Preparedness

A lot of people are interested in either obtaining or creating a kit to “grab and go” in case they must be evacuate.

A key point that I make is that “all kits are not created equal.” With headlines blaring about the natural disasters taking place world wide more and more newspapers and TV ads are touting their solutions for the best evacuation kits on the earth. For that reason I thought today’s blog should contain some words of caution to help you make your decisions – or even re-make - your evacuation kit decisions.

Emergency preparations can easily be driven by rumor, fad or panic. Before you let yourself get all stirred up, use your head and think!

For example, not too long ago I heard a very opinionated person in a store declare: “Never use a bucket as a kit container if you have small children because you can’t carry a bucket and carry your child – you’ll have to leave one or the other behind.” Talk about absurd! It was all I could do to keep quiet.

First, if your kits are ready and waiting to be grabbed in an emergency, you’ll have plenty of time to put both your kit and your kid in the car, stroller or wagon, or whatever mode of transportation you’ve already decided on.

Second, it is one of my recommendations that buckets make much better kit containers than many other options.

In “personal preparedness,” the operative word is personal (unless of course you are making a different point, and then the operative word is preparedness). You choose which container – of all the good choices – will best fit your needs and find the ways to make it work. (It sounded to me like someone had something to sell – and it wasn’t a bucket!)

Before you jump on any faddish bandwagon, think it through first and then sensibly make up your own mind.

To illustrate this point I just had to share the following story with you. It is a true one. For a long time “they” (and you know who they are) have continued to recommend that garbage cans should be used as a container to hold the contents for an evacuation kit. Read on:

During a mock disaster and evacuation drill in the summer of 1985 the following “garbage can incident” was reported by a Red Cross director in Provo, Utah. The mock evacuation center was established. As the drill progressed, it was brought to the attention of the authorities that an elderly, disabled lady who lived across the street from the command center, required help to evacuate. Three male volunteers were sent to “rescue” her. It took several more volunteers to bring out her evacuation kit. Their response was, “It weighed a ton!” “It” was a thirty-gallon garbage can, filled to the brim.” (Excerpt from Preparedness Principles, Salsbury, Horizon Publishers, 2006, p. 240)

We have been counseled many times to do what is necessary to be prepared. In the August 2007 Ensign, President Gordon B.Hinckley was quoted as saying, “Let us do all in our power to ‘walk in obedience’ and be prepared.”

And again I would add, in your preparations, “use your head and think.”

In the last few weeks it only took having news releases become news reports with the mention of one word for consumers to go bananas as they headed for the grocery store.(pun intended). The word? Ration!

There had been rumors and reports for weeks, even months, about food shortages in war torn countries. We read reports of greedy warlords keeping food supplies from reaching starving citizens.

And of course there were all of the political pundits and rhetoric about “the other” candidate’s party being the cause of escalating prices and out-of-site, soaring oil prices causing more shortages, including foods.

Within an extremely short time panic had hit the checkout and suddenly many, many people were intensely interested. Not necessarily in a preparedness program, but above all they wanted to get their share of the rice and flour that was no longer going to be available – because of the threat of rationing. And the rationing was immediately accomplished in the stores by cardboard signs proclaiming “LIMIT” 2 – 20# BAGS PER CUSTOMER.” Bags of rice and flour, stacked on carts, were being brought into the store. My husband and I witnessed 20-pound bags of rice, which the week before had cost $3.69, whisked off the cart as people jostled to make sure they got their two bags at $11.99 each! That weekend, just such a short time ago, the same scene played out in every supermarket that we went into, the shelves were depleted of flour and rice.

Of course my warped sense of humor came into play and I thought about all of these many, many customers who had been convinced to load up on lots of rice and flour at highly inflated prices. I wondered what they were going to be able to do with excessive amounts of just rice and flour, especially if the foods they previously purchased had been mostly prepared or partially prepared convenience foods.

Which brings me to the point! Is it Preparedness or Panic? I would suggest that many of those who bought as much rice and flour as they could, bought with a sincerity of heart, but not too much common sense. I would also suggest that fear, driven by marketing strategies is what caused many of those substantial purchases.

Some of you could be thinking, “Well, Barbara, at least something is better than nothing! After all they were trying!” Yes – sort of.

