From the Home Place

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

recent posts

about

  • Live it!

    February 21, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Looking forward to another sunrise with you, Neal

    Photo by Mohamed B. on Pexels.com

  • “A Pendulum swings like a pendulum do…”

    February 20, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Praying for America with you, Neal

  • “It’s crazy out there!”

    February 19, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Enjoying God’s amazing grace with you, Neal

  • The necessity of application!

    February 18, 2026

    20 degrees at 4 a.m., headed for 45. Praise the Lord, the wind has subsided some, only 31 mph gusts today. Yesterday was a bit tough with 70+ mph winds all day and most of the night. It looks a bunch like winter tomorrow with 12 for a high, -6 for a low and a good chance of snow.

    Yesterday, I helped our Pastor and his dad install a new speaker system in our church. Several dollars’ worth of equipment took all day to install, but the new system sure are nice. The sound is amazing! As we were installing the new system yesterday, my mind went back to the scene of Jeus standing along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, while speaking to hundreds of people sitting on the hillside, with no speaker system at all, and yet, it appears that everyone was able to hear the words of Jesus.

    Now hear me please, I’m not knocking the PA systems of today, in fact, I feel they are needed. Why? Could it be that we need elaborate PA systems in our churches today because everyone is accustomed to hearing their music played on extremely nice stereo equipment? Also, it is important to have a great speaker system within the church, because people tend to be poor listeners today.

    As you sit in your local church this Sunday, listen to all of the noise that is taking place around you. Some folks are talking, others are rattling papers and candy wrappers, while still others are shuffling around in their seat. It seems that we are just a plain noisy people.

    Why is it so difficult to sit still and quietly listen to a 30-minute sermon, when we are accustomed to sitting still for hours watching a movie or television? It could be the way the sermon is delivered, yet more likely, it is the difference in our interest level between a sermon and a movie?

    It isn’t because we have a good idea of what pastor is going to say that makes us poor listeners, shoot, within the first minutes of many movies, you have a good idea of how the rest of it will go. Maybe we don’t have poor listening abilities when it comes to a sermon after all, perhaps the problem is poor interest in the topic.

    At our local church, we are blessed to receive really good sermons from our pastor, as most of you are as well at your church. Yet I notice that unless I really engage my mind, I will soon be off in some other place, focusing upon on some other topic. You see my friends, the pastor, the speakers, the topic tends not to be the problem, the issue that our minds tend to wander.

    Remember, James tells us to not just listen to a sermon, but that we are to apply that message to our daily lives after we hear it. Yet we all know that if I lived half of the sermons that I have listened to, the people around me would be amazed at how differently I would live my life!

    So, maybe the problem with today’s church isn’t that we don’t listen well? Perhaps the problem isn’t with the speaker system? The problem is with the listener system. As the old saying goes, we listen to the sermon and “it goes in one ear and out the other.”

    I would suggest that to make myself a better listener, I have to anticipate that what the pastor is saying is a relevant message from God to me. Sunday’s sermon is not just a bunch of words that fill a specific time frame, it is a message from God concerning how He wants me to live, or about something He wants me to do! Could it be that we are not poor listeners, but we do fail often at application thus impacting how we listen?

    Remedy, perhaps it begins before I ever step into the church on Sunday morning. Perhaps we should simply take a moment before leaving for church and pray that the Holy Spirit will help me be attentive to that which He wishes to teach me today, so that I can apply it tomorrow? As the saying goes, “Try it, you might like it!” I am suggesting that if we each will improve our application skills, that will improve our listening skills. After all, why go to church if it isn’t to encounter the living God? We need to be anticipating and listening for the one truth that He wants us to apply, so that others will see our good works and “glorify our Father who is in heaven.”

    Improving my application skills with you, Neal

  • Watch that curve!

    January 17, 2026

    Good morning. Today’s weather looks a bit breezy. It’s 21 degrees at 4 a.m., headed toward 51, with wind gust of at least that same speed. The weather man is saying that we could get a batch of snow on Thursday. I don’t much care for snow, but moisture will be a gift from our Lord!

