The Little Things That Don't Mean Anything 12/31/2016

Good Morning,

I can't tell you how good the Door County Inn Keepers Blend Coffee tastes this morning when it is combined with a cold house that is slowly being warmed up by a nice fire in the fireplace. It is all especially nice because I am not in a hurry to go anywhere today.

I am a peculiar person to say the least. I have a lot of idiosyncrasies that are unique to only me. We all have been "wired" differently at birth. These small things make us who we are and most of the time are harmless to us or anyone else.

For instance my coffee maker is usually set for 4:50 AM unless it needs to be earlier. I am awake at 4:45 daily just before the coffee starts to perk. I get out of bed at 5:00 AM and head to the kitchen for my cup of java. But the coffee maker does not make the coffee hot enough for me. I place my mug in the microwave and then proceed to heat it for 19 seconds. No more or no less. Why 19 seconds instead of 20  or 18. I have no clue why. It just seems to taste perfect when I do.

I like to eat , but I eat one entrée on my plate at a time. So if the carrots seem to appeal to me before the chicken, the carrots go first. Why???? Again I have no clue. I do so many little weird things that I could write a book. I put pepper on all my food. This drove my Dad crazy and he would tell me how I reminded him of some relative of his. He would say "that pepper is going to kill you some day." This would all be said while he was sprinkling salt all over his food before he even tasted it. I was always laughing on the inside, while thinking "all this from the guy who eats popcorn with a spoon???"

The point I am trying to make is this. We are all different and some of our stupid little habits really do not mean a thing and do not hurt anyone. People will spend hours worrying about how weird others are just because of the small things that they do and why. God made us differently.

But we all have one main thing in common. We were made to be relational. God created us to have a relationship with Him. It all started with Adam. God created Adam and then gave him assignments of work. He walked in the garden of Eden and talked to Adam. This is a relationship.

Nothing has changed since the beginning of time. God still desires a relationship with us. But the closeness of the relationship or to have a relationship at all is our choice. And as much effort as we put into the relationship causes God to draw closer to us also. Most relationships start with one person reaching out first to the other person. God did this by sending His Son to die for our sins and for Jesus to bridge the gap between man and God. Then He promises us to always draw as close to us as we allow Him to. He doesn't care how hot our coffee is or if we eat our carrots first. He loves us the way He made us. We spend so much time combing our hair ( I don't have to) and fixing our outward appearance that we forget about our relationship with God. This is what is important people! Wasting time wondering why I heat my coffee for 19 seconds is just useless. I could care less what people think. I do however care about what God thinks about the inner man and how I live my life and whether or not I spend enough time with Him. I need this relationship more than I need hot coffee.

James 4:8New King James Version (NKJV)
⁸ Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

So today instead of worrying about little things and why you or someone you know does things that bug you, pray for you relationship with God to be as close as it can be. Pray that same thing for others. And let the little things, stay little and pay them no time. Some people drink cold coffee and I think that is nuts. But it keeps the cold coffee suppliers in business so who really cares!!

God bless,

Marty

No Reason To Worry 12/30/2016

Good Morning,

Wow this weather is like a roller coaster. Up and down and at times it seems to turn me upside down. I just filled my Thermos bottle with Door County Christmas Coffee and I will soon be headed down the road to work.

I remember a time when our grandson and daughter were flying in for a visit. At that time the little dude was quite a handful and could disappear by wandering off in less than a heartbeat. I prayed for them to have safe travels and then called as many people as I could to have them pray also. While waiting in the airport I was pacing the lobby as passengers were coming from the plane. It was a large plane and many people were exiting the concourse. I did not see our child and her son. I proceeded to worry and exclaim to Rene that there must be a problem.

I actually was upset with Rene for not sharing in my worries. She was content to watch and wait. She did say that "it might be taking a little time for mom to get her little buddy rounded up and down the concourse. I was totally convinced that he was stuck in the cargo hold ready to fly off to Europe or something. I just knew it. I was devising my plan to storm the airplane and rescue Junior from a life overseas when I saw Kristy coming with a big bag and a sleeping little boy in her arms.

Later I was so tired from all the worrying I had been doing. No matter what happened or didn't happen, worrying was not going to make a difference. No one ever said from their death bed, "I wish I would have worried more".

Worry is one of the areas of my Christian walk that I struggle continuously with. I am always needing to read scriptures and be reminded that God has asked us not to worry but to trust Him completely. It is this reassurance and these Bible verses about worry that help during stressful times or times filled with anxiety.

Matthew 6:25-27  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?

Matthew 6:34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Matthew 11:28-30  Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.“

Luke 12:25 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his  span of life?

John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

 

Jesus has a lot to say about worrying. And in a nutshell He pretty much says not to worry.  The verses I listed above would benefit those who worry too much. I recommend that we memorize these and keep them in our hearts for those times when the worry bug hits us. 

 

Have a great worry free day.

