FAITH :: Thinking about how GOD works in our lives...

It has been a long week.  I just finished watching a PBS documentary under the Ken Burns title about "COLLEGE BEHIND BARS."  I cried a lot.  It takes you back into places you never planned to go.

I have been busy sorting through what remains of my life, papers, photos, dreams... prison records for my sons, writings I still have about the struggles, memories.  It never goes away, it just gets put away for other things that have to get done to survive today. 

In our search for GOD in the middle of our pain, it isn't always easy to find Him.

I'm still looking.

All these tears are catching up with me.

I will return...

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

FAITH :: Still working on 2021, finding great old papers I saved, and sharing a wonderful quote I found...

 I have been going through so many of my saved papers and finding things that really are great to review again.  I will be busy with that this weekend -- reading and then deciding what to do with them.

I found a really nice QUOTE on one of the pages and wanted to share it here... I don't have the full article, or a date when I found it, just the page it was on.  

This quote is attributed to PAUL TRIPP ::

"Every day we lay little bricks on the foundation of what our life will be.... The bricks of words said, the bricks of actions taken, the bricks of little decisions, the bricks of little thoughts, and the bricks of small-moment desires."

I think I would like to add the small paragraph that follows it, and ends the goal-related article.

"Over time, as we add layer upon layer of these so-called little things, we reach our goals.  It's the little things, done with intention, that create a form of ourselves often unrecognizable as the person we used to be."

Isn't that an amazing pair of thoughts...  it's bricks make us think of building a house, a place to live, a design we create.

This is what Christ does for us when we accept the gift of salvation and let Him lead us to a place where all our sins, the harm they have done, are changed into good results.  This doesn't change the harm, but it does find a way to redeem our bad choices.  We build a new future and become a new person..."unrecognizable as the person we used to be."

Praise GOD for the opportunity to become that new person.

On my planning activities for 2021... still working on them.  Finding good ideas in all the pages I keep finding... looking for a plan that will work for me... praying for GOD's help.

I don't know what the final goals will be, but I have a direction to move in... PATREON, then selling options like ETSY and EBAY, then Social Media selling, and whatever comes after that.  I am working on my budget restrictions, on what I can afford to add to my tools and supplies, and other connected details to sell online.  It is a long process with restricted budgets, but I keep going in the directions I know I need to go and hope for GOD's help. 

It keeps me busy in my "old age."  :-)   That is a real blessing.  I hope I can continue until the day GOD calls me home.

I may start posting here more, like I did in the past, as my connection to all things about GOD, Faith, and what they mean to us.  I have to have some PUBLIC posting spaces, and then I will work on linking my readers to the selling spaces I am building.  I don't want to do a lot of PUBLIC posts at PATREON... it seems like it will defeat the purpose of joining.  That is one of my searching issues for 2021... HOW to organize my online sites.  What a huge job!

Until next time,

Deborah Martin

https://etsy.com/shop/work2gather

https://patreon.com/DebsRetirementPlan

I will be needing a new post like this for 2021, too.   :-)

FAITH :: Feeling the need for greater Faith... :-)

It's a long day.  I want to get back to bed after sleeping more than normal.  So tired.  Because I get awakened in the night and can't seem to get back to sleep.  How to get back to a better schedule.  BIG question.

Being tired affects every area of our lives.

It's hard to do much when you are tired.

I think I will stop here and let the call of my body rule.  :-)  Sleep.... so wonderful.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

FAITH :: Thinking about what matters...

This has been a different kind of year.

In starting a PRAYER Journal for my kids and others, I began to see things differently.  I added old friends, and included some famous people I have prayed for over many years, and then decided to add ministries to my list.  I prayed for our nation and the election we faced.

The Internet has become a soft porn space, growing toward hard core porn.  I don't watch much TV anymore, but the ads I see when I'm online tell me it isn't a nice space.  I have tried to find some way to eliminate that problem from my life, my internet, my house, my work, but there isn't one that I can find, yet.  

I have to think it's organized crime hidden behind corporations, or the evidence of no GOD in our public spaces... or both.  This matters to Christians and their families.  I assume its a negative application of algorithms, purposeful, violating opposing opinions.  How it exists is beyond me.  I figure it is prophecy becoming reality.

I have spent a lot of time trying to understand the lives of the wealthy, the famous, the "leaders" of our world.  What does it mean to find happiness for them... real happiness.

I was going to title something I wanted to write about this topic "The Blessings of Being a Nobody."  We don't have to worry about being photographed with "casual clothes" and "bad hair days."  I live in my socks most of the time.  I have taken to wearing a hoody sweatshirt so I can pull the hood up when I go outside with messy hair.  :-)  The pressure reaches us all at some level, I suppose. 

I suppose our popular preachers face the same pressures as the public famous.

Since many years ago I assumed I would become wealthy in order to operate Working Together, but that hasn't happened.  I prayed for so many years about the topic of money and the organization of any ministry I might create.  When GOD did not provide the funds I expected, I searched for answers about the why.  

I don't know why.

I have come to believe that GOD has His own reasons for the issue.

I have felt the wars going on in my life over spiritual matters, I just didn't have the ability to fight against them.  I trusted GOD for each day.

I look at the "images" we admire.  I try to find a matching moment in the Bible.  I wonder who will be the ones that Jesus never knew.  They are people who think they are doing all kinds of good things for GOD, for Jesus, for the faith of others.  But they don't make it into heaven.

Finding REAL people of faith in this world is more of a challenge than I ever thought it would be.

Before the LEFT BEHIND series appeared, the only "rapture" was the one at the end of our world's existence.  The Antichrist was the one to fear.  Now we have a world of Christians who are expecting to get out of standing for their faith, dying for their faith, believing in what others tell them without searching for their own answers in the Bible.  

I don't understand the reasons why some are lifted up and others are not.  

TRUTH seems to always be thwarted, hidden, covertly changed, misinterpreted....  What does it mean in our lifetime?  Who do we trust?  Where do we find answers?  With so much technology and the increasing dependence on the Internet, will we really know if what is there is the Truth?

I know what Hollywood does.  I didn't think they would have the same effect in the church, but it seems they do.  We produce our ministries like Hollywood produces a movie, advertisement, freebies to entice us into giving - even when they border on being idolatry. It's really a scary thing when you take the time to think about it.

In my looking more deeply at the lost in our public spaces, there is so much pain.  I don't know what they turn to in their despair.  I have GOD.  I have the deepness of my faith.  I have hope for my tomorrow.  I have faith that there is a purpose to all that happens.  I know the pain of today will help others tomorrow.  I don't see that kind of perspective in the lives of those we see in our news, movies, government, schools, and every other public influence.  How do they cope?  What is the basis for their decisions?  What do they value?

They seem to have more power than those who love GOD, are saved by Jesus Christ, and seek to make the world and the lives of others better.  This is talked about in the Bible, but seeing it in our lives is different.  

The big word is "seem" - like Satan's ongoing battle for supremacy.  Though He doesn't continually make an example of evil activities, GOD has the power to stop them.  My thoughts have led me to believe that the issue of "free will" is the reason.  It suddenly made sense to me when I was writing a statement about Herod.  GOD didn't stop Herod from killing all those innocent babies, but he warned Joseph to flee in order to save the baby Jesus.

