I do not suppose that everyone likes to read. There have been some very good men, in fact, who muchpreferred the feel of a fishing pole in the hand to a book. Personally, books excite me a great deal more than fishing poles. For one thing, they usually prove to be more fruitful! My wife knows about this weakness and takes an arm automatically whenever we approach a book store in the shopping mall. I do the same for her when we sight a display of ladies' shoes. There is room for diversity.
This book contains 62 brief articles. Most of them were originally written for my congregational bulletin, and were read (I hope) by the same people who hear me preach each Sunday. A few have appeared in various religious periodicals. I am grateful to those editors for every kindness and word of encouragement.
These articles are written very simply. Most readers can understand them with little difficulty. If some of my school friends view simplicity with contempt I can only confess to the crime and plead for mercy. I am a former small-town boy who used to pick cotton to buy winter clothes. I have also been exposed to enough "higher learning" not to be intimidated by it and to see that true education is not (pardon the pun) a matter of degrees. Academic air can be exhilarating, but most of us are unable to breathe it all the time. If a sure-enough intellectual happens to pick up this book and wants to read it I welcome his company, but warn him in advance not to look for subtilties or a profusion of foreign words. (There are a few Greek words that most folks know already.) This is a common book for ordinary people.
If you find any pleasure or benefit in reading these articles my satisfaction will be complete. Both the publisher an dI would appreciate it if you told your friends about this book, especially those who enjoy reading. Tell the others, too -- some day when the fish aren't biting.