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  • Granny!

    February 2, 2026

    At 5 a.m. the thermometer shows 38 degrees, looking for a high of 50 later in the day.

    This day is looking for another busy day around here. Miss Deb has a meeting at the grade school this morning and then her ladies Bible study this afternoon. For me, I’m going to attempt to make some jerky out of a little bit of elk meat that a friend gave us.

    After asking the Holy Spirit to guide my mind to that which He wishes to visit with us about this morning, I soon recalled February of 1964. We were just getting started lambing and I spent the night in the old sheep wagon we always parked by the lambing lot. On the weekends, I took the night watch so dad could get some much-needed rest. Though we were just a few days into the lambing season, the ‘ol girls were shelling them out in front of a storm front that was due to arrive the next day.

    Well, the weather man was partially correct, it was a severe spring storm as predicted, but it came about eight hours earlier than expected. This meant that instead of getting to deal with lambing in the daylight, along with a severe blizzard, I was getting to enjoy the experience in the dark.

    The sheep wagon had the usual very small wood stove in it that at best would burn about an hour. I don’t know if you have ever seen a sheep wagon or not, but they are not overly comfortable on a blowing, snowing night. The old wagons had 0 insulation in them, so they tended to be more like living in a walk-in cooler when the temperature dipped.

    I spent the night putting another stick of wood in the stove and then running outside to carry any newborns into the shed and getting them situated with their momma. Here in arises another problem; If you have ever been part of lambing you know that ewes tend to “granny” newborn lambs. That is, when one ewe gives birth to lambs, her female friends will quite often attempt to claim those lambs as theirs.

    Picture a boy of 10 years, wearing all the clothes I could find, in an effort to stay somewhat warm, walking through two-hundred head of ewes, looking for the one or two who have lambed within the last few minutes. It’s snowing and blowing so hard that I can’t hardly see, and the wind keep blowing the oil lantern out. When that happens, I have to go back to the sheep wagon, relight the lantern and then return to the blizzard looking for lambs.

    Cuddling the lantern in an effort to keep the wind from blowing it out, but not so close that it burns my coat, I found a set of twins, shivering in the snow. And just my luck, there are three ewes attempting to claim the two lambs. As such, I have to check the back side of each ewe, looking for the one who is the real mother. Around and around we go, with a flickering lantern, my face frozen with snow, my fingers frozen carrying two wet lambs who are like ice cubes themselves.

    We finally made our way through the rest of the herd, moving slow enough that the momma can keep her nose on one of the lambs. By the time we got to the lambing shed, the lantern had long gone out again, and I had three ewes cramming their way through the door to take care of the babies.

    Well anyway, after relighting the lantern, I put the lambs into a little pen along with their momma and one of the granny ewes. I figured the extra ewe could help lick and warm up one of the babies. She did, I would return her back to the outside pen in a bit. After checking all of the deliveries from earlier that evening, I returned to the shelter of my ice-cold sheep wagon.

    As usual, the fire had consumed the last stick of wood, and I had to start over in my quest to find some kind of warmth before I had to go back outside. It worked, the fire was finally putting out some warmth, so there I sat snuggling the stove, maybe giving it more warm than it was giving me, but we were happily getting to know each other better when I realized – it was once again time to go back outside and check for more newborns.

    This was the glorious life of a ten-year-old boy living on a ranch that raised both cattle and sheep. When I think of ten-year-olds today, I tend to think of them sitting in a nice warm house playing video games, never giving any thought of being outside in the blizzard. My, how times have changed.

    But you see loved ones, getting to lamb in a blizzard with a “maybe” light, while living in a refrigerator for warmth, all to save a baby lamb from freezing; is probably what gives me a strong desire to help those who cannot help themselves today.

    So, let’s spend our last moments together today talking about the “granny” ewes. Though they were a total pain when I was needing to get lambs to shelter, the ‘ol girls were helpful in the effort to get newborns up and going. Shucks, I remember several “grannies” in my life as well. Ladies like Marie, Edna, Maud, Donna and Lolly were not my mother, but they each took a special interest in getting me up and going.

    Way back when our children were born; most baby showers were held after the baby was born. One reason being that there was no ultrasound to announce the gender of the baby, so unless you wanted your baby boy to get dresses at the shower, you had to wait until the doctor announced the gender. But I think the main reason that baby showers used to take place after the birth of the baby was so that all of the “grannies” could have an opportunity to cuddle the little one, giving the baby a better chance to get up and going.

