Why Can't Every Month Be Like December? 12/4/2018

Good Morning,

The day has begun and I started it with prayer, some cereal. and a big cup of Door County Christmas Coffee. Now it is time to write,

I love December, not just because it gave me a few more days to hunt geese, or the fact that it usually brings some snow to blanket us with a coat of white flakes. I love the attitudes and behaviors that people display in December. I see people decorate their homes with festive lights and animated displays. I see Christmas shows on television. They are always happy go lucky shows. I hear choirs practicing for their Christmas plays or dramas. I see Nativity displays in yards or on the mantles in homes.

Matthew 1:23 New King James Version (NKJV)

²³ “Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

John 14:27 New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁷ Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

I see more food drives to assist the needy. I take part in clothing drives to assist people who have been victims of crimes. I see God at work. The world has tried to remove Christ from Christmas. I must tell you that it has been an unsuccessful attempt to silence God. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Jesus and His mission to be the Savior of the world. Some people deny His mission and His existence, yet they celebrate His birthday every year. They display attributes of Jesus when they share, show kindness and love on others. You just can't take Christ out of Christmas. No one can silence Him.

James 1:17 New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

They will celebrate Christmas for as long as it takes for Jesus to return, because they actually like the joy He brings to us. Too bad the world only acts that way once a year, for one month. Why can't every month be like December?

God Bless,

Marty

Where Did All The Catalogs Go? 12/3/2018

Good Morning.
Today is a day for me that must be started with a hot cup of Door County Jingle Bell Java Coffee.

When I was young we used to look forward to the catalogs that would come by mail, especially the months just before Christmas.  This is very Pre-Internet shopping on-line. Sears and Roebuck, J C Penny, and Montgomery Wards were the ones that would come to our home. We would spend hours going through the pages that interested us and wonder what it would be like to be able to purchase all the things you wanted. My parents often referred to the catalogs as the "wish books". Most of these "wish books"are now a part of history. Paper wish books are just a memory. Two of these stores barely exist now.

Did you know that God also has a book? His book will last for eternity.

Revelation 20:15 - And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Luke 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.

God's book is not a wish book. It is a book of facts. Those who have invited Jesus in and made Him Lord and Savior of their lives, accepting His atonement for our sins have their names written in God's book. This does not have to be an unattainable wish. You can place an order sure to be delivered by calling on the name of the Lord to be saved. The gift is non-returnable with eternity for warranty.

Think about it. Pray about it. God is calling you today.

God bless,
Marty

Matthew 18. There Is More To The Story 12/2/2018

Good Morning,

The aroma of my Door County Christmas Coffee scenting my sleep woke me up in fine fashion today.  Now to begin

Way too often many people feel that their need to confide in others about family issues leads them to think that it is OK to tell everyone about everything another person does. The recipient of this information can't help but form an opinion on the person in question. Sometimes the information is embellished in order to receive attention. This is not fair to the recipient of the information as well as the person of interest. I find that this is most often violated by spouses. Yes people do need to confide in others and ask for prayer. But is every little detail necessary? No it is not. We all have our weird little quirks. But is it the business of others? No. I once watched a guy be humiliated in front of his coworkers because of something his wife blurted out at a dinner. He has never recovered from that one.

Christians are careful not to gossip, but not when it comes to their families or other Christians. We need to watch our mouths and only confide as needed to assist in bringing a brother or sister back from a path of sin. In Matthew 18 it is clearly stated to keep things between yourselves first, than one or two, before going to a broader group. And only to help a brother or sister repent! It is also our goal to let God judge and for us to forgive. People forget that part of Matthew 18

Dealing With Sin Matthew 18:15-35

¹⁵ “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. ¹⁶ But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
¹⁸ “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be^[e] bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
¹⁹ “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

The Parable of the Unmerciful Servant

²¹ Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”
²² Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.^[
23 “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. ²⁴ As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand bags of gold was brought to him. ²⁵ Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt.
²⁶ “At this the servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ ²⁷ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go.
²⁸ “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred silver coins.^[i] He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded.
²⁹ “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it back.’
³⁰ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. ³¹ When the other servants saw what had happened, they were outraged and went and told their master everything that had happened.
³² “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. ³³ Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ ³⁴ In anger his master handed him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed.
³⁵ “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother or sister from your heart.”


