To be prepared for a crisis, every Prepper must establish goals and make long-term and short-term plans. Steadily, we work on meeting our prepping goals. In this column, the SurvivalBlog editors review their week’s prep activities. They also often share their planned prep activities for the coming week. These range from healthcare and gear purchases to gardening, property improvements, and food storage. This is something akin to our Retreat Owner Profiles, but written incrementally and in detail, throughout the year. We always welcome you to share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments. Let’s keep busy and be ready!
JWR
Dear SurvivalBlog Readers,
This week I was busy with both writing and a home gunsmithing project. Because this smithing was specific to one part of my collection, for OPSEC reasons I can’t go into any detail about it. There wasn’t much time available for hunting. The weather has improved. Most of the snow accumulation from 10+ days ago has now melted.
Meanwhile, my wife (Avalanche Lily) reports:
We are experiencing typical November weather: clouds, rain and snow showers day after day with temperatures in the low thirties at night and upper thirties to low forties during the day. It is very damp and cold. This weather is very conducive for relaxing and homeschool study indoors near our warm and cozy wood stove.
The Christian Mysticism Cult
For preps this week, I’d say we are focusing mostly on the spiritual side of life. We’re preparing ourselves to recognize the mode in which the antichrist will unite all religions into the One World Religion and how we can guard ourselves against it and refute it Biblically. I have always wondered what it would be that could cause the great apostasy of the church and would cause all of the world religions to unite under one banner. Now I think it has been revealed, and in fact it is already here, and in the works. The uniting mode of all world religions is prayer.
We’re reading a book aloud together as a family. It is titled Faith Undone, by Roger Oakland. In it Oakland explains how in the last days there will be a united Ecumenical One World Religion in the name of “Christ”, yet not of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, and His atoning blood. All religions will unite through mystical prayer. Every religion has a Mystic prayer side to it. There is an errant Christian Mysticism. (Catholic Third Century fathers practiced it, and now Evangelical Christians are embracing it. They call it Contemplative Prayer. It is akin to Jewish Mysticism (Kabbalah), Islamic Mysticism (Sufism), Buddhist Mysticism, Hindu Mysticism, and New Age practices.
All of these religions practice prayer and claim to experience “god” the same way: It is through centering oneself, emptying one’s mind through repeating a word or phrase over and aver again for 30 to 40 minutes. Through this practice they “enter the silence” where they “experience god’s presence.” This gives the practicing person a sense of euphoria with feeling a presence and or hearing words from “god”. This begs the question: If all religions “experience” “god” through this method, is there a need for the atoning work of Jesus Christ?
People who practice this type of prayer eventually all come to the same conclusion that “god” is in all. And that “all is God” which is the essence of Panetheism. They claim that everyone can find their own path to god, that god is in everyone and everyone is god. But Jesus said “I am the way the Truth the life no one comes to the Father except through me.” (His atoning Blood). So, therefore, who is it that these people are contacting? Satan masquerades as an angel of light.
We are entering very dangerous days. If you consider yourself a Biblical Christian, then I highly recommend that you get Oakland’s book. Arm yourselves with knowledge, wisdom, discernment and understanding for what is here and what is coming. Also please visit the Lighthouse Trails blog which is a discernment web site which explains all things that are trying to lead Christians away from the True Biblical Faith in Jesus. Remember that God said: “My people perish for lack of knowledge”.
I also highly recommend that if your church or college is practicing Contemplative Prayer, Spiritual Disciplines, etc. that you read this book and then speak to your pastor about it. If he doesn’t listen to you then it is time to leave your church. Home-churching is going to be rising exponentially in the coming years because True Biblical Christians must stand on the Word of God and must not practice that which is truly anti-Biblical. The way to true salvation is very narrow, and few truly find it.
Our faith in Jesus Christ from Nazareth is not based on “feel good” religion or “experiencing” God. It is based on the Word of God and on correct doctrine of the gospel. Our prayer life is an on-going conversation with Jesus throughout the whole day. A quiet place is outer quietness not inner quietness. God loves to converse with us and reason with us through His Word. Meditation on his Word is not vain repetition–only repetition to memorize scripture. This puts the Word in our heart an Mind. Meditation is thinking logically on the Word and making connections, comparing scripture with scripture, and gaining understanding of what He is saying in it.
In The Greenhouse and Barnyard
Now, on to more mundane things: The Greenhouse-in-a-Greenhouse experiment update is brief and thus far inconclusive. The Kale patch is germinating as of Thursday, but the lettuces and chards are not yet doing so.
We had to have a veterinarian visit for one of our horses who was doing very poorly. But that horse now has recovered nicely. That was a huge relief.
For our fellow American readers: I pray that you all would have a wonderful and thankful Thanksgiving this coming week with your friends and family.
