52 Weeks, Week 49

 

52 Weeks to Family Preparedness for Two

Week 49

"When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power." ~ Ezra Ezra Taft Benson ~

Food Storage and Preparedness Challenge Of The Week:

Food Storage Purchase Fruit Drink Mix to make 30 qts.

Extra Item Purchase 20 lbs. of Oats

Family Prep: Do you have your evacuation plan ready for your family? Have you reviewed it lately? Do you have your lists ready? What would you grab in 3 minutes? 10 minutes? 30 minutes? If you knew you would be back in a few days? If you knew it would be several weeks? If you didn't know if you would ever come back? Get a notebook and start doing some planning! Then put the plans into action.

Spiritual Preparedness: Read and study Mosiah 5:15, Ask yourself these questions:

• What does it mean to be steadfast and immovable?

• How can I become steadfast and immovable?

• What blessings are associated with being steadfast and immovable?

Hold a family home evening and discuss this as a family and what you can do, what goals you can make to be more steadfast and immovable as disciples of Christ.

Storage Notes for a Rainy Day

Phyllis Hooker, Ensign June 1977

My children woke the other morn "Dad! Mom! There's something wrong! There's no heat in the heaters and the TV won't go on. The bathroom light won't function. Is it just the bulb that's old? Nothing in this whole house works. It's drafty and it's cold!" I rose in semi-stupor. Stubbed my toe against a chair. "I ought to have a candle. I know there's one somewhere." "Fear not," I told my children. "We'll weather out the storm. Because we have a fireplace to keep us somewhat warm." "We're hungry, Mom. Where's breakfast? Could you make something hot?" We piled logs in the fireplace, and then...a sudden thought: When cooking in a fireplace, what things should I aquire? Just how long would my frypans last atop an open fire? Within the house a fired glowed, outside was cold and bleak. Our meager wood and coal supplies would last about a week. "Hooray! Hooray!" the children cried. "Oh, this is really neat!" I thought, "It's good we have our food. For a year, at least, we'll eat" The baby needed to be changed, and then the thought did strike: However would I launder clothes, to keep them clean and bright? Assuming I had water, a fire and a pan..... I'd hate to have to wash and wring those diapers out by hand. We've always stored some water in an emptied-out bleach jug. We opened up a gallon, poured it out to drink and....ugh!! I'd also filled some fruit jars with the water from the sink. It was processed in my canner and was easier to drink. "My mittens need repairing." "There's a button off this dress." I've stored buttons, thread, and needles, extra fabric, and I guess I could darn most things quite handily, from socks right up to suits. But suppose the broken item, was a pair of leather boots? I have lots of baking soda, for all its many uses. From toothpaste and a cleaner, to the cookies it produces. I've string and twine and medicines, and ammonia to help me cope With cleaning up the dirt and germs. But how did pioneers make soap? I must save my old newspapers. Might there be a paper ration? They're used for wrapping garbage and making good insulation. Soak the papers in detergent, roll them into logs, then dry. They will give a bright, warm fire, and almost free supply. I must have thought of everything. Oh, no. One thing can spoil it. I have the toilet paper, but what about the toilet? That night we piled into our beds. "It's cold! The wind! It blows! How nice hot water bottles would feel against our frozen toes." Next day I woke up early, and the crisis was long gone. Everything was back to normal – even the TV set was on. Water dripped into the sinks, the downstairs lights all burned. It was nice to have them on again after the lessons we'd learned. Though yesterday was trying, it's troubles had been shared. Our family had decided that we'd better get prepared .Some folks might think we're silly, like whistling in the dark. Still, we know it wasn't raining when Noah built his ark.