18 SEP 2014 :: What does GOD require of me?

Been a busy day on the computer, reading and trying to learn about ETSY shop options. Sitting way too long, which isn't good for me. I was looking at Etsy blogs about holiday sales and picked up some information about Facebook and Pinterest as I read.

One article said I could schedule Facebook posts and I couldn't remember if I'd already heard that. It is on my list of things to figure out. I have wondered how the large groups of posts by some on Facebook happened...I suppose it was from entering posts as a scheduled event. :-)  I thought someone must have been at the computer whipping them out in a frenzy.

I went to a Pinterest article that said you can have secret boards, that it all doesn't have to be seen by the public. This seems like a good concept. I am trying to figure out what to do with Pinterest. I need to do some foundation pages for my own items before I get too far into Pinterest. My main goal has been to figure out how to make my own pins.  I also need to make those "pin it" links.

All of these things gather in the online sales process, marketing whatever it is you are trying to sell. I am learning out of desperation, but also will be able to apply these things to any other efforts...like Working Together items when we get to that point. I feel it is important to understand the basic processes so you can make better decisions in planning and development of any project.  This is why some leaders are better than others. As a peon in many types of work, I could see the difference between management that understood its workers and management that did not.

I think this is one of the attributes of Christ...he lived as a man so He would be better able to understand how to judge men.  I think it is why our sufferings lead us to the place we will minister. There are verses in the Bible for all of this, but I won't quote them now. When I get better at writing these posts, I will have better references.  One is about comforting others with the same comforts that were provided to us...turning our pain into helping others in the future.

My quest about food issues, and diet, and nutrition, and weigh loss, and poverty needs is progressing. I seem to do a little on several projects as I go. I think the most amazing thing I found in the food department was that 1 cup of cottage cheese and 1 Tablespoon of Brewer's Yeast/Nutritional Yeast has about all the B-complex vitamins I know of. That's a good thing for diets and health. :-)  

After I had my second child, I discovered something called a "Stress Tab." It was a B-complex vitamin that helps the body deal with the effects of stress. It was also the first time I ever took a regular vitamin PLUS another vitamin. I was amazed at how great it worked to improve my body at that time. It did take about a month to kick in, but it was a very good thing.

I didn't understand the benefits of B-vitamins until then.  I have wondered if it would be good for pregnant women to start taking them at least at 6 months, and for the first year of a new baby's life... more beneficial than chemicals/drugs for all the issues vitamins help. I think we rely on too many drugs for things that are really associated with diet and exercise.

I heard an infomercial for a "super C" supplement and it said that larger doses of vitamin C help reduce the bad fats in our veins...something to do with that system. It seems to me that vitamins would be better than blood pressure medicine, IF IT WORKS.  I haven't researched it completely, but I thought the information was really interesting.

I just discovered Vitamin C and the B-vitamins are both water soluble. That means they pass through the body, and aren't stored. (That's my understanding of the process.) I still remember when people took vitamin C tablets throughout the day during cold season to try to ward off the germs because it was a vitamin that had to be resupplied to be utilized by the body.

I don't think we can eat the amount of food required for a supplemental amount, so tablet forms are a good substitute. I'm not sure if they make liquid vitamins like C and B, but that might be a good option, too.  :-)    The main issue for me is a more natural form of body care.

My PRAYER NEEDS are still great and getting more pressing. Please continue to seek GOD on my behalf. I would like to see a big miracle to battle some who have hurt my life and my son's lives because of what they have done. I suppose it could be a form of revenge, but I think it is better seen as a show of GOD's power in this world... His sovereignty... that they really are not the ones in charge, even though they think they are.  Evil is a very covert process. The Bible tells us that Satan can appear as an angel if he wants to...a very scary fact.  -- Any prayers made are appreciated. Thanks.

Time to go for the weekend.  Enjoy your Sabbath, make it an offering to GOD somehow.

Let me add something here. I happened to hear a radio program about tithing today, just parts of it. What I heard in passing was that most Christians today are not tithing. That means they don't believe GOD's Word, they don't trust GOD to provide for them, and they are sinning against Him.

