Laughter is the Best Medicine

I had the prilvilege of being the keynote speaker at Bensalem Country Club this week addressing breast cancer survivors. As I looked out at the sea of pink, I realized just how courageous these women are; in fact, they are warriors. All the ladies were laughing and having a great time looking through their gift bag of goodies.

Eleven years ago, I sat at my first breast cancer survivor luncheon and wondered just how many more times I would get to attend. It was a feeling of joy to know I had made it a year, but it was mingled with nagging fears of what lie ahead.

But laughter is what got me through (along with a lot of prayer!). Today I'm blogging on Boomer Babes about a funny thing that happened to me on errand day (yesterday). Laughter and tears cleanse the soul and can de-stress even the most difficult days.

When I heard the ripples of laughter among the cancer survivors on Monday, I knew they were well on their way to healing.

Laugher truly is the best medicine!

Life-Changing Words

I just got back from a speaking event in Hagerstown, MD and it was supposed to be a Women’s Conference, and that evening I was the keynote speaker on “Living the Passionate Life” geared just for women. And since it was Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I combined my “Touched by An Angel Story” in the new Chicken Soup book. When I got to the Four Points Sheraton, I saw men in the conference room—thinking they were there to set up. No, there were “men” in the audience and my speech was geared strictly for women. I quickly poured over my speech and wondered what I would need to change. Suddenly, my “passion” started to fade and I thought, “Lord, help me, this is not the target audience I was intending to speak to—I thought it was going to be ‘all’ women.” As I got up to the podium, I realized that all of us have to be ready in and out of season and that it’s never me speaking anyway, it’s God who speaks through me. After my speech a man came up to me and said, “My wife and mother both have breast cancer and I needed to hear what you had to say tonight!” With tears in his eyes, he shook my hand and said, “I wasn’t going to come this evening, but now I know I was meant to be here.” How many times have you been in a situation where you thought, Oh no, now what do I do? This wasn’t what I was expecting, but God worked it out for good!

When I came home, I received my author copy of the book, The One Year Life Verse Devotional by Tyndale House Publishers. My story is titled, “Passing the Tests.” My life verse is Phil. 4:13, “I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” I didn’t have the time or the strength to re-do a speech in five minutes to be appropriate for my new target audience of “men,” so I used what I had prepared and God went before me and used it for “good.”

We will never know the impact of our words in the lives of others, and yet sometimes we are fortunate enough to get a small glimpse into lives changed by Christ through our words. That's the miracle of it all!

Angels Among Us?

Today I'm blogging on Boomer Babes about an experience I had 11 years ago that convinced me that angels keep watch over us!

My "Touched by a Coffee-Loving Angel" story is featured in the newly released book, Chicken Soup for the Coffee-Lover's Soul. It will stir you to think about the times in your life when you were protected and saved from harm's way because angels were sent to guide and protect you!

Tune into Inspire Radio to hear my interview with Carolyn Gross at 1:00 PM EST; 12:00 CST, and 10:00 AM PST on Wednesday, October 17, 2007.

If you have an angel story that you would like to share, I would love to hear it!

Blessings to you all!