 

Marty

One Way To Stay Warm 12/29/2016

Good Morning,

The day has begun with a very hot cup Of Door County Jingle Bell Java Coffee, prayer and some soft music on the radio. I chose not to listen to the news this morning , but instead I will enjoy a melody or two.

 The winter weather has somehow hit each state with a little taste of what winter brings, except for Hawaii. Many parts of the world have experienced winter's embrace. People will wear hats, mittens, long underwear, scarves, boots and heavy coats to stay warm.  I subscribe to that theory myself! Rene and I both own plenty of warm clothes.

But clothing does nothing to warm the heart. I have found however a way to warm the heart for days if not for months. Here's the secret to a warm heart. Make someone's day by passing them a kind word of encouragement, support, or love. The kind word will warm their hearts and as you pass it on you will experience the warming of your own heart.

Now if someone shares a kind word in your direction, cherish it by saying thank you. Think on it and enjoy it. It has a warming capability for your heart that can be fueled for months. Then pray for that person and thank God that He sent them your way.

Proverbs 15:23New International Version (NIV)

²³ A person finds joy in giving an apt reply—
    and how good is a timely word!

Go ahead and warm up. Thaw out your heart.

Marty

Finish The Race 12/28/2016

Good Morning,

Waking up is always pleasant when you can smell the Door County Harvest Blend Coffee before you open your eyes. I wonder if there is coffee in heaven?

Sitting on a table in my den is a lamp. Pictured above is the base of the lamp. The lamp was given to me when I retired from Youth Work. The inscription has Acts 20:24 engraved on it.

Acts 20:24New International Version (NIV)
²⁴ However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.

When I use the lamp or look at it, the statue reminds me of how much duck hunting reminds me of God. In order to bag a duck I have to go out. God commands us to go out into all the world. I have to carry a weapon. God gives us His Word to use as we go out and it is sharper than a two edged sword. I need to aim at the ducks before I shoot. When I shoot I have to block out all distractions in order to hit my target. God expects us to keep our focus on Him.
Once a duck is down I send out my dog to retrieve the duck. I have trained him daily. God expects us to teach our children to observe His commands. The dog retrieves and comes and sits at the masters feet. God expects us to obey and complete our tasks in a humble way. As a hunter praises his dog God desires to say "Well done good and faithful servant".

When people come to our home they see this lamp and a whole bunch of taxidermied ducks in my den. I see some treasures also, but I see God in all of them.


It's more than a lamp to me.

Marty

Till Death Separates Us 12/27/2016

Good Morning,

The Door County Pecan Caramel Scones Coffee better come quick today. Sleep seemed to elude me last night. The aroma of the coffee is great, but it's the liquid I look forward to.

Last night I met with a young couple that will be getting married this week on Thursday night. We were working on some details for the wedding and writing the ceremony. My first draft of the vows was what they wanted. I asked them to look up the Bible verses that I have included in the vows and the exchange of the rings. I told them we could add one more verse from the passage. The verse talks about not separating until death. Earlier we had discussed the word divorce and that the best thing for them to do is to drop the word from their vocabulary. This is not an option for a Christian couple starting out or later in life. It's just not an option. Things were going fine until we discussed until death separates us. Both of them teared up as the thought of either one of them passing away entered their minds. I was touched to say the least. But death is the only thing that should separate two people in marriage. I think for these kids, that thought cemented where they are headed and they both knew that this marriage needs to last until God calls one of them home.

Ruth 1:16-17New International Version (NIV)
¹⁶ But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. ¹⁷ Where you die I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord deal with me, be it ever so severely, if even death separates you and me.”

Today I am asking all of you married folks to look at your spouse and recommit to each other your vow until death do we part. Let any little squabbles stay little, let any temptations cease, and reach out together to God and ask Him to bless your marriage.

Go ahead. start the New Year all Renewed.


Marty

The End Of The Year 12/26/2016

Good Morning,

The day after Christmas and I just had to fill a cup with Door County White Christmas Coffee to keep my Christmas drive going.

Looking ahead to next weekend and the end of 2016 and the beginning of 2017. But to me it seems as if 2017 started early. In the United Sates we have the presidential inauguration coming up after a hard fought, very ugly election process. One president in place with seemingly no power and the president elect taking charge before the actual day of the power transfer.

I like many have issues to take care of from 2016 that will last into 2017. So there just doesn't seem to be an end and a beginning this time around.

I am sure that no matter what country you are from there are many people that feel the same way. Terrorism hasn't stopped, just ask the people in Germany. Churches are being threatened now and air liners are still crashing.

So, what is my point? God hasn't changed. He will someday judge this world and all that is in it. So despite what is going on, we are to embrace our Savior Jesus Christ, pray daily and especially stay in the Word. We are to love on another, forgive and do good. Nothing has changed there either. But each day with God is always different than the day before.  So my advice is this. End the year strong, cling to God, and carry that  desire into the new year. Enjoy your family, pray often, love others, go to work and be in church. Look forward to each day with God.

Lamentations 3:22-23English Standard Version (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.

