From the Home Place

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  • Being Hospitable!

    March 2, 2026

    Well, it looks like this day is going to start at 30 degrees, reach up to 58 degrees and finish around the mid-thirties. The wind is even supposed to be have itself. Miss Deb and I will probably have to take Coffee for a walk sometime today.

    Yesterday found us at church in the morning. It was a great day of fellowship, worship and study. Our pastor shared a lesson with us that every person in the building can easily apply. After an enjoyable morning, Miss Deb and I cleaned the ‘ol shack up on the inside and prepared food for folks we had invited over for supper.

    As always, the meal that Miss Deb prepared was excellent, the two families who came over were extremely fun to visit with and we were very blessed to get to share food and fellowship with two great families from our community.

    It was so fun to get to know each other better. The younger family has two little girls (two years and one month) so I got to spoil the eldest while grandma got to hold the smallest. It was really fun to have little ones in our home once again.

    Yep, we sure could have put our feet up in the recliner, snacked on whatever and watched the ‘ol idiot box until we drug ourselves to bed. But instead for just a little time invested in cleaning and cooking, we enjoyed an evening of laughter and conversation. Our hospitality blessed the two families, and their presence blessed us greatly. Oh ya, beside a very enjoyable, yet simple meal, Miss Deb presented a homemade strawberry-rhubarb pie. A bucket of vanilla ice cream made that delicious pie even better!

    You see my friends, not only is hospitality mentioned in the Bible, but it is also a great blessing for those involved in it. We find the word “hospitality” in Romans 12:13; 1 Timothy 5:10; and Hebrews 13:3. The Hebrews passage states, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” The two little girls who came to our home last evening were sure enough angels!

    May I encourage you, invite others into your home. For very little effort, you can receive a great blessing. I guarantee you, hospitality is a way better use of your time than watching another Hall Mark type movie that you already know how it will end. Make a pot of soup and invite someone to share it with you, that’s hospitality. After all, you might even get to entertain angels while you spend the evening laughing with some folks who will soon be considered dear friends!

    Practicing hospitality with you, Neal

  • Refocus!

    March 1, 2026

    30 degrees at 4 a.m., moving up to 54 before the day is over. It doesn’t look like very much sunshine today though.

    Thursday found Miss Deb and I in Casper, back to Lusk to meet with my young men’s group. Friday and Saturday we were in Rapid City. Hopefully we will get to spend a couple of days at home. I’m really looking forward to attending worship at our home church today!

    With all that is going on in our world, it will be good to fellowship with other Christ-followers. To pray, sing and hear from God’s holy word. You see, when the world around us is unraveling, it is extremely important to spend some time in the presence of All-Mighty God! Time to be reminded that He is in control, and that the circumstances of life are unfolding in a way that does not surprise God.

    I can’t say for you, but for me, I’m so grateful that the God of the Bible is still active in the affairs of humanity today. Not only is He involved in our lives today, but He will also be there again tomorrow, and the days after that. As we begin a new month, and as there so many new events within our lives, it a great blessing to know that the One who has held time from the beginning, continues to hold every bit of today’s events within those same powerful hands.

    Lest we forget, may I remind each of us that God never has, no will He ever be required to ask mankind for permission to act. God is, and God does according to His sovereign will. And here is another absolute: God has a plan and a purpose, yet He has chosen to work through different people at different times to accomplish that purpose.

    Sometimes God uses bad people to correct the lives of His children, other times God uses a good person to correct the lives of evil people. Read 1 & 2 Kings. You will soon recognize the previous statement is true. Whom God uses when for what purpose is not up to us, but up to God Himself!

    With perfect wisdom and absolute justice, God the Father accomplishes that which He determines! We humans think that we know how to meter justice, yet we can only do so in accordance with circumstances while enacting that which we think to be just. Today, just like the times at the end of the book of Judges, we find the Bible correctly stating our circumstances when it declares, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.”

