Can't Stop The Music 10/17/2024

 Good Morning,

Yesterday we experienced our first freeze. To say the least it was a bit of shock to wake up in the cold since our weather has been warmer than usual. A hot cup of Door County Maple Coffee is next to me. It is time to write. 

Psalm 95:1 O come, let us sing to The Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation. 

This morning I woke up to a song on the radio, and it is one of those times in my life where the song melody and the lyrics are still tumbling through my mind. Maybe you have experienced it yourself. A song is played and you are either singing or humming to that tune all day. It seems that at times my mind takes over the play list and I can't get the tune out of my head. 

If you are reading this and are wondering why I am writing about this dribble, to be honest so am I. The point I am making is that just maybe someone else has the tune takeover experience as well. As people we have a lot of differences and just as many commonalities. We are surprised while conversing with someone and we talk about a destination we like to visit. The thought spurs smiles and soon we are exchanging information about that place or where we found some great food. 

I see parents walking their children to the bus stop and they chat while waiting with Little Johnny and Gertrude. They have in common that one thing, and that is they want an education for the kids and they want them to come home safely. If we can concentrate on the commonalities and less on our differences we might find our part of this world to be just a little more pleasant. So if you have a tune in your head or a jingle from a commercial the fact is, we have something in common. 

I hope yours is a happy tune today. God bless,

Marty

Thankful For The Rain 10-16-2024

 Good Morning,

There is a pot of Door County Maple Coffee brewing in the kitchen and soon there will be a cup next to me. 

Philippians 2:14 Do all things without murmuring or complaining. 

Our area of the world has had us experiencing a short drought. Everything had turned brown and there were even forest fire warnings and some restrictions on burning for the last month or so. We reseeded our lawn last Saturday before winter sets in. I anticipated the need to water the new seed. Since we reseeded it has rained just enough each day for the seeds to set into the plugs removed from the lawn. The rain has started to refill ponds and rivers just enough to do the job. 

One can only be thankful for this blessing and make the most of it. I pray for those who have experienced some real nasty weather as of late and suffered through hurricanes. I pray for those who lost family members in those storms and flooding. We should do what we can to help, and not complain about anything. Those suffering folks have plenty to complain about.

Complaining has become an incurable disease. People complain at times about anything or every thing. It is a bad habit and as I said it is a disease of the heart. Check yourself to see just how much you complain and about what today. Is your selfish attitude and hard heart keeping you from experiencing some joy and peace? If you are a terminal complainer, just hope God doesn't give you something to cry about and complain. 

Food for thought,

Marty

Using What You Have 10/15/2024

 Good Morning,

The old mug was filled with some very hot Door County Old Fashioned Coffee and it is doing a great job of warming me up. The coffee and a fresh crock pot of potato soup have this house smelling pretty nice. 

Genesis 1:11 And God said "Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit, which is their seed, each according to it's kind, on the earth." And it was so. 

Yesterday I was able to take some more of our apples and dry them, and I will use them when I hunt to munch on in the field or the boat. They are a nice way to eat healthier and they are easy to share with your hunting partner, including that faithful retriever. 

We were blessed this year with an abundance of apples and we are also a family that doesn't like for things to go to waste in this house. We have been able to give plenty of apples away and some of our friends have turned them into bakery. I foresee an apple pie being baked tomorrow in our own home. 

My point for the day is this. Use what you are blessed with. Take some and share it with friends, family or strangers. Use what you have been given to bless others. This abundance of apples also reminds me of of the years when the apples were scarce. There is a sad feeling when hail comes down so hard that the baby apples on the trees are knocked off the branches and in the fall you barely have enough apples for one pie. 

I also trim our trees and the apple wood is used to smoke meats throughout the year.  Once again the trees provide a sweet aroma while the smoker is hot. The aroma from drying apples, baking apples, or smoking meat some how reminds me of the blessing God has given us. One of my favorite times of the year is to wake up and see the trees fully blossomed out in the spring. I have been watching for that morning for over 30 years and it never ceases to amaze me. So as the trees get ready for a long winter's rest, I look forward, (God willing) to a cup of coffee and some pink blossoms again in the spring. 

God bless,

Marty

The Wrong Sign At The Wrong Time 10/14/2024

 Good Morning,

The day has begun and there is a definite chill in the house. It just might be time to make a small fire in the hearth this morning. My Door County Old Fashioned Coffee is not quite warming me up all the way. 

Matthew 9:4 But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts?

Ephesians 4:6 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down on your wrath. 

At this time in my country our presidential election is only a few weeks away. This election was born in strife and has definitely created a lot of tension. You can just feel it in the air. I actually believe it is bringing out the worst in people. The radio and television have been invaded by advertising campaigns for the candidates and none of them are flattering. As much as I try all the gimmicks to block unwanted phone calls, a few are still getting through to me. The door to our house seems to be the landing pad for advertisements reminding us to vote. If by now you don't know what day it is and that it is your duty and privilege to vote, you have successfully isolated yourself from the world. 

