Food Storage and Survival

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With all that is going on in Egypt and from what I learned when I was in Haiti again it is time to review what you have for survival. I still believe that we should have the means to take care of our family for at least a week. We need to be self sufficient with all our needs. Look at the weather back east and though we are not going to get "snowed in" we could very well get locked in if there was a catastrophic earthquake. Being prepared is what we need to be. I am still working on my supplies and it is a slow process for sure. So slow and steady, that is what I will be. The key word is steady. Keep up with getting organized for those "just in case" times. We never know and we will be grateful we did have the resources if we ever do need to use our food and survival stash!

Thoughts

I want to write down some thoughts. The visiting teaching message for this month is, The History and Heritage of Relief Society. Click on the title to go to LDS.org and the complete message.
The organization of the Church was not complete until the sisters were organized. How grateful I am to the women of the MV 1st Ward. I remember when I attended a RS dinner before I joined the church. I was so impressed by the tables, the food, the talent of these women. I thought, "Wow, how can there be so many talented women in one place? I was overwhelmed by everyone's kindness and smiling faces. I even thought, "How can I ever measure up to all these women?" "Relief Society is the Lord's organization for women.' What an organization it is! I now know a lot of those talented, smiling women that were at that dinner I attended so long ago. They are so amazing and I am blessed to have joined Relief Society within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have missed a lot of Sacrament Meetings because of work and taking care of my mother. I usually give my testimony in December because that is my baptismal month but missed it this year. It has been nine years since I joined the church. My how time flies.
I was meant to be here, this I know. I was meant to meet these sisters. I was meant to be in this church. I think that I was lead to this path slowly though out my life. As I think of how I ended up here, I have many, "Ah ha" moments. I know that there is so much more to learn. I have many goals for this new year and one is to be the woman of God I am meant to be.

I am so Busy!

I get up each morning, head to work or to my mom's house or to whatever is planned for that day! For each day there is a plan, an appointment, something that needs to be done. I talk to friends and they say to me, "You are so busy!" "Yes" I answer, there is a lot going on. Someday it will calm down, someday I will 'get a break'. I keep going and even add things on to the plan for each day. Yes, there are things that have to be done and as a book title reads The 36 Hour Day infers, I need more time each day to do it all! I look forward to tomorrows, so I can get up and start again. I am grateful for each morning I wake up and thank our Heavenly Father for the day, but then hit the ground running sometimes not giving any more thought to gratitude.
It is still October and I am finally trying to listen to October Conference as I cleaned out the fridge. I do have a clean fridge and freezer and now I am taking the time to write down some thoughts. As I listened to the Sat. talk by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Of Thing That Matter Most, I am humbled to sit and ponder life as it is right now and how it is changing and how I spend my time. I have always said if there is something you really want to do, you can find the time. The sentence, Therefore, it is good advice to slow down a little, steady the course, and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions. really hit home with me. Slow down. Can I slow down? How do I do this with all that is going on right now? My mom needs care and things around the house need doing. I have to work and well I now have more commitments that I need to be done. How do I slow down? You can always find time to do the things you want to do!
President Uchtdorf stated in his talk, Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. "I am so busy these days!" Oh yes, I am just so busy! Am I taking this busy thing and letting it become a vice?

"Overscheduling our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks."

OK, so now I know that I am a busy person. Is there not a saying that if you want something done, ask a busy person? I can do it! I can get things done or can I? Have I let some things go? Somethings that are important to me, important to my life, physical and spiritual? I looked within and had that conversation with my self, "Self what are you doing?" I know that I am not doing, physical excercise, daily scripture readings, even sometimes daily prayer! I am not eating as healthy as I would like and usually have some increased stressor each day. Self, what are you doing?
Wow, how some messages come into our lives at just the right time. Is someone throwing me a life preserver? Should I take it and hold on. Hold on with all my might? So now I have got a finger on it, trying to get a grip. How do I keep holding on, how do I get my arms around this?
“There is more to life than increasing its speed.”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, in a recent general conference, taught, “We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.”
"The search for the best things inevitably leads to the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ—the simple and beautiful truths revealed to us by a caring, eternal, and all-knowing Father in Heaven. These core doctrines and principles, though simple enough for a child to understand, provide the answers to the most complex questions of life.
There is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions."
A simple solution? Really? Is this true? Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.
Oh, how I want to be sophisticated! Slow down, choose, keep it simple stupid! I know that words can be very powerful. I love words. Actions are also part of those words. I can try! I can try my best. That is what I have to do. Do my best!
I will take the time to hear the still small voice, listen and do, learn and become close to our Savior Jesus Christ. I have kept Him in my heart always near and dear. But I sometimes take Him for granted. Yes, He will always be there, I know that, but I have to acknowledge that presence. I have to have patience, understanding with my self in this time of my life. I have to like me so I can see my self as His precious daughter with divine potential!
Simplify, take it slow and enjoy the time. Do not worry about the next thing to get done because it will get done, eventually as it fits into the plan. I will do my best. Keep my firm foundation. Do what I can and be happy with that result. I love that I can have conversations with our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Even when I am angry at them and not happy with the plan, they smile at me, send me comfort and a still small voice that says, "I love you. I have a plan for you. You are my precious daughter. My daughter!"
I love that I can get these messages especially when I need them the most. Thank you Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for your love for me. Keep it simple, for this I pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen

