From the Home Place

June 23, 2026

As Miss Coffee and I watch daylight break, we are enjoying another morning of fog. Yesterday, we received a sprinkle of rain here in Lusk, while around us there were some extremely nice reports of heavy rain. A little town in Nebraska was blessed with 6″ of rain in less than an hour. Others had a batch of rain/hail mix, but it’s moisture!

Today’s weather forecast reads, “Some sunshine with a heavy thunderstorm late this afternoon; watch for flash flooding, large hail, damaging wind gusts and even a tornado.” We sure enough would settle for just a nice rain. We are starting today at 52 and expecting a high of 72, with a 50/50 shot at some rain. The same forecast runs through Thursday evening.

I have always been challenged by Genesis 6 when I read of how the Lord God spoke of His creation with these words, “I am sorry that I have made them” when He thought of the people and creatures who inhabited the earth at that time. In verse 5 we read, “Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” Wow! That sounds a lot like today doesn’t it?

But then we read Genesis 6:8-9, “But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD. Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his time; Noah walked with God.” I pray that the same can be said of each of us today! I can think of no greater epitaph than the words, “He or she, walked with God.”

In Ephesians 4:1, the Apostle Paul challenges each of us who claim to be Christ followers, “I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” To walk with God implies a very close relationship of “walking” side-by-side. Though we constantly allow God to lead where, when and how our walk takes us, we are not to lag behind Him, nor are we to run ahead of Him.

I can’t say for you, but my tendency is to walk with God until I get an understanding of what He wants to do with my life; and then I want to run off and “get ‘er done!” Once I realize how the Holy Spirit is moving me toward a work worthy of my Heavenly Father, I want to get after it, NOW! But once again, I must remind myself that the process that God has for our lives is often of greater value than the purpose He has for us at any given time.

As I read the pages of Scripture, I am constantly reminded that God’s time and method are always perfect. My responsibility is to “wait upon the LORD.” To “walk” with God is to move at His pace, in His direction, constantly learning obedience and humility.

I am finally at a point in my life where I have learned to value the people the Spirit brings into my life during the walk. Each person has a purpose. Sometimes their purpose is to keep me to task; other times people are used to correct and direct me; and yet other folks join our walk so that I might proclaim with the Apostle Paul, “come follow me as I follow Christ.” You see my friends, every person who will cross your path during your “walk” with God adds value to the journey. For those of us who are “task oriented,” it is easy to get so involved in completing the task that we often ignore, or worse yet – we often use people to accomplish our task. I am of the opinion that the moment any of us uses another person to accomplish a task God has given to us, we are no longer walking with God.”

Yes, we all need other people within our lives; and yes, we will often need other people to help us accomplish said task, however, the journey ought to be a time of personal growth and teamwork. We must be careful to never guilt others into helping us accomplish a task that God has given. An invitation, encouragement and mutual growth must all be elements of corporate ministry. With that I say, “THANK YOU” for joining with us in the ministry of making disciples!!!

Walking with God and you, through this thing called life, Neal