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	<title>LDS Blogs &#187; Preparedness</title>
	<link>http://ldsblogs.com</link>
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		<title>Gardening With a Black Thumb</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Never been able to grow anything? Ten tips that will help even the most incompetant gardener succeed.]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/1962/gardening-with-a-black-thumb</link>
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		<title>Secular and Spiritual Learning</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Mormon beliefs teach that both secular and spiritual learning matter, but that spiritual learning should come first.]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/1911/secular-and-spiritual-learning</link>
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		<title>Plant a Garden</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Planting a garden helps protect against economic hard times and promotes healthy living.]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/1841/plant-a-garden</link>
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		<title>Is Self-Reliance a Biblical Concept?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[God has given us gifts that make it possible for us to have jobs and care for ourselves. Does planning ahead, using those gifts, show a lack of faith?]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/1822/is-self-reliance-a-biblical-concept</link>
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		<title>Preparations for Economically Challenging Times</title>
		<description><![CDATA[As the economic situation worsens, many people are beginning to panic. It’s important to remember that fear cannot improve any situation, and in fact, will make it far more difficult to manage the difficult times.
Even if you haven’t prepared in the past, it’s not too late to begin to make small preparations for the future. Even a little preparation will build your confidence and peace of mind, and ease the harder times.
Start small. Don’t go out and put a year’s supply of food on your credit card. That defeats the point of preparedness. Instead, purchase a little at a time, taking advantage of small amounts of found money. It’s unlikely your budget will notice a few extra cans of food each week. If you buy something on sale, drop the savings into a jar and periodically use the fund to buy storage items. Try altering your lifestyle in small ways, such as skipping lunch out, or giving up a convenience food. Use the savings for your storage. Can you cut a dollar a day out of your budget? A single dollar saved each day can buy a surprising amount of storage if you shop carefully at discount outlets and watch for sales.
LDS.org suggests building a three month supply of foods you normally eat, buying a few items at a time as you can afford them. Rotate them regularly, shopping from your pantry for everyday use, and placing what you purchase into the food storage. Label foods so you know their age.
Build a longer term supply [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/1691/preparations-for-economically-challengin</link>
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		<title>Preparing a Needful Thing</title>
		<description><![CDATA[We are taught in the Doctrine and Covenants 88:119, “Organize yourselves, prepare every needful thing…”  
In today’s blog I want to present a practical part of preparedness and discuss a very needful thing.  Having been through many different kinds of disasters, including being without employment or a paycheck for over eighteen months, I have a different perspective than many on what is needed to really be prepared. But prepared for what?
For hard times and down times it is extremely important that you are able to have comforting things, and that includes comforting things to eat.
With that in mind will you ask yourself a question?  What will be your stash?  Before any emergency arrives at your door, consider  having a “stash” of goodies. (Not to be confused with supplies on the pantry shelf. “Stash”  meaning kept in reserve, or as in kept from view or common knowledge.) Know what your comfort foods are whether they are chocolate covered raisins, hard peppermint candies or granola bars.  Then when the worst of the panic calms down, the crisis is finally handled and the dust begins to settle you can sit for a moment and take stock of the situation with a comforting treat to help get you through.  A rule while you munch is to be sure to count your blessings!
While going through the above mentioned financial disaster of “no work, no money”, one of the things we did as a family was to often have a fire in the [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/1690/preparing-a-needful-thing</link>
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		<title>In My Opinion &#8211; Preparedness Sermon #3</title>
		<description><![CDATA[I wanted to follow up on the “Real People Do Get Scared“ blog.  In it I mentioned the oft-quoted scripture found in the Doctrine and Covenants 38:30, 
I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.

Then I described a few of the experiences we had going through just one of the disasters in our life, the Loma Prieta earthquake. I indicated that even though we were prepared, I was still very frightened.
In today’s blog I want to make sure that you understand that it is okay to be frightened while being prepared. I also want to make sure you understand that preparedness is part of my DNA, including the testimony of obedience that is part of that.
Many times we, as well as many others, may have questioned, or struggled with the enormity of being prepared. Or perhaps we have not been able to find the creativity to pursue the work and effort required to be prepared.  Or maybe we’ve just not been able to find the extra money that we thought it required.  Whatever the reasons might be for not being prepared to take care of ourselves during the crises that come into our lives – I would like to suggest to you [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/413/in-my-opinion-preparedness-sermon-3</link>
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		<title>Evacuation Kits?   Beware of rumors!</title>
		<description><![CDATA[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 &#8211; 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 [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/373/evacuation-kits-beware-of-rumors</link>
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		<title>Real People do Get Scared</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Okay, it finally happens! When in a crisis or extremely difficult time, it is natural that you will feel anxious and scared. The important thing to do is to try to keep calm. You can reassure your family members with phrases such as, “We are all still together, I won’t leave you alone,” or “You don’t have to worry I will look after you. We will get through this.” Tell them what has happened and let them know what you are doing about it, what you can do about it and also what you can’t do about it.  This is the time when practice sessions for your emergency preparedness really pay off. 
It is okay to admit that there are some things you cannot control, resolve or bring to an end. You just have to cope as best you can.
I still vividly recall, the conversation I was having with myself, as the floor pitched and rolled under me during the Loma Prieta earthquake, “Calm down Barbara. You have to find your shoes, Barbara.  Try to calm down, Barbara.  Think! What is it you have to do?  CALM DOWN, BARBARA!  Don’t scream – yet,” and so on. At that point I was beyond being scared silly, me the one who was supposed to be prepared. Yes, I was a total basket case. My bones had turned to Jell-O.
And so I repeat, you just have to cope as best you can. 
Communication is the key in such situations. Let your family members [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/1689/real-people-do-get-scared</link>
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		<title>Is Your Emergency Cupboard Bare?</title>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you remember, somewhere in the far, far past, hearing the nursery rhyme about Old Mother Hubbard and her dietary deficient dog?  I bet it wasn’t the dog’s fault that he had to go hungry.  Have you ever wondered why Old Mother Hubbard had not taken advantage of the case lot sales on dog food?  Can you believe that history has recorded this sad tale of cupboard neglect? 
What? Are you saying that your cupboard might resemble this scenario, even a little bit?  I’ve heard rumors that there are many people who have to go to the store on the way home from work in order to have something to eat for dinner.  But of course, that is just a rumor.
Today’s blog is going to discuss another kind of cupboard, one that needs more than dog food on the shelves.  Of course, that will be your emergency cupboard.  
At this point I think I will offer a little encouragement.  Well maybe it will be a BIG encouragement.  Sometimes, for many of us, the idea of attempting to obtain and maintain a preparedness program is so overwhelming that nothing gets accomplished. To comprehend the amount of food needed to sustain a family with growing children can be daunting – if we let it.  Or with today’s rapidly escalating prices the thought of being able to find additional money to stock a cupboard seems nearly impossible. But may I share a thought with you that hopefully will [...]]]></description>
		<link>http://preparedness.ldsblogs.com/1688/is-your-emergency-cupboard-bare</link>
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