    Yesterday was a rather busy day around this outfit. I let at 9:30 in the morning to drive 100+ miles to a funeral in Nebraska. I never knew the deceased but was blessed to officiate the funeral for a family that doesn’t have a pastor. Really though, I made the trip because a very special nephew of mine asked me to lend a helping hand to this dear family. I got home about an hour after dark, but by Goo’s amazing grace we paid proper tribute to a man, and I was blessed to get to share the message of salvation in Jesus Christ with a group of folks that I didn’t know.

    It always amazes me how God keeps a feller busy doing His work. For me, it is a great blessing to get to tell others about the love of Jesus! I’m hoping the Boss will keep this ‘ol coyote around for a few more years to do just that.

    A week ago, I had plans for yesterday that didn’t include a funeral, but isn’t that how our Lord works, about the time we get things all planed out, He throws us a curve. Speaking of curves, I saw a batch of them yesterday as I drove a right smart distance. Many years ago, I wondered why there are so many curves in a road. I mean, we all know that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line, so why does a feller have to meander around the countryside for a hundred miles to get from here to there?

    I once posed that question to an engineer who designed roads. He informed me that sometimes the topography requires a curve around an obstacle. Other times the curves designed into a road are there to prevent weather related issues. But do you know the primary reason curves are put into the design of a new road? The curves are built into the road to keep you awake and involved as you drive on such a road.

    So, let’s build us a biblical application here. The curves in your life are there to keep you awake and involved as you travel down the road of life. You see, the curves are those events that God brings into your life that adjust your plans. Those special little moments that require you to go another direction. Often, we would call such events an “interruption,” but I believe such moments to be a gift from God.

    The curves in the road of life are God’s special blessings to keep us awake and involved in the process. Just think about it, if God didn’t give us so many curves, we would become robots. We would go about our daily lives traveling from point A to point B in the easiest fashion, a straight line. Our lives would become so boring without any curves.

    Take yesterday for example: It was a big curve in my life. I had other plans, other things I needed to do, other things I wanted to do. If God had allowed me to build my road for yesterday, it would have been straight and simple. But no, He gave me a curve. A curve that required I drive most of the day to be around a hundred plus people that I would have most likely never met in any other way. A group of people that I got to tell about Jesus!

    If He would have left me to my plans, I would have spent the day helping a Christian work on his barn. But Tom already knows Jesus and is walking with Him. The folks God sent me to yesterday, didn’t appear to know Jesus for the most part. Today they can no longer say that to be true in their lives. God sent them His message through one of His old servants. And you know what, the curve kept me awake and involved in the trip that I will call my life!

    I wasn’t the only one that found a curve in their path of life. The folks at the funeral had also been given curve. Miss Deb had a big curve show up in her day when a special lady fell down some stairs and Deb was called to the hospital. I’m guessing, you quite likely encountered a curve or two as well yesterday. And every one of those curves were placed there by the Master Engineer for the purpose of keeping you awake and involved as you traveled another day down the road called life!

    After all, God-sent curves are not an interruption, they are an opportunity to possibly be a blessing in someone else’s life. So, the next time God puts a curve in your life, don’t complain; just enjoy the drive!

    Praising God for curves with you, Neal

  • Bull’s Eye!

    February 16, 2026

    30 degrees at 4 a.m., moving up to 58 today. Today’s wind could gust to 29 mph, but tomorrow’s gusts are predicted to hit 72 mph, that will make it tough to do anything outside. Many of our area ranchers are calving or getting ready to start. That much wind will make it really tough for a little feller to get up and to get to going. His momma cow will likely need to find a sagebrush patch or a draw to lay him in for the day until he gets his legs under him.

    Yesterday, Miss Deb and I had a very enjoyable day. We were blessed to be part of an adult Sunday School class where we are all using sound methods to dig deeply into the Scriptures. At the present we are studying the life of Abraham. Though Abraham is the patriarch of our faith, his life also reminds us that all of us humans make plenty of mistakes in our journey of learning to follow God’s instructions. Abraham was a great man of faith, but he still struggled with allowing God to complete His promises in His way and in His time. I can’t say for you, but I too often have trouble waiting on God.

