininity. Continue reading Men Without Chests

Men Without Chests

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When Setbacks Happen

Earlier this month, I went for my weekend run. I was going to run six miles, determined to keep on my plan to run a half marathon this fall. Then the pain started, and I found myself pondering what to do when setbacks happen. Should I quit? Should I cut today’s run short? If I push through, will I injure myself? The pain didn’t go away. Eventually, I decided it was foolish to push my knee to…

When Setbacks Happen

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Sticking With it

Is this it? Is my goal over? I thought this was a worthy goal. God, where are you in all this? When the negative thoughts come, sticking with it feels like an impossible task. But that is where the magic happens. During a marathon, when the sun was hot and my hamstrings were screaming at me, I discovered that goals are crucial, even when they don’t feel attainable. Besides, what good is a…

Sticking With it

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Start with What is Right

Compromise is a fact of life. The question isn’t whether we must compromise but when and how much. That is why it is essential to start with what is right in the beginning instead of starting with what is acceptable. www.brainyquote.com/s/a_1d2f2 If we start from the mindset of, “This is good enough,” what happens when things don’t go as planned and it’s not good enough? Or if we aim low, sure,…

Start with What is Right

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A life of Excuses

What do we do with a life of excuses? What should we do when we find ourselves living a life of regrets and could-have-beens? It’s too easy to make excuses when things aren’t going the way we thought they would by now. What do we do when we are tempted to put the blame on the system or a tool? This quote by Charles Spurgeon reminds me that excuses come too easily for me. Lazy people always…

A life of Excuses

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Writing a Christmas Letter

A recent podcast made me consider the advantages of writing a Christmas letter instead of sending friends and family images from the year. “You just can’t do [it] with a collection of selfies or any other kind of scenic images. It requires a story. And the act of having to commit yourself to tell a story is an invitation to tell the full dimensions of that, or the fuller dimension.” From Good…

Writing a Christmas Letter

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Nobody Drifts to Success

It doesn’t matter what you want to achieve. Nobody gets there by happenstance. Nobody drifts to success. Sure, we hear stories that may convince us this is the case. Some are born with silver spoons in their mouths, but nobody drifts into doing something meaningful and successful.Show up and do the hard work. Every Monday, be the one who faithfully puts in the hours and the effort because…

Nobody Drifts to Success

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Is it too cold?

We’ve been in Indiana and Ohio for Thanksgiving the last few days. Coming from Florida, it was a shock to the system when the wind chill recently dropped below 9° Fahrenheit. But is it too cold? If you go by the headlines, the answer is yes. Of course, they have to add some drama to their spiel. Snow and Arctic cold will blast the Midwest and Northeast The guy in my illustration may think the…

Is it too cold?

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Consider it pure joy

How can anyone consider it pure joy when we face trials? How can anything good come from the pressures and challenges in our lives? Untested faith is unproven. How can you know if your faith holds without putting it into practice? In a story, a hero without a trial is a hero without a story. How can the hero save the day if there is no problem to confront? We don’t like trials and tribulations.…

Consider it pure joy

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To Love and to be Loved

We strongly desire to be loved from the moment we are born. Our survival depends on it. If someone doesn’t care for an infant, they are doomed. All of us are here because someone cared for us. Oh, to love and to be loved! Nicolas Chamfort Quotes. (n.d.). BrainyQuote.com. Retrieved November 24, 2024, from BrainyQuote.com Web site: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/nicolas_chamfort_143427 Yes,…

To Love and to be Loved

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What Motivates Volunteers

In The Essential Drucker, Peter Drucker insisted that management increasingly needs to lead knowledge workers as if they were volunteers because their skills make them mobile. They can always go somewhere else to work. So, what motivates volunteers? I’ve had the advantage of witnessing how my wife has effectively motivated volunteers in a ministry. Some of the factors that motivate volunteers…

What Motivates Volunteers

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The cure for sudden Incompetence

Peter Drucker asserted that people encounter sudden incompetence when they believe in a new role; they can continue doing what made them successful in the old role. This YouTube video summarizes his thoughts and the cure for sudden incompetence. Making mistakes isn’t fun, but it’s necessary. What happens when mistakes occur and a person doesn’t learn but stubbornly does the same thing again? At…

The cure for sudden Incompetence

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Be an Instrument of Peace

 Some days, it feels more and more difficult to take Saint Francis of Assisi’s prayer at face value to be an instrument of peace. Yet, there is a future of peacemakers. After all, the only thing warmongers achieve is death and destruction. We cannot live in a world where everyone is at each other’s throats, whether it is nations, communities of families, we need peacemakers. This is my prayer…

Be an Instrument of Peace

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One step from irrelevance

This article by Evans Baiya in Fast Company reminded me that we are one step from irrelevance. Either we will be the catalyst for innovation or resist it. While change is hard for many of us, it is powerful. But many don’t like any change. We’d just as soon let the car get filthy and let nature take its course. We can resist change and pay a price, or we can be innovators and reap the benefits…

One step from irrelevance