In today’s society people pride themselves on being busy. Seriously; they do. Think about how often you speak of all the things that are keeping you busy. And through it all you are that much more important right? But here is the thing. Busy is a trap: Bound Under Satan’s Yoke. It’s time to break out of the prison. And now while you can.
The first step in even getting there is to recognize that being busy actually does put people in prison. Think of all the things that must get done; and how many of them are truly in need of getting done. What percentage would you say? 100% of course because you are in control and know all; you are the omnipotent one right that can handle it all. Yes you- are the hero! But get this; it’s only in your mind that you are.
If you were to remove just one item how much more time would you have? If you were to allow one person to do just one thing that needs getting done how much more peace would you have? If you were to pray two more minutes of prayer each day how much more wisdom would you grow into? If you were to make one change in your life how much better would your marriage be? Your business? Your employees? Your health? Your relationship with Jesus? How much? Count the cost of that and then calculate the cost of staying the same.
When you see it life will change. I too was locked up; in my mind. I didn’t know it. I didn’t know that all the running around was only keeping me out of breath; busy and in the end- tired and useless. You can’t be fruitful and busy at the same time because only one produces fruit. It was a process because I was able although just because you can doesn’t mean you should- do it all all the time that is.
So what do you do? How do you get out; break free? You make a choice. You go to the One who came to set the captives free for you are already free you just have to live free. And really; don’t think that you can do it on your own because if you could have- you would have known better than to get yourself there in the first place.
Your life is a reflection of the choices that you have made. Perhaps it’s time to start making new ones.It’s time to get a grip and be the one who is leading and not following the way. Don’t forget that Jesus was counter-cultural so if you claim to follow Him; don’t worry about being just that. It comes with the territory! And remember that it’s just as easy to create good habits as it is bad ones. So don’t let the bad ones exist just because you choose to not make good ones; you know the ones that keep you busy forever missing the actual life you were meant to live. Forgive yourself because if you don’t- you will only change your prison cell.
For more about freedom in forgiveness watch ‘Living in Forgiveness’ weeknights at 9:30pm CST on the UANetwork.
In today’s unpredictable society; one day you have it all and the next day your next elected politician steals it from you. What will you do? Trust in the failing stock market? Stock up and head to the hills? What will you do? Where will you put your trust? Your 401k? Let’s hope not! Your return is too unstable to predict and well; I’m not a betting woman when it comes to the money game. The one area of trust though is that God will provide. God’s Word never fails and while it took me years to figure it out; praise Him that I did.
I have many testimonies of the goodness of God but this one takes me back to a time when life was really interesting. I was just kicked out of a church by nasty emails calling me names when I shared that I needed some time alone with the Lord and I didn’t really know may people in Dallas. My income dropped to less than my rent after I had just moved to a larger place for my mother (who stood me up on the move) and I had no way out. I knew that sharing this with many people would only deem me crazy so that wasn’t really an option. No. This was something to be worked through with only Jesus. Perhaps you have been there.
For 10 months He carried me. I didn’t know where anything was going to come from. None. He provided in ways that only He could; and always in His ‘perfect’ time. All I was required to do was trust. And believe me the trusting was the hardest; although He never left me. He will never leave you either.
See; it’s one thing to say you trust the Lord and then use credit cards as your backup and another thing to have absolutely no means whatsoever! When you don’t have credit cards; when you have nothing but Him you will need to make a choice. And you better choose quickly- and Him.
There will never be anyone who can carry you through anything like He can and like He will. No one. And so I share this as some encouragement for you to know that in the midst of your trials He is with you. He always has been. He has loved you and will continue to do so. He will provide; so long as you let Him.
What’s your testimony? What can you share?
For more about love and forgiveness in Christ watch ‘Living in Forgiveness’ Monday-Friday at 9:30pm CST on the UANetwork.
Image belongs to Karen Holland 2009
We are all given choices to make. Did you know the average person makes 35k decisions every day? If you are a business owner it may be more. Now have you stopped to think about what those decisions actually are? Perhaps you should! You see; your decisions will lead you where you are and your body cannot go where your mind has not been.
