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...