If That Isn't Love 3/7/2021

Good Morning,

I always look forward to a Cup of Door County Country Morning Blend Coffee on Sundays. My Sunday morning ritual of warming up the house with the fireplace and listening to the radio is something I look forward to as I write. Soon it will be warm enough outside and we won't need the fire. 

Yesterday I had the privilege to go trap shooting with my nephew and some of his friends. It was good to be around young folks.  I really enjoyed myself. I am grateful for the experience. 

My thought for today is this. Jesus lived for others and not for Himself. He was friends with others, healed many, taught thousands and died for us all. One of the things Jesus did that truly amazed me was one of the actions He took while on the cross.  Jesus was crucified with two other people next to Him. Both of them were guilty criminals. 

Luke 23:39-43   39.Then one of criminals who were hanged on their own cross blasphemed Him, saying. "If you are the Christ save yourself and us.  40. But the other, rebuked him saying, "Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41. And we justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; But this man has done nothing wrong. 42. Then he said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." 43. And Jesus said to him, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise.

We see that while on the cross, suffering great pain and facing His own death Jesus was filled with compassion for the thief who defended Him and asked to be with Him. I call that compassion, love. If it isn't love than I am not old and bald. 

I believe that someone out there reading this today just needs to hear that Jesus loves you and wants to have a relationship with you. Notice Jesus said "today you shall be with Me". Jesus wasn't sending this fellow someplace where Jesus wasn't. Jesus was bringing this guy home. That is true love. Jesus was going to die for the sins of humanity and that meant Jesus was dying for the sins of this guy next to Him. But the criminal humbled himself and said "remember me". Jesus took the sinner home, never more to roam.

That is perfect love. Food for thought.

Marty

Love Gets Tested 3/6/2021

 Good Morning,

I am looking forward to having some breakfast with my brother today. I just poured a hot cup of Door County Black and Tan Coffee and now it is time to write.

The test of a true Christian walk is love. There is so much hatred, downright heartlessness, envy and character assassination going on in our world  that I for one get over run by these destructive powers. Unless we are watchful and diligent in prayer we can be wiped out by these characteristics and attitudes. 

Jesus sets the bar high for us and His expectations are lofty. We are to be obedient to His commands. This sets us out front and distinguishes us from those who haven't acknowledged Christ's rule in their lives.

John 13:35 "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are My disciples.

When we develop our love more and more for Jesus, He becomes a driving force in our lives. We see ourselves tending to the wounds of life for others before tending to our own. Jesus is the source for all true love. If we find it difficult to love , we must open immediately our lives to the Holy Spirit and allow Him to love others THROUGH US. The acts of love are clearly visible. The world will know that we belong to Christ without a doubt when we pass the discipleship test of loving others. Jesus demonstrated this great love when He prayed for those who nailed Him to the cross.

Food for thought.

Marty

Bring On Some Constipation 3/5/2021

 Good Morning,

Let's get right to the point this morning. I will write and sip on a hot cup of Door County Cherry Creme Coffee. 

I wasn't too old, maybe 6 or 7 years young when I heard and old Texan with a heavy Southern accent say to his chatty wife, "Lucille if your bowels were as loose as your mouth you will never die of constipation".

1 Corinthians 14:33. For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace.

I had to ask my dad what constipation meant and when he explained it to me I laughed like no tomorrow. This man liked to be called Tex. So I will refer to him with his preferred name. You see Lucille could talk a mile a minute and you were lucky to even be able to answer a question that she sent your way, before she moved on chatting away. She was a very kind lady, but just a person who talked fast and talked often. Tex was just reminding her to slow down and let others speak. 

I believe that we are here to talk and carry on conversations. But a conversation is a two way process. A true conversation allows for a reply and it calls for both parties to listen.  I am afraid that society has lost the will to listen at times. Listening without interrupting is missing in many conversations. While someone is speaking many times the other person has already stopped listening and has moved on to their response, interjecting their thoughts before knowing and understanding all the information the other party is presenting.

This makes for a confused world. And my friends confusion is not from God. Slow down friends and let others speak before you stop them. Once interrupted, a person either advances their point with more tenacity or they shut down feeling invalid. This brings hard feelings along eventually, or very quickly. 

We all could learn to listen better and thus control the diarrhea of our mouths. If we take time to listen we might not deliver the response that is sitting on our tongues.

Thought of the day. God bless.

Marty

Marty

Close That Door 3/4/2021

 Good Morning,

The day began with prayer and a hot cup of Door County Raspberry Almond Coffee. It is time to write.

There is an old saying "The devil makes work for idle hands". I believe this to be true. We leave ourselves wide open for temptation and trouble when we have little or nothing to do. 

Philippians 1:10-11 I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until the day of Christ's return. May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation. 

                                                        

Downtime or idle time is dangerous ground for the believer. Times when the church seems to slow down a little or maybe the leader is missing for one reason or another doesn't mean we all slow down. We should always occupy our time in doing good deeds or services for the church.

"Temptation usually comes through a door that has been deliberately left open" (Anonymous)

If we stay busy working in the Kingdom and forge ahead through idle times we will have no time to get involved in temptation. We need not work alone or wait on the church to sponsor events. We can partner with friends to help build Christian Community, pass on the faith and minister to others. We can be there for those who mourn physically and spiritually. Close the door on idleness! It is a door that is best closed and you hold the key.