And so on this day what do you spend most of your time doing and thinking about? How to make more money? That is your idol. The greed factor kills even the most of appearing to be humble persons. Do you pride yourself on your trophies of this or that sport? Do you pride yourself on how many philosophy degrees you have that let’s be honest; haven’t gotten you a job? Do you pride yourself on the neighborhood that you live in and boast about it during dinner parties? The number of shoes you have? Oh yes the days of Carrie Bradshaw may have you dreaming. Or even that you have the new job title and were first in line to get the latest phone? While all of that may make you think you are a better person- but does it? Your gun collection does not make you a better person. Oh and because your church is bigger than the one across the street still does not make you better. How would it?
Let’s get real. None of that matters. Period. None of it. In the Book of Ruth we see that Boaz loved Ruth because of her character- not how her nails were painted and her new stilettos. Sure those things may be nice and some can argue ‘Well; if men weren’t so visual I wouldn’t have to have all this’ but here is the thing: ‘real men’ will see beyond nail polish to see you. Period. Ruth demonstrates to us that who we are is more important than what we have.
So it begs the question: ‘Who’ are you? Who are you without all the stuff you idolize that you have allowed to imprison you? When you strip that away it will tell you everything. Ruth was beautiful yet came without Louboutin’s. And she married up! Her heart is what captured him. The more away from the world and its lies you get and the closer to Jesus you become the less worldly possessions you need. As ‘HE’ becomes all you need you realize what is truly important. And let us not forget God’s Word tells us to think on the things above; and seek the better things. And Jesus is the best thing. Make today the day that you build your character to be pleasing Him rather than your own castle in the sand. You won’t regret it.
The story of Hannah provides us much to reflect on. It is one where you can be like her in the beginning or the end- it’s your choice. But rest assured if you try in all your own strength you will fail. Why? Because God’s Word tells us that apart from Him we can do no good thing. (John 15:5) How hard it must have been for her to desire something so much and yet get it; that is until she surrendered. You may think that you are so smart investing in the stock market; and when it fully collapses what will you have? Anger toward God? Bitterness of the loss when in reality you just didn’t listen to God Almighty? Surrender to Him now. The reality is that you have nothing to lose and if you don’t; well you will lose and more than you know.
You see; you can’t have it both ways: serving yourself and God at the same time. You must choose. Hannah finally got the memo and guess what? It was ‘God’ who blessed her with a baby. No one else. No dead god or universe will bless you. It can’t. It doesn’t even know you! But the God who created you and knows every hair on your head can! It is always God and if you deny His ways then you will live with the consequences. It doesn’t matter if you are one individual or one nation turning your back on Him will prove to be disastrous- and one only need to look around and see the devastation surrounding us.
The good news is that there is still time! Who knows how long but rest assured if you do what Hannah did and repent and seek forgiveness; times of refreshing may come. Her bitterness left her ‘and then’ she became pregnant. Now- this would make sense right because bitterness rots the bones so in reality how would she be able to carry a baby to term with bitter bones? But if you choose to be independent and pride yourself for it you will fall. And why fall on your face when you can stand on God’s Word and live to tell about it?
It’s a wake up call for each of us to recognize that regardless of the amount of wisdom you think you have; you don’t. You did not create yourself and you really are not the best thing since sliced bread and when that sinks in and you understand that it isn’t about you but about Him your life will change. When I got over myself and all my accolades of man made ideas and trophies everything changed. Remember that on judgment day there simply won’t be a trophy or stupid ribbon given to you just because you were born. God is a just God and if you don’t choose to show up you won’t reap the rewards. Choose Him now.
If you want the turnaround in your life it requires obedience to God’s Word. Period. If you want a solution to the problems in the wonderful USA it will require repentance and forgiveness. Period. You cannot add sin to the pure Word of God and think that you will get God’s best. This cannot happen, is not happening and will not happen-ever. God is worth more than the sin people want to live in. Those that are attempting to do so are simply revealing which side they are on and it’s very clear is it not that of God.
It’s time to humble ourselves before the Almighty and do so before it is too late. Acts 3:19 is very clear ‘Repent, and seek forgiveness, so that times of refreshing may come.’ No times of refreshing come ‘before’ humbling. They can’t. God does not and will not bow down to the sin that you want to live in and why should He? He created you remember?