    May we at least admit that we each see the world events of the past and of today, from our “own eyes.” However, it seems to me that a problem often arises when I see life events only from my “own eyes.” When we no longer see life events through the eyes of Scripture, and as such, through the eyes of God, then we a quite like do not fully understanding how all of the events fit together in a way that is completely correct.

    You see my friends, when we begin to see life events through the eyes of our personal political eyes only, we quickly open ourselves up to only personal beliefs and limited understanding. In another words, the truth is as I see it. To me, that is a very dangerous place to take a stand. When the big “I” is in charge, and the big “you” is in charge, we open ourselves up to personal opinion, usually colored by our enemy (Ephesians 6:10-18). Instead, we need to keep our eyes fixed up on the author and the perfecter of faith, the Lord Jeus Christ.

    So, for me, I go to church today to worship, to pray, to receive a lesson in biblical truth, to fellowship and to refocus my mind and life upon allowing God to be GOD! And to accept that He is the GOD of the world in which I live, at the time in which I live. In today’s language, “God’s got this.”

    Is this the beginning of the end, yes – today moves me one day closer toward my earthly end; and then eternity in the presence of God the Father! What a day of rejoicing that will be! So, why not use today for some of that rejoicing? Rejoicing that all of this is temporary, and then there will be the eternal.

    Rejoicing that God is in control with you, Neal

  • “Nice hat!”

    February 27, 2026

    Another beautiful windy day in Wyoming. A strong WNW wind will wear on people and critters alike on this beautiful 61 degree day. Maybe a person should wear a cap instead of the Stetson today?

    Growing up in ranch country, I soon realized that a western hat was the head covering of choice. Though some wore a cap from time-to-time (most often a scotch cap in the winter) a hat was the most common way to keep the sun from baking a feller’s brain bucket.

    Man, have I been blessed to see some awesome hats over my years. Grease and sweat soaked. Manure and dirt stained. Rainwater streaked. Those were some fine-looking hats! The brim had a certain droop to it. No, you can’t buy a beautiful hat like that at the local store, but you can make one after years of living life on a ranch.

    It wasn’t at all unusual to see a blood stain showing off on a feller’s hat. Sometimes the blood was from a critter – earned during a branding or hunting experience – and sometimes the blood was from that man’s own carcass! When such a stain was found on a hat, there was for sure a story worth listening to tied to that stain.

    Last summer I was blessed to preach at a country church in our home county. One day a young feller around 12 years-of-age walked into the building, wearing a hat that had seen some miles. The brim had just the right amount of droop to it, the sweat band was dark and dirty, the crown had dents and dings in it; it was truly a fine-looking sombrero.

    I walked over to the young feller who was proudly wearing the grand Stetson and asked him, “Did you inherit that hat, or did you earn it?” He softly, yet firmly replied, “I earned it.” Meaning that it wasn’t a pass-me-down from his pappy or one of his big brothers, this young man had put every stain on that hat all of his own accord. I gave the young lad a fist-bump, a big smile and told him that I truly admired him and his hat, but in church, a man takes his hat off in respect of the good Lord. He smiled and tucked his hat under his arm. Every time I have seen that young man sense, he has shared a big smile, a fist-bump and a good conversation.

    You see my friends, an old, stained cowboy hat has a story to tell of a life being lived with plenty of hard work, adventure and even some danger. You can tell a lot about a man, or boy, who wears such a grand head covering.

    Last evening, I met with a group of young men who all wear such a hat for Christ. These hats look a tad bit different, but are also stained by blood, sweat, rain and hard work. But the stains have a different origin. The blood is from Jesus, not a critter. The sweat is from hours of study, prayer and obedience. The rain is from the Holy Spirit pouring down upon these young men. And the stains of hard work on these hats is the result of years of living by the motto that it is better to give than to receive. You see my friend, these young men each wear a hat that looks somewhat like a halo.

    No, these young men are not saints. they are just men who love Jesus, and love people. They serve, they give and they care, each one in his own way and in his own special environment.

    So, what does your Christian hat look like? Is it stained with the blood of Jesus and years of sweat and hard work for His glory? Or is your hat pretty, clean and in perfect shape, looking just like it did the first day you put it on? Oh, and one last question. If I was to walk up to you on Sunday morning and ask you, “Did you inherit that hat or did you earn it?” what would be your answer?

