28 December, 2017

Thursday, 28 December 2017

Well... I am officially "old" now.
I just turned 65.

I am still trying to decide what that means.

We have to change because our health dictates our limits.
Our finances dictate our limits.
Lots of things change our lives when we head into oldness.

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I worry about the world.
The young people I know have been filled with anger and bitterness.
They seem to value different things.
They don't have strong foundations of good examples to build on.
It's been a slow long process of change,
but it is change.  It is what we have become.
It is leading us into our future.

I was reading something on Facebook, probably today,
asking readers about what matters most to them...
maybe it was about the education system, I'm not sure,
but the values of the world create our world.

Without the influence of godly values, what is left?
Not the goodness we want for ourselves.
We won't be able to make enough prisons to hold all of society
when the Christian (and Jewish) influence of biblical values is gone.
It scares me sometimes.  I don't think I will be here.
My children might still be here.

The Bible tells us much more than we think it does.
We think the people who lived in the past were some kind of strange creatures,
but they were people just like us.
Humanity.
Sinners.
Lost.
Afraid.
Searching for someone to love them.
Looking for love (probably in all the wrong places, like we all do).
Trusting people they shouldn't.

We fight our battles every day.
The big difference between the lost and those dedicated to GOD
is how we solve our problems, what we are willing to do... or not do.
The news shows more and more surveillance videos now...
If there were other options, would the lost choose better solutions for their desperate needs?
People kill others and themselves because they don't know how to cope.
If they knew GOD, trusted Him, and understood the good things GOD teaches in the Bible,
their lives would be very different.  Not easy, but better. 
Not without problems, but without the need for a lot of the choices that hurt their futures.

I don't know what the rest of my life will be like, but I hope it is better than the past.
I live each day trusting in GOD's Plan for me... so I do the best I can and keep going forward.
What else is there?  GOD holds the power of life and death in His Hands...
I hope I see the answers to my prayers before He calls me home.
I may not be a "success" in the eyes of others,
but I see GOD as my guide, not them.

I will just keep doing the best I can each day... and trust that GOD will be with me as I do.

Birthdays really make us think about our lives...  :-)

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD have mercy on those who don't know Him,
and help them to find the peace and goodness He wants to share with them.
May we all find a way to help each other.
May our goals be God's goals.
Amen.

Wednesday, 27 December 2017

It was a busy day...

I just wanted to check in before I try to sleep again... I am trying to keep up my December Membership Drive, too.  I went shopping today and stayed out too long.  We will have to catch up tomorrow.

I will see you then, GOD willing!   :-)

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May we all have a better 2018 !!!

26 December, 2017

Tuesday, 26 December 2017

Christmas is over... 

Some have already cleaned their house of decorations.  (One year I did that... but usually I just let it stay until it is a fire danger.  :-)  )  I like mine.  I also want to see if I can afford some of those Christmas storage containers this year... so I'm waiting to get to the store.

The weather here is ICE and COLD !!!!!   Now that I am getting older, I am not so excited to slip and fall.  I hear it can lead to a hospital stay!  Yuk!  I was given a pair of spikes to put on my shoes... some rubber things that are easy to put on and take off.  I tried them.  They are good.  But, also like tires with spikes... they ruin the floor.  Carpet would be OK, but not soft flooring.  So... the rules are, on and off by the door outside.  They should be great if I feel courageous enough to go anywhere.  I walk home up a long hill... right by the busy road most of the way.  I don't want to fall in front of a car, and I don't want a car sliding into me!  I may have to wait to go to those after-Christmas sales.

Maybe I can check online... but it just isn't the same.  Wednesday is my thrift store day.

I hope you got a lot of good stuff.  I got some great things... cash is always good to have... especially for all those sales!  haha...  and I got a Roku thing... I'm still trying it out, but it sure is better than the antennae reception!  I also got the tool I wanted... and I am working on getting that tried out.

Christmas was a lot of movies on TV.  It was my theme this year.  :-)  Next year, I don't know what I will plan...  it all depends on what GOD provides.  I have tons of things on my list, just have to save for them... and pray.

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My Working Together December Membership Drive is still going.  Not turning out as I would have liked, but I can see that a December event is going to be a big challenge.  I will be working on building my outreach for next December.

Only $100 per year per individual... which will become increasing benefits as you renew year to year...  In time, I will have all the options up online, including the installment plan of $10/month.  Right now, all I have available is the PayPal.Me/WorkingTogetherInc link, which will also take any donations you might like to offer.

Maybe this year, as I get the hang of video, I will be able to set up a crowdfunding site.  

PRAY for me and for WT... this is an important work for GOD's people... more important than they know.

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I have been eating way too much the past two months!  So, by default, by need, by desire, my 2018 goal is to work on my EXERCISE activities.  So sad...

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I have been trying the 4-3-2-1 plan from BIGGEST LOSER (the cookbook I found) and it is becoming workable.  I am slowly getting into the process of four fruit and veggies a day, three proteins, and 2 whole grains.  I have dubbed the one extra as anything I want outside of the healthy list.  Well... kind of.  I have been eating cookies and holiday goodies, and I always like to have popcorn.  I figured I would work on that part of the plan.  It's easier to keep track of.  And I am getting better at my portion controls.  I am also getting my fridge supplies down so I can shop once a week for the fresh food items I need for that week.  It may become the best thing that happened to me.  Maybe. 

January is the official start of this plan. And my exercise goal.  I am still working out the exercise plan details.  It is so easy to think of things to do, and so hard to actually DO them!  haha.

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I have been organizing my workspace for getting my stuff into listings and selling online... 2018 is a goal year.  Hope I can find a way to make it all work... finally.

Time to go.
Hope your holiday was great,
and that you are planning a better year for 2018...
We do our best, but GOD is always in charge of what it becomes.
Trust and Obey... it really is true... there is no other way.

I like the statement that Charles Stanley created ::

Obey God, and leave all the consequences to Him.

(I'm pretty sure that is it... check at intouch.org )
Anyway... until next time.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD bless all those who love Him.
May we all be able to share GOD's love with others.
May our loved ones all meet us in heaven.
May we find our purpose in the Body of Christ.
May our hearts be filled with love and joy and kindness... and every good thing.
May next year be our best year.
Amen.

21 December, 2017

Thursday, 21 December 2017

Today has been a difficult day.  The cat that lives here has been visibly ill this week, and today she died.  It is hard to watch a living thing die, whether an animal or a person.  I was told she was at least 15 years old.  Her sister died a short while back... we assume... she just disappeared.  She was ill like this... not able to walk, visibly in pain, not eating, etc.  I thought it might be caused by something in this neighborhood, but I wouldn't know for sure.  There's little you can do after something happens, for the victim, but you try to keep it from happening again.  Her name was Dottie.  Her sister was called Lucky.

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As for me, I am still recovering from my shopping "exercise" yesterday.  I wasn't able to stay up a bit longer.  Sorry about that.  No one else can do my writing for me.

I became one of those community charity recipients yesterday.  :-)   I was on my way to the Salvation Army Sale Day and a police car stopped by me on the street... I think it said it was a Sheriff's car.  Some man got out and started talking to me... I tried to think of what I could have done to warrant the police stopping me!  A local news station vehicle stopped, too... across the driveway from where I was.  I was so busy trying to figure out what was going on I can't even remember what was said.  The purpose turned out to be some anonymous Christmas cheer... they gave me a crisp, new, green, wonderful, amazing $100 bill !!!  I was shocked!  I remember I kept looking at it... later I said something about wondering what I was going to do with it... It was quite an experience.  :-)  Nice Christmas gift!  Totally unexpected!  The TV people asked me some questions for a follow-up, but I don't know if they did anything with it.  I probably wasn't as visibly excited as I might have been.  :-) 

FYI ::  I still haven't decided what to do with it, so I'm saving it until I do.  :-)

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It was a long day... and I didn't get to eat anything until I got home... about 6am to 3pm...

I did stop to buy some grocery food... that worked out good.  :-)  I bought my second container of eggnog for this season.  Today I tried it in my coffee... so good!

The new gifted money let me buy some things I might not have bought otherwise... especially craft supplies.  I decided to spend some money on gold (leaf?) sheets and some gold and silver paint pens for some experimenting.  This should be fun!  I still have a long list of things I want to get over time, but this will really help.

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Not too many days left to get anything done...

I will feel better by tomorrow, I think.  I will be able to start using the supplies I have collected to try some projects. 

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The sale at the Salvation Army Thrift Store was great for me.  I finally found one of those asparagus pans... the tall ones with the basket inside.  I told the cashier it was my Christmas gift for the year... I had been wanting one for such a long time.

I found a BIGGEST LOSER cookbook that shared something interesting to me.  Their menu planning goes 4-3-2-1, which means 4 fruit and veggies a day, 3 proteins a day, 2 whole grains a day, and 1 extras (200 calorie limit).  I am now trying to think of daily options for my healthy food quest.  With portion control, my food bill should really improve!  :-)  Shopping will be even more important... weekly, limits on what I buy, etc... maybe I can buy more organic now.

