Obedience Is A Gift 6/15/2017

Good Morning,

Friday is upon us and mine came in like a wrecking ball. It seems that I just fell asleep when the alarm went off this morning. So I wandered to the kitchen and grabbed a mug of Door County Blueberry Cobbler Coffee and a banana. Time to write.

1 Samuel 15:22New International Version (NIV)
²² But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
    as much as in obeying the Lord?
To obey is better than sacrifice,
    and to heed is better than the fat of rams

People search and search and work and work to experience the perfect worship experience on Sundays. When all they have to do is to truly change their attitude toward obedience. When we choose to disobey God in any way, our worship cannot be wholehearted or sincere.

For instance how many people do you know that will twist and manipulate Scripture to meet their need for the moment, knowing fully well that they are disobeying the intent of the command of God? How can we go to worship, looking for a spiritual high, when we have just disobeyed God's Word? When we are fully obedient to God we set our hearts on a path of true worship. God can only use us to the degree that we are obedient to Him. The more deeply we love Him, the more we will want to do what He asks and the more we will end up pleasing Him, which is true worship.

What do you say! Does your attitude toward obedience lessen your worship experience?

Love to all,

Marty

You Think You Have A Headache! 6/15/2017

Good Morning,

Here we go Thursday. I have always been a fan of Thursdays, because they lead to Fridays. So I raise my cup of Door County Cinnamon Sugar Biscotti Coffee in a salute to Thursday.

There are times in my life that the headaches I have are from stress. When I take the time to see what caused the stress I often find that in many instances I have caused my own headaches. Doing a self-diagnosis often shows that I missed the warning signs or took shortcuts that were ill advised and caused harm. Shortcuts can be handy if the shortcut does not weaken or diminish the wanted result. Some things are set into motion when we take shortcuts. Our actions may have far reaching consequences, possibly spanning across generations. Beware of taking shortcuts: Beware of taking the easy way out!

Proverbs 21:5New International Version (NIV)

⁵ The plans of the diligent lead to profit
    as surely as haste leads to poverty.

 

Have a great day! Don't run to a shortcut, think it through. It might be the shortcut that seems to last a lifetime!

 

Marty

I Look To The Hills 6/14/2017

Good Morning,

The old mug is filled with Door County Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend Coffee and my plate has some nuts and grapes on it for breakfast. I am blessed beyond measure.

Over the years I have traveled on many short term mission trips, to many different countries. Only one place in my travels did not offer a hill or a mountain for scenery. But the hill is only a view, of where my mind took me when I needed to consult with God or bring my worries to Him. There were times when I wondered what the next day would bring, because the day I was living had been tough and I felt alone at the helm.

As I look at my oldest travel Bible, I see the many dates where I turned to Psalm 121 for comfort and reassurance. I would often find myself staring up at a hill as I read this Psalm praying out loud some request of mine. I was lifting my head to the heavens. Some people must have thought I was praying to a mountain or hill. Not at all. I was looking up as a little child would look up to their Daddy for help and a pat on the head. I wanted to be told that all was ok and not to worry. I wanted my spiritual armor shined up so I could re-enter the battle. I found comfort in the Word of God and the time spent with Our Father.

Today I would like to share Psalm 121 with you. Pray before you read it. Clear your heart and mind from all worldly thoughts and walk away after reading, knowing that our God does not sleep and has His eye on you.

Psalm 121

A song of ascents.

¹ I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
    where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven and earth.

³ He will not let your foot slip—
    he who watches over you will not slumber;
⁴ indeed, he who watches over Israel
    will neither slumber nor sleep.

⁵ The Lord watches over you—
    the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
⁶ the sun will not harm you by day,
    nor the moon by night.

⁷ The Lord will keep you from all harm—
    he will watch over your life;
⁸ the Lord will watch over your coming and going
    both now and forevermore.

I myself prayed this Psalm as an intercessory prayer for someone near and dear to me yesterday. You could do the same for someone, or share this passage with them. Many times in a hot climate I could feel a God sent breeze just before I fell asleep. Many times I should have stumbled and fell, but I did not. Many times the enemy sought to scare or discourage me, Satan never won. I thirsted but was always quenched.

I wish you all a great day, with blessings from above. I pray your walk would be peaceful.

