John & I went through an informal food storage inventory last night; how are we prepared, in case of winter storms? The race to the store for toilet paper, bread, eggs & milk is a cultural tradition here! Bread shelves quickly empty. I can imagine everyone huddled together making french toast until the power goes out.
We really should review the 72 hour emergency kits we have. So many children have left home. As Suzanna goes back to school in January, we only need 3. It might be time to give away some of the gathered supplies to a younger family (paying attention to the expired vitamins & medicines, as our son in law has taught us, it isn't just a suggestion, but a scientific laboratory tested truth that ingredients have a shelf life, decompose, and will not work as they age, and can cause harm instead of helping. Before Dean's teachings, I really thought that was a money making myth, just so we would buy more product.)
Bundle an extra clean pair of socks into the pocket in the car seat as emergency gloves.
Buy oatmeal-has a great shelf life!
Rotate what you have already stored.
Tell your college daughter that the TVP you are sending to her is vegan! Life-sustaining, and cheap!
Showing posts with label #lighttheworld. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #lighttheworld. Show all posts
Monday, December 19, 2016
Sunday, December 18, 2016
Light The World Honoring the Sabbath
My mom is the best example. For the last 18 days she has consequently blogged of her experiences following the #lighttheworld project as seen here https://www.mormon.org/?cid=HP_FR_25-11-2016_dMIS_fmorg_xLIDyL1-A_
I haven't been reading her blog every day, so I had to play catch-up, this Sabbath morning.
John leaves for a church meeting at 6 am, so we are awake early. After he leaves I spend the time emailing my weekly letter to our missionary son, and briefly see what my long-distance family is doing. We aren't in the habit of phone calls (we have an awesome brother-in-law who chats daily with his parents & siblings. DAILY! I admire that), or visiting as often as I wish.
Geography is a challenge if face-to-face communication is your love language preference. Skpye is ok, but feels like an appointment, a little stiff. Maybe it is the hugging I miss with the contact. I crave the physical reassurance and communication of love through touch.
A once-a-week check in with our spiritual selves, an assessment of our spiritual well-being and health makes sense. I believe the Old Testament teaching that the Lord made it a holy day. He sanctified it. Our "keeping the sabbath day holy" is up to us, how we interpret that. It will still be a holy day, with or without us. The old Blue Laws that enforced store closures and alcohol sales on Sunday am have slowly been dismissed. It has turned into a big shopping day, chore day, networking day, and even a work day for many. And I will say right here, I am thankful for the emergency workers, doctors, nurses, police and firemen and their sacrifice to work all week.)
I have a memory of attempting to persuade my dad that my doing the dishes was breaking the Sabbath. He pointed me back to "Honor they father and thy mother..." and there may have been some ox in the mud references. I did the dishes.
Over the years I have tried different things, including no sewing, no painting, no school homework, no fun novel reading (just scriptures), no tv, newspapers, no facebook, no friends, no restaurants, and probably too long of indulgent napping. The exceptions have been specific, for example, watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional live the first Sunday of December ever year, or supporting family reunion restaurant gathering for non-member family (I would do anything for Great Grandma Billie).
It has been more productive to think of the yes-we-can-do instead of the no-don't-even-think-about-it restrictions for the day.
Do go to a worship service of choice.
Do spend time with family and learning about ancestors.
Do support good friends in achievements.
Do celebrate holidays!
Do community service.
Do rest from the craziness of all the other day responsibilities and burdens.
Do find time to pray and ponder life.
Do spend time remembering and renewing commitments and promises.
Do simplify and lessen the burdens of others. (Sometimes that means paper plates and less elaborate meals!)
I like to think of the Sabbath as a day to get back in touch with what God wants me to do. I try to plan what my priorities should be for the week, to seek counsel on troubles and concerns, to brainstorm for solutions. It is a good day to ask Heavenly Father for help. Loving the Sabbath leaves me with a feeling of love, peace, joy, gratitude, and kind, swelling and warm feelings. And that touch of grace makes my week flow better.
I haven't been reading her blog every day, so I had to play catch-up, this Sabbath morning.
John leaves for a church meeting at 6 am, so we are awake early. After he leaves I spend the time emailing my weekly letter to our missionary son, and briefly see what my long-distance family is doing. We aren't in the habit of phone calls (we have an awesome brother-in-law who chats daily with his parents & siblings. DAILY! I admire that), or visiting as often as I wish.
Geography is a challenge if face-to-face communication is your love language preference. Skpye is ok, but feels like an appointment, a little stiff. Maybe it is the hugging I miss with the contact. I crave the physical reassurance and communication of love through touch.
A once-a-week check in with our spiritual selves, an assessment of our spiritual well-being and health makes sense. I believe the Old Testament teaching that the Lord made it a holy day. He sanctified it. Our "keeping the sabbath day holy" is up to us, how we interpret that. It will still be a holy day, with or without us. The old Blue Laws that enforced store closures and alcohol sales on Sunday am have slowly been dismissed. It has turned into a big shopping day, chore day, networking day, and even a work day for many. And I will say right here, I am thankful for the emergency workers, doctors, nurses, police and firemen and their sacrifice to work all week.)
I have a memory of attempting to persuade my dad that my doing the dishes was breaking the Sabbath. He pointed me back to "Honor they father and thy mother..." and there may have been some ox in the mud references. I did the dishes.
Over the years I have tried different things, including no sewing, no painting, no school homework, no fun novel reading (just scriptures), no tv, newspapers, no facebook, no friends, no restaurants, and probably too long of indulgent napping. The exceptions have been specific, for example, watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional live the first Sunday of December ever year, or supporting family reunion restaurant gathering for non-member family (I would do anything for Great Grandma Billie).
It has been more productive to think of the yes-we-can-do instead of the no-don't-even-think-about-it restrictions for the day.
Do go to a worship service of choice.
Do spend time with family and learning about ancestors.
Do support good friends in achievements.
Do celebrate holidays!
Do community service.
Do rest from the craziness of all the other day responsibilities and burdens.
Do find time to pray and ponder life.
Do spend time remembering and renewing commitments and promises.
Do simplify and lessen the burdens of others. (Sometimes that means paper plates and less elaborate meals!)
I like to think of the Sabbath as a day to get back in touch with what God wants me to do. I try to plan what my priorities should be for the week, to seek counsel on troubles and concerns, to brainstorm for solutions. It is a good day to ask Heavenly Father for help. Loving the Sabbath leaves me with a feeling of love, peace, joy, gratitude, and kind, swelling and warm feelings. And that touch of grace makes my week flow better.
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