Only Trust Him 8/7/2019

Good Morning,

My mug was just filled with Door County German Chocolate Cake Coffee. My heart is full of prayer and good wishes for all of you.

Today's message would most times be titled one of hope. Today I call it "Trust Him"

— Hebrews 4:16 —

Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

The Lord delights when his children approach him. Once we come, we can expect divine grace and mercy to aid us in our difficulty. Specifically, God gives us blessings and help we don't deserve (grace) while keeping us from punishment we do deserve (mercy). Of course, his answer to our cry may not be exactly what we expect or hope. Yet, just as a loving dad would do for his own child, our Father knows what we really need and will act on our best interest. The Lord is trustworthy.

It is hard to trust when we look at circumstances. I'll be the first to admit that. But if you trust in God for life eternal which is unable to be measured in time sequences. Shouldn't we trust in Him for our life span here on Earth? So look beyond the circumstances. Jesus walks on every stormy sea of life to guide, love and direct.

Have a great day.

Marty

Listen To The Coach 8/6/2019

Good Morning,

I just poured myself a cup of Door County Cherry Creme Coffee and I have a big day ahead of me.  This coffee is great.

— Ephesians 5:8-10 —

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

I coached Little League Baseball for quite a few years. The one thing I struggled with was having the kids listen to me when their parents were yelling to them from the stands. The boys had a hard time hearing me and sorting out all of the directions that were being sent their way. As the manager of the team I was the main voice. I had scouted the other teams or the coaches who worked with me did. We knew exactly where we wanted the boys to be and what pitches they could expect. We knew if we wanted them to bunt or swing away. But the boys were confused with who was the boss on the field. We as Christians often listen to everyone but Jesus. 

Friends, find freedom through seeking to please Jesus Christ above all else. You can only have one Master! When you let others' expectations drive you, you scatter your energy to the winds. Concentrate on staying close to Christ at all times so that you will reflect God's goodness to others. That pleases Him! Pray that you will be a blessing to someone today. You just never know what God has in store for you to be a part of.

Have a blessed day.

Marty

Impatience Is Not A Virtue 8/5/2019

Good Morning,

Yes I am drinking a cup of Door County German Chocolate Cake Coffee. I needed that!

In an age where we can obtain information with a touch of a screen and purchase things without even making a phone call, faith and patience seem to have no place.
When I was a kid and we wanted soup we opened the can, placed the soup in a pan and placed it on the stove to boil. Now we can just plop it into a bowl and microwave it within seconds. I have watched people tap their fingers with impatience on a microwave when they think it is taking too long. We have become a impatient people.
In today's text we see that in our faith we need to wait on God for His timing and answer.

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

—Romans 8:25

If we wait on God and trust in His wisdom to do only what is best for us we can wait with patience. In God we trust. It is more than just a phrase on a coin.

God bless,

Marty

Search For Significance 8/4/2019

Good Morning,

I had to drink some coffee other than my Door County Highlander Grog. You don't appreciate what you have until you don't have it. 

I find that my subject today is one that we all struggle with from time to time. Identity Crisis 101 and finding our significance. It is not an easy subject to cover, but we will give it a good try.

— 1 Peter 2:9-10 —
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

People often base their self-significance on their accomplishments. But our relationship with Christ is far more important than our jobs, successes, wealth or knowledge. We have been chosen by God as His very own, And we have been called to represent him to others. Remember that your  values come from being one of God's children, not what you can achieve. You have worth because of what God did, what He still does, not because of what you do or what you own, or what you look like.

Happy Sunday
God bless, and you be a blessing to someone today!

Marty

Joseph On The Run 8/3/2019

Good Morning,

Definitely needing some coffee today. Door County Caramel Latte is steaming in the cup. Let's write!

Genesis 39

New International Version (NIV)

Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife

39 Now Joseph had been taken down to Egypt. Potiphar, an Egyptian who was one of Pharaoh’s officials, the captain of the guard, bought him from the Ishmaelites who had taken him there.