I also found an old book on being frugal, but I haven't browsed through it yet.

I actually was surprised to find Bibles... they seem to be extinct in the thrift stores these days.  I discovered a MESSAGE Bible so I grabbed it.  I have never really seen one before.  I hope to explore it soon.  I also noticed a Devotional Bible for Women.  I decided to get it as a companion to the one I found for Dads.  :-)  I have always tried to collect Bibles so I can compare the versions... but I lost them because of poverty issues.  I will keep looking for more.  I can never replace some of the things I had.

I looked for more Christmas music and wound up finding great CDs by Kenny G and Michael Bolton.  I have a Celine Dion already.  There are some songs I want to find and keep around.  :-)  I did also get a Christian music CD (and a VHS tape of worship music), and then a CD on How to Make Your Point in 30 Seconds.  I have it in the player already, but not listened to it yet.  I hope it has some great ideas for my marketing efforts... maybe for when I start doing commercials.  :-)  I also found a Joyce Meyer DVD on Confrontation.  That should be helpful.  haha

I love thrift store shopping!  :-)   I look for treasures that only matter to me.  Old things that are still good to use.  Things you will never find anywhere else.  It is my fun!  :-)

I saw a video on Facebook a long time back about someone putting one of those xylephones up for their chickens, and they all had a time pecking at it.  I thought it would be fun to get one for my son's chickens... and mine, later on, if I get that far.  So, I remembered to look for one yesterday and there was something like it there so I bought it. ($2)  I still have to get it put up.  I decided to put some cup hooks in the back that will fit on the fence wire to hold it up and move it easily.  I hope that will work out good.  I still need to clean it and do the hooks.  Maybe by the New Year... or next week.

Shopping is fun.

I got a lot of the things on my continuous list, and that always makes me feel like it was worth the time and money and energy it takes to shop now.  I am trying to save some money for the after Christmas sales.

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Have you figured out any goals for 2018?

I am still trying to decide on my one main goal for the year.  I have lots of goals on my lists, with lots of different categories to think about (self, home, work, income, debts, health, education, crafting, etc.)...  Last year was the food hours... which evolved over the months, and died somewhere in November, maybe October!  :-)  I try to figure out how to do things better the next time.

I did answer two goal questions on Facebook... one for Christy Wright (Business Boutique), one for Daymond John (Shark Tank).  I am thinking about those submissions... but not sure I want to make them my main goal.  Separating my personal and my work lives is a stage that is increasingly important, but I haven't found an answer I can do.

It really is true about goals... you need to be clear about them, and write them down, and keep them in view every day.  Life seems to do battle with our goals.  It's so easy to get distracted by the "urgent" and forget what really matters.  (The "tyranny of the urgent" I think it's called.)   My constant work at my goals is an effort to keep them in view.  It is another reason I always look for those books, DVDs, CDs, VHS tapes, etc., that have to do with learning new things.  I tend to get lost in Facebook and Pinterest posts for the same reason.  I suppose that is a big weakness for me.  :-)

I still have some time to decide...

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Hope this update is enough for two days of posting...  I'm done for now.  God willing, I will return on Monday.  Happy getting ready for Christmas!  This is the last shopping weekend... I hear it is one of the biggest shopping days of the year... probably all those men who wait until the last minute... what do you think?  Am I right?  :-)

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD help us to make it through this year and plan for next year.
May GOD help our nation's leaders to put America first, really put her first, so we can make the decisions that need to be made to survive our current problems and become stronger for the future.
May GOD be good to those who love Him... bless them in special ways... and provide for their deepest needs.
May our loved ones all meet us in heaven.
May life become worthy of our devotion to it.
May all the poor be blessed, may the homeless find shelter, may the aged be cared for and loved, may we all find someone to love that we haven't met and will never see again... love with and open heart and hand and wallet, as much as we can.
May Christmas become the season when searching hearts find Jesus as their Saviour... bringing those unexpected blessings to every day... helping us to see the meaning of our lives.
May we all trust GOD to guide us.
Amen.

19 December, 2017

Tuesday, 19 December 2017

I guess I can start this post a little early.  I tend to wait until I am done for the day... and fight to stay awake!

It's cold and wet in the Northwest today... yuk!  I read in a weather report that today is going to be the wettest day of the week... so I hope they are right. I still need to get out shopping one more time before the holiday.

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I have to share about my fruit leather experiment.  I didn't like the way my previous attempt to make some blackberry fruit leather turned out, so I decided to try a thicker version, without the paper backing.  I am amazed at how the fruit shrinks... a big lesson.  I like the way it didn't stick to the pan... a great outcome.  I don't like how long it takes to dry... and I want to make smaller sized pans of fruit leather in the future.  I have eaten too much of it already, testing it you know.  I forgot to mix sugar in the berries when I pureed them so I sprinkled a covering of sugar on it when I started the drying process.  It's not too sour.  My plan to cut it up into large cubes, like the aplets and cotlets, did not work out.  I will need a very deep pan and lots of berries to get that much size after drying.  I may change the way I make the puree too.  So many things to think about when you are trying to create a decent product to sell.

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I'm not sure why, but I am so tired... I even took a nap today, but I am ready for bed already.  It must be the fruit leather.  :-)  They say turkey makes you want to sleep.

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Well... that will have to do for today.

Maybe I can rest and get back up later to do some of the things on my list!  :-)

Merry Christmas!
It's almost here!  I hope you are ready for it!

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD help us all to keep the right perspective in our hearts this year... we are celebrating the birth of Christ, our Saviour.  I know the world has changed the meaning of our celebration season, but that is the battle between good and evil, God and Satan.  It is meant to be a holy season of love and giving, of remembering the gift that God gave us when Christ was born, how many prophecies He has fulfilled, and the difference He makes in our salvation and forgiveness.  Amen.

18 December, 2017

Monday, 18 December 2017

My... one more week!
Christmas is almost here... and then a brand new year to plan and make goals for and continue toward our dreams.

The end of the year is always a time of evaluation and planning.

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I went to turn on the TV to some Christmas music this morning and discovered a terrible train wreck had happened, on my favorite train system, the Cascade run.  I started crying every time I sat to watch it.  Christmas is such a hard time for tragedies to happen.

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I think I have watched almost all of the Christmas movies at Hallmark's stations.  I tried to watch a few of the offerings at other stations, but they get so raunchy I have to turn them off.  Some of the Hallmark movies are objectionable these days, so I am nearing the point of not watching them anymore.  Not sure what I will do.  I like to buy the ones I can deal with, but they are getting to be a pretty short list.  Morality shows up in so many ways... we often get it packaged in more "digestible" ways when you compare SNL and Hallmark, but the issues are still being presented to us.

The loss of a godly influence is more impacting than most believe.  I think some of the "good" people who don't want GOD in this world think that having everyone just like them is not going to make the world bad.  Christians are people who are learning how to be better than they use to be, good people have only their own moral ideas to guide them.  If everyone has their own idea of what is moral, it could be a very wide boundary.

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I continue to post at my Working Together Inc page at Facebook.  I am learning about daily posting, PayPal.Me/WorkingTogetherInc , and what I need to do better for next December.  It has been decided that the way to achieve a yearly income budget (foundation) is to have the Membership Drive for the next year in December.  (I finally decided that was the way to stay dependent on GOD for His provision and His boundaries.)  This year I am trying to post every day about it.  I decided to share some of my goals and plans for WT as part of this process.  Membership is the main goal of Working Together.  It will give us the connections to Christians and other interested people, and it will limit our activities to our members needs, with eventual outreach to those outside our membership in the local communities we are established into.

I suppose it would be too much to go into here.  I discovered again that I had created a PayPal.Me account for WT so I started using it as a payment method.  It isn't perfect, but it is an option.  I can take donations from people who want to help me get this effort better established, and I can apply a membership to those who pay $100 for an individual one-year membership.  It will automatically be registered as a PUBLIC Membership, with email delivery of the monthly newsletter and other digital deliveries.

I am not able to offer the installment plan via PayPal yet.  By next year I will be offering that.  The installment plan is for those who want to pay monthly instead of in one payment.  It is $10/month.  As it is now, I can only offer a "subscription" option through PayPal, and I need to figure out the benefit structure better with that option.  My plans are all dependent on the full payment of a membership fee, so I need to break the benefits down into monthly parts... that will accrue as payments are completed.  The installment plan works better after more than one year has passed as some benefits increase as each year of renewed membership passes.

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My PayPal.Me account registers me in Portland, Oregon, but I want to set up the offices for Working Together in Eugene, Oregon.  It is a complicated process for me because I don't have the money to do all these things myself.  I was able to update the presentation for those who go to the link for payments.  I added a photo of my logo-type thing.  I reworked the statement about what we are doing.  It took a lot of tries, but I hope it finally stays the way I wanted it to present.

