Debate Night! Better get this done now!

 

I found this in my archives, too.  It was the first cookbook I found for low-income households, on food benefits.  I don't remember the year.  I do remember there was a Banana Pancakes recipe.  :-)  

I still haven't found my go-to recipe for pancakes.  :-)

Today has been a day of more sorting, shredding, making donation piles, and all those things that go with downsizing. 

Another food day.

And I have to prep for the rain that starts tonight.

What is your day like?

I am still having conversations with GOD about my finances and what I need more money for.  My Bucket List.  What I would like to do before I leave this earth - or go to a care facility.  

I love the Kenya organization called Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.  It is mostly for elephants, but also other wildlife in their area.  I discovered they have an event in NYC right now.  A "herd" of 100 elephants on display.  It's in the meatpacking district - I don't know why, and don't like the association of the two.  I will look for photos, but it would be nice to see.

There is a long list of places I would like to see in NYC, and DC, and around the East Coast, if I ever got there.  I would love to stay on that part of the country for a long time, maybe two months (I'm not sure yet) so I could really see what exists out there.  Ministries, government, historical, and fun places like Broadway and the Bible Museum.  

This is why I need to win the next billion-dollar lottery!  :-)

I am very aware that people all over this world never get to do anything in their whole lives.  I know I am not a special case for GOD to be concerned with, but I still ask (again and again).  I try to do what I can online to reach that income level myself, with GOD's blessings, but have not found that path yet.

I listened to some Joel Osteen videos last night and this morning.  When he says that we have to ask in a certain way, I can't see it.  GOD will do whatever He wants to do, whether I ask at all.  

I don't ask the way Osteen suggests.  Maybe I am upset by the thought I haven't sought GOD in a different way, in the "positive" way, and have caused my own poverty.  I have expected GOD to provide according to His Will and Time.  I have waited all these years because I know about Abraham and Sarah's lack of faith to wait for GOD.

This is such an issue.

I think the underlying problem is the difference between a prayer of "faith" and a prayer of desperation.  

This battle has been going on all of my life. 

I shouldn't have this faith that I do. 

But I know GOD is going to do whatever it takes to provide for His Will. 

Technology has changed everything in our lives, more than we know.  It is a sign of the future.  We see it one way, Satan sees it another way, and GOD says we don't want to be here when it really gets bad.  That is why we will be killed by the Antichrist, not "raptured" away to avoid standing for GOD, Jesus, and Faith.  

The Bible tells us Man will die once, then face the Judgment.  Billions of people are not going to escape death because of the Antichrist and Tribulation.  It is just not how GOD works.  

There are only two humans who have not died and left this earth.  I believe they will be the two witnesses at the end, and they have to die when their "job" is done.  God does not lie.

The Bible says some die to keep them from what the future will become.  I think that is why the Antichrist is going to become the ruler he is prophesied to be.  Whatever is ahead, it is going to be really bad.  Death is going to be a blessing, not a punishment.

I wish I knew all the answers.  I just share what I have decided after studying the Bible for myself.  I need to study it again, but I am dealing with issues beyond my control.  I have decided to trust GOD for this battle.  I will keep searching for a way forward.

I wanted to do so many things.  Now, at my age and health, I don't know what I can do.  If GOD provides, I will do as much as my life allows.

I hope you have that plan, too.

Planning for next month. Planning for a better future. Seeking GOD for the right path.

Thinking about everything this month has been a difficult process.  I tend to seek GOD until I get a clear answer.  That can be once or it can be years, many years.  I can almost see the path clearly now.  

Almost.

This change probably has a lot to do with beginning to feel better and starting to do more things now.  Today I am very sore from doing more than I have been.  By September I may be more flexible.

Praying is hard to do when GOD doesn't answer quickly, or the way you want Him to.  I have had sermons playing in the background for days.  When I hear certain parts of them, it makes me think about all the issues in our current life.  I am looking for our place in GOD's Plan, in our world, in this life.

This month has me thinking about my health.  How much longer do I have to even try?  What do I need to keep going?  When will I not be able to live fully on my own?  

What are the things we need to be independent as senior citizens?  In the place I am it is too hard to survive alone.  I can't get around easily on my own.  A change in location would change my life.  I am seeing all these details in my own life and wondering how many others have already passed through this learning curve.

In watching a lot of YouTube videos, I see a lot of people with no real help to deal with their issues surviving.  The loss of a home because of increased rents or mortgages has a consequence of homelessness for people of all ages, including seniors.  The unnoticed reality is that there is no one to help.  No family.  Pride.  No savings.  No one to turn to.  I don't know if it is just an economic problem.  Our society has become isolated, families are now separated by miles, states, lifestyles, and more.

I look at my life and there are many different issues that created it.  I have always said that GOD could have blessed my efforts at any moment on the path, but He didn't.  I have never understood why.

I know GOD put my special dreams in me for a reason.  

I know He accomplishes His Will.  

I know nothing can stop GOD from finishing what He starts.  

Now, I am not sure what my part in His Plan is.  That is the problem.

Writing down all the details I have so far, about Working Together, has been one of my thoughts.  It may be my most important goal right now.  I guess I wonder if it's too late.  Our world is quickly becoming a place where critical prophecies about the Antichrist are coming true.  Global rule seems imminent.  

To build anything as big as Working Together would take years.  I have been struggling to create Working Together, officially, since 1987.  That seems like a lot of lost years.  I was willing, but GOD seems not to be.

For now, I can only worry about surviving September.  It is all the money I have.

Trying to get back on track. Update.

It's been a long month.

I'm not sure when I will get back to normal.

I have been thinking a lot during all these days of getting better.

Aging seems to have its own agenda, different for each of us.

America is struggling to survive.

I don't know what this election will do to us.

I can't imagine what will happen if the Democrats win.

I wonder how much longer we can survive without some financial changes.  Even the Republicans can't save us alone.  Our debt is is too high.

I think about prophecies in the Bible.  About what they mean to us as a nation, as Christians, as a world.  The Antichrist is the main problem we face, and what leads up to the world asking him to save us.  A global government isn't going to honor freedom.  And the entire North American continent is one region in the future plan.  Everything we think is going to happen is not.  