    Remember the phrase, “It take a community to raise a child?” Well, that’s how life used to be from the time the baby came home to the time they left for college or got married. Way back when, there were always plenty of “grannies” to help the little ones grow up and get ready to go.

    Yet not all is lost. Yesterday, I stood in our church building and watched a whole lot of “granny” activity taking place. Every little one who came to church received plenty of extra attention and care from the rest of the ladies present, and quite often a cookie as well. Yep, the “grannies” are still active, helping the little ones to realize that there is plenty of extra love available for as long as it is needed.

    I close with one simple statement, “Go granny, go!”

    Praising God for today’s grannies with you, Neal

  • All together now!

    February 1, 2026

    At 3:15 this morning, it is 21 degrees, headed for 53 for a high. Bad weather sure won’t be an excuse for anyone to miss church today!

    Yesterday, Miss Deb and I were blessed to get to have lunch and then play cards with my niece and her husband, and a couple who have been a blessing to me for most of my life. My family and friends may be just a tad bit crazy, but that helps them to get along with me.

    My oldest sister Lolly’s husband John used to run a sheep shearing crew many years back. Jimmy was one of the men who worked on that crew. When I was a youngster, I started by tying fleece for these guys. I can still hear the hum of four shearing machines running all at the same time. I can smell the stench of sheep enclosed inside of a building, each waiting for their turn to get their annual haircut.

    I can see the sweat running off the end of the shearer’s noses as they pushed hard to attempt to shear their one-hundred head of sheep each, each day. Which meant that I would need to tie several hundred fleece of wool each day that I worked with this group of men.

    For the most part, they were young men, in the prime of their life. Full of energy and mischievousness. These guys were constantly pulling pranks on each other. Yet, in spite of the constant teasing and the competition to see who could shear the most sheep each day, they were a band of brothers. A brotherhood that would last for the rest of their years.

    I have been blessed to work with many different crews of men throughout my years. There is just something about a group of men who labor together to accomplish a job. Whether that be in the military or in every-day work, a band of brothers working for a common goal is great to be a part of.

    Yet today, for a variety of reasons, the brotherhood seems to be lost among most men, and women. We have become such individuals, doing our own thing, that many today do not know what it is like to play a part in a group of people accomplishing something together.

    Over my years in the pastorate, I’ve noticed the same kind of struggle within many churches. People may draw together to “worship” together, but it is very difficult to get them to “work” together. It doesn’t matter if it’s a church workday, a special event or a Sunday, it seems that the same small group of people do the majority of the work within and through the local church.

    It has been proven over and over again that 20% of the people do 80% of the work and also give 80% of the finances to keep the church operating. Why is that? I mean if 100 people call this place their church home, shouldn’t 100 people consistently show up work, give and worship together?

    I would suggest the answer lies in understanding a brotherhood, or sisterhood of if you prefer. For so many years, Satan has worked hard to convince people that their faith is a “private” faith. Yes, your salvation is your individual story, but from a biblical point of view, the moment you are born-again, you become a part of a much larger body of believers. A large group that is to have the common purpose of seeing others come to Jesus for salvation, and service.

    A group that is to worship and work together to advance the kingdom of God. And there we may have just found the error. Read your Bible. Seldom does an individual accomplish great things for God, all by themself. Even Jesus had His band of brothers, we call them “the disciples.” This group of twelve men accomplished much, under the direction of Jesus. He taught these men, and us, that Christians are to be interdependent instead of independent.

    May I suggest that we, the American church, need to get back to a brotherhood working, praying, giving, laughing and crying together to advance God’s life-changing work! For too long we have individually worked to do “my” part to build “my” church, instead of banding together to advance His church.

    Remember these words of the Apostle Paul: We are to “encourage one another,” “build up one another,” “spur one another on to good works,” and “love one another.” It is extremely difficult to practice any of the “one anthers” of the Bible if my primary focus in upon the three stooges of my life – “me, myself and I.” Biblical faith needs to get back to being part of a brotherhood!

    So, don’t just take yourself or even your family to church today, go there to be reminded that you are a vital part of a larger group. After all, “all of us together can accomplish much more that any of us alone.” God has called you to salvation not just so you can get to heaven, but so that you can be part of a brotherhood advancing His kingdom!

    Celebrating the brotherhood with you, Neal

  • Do it on purpose!

    January 31, 2026

    It’s 18 degrees at 4 a.m. reaching for 52 this afternoon. That should soak a bunch of this snow into the ground, a beautiful gift from God.