And so in these times the rewards that come through seeking forgiveness are vast. I am here and that’s how I know what is on the other side of forgiveness. But if you wish to deny the fullness of forgive that by the way; can ‘only’ come through Jesus you will live in less than what He initially planned for you. You see; forgiveness is between you and God and when you go to everyone else but Him you miss the entire point. It is not your neighbor or the pope that has any authority to wash your sins away. None. So it’s time now to get that your life to come is based upon your willingness to align yourself with God’s Word. My prayer for you in the name of Jesus is that you would want Him more than you want to keep the sin that is killing you. And rest assured He is the only one who can save you. No other dead god or government entity can. Best to just overcome your flesh and do so now while you still can. You have nothing to lose and a life to gain!
For more about forgiveness and the power of walking in it watch ‘Living in Forgiveness’ Monday-Friday at 9:30pm CST on the UANetwork. Check your local listing. Stream live at www.uanetwork.tv
I was thinking about how easy is is to serve more than one master without even realizing it.Sure the obvious right; money and bla bla. But what about the others? Are you being mastered by your television? Football? Well sure the Superbowl is just around the corner? Not your flavor? Well; just wait two months and March Maddness will be here. Or better yet about your food- which by the way I learned that people who live in Dallas eat more food and consumer more liquor than anywhere in the US; and then finally are you being mastered by your hate of others or unforgiveness toward people who have hurt you or just aren’t like you? Is bitterness your drink of choice? How about resentment? The enemy makes it so simple to serve him and most are so unsuspecting because it’s just considered ‘normal’. Better be careful of letting what is not normal become your normal.
See; anything that rules you that is not of God will kill you. Period. Sin kills. It destroys. Look around. People, communities, cities and nations are falling fast because they chose to serve the wrong master. Phoenix, AZ just chose to athiest group to pray before the invocation, Detroit has the Baphomet statue for all to see and worship, and the State of OK recently removed the 10 Commandments from its buildings. Their master is being revealed along with the consequences of their choices. The good news is that you have the power and authority in Jesus Christ to make change for His Kingdom- should you be so willing. I pray you are a servant to the One and only who is and is to come as your life will be spared.Choose life. Choose forgiveness. Choose love. And live. I would much rather live in love in heaven than die of hatred in hell- how about you?
For more about love and forgiveness watch ‘Living in Forgiveness’ Monday-Friday at 9:30pm CST on the UANetwork. Check your local listing. Stream live atwww.uanetwork.tv
God created man for relationship. That is clear starting Genesis yet because of sin everything changed. While Adam and Eve weren’t born into sin we know that we are and that for us to hear from God it requires spending time with Him. As such an increased in hearing from God can come through forgiveness. On the opposite end not dealing with issues of forgiveness only creates separation from Him which leads many in the direction clearly not of God.
What I didn’t know or even realize or have a clue of was that my unforgiveness was keeping me separated from God. While it may sound obvious and now it is; the catch was that I did not even know I had an ounce of unforgiveness at all. I guess I may have fallen into the word of faith movement; name it and claim and it and so I probably claimed forgiveness but never actually did anything but speak it only to find out years later that if you do nothing you are worse off. And so I was.
I was living my life thinking it was everyone else yet in reality I was the one in sin and yes; unforgiveness is sin. I was the one who needed to repent and I was the one that had the decreased hearing from God. And all the while I blamed God. Go figure that in my disobedience I was so prideful to think the issue was God. So if you are saying God doesn’t talk to you or that you don’t hear from Him; it’s not Him. It’s you. Yes. It is you.
The increase in hearing will come when you make the choice to obey God’s Word and just do it; which by the way isn’t first from Nike but in God’s Word.Matthew 6:4 starts the sentence with ‘Just do it’. So yet again God’s Word proves there is nothing new under the sun; not even a slogan. And in an increased hearing from God your life will change.
So how does forgiveness increase healing? Three simple ways:
- Forgiveness is sin dealt with. Unforgiveness is sin and sin separates us from God. It doesn’t matter how big or large; separation is separation. And being off the mark can prove disastrous; just ask any sniper. It is your choice to be obedient and repent of the sin so that you can move forward and live in obedience. Acts 3:19 is clear ‘Repent, and seek forgiveness so that times of refreshing may come.’ Nothing that you want comes without repentance first. When you repent you are dealing with the sin at hand and unforgiveness is a big one most don’t recognize.