My logo-type photo is a design I also want to make into stickers for various uses.  I like to put the Operation Christmas Child shoebox sticker on my letters (envelopes) as seals, so one day I will create a sticker for Working Together.

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I think I know how Abraham and Sarah felt after waiting on GOD for all those years.  We expect GOD to do something right away.  When He doesn't, it is a challenge to keep believing.  I decided to use this blog for my posts because faith and prayer are my life. 

GOD doesn't tell us all the details of what He is busy doing, He just works out His Will.  I thought about at one point in my search for answers and decided it is because Satan would know what He is doing and try to mess it up.  Prophecies are a challenge for us to understand, but they are also a challenge for Satan.  That is why Satan thought he won the battle when he killed Jesus... but, actually, he was achieving GOD's Will, making it possible for us to be saved, making it unnecessary for us to have to sacrifice animals at the temple to forgive our sins.

GOD doesn't work the way we think He should.  We have to trust Him, to believe that the end will show us why things happen the way they do.

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Well, I need to go write my Facebook post.
I will be back tomorrow, GOD willing.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD help us all to trust Him through the hard times,
through the things we don't understand,
through the questions and the doubts and the dreams.
May GOD be kind to those who are suffering tonight.
May the angels be sent to comfort those who are hurting because of tragedies that have come into their lives unwanted, and unexpected, and undeserved.
May our lives be filled with hope and love and peace and joy and goodness.
May we all give more than we get, and share our bounties with those who have nothing.
Amen.

15 December, 2017

Thursday, 14 December 2017

I'm a bit late with this post, but we will all survive!  :-)

I heard that RC Sproul died on Thursday.  Later I heard he had cancer for many years. 

Then I happened on a TBN program on TV with James and Betty Robison as guests of the program... what I remember was the story of the death of their daughter several years prior to the program (I don't know if it was a repeat). 

When people die, we have strange perspectives about it.  RC Sproul was elderly, had lived a long life and accomplished a lot in terms of Christian service.  The Robison's daughter was a mother and wife and dedicated Christian, but she was relatively young.  This made it seem more devastating.

Really, we are all going to die.
GOD decides our time.

I think the sorrow is because we love someone, we wanted them to be with us longer.  Our loss is painful.  It is always hard to bear the sufferings of our children.

I have not known the loss of someone close to me yet... but it may come before my own death. I don't know.

I have been preparing for my own death.

It is a natural part of this life... from the moment of conception we are destined to die.

It's a morbid thought... but it is something we have to deal with eventually.

I also saw a news report on fathers that lost their children to gun violence... and were trying to make it into a meaningful event... to make their memories live on.

I also viewed a news report from another country's program... maybe the BBC's news, or Germany's (DW).  Little starving babies, large starving children, no money for medical help, or medicine.  Parents were doing the best they could for their children in the midst of violence and suffering.

We don't live in a very nice world.
We all do the best we can.
And then we die.

It doesn't matter what the world says will happen when I die.
I know that my final resting place will be in heaven.

I weep for the people I love who are not yet saved.
I won't be able to see them in heaven.

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May GOD reach the hearts of those we love and bring them into His Kingdom.
May we find the words to share salvation with others.
May we rest. May we speak. May we find the way to reach the lost.
Amen.

Until next time...
Deborah Martin

13 December, 2017

Wednesday, 13 December 2017

My goodness... where do the days go!

I have been reorganizing my room for better crafting options and it is beginning to look good!  When I finally get it "done" I will think about sharing some photos.

It is so cold here, I didn't go out today.  I was hoping to pick up a few things I am wanting/needing (like the Christmas wrapping paper I need to finish my gifts), but just couldn't think of being out so long in this cold.  Maybe one of the next few days will be better.

We are having septic tank problems here, so that has bothered all the water uses... showers, dishes, laundry, and all those kinds of things.  :-)  Hopefully, they will be gone soon.

As I said before, I am in the process of purging my belongings.  I don't have much, but I decided to only keep the stuff that I really need or want.  I'm going to put my "extra" stuff on eBay or Amazon or somewhere...  You can put "vintage" items for sale at Etsy.  This will be fun.  It will take a whole week to finally get it all photographed and entered as a listing.  Lots of little things... and I have been trying to figure out how to package them for shipping.  I will need to figure out the pricing, too.

The spot for the smaller fridge has been cleared out now.  I took down all my wall items by that space, and already moved my food storage jars and other items that were on the counter.  The big fridge has been cleaned of all my taped items, too.  Soon the interior spaces will be pretty bare, too.  I'm slowly working down my food supplies.  It will be strange, but I can do this.  It will be better for me, but I have to get use to the changes it makes in daily life.

I have been working on my diet challenges, too... the changes I want to make since seeing FORKS OVER KNIVES.  I actually used 1/3 cup of water to steam my veggies today, instead of using oil while I cook them.  They were OK... I put them over rice and used soy sauce.  So far that is my usual cooked veggie option.  Soon I will find other ways to cook them and eat them.  I'm working on spices instead of other things for flavor.

I do love my popcorn... usually once a day.  It is one of my "downfall dishes" (Rocco DiSpirito).  I am working on how to reduce my popcorn calories.  Cream cheese is another one of my can't do without foods.  I guess coffee (and sugar) is the other... with sometimes having Cafe Vienna, for a treat now... which was one of my goals.  I don't know how healthy I can get, but I am trying to make a lot of small changes.  One of these days I will make more small changes.  Eventually I will get closer to where I have always wanted to be.

Have to get going...this has to be a short post.  Hope you don't mind.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May God be with us as we work to become better people and a better world.

12 December, 2017

Tuesday, 12 December 2017

A little bit ago, I happened on a Twitter link about the Alabama election results, from PBS Newshour.  It seems the Associated Press has declared a winner in the election.  By declaring the winner, the headlines become a repeated event... no one will know anything else about the election except that their person won.  Judy Woodruff was interviewing some people in the recorded post, but what irritated me most was the tones in her voice when the "reporting" involved the opposition.

Then I found some links to Roy Moore's side.  It was a video sharing that they were planning to have a recount because the numbers (election results) are so close, close enough for a recount.  The post with the video also said they hadn't conceded the race yet... so it wasn't a clear win.

In the flurry of posts about the Democratic person who won, and his very pro-abortion views,  I was then disgusted to discover a post about Planned Parenthood where the person posting (I know it was a public person I have seen before) was urging women to have as many abortions as they wanted because the person who won that state election agreed with that stance.

It made me ill to even read this post.  Do they even know how terrible their statements are?!  Wanting to kill innocent children because of a political battle for supremacy.  The core issues behind abortion have disappeared... it is now a battle of wills, a need to win, and no one matters except the battle.  (That means women who turn to Planned Parenthood are not being counselled, they are being manipulated into do what the political battle requires... abortions just to make sure they are done, baby parts sold to fund the battle, and young trusting women who are left ravaged for the rest of their lives. 

I hate discovering the "news" anymore.

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I didn't really get involved with social media until several years ago.  I am nearly 65 years old now.  It has been a learning experience.  I don't know what it will mean for our future as human beings, as countries, as individuals and families.  I am discovering that social media is becoming more and more like the Enquirer on steroids (I think that is the right comparison... I'm reaching for the right words!), but we don't realize it is another version of the Enquirer.  Will there be anything we can rely on?  All of the digital "evidence" we use to create claims against people can be altered by anyone who knows how to do it and has the programs/equipment to do it... which is a lot of people... even young kids!   That's videos, photos, and ????  who knows what else.

It seems to be a useful tactic to "discover" things about the people you want to destroy... and keep it coming.  I'm really sick of these repeated efforts... it's like a broken record.  I hate anyone being abused or mistreated, that is not what I am disgusted with.  I don't appreciate all the terrible things that people do to others.  I object to the timed use of these accusations... and watching the back and forth of them as "pay-back" between Hollywood, Washington (DC), media outlets, etc. 

I heard one comment associated with this election that really explains this process.  One of the people on Roy Moore's side mentioned that he has run for eight(?) elections and this is the first time any of these accusations have come up.  There seems to some kind of untruth happening here... for a reason.

I just get so tired of the timing being so convenient for certain issues, like elections, like the other party winning when you didn't want them to, like using false accusations to destroy someone at the opportune time and then having it all proven wrong later (after you have achieved your goals). 

In some circles this is the only way they know how to operate... win at any cost.  It may be how our world works... for those with money, power, and agendas, but it is not going to create the world we need.  It is why morality is really the most important issue we face.

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I grew up in the areas around Hollywood, even lived by the tourist sites (stars in the sidewalks, Grauman's Chinese Theatre, etc.) for awhile (as a very poor single-parent family).  It is a dirty town... built on the destruction of so many lives.  The world sees money, fame, gossip, drama, fundraising...  but the hidden (maybe not so hidden, or maybe opportunely revealed) ravaged lives don't always make the media.

