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James Watkins: Hope & Humor

Encouragement and entertainment from award-winning author

James Watkins: Hope & Humor

  • About
    • About ARTICLES
    • About BOOKS
    • About CARTOONS
    • About JIM
      • Press page
  • Articles
    • Heavy topics with a light touch
      • Coming out: my sexual identity crisis
      • God is never late—but he sure is slow
      • It Is Well with My Soul: the rest of the stories
      • Top ten Bible verses Donald Trump may want to read
      • Top ten lists
      • What does the Bible really say?
      • What was Paul thinking when he wrote 1 Timothy 2:12?
      • What we haven’t learned from 9/11
    • My statement on Dr. Dennis E. Hensley
  • Book excerpts
    • #3 The Christmas story in chronological order
    • #4: 7 reasons God may not be answering prayers
    • Breaking habits before they break you
    • Changing lives for over 600 years!
      • #5: Forty days of imitating Christ
      • Exclusive interview with Thomas a Kempis
    • Communicate to Change Lives: book and seminars
    • Intimacy with Christ: Beyond Information and Involvement
    • Jesus: His life and lessons . . . on love
    • Jesus: His Life and Lessons Introduction
    • My book list
    • Revised section on ‘Unfulfilled Promises’
    • Study guide for God, I Don’t Understand
    • Why? Why? Why?
    • Writing with Banana Peels
    • Writing with Banana Peels: excerpt
  • Memes
    • A Very Twitter Christmas
    • Cartoon Backups
    • Cartoons from far, far away
    • Cartoons on love, marriage, sex . . .
    • Cartoons on parenthood
    • Cartoons on writing
    • Easter cartoons
    • Facebook cartoons
    • Hope and Ho! Ho! Ho!
    • Hope&Humor cartoons on Dad
    • My predictions for New Year . . .
    • Pro-life cartoons
  • Comedy-drama scripts
  • Events
  • Videos
    • Original music
  • Writer Resources
    • ‘Crossing over’ with the cross
    • ‘I’m a giant killer!’
    • Are authors in their ‘write’ minds?
    • Atomic-powered titles
    • Best time to post on Facebook?
    • Communicate to Change Lives: Using Psychological Appeals
    • Confessions of an author/speaker
    • Don’t become a digital dinosaur
    • Don’t sabotage your writing/speaking career
    • Endear yourself to an editor
    • Freelancing offers freedom ‘real job’ can’t
    • From stage to page: turning messages into manuscripts
    • How to become a million-selling author
    • How to hook today’s Internet users
    • How to prepare a manuscript for publication
    • Inside look at publishing industry
    • Patron saint of freelance writers
    • Quips and quotations on writing
    • Self-publishers and piranhas
    • Seven habits of the purpose-driven writer
    • Seven questions to ask a prospective agent
    • So, you want to write a book?
    • Soaring with eagles, walking with emus
    • Taking Word to Worldwide Web
    • The Ten Creative Commandments
    • Three new ‘must haves’ for today’s writers
    • Writing effective book proposals
    • Your ‘write’ role

Holidays

The Light of the World
Holidays How To Issues Spirituality 

Putting the X back in Xmas

November 25, 2020November 26, 2021 jameswatkins 0 Comments The true meaning of Christmas, What does Christmas mean?

At the risk of sounding like “The Grinch,” Ebeneezer Scrooge, and Henry Potter all gift-wrapped into one big “Humbug,” I’d

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Piles of Christmas gifts
Holidays 

Top ten signs you’ve spent too much money on Christmas presents

November 25, 2020November 25, 2021 jameswatkins 0 Comments Christmas top ten list, extravagent spending, top ten lists

Direct from my home office in snow-swept Corn Borer, Indiana, I have in my bright red mitten: Top ten signs

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Aluminum Christmas tree
Holidays Issues Relationships 

We wish you a PC Christmas

November 25, 2020November 26, 2021 jameswatkins 0 Comments Christmas, Christmas comedy, Christmas humor, PC Christmas, Politically-correct holidays

I have in my right mitten, direct from my home office in the frozen wasteland of Corn Borer,Indiana, this month’s

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Fall hope and humor
Holidays Hope Humor Spirituality 

Giving thanks despite pandemic, supply chain crisis

November 2, 2020December 27, 2021 jameswatkins 0 Comments thanks for nothing, thanksgiving, Thanksgiving cartoons, Thanksgiving comedy, Thanksgiving humor, turkey trivia

Last year—in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic—I posted, “Will Thanksgiving suck like a turkey baster?” Thanks to masks and

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Corn Stalker
Holidays Humor Spirituality 

Hope and humor and Halloween

October 17, 2020October 25, 2023 jameswatkins 0 Comments Halloween, Ouija boards, real, Should Christians celebrate Halloween?

Hi, I’m Jim Watkins: author, speaker, and—for my grandkiddos—”Corn Stalker.” (It’s what we do in Corn Borer, Indiana!) Welcome to

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Palms and ashes
Holidays Spirituality 

When praises turn to ashes

March 6, 2019February 5, 2021 jameswatkins 0 Comments Ash Wednesday, disappointments, disasters, Palm Sunday

Many churches burn the branches from Palm Sunday of the previous year to use for the current year’s Ash Wednesday.

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Cross in sun
Holidays Spirituality 

‘It is finished’?!

