She Laughs. He Laughs. They Laugh.

There is a woman in the Bible who is described as “being clothed with strength and dignity”, and here’s the part that really gets to me – “she laughs without fear of the future.” (Proverbs 31:25). I want to be that woman. I think we all long to be described like her, but I’m not sure we’d define ourselves as having no fear and “laughing” about the future.

How can we laugh when just over the weekend a shooter killed 7 people and over 21 were injured in Odessa, TX? In Chicago, gang members shot 66 people from 6 p.m. on Friday to midnight on Sunday and 12 of those victims have died. Then there’s Hurricane Dorian that is responsible for 5 deaths as it slammed into the Bahamas. And now, officials urged 2wo over two million people in Florida, Georgia and North and South Carolina to evacuate. So how can this Proverbs “laughing” woman possibly be laughing without fear of the future? When threats swirl around us, is it realistic to think this is even possible?

I believe God wants all of us to laugh without fear of the future. More clues about this woman’s sense of humor occur a little later in Proverbs 31:30 when she is described as a “woman who fears the Lord.” What does it mean to fear God? As a child I “feared” the Lord because I was afraid of Him and "His big stick". It was an unhealthy fear. I had little sense that God loved me. That changed when I understood that He so loved me He sent Jesus to die for me, and when I believed in Him, He adopted me as His daughter. Now I had hope in His love. “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His steadfast love.” Psalm 147:11

The fear of the Lord that brings God pleasure is not our being afraid of Him, but reverencing Him. To “fear Him” means to stand in awe of Him: “Let all the earth FEAR the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him." (Psalm 33:8) To fear the Lord is being in awe of His majesty, power, wisdom, justice, and mercy. To fear God means to know His great love and His desires for us to turn away from sin.

To fear God is to relate to Him as a child relates to his strong, faithful and loving father. We respect and honor the Lord, and we want to please Him. So, we obey Him. We know that He loves us and delights in us. The fear of the Lord is a wonderful gift from God that has brought joy and gladness into my life and has spared me from unimaginable pain and suffering. God tells us that to fear Him will lead to all kinds of wonderful blessings in our lives. I know that is why I am so blessed. “The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life….” (Proverbs 14:27) “In the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and His children will have a refuge.” (Proverbs 14:26)

So we can LAUGH with no fear of the future because, like that “laughing” Proverbs woman, we fear God. We stand in awe of Him, take refuge in Him, and hope in His steadfast love. It brings the Lord pleasure when we trust in Him with all our hearts. He holds us and our future. No wonder we can LOL -- laugh out loud! 🤣🤣🤣

A Good Sense of Humor and a Merry Heart -- Good Like Medicine

Sense of Humor: funny side, amusement, hilarity, good humor, merry, funniness, lighthearted, spirited. A good sense of humor just happens in everyday conversations. It doesn't mean memorizing jokes and jamming them into conversations. A good sense of humor can turn messes and unfortunate circumstances into a great relief from the stress of it all. A good sense of humor can shine a light on the darkness of a moment.

My sis, Karen, and I have always had a good sense of humor. We could make the simplest mistake turn into tear-dropping, floor stomping, run-to-the-restroom-quick laughter! And that came in handy when we went into the Estate Sales business years ago just after my husband and I purchased land with its old home, barn, chicken coop, and farm equipment, along with most of the contents in the house. This experience amped up our sense of humor. Our merry hearts led the way for getting into the yucky crooks and crannies of that old house when we were cleaning it. Dead AND alive rats. spiders and their webs, cockroaches, etc., BUT, we also found many vintage treasures. There were relics and vintage finds that we didn't even know what they were or used for. Our set-up of that sale was so professional and our merry-hearts' attitudes with the folks that came to the sale, caused them to want us to do an estate sale for them. That spurred us on and, whoa la -- A-1 Estate Sales began. Merry hearts and a good sense of humor opened the door for us to have a thriving, successful business of which people would tell us “You’re the BEST!” The estate sale business is a work-out, but if you have a merry heart, a good sense of humor, love people and want to help them in times of transition and need, it's a great business AND mission field.

