Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Monthly Assignment (Week of January 1, 2015)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

A New Year's Wish for You and Your Loved Ones . . .

In December we were blessed to witness and hear a wonderful choir and orchestra which some of our grandchildren have performed in for several years, "The Orange County Millennial Choirs and Orchestras". One of the numbers they performed was from "Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace (Prayer of Saint Francis) Saint Francis of Assisi". We wish the beautiful words from this piece will touch your life and inspire you to set these words as some of your goals for the new year 2015. May we all strive to be little better than we were before . . .

"Lord, make me an instrument of they peace;
Where there is hatred, let me bring love;
Where there is injury, pardon;
Where there is doubt, faith;              
Where there is despair, hope;
Where there is darkness, light;
Where there is sadness, joy;
And all for thy mercy's sake.

O divine master,
Grant that I may not so much seek
To be consoled as to console;
To be understood as to understand;
To be loved as to love;
For it is in giving that we receive;
It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;
And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life."



New Year Emergency Preparedness Goals . . . 

New Year's Resolutions are alright but I find it better when we set goals instead of resolutions. Resolutions can, and are often broken quickly, but goals last longer. A main goal can be broken down into small steps to help us accomplish our main goal. Here are some suggestions to add to your 2015 New Year's Goal to make sure your family is working toward emergency preparedness or becoming better prepared than you already think you have done. I have found out when a disaster hits us, or a loved one, or an emergency situation, we quickly learn how little we really are prepared.

 
1) Each family member in your household should have a 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Bag including, Food for 3 days, water for 3 days, a Person Hygiene Kit, a Stressor Kit and a set of extra clothes, etc. See the blog posting on the right under "Postings", "72 Hour Kit", to see how to set this backpack up for each family member.



2) Have a least two weeks to 1 month (or more if possible) water storage for each family member in your household. You can live without food for 40+ days, but you can only live without water for 2-3 days. If you store dehydrated/freeze dried foods, you will need extra water. Check out the blog posting on the right under "Postings", "Water Storage", on how to store water.

3) Continue to work towards your Food Storage. Each household should work towards at least a 3-Months Supply of food. Only store what your family will eat. Start out slow, work towards 2 weeks, then 1-month, then 2-months, then 3-months. First store canned, packaged and home canned items. Then progress to long term storage, dehydrated/freeze dried commercial foods. When you have accomplished your 3-Month Food Storage goal, and room allows, work towards 6-Months and then a year. This year we will continue last years goal of adding canned, packaged and long term storage to our food storage. Go back to last years blog postings to see what items we have already added. If you did not add them, them incorporate them into your food storage goals for this year. Check out the blog posting on the right under "Postings" "3-Month Food Storage" and "Years Supply of Food".

4) Each household should have an emergency way to have light, cook, heat, sanitation, shelter and medical supplies. Inventory what you already have, check for needed repairs, organize these items together in the garage or a home storage container. Assess the items you still need and set a goal to purchase these items when on sale or you have saved up enough money to purchase them. Have at least one item in each category, plus any fuel you might need to cook. Check out the blog postings on the right under "Postings" for information on these emergency supplies.


 

5) Never, never, never go into debit for your food storage or emergency supplies. Save and pay as you go along. Make food storage and emergency supplies a part of your monthly budget. Get in the habit of always being aware of your and your family's needs, watch for sales.


 


6) Know the types of disaster that can hit your area. Go to your local and state community websites some great information on preparation for your area.There is also some great information on the federal website.



Remember, emergency preparation will not happen overnight, in a month or a few months. This takes time, it is a life time process. We have been working on our food storage and emergency supplies for 43 years and we still have items to purchase and continually rotate our food storage. Remember, the key to good food storage is rotation, rotation, rotation. When you use an item in your food storage or emergency supplies, replace that item as soon as possible.

Resources: The "Postings" on the right side of this blog will you prepare in each area mentioned above. There is also other great materials posted each week throughout this blog. Your local city and government also has great websites with great information.

The Ark Blog 2015 Food   Storage and Emergency Preparedness Goals . . . 

January: Soups and Chili/Preparing For an Disaster, What to Do and Not Do During a Disaster
February: Meats (Beef, Chicken, etc.)/Inventory, Organizing, Assessing, Replacing and Purchasing Emergency Supplies
March: Beans and Lentils/Making a Family Evacuation Plan, Family Drills, Know Your Resources
April: Rice/Vegetable and Herb Gardening
May: Grains (Wheat, flour, oats, barley, popcorn, etc.)/Emergency Cooking, Lighting and Heating
June: Pastas/Emergency Shelter, Sanitation and Water Storage
July: Dairy/72 Hour Emergency Preparedness Backpacks and Family Bag
August:: Spices and Herbs/Home Canning, Freezing and Dehydrating
September: Drinks (Fruit juices, hot chocolate, apple cider, etc.)/Emergency Medical Supplies and First-aid
October: Potatoes/Spiritual and Physical Preparation
November: Vegetables/Financial, Employment and Family Records
December: Fruits/Setting New Emergency Preparedness Goals for 2016

