Georgia Peaches And Love Letters From God 8/8/2016

Good Morning,

Monday has arrived once more and I am embracing the day with prayer, humility and a cup of Door County Red Velvet Mocha Coffee.

Psalm 147:5New International Version (NIV)

⁵ Great is our Lord and mighty in power;
    his understanding has no limit.

Last Saturday I was shopping in the famers market of Rene's home town. Whenever possible I like to shop locally from the farmers in the area. I did walk away with some bargains and some very good vegetables and fruit.

Not too many peaches are grown in Wisconsin, but when peaches are being harvested in Georgia and are trucked up to Wisconsin I make sure to purchase a case or two. I like to preserve peaches for ice cream and pie. I also make a mean batch of peach salsa. Most of all I like to eat them while they are fresh. I chill them in  the refrigerator, grab a napkin and have at it for breakfast.

As I was eating a cold one yesterday morning, my thoughts turned to prayer and I was of course thankful for the peach I was enjoying.  My thoughts turned a little more globally and I was taken to the fields of trees and fruit I have seen in our country. The apple trees of our own back yard always amaze me. I was reminded of how blessed we are to be able to eat of the fruit and vegetables of the world. Then I was allowed to let my mind wander in prayer and praise to God. He knew just what peach I would be eating. He knows the farmer who grew that one peach. He knows what tree it hung on. He sent the rain to water it. He gave it the right amount of sunshine so it would be sweet and juicy.

My thoughts and prayer made me feel so small compared to a God that knows all the peaches on a tree and who they will feed. My breakfast of a peach seems so simple and yet so complex. The day that the peach tree blossomed and that one bud opened God wrote a love message and started the process to send it to me.

So today look around a see the love letters God wrote to you months ago. You cannot help to feel very small yet so very important and loved. Never take that love for granted.

God bless,
Marty

August A Prelude To September. Count Your Blessings 8/7/2016

Good Morning,

I  woke up this morning and went directly outside for fresh air and to hear the sounds of morning. I grabbed a cup of Door County Cinnamon Pecan Ice Cream Coffee and went out for the serenade of morning.

I did hear the doves cooing and the distinct sound of cardinals in a tree. I was hoping to hear the flight of a small flock of geese that had been staying in a pond near by. Before my trip to Haiti they performed a regular fly by every day. But our area is battling a severe drought and the water source dried up. Geese are resilient and I am sure that they moved to water somewhere. I did rejoice when I heard two mallards quacking as they saluted me on their way somewhere. A mallard needs less water and these probably were living in a swimming pool in the neighborhood.

Earlier in the week I watched the local high school football teams start to assemble daily for practice. All of this signaled to me that fall is just around the corner. It will be time to harvest our apples again, eat apple cider donuts, watch the trees turn color, and  of course for me, break out the hunting gear and repaint the boat. Fall is the happiest time of the year for me. Mud over the tops of my boots, soggy sandwiches, the smell of a wet dog, the quack of the duck call, the honk of geese coming into a decoy spread, tired, aching bones, and a warm fire to come home to.

I work pretty hard at keeping my relationship with God on a good level. But somehow and I don't know why, but my time with God is so much more special when I am sitting in the fog, waiting for the sun to peek through, listening to my heart beat and praying or reading my small Bible with the help of a flashlight I know He gave me the nature to experience and cherish as a gift from Him. He knows how much at peace I am in the mud, rain, and cold. He warms my heart and it is truly more than I deserve. He has given me wonderful companions and dogs to enjoy.

Psalm 103:2-5New International Version (NIV)

² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

In the swamp I take the time to count my blessings and I count Jesus, family, friends church, ministry, job, nature and so many more. This annual thanksgiving count takes places in the swamp for me. Where or when do you stop to count your blessings? What triggers it for you? It's funny, when I take time to count my blessings I never stop to count any misery or problems and compile the "bad list". Because, when I count blessings they always would and will outweigh anything else. Counting our blessings is always being humble and giving thanks for everything in life. We are thankful for Jesus Christ who is everything. I am thankful for God's love. Appreciate everything in life because there are people who are starving and or in a way harder situation than you. Your bad days are someone's good days.

