1. Ever have one of those days when everything seems to be off kilter? How do you let those days affect you? 2. Today's reading gives us insight into how a difficult day might shape our outlook: "your tendency upon awakening is to assess the difficulties ahead of you, measuring them against your average strength. This is an exercise in unreality." Why do you think it does no good to imagine how we might overcome the difficulties of the day before we even know what they are?

Though Your continual Presence is guaranteed, simply knowing this truth doesn't automatically change my emotions. When I forget to focus on You, I'm vulnerable to fear, anxiety, loneliness, and other unwanted feelings. Yet I've found that awareness of Your Presence with me can dispel those painful feelings and replace them with Your Peace. Please train me in the discipline of walking attentively with You through each day. In Your calming Name, Amen

The most effective way to resist evil is to draw near Me.

fear can block the flow of My Strength into you. Instead of trying to fight your fears, concentrate on trusting Me. When you relate to Me in confident trust, there is no limit to how much I can strengthen you. Remember that I am also your Song. I want you to share My Joy, living in conscious awareness of My Presence. Rejoice as we journey together toward heaven; join Me in singing My Song.

You gain confidence through knowing that I am with you—that you face nothing alone. Anxiety stems from asking the wrong question: "If such and such happens, can I handle it?" The true question is not whether you can cope with whatever happens, but whether you and I together can handle anything that occurs. It is this you-and-I-together factor that gives you confidence to face the day cheerfully.

Your very lack is an opportunity to latch onto Me in unashamed dependence.

When you feel flustered and frazzled on the outside, do not get upset with yourself. You are only human, and the swirl of events going on all around you will sometimes feel overwhelming. Rather than scolding yourself for your humanness, remind yourself that I am both with you and within you.

Do not let your heart be troubled, and do not be afraid. The Peace I give is sufficient for you.

I am always with you, so you have no reason to be afraid. Your fear often manifests itself in excessive planning. Your mind is so accustomed to this pattern of thinking that you are only now becoming aware of how pervasive it is and how much it hinders your intimacy with Me.

Because I am your constant Companion, there should be a lightness to your step that is observable to others. Do not be weighed down with problems and unresolved issues, for I am your burden-bearer. In the world you have trials and distress, but don't let them get you down. I have conquered the world and deprived it of power to harm you. In Me you may have confident Peace.

I AM WATCHING OVER YOU CONTINUALLY. No matter what you are experiencing or how alone you feel, trust that I am with you—well aware of your circumstances

know it is not my strengths that have prepared me for this adventure but my weaknesses, which amplify my need for You. I've