From the Home Place

A blog sharing insights, stories, and reflections on life from a Christian perspective.

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  • It’s graduation season!

    May 17, 2026

    Rain last night, snow tomorrow – Thank You Lord Jesus!!!

    Yesterday evening, Miss Deb and I attended the high school graduation party of a little gal we have known for several years. When we first met her, she was just a little girl with a cute smile; very bashful, but friendly. Then came braces and boys, and now she is headed to Oklahoma this next fall to start college as a beautiful young lady! She is pursuing a degree in Ag-Business. She will do well!

    We were invited to five different graduation parties this year, each in a different town, several of them on the same day. Come to think of it, that sounds like the list of funerals to attend when a person gets as old as we are.

    You know how twisted my mind works: It seems to me that when a Christian leaves this ‘ol ball of dirt behind, we ought to have a “graduation party” instead of funeral! I mean, really, when a believer dies it is as if they are walking down the halls of life for a final time, and now they graduate to a far better form of life. To me, that calls for a party.

    I sure enough hope that when my “graduation” day comes, that you can come to the party! Don’t bring a handful of kleenex, bring a heart full of memories, ready to celebrate. Don’t cry, instead laugh and enjoy the company of those still trapped in the here-and-now. Hug my kids and grandkids for me, as you tell them a story of our acquaintance. Please, take good care of Miss Deb, don’t forget about her after the party, O.K.? And above all, get ready for your graduation day!

    As the old saying goes, “None of us leave this world alive.” For unbeliever and believer alike, death is just “passing on” to the next chapter called eternity. Every person who lives upon earth, will also spend eternity either in heaven or in hell. You see, this journey we call life is our one opportunity to get ready for eternity. Where will you spend your eternity?

    Accept Jesus Christ as the One who paid the price for your salvation and spend eternity with Him, and me, in heaven where there will be no more pain, no more struggle, no more loneliness; Or reject Jesus as Savior and spend eternity in a place away from all other living beings; surrounded by extreme heat and pain, along with constant torment by the fact that you made the wrong choice. But it’s your choice. (I pray you will choose wisely.)

    After all, if you commit your life to Jesus, when your “graduation day” comes, we can continue our friendship in that place called heaven. I’ll even introduce you to my new friends – Abraham, Peter, John, Paul, Esther and Joshua just to mention a few! And together, we will bow in the presence of Jesus, our Savior, our Lord, our King!

    Looking forward to graduation with you, Neal

  • Angels all round us!

    May 16, 2026

    Maybe? It is looking like we could get some moisture of Sunday evening and Monday. Sure, some of it may be in the form of snow, but it’s moisture!

    Yesterday was a great day for me, I went branding. In the saddle by 7 in the morning to gather cattle. Branding by 8. I wrestled calves all morning with three great young men from our study group. It was really fun to get to know both of them better, along with meeting many new folks. The Lord was kind and as far as I know. There were no serious wrecks or injuries. It sure is fun to be living back in cattle country!

    As we were gathering cattle, I was blessed to get to visit with one man about the value of growing up on a ranch. Oh, for sure, country kids miss out on a lot of things their town-raised friends get to do, but there are a ton of things that those country kids get to do that helps them to have a firm understanding of life. Take branding for example. This particular activity helps young folks develop good work ethics, to become community minded, to learn to laugh at life, while keeping safe at the workplace. Branding parties teach courtesy, kindness and how to jump into action to help someone who is struggling. Yep, branding parties teach young folks life-long skills.

    These same kinds of skills should be evident within a local body of believers. We should all work hard, with a good attitude as we serve the local church. As Christians, we should have a healthy community mindedness, a willingness to help one another as needed. Also, we should be willing to quickly assist others who find themselves in difficult situations.

    As I write this, it seems like these are all characteristics displayed by Jesus as He walked here on earth. I wonder, was Jesus a country kid at heart? It sure seems like a real possibility.

    Yesterday, I met so many folks that I probably would not have been introduced to in any other way. Let me tell you for sure, it was very enjoyable to get to visit with so many great folks. I’m still telling Miss Deb about this person and that person I was blessed to meet yesterday.

    So, tomorrow when you go to church, don’t just go to attend church. Go to be a part of a community, meet new people, lend a helping hand, watching to see if there is someone there who is new in your community of believers. If that new person shows up, welcome them in by getting to know something special about their life. Perhaps, invite them to sit with you during the service.

