On Human Compassion

We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.  ~Victor Frankl 

One of my greatest regrets in life is that I was not with my mother at her passing. I was not there to hold her hand, to ease her fears, to pray with her, to let her know that she was deeply loved even though we had our differences and problems. But because I was not there for her I have learned one of the most valuable lessons in life - the regret when we fail, for whatever reason, to be compassionate to others.

 

And a lawyer stood up and put Him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How does it read to you?” And he answered, “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” And He said to him, “You have answered correctly; DO THIS AND YOU WILL LIVE.” But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

The Good Samaritan

Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.” Luke 10:25-37

I believe that being compassionate, loving, and merciful towards those who have cannot possibly love us back is one of the biggest challenges that we face in all of our human experience. Loving those without obvious merit or apparent worth, one of the most unselfish and loving acts. Loving the aged, the ill, and the those who threaten our own existence some of our greatest challenges and this love imparted is what defines us as human beings.

The truth is a failure to love hardens us. Our hearts grow cold sometimes never to be warmed again. The more we act without compassion, the more we turn away from what stirs our compassion the more lost we become.

The more that we seek to do acts of kindness and compassion the more we are capable of doing.

Start with a smile and then move up from there. You may be surprised at your own capacity for love.

I once prayed this huge prayer. I prayed to Jesus Christ that I could love people with His love, that I could know His love and have His eyes toward people. I prayed that I could love others so much that I would be someone who could lay down their life for others or even my soul if that would please God and bring glory to my Saviour. 

First I was shown my own failure. Then my heart started to expand and it expands every day. I believe that it is in God’s will to pray big prayers like this. We are commanded “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.” and “Go and do the same.”

I am afraid to love others during a pandemic. God tells us to ask and you shall receive. My prayer is that nothing stands in the way of being compassionate, merciful and loving - not even a pandemic or the threat of my own death. I pray all followers of Jesus Christ pray big prayers.

Deep Preps - Drug Addiction and Pandemics

Cigarettes, alcohol, marijuana, so many substances are in use today it is hard to keep up with them all. Even those things that are typically good for us, like exercise, when taken without moderation becomes like a drug. So many of us have things that we are “hooked” on. The internet, television, food, any other common every day thing can become a drug of choice. Some are just more excusable or easier to overlook or not classify as an addiction.

Looking in the mirror I have to ask myself ‘what do I need to have in my life every day’ and will that need be met during a pandemic? Most of all - Do I need the need?

I have battled addiction since I was 12 years old. Someone I trusted at the time introduced me to hashish and marijuana - 12 years old and battling some major sexual abuse the need to flee from it all was met. Old habits die hard and the crutch that I found at 12 became almost a life long battle and it would have continued had it not been for the grace of God that picked me up and plucked me out of it but I would be foolish to not remain vigilant for the rest of my life. Drugs never completely satisfy or completely fill the void in the heart. That is why we have the urge to keep doing them over and over and over. We try to fix this void on our own. I do not stand in judgment of anyone who seeks escape from our stressful world. But I do know that these things that we use are not the best way to fill that void in our heart.

During a pandemic we will all become aware, the hard way, of what our needs are when what we have used becomes no longer readily available to us. Some of us may become desperate to continue to fill those needs. Will we have the compassion to see others through this? Time will tell. Will we have the courage and strength to see ourselves through the battles ahead? I can say this, if we prepare for this now by seriously looking at our own behaviors and the coping methods we have developed over the years and attempt to alter our lifestyles now we will avoid more struggle when we can least afford it.

I am not going to *preach* about what *you* should *do* but I will say this. If it were not for my faith in Jesus Christ I would be dead today and I know this for the truth that it is. Some things I was healed of completely when I opened my heart to Him and some things not so much. I still struggle with the desire to fall back into old patterns. Each day is a new day and a new struggle. It is because of His strength and the indwelling Holy Spirit that I *will* say ‘no’ to this temporary but pleasant fix.

This is a deep preparation that none of us should overlook. This will have an impact on us all one way or another. When we need to fight or flee the most what, or who, will meet our needs?

The Parable of the Talents…are you hiding yours?