We witnessed the “junk” of many become the “treasures” for others. We’re now working on ONE LAST SALE (we think). Precious Mom, at age 95, was moved to Karen and George’s a couple of months ago. Mom has been a trooper – giving away so many of her things to friends and families, but, oh my goodness, there is still so much to be sold. We have laughed at HUMOROUS memories from some of those items, and cried bucketfuls of precious family times in this home.

Karen and I are “eating this elephant one bite at a time”. That’s what we said at each “sale” we took on. Initially, it would be overwhelming – but we’d LAUGH our way through it and before long, another successful sale and satisfied clients.

My post today was inspired by last week’s HUMOR that kept us going. Karen came into Mom's house while I was working in a back room and surprised me with a loud GOOD MORNING! I nearly jumped out of my skin. She jumped and started blinking and said, “Oh, NO! I’ve lost my contact!” We got on our hands and knees, looking AND praying for about 20 minutes, when she started belly-laughing out loud, and said, “Oh my goodness! I never put my contacts in this morning!" Then there was the Montgomery Ward "vintage" heat massager we found (shown here). We laughed hysterically as we thought we needed to put a sign on it -- "Use at your own risk"!

One morning, Karen came into the house, with something tucked under her arm. She said, “I dreamed that Sheila (my BFF) was here at the house shopping and you went to her and said, ‘Sheila, I know you want to buy me something from this sale, don’t you?’ To which Sheila said, “Uh, sure I do. What would you like?” And I said, “This frog!” That’s the frog pictured here that Karen had remembered in the garage and brought it to me. Of course that brought on our belly-laughter that ensued for several minutes. Oh, yes, that frog will stay with me -- for a memory -- and MAYBE it represents a prince coming my way!

Karen went with us to almost every doctor appointment for my husband. She would provide that shoulder to cry AND laugh on during some of our darkest times. We still laugh about so many hilarious experiences we had at the treatment center and hospitals. Those are the GOOD things we love to think about. Why was “sense of humor” my word for today? Because I want to give you a treasure – like the treasures we found in many of our estate sales. What treasures could be found in your junk and funk? Maybe you're so loaded down with care and concern that your "presence" dims the lights in the room and your soul is downcast. King David said, “Why be downcast oh my soul? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5

It's time to amp up the "SENSE OF HUMOR" light that's been hidden far too long. God is ready to shine through us and turn us into a beautiful lights that He can use as a precious vessel of encouragement, peace and joy to bless others. Your SENSE of HUMOR, your joy-filled face and spirit -- just might be the what they need today. .Go ahead and let the laughter roll After all, it's very good medicine for the soul! "A merry heart does good like a medicine."Proverbs 17:22."

A Journal of Joy & Laughter

I was in Tulsa for the last couple of days to check in on Mom and my other besties. So my “sugar and spice and everything nice” awaited me.

When I arrived at Mom’s, Karen (my sis-in-law) and her home health nurse were with her and Mom was cringing as the nurse tended to some tender areas of pain. When the nurse finished, Mom’s wit and sense of humor kicked in. “Donna, I went to my podiatrist and he had to remove my big toe nail because of the infection under it. First, he deadened my toe, then he put a rubber ring on it to work on it, and I said, “Doc, are we engaged now?” LOL” We laughed at each other with our “toe” issues (my two broken toes, still on the mend) and her toe.

There is nothing like laughter that lifts the spirits and invites in joy. In the afternoon, Mom’s 4-year old great granddaughter came by. The minute she walked in the door, joy came in with that little cutie pie, making us laugh without even trying.

We made hairy play dough snakes with bows on! She has brought so much joy into Mom's world, who will celebrate her 95th birthday next month.

Then I made a quick stop-over to my BFF’s Mick & Sheila, whose 2 year old grandson was at their home – even more laughter and joy as that very talkative, energized and hilarious little guy stole the show.

AND, he loved helping me open my birthday gift and blow out my birthday cake!

To top my day off, I had precious time (and a yummy roast beef dinner) with my godson and his family. The day lit up for me when I heard incredible stories about my sweet godson and the health strides he is making. I gave them all treasures from my Holy Lands trip, and, with my Sea of Galiliee map, showed them where Jesus walked and performed so many miracles.

Nothing can give more joy than talking about our Lord.