    With the snow and ice on roads this last week, there have been too many multi-car pile ups. It usually begins with one car going out of control, running into another vehicle and the two into others, and then others into others, until there are many cars piled up in one massive wreck! That’s how time goes by as well.

    It is amazing how the seconds turn into minutes, minutes into hours, hours into days, days into weeks, weeks into months, months into years, and years into a life lived. Here we are looking at the end of another month, the first month of another year.

    Yesterday morning, Miss Deb and I were visiting about her Bible study concerning the end of time. Though neither of us fully understand every detail, we both understand enough of the biblical information to know that there will be a time when time will end.

    We humans are rather strange critters. Each of us tends to live as if the Bible isn’t really true, in that we live as if time is going to march on forever. We even live our earthy existence like it will go on forever, but it won’t. Every one of us has a limited amount of time, which goes by way too quickly. This is what we call the cycle of life.

    As I wrote yesterday’s article, I thought of the men, and women, who have had significant impact upon my life. Those people whom I once called friends, yet they are no longer involved in my life on a regular basis. Some have passed, some are still alive, but most live in another place, at another time. We were once very close, but now seldom have contact with one another, yet they have left a positive impact upon my life.

    I remember many people from when I was a small child. Their cycle of life has been completed, yet the impact of their life upon my life is being lived out. As I live my life, some of their impact upon my life is now impacting the lives of those I live among, until my cycle of life is completed. It is impossible to know how much of that which those past friends of mine will have impact upon future generations, but there will undoubtably be some lasting impact.

    As such, today, I encourage each of us to live our lives for the long-lasting impact they will have upon not only today’s generation, but also upon future generations. You see my friends, we do not have to be alive, walking on this ‘ol ball of dirt to have a positive impact upon several generations still before us.

    With all of that being said, today does matter. In fact, if we leave a positive impact upon the life of another this day, we could quite possible “live on” for quite some time through their life. And that my friends, is the impact of a life lived on purpose! God has given us one opportunity to string seconds into years, so every second counts. After all, it usually only takes a few seconds to impact another life; either positively or negatively, our choice.

    Let’s take our little analogy a little further: A word becomes words, words become a sentence, a sentence becomes a conversation, conversations become impactful statements upon another life. Perhaps we should choose our words wisely? I know I sure could improve in this department!

    So, with all of this, I wish to encourage each of us to be mindful that we each have only a few seconds, and only a few words, to leave a generational impact upon someone else. May we each choose our words carefully, investing our seconds into the future, by leaving a positive thumb print upon the life of those around us.

    Living forward with you, Neal

    Psalm 100: 5 – “For the Lord is good: His mercy is everlasting. And His truth endures to all generations.”

  • “Build up one another”

    “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you are also doing.” (1 Thess. 5:11)

    January 30, 2026

    Five a.m. and it’s 30 degrees, reaching up to 36 for a high. We had snow most of the day yesterday, and we are supposed to get more today. It would appear that January is going out like a lion.

    Last night I had the privilege of visiting with five young men, all under the age of 30 from 4 different states that all have ties in Wyoming. We plan to meet weekly to study about what it means to be male and what it looks like to be a man of God. I consider it an immense privilege to visit with these young men about topics they are each wrestling with. As the Bible states, “Iron sharpens Iron.”

    One of the five young men has a group of older gentlemen that he meets with on a weekly basis. I asked him to share what that “men’s breakfast” group means to him; I could see the yearning in each of the other guys. I have heard it said that “masculinity is endowed,” and I believe it to be so. As such, we need to give our young men the opportunity to be around older men!

    As a young boy, adulthood, and on into adulthood, I was very blessed to have many older men who took me on as a part of their life mission. You see, back then, ranchers neighbored, to the point that I worked with other men almost as often than I worked with my dad.

    Men like George, Orman, Eldon, Clayton, Jim, Bebe, Jimmy and several others built into my life on a regular basis. They shared their wisdom on working cattle, breaking horses, fixing fences, pulling wells and doctoring sick critters. More importantly they taught me the value of fighting for a woman, and to never fight over a woman. They each worked at developing my work ethic, my character and my view of humanity, but more importantly they helped me figure out me. These men taught me how to read both animals and humans. They each contributed into my life, and for that, I will forever be grateful.

    All of these men except one, no longer walk this ‘ol ball of dirt, so now it is my turn to build into the lives of young men. A job that I cannot accomplish alone. They each need older men to set a clear track for these young fellers to follow.

