From the Home Place

November 30, 2025

Yesterday’s storm blew its way through our area before noon. Skys cleared and the temperature dropped to a -5 last night. Looking at a high of 19 today with a little more snow today. But tomorrow is forecasted to reach 33! Tomorrow could be a great day if we get to see it?

Well, pull up your boots and get ready for another taste of winter as November 2025 bows out of existence. It sure is easy to take for granted that for each month that we live, there will be another one show up. An assumption that is not all that correct.

You see my friends, at any time, our Heavenly Father could say that “enough is enough” and bring a sudden halt to the life of any person or even persons. According to this thing called the “web,” approximately 8,640 people will die in America today. That averages out to 352 deaths per hour! There are many Wyoming towns that could be completely wiped out any hour of the day according to that death toll. In fact, if you were to take 8,640 people out existence each day in Wyoming, the entire state would be dead in less than one week!

So, if I have your attention now, please note how precious today is if you get to see the sunset tonight. If God should give each of us one more week, how amazingly kind of Him that will be. And if He should allow each of us to live one more month, “Oh Wow!” So perhaps we shouldn’t just say that November is gone because dates equal deaths and ours could take place at any moment.

Now, let’s focus upon the real value of today. Today is an absolute gift from God! Remember my little adage, “Yesterday is a canceled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, today is the only cash on hand, invest it wisely.” So my friend, how will you invest today wisely. You see, the word “wisely” is the real key here.

If God gives each of us the gift of life through this day, we will all spend the day in some fashion, but how many will invest it wisely? According to the dictionary, our word means to “act with deep understanding.” How about it friend, do you have a little better understanding of just how special today can be when you realize that “This is the day the Lord has made, I shall rejoice and be glad in it!”?

Please do not walk around kicking a beer can and grumbling. In the words of the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” To “rejoice” is a “positive human condition,” according to Unger’s Bible Dictionary. The problem is that most of us allow our “condition” to happen to us and then we respond accordingly. To rejoice in the Lord carries the idea of recognizing the “condition” comes from the inside of a Christ-follower, and as such, we should respond with abounding joy! A joy that is not regulated by conditions because it comes from the Lord’s presence within our life.

So “Rejoice!” Don’t just put on nice clothes and go to church. Put on a Christ-like attitude of rejoicing and then put on you go-to-town clothes and head for your local church with a smile on your face and joy in your heart. But be careful, such joy is extremely contagious. You just might get to infect someone who doesn’t know the joy of the Lord, yet! Visit with that person who appears to not be having a great day, be their sunshine. Or better yet, let the Son-shine through you so that others will see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven!

Rejoicing in the Lord with you Today, Neal