    Hebrews 13:2 instructs us, “Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.” Who knows, there just might be an “angel” show up at your church in the morning? May I encourage you to be sure “to show hospitality.” Even if they are not a real angel, they just might become a new friend.

    Looking for earthly angels with you, Neal

  • More than a label!

    May 14, 2026

    Hot and windy – The End!

    So, how’s your ticker working? Mine has always run quite a bit slow with low blood pressure. My nurse daughter says that’s part of the problem with too much plaque in my arteries, I don’t know about that, but if that is even close to true, it is a great illustration of many folks’ spiritual life.

    When a spiritual life runs so slow and at such a low pressure that it keeps getting clogged up. You may know such a person: They call themselves “Christian”, but it really hasn’t made much difference in their life. They still talk and act like they did before they took on the name “Christian.” They still have the same negative and judgmental attitudes as they did before taking on the name “Christian.” In fact, if you knew this person before and after calling themself “Christian”, you probably haven’t seen any significant changes in who they are and how they live.

    That’s because the name “Christian” carries no power by itself. Illustration: I have a 6″ piece of garden hose to which I affix the label “Dynamite.” I even put a bit of string in the end of it and painted it all brown; do I have a stick of dynamite? The label does not make it real, does it?

    The way to prevent your “Christian” life from becoming low and slow, is to put it to work! In 1 Peter we find a verse that is rarely mentioned, look at 1:17, “if you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;” Add to that 2 Corinthians 5:10, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.”

    You see my dear friends, the label on the outside doesn’t mean much without there being a changed life on the inside. When a person commits their life to Jesus Christ for more than fire insurance, He begins transforming attitudes and actions, the primary things the two verses above address.

    To keep your spiritual arteries flowing nice and clean, put them to work by being a blessing in the life of another person. Do for others instead of just for self. Live, love and laugh with those who do not know Jesus yet by letting the light of Jesus shine through you! Remember, “People do not care how much you know until the know how much you care.” When you joyfully live your life for others, they will know the difference – and then the label “Christian” really means something!

    Living Christianity with you, Neal

  • The Sovereign One!

    May 13, 2026

    Greetings, I woke up to 40 degrees with a forecast of reaching 86 before this day is complete. With a 2% chance of rain, I predict another day of hot and dry.

    Yesterday, Miss Deb, Coffee and I all jumped into the pickup and headed south for me to see the dentist and to gather some materials for landscaping our front yard. It didn’t take us too long to find the things we were looking for, filling the ‘ol Ford to the brim. Next was the task of seeking out the most affordable diesel fuel we could find. We both felt that the Lord led us to a spot that was offering a twenty-five cent per gallon discount on diesel fuel. Some would call it luck, but we called it a blessing.

    You see, if you are going to call yourself a Christ-follower, then it stands to reason that the Lord truly desires to be involved in the decisions of your life, all of them. After all, isn’t that part of why we pray? We pray to maintain a healthy, loving relationship with Jesus because we trust His wisdom and His direction. No, Jesus doesn’t treat His disciples like robots, controlling every moment of their lives, but He is always there to assist when we ask.

    We saw His hand at work in our lives for our two weeks of travel to Florida and back. We went down to meet our new great grandson, and being cost conscious, we stayed in the cheapest motels we could find. Believe me, there were a few of those places that I sure wouldn’t want one of my granddaughters staying at! Yet, Jesus protected us at every stop. Each morning, we would leave at daylight, thanking Jesus for His provision and protection.

    Each day of travel, both ways, there were several moments of praising the Lord for helping us sneak through a very large city with no difficulties. Each day we praised the Lord for helping us find affordable food and lodging. Each day we praised the Lord for helping us find shorter routes, and for keeping us safe among hundreds, and even thousands of other motorists.

    We enjoyed several days with our great grandsons and the rest of our family there in Florida, and when we arrived home to find our little place looking just like it did when we left two weeks earlier. We praised Him!

    With His consistent protection and provision on our nearly 5,000-mile trip, why wouldn’t we praise Him for helping us have a great trip to Scottsbluff yesterday? But not only last month, last week or yesterday, but why wouldn’t we praise Jesus for anything that comes into our lives in the future? Oh, the future events may not all be to our liking, but we feel quite confident that they will be watched over by the Lord Jesus Himself.