When I asked myself this question recently I found some answers that have eluded me for a very long time. This breath of fresh air that has entered my soul I wanted to share in case others find themselves not able to use their own talents for similar reasons to mine.

The Parable of the Talents

“Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’

His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’

His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.

‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”

So much of my life’s hurts and troubles kept me in a state of constantly burying my talents. The “wilderness” I have wandered in has allowed me to work through so many of these issues. But there comes a time when all this self absorption and examination becomes a stumbling block. There is a point in time in our sanctification that we must put all the hurt and pain aside and see it as our old worn out clothing. If we do not put on the new we will keep ourselves in bondage and will not realize the fullness of our own “talents”. The parable does not address the motivations of the servants. There are no excuses afforded. There is no defense for not using what God has freely given us.

Knowing our own contribution to our own stumbling is useful but constantly examining why someone else stumbled and hurt us in the process is not really edifying except when we realize that our own stumbling has a detrimental impact on others and all of it comes down to forgiving others for their shortcomings - even the most egregious ones.

Abundance? Oh my yes! A cup overflowing? It pours and pours without ceasing.

A pandemic, the return of plagues and pestilence of even a Biblical proportion is what motivates me to act but it is my love for my Saviour that allows me to empathize. A loving God provides us an escape, even if it is not always a physical one. Healing is a lot like that too.

I have empathized over the years with others in pain over losing their children to illness or disease. If I have a talent to give or use that will ease this pain….

I have felt the pain of the passing of my own loved ones…how much can we use our talents to love others in need?

I know that we cannot prevent what will be. I do know that we can use our God given talents as the Holy Spirit leads in order to awaken others and help them prepare for all that is ahead.

….the leap of faith.

Do you want to have your ears tickled?

I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2 Timothy 4:1-8

This passage is referring to preaching the Word of God even when doing so is unpopular, dangerous or seemingly futile. Preaching the Word of God today, to those who do not believe it or want to hear it, is all of the three things I named above. The truth is that we just don’t want to have someone reorder our life’s priorities or even attempt to do so. If we have chosen not to believe their “report” it is easy to discard what they have to say. Click the mouse, change the channel, shut it out. We tend set a course for smooth sailing. We don’t want our lives upset or our ‘worldview’ changed.  With dire warnings of dirty bombs, pandemic influenza, peak oil, rising crime, earthquakes, hurricanes, wars and rumors of war, beating at our ears and hearts the urge to bury our head in the sand or to listen to those tickling our ears is very great. It is easy to look at all these things as myths and false warnings….or even throw up our hands in futility. We think that we need less stress in our already stressful lives. We have been taught that stress is bad. Not all stress is bad and not all pressure weakens us.

The Bible verse that I have quoted is, I believe, referring to a time when the name of Jesus Christ and his love letter written in blood on the cross at Calvary becomes watered down and less of a focus. When the preaching is less about hellfire and damnation and more about love, goodwill, peace, and other things that soothe the soul; a time when we don’t want to be troubled, a time when we don’t want the waters stirred. Is this that time? We speak about a ‘love revolution’ and yes this is good but the reason that we can have a ‘love revolution’ is because of Jesus Christ and his death on the cross.

We are all so concerned about living the pleasant life, free of stress, free of worry. I understand that the role of doomsayer is not going to fill a doctor’s waiting room, fill a church, or win someone any friends. We all push that responsibility onto someone else….and it is because having our ears tweaked or pinched is so unpleasant that these days we turn away or tune it out altogether.

The truth is we even name our churches what is pleasant, what will draw people in, rather than name them based on the bedrock of our faith.

We don’t want to hear about our responsibilities as individuals especially from people who we have placed on pedestals and who have fallen hard from their lofty perches. Who can we trust to speak the truth? Whose report can we believe? And deep down inside we sometimes say to ourselves ‘if I cannot believe my leaders in church or in government who can I believe?’ The Bible verse above, written almost 2000 years ago, speaks of this time that we are living in now. Words written so long ago that we can apply to our lives today give me hope.

So I say prepare. What am I really saying?

