A Holy Journey (February 2026) by Dan Maynard
(For a PDF of the Article, CLICK HERE)
The call came out that the time had come for the Family of God to join in a reunion. The message was “Come join us dear brothers and sisters from around the world, as we celebrate at this International Family of God Reunion!”
Carol & I had to join everyone. This was the place where our lives changed in a very dynamic way through A Course in Miracles. Our hearts were filled with joy to be with our brothers and sisters again.
I knew I had to go through a personal clearing to fully experience this holy encounter. I made the commitment to stop drinking and smoking for 30 days.
The reunion of 179 people from around the world came home to the Dells in the name of Peace and Love. To heal, To Love and remember who we are and our combined mission to be the Light of truth. We opened our hearts and shed our past to remember why we are here.
To Remember: Who I Truly Am To Remember: I Am The Peace in all Matters
To Remember: How to Love Inclusively To Remember: I Am The Light of The World
To Remember: To Teach Only Love To Remember: My Little Willingness is all that is required of Me to Remember I Am as God Created Me
We all were deeply affected by the bright Light that filled the room and us. We realized that we had opened a portal.
The portal was also being opened by the Venerable Monks from Huong Dao Vipassana Bhavana Center in Fort Worth, Texas. They received a message that the world needs a celestial speed-up. A call for a dynamic action, a Walk for Peace that would be felt throughout the world.
The mission was clear, a 2,300 mile Walk for Peace from Fort Worth, Texas to Washington, D.C. Their mission is simple, yet profound—to bring awareness to peace, compassion, and unity in our world.
Twenty Buddhist Monks were dedicated to The Walk for Peace. Walk for Peace is more than just a physical trek, it is a living message. With every step, these Monks are demonstrating what it means to walk with intention, to embody kindness, and to remain committed to healing in a time when it is so deeply needed.
God sent a Dog to walk with them, Aloka the Peace Dog. He brought love with no need to speak. He inspired over 1 million followers to join the mission of helping the world see the Peace within and extend it out as a Light that brings Peace to the world. Peace is natural; it is not attached to any religion or political agenda. Peace just Is, we can always choose to feel it.
Many people opened the portal and accelerated the celestial speed-up. We all know that we need Peace to calm our minds and open us to unity. I was so inspired by the Walk for Peace that I was guided to do my part and go walk with the Monks & Aloka. This was a very strong message so I decided to organize a Caravan for Peace. A 1,200 mile Sojorn round trip from Lansing, MI to Fredericksburg, VA. I was joined by three beautiful companions. I looked at the route the Monks were following and determined that Fredericksburg, VA was the best place to join them.
I needed a local person in Fredericksburg that could help us in our mission to walk with the Monks. I asked for help from the Holy Spirit and was directed to see if there was a Unity church in Fredericksburg and found there was. I contacted them and they were excited we were coming and offered to help us.
February 3, we left Lansing and drove half way. We stopped in Cambridge, OH. The journey was filled with many Holy Encounters. The Light was bright and filled the 4 of us with the Love of God. Many people were drawn to us and we had many Holy Encounters.
At our first stop, the motel staff was so willing to be of service. As we explained our mission they were affected by the Light and started following the Walk for Peace on social media. We stayed at the same motel on our return trip. The staff was so happy to see us and wanted to know all about our experience.
On the second day of the journey to Fredericksburg, we stopped at a little mountain top bar. The Anchor In (Your anchor is In the water) We walked in and there we met Cindy and 2 other women that were having a nice lunch and some wine. All 3 of them felt our Light and we started to tell them about the mission. We told them where we were going and they suggested we take the local way to our destination. We all had a love filled conversation. The suggested route was perfect and a very beautiful drive through the mountains.
We arrived in Fredericksburg about 6:30 PM and met the Unity people for dinner. We had a Holy encounter with some of the members of the Unity Church of Fredericksburg. We all had fun getting to know each other, we were united and felt the One mind consciousness we all shared. They bought us dinner and we gave them a ABC Pie from Traverse City Pie Company. The Pie was Apple, Blue Berry and Cherry. We all shared the pie for dessert. Two of the members of Unity agreed to be our guide the next day as we went to see the Monks.
The following day we met with our new friends from Unity and had a small Light session in our motel room. I played a song about the Monks, we all had a deep experience of the message and dedication of the Monks that had been walking for 105 days in all types of weather. Thousands of people were now following them. The road they walked was always lined with people that heard the call to join in the Light. Our Unity guides helped us plan where we were going to stand along the road to see the Monks walk by. Due to the large crowd we were unable to walk with them, but were able to see them walk by twice that day.
The first was in front of the High School. We were standing with many people. There were 3 young high school girls standing next to me. I heard them talking and wondering why they had been let out of school early. I explained to them the mission and who the Monks were. I told them that each step the Monks took was a prayer for peace.
Small Steps, Big Impact. In a world that often feels divided, there are still powerful reminders that peace is possible—and that it begins within each of us. I helped the girls understand that Peace lives within us and the Monks want everyone to feel the peace within and send it out to everyone. It is such a joy when you have a Holy Encounter and the Holy Spirit speaks through you.
The second time that day we were standing in a different spot on the side of the road. I had a conversation with a Sales Rep that travels all over the US. He was calling on a customer earlier in the morning and the customer told him about the Walk for Peace. He did not know anything about it, but he knew he was being called to go stand on the road and support the mission.
Standing with us was a mom that heard about the Monks that morning and was guided to go to the school and pick up her two young boys. She knew that they needed to experience the Monks. As the Monks passed by both boys were given an apple. They experienced the teaching of the Monks. The mission is simple, yet profound—to bring awareness to peace, compassion, and unity in our world. Both boys were very grateful.
The completion of our Sojorn was the next morning at 7:00 A.M, we went to where the Monks were staying to chant with them. We were unsure if we could get close to the Monks, but we were guided by Holy Spirit to a parking spot by the front door where the Monks were staying. We joined with about 15 to 20 people and we all became One. We were all a part of the mission and experienced the true deduction of the Monks in an out of time chanting moment. The Monks blessed the Sojorn, the people along the roads and the ground. It was a moment to remember standing face to face with the Monks and chanting with them. The Light was bright and a universal peace was flowing through everyone.
God Bless Everyone, the universal mind was a big part of the walk. All along the journey the Monks were invited into many churches of many religions.
This journey is more than just a physical trek, it is a living message. With every step, these Monks are demonstrating what it means to walk with intention, to embody kindness, and to remain committed to healing in a time when it is so deeply needed.
I was fortunate to spend time with the Monks in Fredericksburg, Virginia, walking alongside them and experiencing firsthand the calm presence, and purpose they carry. It was a powerful reminder that peace is not something we wait for—it is something we practice.
The truth is, peace doesn’t require a 2,300-mile journey. It begins with a single step, a single breath, a single moment of choosing compassion over conflict.
As we move forward, I invite you to reflect on what peace means to you—and how you might bring more of it into your daily life. Whether it’s through meditation, community involvement, or simply showing kindness to those around you, your actions matter.
Because when enough of us choose peace, even the smallest steps can create a powerful ripple effect across the world.
Your presence matters.
Your intention matters.
Your peace matters.