52 Weeks to Family Preparedness for Two

Week 5

David O. McKay "To be alive only to appetite, pleasure, pride, moneymaking, and not to goodness and kindness, purity and love, poetry, music, flowers, stars, God and eternal hopes, is to deprive one's self of the real joy of living."

Food Storage and Preparedness Challenge Of The Week:

Food Storage Purchase 8 Cans of Fruit

Extra Item Purchase 8 Rolls of toilet paper (1 per week)

72 Hour Kit Outer gear- correct for the season. Winter coat, rain gear, hat and gloves per person.

Family Preparation Pick two meeting places: Have A Plan!

1. A place near your home in case of fire.

2. A place outside your neighborhood in case you cannot return home after a disaster.

Choose an OUT OF AREA friend as a "Check in Contact" for everyone to call.

Spiritual Preparedness Prepare at least one family name for temple work.

Emotional Preparedness Hymn #142 "Sweet Hour of Prayer" I love the words of this hymn.

...Sweet hour of prayer! That calls me from a world of care And bids me at my Father's throne make all my wants and wishes known. In season of distress and grief, My soul has often found relief And oft escaped the tempter's snare By thy return sweet hour of prayer!

In our time of distress and grief, in the trials of life, let's not forget the power of prayer and our Father in Heaven who really cares!

Financial Preparedness We can all save a bit of money on our utility bills by being wise in a few things in our home. Unplugging electronics that are not being used can actually save a few dollars a month here and there and over the year even a few hundred dollars. Electronics that are not turned off and unplugged continue to use power without us even knowing it. Make use of natural lighting especially during the summer months. Use the sun to heat or light your house and use your blinds and curtains to keep your house cooler. Make use of a clothesline to hang dry your clothes during the nice weather. Just look around your home and think smart utility saving sense!

Physical Preparedness I think that too many of us relate this category with being the super sports star or being the super model. Really, it is all about being healthy. And of course with being healthy, we must start with baby steps. We can't expect to change all of our unhealthy habits over night. We all have unhealthy habits, so pick one and start working on it. This week, how about checking out our dental health. Do we and our children brush morning and night? Have we had a regular dental checkup within the last six months? Are we flossing daily? Dental health is an important part of our physical health. What would we be without our teeth? Well I think you get the picture - and it isn't a pretty one!

Educational Preparedness Gardening season is upon us. We should all be thinking of what we can do this year to help put a bit more surplus into our food storage, whether through freezing, canning, dehydrating, or even just eating fresh out of our own gardens to be more healthy and save money. And don't forget the value of teaching our families to be a bit more self reliant through gardening. There are so many sites out there that have amazing info on this subject, so I won't repeat, just point you in some of these directions. Learn, plan, and grow!

Square Foot Gardening

Container Gardening

Small Space Gardening

52 Weeks Week 4

52 Weeks to Family Preparedness for Two

Week 4

"The foolish virgins were not averse to buying oil. They knew they

should have oil. They merely procrastinated, not knowing when the

bridegroom would come. The day of the marriage feast approaches.

The coming of the Lord is nigh. And there are many among us who are

not ready for the great and glorious event." Spencer W. Kimball

Food Storage and Preparedness Challenge Of The Week:

Food Storage Purchase 30 lbs. Wheat or other grain, such as pasta, flour, rice, etc

Extra Item Purchase 8 lbs. salt

72 Hour Kit Flashlight with extra batteries

Family Preparation Fire prevention: Test smoke detectors weekly. Change batteries every six months (for example General Conference time). Date batteries. Smoke detectors should be on each floor and outside a bedroom door.

Spiritual Preparedness Make a commitment to study the Gospel Doctrine lesson to prepare for Sunday School Class

Financial Preparedness President N. Eldon Tanner (1898–1982) taught: “Those who structure their standard of living to allow a little surplus, control their circumstances. Those who spend a little more than they earn are controlled by their circumstances. They are in bondage” (“Constancy amid Change,” Liahona, Feb. 1982, 46). We should make a plan to get ourselves out of debt, and the first step in this process is to pay an honest tithe and fast offerings. If our tithing is the first obligation met, our commitment to this important gospel principle will be strengthened and the likelihood of financial mismanagement will be reduced.

Educational Preparedness BYU offers many free online courses that will enrich our lives. Take a look here to see what they have to offer. There is no reason why each of us should not constantly be learning and improving something in our lives.

Physical Health Preparedness Sleep is so important for proper body and brain function. In fact studies show that a lack of proper sleep can lead to many other dis-functions and diseases in our bodies. Here is a link that gives us some sleep tips, so we can teach our bodies to get proper sleep.