I know it is already known to GOD, but it is hard to deal with as a Christian American.

My life is meaningless in the larger realities.  I suppose all of our lives are meaningless at the individual level.  I wonder how much we can do to affect what is coming.  I have nothing to even try with.  

Have you considered what GOD has warned us about?

Right now, I am still trying to recover from my sudden illness.  I will do what I can to find a path I can do in my life and health.

I just wanted to check in again.  I may enter more posts as I go through all the thoughts I am having about us and America and how evil will overcome good.  I'm trying to find GOD's path for me right now.

May GOD help us all to see His Will for us in this time of history and prophecy.

A lot seems to happen in a short amount of time these days

I spent a long time today going through my ETSY listings.  (https://etsy.com/shop/work2gather)  I have been trying to decide the direction I want to go, changing my content, thinking about a better future.  

I deactivated all my listings except for four of them.  Then I updated each of them.  Then I explored some of the suggestions ETSY has for its sellers.  I will have to return to my shop and look at my keywords again.  

I can see how I need to review my listings, not just put them up and leave them.  How often to do that is the question.  

I am seeking GOD for money to change all the things in my life that need to be changed.  I have been praying for the way to do that.  My part: to do what I can.  GOD's part: to bless my efforts.  (I hope.  After all these years of trying, it is hard to have a strong faith that GOD will provide what I think He should.)  

I have been listening to Joel Osteen sermons.

I have been listening to old books about faith issues.

I have been thinking about what I should do to change the way things are.

I have been seeking GOD for direction. 

This is another starting point for my efforts to make things better. 

We will have to see what the rest of this month brings.

I watched some of the news programs for today after working on my ETSY plans.

Kamala Harris is now officially going after the Democratic bid for President.  It is the expected path, but I am not sure what it means.  I don't follow all these politicians that closely.  I think about our nation, about the battles between the main political parties, about the needs of the poor more than other income groups.

I suppose we will all find out where our nation is heading now.

What the news showed us tonight was an ordinary woman calling the police for help and ending up dead because of the policeman that answered the call.  Video in our lives is filled with real pain in the lives of others now.  Her life is over.  She has no option to recover from what a policeman has done.  She was murdered, he was not protecting himself from a dangerous person.  

When you watch the video, you can sense his need to kill someone, anyone.  I don't know what they call that, but it happens all the time.  I think it could have been a Black issue or a GOD issue.  He got mad when she called on GOD to help her.  The policeman was agitated, she sensed the need for protection.  He is charged with murder.  He should be. 

It's a very sad situation.  We see what happens in the video, but we have no idea what made these people the way they were at this moment in time. We don't suddenly become a killer.  Our lives change us into good or bad people.  Every day, every month, every year.  We slowly become different people.

What keeps us good people?

What makes us turn into people who do things that hurt us and others?

In my life, it was my faith in GOD, my salvation, my hope for the future that kept me from becoming a person that would hurt others.  I looked toward GOD in my hard times, in my pain, in my struggles to become better. 

The death of this innocent woman made me think about my own death.  We never know what a day will hold.  GOD warns us that the only time we have is right now.  

I hope for much, but I don't know what GOD is going to provide.  GOD provides for His Will, His Plan for us and for the world.  GOD lifts one up and lets another fall.  Everything is heading toward the fulfillment of prophecy in small and large steps. 

This is a very important election year.  It will decide the direction of our nation.  The goals of the Republican and Democratic Parties are very different.  This election is now, what happens after the election may change everything again.  

I can't support the Democratic agenda, but I don't agree with everything the Republicans stand for either.  Mostly, I hope America survives.  Mostly, I hope I survive. 

Protecting the Body of Christ

Working Together and the Body of Christ.  It has been my life.  It is still my life, even though I am trying to find a senior path.

This design was an ad in a Christian newspaper.  I advertised for so many years, and never had a single response.  Makes me wonder why.

I decided to share it again today because I like the statement.  I don't have the money to finance anyone buying the mug, but the statement is still very important.

Selling something digital is better for me and for Working Together right now.  I have been trying to sell a printable of my very important writing called SERVANTS, also at Etsy, so I can avoid the problems of product costs.  If you decide to buy anything, that would be the right thing to buy... right now.  Later, I would have more options.

I have been trying to decide what the best path forward for me is.  I don't know what GOD is doing, but I know He is trying to warn His People, to provide for them, to protect us from the thngs we don't yet know about or understand in this time of history.  The Beast, the Antichrist, what prophecy means in our age.  Technology is becoming more than anyone could have thought it would.

I listen to a lot of Christian sermons on YouTube these days.  It is the easiest way for me to access Christian messages.  I also try to find news, movies, books to listen to, songs, and other digital materials to think about and find answers.  The internet has changed our lives in so many ways.  It is the future.  It is also a great danger for freedom, for finances, for government, for everything we know.  I can see why GOD may have chosen this time for the Antichrist and our deaths by him.

I am seeking GOD for the path forward.  

If I cannot do what I need to do, I look to GOD for the path I can take, what I can do, and what I believe He wants me to do.  I know that nothing in this world can stop GOD from accomplishing His Will in this world.  I have to trust that He will do whatever is needed.  That is what I do.  Wait.  Do what I can.  Wait for GOD to solve the problems.

In this election year, America is at a more serious crossroads than others in the past.  The choice between Trump and Biden, Republican and Democrat, conservative and liberal, is a serious fork in the path to our future.  The ability to vote is our right to choose which direction we take.  

None of our choices will be perfect.  Every person running for every office is not a perfect person.  We have to choose the people who are heading in the directions we want to go.  We have many serious problems in our nation, and soon the world will become one government -- that will change EVERYTHING in all of our lives.  The decisions of government will become the prophecies of the Bible.  

I don't know if Working Together can help us, but I hope GOD shows us why He created it.  It must have an important place in our story.  I think it will help us become ONE Body of Christ, but it will also help us do more for each other.  That was my hope anyway.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

https://work2gather.us

Finding the way forward... one day at a time.

This seems to be the theme of my life.

One day at a time.

