Suicide It'sTime To Clean The Gutters 6/9/2018

Good Morning,

My cup of Door County Jamaican Blue Mountain Blend Coffee is steaming next to me. I will need another hot cup later after my chores for the day are complete.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 New International Version (NIV)

¹¹ Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Late last night I heard the rumble of thunder and saw a few lightening flashes brighten the night with their power. Not everyone enjoys a good rain, with some thunder and lightening. But to me I see God's power and his ability to water a dry land.  The short storms have now weakened to just being a semi steady rain. I was awakened by our dog Gibbs at 4:45AM. He wanted to go outside and then wanted his morning food.

I begrudgingly accommodated his persistent nose nudges against the bed and shuffled to the door to let him out. That's when I saw that our one pain in the butt rain gutter was filled and spilling out on  to the sidewalk. I have been living on borrowed time with that one gutter. Usually by now it requires cleaning out from the spring foliage droppings from our white birch tree. Spring came late and it was only a matter of time before the annual calamity happens.

So later I will haul out the ladder, hose and trash pail to clean the muck from the gutters. I thought about the chore long and hard this morning. It won't take me long and while I am at it, I will check the rest of the gutters for debris. They usually do not need any attention at all, just this one gutter gets the attention it needs.

Gutters are like people, particularly that one family member, friend, or co-worker who if not given a little more attention can act up and require more attention than normal. Now this gutter needs some help and has cried out by spilling onto the sidewalk causing ponding on the property. Not stopping all of  my other chores and diverting my energy to the need of the attention starved gutter will cause long lasting damage to the house and property.

Some people are wired to need more attention than others. I have tried gutter covers, but they did not work and made the cleaning more difficult. We cannot just cover up our attention getters with fake attention. Their own personal crisis seems like something they should be able to handle on their own, but they reach out and spill their needs into other lives. Friends, that's just how they are wired. They might be looking for companionship during a time of doubt or fear. They might need reassurance that you are there for them.

It is important that we take time to build up, clean off, and repair our friends, co-workers, or family in their times of struggle or depression. These times of needing attention, if left unchecked or repaired can have consequences that often cannot be repaired. The thoughts of giving up are too common in many folks and are often indulged with thoughts of suicide and in some instances acted upon. There is no return from suicide and it is the answer to problems that is only presented as an option by Satan.

God knows who He placed into our lives and has equipped us with the ability to help. He has given us two ears to listen with, two eyes to see with, a mouth that talks, and a brain with intelligence. The Holy Spirit lives within the Christian heart and leads us toward compassion and understanding. We can't just ignore those in need whom God has placed into our lives.

We can be preemptive and avoid some of the calls of crisis by staying in touch, letting our dear ones know that they are needed and that they can carry on despite what they believe is possible. Notes of encouragement, a text message of hope, a phone call, a meal or time spent with them might be what is needed. Prayer time and reinforcing God's message of love to people crying out for attention and by sharing Scripture passages of hope are imperative in combatting the needs these people God has gifted us with.

Here are some passages of encouragement you might be able to use.

 

When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

Isaiah 43:2

 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.

Joshua 1:9

 

The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.

Deuteronomy 31:8

 

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Matthew 11:28

God bless, and be a blessing to others today.

Marty

Men, Women And Gas Stations 6/8/2018

Good Morning,

Friday arrived right on time once again, just when I needed it to. So right after some prayer time I will pour a road cup of Door County Chocolate Cherry Coffee and start out for work.

I have been slowly working on a dining table room restoration project in the garage at night. When I say slowly, I mean at a turtle's pace. But tonight I will put in a few consecutive hours and it won't be too long before it starts to take shape.

Last night after working on the table, I asked Rene if she would like an ice cream cone and I could have predicted that loud "yes" that came from the house. We also needed to purchase some milk and we do that at our local gasoline station. Their milk is reasonably priced and the location is close to the custard stand.

We were talking about a little survey that I have been gathering data on. I have been stopping at this gas station every morning for a week at 6:15AM. Then I stop at the same gas station on my way home. That time frame varies fro 4:30PM- 6:45 PM  At 6:15 AM the ratio of men to women in the gas station is about 13 men to 1woman. At 4:30 -5:30 PM the ratio is flipped to 8 women and 3-4 men. After 5:30 PM it switches again to 5 men to 2 women.

I asked Rene what she thought about my statistics. She was very candid and said that men procrastinate and buy gas only when necessary. She concluded with this. Men also seem to run out of gas more than women. Rene said " I see more men with a small can of gas on the highway than I see women. She then became the radio that wouldn't shut off. "Further more women take longer to get ready in the morning. Needing gas is not an option for a mother who has to get her children up and off to school." I was going to agree with her about women taking longer to get ready, but I was afraid for my life. I had no idea that my statistics would be a 30 minute discussion. I just listened.

