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Preparedness Lessons from David and Goliath

July 18, 2012 by

 Today’s article isn’t the typical preparedness article.  Trust me, it is related.

One of my Biblical hero’s has always been David. He was fierce in everything; his protection of his flock, killing a lion and bear, etc. He was fierce in his determination to be king once God chose the time for him to be king. We’re told of at least two times that David spared Saul’s life and many more times that he fled Saul to avoid the confrontation. He was also fierce in his seeking the Lord, writing many of the Psalms, giving God praise and seeking His protection.

One of my favorite stories is of David and Goliath.  When David heard that the giant had been taunting Israel and the Living God, he was outraged.  He convinced Saul that the Lord had helped him kill the lions and bear and would help him kill the giant. Saul gave David his own armor and weapons, which David was unfamiliar and uncomfortable with. He took his sling and picked five smooth stones.  He then went to face the giant, who mocked him, to which David replied:

“You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD of Heaven’s Armies—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.

Today the LORD will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head. And then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel!

And everyone assembled here will know that the LORD rescues his people, but not with sword and spear. This is the LORD’s battle, and he will give you to us!”

Like I said, David was fierce, not because of belief in himself but because of his belief in God.  God anointed David as the next king of Israel and, being that he was not king yet, David trusted in the Lord to save him and all of Israel from the giant. David’s faith was fierce.

I said this was preparedness related.  Here are the preparedness lessons I have gleaned from this story.

David was a shepherd.  He knew that sheep had natural predators that were dangerous and he knew he might have to defend his flock against them, so he always practiced Situational Awareness. There is always a possibility that someone around you means you harm.  In fact, according to the FBI crime clock 2010 there was a violent crime every 25.3 seconds that year.  Are you aware of your surroundings and looking for wolves?

As my friend Rob Robideau points out in his book “Tactical Bible Stories”, David had at his disposal the very finest weaponry and armor in all of Israel.  King Saul had offered his very own.  David instead chose to use what he was familiar with; a rod, a sling and stones.  There is a saying, “run what ya brung”.  It means that you should know how to use what you have. 

David was well practiced with his sling.  How many stones do you think he threw to become so accurate? He probably slung some for practice, some out of boredom and some out of the need to protect his flock, eventually slinging the stones that slain Goliath. Owning a firearm does not mean you are proficient with it, especially under stress. Under stress your body’s natural reaction could work against you. Only with training and practice can you become proficient and develop the muscle memory to fight against your body’s natural response. A small confession; I need more range time and more training classes.  This is something I want to be more proficient at.

All of the mightiest men of Israel watched for forty days as Goliath and the other philistines taunted them, blaspheming our God.  Only a young boy was willing to stand up to them. There is a saying “chance favors the prepared mind”.  But I think God looks for the willing soul. God has called many of us to prepare, with reasons only He knows.  If you’re a regular reader of this blog, my guess is that you are a willing soul. As I mentioned, David’s faith was fierce.  He may have thrown the stone, but God used him to kill Goliath. Stay willing and be on the lookout for giants and always be fierce, for we serve a mighty God.

Side note:  I read a commentary on this story once that said the reason David grabbed five stones was because Goliath had four brothers. He mentioned verses to back it up, which I can’t remember now.  True or not, I thought it was pretty funny.

 

Filed Under: Mind Set Tagged With: , ,

God’s Law vs Man’s Law

July 6, 2012 by

Over the last two days in A Short Prepper Civics Lesson and in The Future of America. I have detailed that the founders stated what our God given rights are. I have also given some possible scenarios where those rights may be restricted, if not completely taken away. How then should a Christian respond?

Romans 13:1
A few years back I decided to read one chapter of the Bible every morning. There were some things I didn’t understand. I spent some time researching them. One of them was Romans 13:1. This verse differs greatly depending on the version of the Bible you have. I’ll post two.

King James:
“Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

Many other versions are similar to this NIV version:

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”

The reason this was difficult for me is that there have been some truly awful governing authorities throughout history. I questioned whether a loving God would want us to subject ourselves to their authority. Like I said, this didn’t make sense. On a side note, there have been bad governments that have used this verse to keep Christians in line, claiming your God tells you to submit.

I did a bit of digging and thinking and found an article called Spiritual Authority and Romans 13. I don’t agree with everything the author says but he does make it clear that Paul was not telling us to be subject to the worlds authority, that we were to be subjected to our spiritual authorities. That made this verse more clear for me, as some of man’s laws absolutely contradict Gods law.

But let’s say that the verse actually means that we should submit to government. Does that mean even when it goes against God’s law?

God’s law vs. Man’s Law

As a general rule, Christians make excellent citizens. By living as Christ did and loving our neighbor as ourselves, we tend to stay out of trouble. There are many times when man’s laws and God’s laws are the same. For example, many of our current laws are based off of the Ten Commandments. Until recently, they were displayed in many court rooms across the country. In some places they still are.