 

God bless,

 

Marty

Making Christmas For Others 12/25/2016

Good Morning,

Merry Christmas to all of you. I kicked off my day with a big cup of Door County White Christmas Coffee and a small fire in the fireplace. The weather is very damp outside and the coffee and the fire are helping this sore hunter to get going.

Rene and I both chose our health care professions a million years ago. Needless to say that along with hospital duty comes weekend and holiday work hours. Everyone takes their turn working Christmas and the other holidays. While many are waking up to the sound of Christmas presents being opened, someone is answering the call of duty in many ways this morning. Our military does not take a day off for Christmas, the police and fire departments are there 24/7 and aren't we glad they are! Air traffic controllers keep the skies safe. There is a long list of people that are working today to serve others. Now there are those who are forced to work for instance in grocery stores and liquor emporiums to make sure you have your egg nog and rolls that you forgot. I for one say that if you forgot the butter, too bad! Stay home. It should have been on your list. You forgot it and now do without.

So this morning I find myself at the desk with a beautiful Christmas tree glowing, but the house is empty. My little health care warrior is long gone to work. Now I for one am never bored and due to necessity our family Christmas celebrations took place earlier this week and month. I am more than content.

But what can I do today to enjoy Christmas? I forgot to mention that this place smells great. Why you ask? Well an hour ago I started baking ham that is seasoned just a little, and soon I will be taking it to the hospital where Rene works along with some hard rolls, and a cake. Now I am not competing for the husband of the year award here. I already won that too many times!! LOL. But when our heart beats for others it beats best. Have you considered taking some cookies to the fire department today? You see that is what Christmas is all about. Christmas is best when you make it about others. Jesus did.

John 3:16New International Version (NIV)
¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.


Jesus came on Christmas day so others might live. He set the example for what Christmas should be. You are only as lonely today as you choose to be. I for one get to visit a bunch of well fed care givers who are serving others by choice. You can do the same. Someone is serving us somewhere and you can say thank you.  Our church helped to stuff shoe boxes with gifts for children around the world as well as other churches and organizations have done. Some kids somewhere are opening two that we sent. We might not be there in person, but our hearts are.

You have a choice today. You can make Christmas great for someone else or not. I tell you the truth. I am the winner. Our house smells awesome, and in an hour or so I get to see my wife for a couple minutes. Eventually she will be home today and later we will start the grill. But as for me and the dog, we will serve today and enjoy what Christmas really is.

Have a Merry Christmas! I am!!!!

Marty

Flying With The Instruments 12/23/2016

Good Morning,

The old mug is filled with Door County Jingle Bell Java today. Friday is here and tonight is a Christmas get together with Rene's family. Off to work I go and then it's home to the stove!!!

Last week when we were in Florida there were a couple of nights and mornings that greeted us with some pretty heavy fog. In the morning while listening to the news we heard about the fog causing traveling delays around the United States. It was nothing to mess with.

Yesterday I was speaking with a pilot friend of mine and he was telling me that one of the hardest things he ever learned to do was to land his aircraft in the fog, not being able to see the airstrip. He was telling us that he had to learn to trust the plane's instruments and the instructions from the air traffic controller. The plane was equipped with everything he needed. But it was hard to not rely on his own emotions and instincts. Trusting the instruments was very difficult for him to do.

Life is the same way. We all want to trust our own inclinations and emotions while making decisions on life. We want to trust our own good judgment in how to behave and what is right and wrong.

But God has given us the perfect package of instruments to help us navigate through life, it's choices and it's struggles. It is the 66 books of the Bible. The perfect instrument panel for life. God speaks to us through His word and is just like the air traffic controller. We don't actually see Him, but He is there 24/7. He gets us through the good and bad times. We just need to trust in the Word and lean on God for all understanding.

2 Timothy 3:16-17New International Version (NIV)
¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work

This trust comes with practice. We need to trust God and His Word in all things. The more we do, the easier it gets.

Fly high today,

Marty

World War I Peace At Christmas 12/22/2016

Good Morning,

Door County Inn Keepers Blend Coffee just filled my Thermos Bottle. No time for a cup right now but I will treat myself to some later.

A lot of people have favorite things to read at Christmas, such as "The Night Before Christmas" or account of the birth of Jesus. I always read the birth story. But I have one more that I like to read. It reminds me that differences can be set aside and that humans actually desire to be good. Peace does have a chance. This account is taken from the History Channel.

