What is there to be happy about? The news is terrible. Death, despair, tragedy, hurt and loss. What is there to be happy about it.

Let me say, you can have personal happiness and optimism, and recognize that the world is a difficult place and there is much to make one anxious.

And yet, let me tell you about my happiness list…

1. Wendy and I have good health. We don’t know the future but we rejoice in our helath.
2. We have a lovely home – with more than enough room to house us and any visitors.
3. We have a lovely family – parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, children and lovely grandchildren who give us the gift of watching them grow.
4. We have time – minutes, hours, days to use as we please…and I have the joy of still working!
5. We have friends to enjoy meals with, to talk about whatever we want to, to laugh and enjoy good company.
6. We have Connor McDavid in our city – I say this because while I have been a Habs fan for many, many years – but watching this guy play is an amazing thing to witness. He can do with a puck what almost no other NHL player can do. He’s a remarkable athlete. Doesn’t watching a remarkable athlete bring you joy? How can you not cheer?
7. We have the opportunity to continue to learn – good books to read, great podcasts to listen to, I rejoice in teachers like John Lennox, NT Wright and John Stackhouse Jr. Many authors sit on my shelf, including many good people I have known and I have learned through them, which is a joyful experience.
8. We have hope in the future, knowing it is in God’s hands. We are not alone, we are not orphans, we are citizens of the Kingdom of God and we know that no matter what is our circumstances are, God is with us. Emmanuel.
9. We have good music. James Taylor, Paul McCartney, Simon and Garfunkel, Carol King, Vince Gill, George Allen, Andrea Bocelli, Alison Krauss, and many others – what joy music can bring! And we live in an era where technology allows us to take the best sound with us wherever we go!
10. We have technology. Instant communication from almost anywhere in the world! Technology that allows our cars to be more reliable and comfortable. Technology that lets us watch a great movie in our homes like we were at the theatre.
11. We have technology in medical treatment that is giving us all longer, better lives.
12. We have Nugget – our newest member of the family who brings us much joy and laughter and who is never unhappy to see us!
13. We have spring that reminds us again of the creative power of God. What great joy from seeing the earth thaw and come back to life in a thousand colours! What mystery is within a seed!
14. We have good food – we recently had some of the best Lobster we’ve ever eaten – what a joy to enjoy good food! Thank God for taste buds.

What do you love about life, gives you joy, even a little!