Thoughts For Good Friday 4/7/2023

 Good Morning,

I am prepared to write. The dogs were fed and are already dozing off again. A hot cup of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee is steaming next to me. So let's go.

Today Christians will observe "Good Friday" . This is the day that over 2000 years ago Jesus Christ was put to death on the cross  and died. The cross He bore should have been ours. But yet the loving Jesus took our place willingly so that those who have trusted Him by faith will never see the place called hell. 

For many years now and again today I will look at my life and acknowledge that I am a sinner and basically review that if anyone ever needed a Savior it would be me. So as I look back at my life with humility and shame I can also experience a great wave of thankfulness. I can on the other hand count many blessings around me. But those blessing are in many instances just things. The One blessing that will stand forever, I cannot pay back. I can never lose it, and it stands for eternity. 

Psalm 32:1-2 Blessed the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered, Blessed is the one whose sin the Lord does not count against them and whose spirit is no deceit. 

So yes friends as we observe the day that Jesus paid the price for us all, it might generate feelings of guilt and shame. It also should generate a tidal wave of thankfulness. 

Have a nice quiet day! God bless. 

Marty

Let My Heart Be Right. 4/6/2023

 Good Morning,

I just awoke to a great aroma coming from the kitchen. It will be a pleasure to be pouring some Door County Toasted Praline Coffee in a few minutes. It will be a greater pleasure to be drinking some. 

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast Spirit within me.

Tomorrow will be Good Friday and even as a young boy I could get caught up in the crucifixion and death of Jesus on Friday. Yet Thursday the day before all of that never really had me thinking about Good Friday and then Easter. Thursday had always just been another day for me, just as Wednesday, Tuesday or Monday. 

Friday was a day of being somber and we went to church. The church seemed to be quieter on Friday as we remember what happened that day. Jesus being nailed to a cross and then dying for my sins hit home with me even as a young boy. But Thursday was just Thursday.  

Later in life I started to appreciate each day more and more. Jesus lived on this Earth for 33 years and every day of His life was a definite countdown to His death, burial, and resurrection. Thursday brought Him closer by one day. I try to think about what I would all be doing if I was able to walk and talk like normal, knowing tomorrow would be the last day for me. The thought of that just weighs down on me. And as I ponder how I would act, my list of to dos gets to be more than 24 hours would allow for me. I know for sure I would be preparing my heart to see Jesus. I would be making sure my family knew I loved them. My friends would get a call and if there were any differences between us I would try to make amends.

So after I wrote this dribble, wondering how I will end it, it comes down to this. Why don't we treat every day like the Thursday before Easter, the day before your death?

Food for thought?

Marty

 

A Prayer For You 4/5/2023

 Good Morning,

My day began with a hot cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee and two fresh biscuits. 

As we begin to zero in on Easter this week I want to take time to appreciate those who read my blog. This includes anyone and everyone. We will over the next couple of days try to prepare our hearts for the annual celebration of Resurrection Sunday. 

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. 

Thank you to all who take time to read my writings and also for those who share them. This daily writing is a labor of love. If this one, on this day is the only one you ever read, know that you were prayed for this day and that you are important. You are so loved by Jesus Himself and that he died for you and me on the cross for the remission of our sins. I pray that these few days before Easter are a time of peace in your heart. I pray that your heart rejoices on Sunday as we celebrate and are thankful. 

Thessalonians 3;16 Now may the Lord of peace himself, give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. 

Have a great day! 

Marty

Back Yard Clean Up 4/4/2023

 Good Morning,

The day began with a hot cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee and prayer. 

Romans 14:10 Why do you pass judgement on your brother? Or why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.

Matthew 7:1 Judge not, that you be not judged. 

Matthew 7:5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. 

As I get older I seem to recall some more of the statements my parents made and just how right the statements were. Some of the lessons they were teaching us and each other are more than valid today as they were many years ago. Both my mother and dad would say. "Best for everyone to clean up their own back yard before they start cleaning up someone else's."

Paraphrased , Don't gossip or complain about someone else's faults and behaviors until your own faults and behaviors are cleaned up and under control.  

