A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance…” – Proverbs 15:13

Here at the Village, I hear those with pets say, “I know my dog smiles”.   I’ve thought that also.  A close look at your pet will reveal a change in ‘looks’.  For sure, I always knew MAX was a bit perplexed when told to go to his ‘condo'(his crate).   I’ve come to the conclusion that my neighbor’s pets ‘smile’ a lot more than the master.  There are three things an animal can’t do. Mark Twain once wrote, “The thing animals can’t do is ‘blush’. Only man can and he has reason to do so.”  Animals can’t blush. Animals can’t cry and animals can’t laugh.  The Proverbs verse indicates that joy and laughter is the most expressive by-product of joy. As one gets older, facial expression is much less than ‘joyful’. The very first day I came to the Village, that lack of joy and a smile from residents greeted me. I attempted to ‘break the ice’ and was either ignored or rebuffed. There has been an improvement in the ‘ha-ha” department and I pray there will be a bunch on Sunday night when our “Ensemble” presents and ‘Old Time Radio’ presentation of the original script from a 1950 “Father Knows Best” radio broadcast. The cast and I pray that those in attendance will enjoy our effort, ‘laugh out loud and walk away with a merry heart, donchaknow. Father, give us reason to show the Love of JESUS so that the world may know that “Every Day With HIM” is sweeter than the day before.  That’s what I get from My Box of Chocolates.  AMEN