The Beauty of Laughter

Laughter is such a wonderful bravura expression! When it comes from deep within it can help to release inner tensions. The ventromedial prefrontal cortex is activated by laughter and produces endorphins in the brain after responding to a rewarding activity according to modern neurophysiology! Laughter can be medicine for the soul!

Life can get quite serious. There are times when you may not be able to see far down the road. When that is the case take it day by day! Think about something simple you could do in the moment, now, today, to bring a ray of sunshine your way and share it with someone else! Don't let a moment or season in time define your entire life! Find something in all of it to make you laugh!

Did you know that when someone is going through, or grieving that one of the best things that you can do is allow them to freely express themselves. Let them have a good cry and then wait for an appropriate moment to make them laugh! Tell them a simple funny story or bring to mind an amusing event they experienced in memory of their love one. If you don't know one, simply encourage them to share one! Humor lets them release inner tension as well as emotional pain and stress! It can also serve to put them at ease and help them relax!

JOY is a part of the Fruit of the Spirit! There is an overwhelming inner cheerfulness that brings contentment from knowing the Lord! How interesting Nehemiah tells us "Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the Joy of the Lord is your strength."Nehemiah 8

Some people are super ticklish and just the thought of being tickled can make them laugh hysterically! This type of laughter can be contagious uncontrollably infectious! Joy and humor cause laughter! Laughter is a universal language!

Gelotology is the study of laughter! There is much documented research going on to study and analyze the validity of laughter! How does it impact one's mental state?

There is humor therapy, laughter therapy as well as laughter meditation! The ability to laugh naturally can lift one from depression. Focusing on a pleasant situation and allowing yourself the freedom to respond. Telling a joke or watching comedy. Notice how children roar during a good cartoon as well as adults!

According to the American Cancer Society, laughter has been use throughout history to bring about healing! "Humor has been used in medicine throughout recorded history. One of the earliest mentions of the health benefits of humor is in the book of Proverbs in the Bible. As early as the thirteenth century, some surgeons used humor to distract patients from the pain of surgery. Humor was also widely used and studied by the medical community in the early twentieth century. In more modern times, the most famous story of humor therapy involved Norman Cousins, then editor of the Saturday Review. According to the story, Mr. Cousins cured himself of an unknown illness with a self-invented regimen of laughter and vitamins."

Sometimes you can laugh so hard that it can bring tears to your eyes! Norman Cousins suffered from arthritis! Through love, using mega doses of vitamin C, faith, hope and humor he improved his condition! He actually watched the Marx Brothers old classic films. He actually said, "I made the joyous discovery that ten minutes of genuine belly laughter had an anesthetic effect and would give me at least two hours of pain-free sleep," he reported. "When the pain-killing effect of the laughter wore off, we would switch on the motion picture projector again and not infrequently, it would lead to another pain-free interval."

Like crying over spilled milk! You can't put it back in the glass. Well let me see you could try... But it really is better if you just pour another one! Well what if it was your last glass. WELL! Hurry GO get a paper towel and wipe it up, now squeeze the milk back into your glass! Ha! Ha! Ha! We can not undo what has been done! But we can always TRY AGAIN!

Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say again: REJOICE! Let your gentleness be evident to ALL. The LORD is near. DO NOT be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your request to GOD. And the PEACE of GOD, which transcends ALL understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in CHRIST JESUS..." Philippians 4.

How much would laughter cost if we really could bottle it up and then pour it in a glass? It really is priceless!