07.01.2026

July 1^st is International Joke Day. July shows up loud every year —  and also at the top of the month sits the 4^th of July. Fireworks popping, grills smoking, kids running through sprinklers like they’re getting paid for it. LOL. International Joke Day quietly reminds us of something we forget far too often. Not the fake, “I’m fine” laugh we give in passing. Not the polite chuckle we use in meetings. I’m talking about laughing on purpose. The kind of laughter that shakes something loose in your spirit. The kind that reminds you you’re still alive, still here, still capable of joy.

And if I’m honest, I didn’t always understand the power of that kind of laughter.

Detroit Taught Me to Laugh Even When Life Wasn’t Funny

Growing up in Detroit, we cracked jokes in the kitchen, on the porch, in the car, and sometimes in moments that were way too serious for laughter — but we did it anyway. Sixteen years in law enforcement only sharpened that truth. Moreover, I saw things that could’ve hardened me, but instead, God used humor to soften the edges. A quick joke in the precinct. A moment of levity after a long shift. A reminder that even in the darkest places, light still finds a way in. Detroit gave me grit, but it also gave me joy.

Joy isn’t a reaction — it’s a decision

Scripture says, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” Not your circumstances, your bank account. Not your mood. Joy. And strength isn’t quiet. Strength isn’t passive and doesn’t sit in the corner waiting for life to get easier. Strength laughs — sometimes right in the enemy’s face. There were seasons when I had to laugh to keep from crying. Seasons when I had to laugh to remind myself God was still working and laughter became my way of saying, “Lord, I trust You even when this makes no sense.” This July, I’m choosing to laugh on purpose. Not because everything is perfect. Not because life suddenly got easy. But because intentional joy is a form of spiritual resistance.

Three Ways to Laugh on Purpose This Month

• Find the funny in the everyday. Life gives you material — trust me. Pay attention.
• Let yourself be light sometimes. You don’t have to be the strong one every minute of every day.
• Invite God into your joy. He’s not allergic to laughter. He created it.

So as July unfolds — loud, bright, and full of possibility — I hope you choose joy on purpose. The intentional kind that reminds you of who you are and honors where you come from.

Here’s to joy, resilience, and laughing on purpose!

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/https://apps.apple.com/us/app/laugh-my-app-off-funny-jokes/