From the Home Place

December 6, 2025

We are at 32 degrees, headed for 43, with wind, snow and maybe rain later. You go WYO!

Last night and today, Miss Deb and I are at a Trade Fair with a some of her embroidery items. If the name of this event was made up of biblical words, we would attempt to understand the words in an effort to understand how it works. “Trade Fair” – Trade means you and I trade, barter, or exchange items; none of which takes place at the Trade Fair, everything is for sale. Fair would indicate that we trade or exchange things in a “fair” – equally beneficial – method. I can’t say much of that happens either. Yet, I think something close to this is might have taken place last night.

Miss Deb makes these really cute little bear critters. They are super soft and just the right size for little hands to hold. Well, there is one short-legged feller who has completely captured my ‘ol ticker. He is so cute, and busy. He and I walked around the exhibit building several times looking at all of the pictures of critters. He knew most all of them including “buff-lo, elk, moose, deer, cow, horse, bear, pig, goat and a picture of a cowboy riding a bull was a “buck.” Yep, he is ranch-raised and offered to “shoot” the wildlife as we went by with his pointed index finger. He took a real likin’ to his little bear.

One other bear was given by Miss Deb to a super cute little girl that we have known since she was a baby. Just a tad over a yearling, her blond curls and beautiful blue eyes captivate everyone she stops to visit with. Needless to say, when she stopped by Miss Deb’s booth, a pink bear jumped into her arms as well! She unzipped her pink coat, revealing a vest, right where she wanted Miss Bear to ride. After giving Miss Deb a big, beautiful smile, she and Grandma continued their shopping adventure.

So, you see, there are some things that end up being traded at a Trade Fair after all; we both traded a stuffed bear for a smile and a few minutes of jabber from a little one. You might say we traded a small toy for a big joy!

Isn’t that exactly what our Savior has done for us. We have absolutely nothing to offer Him, other than a smile and a meaningful “I love You,” or a “Thank You!” Otherwise, we absolutely beggarly poor. Look at Matthew 5:3, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” When we come to Jesus, we are spiritually poorer than the poorest beggar. We are absolutely bankrupt in that we have nothing to offer to Jesus for our salvation. Our riches, our stature in society, our dynamic personality, our kindness, all fall terribly short of being able to trade what we have for the salvation that He has for us.

Yet, by His amazing grace, He kindly looks at us, smiles and offers a salvation that no other can offer. A salvation that exchanges the hell we deserve for an opportunity to live with Him at His place. All Jesus asks in exchange, is a confession of my guilt and a need of the gift He offers.

With each little one last night, Miss Deb and I both asked the little one, “Do you want a bear?” Jesus asks, “Do you want salvation?” When we tell Him that we have nothing to trade for such a glorious gift, He then freely gives. He gives us an opportunity to walk with Him for the rest of our days on this ‘ol ball of dirt and then on into eternity. We receive a gift, a true treasure, that brings a big smile to our face. We give self to gain a Savior. WOW! what a trade!

Enjoying a “fair trade” with you, Neal

December 5, 2025

Good morning all. A beautiful 32 degrees at daylight! When the sun gets up, she will add six more degrees to the ‘ol thermometer for today’s high.

Yesterday was kind of a rough day around here. Coffee, our Border collie, ate something she shouldn’t have and is going crazy at both ends. Miss Deb has been running in circles getting products ready for a Christmas Bazaar here in Lusk this weekend and now she has a bum leg that is hurting her. So, as Deb took herself to the doctor, I took Coffee to the vet. Both of them are now on drugs and hopefully improving.

The vet said that Coffee has a case of “garbage gut.” She ate something that she should have left alone, so now she’s on four meds in an effort to get her lined out and back to normal, hopefully soon. Coffee’s tendency to eat things that she shouldn’t reminds me of my tendency to see or say things that I shouldn’t. The reality is, we are all prone to sin.

Why is it that sin is so easy and obedience is so very difficult? Well, the Apostle Paul would say that my flesh (my sin tendency) is my enemy, while the Holy Spirit is my ally. The issue is that I’m accustomed to satisfying my sinful nature, while I have to work at following the lead of the Holy Spirit. Simply stated, I am spiritually lazy. I would rather do that which comes easy: things like judging, criticizing, and gossiping. Rather than listening to the Holy Spirit and not judging others for the methods I use to judge them will be the method used to judge me. Not criticizing but instead building up others. Not gossiping but instead speaking truthfully in all situations. See, I told you, walking by the Spirit is hard work.