    In 1 Peter 5:4 Peter is speaking specifically to elders in the church, but I think he is also speaking to all of us as Christ-followers. Here Peter tells us that we are to prove ourselves to “be examples to the flock.” For such a person, Peter states, “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.” But until that time occurs, we have work to do. The kind of spiritual hard work that will leave a stain on your go-to-church Stetson. So, wear it with a smile and the kindness that blesses those around you, while it brings glory to God!

    Trading a Stetson for a crown with you, Neal

  • The sword of God!

    February 25, 2026

    With only three days left in February, it looks as if all but the last one could be a tad tough. Strong winds today and tomorrow, with some snow today that will definitely come sideways. The temperature will be decent each day but will feel much cooler because of the wind. However, thank you Lord for some moisture and for Your protection!

    Yesterday, I spent four hours on the road with a friend. Looked at some horses, ate a good lunch and had a great visit with a man from Harrison, Nebraska, who owns a tack shop there. And what a tack shop. Jarold and his son are both leather workers who seem to be able to make, or repair anything made out of leather. He has every kind of bit a feller could ever want, along with lots of things he has braided. His son is also making some beautiful knives. If you need anything for a horse, from hoof care to another saddle, they have it there.

    As we visited, we soon were talking spiritual matters, and what a great visit we did have. As we were talking about the present spiritual condition of America, along with how God is about to make some serious changes to that landscape, we then turned to Scripture. As we talked, I mentioned the verses about spiritual warfare found in Ephesians 6:10-20, we started thinking about the last half of verse 17, “and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

    Open your Bible to Matthew 26:52. In verse 51, Peter has just cut off the ear of “the slave of the high priest.” Then in v.52, Jesus looks at Peter and says, “put your sord back into its place; for all those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.”

    Now, put those two verses together and you have the “sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; and “those who take up the sword shall perish by the sword.”(NASB) Many versions use the word “die” instead of the word “perish,” both words meaning the same thing.

    So, chew on this one, if a person lives by the Bible (the sword of the Spirit), then that person will most likely die by that same sword. Charlie Kirk soon came to our minds and then we talked about the book “Fox’s Book of Martyrs.” From there we traveled to talking about how the disciples died as well. And from there, we talked of how there seems to be more and more hatred coming out against those who stand on biblical truth.

    Yesterday, there was a “street side preacher” attacked by a Muslim Malita in England. A scene that is repeated several times over around our world each day. In the U.S., we have national politicians and television programs consistently telling us that “Christians” are a threat to everyone’s American freedoms. It would appear that for those who choose to “live by the sword of Scripture,” the possibility of dying by the sword (because of the sword) becomes more real each day.

    As we three men, all from different age groups, prepared to continue on with our day; we agreed that each of us will one day die, why not die for the one thing that really matters, proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

    Yesterday, my young friend and I stopped to look at an amazing tack shop; we left challenged about living by the sword! With that, I shook the hand of a new friend and commented, “I hope to see you soon, either here, there or in the air.” It was a grand day!

    Living by the sword with you, Neal

  • First step.

    February 24, 2026

    Good morning friend! It’s a chinook! Webster defines chinook as, “a warm wind that descends the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains.” When I put ‘ol Coffee out the door at 4 a.m., most of the snow is gone and it is 45 degrees! True, the wind is matching that temp, and both are to rise as the day goes on: a high of 55 with 52 mph wind gusts. And of course, I’m headed to a horse sale with a friend, pulling a trailer. As is often said about Wyoming weather, if you don’t like this weather, hang on, it will soon change. As of this morning, the weather man is talking about 1-3 inches of snow tomorrow with 55 mph wind gusts. By golly, that will grab everyone’s attention!

    A while back I mentioned that when I was a short-legged feller I was often sent to a neighbor’s place to help with cattle chores. When I first started traveling to other ranches, I was allowed to ride one of our gentler horses, not because the ‘ol horse needed more miles, but because there would be wire gates between the two ranches; usually there would be several wire gates to maneuver.

