Starting The Week Off Right 10/7/2024

 Good Morning, 

I just poured a hot cup of Door County Maple Coffee and it is time to write. 

Monday arrived as promised and it did not surprise me at all to the fact that I feel tired after a weekend filled with hunting and chores. We also helped to host a dinner at church on Saturday evening. I think I need a weekend to relax from this last one.

My day began with prayer and a Scripture verse that I want to share. 

Psalm 4:8 In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety. 

So to begin my week I promise to do my best not to worry about things I cannot control. I will pray before I fret, not after the fretting has started. I will be more appreciative of what I have been blessed with. I will thank others for their role in being part of my new week. 

I will count each minute of this week as a blessing. I will find my rest in the Lord.

Have a great week,

Marty

The Older The Violin The Sweeter The Music 10/6/2024

 Good Morning,

Once again I am headed to the duck hunting spot of my choice with a nephew and a hot cup of Door County Caramel Apple Coffee. 

2 Corinthians 4:16 GW That is why we are not discouraged. Though outwardly we are wearing out, inwardly we are renewed day by day. 

Yesterday while running some errands in my truck I heard a song on the radio sung by Hank Thompson. Country music always sounds better when you are in your truck. The title of the song was "The Older The Violin, The Sweeter The Music"

I am not a young whipper snapper any longer, but I am not exactly ancient yet. My wife remarked just the other day how much she dislikes getting older and what getting older brings with it. I told her about the song by Hank Thompson to make her feel better about our senioritis. I am not so sure that my attempt was appreciated, but it did wonders for me. I found a list of things that get better with age. 

1. Whiskey at a minimum is aged at least three years. 

2. Cheddar Cheese

3. Jeans, get softer with each wash and look better when they are a little stretched out.

4. Cast Iron Skillets.

5. Beef dry- aged beef's enzymes break down fibers to make beef more tender. 

6. Balsamic Vinegar. Similar to wine the vinegar is aged and sometimes not bottled for twelve years. The vinegar becomes stronger with age. 

7. Fine leather becomes softer with time and wear. That's why the old sofa feels so good during a nap. 

8. Pickles. This dill delight lasts for at least a year and with the aging allows them to soak up more nutrients. 

9. Flannel sheets. These sheets lose their scratchiness with more washes and then become a good friend to us on a cold snowy night. 

10. Wine is always better when it is aged to perfection.

My friends, you become better with each day. You get smarter, wiser, thriftier, more successful, more patient, and you might just be able to dance better. You have more advice to give, and you don't get worked up over rumors. You my friends are a fine vintage.

God bless.

Marty

Sometimes It Is Better To Walk Away 10/5/2024

 Good Morning,

I am enjoying a hot cup of Door County Autumn Spice Coffee. I was supposed to have imbibed on this yesterday while duck hunting. I left my Thermos bottle in the truck and much to my disappointment I was in the swamp minus my coffee. Not one to waste anything, I reheated the contents of the Thermos bottle and yesterday's coffee is still good today. 

Psalm 37:8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath, it only causes harm.

Just a thought for today. In a city not too far away, an argument between two people expanded to include a few more angry people. The end result was two people were killed and a few wounded. The news releases never tell what started the argument. They did not say how many people were shooting guns. But it all started with two angry people shooting off their mouths. This is a prefect example of "Better to walk away". This applies to life in general and most arguments do not end in a shooting. But we tend to want to have the last word in a disagreement that has turned into an argument. Our anger is hot and ignites our mouths into word weapons that are intended to hurt the other person. The "word shot" comes out of our mouths and lands a heart crippling blow to the other combatant. 

So here is my point. When an argument is getting heated and you are forming sentences in your head to say that will hurt, or your plans include never backing down from your stance, you should just walk away and cool down. Spend some time in prayer and seek the counsel of God. Ask Him to help you cool down. If the anger is at this point you have probably already said some things that even if you meant them were said with added anger from within. Nothing positive is accomplished after an angry tongue lashing. The added anger tends to have people say things that come from deep within and should never be said. 

So my friends, you can tell when the anger meter is pegged in a discussion/argument. Stop, walk away and seek time in prayer and Scripture. Keep the dangerous tongue in it's holster. An uncontrolled tongue only leads to murder in the heart. 

