From the Home Place

1/21/2026

Cold and windy with a skift of snow. Looks and feels like winter.

I turn the furnace down each evening before calling it a day, so it was a bit chilly in this ‘ol shack at 3:30 this morning when the Lord nudged me in the ribs. As such, I pulled the covers up tight and decided to “visit” with the Lord for a bit before I crawled out of bed. We talked about the events before us this weekend: an adult Sunday School class at one church, preaching at a different church on Sunday, and then speaking at a funeral on Monday. As the Holy Spirit gave clarity for each of these events, He also mentioned a few other personal things I need to work on before then.

Yesterday, Miss Deb and I, and Coffee, went to Douglas for an appointment and then on to Casper. A few bags of groceries in the back seat of the car cost a couple hundred dollars, but many of the groceries will be used to make cookies for a funeral, a special snack for friends and a meal for another group of friends. On the way home, we stopped in Douglas for another appointment, and then we dealt with wind and snow all the way home. Yet, it was a very enjoyable day with my girls, and we gave our Heavenly Father our praise for watching over us during another busy day.

Today, we both have plenty of studying to do so we are ready for this weekend’s events. Oh ya, I failed to mention that Miss Deb is leading two women’s Bible studies, subbing at the local grade school and busily sewing gifts, as well as keeping this outfit operating. On top of the other events, I get to start leading a study with a group of young men! Throw in a card party or two, a trip to Rapid City, more teaching and preaching next week, along with all of the renovation projects around here, and you have a glance at our boring lives. This thing called retirement sure is fun!

So, if I miss a daily post here and there, I pray that you will understand. You see, that’s why I’m usually up at 3:30 or 4 to study and write. But you know what? We are both so very grateful for where and when we are getting to live our lives. It is absolutely amazing to see what God is doing with our old carcasses. Each day that He gives the energy and opportunities, we do our best to follow His lead.

You see my friends, for all of us, we go, go, go and then we die. With all of the business of life today, it’s extremely important that we take time to sit quietly before the Lord; or lay quietly in bed with the covers pulled up tight. The Bible tells us that God speaks with a still, quiet voice. It seems that the only time God shouts loudly is when we fail to spend time with Him, so He has to get our attention with a difficulty of some kind.

So today, please take a few minutes to visit with your Heavenly Father, just as if He were sitting in the chair next to you. Let Him know how precious your relationship with Him really is. Remind yourself of how amazing it is to call almighty God, “Father”! Talk with Him about everything that is heavy on your heart and then sit quietly and listen. After your “Amen,” watch the circumstances that come into your life over the rest of the day, that is most likely the things He wants you to do today. Remember, “trust and obey, for there is no other way.”

When this thing called life is over, only that which is done for the good of others as service to the King, is of any real value. Be sure to invest your life, don’t just spend it. I have the feeling that after we are gone from this life, folks won’t remember much about what we had, but hopefully they will remember who we were.

God our Father gives us one run at this thing called life, what we do with it is how we will be remembered. Just look at the life of Jesus Christ, 2,000+ years later we still remember Him for what He did for us! It seems to make sense that we should follow His example.

Living each day to its fullest with you, Neal