Monday, 29 January 2018

What a busy weekend!
I probably won't remember everything, and it would be too long to share it all, but I will try to remember the things that I remember now.

Today, I listened to several podcasts from generousgiving.org (/media/podcast) -- you can guess what the topics were... kind of.  I haven't really figured out the themes of the podcasts based on the ones I have listened to so far, over several different points in time.  They are about giving, and seem to be about the presenter's journey to generous giving, but they have varied a lot in the ones I heard.  It seems they have some kind of conference every year.  As far as I know, you have to be invited to get included.  I think it is people who have become very wealthy and are Christian, looking to use their blessings wisely, for the Kingdom and God's People.  That's all I can guess from my podcast listening.  I still have several years to go through!  :-)

It is inspirational to hear other Christians discover the blessings of being personally involved in the giving process, rather than just writing a check.  It is so essential.  I like crowdfunding for its potential in this sharing process... I think there needs to be some kind of oversight for crowdfunding, some way to verify needs.  This was my vision for Action Prayer.  To bring the giver and the person in need together, to help them connect globally.  I still hope to do that.

I have checked on FaithLauncher for my financial needs for Working Together... I am still working on that.  I am just learning video, and thinking about how to explain Working Together to everyone.  I had hoped to find start-up funds a long time ago, and in a different way, but this is where GOD has me so we have to just keep going and find His Plan for the future of WT.

I shared my giving goals on a Crowder Twitter post... a post that was something about what was I (everyone reading that post) listening to... so I went on about the podcasts,  :-)  and about the site, and giving, and then my goal... which is 90% for GOD, 10% for me... (after I reach survival level, which can be different for everyone... I'm still debating that amount with myself, but it's more than the less than 600/month I have now).  Working Together is expected to be a billion-dollar operation once it gets going... so money was an issue I prayed about for many years.  Everyone will make the same wage in Working Together, because that will remind us that we are a Body of Christ, with many parts, but all of those parts are equally important, like the Bible reference.  Since economies vary across the globe, I finally decided on a formula to create that goal wage.  Hopefully, I will be able to try it out one day.

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I spent a lot of money over the weekend, trying to get most of my documentary collection goals going.  I purchased my own copy of FORKS OVER KNIVES, with a companion DVD of the interviews recorded for the film (I hope).  It was free to watch online this weekend, so I watched it (twice), and shared about the option twice.  My copy arrived in today's mail!  Naturally, I will have to check them both out to make sure they work.  :-)

I decided to order the DVD for GENETIC ROULETTE (geneticroulettemovie.com) also.  I have wanted it for years, too. I hope it arrives quickly.  I want to see it again! 

Then I tried so many times to order IN DEFENSE OF FOOD and FOOD INC from PBS (they had a sale going on), but nothing worked, even emails to their Customer Service reference.  This is sad.  I have waited years to support PBS (OPB) because it is hard for me to get past my tithe and personal needs, and buying from them was a form of support for me.  I really was pushing myself to get these DVDs as part of my 2018 goals.  I still don't have them, or have them ordered, or know if I will.  So depressing.  I actually went up to six DVDs because of the sale... ordering other long-wanted DVDs they offered.  I hope to find a way through this without so much extra cost.  I sent a reply email about how upset I was... but it has gone into the CS cycle of form responses.  :-( 

If I have to, I will just let it go... and save for the added costs.

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I am still working on getting my small refrigerator.  Can't wait on that, either. 

I went shopping and bought too much produce again, but not all of it goes in the frig.  I am planning on ways to live with less fridge space... Deciding on my maximum options will work good.  I totally went over my planned budget this shopping trip.  I figured out the receipt today.  I can see why... I didn't have anything left... I had to restock so many things.  If I can start my weekly effort from here, it may work.

Now, I just have to get my special small refrigerator...

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Did I tell you I finally used my new food processor for the first time?  I made some chickpea nuggets, a vegan effort at a chicken nugget substitute.  They were interesting, but I am already planning to adapt them... maybe make them into veggie burgers for me.  I need a better sauce for them.  Ketchup and mustard didn't go over well.  The salsa for the second batch was OK... but I still have to figure out what kind of sauces vegans use.

I bought some extra cashews when I went shopping so I can try a recipe called (vegan) cashew cheese...  I don't know if I can live without cheese.  I still am eating small amounts of the "forbidden" foods (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, cheese, other dairy...).  I have cut back a lot.  I decided to buy only two cream cheese and try to see how long I can make them last.  I decided to buy butter still, mostly for my popcorn.  (I am trying to get to trying to microwave them dry in a paper bag... soon.)  I got a small amount of deli turkey to use, and tried out the option of buying only a few slices of bacon from the deli section.  I also refilled my back-up supplies of food oils (Olive oil and Safflower oil).  The rest was produce and bulk foods and regular foods like canned tomatoes and pears and oatmeal and coffee and whatever else I got.

I was amazed when I finally checked my receipt.  I counted over 25 types of produce, bulk honey, and ten kinds of bulk items like the cashews and rice and other things in that section of the store.  Now I need to make sure I go every week and only buy the things I need for the next week... while using up these fresh items to make sure I don't waste them or my money.  I should have enough impulse foods that are good to eat now.  :-)  I actually at an apple in the wee hours last night.  It will be great when I have everything ready to grab and eat.

You can see food is very important to me.  I suffered in past years, so now it is a big issue.  If I live long, I hope to get up to organic and non-GMO and growing my own food.  GOD willing, I will have the health for it, and the money.  Watch FORKS OVER KNIVES to understand how very important diet is to staying alive longer and reversing some of the diseases that kill us.

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I happened to watch some Netflix on Saturday evening... I decided to watch The Little Prince finally.  I read the book when I was a lot younger, but it is memorable.  I wanted to see what they did with it.  The story was nice on its own... not what I expected, but now I want to read the original again.  This one was on helping children understand death and loss.  It doesn't have any connections with GOD, so you won't get a normal story about heaven and God.  It was a cute storyline for the most part.

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I guess that's enough for now.  I have letters to read, letters to write, and goals to work on.  I hope to meet you here again... whenever that may be.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May we all search out the truth about GOD and the Bible so we make a real decision about our eternity and about the Bible's validity.
May we all be generous in our giving so we can discover the blessings hiding in that effort.
May we all be filled and content and protected.
Amen.