Faith and wisdom, not fear.....

As I previously posted about, watching the news these days is a sure fire way to get stressed out! The things going on in the world today can be quite unsettling. We all have a CHOICE: Live in FEAR or live in FAITH. I am CHOOSING to have 100% faith in the Lord Jesus Christ! He has NEVER let me down and He will always be true to His promises. I can count on HIM! This world does not meet my needs, JESUS does!

One way that Jesus meets my needs is by instructing us to have wisdom. Read these verses from Proverbs:

Pro 6:1	My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another,
Pro 6:2	if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
Pro 6:3	then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor's hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!
Pro 6:4	Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.
Pro 6:5	Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
Pro 6:6	Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
Pro 6:7	It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
Pro 6:8	yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
Pro 6:9	How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?
Pro 6:10	A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest—
Pro 6:11	and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.[fn1]

God wants us to GET OUT OF DEBT!!! (see Dave Ramsey for sound advice) He also wants us be like the ant.... diligent to do our part to prepare for the "winter". We have been working on becoming DEBT FREE for the last 3 years... we are almost there! Praise the Lord! We have also been working on "storing up for the winter". We now have 3 pigs in the freezer and hopefully a deer or two, soon. We have a flock of chickens and the set up to raise rabbits if we would need to. I have done some canning this summer and have been working on stocking up our pantry. This is NOT living in fear! This is following God's word.

Proverbs 10:3-5

Pro 10:3	The Lord does not let the righteous go hungry but he thwarts the craving of the wicked.
Pro 10:4	Lazy hands make a man poor, but diligent hands bring wealth.
Pro 10:5	He who gathers crops in summer is a wise son, but he who sleeps during harvest is a disgraceful son.

God has laid out instructions in HIS word! I want you to understand that by storing up for "winter" I am not putting faith in myself, but rather in God giving us wisdom. Ultimately HE is our source for ALL! I have faith that HE will meet EVERY need we have along the way, He has faithfully done this for us in the past. I could tell you so many stories about HIS provision to us during our marriage! God is FAITHFUL!

So, I have been asked: "What are you storing up? Could you give us a list?"

We have obviously been stocking up our freezer. We have also been stocking up our pantry with foods that are non-perishable and that can be cooked/eaten in various ways. We heat our home with wood so I could cook on the wood stove (in the winter) or on a camp fire (in warm weather).
Here is a list of some of the things in my pantry that would keep us fed if I couldn't go to the store for many weeks: (note: I froze all the non canned products for a week in our deep freeze. This will kill most of the eggs that could cause products to become buggy over time. I will also be using out of this store on a normal basis, just replacing it as we go. Between the freezing and the using/re-stocking, we shouldn't have a problem with buggy food.)

• dried and canned beans
• lentils
• rice
• pasta
• canned meat (also frozen meat)
• canned veggies
• canned fruit (both home canned and store bought)
• flour
• sugar
• yeast
• spices/seasonings
• potatoes (instant and fresh)
• soups
• canned tomatoes
• tomato sauce
• diced tomatoes
• popcorn
• corn meal
• cake mixes
• cereal
• oatmeal
• coffee
• tea
• drink mixes
• peanut butter
• home made jams
• all purpose baking mix
• powdered milk (both regular and soy)
• water

With these things I could make SOUPS and STEWS of all kinds. I could bake bread, biscuits, tortillas, pancakes and muffins.

We have also stocked up on some non food items:

• Toilet paper
• soap (dish soap, bath soap, shampoo)
• Ingredients to make home made laundry soap
• over the counter medications (none of us are on prescription ones)
• personal hygiene products (deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrushes, etc CVS deals)
• cleaning products
• first aid supplies

This is where we are right now. We have some more to go: fill our grill propane tanks, get a hand water pump for our well, generator, flashlights and batteries, lamp oil, chicken feed, cat food, dog food and garden seeds. I would also like to have a plan for doing laundry if we were to ever have to live without electric, but this is not at the top of the list right now. I REALLY hope we don't have to live without electricity... I have three freezers full of meat!

I am NOT focusing on disaster or dwelling on the "what if" possibilities, I am simply being like the ant and storing up for "winter". I don't have any idea what "winter" might be like or when it might come, however, I have been commanded to prepare for it. That is all I can do and I will REST in GOD'S peace! He will be with us and He will ALWAYS meet our NEEDS (note, I did not say wants).

I am not writing this post to condemn, but to encourage you to seek God about what you should do to prepare for "winter". Trust God, have faith in HIM, obey His word!

Have a BLESSED day, BE a BLESSING!
Heather