January Monthly Assignment: 
   Food Storage . . . Soups, Broths and Chili

This month we are going to add soups, broths and chili to our food storage. This is a great time of the year to add them to your Food Storage since most of these items are on sale due to the winter months. Some people like to make their soup from scratch, including us, but it is always a good idea to have canned soups on hand in case of an emergency situation or disaster when you do not have the resources or time to cook from scratch. I also make soups, broths and chili up ahead of time and freeze them in plastic freezer zip lock bags (doubled) or freezer type plastic containers. Make sure you date them.

You can store soup, broths and chili in a variety of ways; commercially canned, small dehydrated packages like Lipton Onion Soup or Chicken Noodle Soup, large commercially #10 cans of dehydrated/freeze dried soups, broths and chili and frozen. You can purchase soups, broths and chili from your local grocery store, big box stores like Costco and Sam's Club and emergency preparedness online websites like emergencyessenails.com or other online companies. Remember as in all canned and packaged food storage, store in a cool dry dark place like your pantry, under beds, in closets, etc. The garage is too hot! Watch the expiration dates when you purchase them, especially if purchasing them from a discount store.

Figure out how many cans of soup and chili your family eats in a month and then multiply by the number of months you have set your food storage goal towards. Remember to include soups like creamed soups you use in casseroles and other dishes you make.

January Month Assignment: Emergency Preparedness . . . 
      Preparing for a Disaster, What to Do and  
         What to Do and Not Do During a Disaster

What type of disaster do you have where you live? Be aware of your surroundings and prepare for those types of disasters. Example: If you live where there are seasonal hurricanes you should have stored all year long wood, nails and a hammer for boarding up windows and doors, drinking water, canned foods, lighting (flashlights, lanterns, candles), medical supplies, etc. If you live where there are earthquakes you should have your home earthquake proofed as much as possible; book shelves strapped to the walls, TV and electronic equipment secured, know where to go during the earthquake, how to shut off the gas if necessary, etc. Check the postings on the right under "Postings"-- "What to Do and Not Do During a Disaster" and "Before, During and After an Earthquake". Check your local community and government websites for life saving information on what to do before, during and after a disaster in your area. Sit down as a family and make a family plan for your type of disasters. Discuss them often so your family knows what to do when it happens.

Good News! I have decided to go back to posting more than just once a month. I seem to always have so much to share and say. 

Emergency Preparedness Ideas:

Personal experience from blog viewers . . .

I had an interesting experience about preparedness. After the Rodney King riots in 1992 I decided to photocopy my children's birth certificates and immunization records.  I kept a copy in my 72 hour kit. This past week one of my children needed a copy of their birth certificate for some official government purpose. They accepted that photocopy that I had in my preparedness kit.You never know when you might

need something.

Many times I have heard from blog viewers, people at our church and neighbors that they discover how little they are prepared when things happen to them, like loosing their electricity for several hours or unexpectedly finding out they have no running drinking water which lasted for several hours. 

Others have shared when they lost a job and were struggling financially how their food storage helped them get through a difficult time. 

It may not always be a disaster when you need your emergency supplies or food storage. Always be prepared for what may come your way. 

Warnings  . . .

9V Batteries--I recently saw a posting on Facebook about a fellow whose house caught on fire due to used batteries he stored in a paper bag for recycling. Watch this video and learn a very valuable lesson . . .




Family 8mm/16mm movie film---Recently we decided to convert our family 29 8mm movie films into a DVD. We have been wanting to do this for years but held off due to the cost of over $400. We discovered Sam's Club converts them at a much lower cost. When they came back from the company that converted them we discovered that we had lost some of them due to loss of color, breakage and damage from them
drying out and there age, over 40 years old. We were devastated and so sad. Fortunately we were able to save most of them and have them converted to DVDs. We had all 29 movies converted for less than $200. Now our family can safely enjoy watching them for many more years to come. The Sam's Club fellow also told us another person converted theirs because when they tried to watch them on their movie projector they caught on fire. So if you have 8mm or 16mm family movies that are old, get them converted as soon as possible. They also convert VHS tapes to DVDs.

Comments: We love to hear your comments. We all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. Please share your comments below.

Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Monthly Assignment (December 2014)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas 

May you, your family and loved ones be filled with the Spirit of Christmas, peace, joy and the magic of the season

May we each celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ

Why do we do it?

Why do we prepare?

Because we love our family and want to feel the peace that comes with preparation

Today while at church a sister in our Ward shared a personal experience regarding being prepared . . .