Marty

Time Passes By Too Fast 6/13/2017

Good Morning,

I am a little foggy eyed this morning. I started work early yesterday and came home late. I retreated to the garage where I am working on wooden project for Rene. I stayed at it a little too long. Before I knew it, Rene was reminding me that it was pretty late and that getting up in the morning might be a chore. She was right as always. So here I am sipping a cup of Door County Chocolate Cherry Coffee and hoping for the best.

Last night I buried myself in a project just to let off steam and to try and finish my endeavor. Most cabinet makers or wood workers would have been done by now, but I am not a craftsman in their class. I do enjoy making things or restoring them no matter how long it takes. Where did the time go. Well 20 minutes was spent looking for a tool that I misplaced. It should have been put back where it belonged the last time I used it.

God designed the day to be 24 hours and no matter how we try we cannot change 24 into 25. I have tried that stunt all of my life and never succeeded even once. I have found that when it seems like the days just pass by too fast and I don't get done all that needed to get done and it is a repeat day after day it is time to evaluate my expenditure of time. I found that all too often I was my own worst enemy. I needed to rearrange the way I do things.

For instance, I decided to close my office door for an hour yesterday and let the phone go to voice mail. No interruptions for an hour helped me to finish what I estimated as a 1.5 hour duty in 45 minutes. No one got hurt, no one missed out on anything, and I plan on doing it again.

Next I rearranged my desk to be more productive. This was a chore, but when I could reach for the current project report in a second, I was thrilled.

God has a little to say about time management and being organized.

1 Corinthians 14:40English Standard Version (ESV)
⁴⁰ But all things should be done decently and in order.


Ephesians 5:15-16 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.

 

I had to look at my own schedule to see where I could make better use of my day. What I found was that I allowed myself and others to steer me away from my goal, I own that one! How about you? Can you gain some time in the day by challenging yourself to look at the schedule and how you approach it?

 

Have a blessed day,

 

Marty

 

 

Tender Care For A Child 6/12/2017

Good Morning,

Here comes my cup of Door County Swedish Lingonberry Coffee, a small bowl of grapes and banana for breakfast. Now with some prayer and Scripture reading, I should be powered through the day.

Matthew 18:10English Standard Version (ESV)
¹⁰ “See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.

Our gardens are going into full bloom mode now and I am especially pleased about one rose bush that was successfully cut out from a larger bush and nursed along and planted. I have been babying that one along for weeks and it looks like it has paid off. My little buddy has it's first blossom. It took a lol of tender loving care including spraying with powder to remove some parasites that were eating the leaves. My goal was for this tender shoot to survive.

But that being said, I want to talk about protecting and nurturing little children. Several states are in a heat wave now and the local and national news casts are reminding people not to leave their children in the car for fear that they will overheat and die. This reminder unfortunately is all too necessary. Every year we hear about how many children are left in scorching automobiles and then are found dead. Nothing is so important that a child should be left alone in a car. Little children must have someone to watch over them and protect them. Parents, this is your duty to protect your children at all times. It is a crying shame that we need to be reminded to practice common sense. Like the delicate rose in our garden, it doesn't take much to harm a child. We need to protect, feed, and educate the children God has blessed us with. In addition,we all have the responsibility to watch out for children, even if they are not our own.

(CNN)Summer is not yet here, but so far nearly three times as many children have died after being left in hot cars this year compared to this time last year, the National Safety Council said Thursday.

Let's hope that we can stop this stupidity. Let's pray for a safe summer, filled with common sense. Act on behalf of a child if you need to. Stand up and be counted.

Marty

Are You An Enabler? 6/11/2017

Good Morning,

Oh how nice it is to be sitting on the patio in a pair of shorts and a tee shirt drinking my morning cup of Door County Swedish Lingonberry Tart Coffee. This is nice! I pray your day begins as nicely as mine, if not better.

In this world we will find that there are many people with many different needs. It is our Christian duty to help those people when we can. You will never hear me argue against it. We are to love one another and share. This is elementary Christianity at it's best. I for one have been on both ends of the spectrum. I have received and I have given. Both were a blessing.

