Last week in sacrament meeting a member of our stake presidency, Pres. Brown, issued some challenges for our stake, all with a deadline of June 30, 2009:
Read the Book of Mormon. We need to read four pages a day every day until June 30th to accomplish our goal. I am excited about this goal! At first I felt a little overwhelmed, but as I have spent the last week trying to have faith and do as I was asked, I have found the following quote by Ezra Taft Benson to be absolutely true in my own life:
“There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation...to avoid deception...to stay on the strait and narrow path...[Y]ou will find life in greater and greater abundance...love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, increased spirituality and righteousness.”
In my reading this week, I found a promise that certainly applies to us today and gives us hope as we face difficult times now and in the future:
“if the Gentiles shall hearken unto the Lamb of God in that day that he shall manifest himself unto them in word, and also in power, in very deed, unto the taking away of their stumbling blocks—And harden not their hearts against the Lamb of God . . . They shall be a blessed people upon the promised land forever . . .” (1 Nephi 14:1-2)
I want to allow the Lord to take away my stumbling blocks by letting His word and work into my life . Here’s a site to help you calculate your own Book of Mormon reading goal:
http://lds.about.com/library/weekly/2004/blscripture_calculators.htm
This goal includes children! Pres. Brown encouraged us to be creative as we figure out how to do this with our children. Brother Beck suggested yesterday that we get the Book of Mormon playing in our car with tapes, CDs or an portable music player and we will be surprised how much we and our children get out of it. Check out this link on the Church website to figure out how to download the Book of Mormon to your portable music player:
http://www.lds.org/mp3/newarchive/0,18615,5249-1,00.html
Pray daily as families, couples & individuals. Brother Beck suggested that we schedule a time for each of these prayers to happen so we don’t forget and so we have most or all of the family at home. There is great power in family prayer on both ends of our day.
Have 1 month of food storage on hand. I've started by keeping track of what my family eats for a week. After that, I drew up a menu plan for a one-week supply of food storage. Though it's not always easy, I'm trying to include mostly foods that will last at least three months on my or in the fridge/freezer.
Get cash in your 72-hour kits. As we've calculated how much ywe need, we've imagined we're taking a 3-day road trip and you can’t use your credit card. We plan to put that amount in smaller bills in our 72-hour kits.
Last week I witnessed a 72-hour kit in action during an everyday emergency. I was with Cheri Evans and our kids were playing on a playground. Her preschooler had a little accident and needed a change of clothes. Without a hint of panic, Cheri calmly walked to her car, pulled out a small rolling suitcase she keeps there with her 72-hour kit inside. She had a change of clothes for her son, and an extra one for another little boy who needed a change of clothes too. Cheri told me she is surprised how much she uses her car kit for extra clothes, snacks, water, and first aid. She just has to remember to replace the items she uses, and then she’s set for the next everyday emergency. I felt very inspired by her preparedness and plan to put a similar kit in my car this week.
There’s a lot to do, but if we take it one small step at a time, having faith that the Lord will cover our weaknesses and shortcomings if we do our best, we will be ready for whatever may lie ahead for us. I know this is true because I’ve seen it happen over and over in my life, and in the lives of others around me.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Last Week's Challenge: Keep Track of Spending for a Month
When we first got married and money was tight, I was an obsessive budget-er and money tracker. Rich would go buy something at lunch and I'd be asking him the next morning what he bought at Home Depot for $27 (really no fun when he was trying to surprise me!). Unfortunately, as cash became less tight we stopped tracking it so closely, and then we moved overseas and the whole thing just fell apart. We were dealing with two currencies and lots of reimbursement, and were doing a cash-only accounting. We had sold both of our cars and had our housing paid for, so we always had a lot of money in our bank account when we went to the ATM, so we didn't feel like we needed to bother with a budget.
Gone are those carefree days now that we are back in America and don't have the cushy perks of the expat life. We had been back for six months when we decided it was probably time to set a budget and stick to it. I spent nearly a full day over Christmas break entering into Moneydance (a money management software program similar to Quicken) and we took a hard look at October, which seemed like what might be a typical month for the rest of the near future. We spent a massive amount of money! And not just on noble things like home improvement or food storage. No, masses of money went to fast food, clothing, books, entertainment, and that ubiquitous category I labeled groceries (that really included all the random stuff I felt like we needed from Target, Walmart and Costco).