    Yesterday afternoon, Miss Deb attended a baby shower while I met with three of the young men from our men’s group. We drug out a couple of compound bows, and everyone flung a few arrows. We had plenty of good laughs, while everyone received encouragement and instruction of how to improve our accuracy while aiming at the bull’s eye on a target.

    As the younger guys were taking a turn at shooting a bow, it dawned upon me that each of them was in the same process with their life. Each of these young men has a target they are wanting to hit with their Christian faith and life, yet there are many variables in such a process.

    When shooting a compound bow, it is extremely helpful if the draw length is set correctly for your body. Also, when drawing the bow to release an arrow, the draw weight needs to fit the person’s strength. While aiming, the bow needs to be held level and still. A fraction of an inch off in the aim can be the difference between a hit or a miss 20 yards away. That ratio of hit or miss compounds with the distance between the archer and the target. Archery is a game of inches.

    Walking with God is much the same, the distance between God and the Christian makes a significant difference in hitting the intended target or not. If we are not walking closely with God, we will most often miss the target He has for our life. Also, just as the draw length and the draw weight affect the archer’s abilities, the same is true of our walk with God.

    If a bow is set at 70 lbs. draw weight and I can only pull 50 pounds at a maximum, I will not be able to shoot the arrow. If the draw length is incorrect, it will be extremely difficult for me to align the sight correctly with the intended target. Once again, walking with God depends upon present ability and circumstances, each which should be consistently changing the longer one walks with God.

    Yesterday’s archery fun was the first time for one of the young men in our group. It took a few attempts, but before long, he was able to place four arrows in a nice group around the bull’s eye, while the other men in the group gave him pointers and encouragement. Isn’t that what the Bible calls discipleship?

    For some reason we have allowed Satan to convince us that none of us are capable of making a disciple because our individual walk with God isn’t perfect. Yet Jesus Himself, tells us that each one of us can and should make a disciple who is able to advance the kingdom of God. Really all we have to do to make a disciple is have a decent understanding to what the target is, and the ability to give pointers to our disciple, in an encouraging way.

    You see, studying the life of Abraham has taught us that this saint of old didn’t do everything correctly, and neither will we. It’s ok when we, and or our disciple stumbles. Falling down is how we learn to walk more correctly. Quit listening to your “can’t do” enemy and start listening to the Holy Spirit who will help you with the process of helping a younger Christian learn how to consistently walk with his, or her Savior. You can do this!

    Remember Jesus’ promise, “And I am with you always.” Keep your eye on the target, look through the sight of Scripture and release your arrow – your disciple. With the Holy Spirit’s help and your encouragement and instruction, your disciple will soon be hitting a bull’s eye!

    Remember, all arrows hit where we aim them. Allow the Bible, the Holy Spirit and other Christians to help you help your disciple. Next, it will be their turn to make a disciple as well. When shooting a bow, the only way to never miss is to leave the arrows in the quiver. The problem with that mind set is that new Christians never get to know the joy of hitting the bull’s eye in their walk with God. Remember, “I can do all things through Christ Jesus who strengthens me.” It is way past time for each of us to make a disciple, start with the basics and add plenty of encouragement and practice. Before long, you will get to watch that person’s face light up with joy as they hit a bull’s eye!

    Aiming well with you, Neal

  • That’s my girl!

    February 15, 2026

    Good morning. The weather report: 21 degrees at 5 a.m., looking to reach 58 degrees by mid-day. Sorry that I missed yesterday’s writing, Miss Deb and I were on the road.

    Miss Deb taught in Guernsey last Friday. Their school day ends at 1:30, so she was home by 2:30. We jumped into the car and headed north as soon as she got back here, we needed to be north of Rapid City, S.D. by 6 p.m. for a Valentine Banquet.

    We had to push really hard, but by God’s amazing grace, we made it! The Banquet was held at Rainbow Bible Ranch. Remember, God’s promise of the rainbow? Well, this family lives under God’s promises each and every day.

