The Calm Before the Storm
A few days ago I was speaking with one of our daughters. She mentioned how quiet it was right now for their scrapbooking business. They had just done the CHA show in January launching their new lines, orders have been placed by various companies and are now waiting for the supplies to come from China by ship. She said it is "the calm before the storm". Once the supplies arrive they will be very busy filling the orders. They are prepared for when the supplies (the storm) come in and have a plan in place to mail out the orders quickly.
So many of us wait until the storm is upon us to try and prepare. When the calm is upon us we become complaisant and procrastinate our preparations for the storm.
With preparation comes peace of mind and spirit and brings happiness knowing we are prepared for the storms in life. Life can change instantly, we must prepare for those changes before the storms arrive. We have to work towards preparation to overcome the storms and feel the peace that comes from preparation.
We live near the Los Angeles, California USA Port where hundreds of ships from China come to bring supplies of food, merchandise, medical supplies, emergency supplies, all sorts of things. We can see the ships from China lined up off the coast. As many know from the news there has been a strike between the dock workers and their employers resulting in several ships trapped in the port waiting to be unloaded, 30 ships off the cost of the Los Angeles Port to come in and be unloaded, a couple of dozen beyond the horizon and many more on the trek across the Pacific from China with their goods. Authorities say it may take up to 3 months to return to normal operations. Why do I bring this up?
A woman in Utah recently went to the produce section at her local grocery store and noticed oranges were $1.79 a pound, when they are normally about $.50 a pound. She asked why and was told it was due to the ships from China not able to come into the Western ports to unload their supplies and the orange grove farms here in California were not able to ship out their oranges, they are falling off the trees and spoiling on the docks.
I heard on CNN this will cause a shortage in electronics, clothing, merchandise and food, which will cause prices to rise. Looks like we are already seeing it. It only takes a few days for the shelves to become empty in our grocery stores and other stores. We need to be self-reliant!
This is another reason we should have food storage and emergency supplies on hand at all times. You never know what may cause them, strikes, food and merchandise shortages, unavailability, unemployment, civil unrest, disasters, etc..
The Greatest Generation . . .
Once Again We Can Learn from Them
Last week we attending the funeral services of a 97 years old dear friend, Clarence Henry Bramley. He fought in World War II, was on the Bataan Death March and in a prisoner of war concentration camp for 3 1/2 years. He worked for the Los Angeles Fire Department for many years. He volunteered his time to many, the community and his church. Draped across his casket was the 
American flag he and some other fellows had made from materials they were able to get when supplies were dropped to the soldiers in the concentration camp. He kept this flag hidden until the War was over and they flew it proudly above the camp. Hearing his eulogy once again reminded me of "the greatest generation" and all we can learn from them.
Many of us have parents, grandparents, great grandparents that come from "the greatest generation", those who live before, during and after World War II. They have so much to teach us if we will only listen and observe them. We have a friend who is 89 years old. She really dislikes when her children and grandchildren waste things. One granddaughter left a half empty can of soda on her counter. She could not understand how she could waste it, why not put it in the refrigerator for later. Not only does it not waste the soda, but the money it cost to buy the soda. There is an old saying, "Waste not, want not".
Those from "the greatest generation" are frugal, make things last and waste nothing. Why? Because they lived without so many things during and after World War II. They learned to use things up, make them last or do without. From them we can learn from their examples of faith, fortitude, determination, respect for county and others, patriotism, being frugal, not wasting, budgeting our money, only buying what we need, not what we want when we do not have the cash to pay for it, saving, planting "Victory" gardens, storing food and emergency supplies. They can teach us much if we will just listen, observe and watch them. I love this generation and they are quickly all slipping away, a great loss to all of us. Unfortunately, their values are slipping away too. Let us all try to hold tightly onto them and teach them to our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Their values and teachings will bless our lives and our families lives, lets not let them slip away. Spiritual Preparation . . . Following the Spirit
Quote: "We need not live in fear of the future. We have every reason to rejoice and little reason to fear. If we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we will be safe, whatever the future holds.We will be shown what to do." (Boyd K. Packer, April 2000 General Conference, "The Cloven Tongues of Fire")
When we are close to the Holy Ghost, listen to His promptings and follow them we will be protected and guided.
