I've found a lot of photos on the web, but this has to be one of my favorites. Balloons-exuberant,soaring up, lifting into the sky! Sometimes I picture my heart as one of them-ebullient with praise and joy.

I woke up from my nap this morning after Rachael had gone to work much earlier and leaned back thinking how wonderful that I could wake up and just be joyful--no apparent reason as far as events in my life are concerned, nothing special has happened to bring a particular joy-but I was, and am, joyful. Now I'm not always philosophical at this hour of the morning and when I looked for a reason why I should be so happy at 6:30, immediately the hymn popped into my mind. And you know, this is the only reason to be joyful after you were up since before 4:00AM.

I will sing, hallelujah, for there’s joy in the Lord,
And He fills my heart with rapture as I rest on His Word;
I will trust in His promise; I will shout, I am free;
In my blessed, loving Savior, I have sweet victory.
Refrain:
There is joy in the Lord, there is joy in the Lord;
Hallelujah! glory, glory! there is joy in the Lord!
There is joy in the Lord, there is joy in the Lord;
Hallelujah! glory, glory! there is joy in the Lord!

I will live for the Savior, I am His evermore;
I am resting in His favor, I am safe and secure;
For the light shining brighter on my path every day
Cheers my happy soul with rapture as I walk in the way.
Refrain:

When I reach heaven’s portals, in that land of the blest,
I shall sing with holy angels of this rest, happy rest;
I shall dwell there forever with my Lord and my King,
And with everlasting praises make those high arches ring.

--DS Warner

And I still haven't learned to post the recording here so as always I'm giving you the link if you don't know the song: http://library.timelesstruths.org/music/There_Is_Joy_in_the_Lord/hifi/