I Bet It Won't Start 5/16/2024

 Good Morning,

It is a cold morning today and my cup of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee is helping warm me up from the inside out.  I think it is time to write. 

Proverbs 21:20 There is desirable treasure, and oil in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man squanders it.

My wife Rene and I are tend to stop in any antique emporium we come across in our travels. Rene showed  me the fun of looking for something that can be restored or added to her dish collection. I just humored her when she asked me if I would go with her to a flea market of antiques when we just started dating a thousand years ago. I went along to see why she was interested in antiques and it was an excuse just to be around my new girl friend. 

Over the years we have restored or repurposed items and use them in our home, or we give them away as gifts. Last weekend, while taking a break from work and home we traveled north in our state and along the way stopped at several antique shops. Rene was scouting for additions to her dish collections and I was taking pictures of different things for my blog. Of course there were two stops last weekend for ice cream cones. I guess shopping for antiques is always better when there is a rest stop for ice cream. 

One particular shop has a collection of old tractors outside and along with that there is a very old automobile. I can't even tell you the make and the model. But it is old! Rene took a look at it and said "What do you think? Could you get this shined up and running?" I replied with "I believe you are crazy. It's good for a photo and no you can't take it home and plant flowers in it." That statement both had us laughing and we moved on to other parts of this northern county. Honestly the vintage auto was in pretty good shape but definitely not going home with us. 

My point for today was that I just do not possess the skills to take on this type of restoration. I suppose I could learn how to restore the old relic, but to be honest, I have no desire to take on a big project like that.  It would have been an expensive lesson on  making a foolish purchase for us. Maybe someone else would take on the project and do a great job. 

We all should know our limitations and set boundaries on our spending foolish money on things that just won't happen. I could just see our daughter closing out our estate some day and wondering, " how do I get rid of this old car, I bet it won't even start." 

Friends, spend wisely and save some money for an ice cream stop or two.

God bless,

Marty

A Simple Thought For Today 5/15/2024

 Good Morning,

A hot mug of Door County Highlander Grog Coffee is helping me to kick start the day before me. The coffee is just what I needed. 

Matthew 6:33 NLT Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and He will give you everything you need.

Maybe God will show us what is important on our calendar and what is not. 

My thought for today is this. Keep it simple my friends. It is a shame that we actually rely on an electronic calendar to help us keep these crazy schedules of ours straight and organized. W have to grab our phones just to see if we have 30 minutes to stop and have a cup of coffee with friends. Try to organize any bigger event and you might be able to accomplish it with a 50% attendance 8 months out.

Maybe God will show us what is important on our calendar and what is not. 

I believe we are making it too hard on ourselves just to live. An "over busy calendar" doesn't say much in a flattering way. Chances are, we are so busy just because we don't have the right priorities.  Maybe?? We should ask God to show us what needs to be trimmed from our calendars. 

Food for thought!

Marty

Wrestling With Yourself 5/14/2024

 Good Morning, 

It is time for a hot cup of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee and today I will skip breakfast. It is time to write. 

Decisions, decisions, decisions. You can't have even one day without deciding on something. Some decisions are easy and really don't place any weight on a day. For instance I chose to skip breakfast today and just have a cup of orange juice and a cup of coffee. Not really a big deal as far as decisions go.

But there are days when you have to decide on something and it has a huge impact on your life or the lives of others. You know the decision you need to make, but then there are added nuances that make you doubt yourself. The wrestling match begins. It starts in your head, and moves to your heart and what was once very clear, is now a cloudy mess at best. 

The best way to stop the wrestling match is to take you out of your own head, and start listening to God and then, don't waver on what He says or shows you. A lot of sleepless nights and ulcers could be avoided if we trusted ourselves less and trusted in God completely.

Psalm 9:10 ESV And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you O Lord have not forsaken  those who seek you. 

Proverbs 3:5 ESV Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. 

Stop wrestling with yourself. It's really the devil who is getting you to wrestle with yourself. 

Food for thought,

Marty

Reaching For The Power Cord 5/13/2024

 Good Morning,

This day began with some prayer and a very hot cup of Door County Mocha Mint Coffee. I think I will have some Cheerios and dried cherries for breakfast later.

Luke 5:16 NKJV So He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. 

My wife Rene and I took a three day mini vacation this last weekend. We visited Door County Wisconsin. It was supposed to be a time of rest, yet we found ourselves going, going and going again. We visited all our favorite places and stopped for a few photo opportunities here and there. My lap top did not get a rest either. I would still get up early, to study and pray. I also kept on blogging each morning. I operated my lap top off of the battery which is a god thing to do now and then, just to exercise the battery. At least that is what I have been told. I finally plugged it back in last night and it surely needed a charge. The battery was down and in need of a power source. 