- Forgiveness corrects your perception. Your perception when living in unforgiveness is distorted. There is no way for it to not be. And with about 40 symptoms of unforgiveness (https://julieblair.com/product/overcoming-symptoms-of-unforgiveness/) it is no wonder why people aren’t living in the power and authority; or hearing from God as they should be. Every symptom of unforgiveness distorts your perception of you, your involvement in whatever situation it was or is, the other people involved; and even God. In my life my incorrect perception had me believing that my mother didn’t want me and therefore I lived a life based upon the rejection and abandonment. Once I forgave her I learned something. When she my shared the events and the ultimatum she was given by the social worker who was trying to buy me everything changed. I realized that this wasn’t a mother who hated her daughter but rather a mother in a situation of having her child taken and sold on the baby black market! Who would have ever thought? And see; unforgiveness keeps you living in the mindset that only you have based upon what you know. Well; when living that closed off God could speak anything to you but you wouldn’t be in proper position to receive it because of all the internal clutter. That was me. Forgive and see your perception change to be more in alignment with Him and His Word and ways.
- Forgiveness restores your relationship with Jesus. When sin is dealt with life is different. When the internal clutter is unloaded life too is different. It’s like going to the gym without having to actually go or sweat. The relationship with Jesus can be restored simply through forgiveness. It’s the removal of sin that restores us to Christ. On the other hand the choice to not deal with it simply means choosing the separation. Either way a choice must be made. As you are restored to who God created you to be your hearing will increase.
God has a plan for the life of everyone created; His Word tells us so in Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” And in dealing with the sin of unforgiveness it will be much easier to hear what that plan is and then take the steps necessary to live out that plan. Let it be known that included in that plan is a relationship with you. And if you want the fullness of it it will require getting over yourself to overcome unforgiveness to hear from Him. And when you do it will be a sweet melody of life change for your beautiful future in Jesus name.
Did you know that through love and obedience in Christ in all things you will inherit the Kingdom? Yep. But if you choose to ignore His ways and teachings then you miss out. You will not inherit anything but what you deserve. Period. Tough lesson but it’s the reality of what happens when you disregard God and His Word.
I missed out on for a long time. I thought I was doing right by going to church. I didn’t grow up in the church I grew up in the world. And so it was just show up on Sunday with your best clothes on. That is what I knew.
I went to the bar Saturday night and I thought I was cool setting my midnight curfew and then church on Sunday. It’s what everyone else did so why not? It doesn’t matter what city you are in; it’s the same. I didn’t realize it until I moved and saw it. Dallas is no different than Denver is no different than Seattle; no different than Nova Scotia. Churchgoers all around yet where is the power and authority in Christ? Where is the love? Where is the forgiveness? Where is the obedience to all of God’s Word? I thought those 2 hours a week would really get me to the fullness of Christ- NOT! There was no fruit; there can’t be. It’s like straddling a wooden fence and thinking you won’t get splinters.
I was told years later if I wanted radical change in my life and relationship with Jesus it would require 40+ hours per week; and the man that told me wasn’t kidding. I didn’t know what that meant or how 40 hours would work out with hockey season starting and all. I wasn’t sure how I would endure all of it but I chose and it was worth it. Beyond anything I can tell you!
You must choose. You must adopt the full lifestyle of being a follower of Jesus if you claim you are; otherwise you are making everyone else and yourself look like idiots. It’s not a very good witness and I know you know you that. I know that you may not know what to do with yourself if you don’t go the bar; and in Dallas I get it. But it’s everywhere and the choice is still yours. Why not choose the better thing? Jesus is better than a night at the bar. He’s better with you alone anywhere than you with some stranger who’s name you don’t know. He is better than anything you could have experienced with anyone around you; and He is waiting for more of that just with you. With you; no pretense just you and Him.
You see time is running out. Look around. It is really running out and you don’t want to miss out all because you thought the scotch tasted good and he or she was attractive. You don’t want to miss out for one more sale that isn’t going to really get you the dream job that you already know won’t make you happy. Time is running out. Make the choice for what is most important. In the end you can’t take your career, BMW 3 series of Christian Louboutin’s with you. But you can take the love of Jesus with you!
For more about love and forgiveness watch ‘Living in Forgiveness’ Monday-Friday at 9:30pm CST on the UANetwork. Stream live at www.uanetwork.tv or watch on Roku or On-Demand.