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I am losing all the heat of my anger now... this is an argument that has been repeated many times.  It doesn't lead anywhere (because I'm not in charge of the world  :-) -- but it is always hard for me to deal with.  I want the world to be a good place... a place that wants to do what is right... and I have discovered, as an adult, that it never will be. 

Now I am trying to understand how to survive these moral losses and find a place for myself and my dreams and my daily survival... to do what I can to change anything I can.

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I guess that is what we all do... survive the best we can. 

Some people are more willing to sacrifice their bodies, their integrity, their better goals in life, to build up their bank accounts.  Sleeping your way to the top has been around for a long time.  I have considered it another form of prostitution, but we won't talk about that today.

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I hope this post hasn't been too depressing for you.  We think our lives are protected from the harms that all these seemingly vague and impossible to change actions in our world, but we are not.  They will lead to our demise. 

I wonder who is behind all these hidden efforts.  I know that they are spiritually driven, that the Antichrist will be the eventual source, and Satan is behind the long-term war... but who is really pulling the strings right now.  I can't do anything to stop these huge events, but it would be nice to know.

If you find out, let me know.  :-)

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD help us to find our way through all the changes that we cannot do anything about.

( I guess the Serenity Prayer would be good here...)

11 December, 2017

Monday, 11 December 2017

Here we are again... a new week, and almost the end of 2017!

I re-discovered my PayPal.Me/WorkingTogetherInc account, so I posted it to my Membership Drive page.  I guess it could be uses for donations, so I put that as a suggestion, too.  Until I understand the PayPal.Me process, any submissions for membership ($100/per person/per year) will be considered PUBLIC and ONLINE (email) newsletter delivery.  My understanding of the PayPal.Me process is that you link to it and make your payment to that account (Working Together Inc) so I hope it is one method we will be able to use for many activities.

My desire for PayPal is to have the funds remain in the form of money it is paid in... to always have funds in each type of currency, for future transactions.  I'm not sure that is possible with PayPal, yet... but I am striving in those directions.  As we grow in other regions, the needs of WT will change, so will the way we process funds.

I'm working on what I want, but I don't really know what is possible, now or in the future.

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I had to think of how GOD deals with criminals today... again.

I realized that criminals don't really understand the consequences of their choices, so they don't really think about what GOD does when we sin.  I suppose people who choose to do wrong never plan on getting caught.

I was thinking about what it is going to be like as a Christian in America someday... maybe sooner than we expect.

I often wondered what it was like to be one of the Jews when they were oppressed... or one of the apostles as they increasingly felt the wrath of those in power (even in their church)... or women when men had all of the legal power.  History tells a lot of hard stories to think about.

Today I saw a news item online about a drive-by shooting that was gang-related, and the only one that died was a little girl who was watching TV... probably cartoons that early in the morning.  Nothing can change what has already happened, we can only try to change what might happen in the future.  I wonder if gang violence is beyond stopping now... it has gone on so long, grown, become more powerful, changed the way crime is done, destroyed everything that is connected to it. 

Maybe the persecution of Christians will be the same way...

I guess I am trying to decide how we can forgive those who hurt our lives for no real reason, maybe greed or power, but not because we have done anything to them.  Senseless pain.  Like the little girl who didn't do anything to be shot by a gang member.

I often think of Christ when He was on the cross and said to forgive those who killed him, because they really didn't know what they were doing.  Christ had to die, to fulfill prophecy, to make it so we can be saved, and that meant the people involved in killing an innocent person somehow had to do that.  Judas betrayed Him, the disciples fled, Pilate authorized His death even though he didn't have to...  some things are beyond changing, they have to happen to fulfill GOD's Word.

When bad things happen to us we wonder why GOD didn't stop them.  We think there is a magic shield around us (we sometimes call it a "hedge") and nothing is suppose to get through.  But it does.  People choose to sin and we suffer because of it.  Later on, after time has passed, and GOD has taken us to a new place in our lives, we can see the difference that the bad thing/s have made in our lives.  We can see the "good" that GOD has made out of them.

So, how do we forgive something that is still a fresh pain in our life?  I had overcome this one at a point in my life, but (today) I don't know if that is still true.  It requires a lot of trust in GOD to let the hurt and pain and destruction that someone else's sins can cause in our lives.  That 70 times 7 rule on forgiveness gets old when you are the one doing the forgiving... when you are waiting for GOD to do something about it... when it doesn't seem to go away.

I use to be able to read my Bible and talk to GOD about all these hard questions, but these days my Bible time struggles.  I can feel the damage it does to not be able to read and pray and think on the good things that are GOD.  Focusing on GOD is what keeps our attitudes going in the right directions.  It is what keeps pain in perspective.  It is what allows me to see past the pain I feel.  So, these days, I try to focus on GOD with my thoughts, my memories, my long relationship with Him.  It helps, but it isn't a solution.

When we are persecuted, it will hurt.  We don't know how much, yet, but it will hurt... our hearts, our lives, our humanity, our faith, our families, our jobs, our church, our everything.  People who persecute are not Christian.  Unsaved people do things that we would not. 

I don't know if it is forgiveness, but understanding that they are struggling to survive in their own world might help to get past that moment.  One day they may be saved, and changed, and look back on the sins they have done with deep regret.  They will suffer because of what they have done, just as we suffer for our sins.

I try to pray that they will.  If I think about GOD long enough, I can pray for them with meaning... I can find something to say to GOD about their future... I can begin to see beyond the hurt they have caused me.

I hope you are able to get past your painful times, too.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD help us all to see people in the spiritual realm... that we are different because we know GOD, and they are different because they don't know Him, or Christ, or the Holy Spirit.

May our world become as good as it can be.
May we love people with a goal of understanding them.
May we find a better future for ourselves.
May life become peaceful, filled with joy and contemplation.
May we always strive to honor GOD by trusting the things He teaches us in the Bible.
May we discover a path to the future that honors GOD.

Amen.

07 December, 2017

Thursday, 7 December 2017

Pearl Harbor happened today... many years ago.
I'm not good with history, but Georgene Rice, on Christian radio station KPDQ, always shares the history of days like today.  It seems we were surprised by a country that we didn't think would be able to attack us.  I remember she talked about one ship where only a few hundred of the over a thousand sailors were saved when they were attacked.  I remember she said that oil still seeps from one ship, and that the bodies of our soldiers are still down there.  I remember thinking we must have the ability to raise those ship or retrieve those bodies now.

Looking back we probably wouldn't see that kind of attack happen, but the world has changed since then.  Now we are attacked by computer... and we never see it coming.  I guess we need to remember that people who want to "win" will find a way to do it... or keep trying.

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It was a long day of recovering from my shopping excursion...  I will probably need tomorrow to get more "normal" as well as today.  This is my life right now.  When the situations change, so do the abilities we have to deal with them.  If I was driving a car I wouldn't have so much "exercise" when I shop... but, I probably couldn't afford to go anywhere if I owned a car, or might get killed while driving.  Life is filled with different choices and consequences for each of us.

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Today I had to do my accounting chores, too... try to find out where my budget is at, figure out who is left to buy Christmas for, etc.  I finished my online shopping, I think... Now I need to finish my crafted gifts.  :-) 

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Not much to share today... I didn't watch any TV... barely heard any radio... didn't read anything, except my browse through the paper I picked up when I went shopping.  I collect the articles I want to read then recycle the rest of the paper.  All of that needs to be done tomorrow.

I did watch the VHS tape I bought at the thrift store... Lady and the Tramp.  It was so great to watch again.  :-)  I love the way the old Disney cartoons capture the characters... they have real personalities that all get mixed together to make the movie.  My son and his wife have a terrier like Tramp, so now I can really see the breed defined in the cartoon.  It's just a dog until you discover there are real differences between the breeds of animals.

The rest of the day was daily living chores and resting.  Fun, huh!

Until next time, God willing,
Deborah Martin

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May the world be safe and secure and happy and loving and worthwhile for as many people and animals and good/honest businesses as possible.

May we all live within our means.

May we all find ways to survive together.

May those who are in a season of suffering and struggle find a blessing from GOD in their day.

Amen.

06 December, 2017

Wednesday, 6 December 2017

I finally took care of some shopping and errands today.
I am so tired, even after a nap earlier.
This MAY be short... but you know what happens when I get started!  :-)

I couldn't believe the news tonight... the photos of the California fires by Los Angeles, the general area I grew up in.  They said the winds would be fierce tonight... and continue through to the weekend.  I guess the only blessing is that the wind is blowing toward the ocean... well, I'm not sure, really... I just remember one of the reports said the fire went all the way to the ocean.

It was my favorite spot, the ocean.  They haven't shown a single map of the exact areas.  When I was a young driver, I use to drive all over the area trying to get lost... discovering places I never would have known existed... and never really getting lost.

