There was a man who every morning,  as he was shaving, would turn on the news and listen to all of things that had happened in the city and in the world throughout the night. When he finished shaving, he would turn off the radio and say to himself, "The world is one dark, ugly place and I'll be glad to be out of it when my time comes."  In a very similar way, each night, before he went to bed, that same man would turn on the TV and watch the news.  By the time the news was over, he was shaking his head saying, "What an awful world we live in!" 

  After years of this, the man finally died and was met at Heaven's gate by a very beautiful angel who walked with him and invited him to come along and see the wondrous sights. First they came to a beautiful sandy beach, filled with wonderfully happy families enjoying the sea and the sun.  Next, they came to view a wonderful mountain range, valleys filled with beautiful flowers, and gentle breezes.  As they walked along a bit further, they came upon a family enjoying a picnic and they were invited to join in the meal. Finally, after they had enjoyed a tasty picnic lunch, they walked on. "Heaven is a wonderful place!" the man exclaimed. "I never dreamed that I would ever find such beauty, peace, joy and happiness!"  

    The angel replied, "Oh, this isn't heaven. You might call it Heaven's gate. This is just part of the world you actually lived in, but never saw or experienced. You were so full of bad news, there wasn't room for all of the goodness, beauty and peace that surrounded you."

    We live in a world today that is obsessed with bad news. Jesus came to give us good news and to show us how to see all of the beauty and goodness that surrounds us each day.  Look around you - look at your loved ones, look at nature, look all around and open your eyes, God has packed his creation with one blessing after another. Why not take some time this week to clear out all of the bad news and to make room in your life for all of the goodness God truly wants you to have?