As our life has been in an up heveal as of late, I have been doing lots of praying and getting some pretty definate answers.
My questions have been pretty simple. With all that is going on how to I prepare my family in case of emergencies. Not just another trip to ER for me but what if there is a natural disaster, job loss or something worse. Will my family have what we need to make it through the rough times. I know my family has not been as prepared as we should be. I have started looking in to extreme couponing not only to save money on our weekly grocery bill but to start our food storage as well. The leaders of the Church have admonished us time and time again as stated by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. said: “Let every head of every household see to it that he has on hand enough food and clothing, and, where possible, fuel also, for at least a year ahead. You of small means put your money in foodstuffs and wearing apparel, not in stocks and bonds” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1937, p. 26).
We must be able to feed and clothe our families the rest will come as blessings as we strive to live the commandments we are given. But how do you start your food storage without going into debt for we have been admonished not to do this either. When the Welfare Services program of the Church was first being established, President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., advised, “Let us avoid debt as we would avoid a plague; where we are now in debt, let us get out of debt; if not today, then tomorrow. Let us straightly and strictly live within our incomes, and save a little.” (Conference Reports, April 1937, p. 26.)
Here in lays my dilemma. Once again I am turning to the counsel of the elders of the Church President Gorden B Hinkley had this to say "We can begin ever so modestly,” President Hinckley explained. “We can begin with a one week’s food supply and gradually build it to a month, and then to three months.”
So this is where I am starting. This week I will be building an inventory of our food supply. I will be looking at expiration dates and beginning to butild the 72 hour kit for each person in the family along with our first aid kits. This will not be an over night success but by the middle of Feburary I will be done.
The neat thing about this is as I am working on it the children will be helping me and Pooh Bear and Boo will be earning thier part of their Girl Scout Safety Award. Snoopy will be getting a Belt Loop as well.
