Stardate 03.29.2026
March Madness is winding down. Our men’s basketball team fought valiantly yesterday and came up short in the Elite 8. Congratulations to our neighbors to the east, the Illinois Fighting Illini men's basketball, who now advance to the Final Four.
What matters most to me isn’t the outcome. It’s the family time we shared along the way.
It’s not often our teams do this well, and this season gave us a reason to gather, cheer, laugh, and ride the emotional ups and downs together. We watched a first-year coach do something that few leaders manage to do so quickly: cultivate winning habits at an elite level.
That idea stays with me.
Because that’s the core of who I am. I love bringing out the best in others. I love watching habits form that quietly shape outcomes long before the scoreboard reflects them. I’m already looking forward to next season.
Speaking of new seasons, yesterday I did something a little outside my comfort zone. I spent five hours building cabinets in our basement. All that remains are the doors, which I’ll install later this week.
As I worked, I was reminded of visiting my cousins as a child. One room in their home had wall-to-wall shelving with cabinet doors — a room that looked remarkably similar to something my wife has always dreamed of having. It’s funny how memories from fifty years ago can guide your hands today.
I gave myself a small pat on the back when I finished. Not out of pride, but gratitude. This small success is preparing me for a much larger project I’ve been dreaming about for years. Like most dreams, it required me to overcome some real obstacles before I could even begin.
Stay tuned.
Today is Palm Sunday.
This day is deeply personal for me because of the stories I’ve been sharing about how I came to know Jesus. I understand that some people may struggle to make sense of what I describe. Truthfully, I still do at times. God’s ways are not our ways, and much of what Jesus did while walking this earth runs counter to what we might expect from the Creator of the universe.
What stands out to me as we enter Holy Week is something that happened just before Palm Sunday.
Jesus and His followers were on a boat. He fell asleep. A storm moved in, and the disciples were certain they were going to die. They woke Him, and He calmed the storm. When they reached shore at the region of the Sea of Galilee, a man possessed by demons came running toward Him from the caves.
Jesus healed the man. Clothed him. Restored him.
And then He did something unexpected.
He told the man he could not come along.
Instead, He gave him a mission: go home and tell others what the Lord had done for him.
This man — once isolated, feared, and broken — became the first known storyteller for Jesus in that region. When Jesus later returned, people were waiting because they had heard the man’s story.
“Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” — Luke 8:39
I think about that often.
The man didn’t attend a class. He didn’t receive formal training. He simply told his story.
As I prepare my heart this week for the Resurrection, I’m reminded that this is what I’ve been doing too. Sharing stories. Not because I have everything figured out, but because something changed in me, and I can’t help but talk about it.
Some people may observe the changes in my life and not fully understand them. That’s okay. I don’t fully understand them myself. I just know I’m all in.
Happy Palm Sunday.
Join me here:
https://substack.com/@michaelmulliganlivelong
🖖 Captain’s Addendum
Spock: “Captain, the man’s qualifications were… unconventional.”
Bones: “Sometimes the best witnesses are the ones who’ve got the most to be grateful for.”
I’m learning that we don’t need perfect understanding to share what God has done. We simply need a willing heart and an honest story.
Mission Log: Grateful for family, for small projects that prepare us for bigger ones, and for the quiet calling to share what we’ve seen and experienced.
May your day be filled with peace, reflection, and quiet gratitude.
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