I Bet It Won't Start 5/16/2024

 Good Morning,

It is a cold morning today and my cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee is helping warm me up from the inside out.  I think it is time to write. 

Proverbs 21:20 There is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it.

My wife Rene and I are tend to stop in any antique emporium we come across in our travels. Rene showed  me the fun of looking for something that can be restored or added to her dish collection. I just humored her when she asked me if I would go with her to a flea market of antiques when we just started dating a thousand years ago. I went along to see why she was interested in antiques and it was an excuse just to be around my new girl friend. 

Over the years we have restored or repurposed items and use them in our home, or we give them away as gifts. Last weekend, while taking a break from work and home we traveled north in our state and along the way stopped at several antique shops. Rene was scouting for additions to her dish collections and I was taking pictures of different things for my blog. Of course there were two stops last weekend for ice cream cones. I guess shopping for antiques is always better when there is a rest stop for ice cream. 

One particular shop has a collection of old tractors outside and along with that there is a very old automobile. I can't even tell you the make and the model. But it is old! Rene took a look at it and said "What do you think? Could you get this shined up and running?" I replied with "I believe you are crazy. It's good for a photo and no you can't take it home and plant flowers in it." That statement both had us laughing and we moved on to other parts of this northern county. Honestly the vintage auto was in pretty good shape but definitely not going home with us. 

My point for today was that I just do not possess the skills to take on this type of restoration. I suppose I could learn how to restore the old relic, but to be honest, I have no desire to take on a big project like that.  It would have been an expensive lesson on  making a foolish purchase for us. Maybe someone else would take on the project and do a great job. 

We all should know our limitations and set boundaries on our spending foolish money on things that just won't happen. I could just see our daughter closing out our estate some day and wondering, " how do I get rid of this old car, I bet it won't even start." 

Friends, spend wisely and save some money for an ice cream stop or two.

God bless,

Marty

A Simple Thought For Today 5/15/2024

 Good Morning,

A hot mug of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee is helping me to kick start the day before me. The coffee is just what I needed. 

Matthew 6:33 NLT Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

Maybe God will show us what is important on our calendar and what is not. 

My thought for today is this. Keep it simple my friends. It is a shame that we actually rely on an electronic calendar to help us keep these crazy schedules of ours straight and organized. W have to grab our phones just to see if we have 30 minutes to stop and have a cup of coffee with friends. Try to organize any bigger event and you might be able to accomplish it with a 50% attendance 8 months out.

Maybe God will show us what is important on our calendar and what is not. 

I believe we are making it too hard on ourselves just to live. An "over busy calendar" doesn't say much in a flattering way. Chances are, we are so busy just because we don't have the right priorities.  Maybe?? We should ask God to show us what needs to be trimmed from our calendars. 

Food for thought!

Marty

Wrestling With Yourself 5/14/2024

 Good Morning, 

It is time for a hot cup of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee and today I will skip breakfast. It is time to write. 

Decisions, decisions, decisions. You can't have even one day without deciding on something. Some decisions are easy and really don't place any weight on a day. For instance I chose to skip breakfast today and just have a cup of orange juice and a cup of coffee. Not really a big deal as far as decisions go.

But there are days when you have to decide on something and it has a huge impact on your life or the lives of others. You know the decision you need to make, but then there are added nuances that make you doubt yourself. The wrestling match begins. It starts in your head, and moves to your heart and what was once very clear, is now a cloudy mess at best. 

The best way to stop the wrestling match is to take you out of your own head, and start listening to God and then, don't waver on what He says or shows you. A lot of sleepless nights and ulcers could be avoided if we trusted ourselves less and trusted in God completely.

Psalm 9:10 ESV And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you O Lord have not forsaken  those who seek you. 

Proverbs 3:5 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 

Stop wrestling with yourself. It's really the devil who is getting you to wrestle with yourself. 

Food for thought,

Marty

Reaching For The Power Cord 5/13/2024

 Good Morning,

This day began with some prayer and a very hot cup of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee. I think I will have some Cheerios and dried cherries for breakfast later.

Luke 5:16 NKJV So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. 

My wife Rene and I took a three day mini vacation this last weekend. We visited Door County Wisconsin. It was supposed to be a time of rest, yet we found ourselves going, going and going again. We visited all our favorite places and stopped for a few photo opportunities here and there. My lap top did not get a rest either. I would still get up early, to study and pray. I also kept on blogging each morning. I operated my lap top off of the battery which is a god thing to do now and then, just to exercise the battery. At least that is what I have been told. I finally plugged it back in last night and it surely needed a charge. The battery was down and in need of a power source. 