    You see my friends, I strongly believe that none of us live our lives for ourselves. We have been placed here for those around us. It doesn’t matter whether we are male or female, there are those around us who would be blessed if we were to consistently build into their lives.

    Ladies, I am of the opinion that each of you possess skills that young ladies would love to learn. You each have wisdom about being a woman in general, and more specifically about being a woman of God. If you have experience of how to be a good wife, a mom and all of the other hats you wear, there is quite likely a young lady, or group thereof, who would be blessed to have you build into their lives.

    As older adults, we each have talents and wisdom to share with the younger folks around us. You see, it takes no special abilities to be able to talk with someone else about the valuable lessons you have learned about life, especially a spiritual life. There are young people in your community, in your church, who need who you are.

    May I challenge you? We each receive the same twenty-fours each day, we get to choose how we spend those hours. Will we waste time, or will we use time? Do you want to do more with the life you have left? If so, then use some of it to influence those younger than yourself.

    I’m of the opinion that one of the major reasons our nation is in the condition that it is in, is because older people have quit building into the lives of others. Let’s face it, if you are over 50, you have seen more sunrises than you will ever see sunsets. Why not use the days that you have left to leave your thumb print upon the life of a younger adult? After all, building into the life of a younger adult is much better than nagging at the older person you live with, or those around you.

    Come on friends, one of the things we can still do is help someone build a life worth living!

    Building into others with you, Neal

  • “Not welcome!”

    January 29, 2026

    Good morning. Here in Lusk, Wyoming at 5 a.m. we have 28 degrees, west wind and snow falling. Things should clear up in a bit and get close to 42 for a high.

    Yesterday’s ride was great fun. Though it was cloudy and cool all day, we had an easy ride. The horses all behaved well, the cattle gathered quickly and hit a steady walk back to their new pasture. I had a great morning of listening and getting to know three gentlemen better. God is good!

    With the country getting ready for the Super Bowl, most of our community is headed for the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, South Dakota, this weekend. When you live in cattle country, most everyone is excited to go spend a day or two at the Stock Show. The problem is, it is snowing right now, with measurable snow coming tomorrow. As such, Miss Deb and I will probably choose to not get out on slick roads.

    I suppose our choice is a byproduct of old age? Winter safety is considerably more important right now than it has ever been before. We seem to be more concerned about slick sidewalks and streets when walking; snow packed roads are also a no-no.

    I remember a day when I was not so cautious about traveling on bad roads: When Miss Deb was two months away from delivering our second child, we gathered our little girl, Christmas presents, warm clothes and headed out on the 33-mile trip to the home place. We were living in Guernsey at that time and had decided to go out to the ranch to spend Christmas Eve with my family.

    The last 12 miles of our trip would be gravel road that would be blown full of snow. When we got to that point, I chained up our 2-wheel drive pickup and said, “Well, here we go!” There were a couple of times that I had to get out and exercise my muscles by shoveling through snow drifts, but we finally made it.

    All of my siblings were there, and I happily carried our little girl, and Miss Deb grabbed my arm as we plowed our way to the house. As we trudged through the snow, we could see the dim light on the porch. Anticipating a warm welcome, along with warm fellowship we finally made it to the door. As I opened the door, my dad greeted us with these words. “You get back in that pickup and get out of here! I’m not having my grandchild delivered here!”

    Well, so much for the warm welcome. It didn’t take very long to determine that we were not welcome. And here in is the application for today: I fear that there is going to be a lot of people who get excited about going “home” for eternity, only to be greeted with the message of “you are not welcome here.”

    Look at Matthew 7:22-23, “Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles? And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”‘” You see, these folks knew that they had done so many great works in the name of Jesus that their entrance to heaven was guaranteed, yet Jesus did not receive them.

    There appears to be two reasons that Jesus refused entrance to heaven: 1) They did not have a personal relationship with Jesus and 2) Though the claimed the name of Jesus, they still practiced “lawlessness.”

    To us, Jesus declares, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father but through Me.” If you want to go to heaven, you MUST have a relationship with Jesus now. Secondly, the name of Jesus carries great power, regardless of who uses it. But if the user continues to habitually sin against God, they will be rejected upon the judgment day.

    Walking with Jesus is supposed to change the way we walk and talk, along with how we treat those around us. As Christ followers we are to be notably different from the non-Christians around us. For sure, none of us will ever live a perfect life here on this earth. Perhaps that should be a constant reminder that each day we need to depend upon the Holy Spirit to get most things correct, and that we also need to daily confess our sins to our Heavenly Father. Praising Him for the cleansing blood of Jesus!