Let me offer a few insights to help if any of you are caught in the position of wanting to buy; knowing that you need to buy, and in many instances feeling pressured because of the headlines and the resulting, rampant tidal wave of panic.

First, be knowledgeable about what you or your family can or can’t eat. Just because a food is being promoted or someone says it is good for you does not mean you should buy it. There is a rule of thumb that must be followed – don’t buy just to be buying, especially when it comes to food! Always consider allergies, food triggers or other dietary problems such as diabetes before
stocking–up.

Next, if you are counting on having a small amount of money or a set amount of money to purchase preparedness items, such as a tax return do not spend it all on one or two items. Stretch it as far as it will go. Stretch it until screams. Remember, according to Barbara, the thrill of the hunt and finding the best way to stock your cupboard is sometimes one of the “best parts” of preparedness.

Variety is a key word. You will hear this emphasized over and over in my blogs. Plan on paper how to stretch your buying power. Rather than buying two 20-pound bags of rice, buy one 10-pound bag rice, some flour, some seasonings, some canned tomato sauce, a small bag of lentils and a few cans of cream soups, as well as some oil and sugar. Or after thinking about it, make your own list. A sufficient amount of a variety of foods could be put back so that you could do more than exist on boiled grain should an emergency arise.

Remember, it is not meant to be food–storage! Make sure that you and your family will consider whatever foods you buy now as edible when you need to eat it. If not it is a total waste of money – and food.

Yes, you must store them, as in take care of them properly. But don’t store them - or just keep them - with the attitude that they can be an inheritance for your great grandchildren. You can be in big trouble if you buy foods to store but not to eat.

If you purchase foods to store, of course, you can always stash them under the bed where the dust bunnies roam. Soon the nests of bunnies can be joined by the colonies of weevil and there will be a regular zoo under there. But … you will have stored your supply.

Another most important point is that you want a preparedness program, not just food! What kind of equipment do you need? What other areas will leave you in the dark if you have not prepared adequately.

We have been taught that even in Book of Mormon days that provisions were required, not just food. . In 1 Nephi 18:6 we read, “ … After we had prepared all things, much fruit and meat from the wilderness and honey in abundance, and provisions according to that which the Lord had commanded us, we did go down into the ship …”

Listen to the news, but more importantly listen to the prophet and plan your preparedness.

And almost as important, remember the chocolate!

It seems that with suggestions of panic, rationing, food shortages, intermingling with war, politics, etc. resounding through news, the interest in being prepared is once again on the rise.

Having taught preparedness and written many books about it, I have a firm belief that your faith is one of the prime factors allowing you to succeed … or not.

Since many of you may not know me very well yet, it is important for you to understand where I am coming from as I voice opinions and teach preparedness principles and concepts through my blogs.

As you read these blogs and evaluate some of the suggestions you must keep in mind that being able to care for my family at all times and in all situations may have warped my perspective somewhat.

For many years we didn’t always have the funds or facilities to have the ideal products or pantry. Through the years faith and desperation have combined to persuade me that I could find pantry space, and I could make it work, no matter what the proper storage rules said should or shouldn’t work. I learned that if I had enough faith I could bend the rules to make what I had to work with function – even thought they said it shouldn’t have.

Should you mistakenly think it was all coincidence or luck, I need to share an underlying belief. We prayed over our meager home storage a lot. We gave thanks that we had it and then prayed it would be protected and we wouldn’t lose it. And then we prayed to be able to find the ways to stretch our meager funds to be able to obtain more. You see most of the time (for a long time) our preparedness was sort of seasonal. The season being that there was a paycheck coming.

Always trying to better our situation, we moved a lot. Many times due to less than ideal pantry conditions our supplies fried in the summer and froze in the winter. Once after a hurricane (in Utah!), we tracked down our storage and the shed it had been stored in. We found it down the street in a neighbors yard. And then we prayed some more. In fact, we prayed for our “survival” year round.

One year, we moved back to California, after having moved to Utah. Our preparedness supplies, always a priority, were moved as well. It had been several years of preparedness supplies being stashed in those less than perfect pantry conditions. It was now time to unpack our supplies and put them away on shelves Larry had just finished constructing in the garage. It was my intent to sort and discard much of it, because, “after all it wouldn’t be good. How could it have survived through such instability and extreme temperature fluctuations?” I sat on our garage floor and cried. Not tears of frustration, but tears of gratitude! Very little had to be discarded, including hundreds of quart bottles filled with home canned fruit that were not broken.