Her neighborhood had been given notice the water was to be shut off for the entire block the following Thursday. Usually when she hears this she prepares by filling pitchers, bowls and other items with water. Wednesday came, the day before the water shut off, and everyone discovered the water had been shut off at noon that day. She and her neighbors were unprepared. She has water stored in her garage that is anywhere from 5 to 30 years old.  She said she could probably use it to wash dishes, but wouldn't risk drinking it without the filter or bleach (which she also does not have). She has the filter, but not the pump. She drove to the store to purchase bottles of water. She said she quickly learned how unprepared she is even though she has water stored in her garage which is several years old.

 
 A few month ago I shared another story from one of our other church members. The electricity had gone out in their neighbor for several hours in the evening. They had candles but they were the scented kind. The smell from all the lite candles gave them a headache. You want to store non scented emergency candles and matches.

Emergencies happen! You never know when they are going to happen. We all learn from emergency situations when they come up and how little we really are prepared. Why not be prepared ahead of time with those items you might need when an unforeseen emergency might arise?    

When you live in certain parts of the country, or the world, and you know the type of natural disasters that can occur, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, earthquakes, landslides, flooding, blizzard conditions, etc., we need to be prepared for them. Why not prepare ahead of time and keep those items stored for future events? How often do we see on the news people running to the stores for boards to board up their windows, flashlights, batteries, water, and canned foods when the storm is upon them and they get very upset to only find the shelves empty? All the time! I just do not understand why they do not prepare ahead of time and keep those supplies on hand all the time. Life would be a little easier and you would have peace of mind knowing you are prepared.

Emergency preparedness and food storage should be a part of our everyday lives. It should be something we are striving towards daily.

Great Christmas present ideas . . .
 

Have you ever thought about giving emergency preparedness supplies and food storage as Christmas gifts?

If you draw family names it is a great gift. Even if you give individual gifts it works great too. If you go to store.lds.org there are some great ideas there and also at emergencyessentials.com (emergency supplies and food storage). There are so many great and fun ideas!

I know one family who one year gave each family member a certain amount of money and they were to purchase emergency preparedness item or food storage for their family. They had a list to choose from so as to not purchase something the family did not need. I love this idea. 

A great stocking stuffer would be a Seychelle Filter Water bottle ($16.50 and $22.00) from store.lds.org. Each family member should have one strapped to their 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpack. They filter out 99.9999% of all bacteria and contaminates. Or, small items for each family members 72 Hour Individual Emergency Backpack. Be creative!

Another great idea is to give each family member a 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpack, if they do not already have one. Click here to see what to put inside.

And of course, there are still the presents from Santa too!  

December Monthly Assignment: Fats and Oils

Like last month this is a great time of the year to purchase fats and oils because they are on sale due to the holiday baking season. Figure out how much fats and oils your family uses in a month. Multiply that number by the number of months you have set your food storage goal (1 month, 3 months, 6 months, a year). Each time you go grocery shopping pick up extra fats and oils for your food storage.

Fats and oils consist of shortening, butter/margarine, lard, mayonnaise, coconut oil, corn oil, canola oil, vegetable oil, olive oil, and other types of oils you use in cooking. Fats and oils should stored in a cool dry dark place. They usually only store for about a year. Do not purchase more than your family can use in a year. Remember to replace any fats and oils you use from your food storage immediately. Butter and margarine can be frozen for up to a year.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas . . .

Take the Home Safety Checklist test from Eater Seals. 

 Click here to take the test.

You can print a copy and discuss it in your Family Home Evening.

Comments: Your comments and experiences are most appreciated. We all learn from each other.

Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Weekly/Monthly Assignments (Week of October 19th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

This emergency preparedness blog is 

changing . . .

On July 13, 2010 I started this emergency preparedness blog posting each week ideas on food storage and emergency preparedness. Starting in November I will only post on this blog once a month instead of weekly. This will be my last weekly posting until November 1st. There will no longer be a "Weekly Assignment". I will post a "Monthly Assignment" each month and it will be up to you to work on that assignment throughout the month. Everything else will remain the same. I will also be adding some new postings under "Postings" on the right to help each of you become better prepared. This may take a few weeks. I will also be updating the current ones listed. 

The Prophet Joseph Smith when once asked by a member of Legislature, "...how it was that he was enabled to govern so many people, and to preserve such perfect order,..." Joseph Smith answered, "I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves." (Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2011), Chapter 24: "Leading in the Lord's Way", p. 281)

"I teach them correct principles, and they govern themselves." (Joseph Smith)

This is what I am trying to do with this blog, to "teach" you how to set goals for your food storage and emergency preparedness supplies, so you can "govern" yourselves. Just as parents we try to teach our children to stand on their own and  make wise choices, the last few years I have tried to teach you in simple steps how to be better prepared.

