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Daily Devotional – LAUGHTER

By January 11, 2017Daily Devotionals

LAUGHTER

Prayer: Please remind us of Your wonderful joy at this wonderful time of the year. Please help us to keep unnecessary stress in check. Thank You. Amen

Scripture: When the LORD brought back the captives to Zion, we were like men who dreamed. Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them’. Psalm 126:1-3 NIV

When was the last time you had a really good laugh? How did you feel after that laugh? Science is enthralled with the study of laughter because it causes so many positive effects in our body. “Laughter is the best medicine” is being proved over and over again. Not only is it the best medicine, but it is also a great prevention of illness.

Classrooms where students laughed several times throughout the day and were allowed to write about their emotions in a journal or class assignment had less than half the occurring colds and other minor ailments than the other classes in their school. After viewing a 20-minute funny video, students’ white blood cell count had increased by 25 percent, according to a Loma Linda University study. Laughter causes the chemical reactions in the brain to keep us more alert, helps us to learn better and even helps to increase memory. People learn poorly in stressful environments. Teachers who use humor in the classroom have students who make better grades.

Many of you are looking at a long winter ahead of you. If you want fewer absences and more learning to take place, try a little laughter. Lighten up a little and see what happens. As a matter of fact, you may want to record what happens to see for yourself if it really works. Share ideas with one another, buy a joke book, and learn to laugh with your students. May you, like those returned from captivity, be filled with laughter.

Copyright Kathy Branzell. Email [email protected]