The news stated that a very wealthy area was being destroyed.  That the Getty Museum is in danger.  It gets confusing when they say there are four separate fires in the same area.  I find it hard to figure out exactly where they are talking about.

I hurt for all the people who are suffering these losses.  Insurance may replace the buildings, but it can never replace memorabilia and things we never realized were so important to our life until they are gone.  I was telling my son this morning that you never get over the losses... you remember something you had, and then you remember it is gone.

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Now that my shopping is done, I can focus on my other activity plans... like getting Christmas done!  :-)

I finished my Christmas giving today... the stuff on my lists.  It feels great to have that done.  I always say that if I had a lot of money, I could shop all the way through Christmas Eve... this is my FAVORITE time of the year.

I have already watched IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE, WHITE CHRISTMAS, and MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET. Today I found a CD of Christmas music at the Salvation Army Sale.  I also found a VHS copy of LADY AND THE TRAMP !!!  It think it is the last one of the Disney animations I wanted to find.  I will watch it when I think I can stay awake that long!  haha  I hope the tape is good.  You never really know until you get it home and put it in the machine.

I actually bought a newer DVD at Walmart on Black Friday that won't work in my older machine.  Now I have to decide what to do about that.  I haven't had problems with any other DVD, so I have to assume it is a new way they are making them.  It was made in Mexico... do you think that is a problem?

I was looking for just the right size of appliances for myself today, and trying to figure out how much money I will need to eventually buy them.  I am checking on full size food processors, very small electric skillets, the small frig with a separate freezer section that I mentioned before, and some kind of SMALL slow cooker.  Later I need to buy a vacuum for myself. I am also searching for the perfect rug for my kitchen space.  I want to find new kitchen towels, but haven't decided on the two colors I want.  I like to get two colors so I can alternate them while using them.  It helps me to keep the old and new ones figured out.  :-)

I am still sorting through my belonging to purge the things I don't need to keep anymore... maybe because I found something better.  I am also sorting to create my crafting section of similar items from my kitchen/food use items.  It is getting really interesting.  All of this leads to storage issues.  I decided I am going to paint my crafting items to make sure they are separate and don't somehow get mixed into my food bowls and pans, etc.

As each space gets figured out, I begin to know what kind of furniture or storage shelving might work best for the long term... like my decision to get the 6-cube shelf.  Now I want to find a 2-cube shelf or some kind of crate system that can be rearranged when I want to make it different.  With only two windows, plant space is premium... also, being able to open the window for air circulation while I am doing some crafts is essential.  Once I get rid of the big fridge, I can move my work tables around to make more space for my bigger projects.

I am really so happy to be able to work on these issues.  I hope that GOD will bring me even more space and money in the future.

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Well, time to go for today.
I still have to do my December Membership Drive post.
It is easier to get this post written first.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD comfort those who are suffering in Los Angeles because of the fires.  The numbers seem to be in the thousands.  Only GOD can control the wind... I hope He has mercy on us all.

May Israel be safe.  May the media not incite violence with the way they report on the issues.  May the innocent not be caught in the middle of this conflict.  May we begin to realize that violence is not the way to solve our problems.

May GOD provide for me and WT and the future needs of His people... everywhere.
Amen.

05 December, 2017

Tuesday, 5 December 2017

Today was a kind of catch-up day... getting letters written and into the mailbox... to my sons in prison/jail, my mother, paying a bill and adding a letter to it, sending out two prayer requests... that was enough for one day. 

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I watched FORKS OVER KNIVES again... trying to really cement the info into my brain. (The animal protein that was tested and produced a link with cancer was in dairy form.)  I really want to buy copies of these documentaries, but I just can't afford to.

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Then a trailer for a documentary called SAVING CAPITALISM came on and I ended up watching it, too... I recognized the main character, but it must have been a long time ago that I watched it. The really sad part about documentaries like this is the constant political theme about the rich needing to support the poor by giving their wealth to the government...that people don't have a right to be extraordinarily wealthy because they use it to do harm to everyone else.  There are so many small concepts that get repeatedly stated until they seem to be a truth.  Money has a lot of problems in our societies, but the greater issue is the morality of our people... if someone is moral, they won't misuse their wealth or abuse people.  I tried to think of the reasons I didn't like this one, but the real problem is that its theme is more rhetoric to support the agenda of one political party.

We are a country in trouble, and there is no magic answer.  Human nature wants to "blame" someone - someone else! - so each side of a problem creates lists of things the other one should be doing differently.  The ordinary people have to deal with the results of this never-ending conflict of wills in government and business.

One example was a fast-food worker who said she brought home about $1200/month and then had to pay 900 dollars of that for her rent.  The real percentage of income for shelter (rent/mortgage and utilities) is 30%... so her rent should be no more than $360 a month... but the blame gets put on the corporation she works for because it is part of a big corporation... no mention is made that it is a franchise business, owned by a small person, and that even franchise operations from huge international corporations often struggle to get by. 

The worker was a cashier and assumed that the business made a lot of money because the cash drawer was full when she worked.  Her wages were stated to be 12.50 an hour, and at FT 40 hours a week with apx 4 weeks to a month her gross wages would be $2000.  So she pays taxes on her wages and her employer pays taxes on her wages.  Owners pay a lot of other expenses too...  all the cash in the sales drawer is not profit.  If you want to build a business, that also takes money.

At $12.50 an hour her wages were a lot higher than minimum wage.  In the film there was a segment showing a battle to get a higher minimum wage, up to $15/hour.  They won that battle in the film, but I don't remember if it was the same worker.

We have a lot of different problems in this economic issue... everyone is trying to survive, but sometimes it doesn't seem that way.  Another issue that was brought up was the overpayment of executive salaries.  This is a serious issue, but the responsible activists to change it are the shareholders of the companies... that is their job, their problem... that is why there are shareholder meetings, boards with members voted into the position of watching over the finances of the company, etc.  It isn't the government's job to regulate the wages of the businesses in America.

"Too big to fail" is a different issue... bailouts are another issue... and tax incentives are also another separate issue.  I was impressed by one comment shown about tax incentives for corporations, made by Bill Clinton... saying that companies have to make their decisions about salaries, but the government doesn't need to provide tax breaks to corporations just because they make bad decisions and overpay their executives.  I think the film was talking about the billions of dollars in tax incentives that corporations are given and also comparing some of the lower-waged worker salaries with the executive incentives that were allowed because of biased government legislation in their favor.

My solution to these issues, many of them, is to change the tax structure away from income.  I have shared about this before.  My idea is to get rid of all the taxes that exist, except ONE TAX that everyone pays :: a permanently limited sales tax that is shared by all three levels of the US government at 30% each, with the final 10% being allocated to international expenses.  What a change that would make in all of these controversies!  I think it would take a national action, like they did with the ERA, to make the government comply.  We all know that legislators won't reduce their money, their benefits, or their power unless they have to.  :-(

Pray I win the lottery!  :-)
I will get it started !!!

I have other ideas for government change, too...  but not here, not now...  check some of my other writings for them, or wait for the topics to come up again.  We know I will repeat them then.  :-)

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I was able to see a news program today... and was shocked to hear there is another huge fire in California, with lots of housing areas in jeopardy or already destroyed.  It is going to be a long week as the winds are still going to be fierce, spreading the flames for many more acres.  Nature doesn't play favorites... good people suffer in disasters.

The bigger issue is the added costs these disasters put on any budget... local, state, national.  There is no way to stop the costs, but if the money runs out, what will happen?

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I watch a business show as often as I can... it's called NBR (Nightly Business Report) on PBS.  They often share the value of money all over the world and it is based on the US Dollar ( I am pretty sure).  Our dollar doesn't have the value of a dollar anymore... it is steadily going down... it was about 92-94 cents the last times I watched.  I'm not sure how anyone figures these things out, but I know printing your own money whenever you think you need more, and operating on a debt basis, isn't fiscally sound.  When I discovered my Social Security payments are actually made like credit card charges, it changed my entire view of the soundness of the economy. 

I can see why the various governments are slowly changing their actions on many fronts because their finances are very strained.  I suspect that is why marijuana is becoming legal, and who knows what other detrimental decisions will be made because of the financial stresses within governments.  The long-term effects will one day become a greater burden than the immediate desire for increased tax incomes.

It is my hope and prayer that GOD will provide for Working Together and myself so I can create other options for the poor, and those who will soon become poor.  Social services depend on donations.  If there is no one to donate, what will we find when we are in desperate need.

Even big corporations depend on customers, people with enough money to purchase their products.  Stock wealth is just a current paper amount... it can change in one day... become worthless if there is an economic collapse.

I'm not sure how anyone can prepare for these things, but the housing bubble is just one recent example of how traditional responses are going to happen.  I kept saying that none of that had to happen -- the banks could have worked with the home owners, they didn't have to foreclose.  We need to find better ways to respond to things like that.  My issue is that I don't know how many of these decisions were forced by government regulations.

