Winners (edited with added pic)

Monday, January 12, 2026

First day of the first week in Ordinary Time

(click here to listen to or read today’s scriptures)

Winners

How shall I make a return to the LORD

            for all the good he has done for me?

The cup of salvation I will take up,

            and I will call upon the name of the LORD.

This has been a great weekend for Illinois sports teams. First the Chicago Bears won against the Green Bay Packers (31-27) to advance in the NFC playoffs, and they did it like they often do – burning down the barn at the end. After three Packer touchdowns (21) and two Bear field goals  (6) in the first three quarters, Chicago erupted with four touchdowns in the fourth quarter and pulled ahead to stay. The atmosphere at Soldier Field screamed CRAZY HAPPY from just about every seat.

Then on Sunday, the Fighting Illini men’s basketball team won a decisive victory over the 19^th ranked Iowa Hawkeyes. While the foosball Bears played poorly in the first half and pulled it out at the end, the Illini played with a magic touch during the first half, got way ahead, and then had to hold on at the end. The Illini women’s basketball team beat Penn State in both halves, and their record is now 14-3. They join the Bears and the Illini men’s football and basketball teams setting records and igniting their fans.

While we’re rearranging our living space and looking for things to pass on via Salvation Army, Margaret and I are watching football and basketball (along with Hallmark and TCM movies, Daytripper episodes and sermons by RC Sproul). Aly’s state championship and the games that preceded it during the season have gotten us  yelling and clapping and jumping out of our seats.

I look over from where’s I’m writing and see our kids’ bookshelf brimming with picture books large and small. When Miles and Jasper spent the day with us on Friday, they pulled out many of them and sat around reading. Miles was quickly engrossed in history books with pictures, like Eyewitness: 150 Years of Photojournalism from Time Magazine. Both boys were captivated by the Action Bible, and looking through the shelves, Margaret found a “Companion Guide.” It is exciting to read the bible with a companion, especially a bible in “comic-book” form.

We also broke the seal on a beautiful boxed three-volume set Andi gave us a Christmas or two ago – Little Pilgrim’s Big Journey, a graphic version of John Bunyan’s famous book for kids. Jasper pulled out the first book and began reading. “I read the pictures,” he said, and he turned page after page. Almost finished he looked up, surprised. “Grandma, I’ve been reading the pictures in this book backward!” He started laughing.

“I think I’ll read it again and start at the beginning!”And he did.

When Andi picked up the boys she was excited to see those Little Pilgrim books. “If we take them home, I’ll read them to you,” she promised Jasper. His eyes sparkled. OK!

For Christmas Andi and Aki gave us gift cards to Maggiano’s, one of our favorite Italian restaurants. She also shared a poem with us. When she handed us the card, I read the poem aloud:

This gift won’t sit upon a shelf

Or need a place to stay—

It’s simply time, a shared meal,

A moment in your day.

 

For years you fed us body and soul,

With prayers and steady love,

Teaching us by daily faith

And pointing us above.

 

So take this time, sit back, enjoy,

No clutter, no disguise—

Just conversation, laughter, thanks,

And grace before your eyes.

 

With love from us (and three small boys)

Who’ve learned what matters most:

That memories made around the table

Are gifts that last the longest.

I looked up, eyes brimming with tears. Did you write this? I asked Andi. Through her own tears, she laughed. “Yes, me and ChatGPT, we wrote this. I told her what to include, and we wrote it!” The AI helper might have missed the last line’s rhyme, but the poem opened up our hearts.

When we get excited in our Austin living room, we both imagine Jack shouting, “YES!” jumping up from his couch. Several more NFL football playoff games will be played during January. I hope to watch the NCAA championship game between Indiana and Miami next Monday night in Springfield with Chris and Melissa’s family. Marc got tickets for us to the Maryland-Illini men’s basketball game next week.

Screaming and hollering. I can’t wait to be there in person.

As he passed by the Sea of Galilee,

he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting their nets into the sea;

they were fishermen.

Jesus said to them,

“Come after me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

Then they left their nets and followed him.

And the journey continues for all of us, big and little pilgrims alike.

 (1 Samuel 1, Psalm 116, Mark 1)

(posted at www.davesandel.net)

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