There are times when there is a law that man uses to infringe upon our Christian liberties, such as taking a cross down from a national park or a city stopping a church from ringing a bell. At times like these I am reminded of Mathew 5:41:

“If someone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.”When a Roman soldier would ask a Jew for directions, Jews would often give them the wrong ones. To stop this, a law was created that said when a Roman soldier asked for directions, the Jew had to walk with him for the first mile.

When our Christian Liberties are infringed upon, I think we should still make a stand, do battle in courts, protest or by other means voice opposition. But in the end, I think, since it does not go against Gods law, we must accept it and “walk the second mile”.

But then there are times when man’s law absolutely goes against God’s law. What should we do then? Following are a few examples of when God’s people rebelled against man’s law and followed Gods.

Daniel 1:8
King Nebuchadnezzar has requested among others that, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah be put in his service. They are given wine and fancy foods to eat. Daniel and company refused to defile themselves with the royal foods and asked to be allowed to eat just fruit and vegetables for ten days.

Daniel 3:1
This is the story of King Nebuchadnezzar building a 90 foot tall statue of gold and demanding that everyone bow and worship it. When Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego refused, they were thrown into the furnace.

Daniel 6:7
There is a law passed that anyone who prays to any god or man for the next 30 days would be thrown into the lion’s den. Daniel prays to God and is thrown into the den.

Esther 4:11- 7:3
It is forbidden to enter the kings chambers without invitation. Violation of this is punishable by death. Esther enters and is welcomed by the king. She later asks for her people to be spared and the king grants her request.

Mathew 2:16
King Herod orders the murder of all male children, aged two and younger. Joseph and Mary flee to Egypt.

John9:19
Jesus tells Pontius Pilate he has no authority over Him, essentially saying God is permitting Christ’s death.

The book of Acts
There are many examples of the Sanhedrin telling the 12 apostles to stop preaching about Christ.

These are just some examples I was able to find. Thank you to Mike for the assistance. God’s law should trump man’s law every time. There is almost always a cost; loss of reputation, financial penalty and, for some, even to this day, martyrdom.

When man’s law contradicts Gods law, how you respond is between you and God. I am just here to point out that there is biblical precedence for going against man’s law and government to keep the laws of God.

 
This article is from a series of three, they are:

A Short Prepper Civics Lesson
The Future of America
God’s Law vs Man’s Law

 

Filed Under: Christian World View, Mind Set, Signs of the Times

The Future of America

July 5, 2012 by

 

In this article I want to go over just some of my concerns for America and what it might mean for our future.  I’ll briefly touch on prophecy and what role it will have in America’s future.  But I will also use our recent history as well as the recent history of some other countries to see where we may be heading.

 

Concerns for Our Nation

No country is perfect, nor is any administration.  That being said, the last four years have seen a real infringement on the constitution, damage to the economy and so many other concerns too numerous to name.  The following is a short list.

Passing laws that are thousands of pages long, without reading a single one, Nancy Pelosi actually said the following about the healthcare bill in 2010 “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of controversy.” 

The DHS allows the TSA to molest people at will.  I have heard of a grandmother in a wheelchair with a colostomy bag, a child in a wheel chair and multiple others that are disgraceful.

The authorization of using drones on Americans to me is stomping on the fourth Amendment, which protects us against unreasonable searches and seizures.  If you have probable cause, get a warrant but, to my understanding, that is not a requirement the FAA put on the multiple police agencies that now have permission to use them.

God has been chased from our schools, courthouses, some national parks and if some had it their way, from every other aspect of our lives.

Our economy is being propped up and I fear the final nails are being added to it.  The fault for this lies with both parties, one used a hammer and nails, the other a pneumatic nail gun.

Heroes coming home from serving their country are labeled as potential terrorists by the DHS.  They retracted it but it was said nonetheless.

We have a President that “forgets” to say God in a few different addresses and has said we are no longer a Christian nation.

They granted power to “shut down” the Internet in times of crisis. This would effectively shred the first Amendment and shut down free speech. 

There have been multiple rumors at potential gun grabs.  This is one of the reasons gun sales skyrocketed after our President was elected and why ammo was so hard to find.  Are they true or not?  I don’t know, but it would not be an easy task.

The constitution was designed with checks and balances, to keep any one side from becoming too powerful.    Our current President has stated numerous times that he’ll “do it with or without” Congress or the Senate.

The federal government has grown vastly under both political parties, to such a behemoth that in some months the unemployment rate dropped because of employees hired by the government, as was the case with the census. 

This President and congress have ignored the Constitution and the Bill of Rights on several occasions; creating Czar’s that are outside the three branches of government and using obscure rules to pass laws that could not pass by a majority vote such as “Obamacare”.

