In The Garden A Mother's Heart 3/29/2026

 Good Morning,

I just poured a hot cup of door County Highlander Grog Coffee and it is time to write.

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

Yesterday I had the honor to deliver a sermon at a funeral for a young man. We have known the grieving family for a long long time. This young man suffered the impacts of tumors for many years and they finally took their final toll and he now is residing in heaven free from any pain or sorrow. Earlier last week the church pastor, myself and the family met to discuss the order of the service and the desires of the family. They had some music picked out that was just right. Then I was surprised to hear that his mother was going to sing one of the hymns by herself. I thought to myself that this would be  huge undertaking by her. I couldn't imagine her being able to carry this through without breaking down.

Yesterday as Mom approached the microphone to sing, you could hear a pin drop. This little lady with a very beautiful voice began to sing the song "In the Garden". It was beautifully done. As a matter of fact her voice got stronger with every verse. 

I witnessed two things yesterday. I saw how God carries us through times of sorrow and the strength He bestows during those times. I saw the strength and love of a mother for her family. 

My point for today is this, God is good and gives us what we need, when we need it. I have witnessed twice now the love of grieving mothers and I will never underestimate their strength.

Have a great Sunday. 

Marty

It's Your Dream 3/28/2026

Good Morning, 

I woke up to a very cold house this morning and my cup of Door County Cinnamon Hazelnut Coffee  is working overtime today. Spring cannot make up it's mind as to when it will really arrive.

Jeremiah 23:28 The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell the dream, and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?

We would all be lying if we say we never transposed ourselves into a movie we are watching. In some instances you become the villain and at other times you are the hero. 

I have been known to be listening to some music and then turn the music into a video in my head. I write the video to match the tune. I am the main character in my dream video.

We must remember that dreams are just that, "Dreams". 

Sometimes dreams can be used to set legitimate goals of success for us. To know if a dream is legitimate as a goal, check your dreams against the skill set you were given by God. If the skill set has you bent toward the dream you just might be on the right road. 

No matter the dream or skill set, asking for a direction in prayer is very prudent. God knows how He wired you and will always send you out as He wired you. Test a dream against Scripture. Scripture never contradicts itself. 

Food for thought. 

Marty

 

Happy Thoughts For A Friday 3/27/2026

 Good Morning,

My cup of Door County Jamaican Me Crazy Coffee is hot and ready to be tasted. It is time for me to write.

Numbers 6:24-26. The Lord bless you and keep you. 

25. The Lord make His face shine upon you. And be gracious to you.

26. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you. And give you peace.  

I am up early this morning and I don't have a lot planned for today. My first goal after I complete my daily blogg is to start my smoker and slowly smoke a pork loin. The loin will take several hours to complete, but hopefully will be ready for a late dinner tonight. I look forward to the smoke from the cooking meat to fill the patio area with a sweet aroma. I might have a second cup of coffee outside at the table closest to the smoker. I have already pulled a bottle of y favorite barbecue sauce out of the cupboard. Life is good. 

My point of the day is this. Take some time to treat yourself well. You are important to others in your life. But you should also remember that you are important to yourself. There is only one you and you should treat others as you would have them treat you. But you also need to treat yourself to a nicety now and then. Pray for others today and don't forget to pray for yourself.

Have a wonderful Friday. May your heart be filled with joy, peace and happiness.

Marty

Preparing For The Annual Turkey Hunt 3/26/2026

 Good Morning.

I am on my way to deliver my nephew to the airport with a hot cup of Door County Toffee Pretzel Coffee in the console of my truck. I was moving by 3AM and I have a lot planned for today.

Proverbs 27:1 Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring. 

My first item on the list to complete is to renew my state hunting license so my trek into the woods in a couple weeks is legal. The next item on the list is to dig out the turkey blind, decoys and blind char. Once that is done I will go through my turkey bag of tricks such as three faithful calls and a small telescope.  I will set up my blind and make sure it is is in good shape. Rain gear is a must as well as a small cooler and a camouflage Thermos brand bottle. For sure, I will verify that I have ammunition packed. An extra battery pack for my electronics and then all I have to do is pack a lunch before I hunt in April.  The hard part is letting the dogs know that they are not going anywhere just because a blind is in the driveway. 

My point for the day is this. "If something is worth doing, do it right and do not procrastinate" until it is almost too late. The fun is taken out of any adventure when you discover your turkey calls were stepped on and ruined because they were not stored away properly and kept safe, and you are hunting the next morning. You are now already a morning or a whole day behind. 

So be ready at all times. Lose the words "I will do it tomorrow" especially if you can do it today. A few minutes of work today, can make for a less stressful day tomorrow. 

God bless,

Marty

Celebrating Gibbs 3/25/2026

 Good Morning,

My cup is full of Door County Toffee Pretzel Coffee and I am enjoying it immensely. It is time to write.

Proverbs 12:10 Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast. But the mercy of the wicked is cruel. 

This morning. ^

In our home we look at each day as important. We try to celebrate life in different ways each day. I often write about our dogs and for the last few years the youngest one "Leo" has been the center of most all I have written. But today our oldest dog "Gibbs" is celebrating his 14th year as a member of the family. 

