Here is a condensed, printable version of our last post. This is great to use as a Bible study or to distribute. Please contact us above if you use it with a group and let us know how it was helpful…
What to do RIGHT NOW-Part 2
Here is further biblical support for prepping. These are just my humble thoughts on how these verses may be interpreted:
BIBLICAL SUPPORT FOR PREPAREDNESS
“Now therefore let the king provide a wise and industrious man, and make him ruler over the land of Egypt: that he may appoint overseers over all the countries: and gather into barns the fifth part of the fruits, during the seven fruitful years, that shall now presently ensue: and let all the corn be laid up under Pharao's hands and be reserved in the cities. And let it be in readiness, against the famine of seven years to come, which shall oppress Egypt, and the land shall not be consumed with scarcity.”
Genesis 41:33
This refers to the responsibility to take a leadership role and to be “wise and industrious” in the care of the people who rely on you.
“Give not sleep to thy eyes, neither let thy eyelids slumber. Deliver thyself as a doe from the hand, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. Go to the ant, O sluggard, and consider her ways, and learn wisdom: which, although she hath no guide, nor master, nor captain, provideth her meat for herself in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou rise out of thy sleep? Thou wilt sleep a little, thou wilt slumber a little, thou wilt fold thy hands a little to sleep: And want shall come upon thee, as a traveller, and poverty as a man armed. But if thou be diligent, thy harvest shall come as a fountain, and want shall flee far from thee.”
Proverbs 6:4
This is a strong admonition to take care of your own needs through discipline and hard work.
“There is a treasure to be desired, and oil in the dwelling of the just: and the foolish man shall spend it.”
Proverbs 21:20
The holy, who live a good life, performing their duties and exercising prudence, will be blessed with abundance.
“The prudent man saw the evil, and hid himself: the simple passed on, and suffered loss.”
Proverbs 22:3
When you see the threat looming, you must take action.
“Cast thy bread upon the running waters: for after a long time thou shalt find it again. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight: for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth.”
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Think ahead, plan ahead and watch the signs around you.
“In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening let not thy hand cease: for thou knowest not which may rather spring up, this or that: and if both together, it shall be the better.”
Ecclesiastes 11:6
Work harder than you think you need to, for some of your work may not bear fruit.
“For I know the thoughts that I think towards you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of affliction, to give you an end and patience.”
Jeremias 29:11
Though calamity may come, God will preserve many of His children (so we must never give up and keep trying to survive).
“Hear the word of the Lord, ye children of Israel, for the Lord shall enter into judgment with the inhabitants of the land: for there is no truth, and there is no mercy, and there is no knowledge of God in the land. Cursing, and lying, and killing, and theft, and adultery have overflowed, and blood hath touched blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth in it shall languish with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of the air: yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be gathered together.”
Hosea 4:1
When immorality abounds, we may expect a great chastisement to come.
“And there came to him the Pharisees and Sadducees tempting: and they asked him to shew them a sign from heaven. But he answered and said to them: When it is evening, you say, it will be fair weather, for the sky is red. And in the morning: Today there will be a storm, for the sky is red and lowering. You know then how to discern the face of the sky: and can you not know the signs of the times?”
Matthew 16:1
We must be watchful and understand the implications of what is happening in the world.
“And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.”
Matthew 24:32
Again, we are told to observe the signs around us and be prepared for what surely will come.
“Watch ye therefore, because ye know not what hour your Lord will come. But know this ye, that if the goodman of the house knew at what hour the thief would come, he would certainly watch, and would not suffer his house to be broken open. Wherefore be you also ready, because at what hour you know not the Son of man will come. Who, thinkest thou, is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath appointed over his family, to give them meat in season. Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find so doing. Amen I say to you, he shall place him over all his goods.”
Matthew 24:42
This probably refers more to spiritual preparedness, always our primary concern, though there is a reference to the temporal.
“And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and he said to him: If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself from hence. For it is written, that He hath given his angels charge over thee, that they keep thee. And that in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest perhaps thou dash thy foot against a stone. And Jesus answering, said to him: It is said: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”
Luke 4:9
When signs are clear that danger is looming, we must not remain complacent that God will take care of us, but do what we can to help ourselves and others (then trust in God for what we cannot control).
“But if any man have not care of his own, and especially of those of his house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.”
1 Timothy 5:8
This is an admonition to provide well for those in our care, which includes having the foresight to see when we must prepare for difficult times.