The tithe is essential to the work that GOD has called us to do in our world. There is no church without it. It is required by GOD the same way the Sabbath is required. It is a visible way that He can see our trust and we can see His provision. I am not sure if a tithe must go to a single church that we attend. The Jews had only ONE TEMPLE that supplied all the needs of the priests and the poor. Our world is a bit fractured. Our main responsibility is to seek GOD about what to do with our ten percent tithe and then trust Him to watch how it is used and judge the leaders according to what they do. My tithe has been eaten by Working Together for many years, but I also give to other places when I can...and often in addition to my required ten percent tithe.  It is really important to GOD and must be important to us.

I am afraid that the Boomers will be the last generation to honor GOD in our world...and that means all the consequences of turning away from GOD will increase fast. Finding the best way to establish permanent evangelistic resources is going to be very urgent for this time. Make sure you commit your money to the best options we can find.

May GOD lead us and provide for us and show us how to remain godly as the persecutions of the End Times increase, as financial issues grow worse, and families are destroyed, and churches fall away. May He help us to gather into stronger groups, to share as much as we can, to help each other, to create ways to provide for one another, and to continue to fellowship and evangelize the lost. May our children all be saved.


17 SEP 2014 :: FOOD!

I needed a recipe last week and decided to look in my older copy of  LAUREL'S KITCHEN, which I have always considered a standard for the vegetarian movement (at least, when I was younger and looking for information). It is a really nice book with lots of information about healthy foods, calories, and changing to a better diet. I have been exploring it again, reading and taking notes, checking out recipes, etc.

Today I made a variation of the CORNBREAD recipe there. It seemed way too liquid for my cooking experience, but I added corn kernels and juice to the recipe, along with red pepper flakes. I cooked it in a bread loaf pan instead of a flatter pan. So I adjusted the temperature and baking time. It seems to have turned out well.

I am looking forward to exploring more recipes and trying to add the calorie and health information to what I am gathering from a variety of places.

I noticed in my reading that UNICEF was declaring the first international food shortage about 1975, which was important to the author. That was the year I entered the welfare system in the US. I'm not sure how much has changed since then. There are continual disasters to deal with, wars, famines, and a lack of education and medical care still.

I have a photo that I discovered somewhere and kept for personal reference and reminder. It shows two large bellies, one from obesity and the other from starvation (I assume).

I once had a news photo of women scraping dirty water from the bottom of a gully...I was trying to keep that to remind me of what some people have to do to get water for their survival. It may still be hidden in my remaining belongings, but I don't think so. I wish I would have separated it from my other files and photos for my personal references about poverty and survival issues.

I have other photos that are important to me, one of a 9-year-old boy with a tumor the size of a basketball stretching out of his neck and into his shoulder, making his arm a thin (and I believe limp) extension. They had to use a SWAT team to get him out of his neighborhood because of the drug cartels.

Another photo I found when someone added it to an email without reference information. It looks like it was in an earthquake disaster area, but there is no way to know. It is an older brother of about 5 years holding a younger brother of about 1 year. Both are sleeping on an outdoor step, the older brother holding the younger, who is about half his size. There is no way to know if their parent/s are anywhere near.

My sons are older now, but I still worry about them and lament that I cannot help them more. I understand the difference between various definitions of "love" because of my life experiences. Not being able to provide for your family is not the same as not loving them.

I have been noticing more how the government, including the US government, often attacks the poor and takes away the things they need for basic survival...especially food stamps. It is easy to attack the poor because they don't have the resources to fight. I think the consequences for this habit will hurt the US further down the road...as will several other issues being decided now. Another election year is at hand...what will it mean for all of us?

I pray that GOD will help me (through Working Together) to be part of the provision process for as many people as I can...for Christians first, for others after that...for the US first, and for other international regions after that.

The Bible tells us that when the End Times become desperate, people will give all their gold and silver and wealth for food to survive on. That tells us what matters most...and how we need to keep our priorities right. Food, shelter, fellowship... these will be most important.

To make places for Christian fellowship as we provide for the things we need to survive together is going to take time...we had better get busy.


16 SEP 2014 :: On the way to the future

My days bring many things...challenges, familiarity, new information, goal sorting, finding my limits... I guess getting old is really a new path. It affects every area of my life...energy, food, time, rest, money, and plans. I make lists of things to get done, but can't always get to them because of unexpected changes.

My normal routines are off because I have some added chores right now. Garden watering, dog and cat and chicken care, and general cleaning I wanted to do. The need to do more than I normally do has shown me my physical limits and is forcing me to lower my expectations for the future and/or refocus my goals to something that can be achieved.

