Laughter

 

                                                                     LAUGHTER

                                     "A merry heart does good, like medicine"  Proverbs 17:22

The medical community agrees with what the Bible has been saying for centuries, laughter is good for the body and the soul.  The picture above shows my sweet daughter Sara at only a few months old, already showing a joyful spirit complete with laughter.  We all need more laughter in our lives.  Below are some cartoons I think are funny and that I hope might bring on a LOL (laugh out loud) moment to you - or at least a smile (:

Which cartoon is your favorite?

"Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing.  Then they said among the nations, 'The Lord has done great things for them'" Psalm 126:2.  

Even in these unsettled times in which we live, there are always blessings and grace showered upon us  from the Lord.  Let's choose to look at the positive rather than the negative, hope rather than despair, and choose joy over sadness.  

"This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it" Psalm 118:24.

Note:  Cartoons were taken from a Far Side Collection called "Wiener Dog Art," by Gary Larson; copyright 1990 by Universal Press Syndicate.

The Light of His Presence

 This picture features a boardwalk pathway that leads to a small lighthouse on the waterfront in Manteo, North Carolina.  It was a hot day when we walked up the path earlier this month.  I was thankful for a breeze off the water to refresh us as we checked out the little lighthouse.  

A recent devotional I read says:  "Stay near Me as you walk along your life-path.  Each day is an important part of that journey."  On the devotional page, I wrote, "If I will just stay close to my Father, adventure and delight and peace and power and purpose will increase in miraculous ways (:  What doth hinder me?  Ah, that is the question..."

God created us to walk close to Him -- to live in the light of His Presence.  No matter our circumstances, following His path gives purpose and meaning to our lives.  There will be adventure, joy, peace, struggle and challenge, miracles, valleys and mountain-tops.  There will be tears and laughter -- all designed to keep us growing and glowing -- being the light in the darkness that He created us to be.

Just as this little lighthouse shines a light in the darkness, no matter how small our flame might be, we can be a light glowing for our Savior, showing the grace of God in the darkest night. 

"Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound!  They walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance.  In your name they rejoice all day long and in your righteousness they are exalted!  For you are the glory of their strength" Psalm 89:15.

BE STILL

 "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

How often do we stop, "be still" and acknowledge God as the almighty God above all?  If you're like me, you get caught up in the happenings of life and "stillness" is barely hovering at the edge of the picture.  At such times, we tend to develop that human DIY mentality that sidesteps God, because after all, these are simple daily chores or family issues or whatever, and aren't we quite capable of handling these things ourselves?

It's so easy to fall into this trap of walking along our daily path in our own strength.  Before we know it, days and even weeks have passed and we've become caught up in the world we live in, forgetting to acknowledge that God is still on the throne and still in total control  -- and we are not.  We frequently need to be reminded to stop and realize that not only are we not really in control of our destiny, life loses much of its greatest luster when we fail to make God our center.  Life can start feeling ho-hum, or we might begin to feel overwhelmed - or even empty.  That's not how God wants us to live.

Here's what Sarah Young wrote in Jesus Calling, as if Jesus is saying to us:  "Demonstrate your trust in Me by sitting quietly in My Presence...By waiting with Me before you begin the day's activities, you proclaim the reality of My living Presence...The world is so complex and overstimulating that you can easily lose your sense of direction...When you spend time with Me, I restore your sense of direction."

The photo above was taken in a tiny church with a view of the Grand Teton Mountains in Wyoming.  I love that the large window features a cross in the center.  To me, that is a picture of how Christ should be the center of our lives.  If we will acknowledge and trust Him in all our ways, He has promised to direct our paths.  Your path may not be strewn with roses, but if you're walking that path with our Lord Jesus, He will bring joy and peace as He upholds you through thick and thin.

As I look through the window in the photo at the majestic, towering mountains in the distance, I'm reminded of the beautiful Psalm 121:  "I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth....The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand.  The sun shall not smite you by day, nor the moon by night...The Lord shall preserve your going out and your coming in from this time forth, and even forevermore."