On December 7, 1914, Pope Benedict XV suggested a temporary hiatus of the war for the celebration of Christmas. The warring countries refused to create any official cease-fire, but on Christmas the soldiers in the trenches declared their own unofficial truce.
Starting on Christmas Eve, many German and British troops sang Christmas carols to each other across the lines, and at certain points the Allied soldiers even heard brass bands joining the Germans in their joyous singing.
At the first light of dawn on Christmas Day, some German soldiers emerged from their trenches and approached the Allied lines across no-man’s-land, calling out “Merry Christmas” in their enemies’ native tongues. At first, the Allied soldiers feared it was a trick, but seeing the Germans unarmed they climbed out of their trenches and shook hands with the enemy soldiers. The men exchanged presents of cigarettes and plum puddings and sang carols and songs. There was even a documented case of soldiers from opposing sides playing a good-natured game of soccer.
Some soldiers used this short-lived ceasefire for a more somber task: the retrieval of the bodies of fellow combatants who had fallen within the no-man’s land between the lines.
The so-called Christmas Truce of 1914 came only five months after the outbreak of war in Europe and was one of the last examples of the outdated notion of chivalry between enemies in warfare. It was never repeated—future attempts at holiday ceasefires were quashed by officers’ threats of disciplinary action—but it served as heartening proof, however brief, that beneath the brutal clash of weapons, the soldiers’ essential humanity endured.
During World War I, the soldiers on the Western Front did not expect to celebrate on the battlefield, but even a world war could not destroy the Christmas spirit.

One, needs to have hope, without hope, there is no love, where there is no love, there is no hope.

Psalm 147:11New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ the Lord delights in those who fear him,
    who put their hope in his unfailing love

 Put hope for peace on your Christmas prayer list. However short lived it might be, it is worth the prayer time.

Marty

Silent Night, Did You Know?12/21/2016

Good Morning,

Here we go Wednesday! I salute the day with a big cup of Door County Candy Cane Coffee as I write. Very soon I will be out the door and into the "Old Ford Truck".

I love to listen to Christmas music, especially the old songs. Did you know the story behind Silent Night?

Why was "Silent Night" written?

          Josef Mohr, author / Franz Gruber, composer

"And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night" -- Luke 2:8

The reason "Silent Night" was created: How the world's most famous Christmas carol came to be written and set to music

While we were serving as missionaries in Europe we visited a small little church in Austria. That church was the birthplace of "Silent Night." Here's the story how this most famous of Christmas carols came to be written:
     In 1818, a roving band of actors was performing in towns throughout the Austrian Alps. On December 23 they arrived at Oberndorf, a village near Salzburg where they were to re-enact the story of Christ's birth in the small Church of St. Nicholas.
     Unfortunately, the St. Nicholas' church organ wasn't working and would not be repaired before Christmas. (Note: some versions of the story point to mice as the problem; others say rust was the culprit) Because the church organ was out of commission, the actors presented their Christmas drama in a private home. That Christmas presentation of the events in the first chapters of Matthew and Luke put assistant pastor Josef Mohr in a meditative mood. Instead of walking straight to his house that night, Mohr took a longer way home. The longer path took him up over a hill overlooking the village.
     From that hilltop, Mohr looked down on the peaceful snow-covered village. Reveling in majestic silence of the wintry night, Mohr gazed down at the glowing Christmas-card like scene. His thoughts about the Christmas play he had just seen made him remember a poem he had written a couple of years before. That poem was about the night when angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside.
     Mohr decided those words might make a good carol for his congregation the following evening at their Christmas eve service. The one problem was that he didn't have any music to which that poem could be sung. So, the next day Mohr went to see the church organist, Franz Xaver Gruber. Gruber only had a few hours to come up with a melody which could be sung with a guitar. However, by that evening, Gruber had managed to compose a musical setting for the poem. It no longer mattered to Mohr and Gruber that their church organ was inoperable. They now had a Christmas carol that could be sung without that organ.
     On Christmas Eve, the little Oberndorf congregation heard Gruber and Mohr sing their new composition to the accompaniment of Gruber's guitar.
     Weeks later, well-known organ builder Karl Mauracher arrived in Oberndorf to fix the organ in St. Nicholas church. When Mauracher finished, he stepped back to let Gruber test the instrument. When Gruber sat down, his fingers began playing the simple melody he had written for Mohr's Christmas poem. Deeply impressed, Mauracher took copies of the music and words of "Silent Night" back to his own Alpine village, Kapfing. There, two well-known families of singers — the Rainers and the Strassers — heard it. Captivated by "Silent Night," both groups put the new song into their Christmas season repertoire.

Silent night! holy night!
All is calm, all is bright,
'Round yon virgin mother and Child!
Holy Infant, so tender and mild,
Sleep in heavenly peace,
Sleep in heavenly peace.

     The Strasser sisters spread the carol across northern Europe. In 1834, they performed "Silent Night" for King Frederick William IV of Prussia, and he then ordered his cathedral choir to sing it every Christmas eve.
     Twenty years after "Silent Night" was written, the Rainers brought the song to the United States, singing it (in German) at the Alexander Hamilton Monument located outside New York City's Trinity Church.
     In 1863, nearly fifty years after being first sung in German, "Silent Night" was translated into English (by either Jane Campbell or John Young). Eight years later, that English version made its way into print in Charles Hutchins' Sunday School Hymnal. Today the words of "Silent Night" are sung in more than 300 different languages around the world

I find stories like this amazing. It is one of those feel good songs and Christmas doesn't seem like Christmas unless we hear it. Now put this to thought. The song was composed to honor the birth of Jesus and it truly does praise God. But I wonder who enjoys it most? I believe we do, and it pleases God to see His creation compose a song, share it with others, and then have it sung back to Him.