I am saying that we can prepare for the turbulent times ahead. That deep preparation is needed. Noah prepared in his time and his preparation was ridiculed too. I am saying that his preparation had real world application and pointed to something spiritual for us too. Jesus Christ is our spiritual ark. Does this mean that we should ignore the physical application? At a moments notice, in the twinkling of an eye, all things could change - will change. I am saying that in the space of a heartbeat any one of us could die, or many of us could die. Once dead the choices that we have made become irrevocable and that there will be consequences for those we leave behind. If I do not prepare now and my death comes without warning will I leave behind loved ones who know what to do? Will I leave behind loved ones who do not understand what has happened? Will they have what they need to endure to the end? Will they know where to go for answers?

So while I too want my ears to be tickled I know that what I have to do now is to put such childish things away - trouble is coming - who and what is your ark?

Like Noah will you prepare it so others can see and get ready?

A pandemic is something else altogether

While I am out and about doing the pre-surgical stuff with my hubby I am trying to keep up to date with the news coming out of Indonesia and other hot spots. Check out the flu boards listed here to look at the latest news. The newshounds on these boards are excellent as is the commentary. There are some wonderful people who have really helped me to figure out in layman’s terms what is going on.

We seem to be in one of those periods of time, and it has happened before, where I would not be surprised if we started seeing clusters of pandemic influenza in other areas of the world, including here in the US.

This is what makes this so tough, we just don’t know. The flip side to that is that not knowing means it’s not here now and for that I am very thankful. For when it comes we will know and I am dreading this.

So what do we know?.

TWe know the pandemic will be upon us suddenly.

High fever, shortness of breath, coughing.  When that happens, take cover. Be ready to “take cover” at a moments notice and for a prolonged period of time, up to 6 to 8 weeks.

A pandemic like 1918, or a worse one will ensure our desire to shelter in place. This will close down many things we rely on now in our daily lives. We will be overcome with the desire to avoid others so as to not spread or contract influenza. Grocery stores, department stores, the places where we tend to congregate, we will want to stay away from for fear of contracting the virus. Even school as usual may change. Schools could even be closed for the duration - our children are our “treasure”. Doctors, nurses, cops, firemen, truckers, bank tellers, teachers, trash collectors, etc., may have this same desire for seclusion and isolation, meaning they may not be available for us in their usual capacities.

Does your church have a working phone tree, open pantry, plans for childcare if parents are too ill, bereavement care?

These are just some of the things that came to mind rather abruptly today so I thought I would mention them.

There are many downloadable guides listed on this blog or the flu boards that can help with the many emergencies that may come up. 

One fact to add to this —- Too many people are not preparing now!

This is not your usual flu. A pandemic is something else altogether.

Why Bring Faith into a Health Issue?

Sundays are usually blissful for me this days. I clear the decks of projects and pressures and unclutter my mind. Today has been a glorious day here in the Northeast. Beautiful puffy clouds, bright sunshine and a wonderful balance of heat and humidity. A perfectly pleasant and peaceful day to meditate on the Word of God. And then a sudden lightning storm erupted.

We are in a period of time about which the Bible says more than it does about any other time in history. Understand and watch - do not be deceived. Attempting to match up the headlines of the day with end times scenarios is fraught with peril. And we do not need to do this. We know what is ahead based on the Word of God. We walk toward what is ahead with our eyes wide open wearing the full armour of God (Ephesians 6:10-17 ). Our hope is in the promises that God has made and our sustenance comes from knowing that these promises will be kept. 

“If I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or if I command the locust to devour the land, or if I send pestilence among My people, and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

Pray, seek His face, turn from wicked ways….we have some things that we must do.

Pestilence is coming.

Faith, Hope, and Love….

“But now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1st Corinthian 13:13

Faith - “The life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God.” Galatians 2:20

It is by faith in the gospel that we receive the favor of God which cannot be earned, we simply must believe in God’s Son who made Himself the sacrifice for humanity’s fallen state. This is a gift from God to His creation. The only way to God is through faith in His Son Jesus Christ.

Love - “For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)

“No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit.” (1 John 4:12-13).

“Love does no wrong to a neighbor; love therefore is the fulfillment of the law.” (Romans 13:10)

Hope - “I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-19)

Faith, Hope and Love are the three gifts God bestows on all believers.

With humility let us pray, seek God’s face, and turn from all our wicked ways. Our sins will be forgiven and our land will be healed.