The truth is, walking by the flesh has always been an automatic part of my life, while I am still learning how to walk by the Spirit. Each of us will always be a spiritual toddler here on earth. At this point I have to go back to the old Indian chief who stated, “Inside of every person is two dogs, a black dog and a white dog; which one is the strongest? The one you feed the most often.” You see the real problem is that I am way too much like my dog Coffee, I too tend to be a “garbage gut,” when it comes to what I feed on.

On the days that my first food is the word of God, it seems to be easier to walk with Him through the rest of the day. But, on the days that I hit the floor-a-running, my flesh tends to be boss. In Colossians 3:1 we read, “Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.” So, now we have to truthfully answer the question, “What do I spend most of my time “seeking?” The simple truth, that which I seek most is that which I find most. If I spend my day seeking the riches of this world, my flesh is happy, for a season. However, if I spend my day “seeking the things above,” then I am blessed as I walk with the Holy Spirit, finding eternal happiness.

Summary, I get to decide which dog I feed the most. Will I eat the food that is good for me, or will I too be a “garbage gut” and feel sickly? Oh, by the way, you have the to make the same choice as I do.

Choosing to stay away from the garbage, Neal

December 4, 2025

I don’t know about you, but it sure enough feels like full blown winter to me. Eight degrees at 4:30 this morning, the ‘ol furnace can’t seem to take a breath, he’s constantly running.

The other day, I and some other fellers sorted and penned a little over a hundred head of bulls. Working with them in the alley, there was only one yearling that thought he should snort at some of the boys. He took a fair run at a group of them, sending each of them for cover. Meanwhile, I was standing up the alley some thirty feet, when he turned and headed my direction at a full run!

I stepped over by the fence and gave him plenty of room to get buy. The boss of the operation kind of scolded me for not climbing out of the alley when Mr. Bull went charging by. I could tell by looking at the little feller, he was way more afraid than he was mad. Sometimes pen-raised bulls get squirrely when all of a sudden, they are in situation where they find themselves all alone, not that much different than people.

People can be easily frightened when they find themselves in a stressful situation all by themselves. Alone and afraid is usually not a very good situation to be in. I figure that is why God told Joshua, the now lone leader of Israel, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go.”

The word “tremble,” used here in the New American Standard Translation, littrely means to be “terrified”. That was the look in that little bulls eyes the other day, he was terrified. I have seen that look in the eyes of humans as well, and just like the young bull, that kind of fear is usually read by others as anger. Which by the way, unless something or someone brings calm into the situation, anger is the very next step in this progression. That is why God told Joshua, “I am with you.”

In Joshua 1:9 we find a second important word, “dismayed.” This is a stronger word, meaning “terror.” Terror is a fear so deep seated that it takes the heart out of a person and causes extreme anxiety and fear. Terror is usually the understanding that a person is in extreme danger and a realization of eminent death! And once again, God reminds Joshua that all is well because God is with him. That little bull wasn’t taking a run at folks because he was wanting to hurt someone, no, he was afraid that someone was going to hurt him.

In Matthew 28:20, Jesus reminded His disciples as well of His constant presence with them. Why, because He knew that they were going to find themselves in situations when fear would take a run at them as well. The remedy for those first disciples, and for us today, is to realize that no matter the threat, Jesus is with us.

So, what has you stirred up today? What are you afraid of? Remember, if you don’t deal with the fear, it will most likely turn into anger, and you too will most likely take a run at someone. So, before you get to that level, stop, breath, fix your eyes upon Jesus, and calm down. He’s right there with you, His words, not mine.

Just like those first disciples, and just like Joshua, we can also be “strong and courageous” when we know that Jesus is with us! Remember, “trust and obey, for there is no other way.” It is truly amazing how Jesus can calm any storm, after we trust Him. You will recall that Peter trusted Jesus when Peter was sinking in fear, and the next scene of that story is Jesus in the boat with His disciples, bringing calm to the storm. I figure He can still do the same for us today!

Realizing the presence of God and the peace of God with you, Neal

December 3, 2025

The weather man says it is 28 degrees right now, the high will be around 29 with a stiff north/west wind. That puts the wind chill around 17 degrees for a high, much fun!

Yesterday, I spent my day working a bull sale for a neighbor. The bulls looked really nice, the crowd was large, and the sale was hot, inside the barn that is. It was just plain cold for most of the day outside though. With a stiff wind, lots of clouds, and a day of sorting bulls, it turned out to be a rather large day. Every now and then I was able to duck behind a barn or a windbreak to get out of the chilling wind. I was very grateful for those moments of refuge.

Psalm 34:8 states, “O taste and see the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! Here the psalmist invites us to “taste and see the Lord is good.” To “taste” literally means to “savor,” carrying the idea of really enjoying said taste. It’s like making a pot of your favorite homemade soup and having a “taste” after mixing and warming all of the ingredients. In tasting your soup you take a spoon full, let it sit a moment while tasting to allow all of the flavors to fill your mouth. That’s the idea here in Psalm 34, to “taste” is to allow all that “the Lord” is fill you with the same anticipation of a great meal that the taste of soup does, no more ingredients, now just someone to enjoy it with!