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See what happens when you watch documentaries!
Your world changes.
You become aware of things you don't normally think about.
They can force change in your life.

I stopped putting milk in my coffee today.
That is the first change I am making because of FORKS OVER KNIVES.

Watching SAVING CAPITALISM has renewed my financial quest to protect myself as best I can within my economic limite ations... building my 3-month food supply, saving an emergency fund, trying to be debt free, finding other ways to create income, and anything else I can accomplish.  It also makes me want to write more letters about changing the status quo.  I may go buy a lottery ticket, too -- hoping to win enough millions to start creating my own safety nets for the poor.

I better go for now.
I still have to make my post about WT's December Membership Drive.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May the GOD we know as Christians and Jews help us to be wise, to prepare for the future even as we trust Him for the details of the day, the possibilities of the future, and the souls of those we love.

May we all see the importance of morality on our world, how deeply it affects every area of our lives, and how different life is when evil reigns.  We can't force morality within others, we can only decide to honor it in ourselves.

May our lives be blessed by GOD so that we can provide for others.  Amen.

04 December, 2017

Monday, 4 December 2017

My... another week.
Where does the time go!?

I watched a documentary called FORKS OVER KNIVES this weekend.  It has impacted my thinking even more about food choices and diseases we all think are plagues of our time.  It was so interesting on many levels.  I hope you will watch it, too.  I found it on Netflix.

The main information for our time is how a plant-based diet ( veggies, fruits, whole grains, beans, nuts, seeds...) will reverse some of the diseases we have that cost a fortune in meds and kill a lot of us too early.  Heart disease, cholesterol, osteoporosis, diabetes, obesity, and I can't remember the rest... are all reversed with this eating choice.  It turns out that animal proteins (also in dairy and eggs) also have a dangerous element in them that causes cancer cells.  It turns out that your veins repair themselves with a healthy plant-based diet that eliminates these dangerous foods.  I always knew vegan/vegetarian was healthy, but never realized how it affects our health at this level.

This won't solve all our survival problems, but this film was really impressive with its data on the history of this cause-and-effect discovery. 

We do need protein, which we always think of meat as providing, and eggs, and cheese, and other similar foods, but it turns out that the level of protein found in a good rice (probably brown rice, etc.) is all you need.  This is why Asian people use to be so thin and healthy... they mostly ate rice and vegetable with a very small amount of meat for flavoring.  As healthy people all over the world adopt the commercial diet we now live on (fast food, lots more meat than we need, few fresh fruits and veggies, etc.) they become as sick as we get.

I really was impressed by the fact that erectile disfunction (think Viagra) is often the first sign your body gives that you have circulation problems (cholesterol, blocked veins, etc.)...  once you get healthy with the plant diet, that issue seems to go away naturally. 

So, guess who would be against this knowledge...  pharmaceutical companies, food industries that market meat/dairy/eggs/oil...  it is noteworthy that one of the main doctors cited grew up on a dairy farm.  It seems the powers that be in his educational connections have worked against this knowledge being shared properly... college funders rule the world, agribusiness rules the government... what are us small people to do!?

I love watching documentaries about food, pollution, and survival topics...  this is one you really must see.  If you get to the documentary section at Netflix, try to watch some of the others... like Food Inc, and Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead (something like that), and Super-size Me, and some of the others.  I don't have a list, but I wish I owned a copy of all the documentaries I like.  :-)

My search for recipes is just beginning... how do you have a salad without the usual dressings????  I'm trying to figure that out.

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I am struggling to make a post each day about the December Membership Drive for Working Together.  I don't have any PayPal links figured out yet, so I am posting my contact information at the end of each post now.  I'm hoping to figure out the issues I have associated with that problem soon.

I am sending prayer requests with each post, and sending requests to ministries I am in contact with.  I hope GOD will bless my efforts this time, so I can get things done, finally.  It's been a long wait... I feel like Abraham and Sarah waiting for the promised son.  I entered the Welfare system in 1975 (the starting catalyst for my ministry goals) and started Working Together in 1987.  There have been lots of problems along the way, and there still are.  GOD has to help me with them, so I keep praying.

Once I get these issues figured out I want to boost my posts and try to reach other Christians beyond my small current reach.  I only have December to get a response, or it will be a whole year to the next outreach.  These memberships are for 2018.  Every membership drive will be for the next year.  It is part of my faith strategy for the future of WT.

I am posting to my Working Together Facebook page, then re-posting to the other pages I know of that are Christian-related. I have problems posting right now, so I have to copy and paste, which is not the same as sharing a link.  It is another learning experience!  I hope to have this all figured out by the end of the month.

Right now I am living in Portland, but I need to relocate back to Eugene for WT... to find and establish ministry offices, etc.  This is another part of what I am trying to achieve... what I am praying for.

I hope you will share my posts with other Christians, even though I haven't yet updated my webpage.  There are still links to my other online efforts there.  The purpose of WT is still the same, and the goals of each program are still the same... The updates will be the payment links, and maybe a few small things.

http://work2gather.us

Pray for me and for WT... we all need what WT is trying to create for us.

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I guess I better go for today... I still have to do my WT post.  :-)

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

Working Together Inc
PO Box 828
Eugene  OR  97440
United States

office@work2gather.us
541.344.5248

Let me know what you think...

30 November, 2017

Thursday, 30 November 2017

Wow... I have just developed a terrible headache and taken four aspirins... my dose for a big headache... and I want to get to bed.  I will write this the best I can.

I think it was filling out my government application for Medicare help that gave me the headache!  Fifteen pages of checking up on me and making sure I don't make any money, or telling me they can put me in jail for lying, or both.  Turning 65 has been quite an eye-opener.  The government has all the details on my existence, but they keep adding to the process (which costs a lot more money!).

One of the things they put on senior citizen paperwork now is that they will attach your estate for any costs you incur.  I decided to request a finanancial accounting of what that amount would be, and what it would be for.  If I win the lottery they will be looking for it, too.  I am just wondering what they intend to charge for.

Dealing with the government means there is probably no one in charge of that amount.  I wonder what I will get in response, if I get a response.

They ask if I have a will in place, too.  I haven't had an official will created, even though I have written them in draft form over the years.  I never really had anything that I would consider valuable in their eyes... now I am thinking of making sure everything is taken care of.

The government offers help for when you are losing your shelter... but I have never found help for the legal needs of starting a business, at home or otherwise, or legal help for matters like wills and trusts, etc.  I think you can find volunteers to help you with your tax returns.  Some colleges have legal clinics, but they are not usually for these kinds of things (I forget what the last one I checked on was offering.)

So, I will have to get all my writing done, save my money, and then hope one hour will take care of making sure it is legally correct... or whatever it may need to be. 

Business advice from legal standpoints has also been beyond my budget.  (And accountants.)

Finding a lawyer is also a challenge... my son's got in trouble and were appointed lawyers by the court to cover their legal duties... finding a good lawyer for things like this (business and death) is like closing your eyes and pointing to an address in the phone book (old school).  I suppose they have random options with a computer now.

...one of these days...  maybe I will find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.  :-)

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I am working on my budget, kind of.  I have to figure out how to do December.

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I am praying for the actions of the GOD I believe in... on my behalf.
I hope He will do something good... soon.

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Well, you see how bad my attitude gets with headaches... I will try to add something tomorrow...

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May the one true GOD help us to become a better world, where everyone can decide for themselves what they want to believe and not be attacked, maimed, killed, or imprisoned because they don't agree with the ruling government/power. 
May children not be married to people they don't know or love.
May parents do what is right for their children.
May our differences be respected by each of us, and battled in conversations, not with guns and violence.
May GOD help us.
Amen.

(I watched a news report some little poor girls in Bangladesh who discovered surfing and it was becoming a religious tragedy because of the Muslim influence in the area...  force is never GOD's way, it is the mistaken choice of men... of tyrants.  I fear for the innocent who suffer because of these changing times.)

29 November, 2017

Wednesday, 29 November 2017

Finally, I get to sit down... well, I did watch part of a movie earlier... after some news.  I have been changing things around my room again... did four loads of laundry, including bedding and towels... let's see, what else... mostly just moving a lot of things around to have better access to my supplies and get everything into the best place. 

In the process of moving things today, I decided I am going to try to choose the most important stuff I have and then downsize my possessions to fit better in this small space.  When I shop at the thrift stores, I grab things I like, and then get too much.  I have to separate the kitchen stuff from the crafting supplies.  Somehow, I have to mark the crafting supplies to make sure I don't use them for food again.  I will be using stuff that is not good for eating... plaster, glues, etc.  I have an engraver, that might help.  I use a hole punch for my silicone molds that are for crafts only.