As I said, I could go on and on. 

 

The Future or America (prophetic)

I am not a prophet, but have studied it for years.  I am not saying whether we are in the end times or not but, Christians in America are aware that America is not mentioned in the end times.  While true, many nations are not mentioned the end times.  This doesn’t mean that they don’t exist or are destroyed; it just means that they are not key players. 

I am a patriot.  I have served my country and love it dearly.  I do believe that America will decline from the worlds one super power to a nation of less prominence. This is not something I look forward to.  It is a bitter pill to swallow.  Christ wasn’t looking forward to the cross, yet He said not His will but Gods be done.  I’m not saying we just lie down and let our values continue to be trampled but that we be ready and expect things to change.

Right now we are the worlds’ police force and the chief reason some nations don’t outright attack Israel but instead launch rockets from surrogate organized thugs who’re backed by Iran and other nations.  We’re told in the Bible that the entire world will turn against Israel.  I believe that for God’s will to be done, America must be removed from being the sole super power and Israel’s protector.  That does not mean we Christians turn our hearts from her or stop praying for Israel.

America has been a key player, if not the only super power since World War II, if not earlier.   Whether the end times are upon us or many years from now, America has changed and will continue to change.  I cover some of what I think will happen in our future below.  Some of it will be mild and some could be extreme, but this is part of why we prepare.

I have read that some people claim America will be destroyed.  Others claim that America is actually the New Babylon and others state that America will be broken up into smaller sections.  Like I said, I’m not a prophet, I don’t know what the Lord has planned for America, but His will be done, whether I like it or not.

 

The Future of America (Secular)

Even if the end times are hundreds of years from now, America will change. The following are some of the things I think we may see.  As I mentioned above, I’m not a prophet.  I am getting these ideas from looking at the current and recent past of world and national events.

While we could be attacked by an EMP or an all-out assault from another nation, or a variety of other things that originate from outside our borders, I believe, more likely, we’ll do it to ourselves.

With the colossal amount of debt we have, we will eventually come to the point where we are forced to make cuts.  The military is a popular place for making cuts, especially on the left.  If cuts are made deep enough, we will pull out of the many countries we maintain bases in.  (The argument could be made that this should be done now.)  Once we have less of a presence around the world, cuts could be made to the size of the military.  We would then have little to no presence in foreign countries and a much smaller force at home.  The once “most powerful military the world has ever seen” is now rendered, more or less, irreverent.

Before Argentina’s economy collapsed, it was on par with America’s.  Once it did crash, inflation climbed almost as fast as the crime rate.  It’s been a decade and they are not even close to where they once were.  Japans economy collapsed and they call it “Japan’s lost decade”.  They were still working their way back before being ravaged by earthquake, tsunamis and nuclear reactor problems.

Cuts will also have to be made on public services that many people have come to expect as rights.  When this was done in Spain, the people rioted.  When it was done in Greece, people rioted.  There were also anti-austerity riots in London in 2011.  The point I am making is that when we reach that point where we must make cuts, I think we may see riots worse than we have seen around the world; rioting so bad that people will beg for the government to step in and stop the riots and looting.

 

Martial Law and the Suspension of Habeas Corpus

In a large scale riot, many police departments could soon be pushed to their limit.  Local or federal governments could invoke martial law and suspend habeas corpus.

Before going any further, let me define a few terms.  First is Martial Law; Wikipedia actually has a very good definition of what Martial Law is, so I’ll just copy it here.

“Martial law is the imposition of military rule by military authorities over designated regions on an emergency basis—(usually) only temporary—when the civilian government or civilian authorities fail to function effectively (e.g., maintain order and security, and provide essential services), when there are extensive riots and protests, or when the disobedience of the law becomes widespread. In most cases, military forces are deployed to subdue the crowds, to secure government buildings and key or sensitive locations, and to maintain order.[1] Generally, military personnel replace civil authorities and perform some or all of their functions. In full-scale martial law, the highest-ranking military officer would take over, or be installed, as the military governor or as head of the government, thus removing all power from the previous executive, legislative, and judicial branches of government.”

 

Here is the definition of Habeas Corpus offered by Cornell University Law School:

“Latin for “that you have the body.” A writ of habeas corpus is used to bring a prisoner or other detainee (e.g. institutionalized mental patient) before the court to determine if the person’s imprisonment or detention is lawful. In the US system, federal courts can use the writ of habeas corpus to determine if a state’s detention of a prisoner is valid.  A habeas petition proceeds as a civil action against the State agent (usually a warden) who holds the defendant in custody. It can also be used to examine any extradition processes used, amount of bail, and the jurisdiction of the court.”

