Living In Pain Part Two 8/22/2016

Good Morning,

I hear the telltale signs of morning coming from the kitchen as the Door County Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti Coffee lands into the carafe.

Yesterday we held our annual church picnic on our grounds. It was well attended and we could not have asked for a better day. One of the fellas who was working the sweet corn roast is a dear friend of mine. He is in constant physical pain, but was there hefting bags of charcoal, roasting corn and serving butter by the gallon. Later I saw him shoveling out the ash pit and pushing everyone to the finish line. Now my friend and his wife are excellent cooks and can easily roast a couple pieces of corn at home if they wanted to for their own dinner. But yet there he was roasting 400 ears of sweet corn with a team he assembled. How did he overcome the pain?

1. He had a goal. He wanted our picnic to be a good one.
2. He cares about others and takes great pleasure in seeing others enjoy a good piece of corn.
3. In his pain he has decided that being a blessing to others outweighs the pain.


Scripture makes it clear that God blesses us not so we can live with greed, but so we can bless others. God loves a cheerful giver. When He sees that someone is giving freely out of love, God blesses them more. We are blessed to be a blessing. God Has given everyone different talents to be used for the benefit of others.


2 Corinthians 9:8-11New International Version (NIV)
⁸ And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. ⁹ As it is written:

“They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor;
    their righteousness endures forever.”

¹⁰ Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. ¹¹ You will be enriched in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

My friend could easily say no and use his infirmity as an excuse. Bur he considers being a blessing to others his source of joy and his duty.

How about you? Can you bear the pain of today be asking God to let you help others? Are you a watering can of blessings ready to pour?

God bless,

Marty

Buttered Corn Please. 8/21/2016

Good Morning,

I am at church already helping to prepare for our annual church picnic. I brought my own Door County Kona Coffee to treat myself and a few helpers as we shred roasted pork for the lunch.

Our Men's Ministry roasted the barbecued pork and will be heading up the roasted corn with Wisconsin butter. Those guys are good at whatever they try. Last night they were setting up and I was delivering the corn that we had purchased from a local farmer. There were many church members there preparing for the picnic. It was like watching ants at a picnic. It seemed pretty well organized and everyone was working hard to make sure that the day was one that would be special and very pleasing to God. it was a lot of work but I saw many hands. That really made me feel good about our church. I saw these same hands a few years ago work to restore the church after we flooded from some major storms. We were up and ministering again within a week.  God has blessed us with good people who don't mind some hard work. Last night as I prayed I tried to remember them all bet fell very short of that goal. But God knows who they are. For me the work will be well worth it when some little kid walks up and says " Buttered Corn Please"! That's a church family in action.

Proverbs 10:4New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Lazy hands make for poverty,
    but diligent hands bring wealth.

Have a picnic kind of day.

Marty

Living In Pain 8/20/16

Good Morning,

Nothing much to see outside this morning. Our skies are overcast with heavy clouds that are just waiting to weep some precipitation on Gibbs and me.  I sit at the picnic table with a very hot cup of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee, the dog is on top of the table watching the sky for any bird to fly by.

This is the usual Saturday routine for us until hunting season starts. By now we would be on our second cup of coffee and hopefully a couple of ducks into it hopefully.

I hear from a good friend now and then and it wasn't long ago that he informed me of a painful illness that has riddled his body. I also have another good friend who lives in pain daily. Of course I have prayed for their healing, but the healing has not come to these two Godly men who walk with the Lord daily.

Now notice here what I said. "Walk with the Lord daily". Despite their infirmities, these guys do not complain. They continue to serve the Lord in in any way they can, often paying the price the next day for the activity they did the day before.

What makes men and women like this tick? What pushes them to exhaustion without a gold medal to hang on their chest? Over the next couple of days I will attempt to answer that question. I am praying that God will equip me with the words to do this subject justice. Neither of them will have their names published as I will not invade their privacy. Those two know who they are and how I feel about them. To me, they are heroes and I am  sure if you are reading this you could add to the list many, many, more.

Like the clouds that I mentioned which are heavy with potential rain, my heart is heavy at times for these two. I will continue to pray for healing and will not cease, but I will also accept God's answer of no if He decides that they won't be healed here on Earth but will be pain free in Heaven some day.

My first shot at the answer to this subject of how these guys continue to serve the Lord while in pain is this. They have a love relationship with God and a trust that surpasses all understanding. They love Him despite not having the healing they desire. They would rather have that relationship intact than anything else. Psalm 37 does a great job of explain this.

