Laughter…the cheapest medicine

// July 31st, 2012 // No Comments » // Loux Family News

This morning I was reading about joy and it’s great value in our lives. I was reminded in the word of God in Proverbs 17:22 that “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” This is a very powerful verse and holds within it a most striking truth that can literally make you, or break you.

I found this article and just wanted to share it with you because it’s such a great reminder to us all.

Dr. Paul E. McGhee states “Your sense of humor is one of the most powerful tools you have to make certain that your daily mood and emotional state support good health.” It’s good to know that science is catching up with to what the Bible says; it’s no surprise given that the Author of the Bible is the same person who authored the creation of our physical bodies. He knows what conditions His design responds best to.

Here are some quick facts about how the body responds to the wonderful state of happiness we call laughter:

It relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

It boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

It triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

It protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

With these great benefits to laughter and happiness what do you suppose “not” having these effects would do to us? Meaning if you’re NOT laughing because you’re never happy, aka- depressed? Notice what the Bible verse says “a broken spirit dries the bones”. A broken spirit or depression actually does have highly negative effects on the human body. It’s a type of emotional stress that reflects on the body putting it under physical stress. Less serotonin is released and the body experiences an array of symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, and poor blood flow. It’s believed that some cancers could be attributed to the stresses caused by depression. “Dryness” is another term for “decay” or “lifelessness” in other words being broken and living in your brokenness could very well end up slowly killing you. The body thrives under happiness and mind you happiness is not just a blissful feeling that seldom “comes by” unexpectedly. It’s a choice! And I can’t communicate that enough. It’s your choice to be happy, to laugh, to enjoy your life regardless of what you’re experiencing. It’s no secret; doctors everywhere admit that much of the recoveries of certain patients can be attributed to their positive attitude and outlook on the situation, and seldom the drugs! Most drugs only offer temporary relief. The true recovery is when the body “heals” itself completely and the optimal condition for this to happen is when you’re happy!

Let’s not go too far, ANY system thrives and produces best in a positive environment. Pessimistic and negative workers will not produce as much as positive and motivated workers working on the same project! I can’t memorize a thing out of my text book when I’m down, it’s nearly impossible! We just weren’t designed to give our all when we’re not happy, and neither were our bodies. That’s why the most successful people in the world are those who are most motivated. Why are they motivated? Because they’re happy! They love what they are doing and they get more done just for having that attitude, plus they feel great along the way!

Don’t let your down trodden and broken spirit dry up your zest for life. Your body is the amazing instrument through which you experience life, so you owe it to yourself to give this phenomenal trust the best condition it needs not just to survive, but to thrive! Don’t you dare tell yourself “I can’t be happy!”, “Nothing good ever happens to me”, “I hate everything right now how am I supposed to give anything a good, hearty laugh?” Like I said, it’s a decision, and you make decisions every day for unimportant things like what color shirt to wear or whether to have boiled or scrambled eggs. Decisions are decisions. It just takes one decision in the morning, happy or depressed?

Just to help you out, the state of happiness, joy, and laughter is scientifically and biblically recognized as good medicine that doesn’t cost you a penny. Depression and a broken spirit will cost you the high price of a sick and shorter life.

I always like a good bargain.

Posted on March 24, 2012 by iEmanuella in Health

What part will you play?

// July 17th, 2012 // 8 Comments » // Loux Family News

(Photo courtesy of Life for relief and development)

A global charity recently took this picture of an Iraqi orphan sleeping on an orphanage floor. This little one had made a drawing on the floor representing his mother. He was trying to console himself by pretending that he was lying next to his mother, and not a lifeless image. The anguish and torment of this child cannot be captured by mere words.

My heart broke when I saw this picture.  My stomach is still in knots. I tried to picture this child being one of my own. What would it feel like to know that one of my babies only had a picture drawing of me  to comfort him/her? What would it be like to not have arms to wrap around you, to love you, to keep you safe, to tell you that everything was going to be ok? Most of these children are not even aware that there’s a God who loves them and  weeps over the injustice that these priceless ones are experiencing?

There are days when it’s just so hard for me to process the fact that we as God’s people are not doing enough to help the oprhan. Sure, we can say we care….we can be sad when we see pictures like this. We can even leave comments on blogs and FB postings asking God to bring his justice and to provide hope for these little ones. Then we can move on with our day, cup of coffee in hand, thinking about all the things we wish we had more of….how much our lives are lacking, how unfairly we are being treated by others…how unappreciated we are. It’s tragic…so tragic how consumed we can be with things that pale in comparison to what the majority of people around the world are going through.

It is estimated there are between 143 million and 210 million orphans worldwide (recent UNICEF report.) The UNICEF orphan numbers DON’T include abandonment (millions of children) as well as sold and/or trafficked children. The current population of the United States is just a little over 300 million… to give you an idea of the enormity of the numbers…

According to data released in 2003 as many as eight million boys and girls around the world live in institutional care. Some studies have found that violence in residential institutions is six times higher than violence in foster care, and that children in group care are almost four times more likely to experience sexual abuse than children in family based care.

Every day 5,760 more children become orphans

Approximately 250,000 children are adopted annually, but…

Each year 14, 505, 000 children grow up as orphans and age out of the system by age sixteen with no where to go

Each day 38,493 orphans age out of the system

Every 2.2 seconds another orphan ages out with no family to belong to and no place to call home

Studies have shown that 10% – 15% of these children commit suicide before they reach age eighteen

These studies also show that 60% of the girls become prostitutes and 70% of the boys become hardened criminals

Another study reported that of the 15,000 orphans aging out of state-run institutions every year, 10% committed suicide, 5,000 were unemployed, 6,000 were homeless and 3,000 were in prison within three years…

An estimated 1.2 million children are trafficked every year; (THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2005)

2 million children, the majority of them girls, are sexually exploited in the multibillion-dollar commercial sex industry. (THE STATE OF THE WORLD’S CHILDREN 2005)

Why aren’t more of God’s people answering the call to walk out God’s mandate in James 1:27 to care for the orphan? It’s disturbing to me and it should be to us all.

There are so many different ways that we as God’s people can help.  As most of you know, my husband was killed in a car wreck 2 years ago, so I am now a widow. But, being a widow does not make me exempt from helping the orphan. I am still called to walk out God’s mandate and do my part.  There are so many ways that you too, can do your part. Some of you will be called to adopt and some of you won’t be. But, even if you yourself don’t adopt,  you still can do your part by giving financially or by giving  of your time to help another family who is adopting or has already adopted.

There are many of you who have already taken this big step…those of you who have done your part, and I am so blown away by your stories and your heart! But, my heart is to see God’s Church getting radical in this area! So many of you have let finances determine whether or not you will choose to adopt. I would love to challenge you to take the big leap of faith, to trust God that as you give him the “yes” in your heart…He will be Jehovah Jireh and will move on your behalf, providing all that is needed to save the life of one of His priceless ones.

Let’s link arms together, making a difference for the sake of Christ, in the lives of the more than 143-210 million orphans in the world today!