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...

13 AUG - Faith in the hard parts, and Christmas prepping

 Hi, again...  the days seem very long when you are busy with things.  

In matters of Faith, I have been thinking deeply about the issues we are facing with people who have no moral foundations... who blame GOD for all their problems... who don't think it is "a hate crime" to attack Christians because they don't like the way we think about their issues.  This is what persecution is.

I received an email from a Christian media organization that offered a free viewing for Tortured for Christ, which is about the Voice of the Martyrs founder.  I signed up to watch it, but persecution is so hard to deal with... in real time.  I can't say whether I will force myself to watch it.  I will think about it over the weekend... my main movie watching time.

In our time, in our country, persecution takes a different route, usually.  It is growing in our lives, so we will one day think it is normal.  In the Bible, it was also "normal" (for the Jews, and also a political issue.  When Jesus came to die, it was the church of the time that wanted Him killed.  Jesus also warns us that people will think they are doing GOD a favor by killing those who don't agree with the prevailing thought.  

When I try to think about what life will be like as the End Time get worse, it seems so impossible that our salvation in Christ will be the weapon against us.  We usually think it will be the obvious enemies... those outside of the Faith.  I have been thinking a lot about what our lives will become like as evil wins more battles because it is required to fulfill prophecy.  

If I decide on any answers, I will try to share them with you.

Today I have been organizing my crafting supplies as I look for certain things I need.  It has been a good thing to do, but I am tired.

I finally found my silk-screening paint, then found my silk-screening supplies, then found my cardstock and other painting supplies.  I am going to get those started as soon as I can.  I made more space to do all that.  I still need to hang some kind of drying string.  I found more canvas-type art options for my learning curve on them.  Eventually I will settle into the ones I like the best.

I found many of my "in-progress" projects for selling things.  Those will get worked on first.  I have at least SEVENTY earring sets to make for this holiday selling season.  :-)  I will be experimenting with a LOT of different supplies.

I finally cut out some shapes with the play dough I made the other day.  I found a recipe that was a lot like my old one (from when my kids were small) so I tried it out, with the addition of lemon extract and yellow food coloring for this batch.  The recipe is so like salt dough recipes I am trying to see how it dries for making projects.  I flipped the pieces today because I noticed the edges were curling.  I will try to flip the pieces every day and see if that helps.

I am very excited about this year.  If I can work out the photo and shipping issues, this will be a good year.

I received my new battery-operated mini lights for Christmas today.  I found them at IKEA one day and ordered them right away.  I ordered a small one for my year-round mini fake tree, which will some day be used for my Holiday Sales events... one Christian, one Public - that's the goal.  Right now, since last Christmas, it has been too high on my shelves to attend to.  The batteries went out and I just didn't want to get up there to change them.  Now I totally redid the tree with last year's blue mini-lights and this year's white mini-lights.  I also put it in a place I can turn the lights off or on for the night time.  You cannot believe how bright they are with a new battery, then just a small subtle glow when the battery is nearly gone.  I like it in the middle range, but Dollar Tree and IKEA bargains are not built with that option.  If I find some one day, and they don't cost a LOT, I will try a set with a "dimmer switch."  Later on I will get some photos posted.  I am still decorating the space below the tree for this year.  :-)

So, my life is focused on CHRISTMAS... making, selling, gifting.

And the election.

This is the strangest year... so many struggling, so much hate and violence, media-bashing is rising again, and technology is changing our lives in both good and bad ways.

I am able to deal with it all much better when I do my Prayer Journals.  They help me see the limits of my ability and my resources.  They help me to call on GOD for things I could never do.  They help me to focus on Him.

I still sorrow with the news reports and the struggles of my own life, but I am able to see the world through the eyes of GOD and allow Him to be in charge.  I pray.

I hope your lives are doing much better than mine, that you are able to lift up others in your hearts to GOD daily, and that we will all keep our faith as the time grow harder.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

work2gather.us

and more...

Making GOALS and Prayer Journals, mostly.

This week I am trying to create some realistic goals for my CHALLENGE and my Christmas selling.  I recently found a CRUSH IT form I had from   LivingWellSpendingLess.com  and decided to use it to help me figure out THREE goals.

NOTE -- I found a link about it.  I don't know if you can find the download I got, but there should be something on this page to help you. 

(https://www.livingwellspendingless.com/how-to-crush-your-goals/)

NOTE II -- I don't follow her at any level. I explored her space awhile back.  I downloaded the form as a sign-up incentive, I think.

Making really good goals that I am able to achieve is such a hard thing for me.  I see all the obstacles, what I DON'T have.  I keep searching for goals I can do, but they aren't the goals I need to do.  SMART goals are similar to the CRUSH IT format... but not exactly.  The biggest issue in making goals is to do them.  How to make a goal you can do is what helps you move into another goal, and another, and another. 

My three CHRISTMAS goals are about  ART,  making JEWELRY, and creating ORNAMENTS for this season.  I am currently trying to decide HOW MANY and by WHEN.  I also have some PRO-LIFE design goals for the January anniversary event.

I've been going through my supplies and my collection of ideas.  Finding space is still a problem, but I'm working on that.

I'm working on the photo problems, too.

PRAY I am able to overcome all the obstacles I face.  Thanks.



Life is strange this year... as the months go by, the situation with the lockdowns gets really difficult.  I keep wondering where this year is leading us. 

I don't think it is a good place.



Election years are big ad spending years.  I see all those millions of dollars mentioned, and I cringe because of all the needs we have in our country.  The world suffers, but our elections are about us... so our needs are what that money could help.

I don't see any solution for this.



My daily Prayer Journals are really a great thing in my life still... I recommend them to anyone I can.  It has changed my forever goal to do some kind of Prayer Journal.  Next  year I will continue this habit.  Writing a name, then a short prayer for their day or their lives, is so easy. The biggest success element for me is limiting it to two pages -- one page for my family, one for others.

Try it for your family and friends.  OTHERS, for me, includes anyone and anything that is beyond my kids and me.



I guess that will do for now. It's getting to be time to sleep.
Let me know how you pray in a journal... I have always wondered how other people do this.  Every now and then someone I listen to, like Charles Stanly, says something about how they pray and record it to see how GOD answers. 

In Christ,
Deborah Martin
work2gather.us
and more...