Marty

The First Birthday 3/3/2021

 Good Morning,

The sun is peering through the window of our den and it is a beautiful site to see. From where I sit on the second story of our home I can see the roofs of my neighbors and and the shingles are all void of snow. It has been a long time since I last saw roofs barren of snow. My cup of Door County Heroes Blend Coffee is extra sharp today and much appreciated. 

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time for every purpose under heaven.

In March of 1960 our family dynamics changed. Until that day I was the only child and pretty much ruled the roost. But then I was introduced to the fact that I had a sister. At three years old I really didn't understand or care what the statement meant. A few days later when what used to be a pretty quiet place was disrupted by this little baby crying, which didn't seem to stop for at least two years I realized that things really changed.  I kept thinking that this just couldn't last and somehow this kid was a loaner and we would return her some day to the Keebler elves. But as time went by my sister became more like a pal, another kid to play second base and someone to dream with as we both wanted to go to Disney Land. Someone to do the dishes with was nice and before too long we started watching out for each other. 

Disney land never happened for us together and to be honest I am not sure my sister ever made it there. I did travel to Disney World a couple of times. 

Here' is the point for today. My sister would have been celebrating 61 years of life today. Cancer struck her down last fall. I can't call her today and wish her a happy birthday or send her a card, let alone visit her. I am not throwing myself a pity party today. But I am reminding us all to never take one more day for granted. Make the most of it. I never thought the middle child of our family would go first. That wasn't God's plan. Today she celebrates her first birthday in heaven. 

So what I learned is this. if you talk about it, go do it if at all possible. Spend time with your family, the make up of the clan could change on any given day. Be sure to tell them they are loved. Don't let them wonder where they stood with you. 

Just a little bit of advice to chew on this morning. Love you all. God bless.

Marty

Making Promises While Riding A Wave 3/2/2021

 Good Morning,

It feels good to see the sun shining through the windows of our home. It is easy for me to love the sunshine and enjoy what it holds for the future. I just poured myself a mug of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee and now it is time to write. 

Psalm 22:25 I will fulfill my vows in the presence of those who worship you. 

We all know that person who is long on promises but short on starting any actions to see them through. Maybe you and I have done the same thing. The last thing one should want to be known for is the inability to keep a promise (vow)

At some time or another we all make promises to God or others. I for one promised my wife a trip to Hawaii for many years. Something always came up or I found a reason not to go. The last time I said that we would plan a trip I received a reply that cut to the bone. "Don't say it again. I have heard that for years". Rene was right and she called a booger a booger. Shortly after that I called a friend in the travel business and asked to set the wheels in motion. We went to Hawaii a few months later and had a wonderful time. It should have been done sooner. 

Perhaps we  made a vow to God to love Him dearly, serve Him with passion and commitment. You promised to enhance your worship of Him or improve your church attendance. Maybe God placed a call on your life to serve Him in missions and you know it. Maybe you even told others about it. You might have made a vow to remove some sin from your life and you haven't done what it takes to be successful.

It is easy to make a vow to God, especially while riding a wave of enthusiasm after a spiritual high and emotion. But a vow is a vow, a promise is a promise and it should be our goal to see that our plans lead to positive actions in our Spiritual life and our home life as well. 

There's the thought for today. God bless.

Marty

Forgive Yes! Forget No 3/1/2021

 Good Morning,

March 1st arrived right on time and it goes very well with my mug of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee. I have a thought on forgiving today.

Have you ever gone out to the garage to bring something in to the house and then get a little sidetracked by the rake that you forgot to hang up on the wall? Then a couple more thoughts go through your head and you return to the kitchen and forgot to bring in what you originally went to the garage for. We can easily forget things like that but when it comes to someone who wronged us we have iron willed memories,

We human beings sometimes find it possible to forgive but we seldom forget. It's like going to your potato storage bin and smelling a rotten potato. You take a couple potatoes out for dinner and you remove the rotten one and the smell goes away. Leave the rotten one in there and your next trip to the tater bin is not so pleasant. And soon walking by the potato bin and the foul odor which has begun to permeate the basement and maybe beyond, is an experience best avoided. Being unable to forget can rot the soul and dampen the mood of even the best of days.

God always sets the bar high for us in everything we do. But He also sets the example of behavior to follow. God never asks us to do something He hasn't done or would not do.

Jeremiah 31:34 "I will forgive their wickedness and will never remember their sins. 

We all to0 often keep a record of wrongs and that record will resurrect itself at the strangest times. For instance, without a lot of details, last night, I was talking about an incident in my life during my younger days that caused me to be very angry. My wife was listening intently and she noticed that before too long I was red in the face and it was easy to see that this memory angered me again. I had forgiven this incident many years ago, but it seems I had not forgotten it. 

Jesus offers to us forgiveness anytime and lets us start over with no record of the past wrongs. He accepts our confessions and does not give the past another thought. I told you He sets the bar high. But the least we can do is to try and forget the past and move on. Who would put a rotten potato in their pocket and walk around with it? That inability to forget walks with us and seeks to ruin, even the best of moods or days.

March 1st. Thought for the day!

Marty