"Do not let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do." (John Wooden) 

Many times we think small efforts will not make a difference, so we do not exert any effort. When we think about food storage or emergency preparedness we think we cannot do it and do not try. We do not have to start with long term dehydrated/freeze-dried foods which are more expensive, start with small steps like purchasing extra canned and packaged foods each time you go grocery shopping. This is the time of year when many grocery stores have sales on canned and packaged foods, some have case lot sales. Example: Albertson's has buy 5 of certain items and save a $1 on each item. Cake mix and brownie mix, normally $1.79, right now if you buy 5 you get each one for 79 cents. A great time to stock up on canned and packaged items.

Be like "The Little Engine That Could", keep trying and before you know it you will have meet your goal regarding food storage and emergency supplies. But instead of saying "I think I can", say I can do it! I can be better prepared! 

Last week for the Weekly Assignment: Family Emergency Medical Kit

Weekly Assignment: Family Emergency Medical Kit

The past few weeks we have been working on our Emergency Family Medical Kit. We are almost done with it. To go back to the beginning go to the week of  June 1st. Follow through each week to see what items we have added and why it is important to have this kit as part of your emergency preparedness supplies.

This week add the following (Please work on this assignment until the end of October): 

 


1) Potassium Iodine Tablets: If there is a radiation fallout and you are advised to take this will help prevent the absorption of  radiation iodine. Do not take this unless advised. Follow the instruction on the package. You can find these on amazon.com, good prices. 




 
2) ASAP Silver Solution: Helps with so many things, like infection, burns, etc.. Stores for up to10 years if stored in a cool dry dark place. Check out emergencyessentials.com, 2 different bottle sized and gel tube. On sale in October. foodforhealthinternational.com also sells it in various sizes and amounts. Amazon.com also has good prices.The book "A Fight Chance" will show you its many uses, about $15 online.

October Monthly Assignment: 

          Food Storage . . . Fruits

This month we are adding fruits to our food storage. 

1) Purchase canned fruits each week or as you go grocery shopping. 

2) You can also purchase freeze-dried or dehydrated fruits  for long term storage from companies like

emergencyessentials.com, honeyville.com, store.lds.org, foodforhealthinternational.com. etc..

3)  They can be commercially canned, home canned, freeze-dried or dehydrated or even frozen. 

4) Only add the types of fruits  your family will eat. It has been proven, even in an emergency situation and

people are hungry, especially children, they will not eat things they do not like. Do not waste your hard earned money by storing fruits your family will not eat.

5) Store all commercially or home canned fruits in a cool, dry, dark place. Store them in your cupboards, under beds, enclosed lamp and bedside tables, and in closets. The garage is too hot! 

6) Most commercially canned and home canned fruits will last for about 2-3 years if stored properly. Dehydrated and freeze-dried fruits will store for 20-30 years if stored properly. Frozen fruits usually only last about a year or less.

7) Replace any canned fruits in your food storage as you use them. 

8) As always, the key to any food storage is rotation!

Monthly Assignment: 

Figure out how much fruit (canned, frozen, fresh) your family eats in a month. You should have done this when we kept track for a month of how much our family eats and what they eat in a month. Determine how much you need to store for the number of months you have set you food storage goal, 1-month, 2-months, 3-months, etc. 
 

1) Each week when you go grocery shopping add canned and/or jarred fruits to your food storage. Watch for sales. You can also add frozen fruit, needs to be used within a year.

2) During the month add dehydrated or freeze-dried long term food storage fruits to your food storage. Watch for sales.

4) If you have fruit trees, during their harvest season, can the fruit. This is usually done by the water bath canning method. 

Emergency Preparedness Ideas 

Important Documents for Emergency Situations . . .




I found a great article on the Survival Based website regarding important documents you should have together as part of your emergency preparedness. Click here to review the article and get your important documents in order, how to store them properly  and easy to access in an emergency. Our daughter keeps all her important documents in a binder, in a safe place in her home and easy to access if an emergency arises.

A special thank you to all of you who have viewed this emergency preparedness blog since 2010 or are new to it. I hope it has helped you, and will continue to help you, become better prepared and have more peace of mind knowing you are prepared or are striving to be in the case of a disaster or emergency situation. Emergency preparedness is a personal thing. Either you feel the need and strive to be prepared or you find out when it is to late.

Comments: Please feel free to leave your comments below. We all learn from each others experiences, talents and knowledge. We appreciate all your comments.

Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Weekly/Monthly Assignments (Week of October 12th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

Sometimes I just have a lot to say . . 

