The guests are arriving. The table is set. Right now, the plates sit empty - unaware of the deliciousness that awaits. Isn't that like us? It's so easy to get caught up in the noise of life and momentarily forget all of God's goodness that surrounds us. We feel discouraged. Empty. And if we're not careful we can find ourselves stuck in a pit of despair.  But it doesn't have to be that way. Even though there's lots of yuck in our world, there is so much to be thankful for. So much thanks for us to be giving. 

I'm a list maker by nature. And yes, I'm one of those people that will add a previously accomplished task just to experience the thrill of crossing it off the list! There's the ever-growing to-do list. The grocery list. The holiday shopping list. Some people even craft a bucket list. When I was still teaching, I always had to create a list of goals for the school year. Sometimes we have a thousand ongoing lists running around inside our heads for this or that. So many lists!

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With all the negative news creeping its way into my brain lately, I found myself   teetering  on the   edge of   the pit  of  utter   sadness. It seemed