    You see, when your 7-8 years of age, most five-wire gates are a real problem. You folks with a ranch background understand that a gate was usually the place a batch of ‘ol cows would work hard on hoping to get to a different pasture. As such, most gates were impossible for a little feller to open because they had to be kept stretched tight.

    But I had to go through 3-6 of them to get to my destination, so I had to figure out how to get a gate opened and closed. I remember that my first journey was to a ranch off to the north of us about 7 miles, and I had about twice that many gates to go through.

    Early in the morning, dad helped me tack my horse, gave me directions of how to angle back and forth to find the gates and sent me off with the words, “be careful, behave, and be back here before dark, and just like that I was riding off into no man’s land. Oh, and by the way, I didn’t have a cell phone in my hip pocket in case I had trouble either.

    As I rode off, I heard dad start the pickup. I rode a half mile north of our house and there sat dad in the pickup. My first thought was that he was going to drive to the same place I was to ride. That would be great, I wouldn’t be alone in the middle of nowhere, and he could open the gates.

    I rode up to the first gate; dad met me there. I waited for him to open the gate and let me through but instead he said, “Shake out a small loop.” I was highly confused, I didn’t see anything that needed roped, but I also knew better than to argue with dad. He then instructed me, “Now, wrap your rope around the saddle horn a half wrap, then get off your horse and put your loop over the gate stick(it was located on the end of the gate that would open), hold on tight to the tail end of your rope and ask your horse to take a step back.

    Just like that, we had opened the first gate. After I led my horse through the gate, I just had to reverse the process. Wow, I had just opened my first gate all by myself! As I climbed up the leg of my horse and got back in the driver’s seat, dad mentioned that I only had a dozen more to open and close, so I had better get to moving. I used that method for several more years before I got big enough, and stout enough, to open a gate on my own.

    You see friends, my dad didn’t remove the obstacle, he just taught me how to deal with it. Our Heavenly Father does the same with us. The Bible is full of information that helps us deal with the daily obstacles of life, and our Heavenly Father semes to give us ample opportunities to learn how to use His information. We usually call such opportunities, “problems.” Yet as with most problems, they are just opportunities to learn.

    Each time a problem arises, we learn how to use what we have, and how to trust God to help us deal with what we don’t have. Take the disciples for example. You remember the story well; In Matthew 14, Jesus and a multitude of people have just finished a revival meeting on a hillside. The Bible tells us that there were “about five thousand men…, besides women and children” present and it was “getting late.” The problem was that as far as the disciples could tell the caterer hadn’t arrived in time for the evening meal.

    Because supper was going to be a problem for so many people, the disciple’s human reasoning suggested that Jesus “send the crowds away” to find their own food. Instead, Jesus asked those first disciples the same question He asks us when we have a problem. Jesus responded with, “They do not need to go away; you give them something to eat!”

    Those first disciples, just like us of today, used human reasoning to solve the problem instead of trusting Jesus to give them direction. And much like He does in our lives today, Jesus told the disciples to use what they had.

    My response, “Well Lord, I don’t reckon the granola bar that is turning mushy in my pocket is going to feed very many folks.” And at that moment, Jesus smiles. You know the rest of the biblical account, Jesus takes a little boy’s lunch and multiplies it to feed everyone present. There are even leftovers!

    However, we dare not get so mesmerized by the event that we forget the process; you know, like learning how to open a gate. Jesus looked at five loaves and two fish and then He prayed (v.19). You see my friends, when a problem arises, our first step ought to be to pray, and then work.

    I hope that everyone of us has watched Jesus turn an impossibility into an opportunity! That which is impossible for man, is possible for God; we just need to begin with prayer. So, today as Thomas and I head west with one horse in a trailer, the first thing we will do is pray. Before we turn a wheel, we will pray.

    How about your day? I’m trusting that before today is over, our Lord will give each of us an opportunity to see Him at work in and through our life. Or you can depend upon your ability and try to deal with the problem all by yourself, to which I respond, “Good luck!”