Philippians 2:4 New International Version (NIV)

⁴ not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others

Now what does this have to do with anything? Well it just goes to show you that people and genders are different. What is comfortable and works best for one person, might not work for the next person. But in both of these instances, there is no harm and nothing foul, so far.  Our priorities might also be different. Rene likes having a full gas tank in the morning. I prefer not stopping for anything on my way home from work and filling up in the morning gives me more radio and coffee time. Neither of our opinions is a sin, they are just different. But we need to learn about each other's differences just in case our indifferences cause the other anxiety or anger. I do tend to use most of the gas tank before filling up. We do switch vehicles between the two of us and I can imagine when Rene gets into one of our vehicles and it isn't at least over half full of gasoline it might cause her to sin by thinking nasty thoughts about me. My not caring about her burden might cause her to be angry or to worry. Thus my preference is a burden to someone else.

Food for thought on this Friday in June,

Marty

What Children See 6/7/2018

Good Morning,

Door County Cinnamon Hazelnut Coffee is brewing downstairs and it won't be very long until I
enjoy my morning cup and eat some Cheerios.

Proverbs 22:6 King James Version (KJV)
⁶ Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

My grandfather is the one who taught me most of my fishing skills. I recall a time when I was about 9 years old when he was explaining to me how to tie a proper knot to hold a hook on my line. He must have explained it to me fifteen times and just when I thought I had it right, a fish would bite and my hook would fall off of the line. He chewed me out a little and explained it to me again, with the same results. Later that summer my older cousin took me fishing and he was watching me tie a hook on and he stopped me and said, "let me show you how to do that". It took about a minute with me watching closely and before I knew it, I had finally grasped the art of tying a hook to my line.

I had to watch someone do it. Verbal teaching just did not cut the mustard for me. Now if it takes watching to learn a good thing, think about what children watch and observe that is not a good thing. How about the cruise control on your car? The speed limit reads 65 miles per hour and they see you set it at 70 miles per hour counting on a grace curve of 5 miles per hour. Is 70 miles per hour actually legal? No it is not. So by watching us and without saying a word you taught a child that disrespecting the law is ok. We preach at them, but they like many act out what they have observed.

There are so many things we teach by our actions, without saying a word , that can influence and condone bad behavior in children.  Children learn and justify actions by what they see from those they live with. They also observe friends and imitate them too.

We can drag them to church and Sunday School but do they see us worship and pray with full attention? Do we blow off church in order to sleep? We are teaching again without saying a word. They will imitate what they see. This is usually associated with toddlers yet this behavior is practiced by kids right into their adult lives. We need to police our actions. We are being observed!

God bless,

Marty

2000 Blogs Published 6/6/2018

Good Morning Loved Ones,

Door County German Chocolate Cake Coffee just embraced my taste buds, which signifies that it is time to write.

Back on August 22nd 2012 I started to blog at the urging of our church Financial Officer. Nicole set this up for me and taught me the basics and from there I worked to write a little more, add some photos and some other fineries. The blog below had  6 readers and one of them was me. Today I celebrate the 2000th blog entry which for me is a labor of love. There have been days that finding something to write about was difficult. But God always has come through each and every time with the devotional He had for me to write. This writing adventure has led me to numerous blessings. One of my fondest was a comment made to a blog by a lady who's husband was killed by a terrorist in Paris. She contacted me to argue about forgiveness. She just could not bare to forgive the person who killed her husband. We emailed for a couple of weeks discussing forgiveness and then she sent an email telling me how God spoke to her and told her to forgive. She followed His advice, and she is now teaching Sunday School in Europe.  Once she contacted me I asked four people to pray for her emotional healing. They prayed long and hard. That was a highlight for me. So celebrate with me friends ,in what God has done. I thank everyone who reads this blog for your support. You are a real blessing.

August 22, 2012


Good Morning,

— 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.

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

Fixing Your Squeaky Door 6/5/2018

Good Morning,

Just a little Door County Dublin's Delight Coffee needs to go a long way in getting this old body kicked started this morning.

Last fall we had all of the doors changed out in our home with beautiful oak replacements. The replacement job was long overdue and needed to be done. The old house needed some help. We were very happy with the carpenter we hired and the job went very well. But one door in particular always had a little squeak to it right from the beginning. Whenever you opened the bathroom door from our bedroom, the door would emit a squeak. Just within this last month the squeak has become more noticeable and in the middle of the night it could be called obnoxious.

