I've got a feeling

Every now and then, as an LDS cartoonist, I face a dilemma. Sometimes I think of a good gag that might cross that line of being in good taste and being funny.

Some things are fair game, no questions asked: Scouts/deacons, elders quorums, dating, church basketball, and most missionary stuff involving food.

Other things are a definite no-no. For example, references to most ordinances are taboo -- with the exception of baptism. For example, a gag about the high school quarterback passing the sacrament might be finny, but would probably cross that line of good taste.

So I wasn't entirely sure about this one. Yes, we're all about teaching children how to discern the promptings of the Spirit. But is this nudging that line?

I guess I shouldn't worry -- there are other gags that will be much more likely to get me into more trouble than this one!

Monday Sketchbook: Winning with tithing

Sharing time in Primary was all about tithing this week, with some interesting results.

For the older classes, the kids got ten pennies each. They talked about tithing and about the other donations listed on the slip.

It was interesting to see how the kids reacted. Some kids put in a penny for tithing; others donated all ten pennies; a couple of kids wanted to keep them all!

It's so fun what you can learn from Primary!

Arise!

I once saw a kid call out somebody for sleeping during a sacrament meeting talk. Glad it wasn't me!

Strange new worlds

My missionary son has the new Star Trek movie as the No. 1 show that he wants to see when he gets back. At least for now. I'm sure there will be another one that comes along that will take its place.

Linked out

I recently attended a 21st century communications conference in Portland that featured all kinds of speakers and presenters ranging from professional tweeters to Intel's futurist, who helps plan the computerization of tomorrow. The verdict is that social media is here to stay, and is an important part of the mix in modern communications.

One of the challenges nowadays is reaching people who live off the grid. How do you communicate with the person who isn't on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Linked In? I think here I may have found the answer.

Mark a verse Any verse.

When we taught Primary several years ago, one of the girls in the class was SO excited because she just got a new highlighter pen and could now mark her scriptures. During class she very carefully chose a page, outlined each verse and then colored in the whole page. When she finished that one, she moved on to the next page and started the process all over again. I admired her enthusiasm!

Imitating life

A few days ago, American Kenneth Bae was sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for being "a subversive who was plotting to overthrow the government."

This was my reaction when I first heard the news:

Well, there was a follow-up to the story, and apparently Rodman had the same idea. He asked Kim Jon Un to "do him a solid" and release Bae. Now, he says that he's planning on going to the North to ask Kim in person.

Weird.

• If you were expecting this to be an update on Kerry Jo's mission, sorry! You can keep up with her on her personal blog.