    As for these two cowboys, we are going to pray first and then strangle a steering wheel for the next four hours.

    Praying first with you, Neal

  • “And lo, I am with you always.”

    February 23, 2026

    Good morning! I put Coffee out the door at 5 a.m. and noticed the air didn’t bite me anything like it had the last couple of days. As I looked at today’s weather, I noticed that it is 17 above right now, headed for 36 with 15-30 mph winds.

    A while back I wrote about a collie dog we had when I was a kid. Her name was Blondie and she was the first dog I ever had. We were good buds; if I was outside, she was right beside me. Not only was she really good help with the cattle and sheep, but she hated rattle snakes just as much as I did.

    When I was old enough to rope and hold a fifty-pound calf, we would scatter the hay for the cows and their three- or four-day-old calves. I would walk through the cows and rope any calf dad pointed out as one we needed to doctor. The moment I would rope a calf, Blondie would be right there, bighting the momma cow if she was wanting to trounce the guy holding the rope, me. That old dog was always quickly at my side anytime I needed help or protection.

    Thinking back about Blondie, caused me to smile about how the Holy Spirit is that same provider and protecter today. Any time we need someone to give us wisdom about a situation, the Spirit is there. It seems to me that we probably have no idea of how many times the Holy Spirit has protected us from a serious accident or some other kind of harm.

    When God promises to provide all that we need, He really means it. Through the working of His Holy Spirit, we have a constant companion who not only is a best friend but is also there anytime we have a need. Thank you Spirit for protecting each of us from that ‘ol rattlesnake, Satan.

    At the end of a long day, I remember many times that Blondie and I would find us a sunny spot, or shade in the summer, and have us a bit of a nap. She would lie down and look at me with an invitation in her eyes. So, then I would lie down with her, using her softly haired body as my pillow. In the winter when it was really cold on the hay wagon, Blondie would lay down on my feet and help me stay half-way warm.

    Today, the Holy Spirit loves the times that we lie down together and just enjoy each other’s company. For me, each morning begins with a visit with the Holy Spirit before I ever get out of bed. I guess that is something else Blondie taught me to do way before I began to walk with Jesus. Blondie always slept beside my bed. Each morning, I would wake to her setting beside my bed with her head on the edge of the bed. waiting for me to wake up for our morning visit. It is such a blessing to wake knowing that the Holy Spirit is right there, waiting for our morning visit. Of course, now there is usually a red and. white face looking at me as well – Coffee dog also enjoys our “good morning.”

    So, may I encourage you to start each day by visiting with the Holy Spirit before you ever get out of bed. For when you start with the Spirit, you better realize that He is right there with you all the rest of the day! It is also a good idea to end each day with a short visit with Him as well. My evening visits are always short; perhaps it is the peace of the Holy Spirit that causes me to fall asleep within minutes after turning the light off?

    Anyway, as a Christ follower, the Spirit of the Living God is right there with you at all times. I encourage you to get well acquainted with Him. After all, He really is man’s best friend!

    Enjoying another day with Him and you, Neal

  • Give it away!

    February 22, 2026

    Good morning. The thermometer rest at 0 at 3:30 a.m. 37degrees and cloudy with a tad bit of breeze today. But hang on to your hat, temps for this next week are in the high range and so is the wind! The prediction is for 30+ wind speed most days, and 60+ on Wednesday.

    Though I’m tired of physical wind, I look forward to the Holy Spirit blowing thorough churches around the world this very day. You know, like the “mighty, rushing wind” on the day of Pentecost. Blow Spirit blow. Fill each of us with Your presence, Your peace and Your power so that those around us will know that You are here, working in and through our lives this very day!

    As you prepare to put on your Sunday best and head for church this morning, may I encourage each of us to put on our “Sunday best” attitude as well. May we go to church filled with anticipation of our Heavenly Father speaking His truth into our life this very day. Stop and pray that God will use your pastor’s message as a special message for your life. At the end of the service, be sure to thank both God and pastor for building into your life.