Spiritual Preparation...184th Semi-Annual General Conference, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  

So many people have expressed how much they loved this conference. The best ever. If you missed it go to lds.org to watch it again or read the talks. You will also be able to order the November Ensign Conference issue in a few weeks from store.lds.org. After 35 pages of notes from General Conference here are a few quotes from the speakers:

Boyd K. Packer (President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "All who follow Jesus Christ will have ever lasting peace."
Lynn G. Robbins (Seventy's Presidency): "Which way do you face?" "Never forgot which way He (Jesus Christ) faced....He always recognized his Heavenly Father."
Cheryl A. Esplin (Second Counselor General Young Women Presidency): "We need to make the (weekly) Sacrament a part of our lives. Our wounded souls can be healed and renewed."
Chi Hong (Sam) Wong: : "We should all be anxiously engaged in helping others return, physically and spiritually."
D. Todd Christofferson (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "Who bears the responsibility for what happens in our life?" "We can choose (moral agency) to become who we are. Sins can be erased through repentance." (God is there, He will do all he can to help you.)
Dieter F. Uchtdorf (Second Counselor in the First Presidency): "God will speak to those who approach him with real intent and sincerity...God cares about you, he will listen and answer your prayers....Do not condemn others for the light they have, help strengthen their light....Do your part, it will be glorious."
Dallin H. Oaks (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "Live in the world, but not of the world....Do not compromise our truths we believe....Do not show disrespect for those who are different....Kindness is powerful, especially in family settings."
Neil L. Anderson (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "Never doubt the testimony of God's prophets....You cannot be helpful to others if your own faith is not secure."
Tod R. Callister (Of the Seventy): "Parents duty--teach them repentance, keep the commandments, gospel of Jesus Christ....Teach them the power of prayer....Use time wisely...put away the electronic devises....Do our children receive our best spiritual influences....God will never leave us alone as parents. He will give us divine help."
Jorg Klegingal (Of the Seventy): "With a 1-10 scale, how do we rate spiritually with God?...Satan wants to put as much distance as he can between us and God....It is our decision alone to change spiritually....Through repentance we should strive to always do your best."
Edwardo Gavarret (Of the Seventy): "Never never follow the wrong voice....Follow Christ."
Jeffrey R. Holland (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "It is our Messianic duty to bless the poor...Look to the poor and needy, that they shall not suffer....Rich or poor, we are to do what we can when others are in need....We are our brothers keeper."
L Tom Perry (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "How do we learn to change on the changes that come along?...Our Savior is our master teacher, follow Him....Never let the noise of the world over power the still small voice (Holy Ghost)....Make our homes holy places....Carefully evaluate our performance as parents....Today need more than before faithful devoted parents....Build a sure foundation on Jesus Christ."
Henry B. Eyring (First Counselor in the First Presidency): "When trails come we need constant revelation....Do not take lightly the love you have for the prophets--a gift from God."
Russell M. Nelson (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "Do we understand what it means, 'We thank thee o' God for a prophet'?...No prophet is ever elected....When we sustain a prophet we are making a personal commitment to uphold their prophetic calling and stand behind him....The living Lord leads the Church....
Never to worry...the Savior is always at the helm of the Church."
Carol F. McConkie (First Counselor in the General Young Women's Presidency): "Only one living prophet on the earth at a time, he alone hears the revelation and direction for the church....God reveals his word through His prophets....The Lord will direct his people in times of trails through his prophets...It will happen in the coming days."
Robert D. Hales (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "The greatest gift is 'Even eternal life'....How can this gift be ours?...Through personal revelation....Heavenly Father testifies to us to know the things we are learning is true....The Lord taught His prophets and us through the scriptures....When we ask with a sincere heart we will know the truth of all things....Jesus Christ is our Savior, He lives....We have a prophet to guide us today"
James J. Hamula (Of the Seventy): "The ordinance of the Sacrament is the most holy in the Church...It needs to become most holy to us....Participation in this ordinance signifies our commitment to Jesus Christ....
The most important event, the Atonement of Jesus Christ."
Thomas S. Monson (President of the Church): "We all commenced a wonderful journey when we left the Spirit World (Pre-existance) to seek a body....It is a privilege to choose for ourselves....He did not send us here alone without direction and guidance....We are to be like Jesus Christ...He marked the way and the path to return of our Heavenly Father....We need to choose to follow Him as we walk life's path...He taught us how to pray....We need to be peacemakers, stand up for what we believe, let the light shine in us, be morally clean through thoughts and actions....Ponder the path of thy feet...desire to follow and walk His path....His path will take us safely home."
M. Russell Ballard (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "Personal preparedness and common hazards are a part of life....We each are on a moral journey with periods of tranquility and periods of challenges....The Lord has provided help....(He compared life to being in a boat. We need to stay in the boat, which represents the gospel of Jesus Christ. If we leave it we will drown. The life jacket protects us, which represents the Holy Ghost. We need to follow the guide maps, which represent the scriptures.) The Church should lead us to be patient, king, loving, bear one another's burdens, and help the poor.... We need to follow the prophet, apostles, Jesus Christ and avoid distractions....We need to stay in the boat, use the life jacket and guides."
Richard G. Scott (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "Adam and Eve did not experience hard times, turmoil, or know happiness and peace while in the Garden of Eden....When they left they felt sadness, joy, sickness, trails. Their choices made it possible for us to come to earth and experience sadness, joy, turmoil and peace.....We need to take time to actively exercise our faith....Let the Atonement into our life....Heavenly Father has given us tools. 1) Prayer, 2) Scriptures, 3) Weekly Family Home Evening, 4) Temples....We came here to be tried, tested and stretched....Life will still have challenges, a part of mortality....These 4 tools can help us overcome every challenge and trail....You will find peace around you and be able to overcome temptations."
Carlos A Godoy (Of the Seventy): "We all experience moments of great decisions in our life....If you continue to live the way you are will your Patriarchal Blessing come true?...Are we making better choices?...
Consider options with the end in mind....We need to be prepared for challenges that will come....We need to share our vision with the people we love....The Lord has a plan for us."
Allan F. Packer (Of the Seventy): "We should not become distracted....Be willing to change....Qualifying entrance to the Celestial Kingdom is like entering another country with a passport, but a spiritual passport.... The Church helps but does not do it for us....Heavenly Father provides what we need so we can help others....(We need to do our family genealogy, share the gospel with others, do work for the dead in the Temples, keep a journal.)"
Larry S. Kacher (Of the Seventy): "Decisions we make in this life effect our eternal life....We learn line upon line as we increase in knowledge and wisdom....Our choices do not only effect us....Are my feet strongly planted in the rich soil of the gospel of Jesus Christ?...Never trifle with sacred things."
David A. Bednar (Quorum of the Twelve Apostles): "My talk is for non-members....The Church has been, always be a missionary church....Latter-day Saints take seriously to teach all men (and women) about the gospel of Jesus Christ....It is a solemn responsibility to carry this message to every country, nation and people....Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, is the only begotten son of Heavenly Father."
Thomas S. Monson (President of the Church): "We have experienced two glorious days of messages....I am grateful for Heavenly Father's blessings, we have been lifted and inspired....We need to be a little better, kinder than before.... Succor the weak....Be people of honesty and integrity, doing right things all the time, disciples of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for prayers on my behalf....I invoke blessings of heaven upon each of you....May the Lord's blessings be upon you....Amen"