I suggest to all that you find your "swamp" and spend time there and take a few moments to count your blessings. It is good for the soul.

God Bless,

Marty

You Can Hear Yourself Sweat 8/6/2016

Good Morning.

Is everyone awake yet? My eyes are a little foggy this morning. But a hot cup of Door County Chocolate Cherry Coffee should fix that up on a minute or two.


During my recent mission trip to Haiti, sleep was a precious commodity.  I found myself fighting for the rest I needed. I was unable to acclimate to the heat. One night in particular I laid awake most of the nigjt. Sweat was pouring from my body like a leaking faucet.  It was such a restless night and unusually quiet. Quiet nights were not the norm where we were staying.  I swear it was so hot and quiet that I could hear myself sweat.

I prayed and asked "Lord what good can come from this sleepless night?" I heard nothing from God. I prayed in the Spirit for each team member and fell asleep around  5 AM. Later that day we sent out teams to perform actions that they knew God had called them to do. Itwas kind of a Spiritual free day.

When they returned full of Spiritual victory stories I knew why I had been awake praying. One team reported that they went up to a voodoo temple and encountered the high priest. The spiritual battle was on! God won and the priest converted to Christianity.  God did an amazing thing right before their eyes.

As they were reporting I closed my eyes and said a prayer of thanksgiving.  Every drop of sweat was worth it. Every minute unable to sleep was worth hearing their victory stories. At that moment God spoke and I taught that same Scripture in the evening.  What He spoke was this.

Luke.10:18-20
"I saw Satan falling from heaven as a flash of lightning! And I have given you authority over all the power of the Enemy, and to walk among serpents and scorpions and to crush them. Nothing shall injure you! However, the important thing is not that demons obey you, but that your names are registered as citizens of heaven. 

Later that evening as I taught this verse to them . I reminded them of Who sent them and if it weren't for Jesus and his sacrifice we would just be on a vacation to Haiti.  All of our projects went well but behind the scenes God was waging war.

Have you heard yourself sweat yet?  If you do. Pray for someone. You just never know what God has planned for their day.

Marty

August And The State Fair 8/5/2016

Good Morning,

How do you start a Friday? Lot's of prayer and a cup of Door County Dublin's Delight Coffee works for me.

This time of year welcomes in the Wisconsin State Fair. Music, animals, roasted corn, barbecued chicken, anything and everything wrapped in bacon, amusement rides, cream puffs, fresh lemonade and some games of chance are their for ten days. It is a time when you can relax and indulge in some treats and forget about the world for a little while.

When I think about the fair I go way back in my memory to high school and the Midway at the fair. I can still see my good friend Wayne and I measuring up one of the games of skill and chance. We wanted to win some teddy bears for some girls we had just met. Oh and yes the fair was always and still is a good place to meet people. The game was to take a baseball from a good distance and throw it at two china plates and break both of them with one throw. I am not sure what happened or if we ate our Wheaties that morning, but the two of us could not miss. Soon we had a pile of teddy bears and oh yes the girls were impressed. We kept playing and kept accumulating very large teddy bears. We were giving them away to little kids and really having a great time, until the keeper of the Midway came and had us escorted out and we were not allowed back in because we won too much. We objected and asked the question "if we were losing all the time and spending money for nothing in return could we play all night?"  They could not answer us by looking us into the eye. They just had us escorted out. They weren't used to losing. 
It is the same thing Satan does. As long as he can convince you that evil is a good thing and that sin is where you need to live he is all there for you. Fortunately when we start pitching for God's team,  throwing strikes and handing out good things to others he gets offended and then flees. He is never loyal to a winner for God, and that is fine with me. Satan does not stick around to take a beating. God is loyal and is always there to cheer us on. He always takes time to watch us pitch when we are throwing for Him.

Want a straight deal in life?

James 4:7New International Version (NIV)

⁷ Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Enjoy your day. Spend time with the Fairest of All.

