Be Prepared

(To find out how this picture relates to our upcoming stake pioneer handcart trek please read the long post below. This is what is on mind... it's lengthy and deep, but still what is happening in my life)

Since August of 2008, I have been serving on our stake's Trek Executive Committee as the Executive Secretary. I have enjoyed being involved in planning the upcoming Pioneer Handcart Trek and am so thrilled with how things are rolling along and seeing the hand of the Lord in the work that is being done. As an executive committee we prayerfully came up with 3 goals for our stake and 6 challenges to help us all be prepared!

Objectives of Trek
1. Unify individual families  

2. The journey should provide for a spritual experience for everyone 

3. Unify stake and ward family

Personal Worthiness Goals (Spiritual Preparation)
1. Daily personal and family prayer  

2. Daily personal and family scripture study 

3. Active preparation for and participation in weekly church meetings and Family Home Evenings (FHE) 

4. Keep a regular journal 

5. Pay full and honest tithes and fast offerings 

6. Regular temple attendance

(As a stake we will also be preparing ourselves physically and mentally to add to our spiritual preparation.)So for the past 6 months these things have been on my mind. 

As the new year approached I kept having this feeling like something wasn't clicking, like something was lacking. Now I do the 6 things that are listed as our trek spiritual goals - don't get me wrong, I could be better and more diligent at a few of them but I still do them! 

So I kept hearing the words that a prophet of God had spoken - "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." Mosiah 2:17 and decided to make this my goal this year - to improve my HAPPY service to my family, friends, etc... To do it because I want to help others. So far it has been a nice attitude adjustment for me, but there was still something that I felt I was suppose to be doing that I wasn't focusing on!

It finally occured to me while I was studying about Noah and the warnings he gave the people that a great flood was coming. I read about the way people mocked him and even sought his live! He didn't back down he kept preparing and when all things were prepared the rains came and came and came until all the earth was covered with water. I was thinking - now latter day prophets have been warning us to be prepared spiritually, physically, mentally and financially for decades am I heeding their warnings? 

The answer - not as well as I should be. So I have for the past month and a half refocused my new year's resolution on preparing myself and my family:

spiritually (being sure that we continue to pray together and read our scriptures together and have Family Home Evenings together);

physically (Dallin's school is working on the President's Fitness Program and we are going to follow along at home and we will also increase our food storage);

mentally (we will seek learning from the best books, take time to have fun together, etc...);

and financially (we will continue to live within our means and follow our monthly budget). 

The thing that has been of upmost concern to me is our food storage - we have been counseled by latter-day prophets to be prepared by storing about 3 months food supply for each family member. I am so grateful for a Family Preparedness Specialist in our ward who keeps talking about it! Thank you Sherry! I am also grateful for the examples of those around me who are using their food storage in their everyday cooking - your bread is awesome Melissa! Thank you Becka for being my cannery buddy! I hope I can get to the point where it is an everyday occurance almost like a reflex to rotate and use my food storage! 

Oh yeah-the picture above is of the two cases of food I canned last month at the church's cannery (1 case of wheat and 1 case of sugar). You can also see part of our 72 hour kits on the bottom shelf; to the right of the cases. Progress is being made and to think it all came about because of my involvement in the upcoming trek!

If ye are prepared ye shall not fear! (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30)

Here are a few websites that have caught my eye as I have been preparing the last few months:

http://www.providentliving.org/

http://moprepared.blogspot.com/

http://www.trackmyfoodstorage.com/

http://foodstoragemadeeasy.net/ (one of my favorites)

http://www.squarefootgardening.com/