Finally, Thursday is here! :-) Getting into this pattern takes a bit of focus and concentration and determination. I am discovering blogging on a new level, and trying to find information about it from people that have already gone through this phase. Right now my challenge is just to get a blog post written. As I am doing that, my mind is beginning to plan ahead for topic, for a structure, for research and references. If I live long enough, GOD willing, I will be able to see this develop into something that is worthy of its audience.
The week has been long...and has taken a toll on my body. It has also been a week of learning new things, planning, praying. The garden I am caring for has been showing me plants I have never seen grown before. I am collecting some seeds for planting in the future. And discovering new recipes. The taste of home-grown food is worth the effort. It can't be compared. When I get to grow the things I love, I will go out to get my food as close to the time I eat it as possible. That will be good food!
This week I have been trying to develop my personal Etsy store. I want to create better listings and figure out how to deal with shipping issues. This involves a lot of reading and exploring other shops on Etsy. It is taking longer than I wanted it to, but the effort will be worth it. I don't think I can make it work for this Christmas season, but I will be able to prepare for next year's selling opportunities. As I go through my senior years, I hope this will become a good income source for me. My Social Security is very low, but it is all I have right now.
I have been so busy with other things today, I forgot it was the anniversary of the attack on our country. The news reminded me. I have a very hard time with the 9/11 attack. I was homeless on the day it happened, and I didn't find out about it until many days afterward. It was the inspiration for my AMERICA writing. I believe that attack was the turning point for our country...the sign that GOD's Hand of Protection has been withdrawn. I don't know if we can reverse that change...the End Times are moving ahead very quickly. I hope GOD will keep us safe, and help us to find Him again.
I think that is about all I can share today. I will be seeking GOD for some very urgent needs this weekend. Please pray for me if you can.
Remember to honor the Sabbath this weekend. I don't know how that would look for you, I am still trying to find a place of peace about it. I just believe that it is very important to GOD.
10 SEP 2014 :: Global Laws and Government
When I went to sign out from Facebook a few minutes ago, I got emotional about the issues we face in the world and how they will affect us as Christians, as countries, and as human beings.
There is no way to stop a global government...it has to be created and empowered to deal with crimes that happen between countries. It means laws will be made and agreed to, and we will have to obey them. It means government offices must be created. Police, jails, courts, and judges must be established to enforce the laws that are made. It means military forces and a loss of national sovereignty. And these new administrations need to be funded, so that will mean taxes to pay for them.
Some of the problems we face in our global issues:
We are bombarded with an endless list of issues on a daily basis. I know I am on overload already. I want to turn every device off and just be involved in the small events of my family, work, dreams. I wish I could help change the pain I see in other people's lives, but I can't. There is too much need and I don't have anything to give. I am struggling myself and there is no one to help me.
Sometimes I watch news anchors as they go from one story to another, with only a few seconds between each event, not having enough time to digest the tragic stories they report and register a human response. It is emotionally impossible for them, or us, to survive these assaults on our hearts and minds. We become more and more callous, indifferent, distant. There are so many needs presented to us we are forced to separate ourselves. They cease to have any meaning. We must find a way to cope with all that need so we stop feeling connected.
As a nation, as a world, we let abortion become a right of the mother, of the parents of teens, of the state, and ignored the rights of the unborn child, who did nothing wrong and did not deserve to die. This first right to kill innocent and silent human beings created a societal foundation based on individual worth -- people had to be deemed worthy to be allowed to live. The powers that were in charge decided a woman must retain the right to hide her pregnancy by killing her child. Every child killed was somehow considered defective or unwanted. They became "an inconvenient truth" instead of a blessing.
This first step into authorized murder led to euthanasia and "mercy killings," to the "right" to die so we wouldn't be a burden to society or our family. Then our courts created the right to force someone's death, even when there were people who wanted to care for them. Life wasn't protected because it wasn't a decision of right or wrong, or of alternatives, it was a question of who had the right to make this decision. Now the right to choose death is becoming a requirement to die -- to keep costs down and medical systems available for more worthy patients.
