Burning The Candle Till Dawn 2/26/2026

 Good Morning,

I just finished brewing some Door County Mocha Mint Coffee and it is warming me up from head to toe. It is time to write. 

Isaiah 40:28 ESV Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; His understanding is unsearchable.

Deuteronomy 31:8 ESV It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; He will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed 

I just completed writing a study guide on the life of Lot, the nephew of Abraham. I have been working on it for a couple of months and last night I couldn't sleep. I needed about another four hours to complete my work. For some reason I just felt compelled  to finish it last night into this morning. 

I built a fire to keep the house warm while I studied and worked. I used a couple of candles as my light sources along with the light form the computer screen. 

The work went slow and as morning approached I found myself dozing off a couple of times. My journey stalled out a couple of times as I struggled with the last three paragraphs. They were rewritten a few times and then settled on just before my alarm clock was set to go off. 

My point for the day is this. As lonely as the study/work scenario might sound I wasn't really alone. God was watching over me  and kept me going until the work was finished. We are never really alone. I chose to do the work in peaceful solitude. But I really wasn't alone. 

Maybe you work the late shift or just can't sleep. Maybe you are sitting with a sick loved one and you feel very alone. Remember, feelings are not facts. The fact is, God never sleeps and we are never alone.

Food for thought. God Bless.

Marty

Throw Yourself A Party 2/25/2026

 Good Morning,

My cup of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee is already half gone and getting cold. Time for a refill and a warm up. 

Zephaniah 3:17 NKJV The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save: He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.

Today I have declared as "Let's celebrate you" day. Give this a little thought for a minute. From the time you were born right up to today you have been accomplishing things. Yes you might celebrate your birthday, but the rest of the 365 days in a year you probably do something that are accomplishments. 

Each day you are special to someone else, especially God. Today might be take a walk with your dog and greet someone along the path day. . If they returned your greeting or you received a smile you caused them to to react. Maybe you cooked breakfast today for yourself or your family.  You accomplish things hourly and daily. You are a child of the King and are worth more than you know! Celebrate you!

Take some time to acknowledge yourself. God made you and set you on your path in life. To Him you are special enough to have His Son die for your sins. Think about that before you ever see yourself as not worth celebrating. 

Food for thought. God Bless.

Marty

When Your Pride Gets The Best Of You 2/24/2026

 Good Morning,

I just filled my cup with Door County Vanilla Almond Kringle Coffee and it it time to sit down and write. 

Psalm 138:6 NIV Though the lord is exalted , He looks kindly on the lowly, but the proud He sees from afar.

This might be painful for some of us today so grab another cup of coffee and buckle up for the ride.

Our pride that we display is at times to be commended. For instance " Marty has already cut most of the firewood he will need for next year already.". This shows that Marty is not afraid of work. He likes to be prepared for the future. And He probably got the firewood for free, so he is thrifty.  On the other hand, it could be said that "Marty cut wood in excess of what he needs and now it sat so long it rotted.   And he missed out on a family dinner  just because hecould not pass up a good deal. 

Or our pride gets in the way of us admitting we made a mistake. Some people just can't admit when they should move on from a turn they took in the road of life and cut their losses. In some instances they are loyal to their mistakes and their reputation suffers. It causes harm to their family or friends. And they miss opportunities because their pride has become mixed with stubborness. Pride can get in the way of good judgement when we can't take good advice and we stick to a decision despite the consequences. 

Pride can be good. And pride can be ugly. You have to decide to swallow that pride now and then.

God bless,

Marty

When It Rains --Pours 2/23/2026

 Good Morning, 

I am waiting on a hot cup of Door County Vanilla Almond Kringle Coffee to finish brewing. But it is time to write anyway. 

Photo credit Morton Salt Museum

I heard a quote many years ago that applied to my new walk with the Lord . "I am not what I am supposed to be. I am not what I will be. But thank God I am not what I used to be." 