    So, is that faith, or just being dumb? I guess that depends upon your personal opinion about the sovereignty of Christ. Psalm 103:19 states, “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” 1 Timothy 6:15 reminds us, “which He will bring about at the proper time-He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.” Those verses and our personal experience lead me to trust fully in the sovereignty of Christ!

    So, this day, may I encourage you watch for the sovereign hand of our Lord to work in and through your life. If you should be blessed to see how He is at work in your life, please, be sure to stop and praise Him for it! You see my friend, Satan and his crew would love for you think that you “sure were lucky” when such-and-such took place in your life. Oh my, how many times you will miss getting to praise Jesus for His keeping you safe and healthy.

    Perhaps a simple prayer like this, “Holy Spirit, open my eyes to see Jesus at work in the day around me” will be fruitful for you. And when you see Him, stop and praise Him.

    Watching for Jesus to work around us today with you, Neal

  • Light me up Pastor!

    May 12, 2026

    Good morning dear readers. At 5 a.m. the thermometer reads 45 degrees, moving to 75 later on today. When I put ‘ol Coffee out the door, I didn’t notice a cloud in the sky anywhere around Lusk. It looks like we are already in the hot and dry season.

    Back in the 1960’s a flashlight cost around $2 including two D-batteries. If it was really dark when you turned said flashlight on, you could notice that it was lit, otherwise you were better off to grab a lantern if you really needed light for a project outside in the dark. And the good part was that those two big D-size batteries might last long enough to get you back to the house!

    Yesterday I was working on a project out in the shop when I dropped a very small screw that I needed to finish putting my pocketknife back together. So, I grabbed my $22 LED flashlight to look for the screw that sounded like it went under my workbench. When I turned the 1,200 Lumen light on, it lit up the whole shop! I swear, a pilot could have landed an airplane in there! That flashlight contains two small AAA batteries that have been in it for nearly a year. Now I have a flashlight that when the batteries start to get dim, I just plug it into an outlet and “recharge” the same batteries.

    Here’s my point, the flashlights of yesterday were nothing when compared to the brightness of much smaller, rechargeable flashlights of today. Much like when I first started studying my Bible in the 1980’s, all I had was an old Ryrie Study Bible and a Cruden’s Compact Concordance for study tools. Today, I have a computer program that contains sever thousand books on just about that many topics. It also contains maps and charts from the times before Christ up to the present day. The crazy part is that all I have to do is to type in a topic or name and every book containing my desired information is opened and available for my reading pleasure.

    No longer do I need to spend hours searching for an answer to a theological question, all I have to do is to type the question into my Bible program and there is the answer, according to several different commentaries. The first Bible Commentary I owned was a used one-volume book. It contained comments on the entire Bible, more or less.

    Today, my computer contains several different volumes of commentaries that are only a click away. Study is almost a thing of the past, now I just click and read. But you know what? I miss the hours of looking in this book and then another book and then another to find just one answer. Way-back-when, we pastors would borrow books one from another. But we would never just go borrow a book, usually we would listen to each other, pray with each other and encourage each other in the process. You see, as pastors we didn’t just trade books, we also shared life.

    Today, I just click my computer, gather information and move on to the next task at hand. For most pastors, that next project is usually an administrative task rather than a theological task. I serious, most pastors of today spend more time managing the local church than they spend studying for Sunday’s sermon. Sermon prep used to take around 30 hours each week. Most of today’s pastors spend a fraction of that time in study because they have to deal with all of the administrative tasks of the local church. To be honest, many preachers that I know today, purchase an outline for Sunday’s sermon, if not the entire sermon; all they have to do is read what their printer spits out.

    As I said earlier, I miss the days when it took hours of hard study to put together enough information for a Sunday’s sermon, way back when. That which has made sermon prep so very much easier today, has also robbed me of total dependence upon the Holy Spirit to help me find the answer to the questions I knew my people would be asking about the next sermon. You see my friends, we didn’t preach on topics nor did we do sermon series back then. We preached our way through an entire book of the Bible because that was the only commentary we owned.