I would rather have food storage and emergency supplies and not need them, than need them and not have them.

How many times have you started dinner and realized you were missing part of the ingredients and did not have time to run to the grocery store? How many times have you started a BBQ and realized you did not have enough charcoal? How many times have you needed to use your flashlight and found out the batteries were dead and you did not have any extra ones? How many times have you had more bills than money?

We all face these dilemmas at different times. There have many times I needed an item to complete the dish I was making for dinner. But, because I have canned/packaged foods in my food storage I did not have to run to the store. But I did make sure I replaced the uses items when I went grocery shopping the next time. There have been times when my digital camera batteries were dead just as I started to take a photo. Fortunately, I always carry extra ones in my purse.When my husband was off work for 3 months due to a work related injury we had our food storage to get us by.

If we are prepared ahead of time with extra canned, package, and dehydrated foods, water and emergency supplies, when a disaster hits we will be prepared and not have to worry where and how we will get the food, water and emergency supplies. We will not be running to the stores only to find the shelves empty.

Sister Linda K. Burton (General Relief Society President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) stated at our last September 2014 General Women's Meeting that in the Parable of the Ten Virgins, the 5 virgins that were ready did not fill there lamps with oil all at once. But they filled them drop by drop by the things they did to prepare. 

My husband's Uncle Winfield Booher used to say, "Bit by bit its a cinch." 

There is an old saying, "How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time."

What do all these quotes and comments mean?

When you have a huge task, like gathering your family's food storage and emergency supplies, you do not have to do it all at once. Fill your cupboards a drop at a time by purchasing extra items each time you go shopping. Bit by bit, before you know it, you will have 1 month, 2 months, 3 months, even a years supply of food and emergency supplies stored. You can do it by filling your lamps one drop at a time. I promise you!

Richard King's Sanitation Class

For those of you who attended our Carson Ward Emergency Preparedness Fair and attended Richard King's wonderful and very informative class on Water Filtration and Water Storage, he is doing a class on Sanitation on Thursday, October 16th, 7PM at the Huntington Beach Stake Center, 8702 Atlanta, Huntington Beach, California USA. Take the 405 Freeway South, get off on Magnolia, turn right. Go down Magnolia, about 10-15 minutes , turn right on Atlanta. The Stake Center is just down a few blocks on the left. If you live near by you will not want to miss his wonderful informative class. Car pool with some friends.

How safe are your children?

Having worked in the insurance industry for several years I have learned the importance of child safety while a child is riding in a car. I have taken auto claim reports where children have been seriously hurt which could have been avoided if they had been restrained in the car properly. One will be disabled the rest of her life. I really hate, yes hate is a strong word, but I mean hate, when I see a children not properly restrained in a car. How valuable are your children? Mine are priceless and precious! 

