Don't Shoot Butterflies with Rifles

Today in Streams in the Desert (Volume 2)
Are you worsted in a fight?
Are you cheated of your right?
Laugh it off.
Don't make tragedies of trifles,
Don't shoot butterflies with rifles--
Laugh it off.
Does your work get into kinks?
Are you near all sorts of brinks?
Laugh it off.
If it's sanity you're after,
There's no recipe like laughter--
Laugh it off.

Laughter is a GREAT medicine! If you need to be reminded, here's ONE site that lists many of the benefits of laughter. I laughed this morning.  I'd rather not tell you that it was at a parody on a conservative talk show, but it was!  (I listen on this almost obsolete radio/tape deck that sits on my kitchen counter and successfully plays my almost obsolete cassette tapes.)



By the way, did you remember that: 
Abraham fell face down and laughed (Genesis 17:17)
Sarah laughed to herself (Genesis 18:12) and said, "God has brought me laughter" (Genesis 21:6)
The returning captives' mouths "were filled with laughter" (Psalm 126:2
The prepared woman can "laugh at the days to come" (Proverbs 31:25)
There IS a time to laugh (Ecclesiastes 3:4)
You who weep now "WILL laugh" (Luke 6:21)

What have YOU laughed at lately?

16 comments:

  1. Your background is beautiful Rebecca! I loved this post, especially since I had such a great laugh today. Went out to lunch with my DIL and grandson. He told a joke, couldn't understand a word he said but we were all in hysterics!
    I carry that moment with me today, it was great!
    BTW, Ecclesiastes is one of my favorite books.
    Love Di ♥

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  2. Yes, Yes, Yes...I will have to copy out this poem...I want to laugh...which I started doing at the beginning of this post...a cheerful heart is good like medicine...I should put in an old Lucy show tonight and laugh!!!

    Laughing also burns up calories!!!

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  3. Janette, Lucy ALWAYS made me laugh (as does Hyacinth in the British Comedy, Keeping Up Appearances).

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  4. Di, I play around with the free backgrounds but have other issues that seem to come with them. This one is one that came with Bloogger's design template. It seems appropriate to Valentine's Day, no?

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  5. I love to laugh...My favorite thing about back road wandering with Sue is we always laugh our cares away. :) I bet Heaven will be full of joyful laughter.

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  6. I do love to love. My dad and I laugh a lot. I was also noticing how nice your blog looks. The new Blogger design template. Wa sit easy to pick your own backgrounds etc? Did you feel like blogger gave you some good choices? Love and hugs from Oregon, Heather :)

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  7. Dee, I think so, too (about Heaven, I mean).

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  8. Heather, There are many choices in the new template designer. Just none quite so feminine and flowery as are available elsewhere.

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  9. Lovely new look my friend. I love to laugh and today at my doctor's appointment we shared a belly laugh but only he and I would "get" it.
    You are one of the most encouraging woman I know and I love you for it.....:-)Hugs

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  10. E.E. Cummings thought a day without laughter was wasted. I tend to agree with him. Sometimes I forget and get all sober as I write but then Emily comes through the door from school and before I know it I'm laughing. It's certainly God-given!

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  11. my oldest son's name is isaac which means
    'laughter.' and boy does he love to laugh.

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  12. everyone is talking about your lovely new look. What I am seeing is just red on the sides and your scripted blog title. It does look nice and clean, but am I missing something else? Oh and I do see that it is "spread" out...now how did you DO that? Yes, it DOES look very nice!

    well, I needed to read this yesterday, which I did but didn't take time to comment. I wasn't laughing because of some petty things someone did that were a bit insulting. But I must not allow that stuff to steal my joy so thanks for the reminder!

    You already know what really makes me laugh and that is my grandkids and all the cute things they do and say. And I was laughing out loud at Diana's comment about her grandson's joke telling. No wonder Jesus told us to become as little children! They'll be here in less than an hour so I'm looking forward to some good laughs today!

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  13. Well NOW I see what everyone is talking about! All of a sudden there are beautiful deep red roses! You got this from the blogger templates???!!! WOW!

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  14. Loved your poem and title. I chuckled at a story my walking partner told about herself.

    I chuckled at something a friend said on FB . . ."just finished a salad we "doggie-bagged" last night from California Pizza Kitchen, and realized more than half-way through it that it wasn't the salad we had at the restaurant. uh ewe....Should I use listerine or syrup of ipecac?"

    and another friend said, "Josh was learning about the q and u today in pre-k. He says,'you know they are friends mom,' and I said,'yes.' He looks at me and asks,'how did they meet?'"

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  15. Nice reminder. Now as for Lucy fans, I've got to be one of the most dedicated! I love the old shows and my daughtrer comments that I can usually tell which episode it is within the first 30 seconds. I think I'll watch one again soon--thanks for the reminder!

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  16. A good dose of lunch laughter today. Ms. Frances came by to take me to the lunch counter; she's a hoot and blesses me with her tales about her life.

    Good medicine for the soul!

    peace~elaine

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Writing a Song a Week #3

Writing a Song a Week #3
♪ I wait for the Lord; my soul waits and in his word I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning ♪ (Psalm 130:5-6)