    You see my friend, God does not grade on a curve; “For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We ALL need to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, the Savior; not just good works done in His name. Remember, we are saved for “good works,” not by them. (Eph. 2:8-10)

    Cling to Jesus, confess your sins and continue to do that which He calls you to do, for His glory. In such a manner, we shall be welcomed into His presence when we make our trip back home.

    Traveling through this thing called life with you, Neal

  • Be Specific!

    January 28, 2026

    It’s 18 degrees at 4 a.m., looking at 42 for a high. The wind will be right at 10 mph out of the WNW.

    Sometimes we have to be specific about what we ask for. Today I get to climb aboard a friends ‘ol steed and move cattle! Last Monday, I made mention to a group of ranchers that I sure would enjoy getting to help with cattle work, and this young rancher quickly asked if I wanted to help move his cows on Wednesday. I accepted!

    Then after I arrived back home and took a breath of air, I realized that it isn’t going to be overly warm today. But I asked for a chance to help with cattle and here it is.

    I remember a time in my young ministry when a dear lady in our church had suffered a severe stroke. It was really a serious deal. One of her best friends said that she was going to pray for the stroke victim to get to come home soon. God answered her prayer. The stroke victim laid in a coma in a local facility for the next two years before the Lord called her home. It would have most likely been better if we would of prayed for God’s purpose to have been completed for our ill friend.

    In Matthew 6:9 we find the “model prayer” that Jesus gave His disciples and us. Please note that Jesus instructed His disciples to pray to “Our Father who is in heaven.” It appears that Jesus was very specific that we are not to pray to “our Father,” but to “Our Father who is in heaven.”

    Why? Because Satan is known as the “father of lies,” John 8:44. Could it be that when we start our prayers with the word “father,” that Satan could possibly rob those prayers for himself? Perhaps that is why Jesus tells us to pray specifically to “Our Father who is in heaven?”

    Also note, in the rest of the model prayer of Matthew 6, Jesus never uses the words “like” or “just” or “kind of.” Jesus is very specific in the words He used to teach us how to pray. Perhaps we too should be specific?

    One last point, when we pray, it would probably be wise to yield our desires to the statement found in verse 10, “Your will be done.” When I pray during my quiet moments with our Father who is in heaven, I yield my requests to His purpose with a phrase something like this, “and Heavenly Father, if you have a plan that is different from the ones I have mentioned, let’s go with your plan.” Why? Because God’s ways are always higher than my ways and His plans are always much better than mine.

    Yep, it’s going to be a tad chilly sitting on a horse all day. Perhaps I should have requested one with a heater, but I’m still really excited to get to spend some time looking at the north end of a south bound cow, from the back of a horse! Remember, be specific when you ask God for things, especially when asking “our Father who is in heaven” for things that will affect the lives of those around you.

    Praying specifically with you, Neal

  • Blessing or Burden?

    January 27, 2026

    At 3:30 this morning the temperature is 17 degrees above. Right now, there is no wind and it seems as if Mother Nature is at peace, yet my spirit is in turmoil.

    Yesterday I was blessed to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with two hundred plus folks at a well-respected man’s funeral. Though I have been allowed to speak to larger crowds, yesterday’s gather still weighs heaven on my heart. Miss Deb and I have been so welcomed into this community, and we have been given a vast number of opportunities to show and share the love of Jesus with different folks. I must say, “We love living in the Lusk area!”

    Yet today my spirit is feeling the tension of “is there something else I should have said, or perhaps that thing I should not have said at yesterday’s gathering?” In years past I have felt this same angst on different occasions, but today, my spirit is burdened for the folks of this community. Yesterday, as I looked at an auditorium filled with dear souls, I was close to tears. Tears not only for a beautiful family having to bid their patriarch farewell, but a gathering of good folks where so many may be so far from Jesus.

    I had asked the Holy Spirit of God to speak through me yesterday, but on that day, I believe He gave me the burden He carries each day for those who do not know Jesus yet. You see friends, as Christ-followers, we ache for those who are far away from Jesus. However, the pain I feel this morning, and I’m quite sure the pain the Holy Spirit feels for those who do not know Jesus, is far beyond just the normal concern for the lost. Today’s pain that of a burden.