We can get together in a group and tear someone down for their actions and the group will sentence that person in their own minds as "Imperfect". This is a good example of being a hypocrite. To condemn a lifestyle without examining your own is wrong. It was pointed out to me that a guy I know is smacking his wife around at home. He agreed to meet with me and hopefully I can do some good. One of the other men who brought him to me for attention, later ridiculed the man for his behavior. This was right after I asked him how his boy was doing in gymnastics and the reply was this. "Expletive Moron". This man condemned physical abuse but then referred to God's blessing of a son in a vulgar way. I am not condoning either one of those actions, but those who jump to condemning others are often trying to take the view of the world off of themselves. They too have a back yard that needs cleaning up. 

So before we go off on someone and say "How could you do that?" Look into the mirror at that person and say "How come you did that?"

Food for thought.

Marty

A Spoonful Of Sugar Helps The Medicine Go Down 4/3/2023

 Good Morning,

To my right sits a large cup of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee and it is time to write. 

Proverbs 16:24 Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. 

In 1964 the Movie Mary Poppins was released and it is now considered a classic. One of the songs in this classic had as part of it's lyrics the phrase "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" . I for some reason had that tune on my mind as I sat down and took some daily medications. They don't taste all that bad, but it is best to wash them down with a drink of water or some other beverage. 

So now as I am ready to face the day, I know that I will encounter a few people. Their view on encountering me is part of their day. We both control how that is going to go. Like the daily medications I take, according to my doctor two of them are not optional. So for instance, my wife Rene will encounter me today. We have a nice home, but it isn't that big where we can't bump into one another. So like her or my daily medicine we are both a daily encounter. It's like your medicine. There are some days that occur in each life when you just are a little perplexed or crabby. And most every day you will encounter people. Just maybe you are a "pill that is hard to swallow" as part of their day. It might be that you are or have been not so easy to deal with. 

So we are all part of someone else's day and it would be nice, if we gave out that daily dose of ourselves and laced it with some sugar. A smile and a warm, friendly greeting, goes a long way to making the rest of the day nice for others. And it also helps them stomach us. 

So shake that sugar tree and be nice, friendly, and approachable. You are a dose of someone else's day.

Marty

Praying For One Another 4/2/2023

 Good Morning,

I am writing super early today and I am not sure why I am awake at this time but I am. It's too early for coffee so I will step into writing and save the coffee for later. 

Job 42:10 The Lord restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the Lord gave to Jon twice as much as he had before. 

I fell asleep earlier for awhile, but woke up and just began to pray for a long list of friends and relatives going through  "things" right now. They were laid on my heart immediately after waking up and I went right at in prayer. In a few instances their situations are the type that there is nothing I can do to help, except to pray and and see if I am needed for anything. 

Praying for others is a special privilege God gives us to communicate with him on the behalf of others. Time spent with God for others is always time that is well spent. Most of these folks will never know that they were prayed for. They are near and dear to my heart. So when God wakes you up and you can't sleep, you could count your blessings or you could pray for others. 

Have a blessed day. 

Marty 

Be Quick To Do What Is Right 4/1/2023

 Good Morning, 

It was a night of strong storms and heavy rain. I am grateful to say that all it well with this homestead. I am enjoying a hot mug of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee as I write. We have a busy day ahead of us which includes attending a wedding. I am praying for the young couple, wishing them a marshmallow kind of day. 

If I were to give a young couple some advice as they start out I could write a book and there will never be enough time in my life to write down all that I have learned while attending the University Of Hard Knocks.

Psalm 101:8 Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wickedness in this land, cutting off all evildoers from the city of the Lord. 

But if I were to sit them down and say to them "Do this" It would be to stay away, or destroy anything that would cause them to separate, be angry with each other, or anything that causes mean thoughts between them. This should be a conscious effort on a daily basis to start the day with a pure and clean slate. And each day it should be done quickly. 

Anything that causes division within a marriage should be cut off and destroyed. This sounds like some very harsh words to start a morning or to say to a young couple. But, marriage is serious business. King David used this motto as he set to rule the Kingdom,  and it very sound advice. If more people, individually would do this, it would make for stronger couples and unmovable marriages. 

Have a great day!!!!

Marty