The reason these two terms are important is that they could be used to quell any out of control rioting or violence.  Suspension of habeas corpus means you can be detained without going before a court to see if it is merited.  This could be indefinitely in a time of “crisis”.  If martial law is declared, the constitution has effectively been replaced with military rule, thus suspending your God given rights.

Martial law has been declared a few times in American history; Andrew Jackson imposed it in the war of 1812.  In 1892 it was imposed to quell a rebellion from striking miners who blew up a mine.  It was used again in 1914 to stop another miner uprising.  In 1934 the Governor of San Francisco used martial law to stop rioting during a dock worker strike.  Hawaii was placed under martial law in 1941 after the attack from the Japanese on Pearl Harbor. There is some confusion if martial law was declared after Hurricane Katrina.  I have seen reports saying that it was not declared.  However, this statement says that the Mayor of New Orleans did in fact declare it.

There have been people claiming that the government has been just waiting for an opportunity to implement martial law and throw people into FEMA camps.  I’ve never really bought into that line of thought.  Looking back at the freedom the founders wanted for us and how much the last two administrations have grown the federal government as well as how much the current president has sidestep the constitution to get more and more power, I’m convinced that this president, more than any before, would be willing to suspend habeas corpus and install martial law on a semi broad scale.  I say “semi broad” because it would be nearly impossible to enforce martial law in a large area unless all of our troops are pulled home as a result of cuts and closing foreign bases I mentioned earlier.

Even if martial law isn’t declared, there will be financial cuts made and liberties will continue to erode.  That is, unless and until a majority of American’s wake up and demand that we move back to what the Founders had intended for us.  Smaller government, people empowered to pursue life, liberty and happiness on their own, not expecting Uncle Sam to hand it out to them.

 
This article is from a series of three, they are:

A Short Prepper Civics Lesson
The Future of America
God’s Law vs Man’s Law

 

Filed Under: Christian World View, Mind Set, Signs of the Times

A Short Prepper Civics Lesson

July 4, 2012 by

The Declaration of Independence

The Founding Fathers, Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Declaration of Independence
I mentioned in my Memorial Day Prayer that I had some concerns about our country, but that was not the time to discuss them. This week, celebrating the birth of our nation, seems fitting, though I could be wrong. I will post a series of three articles on my concerns about America, and what might lie in our future.

These articles will not be the usual article on preparedness, but I hope you still read them as they point out reasons to prepare. I’ll touch on two things I generally stay away from; politics and prophecy. There might even be a little civics lesson but I promise not to bore you.

Some time ago I started studying some of the founding fathers and the creation of our nation. What I found was that many of our founding fathers were men of God who wanted separation from a king (government) that was over reaching into almost every aspect of their lives. Our nation was, in fact, based on Judeo-Christian values, though many today would say that is untrue.

When you look at what the vision of the Founding Fathers was and when you read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, you begin to see how far we are from the Democratic Republic they set out to build. Please don’t misunderstand, I think our form of government is still the best in the world, but I do see where we have gone astray.

Also to be clear, over the next three days, you might get the feeling that I am anti-government. This is not true. I am just very pro citizen and for small government.

 

The Founding Fathers

The Founders knew that government was not the answer, the governed were. We are to be a government of the people, by the people, for the people.

The way that our electoral system is supposed to run, someone would leave their normal job to run for office, win the majority of votes or Electoral College votes and then stay in office for a term or two. I believe it was their intent that the elected would leave office and return to their normal job after their service, not stay in office their entire lives.

They did not want the federal government to be the immense size it is today. They wanted the state to regulate its people and when the state over reached, the federal government would step in.

They went to great lengths to make sure the President could not be set up to be another king. He was granted only so much power, with two other branches of government to keep him in check.

There was much conversation and debate to craft a document that would limit the scope of government while defining the rights of the people.

 

The Constitution

The Constitution defines the rights and roles of the three branches of government, giving powers and setting limitations. Many other countries have modeled their constitution after the United States of America’s.

Is it perfect? Of course not. It was written by men. If it were perfect is wouldn’t have counted a slave as 1/5 of a man. Yes, I know that counting as 1/5 was a step in the right direction and no, I am not condoning slavery.

The constitution defines how a bill shall become law, gives the power to collect taxes, coin money, keep an Army and Navy and even defines how to make an amendment to correct, add or remove something in the future, such as the Thirteenth Amendment that abolished slavery.

 

The Bill of Rights

The Bill of Rights puts limits on government and empowers and protects citizens. It gives us the right to free speech and to bear arms. It gives us protection from unlawful search and seizure, the right to “plead the fifth” and to not incriminate oneself. This is also where amendments are made, such as ending slavery as well as starting and stopping prohibition.