What to do RIGHT NOW-Part 1
It is our responsibility to ourselves, our families and the Body of Christ, to practice good preparedness when we see concerning signs. Actually, preparedness is a lifestyle that we should always be engaged in, but when clear signs are appearing, all the more. Holy Scripture is rife with the admonition to prepare. We are not to be complacent and simply “trust in God.” We are to observe, take action and then, trust in God for what we cannot control. I have heard many people say over the years (and even now), “Just don’t be concerned. Live your life and God will take care of it.” I have to wonder if these people have ever read the Old or New Testaments. Here are 2 verses, one from each Testament:
“And from the fig tree learn a parable: When the branch thereof is now tender, and the leaves come forth, you know that summer is nigh.”
Matthew 24:32
“Cast thy bread upon the running waters: for after a long time thou shalt find it again. Give a portion to seven, and also to eight: for thou knowest not what evil shall be upon the earth. If the clouds be full, they will pour out rain upon the earth.”
Ecclesiastes 11:1
Of course, spiritual preparedness is of primary importance, but physical preparedness is also our responsibility, especially toward those in our care. We have seen events in the past 6 months, much of which we have never seen in our lives…a nightmarish dystopia emerging. Depleted and rationed supplies (including food), lack of access to medical and dental care, businesses forced to close (further lack of access), economic distress, widespread social unrest, shocking abandonment of common sense and reason (get rid of police force?), forced quarantines, lockdown of travel, education disrupted, supplies (such as gardening items including seeds) and jobs arbitrarily deemed “non-essential,” families torn apart through separation (even when dying or grieving-cops were counting heads at a cemetery near me, in the open air?), inability to use restrooms, inability to celebrate or worship, being told where to stand and how much oxygen you can breathe, inability to normally socialize or even smile at others (the psychological effects on many children will be with them for the rest of their lives-we are now raising a generation of mentally ill people), privacy reduced due to being forced online, a completely immersive fear-driven mind-control operation (necessary for people to accept all this insanity), cessation of free speech, people growing cold and frightened toward one another, God’s house turned into a horror show of tape, signs and masks-separating us like cattle for the slaughter. Have I missed anything?
We must ask ourselves, “Where is all this going?” When will the next lockdown be? Tracing, testing, vaccinations…these are the things already being openly discussed. What is not being told? All of the above new realities have set a precedent for the obliteration of all basic human rights. Why more people are not deeply concerned about this is a great mystery.
So if you still don’t think there is reason to prepare, I wish you the best of luck…
What I've Been Doing
As I mentioned 2 posts ago, I bought a new car and yesterday, sold my old one. Both of these things have been taking up all my time…
I have finally finished all the tutorials on my new car. I am now ready to program it and organize all my stuff…everyday necessities, travel items and apocalyptic scenario paraphernalia from fire-starters to tourniquets to water purification tablets.
Preparing my old car to be sold has been a lot of work too. The person I’m selling it to is going to fix it up and re-sell it. It is such a mess, I wanted to do as much as I could to lesson the difficult job this guy has ahead of him. The 2 main projects were getting all the bumper stickers off and cleaning out the horror behind and below the back seat. I had noticed a while ago that papers had fallen behind the seat (presumably when SOMEONE put it down to haul stuff). The project was so annoying and difficult, I procrastinated until…this week. It was far worse than I thought. Not only was stuff crammed behind the whole back seat, it was under the seat as well, almost impossible to access. I had to feel with my hand and almost got my arm stuck. My hand came out gummy and black…candy wrappers, a lollipop stick, “Goldfish” crackers, other food-related products, a ticket to “Babes in Toyland” (I completely forgot about that, which was probably a good thing), a “Lush” giftcard (yay!), a decimated Linda Ronstadt CD, religious-themed car air fresheners, several cheap miraculous medals and a host of other less exciting things. I felt bad about removing the miraculous medals, so I put a few back under the seat (is that weird?).
Though I am thrilled with my new car, it has been surprisingly emotional saying “Goodbye” to my old one. Things from my son’s childhood, fur from my old dog…so many memories…driving my son around, trying to give him enriching experiences, teaching him to drive, going to Wisconsin looking at colleges along the way (none of which he went to)…all our family trips. As I tied a bow around the gift for the buyer, the final touch, like a ritual, I cried. I watched the car sail down my road for the last time and tried to sort out my emotions. The feeling I ended with was one of happiness that it will go on to a new life with a new owner. I have a sense of providence about it…that it is all playing out the way it was meant to.
PS I settled on a 12-pack of hard seltzer as a gift;)
Let us remember all the victims of 9/11 this day, and their families.
More Garden Photos-Flowers!
Yesterday was the trad feast of Saint Rose of Lima, patroness of gardeners. Saint Rose of Lima, pray for us!