Gibbs is deaf now and still enjoys having things thrown for him to retrieve and bring them back to you. Although 6-7 throws wears him out he still looks forward to being outside. He sleeps a lot now but is always there right on time when the clock strikes 4:30 PM for feeding time. 

There was a time when this dog filled with heart could flush and retrieve, upland birds, and fowl with the best of them. He has his share of geese on the ledger as well. 

My point for today is this. A good dog is a prize to be cherished. He stole my heart the day we brought him home. As I write he is on the floor next to me snoring. I pray that he has some happy dreams today and there will be a small cheese burger in his future tonight. Gibbs never competed in dog trials or hunt tests. His only trophies are a few taxidermied ducks on the wall. No ribbons for this boy. His only trophy is my heart. I dread the day when He moves on over the rainbow bridge. But until then, Happy Birthday Gibbs Boss Schutte. Dream a few sweet dreams today.

Marty

Take The Signs Seriously 3/24/2026

 Good Morning,

My chair is way too comfortable this morning. The old chair goes really well with a hot cup of Door County Country Morning Blend Coffee. I believe it is time to write. 

1 Peter 2:13 NKJV Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake. 

I am a little sore this morning. I used a lot of lazy muscles yesterday while cutting down a tree that had fallen down over a service road at the Kennel Club I belong to. The club is used by it's members to train their hunting dogs and as being a member we all put in some work hours at the club as needed. I find that spending time outdoors even if it is for a chore or two is a nice way to spend an afternoon. 

On the home front, I had to add a sign to the entrance of our back yard. Our back yard is fenced in and our two dogs are free to be outside in a safe environment. Just the other day, one of the utility companies sent out a the technician who marks where all the underground utilities are located on our property. They are going to replace and bury a new communications cable at our home. So to be safe the property needed to be marked as to the locations of any wires buried in our yard.  Great idea. 

But they neglected to let us know that a technician would be coming out and when that would be. The tech came to the correct address, saw the gated entrance and let himself in. He never announced to us that he was here and what he was doing. Much to his surprise ,once he entered the property he encountered Leo and Gibbs the dynamic English Springer Spaniels Duo. The two dogs let him know they were their by some barking. I went outside to see what the ruckus was about and within a minute or two the tech was being greeted by wagging tails and two dogs who were willing to share their space. 

The technician apologized for his company who failed to notify us as to his coming on to our property. He also reminded me that a huge help would be to have a sign at the gate letting folks know that there are dogs on the property. 

Long story short. I complied with his request and the gate is clearly marked to warn folks that there could be a dog or two behind the fence.  

My point for today is two fold. I wasn't compliant with my signage and I corrected it quickly. Number two, the sign is located in a totally visible spot and should clearly end any confusion to anyone entering the area. 

With all things there are warning signs that should not be ignored. Our lives are filled with signs and postings. Speed limits on the highway are clearly marked. A snow cover road is a sign that the road is probably slippery and we should drive in a safe manner for snow covered roads. A sign is meant to instruct, enforce, modify, or stop a behavior. Our problem is that we don't pay attention to or obey the signs in our lives. 

Think about it. It is early in the morning and how many signs will you ignore today by noon? Food for thought! Obey the signs God has placed in your way. 

God bless, 

Marty

Dried Fruit 3/23/2026

 Good Morning,

I have a hot cup of Door County Salted Caramel Whiskey Coffee in front of me and I am ready to write. This is a new coffee flavor for me and it has a way of growing on you. 

Proverbs 22:2 ESV The rich and the poor meet together, The Lord is maker of them all. 

In January my wife Rene said she was tired of seeing me dehydrate fruit with the small dryer I had. I enjoy dehydrating fruit and some vegetables. I also enjoy munching on the dried delights while hunting or  just for a snack. My latest venture has been to explore making jerky from some of my wild game or from a lean piece of beef. Anyway, for an early birthday gift we purchased a larger dryer that has proved to be a lot of fun. Yesterday found me drying some mango slices and they turned out pretty good. 

I did some research and found a couple recipes for dip that can served with the dried apples I like the best. 

Where am I going with this? When I have the chance to share some of these chips and dips a lot of people look at the dried up and shriveled pieces and they are reluctant to try some. They don't look appetizing to them. So they pass on eating any without even trying some. They trust their eyes instead of their taste buds. 

I believe that it is the same with attending church or having a relationship with God and others. We have stereotyped church goers as Bible thumping lunatics. We look at other races and what Hollywood depicts them to be, is what  we assume they are. So we go though life not experiencing God, and a Southern Baptist pot luck dinner. We avoid other races and folks that are different to us but do things differently. Imagine going through this life and not experiencing people, who are different from us? I have some buddies who like to eat pork shanks and sauerkraut. They turned me on to that dish many years ago. I am glad that they did. 

In life I believe we all have the mindset that certain things because they are different should be avoided. We have clouded our minds with the inability to see the world through the eyes of others. 

Food for thought. 

Marty