 

The Declaration of Independence

This document, in my opinion, took great courage to write. Aside from the bible, it is one of the most important documents in existence, largely due to the following sentence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The reason that one sentence is so important is because it states that the rights mentioned above in the Bill of Rights and the right of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are granted by God, and what God grants, man cannot take away.

 
This article is from a series of three, they are:

A Short Prepper Civics Lesson
The Future of America
God’s Law vs Man’s Law
 

Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set

Is it Ever Okay to Loot or Salvage?

June 20, 2012 by

I think we have all seen pictures of both natural disasters and riots where there are people looting. This begs the question, is it ever okay to loot or salvage?
Maybe it’s just me, but when someone says the word “looting”, I think of someone taking advantage of a situation, taking items they wouldn’t normally be able to purchase. The term “salvage”, in my opinion, means taking things that are not in another person’s possession that are needed to survive.

Now that I have defined what the terms mean to me, let me paint a picture for you.
We all prepare for inevitable events like bad weather or power outages and other type of events. We also prepare for the larger events that, while less likely, could still happen. What if there is an event that is truly so large that it effects your entire region or country? I’m thinking something worse than Katrina. In this event there is a high death toll, public services are barely functioning and aid is very slowly trickling in.

In this scenario, you and a couple neighbors have survived. No matter how well you’re prepared, your supplies are limited and will only last so long. Would it be okay to loot/salvage?

 

Law of Necessity

I did a bit of research for this article and found reference to something called the Law of Necessity. (-The Legal Dictionary, The Free Dictionary.com states that “The necessity defense has long been recognized as Common Law and has also been made part of most states’ statutory law.”

It goes on to explain:

“Almost all common-law and statutory definitions of the necessity defense include the following elements: (1) the defendant acted to avoid a significant risk of harm; (2) no adequate lawful means could have been used to escape the harm; and (3) the harm avoided was greater than that caused by breaking the law. Some jurisdictions require in addition that the harm must have been imminent and that the action taken must have been reasonably expected to avoid the imminent danger. All these elements mirror the principles on which the defense of necessity was founded: first, that the highest social value is not always achieved by blind adherence to the law; second, that it is unjust to punish those who technically violate the letter of the law when they are acting to promote or achieve a higher social value than would be served by strict adherence to the law; and third, that it is in society’s best interest to promote the greatest good and to encourage people to seek to achieve the greatest good, even if doing so necessitates a technical breach of the law.”

 

My Take:

It appears that as long as you’re breaking the law for the greater good, you might have a legal leg to stand on. You could, however, still face civil charges. What about the morality of it? The eighth commandment says “Thou shalt not steal”. If my neighbors’ entire family was killed in this event, is taking their canned goods to feed my family or another family stealing? These are questions you should be considering now, and pray we never have to actually put to use.

Would I salvage? Yes. In an event the size that I mentioned I would salvage goods to help my family and community.

Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set, What Would You Do?

Basics of Bartering

June 11, 2012 by

Bartering is a skill that many of us aren’t used to, or very good at. We see a price and accept that as the amount we must pay.

In much of the world, bartering is a part of daily life. The same could be said in a prolonged survival situation. The economy of Argentina was much like that in America prior to 2000. Their economy has since collapsed and barter has become a common means of purchasing. In fact I read somewhere that people would cut links off a gold necklace and trade the links.

When I was in the Navy, I spent time in Hong Kong and in Dubai. Neither place was what it is today. That being said, if you didn’t barter, you got ripped off in many cases. I have a hard time with the concept, so I followed the lead of some friends who had been there before. Here is what I have learned about bartering from those experiences and since then.

 

What is Currency?

Jack Spirko has helped me define what currency is and what it is not. Currency is not the dollar bill in your pocket or even the precious metals you have stored away. Currency is the value you place on something.

Let me paint this picture: Inflation has skyrocketed and the price of gas is $6.00 a gallon. The price of many foods is 50%-75% higher than a year ago. I have been growing a garden and have expanded it. I’m willing to sell or trade with my neighbors. Pete has some cash and some rice that he would like to trade for some of my tomatoes.

Since the cash isn’t worth as much but is still useful I could charge him accordingly. It’s value may still decrease. I have been prepping and don’t need any more rice, so Pete doesn’t have any currency that I value.

Dan lives a bit further out of town and has a small chicken coop. Dan and his wife both love tomatoes. Since we both have something the other has placed value on, the tomatoes and chickens will be our currency. We just need to sort out the details. I could take eggs, chicken meat, or maybe have him raise a couple for me, so I could start my own coop.

In short, currency is whatever you, or someone else, might place value on. The most common currencies are, of course, dollars or the national currency in your nation, as well as precious metals.

If you’re a pro, please add any additional suggestions to the comment section

Let me share that I’m not very good at bartering. That being said, below are some things I’ve learned.

 

As Kenny Rogers says, “Know when to hold them, when to fold them, know when to walk away and when to run.”