Therefore, one of my personal guidelines, that I’m willing to share, is that not only do you do the best you can with what you have, you allow the Lord to help!

With that foundation you will discover in future blogs more details and attention given to those pantry ideas and areas that might not be considered “traditional pantry space.”

I share these thoughts and experiences to encourage you as the news continues to drone on in negativity. You can continue in a positive way – even if you think that your “funds or facilities” are not ideal.

President Gordon B. Hinckley counseled, “Begin in a small way …and gradually build toward a reasonable objective.” (To the Men of the Priesthood, the Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2002, 58)

As you assess what to do and how, remember to include Heavenly Father in your plans and projections!

OK, I've been working on becoming prepared for a variety of contingencies. After all, the world we live in is not very stable. Unrest can happen at a moment's notice (think of Hurricane Katrina). Thus, as a wife and a mommy, I want to make sure I am a provident individual, intent on blessing the life of my family.

Imagine my shock a week ago when our city issued an emergency "boil water alert". To my chagrin, I did not have water stored, for all my other preparations! Of course, a convenience store was near by, but that thought apparently was in the minds of many city folk. My friends next door found only three jugs left when they went to buy water. They promptly snatched those up.

As grateful as I was for the boil water alert (who wants to brush your teeth with fecal contaminated water), it soon becomes a bit tedious to boil water, and boil water, and boil water. And that was then the thought occurred to me ... what if the electricity were out? There would be no power to boil water. What then? What would my small children do without water to drink? for us to cook with?

Hopefully you are better prepared than I was. After all, a person can only live four or five days without drinking water. And water is, of course, "free." (Ok, we do have to pay our water bills. But you know what I mean!)

So here's the Emergency Preparedness Tip for the day. Store water! Don't be like me and be caught without it when that unexpected emergency occurs. In fact, a good way to help your family be prepared for the unexpected is to remember the famous psychologist Maslow's hierarchy of needs.

In other words, begin your emergency preparations from the perspective of: what do you most urgently need first? then next? and next?

You absolutely need water, shelter, clothing, and food. There are other essentials also (i.e. love). But these are some good facets to start. The government now recommends two weeks of supplies as opposed to 72-hours (as was swiftly learned when Hurricane Katrina devastated miles upon miles of territory, not just one city. People in multiple states were without live saving necessities, not just those in the televised cities. It takes time for government agencies to respond.).

Start today. Put some water aside. Whether you are recycling jugs for storage or buying bottles of water or tablets to purify water from a local stream. Take care of it today. Now. Before your city experiences a sudden emergency like mine did a week ago. You'll sure be glad you did!

To learn more about emergency preparedness, go to the website Provident Living for free tips, sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (casually referred to as the Mormon church). You'll find tons of great ideas, including words from the Lord's living prophets on how to help your family in many troubling situations.

What if a large calamity hit your country? What would you do? Are you ready? Do you have survival skills that would see your family through till help arrived? And more importantly, how are you doing spiritually?

Being prepared for emergencies is not only prudent, it is obedience in action. For some time the Lord has spoken through his prophets to be prepared. In fact, preparedness has been a scriptural theme for some time.

For example, in the Doctrine and Covenants we read:

"And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire" (D&C 63:54).

The "righteous" mentioned in the verse are not "perfect people." Only one perfect person has walked this earth, and that was Jesus Christ. The Lord views those who are righteous as those who are seeking to do His will. And apparently, those who seek God's will, wisdom, and ways will avoid unquenchable fire!

The five wise virgins mentioned above references the verses in the New Testament regarding another group of wise vs foolish individuals. We read in the New Testament record:

"Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom..." (Matt 25:1).

The New Testament accout goes on to describe that those who were wise were invited into the wedding feast. The "oil" mentioned in the story apparently refers to internal preparedness, since it could not be shared.

So how are we doing? Are we preparing for the literal coming of Jesus Christ? Are we aware of the calamities that will precede His coming? We can no more stop those huge events than we could stop the ocean's movement; those events are coming (some might say "sooner than later," looking at the newspapers of today).