Marty

Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark 8/4/2016

Good Morning,

How are you all today? I wish we could share a cup of Door County Red Velvet Mocha Coffee this morning and read our Bibles together. 

Last night we prepared some meals for Rene to take out to her mom. The house still has the aroma of sweet and sour meat loaf. Not a bad aroma to wake up to.

We all have faced some dark times in our lives, when the daylight doesn't seem to be at the end of the tunnel. We feel like there is no one who understands how we feel or what we are going through. Sometimes the nights seem to go on forever and our energy is sucked right out of us. Each day seems to drag on and on. I have heard of people who actually fear the night. They are afraid to go on.

Fear causes paralysis. Fear will overcome our will to move on or even function. But, we are not to fear for we have Someone with us at all times. We never, ever walk alone.

If God is with us, who could be against us?

Isaiah 41:10New King James Version (NKJV)

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

We need not be afraid. No matter the circumstances God is with us at all times. He keeps all promises.

Please have a great day and better tomorrows.

Marty

Rice, Beans And Hungry Children 8/3/2016

Good Morning,

The day has begun with a prayer and the perculator spewing out some Door County Country Morning Blend Coffee. My heart goes out to a dear friend today who's mother passed away yesterday.

I once again will write about my time in Haiti last week. I was truly blessed with a team of people who had hearts that overflowed with love for others. One of our assignments for four nights was to feed rice and beans to a little over a hundred kids. It was truly a labor of love.

I was recalling my from lunch from yesterday of salmon, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. As I was eating my thoughts turned to Haiti. Those kids ate rice and beans for four dinners with smiles on their faces. There were no complaints. To them, my lunch would have been fit for a king.

They sat and ate and some helped the littlest children with their plates. My friends assisted with some of the tiny ones. We saw older children eat less so they could feed their little siblings more off of their own plates. The team paid for the rice and beans from money they raised for the trip. Another sacrifice of love. I would bet that they never thought about how much work the fund raising was while they were watching these little children eat and go to bed with full stomachs.

We witnessed love at it's best. I hope the team and the children remember it late into their lives. I know Someone who will.

Matthew 25:31-40

³¹ “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.
³⁴ “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
³⁷ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
⁴⁰ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.



God bless.  Feed someone today!

Marty

Love Is Colorless 8/2/2016

Good Morning,

I am back at home from our mission trip to Haiti and sipping on a cup of Door County Pecan Cinnamon Ice Cream Coffee and enjoying it immensely.

Part of our trip was to work in a school and minister to a small underfunded orphanage. We came armed with dental hygiene, medicine, some clothing and a few toys. I arrived earlier with two co-workers before the large group arrived later in the week. As the gate opened we peered in and saw about 23-25 little Haitian kids staring back at us. I am not one who attracts kids very well. It might be my grumpy demeanor? (Probably so). These kids needed so much. We had nothing with us at this time but our cell phones and two smiles. I had left my smile in the Haitian Customs at the airport. That's another story. But soon enough the kids approached my two friends and they were hugging them and crawling up on their laps. Now I am a doer. I was getting angry with myself for not having thought to bring some stuff. "Kids need stuff"! I was sitting there and all of a sudden this little guy crawls up on the lap of Mr. Grumpy and then smiles. He wanted a hug from an old sweaty man. His eyes melted my heart and pretty soon I was showing videos from my phone that I had taken of our dog training to hunt. These kids loved it. We made muscles and arm wrestled. The old man was pinned each and every time by every kid.

What was spectacular was this. These little kids did not care about the color of our skin, or our age. They accepted us as some people who just might share some love with them. they reached out to us first.  They did not care if we had anything to give them. Later in the week we would bless them with gifts, necessities and some more fun. It made me wonder, who received more, the little kids, or the Americans who had their hearts filled with love by these children?  It's hard to tell. But the love showed no color preference. The only thing in that the dirty little orphanage was love and it was colorless, as it should be.

1 Corinthians 13:13New International Version (NIV)
¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

Have a great day. Hug a kid and let them hug you back.

Good to be home!

Marty