The Bible tells us this moment is all we have but we think our lives will be forever.  Well, a long time.  Now that I am up there in years, it seems this one day at a time theme is still the only option.  The reasons why seem to change, but there is even less of a guarantee we will reach tomorrow, or our next birthday, or the many goals we still have.  

Today I came across a YouTube Short about Christian things.  I think the channel was called The Bible Minute, but I am not sure.  The topic of the video was a question many unbelievers ask about God... about people who have never even heard about God - asking how He can judge them.

My reply was the Bible tells us Creation is a witness of God.  

I also mentioned reading in the Bible that some are made for the day of evil, for the End Times.  We will not all be saved.  This is a big question in my mind.  How are some of us created just for the days of evil?  To me it is saying some of us will not have the option to be saved.  I don't have my answer about this passage yet.  I am just thankful that I found God and salvation.

I am struggling with the details of living in these End Times.  Technology has brought things into our lives that I never thought possible.  And there is no way to stop them.  We will have to learn how to cope with them as they create the fulfillment of prophecy.  Living one day at a time is our only choice.  

We are heading into robots, into internet controls we don't even know about, into microchips in the body and becoming a computer ourselves.  No one in the days when the Bible was created could ever have understood what we are living.  Symbolism, interpretations, words that are chosen to describe what is seen, these are things we have to deal with as we try to understand what the Bible says.  I am thinking of the visions of John in Revelation... about the many times the Bible says "like" when it is describing something in a vision of the future.  I am thinking about all the things that are missing from the details we have.

I believe God's Word is fully true.  I don't know if we can fully understand what is being shared with us.  I know that every time I read the Bible I discover something new because I have been changed by my own experiences and knowledge.  

I suppose this may be why there are so many denominations and ways of seeing parts of what the Bible says.  

Through Working Together I wanted to create a yearly event I called "40 Days in the Wilderness."  It was meant to be a way of gathering all the representatives of the many denominations together to share their views on these differences, find what GOD meant by them, and discuss what we could do to overcome them to become ONE BODY of CHRIST.  I wanted to find a way to solve these issues that divide us.  With the internet, we could all watch the discussions and find ways to participate.  Later, I realized this could become the way the Gospel would be heard all over the world.

Because of all the things I have wanted to do through Working Together, I can see why there has been so much opposition in my life.  What I don't understand is why GOD hasn't provided for Working Together.  I have to assume it was not the right time.

This could be a good sign for Christians.  It might mean we have a little more time before the Antichrist gets here, openly.  Global dominion takes time, I hope.  It's hard to know.  I see the power of the internet, the goal of digital currency as our global money, and the microchip already in human bodies.  I don't know what God's Plan is on the way to the Antichrist. 

I can only do what I am able to do in each day.  That is all God holds me responsible for.  I just wish I could have helped more people, more Christians.  I hate to see suffering that might have been prevented.

Pray for all of us.  It's going to be a lot of chaos when these struggles finally reach us.

In Christ,

Deborah Martin

Working Together Inc - https://work2gather.us

Memorial Day

 I just finished watching a replay of the DC Memorial Day Tribute.  I usually watch it every year, but the last few (with COVID) I don't remember.  I think they were cancelled, but I can say that for sure.  Sometimes I miss the day.  This year I cried almost the whole way through it. 

They showed a lot of pictures of each war, starting with Vietnam.  I remember Vietnam from the few TV news reports I saw.  I remember sharing somewhere that it was the first war put on TV.  It was horrible.  I remember some of the movies about it... anti-war media in movie formats.  

I guess they had newsreels for WWII.  I don't know how much death they showed on those.  Vietnam was terrible.  New weapons.  Really terrible battle strategies of the enemy in their familiar territory.  Lots of drugs and suffering.  

The fear of nuclear war I suppose. 

I joined the Women's Army in 1973 and was the last group through Basic Training under Vietnam.  I got a small medal for being in the military at that moment in time.  I didn't understand why.  I thought medals were for doing something extraordinary.

I didn't do too well in the military because of other issues.  I wish I had been wiser at that age.  I learned some important lessons by being in the military but I was so not ready for other parts of it.  It is still a memory of regret.

I cried watching all the stories of soldiers who died. I cried because of our country right now.  I cried because America is not the great country it was.  I cried thinking about what it is becoming.

Knowing the Bible it is hard to watch the destruction of this nation, and wondering if we can slow it down or if there is no hope for us.  I always saw the eagle as America, as a strong and majestic bird, powerful, a warrior for what is right and good and godly.  

Now I see that all the countries of the world are struggling to survive.  We are among those.  Our economic problems make us weak and vulnerable to our enemies.  Our political parties are so embattled for power that it is destroying us.  Paul Harvey has a speech on YouTube called FREEDOM TO CHAINS and says that all the great nations that fell after being in power for a long time did so because of the disintegration from within, not the attacks of outside enemies.  We are destroying ourselves.

In my years of pondering the problems and possible solutions we face, I realized morality IS the key to our greatness.  As we have slowly lost our godly morality and viewpoints, we have slowly eroded into what we are today.  GOD doesn't promise to protect our nation when it doesn't honor Him.  Like He did with Israel, more than once, He judges sin.  I see it as taking away His protection and allowing judgment through other sources, like 9-11.

Because prophecy tells us the world will become filled with sin and its consequences, I don't know that we can stop what we are headed into.  I wonder if we can keep it at bay somehow.  Then I wonder what we could do to accomplish that.

For myself, I have nothing.  I don't know how I will survive the June budget crisis.  I dream of things that could be done, but I am not able to even start them... to find others to help.

What could you do to stop the consequences of years of political mayhem, misjudgment, and even crimes... on both sides?

I cry for America and I cry for Christians.  

I wish I could have done more.

24 MAY 2023 - Checking in on my way to better.

 I am in the process of trying again.

Been working out a path to get everything updated and some kind of plan to keep moving forward with my online selling efforts.

Selling sites.

Blogs.

Social Media.

A lot of places I haven't been able to keep up with.

Now I am learning videos and how to use YouTube to link with all my spaces.

I am hoping I see results before GOD calls me home.

This week I have been posting, updating, and thinking.  I made some new planning sheets to work with, real paper ones.

