Archives For parenting

Drawn by Kendall Lyons (c) Cartoon Daily News

Drawn by Kendall Lyons (c) Cartoon Daily News

One of the harshest lessons I learned as a teenager is that sometimes you have to go it alone.

I was usually the one kid who would volunteer first because the other kids were “too cool” to do the job, whether it was in my youth group at church or in class at school. Trust me, I wasn’t trying to come off as THAT kid who was trying to impress anyone. I just hated dead air, silence and slow response time. I was pretty impatient!

Sometimes, in the face of career paths, family matters and even lifestyle, it’s no one else but God and you facing today and tomorrow. And to be honest, that’s all you need anyway! And if you think about it, if you absolutely can’t do one simple task without somebody, then I would suggest taking a serious, long evaluation of yourself and the matter at hand.

We all need help from time to time! By no means am I advocating the notion of “every man and woman for himself.” But if you are depending on a human being so heavily to be your guide it says more about your spiritual capacity as well as level of self-esteem and confidence then it does about the other guy.

In the book that I’m writing, I make the point that being different does mean that you have to go it alone. Then suddenly, you’ll blow up in popularity and prosperity, and THEN all of a sudden, people will start noticing you and will want to go with you.

Beware of THAT! Because people will try to leech off of your energy, your creativity, your success and your drive. Why, because they don’t have the courage or the audacity to go on their own and make something of themselves!

You can’t afford that! You don’t have to accept it! You certainly don’t have to go with it or settle!

Perhaps the reason you haven’t got to where you are in life is because you are afraid of walking alone and in that alone time you know very well what will come out: Thoughts you couldn’t bear to wrestle with, issues that you couldn’t face and talks with God that will HAVE to happen in the midst of seemingly annoying silence and loneliness.

About these ads
Posted on November 5, 2012 In Lessons, LIVE , , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink 4 Comments
He Leads and Guides (c) Kendall Lyons, Cartoon Daily News, 2012

He Leads and Guides (c) Kendall Lyons, Cartoon Daily News, 2012

I vividly remember as a boy…I kinda disliked the idea of my hand being held in public by my Mom. I wanted to walk next to her with my chest out and grin showing and a sense of authoritative grit. I wanted to be that kid who didn’t need to be told what to do…just asked…only once! I was the same way with my Dad!

I wanted to prove something….I wanted to show that I could be a “big boy” and that I had it together! I may not have known how to file taxes or what a mortgage was, but dang it, I was a determined kid with a eye on the prize. I just knew, somewhere deep down in my own young psyche, that I couldn’t be THAT guy if I was caught with my hand held tight by my parental units!

How lame is that, right!?

How about how foolish is that!?

I didn’t have anything to prove. I really didn’t!? I went to school, played video games, watched cartoons, played with friends and repeated the same tasks day in and day out. I never wanted for anything! I had everything I needed.

In fact, when I was hurt or needed help, guess who came crawling back, needing a hand, that very same hand that I would deny being held too in public, I DID!

I needed that very hand…that hand…to help me, to guide me, to tell me that everything was going to be alright.

I may have thought I was a man 50 percent of the time, but truth of the matter is, I was still that scared little boy who needed that hand.

 

Isaiah 41:10 says:

Fear not, for I am with you;

Be not dismayed, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you,

Yes, I will help you,

I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

That’s my Faith walk guys….that’s my relationship with God and Christ Jesus! How could I deny the one whose hands was nailed to a cross so that my whole body wouldn’t be condemned to hell.

My prayer and hope for all of you is this…in the midst of the fun times of drawing and cartooning and anime, all that in its place is fine, but now is the time to get to know God. Now is the time to get to know Christ. Now is the time to just stop for a minute, don’t think about yourself, your doubts and worries for a moment, and really seek after God and the things of God.

Posted on September 15, 2012 In Lessons, LIVE , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink 2 Comments
"Adventure Time," A Cartoon Network Original Series (c) 2012

"Adventure Time," A Cartoon Network Original Series (c) 2012

For a few days I have had the topic of “Love” on my heart! No pun intended!

What is love anyway!? Can it possibly be “adventurous” as Finn made it out to be?

Monday evening I was watching an episode of the cartoon “Adventure Time” on Cartoon Network! In this episode, the main character, Finn, realizes that he really, REALLY likes the fire princess. Finn admits to her that he “likes her, like her,” but the fire princess is not buying it, especially after it seemed like Finn was playing with her heart.

The princess realizes that he’s totally opposite of her, confusing Finn to be a “water type.” Finn could care less that she’s a “fire type,” and that he’s human. Ultimately, they both say to each other something that moved me to write this article:

Princess: “Finn, Even if we like each other, we’re going to hurt each other!”

Finn: “No we don’t have too, I can take it, …I mean, can we try?”

Princess: “You will defy nature for me?”

Finn: “Uh yeah!”

With regards to love, you do stand a risk of being “burned.” You do stand the risk of getting hurt. But you also stand the risk of experiencing something powerful, special and beyond words. In fact, it takes LOVE for it to all to even be worth it!

I love Finn’s line because he looks past the obstacles between them and is willing to give it a try. He sees the best in this princess. He sees something that the viewing audience doesn’t. It was frustrating to me, but it wasn’t to Finn.

In 1 Corinthians 13, Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, and essentially saying that he could do tons of different activities and services for people, but if love was not a driving force, it was worthless. It all would be for nothing without love. Even to the sacrifice of his own life, if its not in love, its worthless ( verse 3 ).