    Perhaps we should be going to church with a special excitement about the opportunities the Holy Spirit will give each of us. Opportunities to encourage and assist those around us. It might be a short-legged person, or maybe even an elderly one, that God uses to allow you the opportunity to serve someone else. Someone around you today needs a hug, a smile and/or a word of encouragement. Because each of God’s children possess the joy of the Lord, could it be that He expects us to infect someone else with that same joy this very day?

    If someone shares a prayer request with you, push the “pause” button. Step away from the hurry and worry of this world and pray with that person right there. Remember, Jesus said that His Father’s house was to be “a house of prayer.”

    I’m willing to bet that no one needs to hear grumblings about the weather, or politics; yet everyone needs to hear of God’s amazing grace. They need to experience God’s arms holding them tight, especially if they feel like their world is unraveling. You see my friend, the amazing thing is that the Spirit of the Living God wants to use you to be a blessing in the life of others, TODAY!

    So, put on your go-to-town clothes, grab your Bible and head to church full of the anticipation of being the hands of Jesus. Invite someone new to sit with you, have lunch with you, or to “blow” over to your house this week for coffee and cookies. Do what you can to pass along that which God has blessed you with. The amazing thing is that when we give away a smile and a kind word, we get more than we give. This day, we can each allow someone else to see, hear and feel the love that our Heavenly Father has shared with us!

    Living by giving with you, Neal

  • Live it!

    February 21, 2026

    Yesterday started below zero, today we are already at 5 above zero, headed for 31 with plenty of sunshine to melt some snow.

    As I sit here typing early in the morning, the world is under the canopy of darkness outside. Yet with great anticipation, I look forward to the sunrise that will soon bring light and warmth to this cold, dark world. When the sun begins to rise, which direction will I look to see the sky come alive with the first beam of light? I don’t know about at your house, but around here, we will all look to the East! 🙂

    I constantly marvel that every person alive, will look to the east to see a sunrise. On this ‘ol ball of dirt, God has deigned the sun to always rise in the east and set in the west, the cycle of a day. Though North has always been the primary direction for navigation, the flow of life travels east to west. You see, it seems to me that we are born in the east, while our life ends in the west.

    Hopefully, we are all aware that this world cannot exist without sunshine. On the day that the sun is blotted out, all life will cease to exist. So, as you rise this morning and look toward the east, realize that your Heavenly Father has given you another day in which to live life. But will you, though you are alive to read this note, and though God has given you another day of life, will you really live? Or will you just exist for another day? Remember my favorite saying, “Attitude determines altitude.” Rise up and live!

    I’m sure you already know this little fact, but when a person’s body is buried, their head is to the west and their feet are to the east with the body on its back, so that when Jesus returns to call the body from the grave, the deceased will stand up out of the grave facing east, toward Jesus.

    Not only does our sun rise in the east, but our Savior shall return in the east as well. When you get a good grasp on this, you will forever celebrate the light that rises in the east! At a very young age, I was taught that when the first beams of light start to shine in the east, it means that “she’s coming alive!” Though I didn’t realize it at the time, my Uncle Clayton was attempting to teach me the marvel of seeing a sunrise, and that I should live the new day full of opportunities.

    So, if you get to see the sunrise this morning, celebrate that God has given you another day to live, not just exist. Find something special to do today by opening your heart as you open His word. As the Spirit of the Living God speaks to you through the Bible, allow it to bring new life into your soul. Allow the word of God to light up your most inner being, flooding across all of your life. Remember, Jesus has told us, “Let your light shine so that others will see your good works and glorify your Father who is in Heaven.”

    Today, let the Son shine within you, so that He can shine through you. And if you do that, your life will be lived in such a way that others will get a glimpse of God’s amazing grace. Such a promise should cause us to want to live a resurrection life, this side of the grave! Enjoy the sunrise as you celebrate the risen Son!