My thought for this morning is this. Like a machine that has been worked to it's limits and used up all of it's stored energy, we might need to be plugged back into the "power source." During my time away I did just that. I had more time for prayer and time of reflection.  Even a battleship needs time to restock, rewind, and fill it's fuel tanks. In order to stay in good spiritual condition, now and then we have to lay down our sword and take off our helmet and recharge by spending extra quiet time with God, more prayer, and and more time in the Word. Not only do we need rest for our bodies, and our souls now and then, we also need to plug in and recharge the spiritual batteries. 

Reach for the power source, and recharge for awhile. 

God bless,

Marty 

The Day My World Began, Thinking About Mom.5/12/2024

 Good Morning,

I am relaxed and very comfortable sitting at a table in Door County Wisconsin drinking a hot cup of Door County Cherry Creme Coffee. It is a good time to write.

Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb.

None of us can recall what it was like the day we were born. We were there , but we will never remember who we saw first, what the room was like or if we cried right away or later. We had just left the security of our mother's womb and opened our eyes and the world welcomed us. As we reached the age of being a toddler we began to explore things more and more and we might even recollect a memory or two. If photos were taken, they sometimes help stimulate the memories. 

Most babies know when mom is not around and they cry for her to return. Nothing but mother will do. They might not know anything at all, but they know mom for sure. For nine months, mom was the meal wagon, the heartbeat that calmed any fears, and a warm place to live. Later, mom was the educator, disciplinarian, still the meal wagon, and the one who loved you no matter how sassy you were. 

My mom has been gone now for over a decade and I still miss her bread rolls, her more than strong coffee, and a joke or two shared on the phone. I wish I could thank her for all the meals she made, the blue jeans she mended, the clean house, and now and then the slap upside of my head that was needed. 

I wouldn't mind going back to 1957 and being able to see her smile as an adult, and get a hug just like a little baby boy. Mom would be twenty years old again, and I would be 67. It would be fun just to tell her to "mind her elders".

I wish to challenge you all today. If possible visit your mom. If you can, call her. If she stopped the world for a moment to take an eternal rest, remember her and you try to recall the day your world began. Hopefully you have a photo to help that cause!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there. God bless.

Marty

Stress Started To Mount 5/11/2024

 Good Morning, I am treating myself to a hot cup of Door County Country Morning Blend Coffee and it is time to write. 

Proverbs 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

On Thursday I was faced with a plumbing repair at home and as always, a repair like that showed up when we were planning a fun weekend. The way it originally looked, I thought I would be removing a wall at a minimum. 

I prayed before I started the repairs and it did not go very well once I began. It was not looking too well for a few minutes. One small new tool later and some patience and the repair was made.  All the walls were intact and the floors were dry!

God was in control. I found the tool I needed. I had the parts. All the shut offs worked. And even if the repair went bad and I needed to remove walls and change piping, I have those skills. So no matter what would happen God was in control and He made sure I had all I needed. 

There was no reason to let my stress level climb. I could feel the stress welling up within me and for what reason? None, what so ever. So I almost missed the rescue God made because I was already planning for the worst. 

Go with the flow, (pun intended) and take all things one step at a time . Don't rush to assumptions or always plan for the worst. It makes a tough situation even tougher.

Marty

Nurses Week 5/10/2024

 Good Morning, 

I will be drinking my Door County Vanilla Creme Brulee Coffee from inside my truck today and it is time to write. 

2 Chronicles 15:7 But you take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. 

This last week was National Nurses Week in our country. I worked for many years in the health care arena and I worked with hundreds of nurses. I was not working in a clinical area at all, but I interfaced with nurses just about every day. I had my job to do and they had theirs. In my many years I had the pleasure of getting to know quite a few better than some of the others. Of course we had many meetings each day and I recall sitting in those meetings and you could at times see some pretty tired eyes looking back at you. 

I am thankful for those women and men who dedicate a lot of hours doing what they do, and how they are able to muster a smile even when they are totally exhausted. Caring, respect, patience and love is not taught in nursing school. It is a gift within every nurse to be that one who gives more, when there is not much more to give. 

Nurses, I appreciate all of you more than I ever said while working with you and you have a special place in my heart.

God bless.

Marty

When The Night Is Long 5/9/2024

 Good Morning,

A hot cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee is sitting in front of me as I write. A second cup will be a must for sure. 

