Laughter...

My life has been stressful lately. It seems like it has been that way for the past couple of months. I've had stress at work, at home, and in other areas of my life. I know I'm probably not alone in feeling this way. I know others are just as stressed.

But, I'm tired of feeling this way. I'm done feeling stressed. I'm tired of what it's doing in my life and in my relationships with my friends and family. I don't feel like I've been myself lately. So, it's time for a change, and this week was the start of it.

This week, I've experienced wonderful times of laughter with my friends and with my family. It's amazing what laughter will do. It rejuvenates you. It gives you energy. It removes stress. And it's a lot of fun. This week my times of laughter have been with...

- Ceci and Missy coming home from the Rob Bell talk. We laughed. We ate cheeseburgers, sundaes, and apple pies at 10:30. We told stories. It was great.
- My daughters. This week when I came home I've tried to spend more time playing with my girls. We wrestled, sang songs, played hide and seek, and laughed. It's been great.
- My friends Steve and Matt. We finally got together last night to watch the football game. It was great. We laughed, ripped on each others, updated each other with what's happening in our lives, and laughed some more. It was great.

It seems like with all that has been going on in my life, I forgot to laugh and live. As I move forward, I'm looking forward to taking myself less seriously and enjoying life with those I love.