When bartering, both sides are trying to get the best deal they can. If both parties are honorable, they can both walk away happy. However, you should have a price or trade in mind that you’re willing to pay, with some wiggle room on either side.

 

When to hold them

If you know the value of what you have and are offering it at a reasonable price, don’t stray too far from it. The same can be said if you make a fair offer on an item that you know the true value of. This is bartering, so remember the wiggle room I mentioned. Don’t stray too far from your original offer.

 

When to Fold them, and when to run

These two are the same but I like the song and thought using it was clever. Sometimes people will make an offer that is ridiculous. Just say “no thank you” and walk away. If they were testing you, they’ll come back with a legitimate offer. If they’re a fool, they’ll probably go off about how the item your offering is subpar or, if they’re the one selling, they’ll go on about how their item is the best blah, blah, blah. Unless you really need the item, let them keep it.

 

When to walk away

There are times when buying or selling, when walking away can show the other party that their offer wasn’t serious and that you’re not willing to consider it. The catch is that you may end up keep walking away and losing out on your chance at the item, unless you want to go back and meet their offer. If you do go back, the party now knows how much you want it. You’ll probably have to pay their full asking price. Sometimes the other party will modify their original offer and you can barter for a fair exchange.

Here is a list of skills and items you could use for bartering.

 

If you’re a pro, please add any additional suggestions to the comment section.

 

Filed Under: Finance, Mind Set Tagged With: ,

Memorial Day Prayer

May 28, 2012 by

On this Memorial Day, I am thankful for the sacrifice so many throughout our history have made, for the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice and for their families who had to carry on without them.

It is a sacrifice that is easy to forget. For those who have it, freedom is like oxygen. It’s something we just have. Many will not understand just how precious either is until they are at risk of being taken away. There are encroachments being made on our freedoms right now by those who think they know better. This is a conversation for another time.

Today I remember a sacrifice made and a debt I cannot repay. Today I pray for the God of heaven to bless the families of those who have lost loved ones while serving our great nation. I pray for Him to bless and comfort the walking wounded who are still with us, and bless their families as well.

It is also my prayer that we remember their sacrifice and the precious gift of freedom every day, not just once a year or when they are in danger of being taken away.

Filed Under: Mind Set, Uncategorized

The Quest for Solitude and Rest

May 11, 2012 by

I live in that solitude which is painful in youth, but delicious in the years of maturity. – Albert Einstein

This year I hit a milestone, the BIG 4-0.  I don’t really feel 40.  Some people don’t even think I look 40.  But one of the things that I have been longing for, seeking for lately is a feeling of rest and solitude.  Maybe it IS my age.  There are times I don’t feel like being around anyone.  I’d rather just sit and rest and not do much of anything, especially not being around crowds.  Sometimes I feel like I’m an old grumpy man!

Or maybe it isn’t necessarily my age.  Maybe it’s just a result of my crazy lifestyle.  During the week I’m an assistant principal in the public school system,  I pastor a home-church, run the Prepper Website, do 2-3 weddings a month (conservative number), garden and more importantly I’m a husband and father of three.  Maybe it’s my crazy lifestyle.

The desire for rest and solitude really hit home a few months back, when I accompanied the 3rd and 5th graders on their Science field trip.   The district has a facility where the students get to experience hands-on Science in a district owned, heavily wooded plot of land.  The 3rd graders stay on the outskirts of the woods, but the 5th graders get to go deep into the woods and walk trails, experience the pond ecosystem and the bird refuge.  It was when I was walking between groups that I realized the quietness of the woods and how much I really enjoyed it and missed it.  I felt at ease, calm and wished I had a chair so that I could just sit for a while.

I might get to realize this dream real soon.  Dad just bought a piece of land in East Texas.  This would be the second piece of land that the family has owned in East Texas.  Our first one was used often.  I have great childhood memories of going there on the weekends and extended periods in the summer.

This second property is totally off-grid.  So it is going to be a little different than before.  But after it gets some work, the only sounds that I will be able to hear will be the birds in the trees, the rustling of the trees and the running of the creek, if it has been raining decently.  There will be times that we will have to run the generator, but that will only run for a while.  I can’t wait to sit by the fire, look up at the sky and enjoy the peace and quiet.

Desiring rest and solitude isn’t a bad thing.  In fact, God put it in place at the beginning of time.  In Genesis, we read that on the 7th day of Creation, God rested.  God doesn’t need to rest, He’s God.  He did it as a model and example for us.  Six days work to your heart’s content, on the seventh, rest!

By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done. Genesis 2:2-3 (NIV)

So whether you are doing it because you are an old fart, live a crazy life or doing it for religious reasons, rest is a good thing.

There are a few ideas I have about rest and solitude that I hope might be valuable to others who are in a similar situation, or who might consider taking advantage of a day of rest.