    Looking forward to another sunrise with you, Neal

    Photo by Mohamed B. on Pexels.com

  • “A Pendulum swings like a pendulum do…”

    February 20, 2026

    Boo! It’s -6 degrees outside at 3 a.m. Today’s high is to be 28, with partial sun. Tomorrow is above freezing with full sun, good-by snow.

    Last night I did a zoom meeting with seven of the young men I meet with each Thursday, one guy needed to attend a family gathering, which I’m in full support of. These eight young guys range from contractors, feedlot managers, ranchers, to seminary students. A couple are married with children, others are not. It sounds like we may be gaining a couple more men next week.

    During last night’s gathering I asked about what kind of dad they had. Two of the seven had good dads that were involved in their lives, the rest did not. Sadly, those statistics are very normal for boys and young men in America today. For so many of these young fellows, dad was either absent or uninvolved.

    We talked of how a pendulum that is at 9 o’clock, will swing all the way over to 3 o’clock when it is released. That pendulum will not automatically find center at 6 o’clock. In fact, when the pendulum is released at 9 o’clock it will swing back and forth several times before it will find center and rest at a new balance.

    Manhood in America sat at 9 o’clock for several centuries. Most men of old were somewhat or totally bullies. Demanding, hitting, cussing and living life primarily for self. In the mid-1900’s culture released the pendulum from a male-controlled culture at 9 o’clock, thinking that it would immediately find it’s center at 6 o’clock, it did not. No, instead it naturally swung over to the other extreme of 3 o’clock!

    As such, we now live in a female-controlled society. Just turn on your television set and watch most any program you wish. You will soon discover that on television, women are now the head of all vital governmental agencies, hospitals, police stations, and most importantly, homes. Since the recent Winter Olympics, I have seen commercial after commercial portraying the winning attitude of female athletes, and not once have I seen a male portrayed in the same setting. I will confess, I probably just missed that commercial, but miss it I did.

    For years, young men have grown up under the motto, “Anything a man can do, a woman can do better.” Is it any wonder that we have so many male-born boys, who now think it to be better to be a female? And don’t get me started on making television programs and movies about drag queens as the popular decision for a male.

    Loved ones, sixty years ago, we turned the pendulum loose from 9 o’clock in an attempt to get away from a male-controlled society, a move that I was in agreement with. But our method was bad! We have now created a counter cultural catastrophe. We didn’t fix a problem; we created a disaster.

    I am so blessed to meet with eight young men who want to be loving, caring, gentle, compassionate; yet they also want to be the man God created them to be! The ones who are married are very good husbands and dads. Every one of these men, including the old guy who gets to lead the group, have great friendships with ladies. But each one of us fully realizes that our Heavenly Father created us male for a purpose during the time in which we live. That purpose was not to constantly be portrayed as dumb and wrong.

    When asked “Why so few of you are married?” The answer was, “It’s almost impossible to find a young lady who loves God and is grateful that He created her as a female.” What have we done to our culture of young men and women? No, I am not saying that every young person has to get married and have a family. In fact, I am saying that in its present condition, our culture is probably better off if they don’t get married. The problem is, they are still having children, for the most part, confused children.

    Well, I must get on with the day. I’m quite sure that I have angered some with this writing, and that is fine. But be angry enough to get involved in the process of helping this great nation find a proper balance in raising godly young ladies and men. In my opinion, we are not there yet, though there are several glimmers of light within many churches and homes. Yes, I agree, “a movement starts with one.” Perhaps we need to be busy at producing and reproducing that one, instead of shooting them?

    Praying for America with you, Neal

  • “It’s crazy out there!”

    February 19, 2026

    Well it’s winter out there. At 4 a.m. the temp is 6 degrees, climbing clear up to 12 for a high. The snow will continue most of the morning. With close to six inches on the ground right now, this will be our biggest snow fall so far this winter. It looks like the wind will come up with the sun and the low tonight will be in the negative category. By this time next week, it should all be in the ground as moisture!

    It seems the best way to bring some snow to Wyoming is for ranchers to start calving. Boy, I remember many sleepless nights and days with these spring storms. When the wind gets to screaming and moving piles of snow, it is really tough on baby cows. Yet, without the snow, we would likely not have green grass for those babies to grow on. As with most difficulties, God will use it for good.