GOD's interventions are always as small as they need to be, and work to preserve His Will and/or the lives of important people in the process of faith and history.  Search the Bible and think about how GOD actually moves in our world.  It changes the way you see everything.

So... What matters in our lives?  Faith in the GOD of the Bible.

When we don't have this foundation, life is miserable.  We ache and there is no one to help us.  We look for answers and cannot find them.  We struggle to find meaning in all that exists.  We vainly search for love and truth and hope and happiness.

Those famous people are willing to give up everything in their lives for money, fame, and the lives they are accustomed to.

Their children don't know any different.

How will GOD judge their souls?  I don't know.  

Do they know about Jesus?  I don't know.

They have until they die to find Him.  

We can pray for them, but who will reach them for salvation?

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

FAITH :: Thinking more about the future, making plans for 2021

It's Friday... I'm running late and justifying my post for the start of Sabbath time.  I really haven't quite decided ALL of the boundaries of a Sabbath, so I write letters, write posts, and do things I am wondering about.  No one can just sit and do nothing.  And this is my circumstance right now.  Someday I hope to get better at doing Sabbaths GOD's way... whatever that is.

I finally made my Thanksgiving egg rolls - out of pulsed veggies and thick bean soup I made this week.  I also made bean "dip" out of the other beans I had on hand, for the extra "chips" I made using the last of the wontons.  The egg rolls turned out pretty good.  I fried them as raw bits of veggie, including some rutabaga, and they actually cooked enough.  Add BRAGGS soy sauce and it was a great idea.  I have some frozen now, for later.  :-)

I decided to not go food shopping, so that means using up what I have.  I made soup with a bunch of the frozen veggies I had from earlier shopping... a way to keep it longer and have it available later in the month.  I am trying to see what options I have with my own frozen veggies.  When I buy them in the market, I figure they will last as long as needed.  I don't prep like a commercial business, so I am learning what I can do.

It's time to make the shopping list/s for December.  I have been noticing what went down in quantity and needs to be restocked.  I have been trying to decide how much I need of everything.  I'm hoping to get my back-up pantry to a reasonable place in January, for the 2021 year.  I can't do a whole year yet, but I am trying to get as much ahead as I can.

With CHRISTMAS part of the December to-do, I hope to get as much as I can done the first week of the month.  Mailing, ordering, Christmas cards, decisions about what to give.  I gather all kinds of things and then see what my mailing budget is... sometimes there isn't enough to send what I would like to send, so the choices have to be changed.

I don't get replies from anything these days... online, emails, USPS, etc.  It is a prayer issue for me.  I trust GOD "for the end of this story," so I just do my part and wait to see what happens.  It's a learning experience for my perspectives about GOD... and people. It shows me the problems of internet control. And unsaved people who want to rule the world.  

We assume everything is honest, legitimate, trustworthy, real, private... but, it isn't always the case.  We see how people with no morals put cameras in rentals. The black market grows without our knowledge or permission.  I don't know what that will mean to our future, but we know it isn't going to be good.  Think: It's a Wonderful Life without the good.

America is becoming one of those dark places.

BUT...

This weekend is the end of the month and so many things need to be done yet.  I am still praying about WT and what to do.  I made some decisions about cancelling emails that aren't essential, but I also am going to try a suggestion I found somewhere that says to have a separate email address for all these sign-up options.  That seems pretty wise, and will keep the spam out of the necessary emails.

Monday will have to be the day of decision for me and WT.  :-)  One person can only do so much, especially without the funds to make changes.  I always say that we can only do our best... the rest is in GOD's Hands.

I may see you again on Saturday, Sunday, Monday, or...   I need to find a public, Christian, space and this seems to be the best option for me.  It's one of the decisions I am working on.

Patreon.

Etsy.

Twitter.

Faith blog.

That seems to be the focus so far.

WT is meant to hand off to GOD's choice for it.  I just wanted to have more done before that happened.  We can't change the past, only the future.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

and more...

FAITH :: Happy Thanksgiving. Why are we thankful?

Welcome to today.

Thankfulness... it's a big topic.

We have to deal with it every year about this time.  And, I suppose that is a good thing. We take all the good things in our lives for granted... assuming WE have made them happen, deserve them, and/or will always enjoy them.

I remember being a kid and deciding what my life would become.  It didn't turn out that way.  Looking back now, I see the effects of all the hard times, the lessons learned, the changes in me, and I can be thankful for them.  Once in awhile, I think about all the other paths that could have happened.  I wonder what I would have become if life had been the way I thought it would be.  What would I care about if there had been no suffering that made me aware of hurt people all around me.

I am getting old now.  I am thankful just to be alive still.  I am thankful for the health I still have.  I am thankful for what might still be in my future.

I have been looking more deeply into the lives of people we seem to think are worth following just because they have wealth, or because they are celebrities, or because they are in the news often.  I wonder what I would be if I had their lives... without GOD.  I don't think I would want to be them.  The money would be useful, but the things they do to get that money are not something I would want to do.  Would I be able to keep my faith in their world.  From what I can see, they seem to trade their eternity for the money that fame brings them.  I don't think it is worth the trade.  Maybe it is a good things I didn't become a billionaire.

I can't tell you how many times I am thankful for my salvation. I wish I had become more devoted to the things of GOD earlier in my life.  I wouldn't have the hard memories I have to carry with me until I die.  

I don't think anyone's life is trouble-free.  The things in my life are mine.  Your hard times are yours.  We all have to find the way through today to tomorrow.  Sometimes we don't choose the right path... but we find a way to recover and look for a better road.

Today I am thankful for what is my current reality and pray for a better one soon.  I believe there will be a better tomorrow.  GOD tells us He makes purpose in all things.  I don't know where today will lead, GOD does. 

Suffering is the biggest problem with our FAITH in GOD.

We think His love means no suffering.

Then we discover how much good suffering can bring into our lives... things and people and memories we never expected could happen. 

If you are in a hard place today, just keep going forward and look for what I call the "hidden secrets in suffering."  They are there.  You have to really look for them.  When you find them you will never be the same person again.

This is why, I think, GOD tells us that we need to be thankful in every circumstance, and it is part of His Will for us.

We are being shown those secrets others can't see, will never find, and don't even know exist.  We will become closer to GOD in the finding.

May GOD bless your life with joy and hope,

love and goodness, meaning and purpose.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

and more...

FAITH :: Thanksgiving thoughts...

This week has been filled with a lot of thoughts.

• I have started my yearly review and planning for the next year.
• I have been lamenting all the things I didn't achieve, and wondering how to change next year.
• I have wondered about America in the aftermath of our elections.
• I have tried to understand GOD and how He is working in our current world.
• And a lot more.

We do our best to reach out goals, but life doesn't always turn out the way we want it to. A Christian view of GOD goes through valleys when we don't get what we wanted... especially when we think we are "good."  It make FAITH seem like it isn't real.