The Lord spoke these words through His prophet Joseph Smith:

"And at that day, when I come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

"For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived - verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day..."

And look at this promise for those who obey, thereby preparing in all things - both spiritually and temporally!

"And the earth shall be given unto them for an inheritance; and they shall multiply and wax strong, and their children shall grow up without sin unto salvation.

"For the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver" (D&C 45:56-59).

Here are two websites to help you in your spiritual preparation and an additional website to help you in your temporal preparation:

The scriptures
The words of modern-day prophets
The provident living website

Is it possible to prepare for all eventualities? Fire? Flood? Earthquake? Job loss? Death?

The list could go on nearly endlessly. And on the surface it might appear impossible to prepare for all eventualities. But the more one looks, the more one realizes that a little bit of preparation can go a long way. And before long, nearly every possibility could be handled in very much the same way.

For example, just think of how a 72-hour kit could help you. If someone called, "Fire", in the middle of the night, in spite of blearily opening your eyes and stumbling out of your home, you could be clutching your 72-hour kit that you store near your front door in the hall closet.

Within that 72-hour kit you have most every essential you might need, from important insurance papers and birth certificates, etc., to emergency food to tide you over till things settle, to a change of clothing. You've even thought to tuck in medical supplies and "boredom busters" - activities you and your family can engage in while waiting to return home.

That same 72-hour kit could help you should you experience a sudden death in the family. Perhaps your spouse has passed on unexpectedly. In the face of this gut-wrenching tragedy, you're still expected to know where his or her life insurance policy is, with all the other important papers you'll need to handle the awful events of the next few weeks.

The same 72-hour kit could see you through if an ice storm ravaged through your area. Food items that don't need cooking were already in your 72-hour kit, as were miniature emergency handwarmers, etc., thanks to your providential foresight.

Of course, the geographical location influences what you put in to your 72-hour kit. Living in Florida will necessitate the adjusting of your 72-hour kit items, compared to living in Alaska, etc.

So have you put together your 72-hour kit? Trust me - it takes some time to think of everything you might need for nearly any eventuality. But once it's done, the piece of mind is precious that it brings.

For my family, I've taken old backpacks and used one per family member. Each 72-hour kit has a 3600 calorie food bar (purchasable from online "emergency prep" stores), changes of clothing, mini-first aid kits, "boredom busters", extra meds, etc.

Each kit also should contain important papers, a picture of the family with emergency phone numbers written on the back - both local numbers and long-distance (out of state) phone numbers, etc. And while you're putting these together, make sure to include water for three days (or at least water purification tablets).

Just start. That's the point. Find a satchel and begin filling it with the most basic of items. Once you start, it actually becomes a bit exciting and intriguing to see how well you can prepare.

Remember, when ye are prepared, ye shall not fear! No matter what eventuality may come.

Many people watched Californians running from those dreaded fires. What was it like, having such intense heat so close to your homes? To smell the choking smoke, to have it in your hair and your clothes so such degree that it won't leave - even after showering?

What must it have been like to return to your home, smoldering in ashes, with little melted relics strewn across the ground, like so much flotsam and jetsam?

For some blessed individuals, they returned to homes still standing, but now impregnated with that awful smell - a smell that lingers as few other smells can.

Both groups of people needed many things - and one of the more essential "things" was insurance documents. The first group needed not just that, but papers of all kinds - now most likely incinerated.

Do you have your important papers ready to go in an emergency? If not, here are a few tips so that you are ready if you ever had to flee any impending disaster.

First, get gallon size plastic bags. Go buy a box of them at the dollar store if you don't have any. These are essential little helpers and yet are so cheap! You will use them to store copies of your documents, but we'll get to that in a minute.

Second, get a box of some sort - small enough to sit on your counter, but big enough to hold the important papers you'll be gathering over the next week or so.

Third, get a piece of paper and some stickers (whether shiny stars, little animals, or even smiley faces). Tape the paper to the fridge and put the stickers somewhere close by (but out of reach of little hands and mouths that might want to eat them!).

Next, let your family know that you're having a scavenger hunt ... and for every important "treasure" found, they'll get to pick a sticker on the paper on the fridge. Explain that the treasures are: important documents that have information about Mommy, Daddy, the kids, their home, etc.

