"At that time we laughed loudly and shouted for joy!" -Psalm 126:2 (NET Bible)

Fred Smith Sr. was a speaker at the Crystal Cathedral on several occasions and not only was he a man of wisdom and principle-centered thinking; he was also a proponent and deliverer of great humor. Fred's career spanned 65 years of executive positions with several corporations and he served on boards for business, Christian organizations, and governmental taskforces. However, the one thing I remember the most about Fred was his sense of humor. He believed that you "either laugh or have high blood pressure."

He went home to the Lord in 2007, but his humor lingers on. Here are some of my favorites from Fred:

"Humor is for grownups. There's no way to be truly mature without a well-developed sense of humor. Humor is accepting the fallibility of man – it resides in the area between perfection and imperfection, between where we are and where we would like to be (or people think we are). The ability to laugh at yourself will insulate you from other ego mistakes."

"Christianity Today's Leadership Journal did a survey of its readers about content preferences. Not surprisingly, they found the first thing people read were the cartoons. Often, the most profound messages are contained in dialogue balloons."

"One of my great stress relievers has been to see the funny side of my mistakes. It is easy to save face by laughing. Making ourselves human by the use of humor is a good technique. Humor is part of a healthy rhythm of life. It relieves the monotony."

"Understanding the responsibility of using humor well is part of the maturity process. The wise and good use allows us to improve relationships, relieve tension, provide psychological breaks, reduce conflict, and add an emotional lubricant to any situation."

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the gift of humor that can lighten any situation, heal our bodies, and bring us closer to those we meet casually or love deeply. When I am down, encourage me to find the humor in the situation. Amen.

Reflection: Today, consider what makes you laugh. When was the last time you chose laughter over high blood pressure? How are you helping others to laugh?

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Prayer:

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Reflection:

"At that time we laughed loudly and shouted for joy!"
-Psalm 126:2 (NET Bible)