From the Home Place

July 14, 2026

Good morning friends. Hopefully this note finds you and yours in good health and excited about serving our Lord one more day!

Our Heavenly Father poked me in the ribs at 3:30 this morning for our visit. As I praised Him and then prayed to Him, I could hear a train going through on the north side of our tiny town. To the south of our home, I could hear a semi-truck idling at the local truck stop. The main highway through Lush is a bit west of our home, and I could hear a couple of trucks driving down that street. East of us, a motorcycle was enjoying quick accelerations, I reckon he knew the local policeman were busy somewhere else. Outside our bedroom window the neighbor’s dog was barking at a rabbit or his own shadow.

As I lay there in bed, with the windows open for some cool air, all I could hear was the noise of the world around me. Try as I might, I heard no response from my Lord for quite some time. I then returned to praising Him that it looks like He is giving me one more day to study, pray, work and connect with others. It looks like He is going to allow me the blessing of being a blessing for one more day.

As I praised Him for allowing Miss Deb and I to be servants within His vast kingdom, I felt the Holy Spirit nudge me toward thinking of how Abraham could step outside of his tent and see a sky full of start, instead of the glow of streetlights. How Abraham, though he lived in a tent, was surrounded by livestock of all different kinds! And for whatever reason, I could sense the Spirit leading my mind back to the “home place” I was blessed to grow up on.

A place where there were no streetlights, not trains, no trucks, no barking dogs, no motorcycles, no noise! Oh, how I yearn for a place of quietness. What a blessing 5-10 acres would be. A place where I could stand and stare into a sky filled with dancing stars. A place where I could possibly even have a saddle horse, a few chickens and a garden. A place where the only noise I would hear at night would be the quiet of nature. Oh my, what a blessing that would be.

I know Miss Deb also yearns for a little spot in the country, where we could live out the last of our earthly days. A place where quiet is possible.

As I sit here within our home in the town Lusk, I continue to hear the trucks, trains, vehicles and barking dogs, but then just like that, a pair of Canadian geese flew over our house. It sure was nice of them to say “HI!” to me as they flew over, probably headed for breakfast in someone’s alfalfa field as the sun is just beginning to glow in the East.

Yep, it sure is tough to live in the middle of so much noise; but it is sure enough a blessing to get to live. I don’t know if the Lord is getting ready to move us out into the country or not, but what is really important is that we get to live for Him wherever we call home. For you see my friends, for each of us, this earthly home is just the place we are passing through on our way to our eternal home.

While here on this ‘ol ball of dirt, we may not get to live where we would prefer to live, but for as long as we are alive, may we each live! For whatever reason, way before sunrise today, my Lord reminded me of the words of Dr. Hendricks when he said to us one day in class, “Gentlemen, would you please pray for me that the day that I quit living and the day that I die have the same date.” I pray that for you and for myself as I sit at this computer at 4:30 a.m.

Well, it’s now 5:30 a.m. and the temp is at 60 degrees, headed for 96. I’ve been awake for a couple of hours: praying, listening, reading and writing; it must be time to build a pot of coffee and get this day underway. I have no idea what this day holds for each of us, but I do know Who holds this day. May we each walk into it boldly with Him as we get to serve the King of kings!

Looking for some peace and quiet with you, Neal