We’re always glad to grab on to any good news we can find these days. Here are seven tidbits I’ve noticed, starting with a personal item.

1. Birthday number 94.

My mom and I are on the phone almost every morning, one of the blessings of cell phone technology. Wednesday, we spoke of Dad’s birthday coming up April 13. This will be number 94, if you can believe it. She asked if I had invited readers of this e-mail to send him birthday notes. “Not really,” I said. We’ve done that in the past, but I didn’t want to burden anyone or take advantage. Mom is not one to beat around the bush. She said, “It’s not too late.” Okay, mom.

At Pop’s age and with his various infirmities, the high point of his day is opening the morning mail. So, here’s the address: Carl J. McKeever, 191 County Road 101, Nauvoo, Alabama 35578. And if you happen to find this later and don’t make the April 13 deadline, remember: he reads the mail every day. (A note on any kind of paper carries as much weight with him as a store-bought card, so don’t go to any trouble.)

2. Lifeway returns

Walker Downs, former manager of our Lifeway Christian Store (aka Baptist Book Store) on the campus of our New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, called today to say they’re coming back. “We’ll be open by May 1,” he said. That’s great news. We have missed that store!

“We’ll be hiring an all-new staff,” Walker said, and invites people to apply for the sales and stock positions. How? Go to the website and fill out an application: www.lifeway.com/jobs.

I invited the new manager to attend our Wednesday pastors meeting and tell our people about the plans for this “new” store. Welcome back, Lifeway!

3. Suburban Baptist Church is meeting every week now.

Pastor Jeff Box tells me they are running about 40 in attendance each Sunday. They have power and everything, and are meeting in the fellowship hall of their church. They’re located at intersection of Chef Menteur Highway and Schindler Drive in east New Orleans.

4. Chinese students at the University of New Orleans

Pastor Hong Fu Liu of the New Orleans Chinese Baptist Church (our only Chinese Baptist Church), which is actually located in Kenner, came by the associational office Thursday to tell me they are re-establishing the weekly Bible study for Chinese students at UNO. “There are 150 Chinese students at UNO right now,” he said. Last year, they were running 60 or 70 each week at these studies. We’re going to provide a meeting place for them, and make them a part of our Baptist Collegiate Ministries.

5. Churches are getting storage pods

Recently a group of college students met at Tall Timbers, our state conference center, and assembled 10 storage units for us to give to churches in the area that need them. Freddie Arnold was there to receive them and to thank the students. This week, they have been sitting in our back yard, but Thursday, Freddie had a large truck there to begin hauling them to the churches that have requested them. This is a wonderful way for churches to store building supplies and work tools for the various groups coming to help.

6. The New Orleans Zephyrs Return

Our Triple-A baseball team has opened its season. Thursday night, they were host to the Round Rock (Texas) team, and if I’m any judge, people were delighted to have baseball back. This is the only professional team in New Orleans that has not made threatening moves about relocating. From the first, the Zephyrs said they would be back. And here they are. Those of us who are baseball fans–and I plead guilty–will be there rooting for them as often as possible.

7. WWL Radio wins a Peabody

WWL, the best-known radio station in New Orleans, was the only one to stay on the air after Katrina, thanks to prior planning. The Times-Picayune announces that it has just won a Peabody, an award given in electronic journalism. Sharing this award is the Biloxi station, CNN, and Brian Williams of NBC. In fact, for months after Katrina, WWL was about the only thing on local radio and could be heard at any number of spots on the dial. They broadcast from Baton Rouge and rotated the staffs of some other radio stations. It grew tiresome after awhile–nothing but Katrina, Katrina, Katrina–but they did a great job.

If you want any more good news today, pay no more attention to our local paper. It’s all bad. Police being arrested, Red Cross and FEMA workers arrested, levees not going to be ready, New Orleans facing bankruptcy. So, I think I’ll just skip it and put on an old Andy Griffith rerun.

My cousin Jacqueline, whom we all call Jackie, uttered a line that fits here when she was a child, more years ago than either of us want to admit. She was staying with our grandparents and the adults were sitting around on the front porch of the old farmhouse commiserating about this problem or that. It was all bad news. Finally, Jackie had taken all she could stand. She got everyone’s attention and said, “Let’s talk about good things. Like candy and little calves.”

There’s a great line in Proverbs about good news. “Like cold water to a weary soul, so is good news from a distant country.” (25:25)

Oh, one more bit of good news…

Tuesday, April 11, I’ll be speaking at the chapel service of Anderson College in Anderson, South Carolina. Know any students or faculty there? I’ll be telling the New Orleans story and relating it to God’s Word. An hour later, some pastors are having a luncheon on campus and I’ve been invited to say a few words there. Vice-President for church/minister relations Dr. Bob Cline, my longtime friend, is the host for this gathering.