Yesterday, Karen and I had some “sister” alone time for lunch. I know of no one that can compare with this gal who serves others so selflessly. Not only does she see after Mom on a daily basis, but she serves others with a heart of servitude that inspires me so much. We laughed. We cried. We both know the love of God so much that we just can’t help ourselves in returning that love in loving and serving others.

You’ve just read my joy-filled journal for the last two days. There was so much joy wrapped up in all of those little visits that I couldn’t help but share them with you.

Here’s what I’ve come to know and appreciate so much: “Good humor, laughter, kindness, and hearts of gratitude and thanksgiving are far too wonderful not to come straight from the heart of God.” That’s why I love making my little visits to those people who bring the heart of God into my life.

But, life isn't always “sugar and spice”. I found that out when I arrived back in Frisco. I needed to fill my car up when I made it back home because I’m headed to Austin. After trying 8 gas stations that were out of gas, I finally saw a 7-11 with a long line of cars at one entrance and just a few cars at the entrance that I was driving by. I pulled in and in a matter of 10 minutes, I was filling my car up. I think some of that “sugar and spice favor” was still on me. But while I was there, I witnessed frustrated drivers yelling at each other. A woman cut in line ahead of another car and a screaming match ensued that I could hardly believe. As I understand it, there really isn’t a shortage of gas, simply a delay getting the fuel to the stations, but fear and panic are gripping people’s lives who don’t know God's loving heart.

Proverbs 31:25 says about the virtuous woman, “She is clothed in strength and dignity, and SHE LAUGHS without fear of the future.” I sure want to be this woman. There is no need to fear when God is our Father. I love that “SHE LAUGHS”. And, in a day when there is so much doom and gloom all around, we can LAUGH and rejoice away the darkness as we let our little lights shine with the loving and tender heart of God! Maybe it would be a good idea to go hang out with some jolly, merry and happy souls that will fill up our joy tank today or maybe we could be THAT joy tank that fills others up with the joy of the Lord.

This Doctor Made My Day

Seems like there's a doctor for everything these days. Besides medical doctors, there are phone doctors, plumbing doctors, computer doctors and yesterday I met The Blind Doctor, Marvin. I know you must be thinking he must have a visual impairment, but not so. This sweet 80 something year old man is "The Blind Doctor" who repairs and restores window blinds and shades, and one of my shades needed a "house call" from the doctor.

What was to be a typical service call ended up being one of the most delightful encounters with the wittiest, kindest and quite astute blind repair guy.

My first comment was "You made my day!" His reply: "No, God did." I said, "You've got a great sense of humor." His reply: "Great humor, but not much sense!" I said "Do you have a screw and screw driver for that?" He said, "Does a duck have feathers?" Then he said, "Some folks call me a smart aleck. I say back to them, 'No, just Aleck, not so smart." Then he told me some jokes:

"A man met St. Peter when he got to heaven.
St. Peter: "What did you do to deserve getting here?"
The Man: "I defended the rights of a woman."
St. Peter: "How so?"
The Man: "Well a motorcycle gang was being rude to a lady and I told them to leave her alone or I'd have to let them have it.
St. Peter: "What happened then?"
The Man: "The leader of the gang came after me, so I ripped the ring out of his nose."
St. Peter: "When did this happen?
The Man: "Two minutes ago."

Marvin went on....."I need to tell you my Baptist joke. There was this small town that thrived for years because of their saw mill, but times got bad and the saw mill closed and people started leaving town. There were only two Protestant churches left, a Baptist Church and a Christian Church. The two pastors got together and thought they should join the two congregations together since the congregations were so small. The Baptist pastor said, "I'll preach Sunday morning this week, and you preach Sunday night. Then next week, you preach Sunday morning and I'll preach Sunday night. After those two weeks, we can see who they want to be their pastor. And so they did as they said, and at the end of the two weeks, the Christian Church pastor gave his spiel of why he should be pastor and then the Baptist pastor made his spiel. About that time, an old guy at the back of the church came to the front waving his finger and saying "I want you to know I've been Baptist for over 75 years. Nobody's gonna' make a Christian out of me!"