  1. Schedule your time – The fact is if you don’t schedule your time, something will schedule it for you.  There is always something that “needs” to be done.  There is always someone who “needs”  “just a minute.”  Some people work themselves to the bone and as a result stay tired and run-down…mentally and physically.  So schedule your time!  If you do this, then you won’t have to lie when someone or something comes needing your attention.  You can say, “I’m sorry, I have an important meeting.”
  2. Examine your family’s patterns – You might not be able to take a whole day of rest.  You might have to find a few hours.  I like it when there is peace and quiet in the house, even if it’s for a short while.  I wake up at 5:15 a.m. to pray and have some alone time.  At 5:15 a.m., the dogs aren’t even up!  I couldn’t do this in the evening, the TV is on, the kids are playing games, on their phones, doing their homework, coming in and out, need a ride to this…that…this again…you might know exactly what I’m talking about.  If you don’t have kids, you would want to find a time when your spouse isn’t stirring in the house…unless you two choose to pray together.
  3.  Find a retreat – In my city, there is a Catholic retreat that is open to all faiths.  For less than $20 a day you can get a room with a bed (to take a restful nap), pray in their chapel, walk and meditate in the gardens, walk the prayer circle and even talk with a counselor.  It is a beautiful place that allows you time to be in quiet and be alone.  If you don’t have a retreat available, you could visit a park or even a restaurant/coffee shop at a slow time of the day.  Although there might be noise there, it is easier to disregard that as background noise – I did most of my graduate work in a local coffee shop.
  4. Find an empty church – If you need some quiet time and can’t find it anywhere, your local church, during the weekday, might be the spot for you.  Some churches leave their doors open during weekday hours.  Asking the church secretary for permission to go in and “sit and be still” would most likely be welcome.

There are so many benefits from taking time to rest in peace and quiet.  How much of our health related issues are due to our fast paced lifestyle and go-go attitude?  We weren’t made to go non-stop!  So find some time to relax, get still, enjoy peace and quiet and solitude and notice how you feel, how you are thinking and your mood on the other side of that time.

Today’s article was written by:

Todd Sepulveda is the owner/editor of www.prepperwebsite.com.  He is also an assistant principal in the public school system and a bi-vocational pastor.

 

Filed Under: Mind Set

Making a Survival Plan

April 23, 2012 by

Making a Survival Plan

There is no one survival or preparedness plan that fits every situation or for every person.  There are however a few guidelines that can be used by anyone in any situation, to improve your chances.  From seeing an economy in danger to being stuck in the ditch during a snowstorm in a remote area, or even to being stranded on a desert island, I’ll list the tools below that survivors have practiced versions of since walking out of the Garden of Eden.  The tools I am going to go over are more geared toward surviving an event of some type.  While some very well could be used by someone beating cancer, some just won’t apply.

 

Normalcy Bias

My Friend Dene Brock wrote a great article on normalcy bias:, I’ll quote her definition:

“Normalcy bias refers to a mental state people enter when facing a disaster.   It causes people to underestimate both the possibility of a disaster occurring and its possible effects. This often results in situations where people fail to adequately prepare for a disaster.”

I think there are two types of normalcy bias, one is when people don’t believe bad things will happen; this thinking is foolish.  The second group disbelieves it is happening even while it is happening; this thinking is dangerous.

I started with this one for a reason, it is extremely important!  We can ensure we’re not in group one by being informed about possible dangers and since you’re reading an article on a preparedness site, I’m guessing you’re not one of the people from group one who thinks bad things won’t happen. 

I think if you practice situational awareness it is much easier to notice the proverbial paddle-less boat is heading down the crick for what it is.  If you are aware that the boat is slowly leaving the shore and that there is no paddle, it’s a lot harder to go on believing there is nothing wrong.  No there are not always signs that there is something wrong, but I think more often than not there are, we just have to be “awake” and paying attention.

 

 

Get Your Mind Right

The most important survival tool you have is your mindset, (which normalcy bias is a part of).  I’m not talking about what you know in terms of skills, I’m talking about what you allow your perception to be.  I’m not talking about “think good thoughts and it will happen”, that’s part of it, but I’m talking about reaching down to that place inside of you that some of you might think unpleasant, that place that anger and rage dwell the place where determination is the deciding factor.  That place that that gives you the determination to say “NO! This is not happening if I have ANYTHING to do about it.”  I don’t mean get angry for the sake of getting angry.  You see anger and even rage can give you the strength, the determination to grab five stones and walk to face the giant.

