FAITH :: It's been too long... a short update

 I plan to get to my posting activities so many days...then it gets late and I go to sleep.  I was just doing that when I noticed the date on my last post.  Where did the whole month of MAY go!!  I don't know.  It's already heading into the 7th of JUNE.

I decided to send out a few words before my end of day.

Right now my big quest is to do weekly shopping according to a budget.  It's a lot harder than I thought it would be.  Getting to the store when I need to seems to be part of the problem.  The other big issue is how to replace my food staples along with the weekly fresh produce goal.  

This month I created a budget tracker to help me get a visual look at the boundaries for this effort.  I had to revise it after starting to fill in the details of the process, but it looks like a way to sort out the money issues.  We'll know after this month.

I'm already way over my first week's budget because I did my main shopping at a different store, then went to my regular shopping place for refilling my cupboards.  If I can keep to the budget I worked out today, I will make it through OK.  Next month I will have it figured out better, for all four weeks.

The first week of the month is the main shopping time.  I need to replace a lot of things I used up.  I end up buying more than I need to.  SOOOOOOO, my plan is to spread that buying through all four weeks... in JULY.  :-)

Right now, I have to use all the fresh produce I bought because it was at a sale price and getting to a store is still a problem.  This is a serious budget issue.  I will be working on how to spread my food out over the month so I can make it to next month.

One good thing -- I finally figured out how to do the weeks of the month for my food budget.  I just have to go by the dates ::  1-7, 8-14, 15-21, 22-28.  Going by the days of the week just didn't work.  Four weeks is the main part of the month.  That's the budget.  Four weeks.

Faith issues are a daily struggle.  I am looking for GOD's answers to the problems I face in my life, and how the larger Body of Christ is surviving those same problems.  We are facing so many hard choices, consequences to years of not seeing the battles or not doing anything about those battles, and increasing persecutions by the Enemy and those who are his soldiers.  Prophecy can't be stopped, but how do those of us who believe in GOD and are saved by Christ find the path to the future?  I'm not sure.  I keep seeking GOD's answers.

Let me know if you have found any of those answers.

Well, I need to end this now.  I will try to be better at sharing my life and thoughts with you this month and beyond.  I am looking for a workable pace, a schedule I can live with, and how to focus my activities on what matters most. 

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

Tuesday, 3 July 2018

Here I am … up again just to get this done on the right day!  :-)  I can hardly keep my eyes open.  This will be a great post, right!  haha   I thought it would be a good idea earlier... just take a small rest...  I don't think I will try this again.

Today was a too much yardwork day... in the heat.  I am glad I got more done, but it is still a challenge to find the right way to manage the process.

In a few minutes it will be the Fourth of July... our celebration of Independence.  I was watching the news earlier and the newest way to celebrate is a drone event... I guess there was a half-time demonstration with it at a Super Bowl game and someone decided to make it their city's celebration.  Amazing!  So many of those little things making a moving design in the sky.  I would want to see it.  And it changes the fire danger of fireworks.  I wonder if it will become part of the yearly event, or every event, or... who knows where this development will lead.  I suppose you could do a home version of so many drones...  that would be fun.

I don't have much to live on this month... I better get going on my selling goals.  :-)   Today was a budgeting day.

I think this is going to have to be it for this post.  I will do better tomorrow.  If I can figure out how to do a good photo... I may share one tomorrow.

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us

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May I find the best way to get these goals done!  Amen.

Tuesday, 29 May 2018

I was amazed to learn, from NBR, that today is 529 Day, after the education savings account... has this naming a day thing gone too far!?  Every day seems to have a lot of themes to celebrate.  I never would have thought there was a day to recognize 529 accounts.

NBR tried to clarify what a 529 account was, but I still have questions.  Over the years I have heard and read different information about the education account.  I think you can start an account, add money that will be used later for education, and pay it directly to a school for anyone's education expenses.  I think it use to be a separate account for each person that will go to college or another education program... now, I think you can have one savings account and use it to pay anyone's qualified education expenses.  I don't know for sure yet, so don't depend on my statements.  Find out from someone more qualified.

I was further amazed that the presenter on NBR said $100 a month saved from the time a child is born might create somewhere between 25-30K for possibly ONE year of college.  This says something about what kind of colleges they are even thinking of.  I went to about three years of higher education a long time ago and ended up with about 30-35K in debt... which is much larger now.  Major colleges can be 50-60K for just one year... of the Bachelor's degree programs.  Go longer and the debt rises.

Public colleges are the least expensive.  I realized too late that I could have attended a junior college for the first two or three years doing the basic classes, then transferred for the classes that were required for a specific degree.

I also wish I would have taken on less debt, tried to work more to keep my debt down, and stayed the full four years until I got the "paper."  Finishing college is a problem for many... life happens, so you can't quite get there.  After a great deal of thought about it, I decided it would be a good idea to forgive school debt when some student groups complete the degree program.  It might encourage more to fight their way to the end of the struggle.  It would be better for the country.

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I discovered a lending group that is Jewish in the Portland area yesterday.  I am trying to find out how loans are handled in the Jewish community, according to GOD's directions.  I have trouble with the details of loan forgiveness.  How do you set up a lending program that is required to forgive the outstanding debt after a specific time.  I am wondering how much people allowed to be borrowed.

The Bible tells us that there were secured loans, with specific changes for the needs of the poor.  As I have stated before, I found a place that said GOD allows people to borrow on their tithes, but they also have to repay 20% more than they borrowed.  It says that you are not to alter your lending practices because the year of forgiveness is near. And, I am not sure if the seven year periods are already decided or if it could begin on the day the loan started.

GOD is very exacting.  It is not an easy thing to honor GOD with your decisions... those little grey areas seem to rise up everywhere.

I will figure it out, eventually.

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It is the end of the month again.  I already figured out my budget for June.  Now I need to see if I can make it through the whole month with it still my budget.  Dave Ramsey materials say it takes a few months to get through this new process, so I am considering this new format like a new budget... and giving myself a few months to work out the problems and change my habits.

I am heading toward my selling accounts this week, to make sure they are updated and functioning.  I need to gather all the listing details I will need, like photo sizes.  It is a long process for me, but I am getting further toward my goals.  I still need to work out my shipping issues.

I hate to eliminate anything because I worry about other people taking my site names and pretending to be me.  I don't know how this is going to work out in the future... for everyone.  And when I die, who will take it over... I am trying to figure those things out, before I die.

Well, I am falling asleep sitting up... I will be going for today.

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us


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May GOD uncover those things that need to be made open and protect the innocent.
May GOD provide for His people.
May GOD separate the guilty from the innocent.
May GOD help us to all find His path to the future.
May GOD show His goodness, His love, His mercy, His joy, to those who are searching.
May GOD bless those who love Him.
Amen.