"People always think they have time."
"It is only bad if people aren't prepared."
"We live in the days just as the time of Noah."
(Elder W. Don Ladd, Of the Seventy)
The last few weeks, months, I have been hearing people making statements like above. Many have been experiencing, flooding, severe weather, winter storms, tornadoes, and all kinds of natural weather situations. In Doctrine and Covenants 1:12 it states, "Prepare ye, prepared ye for that which is to come, ...." Some of us have not yet had to use our emergency supplies and food storage, some have. If you are not prepared, this is the year to prepare and to be able to help others when disasters strike.
At one of our daughters regional conference one of the speakers made this statement (unfortunately, she does remember his name). "Are we truly doing our best, can we do a little better? Can we do better than our best?
We are all in different places in life, temporally and spiritually and with our food storage and emergency supplies. But the most important thing is that we are striving, trying and truly doing our best, in what ever it is, and we all can do a little better. We can do better than our best. You may not think so at this time, but you can, we all can. Heavenly Father is continually stretching us by giving us challenges and trials. Through those challenges and trials we learn we can do better, we can do more, we can grow.
Emergency preparedness and food/water storage takes a life time. You are continually adding and rotating your supplies. Needs change, family members increase or decrease, health changes, incomes change, we are continually changing and so does our emergency preparedness and food storage. We should not feel overwhelmed or that we are not doing enough, it takes time to build it up.
We have been married for 45 years and still adding and rotating emergency supplies and our food storage. Never, never give up. One of our current Twelve Apostles, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) says, "Don't you give up, don't you quit, you keep walking, you keep trying. ... It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come."
The best thing any of us can do is to start now it you have not, and to keep trying and not giving up if you have stated. Never, never give up. Just start now!
February Monthly Assignment
72 Hour Individual
Emergency Preparedness Backpacks . . .
Food Kit
Last month we started the Food Kit for our 72 Hour Backpacks. If you have not started yet, go back to last month and complete those items.
Note: If you already have your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpack for each house hold member you might want to review the Food Kit to see if any items need rotated or replaced. The rule is if you keep your backpacks in your car the food needs to be rotated/replaced every 6 months due to heat. If in the house at about 70 degrees rotate/replace the food once a year.
Important: If you are purchasing your food items from a discount store, check the expiration dates. You want them to last for at least a year. Discount stores often sell products that are about to expire.
72 Hour Food Individual Kit Menu:
It is the same menu for each day, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
Day 1, 2, and 3
Breakfast: Oatmeal (instant), Raisins (small box), Hot cocoa (instant)
Lunch: Peanut Butter Crackers, Fruit Cup, Trail Mix
Dinner: Soup (and instant kind like Chicken Noodle), Granola Bar, Fruit Drink Mix
Snacks: Fruit Snacks, Gum, Hard Candy, Beef Jerky
Water: 2 Liter bottle or 3 smaller ones (not the really small ones) (Remember: Use this water sparingly, it is used for drinking as well as for the soup, hot chocolate and fruit drink mix, not for bathing.)
Note: This is a high calorie menu. When someone is in a stressful situation they burn more calories. Adjust to family member with allergies and medical conditions like diabetes.
Remember, you need 3 of each item for each member in your house hold. This month add the following items and put them in the large plastic zip bag with last months items and place each kit into each backpack . . .
Week 1: 3 fruit cups (one type of fruit or mixed) or 3 small apple sauce
Week 2: 3 packages regular size Trail Mix or 1 large package. If you purchase the large package include 2 small plastic zip lock bags to divide the rest into 2 for the next 2 days lunch menu.
Week 3: 3 Instant soup mixes (chicken noodle, onion, etc.)
Week 4: 3 Granola Bars: any name brand or type your family member will eat.
Note: If you prefer you can purchase all the food items for each meal or follow the weekly schedule.
Emergency Preparedness Ideas
Burns . . .
There are two emergency methods to handle burns when we get distracted and burn our fingers and hand by grabbing something just out of the oven or off the stove . . .
1) Run the burn under cold water for 10 minutes, then cake on Aloe Vera and let dry. Will not blister and takes the sting away.
2) Keep a bag of white flour in your freezer. When you burn your fingers or hand, place your fingers or hand into the cold flour for at least 10 minutes. It will stop the stinging and blistering.
Spiritual Preparedness . . .
Follow these 10 things and it will help you become more spiritually prepared . . .
1) Do I read the scriptures daily?
2) Do I really pray and not just say prayers?
3) Is my fasting meaningful?
4) Do I go to bed early and get up early?
5) Am I essentially a happy person?
6) Do I work hard?
7) Am I more concerned about how than where I serve?
8) Do I love everyone, even enemies, keep romantic things in there proper place?
9) Do I strive for oneness with others as well as within myself, between my ideal and actual self?
10) Do I share my testimony (of the gospel) with others?
(These 10 questions come from a talk given by Elder Joe J. Christensen, Of the Presidency of the Seventies, "10 Ideas to Increase Your Spirituality". Click here to read the entire article.)
Comments and Questions: Please share your comments and ask your questions below. We all learn from each other. Or, you can email me at theark.carsonward@gmail.com. Thank you.