Last night I went to bed at the usual time for me. I did not toss and turn much but I drifted in and out of sleep until 3:AM . During those times of being awake I prayed for a lot of people and you will never know if you were one of those folks. I did however lift up all of those who might read my blog today. It was a generic prayer asking for God to bless those who read today. I prayed for many by name and included myself. At 3:AM I went to the kitchen, and not for a snack, but to sit at the table and read my Bible. 

I am glad for the time spent in God's word. I went back to bed at 4:AM and slept for a couple of hours. During that time in my Bible I read the following passages. 

2 Samuel 22:2-4 NKJV  The Lord is my rock and fortress and my deliverer; 3. The God of my strength in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, you save me from violence. 4. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised. So shall I be saved from my enemies.

I read a few chapters in the Good Book and this passage ended up being highlighted and underlined. 

There wasn't a bright light from heaven shining at the table and the bush outside wasn't burning or talking to me. It was just a sleepless night that God used to remind me that He is my All in All. And that He does things for me that sometimes, I take for granted. I turned that passage around and read it aloud and made it my last prayer for the night. It was a prayer of thanks, praise, and admiration all in one. 

My friends, we all need our sleep, and at times sleep escapes us. But if I could, I would go back and do last night all over again. Take advantage of a sleepless night now and then.

God bless,

Marty

Let's Talk About Reality 5/8/2024

 Good Morning, 

I am waiting for the Door County Bourbon Vanilla Cream Coffee to finish brewing and a little later I  will have a large cup to drink as I study for awhile. I am thinking about a quick trip to Door County just to have a burger and a malt very soon. 

I ran into a fella yesterday who I knew back in 1978 and for a couple of years after that. When we were chatting we reconnected about a few years that we happened to work together. The company endured a labor strike and then a tough recession . The company never really recovered and many jobs were lost. That was over forty years ago. After listening to him talk, it was clear that he was still hurting and angry about losing his job and having to start over. He had nothing good to say about the company officials nor the union representatives.

His language wreaked of bitterness and unforgiveness. He attributed a bad marriage to the loss of his job as well as any and every health issue he had. In his mind the divorce was all caused by the lack of a good job. I said what I should have. "It was nice to see you again. I will pray for you." But as I walked away I recalled working with him back in the day and he was always complaining about the work we did and how the company was a bad place to work. He used to complain about his wife and very often would call her some nasty names while speaking about her. 

He was never content or happy during those years, and he never had anything positive to say about anyone or anything. It seemed to me that he did not accept any responsibility for his failed marriage. He didn't appreciate or like his job until after it was gone. 

I think he is a terminal complainer. One who complains all the time and dodges responsibility for some of life's issues, requires a change of heart. In all reality a change of heart is the only way to set that life on the right track. 

Psalm 51:10 Create in me, O God and renew a right spirit within me. 

Ezekiel 36:26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

Angry, lacking contentment, unable to forgive, carrying a grudge? Call on God and ask for a clean slate and a change of heart. You are missing out on a lot by blaming others, not forgiving, and not moving forward. Who would want to be stuck in unhappiness since 1980?

God bless,

Marty

A Job, Just In Time 5/7/2024

 Good Morning, 

It looks like the sky is preparing to rain this morning. My cup of Door County Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Coffee is once again warming me up as well as giving me a wake up call.

Jeremiah 33:3 Call out to me and I will answer you and show great and mighty things, which you do not know. 

Psalm 23.1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 

I have a dear friend who after a lot of years working for the same company walked in to work one day and was told that the company was closing it's plant in Milwaukee and within several months the workers would be without a job. It didn't take all that long for the company to start letting the workers go. My friend was soon  unemployed. He then started to receive unemployment compensation. Of course when he came to the weekly men's Bible study he requested us to pray for his quest to find the job God would supply and want him to have,

We started praying for him and I found myself praying daily for him and his family. This man kept busy helping others as long as he had the extra time. He diligently looked for work and applied to hundreds of companies for a job. He would say, "God will provide a job". He would receive an interview and some of the jobs were very nice, yet no one hired him. He was turned down many times. 

The end of the unemployment compensation was just a couple weeks away when he was called for another interview and was hired that same day! He started work yesterday. I called him last night to see how the first day at work went. He told me all about what he did and how nice the work team was. He lives just a few minutes away from the job and can take a bicycle to work. The hours are just perfect for him and his family life. 

It was good to hear the joy of a voice who was grateful to God for supplying the job. It was good to hear a man be happy to work. God gave my friend what he requested. It was a long wait, but my friend waited on God patiently. 