I cannot take any credit for the lifestyle changes in me. It was and is all God's work. In my walk since 1981 I can honestly say that there have been many trials which at times just made me want to toss my walk with God. But every time I was on the brink of giving in God came and poured out wisdom or endurance, or grace, or correction or more love. It seems as when the rains of life rage, God pours more of Himself into us. He is the salt salt that keeps my walk with Him  clear of slippery paths

1 Corinthians 15:10 NLT But whatever I am now, it is all because God poured out his special favor on me. 

1. Corinthians 15:10 NKJV " But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain, but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me. 

When it rains, He Pours.  Food for thought.

God bless,Marty

Some Work Ahead Of Me Today 2/22/2026

 Good Morning,

I am enjoying a hot cup of Door County Wisconsin Cherry Pie Coffee in a warm and quiet house. It is time to write.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray continually, giving thanks in all circumstances , for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 

Later this morning I will be meeting one of my nephews and we will be cutting a tree down. We belong to a kennel club and part of belonging yo the club is that you agree to help out around the land with events or chores which need to be done. This keeps the land in good shape and the dues affordable. 

The only thing I need to do before I go is to sharpen my chain saw. A sharp saw will make this chore a lot easier and quicker to do. 

Here is one other thing that needs to happen before we even start the saws and it is that we will pray for safety, giving thanks for a place to train our dogs, thanks for one another, and then we will start the chore. 

This blog is short and to the point today. In all things PRAY. What's on your agenda for today? Whatever it is, mix in the prayers with it.

God bless,

Marty

Saying Hello 2/21/2026

 Good Morning,

I am enjoying a hot cup of Door County Chocolate Cherry Coffee and it is time to write. 

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

Yesterday one of my chores for the day was to pick up a few groceries we needed for this weekend and also for next week. The Friday shopping crowd was quite large and when it came time to check out there was a few minute wait for you to reach the cashere . In front of me was a young lady and I assume the child in the cart was her 4 year old daughter.

The line was long and I waited patiently. It was then that the child decided to have a running dialogue with me. It started by her smiling and saying hello. I returned the nicety and thought it was done. I had a box of Raisin Bran and one box of Cheerios in my shopping cart. 

It was then that the little munchkin decided to critique my food choices. "Mom, he has the same cereal as us. One for old people and one for kids." Mom turned three shades of red with that remark.  I had to keep this going because the line hadn't moved much at all. The little lady told me all about what she thought of what was in my cart. "Mister are you poor? You don't have much in there". Mom wanted to die right about then. I replied that I only needed a few things and that we were ok and not destitute. "Mister we have some cookies here. Would you like one?" I replied that I would like two cookies. Then it came. "I think you should only eat one. They make you fatter."Mom was apologizing like a runaway ticker tape machine. Well they were just about to the cashier when I thanked her for the conversation and they did give me a cookie. I told them I would eat it for dessert later that evening. "Ha. I ate that sucker the minute I was in my truck. But the little lady had to get in the last word. (I feel sorry for her future husband) She said to me "Thank you for talking to me. God bless you,"

That made my day. For a little one to pass on a blessing request for me at her age was phenomenal and it really did make me think. I very often  don't leave my conversations asking God to bless the person I was speaking with.  I learned a lesson from a munchkin. 

God bless you all!

Marty. 

Fish Fry Season 2/20/2024

 Good Morning,

I will be enjoying a hot cup of Door County Pumpkin Spice Coffee very soon. I am looking forward to it and it is time to write. Christians around the world are observing Lent and one of the customs is not to eat meat on Fridays. A lot of food emporiums serve fish to accommodate those who are fasting from meat. 

Daniel 9:3-5 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting , and in sackcloth and ashes.

This has produced a custom of going out for a fish fry. I really enjoy a good fish fry and dining out is always more fun if you go out with friends or family. I know for a fact that my wife and I will take advantage of "fish fry season.". The small sacrifice of not eating meat affords you the opportunity to give up something and in addition you receive time with friends and family. 

So make each Friday a day of prayer, fellowship and fish. Jesus served fish to the crowd and fed his disciples along the shore after He arose. 

Food for thought!

Marty