I’m looking forward to reading comments from readers about your preps this winter.
May you all have a blessed week, – Avalanche Lily Rawles
HJL
The Latimer Homestead is busy preparing for winter. So far, we’ve had mild weather, but the cold, winter temperatures are rapidly upon us and we are finishing up the work on our outbuildings as well as various other winterizing tasks. Additionally, we are continuing to tend to our chickens, who are showing great improvement. There is still a lot of work ahead of us, but we are encouraged, as they seem to be feeling better and healing nicely for the most part. Each day we spend at least two to three hours cleaning, treating and bandaging chicken feet.
This week, we also dug some late season potatoes and carrots and harvested onions and cabbage as well as collected more seeds and cleared some areas of the property. This seed collection and clearing work will continue next week, if weather permits. We try to gather and harvest seeds as long as possible so that we have extra to share with our family, neighbors, and those locals we are helping begin to grow gardens.
Next week will also focus on preparing the home for our Thanksgiving feast, as we always look forward to the family gathering around the table to give thanks to the LORD, who continues to bless us so bountifully with life, His Word, His Spirit, the gift of His Son, family, freedoms, great friendships, and much more. We hope you will not only enjoy tasty food on your table but will take time to give thanks and bless the LORD during your Thanksgiving dinner. He deserves our thanks much more often than once a year. We are counting upon Him to sustain us in the anticipated SHTF crisis and are asking for Him to guide us in our preparations that we may be good stewards and able to carry on to do His good works long after the crisis has ended.
o o o
As always, please share your own successes and wisdom in the Comments.
planted more garlic and carrots this week. we love canned carrots. got 2 pear and 2 plum trees in and planted. started working on last 3 x 8 by 2 deep raised bed. pulled 72 hours on unit. i’m a medic
This week, I’ve been building a rabbit tractor and a goose nest. Because my geese stay in a goose tractor (like a chicken tractor) at night, there isn’t room for nests in it. I let them out in the morning, in the net wire fenced in pasture, and if the geese want to nest, they go get on their nest. The nests have doors I close at night to protect from coons and possums. So I’m building another 2 nests. Almost done.
This past week we realized the completion of a goal- to heat our home solely from wood heat. Our Kuma Tamarack wood stove is now installed and the old diesel furnace has been switched off. Here in the Willamette Valley the temperatures have not begun to drop into freezing territory yet, but we’re close, and the heat from our stove is just perfect.
Every time I put another piece of wood on the fire, it reminds me that I am free and not dependent on someone else to provide for my family. We are so thankful to have this freedom and will be expressing that gratitude this week as we prepare for Thanksgiving with family.
Yes free … but what is even better is 5 years of wood under the roof
Consider part of the great deception transhumanism. The mark of this beast will be genetically changing your blood so you will no longer be purely human. This has already started with gmo foods and nano techknology. I’m not saying if you eat bread you’ve taken the mark, just beware what you allow to be put in your body. The beast is not going to stand there and say you must take my mark, no one would do it then. It’s going to sound very benevolent, like take this and it will heal your disease and give you long life, hence the deception. It will be real, but a false salvation.
I’m sorry, but that is nonsense and fear mongering, and there is absolutely no basis in scripture to substantiate your claim and insinuation that the consumption of GMO’s is accepting the mark of the Beast. Matthew 15:11 states “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.“
And what is coming out of your mouth in this instance are untruths sir.
I said that Jason. Read, I’m not saying if you eat bread you’ve taken the mark. What I am saying is the mark is not going to be a simple chip they insert under your skin. Taking the Mark makes it impossible for you to enter the kingdom of heaven. If I had just a chip, I would cut my arm off to gain entrance, but this cannot happen. Once the mark is taken it effects your entire being. There is no repentance from the mark. Yes, it is scary because it is very deceptive.
My location is still above freezing so our fall garden is still producing, hopefully for a few more weeks before we cover it over with a foot of straw. We have an occasional 25 degree night but then it is back to high 40s and low 50s.
– Harvested about 12 pds of sweet peppers and 8 pds of hot peppers; will dry the sweet peppers and make hot sauce from the others. Pulled about 10 pds of sweet potatoes and I’m letting them setup before going to cold storage. Put up 5 pds of green beans, and working on 10 pds of tomatoes today. Dehydrated 4 pds of curly kale to use in soups and casseroles.
-Received an order of 1 dz flannel lined coated work gloves and 3 pr of flannel lined leather winter work gloves. Got a free LED light and free shipping with it.
May you have a safe and healthy Thanksgiving holiday.
Prayer
New age has adulterated silence. A pluralistic form of prayer is being practiced in many ways already. The military practices this way of praying and reluctantly tolerates the closing words “in Jesus name.”