It is why domestic violence is rising, why child abuse of all kinds is rising, and why murder is rising. Financial crimes are escalating. Global crimes are increasing every day, especially on the Internet. These are the effects of choices we made many years ago, the ripples reaching farther and farther from the place they started. They are leading us to what the Bible has prophesied about the End Times, about the final judgment, about the destruction of our world.
GOD never lies. What the Bible tells us is going to happen, will happen. I hope you are ready for it.
There is no way to stop a global government...it has to be created and empowered to deal with crimes that happen between countries. It means laws will be made and agreed to, and we will have to obey them. It means government offices must be created. Police, jails, courts, and judges must be established to enforce the laws that are made. It means military forces and a loss of national sovereignty. And these new administrations need to be funded, so that will mean taxes to pay for them.
Some of the problems we face in our global issues:
- UN agreements already threaten to take away the rights of US parents to raise their children in ways they feel are best for their culture and family. In trying to prevent religious foundations, other perspectives will also lose their rights to exist.
- The US cannot always be expected to intervene in global terrorism. We don't have the funds or the desire to do that. Can we justify creating a war because some countries hate us enough to attack our citizens? Or that they think we are all rich and will pay a ransom?
- Drugs and Human Trafficking are becoming global problems.
- And our environmental abuses affect the world, not just one ship or company.
We are bombarded with an endless list of issues on a daily basis. I know I am on overload already. I want to turn every device off and just be involved in the small events of my family, work, dreams. I wish I could help change the pain I see in other people's lives, but I can't. There is too much need and I don't have anything to give. I am struggling myself and there is no one to help me.
Sometimes I watch news anchors as they go from one story to another, with only a few seconds between each event, not having enough time to digest the tragic stories they report and register a human response. It is emotionally impossible for them, or us, to survive these assaults on our hearts and minds. We become more and more callous, indifferent, distant. There are so many needs presented to us we are forced to separate ourselves. They cease to have any meaning. We must find a way to cope with all that need so we stop feeling connected.
As a nation, as a world, we let abortion become a right of the mother, of the parents of teens, of the state, and ignored the rights of the unborn child, who did nothing wrong and did not deserve to die. This first right to kill innocent and silent human beings created a societal foundation based on individual worth -- people had to be deemed worthy to be allowed to live. The powers that were in charge decided a woman must retain the right to hide her pregnancy by killing her child. Every child killed was somehow considered defective or unwanted. They became "an inconvenient truth" instead of a blessing.
This first step into authorized murder led to euthanasia and "mercy killings," to the "right" to die so we wouldn't be a burden to society or our family. Then our courts created the right to force someone's death, even when there were people who wanted to care for them. Life wasn't protected because it wasn't a decision of right or wrong, or of alternatives, it was a question of who had the right to make this decision. Now the right to choose death is becoming a requirement to die -- to keep costs down and medical systems available for more worthy patients.
This is how we have lost our value of life.
People have become things, they are no longer cherished human beings.
It is why domestic violence is rising, why child abuse of all kinds is rising, and why murder is rising. Financial crimes are escalating. Global crimes are increasing every day, especially on the Internet. These are the effects of choices we made many years ago, the ripples reaching farther and farther from the place they started. They are leading us to what the Bible has prophesied about the End Times, about the final judgment, about the destruction of our world.
GOD never lies. What the Bible tells us is going to happen, will happen. I hope you are ready for it.
9 SEP 2014 :: Gardens, Food, and Farming
I have temporarily been put in charge of watering the gardens for this household. It allows me to watch how the plants grow and think again about how to best preserve food. If we didn't enjoy the blessing that electricity brings us, how would we be able to make these garden foods last until the next harvest? Families in the past lived on what they grew, raised, and preserved. They had to plan for a full year's worth of supplies. If Christians are going to survive until the Antichrist wages war on the saints, we need to begin planning.