    Usually, a pastor of 1980 would buy one volume of a commentary series so that he could comfortably preach on the Bible book that his new commentary contained. But every pastor owned a “pulpit” Bible that was full of written notes, cross references and underlined verses. Yes, I remember when the first Bible highlighters came into existence; my what a blessing those little sticks of colored juice were!

    Yesterday, I walked into the office of my pastor to ask him a question. Two hours later I left there feeling like I was one of the most blessed people on the face of this earth, I had just spent a couple of hours with my pastor, talking about lessons each of us are working on. It almost felt as good as it did when a fellow pastor would leave my office after we had spent hours laboring over his sermon for the next Sunday. Yep, those were the good ‘ol days! Now days, for the most part, it’s just me and my computer. I don’t need a Bible, nor a stack of commentaries, nor the help of a fellow pastor, nor that of the Holy Spirt to prepare the lesson for this Sunday, it’s all on my computer – my what a shame.

    So, this Sunday, if your pastor feeds you good Biblical food, thank him for being a good student of the Scriptures. Let him know that you appreciate his study time, and encourage him to take time to be holy, not just a pencil pusher.

    My prayer is that as flashlights have become much brighter, so have our pastors and Bible teachers. My prayer is that they too will plug into a regular supply of Biblical truth to “recharge” their batteries, because we all need our pastor to allow biblical truth to shine brightly on Sunday. After all, the people we come into contact during the next week need to see that we have “been with Jesus.”

    Appreciating today’s pastors with you, Neal

  • “This little light of mine!”

    May 11, 2026

    Good morning all. Hopefully some of you were blessed to receive the gift of rain over the weekend. Our area, not so much, but this is a new week with new possibilities. As far as today’s temps go, we are starting at 35 and headed for 87! Yep, that’s way too hot for this early in the year, but you should be able to get some yard word done if you wish – remember to wear your sombrero, we don’t need any heat strokes, o.k.?

    As we start the second full week in May, we are praying for those who make their living in the agricultural world. With the extreme drought and no forecast of measurable rain in the near future, these folks are facing several hard decisions.

    “Do I plant any crops or not? But if I don’t plant, what will we live on this year? Should I sell some or all of our livestock, but if we do, what will we live on next year? What if this is the beginning of several years of drought? Should we just sell the whole outfit and move to town? But, I’ve always dreamt of leaving this place to one of my grandkids, and I’m not sure I can survive in town?”

    This kind of weather and the unrest and unsettledness in our nation and world has plenty of folks concerned. If you want to trust the mass media and the national news, things have never been worse for all generations living today. If you talk with elderly folks, they remember other times when things were plenty tough in the good ‘ol US of A. Yet, they will usually also mention something like “folks are different today than they were when I was younger. It’s a different world.”

    I have to say, I agree with the eldest generation of our country when they make such statements. Just yesterday Miss Deb and I were visiting with some folks our same age. We too mentioned our concern for the general public of this nation if things go from bad to worse. Yet, we know that God is in control and God always has a plan. Yesterday in Sunday School one of the ladies mentioned that God will once again work circumstances to fit His plan.

    I remember back in the 80’s, interest rates hit an all-time high, leaving many folks broke. As pastors we were concerned about how all of that would affect the local church? You know what? There were more people in church at that time than any other time in the years before. You see, pastors have watched it happen several times, when things get tough, more people turn to the church. I wonder if God is up to the same thing with all that is going on in our world today? And if He is, will folks come to the church for assurance that God has got this?

    Only time will tell the truth about all of these questions, but one thing for sure is that God is still in control. For generations upon generations, He has allowed the circumstances of life to facilitate His plan and purpose. From a survey of the Bible, God always has one plan when He is working with His people, to draw them ever closer to Himself.

    Yes, there is a severe drought in many states right now. Yes, there is way too much division among the people of our nation. Yes, we live in world of unrest. Yes, things could get much worse. But the answer to all of these concerns is found within ourselves. Will we step further away from God, or will we step toward God? It would seem, that the answer to that question lies within the people who presently have a personal relationship with God.

