Accepting Chronic Illness

Everyone has trials and struggles in their lives. Some are more easily seen than others. It can be difficult to accept that trials do happen and to be able to move forward from those realizations. One trial that may be exceptionally difficult to deal with is accepting and dealing with having a chronic illness. This can be difficult as the disease progresses and limits that ways that you can help and reach out to others. I have observed a few people with chronic illnesses and their acceptance and optimism has really blessed my life. The first thing that stood out … Continue reading →

Food Storage: Doing Our Best

Are you discouraged about your food storage? It can be frustrating to think of buying, organizing and storing all of that food. Honestly the sheer volume of food that it takes to make up a years supply can be staggering. It is important to not become discouraged in the process. In his talk “Lay Up in Store” Bishop Keith B McMullin said, Wives are instrumental in this work, but they need husbands who lead out in family preparedness. Children need parents who instill in them this righteous tradition. They will then do likewise with their children, and their stores will … Continue reading →

June 2008 Preparedness Goals

For June’s preparedness goals, we are going to focus on what you need to store. This is really just getting a plan together. You will store different things then I store. Each situation is unique. You should put together an overall plan, but I a going to divide it into three sets of questions you should ask yourself, and then give you a challenge on what you should purchase this month. 1) First think of your three month food supply. The church counsels us to store three months of food that we eat on a regular basis. This food should … Continue reading →

Preparedness and Finances

One important aspect of preparing yourself and your family is financial preparedness. The church urges us to avoid debt, and to get out of debt as quickly as possible. It also teaches us to take financial responsibility for ourselves by saving money for emergencies and planning for retirement. If you have a lot of debt, it is important to focus on getting out of debt as much as you can. You can limit your discretionary spending and begin to budget to do this. If you need help setting up your budget or learning how to manage your money, you can … Continue reading →

Physical Health Affects Your Spiritual Health

Have you felt spiritually sluggish lately? Is your temper a little too short? And does it seem like nothing is going the right way? You may need to take some time to focus on your physical health to bring your spirit back into balance. It is important to realize that if you are not taking care of yourself, that your spirituality and all other aspects of your life are going to fall out of balance. You should focus first on getting enough sleep. It is amazing how important sleep really it. You will think more clearly with enough sleep. You … Continue reading →

May 2008 Preparedness Goals

I have gotten off track on the food storage goals. This month we are going to focus on our emergency kits. If you already have one you can focus on something else that you need, or you can add to yours or update the supplies. Emergency kits are commonly used in disasters, and it is important that everyone has one. You should start with the basics and move up. Here are three basic goals you should work in regards to your emergency kits. 1) Ideally you should have an emergency kit for each member of your family. The one exception … Continue reading →

Visit Your Home Storage Center

If you live near a church home storage center (also commonly referred to as a cannery), you should take advantage of this when planning and purchasing your food storage. Your ward may plan a trip or two every year, or you may be asked to volunteer your time at the cannery. Another option is to use the dry pack canner that your stake has and prepare your food that way. You may find that it is cheaper to purchase the food on your own, and then can it. You can order just the cans, lids and oxygen absorbers from the … Continue reading →

Creating a Healthy Lifestyle for Your Family

Spring has officially come, and it is a great time to help your family focus on caring for themselves in a healthy way. The Word of Wisdom teaches us to care for our bodies. We need to be careful about what we eat and choose to put into our bodies. We also need to care for our bodies through exercise and proper rest. As we do this our family life will be smoother and everyone will be happier. Here are some ideas to help you get your family choosing a healthier lifestyle. 1) Plan a family home evening lesson that … Continue reading →

Focus on Food Storage

The rising cost of food may make it more difficult to begin or complete your food storage. However, you can still do it even if you have a limited budget and limited space. You just need to make a consistent goal to put food storage away each month. It is important to start small. The recent pamphlet from the church puts the order as preparing your 72 hour kit, then your two week supply of water. After that you need to store three months of food. Then you should move onto a year’s supply of food. Your 72 hour kit … Continue reading →

Food Storage Items Available Online

A few months ago I wrote about the Food Storage introductory kit that the church had available to purchase through its website. This kit was a great way to start your food storage. The church has now expanded the food that you can order on its website. In addition to the starter kit you can purchase cases of wheat, pinto beans, white rice, and oats. These are great basic foods to have for long term storage. If you are considering buying these foods for your long-term storage, you should also know how to cook and eat them. Additionally you will … Continue reading →