Like your finished soup, the taste of the Lord reveals that He “is good.” All of the ingredients are present at just the right proportion to make a really good pot of soup, and an exceptionally “good” Lord! But here’s the kicker, the soup is made even better on a cold day. So, now look at verse 6, “The poor man cried, and the Lord heard him And saved him out of all his troubles.” To walk with the Lord through a difficult day is like enjoying a bowl of delicious soup on a cold day, both just make you feel better.

The latter portion of Psalm 34:8 tells us that to we are blessed when we take “refuge in Him.” The word “refuge” means to find shelter from adverse conditions. Like yesterday, the wind and the cold were tough to deal with, so that quick duck behind a windbreak provided that momentary shelter. However here in Psalm 34 we are led to believe that to take “refuge” in the Lord is not for just a moment, but for all of the storms of life.

You see, today is even colder and winder than yesterday was. Today’s refuge is going to feel even better than yesterday’s shelter did. Why? Because the storm is worse today than it was yesterday. Once again, I say that the worse the storm of life is, the more enjoyable it is take shelter in the Lord. Knowing that He is going to protect you in the middle of any storm, brings an incredible peace to the Christ-follower.

It’s like finishing that hot bowl (or two), of your homemade soup, you’re warm and satisfied as you melt into your chair. That is the picture the psalmist is painting for us, a person so satisfied in the Lord that we just melt into a comfortable place.

When I got home yesterday afternoon, it felt really good to just sit in my favorite chair for a bit. Thanking the Lord for safety and strength during yesterday’s busy day. And now, I think I’ll sit with the Lord for just a bit longer before going out into today’s cold and windy weather.

Enjoying our “good” Lord with you, Neal

December 2, 2025

Will you look at that, it’s 23 degrees at 4:30 a.m.! With that as a starting point, we just might reach the predicted 41 for a high. The ‘ol bones will enjoy some warm.

Yesterday morning, my dear friend Jowell was able to harvest a cow elk. What a blessing! We then spent the rest of the day and much of the night processing the beautiful gift of meat. Man, you talk about a long, hard day, but by God’s amazing grace Jowell will head back to South Dakota with meat for his family. Praise you Lord!

In my mind, any time I’m allowed to help someone put meat in their freezer, it is a gift of God’s provision. Not only did He provide us with the energy to survive a BIG walk in the pursuit, He also provided a beautiful elk at the end of that walk. Then our Heavenly Father provided us with the ability, the energy and the equipment to get the meat ready to be a blessing to a beautiful young family! God is an amazing provider.

Without God’s grace gifts of provision, we would all be sunk. Just put yourself in a hospital bed with a serious injury or illness and see how many things you get done on your own. Friend, if this day God provides you with ability and the energy, He has something that He wants to help you accomplish; praise Him for it and get to work!

We tend to think of all of the things we “have to do today.” Yet without God’s provision of energy, time and intelligence, we are in serious trouble. All through the Bible people have known God as “the One who provides.” Perhaps we would do well to stop our business trying to make a living and just praise God that we are living and that He is constantly providing for our needs! Praise Him for His provision, for His protection, for His power working within and through us, and then praise God for His peace throughout our days on earth, and Hi peace for all of eternity!

Praising our Provider with you, Neal

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

November 28, 2025

The weather man is talking about being in the 40’s today, we’ll take it.

Well, if you hosted Thanksgiving dinner yesterday, today you start dealing with leftovers. That can range from a sandwich or two, to trying to figure out what to do with a refrigerator stuffed to the top with leftovers.

The problem with leftovers is that there usually isn’t enough of any one item to serve all of the relatives who are still at your house. You have a bit of ham, some turkey and stuffing, enough potatoes, green bean casserole, and sweet potatoes so that everyone can have some, but not everyone have the same thing. And then there’s that turkey carcass that looks like the buzzards have been picking at it. It’s probably in the refrigerator in the garage, along with all of the pickles, olives and celery sticks. Oh ya, down in the bottom tray of the fridge is still some of your homemade dinner rolls that everyone fussed over how good they “were.”

In the garage fridge, is portions of most of the desserts you spent hours and a small fortune on, along with some stuff you aren’t quite sure “what that is.” Yep, today, we all get to eat leftovers. But you know, I like being able to pick and choose as I wish, make a sandwich and sit by myself somewhere quiet to enjoy my leftovers. The problem is, that this same meal may need to be repeated for the next two or three days. Or we put in freezer bags and find it again next year, just in time to throw it all out and start over.