Last night I decided it was time to eliminate the noise and I broke out the hammer, punch set, rags and some oil. It wasn't too long before the door was silenced and we were headed to bed for some uninterrupted sleep.

Why write about a squeaky door? Well, here it is. The door reminded me of a craving one might have. The door hinge needed cleaning and oil and that was the only thing that would fix it. Kind of like when we crave popcorn. A cookie is good or a Pepsi is refreshing. But all you really want is the popcorn and only popcorn will do.

It's a lot like having an emptiness within you and you crave for something to fulfill that desire. I find myself in that mood often enough to know that the only thing that will satisfy my emptiness is time with God. Here are a few Bible verses to help lubricate the hinges of your heart.

Psalm 37:4   

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Psalm 37:5

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

Matthew 6:21

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Proverbs 16:1-3

The plans of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord. All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirit. Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Matthew 6:33

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you

Have a great day! Fix Your Squeak!

Marty

Waiting For The Rain 6/4/2018

Good Morning,

Monday arrived right on time. The alarm clock forced me out of bed and charging into the day after prayer and a cup of Door County Lakeside Fuzzy Naval Coffee.

Proverbs 19:15 English Standard Version (ESV)

¹⁵ Slothfulness casts into a deep sleep,
    and an idle person will suffer hunger.

Last night I was studying in the den and it was getting late. I had the window open and a slight breeze was blowing in and keeping me comfortable at the desk. The air smelled like rain, yet there just wasn't any in sight.

It kind of looked like rain for most of the day, but nothing came down.

Why am I writing about this? Well it looked like rain and the rain could impact the work I wanted to accomplish around our home. I decided that I would keep working on my list of projects despite the threat of rain. I sit here now and can say all of my projects were completed. The threat was there but yet it never developed into a work stopper.

Friends, what sometimes appears to be a roadblock to a task really isn't. It is easier to plow around tree stumps than it is to plow through them. But once a stump is removed the farmer has reclaimed more land for crops. I could have easily called it a lost day and went on to other projects or nothing at all. I decided to not waste the day worrying about if it would rain. I hit the projects head on and went through the stumps of my day. What was accomplished today made the rest of the week easier.

Don't look for excuses, look for solutions. Sometimes the best helping hand is on the end of your own arm.

God bless. Go and accomplish things with vim, vigor and vitality.

Marty

All Hat And No Cattle 6/3/2018

Good Morning,

I just started this day with prayer and a hot cup of Door County Chocolate Cherry Coffee. I have to run into work for a short time, so I need to get this written and off I will run.

Sometimes I watch people who are what we affectionately call "Wannabes". These are people who like to portray an image just to be accepted or recognized by a certain group of people. For instance Harley Davidson Motorcycle Riders will dress out in all of their Harley memorabilia and I very seldom see someone dressed in their gear without owning a Harley. They are proud of what they drive.

But then there are those who wear the big cowboy hats and talk like they have ridden the range, been on cattle drives and carried a six shooter for survival. Not all, but some of these folks talk cowboy and to say  it nicely they are "all hat and have no cattle."

I know that cowboy hats are also a sign of country western music and I certainly do not want to offend those wearing cowboy hats, but you get the point. I have witnessed some folks who talk about "the war" but have never been in the military. They are phony as phony can be.

Unfortunately many churches have a lot of people who attend just to identify as a church member but really aren't Christians at all. They are Bible carrying, note taking, amen yelling, people who have never surrendered their lives to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. They are all Bible and no heart. What you see on Sunday, is not what you would see in them on Monday. This isn't really their fault because in many instances they are led to believe that church membership is what gets you into heaven as a family member of Jesus. Churches have refrained from holding them accountable to the Gospel message because of a desire to not be confrontational. Here is the truth. You can carry 5 Bibles, and get baptized but unless, you are born again. /////////

John 3:1-8 English Standard Version (ESV)

You Must Be Born Again

3 Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ² This man came to Jesus^[a] by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” ³ Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again^[b] he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴ Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?” ⁵ Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ⁶ That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.^{[c] 7} Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You^[d] must be born again.’ ⁸ The wind^[e] blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

 

 John 14:6 New International Version (NIV)
⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Matthew 7:21-23 New American Standard Bible (NASB)
²¹ “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. ²² Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many ^[a]miracles?’ ²³ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.

Scripture is very clear on having the spiritual credentials to be a Christian, saved by grace.
Where do you stand, saved through and through or just a "wannabe"? You can change your ID card with a prayer.

Marty