Is your liver getting worked out?

Seems like people are always eager to offer what seems like sound advice. I know that I often hear such advice, ponder on it a minute or two with the best of intentions of caring out said advice, but usually fail miserably at any long term adherence. I once again am making an effort to follow some great advice that I recently heard. I'd also like to share that advice with you today. I wonder if you couldn't also benefit from its suggestion.

Last night I was able to travel to Bowling Green to meet and get advice from one of my favorite authors, Karen Kingsbury. She is a Christian-fiction writer and it's definitely not just me who thinks her books are wonderful. According to her online bio, USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is America’s #1 inspirational novelist. There are more than 15 million copies of her award-winning books in print, including several million copies sold in the past year. Karen has written more than 50 novels, ten of which have hit #1 on national lists. My favorites involve the widely-known Baxter Family of which I feel I am a member of since reading every book in that particular series.

One major point that I took away from Karen last night was a piece of advice she had gotten from her dad. That is "Life is NOT a dress rehearsal." She went on to say that she doesn't want her children in years to come to think of her as a good writer or for what her bank account may hold. She wants them to think lovingly of her for being the best mother that she could be and to have passed on life skills that her children will share with their children.

Now I'm not sure if I took it the way her dad intended for her too, but when she said this, I was thinking, "stop putting off things in life until tomorrow because there is no promise of tomorrow." This could be taking that family vacation you think you can't afford right now, mending fences with a family member or friend, always saying "I love you" or whatever else it is that you're "putting off" for the moment. Life is not a dress rehearsal and it's inevitable that we will make mistakes as we go through, but we learn from our mistakes, right?


Another great piece of advice she gave the audience is actually from Proverbs 17:22 (NIV):

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

In other words, LAUGH! You're at a good place when you are able to laugh at yourself. Lord knows I often laugh at myself. Sometimes it is in order to keep from crying, but most of the time it is because I have yet again done some ridiculous thing. But... laughter is good medicine so I guess I'm just looking after my health. Karen also told us that laughter is the only thing that one can do to exercise his/her liver. Well..... we all want are livers to be in great shape, do we not?! 

What I wonder today, is how many people will get their livers in shape today by laughing? I'm sure I will at some point. Have a great day!