I have also been thinking about going through my food supplies at the end of every year to donate the stuff that is closest to expiring to the missions, then I can replace it for the next year's supplies.  I think that will help me deal with the stuff I want on hand and don't always use up fast enough... and, it will help with the FIFO (first in first out) problems I always have because I don't watch the labels.  Sound like a good idea?  I think so... at least, for me.

If you follow my Facebook page, you will know I changed my little Christmas tree decoration.  I put some Christmas wrapping paper as a background, more festive, because I changed the garland.  I wound up cutting my garland into three sections... one for the tree, one for the background, and one to hang by the neighboring window and make it more garland in that spot.

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I really like my 6-cube shelf.  It is becoming a great organizing space.

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Once I get through all my boxes of paperwork/records, there will be more space in my room.  It is a S.L.O.W process, and I wish I had more options, but this is where I am and this is what I have to deal with.

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My thoughts are about Christmas presents...and about how GOD is working in the world.  What is there I can do within my small abilities... why doesn't GOD provide for the tasks He has put in my heart to do... how will I be able to accomplish anything in my current situation... it's a constant thought.  I wish I understood more about the path GOD has me on, past/present/future.

I am trying to figure out how to update webpage for my December Membership Drive.  I have to get that done tomorrow or the next day.  I am here in Portland, but my business address and plans are in Eugene.  It has been such a huge problem these years since I moved here.  I know GOD always has a purpose for things, but it has been hard for me to understand what that could be.

I hope to finally build a member base to start building all the resources in my plans for Working Together.  Poverty is a real challenge... it doesn't allow any kind of stretching into financial issues.

I always think it was the lack of start-up funding, and the inability to build a start-up financial base through sales.  These are the points where I wonder why GOD didn't provide.  Even the thought of crowd-funding was impossible as I would become homeless with every failed effort.

These must be thoughts of concern... thinking of my past efforts, the issues that have been part of my life, and the lack of visible help from GOD... the church... and others.  I guess my main focus has been to try, do the best I could, and leave the rest to GOD.  I end up saying that I will find out in heaven what my efforts created.  These are the time I cling to all the stories about people who died not seeing the promises of GOD... like Abraham... maybe others... I can't think of them right now.

I wish I had more faith... I only know how to deal with what I have today.  I guess I have always been a budgeting person... fighting to make it all fit into the budget... trying to cover the needs.  I figure there will be a lot of these things as the end gets nearer.

It has always been one of my goals to keep depending on GOD each year for the provisions we would need... but I wasn't sure how to structure that.  I have tentative plans, and will keep looking for better options.  Membership is the main criteria...and CORD.  These will limit our financial actions.  Members will pay the yearly fee, and we will use that to build resources.  Each year's members will be the ones who can access our efforts, our services, our benefits, our resources, at different levels. 

The public will have access to different benefits/products.

I have it all planned... pretty much.  I just need to get it started...  :-)   I think it will grow into whatever GOD has planned.  When the time comes for the Antichrist to kill us, we will be with each other and be able to face it together.

GOD willing, I will live long enough to get it going.

Time to go.
I hope you will become one of our members... especially if you are a Christian.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD bless this new effort to build Working Together.
May I have the provisions I need, at a personal and work level, to do the tasks I need to do.
May there be a way to reach the place/s I need to be.
May we find enough members this December to start all the programs that are planned, and then create more in every region.
May Working Together be blessed in the world, reach Christians, bring us together, help us to grow into ONE BODY, and become the resource we all need as time passes.
May our enemies be thwarted.
May our goals be reached.
May our world become better because of us.
May time be our friend.
May life be protected, and disagreements be talked out, and differences be respected.
May GOD help me soon, now, this year, and always.
May I always be able to separate my life from the life of Working Together.
Amen.

28 November, 2017

Tuesday, 28 November 2017

The weather is very wet outside today... not much in the way of dry spots.  The kitty (cat) that lives here has been feeling bad since yesterday.  Not eating. Not moving around well.  Was throwing up yesterday, but today it just moans loudly, lays still (sitting in the rain for hours in the same spot!), and now is resting under my bed... I hope she is feeling better there.  I couldn't stand her just sitting in the rainy spot looking like she was in pain, so I brought her back in two or three times.  I'm keeping her in for now.  I tried feeding her the cat treats, which she loves, but she wouldn't have anything to do with them.

I got suddenly ill yesterday myself... thought I ate some bad food.  So far today, the food item I suspected hasn't made me ill again... so, I don't know what it was.  When I had my second son I discovered what bad dairy can do to you... in an instant!  It is not fun.  I have read that changing to a high-fiber diet suddenly can cause problems with your bowels, too.   I'm trying to get my diet under control now... planning my meals to get the food an old body like mine can take.  Becoming a senior citizen also changes your body's ability to process food.

We think we can do what we want to our bodies and they will still treat us well.  It's not true.  Our lifestyles, our food choices, the food that we are being provided (GMO's, etc.), they all contribute to our health or illnesses.  I suppose exercise and clean air should be in there somewhere... and clean water.

I happened to catch the end of an update report about Flint, Michigan, and their water systems.  The part I remember, and have saved in my memories, is the woman at the end who stated that the poor were not considered worthy of the government's concern, so they were left uninformed about the lead dangers for over a year (I think that was the time mentioned).  The poor, the elderly, the kids who have no one... these are the victims of so many government tragedies.  The Bible tells us that the rich will mistreat the poor... it seems to be in the nature of humanity without GOD.  Sometimes Christians hurt others when money is concerned, but not as often as those without GOD.

The local water system is beginning to have problems with pollution... germs, poisons, something that doesn't belong in it.  The call it Bull Run here, but it is a river that once ran clear.  Maybe it was the poisons that come from animal feces (poop)... I'm not sure.  You really can't control everything.  Once a water source is compromised, it is a "poisoned well" and will not be able to be "pristine" again.  Out water treatment plants (everywhere) are having lots of problems with the things that we get rid of... from makeup sources, medicines, trash...  I think fracking is going to be a huge problem one of these days...  we have no idea where all the water table go... if they all come from one deep source, etc. 

I have developed my own mantra about survival on planet earth... air, water, food... these are the three things we REQUIRE just to stay alive.  I read something about how long you can survive without them... you can see their importance by the order I put them in.  Pollution is more than a government issue, it is a survival issue... and it includes our oceans (water and food sources), and rivers.  Oregon has laws that say the water sources all belong to the government.  I have been trying to figure out how that will work out in a survival catastrophe. 

Hiking people have some great water purifiers for backpackers... I have wanted to try them but I can't afford them.  Someday, if I get them and try them out, I will probably blog on them, or maybe do a video by then!  :-)

I can see my senior years online...  even when I am fully homebound... even bedridden.  God willing, I will be active until He calls me home.

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Yesterday I finally was able to buy a 6-cube shelf unit for my crafting supplies/organization.  I put it together and am in the process of deciding what to store in the cubes... each approximately one foot by one foot.  The dollar store has some cloth baskets, so I will be checking to see if they will fit.  It will add some storage options to the top shelf, too.  The middle cubes are hard to get to, so they have to hold things I won't need all the time... not sure what that could be.  I am glad to have the shelf, it changes the entire work table.

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My poor little wreath still doesn't smell like a forest, so it will be going to the yard debris pile and I will be looking for an evergreen tree that has a Christmas tree smell!  It is quite an awakening to find that every tree that looks like a Christmas tree doesn't smell like a Christmas tree!  :-)  Now I know how I want to construct the next one, so it will look much better.  I am trying to decide on the decorations I want after I get the wreath put together.

I'm turning 65 and this is my first wreath... there's always room to grow, right!  :-)  hahahahaha

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No word from Jeff Bezos...  yet.  :-)

I haven't checked anything today either... no email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.  I tried to earlier, but the reception seems to be fickled here.  It's going to take me hours to go through my emails... yuk!

I also never got to the local county offices about the low-income housing issue.

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Well... have to get going... lots to get done still.
I do hope your days are going well, and that your Christmas is beginning to make you smile.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May the GOD of all that exists bless some of us with its bounty, help us to share it with the needy, and make us all better people.
May our hearts be filled with goodness, kindness, joy, love, happiness, fun, patience, and time for those we love.
May our wallets survive the holidays.  :-)
May we find one good, achievable, goal for 2018.
May our life never stop becoming more than we are today.
May we meet in heaven one day.
Amen.

27 November, 2017

Monday, 27 November 2017

Since I am at this device, I may as well get this done!  :-)

I was listening to NBR and they had a segment on Jeff Bezos (Amazon) becoming a very rich man in his stock ownership. In the report they stated he has no philanthropic goals, foundation, etc.  Then they mentioned a tweet (@JeffBezos) from last June asking for ideas.  When I got there, I realized it was an impossible task... good ideas take lots of words, but who has time to read them all!  :-)  I added a link to my webpage, which I am in the process of updating but still has links to all my commenting places  :-)  -- and then shared that housing ownership is the greatest need for the poor and homeless everywhere.  There weren't many tweets there, but it did have the blue checkmark.  Hope that it gets read, but it is also attached to my @FixingAmerica Twitter account.  :-)  Who knows... It's almost December....  It was interesting to see "0" following on the account.  :-)

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Friday was a day of shopping for me... after I mailed all my Christmas cards for this year.