I have been seeking GOD for answers to these questions and others.  So far, everything seems to be the same as before.  We are GOD's servants, He is not ours.  

Now I am looking for the things that I am thankful for.

I will try to share them with you tomorrow.  :-)

Happy Thanksgiving...  may you be filled with food and joy and love and peace and happiness.  May all those you are with be the same.

In Christ, 

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

and more...

FAITH :: Working on the changes...

Some days it is hard to decide if I have progressed toward my ultimate goals.  Other days I feel like I have done a LOT.  I'm not sure about today... it was a mixed deal.  I had to sleep a lot, and it is the SABBATH "rest" -- which I hardly ever do completely.  So, now I am up (AFTER DARK) and doing some of the things I would have done earlier, if I was up and moving around... like dishes, making food, going through MORE paper piles, planning, thinking, wondering what is happening in the world.  (I will check the "news" later.)

I went through some of my food topic notes tonight... moved the most important to one page I had with a generic grocery list.  Now I have all my food and shopping notes in my shopping envelope.  Eventually, I will re-do the information again... and decide what matters most at that point in my life.

It was a good reminder of what to focus my shopping and eating on.

Food changes after you age. 

One note I had said calorie needs decrease for every decade after 50 years of age... so I'm in the 80% range.  I have to figure out what that means for my calories and portion sizes...and weight loss efforts

I found some calorie counted foods in my notes.  I will try to buy the ones with the least calories and work on finding ways to eat them.  I don't have my notes right here, but I do recall some veggies were pretty low.  I hear fruits have more calories because of the natural sugars, but that is still OK.  I like a lot of the foods listed as good for the human body... I always have.  Cost has always been the challenge for me.

I was going to try for 1500 calories a day, which is low already, so I will ignore the 20% decrease stated above.  How to "spend" that amount is always the problem for me... and everyone else, I assume.  :-)  Portion control is my issue.  I'm working on storage ideas for my life... to keep me from eating more than I should.

I have been spreading my individual foods over more eating periods... like the one big red potato I made into a simple potato salad.  I ate that in three portion over the day.  If I can do smaller amounts, I will be full all day and not overeat.  It's a hope and a prayer and a real effort for me.

One note I found said one pint of ice cream was equal in calories to a LIST of other foods, like a gallon of greens, three ears of corn, several potatoes, and something else.  That was a big reminder about sweets I love... limiting them is better than eliminating them I think.  I'm at the tail end of life, so I will enjoy some of my favorite foods!!!  I have to find that special balance between ultimate health and human joy.  :-)   

Reducing the dairy and meat in my life is part of that search for a balance that will work for me.  Eating smaller portions and more frequently seems to be advice for seniors... to avoid binging on the foods you really like to eat.

Today I started trying to build my exercise level with the elliptical here at the house.  Very short times to start... but I hope to build them up over a reasonable amount of time.  Maybe I will be able to walk to the stores by summer.

Reducing my "piles" is a long job, but it is making more spaces for other things.  I am getting my belongings into places I can find them, getting ready to use up things that have waited too long to be used (like chocolate), and trying to decide what to do about Working Together's Membership Drive in December.  Only about a week to work on that.

I haven't checked in on the Presidential contest for awhile.  I suspect the final answer will be all over the news/internet when the decisions are finally made.  Legal actions take time.  I hope they lean toward TRUMP, so I don't see a lot of "truth" in the liberal media anyway.

There's not much I can do about the larger situations we face.  I am busy trying to survive my own life challenges.  GOD didn't provide for me... so it hasn't been my job to make things happen.  I hope "someone" is standing for GOD in our world.

Until next time,

May our GOD protect us from the attacks of our enemy, the evil one, who uses others to accomplish his goals... which are never good, and always against GOD.

May He help us to join together and begin to protect each other in our communities.  There is enough work to be done everywhere we live and work and pray for GOD's help.

May we live long enough to make sure the future is a prepped as it can be for those we love and who come after us and them... should it take that long for the Antichrist to get here.

In Christ...

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

and more...

FAITH :: CHANGES !!! Starting to think of 2021...

Sorry to be late again... Who can remember what was happening that made me forget to post here...  I remembered on Thursday, the old regular day.  Maybe I need to work on a new plan.  :-)

I have been thinking about 2021 goals and decided to change my PATREON page around.  I worked on that in the night hours from Saturday to Sunday... Make sure you check it out.  

https://patreon.com/DebsRetirementPlan  

I am down to FOUR tiers... 

• For Everyone
• New Projects
• Art Prints
• Jewelry Design

I decided to eliminate CHRISTMAS from my Patreon projects, and then decided to make RECYCLING dormant for awhile... It takes a LOT of money and space to do Recycling projects... I will wait and see what happens.

I changed my Patreon page right away because I didn't want to risk anyone signing up for a tier that would be changed.

I am still praying for responses to my ONE MILLION supporters effort for this whole year.  So far, NONE.  ZERO.  NADA.  ZIP.  -- very discouraging.  That was my "start-up" money goal.

Finding workspace has been an ongoing issue for me.  I bought some things this weekend to help me, and spent today moving stuff around to see if it would help.  I am seeing a LITTLE bit of empty but not enough.  There's still more to do, so it might work out.  I moved my crafting supplies to my desk space for easier access and a reminder for my brain.

"Out of sight, out of mind" isn't a made up saying... it is truth we have to deal with!

In my sorting activities I found a bunch of paperwork that applies to Working Together... history... memories.  I have it all separated and need to go through it this week.  The DECEMBER Membership Drive deadline is looming !!!  I have a lot to get done still.  PRAY for me.  Ask GOD to help me with the issues I face, and to provide what I have needed and prayed for all these many years.  Thanks.

This logo, mission statement, vision for the future of all Christians, has all the main themes and contact point for Working Together.

I created a visor with the web address on it.  I should have the only one... I can't decide if that is something to sell or not.  I am thinking more about stickers.  I love them, put them on my letters, and think they spread the word in places we can never reach.

With everything online these days, I am not sure what the best sharing method would be.  I suppose social media... but my accounts don't see to reach too far.

And there are other problems I don't have the ability to deal with right now.

These all bring up questions about GOD, about Faith, about our place in the Kingdom Plan, and who has more power - GOD or the Evil One.  Every day brings this battle.

9/11 was a turning point for America in my view, this election is also a huge event in our national path.  Even if TRUMP wins, it just kicks the can down to the next election... the morality of our nation is dying, and that is fulfilling Prophecy.  We need to decide what the best future is for ourselves as Christians, so we can protect it the best we can.

For the December Membership Drive I am trying to write a PDF that will explain my reasons for starting WT and why I think it matters.  I'm not sure how detailed I will be, because it really needs a whole book with chapters on each part of the whole vision, but I will do my best.  I have gone through many years of seeking GOD for the details, and struggled with so many obstacles.  I will try to share my view for now, in our time, because things have changed a lot since I first wrote my What If There Is NO Rapture?  piece.

I guess that is enough for tonight.

I will try to do better this week and get my post done... maybe early... maybe on THURSDAY, or maybe on another day.  :-) 

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

and more...