While vacationing a little last week and enjoying a get away, I stumbled upon the sign seen in the blog today. It describes just how I feel about the constant bombardment from both political parties. It is the sign of my heart and mind right now. This is not good. 

Just the other day a neighbor of ours stopped by to ask a question and when the door bell rang my first reaction to it was not nice. I immediately assumed it was a traveling contractor seeking to rip us off or another person coming to tell me who to vote for. As I approached our front door I was already in battle mode. The political rhetoric shown and or listened to has become irritating and sickening. Maybe that is the response both parties are desiring. Not too sure. But it has impacted the way I respond to people, and I need to work harder at keeping my heart clear of ill will thoughts for the process and the candidates. This includes the campaign workers. They make it difficult to listen to them and even be polite. For those who arrive at the doorstep, I will try to make sure they are offered some coffee or water even if they cross the line of badgering me. 

So my theory for surviving this onslaught is to treat others as I wish to be treated and listen politely. It's up to the callers at the door and on the phone to do the same. As I watch television I can easily change channels during the commercials or to be honest just not watch television until election day. 

Do your best to be kind even when you don't agree.

Marty

Shadows Of The Night 10/13/2024

 Good Morning,

I am sitting at my desk and the house has a little bit of a chill to it this morning. A hot cup of Door County Old Fashion Coffee will be coming my way very soon.

We have two English Springer Spaniels residing in our home and both of them are from good hunting lines and have proven themselves in the field. What I find to be a little bit funny is that when they go outside at night and actually see their shadows, they come in a little closer to me and aren't so willing to move on ahead. They are spooked by their own shadows and mine.

Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old he will not depart from it.

In this world we raise our children to be fearless and to be able to forge ahead in any situation. I believe that raising them to be fearless and to have a staunch attitude is a good thing. But I also believe that we should be teach them to fear the consequences of the shadows of evil. One step in the wrong direction at a party of kids just hanging around, can be fatal. Illegal drugs laced with Fentanyl are deadly and the drug should be feared.  We should teach our children to run from the dark shadows of the drug world.

Damage done by drug use has a long lasting impact and some kids never bounce back. Worse yet they become property owners in a cemetery. Parents, don't be afraid to show your children the statistics, photos, and any other sources you can find to get the point across that drugs are illegal and dangerous. It is better for them to be called a sissy than to be called deceased.

Have a great day and keep your children close. 

Marty 

A Sweet Disposition 10/12/2024

 Good Morning,

It is a great day to be alive. I just poured some Door County Cherry Creme Coffee into my cup and it is time to write. 

Proverbs 15:1 A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 

Lamentations 3:22-23 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. 

Luke 6:31 Do to others as you would have them do to you.

When we look at ourselves in the mirror in the morning, what do we see? Does our imagination take over and convince us that the person we see who just woke up is a sweet, mannered, loving and a cuddly person? Or do we see a hard to start, crabby individual who should be avoided until fed and sweetened by some coffee?

In this world we will all encounter a morning or two that finds us out of sorts and unapproachable. This my friends is not a way to start every day. Times can be tough, but those around us were not sent our way to be a verbal punching bag. When we start our day with making someone else feel small and unappreciated we forget that God placed that person in our path and every morning is a gift from God. If people have to wonder when our disposition will improve, we are not appreciating another new day for ourselves. But worse yet, we are ruining the start of the day for someone else. We rain on their morning parade. No where can I find supporting literature that says we should wake up and start ruining another persons day, just because we are not happy.

So, suck it up and before you ruin the day for someone else by waking up the monster within, add more sugar to your coffee and pray to take away the ugly side of your disposition.

Marty

Surrounded Isn't Always A Bad Thing 10/11/2024

 Good Morning,

My choice of coffee today is Door County Cherry Creme and it is time to write. 

I have watched a lot of movies in my life time and not one of the action thrillers ever shows being surrounded as a good thing. For instance a movie about World War Two might have a platoon surrounded by 500 of their enemy soldiers and I never heard one of the outnumbered group say " What an opportunity to be brave and fight without enough ammunition." Usually they have a somber attitude and realize that they might not make it out alive or they might be captured. 

Let's not dwell on the negative this Friday, but lets think about being surrounded by God's presence. glory, peace, provisions, and love. We might be between a rock and a hard place in life, yet God is with us. His glory goes through the rough times with us and we are never alone nor are we without hope. 

Colossians 3:2 Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. 

John 16:33 "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart I have overcome the world."

Philippians 3:20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, The Lord Jesus Christ. 

Hebrews 13:14 For this is not our home, we are looking forward to our everlasting home in heaven. 

Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will hold you with my righteous right hand." 

Food for thought, 

Marty