It is with sorrow and joy that I announce a hiatus from “Perk at Work.” Am I giving up? No, not really. But I can’t say for sure when I’ll be back. It’s not up to me.

The short reason is I need to use the time for other things. The long reason is below. If you’re up for a read, pull up a chair, grab a cup of coffee and read on.

First, let me say thank you to everyone who has read, commented on, and supported this work. I truly appreciate it. Us comic creators put a lot of ourselves into our projects and we love it when our work can be enjoyed by others. That’s the true payment. I hope Perk at Work has has been a positive in the lives of those who encountered it.

Something in the way

Moving along, as some of you may know, I produce another comic called “In The Way” at inthewaycomic.com. In The Way is a faith-based work – more specifically, a Messianic-based work. For those of you that think Christians are weird, you’ll probably think us Messianic folk are even weirder. I won’t go into it here but if you’re curious, check out some of my writings on the In The Way website. Or you could just Google it but that’s no fun.

Anyways, I’ve found myself at a point in my life where my spiritual beliefs are trumping my everyday existence. I have reached the proverbial “tipping point” in my life. (The irony is that “tipping point” isn’t in Proverbs but oh well.) For a long time I have been able to straddle both parts of my life, thinking I had balance. But I realized that there was no balance… at least not for me.

Just a note: I don’t think there’s anything indecent about Perk at Work. I have a few strips about bathing suits but that’s as raunchy as I get. So the decision isn’t so much a matter of content as it is a matter of time, focus, and purpose. If Perk at Work was my job, I’d continue. At this point in time, however, it is not. And, unfortunately, it is (ironically) a bit in the way of what I feel I must to do for God’s kingdom.

A calling? Call it what you will

I have consciously made the decision to focus on my spiritual walk. The decision was made years ago and it has taken this long to really sink in. Pulling myself away from who I had become is a arduous chore. I believed I knew what worked and what did not work in this world only to find out that I had everything upside-down. I’ve been humbled by the experience but built up at the same time. And while I have been a “Christian” for many years, I was never fully committed. I was fringe at best.

I have heard a calling to serve. I’ve heard a calling for a while now but I ignored it because I felt that such things were for people who want to be preachers and the like. Then I started reading the Bible in earnest. The idea that a preacher preaching from a pulpit is the only calling one could have seemed silly. With that thought in mind, I created the aforementioned Messianic comic In The Way as a means to communicate and share without having to actually be a preacher. Does that make sense? If it doesn’t, don’t worry. That’s why I draw pictures instead of talk most of the time.

A purposeful perk

Perk at Work is dear to me. I have been working on it for about ten years now. I don’t want to step away from it but I have to make the best use of my time and efforts. Because In The Way is linked to my spiritual beliefs, it gives me a fulfillment that Perk at Work simply cannot. I don’t get pumped up about the possibility of going to a comic convention and having a booth. Yet I do get pumped up about sharing my In The Way comic with fellow believers (and non-believers too).

I have a purpose with In The Way that I do not have with Perk at Work. I have limited hours in the day so I have chosen to spend it where my heart truly is – with Yeshua (Jesus) and the Father.

So when I say that I don’t know when I’ll be back, all I’m saying is that I leave it up to faith. If God allows me to return to Perk at Work, I’ll return. If it is a sacrifice that is meant for the long haul, then I’ll be content with that. But I leave that up to Him.

Thanks again and may you all be blessed with laughter and love always!

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I love women. They’re such beautiful creatures.

I have to resist telling women they look good. They know.

But I’ll let it leak every so often. They seem to appreciate that.

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This strip was inspired by an actual conversation I had with a friend who cut his hair short.

But I’ve been wanting to cut Wren’s hair for a while now.

The stars just lined up.

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