The vision for Working Together is [to] create these places that GOD can bless...including farms and ranches. My thought is that GOD judges nations with drought and famine, war, and pestilence. If GOD decides to judge America for the things it has been doing that are against His Word, the only way to separate us from the rest of the people is through Christian Communities. I call it creating a Goshen like the Israelites did in Egypt.
Food will be an important need whether we are operating Respite Centers in the larger cities or out in the rural areas building farms and ranches. In time, there will be no transportation options and we will have to be self-sufficient. GOD can perform miracles, but I have noticed that the Bible doesn't show us one miracle that was created from nothing. GOD multiplies bread and fish, He uses a raven to bring food to a hiding prophet, He protects His people from plagues, and makes bodies new again when they have been damaged. The oil in the lamp lasted for days, the oil for the widow didn't stop until she ran out of containers. Jesus turned water into wine, He didn't make wine out of nothing. The Bible tells us that GOD can bless one field and curse another. We need to prepare places that GOD can bless as He provides for those who love Him.
Consider a world without funds...money transfers and no cash. Housing, utilities, food, clothing, transportation, all the things we take for granted, have to be provided somehow. In the days before irrigation, and tractors, and refrigerators, if you didn't grow it, raise it, build it, or buy it, you didn't have it. Most Americans simply go to the store [to] fill their needs. We have no idea what it is like when there is no alternative.
If we have to depend on the rain GOD brings, and no other water source, what will it do to our crops? If we use horses instead of tractors, how does that reduce the amount of land we can farm? Is drip irrigation worth the cost? Is there a better way to conserve every drop we can? Can we collect rainwater in ways that won't be confiscated by the government in a crisis? Living in a Christian Community isn't going to change the problems we face, but it will allow GOD to perform miracles of provision more easily. That is why we need to gather together and begin creating these communities.
If we want to survive as the world gets worse, we need to consider our food sources.
The vision for Working Together is [to] create these places that GOD can bless...including farms and ranches. My thought is that GOD judges nations with drought and famine, war, and pestilence. If GOD decides to judge America for the things it has been doing that are against His Word, the only way to separate us from the rest of the people is through Christian Communities. I call it creating a Goshen like the Israelites did in Egypt.
Food will be an important need whether we are operating Respite Centers in the larger cities or out in the rural areas building farms and ranches. In time, there will be no transportation options and we will have to be self-sufficient. GOD can perform miracles, but I have noticed that the Bible doesn't show us one miracle that was created from nothing. GOD multiplies bread and fish, He uses a raven to bring food to a hiding prophet, He protects His people from plagues, and makes bodies new again when they have been damaged. The oil in the lamp lasted for days, the oil for the widow didn't stop until she ran out of containers. Jesus turned water into wine, He didn't make wine out of nothing. The Bible tells us that GOD can bless one field and curse another. We need to prepare places that GOD can bless as He provides for those who love Him.
Consider a world without funds...money transfers and no cash. Housing, utilities, food, clothing, transportation, all the things we take for granted, have to be provided somehow. In the days before irrigation, and tractors, and refrigerators, if you didn't grow it, raise it, build it, or buy it, you didn't have it. Most Americans simply go to the store [to] fill their needs. We have no idea what it is like when there is no alternative.
If we have to depend on the rain GOD brings, and no other water source, what will it do to our crops? If we use horses instead of tractors, how does that reduce the amount of land we can farm? Is drip irrigation worth the cost? Is there a better way to conserve every drop we can? Can we collect rainwater in ways that won't be confiscated by the government in a crisis? Living in a Christian Community isn't going to change the problems we face, but it will allow GOD to perform miracles of provision more easily. That is why we need to gather together and begin creating these communities.
If we want to survive as the world gets worse, we need to consider our food sources.
