Do you ever become tired of hearing bad news? I do. It seems we are bombarded at every turn. In fact, bad news dominates even with so much good in the world. In every situation there is something good, something to be thankful for, something that warms the heart and keeps us going in spite of problems. Finding it, being thankful for it and savoring it holds the bad news at bay!

While traveling recently, we decided to drive the two hours home rather than spend the night in a motel. We stopped to get a snack and discovered a tire going down. "No one will fix a flat this time of night, but I have two cans of sealant. You can try that," the clerk said. The good news is one can got us halfway home and the other can brought us safely home.

A man in my art class lost consciousness and collapsed. The good news is the wonderful EMT team arrived in minutes, stabilized the patient and took him to the hospital. Their heroic efforts saved his life. I salute those dedicated trained people. They are "good news" every day.

The sticker weeds covered my husband's pasture last summer. The good news is the rabbits ate all the blooms off. Now there are no stickers. There are a lot of cacti in his pasture too. That may seem like bad news, but a cactus provides cover and protection for quail and other wildlife.

In the midst of illnesses and disease, we forget the "good news" of medicine, doctors, nurses and health care workers. Where would we be without them?

I become irritated with those big black birds that roost in my trees at night. They make a big mess. The good news is I love to wake up in the morning and hear them greeting the dawn of another day. It sounds like a tropical paradise. The fact that I can "hear" is even more good news.

We had a huge apricot tree in our yard. Our boys climbed that tree and ate its apricots through the years. This past summer the bores did that big old tree in. It saddened me to have it cut down, but I discovered something good. My flower bed began to flourish in all of that sunshine the tree had blocked and its roots quit cracking our driveway.

We have been caregivers for my uncle for the last ten years. He will be 90 in June and is my last living relative. Yes, it has been hard at times, but the good news is the blessings he has brought to us have been far more than the inconveniences. His love and cheerful attitude have been an example for both of us.

We somehow lose sight of the good around us. When we are going through a trial, the good news is about the beautiful people who surround us with their comfort, love and kindness. It would be so hard to bear a loss alone. Living in a town of loving friends and neighbors is good news indeed.

The greatest good news of all is the good news of the gospel. Romans 10:15:

"How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (NIV) The gospel turns the world upside down, bringing with it the blessed hope: "We shall all be changed in a twinkling of an eye." God's child will live forever with Him. I lost my precious mother in 1991. I dreamed about her one night. She was beautiful and looked to be about thirty.

In my dream she said to me: "Don't fret about me. I'm just beginning to live." What a comfort that dream brought to me.

The Christian life is the only way to peace. God brings good out of bad situations. The joy of living daily with Jesus keeps us in balance. The good news of the gospel means freedom from sin and selfishness. It means loving others, giving them all the love you can and then giving a little more.