This year, we have a simple container garden of a few things. For a number of reasons, our capabilities right now are limited. However, I do recommend that everyone have their own raised bed food garden and that every parish think about creating one. This may become increasingly necessary as society continues to be taken down by those in power, with an agenda that is not in our favor.
These are some pics of the flowers we’ve been growing. Flowers are important for every garden, largely because they attract and support the bee population, so necessary for pollination. Of course, they are also beautiful and uplift the soul. Flowers show us something about the Designer behind them and His love for us. We could meditate on that the rest of our lives. I would call flowers an essential aspect of the Authentic Life. The Church also uses them at holy Mass and in many other celebrations and ceremonies. Our Lady is often associated with and honored with flowers. It is said on the third day after her passing, the tomb was found empty and covered with flowers. Many flowers are edible and have medicinal uses. All of these pictured here are easy to grow.
Sunflowers! Exquisite, fun, bee attracting and you can eat the seeds. What more do you want? There are many varieties of differing sizes. I think of sunflowers as the lion of the plant kingdom. Our Heavenly Father clothes them in majesty. Nature always reflects spiritual realities, since the lower order must follow the higher. We must look for these hidden meanings.
Went crazy enhancing this Snapdragon photo. I don’t know if I love or hate it. You can see the red ones there.
Snapdragons! A beautiful flower and it comes in various colors. It displays the intricate handiwork of the Father. I adore this multi-colored one:
Morning Glories! Little trumpets shouting the everlasting glory of their Creator. Again, comes in a number of amazing colors and is wonderful for anything you want some vining on-mailboxes, fences, trestles. trellises. Here is a spectacular magenta variety. You can see how they curl within themselves to create a striped look.
If you like any of my photos, you are free to use them however you wish. If you share, please refer to this blog. Same goes for all text on this site.
Northport, New York
We have decided to take a family vacation this week. Here are a few pics from our excursion yesterday to the harbor at Northport, New York. This is on the north shore of Long Island, what we call the “Long Island Sound.” The ocean is off the south shore. The Sound what built up in the 1800’s and is quaint and genteel to this day….
You are looking at a sailboat marina and all 3 pics are facing the same direction. Yes that’s me and yes I have enhanced the photos-don’t want my readers looking at dull images and I really like to work with the graphic design I have learned over the past several years.
Just a short drive, a few hours, and so many blessings! We had some wonderful family time walking with the dog and having a picnic in the park…we enjoyed the beauty of God’s creation, got some exercise and learned more about local ecological resources. Knowing your environment is a basic tenet of preparedness and is the way animals survive. Also, a connection to water is important for everyone. No one really understands water. It is mysterious and tremendously powerful. We are mostly made up of it. It is very interesting to research the more “cutting edge” theories about the nature of water. It is greatly calming and healing. And having lived near water my whole life, I am addicted to it.
Garden Pics / Today's Marian Feasts
I said I would post pics of my small container garden. Here are some cute baby cucumbers, more pics to come (don’t expect anything too exciting):
Today is a double Marian feast! One week after the Assumption, we celebrate the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the new and the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the old calendar. August is also the month of the Immaculate Heart, so let us honor Our Lady’s loving Heart today in some special way.
Wonderful Prayer....
In this month of the Immaculate Heart, here is a prayer an internet friend shared with me:
Prayer To The Immaculate Heart of Mary
O Heart of Mary, Mother of God and our Mother, Heart most worthy of love, in which the Adorable Trinity is ever well-pleased, worthy of the veneration and love of all the Angels and men. Heart most like to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, of which thou art the perfect image, Heart full of goodness, ever compassionate toward our miseries, deign to melt our icy hearts and grant that they may be wholly changed into the likeness of the Heart of Jesus, our Divine Savior. Pour into them the love of thy virtues, kindle in them that divine fire with which thou thyself did ever burn. In thee, let Holy Church find a safe shelter. Protect her and be her dearest refuge, her tower of strength, impregnable against every assault of her enemies. Be thou the way which leads to Jesus and the channel through which we receive all the graces needful for our salvation. Be our refuge in time of trouble, our solace in the midst of trial, our strength against temptation, our haven in persecution, our present help in every danger, and especially in the hour of death, when all Hell shall let loose against us its legions to snatch away our souls at that dread moment, that hour so full of fear whereon our eternity depends. Ah then, most tender Virgin, make us to feel the sweetness of thy Motherly Heart and the might of thine intercession with Jesus, and open to us a safe refuge in that very fountain of mercy, whence we may come to praise Him with thee in Paradise, world without end. Amen.