Helen, my mom.
I worked this weekend on Sat. and was at my mom's of Sunday, so I watched conference at a later time. I am still watching talks from Sunday but have some thoughts that I picked out from Saturday's sessions I would like to post here. I love that we have this opportunity to have messages spoken to us in this forum. I know that sometime I am not as "in to it" as I should be but usually hear something that is said that is just for me! I am going through a hard time right now as I mourn the loss of my mom. She has not passed away but is getting more confused and doing things that are not "my mom". I am saddened, worried and just do not know what to do. I have been praying and wondering where I am headed on this path? Sr. Julie Beck's talk on Sat. was a message that I could take home and I would like to put down some of the thoughts and quotes from her talk.
"The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life." How I need personal revelation right now. How do I handle my mom thing? I keep praying for patience but now I realize I need to pray for something else. Heavenly Father keeps giving me opportunities to develop my patience skills and I think that I would like no more of those opportunities right now. (watch what you pray for)
"A good woman knows that she does not have enough energy, time, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do." I try and yet I know that I can not do it all. But we all try and sometimes feel so discouraged at our failures without looking at all that we have done. This is an eye opener, again, as I know this but sometimes fail to remember this. "Revelation can come hour by hour and moment by moment as we do the right things."
I think I might need it minute by minute! "Because personal revelation is a constantly renewable source of strength, it is possible to feel bathed in help even during turbulent times…." I need a long soak!
I am so greatful for this counsel and Sr. Beck's thoughts. What a blessing and opportunity to re think the things we do, the things we can do and our being in "the right place".

Food (planning) for thought

Water Storage: Did you know that your body can only survive a few short days without water before suffering internal damage? The human body is over 70 percent water, making it vital to keep hydrated. All the food storage in the world will do you no good if you have no water to drink!

Also, how many of you plan on adding dehydrated or freeze dried food for your food storage? These items need to be reconstituted so it would be wise to have a method of water filtration on hand in addition to the water you store.

Emergency Kits: I always had an emergency kit in my car at home with a small amount of food and water when the children were small but now I do not have these any longer. My intention was to get them together, again. Each day I forget to git together! With the recent disasters , it is a reminder again to "get it together".

These kits should be portable, preferably stored in a backpack or other easy to carry bag, and should contain necessities your family would need for the first three days of an emergency. It should contain water, food, sanitation, along with first aid and other important survival items. We'll go into detail on everything you should have in your emergency kits in the weeks to come.

Food Storage: After you've stored appropriate amounts of water, and have your emergency kits on hand, it's finally time for you to work on your food storage! Though many of us imagine using our food storage should a natural disaster occur, there are other emergencies that may require us to use our food storage. With the recent economic uncertainties many have experienced, some of us might find ourselves under-employed or even unemployed. Wouldn't it be nice to have some food storage on hand to supplement or even replace that large "grocery" portion of your monthly budget? Making your family as self sufficient as possible is a great priority.

I also challenge you to look at your food storage in a whole new light and from a different perspective than you may be accustomed to. In order to maximize nutrition and reap the greatest value out of your food storage, try out the mantra of "eat what you store, and store what you eat." Don't worry, it isn't as intimidating as you might think.
taken from LDSLivingmagazine

Be Prepared!

1. Anywhere, Anytime-- Disaster can strike our family or our community whether we are rich or poor, where we live, what kind of job we have, or whether it is a good time for us. All we can do is prepare for the worst, and hope for the best.

2. Warn Others-- One of the most beautiful things to see in Haiti, was the outpouring of love and support in response. However, one of the saddest things to watch was the desperate people fighting for food...making it dangerous to deliver supplies (for the people and the relief organizations). All it takes is desperation for people to act less civilized. We must encourage our neighbors to get prepared, even at just a basic level so that they don't panic and start acting irrationally.

3. Chance To Serve-- A crisis bring about an opportunity to help others. But we can only be of service, if we are prepared. Despite our warnings, there will be many that don't get prepared. Due our preparedness, we'll be in a position to serve others.

Soles 4 souls

We collected 1,697 pair !! Needess to say, we exceed all expectations. Thank you all who donated!!! Some earthquake victims in Haiti are going to be very blessed by the shoes coming their way soon.

A special thanks to Ti Chambers who headed up this project, and her husband Eric who was her right arm. Ti was just recently called to be MV 2nd's Humanitarian Specialist, and really started things off on the right foot...(pun possibly intended). They made the collection go smoothly with their willingness to collect from the buildings and volunteer their house as our official shoe hub!

I will be in touch soon about the hygeine kit project which is starting up this week.