April 2007 Pearls of Encouragement for Christian Working Moms
Welcome
Blog
Online Bible Study
Article – Do you laugh?

Welcome

Hello everyone!!! I pray you had a blessed Easter and spent some wonderful time with family. I had a very busy time before and during Easter. My daughter and I went on a school field trip to New York. The trip was ONLY 750 miles one way on a bus. I think we got maybe 14 hours of sleep during the four days of the trip. I am back and we had a good time. We have so many new CWM’s and I welcome you all. You won’t believe it, but we have now had over 1,400 women fill out the CWM survey and it grows every day. If you have not filled out the CWM Survey go to www.christianworkingmom.com and click on survey. Add your thoughts to the others who have graciously taken their time to fill out the survey. I thank all of you. Please know that as far as I know no one else has collected this data. One more thing I try my best to answer all email sent to me. While I was out of town I received a ton of email (mostly spam) and deleted a lot. If I didn’t answer your email, please resend. I may have deleted it by accident. Thanks in advance for your understanding.

Blog

The blog has been a little quiet here lately. Also, I was away from computer access for over 2 weeks. So, there is a new question posted about sharing your fun kid stories or other things to make us laugh (see this month’s article). If you are a member of the sandwich generation, please share your experience on the blog. If you don’t know what the sandwich generation is you will have to go visit the blog to find out. The CWM blog is at http://christianworkingmoms.blogspot.com. There is an open comment section for you to post questions. Let’s support one another and try to answer each other’s concerns.

Online Bible Study

There are four lessons posted for the Online Bible Study. You can find the Bible Study at http://kimberlychastain.com/discussCWMU. The Bible Study is designed for you to start anytime. Please post your answers to the questions. Also, there will be a delay in posting your answers. I have had numerous porn posts, so I have to approve each message before it is posted to avoid the inappropriate posts. I have heard from some of you that you are doing the bible studies and not posting the answers. I hope to add a new lesson soon. I will put a note on the blog as soon as a new lesson is posted.

Want to read a book that will make you laugh? Check out a book from Women of Faith, entitled Laughter is the Spice of Life. The Women of Faith speakers are hilarious. You can find out more by clicking here.

Article – Do You Laugh?

My children gave me the idea for this article and unfortunately in not a good way. I was laughing at something with my children when one of them said, “That must be really funny, because Mom doesn’t laugh much.” Ouch!!! That hurt. I don’t think I’m a dour person, but I really don’t laugh that much. I guess I’m always too busy making sure chores are done, laundry is washed, bills are paid, homework is done, etc. You get the picture and I don’t think I’m alone.

Have you noticed how easy it is for children to laugh and how often they laugh? My children can start laughing and not stop. Their laughter is infectious. Have you also noticed you don’t have to teach children or even babies to laugh, it comes naturally? So, what happens when be become adults. We definitely laugh a lot less.

Listen to these neat facts about laughing:

1. One minute of laughing can keep you feeling relaxed for an hour.
2. A simple smile boosts immunity.
3. 15 minutes of laughter can burn as many as 50 calories.
(I need to laugh several hours a day to lose some weight.)
4. People smile only 35% as much as they think they do.
5. Laughter is contagious.

We certainly know laughter is contagious. If you have ever had a bunch of giggly girls spending the night at your house or boys for that matter, you know laughter is as contagious as chicken pox.

So, what does the Bible say about laughter. Did God create laughter as well? I think it is so neat that laughter is discussed in the first book of the Bible. In Genesis 21:5-6, “5 Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. 6 Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me." I have to admit I would be laughing if God told me I would bear a child at 90 years of age. Don’t you think God knew Isaac’s name would be laughter? I do think God has a sense of humor. I think when Jesus asked the little children to come to him that he enjoyed the children. It doesn’t say in the Bible what they discussed, but can’t you just imagine him laughing and smiling with them. All the wonderful questions the children asked Jesus and he patiently listening to them. Ecclesiastes talks about a time to weep and a time to laugh. I think God created us to laugh and to enjoy his creation and his children.

How can we begin to laugh more? I think our children are the best teachers. Listen to their jokes and laugh, a good hearty laugh. Maybe get a joke book to share with your children. Your teenagers need to laugh as well. Tell them some jokes. Your teens may think the jokes are lame, but they will probably be laughing on the inside. Tickle your children and laugh with them. Sometimes (and I’m talking to myself here) we take ourselves too seriously. As Christians we should be some of the happiest people in the world, but often we look the most depressed. We should be the leaders in laughing and having a good time that honors God.

So, can I encourage you this month to choose to laugh more and have fun with your children. You may even learn a few good jokes.

Final Thoughts

I asked my son to share a joke with me to share with you (he is 9) so here we go. A mother was reading a Bible Story to her daughter and was saying that man was made out of dust. The daughter looked under her bed (seeing all the dust bunnies) and told her Mom, “There is a dead person under here.”!!! Enjoy. Please visit the Blog and share your jokes or funny stories.

Till next time,

Kimberly M. Chastain

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