Sunday

If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts."

President Gordon B. Hinckley

Food Storage Friday

#10 Cans

Okay you now have or want to get some food storage in #10 cans, but where in the world are you going to put it?!?!

Remember this stuff need to be kept in a moderate temperature and and a dry place. I have stored mine in Girlies closet.

After a trip to the cannery we had WAY to much to put there so I had to branch out. We now store our #10 cans under our bed. We formally had our bed on the floor so now I have a nice high bed and a place to store my cans.

We basically made two big capital E's back to back with most of the boxes so it would support our bed. Then I put my loose cans in. Dried fruit in one spot. TVP in another. Then veggies and eggs& butter.

When the bed skirt is on you don't even know it is there.

What a gratifying thing it is to see cans of wheat and rice and beans under the beds or in the pantries of women who have taken welfare responsibility into their own hands. President Hinkley link

Check out some of these other ideas over at The Preparedness Pantry.

Have a creative way to store your food storage. Please share!!

Money Monday

Build a Reserve

We have been counseled to build our three-month food supply, get our water and then build a financial reserve. The church has not stated a specific amount. Most money gurus will advise anywhere from 3 to 6 months. Longer if you can. No matter what your end goal is it is better to take baby steps then kill your self trying to make huge leaps and bounds. Start with a week then a month and then start again.

You can start by setting up a separate savings account. My good friend Daphne writes our financial column for our wards Provident Living newsletter and this is what she said about savings accounts, " Saving money is a challenge, and what works for one may not work for another, but this is what has worked for us. We have several accounts set up in a high interest bearing account (ING). Typically it takes 2 business days for funds to transfer to your checking account, so you tend to think twice if you really need that thing you want to buy--as a side note, we also keep a savings account attached to our checking acct., in case we need to transfer some over quickly for emergencies. " She also suggest that you have your savings automatically withdrawn each month or paycheck what ever works for you. you can sometimes set this up through your employer if you have auto deposit or through your bank.

President Gordon B. Hinckley has taught: “Set your houses in order. If you have paid your debts, if you have a reserve, even though it be small, then should storms howl about your head, you will have shelter for your wives and children and peace in your hearts” ("To the Boys and to the Men," Ensign, Nov. 1998, 54).

Sunday

Finding Strength in Challenging Times!

Elder Allan F. Packer Of the Seventy

Here are my favorite quotes from this talk. The bolds are mine. Please click on the link in the title to read the whole talk.

"When I was a young man in high school, one of my passions was American football. I played middle linebacker. The coach worked the team hard, teaching us the basics. We practiced until the skills became natural and automatic. During one play against our biggest rival, I had an experience that has helped me over the years. We were on defense. I knew my assigned opponent, and as the play unfolded, he moved to my right into the line of scrimmage. There was a lot of noise from players and fans. I reacted as the coach had taught us and followed my man into the line, not knowing if he had the ball. To my surprise, I felt the ball partially in my hands. I gave it a tug, but my opponent didn’t let go. As we tugged back and forth, amid all the noise I heard a voice yelling, “Packer, tackle him!” That was enough to bring me to my senses, so I dropped him on the spot.
I have wondered how I heard that voice above all the other noise. I had become acquainted with the voice of the coach during the practices, and I had learned to trust it. I knew that what he taught worked."

"We need to be acquainted with the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and we need to practice and apply gospel teachings until they become natural and automatic. These promptings become the foundation of our testimonies. Then our testimonies will keep us happy and safe in troubled times."

What I learned from this:

As we learn to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost we will be able to make better choices. We will be comforted in our times of trial, and we will be able to more fully feel our Saviors love. As we listen to and obey these promptings we will feel our testimonies grow and be better prepared to deal with those hardships to come. No one can take away our testimonies. Not our employer, our bank, the government, or our enemies. It is ours and only ours. It is our responsibility to make it grow. We can not borrow from someone-else, and we can not loan ours out. It is worth our time and effort to fortify it so we may recognise the 'voice' above the noise of the world and follow our Prophet and leaders on the path that leads to true happiness.

I will continue with Elder Packer's talk next week.

Sunday

Mother Mother, who willingly made that personal journey into the valley of the shadow of death to take us by the hand and introduce us to birth—even to mortal life—deserves our undying gratitude. One writer summed up our love for mother when he declared, “God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.”
While on the cruel cross of Calvary, suffering intense pain and anguish, Jesus “saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother!” (John 19:26–27.) What a divine example of gratitude and love!
My own mother may not have read to me from the scriptures; rather, she taught me by her life and actions what the “Good Book” contains. Care for the poor, the sick, the needy were everyday dramas never to be forgotten.

President Thomas S. Monson An Attitude of Gratitude May 1002 Ensign

Whatever Wednesday

The order of things

This has been on my mind lately as I strive to do it all. I wondered in what order I should do it. As always the leaders of the church have already provided the answer for me.

Three-Month Supply

Drinking Water

Financial Reserve

Longer-Term Supply aka year supply

We, as a family, have been trying to work on all of these at once. Silly us! Some of these over lap in our house as our 3month and long term food storage are part of my regular grocery trips. We have a water cooler so we do have and rotate our water supply(now if I could get around to filling the 55gal drum I have). Our financial reserve is greatly lacking due to our debts and our striving to become debt free.

Sunday

Great Trails Lie Ahead

This is an awesome video. It is a gentle but powerful warning of the things to come. It is the words of our Prophets and leader. Please do not pass it over. It has much worth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jTVECvTYpN0