Sunday evenings are really becoming one of my favorite times of the week. Feels good to sit back after a day to think about positive moments with work. It also is a good feeling to feel as if you did your best. I realize not everyone would agree with my opinion. But this day qualifies as a good one. My daughter and a friend led our services in song this morning. This makes me a very lucky dad to work with her at my job. They did a marvelous job with the music. We also did the odd thing by praying for one of my favorite people who recently received a cancer diagnosis. The news is very hopeful but we brought out oil to anoint him for healing. You may not know that this is unusual for Baptists but it did make for a very meaningful moment.

Resting was the first order of business after lunch. Nothing says its Sunday like taking a nap. Even tonight went much better than lately in our study. Now it is time to reflect on the upcoming week even with the promise of extreme winter weather. Very few things do feel much better than the sense of accomplishment. We even have a more relaxed setting to write this blog. Sleep is next on my schedule. I think we will finish writing before that happens.

Our topic this morning revolved around how we define our days as good or bad depending on the circumstances. Isaiah 12 serves as a reminder that there is more to life than the events that make up our activity. Our moods are far too often a reflection of our perception on what does or does not occur in a given period of time. The prophet speaks of a day when God is our measure for our emotions. He writes about our trust in God in how we move past anxiety by our faith. He speaks of joy being a divine constant while we admit our need for God's help. God is Himself the root of real spiritual coping. He makes the difference no matter how our day unfolds.

Moodiness can happen in human beings to be sure. God's people throughout scripture display a full range of emotions. But there is also a constant refrain present in scripture of how our connection with God allows us to be better than how we feel. Feelings can lie to you about any situation. God's truth remains a daily source of divine realism for us. Negative emotions such as fierce anger, envy or anxiety can serve as a measure for our spiritual health. God promises to be present in our heart as we remain close to Him. We may still experience things that would normally lead us to call it a bad day. Spiritual maturity knows that no single event can be understood outside of a divine perspective. It may not be that our day is truly bad but that our heart cannot grasp God's presence in the moment. Rest in the divine purpose of your existence so you can keep growing to see how God is working in every day.

Bro. Trey