I was outside watering this morning when she drove up.  It was a nice car, a new Ford Mustang, if I'm not mistaken.

As the car stopped in the circle drive in front of church, I wondered what she was doing at this time of the day.  It wasn't even 7am yet.

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This past Saturday I woke up early.  It was 5:30 or so.  Most likely, the hot and humid weather had something to do with it.  I also had a full day ahead of me, which probably contributed to my waking up before the crack of dawn.

I was at church right around 6:30.  I came in the back way as I had some trash to put in the dumpster.    As I rounded the corner to my office something caught my eye.

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During World War II a young pastor named J.B. Phillips discovered the youth in his congregation didn’t understand the King James Version of the Bible. He used his time in the bomb shelters during the London Blitz to translate Colossians into modern English.  The results appealed to the young people who found it easier to understand than the King James Version.  Encouraged by their feedback, after the war Phillips continued translating the New Testament.

In addition to his work as a translator, over the course of his ministry, Phillips wrote a number of books.  One of these had a provocative title:  “Your God is Too Small”.

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A week ago, while on vacation in Kansas City, I found myself in a bookstore.  I didn't plan on purchasing anything; I was just killing time.  We were waiting to see a movie, and since a Barnes and Noble was next door to the theater complex, I suggested we hang out there.

As I walked around the store I made my way to the bargains section.  There, a title caught my eye:  "Faces of the Civil War."  It featured the photo of a man in uniform.  He had a determined look in his eye.  The book was subtitled:  "An Album of Union Soldiers."

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It's a little past 2:00am

What am I doing up at this time of the night?

I was thirsty.  Really, really thirsty.

I came home sick yesterday afternoon.  It hit me all of a sudden; first a little queasiness, followed by nauseousness.  Soon I was suffering the consequences of a full-blown gastrointestinal illness.

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