Principles and Warnings

I was forwarded this short article and thought I would share.

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/SuperModels/CouldWeReallyRunOutOfFood.aspx

I have had people say to me before that they feel that they are financially secure so why store food. If they have an emergency fund, won't they be able to buy food if they have a disability or a loss of income? This is not necessarily the case. Food is not always available. I don't subscribe to alarmism. I don't think that panic is a good reason to be living providently. However, I do think there are enough signs out there that our sources of necessities are limited. We cannot count on others to feed our families. Self reliance is a principle that is taught in our church as a means to secure liberty and blessings to its members. It is unfortunate that we waste valuable energy debating whether or not we should practice this principle. The process by which we learn to live below our means with prudence and self restraint is one that is sanctifying and freeing. What if we could consume less? Live without more? Be more free of material things. This is a true blessing because it frees up valuable brain power to concentrate on other more important things. I classify certain kinds of eating as materialistic as well. Now, I like to eat as much as the next guy. But I have a hard time paying $5 a pound for one steak that will only feed one person. We rarely eat red meat because of that. Even ground beef is highly expensive and in my opinion not very nutritious. There are better sources of protein out there but they are not fashionable and they are not easy to cook. Our society does not know how to eat a grain and legume based diet. Many people would argue about health and taste and comfort. For our family, eating a more vegetarian based diet works. We consume less food, we are more full and we feel better. (Aside from all the chocolate we've been eating because CVS has had some good deals). I wanted to post about this because I think it is a common idea that we "deserve" to eat certain things, or we are accustomed to a certain type of diet that cannot be changed. Change is something we need to be familiar with. It happens everyday all around us. Being flexible is a good start to begin or continue a food storage program. It is important to be open to new foods. One of the points the article makes is that the prices for wheat have gone up quite a bit. Wheat is not the only grain that will store a long time. There are other sources of grain that could be more afforable, such as quinoa. I haven't priced it for a long time but the point is that there are alternatives. Saying "my family just doesn't eat this way" is a way of saying, "I'm not willing to try something new" There is so much variety and so much available whether through the mail or locally, there are no excuses to engage your family in being prepared.

This is my favorite article on preparedness. It thought I would round out the post with something great.

Quotes from October 2007 Conference

I was listening to the Relief Society session of conference today (for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) and I was struck by the comments about preparedness. Every session of conference just about has a quotable about being prepared. I feel like the best peace we can have is in knowing we have looked to the future and planned now. Whether that is a lost job, a lowered income, a disability or a calamity, we all need to be thinking what if. Sometimes it seems that "What iffing" is defeating. If we think about it then we must be assuming it happens. But thinking about it erases anxiety, lifts us up and allows the Lord to bless us with inspiration. As I have begun this blog and been thinking about preparedness I have found so many little things that the Lord has whispered. Comfort about getting an education, peace at having food stored, love for the protection that we have had hitherto. All it takes is an awareness of a principle and the opportunities for growth and learning will present themselves. Now for the quotes:

Sister Julie Beck: "They should be laying up a store of money, food, and skills, which will sustain them and their families in perilous times."

Elder Walter Gonzalez: "We don't know when or how earthquakes will hit us. They likely won't be literal shakings of the earth, as happened in Peru, but rather quakes of temptations, sin, or trials, such as unemployment or serious sickenss. Today is the time to prepare for when that type of quake comes. Today is the time to prepare-not during the crisis."

Elder Cook quoting Paul: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind" (2 Timothy 1:7)

I love this story that Elder Cook told about the people in the Pacific Islands: "Vav'u which is a relatively small island, usually has sufficient rain but periodically there are severe droughts. The island has long inlets or bays, almost like sounds, which curl into the island below steep hills. When drought conditions left the billage without water, there was only one way they could obtain fresh water and stay alive. Over the centuries they had found that fresh water traveled down through rock formations inside the mountains and came up in a few spots in the sea.
The Tongan me would set off in their small boats with a wise elder standing at one end of the boat looking for just the right spot. The strong young men in th eboat stood ready with containers to dive deep into the seawater. When they reached the appropriate spot, the wise man would raise both arms to heaven. That was the signal. The strong young men would dive off the boat as deep as they could and fill the containers with fresh springwater. "

Isn't that just beautiful? In a topsy turvy world we know where to find that fresh water. In terms of provident living it is such a blessing to have guidance and direction, like at Provident Living.

There are many more quotes from Conference. There are also many resources out there that are full of motivation and guidance. Seek them out and they will come.

Welcome Post

The inspiration to begin this blog arose from a desire to serve those in my immediate area who have been asking me questions about provident living. I realized that there is a lot of information out there but it is often difficult and time consuming to sift through it and determine what is best. I decided that I wanted to create a place where there could be a (somewhat) open dialog and a centralized place of information and support for those wanting to be more frugal, more responsible and more prepared. I have a strong testimony of being prepared. It is a principle with a promise. In the Doctrine and Covenants we read, "if ye art prepared, ye shall not fear" (D&C 38:30). It is so important to learn the skills of provident living. The world is ever changing. We find ourselves increasingly struggling to simpify, nourish and enrich our families. Part of that effort is in storing the things that we need in case of emergency, but it also includes using less waste, being cautious in how we spend our money and being willing and able to share with others. Food storage is about so much more than trying to find places for thousands of cans of wheat. It is a principle, a way of life that is good for the earth, and good for us. I hope that this site can bring options, hope and motivation to anyone who stops by.