As I was looking at the history, Rich was looking to the future, trying to figure out how much money we need to save for things like a second car, a bigger house, the kids' college tuition, missions, my grad school tuition (when I go back to school someday!), etc. Let's just say if we saved the amounts we would need for all of that stuff, we would barely bea ble to eat every month. This was a very sobering realization after feeling for so long like we had a lot of cash to throw around. So we decided that the kids would have to pay for part of their college and missions, and we would wait a while for that second car, larger house and grad school. We came up with a budget based on our spending in October that included savings for vacations and gifts, date night and entertainment, while cutting back on the throw-away stuff we were spending our money on. So far so good. Rich had to stop his attic project he's been working on because he spent his home improvement budget the first week of January. And I have stopped myself from buying stuff we don't really need at all those dangerous "grocery" places to stay within our grocery budget that is much less this month than we spent in October! I'm anxious to see, when I have a minute to sit down and figure it out, how we've done so far in January. I'll keep you posted.
Gone are those carefree days now that we are back in America and don't have the cushy perks of the expat life. We had been back for six months when we decided it was probably time to set a budget and stick to it. I spent nearly a full day over Christmas break entering into Moneydance (a money management software program similar to Quicken) and we took a hard look at October, which seemed like what might be a typical month for the rest of the near future. We spent a massive amount of money! And not just on noble things like home improvement or food storage. No, masses of money went to fast food, clothing, books, entertainment, and that ubiquitous category I labeled groceries (that really included all the random stuff I felt like we needed from Target, Walmart and Costco).
As I was looking at the history, Rich was looking to the future, trying to figure out how much money we need to save for things like a second car, a bigger house, the kids' college tuition, missions, my grad school tuition (when I go back to school someday!), etc. Let's just say if we saved the amounts we would need for all of that stuff, we would barely bea ble to eat every month. This was a very sobering realization after feeling for so long like we had a lot of cash to throw around. So we decided that the kids would have to pay for part of their college and missions, and we would wait a while for that second car, larger house and grad school. We came up with a budget based on our spending in October that included savings for vacations and gifts, date night and entertainment, while cutting back on the throw-away stuff we were spending our money on. So far so good. Rich had to stop his attic project he's been working on because he spent his home improvement budget the first week of January. And I have stopped myself from buying stuff we don't really need at all those dangerous "grocery" places to stay within our grocery budget that is much less this month than we spent in October! I'm anxious to see, when I have a minute to sit down and figure it out, how we've done so far in January. I'll keep you posted.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Use Your Powdered Milk to Make Yogurt!
I got myself a little after-Christmas present: a yogurt-maker!
I used 4 cups of water and 1 cup of powdered milk, plus 1/2 cup of yogurt starter (plain yogurt with active cultures). I stuck it in the little machine and it kept it warm all night. Woke up to a quart of perfect plain yogurt. That very day, I was so excited that I made strawberry-flavored yogurt, veggie dip, yogurt chicken, and tried to make a drinkable strawberry yogurt for the kids (most of them wouldn't even try it--ingrates!).
It's actually kind of a silly appliance for the price (I paid $15.30 on Amazon, but now it's up to $23.30!). But you don't need a fancy, or even a simple machine to make yogurt. There are other ways to keep it warm. I remember a really cool middle-aged teacher guy I would chat with in the teacher's lounge in DC when I was student teaching who told me in excruciating detail about how to make yogurt by putting your concoction on top of the fridge for a few days. Apparently, all you need is a temperature where the "good" bacteria will multiply and turn the rest of the milk into yogurt. And everything needs to be really clean so you don't introduce "bad" bacteria into the mix. Here's some instructions for doing it in your oven (got these from a reviewer on amazon.com):
"Get a quart-size carton of milk and some yogurt, both at room temperature. Open the milk carton, pour some out to make room in the carton, and add 1/2 c. of plain yogurt with live cultures (like Stonyfield Farms or Dannon plain yogurt). Close up the carton again, clip shut, and shake it gently to mix up the milk and yogurt. As for the milk you poured out (you saved it right?), that's going to be your starter for the next batch, so add a couple teaspoons of yogurt to that, give it a good stir, and cover tightly. Get an old (but clean!) bath towel and wrap both in it. Place on a cookie sheet and place in 110 degree F oven. "Bake" at 110 degrees overnight - around 12 hours - remove from oven and refrigerate. Perfect European-style yogurt! (For the thicker American style, add powdered milk along with your yogurt "starter.") Best of all, there's no need to pre-heat/scald the milk (not necessary if you use pasteurized milk) and no cleaning (since you make the yogurt right in the paper milk carton straight from the store). Any size milk carton will work -- just adjust the amount of starter accordingly."
