March 8, 2026
don’t know about you, but I’m thankful for a whole lot of things in this life. That said, daylight savings time ain’t one of them. Let’s just be honest: DST bites the big one! Okay, now that I’ve got that off my chest and out of my system, let’s talk about today, Sunday, March 8—Day No. 98.
Apart from waking up groggy and feeling dazed and confused for half the morning, there was no better way to worship with my church family than by officiating a baptism. Cue up a quick theology lesson for the folks in the back!
For you non-Lutherans in the room, in our branch of the family tree, we see baptism as a sacrament. It’s a holy moment where God extends His grace, imparts the very beginning of salvific life, and seals that child in the power of the Holy Spirit for the work He’s going to do later in their life. We don’t see baptism as an outward sign of a previously made human decision. Instead, we flip the script and understand baptism as a work of our Lord, initiated by God Himself. And to that I say: what’s not to be thankful for? Whoop-whoop! Go God!
Well, after worship, our folks did what all good Lutherans do—we fellowshipped over coffee and donuts. And not just any donuts, mind you, but those famous Schmidt’s donuts I was raving about last week. A big thank you to Mrs. Fredin for having a birthday and to her family for bringing the goods to the party!
Speaking of donuts, what’s not to be thankful for when it comes to those deep-fried circles of goodness? Should there ever be a global communion wafer shortage, us Lutherans could come to the rescue and substitute the bread and wine with donuts and coffee. Relax, that’s a joke! Please don’t send the synod after me. (But can we at least try it once, Lord? Please?)
I think the DST-induced craziness is starting to set in, don’t ya think?
My wife and I stuck around and visited for a while, but eventually, we had to head home, give the pups a kennel break, and gear up to head back out. Aldi, Sam’s Club, Target, and Slim Chickens were all calling our names. One hour later, we pulled into Mankato. First stop: Target.
Now, don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind Target as a store, but this particular Target? Uff-dah! I have no love, ya know? Usually, the parking lot is crawling with wannabe Indy-car drivers and the aisles are packed shoulder-to-shoulder. But today, something was off. The place was eerily quiet. Honestly, it was a pleasant surprise, and we were in and out in no time.
Next stop: Pet Expo. Gus Gus needed a new name tag since his old one was lost to the snowbanks. And since the snow has melted and turned the backyard into a swampy mess, a puppy foot washer was a non-negotiable “must-have.” Check and check.
Then it was off to Slim Chickens—our absolute favorite fast-food joint.
Slim’s is normally hopping around noon, but even they were ghost-town status. I started to wonder what was going on. After a tasty lunch, we drove across the main drag toward Aldi. Now, Aldi is usually a contact sport, but even that was almost pleasant. Just like Target, we breezed through. Last stop: Sam’s Club. Once again, the shopping giant was whisper-quiet.
That’s when it finally hit me: the effects of daylight savings time were working in our favor. Everyone else was still home, sleeping in and feeling too groggy to put on real pants. While us churchgoers had been up since the crack of dawn, the Joes and Janes of the world were still lounging in their jammies, clearing the roads for the people of God!
Lord, thank You for a beautiful baptismal service, a whole lot of laughs, and a peaceful shopping experience on the one day of the year when we Americans lose an hour of sleep. It turns out even DST has a silver lining if you’re looking for it.