July 20

This is a huge red-letter date for me. In 1969 Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. It was the first time in my life that all the world was praising the USA. I cried with pride. One of the young ladies there watching it with me that night was Ruth Huey. We weren't dating yet then.

On this date in 1976 Viking I landed on Mars. That same day Ruth and I arrived in Gosnell AR to start a new pastorate. We would see revival there. God touched Earth in northeast Arkansas.

That same day I started keeping a diary. I am still writing a daily diary, 35 years later.

Ruth had her right knee replaced four weeks ago today. Recovery has been slow and painful, but the doctor says she is doing great.

Today is our monthiversary. Ruth and I have been married 484 months. Has to be one of the longest honeymoons ever.

Twitter @john316marshall
www.facebook.com/john316marshall

Pujols Nightmare

Last night I had one of the scariest nightmares I've ever had. This is not a joke. It really happened. Randy Moore, my baseball buddy and our Minister of Media at Second, broke the news to me as gently as he could.

Randy nonchalantly mentioned how he thought the Cubs were unwise to not start Pujols in his first game with them. I thought he misspoke, but he quickly realized I had not heard the news.

Randy immediately switched into "minister mode" and began to speak words of comfort to me. I cried a while, but then regained my composure and told Randy, "I'm glad Albert will get to finish his career in Wrigley Field. I hope he hits 70 home runs a year there."

Then I woke up. That nightmare shook me. I am confident it was a fluke and not a foretaste of actual events yet to come.