Procrastination Can Be A Fatal Blow 1/6/2023

 Good Morning,

I just started my day with a hot mug of Door County Jamaican Me Crazy Coffee and some orange juice, It is time to write.

I have never seen a time when procrastination is healthy for a person, their family, their work or their faith. The definition of procrastinate  as a noun  is the action of delaying or postponing something. It implies blameworthy delay because of inabilities, or laziness, or lack of concern. 

Very often one who procrastinates will have excuses on top of excuses . In some, not all, it shows a lack of concern, no fear of the consequences, and when it becomes a crutch, laden with excuses it often comes along with transferring the blame to others. Procrastinating people usually don't share in the blame they outright pass the consequences and guilt on to others. 

A good example of procrastination is how many times does a person need an extension on filing their taxes. Tax time does not come as a surprise. When the list of things needing to be completed out numbers the things on the done and filed away list. Procrastination gone wild often leads to depression, anger, and disappointment. Procrastinators often will get their actions derailed by smaller and sometimes useless things which at the moment seem more appealing than the project at hand. A sign of procrastination is that neither one gets finished. At times the inability to focus and see a project through and apply effort is financially hurtful. It will also leave hurt and disappointment on the heart of others. 

A procrastinator is often more than willing to help others at the drop of a hat. This is due to the fact that they can't concentrate or prioritize. And they are often good hearted folks that mean well and desire to look good while they are falling apart. As with anything, this becomes a crippling addiction. How to fix the situation? Remember your to do list also belongs to God. He set the table of things that need to be done. Note that your reputation can be seen as a failure of God in your life. You are to remember that the tasks are to be completed and you represent God to family, friends, and coworkers. 

1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order. 

1 Corinthians 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do them all for the glory of God. 

Is your yard, home and life filled with excuses and blame transfer? Is your list of cant's larger that your list of "done"? It needs to change and can, once God becomes the priority in your life. This can be fixed! 

Marty

That's Amore 1/5/2023

 Good Morning,

It's always good to wake up to coffee brewing in the kitchen. My mug will be filled soon, with Door County Jamaican Me Crazy Coffee. 

1John 3:18 Let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

The expression That's Amore in Italian can be translated "That's Love". Today I want to take some folks off of the hook of ridicule and being misunderstood. There are a lot of people who spend a lot of money on the couch of a psychiatrist complaining that their dads never said to them that they were loved. Some of those suffering from the lack of affection via words are some of the baby boomers and some who are younger. I have recently heard someone say that the Greatest Generation was good at winning wars and could build cars, but they lacked the ability to express their love in speech. 

I must admit that I almost placed a swift kick into the back side of this self inflicted and selfish whiner. Back in the day! Many Dads were off to war. Oh giving up all you have so that you and I could be free and fighting in jungles and cold freezing weather in Europe, Korea and Vietnam, well that is love and shown by sacrifice. Going to work every day at one or more jobs to pay for a roof, food and clothing, well that is love in action. Teaching you and I how to work and then later how to build a three D map, without saying a word, well that is love. Showing up to a football game to watch you play and using valuable vacation to do so, well that is love. They cared enough to correct us and often with a spanking. 

If you look for something to complain about, you will find it. If you look for something to be your excuse for being inept at life and you want to blame your dad for it, well they won't fight back and some are gone anyway.  But if you can muster up some love of your own, love them for what they did and forget about what they didn't do and move on. 

I wonder what the generations of the future will say about the post baby boomers and affection.

Look for good and you will find it. Look for bad and you will often create your misguided version of what is love and what is not. 

God bless,

Stay off of the couch. 

Marty

Seeing Double 1/4/2023

 Good Morning, 

I just sat down with a mug of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee and I noticed that the house is a little cold this morning and a heavy sweater is needed to fight off the chill. The coffee is doing a great job warming me up and now it is time to write. 

Colossians 3:12 Put on then, as God's people, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience. 

This photo was taken years ago from the deck of my parents home. Mom and dad are gone now and two wonderful people own the place and this is the view they see on clear mornings in the fall. I took this picture one morning not really seeing the refection until after I took more time to appreciate the view. This view will be forever etched in my mind. 

I was checking on a couple of our dear friends yesterday. They are a bit ahead of us in the age category and it never hurts for me to check on those who attend our Saturday night church service. In doing so, I found out that one of them had been having trouble with her retina and is needing to have some eye injections. She said that one of her symptoms was that she was experiencing some double vision. The injections have started and she is doing much better. 

Today I want to take a moment and use the "Double Vision" as a focus point (no pun intended) for our little morning chat.

There are a lot of beautiful things to see every day. And in some instances you just might want to see more of them. Double vision would afford that luxury to you. For instance a new born baby, a deer drinking from a stream, a sunrise or sunset. On the other hand double vision could bring within sight the ugliness the world has to offer. For instance, a funeral, litter, out of control anger and rage, poverty and many others would just make you want to close your eyes and hope they go away. 

We could just pretend they don't exist and do nothing. But that is not the answer. Where you sit this morning, is your part of the world and to ignore things that you could make better would be a sin. I have a friend who has a little extra time and he visits those who are shut in for one reason or another. He brings conversation and company to the table  for those who need it. 

We can see a lot of our own struggles each day and then become focused on the negative things of our lives. We cannot take our eyes off of our woes and all we see is gloom, sorrow, possible hatred and anger. We see it so much that it becomes paralyzing to us and our focus is like having double vision. We cannot see anything good around us and within others. 

Eyes see best when they are looking out for others. Hearts beat best when they beat for others. Change what you can change and make them beautiful again. 

Commit today for taking your eyes off of the negative and look toward the beauty you have to offer others. 

Food for thought.