 There have been many documented cases where someone survived and the reason they gave was because they refused to give up, they would not quit.  To some extent this might be in our DNA, some people are just made more resilient; they can take more punishment and keep going.  But I think there is a lot of choice in there as well.    Have you ever watched any documentary of SEAL training?  It is brutal, absolutely brutal especially ”Hell week”

 From USMIlitary.About.com

“Trainees are constantly in motion; constantly cold, hungry and wet. Mud is everywhere–it covers uniforms, hands and faces. Sand burns eyes and chafes raw skin. Medical personnel stand by for emergencies and then monitor the exhausted trainees. Sleep is fleeting–a mere three to four hours granted near the conclusion of the week. The trainees consume up to 7,000 calories a day and still lose weight.”

The thing about SEAL training is that you can quit at any time, you just have to take the walk of shame and ring the bell.  I have no proof, but I would venture that the only people that make it through “Hell Week” are the people who reach down to that place where anger and determination dwell. 

That emotion is a gift from God, it’s what we do with it that might be a sin and using it to fight for the life He gave you isn’t a sin.

 

The Rule of Three’s

 The rule of three’s is a proven survival rule that I covered a couple weeks ago.  For review:

The average human can last:

3 seconds without oxygen to the brain
3 minutes without oxygen
3 hours without shelter in poor weather without proper shelter
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

In a survival situation if you are dealing with the first two rules, fix those, then do a first aid check of yourself and those around you.  Once you’re to a point that not having shelter is your biggest danger. then you can work on the five basic human needs.

 

Five Basic Human Needs

I covered five basic human needs last week, for review they are; water, food, shelter, energy and security.  I use the The rule of three’s to determine the importance of the need.  If your oxygen and shelter needs are met, then you can concentrate of water.  Energy and security are always on a kind of sliding scale.  If you need shelter and warmth, then energy in the form of a fire takes a higher priority.  As does security if Mr. Dirtbag is around, but it doesn’t have to be a bad guy, you’re security could be in danger due to a tree that looks like it might fall on your house after a storm.

Using these two rules can guide you in deciding what your priority should be after an event.

 

Survivors Club

I want to get back to mindset for a minute, I’ll be reviewing this book later this week, so I’ll cover it in more detail then.  The text below was something I sent out in the Christmas update in 2011.

In the book The Survivors Club Author Ben Sherwood explores a theory developed by a man named John Leach called “The 10/80/10 rule”. In summary the rule states that the top 10% of people in a crisis excel; they think clearly and take immediate action. The middle group comprises 80% of people; they are “quite simply stunned and bewildered”; “reasoning is significantly impaired and thinking is difficult”. The last 10% of people are the “ones you definitely want to avoid in an emergency”.

A few pages later he explains something called ‘behavioral inaction’; “The current theory of behavioral inaction goes like this: As your frontal lobes process the site of an airplane wing on fire, they seek to match the information with memories of similar situations in the past. If you have no stored experience of a plane crash, your brain can’t find a match and gets stuck in a loop trying and failing to come up with the right response. Hence: immobility.”

I said that “I want my readers to be in the top 10%; to excel in any crisis because they have either been in a situation, or have thought of what they might do and not be stunned, bewildered or immobile.”

This hasn’t changed.  I love it when people post what they would do, but I hope that everyone thinks through the scenarios I post, even if they don’t really apply to them.  I was blessed tremendously by a reader letting me know that she was followed in her car by someone she accidentally cut off.  She said that because of some of the things she had read on this site she knew to be aware and kept trying to lose Mr. Dirtbag, which she eventually did.  Thank you God!

Going through different “what ifs” is a great way to stave off any normalcy bias that an easy blessed life might let start to creep in.  It could also help you act when you’re put in a survival situation, if you have something for your brain to latch on to, you won’t get stuck in ‘behavioral inaction’ and immobility. 

Friends I think we’re headed for times that are scattered with turbulence. By avoiding normalcy bias and being aware, we can face the trials with grit and determination.  We can use the rule of three’s and five basic needs to make sure our physical needs are met and pray to the Lord to see us through to the other side. 
 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set Tagged With:

The Rule of Threes

March 30, 2012 by

I’ve discussed these rules before, but thought it would be a good idea to cover them again, for those who might have missed them. You can use these rules in a survival situation to help you decide what your biggest danger is.

The average human can last:

3 seconds without oxygen to the brain
3 minutes without oxygen
3 hours without shelter in poor weather
3 days without water
3 weeks without food

There are a couple of examples that I have seen added that I don’t much care for, they are:
3 seconds in a violent attack.
3 months without human contact.

I understand the sentiment, but the others are actually provable while these two are speculative.

Lasting the length of time of any of the rules won’t be easy. After a day without water, you’ll feel rotten. I haven’t done an extended fast, but I’m told after a certain amount of time the hunger pangs slow down, but until then, you’ll feel weak, cranky and have limited energy.

 
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Filed Under: General Preparedness, Mind Set, Preparedness Tips
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