See You in the Funny Papers

I really enjoyed the book, See You in the Funny Papers, I'm reviewing today, and it completely convicted me in a good way. I am a very sarcastic person, and I've passed that on to my older two children. Jesse is pretty sarcastic as well, so we can all get going pretty hard on each other, but for the most part, no one gets offended by anyone else, because it's mutual. However, I'm also sarcastic about other people and situations, in fact, overall, I have a pretty negative attitude. That is such an awful thing for anyone, especially a Christian, to confess. God has been working on my heart pretty hard lately to try and eliminate the negative words that come out of my mouth, and I've been praying for His help with it.

Another problem that goes along with it is that I am not a morning person. I do not enjoy waking up in the morning, and while part of it is due to the arthritis, I've never been a cheerful person first thing in the morning. Jesse is most definitely a morning person. He sings as he gets ready and walks around cheerfully while I shuffle around grumping at anyone who gets in my path. The older two kids have learned, and they keep their distance from me other than a quick good-bye on their way out of the door. But poor Mia is not so lucky. She needs my help getting dressed, so she really faces the brunt of my attitude. After three mornings in a row last week where she left for school in tears, and I cried as well, I decided enough is enough. I've been laying out all of her things the night before and making a point of keeping my cool, and most importantly, I've been asking God for help in this area.

Back to how this relates to the book. Pam Kumpe, the author, compares people to dogs and cats. Dog people (not people who like dogs but are like them tempermentally) greet each day as if it's the best day of their life. Every experience is an opportunity for joy. Cat people are bored and cynical and have a "good ahead, impress me" attitude. Kumpe nailed me completely: I am a cat person, and I don't want to be anymore! Mia has such a wonderful attitude about life. Almost every day, she comes home from school and says, "Today was the best day of my life!" and she means it! She really embraces new experiences, and she's excited about everything. Again, I am learning life lessons from my five-year-old. So are you a dog person or a cat person?

See You in the Funny Papers by Pam Kumpe is a funny devotional with a great deal of heart and intelligence. Kumpe writes a column for a Texas newspaper; she's compiled several of her stories here. Each story is 2-3 pages long, perfect for reading one a day, and they range from serious to hilarious, but all are filled with Kumpe's deep faith and sense of humor. She takes everyday situations and turns them into learning opportunities, just like Jesus did with the parables in the Gospels. By exposing her clumsiness, insecurities, and ability to laugh at life, she teaches the reader something about faith and how to take each day as it comes. She's the kind of woman you would love to have as a best friend, because she knows how to laugh and cry with you. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned something about my own faith as well.

Check out other bloggers who are reading Kumpe's book this week and then watch the trailer for it! Ellyn Bache is offering a free copy to download of her Christmas novella Holiday Wishes. Click here to download it! And don't forget to drop me an email for the chance to win a copy of When the Soul Mends before 10 pm tonight!