    You see my friends, if the people around us don’t see and hear us trusting fully in God through these difficult times, why would they ever come to church to learn about Him? As I have said before, “the light of the people of Jesus Christ shines the brightest when things are the darkest”. Remember Jesus stated, “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

    Could it be that our Heavenly Father is giving us the opportunity to live the old song we used to sing, “Shine Jesus Shine!” For it was Jesus who told all Christians of all times, “You are the light of the world.” Loved ones, please do not allow Satan and “the world forces of this darkness” to dim your light. If anything, draw ever closer to Jesus so that your light will shine brighter than ever before! If all of us who proclaim faith in Jesus will draw ever closer to Him, He will heal our land. His promise, not mine.

    Also, when groups of church folks draw ever closer to the Savior, others will call that a revival! And you know how a revival starts don’t you? With one person, that how a revival starts. So, will you be that one person? That person who shouts “shine Jesus shine, in my life and through my life” will be the start of revival within your community!

    Yep, it’s dark out there, what are we going to do about it? Will we join the grumblers, or will we join the revival? The latter will cost us, but then what did our salvation cost Jesus? More questions waiting to see how we will answer them.

    Declaring, “Light me up Jesus” with you, Neal

  • She’s a true beauty!

    May 10, 2026

    Good morning to all. Here in Lusk we have 37 degrees to start with, while looking at 63 for a high. Yesterday’s rain traveled all of the way around us but didn’t hardly sprinkle here. Maybe one of these days we’ll catch a good one???

    Happy Mother’s Day to all of you mommas out there. It seems to me that we have Americanized another great holiday, buy using this day to celebrate all of womanhood, and not specifically mothers. Once again, don’t make me say something I’m not saying, I greatly appreciate all women. According to the Bible, you ladies are “equal heirs of the grace of Christ.”

    In fact, I’m of the opinion that all of you ladies are God’s special daughters, in that He created womanhood for a specific purpose and through a unique process. Do you realize that Eve, the first woman, was the only part of creation noy created out of dirt? Eve came from the flesh and bone of man, created specifically by the hands of the Creator!

    I can only imagine how Adam’s heart must have exploded out of his chest when he opened his eyes after the very first surgery known to mankind. Adam opened His eyes, with a pain in his side, and there before him stood Eve in all of her nakedness and beauty! Finally, Adam had someone to share life with, someone to bring completion to his life, someone to hold his hand and walk in the Garden with him as they both visited with God. Genesis 3 tells us that God the Father looked at Adam and Eve and proclaimed that not only was creation now complete, but that it was “very good.”

    And then Genesis 3. Satan comes to Eve and lies to her trying to convince her that God is holding something back from her. You can read the Biblical account, but may I suggest a more modern conversation: Satan, “Eve, Adam and God both think you are totally beautiful, but you know they are both using you. God only wants you for your ability to populate His creation, and Adam only wants you for…well you know. Both of them are using you. But if you listen to me girl, I can tell you how to take control of the whole situation and set things into place so that none of your daughters will ever be ignored again. All you have to do is eat from the tree that God told you not to eat from.” But, oh, Eve I have such a much better plan for you and all of your daughters, if you will just listen to me!”

    Well, that’s just my impression of what might have taken place. One thing is for sure, just as Eve left Adam with a physical pain in the side, it wasn’t very long before she became a spiritual pain in the side, and she did that by listening to the wrong guy. Could it be that therein lies the battle that every young lady has had to deal with every since Eve ate the forbidden fruit?

    O.K., just so all of you readers are clear, I am not a woman, so I do not personally know the battle that takes place within a young lady’s mind, but I have been greatly impacted by that lie for most of my life. A lie that does not come from God, nor form the men around you, but from the lie of Satan inside of you.

    Ephesians 6:12, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.” You see dear lady, Satan and his crew are the one telling you that you are not beautiful, that you are not smart, and that you are powerless.

    Here is the truth dear female friend, it is totally up to you to whom you decide to listen to. Will you hear from God that He has given you the exact hair, teeth and body that He wanted you to use to bring glory to Him; or will you listen to Satan as he attempts to convince you that you are not beautiful, that you are dumb to allow any man to have influence into your life, and that God is withholding His best from you? Dear lady, only you can decide which voice you are going to listen to.

    But may I suggest, that as the Bible states in Ephesians 6:12, this world system is not your friend. The world system that is attempting to convince you that you “must” look like “this” before you can be beautiful. A world system that says you must take “control” of all of your life, making sure that you never “submit” to anyone but yourself. A world system that clearly declares that you shall never know true womanhood until you become more like a man than you are a woman.