1 Timothy 5:22King James Version (KJV)
²² Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

But there comes a point when we need to ask ourselves if were are helping or are we enabling a weakness. For instance, parents often help their children out financially with a dollar or two from time to time. This is normal and accepted behavior. But when it becomes a habit and Junior finds it easier to ask and receive than go to work, we have enabled a habit of laziness. Now we can all be duped now and then also. We give money to friends and relatives who are in need, only to find that the money is going to pay for drug or alcohol abuse. When we continue to support this habit we are an enabling the sickness and sin to continue. To “enable” sin is to embolden someone to continue in sin, to empower his ability to sin, or to make it easier for him to sin. In our stand for righteousness, we want to avoid enabling the sins of others. Human relationships can be complex, and there are many situations that can lead to involuntary participation in the sin of another. In a marriage, one spouse can be drawn into sin in an effort to appease the other. Friends and family are the avenues that Satan often uses to entice us to participate in a sin we would otherwise avoid

I was driving to a store the other day and saw a young man holding a sign stating that he was homeless and in need of assistance. I stopped and I legitimately had $100 dollars worth of light work needed at our home. I was willing to take him the short distance and pay him for about 6 hours of light yard work. He looked physically able. I proposed the offer and he politely declined and said that he had no need for work, he just needed some quick cash. He put his hand out and I shook it, prayed for him and left. I would have enabled a panhandler.

I have begun a practice that I should have adopted a long time ago. Before I hand out anything, I stop for a moment to pray and ask God for wisdom. It might of helped me when I stopped to give money to a blind man begging for money. Only to come out from my appointment to see him riding away on a bicycle. It is amazing how they can teach a blind man to ride a bicycle in heavy traffic.

I was taught at an early age to work and pay my bills and not to expect or to rely on hand outs. We do need to help, but we must also be willing to say no, when our help enables sin or laziness. If we are in a position to offer work and the needy one can do so, we should offer work and be willing to work along  with them. If we can teach someone to work or learn a skill we should do so. There is an old saying, "Give a man a fish and you fed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you feed him forever."

Friends, walk a fine line, with open eyes and a generous heart. Be part of a solution not a part of the problem.

Marty

Cornbread And Contentment. With a Recipe 6/10/2017

Good Morning.

This rambling is a repeat from a few years ago. I have been in a memory lane mood for most of the week and last night last night as I made cornbread I could not help but look up my blog history. I just knew that somewhere or sometime I wrote about cornbread. I was correct, so I decided to share this one again. Not out of laziness, but out of love and respect. So I will enjoy my cup of Door County Inn Keepers Blend Coffee and read it again. Back to memory lane. You will have to guess what I am eating. It shouldn't be too hard.

My mother had an aunt named Hazel. Hazel lived in the Milwaukee area and was more like an aunt to us than she was to our mother. Hazel was a strong Christian who believed in Jesus as Lord and Savior. She loved to play board games, especially Parcheesi. As kids we would visit and there would be some long nights playing Parcheesi with the family.

Just before she passed on and I was visiting, we were actually recalling those nights and laughing together. She asked me what I liked best about those nights. I hesitated to tell her what it really was. But there was no time like that moment to be honest. I told her that I always looked forward to having a piece of her corn bread when we visited. Hazel could make corn bread like no one else I know. She said " I know. We used to watch you and when we ate our meal your corn bread was gone first. And if you asked for seconds on anything it was always the corn bread.". I guess my love for corn bread didn't fool anyone. She told me that she enjoyed corn bread too. She went on and reminded me that our mother had been sick quite a bit when we were younger and that she always thought that game night, and a meal with some corn bread would be a treat and comfort for a young family. As I get older I can see God at work in our lives even when we were little kids. He provided a jolly, laughing lady with corn bread to brighten my day. I can't help but eat a piece of corn bread without thinking about her. You might not be a corn bread expert but you can be a person who shows compassion. Hazel was one of many who showed our family compassion. Ask God to open your eyes and show you something you can do for someone that would be "their corn bread." You see what she did lasts a life time. When I eat a piece of corn bread and think of those great times I find that the things bothering me, leave for awhile and I find contentment. Here is the secret to being content.

^{Philippians 4:6-9
6} Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

Won't you be the corn bread for someone today?

God bless,
Marty

Ingredients

 Hazel's Cornbread                                        

Original recipe makes 9 servings                    

Makes servings USMetricAdjust Recipe (Help)

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2/3 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup cornmeal
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
  

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease an 8 inch square pan.
2. Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour, and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.