I read a lot of materials about apps that people use for business, creating, keeping organized, to reach their version of "success."  Not sure I can do all that.  Learning to set reminders on my devices will be enough for me.  Using the calendar options would be helpful.  Maybe later I can decide about all the apps available then.

I send out monthly prayer letters this year.  It's not always easy to see GOD's answers to our prayers.  I keep praying... because I know GOD is the only one who can help me in some things.  Life hasn't turned out the way I thought it would, but there are still purposes in what I lived.  I see them down the line, not when life is in the middle of a bad time.

I hope you see the future with GOD is better than this world's troubles.  Keep your faith in Him, keep making godly choices, trust that there is a plan for your life and for the unexpected things you encounter on the way.

The Bible says the End Times we live in will grow very evil, very hard... so terrible GOD will have to end this earthly existence or no one will be saved.  We think today is so bad because we remember better times.  People in the future will say the same thing about our times.  Hard to believe that could be possible.

I don't know what it means to live in a politically oppressed country.  I know what America used to be.  We are falling into oppressions slowly, like the frog in the kettle of slowly heated water that kills and cooks it.  It already feels terrible.  I keep hoping it will change for the good but the Bible tells us it won't.  Maybe in small bursts of revival, but the global picture is in prophecy and it isn't good.

I have problems with my internet efforts, and other things.  I sometimes wonder if America is already like one of those oppressed countries where the leaders control everything on the internet.  I assume the Antichrist will control it all... and he is already alive somewhere.  In thinking about it, I see the deletion of all things Christian and Jewish, anything that opposes the governing powers of the Antichrist.  Then I wonder how people will hear about GOD, about Jesus, about salvation, about the Holy Spirit.

It is hard for me to even imagine trying to survive in an oppressive and evil world.  Noah had to do that.  We don't know how he lived in that kind of world.  I suppose that is why he was living somewhere he could build an ark, away from most of the people of that time I assume.

We have preppers.  

Being a prepper doesn't mean you are a Christian.  There are going to be a lot of difficult times for Christians in the middle of a disaster that involves using prepper supplies in a place where others have nothing to keep them alive.

Noah had that huge ark to protect him from all the people who died in the flood.  What will we have?

I suppose that is why the Antichrist will seek to kill all the Christians (and Jews).  We will suffer for a short time and then go to our eternity... not having to suffer the rest of the Tribulation judgments.

It is always a hard thing to think about what the Bible says and how it applies to our lives.

If I haven't already shared it, I saw some videos at YouTube about global governments heading in the way of digital currency as the future form of money.  I have already read about the financial microchip that is going to be put in human bodies - already tested on inmates and then others - which I assume is ready for mass distribution.  I realized that when the two are connected, we would have what the Bible describes as the MARK of the Beast.  The moment of no return, when each person  has to decide to follow GOD to their death or take the MARK in their body and be excluded from heaven.

How to prepare for that... At this point I don't know.  All my plans for Working Together and helping Christians were based on a cash society.

I still need money to survive today.  That is why I keep trying to earn online income.  At my age and in my situation, that is the only path I can do.

We have to trust GOD for all our needs, whether they are much or little.  I keep hoping for more than what I've had so far.  Not sure what GOD will do, but I keep looking for His blessings to finally reach me.

I can't help too many others when I don't have enough for myself.

Somehow, GOD will show us the way forward.

What do yo think we can do for the BODY OF CHRIST in these days?

Let me know in the comments.

Deborah Martin

https://work2gather.us

FAITH FRIDAY - a little late again. 16 April 2022 - Thoughts on Resurrection Sunday.

 

I took a photo of my year-round Christmas tree this past week... for a post.

Friday was GOOD FRIDAY, which I didn't even think about this year.

Tomorrow is RESURRECTION SUNDAY, when we celebrate the rising of Christ from His death on the cross.

Time seems to do its damage in faith.  I suppose that is why Satan works so hard to keep us from the Bible, from fellowship, from study, from worship, from our local congregations, and anything that has to do with GOD, Christ, the Holy Spirit.  For myself, that seems to include writing, designing, blogging, creating, even art.  I can add listening to audio Bibles, Christian music, Christian movies.  If I think about it longer, the list may never end.

This battle gets harder when we age or have any kind of isolating medical issue.  I have been thinking about it for a long time because I think about the Body of Christ becoming ONE BODY in Christ.

The Resurrection of Christ is the most important event in the Christian year.  Christ's death matters more than His birth.  It is our only way into heaven.  In becoming the substitute offering for our sins, He ends the need to sacrifice animals for sins.  He changes the focus of our relationship with Him from the Temple to our hearts.

This is part of what led me to create my Body of Christ statement.

The Body of Christ 

is not found in a building. 

It exists in the hearts and 

lives of those who accept 

the tenets of the Holy Bible 

and believe Jesus Christ 

sacrificed His Life 

for their personal sins.

The other side of this mug is part of my logo for Working Together and is focused on the separations we have made to the Body of Christ.  I have a link on my website to a page (ONE GOD) I created with some verses that go with each line.  The parts, and my designs for them, took a long time to create.  It was important to make the order right.

This mug is a very important message for all Christians.  I hope you will buy one from my ETSY shop (etsy.com/shop/work2gather.)

What has Resurrection Sunday become in our time?

I don't really know.  I haven't been to a service in years.  Being home all the time, I hardly remember a special day from any other day.  Getting groceries is a huge challenge for me.  I wonder about the Body of Christ, and struggle with the divided churches in every community.

Is this what GOD wanted when He provided Christ as our Saviour?  I don't think so.

So, my life is nearly over.  The End Times are getting worse and worse.  The Enemy seems to win more battles than we do, and that may be to fulfill the prophecies He gave us.  My hopes for the gathering of the Christian and Jewish people are not possible for me to do anymore.  

I still keep watching for God's provisions.  If they get to me I will do all I can to start the process of building Working Together for future needs.

Pray that GOD will reach His people before there is nothing we can do but march into the "death camps" of our prophecies.  Those who do not submit to the Antichrist, who fail to worship his ego, will be killed.  I thought it would be easier to be together when that time gets here.  That is why I created Working Together.