Forgiveness is a command. It is a way of life that brings peace, restoration, healing and much more that each person will experience through the lifestyle of forgiveness. While there are the commonly known ’10 Commandments’ there are also others that are important to note.
The most relevant for discussion is reviewed in Matthew 18-21-22 “Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.” What is of utmost importance in these scriptures is not the fact that Peter asked the questions in the first place as most would think. The most important and unnoticed point is that Peter already knew he was to forgive! Yes he knew what he was supposed to do; although it may appear that he too struggled with it because he too was just a man.
Forgiveness and the command to do it is not the shock for most; it is the fact that they actually have to that is where life gets tricky! It is the letting go of the emotions of pain, anger, hurt, resentment, and myriad of others that take poll position. In the position of Peter; he already knew that his brothers would sin against him. He already knew that it would be more than one time and for more than one thing. He knew. He again is no different than you or me. Do you not know that people are all alike and all fall short of His glory? With this; it then should make simple the mere fact that people are going to make mistakes; no different than you or me.
Through forgiveness and it being a lifestyle; it will help deter the attack from the enemy when there is pain. You see; if you are on the offense in forgiveness; when others come against you in some form or fashion you will know how to handle it properly. It is when there is no proper understanding in place that when a situation brings a blind-side to your life that you won’t have to take longer to heal and recover from. You will already know and will be on the offense. Does it mean there will be no pain? Certainly not. But what it is does mean is that like Peter; you must know that pain and hurt will come and that forgiveness will be required.
This is why it is imperative to be on the side of God and know His Word so that when times of pain come; you are equipped to stand firm on His Word and believe and accept that He will never leave you or forsake you. This is why it too is important to understand and grasp forgiveness so that you are able to be obedient to the command in God’s Word and also live in the freedom that it provides. If not; the consequences will be in abundance and leave you living in lack overall with a reduced quality of life. And that certainly is not one that is befitting of a Christian who is expected to live in the authority of Jesus Christ.
People today are no different. We all already know we need to forgive; however, as a result of God being God His Word provides everyone who has ears to hear and eyes to see with the ability to know His Word and be able to follow all the commands in it. God provides the instruction, direction and outcome of all of His Word. There is not one answer not provided for in His Word. Forgiveness is one such a command that has everything inclusive of it for the act to be delivered and the rewards that come through and with it.
What must be understood is that regardless of what other people think or do; obedience to His Word should and must reign supreme for all Believers. Forgiveness is not the excusing of any act or behavior but rather a display of an act of the command to forgive. And to be obey is better than to sacrifice.
There is much going on in the world today. Your world; my world. The world that neither of us are in. It’s all changing and the time is now to be prepared. The time is now. Apostle Paul makes it clear that we must be prepared. We must be prepared in and out of season; but what exactly is the ‘in’ season? What is the ‘out’ season? If you look carefully isn’t any season you are in the the ‘in’ season? Therefore by deduction you must be prepared at all times in all ways for all things. You must be. But in what way? All ways.
We must first prepare our hearts to live in love and forgiveness. There is no way other than this. You cannot wait for a disaster to strike to love and reach out to your neighbor. You must now. You must fill your heart with love and forgiveness overrunning.
We must stand firm in faith. If you struggle ask for more faith. The disciples did. They knew they needed an increase in measure. Why? Because in order to forgive they would need faith. Luke 17:4-5 is clear: Even if they sin against you seven times in a day and seven times come back to you saying ‘I repent,’ you must forgive them.” The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith!” (NIV) Ironic too that they needed faith to forgive. Do you? Ask and receive!
Now while standing firm in faith in the Lord is one thing; it too requires action. Remember that faith without works is dead so when it appears the world may be falling apart around you what are you doing to be prepared so that you can stand and not fall faint of hunger? You must be able to stand as how can you help your brothers and sisters in need? It is not time to be dependent upon others but upon the Lord so that you can be of service to others on His behalf.
It got me thinking to say the least. How prepared am I? What do I need to be prepared for? What is my faith level? What is in my heart? Not only this; what is in my pantry? You see; we must be prepared and in all ways. Winter is here are you ready?
