"Joy and laughter are the gifts of living in the presence of God and trusting that tomorrow is not worth worrying about."

Henri Nouwen, Here and Now

Thank you Dotsie for that quote. You know what the Lord's been putting in my heart to pray for every morning? For the gift of laughter in my day. I always pray for the stamina to get through each day, hope so I can better companion my brother through his journey, and then for God to bless me (and all my loved ones, including my BWS sisters) according to His will for me for that day. Lately, I've been asking for laughter too...that I would find laughter throughout the day. I dare to say that not only have I been finding more laughter lately, but my brother's sense of humour is also coming alive again, much to my delight (he's always had a wonderful sense of humour, and it's an indescribable delight to watch it unfolding again).

Laughter does tend to keep one in the moment, doesn't it! And makes all the worries and cares of tomorrow blur into the background, if only for a few sweet moments.

Someone else who knows how to laugh and makes me laugh is our granddaughter. What utter delight to watch HER sense of humour blossoming before my eyes as well!!! There's no doubt in my mind that God Himself has a wonderful sense of humour too...when I have the nerve to dare to believe it and the ears to find it in the midst of my own mind's nattering and worrying, His laughter and humour come into my soul like a refreshing babbling brook...it's a good prayer...to ask for laughter in my day...

I have to add something. Those who know me and read my story of being a victim of incest will have heard me say that I have a "diminished capacity for joy." That is a result of PTSD- post traumatic stress disorder, which manifested in years of depression, anxiety, etc. Something I have learned on my spiritual journey is that we are supposed to experience joy on our earthly plane. That was a revelation to me: you mean I'm not supposed to be miserable? I was born to experience JOY? So, I "practice" on increasing the joyful moments of the day, or bringing joy to another. I realized that I may get to the pearly gates and be admonished for not experiencing the joy that is a rightful part of being a child of God. So, quotes such as the above help to reinforce the joyful spirit, and to "allow" myself to enjoy JOY. Thanks for posting the reminder. It was like a message to me.

Eagle Heart, many a time your posts have made me laugh out loud, and I've thought, now look at that…what a great sense of humor Eagle Heart has. I hope that it will be more present in 2007, or better yet; starting right now. That's so good that your brother is seeing the joys of life more. It's good for both of you.

Lynnie I hope you can find the time to paint more. You are very talented. I find that painting brings me to another dimension where I can let myself fall and be at piece with myself. Do you feel joy while painting as well?

Lynnie, not to in any way diminish anything you've said, but I feel compelled to respond that in my experiences here with you, I certainly have not experienced any diminished capacity in you to GIVE joy. Back to that word "ironic"...not only do people who crave solitude seem to find healing in sharing with other people, it would seem that the more wounded someone has been in their lives, the more joy/healing/empowerment they become capable of giving to others. There IS some delightful divine grace involved in all of this "wounded healer" stuff, don't you think!! That the One who loved us into being continues to love us into being, as if being born is not just a one-time event, but a daily calling/gift/grace from God...and that our journey through pain and rebirth is meant to help others along their journey...that everything we experience can be used by God to bring grace/calling/gift and rebirth to others whose lives we touch.

I understand that "diminished capacity for joy". But I think that it's awesome love that allows God to work through your "diminished capacity for joy" to bring joy and healing to others. I'm going to pray that while He's using you to bring joy to me and other women here, that you will be allowed to experience it too!

PS Hannelore, it's another day on the run here today, and I forgot earlier, but came back to thank you so much for your words - they mean more to me than you can know. Bringing laughter to another person's life and heart is more than I could hope or ask for - it's a blessing to hear that from you this morning. Thank you.

This may be the perfect place for me to share that I am in the middle of an awe-inspiring Bible study that some of you may very well enjoy. I do it alone each morning. It's called Contagious Joy, by Christa Kinde.

Months ago, I mentioned that I found these awesome devotionals written by the women who have the Women of Faith conferences, www.womenoffaith.com.

I bought them at Sam's Club for $3.77 each. Can't beat it. You know me. I'm always looking for a bargain. Thus far I have done Receiving God's Goodness, Giving God Your All, Discovering God's Will For Your Life. When I finish the Joy study, I will do Receiving God's Love. Then I'll check to see if there are more in the series I missed.

These studies continue to awaken me to the fact that God has tremendous plans for all of us. They've taught me that He wants more for us than we can possibly imagine. He loves us like no other. He wants us to feel fulfilled and joyful. He shows us what happens to our lives when we choose to give Him our all, or at least try. He opens our hearts to being able to receive, look for, and enjoy His goodness. I can't recommend them enough. They are life changing. You will feel so embraced by His goodness should you begin these studies.