Marty

 

Washing Your Mouth Out With Soap 1/3/2023

Good Morning,

I am up early to run and errand and I am enjoying a hot mug of Door County Breakfast Blend Coffee as I prepare to meet the day. 

Proverbs 4:24 Put away devious talk from you.. Put away evil.

I remember the days of old when as a child I would be threatened with getting my mouth washed out with soap for speaking with foul language . My mother carried through with that threat twice and the lesson was learned when I was spitting bubbles and sand. My mom used a bar of Lava soap not only to clean my mouth but to rub my tongue raw. It still is one of my favorite soaps for cleaning dirty hands. 

I am not sure that people are aware that their speech is a direct window to what is in their heart. What spews forth from mouths is verbalizing wickedness of the heart and debauchery within the mind. Often the hatred of the heart is spilled out of the mouth.

If this is you and others around you will attest to your behavior, I can only advise one thing and that is to listen to yourself and then decide if you really are a child of God or not.  A mouth can be totally condemning and there is little or no visible fruit of a life that fears God. More than likely you once were a reprobate and still are. "If you is where you was, you ain't." 

Today is a day for a good mouth cleanup. But please remember to start with the out houses of the heart first.  Food For thought.

Marty

Knowing God's Will For Yourself. 1/2/2023

 Good Morning,

I just filled a cup with some Door County Naughty and Nice Grog Coffee and after waking up a little more, it is time to write. 

I am well rested today and have a lot to do to get my commitments for the day accomplished. It is not always a blessing to be so busy. But it is nice not to be bored.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 17 That the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 

Over the years I have watched a lot of people search for God's Will for their life and it is not my goal to sit down and show everyone a sure fire way to find out. However I will dive into how to know something for sure is not God's will for your life. 

There are things such as jobs, promotions, or relationships that are the focus of our wants and desires. We want these things so badly that we become obsessed with obtaining them. We then assume because there is this desire and passion for this want, that it has to be God's will for our lives, 

So here is the first check point in putting some worries and woes away for good. If this want or desire is not Biblical  it definitely is not from God. Plain sure and simple for us to know if something is not God's will for us is to test it against Scripture. Anything that does against the Word of God is not from God. For instance in order to advance in life and a pursuit causes you to lie, cheat or steal which all three are not Biblical, it is best to stop in your tracks and bail out before it is too late or you waste time pursuing your desire anymore. This applies to relationships and the hard cold fact here is what might be your desire is not the desire of others and it should be clear when a door closes and it is time to abandon and move on. 

So today might be the day that you examine your wants and desires and conclude that they are not what God wants for you just be applying this rule. Not biblical, not from God. It could not be less confusing than that.

Marty

2023 Has Arrived And I Will Celebrate With A Friend.

 Good Morning,

In a few minutes I will be leaving for my annual pheasant hunt with my two nephews. My cup of Door County Cherry Creme Coffee is at my side and it is time to write. 

Psalm 118:24 This is the day the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it.

I welcome the start of the new year and for me I always overload the good intentions on to the calendar and at the end of the year I disappoint myself by not meeting all the intended things I hoped to do or accomplish. But not today!!! No, I did not obtain the intended results I wrote down on 1/1/2022. But I had a few prayer requests laid out in 2021 for 2022 and one huge one received a yes answer from God.

I have a good friend who through some really bad circumstances had to have his leg amputated. My first prayer for a couple of years was for his leg to be saved. I was able to go fishing with him a little over a year ago and as I watched him struggle in pain, my prayers became more intense. The leg worsened and I don't want to think about what would have happened had they not removed his leg and then also had to go back and remove more of his leg. 

I received a text message yesterday that was not good news, but great news. My friend has healed enough to be fitted with a prostheses. He sent a picture of himself walking with the use of a walker. Yet you could sense the joy of becoming mobile again in his text message. My friend was on many a prayer list and today I celebrate this good news with him. I used to hunt and fish with this fella almost every weekend when we were younger. Work duties put a lot of miles between us. But to this day I don't pick up a shot gun and sling it on my shoulder without remembering some of those hunts. Today will be no different . Once that gun is loaded and I step into the field, I will look up and wink toward God and thank Him for saving my friend. We will for sure fish again and just maybe sit in a duck blind or boat again some day. I know this for sure. I am celebrating today and it feels good.

Marty!

Out With The Old Here Comes the New12/31/2022

 Good Morning,

Nothing like a hot cup of Door County Jingle Bell Java to warm a body up and set it on the the path of being productive.

Later tonight we will all be saying goodbye to the year 2022 and to say the least it has been a year of many hurdles, blessings and at times confusion for this family. We attended the weddings for two of our nephews in July as they married their true loves. My wife and her family nursed their mother back to health , when there was a time that it did not look good. One other nephew got engaged last year on New Years Day. So we have another wedding coming up. The date has yet to be determined. One of our niece in laws was tested to see if she carries the gene for Huntingtons Disease and the results were great. She is not a carrier. Our daughter built a home and beat the large increases on interest rates. These are part off the many blessings that God bestowed on us with in 2022. 

I won't list the struggles we incurred in 2022 and those that will carry over into 2023. But there are some not so bright spots on the horizon. One could dwell on the bad stuff and throw a pity party, but that would do no one a bit of good. 

Joshua 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve., whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord. 

So as the oldest in this family, if I had all the clan together right now I would say this. Buckle up for the ride. God is with us through the blessings and the times of dark shadows. He is to be our Light, Guide, and the focus of our love. We will laugh, love, live and cry together in this year and give God the glory in all. 

So as we say goodbye to 2022 and welcome 2023 God is still on His throne and we will look to Him to navigate the good and the bad of this new year. 

Marty