My friends, even God enjoys Christmas and He made sure we have songs that stir our hearts during the season.

Marty

Tapestry Done Right 12/20/2016

Good Morning,

Here comes a cup of Door County White Christmas Coffee just in time to warm me up. Now add some oatmeal to my breakfast and I am off to a busy day ahead.

Pictured above is a tapestry that goes on the back of our sofa during the Christmas season. The tapestry was done for us in exchange for me doing some plumbing work for the artist. Rene designed it and the lady with the leaky pipes went to work to make it for us. You could say we bartered our services with a great outcome for all of us. The tapestry was woven into a blanket.

The artist friend of ours worked tirelessly to make something for us that we would enjoy and that we would be proud of. I am ashamed to say that my talent was only used for her to be able to take a bath. Nothing beautiful comes from these talents.

I remember talking with her about the piece about two days before she was done. She showed it to me and I said "that's great. I will take it home tonight". She explained that it wasn't finished yet. There were two small items that needed attention. I could not really see what difference those two items would make. But the two items were on the eyes of the snowman. Once she added them, the snowman took on a whole different appearance. The snowman went from looking confused, to a happier, jolly old boy. Only the artist would have caught that.

God is the artist of our lives and knows what will complete us. We are his workmanship and he continues to mold us into what the Artist intended us to be.

Isaiah 64:8New International Version (NIV)

⁸ Yet you, Lord, are our Father.
    We are the clay, you are the potter;
    we are all the work of your hand.

What sometimes we see as bad or rough times, God uses to shape us for the future and strengthen us. He alone knows what we need. He sees in us things that only He can fathom. It's hard to feel useless and unimportant when you realize that you are one of a kind and you have the tag of being made by the Ultimate Designer.

Chew on that today. You carry a Designer label.

Marty

It's What Is On The Inside. 12/19/2016

Good Morning,

Back at home this week. I can hear the Door County Frosted Cinnamon Buns Coffee dripping into the pot  letting me know that I soon will be pouring my first cup.

It's that time of year again and we have started exchanging Christmas presents and are in the process of wrapping a few more tonight. Rene enjoys wrapping presents, but I sure don't care for the task. I have been known to take all the presents to a shopping mall and paying a youth group who was raising funds for a charity by wrapping presents for people just to avoid the task..

It seems like such a waste of time to me. The really important part of the present is what is on the inside of the package. I watch people unwrap presents with a delicate approach and then say "it looks so beautiful, I hate to open it!" Really now? Who ever gets a present and keeps it in the package forever because it is too pretty to tear apart?

People are like that too. They wrap themselves up for appearance sake and show up to church, at Christmas. But then you don't see them again until Easter. On the outside they look happy and eager to be there, but on the inside they are just going through the motions of tradition. They know people can't see into their hearts and minds. But they forget that God knows the whole package from inside and out. He sees their heart and is really not too excited about the outside and the fake appearance. What He want is their hearts. Adults who do this are teaching children that observing Christmas and then Easter is the way to be "religious". They are leading others astray.


Matthew 23:27-28New International Version (NIV)
²⁷ “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. ²⁸ In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

Are you the real thing? Is there more to you than what you are wrapped in? Think about seeking out the Lord and a relationship with Him. He sees right into your heart.

Food for thought.

Marty

Life Is Not A Drive Through 12/18/2016

Good Morning,

I can't say that I am drinking Door County White Christmas Coffee today. We are filling our cups at a Hotel we pulled into last night. So it's complimentary hotel coffee for us and off we go.
  

Let me tell you all about my dinner from last night.



Last night we encountered strange and dangerous weather in Tennessee with high winds and tornado warnings. When we travel I like to stop and get out of the car to eat instead of using a fast food drive through. But because of the urgency to beat the weather we used a drive though at a fast food emporium last night for dinner.

I now have a shirt decorated with ketchup and there are wrappers that need to be thrown out in the morning. Rene did not get the sandwich she ordered and last but not least we did not receive any napkins. Here is my thoughts on the fast food drive through windows.

1. We had to go in anyway to get our order straight. It would have been the same amount of time if we had just gone in, ordered , sat down and relaxed.

2. This is not our first experience with drive through "Chaos". Shame on us for not learning.

3. The staff was busy, but then that's no excuse for the miscues in orders. We weren't the only ones standing there waiting for orders to be corrected. I am a patient person but people need to do their job, not talk to friends in the lobby. Concentrate.

I am not sure that a raise to $15 an hour will fix worker inadequacies.

So how do you use the drive through? You don't. Plan for extra time and take it to sit down and dine. Talking into a speaker that was last used at a drive in movie theater in 1975 and hoping the person on the other end can understand what you said is just not going to work more than not.