Here's some of my yogurt recipes:
Gracie's Dill Dip
Gracie is our two-year-old cousin who lived with us in India. Her mom adapted her usual veggie dip to use yogurt instead of sour cream, since we couldn't get sour cream there. Gracie didn't notice the difference and ate it nearly every day with carrots and cucumbers, and she's a pretty discerning child! Dawn may have to correct me a little, but here's my best guess:
2 c. yogurt (or any combination of yogurt, mayo, and/or sour cream)
1/2 t. dried dill weed (or 1/2 T. fresh dill)
1/2-1 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. dried onion
Mix together. Keep in fridge and serve with carrots, cucumbers, celery, on crackers, on fish, etc.
Drinkable Yogurt
If someone can help me figure out how to put this in those Danimals containers and seal it up so I can toss it in my kids' lunchboxes, I'll be your best friend!
2 c. yogurt
1/4 c. sugar (more or less to taste)
1 T. fruit syrup or jam
1/2 c. milk
Yogurt Chicken Nuggets
Found this on the back of the Stonyfield Farms yogurt--a healthy alternative to chicken nuggets or fried chicken.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs., cut in pieces if you like)
2 c. plain yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic and/or onion powder to taste (optional)
2 c. cornflake crumbs, or panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Preheat oven to 350. Season yogurt liberally with seasonings. Put cornflake crumbs or panko in a shallow bowl. Place chicken breasts or pieces in the yogurt, coat well, then remove. Wipe excess yogurt from chicken and roll in the cornflakes/panko. Bake for 30 minutes or more, until browned and the juices run clear. Serves 4.
Raitha
A yummy relish that tastes great with any Indian food (cools the heat!) or mixed with rice.
2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled and grated
1/4 onion, grated
1/2-1 t. salt
1/2-1 t. cumin powder (can roast it in a pan beforehand to enhance the flavor)
Squeeze the liquid out of the grated vegetables. Mix it up and serve it with an Indian meal, or even a Greek meal. It will keep well in the fridge for a week or more.
Cinnamon Surprise Cake
This was a Family Fun recipe that we altered in India due to the lack of sour cream. The results are delicious! The yogurt gives it a slightly tart flavor and makes the cake so very moist. I would often make it Saturday night, have it for breakfast with a fruit smoothie, and then for dessert after Sunday dinner (or a snack while we tried to pull dinner together!). Try adding raspberries and/or chopped pecans for a special treat.
Filling:
1 T. cinnamon
1-2 T. softened butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 T. flour
Cake:
3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter (room temp)
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. plain yogurt
powdered sugar (for dusting)
Heat the oven to 350° and grease a 12-cup bundt pan (or two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans, or two 6-cup bundt pans). To make the cinnamon filling, place the cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and flour in a small bowl and mix with your fingers. Set aside.
For the coffee cake, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract and the sour cream. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating well after each addition.
Spoon half of the coffee cake batter into the large bundt pan (or, if you're using two smaller pans, one quarter of it into each pan). Crumble the cinnamon mixture over the top. Pour in the remaining batter and then use a table knife to swirl the cinnamon throughout. Bake for about 60 minutes (or 40 minutes for the smaller loaves) or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Invert the coffee cake onto a rack and cool it thoroughly before dusting with powdered sugar. Serves 10 to 12.