From The Raccolta
I wanted to get some pics of my small garden up, but too much work right now….here are some of our wild raspberries….don’t they look yummy? That is the Authentic Life-get up, pick your breakfast, eat! And nothing is like fresh-picked:)
Tropical Storm Isaias on Long Island
I will be posting, when I can, on our 4-day blackout this past week-a real-life preparedness exercise! We have had these kinds of blackouts before, but not in a long time. As a prepper, it is important when these situations occur, to examine carefully, what went wrong and what went right. Many issues present themselves in a blackout, even some you may never have considered. I have to say, we did great this time, but some issues were brought to light that need attention. THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A NEXT TIME.
Trapped in a Dark Basement
…don’t let this happen to you!
"For though I should walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evils, for thou art with me. Thy rod and thy staff, they have comforted me."
Psalm 22
This happened to me several years ago. I wrote an account of it at the time, but never published it, because like many other pieces, it went into the “unfinished rough drafts” and was never completed (perhaps I just didn’t want to think about it anymore). Here is my original account, finally polished up. If this helps just one other person to never go through this, then it was all worth it….
It was late at night. I was making potpourri out of some old tea and needed a small glass jar to put it in. I keep my collection of jars in the basement, which is not merely unfinished-it was completely gutted during mold remediation and has yet to be put back together. I figured I'd go down there and it would take about a minute to get the jar I wanted. I was rummaging through the jars, frustrated because I could not find the one I wanted, and.....all the lights went out. My first thought was, "Seriously? No problem, I'm a prepper, I can totally do this." I wasn't nervous until I realized I was lost in a cluttered, dangerous basement with no light. There are a few small windows, but I was nowhere near them and no light was coming in anyway, because the street lamps were out too.
It is hard to conceive of zero light if you've never experienced it. Usually, there's some light. Total darkness feels claustrophobic, like you're wrapped in a big black blanket. It is terrifying when there is no difference between closing your eyes and opening them. It doesn't take long to become disoriented and begin to panic. The brain seems to compensate by constructing its own reality. This is probably a survival mechanism, but one that was not working well for me. I decided to keep feeling in one direction along the wall and eventually I should recognize something and know where I was. But my brain continued to construct a false reality, telling me I was in a certain area even though it made no sense. I felt helpless. I yelled to my husband but he couldn't hear me because he was in bed all the way upstairs with the door shut. My dog was no use either.
After about ten minutes, the lights came back on. I was not at all where I thought I was. I had walked right past the stairs and didn't realize it. My perception of space had been altered without the sense of sight. After running back up the stairs, I thanked God for getting me out of there and then curled up on the couch and ate a pint of chocolate ice cream.
What should I have done? When things weren’t making sense, I should have been willing to break out of the comfort zone my brain was creating and see other possibilities. I should also have kept a flashlight on my person, one I knew was working well…or a well-charged cellphone. A situation like this could quickly become life and death in something like a flood, fire, earthquake, etc. Basements are particularly dangerous in floods due to the risk of electrocution. Not being able to find your way out could be that much worse if you are hurt or with a child or elderly person.
I believe everything happens for a reason. Maybe God sent me this experience so I could learn from it and help prevent it from happening to others. Here are 10 lessons to think about:
1) Don't make potpourri in the middle of the night. You should be sleeping. Like a normal person.
2) Maybe its time to get all that random junk out of the basement. Maybe its time to do something about the dangling electrical wires and the big hole in the floor. Not to mention the poison arrow from the Philippines you bought at a flea market somewhere in New Jersey 23 years ago (well, that old hippie said it was a poison arrow).
3) Flashlights are good. The more, the better. Batteries are good too.
4) Dependence on electricity was a mistake.
5) If your basement or attic is as bad as mine, don't venture into it without full survival gear: bug-out bag, camo pants and a gun.
6) Maybe its time to buy "The Best Hyperdimensional To Rule Them All Night Vision Goggles In Steampunk Style" for $2,500.00 from Hammacher Schlemmer (they seem to think rich survivalist nerds is a demographic).
7) We navigate in darkness. This experience could be a metaphor for life itself. It could certainly be a metaphor for our current world situation. The fact is, I was never really trapped at all. Only in my mind.
8) Don't panic. Your guardian angel and all of Heaven is always with you. You are NEVER alone and the Holy Ghost will always enlighten you. Our Mother Mary will always comfort you. Trust in God.
9) Practice meditation, yoga, breathing techniques, etc. I’m not talking about new age garbage or anything that contradicts the Catholic Faith. I’m talking about techniques that help you calm down and focus. I have used these techniques myself very successfully, such as when I get nervous flying.
10) “Freak” situations can happen. That doesn’t mean being constantly nervous about danger, but it does mean having a general awareness of potential dangers and being prepared for them.