Then all through the week, keep an eye out for or begin a serious hunt for all the "treasures" that would make a difference in your life IF THEY WERE LOST.

In other words, if your house burned down, you would need proof of ownership (if applicable). Find that paper and put it in the box. If your spouse passed away, you would need a copy of the life insurance policy and the life insurance agent's phone number. Find those and put them in the box. Anything and everything that is important, you'll be putting in the box. It won't be for permanent storage, however. The box is essentially just the first step towared getting your papers copied and stored safely.

Look for what to do next in the blog titled, "I Have My Important Papers - What Next?" (filed under the tab, "Preparedness).

The Lord would have a prepared people. Here is one simple way to be so!

As Mormons, we believe in being prepared. Why? Because in so many ways, this is exactly what the Lord has told us to do through the scriptures and in the ways the prophets have recommended.

In the blog "Emergency Time - Do You Have Your Papers Ready?", I gave a few easy steps to get your important papers ready. Why? Because we never know when an emergency might send us running. How helpful, then, to have thought ahead and have at least our essential documents stashed in safe places (to find the "Emergency Time - Do You Have Your Papers Ready?", look under the Preparedness tab).

In the previous blog, I suggested that you take a week or so to simply gather up important documents, such as the deed to your home, your marriage certificates, and other valuable papers. To make that gathering simple, I suggested that for a week or so you keep a box out on the kitchen counter for document safe keeping - until all documents are rounded up.

Once you've rounded up all that you feel is essential to have (if you had to be evacuated), there are just a few more simple steps to be completely ready - at least in this category!

Before we get to the final steps, do remember that emergency preparedness is a lifestyle - it is not a one-time event. Therefore, it is presumable that you might not think of or find all essential documents in the first week of this activity. That's ok. You'll get there ... because you're doing the most important part now ... beginning!

Now to complete the process!

First, make three copies of each important document that awaits you patiently in your box on the kitchen counter. Whether you make those copies at home or at a copy shop, REMEMBER TO RETRIEVE THE FINAL ORIGINAL STILL IN THE COPIER. Nothing would be worse than to lose an important document, simply because it got left behind.

Second, remember those plastic gallon-sized baggies mentioned in the previous blog? Now is the time to pull out three of them. Sort your triplicate copies of your important documents into three individual stacks.

Third, put one stack inside one of the baggies. You may need to fold them carefully in half to fit them inside. Push the air out of the baggies as much as possible and then seal them tightly.

Fourth, send them off into their safe destinations. Where would that be? A variety of experts recommend the following locations:

• a safe deposit box,
• a long-distance relative (who is in agreement and is trustworthy), and
• your 72-hour kit at home.

The reason the copies are in triplicate is so that if one location were destroyed, you would have backup copies.

Put the (now empty) box away. Return the original documents to their prior locations (hopefully a file folder for day-to-day needs) and enjoy your sense of preparedness. In fact, remember that "star chart" mentioned in the previous blog? Why not celebrate as a family for a job well done!

And remember, when you receive (or find) any new important papers, simply make your three copies and send them off to where they belong. You're on your way to a safe and sound way of living, seeking to have always what you need in the way of proper documentation.

Ever had a sleepy feeling? You know it when you feel it. Whether sitting in a class or even at work, your body begins to feel heavier and heavier. It's hard to make your brain work, let alone keep your eyes open. Before you know it, the yawns are coming, one on top of another. What you would do to be back home, snuggling under the covers of your bed!

As Mormons and those who believe the scriptures to be true, we know the Lord has warned His children to be ready and prepared during the last days. But trying to stay focused on being prepared can be a little like sitting in a college class, struggling to stay awake.

Just like college kids struggling to stay focused on the matter at hand, preparedness can be similar. With everything else going on about us, keeping our hearts and minds open and alert to the conditions around us can feel stupifying and we'd like nothing more than to hide our head under the covers.

Yet look at this scripture:

"And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire" (D&C 63:54).

This portion of scripture comes from the Doctrine and Covenants. The Doctrine and Covenants is a book of scripture verse that we as Mormons hold as sacred and as a companion to the Bible and all other inspired utterances given from the Lord to His servants. This particular chapter (chapter 63) was given to the prophet Joseph Smith in 1831.

