FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Laughter is The Best Medicine

Many years ago, Norman Cousins was diagnosed as “terminally ill”. He was given six months to live. His chance for recovery was 1 in 500.

He could see the worry, depression and anger in his life contributed to, and perhaps helped cause, his disease. He wondered, “If illness can be caused by negativity, can wellness be created by positivity?”

He decided to make an experiment of himself. Laughter was one of the most positive activities he knew. He rented all the funny movies he could find – Keaton, Chaplin, Fields, the Marx Brothers. (This was before VCRs, so he had to rent the actual films.)

He read funny stories. He asked his friends to call him whenever they said, heard or did something funny.

His pain was so great he could not sleep. Laughing for 10 solid minutes, he found, relieved the pain for several hours so he could sleep.

He fully recovered from his illness and lived another 20 happy, healthy and productive years. (His journey is detailed in his book, Anatomy of an Illness.)

He credits visualization, the love of his family and friends, and laughter for his recovery.

Some people think laughter is a waste of time. It is a luxury, they say, a frivolity, something to indulge in only every so often.

Nothing could be further from the truth. Laughter is essential to our equilibrium, to our well-being, to our aliveness. If we’re not well, laughter helps us get well; if we are well, laughter helps us stay that way.

Since Cousins’ ground-breaking subjective work, scientific studies have shown that laughter has a curative effect on the body, the mind and the emotions.

So, if you like laughter, consider it sound medical advice to indulge in it as often as you can. If you don’t like laughter, then take your medicine – laugh anyway.

Use whatever makes you laugh – movies, sitcoms, Monty Python, records, books, New Yorker cartoons, jokes, friends.

Give yourself permission to laugh – long and loud and out loud – whenever anything strikes you as funny.

The people around you may think you’re strange, but sooner or later they’ll join in even if they don’t know what you’re laughing about.

Some diseases may be contagious, but none is as contagious as the cure. . . laughter.

Credit: Peter McWilliams

From “Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul”

Assurance of Victory!

TEXT: JEREMIAH 20:7-18

Key verse: “But the Lord is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed, for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten” (Jeremiah 20:11).

A girl was walking home alone on a dangerous road after school hours when she saw a man hanging around suspiciously. She prayed God to see her through. Later that night as she watched the TV news, she recognized the man on the dangerous alley being questioned by the police. He had raped and murdered a girl at the spot. He told the officers that another girl had passed by moments before. Asked why he did not attack the first girl, he said there was a man walking beside her! God is with us, closer to us than our fears and the enemy!

The text today reveals the perplexing situation Jeremiah found himself. He was like a lone ranger hated by everyone around him because of the righteous course he had chosen for himself and his determination to stand for the truth. He was rejected and became confused to the extent of almost doubting the faithfulness of God to keep His promise. He felt deceived and unjustly lured into ministry because he could not see God standing with him at the time of trouble. He opted to quit but for the compelling power of God that made it impossible for him. “…But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones….” He almost saw himself a failure.

If God has appointed you, you cannot fail as long as you stay within the determined territory of His appointment. God’s promise cannot fail because He cannot fail. Witches and wizards, magicians and sorcerers, occultic and traditional people will not be able to stand before you if you are truly converted and divinely ordained to accomplish a mission.

While we are doing what the Almighty has appointed for us to do, and continue to walk in the path of righteousness, no power can withstand or overcome us.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: God is the abiding Companion of the redeemed.

 

Prayer for new week!

"You shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD”. This year, you and your loved ones shall not die, but live, to declare the goodness of the Lord in the land of the Living. Arrows of wickedness, untimely death, sorrow, tragedy, sickness, poverty, non-achievement, shame, oppression and afflictions against you are broken and destroyed.

You will not lose the special packages that God has prepared for you. God will daily load you with extra benefits, You shall live to fulfill your destiny in Jesus mighty name.  J

Happy New Week from us ASB-World. 

