A Cheerful Heart is Good Medicine

I have missed you, friends! Baby Girl and I are currently visiting Grandma and Grandpa as well as Auntie in California, so we have been much too busy playing and laughing and visiting to think hard enough to get a good blog post out. We are not apologizing though, because we have been having a fabulous time and enjoying every minute!

I do have a minute now, however, because Grandma, Grandpa, AND Baby Girl are all plain worn out and snoozing soundly. Since nap-time equals writing time, here I am! (Don't you worry, I got a couple of good naps in this week too, thanks to the Grandparents, and they were absolutely wonderful!)

One thing that has been bouncing around in my head today is the verse, "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." (This great piece of wisdom can be found in Proverbs 17:21-23). It makes me think, Do I have a cheerful heart, or a dull spirit? Sometimes I know I have a cheerful heart. I can feel the pep in my step and the easy smile that comes with contentment. Other times, however, I can be mopey and discontent...letting circumstances or mindsets suck the life out of me and leave my bones dry.

I notice that when I choose to have a cheerful heart--to be thankful instead of envious, to be joyful instead of complaining, to be agreeable instead of divisive--I create an atmosphere of peace and harmony in my home or workplace or wherever I may be. Surprisingly, I have a lot of control over the environment I am in. I can't control others, but through my cheerful heart I am an influence for the kind of environment I want to create.

How about you. How do you make the choice to be "good medicine" for your family?