How does this apply to us? Any job, big or small do it right or not at all. You see friends, we all want to take short cuts in what we do or we don't give our tasks the best effort we can. We say things about the service at the fast food window, but how are we with our prayer lives. Do we perform a drive through or drive by, instead of spending the right amount of time in worship and prayer? Do we always pray on the run?

Ecclesiastes 9:10 Whatever the activity in which you engage, do it with all your ability, because there is no work, no planning, no learning, and no wisdom in the next world where you’re going.

When things go wrong or not as we hoped they would go, do we blame the PERSON at the drive through window? Or do we look within and own the rushed prayer time?

I hope this all gets us to think a little today. I know it made me think.

Marty

I Wouldn't Have Missed It For The World 12/17/2016

Good Morning,

Door County Jingle Bell Java filled my cup and travel Thermos this morning. Rene and I are headed back from Florida to frozen Wisconsin today. What a difference that will be. From sand beaches to white snow.

Proverbs 11:16New International Version (NIV)

¹⁶ A kindhearted woman gains honor,
    but ruthless men gain only wealth

We sure had a wonderful time with our family in Florida. It is always nice to visit, leave some love there and return with our hearts filled with a big dose of love also.

Today my mind wanders back to 12/17/1978 when our daughter Kristy came into the world. It was a cold, snowy Wisconsin day and the next two weeks after she was born had some of the heaviest snowfalls that I can recall. We were living in an apartment at that time and I could not wait for Kristy to be old enough for me to pull her in a sleigh. I remember starting to build a seat that same winter and attaching it to a sled for the following year. Living in an apartment did not allow me to cut wood inside the building. I remember stretching an extension cord out of the window to cut the wood that I managed to save from pallets that were in great shape. Money was pretty short back then but my princess was going to have a great box seat on a new sleigh by the next year.





I did get to pull that sleigh the following year and I was so proud to be pulling her. Yesterday I needed a little pull up from a chair. These knees of mine were acting up and Kristy reached over to pull up her old man. The tables have turned and these knees need to be fixed. But as proud as I was to build that seat and pull my little girl around in the yard I was just as proud to have her reach out with her hand to grab mine and give a pull. But I did not see the hand of an adult woman, I saw that tiny little hand that was placed in mine on 12/17/78 when God blessed me with a compassionate child who turned into a compassionate woman. I am so proud to call her daughter.

Happy Birthday Kristy.

Love Dad

Climbing To The Top Can Have It's Issues. 12/16/2016

Good Morning,

My Coffee is a surprise to me and I am blessed to have it. We stayed at our daughter's home for the night and are headed out and about today once more. Tonight we will be celebrating her birthday and Christmas all in one.

The other night when I was standing in the lobby of the resort where we are staying, I heard a young lad say to his father. Dad, I sure would like to climb that Christmas tree." The boy was pointing to the large Christmas tree in the lobby. I thought to myself, "what a disaster that would be". I sized up the little guy and looked him over and assessed that I believed he could make it to the top, but there would be some major damage on the way up and the way down. That is of course if he didn't fall from the tree, then of course he also would be damaged. I looked at the little guy again and assumed that this tree would not be his first rodeo. He was measuring that tree up like a pro. But dad's swift hand and an available collar on a shirt rescued the tree from an assault.

I witnessed one kid messing up a Christmas tree about twelve years ago and it wasn't pretty. Life has many people who have established their goal in life as to get to the top of their job, hobby, school, or church. This is a good goal for many, but it's how we achieve the goal that counts. Do we neglect our families just to be at the top of our company? Do we play golf or hunt and miss church? Do we abuse our bodies with energy drinks to get one point further on an exam? All these goals can be good, if we are doing them for the right reasons and if they don't leave a path of destruction while attaining them. I doubt that too many people who are laid out on their death bed ever really say, " I should have golfed more, I could have cut down my score and would have been the top golfer in the home for the aged."

All things should be done to glorify the Lord and done in a way that does not damage ourselves or others. Knowing how far to go toward the top of anything is the key. That is to be between you and God. But we need to take time to consult with Him. Notice that the young boy verbally stated his wish. Dad denied the wish. If the boy had acted upon the wish or dream, without permission, the picture above would be a whole lot different.

God first, family second, we are third. Is a good motto to live by.

1 Corinthians 10:23-32English Standard Version (ESV)
²³ “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. ²⁴ Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. ²⁵ Eat whatever is sold in the meat market without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁶ For “the earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.” ²⁷ If one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience. ²⁸ But if someone says to you, “This has been offered in sacrifice,” then do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for the sake of conscience— ²⁹ I do not mean your conscience, but his. For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? ³⁰ If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced because of that for which I give thanks?
³¹ So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

Think that life climb through. Ask these questions.

1 Why am I doing this?

2. Does God want me to?

3. Is there any harm to anyone else in making the climb?

4. Is everything I am doing to get there moral?

Well if you can answer those and they are all positive. Then enjoy the climb and give God all the glory.

