For the Humor Category

Humor plays a significant role in my life. Perhaps too much, but I like to laugh. There is plenty in life that is heavy and serious, and a "merry heart doeth good like a medicine", right?

At any rate, over the years I've collected some gems from a few of my favorite comic strips.

I'll start out with two Garfield and two Dilberts. The Garfields are from 15 strips that I've selected as my all-time favorites (I'll post them all eventually). I haven't scored the Dilberts yet, but I only save the best ones, so you can proceed with that confidence.

Click on the strips for easier-to-read versions.

GARFIELD
by Jim Davis

DILBERT
by Scott Adams

There's alot more where these came from, so I'll put some more on here after I write a more serious post, just to keep things in balance.

Life Is Short

Life Is Short

We all heard it in our youth: "When you get older, time seems to slip through your fingers."

Some things can only be learned by experience. The true value of time is one. Any sincere young person could tell you that time is our most important asset. Yet it seems that until we've lived long enough to feel a twinge of regret for time wasted, we won't truly understand its worth.

As my sweet wife mentioned in a recent blog, she is a perfectionist. I am too. When you're a newlywed perfectionist it's easy to be patient with your spouse's faults; after all, you have years to refine them! But alas, their habits die almost as hard as ours; the toilet paper is still mounted backwards.

Sound silly? Maybe. But those little sources of irritation, if we allow them to affect us, will drain the joy from our marriage.

A few weeks ago I was thinking about my remaining years of life. For some reason, I'm beginning to see that my days are numbered. It's time to get my priorities straight. Am I accomplishing anything that matters for eternity?

When it comes to marriage, there's alot to enjoy. Suddenly, realizing that my time on Earth is limited, those petty irritations of married life or child-raising don't seem to matter as much. Or at all. Each moment spent fretting about something minor is a moment in which love could be expressed instead.

Me? I'm going to start overlooking people's faults more often, choosing rather to appreciate them for who they are. There is so much criticism flying around these days; the old "Ten pounds of praise to one pound of correction" quip is rarely practiced. I can't think of one relationship in which I've maintained this 10:1 ratio. It's especially hard with those close to us - we're afraid that praise will make them think we accept them they way they are. God forbid we let them off the hook!

Love your neighbor as yourself. Do to others as you would have them do to you. Is this really that hard? I think not. Life is short, and the return on love's investment comes quickly.

Ho-hum...Another blog

Ho-hum...Another blog

Welcome to my new GreatExchange blog. I enjoy writing and I spend a bit of time in front of the computer, so I hope to find time to type out some thoughts. Don't count on a daily update though - I'm not a disciplined person.

Well, it's late and I won't try to wax eloquent; that's for another time. I'd like to post frequently enough to keep you coming back for more. I hope to challenge you at times, or perhaps extract a laugh.

Until next time...