8 SEP 2014 :: Developing Goals
On Saturday I turned on the computer to YouTube and looked for some motivational videos to listen to about goals and goal setting, selling, rising above your circumstances, success, etc. I started out trying to hear some old Nightingale-Conant messages, but they stopped after about 15 minutes. My "goal" was to start a recording and then let it continue until I turned it off.
I found a Zig Ziglar page and listened. Then I found one of his recordings that was almost 8 hours long. That definitely fit my goal plan. I listened to it like I would a radio, catching parts along the way as I did other things nearby. One part I remember was about TV watching. Zig Ziglar went through a list of various levels of working people and compared them using the amount of time they watched TV a week. The higher the position in a company, the less time they spent with the TV and the more focused they were on learning something that applied to making their work/results better.
Today I happened to turn the TV on when I sat down to eat something. I flipped channels and wound up at Rocco Dispirito on ION LIFE TV. He makes regular food into versions that are healthier for a family. It is hard to keep track of all the good details you need to remember, but I was interested in his comments on salt reduction by using spices to add flavor instead of salt. I tend to use garlic salt on most of my food. I make my own and am still working on the best ratio for me. (I recently purchased a bottle of economy garlic salt and I thought I was using only salt. It was an eye-opener to me!) As I learn about food groups and calories, I am growing more interested in using spices rather than salt. It has been on my list of things to learn for a long time. As a food stamp recipient, my food choices are fairly limited. I don't get very far past my basics: garlic salt, parsley, Italian blend, and various forms of pepper.
I have been very surprised at the way Mr. Dispirito makes foods healthier, though. One time he used pureed leeks as a base for a pasta sauce. In this show he highlighted using grapeseed oil as a healthier alternative with the ability to reach 400 degrees for frying. If it doesn't cost a fortune, I may try it. :-)
Right after his show I happened on to a Chef highlighting program called "At the table with...." This program was about a man that came from a poverty background, an addicted mother, and being abandoned on the street at an early age, I think he was 15 or 16. There are always a lot of issues in poverty households, and even more when addictions are part of the interactions. Children being cared for is an ongoing problem in houses where addictions live, including children being fed the way children need to be fed. It was suggested that his experiences as a child in poverty, without food, became a motivation for him to attend culinary school. He is working to create food options that may help children and families all over the world. From what I could see, the program was created in 2007. I hope he has continued that quest.
The only part I didn't like about the chef narrative was its attitude toward food stamps and soup kitchens. These are essential community outreaches for many reasons, and they are not just for families with addictions, but for anyone fighting poverty and it's daily crises. This can include the elderly and disabled on limited income, and those who cannot qualify for government food assistance. Food is something we cannot live without. The lack of it causes crime, and death. As the economy worsens, community programs like these will become even more critical.
On the GOALS pathway, I have been trying to focus my activities more, keeping the TV and radio off more, thinking and reading and working on things I need to do more. I would like to say I can function just fine with "background noise," but it wouldn't be true. It is distracting. It is better to have silence and the ability to think without interruptions. I have been remembering my earlier days and how much I loved the silence.
There was a time when I didn't own a TV (and didn't want one). When I have to rest on my bed now, it seems like the only option available. It becomes a habit that is hard to get away from, and the quality of the programming is very limited, even with all the channels available. I struggle to find a balance within my limitations and dreams.
This weekend I was finally able to make a reasonable working space for my art and crafts activities. It was a major accomplishment. It is close to being christened.
I am nearly done with household essentials and will be building a schedule I can live with.
Photos for online sales options is my next challenge...kind of. I am praying for several LARGE needs these days...and hoping GOD will be kind to me and provide them. Each day I do the best I can and look to GOD for the next day.
I am still trying to find the goal to list as number one. Each one of my goals seems necessary to my survival or WT's survival. My habit has been to rotate them, like children getting treats, as I keep on trying to get to the place where I can hire help, have the equipment I need, figure out a financial base, etc. I often wonder where all my goals, and my life, will be when GOD calls me home...maybe the book IS the most important goal.
