Mini-Magazine | Joyful Hearts
The Power of Laughter and Fun
Dear Friends,
There’s something beautiful about how God has designed joy to touch our souls. Whether in laughter that lifts us during hard times or in moments of lighthearted fun that remind us of His goodness, joy is a gift from our Creator. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” This week, we’re focusing on why laughter and joy are essential to our well-being—and how we can embrace these blessings more fully in our daily lives.
As women, we often place the needs of others before our own, and it’s easy to push fun and relaxation to the bottom of our priorities. But God has designed joy to refresh our spirits and bring us closer to Him. Through laughter, we find relief, healing, and new strength. We hope this week’s articles encourage you to make time for joy and find new ways to celebrate the blessings God has poured into your life.
Encouraging you in God’s truth,
A Time for Fun
Discover why making space for fun is essential for our well-being and how it reflects God's own joy-filled nature.
Read More
The Power of Laughter
Learn how laughter can lighten our hearts and renew our spirits, even in tough seasons of life.
Read More
RX: Soul Medicine
Find practical ways to invite more laughter into your daily routine and experience God’s healing gift of joy.
Read More
Song: JOY by For King & Country
Let this uplifting song remind you to embrace joy as a daily choice, regardless of your circumstances. Listen and let your heart sing!
Listen
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A Time for Fun!
By: Catriona Futter
What do you do for fun? Often when I ask that of groups of women, the response is to stare at me as if I am quite mad. Fun? We don’t have time for fun!
Fun, play, silliness, creativity─these usually come naturally to us as children. But when we consider all the different roles and responsibilities we have as adults, our own needs─especially to have fun─fall far down our list of priorities.
BUT WHAT IS THE COST OF THIS?
How often have you told yourself that you will do something fun when you are less busy? You’ll just get through your to-do list first, or when the kids are a bit older, or once this busy period of work/volunteering/service is over. As women, we are well-scripted to just keep going. It is all too easy to ignore warning signs of irritability, mental and emotional weariness, and the impact on our increasingly frayed and frazzled souls of not investing in ourselves.
And dare I say it, but there can be a real risk as Christian women that we believe any spare time we do have should be spent in service. Fun should be worthy, wholesome. Anything else is selfish, surely?
Take a moment and ask yourself what you believe about spending time on a pursuit that is purely fun and purely for you. What are you telling yourself about this? Where are those voices coming from?
WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT FUN?
Take one look at creation and you will see God’s sense of humor and fun. God is not an austere, severe God who is only interested in duty and service. Jesus loved a party…and He came to give us life to the full, a life that is flourishing.
Proverbs 17:22 says “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength” (NLT). In Philippians 4:8, we are encouraged to think not only of things that are true, noble, and pure, but also things that are lovely. In Ecclesiastes we are reminded that there is a time to laugh and dance (3:4) and of the importance of finding satisfaction in our work (2:24). There is much in the Bible about the importance of celebration, of dancing and rejoicing, feasting, and enjoying the fruits of the creation God has given us. And we know that the new creation, when Jesus returns, will be a place of "gladness and joy" (Is. 35:10) without "mourning or crying or pain" (Rev. 21:4). This is the God we believe in, and we are made in His image.
FUN HELPS US FLOURISH
Having fun allows us to express a part of ourselves that can sometimes be squashed or overlooked. Doing something for fun helps us switch off to work, responsibility, functional, and organizational tasks and engage a different part of our brains. Our brains can run free for a while, and this helps to reduce stress, boost productivity, and inspire creativity. Fun energizes us and strengthens connections with others, gives opportunities to laugh, and improves our mood and well-being.
When we consider fun in this light, it becomes clear that fun is important for our souls to flourish. "A cheerful heart is good medicine," as that Proverbs verse reminds us. And importantly, this is not selfish because it not only benefits us, but those around us. When we are run down, caught up in the cares of the world, and not taking the time to engage in restorative and fun activities, our broken spirits sap not only our strength but can negatively impact those around us.
In contrast, when we are flourishing as we express the fullness of who we are with energy and fun, this version of us is much more likely to be enjoyed by those around us.
SO HOW DO WE REDISCOVER HAVING FUN?
We can get so out of the habit of having fun that we simply forget how. How do we regain and rediscover what it means to have fun?
