When God Speaks 5/4/2024

 Good Morning,

I am enjoying a hot cup of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee as I write this morning. The doves are especially talkative as I listen tow the morning serenade outside my window. 

James 1:22 ESV But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 

The one primary way that God speaks to His children is through His word (The Bible). He speaks in other ways but I believe that His word is the number one way. There is something to say about listening and hearing God. You know it is God because He never asks you to do something that is not scripturally sound. He doesn't go against His word. 

A key to hearing God is our response to Him when He speaks. Nothing but full obedience is expected from us. People often say "I don't hear from God" I ask them if they can recall the last time He spoke to them. If they can recall that time, I ask them how they responded. If they were not obedient, I tell them to go back in time a do what He asked them to do and complete the task if possible, or ask to be forgiven if the task is now out of reach.  This restores the communications. 

It's like that family child who just doesn't do as they are told and you get tired of telling them to clean up their room. Many a child has received that cold look from a parent and heard, "we will talk when you do what I asked you to do". 

It is best to say yes the first time and get about doing what you said yes to.

Food for thought.

Marty

Walking With Good Intentions 5/3/2024

 Good Morning,

The old alarm clock went off and the music was a little annoying this morning. I was sound asleep and really did not want to move this morning. But here I am on this rainy Friday morning with a hot cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee in front of me and it is time to write. 

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure, there your heart will be also.

Last night after dinner my wife Rene and I went for a walk in our neighborhood just to get some exercise and take in some fresh air. Rene took the lead and set a pretty good pace  for our venture. Rene goes for a walk every day and takes a different route each time. She walks for the exercise, but also has a secondary purpose as she walks. As she walks she is keeping her eyes open for aluminum cans. She picks up the litter as she walks and crushes the cans when she gets home. Rene and others from our church have been collecting cans and turning them in for cash to help support a young lady and her family who also attend our church. This young lady is fighting cancer and the money helps with expenses. Rene is the main collector. Others bring the cans they find or save to her. She crushes them and once a month she takes them to a scrap yard for the cash and it is my job to take the money and get to the young lady. It's not a lot of money that is collected, but it is collected with the best of intentions. Usually she has enough cans to fill the back of her car with bags of scrap cans. 

So three things occur because of this plan. Litter is collected and put to good use. Exercise is achieved for good health. And a family receives a blessing. Rene keeps some discretionary cash in her purse. I always see her reach into her purse and round up the amount collected to the next ten dollar amount. If she has collected $207 she makes it $210. She then sends me with the cash to give to the family. 

There are a lot of ways to exercise, but this one "pays dividends". Keep others in mind as you walk,  today! Generosity is good for the heart.

Marty

Guilty As Charged 5/2/2024

Good Morning,

As I drink from my cup filled with Door County Highlander Grog Coffee I can clearly hear the sound of the singing birds outside my window. It is time to write. 

Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV   22. The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end, 23. They are new every morning, great is your faithfulness.  24. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

If I have a favorite part of the day and one were to ask me what time of the day is my favorite, I would have to say the "early morning." No matter what time of the year it is, I enjoy the mornings most. Everything at the start of a day is fresh and new. I happily accept the gift of God for one more day of life and drink a cup or two of coffee and write my blog. My prayers start off the day and it is just all around, a sweet hour.

I have a choice to make every morning. I have the job of choosing my attitude for the day and how I will accept what this day brings, good or bad. I can complain all day or be thankful for the day and what comes along. I can choose to laugh or cry. I can sing or be quiet. God wrote this day for me and it is what He makes it to be. It is my choice as to how I will embrace the day. 

So today I have chosen to be a day where I hopefully can be a blessing to someone. I know God is always at work and I asked Him if He would take me along with Him this day. My choice and mine alone. I will have to see where He will lead me. Maybe I will have something to write about tomorrow. 

God bless,

Marty

A Sure Thing 5/1/2024

 Good Morning,

In front of me is a very hot cup of Door County Vanilla Almond Kringle Coffee and the sun is shining through my window. It is time to write. 

I started working on a small refurbishing project on an antique wooden tray yesterday and I can already see that it has a 50/50 chance of becoming what I desire it to be. Once I stripped away some of the old paint and varnish I discovered some hidden imperfections that might just be bad enough to scrap the project. I am hoping that today gives me a new view of the issues.

What I do know for sure is that we all are continuously a work in progress. I might give up on this refinishing job, but God never gives up on us. I think I am pretty good at refinishing old antiques, but this particular one might be beyond my skills. 

It is important that as we face challenges with issues that we own, we call on God to show us the way and the answers. God is always working on or behalf and never walks away from a project. He is constantly refining us and at times is stripping us of our pride, excuses, weaknesses, addictions, character imperfections, and sin. 

