49〫.. Now That's Cool

After weeks of dark cloudy skies and general doom and gloom (that kind of sounds like a military character from Li'l Abner), yesterday the good Lord "threw us a bone" .. what a gorgeous day!

As I'm writing this entry, it is forty nine degrees outside and the high for the day (that's a natural high .. like the title of the Ralph Carmichael/Kurt Kaiser youth musical from 1970 .. groovy) is supposed to be 72.

Like it or not, the weather can have a positive or negative affect on the way we view our day .. I'm positive about that.

When it's cloudy or rainy outside (especially for two weeks at a time .. again, I'm sorry about not mowing and starting this whole mess .. see http://revkevhamilton.blogspot.com/2009/09/rain-rain-dont-dare-go-away.html if you don't recall), that makes you feel "down in the dumps" or depressed.

The opposite is true when the sun is shining and bright.

Sunshine on my shoulder makes me happy (or in my case .. slightly less unhappy .. I'm Baptist .. we're not known for being 'happy' .. we tolerate and endure .. anything more might seem too charismatic).

So, basically our happiness often depends on the "happenings" around us.

If things are going great in my little world and it's pretty outside, I'm happy as a clam (they always look like they are smiling .. unless laying upside down .. but 'sad as a clam' doesn't have a nice ring to it).

If things are falling apart plus it's rainy, cloudy and storming .. stay out of my path (take away my morning coffee from this scenario and someone will have to die .. I believe this is justifiable homicide).

Yes, happiness depends on what's happening (Freddie 'Rerun' Stubbs .. dude could dance).

JOY, however, comes from knowing that the great God of the Universe loves us and is there .. even in the tough time .. even when it's rainy, cloudy and storming.

In the immortal words of the Scarecrow from The Wizard of Oz after receiving his brain (diploma) .. "Oh Joy! Rapture" (Premillennial, of course).

"But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee." - Psalm 5:11