Preppers and the real world

I'm sure many of you have heard of the show "Doomsday Preppers".  Some of you may think, "Those people are crazy!"  Some of you may thing they're geniuses, others may be somewhere in between.  Doomsday is indeed something to be prepared for, but I would say we should always be prepared for an emergency.

Just think of the events of this last year.  We had the Super Derecho come through from Ohio to the East Coast leaving destruction in it's path.  Downed trees and electric lines were the norm.  We also had Hurricane Sandy on the East Coast.  There was a severe drought in the Midwest that will be affecting food prices this winter.  I could add to this, but frankly, I shouldn't have to say anything more to get the point across.  We need to be better prepared for emergencies.

Today, I went to the grocery store to get some food.  What I found is the best reason to prepare for emergencies by purchasing food products from Shelf Reliance.  We will begin selling Shelf Reliance this year.  It is a quality, freeze dried product with a very long shelf life.  It's not just something to save for an emergency.  You can use it everyday.  I just used some the other day, actually.  I was out of sour cream and it was time for dinner.  I pulled out my can of sour cream, added water, and...  Voila!  Problem solved.  Here are some pics I took at the local grocery store today.  This is just from a few possible inches of snow!  I didn't even check the toilet paper.



Bananas



Milk Cooler

 
 

What is Christmas?

I know as a retail sales person, I should be saying Christmas is about the gifts, but honestly, I know it isn't.  I know it isn't about Black Friday or Cyber Monday.  It's not about who gets the most toys.  I know it is about family and friends.  I know it is about cherishing the things that are the most important to us.  I know it is, above all things, about salvation.

This year could have been a very tough one for me.  Multiple people in my family have been in major car accidents.  One was yesterday, in fact.  By God's grace, they all came out of the accidents safe and sound for the most part.  Yesterday's accident was actually a miracle in that no scratches- none at all, were had in an accident on a major highway!  I had a very good customer pass away this year.  I've seen many families struggle, some so much that they have broken apart.  I've had friends and family in and out of the hospital.  I could easily be discouraged if it wasn't for one thing, I know there is more to life than this moment.

I know we are living for eternity.  I know my customer is with God in heaven and one day I will see him.  I know God has a purpose for each of us.  Mainly, I know he has given me the gift of salvation through His son, Jesus who was born as a baby and ultimately gave his life for me.  I know that as tough as life can be, he's walking with me each step of the way.

So this Christmas, I choose to rejoice.  Not in the economy, the political atmosphere, the gifts I am receiving...  I choose to rejoice that God knew me before I was born.  That I can pray for people who come in my store and share their joys and sorrows with me.  Mainly, I can know that no matter what happens to me on this earth, I will one day be in heaven with the Creator of the universe because of the "Christmas story".  Because, God sent his son to reconcile man to him.  I leave you with a link about the song "I Heard the Bells On Christmas Day".  Longfellow knew there was more to this life than the pain he was going through.  He knew that one day, there would be Peace On Earth!  May God bless you with that knowledge this Christmas.  May you know him more that you ever have this year.  Merry Christmas to you and your family!

http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2012/12/18/the-original-i-heard-the-bells-on-christmas-day/

Here's a link to the song as well...

Manny O'Berry's Wonderful Idea!

Manny O'Berry is a friend of a friend on Facebook.  You may think I'm promoting this because I own a business that sells these products.  Simply not true.  A couple years ago our church's youth group went on a trip to Baltimore, MD.  We would have lunch out on a plaza.  Lunch was simply made up of lunchmeat, bread, chips, etc.  Two young ladies who were leaders in our group decided that they would make sandwiches from what we had left and a group set out to pass out these sandwiches to homeless all around the area we were visiting.  We could have given 100 messages about showing God's love to others, but those two young leaders showed the reality of it in about 30 minutes.  Please read Manny's plea below.  If you believe it's a good idea, please follow through.

I want to start a movement. I want to do something big that reaches over the entire United States. I figure the quickest way to do that is through the internet. I am not doing it to get famous or be recognized. I am simply doing it b/c I think that I have a nice idea and want to share it with everyone that I possibly can.

All of you know that in today's time it's been getting harder and harder to get by. Many have lost not only their jobs but their homes as well. Heck, some of us are just a couple dollars away from being homeless ourselves. Now there are the few that want to be homeless to evade wages, taxes, etc.... Whatever the reason may be, they live a life of simplicity and often a life of reliance on a good Samaritan.

So, I'll get back to my point and the reason for the title of this note in just one more second. Matthew 25:35-36 reads, "For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Then Jesus goes on to say in verse 40 that whenever we did this for one of His brothers that we, in fact, did it for Him.

This got me thinkin' some more now that it's getting colder outside. You see, during the summer I usually have extra bottles of water in my car so that if I see a stranger in need I can help him by giving him a bottle or two and make the day more bearable. So, here's my proposition: that we offer the warmth of our hearts to the hands of the homeless. Literally. If you go to your local retail store, check out the hunting/fishing section. You'll find these hand warmers that hunters, skiers, campers, and even football fans often use. You can stick them in your pocket or boot or wherever you want to keep from freezing while out in the chilly weather. I want everyone who can spare 5 bucks to buy a ten pack and keep them in your car. Next time you see that person sitting by the road with a sign, you can offer warmth.

So what do you think? I would love for this to catch on by word of mouth and spread like wildfire! Oh for those of you that don't get the snow and such, go ahead and stick with the water plan. Thanks all and God Bless!