From the Home Place

November 11, 2025

Good morning, dear friends. It’s a whopping 50 degrees at 4 a.m., headed for 60, another beautiful fall day. The way it looks, I will be spending this gorgeous workday in the car. I have to go on another 300-mile road trip and be back home by 4 p.m. to watch one of our “adopted” granddaughters coach a girls basketball game here in Lusk. Prayers appreciated.

Last night for supper, Miss Deb made, from scratch, a new Asian meal of chicken and rice. She didn’t really have a recipe, she just made it to taste, and man did she nail it! It was really good, with a serious cayenne pepper heat! Man, it was hot, but really good.

After we finished the main course, I raided my chocolate candy stash for dessert – we had mini BabyRuth candy bars. They really helped to bring the feeling back into our tongues. So, when I got up this morning to start writing, there sat the rest of the bag of candy on the counter. No, I did not have one to start my day, but they did trigger a special memory, which I have shared with you before.

When I was in grade school, up to the time my dad died, every day when we would take his old pickup, load it with hay and go feed cattle, we would enjoy a slice of a BabyRuth candy bar. After the last batch of critters were fed and we were headed back home, Dad would hand me his pocketknife. I knew that was the signal to open the glovebox and cut us both a 1/2″ slice of candy.

I can still remember how awesome that one small bite of candy tasted. We would quietly sit in the cab of the pickup, slowly munching on our one bite of candy. Usually, there wasn’t going to be any more candy when we arrived home, but we did enjoy our “bite” after feeding.

This morning, when I walked out of our bedroom and saw that bag of candy on the counter in 2025, my mind and heart both flew back to a cold winter day in the 1960’s. For a moment I could see my dad’s weathered face smile as I handed him his bit of candy, I sure do miss him.

Well, anyway, that bite of candy resembles our moments with the Holy Spirit. Often, they are nothing more than a moment – a bite, and if we are not careful, we will miss the blessing of those moments. And often, just like with my dad sharing a bit of candy after a long morning of feeding, we have to look back to really appreciate those moments.

Quite often the Holy Spirit’s working within our lives is filled with sweetness. A kind of sweetness that we cannot later duplicate, but we can remember how special that moment was. In my opinion, those moments are most often shared with someone else as well. Sure, that bite of candy would have been good, but sharing it with my dad made it great!

So, now, think back to a moment in your spiritual life when the Holy Spirit gave you a “bite” of one of His blessings – who was the person there with you? If you can, contact that person today and tell them how that moment still lights-up your heart! Let them know now, before it’s too late and you can no longer visit with that person about your special memory.

You see my friends, warm memories are often meant to be shared. That is why I have shared my “sweet” moment with you folks today. Now, share yours with someone else.

Sharing memories with you, Neal