Help me to decide, pray for me, ask GOD to provide what is needed, sooner rather than later, today rather than tomorrow. Thanks.
I found a Zig Ziglar page and listened. Then I found one of his recordings that was almost 8 hours long. That definitely fit my goal plan. I listened to it like I would a radio, catching parts along the way as I did other things nearby. One part I remember was about TV watching. Zig Ziglar went through a list of various levels of working people and compared them using the amount of time they watched TV a week. The higher the position in a company, the less time they spent with the TV and the more focused they were on learning something that applied to making their work/results better.
Today I happened to turn the TV on when I sat down to eat something. I flipped channels and wound up at Rocco Dispirito on ION LIFE TV. He makes regular food into versions that are healthier for a family. It is hard to keep track of all the good details you need to remember, but I was interested in his comments on salt reduction by using spices to add flavor instead of salt. I tend to use garlic salt on most of my food. I make my own and am still working on the best ratio for me. (I recently purchased a bottle of economy garlic salt and I thought I was using only salt. It was an eye-opener to me!) As I learn about food groups and calories, I am growing more interested in using spices rather than salt. It has been on my list of things to learn for a long time. As a food stamp recipient, my food choices are fairly limited. I don't get very far past my basics: garlic salt, parsley, Italian blend, and various forms of pepper.
I have been very surprised at the way Mr. Dispirito makes foods healthier, though. One time he used pureed leeks as a base for a pasta sauce. In this show he highlighted using grapeseed oil as a healthier alternative with the ability to reach 400 degrees for frying. If it doesn't cost a fortune, I may try it. :-)
Right after his show I happened on to a Chef highlighting program called "At the table with...." This program was about a man that came from a poverty background, an addicted mother, and being abandoned on the street at an early age, I think he was 15 or 16. There are always a lot of issues in poverty households, and even more when addictions are part of the interactions. Children being cared for is an ongoing problem in houses where addictions live, including children being fed the way children need to be fed. It was suggested that his experiences as a child in poverty, without food, became a motivation for him to attend culinary school. He is working to create food options that may help children and families all over the world. From what I could see, the program was created in 2007. I hope he has continued that quest.
The only part I didn't like about the chef narrative was its attitude toward food stamps and soup kitchens. These are essential community outreaches for many reasons, and they are not just for families with addictions, but for anyone fighting poverty and it's daily crises. This can include the elderly and disabled on limited income, and those who cannot qualify for government food assistance. Food is something we cannot live without. The lack of it causes crime, and death. As the economy worsens, community programs like these will become even more critical.
On the GOALS pathway, I have been trying to focus my activities more, keeping the TV and radio off more, thinking and reading and working on things I need to do more. I would like to say I can function just fine with "background noise," but it wouldn't be true. It is distracting. It is better to have silence and the ability to think without interruptions. I have been remembering my earlier days and how much I loved the silence.
There was a time when I didn't own a TV (and didn't want one). When I have to rest on my bed now, it seems like the only option available. It becomes a habit that is hard to get away from, and the quality of the programming is very limited, even with all the channels available. I struggle to find a balance within my limitations and dreams.
This weekend I was finally able to make a reasonable working space for my art and crafts activities. It was a major accomplishment. It is close to being christened.
I am nearly done with household essentials and will be building a schedule I can live with.
Photos for online sales options is my next challenge...kind of. I am praying for several LARGE needs these days...and hoping GOD will be kind to me and provide them. Each day I do the best I can and look to GOD for the next day.
I am still trying to find the goal to list as number one. Each one of my goals seems necessary to my survival or WT's survival. My habit has been to rotate them, like children getting treats, as I keep on trying to get to the place where I can hire help, have the equipment I need, figure out a financial base, etc. I often wonder where all my goals, and my life, will be when GOD calls me home...maybe the book IS the most important goal.
Help me to decide, pray for me, ask GOD to provide what is needed, sooner rather than later, today rather than tomorrow. Thanks.
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