I recently was asked to pray for a spouse of a friend. The story was being told in front of twelve others. I had to stop the request for prayer and ask that it be rephrased so as not to offer up too much private information. We prayed for this person and asked God to intervene on their behalf without needing to know all the details. Our hearts were right, God knew the situation and we prayed knowing that God would do what was right and within His will. The rest of the information was not needed.

Be careful to keep things private as needed. When prayer becomes gossip it is no prayer at all. And remember, some things are just not worth mentioning. Make sure you are right in God's eyes before correcting others.

Marty

The First Day Of December 12/1/2018

Good Morning,

December arrived right on time. I for one have a lot going on in December. At the same time I am hoping to see it slow down enough to enjoy the Christmas Season. I started my December with a large mug of Door County Candy Cane Coffee. I think I will write about candy canes tomorrow.

John 6:38New King James Version (NKJV)

³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.

I have Christmas on my mind a lot lately and I am not sure why. I always talk big about Christmas being a hassle and how much work it is. But in all truth I am a "Christmas Softy". I do 90% of all the cooking in this house and I have already started planning my Christmas Brunch menu. The menu will probably change about 15 times before Christmas but never too early to start. Our Christmas cards are printed and we have purchased two gifts already.

Rene has started to pull the Christmas decorations out of storage. Once Thanksgiving is over it is time to start transforming the house into the winter collage known as our home.

I said that I have Christmas on my mind and I do. My memory has taken me to past Christmas days and Christmas Eve nights. If I close my eyes I can see all of those relatives of mine gathered together taking Polaroid pictures and then gathering around the table to eat a feast. I can feel my Grandmother pinching my cheeks and calling me some affectionate name in Italian.

I can see the Nativity scene placed in a spot of prominence in our home. It is there to remind us of how Jesus left Heaven to come as a baby to Earth, suffer, die and then be raised from the dead by the Father. The sacrifice of Jesus is the true gift of Christmas. But I believe every Christmas spent with family is another gift we should cherish. So with all that is going on in the world and families, who wouldn't be looking forward to Christmas?

I know that I am! Love you all.

Marty

Enjoying The Harvest With A Recipe 11/30/2018

Good Morning,

I can smell the Door County Autumn Spice Coffee brewing downstairs in the kitchen. It's these quiet times of the morning that just seem to brighten my outlook on life. Prayer just seems to sweeten the coffee somehow.

We still have apples in the cooler and I plan on using some of them for dinner tonight. I often write about our apple trees which just a few weeks ago lost the last of their leaves until next year. They are dormant now and to me it seems like they are resting. They worked hard under God's direction and yielded a harvest like we have never seen before. I look forward to the apple blossoms showing up again next spring.

When I look at the cycle of an apple tree and I see the soil it is planted in, then the sun and water that goes into nurturing it I cannot help to see God at work. Without Him directing the apple symphony of our yard we would have nothing to show. God knows how many apples will be picked next year. When I look at those dormant trees I see an example of just how great God is. He awakens the trees with sunshine and warmth. He waters the trees with rain. He has provided apples for many people from those trees. I remember planting each tree. I prayed for God's will to be done with the trees and they are still here, producing sweet fruit.

Tonight I will enjoy some apple pancakes with Rene. We will smile at each other and then thank God for the bounty. We will actually talk about the trees and the potential crops of next year. God will be the focus of our banter.

I will then go to bed with a full stomach fed by the hand of God and the trees He has blessed us with.

What are you thankful for today?

Marty

Apple Salsa

2 medium tart apples, chopped
1 cup chopped strawberries.
2 medium kiwi fruit, peeled and chopped
1 small orange
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons apple jelly,melted.

In a bowl, combine apples ,strawberries, and kiwi.
Grate orange peel to measure 1-1/2 teaspoons: squeeze juice from orange.
Add peel and juice to apple mixture.Stir in brown sugar and jelly.

For chips, brush two flour tortillas lightly with water. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and two teaspoons of ground cinnamon, sprinkle over tortillas. Cut each tortilla into 8 wedges. Place in a single layer on an un-greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 degrees F  for 6-8 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool and serve with salsa. Yields 4 cups.