In order for my friend to be hired, the company had to be one employee down. An employee retired, thus creating an opening for my friend. God's timing was evident as I sit back and look at the big picture. My friend had to wait for God's perfect timing. God heard our prayer request the first time we all prayed for a job for my friend.  He was just working out the details for my buddy.

God knows when, how, and exactly what we need. This should be interesting to see just how this works out.

Have a great day. 

Marty

Wild Flowers And Busses 5/6/2024

 Good Morning,

I am looking forward a hot cup of Door County Chocolate Raspberry Coffee in a few minutes and some Cheerios with blueberries on top for breakfast.

Yesterday was a very busy day for a Sunday and I enjoyed every minute of it. My wife started planting her annual flower gardens. We were sharing a bottle of water next to one of the flower plots and she remarked that the wild flowers were not coming up as quickly as they usually do. I had noticed that myself last week. 

I made the mistake of saying this to her. "Usually they are spreading like weeds by now." Rene gently reminded me that "wild flowers are not weeds, They are only weeds if they are growing where they shouldn't be". 

I thought that statement through and it can be applied to children and adults. When a child or an adult is in a wholesome environment they flourish and grow into the person, God intended them to be. Now a child or an adult who lives in a less than stellar environment laced with evil, has the likelihood to grow into that type of lifestyle. People will grow in any environment, but which environment will they be growing into? 

Churches used to go out on Sundays and pick kids up at their home and take them to a wholesome and nurturing environment. ( The Bus Ministry) Then after a breakfast, some Bible verses, and some fun they were returned home. It seems now that the churches minister best and most to the folks who walk in to their church. I am seeing less of actual outreach and more of the ministry of  in-reach. 

You can't hope for a change if at least for one day a week the environment changes. Meeting on that same day some felt needs for that person, which just might be a meal. 

Food for thought. Where are the busses?

Marty

Marty

Seeing Things Differently 5/5/2024

 Good Morning,

This day started super early with a hot cup of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee, prayer and a bowl of Cheerios. 

Proverbs 16:7 When a man's way pleases the Lord, he makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Two people can look at a cloud and see two different things. It doesn't mean that either one is correct or more correct than the other person. They just have a difference of opinions. I have learned to agree with my wife on small things such as where to hang a picture. A picture on the wall is not the ditch I choose to dig for a battle. She affords me that same luxury in return. We might not agree, but is it really a big deal?

I do most of the cooking and I run my ideas by Rene to see if she has any objections to my proposed meal plan. Last week she objected to the plan on one item. Not that she wouldn't eat it, but she asked when we might be eating beef meatloaf again? It was easy to change the plan on one day from grilled chicken to her favorite. As I thought about it, meatloaf had become a distant memory. 

Friends, that was a small issue for sure and wasn't a big deal at all. But there comes a time when the issue is a little more contentious. Emotions rage, because we believe that we are completely right and our way is the only way. In some instances, this is the only way. But where we experience failure is from not even trying to see the issue from the other person's perspective. We dig in and become irrational in our responses. Even if we become polarized in our view or opinions we still must try to respect the other person and see if there can be any common ground. If not, we need to seek to disagree peacefully. Many a marriage suffers when we don't look at things through the eyes of the other person. We tend to make battle plans instead of plans for peace and harmony.

Put on their glasses and see the world from a different set of eyes. It broadens your perspectives! 

I ask you this. Do you see a potato large enough to feed hundreds in my photo, or a road hazard? It's just two ways to look at it. The third way was what my wife saw. "I shouldn't be taking pictures while driving!

Marty

When God Speaks 5/4/2024

 Good Morning,

I am enjoying a hot cup of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee as I write this morning. The doves are especially talkative as I listen tow the morning serenade outside my window. 

James 1:22 ESV But be doers of the word, not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 

The one primary way that God speaks to His children is through His word (The Bible). He speaks in other ways but I believe that His word is the number one way. There is something to say about listening and hearing God. You know it is God because He never asks you to do something that is not scripturally sound. He doesn't go against His word. 

A key to hearing God is our response to Him when He speaks. Nothing but full obedience is expected from us. People often say "I don't hear from God" I ask them if they can recall the last time He spoke to them. If they can recall that time, I ask them how they responded. If they were not obedient, I tell them to go back in time a do what He asked them to do and complete the task if possible, or ask to be forgiven if the task is now out of reach.  This restores the communications. 

It's like that family child who just doesn't do as they are told and you get tired of telling them to clean up their room. Many a child has received that cold look from a parent and heard, "we will talk when you do what I asked you to do". 