    When the Spirit of God woke me at 3:15 a.m. today, He laid a mantel upon me that feels heavy and restless. I believe it to be the mantel of feeling a little bit of what Jesus felt when He went to the cross for me, and for you, and for all others who still have not turned to Him for salvation! Is it that He is impressing me with the fact that time is getting short? Is it that He is impressing me with the fact that my time is getting short? I haven’t the answer to either question. However, I do know that Almighty God Himself has allotted each of us a set number of days to live this life, and once again yesterday’s events drove that reality home to me.

    By God’s amazing grace, I have been blessed to live a good life. That same grace joined my life to that of my beautiful wife, our children, grandchildren and now great-grandchildren. But most importantly, God’s amazing grace has called most of our crew to salvation in Christ Jesus!

    He has given Miss Deb and I so many awesome friendships all around this country. Yesterday, I was blessed to have a brief visit with a young lady that I used to dance with when she was just a little girl. I was allowed to visit with a young man whose grandfather I knew well back when. As such, I was able to get caught up on his family’s lives, what a fun time. And yes, there was a time that I enjoyed a dance with his mother when she was still a young lady.

    Oh, the amazing blessings God sends to us each day! Yet with those blessings, also comes the burden of walking with His Spirit through a world far from Jesus. Perhaps what I am sensing today is that there is not much distance between the two emotions of blessing and burden. Today, it feels as if those two walk so closely together that it’s impossible to realize one without the other.

    So today, I praise God for the blessings of the life He has given, yet I also feel the burden of not yet fulfilling HIs calling upon my life. If this day, you realize His calling upon your life, may I encourage each of us to “let our light so shine” that others will be drawn to the light of Jesus Christ!

    Carrying the blessings and the burden with you, Neal

  • The purpose of the storm!

    January 26, 2026

    It was well below zero when we went to bed last night, and now it is 4 above at 5 a.m. This is to be one of those days that the temperature and the wind speed match, both pushing 40.

    For the last two days I have shared with you about a storm we went through back in ’63. It was a tough one, but this country has seen worse. The best thing about that storm was that when it finally broke, we had a batch of warm air trail in behind it, melting much of the snow, giving the ‘ol girls a dry plain to lay down once again.

    Yesterday, I was blessed to get to preach at a neighboring church here in Lusk. During the message I spoke of how we all go through tough times in our lives. Usually, when a friend or a family member is walking through a storm, our natural reaction is to attempt to rescue that person from some of the pain. Yet years ago, the Holy Spirit taught me that too often we folks with our good intentions often get in His way of using trials to bring about needed changes within the lives of His people.

    It is good to come alongside of folks who are in a storm, but those folks need the real Savior, someone none of us can ever be. We can be their friend, their prayer partner, even one to share wisdom with them, but we should be very careful when it comes to giving advice, for His ways are much higher than our ways.

    Remember when Peter tried to walk on water? It wasn’t on a bright sunshiny day that Peter walked toward Jesus, it was during a raging storm. God allows storms to brew up in our lives so that we too will, by faith walk toward Jesus. Note, Jesus rescued Pete after Peter shouted, “Lord, save me!” Matthew 14:30; Then in verse 31 we read, “immediately Jesus stretched our His hand and took hold of him.” You see my friends, Jesus came to His disciples during the storm, not during the calm.

    It seems to me that we too often attempt to be the rescuer when others we care about are in the middle of a storm, but there is really only one Savior and none of us are Him! Usually when someone is in a storm, they ask the question of “Why?” “Why is this happening?” “Why is God doing this to me?” “Why, why, why?” Instead, we need to ask the question “What?” “God, what are You trying to teach me about Yourself or myself during this storm?

    Just as I can look back at the storm of ’63 and see God’s hand in it, He wants to use all storm to help us see Him as our Savior during the storm. When that really happens, we should be like those first disciples after Jesus calmed the storm, they worshiped Him. And we are to do the same.

    No, I am not saying that God is the engineer of every storm that comes into our lives, Satan often has a hand in causing a storm to hit. But I am saying that God can use those storms to help us realize our need of a Savior.

    If you have never come to the point of life where you said, “Lord, save me!” then don’t be surprised if there is a storm brewing on the horizon of your life. Just remember, every storm gives us the opportunity to look for the hand of Jesus, or to get mad and fight our way through the storm. Only one of those options provides peace and security, it’s your choice.

    Learning from the storms of life with you, Neal

  • Thawing out!

    January 25, 2026

    At 5 a.m. the thermometer reads a solid 0 degrees. The forecast calls for a wee bit of warm-up during the day, and serious cold tonight. Yet as I look at the forecast for next week, it should warm up nicely.