Marvin's last joke was about a church and their building fund. They had some funds left over after the building was completed so the Construction Committee recommended a chandelier for the sanctuary be purchased with the excess funds. One old guy jumped to his feet and said, "I'm agin' it and here's why:
Number one -- No one can even spell it.
Number two -- There's no one here that knows how to play it.
Number three -- We need to spend that money on getting some lights put in here!"

Marvin accomplished his task of repairing my shade, but Marvin came -- not just with the tools of his trade. He came with a merry heart, a sweet and gentle spirit and no doubt gave me his best when he shared it all with me. I'm quite certain that he's told those jokes hundreds of times. But on this day, he AND God MADE my day! Wouldn't it be great if we had a bag filled with tools like Marvin had to MAKE the day of those we encounter?

What Color Is Your Angel?

Staci and I were getting out of the car at the store, when Staci ran over to a nearby parked car. One of the ladies was getting out all the tools needed to change a flat tire, while the other lady was looking at a YouTube video telling how to do it. (LOL! Thank God for the internet!) A baby was in the backseat of the car. It was a sight to behold. Everyone was in good spirits about their dilemma. Staci exclaimed “Let me help. And if we can’t fix it, I’ll call my husband, but in the meantime, let’s pray for an angel!” The words were no sooner out of her mouth, when a robust, beautiful African American man came over to the car, and took over this situation from this motley crew of women. Staci said, “I was praying for an angel to show up and my theory is true: Angels aren’t just white. They’re also black, which also verifies my theory that Jesus wasn’t white either.“ LOL! Oh my! Now we know where “And such is life with Lexi” comes from, because the originator of the “Such is life” came from her and it’s “And such is life with Staci!” By the way, the young man had the tire changed and the ladies were on their way in just a few minutes.

I’ve loved hanging out with my daughter since she was a little girl. Her humor was always one of her best attributes. She has always had the ability to make me laugh, and on this trip, she was in rare form again. The night before the party, one of Payton’s friends came over for the first time. Payton warns his friends, in advance, that they will be interrogated by his mother, and, oh yes, she did interrogate this young man. Questions like “Do you have a prison record?”, “Do you know how to use a gun?” “Do you have any secrets that we need to know about?” The young man, unshakened and prepared for the interrogation, fired back with equally quick and hilarious responses. I was so glad I was there to witness it.

In the tire-changing story, I saw my girl willing to step in and help some women in trouble. I’ve seen her do that before when at a car-crash scene, she runs to the victims and asks how she can help, and even prays for them. In the interrogation story, though she uses her straight face humor to inquire about the friends her kids are hanging out with, she cares enough about her kids to go there. And, at the same time, I saw those kids, Friday night, cheering for her to sing for them and hang with them. What’s that about? It’s the magnetic draw that God places in us when we abandon our comfort to be a light for those around us.

I wish I had my daughter’s quick wit and ability to be as responsive to the needs of others as she does. But, with the abilities God gave me, I can do what I can. And so can you. That light within us will shine at a mall, at a party filled with high energy kids, at a football field when a player is injured and a Mom says “Let’s pray” to those nearby, at a store when someone needs a smile or over the phone with a friend who needs to hear an encouraging voice. No matter “the style”, God wants us to be His ambassador or His ANGEL – His hands extended to a world that needs our humor, our generosity, our love and our care.

John 13:34-35
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

Growing Older -- Growing Merrier

TBT -- This photo was taken two years ago during Mom's 90th Birth-Month Celebrations. Each day of that October month, we made a big deal of celebrating her. On this day (October 9th, 2012), I gave her "The Last of the Good Clean Jokes" Book. It was to honor her, and her great sense of humor. I think that’s one of her most precious characteristics.

She has always enjoyed laughing with others…..and even at herself. I love how she doesn't take herself so seriously that from time to time, she makes fun of herself. She's looked at the bright side of life, when she could have been in despair. I really believe the scripture, “A merry heart does good like a medicine”, and that has been one of the main prescriptions she's taken over the years, and that’s why she looks and acts so young…..and why so many can’t believe that on October 31st, she'll turn “92”!!

I'm so thankful to her for showing us all that there’s a better way to live life than being gloomy, sad and in despair! I love her so much and I thank her for laughter and joy!! This is one of her light-hearted times with her daughter, Karen Wuerch Rose. They were playing "train" here!