I like to post this last as a PS reminder that we cannot be strong unless we gather and become ONE BODY in Christ.

FAITH :: Prophecy is happening in our lifetimes...

It is like the death of all things godly... I can't even imagine what the next four years will bring.  I believe GOD is trying to get our attention, to bring us to a new vision for OUR futures.  We know the Antichrist is nearly a reality because the INTERNET is all that will be needed to control the ENTIRE WORLD.  So, what does the Bible tell us about those days?

I've been posting at my POLITICS blog all week... you can read them at this web address ::

https://political-rehabilitation.blogspot.com 

So many serious things to think about.

This is where we are... waiting on GOD to show us the next step for our nation, for our families, for our churches, and for our survival.

If we think about the stories the Bible shares, we see a lot of persecution, a lot of struggle, and the only real "winners" are those who keep their faith in GOD.  So we need to do that.

Whatever happens, it is our place in history to be living.  We will find our way forward.  We need to see ourselves as ONE BODY in Christ... not separate groups of people who believe in the salvation of Christ and the Bible.  We need to gather to help each other survive as things get worse.

We don't need to spend all our money on making our churches bigger, we need to focus on making sure all our people are safe, have food, won't lose their shelter, are not alone, and have fellowship with other believers.

I think this election is GOD's way of telling us it's only downhill from here.

So, what can we do to become ONE BODY of Christ  --  near, far, everywhere we are?  

I hoped to make Working Together into that kind of ministry, but GOD didn't provide for me.  If He has blessed you, it's your job.

Let me know what you think we can do.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

and more...

 

FAITH :: The power of Money in our lives.

I hate to say it, but I went to bed so tired and fighting off a headache, forgetting it was SATURDAY, and my new posting date for this blog.  So sorry.  I will get the hang of this!  :-)

I have been watching old movies this weekend.

I finally watched a Shirley Temple movie again... Poor Little Rich Girl.  I had no idea it was suppose to be about Barbara Hutton, the Woolworth heiress.  I searched for some info on her as I was linking around and she had the saddest (and richest) life for her day.  The Shirley Temple movie wasn't about that... so I don't know if it was really linked to her. 

Barbara Hutton's mother died when she was 4, and her father abandoned her.  She was passed around and never loved by anyone... throughout her entire life it seems.  She was married at least seven times and died alone in a major hotel where she lived at the end of her life, virtually broke.  One comment made about her was the waste of her money on things that had no meaning, how her life could have been so different if she would have found a passion in some form of community service.

It was such a study in wealth for me.  I really had no idea she existed before the other night.

I am having a hard time thinking of what else to share since I brought up that topic.  Money is the biggest distraction we have from faith in GOD and salvation and values that bring us happiness.

The Bible tells us the biggest choices we have is between GOD and money.

As I have struggled with poverty, I have seen different parts of the battle and why money has such power.  It becomes a tool of Satan in the Christian community as well... in churches, in ministries, in fame, in power, in the hidden pride of what it means as we think it's GOD's approval for our lives.

I created a statement to keep me focused on the right side of this war ::

Money is a weapon or a tool. 

A weapon to hurt, or a tool to help.

It's hard to be without it.

It's a burden when you have too much.

Finding the right place for money in our lives can be the biggest challenge we face.

Well, it's time to finish this.  I will try to do better next Saturday.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

FAITH :: Changing....

Here I am again... on Saturday.

I was so focused on the Presidential debate and other things on Thursday, I forgot my Faith post.  Then I was inspired to change the day to something more meaningful... my Saturday Sabbath.  Now, officially, the real Sabbath is over at sundown, so next time I might do this in the morning.  

It seems like a good idea to make it a Sabbath activity because I am always searching for things to do that are spiritual instead of "work"... and we all know I like to ramble on about things.  After thinking about it, I decided making a post for Faith topics on my Saturdays might be a great idea... and leave the weekdays for other things.

I got out of my routine.  I was really surprised at the difference that makes.  So, I'm working on getting back into a reminder process... maybe a better wall calendar so I can always see my schedule.  I will have to see how this works out.

The election is our constant prayer project right now.  It's hard to watch the disintegration of all that is holy in my lifetime.  No one is a perfect candidate for any party, but this election is like the choice between freedom and faith and government control of our lives... which is my definition of socialism, communism, or whatever you call the government taking over every part of our lives using taxes and healthcare and regulations and police force and other parts of our civilization that we normally respect and honor.  I'm not talking about upheaval and revolt, just the idea that we become criminals just for not wearing masks, not staying home, wanting to go to church, and other recent actions taken by our governments.  

I really hate to think about our nation under the leadership of Biden and Harris. I am praying GOD will protect us for a longer time, as long as He can, until the requirements of Prophecy mean we these changes have to take place.

Not much time left until the 3rd of November.

It's late where I live.  I just wanted to make sure I posted today.  This is a fluid effort, so who knows what will happen to my postings online... at this and other blogs.  I am realizing I need a public option for free access to the things I write about.  My Patreon page is not really about public posts.  I am thinking about that this month and through the end of the year.  I like to make changes at the changing of each year, so I think about those issues for several months heading into a NEW year.

Patreon is meant to be my main fundraising effort and activity space, it is also meant to have lots of Patrons.  This year didn't happen the way I hoped it would.  Now I am working on ways to connect with the world in PUBLIC and PRIVATE ways... exclusive access seems important to my goals for the rest of my life.  I am still looking for the best path forward.

Until next time,

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

FAITH :: Remembering the past and changing the future.

Hello, everyone... it's about 12:30 am now... I just finished watching the very old version (1936) of SHOW BOAT... in two parts.  Today was a YouTube and search result movie day. I'm not sure how I ended up with the old version.  I really LOVE the 1951 movie version of the song OLD MAN RIVER and tried to find a way to listen to it.  Now I have it saved at my YouTube space so I can listen any time I want. 

Old movies really are different from what is made today.  I suppose they were considered too revealing in their time... but it's a big change to watch singing and dancing and stories and then today's idea of "progress" is to watch people having sex, swearing, hurting each other, and more.

This week I watched a replay of a talk about MORALITY. It is a forgotten concept in our time.  We don't fully understand what this means to our society, our laws, our relationships.  I see it online, but if you don't have moral boundaries, what do you base your decisions on?  Right.  Nothing... "Just Do It"... If it feels good, it must be good... and other phrases like these.

I remember when I was a teen in the 1960's - during the "sexual revolution" and Woodstock and bra burning... and women's lib. We don't see the consequence of these changes until it's too late.

I have had the thought that "reality shows" are just the newest version of breaking down the values that protect us.  I don't watch them... don't want to.  I remember checking on some shows a long while back and thinking it's just a way to "watch" people, push them into bad places, and see how far they will go.  

In watching the old version of Show Boat there was a scene with "black face" and I wondered if there would be an uprising to rid the world of this old movie... like taking down historical statues because you disagree with the times that they represented.  

Our world is really in trouble... we can't respect our history.  It is important to remember what the past was like so you can make a better future.  