On Monday afternoon I was in the emergency room with a family member and witnessed the injuries of a 4 year old boy because he was not in the right place or restrained properly in the car. He was in the front seat sitting in the middle next to his father. They were involved in an accident in the morning and the airbags imploded. At the accident they thought he was alright. After a while they took him to the ER. His face, on the left side, was very red and he had scratches on him from the impact of the imploding airbags. I am not sure if he sustained other injuries. He was moved to a room before I could hear the outcome.

Important: Anyone involved in an accident should ALWAYS be checked out by the medical profession immediately. Either at the ER or your doctor's office. No matter how minor the injuries. You never know what type of injuries they might have sustained internally and may show up later. Document your injuries, even if minor, for the accident report.

Look under the sun visor by your car front window. Most say a child under 12 years old and 110 pounds should never ride in the front seat. They could be seriously hurt or even killed. The imploding airbag can also seriously injury them or kill them. Also check your car/truck manual.

They should also be in the proper restraining car seat, booster seat for their age. Please read the posting dated April 29, 2013 regarding child car safety and the right restraining car seat for your child. IT MAY SAVE YOUR CHILD'S LIFE OR KEEP THEM FORM VERY SERIOUS INJURIES!

Weekly Assignment: Emergency Family Medical Kit  

The past few weeks we have been working on our Emergency Family Medical Kit. We are almost done with it. To go back to the beginning go to the week of  June 1st. Follow through each week to see what items we have added and why it is important to have this kit as part of your emergency preparedness supplies.

This week add the following: 

1) Irrigation syringe: This can be purchase at drug stores and medical supply stores.





 
2) 1-2 Burn Kits: This can be purchase from emergencyessentials.com. Go in with friends to save on the shipping ($6, $9 or $12, depending on how much you order). Cost about $15-$50 depending on the type and size you purchase.



  
October Monthly Assignment: 

          Food Storage . . . Fruits

This month we are adding fruits to our food storage. 

 

1) Purchase canned fruits each week or as you go grocery shopping. 

2) You can also purchase freeze-dried or dehydrated fruits  for long term storage from companies like

emergencyessentials.com, honeyville.com, store.lds.org, foodforhealthinternational.com. etc..

3)  They can be commercially canned, home canned, freeze-dried or dehydrated or even frozen. 

4) Only add the types of fruits  your family will eat. It has been proven, even in an emergency situation and

people are hungry, especially children, they will not eat things they do not like. Do not waste your hard earned money by storing fruits your family will not eat.

5) Store all commercially or home canned fruits in a cool, dry, dark place. Store them in your cupboards, under beds, enclosed lamp and bedside tables, and in closets. The garage is too hot! 

6) Most commercially canned and home canned fruits will last for about 2-3 years if stored properly. Dehydrated and freeze-dried fruits will store for 20-30 years if stored properly. Frozen fruits usually only last about a year or less.

7) Replace any canned fruits in your food storage as you use them. 

8) As always, the key to any food storage is rotation!

 

Monthly Assignment: 

 

First, figure out how much fruit (canned, frozen, fresh) your family eats in a month. You should have done this when we kept track for a month of how much our family eats and what they eat in a month. Determine how much you need to store for the number of months you have set you food storage goal, 1-month, 2-months, 3-months, etc. 

1) Each week when you go grocery shopping add canned and/or jarred fruits to your food storage. Watch for sales.

2) During the month add dehydrated or freeze-dried long term food storage fruits to your food storage. Watch for sales.

4) If you have fruit trees, during their harvest season, can the fruit. This is usually done by the water bath canning method. 

 

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

 

 

Love this idea. Great to increase our food storage: If you have a vegetable garden, or a container one, or plan to plant one in the future check out his article on how to regrow some vegetables after you have harvested them. It is amazing! Regrow These 5 Food Scraps That You Would Otherwise Throw Away. My mother use to do this. Great way to add to your food storage. You can home can them, freeze them or dehydrate them once you harvested them.

Comments: Please leave your comments below. We all learn from each others talents, experiences and knowledge. Thank you for your comments. They are great appreciated.

Food Storage, Emergency Preparedness and Weekly/Monthly Assignments (Week of October 5th)

Hi Carson Ward Family, Torrance Stake Family, Family and Friends,

 

Be spiritual prepared! 

This weekend

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 

184th Semi-Annual General Conference

Saturday, October 4th, 9:00Am and 1:00PM (USA Pacific Standard Time)

Sunday, October 5th, 9:00AM and 1:00PM (USA Pacific Standard Time)

You watch it at LDS church Stake Centers and some chapels near you, on lds.org and on satellite or cable television.

Do not miss out on being spiritually feed and prepared!

How can I motive people to be prepared for what may come their way?