    Larry & Robin Reinhold are two of the kindest folks you will ever cross paths with. Their primary ministry is one of using horses and nature to help young folks learn to love Jesus. This dear couple have blessed this world with six of the most amazing young adults that I have ever known, four girls, two boys . The young ladies, each as beautiful as their momma, are 1 Peter 3 ladies. They are each beautiful inside and out. Their two brothers are men of God. Along with that, every one of these young adults knows their way around a horse, love children and have a very genuine walk with God.

    Together, this family operates Rainbow Bible Ranch. A beautiful place where children ages 6-18 can come and spend time riding horses, eating great food, and sit under amazing biblical training. The best part, in my opinion, is that every youngster who attends camp at Rainbow, get to see what it looks like to genuinely love Jesus!

    Miss Robin, the momma of this outfit lived with our family for a summer, many sunsets back. She has always been an extremely graceful lady, but boy can she handle a horse too. Robin and I were riding a band of horses for an old feller that summer, each horse had his quirks that made each one special, and also difficult.

    After days of outside riding, Miss Robin and I had were spending our days in the arena with each of these horses, trying to get them started toward being a rope horse. Some of them easily took to this new adventure, while others wanted to fight it every step of the way.

    This particular day, I was riding a sharp looking grey horse. He had the looks and the ability to be a good one, but for whatever reason, he thought bucking was way more fun than roping. We had covered miles of pasture and were making progress, but he just couldn’t be trusted to be totally honest.

    I was attempting to make a heel horse out of him, and Miss Robin was riding the most trustworthy horse of the bunch. A nice, big bay. She had him going really well and was going to head some steers for me. We ran a couple of steers and both horses behaved nicely. After a short breather, we backed into the roping boxes, and the bay horse finally showed his hole; he was bad box sour!

    As Miss Robin tried to settle the bay, he suddenly reared and lunged. Her hand and rope went to the saddle horn, the big bay hit the ground and she wisely stepped off. The problem was that her leg went through the loup of the rope, which had settled over the swells of the saddle. Off went the bay on a dead run, dragging his beautiful rider by the leg.

    I tried to get my grey horse to charge the runaway, but all he wanted to do was bog his head and act like an idiot. I quickly abandon ship and ran across the arena, stopping the bay horse. By the time I got the rope untangled off the saddle, Miss Robin was sitting up. I ran back to see how she was doing, only to find her dirty, bruised and still able to fit a smile. What an amazing young lady!

    Well, that’s the stock these six young adults are out of, and every one of them has that same amazing smile, and toughness. Parents, grandparents, allow me to encourage you to send your youngster to camp at Rainbow Bible Ranch this summer. You can call them at: 605-923-6056 or http://www.rainbowbibleranch.org

    Miss Deb and I were totally blessed to get to spend Friday evening with this amazing family, one of our church planting couples, and a hundred other folks. We enjoyed delicious food, great fellowship and kind words from God’s word. Do yourself a favor and attend this special banquet next year!

    You see my friends, perhaps today will be the day that each of us will be reunited with a special friend from our past, or perhaps we will have the opportunity to start developing a new friendship. Or perhaps, today is the day that you need to pick up the phone and reconnect with someone whom you have “lived to tell about it” with?

    Have a great day at church, and hopefully a great day thanking God for His protection. I know that I will be praising Him for allowing Miss Robin to raise such amazing young folks, while they help build into the lives of several hundred children every summer.

    Celebrating God’s kindness with you, Neal

  • “GOD wins!”

    February 13, 2026

    Good morning! It’s great to be up and going. At 5 a.m. we have 25 degrees, looking for a high of 55. The wind will behave with 8 mph out of the W. Miss Deb is headed for Guernsey to teach the Kinders. I’m headed north of Lusk to help a young man put a first outside ride on a horse. His ‘ol colt is just a tad waspy, so we are going to keep him snubbed to my horse for a while, hopefully all ends well?

    Last night I was blessed to have a zoom meeting with seven truly amazing young men. I sure wish we could clone these guys and send them out all across our nation. Perhaps that is what Jesus felt when He sent His twelve out to change the world. It’s just that in today’s world, there seems to be a shortage of young men who know who they are and what they are to be doing to advance God’s kingdom. Because of this shortage, I feel it my responsibility to help raise-up more like these seven.

