ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAY, AS I ENTER CHURCH, I AM ALMOST ALWAYS GREETED by Ed who, with a smile from ear to ear, hands me a piece of paper on which are listed some humorous antidotes. I watch as he hands out a copy to several others. I suppose he has selected them with the assurance that they have a sense of humor and will appreciate his offerings, or perhaps he senses that there are some who just need a good laugh to get them through the day.

Ed just turned 90 and I am convinced that his longevity is due in part to his joyful spirit. There is a great deal of scientific evidence out there to support that notion. Research has shown health benefits of laughter ranging from strengthening the immune system to reducing food cravings to increasing one's threshold for pain. There's even an emerging therapeutic field known as humor therapy to help people heal more quickly, among other things. Humor also has several important stress relieving benefits. With all this in mind, I say the world needs a lot more Eds, don’t you agree?

And its not as if Ed hasn’t had reason to turn away from his joyful attitude. In just the last couple of years, he’s had open heart surgery and two knees replaced. But still he keeps smiling and laughing. He’s an inspiration and role model to all he comes in contact with.

In spite of bleak and serious surroundings about us, I firmly believe we need a good dose of Solomon’s counsel. Listen to David’s wisest son:

“A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken. All the days of the afflicted are bad, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast” (Proverbs 15:13,15).

A joyful heart is good medicine and causes good healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22).

Honestly now, how’s your sense of humor? By sense of humor, I’m not referring to distasteful, inappropriate, vulgar jesting, nor foolish and silly talk that is ill-timed, offensive, and tactless. I am referring to the wit that lifts our spirits and lightens our day. Are you, like Ed, spreading cheer germs? Are you infecting folks with them? Those who catch the disease will find their load lighter and their Christianity brighter.

I love that old song by Shay, Fisher, and Goodwin. While it may be secular, it carries a good message for all of us:

When you're smilin'
When you're smilin'
The whole world smiles with you.
And when you're laughin'
When you're laughin'
The sun comes shinin' through.

When you're cryin',
You bring on the rain,
So, stop you're sighin',
Won't you be happy again!

When you're smiling,
Keep on smilin'
And the whole world smiles with you.

WENT TO SEE THE DISNEY NATURE FILM, “EARTH” RECENTLY. It was simply awesome! I was mesmerized as I viewed the spectacular and breathtaking vistas. In the event you haven’t seen it, let me fill you in with a brief summary. In documentary form, it charts the movements of three animal families -- a set of polar-bear parents and their two cubs; a mother elephant and her baby; and a humpback whale and her calf -- as they struggle to survive in a world that's changing all too rapidly.

The movie takes the viewers on an extraordinary tour of our home planet as it’s never been seen before. Of course, there is the “green” element in it as it opened on Earth Day, but politics aside, it is worth seeing. What I don’t get is how they can show such beauty, creativity, and complexity without reference to at least a “higher power.” Why does Hollywood not want to give God glory for all of His marvelous works? I suppose the answer is found in Romans 1:19-21: “They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. 20 For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. 21 Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks.”

I think it is somewhat ironic that the narrator, James Earl Jones, speaks of the earth being tilted on its axis at just the right angle to the sun so that we neither burn up or freeze. The irony lies in the fact that Jones’ voice is reminiscent of others who have portrayed God in films and dramas and yet His power and majesty are ignored. Personally, I’ll stay with the testimony of Scripture.

The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
2 Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
3 They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.
4 Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.

Psalm 19:1-4

AS A WRITER, I VALUE GREATLY THE ART OF COMMUNICATION. I know how dangerous it can be when trying to convey a message that is worthwhile. One slip up and the consequences can be dreadful. For example, what you mean to say and what actually is said can be at odds. Wise is the person who carefully proof texts his document before it is published. Otherwise, he/she may have egg on their face. Case in point: A newspaper in Pretoria, South Africa, in 1978, tried to correct a classified ad as follows:

The ad, as it was first printed, said, quote: The Rev. A.J. Jones has color TV set for sale. Telephone 555-1313 after 7:00 P.M. and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him, cheap.

So the next day the paper printed a correction, quote: We regret any embarrassment caused to Rev. Jones by a typographical error in yesterday’s editions. It should have read, “The Rev. A.J. Jones has color TV set for sale, cheap. Telephone 555-1313 and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who lives with him after 7:00 P.M.”

Then the next day, the paper said: The Rev. A.J. Jones informs us he has received several annoying telephone calls because of an incorrect advertisement in yesterday’s paper. It should have read, “The Rev. A.J. Jones has color TV set for sale. Cheap. Telephone after 7:00 P.M. 555-1313 and ask for Mrs. Donnelley who loves with him.”

One day later…”Please take notice that I, the Rev. Jones, have no TV set for sale. I have smashed it. I have not been carrying on with Mrs. Donnelley. She was until yesterday, my housekeeper.”

A few days later another ad appeared (this is hard to believe): WANTED a housekeeper. Telephone the Rev. A.J. Jones 555-1313. Usual housekeeping duties, good pay, love in.

Now let’s consider who this gaff affected: (1) the guy who wrote the ad--- can you imagine his frustration? (2) the one who does the proof reading who was probably fired; (3) the editor on whose desk the buck stops (a law suit was no doubt pending); the minister (I hope he practices what he preaches on forgiveness); the housekeeper who probably can’t find another position.

Moral: Words improperly arranged can be devastating. Look carefully before you leap into the pit of prose.

LAST WEEK’S BLOG WAS DONE TONGUE-IN-CHEEK, but this one is presented for serious consideration. If I had a chance to live my life over, would I change anything? Definitely! For example, I would have…
1. Talked less and listened more.
2. Taken more time to smell the roses.
3. Exercised more and eaten less.
4. Started my relationship with Christ much earlier.
5. Dreamed bigger dreams.
6. Watched less TV and read more books.
7. Been less judgmental and far more tolerant of other’s opinions.
8. Worried less and prayed more.
9. Talked more to my older relatives about family history.
10. Kept a personal journal.
11. Written more notes of appreciation and encouragement.

REGRETS. We all have then, don’t we? But we know we can’t go back, so it behooves us to get it right the first time. However, on occasion a glance backward serves a purpose---that of evaluating with the goal of changing whatever needs changing. But we should not look long, just a quick glance because we still have time to accomplish a great deal.

In the western panhandle of Texas is a small town named Texline. It had an ostentatious beginning in the late 1800s as a thriving center along a new railroad line. Within a few years, though, most of the shops had closed and the town’s population shriveled to about 400. In 2000, the population was still just over 500. One online description of Texline says that it has “a city limits sign at one end, another at the other end, and not much in between.”

What a waste if the same description could be given of our lives. While it’s true that we don’t get a chance to do a “make-over,” we can make the most of the life we have remaining. The journey of the Christian life on earth begins at the moment of faith in Jesus and ends when the believer goes to be with the Lord. This raises an important question: What happens in between?

A rich and full life is available to all who believe in and serve Jesus. The apostle Paul prayed that believers would “be filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19). He wanted them to know life “abundantly” (John 10:10). But how many of us experience even a small part of the abundant life Christ promised to those who are faithful to Him? One thing is certain, God desires to give us a marvelous beginning and a great ending in Glory—with much in between. Enjoy the ride!