Just A Little Christmas For Now 7/1/2026

 Good Morning, 

I embraced the start of this day with a hot cup of Door County Mistletoe Mocha Coffee.

My wife  Rene is a huge fan of Christmas  and she likes to observe a little Christmas in July. So I break out some of my Christmas coffees to assist in her goal for July happiness. It is all done in good fun. She will also be watching Christmas movies from two of her favorite channels.

In December Rene and I, (Mostly Rene) transform our home into a display of lights, and other Christmas regalia. If Rene had her way, we would celebrate with decorations all year round. She always seems to be happier in December. 

So my point for the day is this. Why shouldn't we celebrate Jesus every day, 365 days per year? We should be thankful for the Son of God who left the majesty of Heaven to come to Earth just to die for us. In our hearts, can't we celebrate Christmas now and every day? 

Philippians 2:5-8 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6. who being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God , 7. but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming to the likeness of men . 8. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 

Have a great day. Stay cool and hydrated. God bless,

Marty

It's A Heat Wave 6/30/26

 Good Moring,

I am enjoying a hot cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee and it is time t write. 

James 2:8  If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture. "You shall love your neighbor as yourself". You do well. 

No dog was kept in a refrigerator. While cleaning the unit, The puppy crawled in and absorbed some cold. 

A large part of the world is in the middle of a heat wave of epic proportions. I listened to the weather report for the are in which my wife and I reside and the meteorologists were quick to remind people not to leave little children or pets in the car even for a few minutes. The call to stay hydrated with water was stressed  several times. It is a great time to practice being  a good neighbor. If you have elderly friends, check on them. Ask if the need anything from the store. This helps to keep them out of the scorching weather. Check the temperature in their home and if it does not have air conditioning offer them a way to stay cool. 

Parents, now is a good time to travel with a container f water in case of a car malfunction.

Kids will always want to play outside. Monitor them and now is a good time to provide some weather beater beverages to the play ground or yard. 

 There are so many precautions to keep yourself and others safe during this time. Most of all, it is time to be a good neighbor. 

You can prevent a tragedy just by being neighborly and a concerned citizen. Kindness is always the right thing at anytime and on any day.

God bless,

Marty

Better Directions Please 6/29/2026

 Good Morning,

This day greeted me with a challenge right after I woke up. I had forgotten to set up the coffee maker to brew a pot of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee at 4:00AM this morning. So my coffee time will have to wait a few minutes. 

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and matters of the heart.

My wife Rene and I were given a small task to purchase a child's rocking chair for a group baby shower gift. It was decided by some of the ladies at church to keep me busy. Ha!  We were glad to do so and I accepted the task of purchasing and assembling this little wooden chair. 

Inside the box that was sent to us with screws and dowels galore was a small sheet of directions for assembly. The directions were very vague and required assembly in the proper sequence. The manufacturer did not have that information in the directions. 

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet. And a light to my path. 

I looked at the project and gathered my trusty tools and started in. Half way into the project the light in my brain kicked in and I realized that the sequence of assembly was critical to the project. This slowed me down because I had to disassemble a couple of things and start over. It would have been nice to have had better directions.  What seemed to be thee correct assembly sequence was not at all even close. The "obvious was not the correct path". 

My point for today is this. We often need guidance in our daily lives and decisions need to be made. Fortunately we have the Book  of directions for daily living at our fingertips. My Bible has directed me through thick and thin since 1981. It is never wrong. It Does not need to be reprogrammed or reset. It is definitely not vague. God's word helps us to reset and move in the right direction on the best path at all times. 

Food for thought. Follow the best directions. 

Marty

Every Dog Needs A Jo 6/28/2026

 Good Morning, 

I have been up and at it for over an hour now, but yet I just now had time to write. I am enjoying my morning with a hot cup of Door County Bourbon Vanilla Creme Coffee. Let's unpackage this day.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 

I am a member of a kennel club where you can go and use the 100 acres of land and water to train your dogs. It is pristine land and it comes with another benefit. It also comes with other members. 

These members range in dog training experience from none to very experienced. I have the luxury of being retired. This enables me to train at times all by myself and use the 100 acres alone. Then there are times when I join a group who has scheduled a session to train together. It is during those times when the experienced folks are a great value to the novice trainers and the veterans who are just having a bad dog day. 

The seasoned veterans when asked share tips with the newbies and assist with teaching the younger dogs some great skills. These group training sessions also provide some comradery among the participants. 

Training does not always go as planned. And a great well trained dog can have a bad day. The owner /trainer can get frustrated and down once in awhile. You might not believe it, but a dog knows when they screwed up. The owner and the dog go back to their vehicle  dejected and disappointed. 

That's when the team and I do call one dog and it's owner a team needs a Jo. In our ever expanding group we have a lady named Jo, who as far as I have witnessed always finds the good in even a failed event. She offers advice that she has accumulated over the years and gets right out in the field to assist everyone who comes to train that day. 