And in this we are not “on our own”.

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With my husbands surgery approaching and my own need for spiritual renewal and preparedness I will be away from keyboard for a few weeks. Until then….

“Do not turn to the right nor to the left; Turn your foot from evil.” Proverbs 4:25

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I did not want to leave without saying……

Peaceful co-existence is not wrong, buying into a global plan which centralizes power and allows others with agendas of world domination to seize control allowing many to be deceived is a wrong path to take.

How many times recently have you been exposed to the “one world” mantra?

A pandemic will destabilize and make all of us hungry for solutions, for stabilization, for sustenance.

In God we trust, with humble hearts inclined to the Lord, must remain our motto AND our hearts desire during our darkest days ahead.

Be careful who and what you trust.

My goal has always been to awaken as many people as I could to this particular threat. There are many threats - natural and man-made. Why I thought it important for as many people to be awake and aware was/is because it is easier to allow ourselves to be led around when we are in the darkness.

Which shepherd will you follow?

Until Then,

Jackie

Fear of Disease

Fear of contracting illness during a pandemic is a really good and healthy thing!!! I am stating the obvious here, I know.

If I remember back to when I have had a major illness the tendency among friends and acquaintances was to pull away. Even with a disease that is not contagious people tend to try to protect themselves by withdrawing from the person who is ill most especially when the disease process itself is not fully understood. For the most part we shun illness and those who are ill. Those of us who are not in the healthcare field go into self-protection mode. 

Even spiritually, we have a tendency to pull away from those who are stumbling. We all protect our spirit, emotions, and physical well being when we view something or someone as a threat. Subconscious though this may be, if we look hard enough we may (or may not) see this tendency in ourselves. I do it. I have done it. And each time I have done it I have kicked myself afterward for it.

But we can go to terrible extremes when fear is allowed to take control. When reason flies out the window sometimes our compassion goes with it. I have found it helpful to understand how disease is transmitted and how I can safeguard myself so fear does not steal my compassion away. I hope and pray that I can stand firm in this. When infectious disease is threatening our lives it will be the hardest thing of all to overcome. I am trying to strike that balance between rational reaction which allows for certain safeguards to be in place through my healthful avoidance and not turning away from those who become ill and in need of a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on and a prayer partner during a difficult time, even the end of a life.

On darker days I can see how fear of the infected and ill and basic unpreparedness could lead our society into some pretty horrendous times. And if I do not think things through ahead of time I know that I may react in ways that I will regret when a cooler head prevails. Hindsight is a wonderful thing but better is the sight that will allow me to avoid stumbling blocks altogether.

The truth is that at some time or another we will all be exposed to these various illnesses that are and will be in “the news”. All sorts of rumors will take hold. In my attempt at keeping a healthy spirit, mind and body I learned this important mitigation tool. Eating and sleeping well, getting physical exercise, fresh air and sunshine - and living moderate lives, and taking those meds if we have them ;) all will help us get through what is ahead. But these measures alone are certainly not enough. When illness is in our area using masks, washing our hands, staying in if we have been exposed, and giving those with symptoms a wide berth will lessen our viral load and help us to fight off what threatens to take hold. Closing schools and shutting businesses for however long it takes will go a long way to help too. Inconvenient, you bet! That is why we must be prepared for the long haul in ALL aspects of our beings. Still I am not nearly enough prepared. With rising prices this is such a struggle.

The important point is that we must not lose our compassion for those who have become ill or are in need whenever that time comes. I pray daily for a softer heart. One that can recognize and be sensitive to the needs of others and one courageous enough to attempt to help in any way that I can.

So my plan of action: A neighbor getting supplies so a family may stay in their home and not expose others will be helpful to us all. I just won’t go in for tea and cookies . I will check to see what the family needs and leave the supplies outside so that after I clear the area they can come and retrieve them safely. A phone tree or call chain in a neighborhood would work wonders for this. Making sure that children are not left unattended due to illness or death in the family will be important.

Fear is a useful tool but compassion must become a way of life. I must not fear beyond what my compassion can bear.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. Philippians 4:13

Now having said all that below…

There is a situation that we are all trying to muddle through on the fluboards. The “flubie” community has been a wonderfully supportive place to learn all about pandemics and to discuss how best to prepare our family and beyond. Greater flublogia is made up of individuals who are concerned about the impact that a pandemic will have on all of us. There are no commitments other than the forum rules that are clearly posted at each community.

