“A joyful heart is good medicine”

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Children love to laugh—God created laughter as a remedy for
illness, it gives joy, builds friendships and shows an aspect of God’s
personality==a God of mirth. Being tickled with your children delights them as
much as seeing their Daddy kiss their mama. Fun, romance, laughter, hide and
seek, bonfires, chasing them, playing and pretending—all of these delight your
children and are a gift from God to enjoy. My older kids especially love for Clay
and me to laugh with them, play with them, enter into their mirth, as well as
they did when we were younger. Laughing together draws friendships closer,
relationships more intimate.

We Christians can make life such a serious lifestyle all the
time by turning everything into a lesson so that life becomes a burden and a
drag. God is the God of joy and fun and delight.

Decide to have a good sense of
humor and laugh with your children—even at 5 year old jokes like, “What did the
chicken say when it crossed the road?” 
“Bark, bark====isn’t that funny, Mom?” (What does that even mean?)

Create treasures hunts in your
home with clues all around and a small prize for everyone to enjoy at the end like a coupon to a favorite frozen yogurt place.

Play with your children—-our
children just loved to have us enter into their worlds.

Sleep out under the stars and
cuddle under sleeping bags together on your deck, on your porch or in your
garden if you can. Or have a family slumber party in your living room with a
picnic dinner.

Serve a candlelight/china fancy
dinner and have everyone dress up and place a small gift with a card at each
person’s place. The card should have a “why I love and appreciate you note for
each child.”

Create masterpieces with your
children. Have an evening where you draw a crest for the family name on tee shirts and have everyone
wear them out for  hot chocolate or
a favorite treat. Make gingerbread houses at Christmas; play board games or
card games, decorate eggs at Easter; Write a poem about Easter and have a May
Day tradition that you make up. The kids loved it when I did this with them,
but they loved it best when Clay participated and it became a whole family
affair.

Shake life up a bit when it
becomes boring. Go for a ride in the mountains when everyone is getting stir
crazy and listen to a book on tape.

Divide up in teams and host a
scavenger hunt for your best family friends that takes place all over your
neighborhood. (Or be sure to go on family carol sings each year or host a
harvest festival where everyone plays gunny-sack games or carry the egg on a
spoon relay race with a turkey pot luck dinner.

Read Winnie the Pooh out loud as
a family at nights or listen to Cheaper by the Dozen on tape one chapter at a
time or another humorous book that becomes a family favorite.

Attend midnight openings of great
movies; hike or go on nightly family walks or build snowmen together.

In general, Lighten up, don’t
take life too seriously; listen to your teen’s favorite songs; and sing to
them; dance with your  toddlers and
elementary school age children; Decide to smile more, enjoy life and to be a
fragrance of God’s joy wherever you go.

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The family that laughs  and plays together, generally love to
be together and end up with the same faith values and the same ideals!

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What do you do to laugh together in your home?​