by Leanne Lippincott

Life can be full of happiness and wondrous blessings, but it can also drag us down. We experience failure and loss, heartache and disappointment. As imperfect humans, it isn’t easy to remain upbeat—to be joyful when we don’t feel joyful. In these verses, we’re told to rejoice in the Lord, to sing to him all of our lives and as long as we live. This is a challenging task. But as we strive to do it, we’ll be lifted up and blessed by our purposefully positive attitude. To borrow one of Pastor George Calhoun’s favorite phrases, Christians shouldn’t walk around looking like they’ve been “baptized in vinegar.”