The Medecine of Laughter!

Yesterday in Nashville, TN. it was in the 70’s; this morning it was in the 30’s! What’s up with that?!?!?!? I started laughing when trying to decide what to wear to church. We were greeters, and frequently greet at the main door leading outside (of course this Sunday I was greeting inside!) So, rather than the planned wardrobe for today of jeans and flip flops, it became jeans, tights, full shoes and a long warm coat! I had to just laugh…..


On the way home I began thinking about laughter, and how it does the body and the soul good! Remember the saying “laughter is the best medicine?” Even Abraham laughed when the Lord told him that he, at age 100, and Sarah, at age 90, would bear a son (Gen. 17:17). Sarah continues the laughter in Gen. 18: 12-13. I’d laugh, too, if the Lord told me I would be having a child at 53! In fact, laughter may not be all I would do!


So for the next few days I will blog about laughter! I need a good dose of a safe, all-natural, free, good-for-the-body-and-soul medicine that’s contagious! Contagious? Medecine? That’s an interesting thought! Perhaps you could use an extra dose, too. So I hope you will sit back, relax, and enjoy the laughter….
Most of what I share on this blog vignette that is not from my own little mind I found at humor-laughter.com. I must give credit where credit is due!


“Please Lord, if you can't make me skinny - make my friends fat!” (a bumper sticker)


Seems only fair to me, does it to you? I can look at food and gain weight. In fact, if I’m in the vicinity of food, I can feel my body increasing in size! LOL!


A study was done by Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie, Indiana, on laughter and smiles, and below are some facts they found (interspersed with some things I have added to hopefully bring a smile to your face):
• 13 muscles are used to smile, but 47 are required for frowning.
• You have to smile nearly a quarter of a million times to make one wrinkle.
• Cortisol helps suppress your immune system. Levels or Cortisol can be lowered by laughing. Therefore, laughter can help prevent disease.
• Related to exercise: you can benefit from laughing 100 times a day as much as you can from 10 minutes of rowing.


“Whenever I get the urge to exercise, I lie down until it goes away”. (another bumper sticker)


My Mom used to say to my sisters and me: “Laugh and the world laughs with you; cry and you cry alone”. Being alone has it’s benefits at times, and can be a good thing, but God created us for fellowship with others. Which do you think friends would rather share with us~ laughter or tears? Yes, true friends will share both with us…but laughter is known to relax muscles, reduce stress, pain, depression and tension. So laughter can be a distraction to what is making us sad, and give relief, if only temporary, from the stress of the moment! Milton Berle said “Laughter is an instant vacation!”


A man: God, how much is a million dollars to you?
God: It is but a penny.
A man: God, how long is a million years to you?
God: It is but a second.
A man: God, could you please give me a penny?
God: Sure, just a second.


Now, I know you are laughing! That’s funny, I don’t care whatcha say! (Larry the Cable Guy)


Now for some more laughter/smiling facts: (humor-laughter.com)
• 15 minutes of laughter equals the benefit of 2 hours sleep.
• One good belly laugh burns off 3 1/2 calories.
• Laughing for 15 seconds adds 2 days to your life span.
• The Chinese laugh more than any other culture in the world. They work hard, they play hard and the laugh hard!


A young lad was visiting a church for the first time, checking all the announcements and posters along the walls. When he came to a group of pictures of men in uniform, he asked a nearby usher, "Who are all those men in the pictures?" The usher replied, "Why, those are our boys who died in the service." Dumbfounded, the youngster asked, "Was that the morning service or evening service?" (from angelfire.com)


Grandma Sent a Letter to Her Friends
Honk if you love Jesus
Dearest Ones:



The other day I went up to a local Christian bookstore and saw a "Honk if you love Jesus" bumper sticker.



I was feeling particularly sassy that day, because I had just come from a thrilling choir practice followed by a powerful prayer meeting, so I bought the sticker and put it on my bumper.



I was stopped at a red light at a busy intersection just lost in thought about the Lord and how good He is, and I didn't notice that the light had changed.



It is a good thing someone else loves Jesus; because if he hadn't honked, I'd never have noticed.
I found that LOTS of people love Jesus. Why, while I was sitting there, the nice man behind started honking like crazy, and he leaned out of his window and screamed, "for the love of God, GO! GO!" What an exuberant cheerleader he was for the Lord..
Everyone started honking! I just leaned out of my window and started waving and smiling at all these loving people.
I even honked my horn a few times to share in the love. There must have been a man from Florida back there, because I heard him yelling something about a sunny beach.
I saw another man waving in a funny way with only his middle finger stuck up in the air. When I asked my teenage grandson in the back seat what that meant, he said that it was an Hawaiian good luck sign or something.



Well, I've never met anyone from Hawaii, so I leaned out the window and gave him the good luck sign back.


My grandson burst out laughing; why even he was enjoying this religious experience.



A couple of the people were so caught up in the joy of the moment that they got out of their cars and started walking towards me.



I bet they wanted to pray or ask what church I attended, but this is when I noticed the light had changed.



So I waved to all my sisters and brothers, smiled at them all, and drove on through the intersection.



I noticed I was the only car that got through the intersection before the light changed again, and I felt kind of sad that I had to leave them after all the love we had shared, so I slowed the car down, leaned out of the window, and gave them all the Hawaiian good luck sign one last time as I drove away.
Praise the Lord for such wonderful folks!


Well, that’s enough laughter and information about laughter for today! I just know you are doubled over from laughing, and I don’t want to make you sick in the process. Enjoy the moment, and we will resume tomorrow.
Meanwhile, anything funny you’d like to share with us? If so, please do so in the comment area and let us laugh with you!


Blessings for a fabulous week ahead,


“Lolli” aka “Lisa”