I didn't like my past, but I can't change what it was. I can change the parts I didn't like, make new decisions, learn how to do things I didn't know about back then, and work toward better results. 

This is the essence of Christ's forgiveness. It doesn't erase the past, it helps you to overcome the habits and choices you had so you can build a new future.  I think I have shared before my idea that Christ erases our criminal record, but the results of our sin and bad choices don't go away, we still have to deal with them.

How to keep from making bad choices... in a world with little ability to engage with it and not have it forced on you somehow.  I might watch a G-rated movie but the ads that go with it are more like porn.  It's something I am trying to find answers for these days.

Right now, I am torn between wanting to buy copies of all these old movies I love, that aren't explicit, rated R, filled with things I don't want to see or hear, and realizing I won't be here much longer so I guess just watching replays is enough.  

I think I will be happy just to be able to listen to OLD MAN RIVER when I want to.

How do we survive with our morals intact in this time in history?  What do you do to be at peace with GOD in the midst of things you cannot control?

Let me know.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

PS... I updated the website a bit, on the homepage.  I am getting it ready for the DECEMBER Membership Drive... the Membership info and links will be done by December, GOD willing.  :-)   Who knows WHAT the rest of the year will hold!

FAITH :: America's Future and GOD's Word

This election seems to be our national decision about where we are heading... Freedom and Democracy, or Socialism and Government Rule.  It is hard for me to see my country becoming what it is.  I hoped to be gone when Prophecies became this real.

We see the increasing violence, we see the difference between a godly nation and one that is honoring abortion, euthanasia, mercy killing, addictions, greed, self, and alternative sexuality in children and adults. 

Those who hate the boundaries GOD places on our lives, for our own good, will do anything they can to malign the faith of believers.  The theme seems to be force... and the anger keeps rising every year.  In the Bible, there are only two real references to the way the world will be in the End Times... one of them is about Sodom before it was destroyed.

This prophecy is about the sexual appetites of its citizens and the inability of the populations to stop them.  I wouldn't say we are as violent as Sodom yet, but we are heading in that direction.  The attitude of force against anything related to GOD is becoming open and vicious.

When the two angels came to take Lot and his family out of Sodom because GOD was going to destroy it, the Bible tells us men rushed from all over the city to be the first to conquer the new visitors.  The Bible tells us that Lot was willing to sacrifice his daughters to appease the violent men.  The Bible tells us they had a huge "lock" on their door to protect themselves from what was outside.

I can't imagine living in a place like that... and I have seen inner cities I was afraid of.  

Violent control is not always physical.  We have seen how the courts have been used to hurt and destroy Christians.  We see the media used to make everyone afraid to believe what they want to.  We have seen small children used to further the cause of the LGBT community.  We have seen "coalitions" created to prevent the success of any other theology.  

I have wondered how many of the gay people I see on TV and in the news became that way by force, by fear, by abuse... thinking there was no other choice.  

Only GOD knows the hearts of each of us... whatever our sin may be.  He is the only one who can know how to judge these issues.  I have just tried to understand how to protect myself and my children and my family and my friends and my Christian Community.  

How can we approve the purposeful murder of unborn children, simply for the "cause" of making it legal.  I can see how abortion is really a modern form of child sacrifice, how it protects the man who created the child with the mother, and how greed is the reason it is so important for some to protect.

Greed is also behind "mercy killing" - another form of legalized murder.  Euthanasia, volunteer suicide, the high cost of medical services, government health insurance, the war between Democrats and Republicans, the national budget and debt, the breakdown of the family structure - including large distances between family members because of work, education, and other factors, all contribute to the changes in our nation and its values.  Once the government controls health care, it will begin to limit what is approved for payment.  If the government reaches the 100% level in taxation, we will all be employees of the government.  There will be no getting away from the governments ability to decide our entire lives.

America is not ready for this kind of submission.  We don't believe it will ever happen.  We are the frog that is put in the water when it is cool and then boiled without a fight because the heat rises slowly.

I believe this election is the second major turning point in our future history... I believe 9/11 was the first real evidence of GOD removing His protection from our nation.  This is all tied to prophecy.  If Trump wins, it is only four years (we hope) until the next point of decision.  Prophecy will come true, we just don't know how or when.  We see the signs of what GOD warned us about, but only GOD knows all the details of how it will become reality.

I hope and pray that GOD will help us to elect Trump again... just to find more time to fight against the tide of evil that is taking over the world on its way to the Antichrist and the final end of our lives.  

What matters most now?

I'm not sure I can answer that for everyone.  I am still trying to find ways to protect myself and other Christians.  We need to think about what is coming.  We need to find ways to protect each other on the path forward.  

If we can gather together, we can find answers together.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

FAITH :: Today, Tomorrow, and Always

I guess it has been a long week... the Presidential debate, working on my food options, sorting through so many piles of papers to clear out the old stuff, praying still, and getting way behind on my prayer journal.  :-(   --  I don't know if I can catch up with this one...  OCTOBER starts new books for both of my prayer journals... USA and personal.  Maybe I can just try to keep up with it this time.   I will have to think about this...

I think the biggest thing for me right now is going food shopping on Sunday... GOD willing.  It's been a long haul trying to live on what I had stored up.  I guess we learn lessons along the way, like figuring out new "meals" from random ingredients.   :-)     Some worked out really good... others went into the compost container or the trash!  I would never search for these things if I didn't have to.  I go for the easiest, fastest, simplest food solutions for each meal... with a small thought to my nutritional goals.  

My minimum goal is 2 fruit servings and 3 veggie servings, plus the carbs and whole grains.  Sometimes I get that worked out, other times it's OVERLOAD!  (Eating too much.)  I think being a senior citizen allows us to splurge, within reason.  We don't have all that much time left, so we can indulge.

In case you missed it, here is a new design I created at PRINTFUL (affiliate link  :-)  for my  ETSY  October discount item...

I was going to make a poster item, but it just didn't work out... so I tried the postcard option.  I had to re-make it maybe four times because it kept disappearing from my screen and wasn't saved automatically... "warning" for you if you try it.  Buying the first one is relatively expensive in shipping ($3.25 I think), but if you order more (at $2 each) you only pay 5-cents each for the added cards to ship... at least, that is what the site says.

The process of creating a design again showed me I need a better computer, better internet access, and better software... ADOBE, I think.  That is growing on my priority list.  Big Bucks for me --- about $60 a month if I remember right.  It's going to be necessary, so I have to deal with it.  :-( 

In sorting through so many of my older papers, I have rediscovered so many great things.  Memories.  I have tried to be ruthless and shred as much as I can.  I tend to go through these things in stages... first stage - as much as possible, second-stage - as much as possible, third stage - as much as possible...   :-)   It is just so hard to let go of memories, and things I don't have time to really read/review.

This election has made me realize that AMERICA is at one of those seriously historical pivot points.  This election seems like the line in the sand... and who gets elected will decide how much of the heritage of our nation will remain.  

No one is a perfect person, so they both (all candidates in an election) have their issues and their strengths in different areas of experience.  But, given their agendas for the country, only one option is available for godly foundations to continue at least four more years, GOD willing.  

