Illustration Friday: Your Paradise

This is my lazy entry for Illustration Friday.

Recently we went to my wife's cousin's wedding and it got me thinking about our own honeymoon on the beach in Mexico four years ago. Then, the following evening, while playing with my son outside, I drew this on the sidewalk, a nice umbrella drink. I wasn't going to enter anything this week for Illustration Friday, but here it is, for what it's worth.

Blue, pink, yellow, and lime green sidewalk chalk on concrete.

(click image to enlarge)

Illustration Friday: Cars

This is my effort for Illustration Friday. This week's topic is "cars."

This was done in one hour while entertaining my 2-year old and explaining to him how to use an eraser (something that I have a LOT of practice with). Next time I draw with him I'm making a mental note to have TWO erasers available.

Drawn with Crayola pencil.

Scanned and flat colors applied with Paint Shop Pro.

Leo Kottke in Andrews Park

(click on either pic for a closer look)
My family and some friends got to see fingerstyle guitar legend Leo Kottke this weekend at Andrews Park in Norman, Oklahoma. Here are a couple pics, the first is Kottke busy about his business and the second is Tom and I, taking it all in. We had great weather and a nice turnout for the event. Kottke is friendly and entertaining in person and not afraid to take a good five or more minutes between songs to tell random anecdotes, which from what we have heard is common. We enjoyed every minute. It was a good time. I'm also including a couple short video clips. The image quality is not what I had hoped, but the sound is pretty clear.

Salvation is Here

God above all the world in motion
God above all my hopes and fears
And I don't care what the world throws at me now
I'm gonna be alright

Hear the sound of the generations
Making loud our freedom song
All in all that the world would know Your name
It's gonna be alright

Cause I know my God saved the day
And I know His word never fails
And I know my God made a way for me
Salvation is here
Salvation is here
Salvation is here
and He lives in me
Salvation is here
Salvation that died just to set me free
Salvation is here
Salvation is here
and He lives in me
Salvation is here
Cause You are alive
and You live in me

Salvation is Here by Joel Houston

Illustration Friday: Signs

This is my entry for Illustration Friday. I drew this one earlier this week for my Christian cartoon website and then the topic for Illustration Friday turned out to be "Signs." I'm not kidding. I normally like to draw something special for the topic, but the timing of this topic was undeniable.

So I'm just putting it out there to see what happens. Thanks for stopping by.

See more Christian-themed cartoons at www.ezgtoons.com

4th Wedding Anniversary!

So today's the big day. Married for four amazing years to the love of my life. When God gets it right, He REALLY gets it right. Nothing in all my life compares to this relationship. Thank you God for getting it so perfectly right and thank you Darcey for four beautiful years. I'm looking forward to the rest of "forever." This side of heaven it couldn't get better. Love you,
Erin

Publishing Diary

I'm considering adding something a little different to this blog. I'll call it a Publishing Diary for now. All posts under this heading will be notes about my progress or lack of progress getting my cartoons published in print as well as some other self promotional efforts.

A few purposes of this:

1) Hold myself accountable. It is a challenging process and it may help to build in some accountability.

2) Keep some folks in the loop.

3) Open up the possibility that a 'veteran' in this process will swoop in and give me tips.

4) Humble myself. Believe me, I would prefer to ignore this idea and just turn up one day to my friends saying, "Hey, I got published."

5) Give glory to God in some more tangible form for what he is doing in my life and in EZG Toons. I could look back on any success and not forget what He has done.

6) I will have something tangible that I can refer others to, who might be facing the same challenges.

7) Give anyone so inclined and opportunity to pray more specifically for whatever is going on with this process.

Well, I'll keep it short for now. One of the problems with this idea (as with all blogging) is that it does take time to write about this stuff, time that is often hard to come by.

Anyway, I'm preparing for the war. A couple years ago (roughly) I drew my first ever complete cartoon. Now after much time has past, I have reached one goal (by the unlimited grace of God) which was to establish some sort of presence on the web, however small it may be. Another necessity was to draw enough cartoons to send to a print publisher. I'm getting there and maybe it's early, but I'm getting ansy. Anyway, these are some highlights.

Getting cartoons published is a difficult undertaking, but it is one of my dreams. I've heard or read about mostly stories of submitting thousands of cartoons per month for years with no success. And I only have a little over fifty cartoons TOTAL. Talk about your David and Goliath scenario; a small fish, I am, in a big pond. The likelihood of any real financial benefit is statistically stacked against me as well. Maybe I spend months or even years and turn up about $30 or maybe nothing. Or maybe, I get a major contract. God only knows what is down the road. I wonder why I even bother sometimes, but here I go, into the fray. At the very least, I can look back and say that I gave it the ol' college try, right? God is my motivation. If I didn't think the cartoons had some good function in the world, I wouldn't be trying.