February 13, 2015March 22, 2021 jameswatkins 0 Comments encouragement, Good Friday, hope, It is Finished

It seems a strange claim to make before his resurrection . . . I have to admit my childhood memories

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Christmas 365 Days a Year
Holidays Spirituality 

‘The 365 Days of Christmas’

December 25, 2014November 26, 2021 jameswatkins 1 Comment Christmas, Christmas 365 Days a Year, Christmas all year long

I thought I had seen mass hysteria before: the time “Weird Willy” Smith set off a can of tear gas

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Christmas Bells
Holidays Hope Spirituality 

‘There is no peace on earth’

December 23, 2014November 23, 2022 jameswatkins 0 Comments Christmas, despair, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, hope, I Heard the Bell

“Peace on earth” seems only a hollow Christmas card cliche today what with civil wars, terrorist attacks and rioting in

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Thanksgiving memes cartoons
Holidays Hope Humor Spirituality 

Thanksgiving memes

November 25, 2014November 3, 2023 jameswatkins 0 Comments Thanksgiving cartoons, Thanksgiving comedy, Thanksgiving humor

Wishing you a wonderful time of Thanksgiving with family and friends. Here are my favorite memes for this wonderful time

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Clark-Kent-report
Holidays Writing 

Do you have the ‘worst’ job?

September 1, 2014January 13, 2021 jameswatkins 2 Comments flight attendant, lumberjack, reporter, roofer, Worst jobs

Happy Labor Day! Here in the States, we’re celebrating labor by taking the day off! However, not everyone loves his

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Jesus is coming
Holidays Spirituality 

It’s Sunday, but Jesus is Coming!

April 20, 2014April 4, 2021 jameswatkins 3 Comments Christ's return, Easter, Jesus is coming, resurrection

Watch video Author Tony Campolo’s most famous message declares, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Comin’.” Jesus has been unjustly charged and

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Jesus His Life and Lessons
Holidays Hope Spirituality 

The Easter story in chronological order

January 2, 2008January 1, 2023 jameswatkins 0 Comments Easter story, in chronological order, Jesus: His Life and Lessons

From Jesus: His Life and Lessons. I’ve divided the story into seven sections so you can choose to read a

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Turkey Trivia
Holidays Humor 

Thanksgiving turkey trivia

November 2, 2000November 2, 2021 jameswatkins 0 Comments thanksgiving, throwing live turkeys from plane, trivia, turkey, turkey trivia, turkeys voting for Christmas, world record turkey, world's largest turkey

Do you enjoy playing “Jeopardy” from your La-Z-Boy (“I’ll take ‘Fowl Friends’ for $1,000”)? Would you like to talk about

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Angels are real
Holidays Spirituality 

Angels don’t come from Hallmark

April 1, 2000November 26, 2021 jameswatkins 0 Comments angels are real, are angels real?, cherubs, guardian, Michael

Fast facts The Bible includes over three hundred references to angels, so how do heavenly angels differ from the Los

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Welcome

Welcome! I’m Jim Watkins and all you really need to know about me is that I’m an author, a speaker and a clinically depressed soul who, by God’s grace, writes encouraging and entertaining books, articles and online posts. Isn’t that just like him?!

Family-friendly video games

Safe videos for all ages
We’re partnering with TruePlay, a family-safe video game company, offering safe alternatives to what’s on the general market. Click here for free details. Enjoy!

Videos


Sit-down comedy from brand new book: If You’re Not Dead, You’re Not Done!


“I’m Jim. I have clinical depression.” An honest, hopeful look at depression

Free chapter of latest book

FREE CHAPTER OF PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE PROZAC
Please click here to sign up for my bi-weekly emailing with lots of encouragement and entertainment, plus I’ll send you a free chapter from Praise the Lord and Pass the Prozac.  What a deal! (And I promise to never, ever share or sell my list.)

Categories

  • Health
  • Holidays
  • Hope
  • How To
  • Humor
  • Issues
  • Relationships
  • Sexuality
  • Spirituality
  • Uncategorized
  • Writing

Connect

Emails
jim@jameswatkins.com

Social media
Facebook

Agent
Bob Hostetler, The Steve Laube Agency
Bob@SteveLaube.com

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Copyright and permissions

Content is protected by United States and international copyright law. Copyright © James N. Watkins, all rights reserved.

Articles and book excerpts
You may post excerpts on your social media, but do not re-post entire articles or book excerpts (Instead post a link to this site). Always include Reprinted from jameswatkins.com Copyright © James N. Watkins

Cartoons
You may post any cartoons on your social media provided the entire cartoon is posted and not edited in any way. For print use, contact jim@jameswatkins.com for written permission.

Copying
You may make up to 25 print copies of articles and book excerpts for group use. For any commercial use, contact jim@jameswatkins.com for written permission

WARNING

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For external use only. Discontinue if rash, redness, irritation, or swelling develops. May contain nuts. If swallowed, do not induce vomiting. Side-effects may include drowsiness or mild to severe agitation. Do not read while consuming alcohol or operating heavy machinery. Appoint a designated reader if intoxicated. Keep away from open flame. Do not store above 451 degrees. Do not use near or place in water. Void where prohibited by law, taxed or licensed.

Any medical information provided is for general educational purposes only and should not be considered  a substitute for professional medical advice.

Support Hope & Humor


You can support the ministry of Hope & Humor with your donations of any amount securely using PayPal.

For a donation of any amount, I’ll send you an eBook copy of Squeezing Good Out of Bad.

For a donation of $50 or more, I’ll mail you a signed leather-bound edition of my devotional based on The Imitation of Christ.

Thanks!

 

 

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