Now it is up to you and your communities to gather as One Body in Christ and prepare to support your people... plus those who will search for any kind of help in their pain.  

Think about life without money, jobs, housing, food, safety... think about ways to help each other.

FAITH FRIDAY :: 1 OCT 2021 - When GOD is 24-hours

I have a hard time separating life from GOD... compartments of life that some think GOD is not involved in.  Every day, 24-hours-a-day, that's the real GOD.

So, where is He when people are hurting?  When I am hurting.  I still think about that, more when I am in the middle of a hard season.  The answers are never clear.  We want Him to do everything for our suffering, but that is not GOD.

As I search for my answers, different parts of the Bible come to mind.

This week I remembered Paul's sufferings.  They didn't go away, they weren't prevented, he didn't see his ministry as separated from his sufferings.  

This week I thought of the martyrs under the throne.  I think of them a lot.  Some are linked to the sufferings of the Tribulation.  All have died for their faith.  As I have often thought about them, and their place in the 1000 years of being with the Lord as priests, I decided that suffering is what leads to our place in heaven.  These martyrs will not experience the second death, those of us who just die in salvation will have to go through that event.

I wonder if I am strong enough to die because I am faithful.

The Bible tells us our family might become our enemies because they choose not to believe.  That has been a hard one for me.  Watching this world take over their faith, lead them astray.  

I understand Brittany Spears was raised Christian.  It must be very hard for her parents.  

I have heard that Marilyn Manson was raised Christian.  

Now I hear that the children and grandchildren of Anita Bryant have fallen away from their godly heritage.  

How hard it is to think of our loved ones in the suffering of hell and the Lake of Fire forever.  The daily hurts we have to endure.

The world wants the eternities of those we care about.  That is when I think of Samson and his parents.

My children know the difference between right and wrong, have been baptized, and battle the problems of surviving and addictions and choosing GOD over the temptations of this world.  It is their choice, and sometimes their pain.

I had to choose.  You have to choose.  Each of us can only save ourselves.

With the internet I suffer with the things I see done to women and children because men are the "leaders" in their cultures.  I thought we need to find a way to share how GOD sees a man's place in a family, in a community.  

How can we live in this world that keeps growing more evil?

I really don't know.

I keep seeking GOD for the answers -- for myself and for all Christians.

I think about these global problems in case GOD allows me to do something about them, through Working Together, as myself, in the final years of my life.  What would you do to solve some of these problems if GOD provided you with the ability to do something?

It all takes money.

What is the priority of our ministries when our own are suffering?

With the pandemic we have seen a huge change in what it means to live, work, spend.  We have lost faith, freedoms, and our future.  What will we become now?  

The Antichrist is near.  Maybe not in our lifetimes (Boomers), but soon.  All these changes with the government in the pandemic seem to be orchestrated to get us to be willing to let the government be our absolute ruler and authority, without GOD.

Prophecy is true.  It will happen.  It is happening.  How can we prepare for it?

How can we become the ONE Body of Christ in this world?

Deb  <3

FAITH :: Just watched some End Time videos and had to comment on one...

Decided to share my comment to a YouTube video I watched...

================================

"What If There Is NO Rapture?"  (work2gather.us)  --  Reliance on the THEORY of escaping the Antichrist is going to create a loss of faith in all those who exist at the time of the MARK of the Beast....  The souls below the throne, given white robes, are martyrs, including those who die in the midst of the Tribulation and the Mark.   PLEASE, share all the different versions of what could happen.  Each person must find their own answers because their soul is judged by their choices.  The ONLY RAPTURE in the Bible is at the end of the earth and heaven's existence, when fire destroys everything, which may be the sun exploding because it is already expanding, which may be the cause of our ozone destruction... there are many possibilities for everything...   I once read a part in the Bible which said 5000 people died as one-third of the lives destroyed... which would mean only 15K people were alive at that time.  This would mean global catastrophe/s occurred.  We don't KNOW the details, our positions are all theories of interpretation.   -- I think the Bible says that GOD will hold your soul accountable for the souls you mislead.  PLEASE, share more than what you think is the interpretation of Bible Prophecy! 

MY COMMENT on a youtube video...

Saturday, 10 JULY 2021

apx  5:05 pm

The End Times: Antichrist, Rapture, Final Battle & Christ's Return - Mark Hitchcock

470,393 views Sep 12, 2020

9.3K  hands up 

496    hands down

The channel is :: 

100huntley

===========================

I am not sure what to do about all these seemingly popular speakers who share the same mistaken view of prophecy.  I hope to find GOD's answer to this problem soon.

The need to stand in FAIIH unto death at the time of the Antichrist is what our challenge will be... not taking the MARK of the Beast... becoming martyrs for our Faith...

We will not escape this requirement.

Tell me what you believe, and why.

Deborah Martin

http://work2gather.us

FAITH :: June is a hard month for me now.

I keep wondering what is coming for Americans who have a Faith in GOD, for the Jews, for anyone who doesn't agree with the more aggressive powers that are against us. 

In days that are very hard, I try to understand those who have suffered under other oppressive groups, including the Blacks and Migrants and Asians, plus those in other countries in the past and now. I have seen movies, news reports, books and videos, but that doesn't equal experiencing these painful moments myself. I have had struggles for various reasons, but not the violence of death for doing nothing but be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

The Bible has examples, so this is not a new problem.

How hard it is to know freedom and then be forced to submit to those who are over us -- when we don't agree.  Obamacare was the first big US mandate that affected the entire nation.  Now we are dealing with COVID restrictions and increasing government control.  The methods that a conquering power uses are not always soldiers and guns, but I do think those were threatened or used in the mask issue.

When we think of the Antichrist, we can see what it will mean to submit to government... much like the people who were overcome by Hitler.

It is so hard to imagine America becoming a nation of mandated citizens, no longer free, forced to do what the government decides we must do, dependent on the government for our survival.

I don't want that kind of country.  I have seen how the government takes care of people.  It isn't good.  You don't want that to become the way we exist. 