My goals have suffered these days, but I am always looking for a new way to organize my lists, how to work through the problems I deal with, and how to "seize the opportunities" by finding what I can get done. 

In my goal research, I discovered there are about ten hours a day that we really can use to accomplish our life goals -- including family/friend/church/school time, work commitments, travel associated with our goals, and any time needed to think, to plan, to research, etc. Anything that goes beyond sleeping, personal care, food prep and eating, housework, and all those living requirements would be included in the 10 hour limit.

It really isn't much time. Most important goals take a long time. We have to keep our focus going for weeks, months, years, even lifetimes. The main issue becomes creating realistic goals for each day, week, month, and year. This is an ongoing process for me, and I think it must be for everyone else that wants to find a way to reach their goals. It seemed so impossible before I sat down to understand the process of setting goals. Now goals seem possible once I can break them down into realistic, achievable pieces.
  • What can actually be achieved in my limited time every week?
  • How do I plan the things I need to get done?
  • Who do I count on to help?
  • What if there are unexpected interruptions?
  • Will I ever give up?
I go through this evaluation all over again when I have weeks like these. I get fatigued, physically overwhelmed, financially burdened, and frustrated. It makes me look again at what my life means, how I want to spend it, and what I actually can control.

My senior issues make the journey more difficult, but not any worse than other age issues. I just have to understand this part of my life and refigure the goal lists...praying always that GOD will be kind and help me to do what I feel is essential.

Again, please pray for me, too.

15 SEP 2014 :: A new week, and new thoughts

Been thinking about a lot of things over the weekend. It was a hard one on my body, and brings health and goals and limitations. What can I personally achieve?

Been praying much more about a variety of issues in my life...and how they show us the End Times are only going to get worse.  :-( 

I did discover a calorie count in an older cookbook called "Laurel's Kitchen" -- a vegetarian manual from a long time ago...probably before it was popular. Saving labels from the foods I eat, and that I gather from other foods, and this chart, will all help me to find the foods I can eat that will be good for my health. This book says that to lose weight we need to reduce our calories by 500 a day in order to equal the 3500 it takes to lose one pound. If you are able to do that, you should lose at least 50 pounds in a year. There is a warning not to go below 1200 at any time...that is minimal health.

This is an older book, but I think calories are calories, and the recipes are health oriented. I am hoping to try several very soon. I already made a batch of Yeast Butter to try...this is one melted cube of margarine mixed with 2 Tablespoons of Brewer's Yeast/Nutritional Yeast. It mixed up well. I hope it tastes well. Should be used on toast, melted on veggies, and things like that. There is also a recipe called Better Butter that is suppose to be much lower in calories per teaspoon...kind of like home-made margarine, I think. Will have to get some real butter before I can try this recipe.

Food is very important to our lives. I find that when I eat the things that are good for me, I don't really need to eat as much or as often. I am hoping to keep myself from eating out of boredom or just because something sounds good at the time.  I once heard that the Skinny Person's Diet is just waiting until you are really hungry and then only eating enough to not feel hungry anymore. I eat too much, especially when it is something I love. I hate to waste food, so I clean my plate. Finding ways to make and eat just enough is one of my personal goals.

I have two sons with birthdays this time of year. Pray they will return to the faith of their childhoods...and find the best path GOD has planned for them. It is all a parent wants. When people are truly saved, they become the best people that they can be. I want my sons to find that joy and peace and meaning in their lives. Pray for them...all three of them.  Thanks.

I also pray for other family members, and friends, and others who affect my life. Our lives are hurt by people who don't know Jesus as their savior...the world would be so much better if people were truly saved.

That is about all I can offer you right now. I am still dealing with body problems and need to get my deskwork done and lay this body down.

I noticed the lottery is huge...I will have to pray about that... It is my only hope for financing.  :-(  I don't really have the money to buy even one ticket...so I have to pray about it between now and Wednesday.  I would love to think that family members would share, but I don't know that they would. I think GOD would have to bless me so I can bless others, and build WT with the funds so more can be helped.  Pray I win if it is GOD's way of providing. Otherwise, pray that GOD will provide the finances some other way as soon as possible.  The needs are very urgent for me.

Thanks.