You see the problem with leftovers is that they usually are just that, left over. Not as good as the original, but still good enough. And that my friends, is how God feels when we serve Him our leftovers. You know, that couple of dollars that are left over after you have spent the rest of your paycheck getting ready for Thanksgiving. The time you have left over after you have worked all week, gone shopping or played golf all day Saturday, if there is an hour left, you give that to God, wishing you were still in bed!

We American Christians are extremely good at giving God what is left-over, but we sure hope He always gives us the best He has to offer, especially when we have a “serious” need. To make any relationship real, we must spend time with someone. That seems to be the number one thing we just never have “enough of” to spend with God.

He gives us twenty-fours each and every day, but we are so busy that we can only find a few minutes here or there to visit with Him. We have so many things that “I just have to get done today” that we can’t sacrifice any time for devotions right now, maybe I’ll have a few minutes later = leftovers!

What ever happened to giving God our “first fruits” instead of what we have left over, if anything at all? Just chew on it for a minute, how much time do I spend watching TV, but no time for God? How much of my finances do I spend on personal wants, but I don’t have enough to give a proper tithe to God? How often is my schedule so full of things “I want to do” that I don’t have time to serve His kingdom?

Loved ones, Thanksgiving marks the beginning of a long “holiday season.” May we each end our year with a resolution that we are going to treat God like our honored guest around our place this season. We will give Him the time it takes to develop a deeper friendship with Him. We will give Him the tithe that we want to give instead of the left-over scrapings. We will invite Him to walk with us through this busy time of the year. We will not allow other things, events and even people to interrupt this space in our walk with our Heavenly Father!

May we each give our Lord and Savior the best that we have to offer first, and then perhaps we will notice that there is plenty left over for everyone and everything else!

Getting rid of leftovers with you, Neal

November 27, 2025

Good morning all! We are at 21, headed for 40 today. The gentle breeze shouldn’t blow anyone off the road today. I suppose the roads will be busy today with travelers, so stay safe out there please.

Miss Deb and I are at home today. We bought a small turkey breast to put in the smoker for lunch, and I have a brisket in the smoker for supper with a friend coming by around that time. Looks like it just me and my two girls for the most of this day!

Thanksgiving always brings John 3:16 to mind, “For God so loved the world that He gave.” Remember: “You can give without loving, but you cannot love without giving.” All by God’s design, and example. Our loving Heavenly Father has given us the greatest example of true love that anyone could ever give. Because God’s nature is to show genuine love, He is a giver.

Stop and think about it: God has given you breath, the primary sign of life. Back in the 70’s I served as an EMT on our local ambulance crew. Every bit of education I received for that task taught me that if a person is found unconscious, the first thing I was to do was to check to see if that person was breathing. Why? Because breathing is a sign of life.

When a baby is born, what is the first thing the doctor looks for as soon as the baby is born, is that little one breathing! And then there is the Genesis 2 account of how God created Adam with the exact form God wanted him to have, but then God breathed “the breath of life” into Adam’s lungs and we read that he became a “living being.” Without breath, there is no life. So stop all of your Thanksgiving hurriedness and thank God that He has helped your body to breathe today!

Then ask Him what He wants you to do with your breathing body. I’m betting that the answer from God will sound quite simple, “Love!” All our Heavenly Father asks us to do with the breath that He has given us, is to love Him and those He brings into our path today.

It stands to reason, if God gives out of love, He should expect His children to do the same. So, give that hug, give that food, give your time, give your breath out of a heart filled with love. And not the same love that you “love” food with. No, the love that God gives is a sacrificial love, so we are to give the same kind of love. We are to give to others because He has first given to us. Really, all we are doing is passing along that which we have received. We are the conduit through which God sends His love into all of the world.

Note, God gave the best He had to give to you – His Son! That’s the kind of love that we are to give as well. We are to give everything and everyone that is precious to us as a love-gift to others. We are so blessed that our children and grandchildren will all be eating a meal somewhere else, with someone else, yet their love is crowded around our table!

So today, if you are blessed to be at a table with your loved ones, may I suggest that everyone stop all of the business and take a moment to just breathe, praising God for the simplest of human functions, that which is the primary measure of life, breathing His love to others. Also, thank God for giving His best! Then enjoy all of the gifts of love who are seated around your table. Oh ya, then all of you who are together can also enjoy the food on your table. And we all know out there somewhere someone will say something like, “I’m so full that I can hardly breathe.”

Enjoy this special day with the special people gathered with you, and Miss Deb, Coffee and I will do the same; each grateful that He allows us to breathe for one more day of Thanks for Giving!

Breathing with you, Neal