I have often bragged that I don’t get colds because growing up on a dairy farm and drinking raw milk inoculated me against all those bugs that cause colds. For most of my life, that’s been true, but I recently got the worst cold/bronchitis I can remember. I have coughed constantly for almost two weeks, my whole body ached, and I have been totally exhausted. I have been in bed most of the last ten days, though sleeping is tough with all the coughing. I am on the mend now and am up and around, feeling much better. Before I got sick with the cold, I was suffering from a severe back strain; I could barely walk. The good thing about the ten days in bed is that my back seems to have healed up! When I first got the cold, every time I coughed, it sent a sharp pain into my back. I loaded up on ibuprofen and Tylenol and slept mostly in my recliner. I kept saying to myself, “One of these days you are going to get better, and in the meantime, enjoy the downtime.” I have read a lot- almost five books; I have watched several old western movies on my iPad and a bunch of “Gunsmoke” reruns. I plan to preach tonight at the “Wednesday Night” service, teach both of my leadership classes Thursday night, and preach Sunday morning at the Jefferson Evangelical Church. It will feel good to be useful again. These last two weeks reminded me again that life is like riding a boat on the ocean, up and down, up and down; that is just the way it is. Serve when you can, rest when you can, and above all else, rejoice always. You can ask Patty how I did on rejoicing.