This month is now a hard month for me.  All the PRIDE issues connected to the LGBT Community have made it a hard month now.  Every time I see their abuse of GOD's rainbow I feel their hatred of Christians... of GOD... of anything and anyone with Faith.  Life has changed into a constant battle to understand why, to fight the oppression of this group of people, and to pray GOD will reach their souls with His Truth.

How do we stand in our rights, our faith, in a world that is becoming more and more angry and violent against all that is good?

Today is a day when the rainbow is a battering ram against my GOD.

I feel the oppression.  I feel helpless to change it.  I feel lost in the reality of prophecy. 

I keep praying for answers to these questions, to find a way to stay me and not be attacked by those who disagree with my GOD.  

Have you found a way to do that?

Deborah Martin, work2gather.us

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 :: 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...

Thursday is here...

I am moving into giant print for my writing...  I hope it helps in the reading.

There is so much I am doing, mostly getting caught up in research linking, I am not sure what to share today.

I found a small note I took from watching a sermon about the virus lockdown and all the issues related to it... It was said to be a well-established, historical theory about how change happens.  It was paraphrased to say ::

(Create)  PROBLEM
(Watch)  REACTION
(-missing word-)  SOLUTION
(I think it was about making your own solution for the problem so you can change the pattern of society...)

The speaker said he thought it was what the virus was created to do... If you think about how much has happened in such a short time, for what seems like our annual flu season, with possibly orchestrated events, the effects are astounding... and they are still with us.  Poor people can't do much... they can't fight back... which is why people who want to control large populations keep them poor and afraid.

I don't know what we will do to survive this... I am poor so I can't do anything. (Theory validation.)

My life has boundaries forced on me.

If I could....   this is my theme.

It might have killed me getting a heavy flu at my age... I never had a problem with it before.  But now I have age and a compromised body... the things that happen with aging.  

I am sorry for anyone who lost loved ones.  I am not trying to make light of their pain.  I just wonder if we will ever know the "TRUTH" about what happened.



Other than the virus issues, life has been online mostly.  I have a lot of things to read, been checking on new links, looked at some amazing land parcels the other day... so I am praying even harder for GOD's blessings... :-)

I have been "distracted" from my primary focus and need to get back on track.  That's the plan for the next week.

I shared a free desktop wallpaper with my Patreon Challenge tier... I'm working on my benefits for supporters.  Only $5 to get your own copy and support my CHALLENGE...  

https://patreon.com/DebsRetirementPlan

You can also get any or all of my designs so far at my ETSY shop... I changed my MAY discount to a DIGITAL SALE so all of the digital items can be purchased for $2 each.

https://etsy.com/shop/work2gather


What all those distractions accomplished was not getting new designs listed at ETSY.  I'm not sure how to do digital sales at EBAY yet.  Once I figure that out, I will list them at EBAY also.

I have been trying to survive on my stored foods, not going to the store all month, since shopping last month about mid-April.  It is really getting to be a challenge now.  I find when I don'thave a regular diet, my body rebels when I start eating all my old foods.  I may try to eat too much too fast as well... I am hoping to avoid that this time.

If all you have is dried foods (beans, grains, onion bits, etc.) the menu gets pretty tight.  I watched a Prepsteaders video on eating soup made with hard tack, pemican, and survival dried broth... and foraged "veggies" like dandelions and clover and other things I don't know about.  When you are hungry you get very "creative" for food.

I remember movies of plane crashes and survivors trying to make it through the wilderness to civilization of some kind.  A movie with a teen had him eating bugs.  A movie with adults had them trying to catch fish by hand.  I don't remember all the survival scenes/movies I have seen, but it is always an interest of mine because of WT and the goals of surviving as Christians... to be self-sufficient in life needs, food, water, shelter, etc.

Prepsteaders.com is on YouTube, at Patreon, and has the website that it uses as its name.  I decided to see what she did at Patreon so I am supporting her at the minimal level... $2 per video.  I devoted $10 a month to Patreon creators to find out more about the system.  She is the only per video person I signed up with, but I didn't know it was per video until I saw the billing.  It's a learning experience.  I have seen some of her videos, but not all of them.

The realities of a life of faith are always big in my life... it has been very hard and you wonder what GOD is doing.  It makes you try to see how GOD deals with the problems in our lives, how He judges those people who hurt us in their sins.  When you think a long time about the familiar stories we hear all the time... the hidden details begin to show up.

We pray for our needs, but GOD never promised to give us all the things we think we need, what we pray for.  What GOD promises, He does.  GOD never promises something He isn't going to do.  So GOD NEVER PROMISES THINGS HE WON'T DO.  It changes our ideas about what we pray for and what GOD will provide...  Who is the One in charge of our lives... How GOD judges sin.

I have been thinking lately that the worst judgment GOD can do is take your life before you are saved.  It doesn't matter how old you are, if you die before you are saved, you have only one destination.  I have thought of the rich man  who wanted his Lazarus to comfort him with water to ease his pain and torment... and to warn his brothers.  The reply was that the time was too late... the rich man and his brothers had their whole lives to do what they knew was right, but they walked by Lazarus every day.

It's very significant. We all do it at some point. Some of us don't have the ability to help people like Lazarus, but a rich man could, with ease.

I wish the realities of GOD were not so definite.  We don't like to see them, we don't like to talk about them, we pretend they don't exist.  When we get to judgment, when we die, it will be too late to change.

I studied in Revelations once and noticed that one of the final acts of GOD in judgment was a similar judgment of suffering in eternity... the time when there is no death and the scorpions sting inflicts pain over and over again.  I realized it is like the torment promised in the Lake of Fire... forever in pain, no death, no escape.

In my sufferings, I see the boundaries of GOD, how He can help and how He cannot.  I see the results of my sin, the sins of others hurting me, the long ripple of consequences that make our world what it is, our lives what they are.

I wish I could have made it different, but there's never a guarantee it would have been better.  GOD has a plan for each of us.  I have discovered important things in my sufferings, and now I wonder if they will ever help me... if GOD will use them to build WT, or if there was another purpose, something I don't know about.

This VIRUS CRISIS has changed a lot of things... and it may cause more devastation before it is over... many people don't have enough money to make through months and months of no income, reduced income, and no jobs to find.  