I would call her "every dog's greatest cheerleader". Every now and then a dog just needs a person who cheers them on and so does the owner. Jo looks for the bright spot and comes along those who just struggled or failed. She shares in the excitement when a dog and owner accomplish a goal. She encourages the forlorn. 

I believe we live in a world now that is quick to blame, ridicule, gossip, and judge others. The world has forgotten how to be a cheerleader now and then. 

I am asking all who read this today to join me in prayer for those trying to regroup, recover and just overcome tragedy in Venezuela from the massive earthquakes that have just devastated many. Can you be a Jo today to your part of the world? 

I know you can!

God bless,

Marty

A Friend Is? 6/27/2026

Good Morning,

This day began early for me. And it started with prayer and a hot cup of Hazelnut Coffee. It is time to write. 

Proverbs 18:24 NKJV  A man who has friends must himself be friendly. But  there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother

I was thinking about friendship and what is important to me in the definition of a friend. 

A friend is available in good or bad times. A friend is loyal to me and my wife. A friend prays for me now and then and more during times of despair and adversity. A friend is someone who has a sense of humor and takes time to laugh. A friend respects my need for quiet and peace. A friend performs favors and doesn't keep score.

A friend doesn't tell me what I want to hear but one who tells me what I need to hear. A friend is one who knows when to correct me and loves me enough to correct me. A friend is one who will point me to God at all times. 

If you have friends, count them as blessings. The friends you have are the ones God has sent and He feels you need. 

And most important today is this. Make sure to be a friend to those who God sends your way. A man who has friends is friendly himself. 

God bless your day!

Marty

Celebrate The Experience 6/26/2026

 Good Morning,

My cup of Hazelnut Coffee is super hot right now nd it would be a great way to start a cold day in January. It is time to write.

Philippians 1:9 ESV And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and and all discernment. 

Yesterday if my parents were still alive, they would have celebrated their 71st wedding anniversary. My folks weren't ones to "over celebrate". Giving each other a card or a small gift was as good as it got. 

But yet, my dad would remind me not to forget my anniversary. I am not sure why he reminded me of my anniversary every year. I wonder if he forgot one of his own, or if he just knew that if anyone of his kids would forget one it would be me. Dad wasn't one to call you very often. It was your job to call him. Three days before our wedding anniversary he would call like a synchronized Swiss watch. 

He would nonchalantly bring up the subject by asking what we had planned for our anniversary. I recall him going off on me one year because I told him that we were going to go out to eat later in the week on the weekend. Wow, here is the quote. "What the hell is wrong with you. Take a day off from work, both of you. Those hospitals will survive one day without you guys." ( We both worked in health care.)

The best I could do was to send flowers to Rene' work place. We also had a nice dinner at the end of the week. 

So take it from me. You did not want to get chewed out by my Dad. So here is what I learned from him. Never forget the "God Given right to celebrate your life together. You never know when the last anniversary is the last anniversary"

Rene and I were married in September and he reminded me of our anniversary the week before our wedding date. My mother died in April of the next year. They were married in June.

The following year on their anniversary I called my Dad to check on him. I asked him what he was doing for the day. I was not surprised to hear him say. "I am going to the cemetery and put some flowers there for your mother. She liked flowers."

Friends, don't forget to celebrate your important dates and the dates of your spouse. Once they stop, they are stopped forever.

Marty

 

Reach Into The Jar 6/25/2026

Good Morning,

I just sat down to write and to my right side there is a very hot cup of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee and a prayer in my heart.

Romans 15:13 NIV May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

A couple years back while dining out with our grandson we returned to our truck after eating,  just to find that it had been broken into. A few items were stolen from the inside and the truck was ransacked. That experience left a bad taste in my mouth about the area,and it took a long time for us to get over it and dine again at one of our favorite places. 

Throughout my years on this earth I have lost some things and never recovered them from someone who felt that it was ok for them to steal from us. 

One thing that that is always there and can't be taken from you is HOPE. When the rains of life pour disaster into your life there is an invisible jar that you can reach into and pull out some hope for tomorrow. 

That dose of hope assures us that God is still there and has his watchful eye upon us. He is there to walk us through tough times and see us through to the end. Knowing that God keeps His promises gives us hope for tomorrow and beyond. 

Romans 12:12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer. 

If we look at the word hope, as a noun we can define it as a substance to be grasped and a gift from God. 

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 

I see hope as an action verb as a command for us to hope at all times and remember where our hope comes from. 

Psalm 121:1-2 I will lift up my eyes to the hills-

From whence comes my help?

2. My help comes from the Lord.

Who made heaven and earth.

Food for thought. Do you need to reach into the jar of hope today? Why wait? Trust always in the Lord where there is a never ending hope. 

Marty