I hate to think of the country if Biden and Harris win.

The Democratic Party is fighting hard because they think their goals are right for everyone.  The Republican Party is doing the same.  This year is a very different year than any before, and the many historical events that have happened THIS YEAR ONLY make this election unusual and suspect and dangerous and frightening.

My view is linked to PROPHECIES in the Bible and what GOD has told us the world will become.  Is this the turning point for Christians?  No one knows what the future will bring us, but we can all see the problems are increasing, becoming global, and not easily solved.  It seems like the Antichrist is just down the road... maybe another 20 years or less...maybe.  GOD seems to allow so much time before He judges anything, because He wants us to find our way to heaven.  So, our ideas of how long it will take aren't the same as His.  Only He knows when the Antichrist will get here.  In my personal life, I think he will get here tomorrow!  :-)   

We need to figure out some strategies to protect the ones we love, those in our communities, and how to build safety into our global ministries.  Maybe this election will push this on us.

Until next time,

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

 

Thursday update - Today's Battles : How they affect our future

Life has been a mixed event lately... I will try scheduling this post so I can make sure you are updated.  Not that my life is the thing to know about, but I am on a path to the future and still learning how to build this thing we call an "online presence."   :-)

I am in the middle of several project paths so I feel kind of out of sorts.  It's still moving forward, but slowly.  This week I have been trying to get my plan into an organized and printed list.  

I have been thinking a lot about GOD, and what He means to our daily lives... not the invisible parts, more about the things we can see, the way He moves in our individual lives, how we can say He is real and he still loves us even when we don't get the things we want from Him.  I often try to see what GOD looks like to the people who don't know them.  Our current problems and battles and wars are part of that thinking as well.

It makes everything else kind of "foggy" so I tend to operate on autopilot when things get really "deep" in my thinking time.  We are facing so many serious problems these days, with even greater issues ahead of us.  I get consumed by the place GOD and Christians hold in the history that is to come... especially when I include what GOD has already told us about in Bible Prophecy.

In the practical spaces of my life, I made it to the grocery store finally.  I was trying to live on what I already had for as long as I could, but it got really tough when I ran out of coffee, tea, and other options besides water to drink.  :-)  Wouldn't you know it, the one thing I forgot at the store was coffee.  It seems to be a pattern these days.  Still, we know that GOD works through the attacks of our enemies, and is always the main power.  So we need to ask ourselves, "Why?"   I think it is to show us what the world is becoming... and a part of what He is doing in the people who are our enemies.

• I've been working on my notebook system, been waiting on crafting supplies I ordered, been thinking about Christmas for me and Christmas selling online, and a lot more.  
• I got behind in my prayer journaling so I am still catching up with that.  
• I was so happy to find yeast at the store!!  I now wonder how they make it because it took so long to replace with the shopping restrictions we have had.  
• I was also so excited to see eggnog available... I grabbed it up!

I spent almost all of my financial resources this month... I'm not use to being able to buy anything, so I always feel like I have been going crazy with my purchases.  Mostly all things I have wanted for some time, and there's a lot more to buy!  :-)   

• I am also getting my workspaces figured out for now.

Thinking about GOD and Life and our way of doing things in America, I have discovered some strange realities.  I don't know why they matter, but we often just assume many things so we don't really look into them more deeply.  I haven't finished this quest with GOD so I don't want to share everything yet.

I have also become a prayer advocate for some of our public personalities.  I think it may be a bigger issue than I would like it to be because I am in the senior citizen group and spend too much time online and don't have a good way to get around for other activities.  

Online is my "work" now, so I can't avoid all the contacts with posts and photos and times to wonder how these people I am seeking GOD for get into their life choices.  We all become the product of our choices, so the problems are different but we all have our battles.  I wonder why they do the things they do... and if they really understand the difference GOD makes in our lives when we are truly committed to Him.

Another thing that happened this week was at YouTube.  I somehow discovered songs I hadn't heard for years and added them to my MUSIC folder.  In the process of trying to find more that day, I listened to songs from the past... they reminded me why I only listen to Christian stations now... sermons and Klove... well, and now CDs as I build up a collection.

The themes of the Enemy's music are all about "love" - mostly sexual love. They are beautiful songs, but they don't lead you into what GOD's best is.  They lead to easy sex for men, desperate sex for women, and the consequences of sex outside of GOD's Plan... which is part of the reason ABORTION is such a battlefield.  There are so many consequences to sins we think are "harmless" but become lifetime effects.  Following GOD's way of life leads us to real and lasting happiness, sin will not.  We all want to find LOVE in our lives... and compromise our faith in moments of weakness.  People without faith don't even see the battle, they just pass through the attacks on their lives without the benefit of moral guidance.

So, I put them in my folder for now, but I am not sure that is a great idea.  I am seeking GOD about it and thinking about the damage they can cause... about the step that can become a crash in faith.  This is actually a very real test of faith, a choice that is typical of Satan's forces. When we repeatedly hear, see, think about anything, it becomes a part of our daily thought life.  Like choosing a friend.  These "friends" can ruin our lives.

I need to get going.

Think about the small choices you make every day... they lead you into your future, good and bad.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more... 

18 SEP - Late again... what was I doing?

It was the early hours of today that I realized it was Friday and I missed my Thursday update here... oops!  I tried to think of why I did that, and all I can say is I was in bed most of the day, up to eat something, then back to bed.  Somewhere along that way I didn't think about posting a blog.  :-)

I received my Vistaprint order, finally.  This was the order with my first window cling and my magnets with my CHOICES statement on them...  my favorite so far.

This is the updated version, with my name under the statement and a contact point.  I guess I need to find out how to attribute the image... which I found at Canva (.com) I think.  Once I get my art going, I will design my own images and text... or do whatever is needed when you use someone else's image.  

I got 25 images in the minimum order, two had production issues, but that will be dealt with later.  I'm saving at least 20 for Christmas I think, but not sure.  I'm going to order more with the contact info. 

The window cling is a new thing for me.  I have been trying to find a way to put my designs on some window clings.  This looks nice.  I got a free squeegee with the order and it has a soft tip... really interesting.  I will keep it in my art supplies and see when I can use it.

Now that I have something produced with it, I am seeing the missing space after "goals" - I thought I had a period there, but it isn't there now... only the space.

Getting sample orders is a good thing.  It helps to find the problems before you try to sell to the public.  My big goal with one of my Patreon tiers... the one called Design Tools... for now.  Once I build up my finances, it will become a part of the creation process for each product.

I have warned people on my Patreon site that I am still in CHANGE mode with my page... thinking about 2021 and how to organize everything.  My New Projects tier MIGHT go away, or maybe focus on different things.

I also received my research package of sourdough starter on spoons!  They look simple enough.  I need to wait to do the starting process.  I will save the one from Alaska starter and use the one from his hometown.  FYI - check out the main site I know of for the wilderness man...  Richard Proenneke  I have his first documentary DVD on its way, and a book that is suppose to be about his Alaska experience.  There is a second documentary also, but I am waiting on that one.  There is a site that has some clips of his documentaries and it is worth looking at... if I remember right, you have to search his name at the blog.  (NOTE: I can't find it right now... there seems to be a WordPress issue... but the main site is  theoffgridcabin.com -- they have lots of small housing designs to look at, too.)