I keep saying, What is GOD trying to show us?
Think deeply about these things.  They may help you change the next several months or years of your life.


In Christ,
Deborah Martin

work2gather.us
and more...

27 OCT 2019 - How GOD moves in our world

I finally decided to do this Bible Verse post at my personal blog... and will share the link later.  It has been four days since I found these verses, and I have been thinking about them and what they represent during that time.  I may post one of the verses with the link, but I am not sure yet.

I opened my Bible on Thursday to a page in Haggai...Chapter 1:10-11 was going tobe my daily posting challenge.

"Therefore the heaven over you is stayed from dew, and the earth is stayed from her fruit.

"And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine, and upon the oil, and upon that which the ground bringeth forth, and upon men, and upon cattle, and upon all the labour of the hands."

I was impacted by this because of my interest in the End Times and how GOD judges the world in His efforts to reach it, to turn their hearts to Him and change their eternal destiny.  It is a very big topic, and there are so many verses to quote, I couldn't even share them in one post anywhere.

I also noticed Chapter 2:6-7

"For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

"And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come : and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts."

And Chapter 2:9

"The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the LORD of hosts : and in this place will I give peace."

I don't remember my impressions when I first read this section, but it seems to be about the next world... about the end of time as we know it... about the judgements of GOD.

Then I noticed across the page, in the book of Zephaniah (1:14-18) about the final judgments of GOD on earth and man.

"The great day of the LORD is near... the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.

"That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thich darkness,

"A day of the trumpet and alarm...

"And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD : and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.

"Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD's wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy : for he shall make a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land."

It's a scary thought, especially when the same message is repeated in so many places, and I understand they were shared many years apart.

GOD can bless or GOD can judge. It is something we have to understand and realize that we are not the ones in charge.  Ultimately, even though He has given us FREE WILL, He has the power to change things.

Drought is one of His tools, earthquakes can be one of his tools, floods can be a tool but not a global wrath, pestilence is listed as a means of judgment.  We like to say one of GOD's "lightning bolts" hit when we think GOD has judged someone we consider evil and deserving it.  I often wonder how GOD views my sins, my need for judgment, and how much His forgiveness takes away (an how much it doesn't - in consequences).

It took so many years of prayer and seeking and thought to find a place of peace about my own sins and forgiveness, to understand how GOD works in this world and our lives.  I am still learning, but I understand a lot more than when I first started looking for answers as a teen.  (I am now in retirement, past 65.) Now I search for answers about the End Times and the days of GOD's wrath in prophecy.

In my plans for Working Together, I knew that GOD had the ability to bless  one field over another, and food is such an important part of our survival.  Creating a separate community from our current world of urban conflicts seemed wise.  When I happened on the Haggai chapter as I randomly opened my Bible, I was struck by the difficult prophecies I know about, with famine and worse.  In times like that, we have no other resource by GOD... no human has the power to change our circumstances like this. We have one story of GOD providing overnight for one of His prophets, so there is a possibility of individual provisions whenever that happens, but I am not sure we can depend on that.

Who will be left on the earth when these things happen?  I don't know.  Right now, I am trying to recover my studies of the Bible and review all the foundations of my own decisions about End Time issues... because the battles have been hard in my own life. 

Whatever time I have left, I will continue to search for more answers, and to find some way to share them for the future.  I am not a scholar, just a regular Christian looking for answers.  We all have to find our answers.  We will all stand before GOD alone.

I a still trying to work through these passages.  I haven't spent a lot of time in my Bible for some time, so visiting these parts again is hard on my emotions.  I hate to see, think about, or know of suffering I cannot change, help, or eliminate.  Some things belong to GOD alone.  I pray when I can't act, and hope for His mercy on the innocent, and His provision for the suffering.

Christians will need to separate and gather to protect each other at some point.  I hope that time will be soon, all over the world.

Amen.

Monday, 4 June 2018

Another week is here...  I wonder what it will become.  I tried to do some work in the yard and I did too much.  So tired. Makes me ill.  I may need to set a timer or something... or focus on just one task for each day.  I cleaned up several boxes of debris then made some more to clean up... vines, ivy, trees and bushes... boards to cover holes in the fences, getting ready for the big burn day that will one day get here.

I found a dead blue jay baby in the grassy area today... I wondered what animals around here look for baby birds... I have only seen squirrels, but I didn't think they ate live things.  I thought squirrels and bunnies were veggies, and that the nests would be too protected for hawks and owls.  Not sure what else would get them, and leave them in the grass.  The little bird will be cremated in the big burn.

I am broiling more foods in my little toaster oven.  I tried some of my fresh pineapple chunks over the weekend... they were good!  I'm making more potato fries.  If I had more food, I would do more broiling right now.  Toast is a big thing right now. I will be trying to broil some slices of cauliflower this week.  It won't quite be like a BBQ, but it will work.  I think pizza may become a menu item this month.  (Remember, I am reducing my animal foods, so I only have one 8-ounce pkg of grated cheese a month these days.)

The social agenda is in the news today because an American citizen was allowed to follow his conscience in his work.  It is becoming a gay tyranny in America -- more each year.  I wonder what it was like when the Nazis were rising to power... the attacks against the Jews, and anyone supporting them, are the historical lesson we have.  It is something we need to remember.

The oppression of the acts of homosexuality and related choices was not done without reason.  There are so many other actions and choices involved in the decision to become a gay, lesbian, and otherwise.  It is often initiated in sexual abuse, which is illegal.  It is not a harmless crime.  The decision to disagree with this lifestyle choice is the right of all people... including the choice to make a cake, provide flowers, or any other business decision.  There are lots of other options available, but to make a legal case, the activist gay has to engage the refusal of an earnest faith.  Is this a hate crime?  It would be if the positions were traded.

It won't be an easy future for any of us...  the Bible tells us what the end result will be, but not the path to get there.

Our world has a lot of other problems to deal with... forcing submission to the issues of the growing gay categories is not one that is at the top of my list, or other people's lists.  I have said before that the only thing that seems to matter to this group is their genitals.