You bring up an important concept about prayer without discernment. Throw in the most unseen forms of technology and I see clearly how your warning is quickly becoming a reality.
We fear silence in our society. We feel awkward around it but that does not make silence a wrong practice. It can be revealing, especially concerning our sinfulness. It exposes our motives when done in the presence of God. We have to be quiet to listen. “Be still,” Psalm 46.
David practiced meditation in the presence of God. He knew exactly who he was listening for. He was contemplating the beauty of God. The person of Christ is central. Silence can be a form of trust. Waiting and silence are two different things but part of being quiet before God is asking the question, what does it mean to wait upon the Lord? (Psalm 62)
I was blessed by your post. I just found another family member, thanks for sharing brother.
I’m having difficulty in central NY state. We have a “Runnings” store nearby and they show me all the semi-automatics to choose from and everyone that has caught my interest states before checkout, Not available in NY! Things have been coming together otherwise.I read and learn more each day. I fear when the time comes to really relocate, it will be difficult getting through when we’re totally out gunned. I’ve been am minister and Chaplain for several years and I’m hoping to carry on wherever we land. I’m not short of faith and trust in Isaiah 54:17. But I also believe that the Lord has blessed us with the foreknowledge of what will be soon in our path which gives us the opportunity to prepare, and in my case the best we could. But I’m feeling with the strict limitations force on us I may need to find a more 2nd ammendment friendly state to better out fit ourselves! Peace to you all, Chaplain Tim
Welcome to the site Pastor! Glad to have you!
Chaplain Tim, come north to Maine. It’s a constitutional carry state, now. Lots of vets up here, and barely over 1 million people in the whole state. Lots of wilderness & good inexpensive land. You could do a heckuva lot worse.
Due to divorce and job change I have had to leave my “alamo” Montana log home on 20 acres, 24 cords of firewood, horses, goats and chickens. Now 1400 miles seperate me from my two daughters, few preps and living in q 17 foot RV. I have a well paying secure job in S.W. AZ. Prying it holds togwther ad i re-establish my preps in a desert location. Any advice is truly appreciated.
Dan,
I don’t have advice but I want to say I’m sorry for this hardship you are experiencing. Divorce can feel similar to that of a loss from a loved one’s death. Not sure how raw it is for you right now but just to encourage you please know that you are not alone. I hesitate to give any advice because this seems such a personal thing but if you are open I have a couple thoughts about ways to encourage you while you get yourself set-up again.
As someone who’s started over from nothing, it helped to think I was experiencing my own End of the World As I Knew It, and I could ask God to show me the way to first cope, then thrive in the new phase of my life. I sure didn’t see a way forward at first.
It happens slowly, but God will show you a new, fulfilling life where you personally are very much a part of God’s plan for the future. On those days when it seems too hard or pointless to keep it all together, remember starting over is like driving in dense fog: The road is still there, even when you can hardly see it. God bless. You’re in my prayers tonight. Being brave enough to reach out for advice tells me you’ve got what it takes to make it.
Snow and below zero cold back home; but I’m deployed to Puerto Rico and its hot & muggy. If all goes as planned I should be home for Thanksgiving; but then I am reminded every day that the first casualty of battle is the plan.
Have a blessed Thanksgiving; and if I don’t make it home we’ll have it at the DEFAC (Mess Hall in new army terms)
Why the picture of Bumble Foot on your chicken?
That bumble looks bad! Epsom salt soak, cut, get core, clean, neosporin, and vetwrap. (sounds easy… but it aint)
Agree with Jim, might be ready for the pot.
I completed a goal I’ve worked on for three years this week. Yesterday I finished cooking my sugar cane crop into cane syrup. During the Great Depression, my parents and grandparents did the same. They planted, cultivated, harvested their own sugar cane. They took it a horse powered sugar cane crushing mill and had it crushed to harvest the juice. They then boiled it until it turned into syrup. When it reached the appropriate temperature where there was no more water in the syrup, they put it in properly prepared Mason jars while it was still above 212 degrees F and allowed to seal as it cooled. I planted and raised a row of the purple variety of cane about 150 feet long. It produced about 180 stalks of average sized cane. This yielded a little over 15 gallons of juice which cooked down to 3 gallons of syrup which was stored in pint and quart jars. This will provide a two year supply of syrup for my family of 4 adults.
So where/how did you turn the stalks into juice to process?
The current low price of ammunition prompted us to lay a few more cases aside. On the home front, we continue to harvest and process our heritage, pastured turkeys on a year-round basis. After the holidays, the market for whole birds will evaporate, but we will be offering turkey bone broth and other turkey products. Thanks to Wyoming’s FOOD FREEDOM ACT, we are now able to market our goods much easier. Shows you what can be done when you get the regulators out of the way.