Marilyn has been doing better the last week or so. She went back to work on Tuesday and today is her second day back. She keeps getting stronger each day. She comes home and crashes after work, but that is OK with me as long as she is still doing fine.

Today marks the second anniversary of 9/11. I don't want to be like everyone else and do a tribute to those who died or suvrvived the attack. All I want to say is that it has forever changed my country and my world. I will keep all those affected in my prayers.

Sunday Morning Bible Study this week was OK. I think the new curriculum is a little too basic. It would make for a great discipleship course, designed to lead someone through the basics of the Christian life, but for students who have grown up in the church it is very basic and not real challenging. I believe that tells us where the church is right now. It is in a maintenance phase instead of a building phase. We need to regain the fire for reaching the lost. We need to explore meeting the lost where they live and play. We haven't been effective in reaching the lost becaues we expect them to come to us. We need to go to them.

Well, yesterday was an interesting day. I had lunch with Larry Richmond, Executive Pastor at our church. I told him about my calling to plant a church in the local area targeted to collegiate/postmodern/net generations. He was very surprized, but very supportive. He told me that the future looks promising. One of the local churches is dissolving and they are giving the building to our church. It is next to McKendree College, the local liberal arts college (a Methodist one) with a large Christian student population. Larry asked me if I would be interested in taking that church over and targeting the audience I wanted. I told him I was very interested. Anyhow, he will do some researching and get back with me next week. The Lord continues to bless me when I don't expect it.

We serve a great God!

Rick Marshall