This past week, the LORD has again blessed me with good health, safe travels, and another wonderful week!

With the LORD’s help, I have been able to continue my healthier eating plan and to walk 2 miles per day 6 days per week.

Friday, September 11^th was the 22^nd Wedding Anniversary of my son Tim and his wife, Roxane!

I know it is hard to believe but I actually changed my schedule this past week… I went for a drive on Thursday instead of Friday!

And what a drive!

I drove to East Peoria to take a few photos of the Richland Baptist Church where I was privileged to lead a revival several years ago. (This Church is also special to me because it was planted about 60 years ago by my dear friend and mentor, Tom Miller!)

While I have previously always driven to that area by coming to the Illinois River on I-74, I figured that because of the location of the Church on Springfield Road in East Peoria that there should have been a way to get there from the south on a “country road” avoiding the Interstate.

Indeed, there is! Taking the first County Road west of I-39 off Illinois 136, that County Road becomes Springfield Road and is the very street on which the Church is located.

What a lovely and fun drive!

On the way back, taking Illinois 10 south off of 136, I took Lower Salt Creek Road south at Tehran, Illinois… and once again enjoyed one of the loveliest drives in Central Illinois.

That tiny County Road has some of the most breath-taking views in our area. I HIGHLY recommend you take that when you have the opportunity.

On Friday, I enjoyed my weekly brunch with my daughter Becky!

On Sunday, I drove to Urbana to worship with the Redeemer Church which is one of the three Churches that FBC Atwood helped to plant while I served there.

At least, that is what I thought.

The members of Redeemer Church recently did a “restart” of the Church led by a Church in Edwardsville, Illinois, and they have called a new Pastor!

The Church, which is still meeting in the same location – the former facility of Urbana First Baptist Church at the intersection of West Illinois and Race streets – is now called “New City Church.”

To say that I was blessed by the service would be a tremendous understatement!

There appeared to be 60 or so in attendance who were mostly younger adults including several families with small children. There were obviously some U of I students.

The Praise Team provided excellent worship music and the hymns were theologically sound and very well done.

The new Pastor is Nick Volkening, and his expository application of Matthew 5:13-16 was “spot on.”

They wisely practiced social distancing and I think that everyone there had their masks on. I was warmly greeted by the Pastor and two other members and by a U of I student who was there for his first time.

Of course, I went for a bit of a drive “through the country” on the way home and soon after getting home I had the joy of watching the video of the Worship Service at FBC Atwood.

The Music and Preaching were great as always… and I really, really, really enjoyed the testimony time which included a testimony by a first-time visitor!

All-in-all, this was a happy and blessed week!

I deeply appreciate your continuing prayers for me.