I am not perfect. But this I know for sure, I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I will be. But with each day in God's refinishing barn I thank Him that each day I am not what I used to be. 

Struggling my friends with your imperfections? Turn them over to the Master Refinisher. And know this. He won't quit until the work is done. It is a sure thing that you can count on. 

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 

Isaiah 64:8 But now O Lord, you are our Father, we are the clay, you are our potter, we are all the work of your hand. 

Revelation 3:19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. So be zealous and repent. 

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, Lord , that I may rely on your faithfulness, give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 

God isn't finished with you or me yet. We are always a work in progress.

Marty

Every Puppy Needs A Kid 4/30/2024

 Good Morning,

I just sat down at my desk with a hot cup of Door County Vanilla Almond Kringle Coffee and it is now time to write.

Luke 10:27 And He answered," You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.

My nephew Nick sent me the photo for my blog today. It is a picture of his dog and his neighbor's little girl. Nick moved into his apartment a few months ago and soon there after his puppy met the neighbor's little girl. I hear that they are quite the team. 

One thing about dogs and little kids is this. They both have lots of energy and lots of love to give. They just care about each other and what dog doesn't like to run around? But in a dogs mind it is always more fun when they can be chased or they can run with someone. 

My point for the day is this. The puppy was new to the area and this little lady kind of adopted her new buddy. Or did the puppy adopt the little girl? She doesn't care about the hunting pedigree. She sees a puppy to love. The dog doesn't care if the little one has blonde hair, or black hair. He just experiences the love she has to give and he can love her right back. They play together and that is all that matters. 

We all have a need to be loved and included. I believe we all have the ability to love others without measuring their pedigrees, abilities and social status. We can learn from a puppy and a little girl. They set the bar high on inclusion and just loving your neighbor.

Friends, for today, just love your neighbors.

Love to all.

Marty

Just A Thought While Sitting At My Desk This Morning 4/29/2024

 Good Morning,

My cup of Door County Churro Coffee is almost gone already and when I finish writing I will have a second cup. 

It has been raining now for two days and the dampness is even being felt in our house. I made a small fire in the fireplace this morning just to chase the chill away. I am a little embarrassed to say that I believe I "over rested" last night. I was asleep very early and was late to rise this morning. 

Today, I don't have to work at my job. Things with my job are winding down and by the end of May, I will be fully retired. Who knows what the future holds for me, and if there is another life adventure I might take. But as of now I will plan to catch up on some things that have needed to be done around our own home. I have been training my replacement and he has caught on quickly. There will be some work for me yet as we finish out his training and I continue to help out. But the end is in sight.

I am one who usually has a plan as to what is next and this time I don't. My goal is to trust God and see where He leads. I know and trust that He holds the future. Even though I do not know what is next, there is peace in trusting God to lead me to whatever it is. 

Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

And I believe the one immediate plan for today is the second cup of coffee,

God bless, as you let Him lead your next day or adventure.

Marty

The Angels Were Bowling 4/28/2024

 Good Morning,

I started this day with prayer and I am enjoying a large and very hot mug of Door County Churro Coffee. It is time to write. 

I am a little tired this morning. I stayed up late last night listening to the thunder that was produced by some storms traveling through the area. The weather programs on the radio and television were warning us to be prepared to take severe weather precautions and hunker down in the basement until the threat passed. 

Proverbs 13:24  MEV He who spares the rod, hates his son, but he who loves him, disciplines him early.

We were ready to do so if needed and we stayed awake in case we had to hurry to the basement where we have a small area designated as a storm shelter. The lightening displayed last night was something to behold. And with the lightening came the thunder. I have heard stronger thunder, but what we had last night was sufficient as far as I was concerned.

I recall my sister being about three our four years old and she would be very afraid of the thunder and lightening storms would bring to us. She would just shake when the thunder would go off after a lightening strike. My mother would try to soothe her by telling her that the noise was just a bunch of angels bowling in heaven.  I didn't buy that explanation at all and actually asked my mother if she really believed that myth. My mom gave me "the look", and I knew that I had better start professing belief in  heavenly bowling or I might just be experiencing the truth in person if I didn't. I really do want to go to heaven, but I decided quickly that I did not want to go there just at that moment.

Mothers have a been born with the ability to give us "the look", which lets us know when we crossed a line that shouldn't have been crossed.  It can freeze a child right in their tracks and change behaviors in an instant. One good thing about "the look" is if you caught the signal early enough and altered your behavior it helped you avoid a not so heavenly experience with a wooden spoon. 

My point is this. Mothers continue to soothe the hearts of your little ones, and we know in your minds we are all children forever. Thank you for the discipline when we needed it. Hopefully we display the behaviors to this day that you taught us and desired for us. 

Mom, some day when I get to heaven I will tell you where I hid your wooden spoon. 

Marty