The church members at that time were most anxious to understand the word of the Lord in everything. What an excellent desire - oh, that we'd have this burning desire today to know everything of the Lord's perspective!

Well, the Mormons during the time of this revelation felt that way as a general rule. Therefore the prophet Joseph Smith inquired frequently of the Lord regarding many different questions; the revelation given in D&C 63 came from just such a question to God.

The answer that came was intense and urgent. You can read the entire revelation here. But the important issue at hand for us today is to look closely at verse 54 in that chapter and as quoted above.

The "foolish virgins" are quickly recognized by most Christians as the individuals mentioned in Matthew 25:1. Therein the Lord referenced the kingdom of heaven being similar to ten virgins, waiting to meet the bridegroom. Unfortunately, only five seemed to take the situation seriously - seriously enough to make sure they were ready and could stay ready. To read more of that story, feel free to visit this link.

So what of us today? Do we take the time available to us seriously? Or do we "sleep" away the hours given us, much like drowsy college students sitting in some soporific class?

What an important thing it would be for us to wake up and get busy, taking an inventory of our lives both spiritually AND temporally! Then when the Savior does return, we can enter the "feast" because our "lamps" will be full - full of essential oil that comes to those who wisely seek preparedness in all things.

May the Lord bless us to do so.

What do index cards have to do with emergency preparedness? Just read a bit further to see!

Flash backwards a bit with me to an embarrassing moment in Wal-mart a few years back (2004 to be precise). I'm standing in line, waiting to check out. I'm noticing how the gentleman in front of me has a stockpile of batteries, fuel for a camping stove, etc.

Once he's through paying for his purchases and moved off, I said, "Wow, he must be going on an exciting camping trip." The woman looked at me with a stare and then said in percussive tones, "It's for the hurricane."

"The ... what? What hurricane?"

"Oh, Hurricane Charlie, due here in ... " she looks at her watch, " ... about 36 hours." She stares at me. "It's a category 5,"

"What?" My heart started thumping. I, to that point, was the most admittedly unprepared person (it felt) on the planet. Hurricane Charlie? A level 5 hurricane?

I hurried and paid for my suddenly NON-essentials and rushed home, panic raising in my throat. Hurricane? Here?

I looked around. I knew where none of my important papers were, let alone back-up copies of all my creative works (in stacks and boxes). Then on top of that, I had no 72-hour kits (yes, indeed, how embarrassing).

From this point forward, I will spare you my belabored story. Just know that I'm glad we're in 2007 and my family survived somehow 2004 - even though four horrendous hurricanes hit my state in five weeks time. I'm so relieved the Lord spared me from my idiocy and lack of awareness of that time.

So when I speak of emergency preparedness and how important it is, it's because I've come so close potentially to losing everything. My current status is much better, although nearly every day now (no matter the time of year) I walk around thinking, "Oh dear, what else have I not thought of!" :0)

Thus, here are two little tricks I've found that work really great (at least for people like me). First of all, make sure you pay attention to the news. One reason I hadn't been aware of the coming hurricane was because I didn't read the newspaper nor watch TV because of the hectic nature of my life. I've learned better how important it is to at least tune in to the weather channel weekly!

Two, go this week to the dollar store and pick up a pack of index cards. Put the first card up on the fridge - AFTER you've brainstormed what you'd hate leaving without during a time of evacuation.

Perhaps it's finding all your important papers and putting them in a ziploc/waterproof bag (placing them in the closet by the front door for easy grabbing). Or maybe it's fishing that scrapbook of photos from the attic and putting it right next to the baggy of important papers. Whatever the priority, think of five activities and write them on that first index card. Put the card up on the fridge and each day of this coming week take care of one item.

Next week, start all over again. Think of five things you need to do to complete your family's preparedness (from memorizing an out-of-state phone number to updating your will); write those new five things on a fresh index card and tape it up on your fridge.

Step by step, week by week, you'll be prepared before you know it. And then you'll never be like me - blubbering like an idiot in Wal-mart about an emergency you were clueless about!

It's hard not to hear about the California fires right now if you live in the U.S. - even if you live in Maine or as far away as Florida. Our hearts go out to the individuals who are dealing with the trauma of the experience, the reek of the smoke, and the rebuilding of their lives. What they've faced (and will continue to face for some time) will be remembered for years.