So far I do have a copy of the 2006 Artist's and Graphic Designer's Market book. They make a 2007 version, which is more current, but I've read that there tends to not be much difference from version to version and I could get a used copy for $5 versus $20 to $30 for the new one. For my purposes, this should do fine to get me started.

I also want to keep these short, so I'll stop. Ha! Hopefully once a week or every two weeks I'll mention more.

Illustration Friday: Citrus

This is my take on the word "Citrus" for Illustration Friday. My wife and I took the day off this past Friday and just had a "Date Day" to relax. Our 2-year old was with his grandparents over Friday night. All the relaxing probably contributed to this laid back warm take on the theme.

My wife also joined in the Illustration Friday fun and provided this take:

Illustration Friday: Neighbor

I sketched this in the car today (wife was driving) and then added some color when I got home.

This is my first attempt at Illustration Friday and the word to illustrate was the word "Neighbor" (in case you're not so familiar with Illustration Friday).

Jesus is coming soon!

Many of my cartoon ideas come from whatever it is I'm going through that week. I got this idea months ago, but never followed through with it for whatever reason.

Anyway, it popped back into my head recently and that usually means it's time to go ahead and work it up. There isn't much explanation necessary for this cartoon other than it's going to be AWESOME when this event finally takes place. Who knows where we'll be or what we'll be doing.

It may even be a little silly---if I can be so bold as to say so---maybe there will be joyful laughter. Very likely it will happen so fast that there won't be time for anything:

...in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ---1 Corinthians 15:52

One day we'll all be going about our business and BOOM there He'll be in clouds, just as the scriptures describe:

"In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. ---Daniel 7:13

"But I say to all of you: In the future you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." ---Matthew 26:64

"And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven." ---Mark 14:62

Anyway, it's sure fun to think about! However it happens, whenever it happens, I wanna be there, with Him in the air and I hope you will be too. How great it will be to finally say, "Linda, cancel my appointments!"

Unlimited Patience

Love is patient. ---1 Corinthians 13:4

Every day our patience is tested. Today I felt tested over and over again. It never let up, one thing right after the other.

Many of us end our days by unloading on our family members and/or friends all the crazy, irritating, and even downright unbearable stuff we've experienced. We sometimes spend our days whining about something at work that didn't turn out how we wanted, etc...

This evening, I looked up every instance of the word "patient" in the New Testament. Here are a few quick observations:

1) In the New International Version of the Bible the word "patient" is often coupled with the word "endurance".

This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Jesus. ---Revelation 14:12

...being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience... ---Colossians 1:11

2) "Patient" is also often in the same sentence or paragraph as "love."

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. ---Ephesians 4:2

3) Patience is a part of God's nature.

But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. ---1 Timothy 1:16

God's patience is UNLIMITED. Just as Paul in this final verse, referred to himself as "the worst of sinners" and acknowledged Jesus Christ as his only hope, we too know just how awesome God's mercy towards us really is. The Bible is ripe with examples of just how patient God is, how he does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9).

And we are to be imitators of God (Ephesians 5:1). We are to be humble examples to the world of God's unlimited patience TOWARD US and we are to DISPLAY unlimited patience in our own actions towards EVERYONE.

God be with us, every minute, every day, every circumstance, for it is only through Him that we may be "strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that we may have great endurance and patience." ---2 Timothy 3:10

No Brick Walls!

Whenever we have strong love and respect for someone, our actions show it. Imagine if Jesus Christ himself were standing in bodily form right in front of you right this instant. Would you let him have it because you had a bad day or bitch and moan about this or that? Probably not, although we do have freedom to come to him in total honestly. Probably, you'd be on your best behavior---forgetting all the petty things that had your attention---because that's the level of respect and honor that He deserves. As the song goes, "The things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of His glory and grace."

Now, what about love for others? Your coworkers? Your spouse? Strangers?

Did Jesus not say that whatever we do to others, we have done to HIM?

But it's soooo easy to fall away and even forget that this is our spiritual mandate. Soooo easy to get distracted by anything and everything that seems so important.

In relationships, we can focus on the minor things. Take the woman in this cartoon for example. Perhaps she has every reason to be angry and she's "blocked" the guy completely off. Who knows what let up to this humorous situation.

When I originally drew this one, the idea was pretty simple: The guy messed up and she's finally had enough of it. In typical guy fashion, he is either trying to deny he did anything wrong at all or he's completely oblivious to his wife's feelings. Either way, he's made a mistake.