    To continue with yesterday’s writing: Remember the outside temp was 35-40 degrees below zero with a stiff westerly wind and still snowing. By the time daylight came around, the snow had let up considerably, and the wind had picked up considerably. We didn’t need any news reporter to tell us that it was going to be a really tough day outside.

    We started chores at the first glimpse of daylight. Milk and separate, feed and water, gather all of the wood the wood boxes could hold and then stack extra wood on the porch, just in case dad and I were to get severely stuck and couldn’t get back home for a day! There needed to be enough wood available for mom and my two little sisters to stay warm and to keep the house thawed out.

    After chores, mom feed us guys a good breakfast. There wasn’t much chatter around the table because we knew it was going to be a really difficult day from the moment we stepped outside to whenever we were able to get back home. After breakfast, dad and I used our pocketknives and a hatchet to split some fine shavings of wood to start a fire. Not a fire in the wood stoves, they were both chattering right along keeping the house liveable.

    Because we didn’t have a shop on our little ranch, the pickup sat outside all of the time. With the temps being extremely cold, we would need to warm the oil pan on the pickup before attempting to start it. That meant that we would get a small fire started in a scoop shovel and then slide the fire under the pickup’s oil pan.

    We put some hay bales around the north and the west sides of the pickup, crawled under it, in the snow, and eventually were able to get a fire going in the shovel. The secret was to have enough fire to warm the pickup’s belly without starting it on fire. After 30-40 minutes of inhaling smoke and constantly stoking the fire with little pieces of wood, dad decided to give the ‘ol gal a try. She started.

    The ‘ol Chevy sounded more like a thrashing machine than a fine-tuned engine for a bit, but she finally got things lined out and idled nicely. While the pickup was warming up, I went and saddled a horse and dad put extra sacks of cotton cake in the pickup, along with an old quilt mom had made. With a bit of jerky from the freezer, a candy bar and a “Good luck” from mom, we headed out.

    We had loaded the pickup with 40 little round bales of hay the night before, so we were set to try to start feeding. By now the wind was out of the north/west at around 35 mph, and guess what direction we had to travel, yep, north/west!

    Dad drove the pickup and I rode the horse, usually it was a 30-minute drive to the north pasture, on this day it took about two hours to get there with having to shovel through snow drift after snow drift. While dad would shovel, I would get in the pickup and thaw our for a few minutes, then I would shovel and he would thaw. The horse was incase we got so stuck that we had to abandon the pickup, we could ride the horse back home double.

    We finally made it to the north pasture; I rode to the windmill and checked water as dad scattered hay and cake. We would then go to the field that was half-way back home, put on another load of hay and go feed the heifers, and then another load for the bulls and saddle horses. I left my horse on the south side of that haystack while we fed the last two bunches. Man did that heater feel good!

    A job that usually took a couple of hours had taken most of the day. We shoveled our way back home, arriving just in time to carry in a batch more wood into the house and start chores. Close to an hour-and-a-half later, we took off our layers of clothes and sat down to enjoy a meal, happy to be back home with everyone safe and sound. Oh yes, my ‘ol horse deserved a night in the barn with extra hay and grain!

    Here I am 60+ years later and as a born-again believer I look back and see God’s had of provision and protection all over that day. So many things could have gone seriously wrong, but they didn’t. To me, here are some spiritual applications I learned that day: 1) Starting a fire under the pickup so it would start is like asking the Holy Spirit to start a fire in our lives so we can get started every day. We must never forget that Jesus promised “power” when the Holy Spirit is in our lives, Acts 1:8, and some days require more power than others.

    2) Taking a horse along for security was really cold and difficult, but it was worth knowing that we could eventually get back home. Walking with Jesus is also often difficult, but it is worth every moment of struggle, knowing that we will one day get to our heavenly home, safe and secure.

    3) The raging storm was nothing in comparison to the amazing power of God! No matter how difficult our lives might be, the power of God is greater by far. As such, we don’t need to worry and fret about the circumstances of life, we truly can do “all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens us!”

    4) It is always nice to leave the storm outside and to get to enjoy the peace that only a relationship with Jeus Christ can bring. When we were finally back into the house that evening, with our bellies full and our feet warm, my little sisters were no longer “spoiled brats,” they were a blessing. Sometimes it is difficult to deal with certain folks within our lives, but when we look life-threatening danger in the face, even difficult people become pleasurable. Perhaps that’s why God allows those difficult moments to take place?

