I'm a Loser

Ask Ellen: How Do Two People Write One Comic Strip? Hannah

Jimmy: How did I get roped in to this? “It's Ask Ellen” not “Ask Ellen AND Jimmy”

Ellen: Well Ellen doesn't do Gracieland by herself, does she?

Jimmy: Not yet.

Ellen:That won't go well, because I can't draw. ANYWAY... in answer to the question...

Jimmy: Well, it's generally started on Skype (Ellen lives in Maine, and I'm in Pennsylvania). Ellen brings a list of possible topics that might make good Gracie ideas. Some are specifically Catholic, some are based on the characters' personalities, and some are just funny ideas.

Ellen: Jimmy ignores at least half of my list, and then focuses on the one or two that interest him. Usually it's the one idea I'm least comfortable with and I end up spending the rest of the week worried about it. I think he does it on purpose! Which now that I think about it, kind of offends me.

Jimmy: Well, if I worried about offending you, we'd still be on the first strip.

(Long Pause)

Ellen: Ahem. ANYWAY... Once we select the topic we want to work on. We play out various scenarios, keeping in mind the personality of the characters.

Jimmy: Right. And we also try to be mindful of which character we've used lately and try to make sure that the whole family gets rotated in and out of the various strips.

Ellen: Once we decide on the structure, we work on the dialogue, which we usually come up with by roleplaying the different characters. Then Jimmy gets his homework (drawing the strip) which he submits to me for approval.

Jimmy: Oh brother!!!! Let's just say I draw the strip, ok? I use blue pencil for the underdrawing, and then ink it with a Windsor & Newton #0 watercolor brush and india ink. That artwork is scanned into Photoshop which I use for coloring. While I'm doing all of this, Ellen takes a nap.

Ellen: My favorite part! When I wake up there are a series of photos Jimmy texted to me showing the artwork in various stages of completion.

Jimmy: Then once the artwork is colored, I upload it to the various places on the internet.

Ellen: And I go off and write the Table Talk Questions.

Jimmy: Easy Peasy.

The Talking Donkey..Yes, We WIll Go With That

We are moving from the Book of Exodus to the Book of Numbers now.  This week we meet the Talking Ass.  Most times when I post these things, I feel like one.  But let’s just focus on the Biblical character.  It can be found in Numbers 22:22-35.  Take some time to read it now.  It makes a great story!

In this section of Numbers, we see that God can truly use anyone, even an ass.  This is very good news for me.  How about you?

In the story we see some people (namely Balaam) can be closed off to God.  They can’t see what is directly in front of them.  But the ass saw and responded.  That is really all God asks of us.

So, then what gets in our way?  The donkey wasn’t hung up on being an ass.  She got over it and stood up to her master.  Often times, we do not.  We don’t because we feel like an ass, we feel inferior.  That is the issue the donkey didn’t have but we do.

The dictionary describes being inferior as “of low rank, of poor quality, of little or less importance, value or merit; situated below another, second-class, second-rate, average, common, defective, inadequate, insufficient.”

The donkey in this story was certainly situated below another, yet she didn’t allow that to define her.  Too many of us allow our feelings of inadequacy take us out of the game.

God says in Numbers 22:33, “I would have killed you; her I would have spared.”  The donkey, the second-class animal, was the savior in this story.

This really hits home with me, given what I’ve chosen to do.  When I write about Scripture or give presentations, I often think of my friend, the Talking Ass.  I think it represents what God seeks to do through me and you.  I am certainly inadequate to deliver His message.  Yet, if it needs to be said, I hope I can be used to do it.

This week think of the ways you feel inferior and remember the Talking Ass.  Remember God can use anyone.  It is often in our weaknesses where we find Him.  Open your mouth and let God use you.  You won’t be an ass, you will be something greater than you ever thought you’d be.

Ask yourself:

Do I allow my inadequacies define me?

Do I feel inferior to others?

Do I allow God to use me, even in my areas of weakness?

