I could hear the joy-filled, robust laughter of a church mem-ber from 5 feet away and, yes, I was eating dinner. This month, my mouth is working with my fingers to write this piece for The Star. What's your mouth full of? Any humor?

Is being humorous the same as just being frivolous? I don't think so. Consider...

"This is the day the Lord has made; let's REJOICE and be GLAD in it." Psalm 118:24
"A MERRY heart is good medicine. "Proverbs 17:22
"The JOY of the Lord is my strength. "Nehemiah 8:10
Jesus says, "I came that they might have ABUNDANT (enjoyable) life." John 10:10
"REJOICE in the Lord always." Philippians 4:4

My chief aim in life is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever! Peek in my study and you'll find that my shelves are full of well over 1000 photocopies of comic strips; The Gospel According to the Simpson's': The Gospel According to Peanuts: and books dedicated to love/marriage jokes, clergy jokes, kid jokes, family jokes, camp jokes, etc.

We've just celebrated Easter, the time in which God pulls the rug out from under death, sin and the devil to say, "Gotcha,"' and all believers can smile in the joy of our conquering Risen Lord. As Jim Carrey said in the movie version of Dr. Seuss' The Grinch, "That's both joyful and triumphant!" Would you like to be more joyful? Triumphant? Let me suggest a few things:

Once a week, avoid a half-hour of depressing news and spend 30 minutes with a funny TV program. I have heard several studies note that laughing is great for your cardiac/ heart health;
Or join the other 2 persons [THANKS] who regularly hand me joyous, Christ-centered pieces of humor, comics, or cartoons;
Or check out Ken Davis' Christian radio spots "Lighten Up & Live," also available on the Youth For Christ web site;
Or contact the Fellowship of Merry Christians organization at 1.800.877.2757.

In my ministry, I like to pass along comfort and joy. That's my motto, and a few folks know it. Just weeks ago, a member of our faith com-munity borrowed the sour-looking photo of me in a pretend jail jumpsuit (I was participating in an MDA fundraiser when it was taken). He copied and posted it around our church building after captioning it: "Claims to be Pastor of Comfort & Joy." I laughed 'till my sides hurt!

Currently I'm reading the 2004 book. Seven Things that Steal Your Joy by Joyce Meyer. She identifies "joy keepers" that ward off joy stealers. Consider this article a joy keeper for your day!

Yesterday, this Wil Willimon quote was sent to me, unsolicited: "As Christians, we are people of the Resurrection; therefore we are people who love to laugh.... Laughter is a wonderfully life-giving, defiant act full of God's grace. (We can) laugh at life's incongruities. Humor is the grace to put our problems in perspective. By the resurrection, the gospel is... comedy... not tragedy."

The comedy of Christ affirms what editor, Paul Miller says in The World's Greatest Collection of Church Jokes: "The good Lord implanted the funny bone as surety as He did our souls. Let's enjoy it!" Keep the joy. Enjoy filling your mouth, mind, funny bone and life with grace-filled laughter.