Psalm 37:4New International Version (NIV)

⁴ Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Some would read this passage and say "if they do all they do while even in pain, then God should heal them as that must be their desire".  Now that is a pretty good interpretation attempt at Scripture but falls short of the truth.  They delight in the Lord so much that He has become the desire of their heart and they continually want more of Him. They possess a deeper love for Him despite the infirmities of pain. They do not curse God for the pain but embrace Him and want more of Him as they experience His grace daily They look for ways to serve despite the pain. They long to serve more, not trying to achieve favor to be healed but to stand next to Him and assist in His work of redeeming souls.  That is step one for this day and I will continue this subject tomorrow.

Where are you in your delight for the Lord? Are you like the football fan who only shows up if the team is in the Super Bowl?

We will chat tomorrow and I look forward to it. God bless you all.

Marty





August 11th 1984. What A Day That Was! 8/19/2016

Good Morning,

My mug is filled with some Sunrise in Door County Coffee this happy Friday morning. Nothing like a sunrise and a hot cup of coffee.

I want to reminisce about a day that changed my life forever. It started with a youth group, a canoe trip and a co-worker.

In 1984 I was a single man even though I always say I have been married for a thousand years. I was on the market, available and yet not a whole lot of women were breaking down the door to spend time with a macho man. Hard to believe isn't it?

My work in church at that time was "youth leader". I had pretty much resigned myself to singleness and was content with life. On Saturday August 11th 1984 we had planned a youth group canoe trip to Waupaca Wisconsin to canoe the mighty Crystal River with an outfitter named Dings Dock. This is designed to be a lot of fun and it is a ball! It was to be about a three hour tour. We were a little short on adult chaperones and I enlisted a couple of my buddies to help us out. We still needed an adult body or two. I had started working at the hospital in 1983 and made a few friends. One friend and co-worker asked me what my plans were for the weekend and I explained the canoe trip and our lack of adults. My co-worker friend replied that she liked canoe trips and wouldn't mind helping out. I jumped at the chance to fill our roster of needed adults.

Saturday came and 72 teenagers and a few adults headed to "Dings Dock". The trip has a few sets of small rapids and the canoes are designed it seems, to tip over. If you and your partner can complete the river trip without tipping over at all you are extremely talented and quite boring. We set all the kids up with partners and my two buddies jumped into a canoe to set the pace for all. They made it 50 yards and flipped. That left me and my co-worker to partner up and battle the river. We had become pretty good friends at work, but I really was worried as to how she might respond, not if we tipped over but when. Well we made it about three hundred yards and tipped over, sinking the canoe. While getting back into the canoe, we tipped over again. My co-worker had such a robust laugh while navigating our antics with that stupid canoe that I soon found myself laughing and splashing with her and others. I hadn't found too much to laugh about in the two years prior to this outing. Life had been pretty tough.

Long story short, we finished the trip, returned to Milwaukee and made sure all the teens were picked up or were given a ride home. It was pretty late and we hadn't really had much to eat at the cookout after the trip. I offered my co-worker a pizza and a Coke midnight snack at a local Italian food emporium near her apartment. While eating pizza we talked and laughed, reliving some of the day. It was soon about 1:30 AM and the restaurant was closing. I walked her to her door and we shook hands. I thanked her for a great day and all of her help with the teens. I asked if I could see her again next week and she laughed and said "of course, we work together".  I explained that I was thinking about the next weekend for a dinner and a movie. Lucky for me she said yes. We have been eating pizza together ever since. I married my co-worker Laurene, who I call Rene. (Reenee) 

Matthew 7:7
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you

I forgot to mention that I had been praying to meet someone and on 8/11/1984 I never prayed for that again.  I am not sure that Rene recalls the exact date of the beginning of our life together, but I do. It was a day that Beauty met the Beast and laughter was restored to my life.

Have a great day!

Marty

Reaching A Hand 8/18/2016

Good Morning,

I am looking into my mug of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee and having a brain block on what I am going to write today. I know what is in my heart but the words seem to be escaping me.

Recently while I was in Haiti on a short term mission trip we were afforded the privilege to serve undernourished kids a few meals. I call this a privilege because the act of kindness did more than feed some kids. It melted our hearts and changed the team. I paid close attention the one night when I was actually delivering the plates to these kids. Our language barrier wasn't an issue. What I paid attention to were the facial expressions. Some of these kids looked at you as if you were giving them a great gift. Some did not make eye contact. It seemed to me that they were ashamed to be in need of a meal. Some never took their eyes off of the plate until the food was gone. Some of their faces showed expressions of thanks and relief. I don't think that many of my friends and family can identify with relying on a stranger for a meal. Some looked at us like we were special, almost like kings and queens and just to sit with us was a big deal for them. They never seemed to take a meal for granted. They all said thank you or nodded, The tiny ones just got down to business and ate. Their smiles were more than a thank you. They did not realize that it was me who was being ministered to.

