We are here again, O Lord, for an afternoon of sharing fellowship with our fellow members.

We are grateful that we have the use of this day for our pleasure, and for all those who have stayed away because of illness, please, O Lord, help them to a quick recovery.

This invocation, like the month of February, is short. It’s theme of health leads me to believe one of my grandparents may have been sick, perhaps with a cold, in the weeks prior. Or maybe my grandmother couldn’t come up with an engaging theme for this invocation.

For me, February 1^st hold significant importance. It’s the day Rich and I met face-to-face, after corresponding for a few weeks on Matchmaker.com, and then talking on the phone. Our first date was McMenamins Sherwood Pub. At the time, I lived in Sherwood, and Rich lived a few miles east in Tualatin.

It was love-at-first site.

The following Saturday, we went to the McMenamins Bagdad Theater & Pub where we saw “Meet the Parents,” followed by dinner in Portland’s Chinatown. We were one of the few people in the restaurant. I remember the floor was covered with confetti from the Chinese New Year’s celebration earlier in the day, and we shared several dishes, including flavorful chicken baked in a small ceramic pot with fun noodles.

For Rich and me, February 1^st will always hold special significance… and hopefully, health and happiness.