I used 4 cups of water and 1 cup of powdered milk, plus 1/2 cup of yogurt starter (plain yogurt with active cultures). I stuck it in the little machine and it kept it warm all night. Woke up to a quart of perfect plain yogurt. That very day, I was so excited that I made strawberry-flavored yogurt, veggie dip, yogurt chicken, and tried to make a drinkable strawberry yogurt for the kids (most of them wouldn't even try it--ingrates!).It's actually kind of a silly appliance for the price (I paid $15.30 on Amazon, but now it's up to $23.30!). But you don't need a fancy, or even a simple machine to make yogurt. There are other ways to keep it warm. I remember a really cool middle-aged teacher guy I would chat with in the teacher's lounge in DC when I was student teaching who told me in excruciating detail about how to make yogurt by putting your concoction on top of the fridge for a few days. Apparently, all you need is a temperature where the "good" bacteria will multiply and turn the rest of the milk into yogurt. And everything needs to be really clean so you don't introduce "bad" bacteria into the mix. Here's some instructions for doing it in your oven (got these from a reviewer on amazon.com):
"Get a quart-size carton of milk and some yogurt, both at room temperature. Open the milk carton, pour some out to make room in the carton, and add 1/2 c. of plain yogurt with live cultures (like Stonyfield Farms or Dannon plain yogurt). Close up the carton again, clip shut, and shake it gently to mix up the milk and yogurt. As for the milk you poured out (you saved it right?), that's going to be your starter for the next batch, so add a couple teaspoons of yogurt to that, give it a good stir, and cover tightly. Get an old (but clean!) bath towel and wrap both in it. Place on a cookie sheet and place in 110 degree F oven. "Bake" at 110 degrees overnight - around 12 hours - remove from oven and refrigerate. Perfect European-style yogurt! (For the thicker American style, add powdered milk along with your yogurt "starter.") Best of all, there's no need to pre-heat/scald the milk (not necessary if you use pasteurized milk) and no cleaning (since you make the yogurt right in the paper milk carton straight from the store). Any size milk carton will work -- just adjust the amount of starter accordingly."
Here's some of my yogurt recipes:
Gracie's Dill Dip
Gracie is our two-year-old cousin who lived with us in India. Her mom adapted her usual veggie dip to use yogurt instead of sour cream, since we couldn't get sour cream there. Gracie didn't notice the difference and ate it nearly every day with carrots and cucumbers, and she's a pretty discerning child! Dawn may have to correct me a little, but here's my best guess:
2 c. yogurt (or any combination of yogurt, mayo, and/or sour cream)
1/2 t. dried dill weed (or 1/2 T. fresh dill)
1/2-1 t. seasoned salt
1/4 t. dried onion
Mix together. Keep in fridge and serve with carrots, cucumbers, celery, on crackers, on fish, etc.
Drinkable Yogurt
If someone can help me figure out how to put this in those Danimals containers and seal it up so I can toss it in my kids' lunchboxes, I'll be your best friend!
2 c. yogurt
1/4 c. sugar (more or less to taste)
1 T. fruit syrup or jam
1/2 c. milk
Yogurt Chicken Nuggets
Found this on the back of the Stonyfield Farms yogurt--a healthy alternative to chicken nuggets or fried chicken.
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 lbs., cut in pieces if you like)
2 c. plain yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic and/or onion powder to taste (optional)
2 c. cornflake crumbs, or panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
Preheat oven to 350. Season yogurt liberally with seasonings. Put cornflake crumbs or panko in a shallow bowl. Place chicken breasts or pieces in the yogurt, coat well, then remove. Wipe excess yogurt from chicken and roll in the cornflakes/panko. Bake for 30 minutes or more, until browned and the juices run clear. Serves 4.
Raitha
A yummy relish that tastes great with any Indian food (cools the heat!) or mixed with rice.
2 c. plain yogurt
1/2 cucumber, peeled and grated
1/4 onion, grated
1/2-1 t. salt
1/2-1 t. cumin powder (can roast it in a pan beforehand to enhance the flavor)
Squeeze the liquid out of the grated vegetables. Mix it up and serve it with an Indian meal, or even a Greek meal. It will keep well in the fridge for a week or more.
Cinnamon Surprise Cake
This was a Family Fun recipe that we altered in India due to the lack of sour cream. The results are delicious! The yogurt gives it a slightly tart flavor and makes the cake so very moist. I would often make it Saturday night, have it for breakfast with a fruit smoothie, and then for dessert after Sunday dinner (or a snack while we tried to pull dinner together!). Try adding raspberries and/or chopped pecans for a special treat.
Filling:
1 T. cinnamon
1-2 T. softened butter
1/3 c. brown sugar
2 T. flour
Cake:
3 c. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 c. butter (room temp)
1 1/2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
2 c. plain yogurt
powdered sugar (for dusting)
Heat the oven to 350° and grease a 12-cup bundt pan (or two 9- by 5-inch loaf pans, or two 6-cup bundt pans). To make the cinnamon filling, place the cinnamon, butter, brown sugar, and flour in a small bowl and mix with your fingers. Set aside.