    Yesterday I read that a U.S. Senator from Tennessee and one from Maryland both stated that they both consider “Sharia law to be less of a threat to the American way of life than the conservative white Christians are!” And there you have it! Just like Jesus stated, “They will hate you because they have first hated Me.”

    Why is it that people would be willing to allow terrorism that threatens everything Americans love and enjoy, while wanting to eliminate all Christ followers? I’m of the opinion that folks so dislike Christians because as we fly the banner of Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit of God is convicting such people of their sinful lifestyles. Here again, we have an adage, “If you don’t like the message, shoot the messenger.” Charlie Kirk’s murder was an example of this mentality.

    Yet, I see hope. As long as God is on His throne, which He will forever be, He is going to accomplish establishing His kingdom, “on earth as it is in heaven.” As the saints of old stated, “If God go with us, who can stand against us?” I have absolutely no doubt, but that God is accomplishing His purpose with all of the hatred that is present in the U.S. today. As any Christ follower knows, “that which Satan planed for evil, God will use for good.” There is one simple fact “GOD wins!”

    That is why I will invest my last days of life, to encourage and establish young men of biblical faith! I am quite sure that in a time when our nation seems to be falling apart, these young men will become the glue that holds her together. They are men who love their Lord, their family, and all those who come across their path on a daily basis. They see this world as their opportunity to spread the love of Jesus to all.

    Like us or not, we are here to advance the kingdom of God. This is not a political stance; it is a spiritual obligation. Jesus has charged all of His followers, “Go into all of the world and make disciples.” We do that by lovingly sharing God’s amazing grace. Could it be that the thing America needs the most, is the very thing that she hates the worst? Take heart, the Lord has been fighting this great battle since the beginning of time, and He will continue to do so until the end of time. An event that is getting closer to taking place each day! This one thing I am very sure of, “GOD wins!”

    Doing my small part with you, Neal

    Read Psalm 56, blessings!

  • “We can!”

    February 12, 2026

    The weather is at 22 degrees at 4 a.m., headed for 52 for a high. Winds gusting to 30 mph will push me to Nebraska where I am to meet with a family to plan a memorial service for their loved one there on Monday. Another day of looking at the stripes on a road while visiting with the Lord.

    Allow me to invite you travel back with me some 65+ years. If memory serves me correctly, I was in second grade. At that point I walked a mile to school the days that I was there. It was lambing season, and there were probably as mays days that I was absent from school as there were days that I was present.

    This particular day I had gone to school and didn’t even get in the door before dad instructed, “Hurry up and get you clothes changed, we have a ewe in trouble.” I didn’t grumble that I needed a snack, or that I wanted to relax for a while first, nor did I mention that I had experienced a difficult day at school, and I didn’t feel like helping. I charged into the house, dropped my books and lunchbox and got my chore clothes on.

    Dad met me at the kitchen door, and we were outside in a flash. As we made our way to the lambing shed, dad explained the problem and that I would have to help her. You see, there was something in my dad’s body that if he were to reach inside a ewe to help get a stuck lamb out, within a few hours the ‘ol girl would be dead from blood poisoning. I’ve seen him scrub with Lysol disinfectant, nearly burning his hide off, only to have a dead ewe shortly after he helped her. So, from an early age, I was the lamb puller.

    I got down to the ewe’s level and pushed the protruding leg back into the birth canal. Once there, I could feel eight legs and two heads, twins. That meant that there wouldn’t be much room to get the backwards lamb turned around and headed out the open door!

    After an eternity of grunting, pushing, cussing (I was good at that at an early age), and never admitting defeat, we had a set of healthy twins looking for their first meal. Dad grabbed a gunny sack and helped me wipe most of the “stuff” off my arm and chest, before we started doing chores. My older brother would be home from town school directly, but for now it was just the two of us working together to keep the outfit running.

    Dad and I would keep that partnership going until the day Miss Deb and I got married. Even after that, we were out home every weekend, helping dad get the things done that he couldn’t do by himself. All I ever wanted to do was to run the home ranch.

    Within the next ten years, dad would pass, and God would give me marching orders to enter into full-time ministry. Now if you would have asked that second grade boy if he was going to be a preacher, he would have let you have it with some of those choice words he had learned to use. There was no way I was ever going to be an “idiot preacher!” But God said….”