What can I do today to show that I am not inferior

She's No Walk In The Park

Click on the Gracieland icon on the bottom right of the home page to see this week's webstrip.  To see all of the strips, please visit:  http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/

Tuesday Table Talk

Ask your child:

What things worry Lily?

What is your favorite thing to do on a playground?

Why does Gracie say, "see you in August?"

Ask Ellen: Why do nuns take vows of poverty when priests do not?

Ask Ellen: Why do nuns take vows of poverty when priests do not? Adrian

Thank you for another excellent question, Adrian. Most nuns belong to orders.  The orders decide which vows the sisters profess and many include the vow of poverty.

I assume the priests you are referring to are diocesan parish priests.  Many of our parish priests do not belong to any particular order. This is not to say they can’t and some do.  Priests that are not part of a particular order are not required to profess the vow poverty.

However, many priests belong to orders that do include a vow of poverty.  The Jesuits and Franciscans leap to my mind.  These orders (and many others) take a vow of poverty.

To answer your question, each order of nuns and priests determine the vows they profess and often poverty is among them.  A parish priest who is not part of any order is not required to take a vow of poverty.

Brothers And Sisters

Last week we met Moses’ wife Zipporah, the outsider.  This week she will be mentioned again.  Now we turn our sights to Moses’ sister, Miriam.  She and Moses’ brother Aaron are becoming jealous of Moses.  In fact, they accuse Moses of marrying an outsider. (But, we already knew that.)

“While they were in Hazeroth, Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses on the pretext of the marriage he contracted with a Cushite woman.”  Exodus 12:1  The footnote is my Bible says the term Cushite might have been used to mean a “despised foreigner.”  See last week.

We learned last week that although Zipporah was not Hebrew, she was the one responsible for bringing her son into God’s covenant family.  Now Miriam is using Zipporah’s outsider status against her.

Let’s look at Miriam’s issue.  Sibling rivalry.  I can honestly say this is the one issue we will discuss that I don’t have.  Lest you think I am being holier than thou, I am an only child.  It is genetically impossible for me to have this issue.  Thankfully I can get a pass on this one.

Rivalry is described in the dictionary as “one of two or more striving to reach or obtain something that only one can possess.  Equal, match, competitor.”

Often times with sibling rivalry the children are competing for their parents love, time or attention.  The same holds true for Miriam.  She is jealous of Moses’ favored position with God.

“They complained, ‘Is it through Moses alone that the Lord speaks?  Does he not speak through us also?’”  Exodus 12:2

Miriam’s response angers God.  Look at how God describes Moses in Exodus 12:3 and 8b.  “Now, Moses himself was by far the meekest man on the face of the earth.  …face to face I speak to him, plainly and not in riddles.  The presence of the Lord he beholds.  Why, then, did you not fear to speak against my servant Moses?”

Miriam gets leprosy as a result of her jealousy.  Moses begs the Lord to heal Miriam in Exodus 12:13.  “Then Moses cried to the Lord, ‘Please, not this!  Pray, heal her.’”    This is probably evidence as to why God chose Moses over Aaron and Miriam.

Sibling rivalry boils down to jealousy.  We can learn two important things from Miriam about sibling rivalry.  The first is when children are jealous of each other and compete, it hurts the parents they are competing over.  Miriam wanted God’s attention, yet she hurt God by picking on Moses.

The second thing Miriam shows is that jealousy eats away at us.  This is symbolized in her leprosy.  When we allow jealousy in, it consumes us.  Miriam was sent away from the camp because she was unclean.  Our jealouys leads us away from others unless we deal with it.

Ask yourself the following questions:

Am I jealous of my brothers and sisters?

Do I compete with them?

Do I try to outdo them?

Has my sibling rivalry hurt my parents?

What can I do today to show my siblings that I love them?

What About Room Service?

Click on the Gracieland icon on the bottom right of the page to see this week's strip. To see all of the strips, please visit: http://greetingsfromgracieland.com/ Tuesday Table Talk Ask your child: Does Gracie like breakfast? How can you tell? What is your favorite breakfast food? What do you think heaven is like?