For the coffee cake, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. In a separate large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then beat in the eggs, one at a time. Beat in the vanilla extract and the sour cream. Gradually add the dry ingredients, beating well after each addition.
Spoon half of the coffee cake batter into the large bundt pan (or, if you're using two smaller pans, one quarter of it into each pan). Crumble the cinnamon mixture over the top. Pour in the remaining batter and then use a table knife to swirl the cinnamon throughout. Bake for about 60 minutes (or 40 minutes for the smaller loaves) or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
Invert the coffee cake onto a rack and cool it thoroughly before dusting with powdered sugar. Serves 10 to 12.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
THIS WEEK’S CHALLENGE: Track What We Eat!
I'm working on figuring out how to get my 3-month food supply in order. Follow me on a week-by-week challenge as I try to figure out how much we need, what we need, how to store it, how to rotate it, etc.
What meals have we eaten this week?
Sunday (1 guest)
Indian Food--Rajma Dal, Jeera Rice, Spicy Corn, and Raitha (Rich made it!)
Dessert: Ice Cream & Hot Fudge
Monday
Succotash Chowder, Green Salad, Bread
Dessert: Choc. Chip Cookies
Tuesday
Tacos & Taco Salad
Wednesday
Pasta with Tomato Alfredo Sauce & Green Salad with Feta, Tomato & Onion
Thursday
Yogurt Chicken Nuggets, Rice, Baby Carrots & Steamed Broccoli
Friday
Homemade Pizza
Saturday
Pinto Beans & Rice
How much food did we consume?
3 gallons of milk
1 gallon mixed dry milk
Hot cocoa mix (1/4 of a #10 can!)
1 lb. cheddar cheese
1 lb. mozzarella cheese
10 cheese sticks
6 oz. feta cheese
1.5 qts. yogurt
1 pint sour cream
1 pint half & half
1 lb. butter
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can tomato sauce
4 lbs frozen corn
1 lb. frozen lima beans
1 lb. broccoli
1 head green leaf lettuce
1 cucumber
3 onions
4 tomatoes
2 avocados
2 potatoes
5 apples
10 bananas
5 oranges
5 lemons
chives
lemon basil
6 c. dry rice
2 lbs. pasta
3 loaves homemade wheat bread
2 homemade pizza crusts
8 tacos shells
1 box Cheez-It Crackers
1 box fruit snacks
1 lb. pinto beans
2 cans kidney beans
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. chicken
1/2 lb. slice ham
1/2 c. peanut butter
How much did that food cost?
Hmmm. . . I'm estimating about $100-$150
When I look back, I'm actually surprised that the food we actually consumed was not as much as I expected it would be. Now I know that for a 3-month supply, how much cash I'll need to spend, and about how much food I need. Next week's challenge will be to come up with a 1-week menu plan that excites me AND includes food that will last a long time on the shelf, fridge, or freezer (a tall order for this fresh-food-lovin' girl!).
Here's an inspiring quote from Bishop McMullin that reminds me that preparedness and food storage is for men and women to worry about together--I need to work together with my better half to set and accomplish our preparedness goals this year:
What meals have we eaten this week?
Sunday (1 guest)
Indian Food--Rajma Dal, Jeera Rice, Spicy Corn, and Raitha (Rich made it!)
Dessert: Ice Cream & Hot Fudge
Monday
Succotash Chowder, Green Salad, Bread
Dessert: Choc. Chip Cookies
Tuesday
Tacos & Taco Salad
Wednesday
Pasta with Tomato Alfredo Sauce & Green Salad with Feta, Tomato & Onion
Thursday
Yogurt Chicken Nuggets, Rice, Baby Carrots & Steamed Broccoli
Friday
Homemade Pizza
Saturday
Pinto Beans & Rice
How much food did we consume?
3 gallons of milk
1 gallon mixed dry milk
Hot cocoa mix (1/4 of a #10 can!)