God bless,

Marty

Differences Can Be Enjoyed 12/15/2016

Good Morning,

My cup was just filled with Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee. We are headed to the beach today. We spent yesterday by the pool and once again I ended up shooting baskets in the late afternoon.

So being here in Florida has been a treat for us. The contrast between Orlando and where we live in Wisconsin is about 70 degrees different right now. One is blanketed with snow and cold and the other is deep in sunshine and warm weather. We will be headed home this weekend and will have to wear a whole different kind of clothing. For the past couple of days we have lived in shorts and tee shirts. It will be back to sweaters and insulated pants for us, toot sweet. We have enjoyed ourselves immensely while here.

My point is this. We will also enjoy the cold weather when we get home. We try to make the best of things at all times. If the weather brings shorts and tee shirts or snow and cold, we adapt and enjoy the day God has given us. Every day is to be a blessing.

There is no use crabbing around when things are not to your liking. Be willing to compromise and enjoy seeing others happy. There is always something to do if you are willing to do it. It won't be long until Rene and I enjoy some snow activities. While drinking hot chocolate, our memories will go to swimming pools and palm trees. Contentment is the key to being happy in all circumstances. I hear plenty of our friends complaining about the snow. I just smile and can think of a few of my favorite duck marshes that need some water. The snow replenishes what was lost in a drought. We all need to rise and shine, smile and enjoy what God gave us.

Psalm 148:7-8King James Version (KJV)
⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:
⁸ Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

Have a great day!

Marty

Teach Children To Pick Up. 12/14/2016

Good Morning,

My day has started early and I am sitting outside on a patio drinking some Door County Hot Buttered Rum Coffee. It has a distinct flavor that I think would go great on a Saturday morning with our fireplace glowing on a cold morning in Wisconsin.

We enjoyed a wonderful day with our daughter and son in law yesterday, but I think we "over indulged". I should have skipped the Red Velvet Cupcake. When we arrived back at the resort I was feeling a little guilty so I returned to the basketball court for a work out. This resort has four basketball courts with plenty of basketballs for everyone.

On the court next to me, a family of four was shooting baskets, and playing a game of horse. They finished their game and started to leave. Now each one of them had a basketball. There is a ball rack for the basketballs to be put away neatly. When this family started to leave the mother asked the father "should we pick up the balls"? His answer stunned me. "No, people get paid to pick up things here, they can earn their money." Later, I was the last one to leave and I went and put away all the basketballs. I was still in awe of his answer. That dad just taught his kids to disrespect other people. I prayed for them and just shook my head. As I was walking back to join Rene I saw the same family leaving in their van for somewhere. There must have been some family squabble and I heard the dad say "Why don't you kids listen to me"? I laughed so hard inside that I almost laughed out loud. The table had already turned on  dad. He received the law of the harvest. You reap what you sow!

Galatians 6:7-10New International Version (NIV)
⁷ Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. ⁸ Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. ⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ¹⁰ Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

If we want our kids to respect us, we need to teach them to respect others also. You can't teach them with a double standard. It just won't work.

This basketball court has been great for blogger fodder. Swimming pool today???

God bless,
Marty

Playing Basketball With An Antique 12/13/2016

Good Morning,

The Door County White Christmas Coffee just finished brewing and my cup awaits me. This looks to be a fine day for weather, About 83 degrees will come our way. Only a few more days and we head back to the frozen tundra.

Yesterday I had a lot of paperwork to do regarding our Dad's estate and it went pretty well. Rene wrote out some Christmas cards and then decided she was going for a work out. The resort we are staying at has a more than adequate fitness center. She asked me if I wanted to come along and I declined. My goal was to complete my work and then take this antique body of mine and go to the basketball court to shoot baskets in the sun.  Rene gave me a funny look, I am sure she was wondering if I would survive the heat, basketball, and my age.

I was the only one there and my first shot went right in. But to my surprise they had just changed the nets and the ball would not come all the way through. The basketball was stuck! In my younger days I would have jumped up and swatted it, thus causing it to come down. I knew one attempted jump like that and my old knees would pop for sure. But stupid is as stupid does. I tried reliving the old days and gave it a try. Well I made it and am truly sorry today that I did. My knees did not pop but I am as sore as sore can be today. I continued shooting some baskets on another hoop with an old net. And let's just say that my shooting percentage showed it's age also.

I think we all do things like that from time to time, pushing the limits when we actually know better. So this morning I am washing down Ibuprofen with my coffee and oatmeal. The Holy Spirit warned me but my ego got in the way and now I am paying for it.

We need to heed advice given. When sound advice is given and we don't take it, we might just have to suffer the consequences. This blog is my testimony to foolishness on my part.

Proverbs 12:15English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ The way of a fool is right in his own eyes,

    but a wise man listens to advice.

It is hard to admit that I can't do all the things I did when I was younger and the Holy Spirit gave me an out and a way to get the ball down, by just throwing another basketball at the net. My stubbornness gave me a set of sore knees today. I will be fine. The sore knees just remind me of being a fool. When I get home I might sell my basketball, but not my football!