    So, with today’s cold temps, why not go to church and get warmed up in the presence of the Holy Spirit? Enjoy the folks who are there with you realizing that all relationships have value! And above all, praise God for every blessing you can think of. We truly serve an Amazing God!

    Gratefully praising God with you, Neal

  • The Great Adventure!

    January 24, 2026

    Well, the ‘ol thermometer reads -15 degrees outside. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out it’s plum cold outside with the 5-10 mph breeze out of the west! Miss Deb and I are to meet with a family right at 30 miles to the north-west of us at 1:30 today, hopefully we can get some sunshine and decent roads?

    So that our water didn’t freeze in the house last night, I left the water dripping in our kitchen sink. It sure was nice to see it still dripping when I got up this morning. Here’s a memory for you: the year was 1963, I was 10 years old and had been roused out of bed by my dad. The house was fairly warm because dad had stayed up most of the night keeping the wood stoves fired, as such, I needed to go fetch some more wood.

    As I walked past the kitchen sink in the ‘ol shack I grew up in, I noticed it too was slowly dripping water. That’s where I learned it’s easier to let it drip a bit than it is to defrost frozen pipes. When Jack Frost comes calling, you have to figure out how to keep him from settling in.

    Dad warned, “You had better put on an extra layer, the thermometer reads somewhere between 35 & 40 below zero, and the wind is clipping out of the west. There’s somewhere close to a foot of snow on the ground and plenty of drifts between here and the wood pile, so watch yourself.” There was no need to grumble, I quietly put on every layer of clothes I could find, a wool vest and then my winter chore coat, Scotch cap, gloves and then opened the porch door.

    A blast of extremely cold air captured my breath for a moment, and then I was able to steel it back and take off into the dark abyss. It was still snowing, so there were no stars or moon to show the way. As I rounded the west corner of the house, the wind slapped me in the face, oh that did hurt. As I trudged my way to the wood pile, through several snow drifts equal to my height, I kept waiting to be eaten by a wandering mountain lion. As I neared the wood pile, some kind of critter ran out from under it, yep, I was all warmed up right then and there!

    I dug around through the snow to find enough wood to make a double armload and headed back to the house. Of course my previous tracks were pretty much blown closed, so I had to plow a new path with both arms full of wood.

    I heard that, someone just asked, “How in the world do you get a double armload of wood?” Well, you asked so I’ll tell you how. You begin by digging out all of the wood you will need, beating the snow off of each piece before placing it on the pile of wood to be transported. You then place your left arm out in front of you, and then you start piling wood on that appendage. Then kneeling with your left knee in the snow, you use you right knee and leg as a bench, balancing the rest of the load of wood on your left arm and right leg. When you have put on every stick of wood that you can possibly carry, you push your right arm under the load and attempt to stand erect once again. You ought to try it, it’s really fun in -40degree weather, with wind and fresh snow, in the dark!

    Arriving at the house that felt like it was at least 100 degrees inside, I put the wood into the wood box with a great feeling of accomplishment, only to hear dad say, “Good job, now get a load for mom’s cook stove.” So, back out into the Klondike I went to a different pile of wood to repeat the previous joyous performance. When I arrived at my destination with that batch of wood, mom greeted me with a smile. Thanking me for my help she poured me a fresh cup of coffee and our day was underway.

    I then stripped off my layers of clothes down to my base layer. It would be close to an hour before we had finished breakfast, re-layered clothes and headed back out the door to do chores. It sure was great to “get to” grow up on a Wyoming ranch! (I’ll finish the morning’s events tomorrow.)

    Sometimes, the Christian life can easily resemble this story, I can easily become a rotten routine if we are not careful. You see, if all we are doing is our “job” as we do our morning reading and praying, it doesn’t take too long to get bored, and then we stop all together. But, if we start each morning with prayer, praising our Father for keeping the warm fire of faith going while we slept, then our day will be more of an adventure rather than a chore.

    You see my friends, morning devotions can be a lot like having to carry in another armload of wood. It is hard work, but it sure beats setting around in the cold.

    Praise, pray and prepare, today is going to be an amazing day as we watch our loving Heavenly Father unfold the adventure before us. Oh for sure, the weather is cold and rather nasty outside, and sometimes we feel like we are groping around in the dark, but when we safely finish this day, we will be able to lay our heads down, thanking God for His gracious protection and provision! You see, if we do that which He asks us do for today, we too can see that warm motherly smile and hear the gentle words, “Thank you.” And by the way, your Bible provides layers of warm clothes, so bundle up, it’s cold out there!

    Turning chores into an adventure with you, Neal