I am trying to picture my intended audience on a typical weekday, sitting down at your computer for a brief respite or perhaps you are working at your desk all day and are checking SurvivalBlog for your daily reality moorings.
First about myself: With my family I recently relocated to a state “west of the Mississippi River with multiple right-angle borders” where I am very fortunate to have found a job at all. I thank God that I am making a living–which is 1/5th of the wage of my previous job back east, where I worked for a well-known corporation. Can there be any argument that defense contracting or government jobs pay well? So then why did I give up that life? It comes down to location and timing.
Let us say that you live and work somewhere near a “large vending machine of federal spending.” Times are good, it is after October 1st (the money valve has been reopened), and you probably earn a comfortable salary. Maybe you have prior military experience, a college degree, people working under you, or even a security clearance—all of that raising your salary significantly higher still. But, it is not a question of Patriotism or even ideology, rather of location and timing.
You know that where you are is more than likely a higher cost-of-living area and a high-population-density area. Probably not where you want to live for a retreat That’s the location. You know that this economy is not going anywhere but down. Taking into account reading this one blog daily, supplemented by the occasional chrismartensen.com article, a snippet of Fox News here and there, a recent historical perspective of the commodities markers, or even just minding the prices at your grocery store. That’s the timing. So what of it?
To a disinterested third party observer, it seems that there is little difference between you in your present circumstances and a person in an elevator that is plummeting down the shaft, with the plan of jumping at just the right time to avoid the catastrophic impact.
This crash is imminent, you know it, and I know it. But “location and reality” are not on your side if you choose to remain in “Egypt” until things really get bad. By then you can’t just leave. How bad is bad?
I know, I know, you are thinking that you can make more money where you are now, and buy a bigger/better retreat in another location later, when it gets really bad. What will you take with you? How will you move all of your preparations there? Are you just going to rent a truck from someone—what will fuel cost? Were you thinking that people will still be accepting the Federal Reserve Notes that you currently earn now for valuable retreat property later? At this place that you have in mind–will the well already be drilled, garden planted, firewood cut and stacked, beehives set up, fruit and nut trees planted, houses built, neighbors befriended, good hunting and fishing areas scouted, homeschooling materials procured, tools sharpened, food dehydrated, skills acquired, vehicles maintained, stores secured (with extra set aside for charity), livestock cared for, and solar power installed?
If you are planning on bugging in and have prayed about it, then there are no action items here for you; feel free to stop reading. For those of you still reading this who have proclaimed Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, do not dismay, for our Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills. He does not need you, but He does require your obedience (Psalm 50). If you know that you are not where you should be, doing what you should be doing, when you should be doing it, and you have felt the nudge of the Lord telling you otherwise then, friend, this article is for you. If you plan on surviving in the face of adversity, then how will you be strong enough to do so if you do not build up those muscles now? Bad times are coming in America, and the whole world for. I need not tell you because you probably already have read the book of Daniel and Revelation (among other relevant portions of Scripture) to know that in the end, the good guys are delivered and God wins (Romans 8:12-27). Until God reconciles everything, we are saved not by works, but to work (James 2:14-26).
My family and I first got the call from the Lord to make this move a year and a half ago. Leaving a job where I made more money than anyone else in my family ever had was a very difficult decision for us to make. After all, I too was in “Club Fed” for many years. I worked in a very rewarding career to keep our guys in the know. I had every reason to stay put, to maintain the status quo and to keep working in “Egypt.” This was my life until one day when I got into a discussion about rain barrels with our assistant pastor. He scribbled: “survivalblog.com” on the church bulletin for me to look up. However, those who argue with the Lord will generally get the “luxury” as in the case of Jonah to decide which end of the great fish they would like to exit. Yes, I had the cool job, six figure salary, great benefits, medical coverage, lots of vacation time, the opportunity to travel all over this great country as well as to “exotic locations,” etc, a.k.a. the golden handcuffs. None of this may change your mind, as a matter of fact you can be willfully ignorant for as long as you like. Or you can arrive at the realization that life can be less expensive, yet more fulfilling out here in fly-over-country (especially when you have used that big salary to pay off your debt first). Anyone else going down this path needs to know and we are in the grip of a merciful God who knows the end when He calls you (Romans 8:28-39). If that is you, then you know what you need to do—hey, if Christianity was easy, everyone would be doing it.
As a testimony to God’s faithfulness, we have had everything that we needed (not wanted) since we went “all in” for God. You have to get past the fear and excuses to the other side where accepting someone else’s used furniture is okay. Trade in the Crackberry with the fancy data plan for a flip phone, drive cheaper used vehicles that you can maintain yourself, clip coupons, check out documentaries from the library instead of going out to the movies. Perhaps the biggest benefit is when you realize the most important people in your life are your children because no one will even remember you three years after you die. So what are we discussing now? I am not trying to sell you on preparedness, you probably already read this web site for that. We are talking about action, friend; the time is passed to academically discuss what the problem is or who caused it. 1 Tim 5:8 (in context) applies here, as does Proverbs 6:6-11. I like this wise woman’s treatment of the Biblical perspective of the topic here. I know that you can find many other scriptures to substantiate this premise, and for brevity’s sake I will simply say the judicious application of the Word of God is what will always make the difference between head knowledge and a life lived in pursuit of the Holy One. Those who seek the truth find it (Matthew 7:7-12). In my decision making process, there was a time when I had to stop praying for wisdom and start praying for courage because I already knew what to do; I just needed to get busy doing it.
If we believe what we discern about things steadily getting worse and think that we are still without hope, then Christians are to be the most pitied. Our hope is in God and through the finished work of His precious Son on the cross. Things will get worse here but we must remain faithful to the bitter end, make the hard decisions now, and be prepared to help others which is only possible if we ourselves are not in a position where we need to be helped. Having personally been in three theaters of combat, I agree with others who have posted here, “Do all that you can to avoid being a refugee.” And just before the cyber-snipers, grammar nazis or arm chair theologians send their salvos, know that this was for a select audience for an intended purpose.
If this article was not for you, then go prep and help others to do likewise. I cannot settle the debate between: hybrid & heirloom, Chevy & Ford or 9mm & .45. But the debate between taking action or finding yourself in the belly of a great fish because you disobeyed—well, that is one debate that can be decisively settled. For those who needed this reminder, try reading Psalm 37, as I call it, “a psalm for patriots in the last days.” As an aside, I am not writing to our precious American sons and daughters who serve nobly in our military to take care of our nation’s business. They certainly have my complete respect, as I have done my service too. Pro Deo et Patria
, as the pressure for higher elevations is adjusted to 15 pounds of pressure for higher elevations and the time is adjusted to 90 minutes in the pressure canner. Also, in higher elevations a larger volume pressure canner is advised rather than an 8 or 10 quart size. At least a 16 quart pressure canner is best for higher elevations. The time in a boiling water bath canner is also increased. These very clear instructions are always listed in the canning books. Reading the directions that come with the canner and a good canning book is imperative. People too often forget and use the instructions where they live forgetting that we have a variety of elevations all across America. That needs to be paid attention to. – Pat B.