I will try to remember to share my sourdough starter adventures when I get to them.  :-)

I have started some painting projects for possible Christmas selling.  One thing leads to another.  Finding the space to let things sit between the parts of creating them has risen to the top of the list again. I am working on that.  I am beginning to see cardboard as a wonder product.  :-)

I guess I will go for now.  I need to rest again.

I do hope and pray that everyone is well and safe and finding their way through this year. 

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

Been THINKING a lot this week...

 It's been a tough week.

My thoughts have been captured by the people on the news feed I end up with every time I check my emails... they are a reflection of what people either want us to care about or what people really do care about... and none of it is godly.

I am so deeply saddened by the values they represent... 

Women, especially, are seen in their need to expose as much of their breasts as possible, as much of their legs and hips as possible, as much of their butts as possible.  The goal seems to be who can appear the most naked so they can get a photo in the media.

In my eyes they are demeaning themselves, and then I think about the difference betwee true Christian values and the values of the world and the values of Satan.

I lived in Hollywood for a short-ish time, but when I was a teen driver I use to travel those streets all the time.  I don't see much difference between their version of "selling" themselves and the prostitutes that line certain streets in the area.  

It pains my heart because I have been praying for some of these visibly public "stars" we look up to and emulate... well, some emulate them.

I guess this is high in my attention right now because I just finished my emails and browsed the long feed that shows up.  

I have been seeking GOD for how to deal with these issues... and my prayers.  We become emotionally involved with people that we pray for... like our mates, our kids, our families and our friends.  We so want the best in life, in GOD's blessings, for them.  Salvation changes all of us, a true salvation.  Wanting that best for others means we suffer when they stay in sin and increase the consequences that come of those sins.

I also have become so aware of those who don't really know the BIBLE, or what GOD really says in it.  It is just hated because it does not approve of those things that hurt us.  And, as a result, the things that cannot be seen with the eyes get focused on those who love GOD and all that He represents.  We become the targets of all that emotional bitterness and pain.

The headlines seem to point the world to this kind of hatred.

How do we, here in America, reach people in the headlines with what is true?  I think we assume they must already know everything in the Bible.  The conversations about ending the existence of GOD in our nation don't really include what matters most about our history.  Being a Christian doesn't make people perfect, so there's a lot of failure to discuss about us, but the inside difference that a real relationship with GOD and Christ creates is the true blessing our nation receives.  We are losing that blessing.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the TWIN TOWERS attack.  I have been filled with thoughts about that event, too.  PragerU had an email by a young adult about the lack of history his generation had about that attack.  I never thought about that before.  I just assumed they knew what happened and how it changed our world. 

I see that day as a turning point for our nation.  To me it is the evidence of GOD taking away His Hand of Protection for us.  We no longer love and serve Him so He has no responsibility to be our national protector, as promised to those who love and honor Him.  

Maybe it was a warning, like the battle that was lost when the Israelites didn't do what was required by GOD.  Even though most didn't know anyone had stolen the offering that was GODs, the entire nation was chastised.  ONE man's actions cause the loss of GOD's protection.  Eventually that one man was pointed out, and his whole family was destroyed because of it.  That was the "rule" in those days... like when the enemies of Daniel (think Lions Den) were all destroyed, including their whole families.

We don't really understand a lot of things in the Bible as GOD sees them, but we try to.  In the early days, it was a purging of sin... trying to keep sin from infecting the whole nation.  We understand the principle in the fact that children learn their morals and many of their views by the daily lives they live with their parents.  Now, GOD has changed the punishment to an individual accounting.  Whole families are not punished for one member's sins.  We are dealt with because of our own choices.  The influence of our choices still affect those around us, but we are held accountable for our own choices.

The people that Hollywood lifts up pay for their choices as well.  Their values are seen and felt by their families, but they also affect us.  Our media affects us.  The movies they make affect us.  The conversations that become "viral" affect us.  What we lift up is a statement about what we value... including the motivations behind it.

I don't have the desire or the power to "make" people choose what is right in GOD's eyes, but I can pray for them, hope they will find the blessings that are found in choosing GOD and salvation through Christ, and believe that at lease some of my prayers will help.

I might see the evidence of change in my children, possibly some changes in the public people I pray for, but only GOD knows the depths of each heart... what they want, need, hope for, and are struggling with.  We won't know until we get to heaven if anyone will be there... anyone we know and love.  Parents know that our children can pretend to be good.  GOD knows if they really are.

On another topic...

This is a design I had printed up to go with my MOUNTAINS writing.  It is nice to see my writing as a product, but I think I need to fine tune it for selling.  So, I am working on that.  I also has my CHOICES design printed up, and my TODAY statement (like the wallpaper I sell at ETSY).  My goal is to have it all on my selling sites by NOVEMBER... keep watching for these new listings.  (etsy.com/shop/work2gather) 

Where I live there are fires raging and imminent evacuation threats.  PRAY that GOD will help me to not lose everything again.  It has taken so many years to recover to this point.  I am hoping GOD will be kind and prevent this kind of loss... please add your prayers to mine.  Thank you.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

3 SEP - GIVING in a time of economic hardship...

Another week is gone... it gets busy, and time flies by, and I forget all the things that I have done... what to share... I think the biggest thing is the CD I decided to purchase :: RESCUE STORY by Zach Williams.  I have had it on repeat all for hours, went to bed with it playing, woke up to different songs at different times... and it is only 10pm+ (that is my life right now, irregular hours).

I bought the CD because I love the song There Was Jesus.  Now I have listened to the whole thing and I have discovered several songs that are deeply impacting but I would never hear them on KLOVE, the music station I play when I am not listening to a sermon station or the internet options I can access.

I guess I'm becoming an advertisement for him here, but he's a good singer that I hope doesn't become lost in fame.  The first song is about how hard it is to fight temptation -- so filled wit the battle... it reminds me of the struggle every time I hear it.  There's another one Stand Up that gets me going, and also one called Less Like Me.   :-)

I'm looking at the titles now and I can't find one I don't really like, that isn't filled with the deeper meanings of our walk in this world, the battles against Satan and sin, the world that wants us to fail, the greatness of GOD and Jesus and faith.

I bought the CD so I could put it on repeat... I am so glad I did.

In other places this week, I have been working on all my needs, and goals, and things I have to get done.  Making decisions, trying to cover my budget, and praying about all the things I have no control over.  I keep wondering when I will die.  I wish I could do more than GOD has allowed me to do.

Today I made sure I donated to my causes for September.  This is my month for ANGEL TREE, which is part of my Christmas giving.  My monthly giving project is on its second year, I think... maybe three, but I would have to look it up... and this month  Hillsdale College / IMPRIMIS are on the list.  It was hard to start this monthly project, but it has become a good thing in my battle with money.  

I started with the commitment to give $10 to one ministry each month.  Remember, my income is only about $400 a month.  It became part of my tithe money.  Some months it was hard to do because the costs of funding WORKING TOGETHER were high, but now I am trying to make bigger monthly donations when I can.