Social and Emotional Preparedness I have listed a site here that is done by the LDS church to help people who are dealing with pornography or know someone who is struggling with it. This site also will be helpful for any kind of addiction, from prescription drugs, to financial, or what ever it may be. Addictions are something can be a part of our lives and we may not even know it. Check out the valuable information and learn what you can do to help a friend, and perhaps even see something in yourself that you can improve upon.

Week 3

52 Weeks to Family Preparedness for Two

Week 3

"There is an old wise saying; Eat it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. Thrift is a practice of not wasting anything. Some people are able to get by because of the absence of expense. They have their shoes resoled, they patch, they mend, they sew, and they save money. They avoid installment buying, and make purchases only after saving enough to pay cash, thus avoiding interest charges. Frugality means to practice careful economy." - James E. Faust

Food Storage and Preparedness Challenge Of The Week:

Food Storage Purchase 20 lbs. White Sugar or Honey

Extra Item Purchase Enough dish soap to last 3 months

72 Hour Kit 1 change of clothing (pants, shirt, socks, underwear). Place in Zip Lock Bag

Family Preparation Obtain a family utility box- Action Packer, cooler with wheels, cardboard box, etc.

Spiritual Preparedness Read Elder Bednar's article in the September 2007 Ensign; Seek Learning by Faith

Social and Emotional Preparedness This link here takes you to a site that you can find a library of information that will help in any area of this kind of preparedness.

Educational Preparedness “As Latter-day Saints we believe in education, and we have a philosophy about how and why we should pursue it. Our religious faith teaches us that we should seek learning by the Spirit and that we have a stewardship to use our knowledge for the benefit of mankind.” —Dallin H. Oaks, “Learning and Latter-day Saints,” Liahona, Apr. 2009. An excellent article well worth reading. Some educational things that we could look into learning are some basic preparedness and survival skills. There are so many sites out there on the internet that can help us with these. I will start to go over some of them in the coming weeks. For now check out this site about self sufficient living.

Financial Preparedness Here is a pdf file One For The Money, put out by our church that talks about family finances. And here is some resources for online budget calculators.

52 Weeks to Preparedness

52 Weeks to Family Preparedness for Two

Week 2

"Our emphasis on this subject is not grounds for crisis thinking or

panic. Quite the contrary, personal and family preparedness should be

a way of provident living, an orderly approach to using the resources,

gifts, and talents the Lord shares with us. So the first step is to teach

our people to be self-reliant and independent through proper

preparation for daily life." Victor L. Brown, Ensign, Nov 1976

Food Storage and Preparedness Challenge of the Week:

Food Storage Purchase 8 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup

Extra Item Purchase Laundry Soap to last 2 months

72 Hour Kit Obtain a blanket (wool is preferred) or

sleeping bag per person. Also - sleeping mat

Family Preparation

By your night stand place a pair of gloves, flashlight and shoes in case

of an emergency in the middle of the night.

Spiritual Preparedness

Read John 5:39, Mosiah 1: 7, and Alma 17: 2

Have personal daily Scripture study

Social and Emotional Preparedness

“What is the great strength of this Church? ..... It is the emphasis which we place on families....Keep your families close together and love and honor your children.” President Gordon B. Hinckley Parenting is one of the greatest and most challenging aspects of adult life. Whether a father and mother are coping with responsibilities of a young family or a challenging teenager, they can gain insight and perspective from these articles found here Parenting Issues – One of the Ten Common Challenges Facing Families

Physical Health

Maintaining the best possible physical health has been a gospel ideal throughout the ages – from the strict dietary laws of ancient Israel, with the example of Daniel and his associates, to the Word of Wisdom in this dispensation and the counsel of today’s prophets and apostles. By maintaining good physical health, we become more self-reliant and are better prepared to progress personally, strengthen the family, and serve in the Church and community. Work this week to plan eating a variety of food groups regularly. Plan them into your weekly menu plans. Here is a great pdf file all about Nutrition and Diet

Education

When we have knowledge and wisdom, we are better able to discern truth from error and make good choices. Education is also a key to encouraging personal growth, preparing for suitable employment, building strong families, serving in the Church, and making a meaningful contribution to the society in which we live. One are we can become self-reliant in our education is to improve our communication with others. (providentliving.org) This week work on your communication skills. Even if it is just a simple “hello” to someone you normally would not speak to, or a visit to that neighbor you have been missing, take the opportunity to communicate to someone. It will help them as well as you.

Finances

Today is Fast Sunday. On fast day, we go without food and drink for two consecutive meals, if physically able, and then give to the Bishop a fast offering at least equal to the value of the food not eaten. If possible, we should be very generous and give more. The Bishop uses the fast offerings to care for the poor and needy. (Found on providentliving.org) Fast with a purpose and pay fast offerings with a generous purpose as well. The blessings received will astound you!