"Laughter is vital for overall well-being, providing significant physical, mental, and social benefits. It acts as a powerful stress reliever and helps foster resilience, improve mood, and strengthen relationships." ~ copied

Well hello there, it seems like just yesterday we were enjoying our, one way, conversation. It's a joke. Go ahead and laugh. It will do a body good. What? You don't believe that? Here's what God's Word has to say, Proverbs 17:22 from the English Standard translation: "A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." It's Tuesday, January 13, 2026, and, as my granddaddy always told me, "Son, you've got the same clothes to get glad in." He typically said that when I was presenting a gloom, doom, and despair countenance. We all have our unique personalities mostly shaped by our living experiences, even from an early age. I am not the happy-go-lucky kind of person. My wife is. I lean towards staid and serious. That can be a detriment as we go about our daily living. The wife can pretty much mix with and get along with anyone. Me? It's just not so simple. I appreciate people who are the life of any gathering, and, I do know that as a Christ follower, He has made me a new person. At the same time, this new life in Christ can be revealed within each individual in different ways. I do love to laugh. I do enjoy spending time with folks. I am not inclined to be goofy. I do try to, like the Apostle Paul, mix in with folks enough to enjoy our time together and perhaps influence us all to have a more dedicated life. (1st Corinthians 9:22, the Apostle Paul, "To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some." At the same time, no one wants to be around someone who carries a sign saying, 'the sky is falling'. Introvert, extrovert, we all can serve the Lord with the abilities He has provided to us. Timothy appears to have been timid and perhaps overly anxious, "drink a little wine for your stomach's sake"1st Timothy 5:23. I need to allow God to work in my life to accomplish His will as opposed to me using my own understanding and then trying to do it, my way. The Paul Anka song, 'My Way' made famous by Frank Sinatra is all about me, myself, and I. There is a Christian version of that song. Here are the lyrics:

 

And when the end is near

And as I face the final curtain

My friend, I'll say it clear

I'll state my case of which I'm certain

I've lived a life that's full

I traveled each and every highway

And more, much more than this

I did it God's way!

Regrets I've had a few

I thank you Lord, you paid my ransom

You gave me life brand-new

And helped me through without exception!

You planned each charted course

Each careful step along the Biway

And Lord, my life is yours,

I'll do it your way!

Lord, there were times,

I'm sure you knew

When I bit off more than I could chew

But through it all,

when there was doubt,

You were my rock, you were my help!

I faced it all and I stood tall

I did it God's way!

I love, I laughed and cried

I've had my fill, my share of losing

And now as tears subside,

I find it all so amazing,

To think you brought me back

And may I say, you showed me your way

Oh no, oh no, not mine

Oh it was God's way!

And what is life without our God?

If not for him, then we have not

I sing the thing I truly feel

And to my Lord I humbly kneel

The record shows to him I bow!

I'll do it God's way!

Oh Lord..... I'll do it Your way!

Lyrics re-written by:

Deelyght Jagessar ~ March 2014

 

Note:  Deelyght Jagessar, Christian singer and songwriter, uses music, particularly re-imagined popular tunes, as a powerful medium for Christian worship and evangelism, making faith accessible and relatable. 

 

 

Well, there you have it. I wouldn't want to hazard a guess as to how much of my life has been lived 'my way' contrasted with 'God's Way'. No wonder the Apostle Paul said he had to 'beat his body daily'. He was using a metaphor to describe the seriousness of the training and discipline required to live a life pleasing to God. I read the other day from a man of God who said in today's Christian world we have substituted Bible knowledge for righteous living. He said we tend to know a lot about the Bible but we are not putting what we know into practice which leads to a life lived 'my way' instead of God's way. I think that's enough conviction for one day. At least it is for me. Y'all, keep up the good work and use your talents and abilities to serve God and others. Me too! Amen.