Don't Neglect Your Spouse 11/29/2018

Good Morning,

Today I am starting out with one of my favorite mugs filled to the top with Door County Maple Coffee. Many people ask me where they can obtain Door County Coffee. I will be happy to share the link. www.doorcountycoffee.com

I want to launch a short series on a topic that needs to be discussed. "Spouse Neglect"  I believe we are in the age of "what's in it for me" and "it's all about me". There are so many forms of entertainment or hobbies available that I believe Satan uses them to distract us from enjoying the company of our spouses. You all know that I love to hunt. And I hunt hard. But I structure a lot of my hunting so that I am home by the time my wife is getting out of her jammies. I hunt while she sleeps. I then devote the rest of the day to her, chores and family life. I don't come from the field and attach myself to the boob tube for a Packer game. Sorry Packer fans. I may watch the game with her because she is the bigger football fan.

But what I am seeing and hearing is this. People keep score now.
1. You did this or went there, now it is my turn. This is contrary to Scripture. Therefore the family structure suffers and each person learns to be selfish.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7
⁴ 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

2. I see many people that allow hobbies to consume hours and hours of time. During this time kids go to bed without prayer, family suppers are skipped, spouses are left to be alone and silent. This is contrary to Scripture. Our hobbies have become our idols. These idols rob us of what God truly meant for marriage to be.

Mark 10:8

⁸ and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh.

What is worse is that we don't see this as a sin. This is contrary to Scripture. The sin of neglecting your spouse in over indulging in your hobbies is like cheating on them.

1 Corinthians 6:16

Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh.”

Yes we join ourselves to other friends, hobbies, work or television. We then have prostituted our marriage for a substitute.

Dear Friends. "all things in moderation". There is time for all things but if your choice is destroying your family then it is time for your choice to go! Don't keep even a little bit. It will come back stronger and the desire will be overwhelming. Would you drink just a little poison? I doubt it.

I have been blessed with a wife who understands my hobby. Yet I know when enough is enough and I go antique shopping, or watch the Packer game with her. I know the flowers need to be planted Memorial Day weekend. And in return she never schedules things in October or November. She does however say. "Hunting geese this weekend?" Goose is her favorite wild game meal. That is a hint for me to drop the pheasant hunt and chase down some geese. I like pheasant. The freezer is full of geese.

Your spouse chose to spend their life with you. How about honoring that with spending your life with them. Stop the neglect, it turns to abuse.

God bless,
Marty

God Doesn't Need Gimmicks 11/28/2018

Good Morning,

I just sat down to write and next to me is a steaming cup of Door County Dublin's Delight Coffee. On top of my feet is a very warm English Springer Spaniel. Life is good.

I want to say that as I study more of God, I see what I need is more of God and less of the gimmicks the world churches offer today. I enjoy a great cup of coffee, but I don't need it in church next to me when I want to worship God. There are so many gimmicks these days being used to sell people on the idea of God and church membership. Let's take church membership out of the equation and concentrate on God this morning. A God who hates sin yet devotes all He does to save sinners from eternal death is more than enough to attract people to Him which causes people to want more of a church that preaches God.

I have a couple of quotes that I would like to share.
"Our nation is so hardened. The biggest culprits are the preachers, wicked, evil-doers in sheep’s clothing. The pastor of one of the biggest Baptist churches here in town was to kiss a pig if so many young people came to the meeting last month. It was an insult to the pig and to God."
Bob Jennings, A letter written in 1998

"I have given God countless reasons not to love me. None of them has been strong enough to change Him."

Paul Washer, Twitter, 31 Jul 2013

God stands on His own awesomeness. He will not change and we cannot change Him. That alone is enough for every knee to bow in His honor. God was not created. He is the Creator of all things. He alone has the plan for our eternal life and forgiveness of our sins.  

Isaiah 45:5-6 New International Version (NIV)
⁵ I am the Lord, and there is no other;
    apart from me there is no God.I will strengthen you,
    though you have not acknowledged me,⁶ so that from the rising of the sun
    to the place of its settingpeople may know there is none besides me.
    I am the Lord, and there is no other.

God doesn't need our gimmicks, what He desires is our devotion to Him. When we wonder why people visit a church and do not come back, it is easy to see why. The gimmicks did not work. They did not hear or see enough of God in the church or in the people who are there. Fellowships and get togethers are great if they are just that. Yes they should take on Christian attributes, but we must preach Jesus which leads people to the Father. We must allow the Holy Spirit to convict people of the need to repent and seek the Savior. I could go on and on but there would be volumes of my writings .

I close by saying this. Give me God, nothing else will do 

Marty