Many times I find it takes a natural disaster for someone to be motivated to prepare. Then it is usually too late, the disaster has already happened. Some times it takes a close family member or friend who has experienced such an event. It amazes me, and I have said this before, how many people who live in season weather like hurricanes and tornadoes are running to the stores for boards and nails to board up their windows, food, water, flashlights, batteries and other emergency supplies due to the on coming storm, and how up set they are when they get there and supplies are out. Why not always be prepared for these types of conditions?  Then there are those who feel a small earthquake and are reminded they are not prepared, but in a few days they go on with their lives, forgetting about the possible danger. Then their are those who loose their electricity or water for several hours, sometimes days, and do the same thing. They all say they need to be better prepared for these types of events, but once again forget and go on with their lives.

Emergency preparedness needs to be a part of our everyday lives just as many other things like our family, our spiritual growth, our health, our jobs, our finances. We need to always be mindful of the things we need to survive a natural disaster or other events in our lives, like canned and packaged foods, long term food storage, water storage and emergency supplies. Each time we go grocery shopping we should watch for sales items we need for food storage. We can sign up for emails from companies like Emergency Essentials to received sales notices of long term food and emergency supply items, or sign up to receive their monthly catalog in the mail.

The best way is to set goals, do inventory of what you have and what you need. Keeping the list in our purse or wallet. Then each time you go shopping you will know what you need and how much.

Put a note on the refrigerator reminding you of being prepared.

I guess there is really no way I can motive people to be better prepared for the storms and disasters in our lives. When we are gently reminded by small earthquakes or near by disasters we remember for awhile, but soon quickly forget. Some how we need to keep those gentle reminders close by and strive each day to be better prepared that we were the day before. 

Hopefully this blog will help you set goals, hopefully it help motivate you and give you vital information that will help you become better prepared so you are not one of those scrambling to the stores for supplies when the storm is approaching. And remember, some times there is no warning!

Let us all strive to be better prepared so we can take care of our loved ones and our neighbors if needed.

Some quotes I love . . .

"It wasn't raining when Noah built the ark." Brigham Young

"Your life can change in just a second."

"Haste makes waste." (Benjamin Franklin)

If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear."(Doctrine and Covenants 38:30)

Weekly Assignment: Emergency Family Medical Kit  

The past few weeks we have been working on our Emergency Family Medical Kit. We are almost done with it. To go back to the beginning go to the week of  June 1st. Follow through each week to see what items we have added and why it is important to have this kit as part of your emergency preparedness supplies.

This week add the following: 

1) Scalpel with blades     

2) Lighter or matches: To sterilize items like needles if you have no gas burner.











3) Needles: Regular sewing needles and consider including suture materials.

New October Monthly Assignment

October Monthly Assignment: 

          Food Storage . . . Fruits

This month we are adding fruits to our food storage. 

 

1) Purchase canned fruits each week or as you go grocery shopping. 

2) You can also purchase freeze-dried or dehydrated fruits  for long term storage from companies like

emergencyessentials.com, honeyville.com, store.lds.org, foodforhealthinternational.com. etc..

3)  They can be commercially canned, home canned, freeze-dried or dehydrated or even frozen. 

4) Only add the types of fruits  your family will eat. It has been proven, even in an emergency situation and

people are hungry, especially children, they will not eat things they do not like. Do not waste your hard earned money by storing fruits your family will not eat.

5) Store all commercially or home canned fruits in a cool, dry, dark place. Store them in your cupboards, under beds, enclosed lamp and bedside tables, and in closets. The garage is too hot! 

6) Most commercially canned and home canned fruits will last for about 2-3 years if stored properly. Dehydrated and freeze-dried fruits will store for 20-30 years if stored properly. Frozen fruits usually only last about a year or less.

7) Replace any canned fruits in your food storage as you use them. 

8) As always, the key to any food storage is rotation!

Monthly Assignment: 

Figure out how much fruit (canned, frozen, fresh) your family eats in a month. You should have done this when we kept track for a month of how much our family eats and what they eat in a month. Determine how much you need to store for the number of months you have set you food storage goal, 1-month, 2-months, 3-months, etc. 

1) Each week when you go grocery shopping add canned and/or jarred fruits to your food storage. Watch for sales.

2) During the month add dehydrated or freeze-dried long term food storage fruits to your food storage. Watch for sales.

4) If you have fruit trees, during their harvest season, can the fruit. This is usually done by the water bath canning method.

Emergency Preparedness Ideas

Great items to have in your food storage/emergency supplies. 

Did you know that there are many uses for common household items like Epsom salt, baking soda, vinegar, mayonnaise, coffee, Petroleum jelly, dryer sheets and lemons? Click here to read about them. Print out a copy of each and keep them in your emergency preparedness folder for future use.You an also Google other ideas on how to use Borax, salt and other household items.

Comments: Your comments below are greatly appreciated. We all learn from each others experiences, ideas and knowledge.