    1 Peter 3:3-4 give us insight in speaking to women, “Your adornment must not be merely external-braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on a dress; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.”

    (Inside note, could it be that the “gentle and quiet spirit” is that which makes a great momma?) Here verse 3 reveals the “worlds” way of trying to make yourself beautiful is external; while verse 4 reveals that God’s way of revealing your true beauty is internal. Now, read Genesis 3:1-7. Note that Satan’s tactic was to get Eve to doubt God and herself. Every since that time, women have been beaten down in the same way. The world’s answer, fix up the outside. God’s answer is to reveal the inside.

    But you see dear women of today, the world not only wants to get you to focus upon the outside, it also wants to convince you that the inside is wrong also. The Bible says that a “gentle and quiet spirit” is “precious in the sight of God,” and in the sight of men I might add, while the world screams “you are woman, let them hear you ROAR!”

    Once again, I admit I am not a woman, and as such I have never truly experienced the battle between good and evil over whom will get to control your life as a woman. Yet, I will tell you that every man has suffered from Adam’s shame of not standing up for his beautiful lady by standing against Satan and his lies.

    So, I close with this; As a female, you were created in the image of God. He wishes to reveal your true inner beauty, His special gift to you from Him. A beauty that the world will attempt to get you to cover up with external things (thus the name “Cover Girl), and worldly attitudes. But, the most beautiful women I have ever met, are the ones who are beautiful on the inside! For when a woman knows who she is on the inside, not only is she beautiful on the outside as well, but more importantly, she is “precious in the sight of God” and the rest of humanity!

    Enjoying the beauties of God’s creation with you, Neal

  • A beautiful thing!

    May 9, 2026

    Well, the weather man is predicting some possible rain for our area this afternoon. Hopefully the Lord will keep the rocks out of it, but even hail would be moisture.

    Yesterday, Miss Deb, Coffee and I traveled a hundred-plus mile circle to get flowers for around this outfit. One thing is for sure, Miss Deb does like her flowers. We came home with the back seat and the floorboard of the car buried under flowers. We had a dozen different colors of flowers. There were tall ones and short ones. Some are supposed to come back next year; while some will bid farewell from next Fall’s frost. Some will spread; some will stay where she planted them. Some went in pots, others in the ground. However, I must admit, the front of our ‘ol house sure looks pretty with all of those fancy flowers.

    As Miss Deb kept me hustling to fill pots, digging holes and stringing the hose to water all of the little beauties, it dawned upon me, “These flowers are a lot like people.” You know, people come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors, yet when you get a group of them together for a celebration, they tend to bring a certain “beauty” to the situation.

    This is why, most every Sunday morning I truly enjoy going to church and seeing all of the folks with their Sunday-best on. Especially all of the ladies, young and old, tall and short, as each one brings a certain beauty to an otherwise dull looking room. The conversations that connect lives carry their own beauty as well. The music and the message add to a beautiful morning in God’s presence.

    Look around your community, I’m betting there is a certain beauty there as well. Here in Wyoming, all you have to do is drive down most any road to be able to see a variety of landscapes as Mother Nature displays her beauty!

    Yesterday, as we were planting flowers, I stopped for a few minutes to enjoy the beautiful lady that I get to share life with. As sweat dripped off her brow, both hands covered with potting soil and dirt, along with a fresh hole in the knee of her jeans, I saw a special beauty bundled up in the lady I get to call Miss Deb!

    Early this morning, as I was visiting with the Lord Jesus, I closed my eyes and envisioned what it will be like when I get to see my Savior face-to-face! At that moment, I could see His glory shining brightly. I was captivated by the grace and the splendor, by the peace and the joy, by the anticipation and the excitement of getting to be in the eternal presence of Jesus Christ my Lord! Oh, what a beautiful time that will be!

    I opened my Bible and started reading in Romans 10, a passage that speaks of trusting Jesus as Savior. There, I read these words about those who share the message of salvation in Christ with others, “How will they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!’” Wow! You and I get to share the most amazing story ever written, the gospel of Jesus Christ; and as we tell others of salvation in Christ Jesus, our dirty, stinky, crusty looking feet become beautiful.

