Tuesday, the 1st of MAY, 2018

Another month is here!

I have been going over my goal pages... and deciding where to focus my energies.  It is still a work-in-progress, but I am also in the process of moving things around in my room again... The addition of the mini-fridge has prompted other changes.  It is getting better with every change.  I am finding permanent places for my supplies and making crafting spaces I can use.  I hope I get this all done before the CHRISTMAS selling season!

I haven't looked elsewhere on the internet yet... I just logged on.  I thought it might be better to get this done first.

Not much to share... I don't even know what the weather is going to be, but it looks overcast and possibly rainy.  I better put that on my "list" :-)  for making plans.

Shopping is a necessity this week... I have to make my list of foods the have to be gotten, if possible.  My budget is very tight this month, I think I shared that, but I have to decide what is essential to buy with my cash budget.  Food is always under my SNAP/Food Stamp allotment... which is $192... for one person with a small income.  I have to be very careful... it doesn't go very far.  I can't buy everything I want to.

I took a shower a bit ago and it has renewed my energy a little.  :-)  I was up in the night, up early, then took a very brief nap...  very brief.

Earlier I made some of my rice mix to eat with the roasted veggie packs I was trying.  Three of them took 90 minutes in aluminum foil in a toaster oven at 350 degrees.  Interesting.  Next time I will try putting the food in parchment and later in a cover of aluminum foil.  Just to see what the difference is.  I had about a cup of carrot sticks, two small beets, and a quarter of a medium white onion in each package.  I still have enough for one more packet, but I can use that for soup.  It really tasted great!  I had some soy sauce in the rice, and I mostly just use my homemade garlic salt and pepper from one of those mills. I got mine at the Salvation Army store and it works great (so far). 

After I go shopping, the veggies in the next packages will be different.  It is really filling.  I have to learn how to NOT eat now... to wait until I am hungry... and see how that goes.  I tend to eat just to eat something I want to eat, whether I am hungry or not... mostly popcorn, but sometimes other foods.  I think I am losing a little of my extra weight, but I can't be sure.  I need more exercise... somehow.  :-)

This is my life right now... food changes, better health, exercise, crafting challenges, trying to increase my income, and other things.  It is a daily process, and trying to make it to my goals is a battle.

So, it is MAY and I have to start on my letter list all over again.

If I make it to JUNE, I will consider that a great WIN... :-)   --- without destroying my budget... which I am working at in a different way this month.  I'm sure I will be telling you about all my drama.  :-)

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us

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May the GOD of all be kind to us, help us to know Him, discover His love for us, and willingly give our lives to His Plan for us... with salvation through Christ.
Amen.

Saturday night, 24 March 2018

I'm here... thought about sharing on Facebook, but that is as unresponsive as this blog, so far -- still in prayer about the causes -- so I decided I might as well focus all my energy here.  :-)

I was just online looking for some info about books I saw in the latest ENTREPRENEUR magazine I got ... yesterday, I think.  Then I ended up at FORKS OVER KNIVES (.com) for a recipe... and that led me to a new website called  ::  thevegan8.com  --- which has recipes that have 8 or less ingredients.  It's easy to link from here to here to here to here to here... for hours!  I had internet problems or I would still be looking at some recipe choices.  I was at the VEGAN SOUR CREAM recipe when it all went away.  (It's made with silken tofu and white wine vinegar, salt to taste... interesting.  I don't like the push for tofu, but a little bit here and there might work.  I will have to try the recipe to see what it tastes like.)

They had a lot of sweet potato recipes and some chickpea variations.  I haven't figured out the foods that have the best bang for your buck yet... but I am fond of sweet potatoes in things.  (fries, side dish, and ??? )  Veggie and bean chili recipes are easy... a natural protein substitute for meat.  I'm getting to the point of making spaghetti sauce again... and I may puree it to make it smoother this time.  I'm not sure, I'm just kind of exploring the vegan difference.

The website doctor at Forks Over Knives had a post about overcoming diabetes with whole and minimally processed foods, whether they are carb-based or not.  I read the statement about most diabetics feeling they can't eat any (or few?) carbs to stay healthy.  I'm not sure how that all works, I just know good food is critical for good health... buy the best you can afford, it's all we can do. 

I am getting closer to figuring out my monthly allotment for "animal-based foods" in my current transition... I am at 2 bricks of cream cheese, trying for one pound of chicken, some kind of fish when I can -- I haven't decided if I will have one meat or a couple kinds of real meat.  I had a jar of herring snacks in wine sauce this month, and I just purchased some chicken tenders... I can't remember the weight on the package, but it was probably close to a pound.  No bacon this month.  I didn't eat out when I went shopping this month, so far...

I have been recording my oil and butter use and it is frightening to see it go higher and higher... those are some BIG calories. I don't know if the opinions against their use are because of calories or because they are "processed" -- so I haven't made a final decision about how much to use, and whether I want to go the no more fats route.  Changing our favorites is HARD!!!

I think I am getting a little bit smaller in my belly though.  That I like.  :-)   It can depend on the day still, but I am noticing some differences in my intake habits.  When I find the recipes I like, and want to eat, I will be better about all this.  Right now I am trying to decide what to buy each week and how to use the food to make decent meals.

It is true... when you eat a lot of fruits and veggies, you are full all the time.  I sometimes just eat because I want to eat that particular food at that particular time... not because I am hungry.  It was one of the things I noticed most when I started trying to eat better foods...  When you eat the right foods, you aren't hungry for a LONG time.  We have to figure this out and share it with the parts of the world that are starving.

