From the Home Place

October 30, 2025

Well, here we go with another day. Yesterday at daylight the temp was 16 degrees, today is 32. Yesterday’s high was 56, today’s forecast is for 50 degrees as a high, with wind gusts to match the temperature – another day in Paradise.

As I have mentioned before, the ranch I grew up on had zero outside lighting, so when it was dark, it was dark. I can remember of times when we would get home after dark, dad would take the coal oil lantern with him and start milking cows, while I gathered eggs in the dark. It was always exciting to stick my hand into the nests not knowing if there would be a snake curled up with the warm eggs, or a skunk or coon sucking eggs! Yes-sir-ree, chores are much more fun in the dark!

That same lantern was the only light we had for checking heavies during calving as well. It would have been an o.k. light except on most nights, the wind would blow it out before I could get half-way to the calving lot. It was always a treat stumbling around in the dark, attempting to discern if a cow was starting to calve, or if she was cleaning a chilled little feller that need to get to the barn. If you have ever had the experience of trying to drag a calf to the barn with his angry momma hot on you tailfeathers, you really should try it in the pitch black of night!

It is also amazing how sounds in the dark are much louder. When a coyote howls or an ‘ol mountain lion growls, it sounds like they are in your hip pocket. Owls and birds tend to sound like small airplanes and then there is the unknown – and an eight-year-old mind can think of a lot of unknowns! I remember when I saved up enough money to buy my first flashlight, that flashlight made me plum popular, well at least until the batteries died.

As I aged and was able to start going on hunting trips with dad and my brothers, it was amazing to find a fresh pack of flashlight batteries available on the first morning of season. It seemed that we would always leave camp before daylight and the old flashlight would help us with navigating a trail up the mountain.

One of the things I learned right after purchasing that flashlight, the darker the night, the brighter my light. On nights when the moon was full and there was snow on the ground, the flashlight stayed off unless really needed. But on nights when the moon was dark, the flashlight was always in hand.

The second lesson I learned about a flashlight was that it was much brighter with new batteries rather than ones that were almost used up. You know, like your faith. Fresh faith is brighter than a faith that seldom recharges. Thus, the value of church attendance, reading Scripture and prayer. It would appear that even Jesus took time to pray as a way of recharging His batteries.

Remember when the woman with the “issue” touched His robe, Jesus asked, “Who touched Me?” Pete reminded Jesus that they were in the middle of a crushing crowd and that it was impossible to know who had touched Him. Hopefully you will recall Jesus’ response, “But I felt the power go out.” You see my friends, when you allow you light to shine, you have to take time to recharge the battery on a daily basis. Spiritual work will always drain your human batteries. It appears to me that too many of us Christians are attempting to let our spiritual lite shine with batteries that are almost dead, and we are not much more than a dull flicker.

Dr. Howard Hendricks often reminded his students, “Gentlemen, remember, you cannot give away that which you do not possess.” If my light doesn’t have fresh batteries, it will be of little assistance to anyone. In the words of the Apostle Paul, “Our faith is being renewed day-by-day,” or if we are not following Paul’s advice, our batteries are about to flicker their last ray of dim light.

I’m really grateful that you have decided to let your light shine, so please, make sure that you recharge the batteries each day. I’m willing to bet that you always remember to recharge you cell phone!

Staying fully charged with you, Neal