(I had a guy tell me once that satan should have been in this cartoon, handing her the bricks).

But today I see something else: How often in any relationship do we allow even the slightest perceived offense to shut us down? Someone doesn't allow us into the right turn lane as quickly as we'd hoped and suddenly every driver is "an idiot" or even worse, for the rest of the day we just won't talk to anyone because that same feeling that everyone is an idiot hasn't left us yet.

Brothers and sisters, the cost is too high. Don't shut people out, building brick walls all around you. Love with abandon! Have an attitude of forgiveness. Forgive as Christ forgave you!

Don't shut down. Reach out! And God be with you.

Don't Git Timed Out - A Rap

The devil keeps on the attack

Jesus Christ keeps bringin' me on back

The Holy Spirit keeps me on track

Listen up... I'm bringin' no flack

The whole world's gone crazy insane

up in they head

But Christ keeps shapin' m' brain

keepin' me fed...

On the word of Truth:

Sharper than that knife you packin'

Ain't yo life lackin', Brotha?

Find anotha

Get crackin'

Don't git timed out

Christ'll git y' lined out

Fix ya inside out

There's no need to hide out

Lift up y' head

If ya hunger, you'll be fed

If ya thirsty, ya gon' drink

Living water could be flowin'

Whacha think?

Christ bringin' life f' real

Sumpin' the devil ain't gon' steal

Christ got the power t' heal

And the Spirit gon' set his seal

Yeah, the whole world's gone crazy insane

up in they head

But Christ keeps shapin' m' brain

keepin' me fed

Now don't cha feel led?

Let it be now

Don't cha jus' see how

How it could be now

Don't cha jus' see how

Don't git timed out
Christ'll git y' lined out
Fix ya inside out
There's no need to hide out

---Erin G. 4/2007

Flashlight Hippo Plumbing 101

About 7 days ago today, I decided it was about time to fix the drippy faucet in the main bathroom. Weeks had gone by up until now, the drip drip reality coming back onto my radar periodically as I relieved or cleaned myself. Now was the day.

Removing the thing that the water comes out of (I am a real pro at this) revealed that replacing a simple rubber washer wasn't going to cut it. I had to get under the sink. Time to get serious. I needed tools. Off to the garage, a few screwdrivers, pliers, a pair of vice grips. The cabinet space under the sink has to be cleared out, of course, where everyone keeps---I imagine---all manner of cleansers, retired soap dishes, obsolete lotions. About a typing paper box fills up and I've got room to look into this plumbing issue properly.

A flashlight. Why didn't I get that the first time? I need a flashlight. I keep my flashlight on top of the refrigerator, but today instead of my flashlight on top of the refrigerator, I find what looks like a flashlight, but is in fact only the shell of what used to be a flashlight until my son---I imagine--- got ahold of it, gutted it, and left the necessary part of it for dead. It occurs to me: I need more than one decent flashlight. Making a trip to the store just for a flashlight is rediculous. A few trips around the house aimlessly hoping to stumble across a flashlight and I finally get an idea. A candle! Candles provide light, right?

So now I'm under the sink, with my candle lighting the way. I wondered how long it would be until some of the fumes from whatever chemicals were festering under the sink would ignite and char me to a black crisp like Daffy Duck in that one Bugs Bunny hunting cartoon (man, I really love that one). I blow out the candle. Another revelation showed up: Zane has some toy flashlights. One such flashlight is made by Little Tikes and is shaped like an adorable hippo. Hippos, of course, as my wife often reminds me, are vicious and relentless killers in real life, but this flashlight, in it's childish plumpness and bold primary colors is darn cute. There is a button in the handle that when pressed opens the hippo's mouth, the light shines forth, it laughs a goofy-type laugh. The laugh part is barely cute about one time.

Now I'm under the sink, using my trusty flashlight hippo, and I'm beginning to piece together a plan to get this whole faucet drip under control, when I discover the light only stays on for about three seconds. This is probably by design so that a kid will have to press the button again, thus sounding the goofy hippo laugh, which the kid loves, and he also gets a little hand/eye coordination training to boot.

After about 6 or 7 of these hippo laughs coming from under the bathroom sink, my wife is laughing, even more than the hippo---if you can imagine. I'm muttering about the ineffectiveness of the flashlight also, which adds fuel to the fire.

I'll leave it at that. A few days later, my son walks up and randomly hands me the 'guts' of the normal flashlight and says, "Daddy, what's that?" I said, "Where'd you get this?" I put the guts back in the flashlight, but couldn't get it to work anyway.

Thus endeth the tale of the flashlight hippo and his plumbing adventure.