I pondered last night how that might of felt to some of these kids and the different facial expressions. Then I realized that I should know what it feels like to need and rely on a King. After all I am like a little orphan each day and I reach out my hand in need of life. My food comes to me handed down from God, what I have He gave to me. Once I was lost and like a little beggar I came to Him in need of a Savior.
I have nothing really to offer to the King that he doesn't already have. I can barley look at Him for He created me from dust. Just a word from Him in my direction is special. To spend time with Him is a desire I can never pay back. And like these little kids, the only thing I can offer Him is my heart. I came home and looked in our refrigerator and said a prayer of thanks. Those kids changed the way I look at things. I see our apple trees hanging with fruit and I am thankful. I see our dog sleeping and content and his ribs are not showing because of lack of food. I am thankful. I drove to work yesterday because I have a job. I am thankful.

Psalm 51:10New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me

What do you take for granted? Meals, work, family, church, God, health??? After all, aren't we all poor orphans and beggars in need of our God to sustain every breath and eternal life through Jesus?

Can you give Him your heart today in thanks? Those kids came for a meal. I received heart surgery.

Marty

You Have To Put The Boat In The Water 8/17/2016

Good Morning,

I hope this finds you all well and your cup full of cheer. My mug is filled with Door County  Raspberry Butter Crunch Coffee. Smile, you just might light up the life of someone else with a greeting and a smile.

Our two nephews are a couple of lovable clowns. They take some of the funniest or weirdest pictures I have ever seen. The older one is a pretty good photographer and has some nice photos to show. I took this picture during a weekend fishing trip to Upper Michigan. As you can see the little fishing boat is out of the water. My two fishing companions are just sitting there. All the strongest wishes and hoping will not get those two any fish unless the boat makes it to the water. If they thought this technique would produce a fish they would be sadly mistaken. The boat did make it to the water and they did catch some fish. But they had to move and put in the effort. The boat had to leave the back of the truck. Then it had to be dragged about 3/4 of a mile through brush and mud just to get to the water. Then they had to spend the time fishing while fighting off mosquitoes, before they even caught one fish. The hard work paid off. But the beginning wasn't easy.

Many people see the dream of their lives but just wait for someone to come along and grant a wish or a dream. When it doesn't happen they then throw a pity party and invite those around them to show them sympathy and concern. They aren't willing to work toward their goals. They want immediate gratification without the sweat equity that goes into making their dreams or goals come true. Some people get angry with God and put a sign on their forehead that says "It's not fair". People need to get off of their backsides and move toward their goals and dreams. Their personal boat of life needs to hit the water and they have to row. Laziness has no rewards.

The Bible has a little bit to say about working.  Let's see.

Colossians 3:23-24

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ.

2 Timothy 2:15   

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

Ecclesiastes 9:10   

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might, for there is no work or thought or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol, to which you are going.

1 Corinthians 10:31   

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God

No one is going to do it for you. You own your personal work ethic. So pry yourself out your chair of excuses and take that first step. Don't quit when the road is long and hard. Call on God to give you strength, not to do it for you, but to strengthen you to accomplish your goals.

Got get um!

Marty

Empty Cups. They Don't Have To Be. Use Them. 8/16/2016

Good Morning,

Wow! My cup of Door County Red Velvet Mocha Coffee was good and hot. It was just what these tired eyes needed.  No doubt it will taste even better around 9AM when I eat a peach and banana for breakfast.  Some days that's all a guy needs to get a day going. Add some prayer and you are set.

Rene and I started a new collection of dishes. They are depression glass and they are called Iris. We actually plan on using these and have just about all we need to serve eight people. Rene hit the antique jackpot this last weekend and we just about completed the set. As we discussed the dishes last night I lobbied for us to use them instead of scrolling them away just to look at. We both agreed that it was time to let these dishes make some memories. I was looking at two coffee cups and saucers that were waiting to be washed and put away. Of course they were empty, but I made the observation that it would be a shame to never fill these and use them for the purpose they were made for.

1 Corinthians 7:7English Standard Version (ESV)
⁷ I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.

We all have been given gifts or talents from God. Just like cups that are never used for holding a great cup of tea or coffee, many people never take their talents and giftedness and use them as God intended. For instance, if you are blessed to be able to sing and have a beautiful voice, why aren't you using it in church, for the glory of God? You never know who's heart will be blessed by your song. Maybe you are blessed with the gift of being able to knit or sew. Many kids need a free pair of mittens or slippers that could be distributed at your church. Maybe you are a skilled carpenter but you won't practice your trade to advance the Kingdom of God on a short term mission trip. Cups were created to hold liquid and somewhere during their life span they should hold a beverage that is used to create a memory. Perhaps a Christmas dinner?

Our gifts and talents should be used to do the same. They should be used to touch hearts and please God. That is always a memory for you and for those touched by what you did.

Is your cup used yet? I hope so.

Marty