In Colorado growing up people were prepared for winter. It was normal life. People had gardens and the crops were canned for winter. It was life. That was the norm. Those of you who grew up in climates similar can relate I’m sure. The blizzard of 1982 was one such example. It came on Christmas Eve. It’s not one people soon forget. The other ones that people still talk about are 1997 where in Coal Creek Canyon 56″ of snow was reported in less than 12 hours. In 2003 people were snowed in for at minimum 5 days. Because some cities outlawed driving people skied to the nearest grocery store; before everything was shut down. How ingenious right? Yep wear a backpack and ski to the market. You do what it takes and have what you need in order to complete the task. You can’t drive and for me that year I didn’t get out for more than 5 days. Nothing like being snow bound!
Living in climates like Denver people have 4-wheel drive vehicles- and they moreso know how to drive in the conditions too. In most cities across America; people aren’t equipped for such weather as snow and ice; or even cold. We can look around and see the weather changing and vastly. Many talk about global warming yet it’s been the opposite so figure that one out. So are you prepared? Some say living in Texas the weather is changing daily. At least it’s daily. Other places it’s hourly! I remember in Denver laying out at the pool in the morning and by evening experiencing 2″ of snow. In other words have sunscreen and hot chocolate handy every day. Even in July you can get snowed in the foothills in as I’ve experienced that too.
In reflection of a few things that would be necessary for survival is one that has thinking I need to step up my game. Dallas is different and regardless of where I live or where you live; you must be prepared. You don’t want to be cold and bitter now do you? See; grocery stores only have supplies for three days. Three days! What if the weather is so bad that the power is out longer than that? Or what if where you live the weather is ok but where the goods come from the weather isn’t? What if the weather is so bad that the trucks can’t even get to your city to deliver the products you need? What then would you do? It occurs to me that there are some things I need to take care of. It’s not like I will be able to just use my cell phone and order pizza. And if I could the two hour wait for it to arrive cold may not be the best either. So it’s best to just be prepared. Love, forgive and have extra toilet paper.
A few things to think about to be prepared are:
1- Water. Of course everyone needs water so this goes without say. If you start now stocking up on water then you are set for drinking but what about the other areas of your life? What about showering, cooking, or anything else. Don’t you need to be able to flush the toilet so you may need more water? It takes about one gallon to fill the tank so keep some on hand just in case. If you have the drinking water do you really want to pour that down the toilet? The large blue containers you can fill up with a few gallons of tap water and then store them in the garage so you have something. You wouldn’t want to store your drinking water in the heat in the garage as it will only take more like plastic than it already does. One thing I do is fill a gallon of water from the shower while I am waiting for it to heat. Yes it’s that much! The other thing I do is keep another gallon jug by the kitchen sink so that while I am waiting for hot water I collect all the cold water. I use that to fill my dog’s water bowl and to water plants. Why pay money for it to go down the drain?
2- Food. Of course you have to eat and because you may not have electricity or know when it will be restored you definitely have to plan. I remember during the Superbowl when Green Bay played in Dallas during that week I had no electricity for a day. Needless to say it was cold from the ice storm. No one can drive on ice and keeping warm is obviously priority along with eating. Think about what you would eat for more than just one meal. What is your daily food consumption now? How long will the food in the refrigerator and freezer last? How would you prepare it? During the aftermath of Hurricane Ike many people grilled all their meat from the freezer since they had no electricity. I was told years ago to take old water bottles and fill them with water but not all the way full and then store them in the freezer for occasions just like this. Perhaps a few MRE’s and other items should be accounted for before it’s too late. Foods high in protein and require no cooking are the most obvious. Plan for additional foods for the children and infants in your family. Not only this; how often do people eat out of boredom? Planning now will help you know what you have so your level of irritability won’t be so high. The last thing you want is to get stuck with a Costco size container of old stale cheese balls.
3- Paper items. Toilet paper, napkins and other items are good to have on hand. Nothing would be worse than the last roll of toilet paper! Because water supply is limited doing dishes won’t be easy using paper products can serve the purpose. Count for how much toilet paper you use per month then perhaps an extra month supply would be good. Obviously if you are single you use less than a family of five; but still that is the last thing you want to run out of. One opened item of anything is never enough!