Marty

Is There A Draft In The House? 10/4/2024

 Good Morning,

I hot cup of Door County Caramel Apple Coffee will be with me in the duck blind this morning. It is time to write. 

1Peter5:8 Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 

We experienced a couple cool mornings, but nothing that was very cold as what we are accustomed to at this time of the year. Our house is pretty well sealed up for cold wind, snow and rain. The cold air is pretty much kept away from us. A couple nights ago however, I was asleep,  it felt cold and the air had a little nip to it. The back door had popped open. I believe that it did not get closed all the way after our dogs came in from being outside. So basically, we let the cold air in, by leaving a door ajar. 

My point for the day is this. All too often we leave the doors open to our homes spiritually. We allow junk to come in and pollute our minds, hearts and souls. We have become desensitized to the media and entertainment that we tolerate filth and less wholesome entertainment in our homes. We allow the seal to be broken on our hearts, and minds. It is important that we guard our hearts against the cold of sin and close the door on evil. 

Food for thought on a Friday. 

Marty

Make Sure To Clean Your Ears 10/3/2024

 Good Morning,

My day began without any coffee. I will be having my annual laboratory tests taken today and it is fasting for me until early this afternoon. 

Colossians 4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that may now how to answer each person.

As a child, and when I was able to take a bath for myself, every adult who had any  authority over me was always concerned as to whether or not my ears and their surrounding skin was washed and cleaned.  "Did you wash behind your ears?" was the announcement just before the inspection took place. I swear that in those days people were OCD over ears. 

Now, over sixty years later I find myself at times wondering if the people I am talking to, have washed behind their ears and if the crud of the ears has overrun their ability to hear and listen. People are so opinionated and stubborn now that they just don't listen to others who also have a valid point. Interrupting one another while we should give time to listening, is just plain rude.  I watched a televised debate between two men vying for the position of vice president of the United States the other night. I spent a lot of time checking out my television. I wasn't hearing the sound very well. No one was talking over the other candidate and shouting at each other. No name calling was taking place. I thought I had tuned into the wrong channel. They were professional, listening to the other candidate and then responding when it was their turn. The moderators were just that, "moderators" not referees to a shouting match of non professionalism. 

Better rebuttals were given by both candidates because they listened and at times agreed. Or disagreed in a way that was not nasty. 

There is a time to clean your ears and listen and a time to respond. Let's make today a day when we listen more and speak less. 

God bless,

Marty

A Short Thought For Wednesday 10/2/2024

 Good Morning,

As I sit here at my desk with a hot cup of Door County Pumpkin Spice Coffee I am deep in thought and prayer. 

James 4:13-15 ESV Come now, you who say, " Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit-" 14. yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15. Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that."

Photo Credit. Bonnie Ritter, 

If I were to give some advice and share my thoughts it would be for everyone to take a moment today and hug your family, and let them know they are loved. You as well are important to someone and if they desire to treat you nicely, accept the gift and say thank you. 

Tomorrow has a way of sneaking away from us and for some tomorrow may never come. So eat well, pray often and share a kind word with those you love.

God bless,

Marty

Marriage Is Not A Tennis Match 10/1/2024

 Good Morning,

My pot of Door County Cherry Creme Coffee is finished brewing. I filled my cup and it is time to write. 

I Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking. it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  6. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7.It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 

Back  up a few months ago a young man asked me if there were any lessons learned from our marriage of over 1000 years. I told him that I have been the recipient on many lessons learned in marriage. I asked him if either of them was competitive. He smiled and said that they were both competitive.

I then asked him if they played any board games and if they kept score to see who won. His reply was this. "The games are fun until we have to keep score. Once the game gets close to being over we tend to challenge each other more. The results have been nasty at times".

I gave him a little advice. "Never keep score in your marriage. Don't keep an account of wrongs or rights. Once the score keeping starts, the sacrificial love between the two is over, "It's your turn to watch the kids after you do the dishes." You spent how much money on a hat? Well I want new car seat covers.  It will cost less than your hat:" 

Keeping score will always remind you when you were on the short end of the marriage partnership. Keeping score brings back anger, hurt and bad memories. When you keep score in a marriage, someone always loses. 

Food for thought. 

Marty