"I know, in the strength of the Lord
thou canst do all things."
Alma 20:4, Book of Mormon
I would like to change this a little to "I know, in the strength of the Lord I canst do all things". I strongly believe and know from experiences Heavenly Father has a plan for each one of us. If we stray off that path he will do all that he can to bring us back to it. I know that through prayer and faith we can receive the strength we need to overcome whatever obstacle passes our path. As I listen to news report interviews of people who are going through or have been through a disaster, I can spot the ones who have faith and hope in their Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. I know those who have prepared the best they can know Heavenly Father will bless them with their needs.
It is our responsibility to prepare both spiritually and temporally. We will find peace when we do. When we procrastinate in our spiritual and temporal preparation it is no ones fault but our own. We will feel turmoil and unsettling in knowing we are not prepared.
Many think it is so hard to prepare. They cannot do it. But I say, "Yes you can!". It takes baby steps, one at a time. The best thing any of us can do is to just start now. No more procrastination, no more excuses. Set small goals.
For spiritual goals, decide to read one verse, or one chapter, in the scriptures daily, thank Heavenly Father daily and ask for guidance in prayer, go to church, for LDS members, attend the temple regularly.
For temporal goals, decide you will start a food storage goal by adding commercially canned and packaged foods your family will eat each time you go grocery shopping, just 2-5 extra ones a week. Before you know it you will have a 3-Month Food Storage supply.
It is not hard if you take baby steps, small goals help us accomplish the main goal. You can do it!
“Believe in yourself [and] in your capacity to do great and good things.
Believe that no mountain is so high that you cannot climb it. Believe
that no storm is so great that you cannot weather it. Believe that you
can do whatever it is that you set your heart on. [As you do this,]
opportunities will unfold and open before you [and] the skies will clear
when they have been dark. [Remember that] you are not destined to
[fail]. You are a child of God, of infinite capacity.” –Gordon B.
Hinckley
Emergency Preparedness . . .
72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness
Backpack . . . The Hygiene Kit
Updates . . .
Backpacks: Several people have
asked me where I got my backpack from. I found that the ones from
emergencyessentials.com are really good. They have 3 different size,
small, medium and large. I purchased the medium size one. It is great
and has enough room for your 3 kits (food kit, hygiene kit and stressor
kit), extra clothing and other needed items I will list after we
complete the 3 kits. There backpacks are now black. Click here to see them.
Food kits: When you purchase the
food items make sure they have a least a year before they expire. Be
careful in purchasing any of the food items from a discount store like
the 99 Cent Store or Dollar General. Many times the expiration dates are
in just a few days, weeks or months. If you store your backpack in your
car the food needs to be rotated every 6 months due to the heat. In
your home or at work in your office, every year.
The Hygiene Kit . . .
The past 3 months we have been working on the Food Kit. If
you have not started or missed any of the assignments go back to
January 2017 and follow through to March. Now we will start the Hygiene
Kits. You will need to adjust some of the items according to age and
needs. This is just a suggestion.
Why a Hygiene Kit? When you are
in an emergency or disaster situation it is good to have things that
will help you feel better, like being able to wash your hair, hand
lotion for your dry hands and skin, etc.
Each month I will give you a weekly assignment until we have finished the hygiene kit, just like the food kit. You
can purchase most of these items at a discount store like the 99 Cent
Store or Dollar General or on the discount shelves in stores like Target
and pharmacies like CVS, etc.
Instructions: You will need one
item for each house hold member's hygiene kit. Remember to adjust
according to ages. Place all these items in a large zip lock bag, write
Hygiene Kit and their name on the bag. Place in their 72 Hour Individual
Emergency Preparedness Backpack. Each time you purchase an item for the
hygiene kit add it to the zip lock plastic bag.
For July add the following . . .
1) Medical surgical gloves (several pairs, medium and large sizes): Keep in a small plastic zip lock bag.
2) Prescription medications and/or vitamins: You should keep the prescription meds in the prescription bottle. Save old bottles to keep a 3 day supply. You might want to put the vitamins into a weekly pill box.
3) Sun screen: Purchase the correct ones for different ages.
4) Feminine hygiene items or diapers/pull ups for the baby: Put in enough for 3 days. You may also want to consider older folks who wear adult diapers (Depends).
Congratulations, you have just completed your 72 Hour Individual Personal Hygiene Kits for each family member. You want to include the following optional items below.
Optional:
1) 2-3 disposable shavers, for men: Not really necessary, but the men in your family may want to look good too, even in a disaster situation.
2) Basic makeup, for women, good to feel pretty even in a disaster situation: When you foundation, powder and other makeups get low save them and put them into your Hygiene Kit. No need to purchase new items to add to it.
Note: In August we start on the last kit for your 72 Hour Individual Emergency Preparedness Backpacks, the Stressor Kit.
Emergency Preparedness Ideas
Why should you always keep at least a half of tank of gas in your vehicles?
1) You never know when you might need to evacuate immediately and you have no time to get gas. A half of a tank will usually get you pretty far to safety.
2) What if there is no electricity? The gas pumps will not work.
3) What if you are stuck on the freeway or highway for several hours? You may run out of gas if you are running your vehicle. Many times we have heard in news reports of vehicles running out of gas in bad weather situations or accidents where it takes hours to clear the roads.
Note: It is good, when and were possible, to keep a couple of 5 gallon gas cans full of gas for emergency situations. Make sure your rotate the gas every few months and you keep in away from your house or other structures and out of the sun. You can keep it in your garage, but away from any connecting walls to your house. Only store gas in regulated gas cans.
Emergency Essentials Blog: Some great ideas . . .
Tips for helping children cope with emergency disasters
Five types of floods you should prepared for
7 things you should do following a flood
I never thought to store that
7 things every prepper should know
Preparing children with special needs for emergencies
Emergency shelter
Nest posting August July 30th.