So what about the rest of us outside of California? Will we be wise and do more than just talk about the experience? What will I do this week to better prepare my family for any potential hard times ahead? What will you do?

It is impossible to foresee all possible emergencies; but when one is prepared that is not necessary. For example, here are just two possible scenarios that others have experienced where a 72-hour kit could have been most helpful.

One individual spoke of an emergency trip with a family member to the hospital. She was stuck there for days without transportation, money, etc. She would have given anything to have a 72-hour kit during the stay.

Another individual experienced a power outage during a cold streak in her state. Left without power she had no ability to cook the normal way. And she didn't have food left in her 72-hour kit, because she'd previously eaten it and had not yet replaced it. If it weren't for a nearby relative, she would have been in a difficult situation indeed.

PUTTING TOGETHER A 72-HOUR KIT.

Putting together a 72-hour kit need not be an overwhelming chore. Start today with these simple steps:

1. Grab a pen and paper.
2. Sit and think: "What have I done since this morning that used household items or foods?" Write those down in a list. For example,

* I showered (therefore, you add to the list - shampoo, body soap, razor)
* I brushed my teeth (therefore, you add to the list - toothbrush, toothpaste)
* I put on deodorant (you add to the list - deodorant)
* I ate breakfast (add to the list - breakfast food)

and so on.

By the end of the day, you now have a 72-hour list - or at least a general idea - of items that would be soothing to have in your kit. Are all these items necessary? Of course not. We can live with very little. But if we're currently not in a state of emergency, why not be pleasantly prepared? Why not add in things to our kits that comfort and ease us during difficult times? Why not do it today so that our tomorrows can be better?

Putting together a 72-hour kit is not difficult. It basically requires one thing - the gumption to do it. So if you don't yet have a list, get that pen and paper and start thinking. One day you might be very glad you did!

Absolutely there are other things you'll want to add (such as birth certificates, insurance proof, negatives to irreplaceable pictures, pet food, etc.). But today at least get the barest of essentials gathered together and thrown into a duffle bag for each of your family members (and animals, if any). Nothing is worse than having less than five minutes to evacuate. Why not take the time today to be ready?

Preparedness raises many feelings amongst those who hear the word. For some, it reminds them of "Emergency Preparedness" - something most frightening and overwhelming.

For others, the word "preparedness" conjures up something you do should you get laid off from your job. Still others might view "preparedness" as what you do when you're going on a vacation. Preparedness really is all of the above and more. But for the intents of this blog, we're going to be discussing preparedness from many angles but with a decided focus on emergency preparedness.

The definition of emergency sits right between an unexpected, unhappy event and a life-threatening one. And when one is prepared, taking it all in stride definitely makes emergencies easier to deal with.

Thus, we're going to be discussing all kinds of topics here at the LDSBlogs.com Preparedness blog...from 72-Hour Kits to contents for your Year's Supply. But not just that! We'll also be talking about spiritual preparedness, physical well-being, educational preparedness (we all know how topsy-turvey the job climate is), and even living off the land if need be.

I'll be doing book reviews to lead you to preparedness books you'll want for your personal library, including those you'll want to avoid! Additionally, there are many other topics, from obtaining your ham radio operator's license (think of Hurricane Katrina and all those destroyed cell phone towers) to joining a C.E.R.T. team to help your community in time of a disaster.

One of the most important things to remember as we work on becoming prepared is this:

"Preparedness is not a one-time event. Preparedness is a lifestyle."

This will become our mantra here at LDSBlogs.com! Living this way not only brings peace, but it serves our family and loved ones in powerful and reassuring ways.

With that in mind, scripture study needs to become our mainstay each day of our lives. As we immerse ourselves in the scriptures and learn of the Lord's will, the Spirit will better be able to witness to our souls of important truths. These truths will guide us and inspire us in our daily preparations.

As we journal those promptings, more will come. Not only promptings, but warnings. I testify of this, for I have experienced it. And when that peace is present, regardless the emergency, we will be able to meet it with our heads held high and our hearts steady.

The Lord has commanded,

"Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;..." (D&C 112).

Yes, indeed, the word "preparedness" raises many feelings amongst those who hear the word. But for the faithful who hearken to the Lord through His written word and through His prophets, preparedness will be a lifestyle embraced and enjoyed.