I guess the answers need to solve the problems of more than one group, which is small by comparison.  I know what it means to be homeless and try to find a restroom.  Restrooms are important for all human beings.  Public restrooms are the responsibility of public businesses, like the transit systems of every major city, which can take hours to get from one place to the next.  Transit systems avoid the issue because it is costly to maintain, to keep secure, to provide safety.  Even so, it is something that needs to be incorporated into the budget as a non-negotiable.  And it will solve a lot of other problems in the communities where major transit systems exist.

It is a difficult thing to be different, in any way.  These are the consequences we have to accept... and find solutions for... without destroying the rights of others.

I guess there is no easy path.
I hope we find a way to make the world a better place without hurting each other.

Until next time,
In Christ,

Deborah Martin
work2gather.us

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May GOD help His people as the world becomes a place where the Antichrist will rule.
May we all discover ways to live without attacking others... in ways that are hidden, open, or with agendas to destroy.
May our lives become worthy of  GOD's blessings.
May we become more than our genitals, happy with our DNA, and not afraid of GOD's Truth.
May life be better tomorrow than it was today, and better for all of us.
I pray we don't lift ourselves up by tearing others down... that we fight about issues, not individual people... and that we create solutions that are acceptable to all parties.
Amen.

Thursday, 25 January 2018

Interesting day.  I re-watched some of the food documentaries on my Netflix list.  I originally just wanted to see one, In Defense of Food with Michael Pollan, but it really made me want to see two others -- so I did.  I watched Sugar Coated again. Then I watched Forks Over Knives again... to see what the details were again.  I am working out my plan to buy all the documentaries I want to have in my collection.  It has become one of my goals for this year.

I am trying to understand the meaning of "whole food, plant-based diet" because it was clarified from the simple "plant-based diet."  I think it means only real food that is in its original form... maybe.  I'm not sure where bread and pasta fit into that formula.  I can see produce as whole foods, but not sure of the rest.  It will be figured out eventually.

Right now, I am working on depleting my food reserves... trying to decide how I can live without butter on my popcorn and olive oil in my salad dressing.  I just don't know what the veterans of this lifestyle choice do for these issues in eating.  So, I am walking into more fruits and veggies, more grains, and less salt/sugar/and oil.

When I watch the films, I try to see what they serve.  Some things I can figure out, but others are strange.

I have to say that I was glad to understand the problem with margarine as a food option... I had watched one food documentary that made me think margarine was better than butter because of the saturated fat contents.  Today I discovered that margarine has an even deadlier fat issue in the process that makes it margarine... trans fat.  I have to admit I really don't understand all this stuff yet.  It takes time to wade through all the different viewpoints and decide what you want to do for your own life.

I think my "mantra" will remain :: reduce the amounts I consume.  I am trying to notice any changes in how I feel, etc.

One guy mentioned that dairy allergies cause lots of problems with ear/nose/throat issues... that is a problem area for me (ear, nose, and throat issues) so I am going to watch to see if my reductions in dairy make a difference or if I have to fully give them up.

I haven't had an egg for a long time.  It feels strange.  I am trying to decide about the baking problems that brings up... I have to make some cornbread one of these days, maybe tomorrow.  I found a great recipe in Laurel's Kitchen cookbook... no flour!!!!  I want to make it into a small loaf shape so I can cut slices that will be like sandwich bread or maybe english muffin and bagel shapes.  Small slices.  It helps me to eat less... I hope.  :-)

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I did start working on my goals again... started making lists of what I need to do to make listings on my sales sites (etsy, ebay, fiverr, etc.).  I was surprised by the process.  I avoided making such a detailed list in the past... never really thought about all the steps as separate items.  Today I started figuring out how to make these steps fit into a weekly goal.  That seemed to change a lot.

I still have much more to do.  I am working on my photo guidelines for each selling site.  Taking photos is step one.  Then I have to edit them to the size each site requires.  In the process of getting them ready to upload, I need to work out a file naming template.  By next week, I should have this process figured out.

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I am praying for GOD to do some changes around my life.
I hope my prayers get answered soon.

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I discovered recently that a property I have been praying about is up for sale again.  I am not sure what is happening on the owner's end as the price has increased a lot.  I suppose GOD is big enough to handle that.  The owners are Christians, retiring or already retired, and have their own financial prayers for GOD to deal with.

I lived in Olney (Illinois) once.  Walmart decided to build there while I was there.  I had checked on property prices before they even thought of building there, and the costs were about $1000 and acre for farmland.  That price went up to $5000 and acre for Walmart.  It was quite a lesson for me on how people get.  (I suppose Amazon will have the same problem.  I guess the tax break is the only thing that makes up for this increase in costs.) 

Small towns suffer from the same issues that every community seems to suffer when Walmart comes to town (or a neighborhood).  I have called Walmart the "poor man's blessing" in the past... When finances are hard, poor families need to save as much money as they possibly can.  Walmart helps them do that.  Now, even Walmart is suffering from competition... places like the Dollar Stores and WinCo and other options.  You may want to think about the fact that thrift stores are also suffering because of the low-cost options now available to their customers.  I cringe every time I go to a thrift store these days... even when they are next door to Walmart and Dollar Tree, they charge huge amounts of money for some items that should be priced a LOT less.  If I didn't go to the sale day at Salvation Army, it would be hard to shop there.

I'm not sure it is any one person's fault, it is the way things are changing.  Automation is changing the job markets, the internet is changing the way we shop, education is moving online, and security problems are leading us right into the Mark of the Beast.  I don't know how we are going to deal with these issues as Christians... it will mean we have to change the way we act as churches and as the Body of Christ.  Many people will suffer before we figure that out.

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I am really down low on my fresh food stores.  I have one squash left... and three limes.  :-)  This should be fun.  I see lots of cans, pasta, and other ideas for meals in my immediate future.  :-)

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Well, that's enough for tonight.
Until next time...

In Christ,
Deborah Martin

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May we all find a way to prepare for the future... as churches, as families, as communities.

May GOD help us to be wise with our resources, so we will have them for the future.

May we all study the Bible and look for GOD's Truth instead of what we want to find there.  :-)

May our lives be focused on what GOD has planned for each of us, and not be compared to the lives of others.

Amen.