Setting the tone.

Looked out the window this morning and saw another dreary day. Uggg. Sure glad I don't determine how well my day will go according to the weather! I do believe weather affects our moods and certainly I can attest to aches and pains when cold fronts approach. On those rare days when my heart and mind are mired in a slump of sorts, it is easy to want to stay buried. Then I enter into my daily time in God's word and something happens. My source of hope for this day or any other comes from this place. The creator and redeemer of me desires to form and bless my day. I need to understand how great the Father's love is for me. I believe the Holy Bible is God's document that can speak to us and transform our souls no matter what state they might be in on a given day.

The psalmist opened this Psalm 42 with imagery of deer panting for streams of water. The transition from deer seeking water to the author desiring the closeness of God is a good metaphor for us today.

We all have to start our day the same. We need to wake up and begin moving. Eating, showering, and readying for our day unfolds and we go. What if we decided to face each day as a solitary empty figure? What if we focused our attention inward and never considered an external source of power and joy? Our day would unfold like all the others. For some folks, it would be the same old drudgery with no promise of spectacular outcomes and meaningful interactions. For others, a pursuit of destructive behaviors would be the lifeline for surviving the day. In the end, the behaviors only drop those folks a little deeper into a rut which we all know to be a grave with no end in either direction.

If you are dreading this day, stop! Start a new pattern of waking up and include into your schedule a time of discovery in the Bible. See if God's purpose for you and me is to bless and strengthen us for the day's tasks.

"For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to

dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in

all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to

whom we must give account." (Hebrews 4:12-13, NIV)

Fix your eyes on your creator and redeemer and soon you'll be praising instead of complaining. You'll be smiling instead of frowning. Your day will go so much better.