Praying For Your Nation

TEXT: AMOS 7:1-6

KEY VERSE: “Then said I , O Lord God, cease, I beseech thee; by whom shall Jacob arise? for he is small” (Amos 7:5).

It is strange that we do exactly the opposite of what God commands. God says we shouldn’t waste precious time and energy on anxiety about what we cannot change on our own. But that is what we do: complaining about our country and its leaders and ignoring the great natural and human resources He has given us.

Amos was different. God had showed him a vision of the impending judgment on Israel. The Lord was preparing to unleash a swarm of locusts on the farmlands of Israel to destroy their crops and further impoverish them because of their sins. In the vision, Amos observed that the grasshoppers ate up even the grass of the land. He knew that if he did nothing, the vision would materialise. So, he began to pray and plead with the Lord to forgive Israel their sins. He reminded God that Israel was so small and had no other hope of deliverance but the Lord Himself. Expectedly, the merciful God hearkened to the prayers of Amos. But the people of Israel did not change their ways.

So, God showed Amos another vision of His anger against the land. This time, it was to be in the form of fire that would consume large part of the land of Israel. Again, Amos went on his knees, pleading with the Lord to cease from destroying the land by fire, stating as at the first time, that Israel was so small and had no chance of survival except by the grace of God.

If we are genuinely concerned about the rot in the society, the solution does not lie in grumbling; it does not lie either in the tons of writings on corruption and its allied evils; nor is the solution in endless cycles of violent protests and strikes. God’s Word says righteousness exalts a nation. The corollary then is to go on our knees and plead with God for the salvation of both the citizens and the leaders. When there is genuine repentance, righteousness will follow and we shall have peace and prosperity.

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Revival of righteousness in the land can be secured only on our knees.

"Happy Mother’s Day"

Who ran to help me when I fell,
And would some pretty story tell,
Or kiss the place to make it well?
My Mother.

A mother's work is never done
She works from morning until dawn
She spreads her love
And keeps you warm
But only once a year we say
Mother we wish you "Happy Mother’s Day"

 "Happy Mother’s Day" From ASB-World.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

 For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. 

2 Corinthians 1:20

Unless by faith we take sides with God and appropriate His Word, we cannot enjoy our relationship, rights and privileges as children of God.

God said you are justified, you are sanctified, you are redeemed. God said you are blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies; He shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus; He wished that above all things, you may prosper and be in health as your soul prospers.

All these tremendous truths of the Word will have no effect in your life until you take sides with God and say "yes" to them.

It has been well said that there is a three-man committee of which you are the chairman. One is voting against the victorious life - that one is the knowledge gained by the five senses and prompted by Satan; another One is voting for your victorious life - that is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

However, one vote each way is a tie, and the chairman must cast the deciding vote, and whichever way he votes wins the motion.

So your vote does have value! You, as chairman, can vote on the side of the five senses - you do this every time you agree with the illusion of lack or the outward circumstances or the physical pain.

On the other hand, as chairman, you can vote on the side of the Word - you do this every time you believe, confess and act on the Word.

God's Word is pure and trustworthy. Anytime you side with God, you become the majority, and Satan has no option but to give in.

Prayer: Father, help me focus on Your infallible Word and take my eyes off outward circumstances.

Scriptural Reading: 2 Corinthians 1:15-24

Try This Recipe-Katie's Frozen Dessert

This tasty treat can be made ahead of time.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 2 cups crispy rice cereal
• 2 cups chocolate-flavored crispy rice cereal
• 1/2 gal. vanilla ice cream, softened
• 1/2 to 1 cup Spanish peanuts, coarsely chopped
• Garnish: chocolate syrup

Instructions:

Blend together peanut butter and corn syrup in a large bowl. Add cereals; stir until coated.

Press into the bottom of an ungreased 13"x9" baking pan. Spread ice cream over cereal mixture; sprinkle with peanuts. Swirl chocolate syrup over top; if desired.

Cover with aluminum foil; freeze at least 4 hours before serving. Cut into squares to serve.

By piarecipes.com