Tag: prep

  • Prep Advice

    “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but the power of love and a sound mind.“

    2 Timothy 1:7

    I have been acquiring lists for prepping, to prepare for the worst, but not in fear.

    I once heard a prophet say ” Everything you prepare in fear will not be enough” when reciting a dream they had from God. Fear cannot be what guides us in this world as Christians, because Jesus already won the battle! He already conquered death. We have a savior who paid it all. Do not be afraid of an enemy who just wants to make you as miserable as he is. The adversary already knows his end, but God is still letting you write your story with him, and hopefully, you’re letting God’s will reign in your life. Pray before you read this and ask God to lead you, and as always test every spirit.

    For prepping or simply camping, my first piece of advice is to not burn green. Fresh green wood will create a thick smoke in a fire that will bring unwanted attention to you. It also burns in a way you will not like, treated dry wood that is not rotten or wet is your best bet. You do not want to create random smoke signals. You cannot assume everyone has good intentions in bad situations. If people are living in survival mode it is best to keep you and your family safe. As well as not burning green, it is imperative to limit artificial light, or light that comes from technology, fires, and vehicles at night.

    It is important in more than just prepping, in life in general, to be picky about your friends. Have a group of people you trust, but keep in mind how the Bible tells us to have friends.

    “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. ” Proverbs 18:24

    “Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, lest you learn his ways and entangle yourself in a snare.” Proverbs 22:24-25

    “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” Proverbs 27:17

    “”Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise, but the companion of fools will suffer harm.” Proverbs 13:20

    As a Christian, in hard times it is not really an option to depend on ourselves. We have to be like David when he was struggling with adversity, praying continuously with a repentant heart, and faith big enough to kill a giant. Faith and wisdom are going to be a new currency in a time where we cannot depend on convenience and technology.

    A community of people who will uplift each other and share blessings will significantly improve mental health and wellness among you and family. Humans are social creatures and studies have shown that people who have others to support them socially, problems that are big seem smaller in perspective. This can just be you rfamily, or a small group of friends. Rely on good news, and remember the great things God has done for you.

    If you have ever read Lord of the flies, you know people need order, leadership and rules. In a larger community voting, authority, compromise, and adaptation will help everything run smoothly with less conflict. Choosing a leader should come with prayer, fasting, and a vote to see who is ready to lead, and who is intelligent enough to bring others to success. This comes with mutual respect to sustain a growing and thriving community.

    A trading system will become more and more popular as prices in stores rise, and especially if society is not as connected as it is now. Things to keep in mind is that everything has value. If we treat everything with a materialistic mindset, we will put our minds in the landfill like the tons of trash we leave there too. Human labor is so valuable to me. Someone willing to put in effort for something they care about means so much to me, so I really respect one’s labor. Trading can come from tangible items as well as services and food.

    Everyone should have at least one skill that can support them and their family. Things like running machinery, foraging for food, crochet, knitting, embroidery, vehicle repair, cooking, finding shelter, building, leading community, organizing… There are so many skills anyone can learn to help them and their family, and you can always learn more. This work is not futile, you can do this alone or with a community, but most importantly with God. In my book, we take care of eachother, and we help those we trust. Selfish ambition has no space in times like this. Isolation can cause more harm than good, but always discern the times and situations, because there are times where isolation can actually be safer.

    Remember, do not fear, trust in God, and do what is best for your family. I hope this helped you get an idea of things we can prep without spending money, but things we should prep with our minds and community. Thank you for reading, and send a contact message if you have any prep advice or questions!

    Sources cited

    7 Types of Wood you Shouldn’t Burn in your Fireplace

    Cutting Edge Firewood

    https://www.cuttingedgefirewood.com/blogs/blog/7-types-of-wood-you-shouldnt-burn-in-your-fireplace

  • A Homemaker’s Prep List

    The times are uncertain, but God reigns through it all. I have been called to share and help others prepare essentials for their homes, especially those I can only reach through the internet. This list is for those who want to prepare, homestead, be a smart homemaker and who want more stability in their pantry and homes. Let God guide you through this and in every decision you make. Let the foundation of your home be built on your faith in God, The Rock of Salvation. Here is a prep list for all things to come, economic collapse, natural disaster, floods and fires.

    1. The most important thing you can have is your Bible.

    “For man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4:4

    ““Jesus said “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”” Matthew 14:6

    “Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28

    Our lives mean nothing without Christ. As important as food, water and shelter are, God and our relationship with him is most important. This is number one on the list not because I want you to abandon your life for a book, but to always put Christ first and realize without God we can do nothing. When you get close to God, you realize how that is the most important thing, and the Bible lets us hear directly from God. It is such a beautiful thing and I would never want to live without it.

    1. Water, and knowing how to acquire it

    Water will keep you alive, keep you clean, make and cook food, and as we all know, water is essential for life. 

    “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” John 7:37-38

    When even God compares water to himself, we see another example of the importance of water. Not only that, but clean water is imperative for good hygiene and health. Bacteria and microbes that do not belong in the body can be found in dirty water causing various sicknesses or death. Filtering water is important and there are several ways to do it. My favorite way of filtering water through a shirt or cheese cloth, and boiling for 8-10 minutes. This kills bacteria, gives you clean water and is a system that is available in many circumstances. 