It is best to say yes the first time and get about doing what you said yes to.

Food for thought.

Marty

Walking With Good Intentions 5/3/2024

 Good Morning,

The old alarm clock went off and the music was a little annoying this morning. I was sound asleep and really did not want to move this morning. But here I am on this rainy Friday morning with a hot cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee in front of me and it is time to write. 

Matthew 6:21 For where your treasure, there your heart will be also.

Last night after dinner my wife Rene and I went for a walk in our neighborhood just to get some exercise and take in some fresh air. Rene took the lead and set a pretty good pace  for our venture. Rene goes for a walk every day and takes a different route each time. She walks for the exercise, but also has a secondary purpose as she walks. As she walks she is keeping her eyes open for aluminum cans. She picks up the litter as she walks and crushes the cans when she gets home. Rene and others from our church have been collecting cans and turning them in for cash to help support a young lady and her family who also attend our church. This young lady is fighting cancer and the money helps with expenses. Rene is the main collector. Others bring the cans they find or save to her. She crushes them and once a month she takes them to a scrap yard for the cash and it is my job to take the money and get to the young lady. It's not a lot of money that is collected, but it is collected with the best of intentions. Usually she has enough cans to fill the back of her car with bags of scrap cans. 

So three things occur because of this plan. Litter is collected and put to good use. Exercise is achieved for good health. And a family receives a blessing. Rene keeps some discretionary cash in her purse. I always see her reach into her purse and round up the amount collected to the next ten dollar amount. If she has collected $207 she makes it $210. She then sends me with the cash to give to the family. 

There are a lot of ways to exercise, but this one "pays dividends". Keep others in mind as you walk,  today! Generosity is good for the heart.

Marty

Guilty As Charged 5/2/2024

Good Morning,

As I drink from my cup filled with Door County Highlander Grog Coffee I can clearly hear the sound of the singing birds outside my window. It is time to write. 

Lamentations 3:22-24 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.  24. "The Lord is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

If I have a favorite part of the day and one were to ask me what time of the day is my favorite, I would have to say the "early morning." No matter what time of the year it is, I enjoy the mornings most. Everything at the start of a day is fresh and new. I happily accept the gift of God for one more day of life and drink a cup or two of coffee and write my blog. My prayers start off the day and it is just all around, a sweet hour.

I have a choice to make every morning. I have the job of choosing my attitude for the day and how I will accept what this day brings, good or bad. I can complain all day or be thankful for the day and what comes along. I can choose to laugh or cry. I can sing or be quiet. God wrote this day for me and it is what He makes it to be. It is my choice as to how I will embrace the day. 

So today I have chosen to be a day where I hopefully can be a blessing to someone. I know God is always at work and I asked Him if He would take me along with Him this day. My choice and mine alone. I will have to see where He will lead me. Maybe I will have something to write about tomorrow. 

God bless,

Marty

A Sure Thing 5/1/2024

 Good Morning,

In front of me is a very hot cup of Door County Vanilla Almond Kringle Coffee and the sun is shining through my window. It is time to write. 

I started working on a small refurbishing project on an antique wooden tray yesterday and I can already see that it has a 50/50 chance of becoming what I desire it to be. Once I stripped away some of the old paint and varnish I discovered some hidden imperfections that might just be bad enough to scrap the project. I am hoping that today gives me a new view of the issues.

What I do know for sure is that we all are continuously a work in progress. I might give up on this refinishing job, but God never gives up on us. I think I am pretty good at refinishing old antiques, but this particular one might be beyond my skills. 

It is important that as we face challenges with issues that we own, we call on God to show us the way and the answers. God is always working on or behalf and never walks away from a project. He is constantly refining us and at times is stripping us of our pride, excuses, weaknesses, addictions, character imperfections, and sin. 

I am not perfect. But this I know for sure, I am not what I ought to be. I am not what I will be. But with each day in God's refinishing barn I thank Him that each day I am not what I used to be. 

Struggling my friends with your imperfections? Turn them over to the Master Refinisher. And know this. He won't quit until the work is done. It is a sure thing that you can count on. 

Isaiah 48:10 Behold, I have refined you, but not as silver. I have tried you in the furnace of affliction. 

Isaiah 64:8 But now O Lord, you are our Father, we are the clay, you are our potter, we are all the work of your hand. 

Revelation 3:19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline. So be zealous and repent. 

Psalm 86:11 Teach me your way, Lord , that I may rely on your faithfulness, give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. 

God isn't finished with you or me yet. We are always a work in progress.

Marty