I did take a small nap today... but I lasted until about 5pm!  It's a half win!  haha 
I am already ready to go back to sleep again... it's only 8pm.

The body is the thing we need to survive this life... finding a way to fit that sleep into our schedule is something important.  Everything rests and recovers when we sleep... I read somewhere that it takes years off your life when you don't sleep right.  I prefer to meet that battle without pills that turn into addictions, so I keep working on training my body to keep a schedule I can live with... TRY is the key word here.  :-)   Some things are beyond our control, so we have to just go with the flow.

I guess I really got into food again... sorry. Didn't plan that.  It is an ongoing effort in my goals, so it is always on my mind and budget.

The construction around here MIGHT get done next week... we have to wait and see.  :-(

Well, it's still the weekend.  I will head out of here now, but who knows when I will come back...  keep you guessing!  haha

I pray that GOD is watching over the people who love and trust Him for their care and life and happiness.

We are all struggling, but sometimes the Enemy seems to have more power than GOD... it isn't true, but you have to study the Bible to understand why GOD isn't a slave to our changing priorities... why free will is so essential to our relationship with Him and with our judgment and our forgiveness.

Someday I will get into all the deeper parts of my thoughts, I hope... until then, we just have to make it through today.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us

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May GOD watch over the innocent and keep those who hurt others on a path to Him, to forgiveness, to restitution, to a better life.  Amen.

Tuesday, 30 January 2018

BACON!
I can't believe I ate it all!

Thank goodness I only had 4 slices in the house, and cooked... even if they were thick slices. I really cringed when I cleaned all the grease out of the pan to wash it clean again... I have to say it was between a quarter and a third of a cup, I think.  It was so gross to look at.  The bacon tasted so good... I decided I will only buy one or two slices at a time, or limit my bacon to restaurant sandwiches.  That will help.

I finished off my deli turkey, too.  No meat in the house now... I think.  I probably will find something hidden someday.  :-)  Once you discover a new truth it is hard to pretend it doesn't matter.  It changes every day from that moment on.  One of the interviews on the extra DVD from Forks Over Knives shared that animal protein kind of stops your colon from working right... something like that.  It may have been the whole digestive system.  I am planning to watch that part over again and take some notes.  It was one of the new statements I noticed.

I have known from previous research efforts that the body does not process meat easily.  I didn't know why.  In watching so many documentaries on food now, I see better that science is not finite, it is evolving.  When the news reports a new discovery it is just filling its air time with something that has been shared with them (press releases).  In the bigger picture, it is just one more study on the way forward.

It's hard to remember way back when I was young, but I remember being worried about the health of my children because our poverty did not allow the best food options.  That made vitamins and essential, not a luxury.  Now that I am a senior, alone, and eating better, plus discovering that senior bodies have different needs, my vitamin consumption remains but at an every other day level.  A lifetime hope was always to be able to eat real food that would cover what the vitamins provided for optimal health.  I always hoped to improve the lives of others with the financial blessings I was trying to discover through Working Together.  I guess that isn't my path.

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The State of the Union address is scheduled for 6pm here.  I hope to be able to watch it.  I stopped listening to the liberal news tonight because it is never good... always biased toward the politics that they endorse.  It isn't worth listening to anymore. 

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I started reading THE TREASURE PRINCIPLE, by Randy Alcorn, this morning and became discouraged by the views presented in the very first chapter.  I made a Facebook post about them, which probably should have been shared here, but I was angry and that is where I was, checking on my page.  If you want to read it, look for it here.   facebook.com/DeborahMartin.2014

I will force myself to keep reading for a bit more... to see what else he has to say about money issues and GOD.  It was a popular book, which is why I bought it when I saw it at the thrift store.  Money issues in Christianity are important to me.  I have a section in my book collection for them.

It is always hard to need something from GOD, and to look at other Christians with the impression they have enough to share.  My readings with the Dave Ramsey program showed me that looks are deceiving... all those good Christians may be struggling with debt and the battle with the "Jones family" in the church... all their income may be allocated to payments before they get it, and can be living paycheck-to-paycheck just like everyone else in the world.  Looking to GOD for your supply is really the only way to be fully Christian... to find contentment.

The god of money is a powerful enemy of faith.  It attacks us all.

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It has been a strange day because of that early morning experience.

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I have been working to use up my current foods before I go into new food items, so today I tried to bake my "fried rice" effort when I baked my bacon strips.  It turned out great!  I am so happy to be experimenting and creating things I like.  Now I have to keep better records of what I do so I can make it again.  :-)

Chili is next on the FOOD TO DO list.  :-)  One can of beans, maybe two, and a can of tomatoes, with diced onions, maybe some diced sweet peppers... who knows.  My biggest challenge is figuring out the right spices, and keeping the final amount as small as I can.  I love veggie chili, so that is not a problem food for me.  I may mix it with pasta this time.

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Well, that's enough for today.
I hope tomorrow is better for all of us.

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May the GOD of all provisions bless His people with abundance so they might share with those around them...
May the world discover GOD, the salvation of His Son (Jesus), and the amazing difference the Holy Spirit makes.
May our country find a way through our current financial challenges.
May our leaders put America before their own agendas.
May our media providers learn what Truth in reporting really is.
May those without a moral foundation find one... and help us to recover from the damages of crime.
May life become balanced, and families become strong, and Americans become the voice of our government.
May we become ONE Body in Christ so that our future will be stronger together.
Amen.

Monday, 4 December 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

http://work2gather.us

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

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

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

Working Together Inc
PO Box 828
Eugene  OR  97440
United States

office@work2gather.us
541.344.5248

Let me know what you think...