Our giving is critical to the WORD getting shared, to people in need being helped, and to our faith in GOD to provide for us in other ways.  This Christmas will be a hard one for many.  I always pray that the churches and ministries will be the ones to help those who turn to them.  Many time, they don't.  It becomes a choice between their programs and growth and the many, many, many people who will seek them out if there is even a small hope they can find help.  PLUS, there are always those who want to have something to complain about later if they don't get all they want.  Sometimes churches send people to the government, thinking they are saving money.  What they are doing is missing the opportunity to find a new soul.

It's a hard place for everyone.  My prayers about this seek change in how we handle these problems with money and need.  I started Action Prayer as my solution.

I was determined to create a new t-shirt design as my September discount item, and this is what I created ::

I finally made individual listings with this, too!  Seven color options, and all the listed sizes with each color.  We'll have to see how this works with PRINTFUL, my partner in dropshipping efforts, one of my goals for selling online.  If you decide to check them out, please use the link below... it is my FIRST affiliate link.  I am waiting to see how it works out.

PRINTFUL  ::   https://printful.com/a/work2gather 

There is some kind of commission involved in affiliate links.  I am still learning about how it works. 

I have more designs to make for NOVEMBER, which is my idea of when I need all my pro-life items to be ready to buy for the JANUARY pro-life events attached to the anniversary of ROE vs WADE, like the March for Life in Washington DC.  Every state has events as well.  I think the National Right to Life would have information on those.  (http://nrlc.org)

So, I am working on my beanie designs for the cold winter weather, long-sleeved t-shirts, and I think I want to do some HOODIES because of the extra protection they give against the wind.  I love the one or two I have.  I am not sure what else I might get created.  :-)   For now, ETSY is the main location for these things, but I am trying to list some of my items at my EBAY shop, too.

ETSY ::  https://etsy.com/shop/work2gather

EBAY ::  https://ebay.com/usr/work2gather 

Keep checking back as the holiday season gets going.  I have a monthly discount on something now, but I don't decide until the month gets here.  You will need to check on that at the beginning of each month.

Another big decision I made this week is a MARKETING PLAN.  I will be focusing on marketing my PATREON page during Septembers, do HOLIDAY SALES marketing in October and November, and then work on marketing for the ANNUAL Membership Drive I hold for Working Together in December.  This is a good thing.  I have been struggling with how to afford all the outreach needs I have for all the separate projects I am working on.  I think this will really help me.  If I get a lot of income someday, I can change the monthly limitations.  For now, it is a good thing.

I suppose that is enough for today... I could keep going, BUT I don't think that would be good for my readers.  :-)

Try to find Zach Williams music somewhere online and listen to the RESCUE STORY ... albumn?  I don't know what they call online productions like my CD version.  I hope you like it as much as I do.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

I hope we make it to become ONE BODY in CHRIST...

Election thoughts after the RNC Convention

 I was trying to watch the RNC Convention this week... some of it I was able to see, most of it was messed up by the reception I have on my computer (replays) or forgetting the time.  Tonight (Thursday) was really moving... but it also made me see why most of us stay at home and leave all the details to others.

Public speaking is quite an art.  I looked at most of the people I watched this week and they seemed to have whole lifetimes of learning how to share their opinions.  I was especially impressed with Ivanka's speech.

I noticed that most of the political points are about achievements... and I wondered what I could ever add to the battle.  So, here I am, just a person trying to find opportunities that will fit into my budget and resources.

Yes, I suppose I would have done more with money, if I had it, but GOD chose this life for me.  In my thoughts about everything, I know that all the details of my life, my world, my kids, my country, my faith, and more, would not have been what they are if things had been different along the way.  Each step we take leads to a certain pathway... and our experiences are all wrapped up in those choices.

I don't understand GOD's reasons for not providing, so I will have to accept his limitations.

I just wanted to get this posted.

I found an old Debbie Reynolds movie while I was at YouTube so I watched it... funny how things change over our lifetimes... I wish we could be a better nation, a better people.  I find I can't get away from the smut online just checking my emails.  What kind of world will we become... and how long will it take to become like Noah's day...  I don't know. 

I am thinking of posting once each day, somewhere.

I have lots of thoughts, but I need to get them out into the world.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

We all want GOD to bless our nation.

I pray that He will... by blessing HIS people

so they can become a force for good in our world.

We need good and godly people to be the ones in charge,

the ones that make decisions, the ones that see why faith is so important in our daily lives and choices.

Update :: Continuing the quests... WT, Patreon, and CHRISTMAS !! :-)

I was busy with my emails again... and the links that lead to social media... and then social media... and then, suddenly, I remembered it was THURSDAY !!     :-)

One of my sons became my first Patreon supporter the other day.  On my end, it is a way to see how the Patreon system works with real people...  there is so much to learn about all the online connections and how to reach your goals with them.

In questions of Faith, and how GOD works in the middle of all our problems and desires, it is still a one day at a time plan, the only reality we can do.

I didn't get to my prayer journals today... I don't think.  Sometimes that happens... I get to them as soon as I can.  Prayers are not always an immediate topic.  I try to make a note of the time and date when I enter a late prayer, so I know it was a long day and busy.

I just shared (today) on Toby Mac's regular weekly Facebook post for audience prayer needs about how my journals have changed my life, and what they can mean to other Christians.  I hope others will try it.  I added my prayer needs at the bottom.

Prayer has always been a hard topic to deal with.  There are a lot of different view on it... and we all want GOD to give us what we pray for.  When He doesn't... it creates a theology problem.

I was busy with food today... I got to go to the grocery store, then had to decide what to do with what I bought.  I started keeping track of how many times I go to the store for food.  I want to go weekly, to certain stores throughout the month.  My food budget is government food benefits.  I have been trying to decide the best way to shop, store, and eat food within this very tight budget.  

Time just gets away from us.

I have problems I am working to overcome.

The battle between what I WANT to do and what I actually get done seems like a constant war.  Progress gets made, but in very tiny steps.

Working on CHRISTMAS is taking over my days, sometimes my nights.  I have been working on how to keep track of what I do, and deadlines for things.  I can only do my part.  GOD has to do His part.  What the results are reflect His Plan and Purpose for this time and place.

We all create the future... our choices, our actions, our opposition, our problems, our supporters, our goals, our failures, our faith....  it all leads to the bigger future.

I think my efforts to make paper mache items will be worth the effort. I am making them thick, and looking for my sanding paper supplies.  Once they are smooth, I will head into a primer layer then figure out some kind of design.  I am trying a "vase" and a bowl shape... plus some bracelet options.  I think smooth will be the critical issue with bracelets.  Then design.

My son has been sending me photos in emails.  Today they were like a blog on how to refurbish a wheelbarrow.  Inspired me to get better at my blogging.

So, for today, that is about it.

Sign up with my Patreon page, if you can.  Only $5.  That is the goal. 

You can do more if you want to, but the goal for 2020 is ONE MILLION supporters at the $5 level.  Think about it.  Thanks.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...