    Your elevation also plays a part, so here is a chart for you to know how to boil water where you live. 

    Elevation                                                                     Temperature

    0ft212 deg F or 100 d C
    1500ft209 d F
    3000ft206 d F
    5000ft202 d F
    7500ft198 d F
    9000ft195 d F
    10,000ft193 d F or 89.5 d C
    1. Carbs 

    “ Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.”” John 6:35

    Carbohydrates are a great, easy, and simple staple to keep our bodies going and provide our bodies with energy. Yes, every diet in the modern world will say carbs are bad for you, but I say whole grains, homemade bread and barley will make you feel 10x better than any protein drink or bar will. Jesus says he is the bread of life, and bread in the Bible is mentioned many times when speaking of healing. Daniel, when doing a diet not eating the king’s food, depended on whole grains and vegetables. The less processed your food, the harder your body will have to work to burn it off, rather than acquiring fat cells you cannot burn off. 

    Important foods to stock up on: 

    1. Flour
    2. Rice
    3. Oats
    4. Barley
    5. Lentils
    6. Quinoa
    7. Yeast to make bread

    These staples are easy to store, last a long time and can sustain a family with the many types of foods it can be made into. 

    4. Canned and Dried foods

    These are foods you can store easily in small spaces and they will last a long time. 

    1. Dried milk, butter, buttermilk, etc
    2. Vegetables and fruits 
    3. Tomatoes
    4. Corn 
    5. Spinach
    6. Beans
    7. Sweet potatoes
    8. Mixed veggies
    9. Peas 
    10. Green beans
    11. Carrots
    12. Apples
    13. Pears
    14. Peaches

    4. Herbs

    One thing you will miss if things get hard, is flavor to your food. Herbs can add needed taste and help in many health issues. 

    1. Basil
    2. Thyme 
    3. Sage 
    4. Parsley 
    5. Pickling spice 
    6. Nutmeg
    7. Oregano 
    8. Italian Seasoning 
    9. Other spices like cinnamon, turmeric, cumin, ginger, cardamon, and your favorites are best to stock up on if you’re able 

    5. Honey

    Honey has so many benefits. It can sweeten almost any food or drink, be used as topical and in herbal medicine, helps with allergies if you use locally sourced honey and does not expire! There is not much to say to convince someone to buy more honey… It’s honey. 🙂 

    6. Something we don’t always see as valuable is salt! It can be used for food, boiling water, making saline water, salt water for teeth care, fertilizer and preserving foods! Don’t forget about salt! 

    7. First aid kit

    1. Tourniquet 
    2. Bandages
    3. Wipes 
    4. Ointment
    5. Swabs
    6. Gauze
    7. Sling
    8. Personal medications and vitamins 

    8. Seeds

    Do not depend on your grocery stores to feed you. There will come a time they will turn their backs, become empty and run out of food. You need to be able to grow food for yourself, your family and possibly your community. Stock on seeds like beans, lettuce, herbs, potatoes and even fruit trees if you want! 

    9. Sewing kit 

    If you are depending on yourself, it is time to learn how to sew. We cannot ask Shein and Amazon to make all our clothes forever, sometimes it is best to just repair the clothes you have, create new pieces from old clothing, and make clothes yourself. A sewing kit will be very handy to have. 

    10. White Vinegar/Apple Cider Vineager  

    11. Pure ethanol alcohol high proof

    12. Baking Soda

    13. Corn Starch 

    14. Sugar

    15. Pure Vanilla Extract

    16. Castor Oil

    17. You won’t need this if you have a food vacuum seal, but this is a great alternative. Ziplock and a straw works just as well.

    18. Can opener

    19. Go bag

    It is important to have some essentials, clothes, food and first aid all in one bag ready to go in case of emergency. This is something you can also store in a car assuming you will be able to use it to get where you need to go. You know yourself and your household best, so pack accordingly. 

    20. Gasoline

    21. Generator 

    22. Zip Ties- multiple sizes

    23. Duct tape

    24. Wire brushes

    25. Cord and rope

    26. Rubber and latex gloves

    27. Map of your local area/state

    28. Knife, hatchet, bat, self defense tools

    29. Solar Panels

    30. Fire starter kit

    31. Tools and bucket, especially for fires

    32. Acetone

    33. Essential oils

    Some dried foods that would be helpful to have: 

    Potatoes

    Carrots

    Strawberries

    Mangoes 

    Spinach 

    Banana 

    Mushrooms like lions mane, chicken of the woods, turkey tail, shitake, maitake and your favorites

    Medicines that would be helpful to have: 

    Vitamin C found in oranges

    Vitamin D or get sunshine

    B12 or fish 

    Fishoil

    Magnesium

    Calcium

    Vitamin E 

    Acid Reducer

    Acetaminophen

    Allergy Relief

    Multivitamins

    Insulin 

    This can seem like a large, daunting list, but this is your chance to look at your home, assess and decide what is best for your family. Pray and discern and see what you truly need in your home to prepare for the future. Remember, this doesn’t always have to be about the end of the world, but about providing for your family and creating a place where life can happen. Do not give up, trust in God and know you have already won through the blood of Jesus. 

    “No weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me,” declares the LORD.” Isaiah 54:17