February 1, 2026

It’s early afternoon yesterday … I get back to the church … and our custodian Debbie is putting the final touches on making our building look good for tomorrow. She has a lot going on in her life … just like most of us. Her husband this week is beginning his treatments for an aggressive cancer. I look at her —– I know you will be working this coming week. But remember: “famiily first.” She looks at me. “I apppreciate that … and this place is my family, too.” Yes, we are a family —- not a perfect one, for sure. Our family is all over the place —– from right here in Orland … through a big city called Chicago … across the ocean to Austria … a five or six hour drive to Ohio … up north to Wisconsin … the west coast, the east coast —– yes, we are “family.” Each one of us matters and makes a difference. Each of us has our own journey … we go in so many different directions. Yet a humble carpenter unites us … and no matter what we are going through … there is healing when we come together in prayer and caring for each other. There is a cup on our altar … I call it the “cup of blessing.” Inside that cup is the heart and soul of each one of us, as we begin a new day. A loving God and our humanity come together. The quiet miracle, bringing us together. Love and peace to all — Don