Prolonged grief has a way of pilfering from us the grace of God.  Grief, by itself, is healthy when it is initially expressed.  But the danger comes when we make our mourning our dwelling place.  Linger long enough in the presence of melancholy the object of our loss becomes our manufactured idol.  We began to be so immersed in our loss that it becomes our obsession. Our loss began to be all we see; as a result, we fail to notice all the things God is doing around us.  Hence, we forfeit the grace of God because of our tunneled idolatrous vision (Jonah 2:8).  On September 11^th of 2001, two of Tammy Trent's worlds came colliding down together into smithereens.  A day before, her husband of eleven years went diving in the Blue Lagoon in Jamaica.  Tragically, he never returned.  Tammy Trent spent the rest of the day with rescue divers trying to locate her husband to no avail.  The next morning when she woke up, she was greeted with the horrific news that the Twin Towers in New York have fallen.  To add agony upon agony, in the midst of watching the world gone chaotic, she was told they had found her husband's lifeless body.  Compounded to such atrocities was that no one in her family could get to her as all flights were grounded and canceled.  Trent was held captive in Jamaica for ten more days waiting to return to her family.  After times of mourning, Tammy Trent refuses to let her lacks govern her.  Rather, she has placed them under the Savior's Cross; and now she has returned with her most upbeat album "Sunny Days."

"Sunny Days" is only Trent's sixth album and her first in five years since 2008's "Stronger."  Initially wanting this to be a covers-album of worship songs, Trent started out collecting titles of her favorite worship tracks.  However, working longer with the project, she felt that God has birthed in her heart a reservoir of new songs.  At the end of the day, "Sunny Days" is a great compromise of worship songs as well as her patented style of contemporary Christian dance-pop.  Striking out with the lingo of today's fresh beats is the radiant "Sunny Days."  Unlike Sheryl Crow's carnal "Soak Up the Sun," Trent urges us on her title cut to thank God for the wind, the sunshine and the life opportunities He has given to us. Most importantly, the take home message is: the weatherman on TV is not the one who governs our moods and plans but God alone does.  Equally effervescence is the bouncy dance number '"Glow in the Dark." The title is not a reference to the latest brand of glow sticks. Rather, this dance anthem embodies the much-needed-to-hear message that even in the darkness we glow with His glory because we are made by Him and for Him.     

Fans of Trent's previous works would remember "Welcome Home." Alongside her top charting hits such as "Run to the Cross," "My Irreplaceable" and "Your Love is 4 Always," "Welcome Home" was one of Trent's signature tunes.   It doesn't take a genius to figure out why radio got cozy with "Welcome Home:" the sonically opulent beat, the gorgeous melody and the heart rattling lyrics are all spot on.  The words of Jesus where "the last shall be first" is particularly true here.  Hands down, the best song here is the ballad "Don't Let Him Be the Last to Know."  Often Jesus is our last resort when we are in peril, but on this slow jam, Trent gently encourages us to do just the opposite.  Working snippets of the hymn "There's Something About the Name" into "Your Grace is Enough for Me," Trent meshes in the old and the new with this delightful hymn-like worship number.

Included on the album is Trent's only worship song cover "You'll Come."  Lifted from Hillsong's catalog, Brooke Ligertwood (Fraser)'s "You'll Come" was originally performed by Darlene Zschech and Brooke Fraser.   Though Trent's version keeps quite abreast with the Zschech/Fraser original, it still doesn't belie the fact this is a great song of invoking God's gracious presence.  "Sunny Days," lives up to its title, it's a ball full of energetic  pop dance tunes balanced by some thoughtful worship ballads.  But more importantly, "Sunny Days" is a Godly testimony that though grief may come for a night, in Christ the morning always arrives. And when it comes, we can dance, sing and worship.