4- Protection. It’s wise to be able to defend yourself in all seasons. Bad guys are everywhere. While we must walk and live in love and forgiveness we must be wise too. Keeping current with firearms training and having ammunition is just prudent. My CHL is current and being proficient in using it doesn’t take much time out of my life. It’s just one of those things that is no different than taking care of the laundry or baking cookies.
5- Toiletries. As I said before an opened anything is never enough. Are you at the bottom of the shampoo bottle? Last roll of the toothpaste? What then if you run out before the weather clears and your store is restocked. How terrible would it be to not be able to brush your teeth for a few days or weeks?
6- Lighting. Candles of course can work just great; but how many would you need to use for light and warmth? When I look around my town home I see 20ft ceilings with an open floor plan which means all the warmth going everyone else except to me. I would need to get creative with where I would spend my time because I obviously don’t want to waste my candles. My personal idea is pretty simple. My bathroom is a decent size and is closed in so it would make the most sense to set up shop in there. I would set up an air mattress in the bathtub and that room would be the warmest with less heat escaping. I would roll a towel in front of the door so that no heat could escape; or at least very little. Sitting on the air mattress also gets me off the floor where it isn’t warm. Because my dining room, kitchen, living room; and bedroom all have windows using candles simply would be better in the bathroom. GE sells the LED lanterns that take D batteries so for 20 bucks I have light and with my candles have warmth. Don’t forget the matches or lighters. I have a fireplace that was one thought although the bathroom would still provide better options for longer warmth because the heat could be contained.
7- Pet food and supplies. You can’t let your pet go hungry now can you? Of course not! My Olive needs her food too. How much does your pet consume daily? What about flea, tick or heart worm medicine? Having these items on hand will only help you better protect your animal. Perhaps a few extra treats or raw hide bones would serve as a distraction from the situation. You may also think about a dog sweater or sweatshirt. While most with the purse dogs spend more on these items; your lab or Great Dane may need one too!
8-Prescriptions. While it’s easy to call the pharmacist to place the prescription order on most days; you most likely wouldn’t have phone service to make the call or be able to get to that location to purchase it. Having enough supply on hand is wise as you would have to have your mother or child suffer those consequences! Or better yet; have essential oils and recipes on hand. Sure it may be great to think you can hop online to find those recipes; except if you have no power for any length of time is this realistic?
9- Extra glasses or contacts. If it’s dark and you lose a pair of glasses now you are stuck. Stuck using your light to go search in the cold of the night to find them when if you had an extra pair in an easy to find location you would be just fine. You would hate to harbor unforgiveness toward yourself for not taking care of this oh; years ago when your spouse mentioned it. You don’t want to hear the proverbial ‘I told you so’. This is one thing on my list without a doubt! I’ve never lost a pair but that doesn’t mean an extra pair wouldn’t be beneficial. I’m also learning that too many things that can be done tomorrow can wreck havoc on it too! Tomorrow eventually becomes today so why not just do it now?
10- Blankets & Down Comforters. If you happen to be like many bachelors you may just have your sheet and comforter that you sometimes use; or even perhaps you have the old quilt from someone years ago. Having enough blankets to keep you warm is a definite! If you hold up in one room you can always use one at the base of the door to keep any heat from escaping; or the towel as I mentioned. My favorite is my down comforter; although I have two other bed sets and numerous other blankets that I have picked up along the way. When buying a down comforter buy the one that has the most ounces of down per square. It may cost more although it is the best purchase you can make! I have had mine for almost 20 years and it is one item I don’t ever see myself parting with. This one item that can definitely serve it’s purpose. Of course if you have the sleeping bag that you use for those hunting excursions those will work just fine. Always keep blankets on hand because you can use them to create a bed in case and that will generate heat as well for you. You can also use the blankets to cover windows in addition to draperies as that will help keep the warmth in.
11- Generator. Sure you may not want to spare the expense of a few hundred bucks and no one blames you; except for someone who told you to buy one years ago. For those who like to really be prepared it may be the best way to go. While others may be suffering; those with the generators wouldn’t lose any power so perhaps it is something to consider.
While there are many other items to include like salt for the driveway or front steps, sturdy ice scraper; and a prepared mentality this is a good start. More people die in the cold of winter and the number of people who die from unforgiveness is evident too. Just be prepared by forgiving, loving and ensuring that you are able to take care of yourself. When that day comes you will be glad you did!