² The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. ³ When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did, ⁴ Joseph found favor in his eyes and became his attendant. Potiphar put him in charge of his household, and he entrusted to his care everything he owned. ⁵ From the time he put him in charge of his household and of all that he owned, the Lord blessed the household of the Egyptian because of Joseph. The blessing of the Lord was on everything Potiphar had, both in the house and in the field. ⁶ So Potiphar left everything he had in Joseph’s care; with Joseph in charge, he did not concern himself with anything except the food he ate.
Now Joseph was well-built and handsome, ⁷ and after a while his master’s wife took notice of Joseph and said, “Come to bed with me!”
⁸ But he refused. “With me in charge,” he told her, “my master does not concern himself with anything in the house; everything he owns he has entrusted to my care. ⁹ No one is greater in this house than I am. My master has withheld nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” ¹⁰ And though she spoke to Joseph day after day, he refused to go to bed with her or even be with her.
¹¹ One day he went into the house to attend to his duties, and none of the household servants was inside. ¹² She caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But he left his cloak in her hand and ran out of the house.

What do you do when temptations come your way? Joseph ran from them. We all are tempted in many ways. What we all need is a quick escape plan from sin. Hanging around is not healthy for our battle with sin and temptations. We need to run and get out of the situation, less we cave in.

When you run, run to God, can you imagine Satan wanting to get closer to God? I think not. So even if you are physically old and slow like me. You can still out run the Devil.

On you mark, get set RUN!

Have a great day.
Marty

A Picnic At Work 8/2/2019

Good Morning,

Friday arrived just in time to pick me up and set me straight again. I raise my mug of Door County Turtles In A Cup Coffee in a salute to Friday!

Luke 6:31 English Standard Version (ESV)

³¹ And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them.

Yesterday we held our annual work picnic on the hospital grounds. Everyone came outside for a very nice lunch served by those of us in management. I always look forward to serving in the picnic and the Christmas dinner. It is a nice time to be able to say thank you to all who come through the serving lines, laugh a little and smile a lot. I especially like serving the dinners with my peers and joking around with them, while working pretty hard.

Here's the point for the day. If someone works with you or for you don't forget to say thank you now and then. I believe we do a great job of appreciating those who report to us. But from time to time I get in a rut and forget to be thankful for the great staff I have the privilege to lead and serve with. That's on me and it shouldn't happen. Now days. people can find work anywhere. But if they choose to work with you and for you. be thankful and tell them they are appreciated.

Food For thought!

Marty

Fire Extinguishers 8/1/2019

Good Morning,

I find myself fighting off a cold today so my cup of Door County German Chocolate Cake Coffee is soothing to my throat. Nothing like a summer time cold.

Rene and I just recently started to replace our fire extinguishers in the garage and the house. Fortunately we have been blessed to never having needed to use them. But we are prepared just in case. We burn a lot of firewood in the winter and that one errant spark could start a fire, so an extinguisher is a good battle plan.

Now a fire extinguisher is used to smother out a fire by not letting it breath. Basically it kills the fire. I don't know anyone who would extinguish most of a fire and then hope that it did not reignite into a blaze again.

But we tend to fight off sin with a gas can. For instance we might have a gambling problem and we work very hard to quit. We are doing well for a long time. Then the local casino announces that they will be hosting a certain entertainer in their show arena. We decide to go and see the entertainment promising ourselves that we can avoid the gaming rooms.

Then once we are there the sound of the slot machines, the cigarette smell and all the lights convince us that we will only donate ten dollars to the casino. We just let the fire start again. We leave after winning a couple dollars or losing ten. We are convinced that we can socially gamble and soon we are hooked again. We did not fully kill the desire within us to gamble. We did not flee from the temptation.

Matthew 26:41 English Standard Version (ESV)

⁴¹ Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Think about it. Are you walking among the smoldering embers of sin and disaster? RUN!!!!! and be safe.

Food for thought.

Marty