Personal Story: When one of our daughters was there when the tornado hit Joplin, Missouri USA on May 22, 2011. She was attending the high school graduation where some of the youth she taught at church were graduating. While the graduation was going on she felt a strong warning to leave immediately. At first she ignored the warning, then it came again. She has always been close to the Spirit and follows it promptings. As she opened the door she noticed the sky, it was not good. She knew a storm was approaching, possibly a tornado. She hopped in her car and headed home. Before she could get home hail the size of golf balls started falling, the wind was increasing quickly. She looked in her rear view mirror and saw the tornado. She pulled over, with the help of others was able to take shelter in a store. They hunkered down in the store until the tornado passed. Many lives were lost that day and much property was destroyed, there was much devastation. Because she listened to the promptings of the Spirit her life was protected. She was able to return home to her precious family.When we are close to the Holy Ghost, listen to His promptings and follow them we, and our loved ones, will be protected and guided as what to do and not do. I have a strong testimony of this and have experienced it many times in my own life and the lives of my family and friends.
Being spiritually prepared will bless our lives in so many many ways. Do all you can to be spiritual prepared by staying close to the Spirit. Read your scriptures daily and pray daily for guidance and protection. I promise you it will come. Heavenly Father will guide you in your temporal, physical, mental and spiritual preparations.
Last week for these Monthly Assignments
February Monthly Assignments:
Canned and Dehydrated Meats, Poultry and Fish . . .This can be one of the more expensive items to add to your food storage.Watch for sales and check out the prices at big box stores like Costco and Sam's Club. If you are a vegetarian then add more beans and other vegetarian canned foods to your food storage. Decide on your goal, 2 weeks, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, a year. Work towards your goal. If you cannot achieve it in a month, then continue to add to your meats, poultry and fish food storage, a little at a time is better than not at all.
Remember, the success of any food storage is keep all food items in a cool, dry, dark place with the temperature, if possible, below 70 degrees. The higher the temperature the less storage time you have and the nutritional value starts to diminish. Also, rotate, rotate, rotate your food storage. Most canned foods are alright for a few months after the expiration date as long as the can is not bubbled, dented and has been properly stored.
Add only those types of meat products your family will eat, beef, pork, chicken, turkey, ham, tuna, Salmon, etc. I purchase canned chicken, roast beef and tuna at Costco. The chicken and roast beef come with 6 cans, 12.5 oz cans packed in water. The tuna comes with 12 cans, 7 oz cans packed in water. I rotate these products by making chicken, roast beef and tuna sandwiches, casseroles and soup (not the tuna) from them . Do not forget canned chili (without or with beans) and stews.
Canning meats and poultry in Mason jars: I have not tried this yet but I have seen it done and really want to try it. You will need a pressure canner. The beef, chicken and turkey are placed in the Mason Jars raw and cooked in the pressure canner. Rotate by using in your daily cooking. Remember, keep in a cool, dry, dark place where the temperature is less than 70 degrees. Ball has a great website that shows different types of canning and answers to most of your questions. Click here to view their website. Go back to the previous posting dated February 1st to watch videos on how to can meats and poultry in Mason jars.
February Monthly Emergency Preparedness Assignment . . .Inventorying, Organizing, Assessing, Replacing, and Purchasing Emergency Equipment and Supplies
This
is a great time of the year to inventory all your emergency equipment
and supplies, organize them into groups (like lighting, cooking
equipment and fuel, shelter, etc.), assessing what you have and what you
still need, replacing and repairing any broken items, and purchasing
items you still need. Make sure all cooking fuels are not leaking,
stored safely and replace as needed.You should have at least one item in
each emergency preparedness category. Keep a notebook of your supplies,
what needs replaced or repaired and what you still need. Set goals to
accomplish the needed task. Set up certain areas in your garage, attic,
basement or backyard storage shed and organize your supplies together.
This is a great family weekend project. Emergency Preparedness Ideas
Love this idea . . .
luminAID Solar Powered Inflatable LED Light: It is light weight, water proof and you can carry it your purse, pocket or backpack. It folds up to the size of a cell phone. When you blow it up you have a glowing lantern. The solar battery last for 10 (high) hours to 16 (low) hours. It recharges in about 6-7 hours. This is a great product for emergencies and camping. The young woman who created this was shown on Shark Tank. eBay has it for $19.00. Amazon.com has it for $19.95. I am ordering some of these for our family. Comments: Your comments are greatly appreciated. We all learn from each others experiences and knowledge. Please share your comments below.
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