    I think the year was 1968. I was a sophomore in high school at the time. The ground had been white all winter long and we were in the second day of snowing and blowing. It must have been about this time of the year; we were lambing heavily, with the heifers just starting to calve. We had a couple of brood mares looking like they were getting close as well.

    The ranch I grew up on sat on what one would call level ground. There weren’t any big hills close to our home place, and the blowing snow could travel for miles to end up around our barns. Speaking of barns, we had one for sheep, a small one for cattle and one for horses. We definitely didn’t have enough barn space for the “storm” that was about to hit us!

    Like I mentioned earlier, the ewes were dropping babies right and left. The lambing shed was crammed full of babies and their mommas, so we were now filling the horse barn with ewes and new lambs. As soon as the lambs were two days old, they were big enough to stand outside in the shelter of the barn, we hoped.

    Maybe, I should mention that the county road south of our house had been blown full of snow for most of the winter. With the storm that was upon us, there was no way that any of us were going anywhere, not even to school.

    After lambing all night, I went into the house to get some dry clothes on. Dad asked, “What’s it look like?” I responded, “It’s crazy out there!” A little warmth, dry clothes, wet ones hung by the wood stove that dad had going full bore, and back outside we went to do the usual morning chores. The heifers were hugged up next to the barn where we milked. As I walked through them, sure enough, one of them was starting to calve.

    We put the milk cows in the barn; dad and mom started milking, while I walked the calving heifer into the opposite end of that barn. Some straw on the frozen ground and leave her be for a bit. I joined the milking crew. After separating the cream, I fed the bucket calves, and the folks took the cream to the house before it froze.

    The temperature was well below freezing, with a 30ish mph wind, it was really cold outside. I went and checked on the heifer, she was now a momma and attempting to get her new arrival up for some warm milk.

    A quick walk through the ewes, two new sets of twins. Dad and I gathered the cold babies and their mothers, walked them to the horse barn and got them separated and settled. I took some hay to the mares piled up around the outside of the barn. The old buckskin mare was starting to foal. When a mare is foaling, it is best to leave her alone, so I threw some extra hay around her and dad and I headed for the house, we were in serious need of some warm!

    More dry pants and socks, a quick breakfast and back outside. Patty, the mare, had her baby on the ground, so we scooped him up and led her into the barn that was half full of sheep. Now when most mares have a baby, they become extremely defensive of that little one, Patty was no exception. We knew that if she got out of her stall, she would kill every sheep in sight, so we double tied the gate that would hopefully keep her away for the intruders in her barn.

    Back to the lambing lot, more lambs. Looked at the heifers, more calving. And by the way, another brood mare was getting started with bringing her baby into the frozen tundra! Now this was way before the day of having corral panels around a place, so we had to use ropes and tarps to build pens for the ewes and their new babies. The heifer went in where we had just milked and the mare was led to the same barn where we had put a plank partition across the middle. Hopefully the calf wouldn’t get too close to the mare after she foaled???

    This pattern of kayos would continue throughout the day. We even had ewes and their lambs in the chicken house before the day was done. Yet, at the end of the day, we had two new beautiful foals, four calves and a couple dozen new lambs. Needless to say, dad and I didn’t sleep much that night as the blizzard continued throughout the night.

    Though I did not recognize it at that stage of my life, I now look back and say, “Thank You Lord!” Though it was very difficult, we weathered the storm. The same can be said for our lives today. No matter how difficult things get, God will help us weather any storm He allows to come into our lives. You see, even if we had lost every new lamb, calf and colt, we would have still survived by His amazing grace.

    This life is full of difficulties, often one upon another. Yet God’s grace is always sufficient for whatever He allows to come our way. So, for today in Lusk, Wyoming, travel will be restricted, and there will be plenty of snow to move, but by His grace, we will weather this storm as well.

    2 Corinthians 12:9a, “And He has said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.’”

    Enjoying God’s amazing grace with you, Neal