Fluwiki

Plan for Pandemic

Pandemic Flu Information Forum 

[All are welcome to join. If you are new to flu boards it is ok and even encouraged that after you join you sit back and "lurk" so that you get to know the community. No one has to jump right in and post, not that there is anything wrong with that either. When I first joined I felt a little disoriented. It seems the best way to keep people informed they way that I have been able to be informed. Why listen to me when you can have access to the same information

Headlines - It’s not about feelings and its all about feelings - updated

[hurrying through writing posts and making huge grammatical, spelling and other mistakes is like nails on a chalkboard for me. I just had to clean up this post :blush:]

Pandemics happen. I know  I have said it before. I am like a broken record these days.

Throughout history the world has experienced pandemics…

The truth is that we are probably going to hear a lot of really wacky theories about the whys and wherefores of any event of this magnitude - whenever it develops. And who knows some of these may even have grains of truth sprinkled throughout them. But they can be a dangerous distraction.

We can avoid the manipulations if we stick to what we know and not what we feel. After all, our feelings are influenced by hormones; sleep the night before, hunger, thirst, and many other things. Feelings can be irrational…

The facts:

Based on historical record AND recent developments in other parts of the world we believe that there are indications that suggest that we are very close to another pandemic period.

Pandemics are not the flu as usual. I say this a lot. Some pandemics are quite mild and some have been catastrophic. There are many indications that we are heading for a catastrophic one—again something nebulous and something we cannot know ahead of time.

This is the first time that we have been able to prepare for a pandemic. We are in uncharted waters.

This is the first time that the world has been able to prepare for a catastrophic event.

It is right to allow people to be responsible for their lives but it is wrong to hold back information from people. So we sit here in the middle somewhere. Government has made some strides, individuals have made some strides, and hopefully we will all be ready when it the time comes. Honestly, this subject has to be breathed in and out like air so we all know what to do when the time comes….even the children. Children will be left alone due to illness or death, they must know in advance where to go for help, who to trust.

When people are largely uninformed, for whatever reason, and when we approach crunch time, they will become fearful. Even beyond fearful. And when people become that fearful they sometimes react irrationally.

Too few people want to take on the responsibility of telling others. Perhaps it is because of the fear of starting a panic, or run on the banks, or run on the stores, or because if our timing is off we will be accused of crying wolf. Self preservation is also a drive and telling people that you know and are preparing may put you at risk if others are not prepared as well. This fear motivates silence.

Telling people over and over about so many different threats leads to people tuning most of it out. Fatigue does set in. I have experienced this fatigue. Over the past 20 years I have seen a hardening of my own heart in regards to the suffering of others. I have to pray daily to be given a softer heart.

And this is where it becomes all about feelings for me.

I want to be able to empathize even though I know it is going to hurt. I have seen what happens to a society that cannot empathize. I know people who cannot walk in other people’s shoes. I don’t want to be that person. I don’t want us to become that society. We cannot turn our backs on those in need. Not that we have, yet. And we do not know when our own hands may be outstretched. But when things become harder to bear, when we experience death in our towns due to a pandemic we may be sorely tempted to withdraw from helping others. We fear now the reactions of others when we talk about pandemics - is that not withdrawal?

So more facts:

The fact is no one REALLY knows how to do this, this “telling” thing. I don’t know how to tell my neighbors. So now I am relying on those with far more resources at their finger tips.

The problem is if no one will take the chance by allowing for probability that “the public” actually has broader shoulders than imagined then people who REALLY matter *everyone* will not be ready.

So those who speak to others…thank you.

Land of the Free, Home of the Brave

My country, not my government (blue or red) is the land of the free and the home of the brave. My country - It’s all about the people, the citizens, friends, family and co-workers, casual acquaintances and illegal aliens, people who are within our borders.

People have asked me so many times why I do what I do. Why I warn all who will listen, and some who do not, to get your house in order now. I can say without misgivings that I do not do this for the “government”. Love of country does not mean love of government. Government - the entity made up of hundreds of human hearts capable of great courage, valor and integrity, the polar opposite qualities and a full spectrum of heart states in the middle.