    And for the rest of my born days, I have been extremely blessed to get to serve my Lord. Oh, for sure, when we started this process, I knew way more about dealing with sheep, cattle and horses than I knew about dealing with people. You see, I’m an extreme introvert – that means I don’t like being around people. For the first 30 years of my life, I would do anything short of a fight to not have to be around a crowd of people, except for dance night. Now I greatly enjoy being right in the middle of the crowd each Sunday morning.

    You see my friends, God seldom asks us what we want to do for His kingdom. When He calls us to salvation in Christ Jesus, God sends His Holy Spirit to live in and through us. As such, God gets to decide what He is going to do with His servants. The moment a person realizes that God doesn’t call folks to salvation so they can have fun and live happily-ever-after, is the moment that their life changes forever. God calls us to become His servants, regardless of who we are or what we like, or don’t like.

    Much like getting those lambs turned around so they could be born, God is really good at reaching into a person’s life and helping them get turned around as well. And when God’s Spirit gets ahold of your life, things change!

    So, what is it that you get do in service of the King? Or are you still telling Him, “I can’t.” If so, try telling the King of the universe, “I’m here to serve You.” Then watch what He will do with you. I guarantee you it will be the best part of your life when the Spirit of God begins His transformation process and uses you to do that which you cannot do on your own. You see my friends, God’s specialty is helping each of us do that which we cannot naturally do. That way He gets the glory and we get the blessing.

    Come on, repeat the words of Isaiah and say, “Here am I Lord, send me.” You and everyone around you will be amazed what God can do with a willing vessel!

    Changing “I can’t,” to “We can,” with you, Neal

  • Just get started!

    Well, it’s 17 degrees at 3:30 a.m., headed for 51 for a high. The wind gusts are to remain under 25 mph. I hope I remember how to walk with the winds under 50 mph!

    With Miss Deb teaching in Guernsey for the rest of this week, Coffee and I are attempting to get some things done around here. With so many projects to get done, it is difficult to know where to start. I guess the best place to just start somewhere.

    I fear that so many folks look at Bible study in the same way. With so much of the Bible to study, where does one start? Again, I say, just start. Pick a book and start reading; probably one of the Gospels is the best starting place. If you need more help, start with the Gospel of Mark. Remember our moto, “Read less for more!”

    Don’t feel you need to read the entire Gospel, just read two or three verses and then study the key words of those verses. Be sure to have a pen and a notebook handy to write down all of your discoveries. At the end of your study time, explore ways to apply what you just studied. Bible knowledge doesn’t really affect one’s life until we are able to apply that knowledge. Most often, the application will involve doing something with or for another person. Tools required: Bible, notebook, pen, dictionary. So, roll up your sleeves and just get started!

    After the sun gets up, I’m going to start with a repair on the roof and then move inside and get to work here. The problem is, I won’t have enough time to get any of the projects completed today, and tomorrow, I have to take a hundred-mile road trip and meet with some folks to plan a funeral that I am to officiate in Nebraska on Monday. Oh yah, there is also the 300+ miles we have to drive on Friday, after Miss Deb finishes teaching school. Yep, our lives are rather busy, and so is yours.

    So, once again like Bible study, there is always something else I need to do that gets in the way of my study time, and that is part of the reason that I get up early each morning. Because our days are so very busy around here, I have to find time to spend with the Lord and His word. For me, getting up early is the easiest way to fulfill the priority of a quality time with my Master. Evenings may be easier for you, or perhaps just before or after lunch. It does not matter when you set aside a few minutes for reading, study and prayer, just find a time that you can consistently fulfill this very important element of your spiritual growth.

    As we have talked about before, it is difficult to get to know someone unless you spend time with them; if you want to get to know God better, you have to spend quality time with Him. You see my friend, Bible study is much like household repairs, neither will get done by just thinking about doing them. We must make the effort if we hope to see results. Believe me, the effort invested in spiritual growth has a far greater return than the effort required for remodeling an old house. Both are valuable, both require time and effort, but only one lasts forever!

    Digging into His word with you, Neal