I stayed home Saturday and Sunday. 

I forgot about Cyber Monday. 

I don't have much money to spend anyway.  I'm trying to save what I have left and rebuild my emergency fund, which got spent on lots of things...   I think I have all gifts done, including myself, but there are still some household items on my wish list to make it better here.

Been working on my crafting projects.  If I start making jewelry to sell, I will be wearing more of it... I can tell that already!  I discovered my pierced ears were nearly closed from lack of earrings being worn, so now I have a pair of crafting earrings in them to keep them open.  I was wearing a gift pair from last Christmas, but it was too much for my ears... not hypo-allergenic wires and my ears were sore wearing them... maybe needing time to recover from getting "pierced" again.  :-) 

I'm working on bracelet ideas, too.  I can see how one change is going to lead to another!  I may actually have to buy some NEW clothes one of these days... decent stuff (non-jeans  :-) , maybe even a dress!  What is the world coming to!

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Today I made my first effort at creating a small evergreen wreath for the door on my room.  It doesn't smell like an evergreen, so I may have to find better branches.  If I can, I will try to add a photo after I am done with this.  It is still such a problem, one I didn't have when I use to use a real computer.  We will keep working on this issue until we find the answer!  :-)

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I'm trying to find my recipe for making your own dog biscuits/bones so I can get that done.  I already bought the dogs some store treats, but I hope to make some from scratch to give them too. 

I'm also working on a gift for the wild birds, one I hope to sell in the future.  Maybe come chicken treats, too.

The kitty that lives here is not feeling well so I hope she gets better.  I think she will get a catnip toy.

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I am working through all the fudge I made without nuts... it is enough for my chocolate cravings.  I ration them out, but I am also working on my next sugar creation/s. 

My diet has suffered enormously.  (so sad)

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I want to send my housing ideas to the local government that is selling their low-income properties... I think to finance new government offices.  It really is a dilemma for everyone... as the government struggles to survive, it sacrifices things it shouldn't... like using the funds meant to finance Social Security and now the system is facing bankruptcy and is paid through debt financing.

The people who are in those units depend on that housing to survive... just to make it through each month because their incomes are so low.  The entire city, the Portland Metro Area, is battling gentrification issues, as are many other places, so there is no other neighborhood for them to move to.

It really is a sad system... not very well thought out. 

From the local papers, I read that Clackamas County was the first to operate low-income housing on government-owned land.  Because the housing is old, I am assuming they don't want to replace it.  The need for money to build new county offices makes it convenient to sell now.  The government will offer "opportunities" to help them find other housing (like Section 8 vouchers), but they generally are worthless because there is little to no decent housing that qualifies and/or provides the schools, transportation, and shopping options that low-income families need. 

I am making generalizations, yes, but this is what I have seen the government do... the programs they create often look good on paper but don't work good in real life.

I already went through my "shock" stage from discovering all these things in the middle of my needs... it's hard to find solutions within the government's boundaries... but some things only the government can do, like my suggestions for prison reforms.

Enough... I hope I am not too late to comment on their plan to sell the land.  I just kept putting it off because it is such a hard topic for me.  I am still just one foot away from living on the street, again... but I pray every day for GOD to provide a better future for me (and WT).

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I guess I will go now... I have sufficiently depressed myself out of words.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May God be kind to all who are suffering, and provide for their individual needs.
May we find a way to change the status quo of government life, and make it more self-sufficient with a lower tax need.
May we give this year to as many as we can.
May our lives see more than us, more than what we get, more than what we want, more than what we have, more than dollar signs.
May our country become debt free, and find leaders that will keep it that way.
May we preserve all that is good about America and change what is wrong with it...for the better.
May the joy of Christmas be welcomed, and remembered.
May our people choose good over evil, right over wrong, life over death, and compassion over fear.
Amen.

23 November, 2017

Thanksgiving Day, Thursday, 23 NOV 2017

It would be easy to forget today's post... but here I am.  :-)

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I hope everyone had a nice day, had enough to eat, and is happy.  I saw quite a lot of posts on Facebook with great photos for Thanksgiving reminders.  I save the ones I want to look at later on and remind myself of their message.  There were several mission posts about feeding people who don't have homes, or don't cook, or can't afford to make a holiday meal.  Next year I may try to volunteer as a server... it depends on my situation at the time.  Travel can be a problem for me.

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I finished my Christmas cards for this year. Will try to mail them tomorrow as I look for my Black Friday deal/s.  This is really early for me... but I wanted to get it done.  With my increase in crafting there is less time for doing my cards, and money goes away so fast.  I want to make sure I have enough money for the postage.

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Today I was busy making more of my craft projects.  My big one was trying a friendship bracelet with little sparkly things.  It was really a great feeling to see it becoming a nice bracelet.  I can't finish it until I find my beading needles... or buy some more until I do.  I am already thinking of other designs to try.  It's my first friendship-type bracelet, with cord and beads.  The instructions I do have are very nominal, so I have to find out more information about the finishing steps.  The start is easy, the finish is unknown.  I am making up my own versions as I work.

My California background, and 60's teen years, have me stuck in some of the hippie designs when I bead, etc.  I don't know where I will sell these things, but they are easier for me to make with recycled supplies.  Now that I am getting better supplies, I can try new designs.  It is beginning to feel like there is a future for my efforts.

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I needed to rework my Christmas tree and decorations, so I finished that today.  I will try to post my photo of it.  It became quite a fun time for me... trying to figure out what I could use, make, do with the supplies I had.  I designed my own decoration hooks, sorted through the old type bulbs I had that were small, and then wound up using some gold and red jingle bells for my tree bulbs.  In the process of making jingle bell decorations, I made a little cat toy to see if it would be fun for the (older) cat that lives here.  I have some catnip to work into a Christmas gift for her, too.  :-)  Once I find a good design, I will make more to sell online.

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I am making as many things as I can with a mix of recycled and new supplies.  This makes it easier to create workable designs... and I love the challenge.  In this arena I hope to design some kits to sell online.

I keep saying I will be OK if I just live long enough!!!  :-)

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I entered some of my Thankfulness at posts on Facebook, but I would like to end with something here.

I am thankful for my life... for my children... for my salvation... for my hope and faith and love and joy... for being an American... for meaning in my life... for dreams and goals... for being able to read... for my education... for food and shelter... for being relatively healthy... for the person GOD has made me.

I hope you have many things you are thankful for...

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD be with all those who are alone today, and anyone that is hurting in any way... May He comfort their hearts and bless their lives in some way to draw them to Himself.

May we all share our bounty with those who have little, and be cared for in our needs by those who have been blessed.

May our lives become worthy of our blessings.
Amen.

22 November, 2017

Wednesday, 22 November 2017

I guess shopping and Christmas and sleep/rest took precedence over my blog... I totally forgot to get it done before I collapsed into bed, putting it off until later... and later turned into tomorrow.  I hope it didn't matter to anyone.  This is still a work-in-progress, so these things happen.

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This morning I found a goal planner from the C12 Group, a Christian business support group.  It was a 28-page download and I actually PRINTED it off... using a lot of precious ink for the machine I use and supply... but I hope it will be worth it.

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I woke in the early (wee hours) of today and decided to work on my Christmas gifts, packaging, cards, and planning.  I am also working on some packaging ideas for future products.  It is getting interesting.  I will try to post at least one of the photos I have been taking, but I have to do that after I publish this post.  Such a pain...

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When the holidays get here, I begin to think about my life again...  how I got to now, where I wish I would have been, and where I want to go in the future.  I think the end of each year is a mixed blessing -- mostly because it is filled with lots of memories that are not always good.  They have their use in how we go forward, but they still have lots of emotions attached to them.  I call it my end-of-the-year review.  It goes along with goal planning for the next year.

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I get reminders on Facebook about my plans for a December Membership Drive for Working Together.  The need to update those webpages and insert the payment links still is on my to-do list... but I don't have a real computer yet.  I will be trying to find a way to get those things done, or finding an alternative.  Keep in touch and make sure you join WT so we can start building the resources that will be needed.

Every day I see how desperate the world is becoming for the Christian populations and I wish I was already farther into my plans for WT.  I wonder how much I will be able to accomplish.  I wonder why GOD hasn't provided the funds needed.  I think about all the ministries and churches and schools and groups that will increasingly need financial help, volunteers, and other resources... and I think about the limits each of us has in providing them.

May this be the year that GOD opens up the fountains of provision and helps us to gather together to support each other through the increasing persecutions the Bible tells us are coming.

Have to go...
In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May GOD hear my prayers and provide for His people through WT.  Amen.