Laughter & Tears Heal Broken Hearts

A "Time To Laugh" comedy group premiered last night to a small crowd of mentors, leaders and residents of transitional housing for exoffenders. Having had only a few rehearsals I was preparing myself for a "fall on your face" with grace moment. All week I knew if God didn't work a miracle through us we could be "trying" to be funny and just look stupid.

They laughed from the beginning to the end. They laughed at things that weren't funny....I mean not to us. On the set we caught ourselves wanting to say....no, you laugh in a moment. There was a connection with these beautiful seekers beyond my writing skill to describe. Our title was HALT: don't get

• too hungry
• too angry
• too lonely
• too tired

It's an old addiction prompter to keep from triggering your cravings for a fix. We tied it into any behavior that is less than God's best for believers.

We actors are children born in trauma (my term for dysfunctional home). Ryan, Stacie and Laura are siblings and their dad was addicted to drugs and drinking as my dad was. Both men acted out in drunken raging violence on their wives. Our stories take different routes, but as survivors we've had similar struggles. God has mercifully delivered us from our pain and He has used the very pains to develop unusual strengths in each of us.

We concluded with Ryan giving his unbelievable capture when he was addicted to drugs. Mouths gaped open and the Lord moved on that crowd so beautifully. We concluded with a time to honor all fathers; to forgive and to receive forgiveness. All were blessed, but the mentors, pastors, and leaders were the ones weeping the most in the end. God had his way and weights were dropped off of His saints to free them to "run the race!"

Again......thank you for your prayers: they laughed!!!!

Dare To Speak In Jesus Name

How dare I and my fellow members of "A Time To Laugh" stand up this coming Friday night and present our comedy "H.A.L.T." to a gathering of folks? My speaking appearances have been limited to business meetings in this last year since my husband died. But when I was speaking to Christian groups on a regular basis I never took it lightly.

I recall those early years when I would be so concerned about how I looked, sounded and was understood by the audience. Loving merciful God taught me my errors in that mindset quickly. No, it truly was not about me beyond knowing I was a vessel for His greatness. In order to fulfill my main objective: others seeing Jesus in me; I might have to flub, mess up, miss a step. He is the main thing.

Old woman that I am, I advised these fantastic young folks to push all that performance pursuit to a close second in priority. In these few days leading up to our premier we will spend time in prayer and meditation with God. We will cry out for Him to prepare the hearts of those coming. We will pray for Him to give us His love for each of them. Then...He's in control; and all is His doings! Naturally whatever happens will be to magnify and glorify Him. If in any way we get IN THE WAY with our stuff, it will be a waste of time.

I happened onto a book this week: A Voice of One: Nehemiah’s Prayer by John Dillard, How Lay Ministers Can Accomplish Great Things in God’s Name.

These sentences speak to me this week:

“Dare to Attempt Something so Great for the Kingdom of God that it is doomed to failure, lest Christ be in it!”

What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? Romans 8:31

Imagine what would happen if all Believers lived their lives unafraid and willing to do God’s bidding when prompted. Freed from the chains that bound them, we would be free to do the bidding of Jesus Christ. Nehemiah’s story is about how one man, a layman, listened to God and did what all thought impossible. Nehemiah, sought the favor of a king, who provided the needed resources he needed to accomplish his task of rebuilding Jerusalem’s broken down walls in just 52 days,"

God have your way!!!

Done! I've Had It....

Lately I hear a recurring word: "Done! I can't go on this way any more," is a lament I hear from spouses with a strained marriage, folks in debt and miserable people of all ages and situations. Working on a comedy skit for an upcoming performance of "A Time To Laugh," comedy troupe which I'm a member of, we decided to incorporate this phrase: "Done!" in each segment of our skit.

I've realized on my spiritual journey that breakthrough's come when I'm "Done!" with my own self efforts to rid myself of poor habits or attitudes. It seems merciful, gracious Holy God gives me all the room I need to spin myself empty. Then when I finally reach the end of

my strength/rope I cry out desperately for His help.

Bam!! It's like He was waiting on that pure humble submissive cry. In younger years I would beat myself up for using my own strength before crying out to God. As an older woman...hopefully a bit wiser; I see my end is God's beginning point. I wonder if working things out with my best human efforts may be necessary to know this truth, "

John 15:5 Jesus said "I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me,

and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

"Done!" on something significant in your life? God isn't surprised and He isn't disappointed in you or me for giving our best and coming up with zero. Throughout the Bible He shows men and women failing forward to come to know He is the only way to life that matters. When all we desire is to do all for His glory: all is well.

Done!!!

Annoying Blessing

"Ms. Kay, I was praying with my young son as I was putting him to bed. I thanked God for his anointing and that God would continue to bless him with anointing for him to reach his destiny in God."

"After amen, he asked me why I was thanking God for annoying," shared one of my "funny" guys in our comedy troupe, A Time To Laugh.

Don't you just love the spontaneity and delight of children? I keep imagining this very active "real" little boy peeking through his fingers to watch his Dad being thankful because he is annoying. He probably was coming up with a hundred ways to help God fulfill that request!!!