    You see my friend, your feet were designed by God to allow you to move through life with an amazing message. Your feet are the tool God uses to bring your life into the presence of your neighbors and friends so that your mouth can tell them the greatest story ever told! Your feet are not beautiful because of their looks, they are beautiful because of their purpose.

    Today is Saturday, and we all have many plans of things we wish to accomplish this day; and we will use our feet to help us fulfill all of our plans. Yet may we each allow the Holy Spirit to use our feet to carry us into the presence of those who need to hear about Jesus. Whether we walk, run or perhaps even dance on our feet, may they be a tool that allows our life to cross the path of someone else’s life so that we can show them the love of our Savior.

    And then tomorrow, as our feet transport us into the present of our church family, may the Holy Spirit transport us into the presence of the One who sustains our lives! May the Holy Spirt bring new life into our feet, so that we walk with Jesus, and those around us who need to see and hear about His gift of salvation. Yes, may tomorrow be a beautiful day for each of you my friends!

    Enjoying the beauty of this life with you, Neal

  • By myself!

    May 8, 2026

    Greetings to each of you readers. I’m sorry, but yesterday’s note did not post correctly. For whatever reason it seems to have vanished into cyber space.

    Today, I would like to share with you about a time in my younger years on the home ranch. By the time I was around 13 years of age I was expected to carry a large amount of the weight on the ranch. I could fix fence by myself. I could cut and bale hay by myself. I could rope and doctor cattle of all sizes by myself. I could fix windmills by myself. I could cook and sew and keep a fairly decent home by myself, including doing laundry and ironing my own clothes. I could start and finish colts by myself. In another words, as a teenager I could manage a ranch quite well by myself.

    Because of my extremely introvert temperament, I actually preferred to pretty much live by myself although I shared a home with Dad, Mom and two sisters, all who liked to be around people. So, on most occasions when there would be a crowd of people around our outfit, I would saddle a colt and go check pastures if the weather allowed. If the weather was nasty, there was always work to be done inside a barn. Yet, if I had to, I could stay in the house and play cards with others, but being by myself sure enough didn’t bother me on most days.

    Well, with one exception. As I have stated before, it was the practice of our family to go dancing most every Saturday night. We would all make a run through the bathtub, put on our “good” clothes, with boots polished and shined, load up in the ‘ol Chevy pickup and head for a community dancehall, usually somewhere within a couple of hours drive.

    When we would reach our destination and get inside, Dad and Mom would dance the first dance together. Both of my sisters were pretty enough and social enough it wouldn’t be long before they too would be gathered up by some young cowpoke and off to the dance floor they would go.

    As I’ve mentioned before, I was expected to dance with several of the ladies in the room before the night was over. But by the teenage stage of my life, I could usually get away with dancing with just a few of the other ladies there, allowing me to spend most of my evening dancing with one of the young gals that I knew.

    You see, most other ranch families had the same habit as ours, Saturday night was made for dancing. So most everywhere we would go, there would be a young lady that I knew well, who was a good dancer, and who would carry 90% of the conversation. After all, a teenage boy dancing by himself just wasn’t allowed back then. So, for one night most weeks, I would fill my social calendar plumb to the top, allowing me to enjoy being by myself the rest of the week.

    However, when Miss Deb entered the picture there was only one consistent dance partner on Saturday night. Why, she even taught me how to have a conversation that was longer than five words. Yep, Miss Deb did her best to “socialize” me. Yet, as they say, old habits die hard. That is until Jesus gets ahold of a feller’s life.

    Today, I enjoy visiting with most anyone who crosses my tracks. In fact, there are days that Miss Deb just plain wishes that I would zip the lip and be quiet. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy my solitude, but I have learned to be social as well. You see my friends, it is rather difficult to share the story and the love of Jesus in solitude. If a person is going to follow Jesus’ example, you have got to learn how to be around other folks, talking and listening.

    Speaking of listening, how well do you listen to the Holy Spirit. In today’s culture, our lives are so full of voices that it is often difficult to decide which ones to listen to. Yet, there is one voice that we should always be listening to. You see, the Holy Spirit usually won’t yell over all of those other voices in our lives; on the radio, television, internet, I Pods, and conversations, so we have to listen carefully to hear Him speak.