1 lb. cheddar cheese
1 lb. mozzarella cheese
10 cheese sticks
6 oz. feta cheese
1.5 qts. yogurt
1 pint sour cream
1 pint half & half
1 lb. butter
1 jar spaghetti sauce
1 can tomato sauce
4 lbs frozen corn
1 lb. frozen lima beans
1 lb. broccoli
1 head green leaf lettuce
1 cucumber
3 onions
4 tomatoes
2 avocados
2 potatoes
5 apples
10 bananas
5 oranges
5 lemons
chives
lemon basil
6 c. dry rice
2 lbs. pasta
3 loaves homemade wheat bread
2 homemade pizza crusts
8 tacos shells
1 box Cheez-It Crackers
1 box fruit snacks
1 lb. pinto beans
2 cans kidney beans
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. chicken
1/2 lb. slice ham
1/2 c. peanut butter
How much did that food cost?
Hmmm. . . I'm estimating about $100-$150
When I look back, I'm actually surprised that the food we actually consumed was not as much as I expected it would be. Now I know that for a 3-month supply, how much cash I'll need to spend, and about how much food I need. Next week's challenge will be to come up with a 1-week menu plan that excites me AND includes food that will last a long time on the shelf, fridge, or freezer (a tall order for this fresh-food-lovin' girl!).
Here's an inspiring quote from Bishop McMullin that reminds me that preparedness and food storage is for men and women to worry about together--I need to work together with my better half to set and accomplish our preparedness goals this year:
Inspired preparation rests on the foundation of faith in Jesus Christ, obedience, and a provident lifestyle. Members should not go to extremes, but they should begin. We call upon priesthood bearers to store sufficient so that you and your family can weather the vicissitudes of life. Please see to it that those entrusted to your watchcare . . . prepare now for rainy days ahead.Happy squirreling away!
Bishop Keith B. McMullin, “Lay Up in Store,” April 2007
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
A New Year, a New Plan
I've got a plan for 2009, with a focus for each of five areas each month. Here's the ones for January:
JANUARY: Whaddya Got? Whaddya Need
Spiritual Preparedness:
Focus on personal prayer
Emergency Preparedness:
Check & Replenish 72-Hour Kits
3-Month Food Storage:
Keep track of what your family eats and how much you spend on food for at least one week. Clean out those cabinets and closets to make room for more food storage. Keep track of spending for the month.
Home Storage:
Inventory current food storage--how many months do you have of the basics?
Financial Reserve:
Make a jar for saving change. Decide how much cash your family needs to put in your 72-hour kit and set aside 1/6 of that amount.
JANUARY: Whaddya Got? Whaddya Need
Spiritual Preparedness:
Focus on personal prayer
Emergency Preparedness:
Check & Replenish 72-Hour Kits
3-Month Food Storage:
Keep track of what your family eats and how much you spend on food for at least one week. Clean out those cabinets and closets to make room for more food storage. Keep track of spending for the month.
Home Storage:
Inventory current food storage--how many months do you have of the basics?
Financial Reserve:
Make a jar for saving change. Decide how much cash your family needs to put in your 72-hour kit and set aside 1/6 of that amount.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Hurricane Reflections
Watch this on the hurricane relief in Texas and my church's role in the effort. I'm so happy to be a member of a church that is ready to help all over the world. It was amazing to see the Church in efficient action so close to home this time.
I love this quote from the end of the clip: "When they are prepared to handle a disaster, they are in a much better position to go out and help their neighbors."
I want to be a neighbor like that who is in a position to help in big or little emergencies.
I love this quote from the end of the clip: "When they are prepared to handle a disaster, they are in a much better position to go out and help their neighbors."
I want to be a neighbor like that who is in a position to help in big or little emergencies.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Welcome!
I'm starting this blog to share ideas about provident living. I want to share ideas with people around me so we can all experience the blessings of being prepared for the little emergencies of daily life, as well as any big emergencies we might face in the future. This blog will work best if we have lots of comments to supplement the little bit I know!
"If any man shall do his will, he shall know of the doctrine."
John 7:17
“See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a [wo]man should run faster than [s]he has strength."
Mosiah 4:27
"He that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together."
D&C 50:22
"And he commanded them that there should be no contention with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit in unity and in love one towards another."
Mosiah 18:21
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven"
Matthew 5:16
"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"
D&C 38:30
John 7:17
“See that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a [wo]man should run faster than [s]he has strength."
Mosiah 4:27
"He that preacheth and he that receiveth, understand one another, and both are edified and rejoice together."
D&C 50:22
"And he commanded them that there should be no contention with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit in unity and in love one towards another."
Mosiah 18:21
"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven"
Matthew 5:16
"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"
D&C 38:30
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