So, what is Love. Love is outlined beautifully from 1 Corinthians 13:3-7 from the New King James Version:

And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

So, ask yourself, how much can you take!? It doesn’t say anything about it being “easy,” but love has its benefits.

Love made Finn consider a seemingly unlikely match for a mate.

Love keeps me writing articles to help people.

Love moves and motivates us to do what we don’t want to do.

Love was involved when Jesus gave His life for us!

How Adventurous is your Love!?

Posted on April 2, 2012 In Lessons, LIVE , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink 1 Comment
"I Should Be Working," by Kendall Lyons (c) 2012

"I Should Be Working," by Kendall Lyons (c) 2012

You ever have those days that you are doing something on the side when you really should be about the task that’s in front of you! You find yourself writing, drawing or doing some kind of day dreaming.

While this may not be the best thing to do at school or work, its always good to do this kind of thing during slow, boring and quiet times.

When was the last time you ever picked up a good book or magazine or comic. Have you started on a journal so you can record all of your deep, creative, personal and random thoughts.

When was the last time you daydreamed. What was it about!? Did you use it to your benefit!?

Daydreaming was never wrong to begin with. Awesome and beautiful things happened because it started with dreams, visions and ideas. Those ideas, brought about by action-taking Faith and motivation and purpose, grew to become more than just a thought, but a business, a place, a movie, a cartoon and so on!

How can you benefit from your daydreaming? How can you benefit from those crazy and random ideas of yours?

1. Write It!!! It doesn’t matter how good of a writer you are. If anything, write it down somewhere while its still fresh from the oven of your mind.

2. Talk About It!!! Let someone know what’s happening in that head of yours. You might be surprised about the reactions you get. Some may think you are a little “different” or a little “eccentric,” but who cares!? If its something you are passionate about or believe its worth giving a try, check into it and ignore the skeptics.

3. Research It!!!!! I was up till 2 a.m. one night, and I was sitting in my room, wondering where my life was heading as far as a career was concerned. As I sat there in my room, I realized God was not only calling me into ministry, but was also calling me into cartoon work. I kept daydreaming about the idea of drawing and cartooning, but that’s all it was. I knew my skills were not the best. I daydreamed and thought about it more and more…so much so, it moved me to give drawing a try. I keep practicing and practicing. Before I knew it, a year later I started drawing my comics. Even my confidence and self-esteem improved.

You may be daydreaming the very thing that God has ultimately called you and designed for you to specifically do!

Posted on April 1, 2012 In Lessons, LIVE , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink Leave a comment

Some Assembly Required

I’m so guilty of saying things like “I’ll do that tomorrow” or “maybe later” or “I’ll get around to it.”

These statements have often plagued me, but, as of late I have changed course and have begun fighting to keep my priorities straight. It wasn’t esay to begin and continue such a process either.

Probably becuase with anything you desire to do for success “some assembly is required.”

You ever buy a piece of furniture from the store, a small or large toy or some kind of equipment, and begin dreading the process of putting all of those pieces together?! You then see that label at the bottom that’s in the smallest print possible on the box that says “some assembly required.” You then shake your head in disgust, wondering why on earth did you buy this…this…this unfinished piece of work!
Projects that require assembly test my patience…greatly!

But recently, I realized something! “Some assembly required” is for more than just furniture, toys and electronics. “Some assembly” is also “required” for anything worth having and keeping.

Some assembly is still required in a job. Some assembly is required in relationships. Some assembly is required in developing and figuring out ones vocation…ones calling. This is where I know I struggle.

I wake up every morning, get cleaned up, dressed up and prepare for work, and as I prepare to march out of the door, I see my computer, my cartoons, my Bibles and books and my journals, and I sometimes feel that moment of sadness, frustration and even depression. Its many pieces, and I know that its “some assembly required.” I look at my college courses I’m taking to earn my Master’s. I’m looking at my job and where I hope to be in the future. I see where I am and the hope of where I could be. It all seems like so much sometimes…so many pieces. I wonder how long its going to take to put all of the pieces together.

Should I just pack all of my hopes and dreams in the box that it all seem to come from and just ask for a refund. NO! NEVER!

Bishop T.D. Jakes said something a while back in one of his sermons that really resonated with me a while back. To paraphrase, he made the point that God never made a chair, but he made a tree and he made wood. He also made steel. He also made all of these raw pieces of material that man took to innovate and come up with buildings, bridges and more.

So often we are waiting on God…what if He’s waiting on you. What if instead of worrying about being as good as the creators of “Phineas and Ferb” or “Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” you were called to write a book or start a cartoon series that would take its place once those shows have run its course.

Someone is waiting for you to complete those pieces. Someone is waiting for you to add a piece that you have that they need!

The point is this…some assembly is required not so they can confuse you…not so they can haunt you…but to help you! Some assembly is required for two reasons:

1. To teach you patience as you continue to strive!

2. So you won’t stop pursuing what is your vocation and calling!

3. So you and others can better appreciate the finished project once its all said and done!

Even you…you’re still a work in progress. What if people just toally gave up on you and decided to ask for a refund!? You came into existence needing some assembly required. Your whole life is “some assembly required.” The good news is, in patience and with hope and a focused, positive mindset, the putting together of the pieces can be as much fun as anticipating the epic finish!

Posted on March 31, 2012 In Lessons, LIVE , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
permalink Leave a comment