The Myth of Sisyphus and Me

In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was a king punished in the underworld by being set to roll a huge boulder up a hill throughout eternity. ---From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Believe me, I don't care or know much at all about Greek mythology. But if I understand the story correctly, Sisyphus is punished and has to roll a hugh boulder up a hill and just when he gets it to the top of the hill it ROLLS BACK DOWN THE HILL and he starts over again.

I was reminded of this myth this past week when I was in the backyard playing with my son. As our outside time was coming to a close, I started picking up various balls that were scattered over the yard. You guessed it, just as I completed retrieving the balls, my son would take the balls out of their storage container and scatter them over the yard again.

What is best?

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God.
---Philippians 1:9-11

If you read the Bible regularly, you know what it is like to have read a passage many times before and then suddenly in a moment, it speaks to you, like it never has before. What jumped out at me a couple days ago was the word "best" in this verse.

It occurred to me as I was reading that I am to shoot for what is best as I go through life, not what is adequate, not what Joe down the street or Johnny in the pew next to me is doing, not what keeps me from feeling too guilty or what satisfies my own standard, or what makes me feel spiritual enough for one day, or what impresses someone else, or (fill in the blank).

I'm supposed to be discerning (with God's help) what is the absolute best course of action, no less. And that "best" is what Christ himself would have me do, no less. THAT is an awesome thing. Chances are if I'm not feeling this challenge moment by moment, then I'm focusing on one of the many other things that the world has to offer me as a substitute for what is best.

So, am I doing what is the very best, what Christ himself has commanded?

Great Pressure? Rely on God.

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. ---2 Corinthians 1:8-10

If God can raise the dead, he can deliver me from ANYTHING. He HAS delivered me and he WILL deliver me.

Everything that ever happens is, first of all, under the TOTAL CONTROL of God and second of all is PERFECTLY DESIGNED to increase my reliance on God.

This verse makes me think of people who have faced incredible trials and came out of it with an amazing reliance on God.

And yet, even the slightest difficulty and I often run and hide.

God, thank you for the control you have over all things. Thank you for your protection. Help me to see you as you are, the only one who can truly deliver me. Teach me to rely on your strength.

Dreams and The Pursuit of Happyness

"You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it. Period."

---from The Pursuit of Happyness featuring Will Smith

If you haven't seen this movie, I can't really recommend it highly enough. I won't tell you a thing about it. Ha! Of course you can go read about it anywhere on the internet, but I went in knowing nothing about it and came out on the other side a different person.

I love the above quote from the movie. Smith's character also tells his son, "Don't let ANYONE tell you that you can't do something---not even ME. Okay?"

So if you've got a dream today, what are you doing with it? Are you pursuing it? Or are you letting someone else tell you what to do?

It goes without saying that throughout the Bible God takes ordinary people and helps them do extraordinary things for Him, the kinds of things that didn't make sense to those around them. Take Noah as one example. You think anyone ever told that guy he was crazy? You bet. He heard it every single day.

Have Mercy

Well my will won't break
It barely bends
Same old sinner
The same old sin
On my knees to bleed again
Confessions, trial, where to begin?

Have mercy
On me, a sinner man
Lord, have mercy
On me, a sinner man

---excerpt from Have Mercy by Third Day

A New Command

The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ---Gal 5:14

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. ---John 13:34-35

Now, let’s highlight this a little bit. Jesus told us to love people; pretty simple to say and a lot harder to put into practice. We’re all aware that we’re supposed to love people. But here’s the half of the verse that raises the bar a bit: “As I have loved you.” Wow! Let that sink in good and deep for a minute. Jesus loved enough to die for the whole world, even though he most certainly did not deserve to die, having led a perfect life. He died for imperfect, evil, sinful, ignorant, undeserving people.

With that in mind, here are a couple of questions (and you could design your own along these same lines) to test your love for others against this scripture:

-In any given situation or for ANY particular individual, do I love him/her as Christ would love? Have I taken any action to show it?
-Am I willing to die a painful death for this person if necessary? Christ washed the feet of Judas even though he knew that Judas would betray him.

In most of the more difficult scenarios we run up against, the answer will be an obvious NO! Most of us are honestly just tolerating people, not truly loving them. But fortunately the process doesn’t have to end there. God offers to forgive us and wash away that sin and restore us to His righteousness:

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ---1 John 1:9

This is the confidence we have in approaching God, that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And we know that if he hears us---whatever we ask---we know that we have what we asked of him. ---1 John 5:14

This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. ---1 John 5:3-4

Let’s all step out of what is comfortable a little bit more this week, knowing that God’s will for us is to love as Christ himself did. Let’s get real with God so He can do a real work in our lives and in the lives of others.