Essential Laughter

Take time to laugh at yourself and the ridiculous in life. It is so refreshing to just laugh at your slips, peculiarities, forgetfulness, and fumbles. Humor has the power to dull the sharp edges of life and is a great tension reliever. Laughter stimulates the soul and boosts the immune system.

There are medical researchers who assert that laughter reduces levels of certain stress hormones. But, beyond this, laughter is curative. It is just good medicine for the sluggish spirit and an effective weapon against despair. It is like perfumed oil to the soul and brings joy to the spirit.

Do not take everything people say and do so seriously. Stop wearing your feelings on your sleeves. Sometimes, it is emotionally prosperous to just smile at the ridiculous, grin at the obnoxious and laugh at the absurd. Transform life's "ugh" into laughter. It was Sterne who asserted, "I live in a constant endeavor to fence against the infirmities of ill-health, and other evils of life, by humor. I am persuaded that every time a man smiles ? but much more so when he laughs ? it adds something to this fragment of life." Let the gift of laughter enhance your life.

In the midst of problematic situations, steal moments of humor. You will be astonished to find that for those moments, your problems disappear. For those few moments, your problems do not exist in your reality and life is wonderful. When the humorous moments pass, the problems no longer seem as monumental as you thought. Embrace humor. Come on now, liven up!

THE ACQUITTAL

Mrs. Graite had reached her limit;
The pain no more could bear.
Her pastor's boring sermons
Had led her to mad despair.

She invited him to dinner;
Prepared tasty veal.
Suspecting something was not right
He refused to eat the meal.

She thought, as she was led away
In handcuffs to a cell,
"No more boring sermons
Is worth all my time in jail."

But her prison term was short
'Cause the jury heard a tape,
Of the preacher's boring sermons
And acquitted Mrs Graite.

This poem is taken from "Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach."

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

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Google News Updated : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 01:08:02 GMT Church divided: Women bishops an obstacle to unity, Vatican warns - guardian.co.uk Telegraph.co.uk Church divided: Women bishops an obstacle to unity, Vatican warns guardian.co.uk - 2 hours ago The Vatican yesterday criticised the Church of England's decision to press ahead with the ordination of women bishops, saying it presented a "further obstacle" for reconciliation between Canterbury and Rome. Vatican 'regrets' female bishops CNN International Vatican angry over women bishops BBC News The Associated Press - Reuters - New York Times - AFP all 2,159 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:02:59 GMT Fed may extend Wall Street lending - Reuters ABC News Fed may extend Wall Street lending Reuters - 2 hours ago By Patrick Rucker ARLINGTON, Virginia (Reuters) - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said on Tuesday the US central bank may keep an emergency lending facility for big Wall Street firms open longer than it initially intended, a signal the Fed is ... Bernanke says Fed may extend bank discount rate guardian.co.uk Bernanke Says Fed May Continue Lending Into Next Year (Update3) Bloomberg CNNMoney.com - Forbes - MarketWatch - Bizjournals.com all 1,278 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:34:02 GMT Alcoa beats the Street - CNNMoney.com HispanicBusiness.com Alcoa beats the Street CNNMoney.com - 49 minutes ago The aluminum producer and Dow component kicks off the latest round of earnings reports by saying that higher volume and prices offset rising commodity costs. UPDATE 3-Alcoa's profit lower but tops Street forecasts Reuters Alcoa's Second-Quarter Net Fell 24% Wall Street Journal MarketWatch - Bloomberg - Forbes - The Associated Press all 225 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:18:45 GMT Bush pushes US-India nuclear deal - The Associated Press Washington Post Bush pushes US-India nuclear deal The Associated Press - 47 minutes ago TOYAKO, Japan (AP) - President Bush defended a languishing deal his administration negotiated to sell India nuclear fuel and technology, saying he reassured India's prime minister that the pact was important for both countries despite heavy opposition ... India Singh to Seek Vote Before IAEA Approval on Nuclear Accord Bloomberg UPDATE 1-India says relations with US in good shape Reuters UK Washington Post - Voice of America - AFP - Reuters India all 986 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:20:36 GMT InBev seeks summary judgment in court - Reuters ABC News InBev seeks summary judgment in court Reuters - 33 minutes ago PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - InBev NV (INTB.BR: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) on Tuesday asked a court to make a summary judgment on its lawsuit over the possible removal of all 13 directors of Anheuser-Busch Cos Inc's (BUD. Anheuser-Busch sues InBev Bizjournals.com Busch sues InBev over takeover attempt guardian.co.uk New York Times - Wall Street Journal - MarketWatch - Bloomberg all 1,185 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:34:28 GMT Cipro joins the 'black box' club - Los Angeles Times KSFY Cipro joins the 'black box' club Los Angeles Times - 1 hour ago The club may not be as elite as it once was -- or perhaps, in an ideal world, should be -- but the Food and Drug Administration has decided Cipro and its ilk deserve to be members. UPDATE 3-Antibiotics can harm tendons, US FDA warns Reuters FDA orders 'black box' label on some antibiotics CNN Wall Street Journal - The Associated Press - Atlanta Journal Constitution - KRDO all 552 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:12:01 GMT War Powers Act needs fixing, bipartisan panel says - CNN William and Mary News War Powers Act needs fixing, bipartisan panel says CNN - 5 hours ago WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The United States needs a new law requiring that the president consult with Congress before going to war, a blue-ribbon panel led by two former secretaries of state said Tuesday. Video: Panel Calls for New War Powers Legislation AssociatedPress 'War Powers' Plan Faces Steep Odds Washington Post Reuters - The Associated Press - BBC News - ABC News all 601 news articles Publ.Date : Tue, 08 Jul 2008 19:10:08 GMT RSS feeds Increase Search Engine Traffic

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