Taking inspiration from those Scripture verses, take some time to consider what you find to be lovely. What brings you gladness and joy? What makes your soul rejoice and dance and your heart cheerful? And in what do you find satisfaction? Consider who you are, what you value, and what forms of outward expression allow voice to what is inside you. Consider what you would do if there were no restrictions and no one was watching.
We can also gain clues from thinking back to when we were children. How did you have fun as a child? Reconnect with that inner child and pay attention to the stirrings in your soul─those dormant aspects of your personality that are brewing and building in you and simply yearning to find expression.
It might be a love of travel or adventure. Creativity and crafts. Dancing or some other form of physical outlet. It might be that you love a risk and find the thrill of extreme sports expresses an inherent part of who you are. What it is matters less than why. It is about looking at you as a whole, and identifying how God has wired you to have fun.
FUN AS CREATIVITY
God is the ultimate Creator, and we are made in His image─and that makes us creative too. For me, when I am upcycling old furniture, I feel my heart and soul expand and it is pure, delicious fun. Being creative is about so much more than being able to draw. Creativity is expressed in multiple ways and what matters is what brings you enjoyment.
Trying something new is a great way to shift us out of the ruts in which we can so easily become stuck. Trying out a new hobby or pursuit can expand our minds, use new parts of our brains, build confidence, develop new skills, introduce us to new people...and be a lot of fun.
Perhaps there are creative pursuits that you have long wanted to try but have never found or made the time. Don’t ever let your perceived ability stop you─simply have a go and remember it is about fun not the end product!
FUN AS NOSTALGIA
Nostalgia is not simply a whimsical, fluffy reconnection with our past. Nostalgia reminds us of and strengthens connections and relationships, builds resilience, and brings joy as we revisit precious memories. Have a dig through some cupboards or the loft and play old board games, or look through old photographs and laugh at hairstyles through the years. You might rediscover a pile of letters, schoolwork (yours or your children’s) or music mix tapes (remember those?) to reminisce over. Or watch films that you enjoyed as a child, or watched with your children when they were young, and revel in that simple, child-like wonder and delight. Remembering, laughing, celebrating─nostalgia can be a great way to have fun.
Fun is life giving. Fun is energizing whatever that means for you. Fun allows us to flourish as the beautiful creative women we are made to be. Fun allows us to switch off the decision-making, responsible part of ourselves and let go. And when we let go there is space to let God─ to simply be rather than do.
Catriona Futter is a Christian life coach, author, and speaker who is passionate about equipping people to discover and live out their unique, God-given identity and purpose. She runs her own business, Equip for Life Coaching, offering individual coaching, group coaching, and speaking. She lives in Glasgow, Scotland. Read more of her writing on her blog.
Read:
"Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, ‘The LORD has done great things for them.’ The LORD has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy'" (Psalm 126:2-3).
"The joy of the LORD is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10).
"Rejoice in the LORD always; again I will say, rejoice" (Philippians 4:4)!
Reflect:
How often do you make time for things that are purely fun? What holds you back?
In what ways have you felt God’s joy in your life recently?
How can you be more intentional about bringing laughter and joy into your daily life?
The Power of Laughter
By: Patricia Cameron
Life’s pressures can often cause us to forget the importance of laughter, especially when seasons of loss or worry make joy feel distant. I actually wrote “Laugh every day” as one of my New Year’s resolutions because I needed the reminder—particularly after the loss of my husband, when holidays felt heavy and lonely. Proverbs 17:22 tells us, “A cheerful heart is good medicine,” and laughter, even in small moments, has the power to lift our spirits, relieve stress, and restore joy to our lives.
RX: Soul Medicine
By: Shelly Esser
Recently, my family shared one of those deep, joyful belly laughs that reminded me just how healing laughter can be. For a moment, worries melted away, and I felt truly refreshed. God created laughter as “medicine” for the soul, something to lighten our spirits and give us strength when life feels heavy. It doesn’t remove the pain, but laughter offers the emotional break our hearts need to carry on.
Dear Lord, thank You for the gift of laughter and the joy You bring to our lives. Remind me that laughter and joy are not only blessings, but also healing medicine for my soul. Help me to find moments to smile, laugh, and connect with others, even when life feels heavy. Show me ways to embrace Your joy in both the small and big things, and let my heart be lifted by Your presence. May I remember that as Your child, I am created for gladness, celebration, and delight. Let my spirit be cheerful and my heart grateful for every blessing You have given. In Jesus' name, Amen.
JOY by For King & Country
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