God bless. Listen to good advice today.

Marty

Marty

Put Those Away Before You Hurt Yourself 12/12/2016

Good Morning,

Wow, it felt weird to wake up in a strange place today. I couldn't figure out where I was for a few minutes. But then I could smell the Door County Cinnamon Hazelnut Coffee brewing and this strange place now started to be familiar.

Today I want to talk about those little sins that people like to keep. For instance messing around with gossip. What starts as a small conversation about someone can lead to more of the same and before you know it there is hurt, anger or resentment knocking on your door.

Or the harmless flirting that starts out so so innocently but turns into a little more after a few beers and then Zappo we have guilt and shame.

Or the little white lie that is meant to make things easier, but then explodes and the poop hits the fan.

I could write this list all day long and you could all add to it. But here's the point. When we knowingly mess with even the little transgressions, they all can lead to worse. Instead of running from them, we embrace them and before too long we are in bad shape and in need of serious spiritual repairs.  For instance King Davis was lazy and did not go off to war. He wanted some air and just took a peek at the lady taking a bath. One bout of laziness, one little peek at the nude beauty and then Zappo!! Spiritual ambulance needed.

2 Samuel 11New International Version (NIV)

David and Bathsheba

11 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

² One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, ³ and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” ⁴ Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
⁶ So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. ⁷ When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. ⁸ Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. ⁹ But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
¹⁰ David was told, “Uriah did not go home.” So he asked Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a military campaign? Why didn’t you go home?”
¹¹ Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
¹² Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. ¹³ At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home.
¹⁴ In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. ¹⁵ In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”
¹⁶ So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. ¹⁷ When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.
¹⁸ Joab sent David a full account of the battle. ¹⁹ He instructed the messenger: “When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, ²⁰ the king’s anger may flare up, and he may ask you, ‘Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn’t you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? ²¹ Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn’t a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?’ If he asks you this, then say to him, ‘Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.’”
²² The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. ²³ The messenger said to David, “The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. ²⁴ Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king’s men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.”
²⁵ David told the messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.’ Say this to encourage Joab.”
²⁶ When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. ²⁷ After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

From the account of king David above, do you still want to take a chance on the sins you like to keep? We will talk about the rest of the story tomorrow!

God bless,

Marty
 

When The Whiskey Talks 12/11/2016

Good Morning,

This fine morning finds us in the beautiful state of Georgia resting before we continue our trip to Florida. Our room afforded us the luxury of a coffee maker. So it's almost like home as I sit and drink a cup of Door County Christmas Coffee. I had a good friend give me some travel packs on Friday and I am very grateful for them this morning.

The holiday season for some people isn't always a cheerful time. For whatever the reasons, they are depressed and in some instances will try to drown the pain and sorrow in alcohol. The time of year spent remembering the birth of Jesus Christ has them wishing that their own lives had never happened. What starts out as an office Christmas party or an after work get together ends up in a twisted mess when too much alcohol is consumed. Family gatherings can get ugly when things that would not be said normally are let loose because alcohol or drugs loosen the lips of anger, hurt and despair. They seek to be numb from their situation, but only increase the pain.

One thing I have learned is that you cannot reason with someone who is under the heavy influence of drugs or alcohol. But during their time of inebriation you can hear directly from their hearts. They will tell you or say things that show the ugliness of what is going on inside. You can hear their pain, sorrow, disgust, fears, anger or shame. The time to deal with any of these is when the person is stone cold sober, not while they are drunk. Unfortunately for those around this, it also turns anytime into a nightmare.

If you find yourself in this situation the only solution is to get help from a qualified individual or organization. But the first step is to seek out God for His help.

Matthew 6:33New King James Version (NKJV)
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

The inner strength you will need to survive this spiritual battle comes from God. This is a battle that can be won.

1 John 4:4New King James Version (NKJV)
⁴ You are of God, little children, and will have trials, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

There is victory in a relationship with Jesus, one that is not found within a bottle or glass.

John 16:33New International Version (NIV)
³³ “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Friends if you find that you cannot rejoice in the season and things are too much for you to handle, throw away the bottle and call on a Bible believing church. Don't be ashamed to come in and lay it on the line. The church is a collection of saints who have all had their lives restored from sin. No one there is above anyone. The church is and should be like an emergency room ready to help restore lives. And you are not beyond restoration. God loves you and wants more for you.

Before the alcohol or drugs gets any worse, run to the arms of God. If you are dealing with a friend or family member who is drunk, do not confront them while they are drunk. Listen to what they say and write it down. In today's world use your phone and record their words. This is not to be published on social media, but to be used to have them acknowledge what they said, When they are sober, read or play their words back to them and let them hear from their own hearts. Then offer help with love, but start with Jesus the Author and Finisher of help. The ultimate choice is their own.  You too need support during times like these. Run to your church, small Bible group and family for support. But always make sure that they are pointing you to God for your ultimate help.

I pray this day finds you in peace. If not, message me and I will be happy to pray for you. With God at our side we together can find the help you need.

God bless,

Marty