My thought for this morning is this. Like a machine that has been worked to it's limits and used up all of it's stored energy, we might need to be plugged back into the "power source." During my time away I did just that. I had more time for prayer and time of reflection.  Even a battleship needs time to restock, rewind, and fill it's fuel tanks. In order to stay in good spiritual condition, now and then we have to lay down our sword and take off our helmet and recharge by spending extra quiet time with God, more prayer, and and more time in the Word. Not only do we need rest for our bodies, and our souls now and then, we also need to plug in and recharge the spiritual batteries. 

Reach for the power source, and recharge for awhile. 

God bless,

Marty 

The Day My World Began, Thinking About Mom.5/12/2024

 Good Morning,

I am relaxed and very comfortable sitting at a table in Door County Wisconsin drinking a hot cup of Door County Cherry Creme Coffee. It is a good time to write.

Psalm 139:13 For you created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb.

None of us can recall what it was like the day we were born. We were there , but we will never remember who we saw first, what the room was like or if we cried right away or later. We had just left the security of our mother's womb and opened our eyes and the world welcomed us. As we reached the age of being a toddler we began to explore things more and more and we might even recollect a memory or two. If photos were taken, they sometimes help stimulate the memories. 

Most babies know when mom is not around and they cry for her to return. Nothing but mother will do. They might not know anything at all, but they know mom for sure. For nine months, mom was the meal wagon, the heartbeat that calmed any fears, and a warm place to live. Later, mom was the educator, disciplinarian, still the meal wagon, and the one who loved you no matter how sassy you were. 

My mom has been gone now for over a decade and I still miss her bread rolls, her more than strong coffee, and a joke or two shared on the phone. I wish I could thank her for all the meals she made, the blue jeans she mended, the clean house, and now and then the slap upside of my head that was needed. 

I wouldn't mind going back to 1957 and being able to see her smile as an adult, and get a hug just like a little baby boy. Mom would be twenty years old again, and I would be 67. It would be fun just to tell her to "mind her elders".

I wish to challenge you all today. If possible visit your mom. If you can, call her. If she stopped the world for a moment to take an eternal rest, remember her and you try to recall the day your world began. Hopefully you have a photo to help that cause!

Happy Mother's Day to all of you moms out there. God bless.

Marty

Stress Started To Mount 5/11/2024

 Good Morning, I am treating myself to a hot cup of Door County Country Morning Blend Coffee and it is time to write. 

Proverbs 18:13 If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.

On Thursday I was faced with a plumbing repair at home and as always, a repair like that showed up when we were planning a fun weekend. The way it originally looked, I thought I would be removing a wall at a minimum. 

I prayed before I started the repairs and it did not go very well once I began. It was not looking too well for a few minutes. One small new tool later and some patience and the repair was made.  All the walls were intact and the floors were dry!

God was in control. I found the tool I needed. I had the parts. All the shut offs worked. And even if the repair went bad and I needed to remove walls and change piping, I have those skills. So no matter what would happen God was in control and He made sure I had all I needed. 

There was no reason to let my stress level climb. I could feel the stress welling up within me and for what reason? None, what so ever. So I almost missed the rescue God made because I was already planning for the worst. 

Go with the flow, (pun intended) and take all things one step at a time . Don't rush to assumptions or always plan for the worst. It makes a tough situation even tougher.

Marty

Nurses Week 5/10/2024

 Good Morning, 

I will be drinking my Door County Vanilla Creme Brulee Coffee from inside my truck today and it is time to write. 

2 Chronicles 15:7 But you take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. 

This last week was National Nurses Week in our country. I worked for many years in the health care arena and I worked with hundreds of nurses. I was not working in a clinical area at all, but I interfaced with nurses just about every day. I had my job to do and they had theirs. In my many years I had the pleasure of getting to know quite a few better than some of the others. Of course we had many meetings each day and I recall sitting in those meetings and you could at times see some pretty tired eyes looking back at you. 

I am thankful for those women and men who dedicate a lot of hours doing what they do, and how they are able to muster a smile even when they are totally exhausted. Caring, respect, patience and love is not taught in nursing school. It is a gift within every nurse to be that one who gives more, when there is not much more to give. 

Nurses, I appreciate all of you more than I ever said while working with you and you have a special place in my heart.

God bless.

Marty