Have a laugh and be free as only a God saved saint can be!!!

This is the week to celebrate being free forever!

Peace of Mind is Thriving

Thriving No Matter What

I try to encompass the abundant life that is secured for me through Jesus ;and yet I know I never fully grasp it's truth. Today I ran across an article by Rabbi Zelig Pliskin in the Daily Lift. I love reading interpretation of Hebrew wording because I find it helps me understand the Bible more clearly.

Rabbi Pliskin wrote on tranquility. He explained there are two terms for tranquility - "shalvah" and "menuchah." He points out that they seem similar but in truth, they contradict each other.

Shalvah refers to a situation in which a person is not missing anything in life. He has everything he wants and therefore has no worries. He has a nice house with all the furnishings he can ask for. He has a large amount of cash handy to purchase whatever he wants. His business is going well, and all of his property and possessions are entirely safe. He has no enemies who would want to cause him harm. There is peace in his world. He is entirely healthy. He is respected and people accept his opinion. He has no competitors who are striving to diminish is stature. He has no obligations to others. He is successful at whatever he does. This is shalvah.

And it's a negative trait.

Why? Because if you feel that everything must be perfect, you are in danger that if the details of your life are not to your liking, you will suffer. The many difficulties that arise in your life will prevent you from experiencing pleasure and peace of mind.

Menuchah, on the other hand, is a virtue. It is a state in which a person lives with peace of mind since he does not need anything! Not because he has all he would wish for, but because his attitude is one of accepting his present situation.

He will be aware that all benefits and damages in life are dependent on the will of the Almighty. He has trust that whatever is decreed for him is what will occur. If he has what he would like, that is good; and if he is not able to get it, that, too, is for the good.

He does not feel anxiety about possible misfortunes. He knows that "every bullet has its special address," and he wants only that which the Almighty chooses for him. If you attain the trait of menuchah, you will feel inner peace regardless of your financial situation and whether or not you have the approval of others.

The person who has reached this level of not needing all that he would wish for is saved from all kinds of frustration. People will not have anything to criticize him for. Even if someone does wrongly accuse him of anything, he does not take it to heart. He knows that he is being accused in error, and is able to feel an inner joy. This level is called menuchah.

This blog, Thrive Christian, is written with a focus on celebrating the life Jesus Christ redeemed for me and all other believers. As I read Rabbi Pliskin's words I realized this is THAT attitude that sets Christians apart from the world. Menuchah: is perfected peace of mind that Jesus secured for me.... no matter what my $, health, or life looks like.

This one verse is core to my life: John 10:10 (New King James Version)
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

In this anxiety filled world do you know this peace? Thrive Christian Blog is wanting to hear about peace no matter what's going on in your life.

A Time To Laugh

Doing vs. Talking

Last night 3 wonderful funny Christian young people (young ... compared to me; seems everyone is young compared to me!) met at my home for our first work session on "A Time Laugh" comedy troupe. For over 6 months we have discussed turning our zany coping humor into a ministry. Recently someone asked me how I walked out my call to minister. I shared all the burning passions in my heart and to my surprise this woman asked if the comedy group would give a presentation in July.

We have a gig (hope I got that right), and last night we came together to brainstorm ideas. In my writing and in this venture I have concluded that to intentionally try to be funny IS NOT FUNNY!


But last night was powerful. I don't know when I've ever laughed so much in one evening. The four of us range in age from 26 year old Ryan, 30 year old Stacie, 38 year old Laura, and me: a card carrying senior of 65. You'd never put us together, but God did. We have some common threads in our histories: born in trauma, issues with challenging beginnings, and from earliest childhood we recall laughing in the middle of crisis. But most of all we share a passion for doing whatever we can for others to know the peace and joy and fulfillment we know through Jesus Christ.


Talking about pulling off "A Time To Laugh" has been replaced with action. Rehearsal on our brainstorming is coming up soon and I can't wait. Hopefully I've stirred you up with a dream in your heart that you will do more than talk about it. Take Action...jump in, the water's fine!!!

Impact Resistant

"Impact resistant knives!" hawked the infomercial on the TV. I was dusting furniture and I didn't notice the news show had been replaced with this knife commercial program. Over and over the presenter shouted "Impact resistant!"

I'm pondering if I have sought to become impact resistant to avoid pain. How else could a compassionate responsible woman go on about my day to day living without spending more time praying for the needs of others? I don't want to fall to pieces, but the alternative is worse: I could become impact resistant.

Coming through the grief process of my husband's death and some other losses I fear I've become so concerned with surviving, I may have become too cautious about my emotional well being. When I read the statistics on how little time folks pray, I'm ahead of the average. I remember a time when I prayed with passion every day for all those laying heavy on my heart.

Today I pray for God's ideal in my heart sensitivity. Daily I'm setting aside a specific time to pray with empathy for those around me. Whatever impact resisstance I have developed in self surival, I'm believing compassion takes over and God brings me to be what pleases Him.

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." ( John 13:34-35)