    And that my friends, is where my past of being by myself is extremely helpful. As the old hymn states, we all need to take “time to be holy.” We need to learn to step away from all of the noise of this world and listen to the “still, quiet” voice of God. He speaks though your Bible, your prayers, your conversations with other believers and through your circumstances. That being said, it is a good practice to daily take time to examine each of the methods of conversation with the Holy Spirt.

    Today, take a few minutes all by yourself, read a Psalm, pray about your circumstances and then just listen for Him to speak into your life. It is in the quietness of life that we learn to communicate the best! First, be a good listener, then you are ready to have meaningful conversations. You see, being by “myself” isn’t a bad thing at all. Being alone actually prepares us to be around others, while it teaches us how to listen to the Spirit’s voice.

    Taking time for “myself” with you, Neal

  • Priority!

    May 6, 2026

    Good morning! It’s a whopping 16 degrees out there – no apples on our tree this year. Today’s high should be around 53 degrees, and if the prediction is correct, no more frost until Fall???

    Allow me to jump back upon yesterday’s soap box for a tad bit longer. God does not ask us to “submit” because He doesn’t trust or like us. He commands us to do so, “Why?” May I suggest:

    In 2 Timothy 3:16 we read, “All Scripture is inspired by God…” The Greek here gets really tricky, the word translated “All” literally means “All!” It doesn’t mean some, it doesn’t mean the parts in Red, it doesn’t even mean most, it means that “all” of Scripture is “inspired by God.” As such, you have often heard me say that the best proof text for understanding a portion of Scripture it the rest of Scripture. (That which is “inspired by God,”) cannot, will not, contradict or conflict with itself! As such, I ask you to grab your Bible and go on a journey with me.

    Back to yesterday’s two primary Scriptures, Romans 13:1-2 and Ephesians 5:22, both speaking of submission. Let’s use the Ephesians 5:22 passage to shed some light upon the Romans 13 verses for us; hopefully better understanding and obeying both before we finish today.

    Ephesians 5:22, “Wives, be subject to your own husband, as to the Lord.” Remember, proper order is the priority. So now, using other Scripture to help us understand the passage before us at the moment, turn to 1 Peter 3:1, “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands, so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives.” First, Ephesians 5:22 was penned by the Apostle Paul and 1 Peter 3:1 was penned by the Apostle Peter, both writing under the influence of the Holy Spirt. And you thought that being under the influence was illegal! 🙂

    As I have mentioned before, to understand 1 Peter 3:1, you have to first read and understand 1 Peter 2:21-25, revealing to us how Jesus submitted Himself to the headship of the Father. And then the Spirit states, “In the same way, you wives.” Once again, proper order is priority!

    Don’t allow personal opinion to overrule Scripture. For as God the Father asks “wives” to submit by following the example of Jesus Christ, He also asks all Christians “to be in subjection to the governing authorities,”(1 Pt. 2:13) whether that is within a governing body in our nation, state, town or church, by following the example of Jesus Christ. We are also told to submit to employers.

    Before your blood pressure reaches an all-time high, look at the second half of 1 Peter 3:1 where it is clearly stated that if a wife does her part, God will do His part by changing the heart of her husband. Could the same principal apply to Romans 13? If we Christians would submit “to the governing authorities,” could it be that God would change the heart of said authorities? Yes, it will take an act of God to bring about such an act of Congress, but we all know that God is faithful all of the time.

    Please, let’s be careful not to limit God’s power to transform by our unbelief, or our political preference. When God determines to bring about change, change will take place! That does not mean that I will always like the process, but God will bring about the changes He knows to be the best for the advancement of His kingdom! Which by the way, is always the best.

    As I have often said, “the condition of America has little to do with who is in the White House, and everything to do with who is in God’s house!” Oh yah, one more Scripture, when “My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” Proper order is priority!

    Once again, God lovingly waits for His people to make the first move, and “when” we do, “then” He does His part. This seems to be a true principal with most all things except salvation; God made the first move there and now we get to do our part.

    So, wives submit, Christians submit, Americans submit, first to God, and then watch what He will do! Remember, proper order is priority, submit to God first, and then to those “in authority.” Obedience leads to blessing, not the other way around.

    Keeping things in proper order with you, Neal

    Oh, by the way, submit does not mean surrender, you still have a voice. Just make sure that your voice matches with God’s word; then watch what you can do! “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.” (Phil. 4:13)