To say that my focus is primarily on all of my countrymen would be a bit of a misrepresentation. I will tell any and all who will hear to prepare their homes for tough times ahead but my heart is aching for innocent children, the homeless, the disabled and anyone else who cannot prepare themselves for what is ahead. My heart aches for those who are already struggling. And I pray for their strength and courage to endure. 

My truth to government is - they aren’t being forewarned and, yes, this is unconscienable. Whose responsibility to tell them? Does this REALLY matter? We all should be telling each other. Truth to government - with all the resources that the taxpayers of this land have provided we should be hearing a louder shout. One that will allow ALL citizens can hear. Yes, timing is critical and we are in uncharted waters to some extent but the more I work at this the more I realize that it takes a LONG time to inspire change when people are confused and afraid. My fear is that our most vulnerable brothers and sisters, young and old, will fall through the cracks….and this too is unconscienable. I am afraid of what happens to us when the others suffer around us and we stand idly by either by choice or lack of fortitude or because we do not know whose report to trust - their are consequences for all of us when we harden our hearts like this.

I do believe “That government is best which governs least.” - Thomas Paine

The truth is: We ALL have the right to know, at the level of each ones understanding, [i.e., messages for the hearing impaired and messages on the subway walls] of any threats that we are under as a nation whether they are biological, military, or otherwise, which will have a significant impact on our lives on our own soil.

I am aware of the difficulties in determining the most appropriate way to disclose this information. And I know many people are working on this throughout the country from all walks of life. I pray that we do not allow confusion to keep us all from doing what is right for knowing what is the right path to take. ALL people have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. The key to this in the future is having information now. The problem is who can we trust? 

Truth to citizens - “That government is best which governs least.” places the responsibility on us. Government changes. In the process of this change WE must be vigilant. We must be prepared. We must be ready to hold the line. We must safeguard each other.

We have a problem.

Speaking only for myself I can honestly say that I DO have trust issues when it comes to leadership and those who govern over us. Blue or red really does not matter. I have trusted church, family and government and have been bitterly disappointed. It is downright confusing. When there is confusion of this magnitude I put what is triggering it aside to examine another day and I focus on how I can best work around what I can do nothing about. Threats are like this. There are so many so let’s cut to the chase.

I look at the worst case scenario while I pray for the best outcome possible.

The prudent man foreseeth the evil and hideth himself: But the simple pass on and are punished. Proverbs 22:3 (KJV)

Truth is: we could have the worst pandemic, the worst government, the most chaos in society, any and every threat come true and the bottom line is preparedness now will help us endure. We also may not have a pandemic for 20 years, the best government, the most stability and not see any threat come to fruition for many, many, years. The end result then…we have a house in order, a greater ability to help those in need, more time to enjoy life and shop less.

There is absolutely nothing confusing about the preparedness approach and nothing at all to lose from taking this path.

Why Prepare?

If I thought that a pandemic would sound the death knell to our society and beyond I would not be putting all this effort into preparedness. I would live for the day and make it the best day possible. The truth is I don’t see this as the end of the world as we know it. We will get through a pandemic. I have prepared as best we can spiritually, emotionally and physically and we are now planning for our future.

As a student of history I realize that over the last 50+ years we have enjoyed a standard of living that is unprecedented in our countries history. I know that times change and adversity buffets us.  I also know that adversity strengthens us. None of us wants these rough patches but when they emerge we endure and actually learn and grow. Tremendous advances have been made during some of the worst times that we have endured so far. We grow when we are challenged. And we are facing challenges.

As “the public” we have various responses to all these doom and gloom threats and possibilities of disaster, we feel pressured, stressed and have to fight the urge to bury our head in the sand or even “act out”. We are responding to the hormones that are produced by our bodies because of the stressful situation. It takes a certain amount of effort to find appropriate outlets for the baser emotions. I used to respond by lashing out at whoever was within earshot. This just isn’t a healthy way for anyone involved. Rage happens until we become disastified with the turmoil it creates. Now I pray for restraint, patience, and a clean heart before I let my feet hit the floor in the morning. I have to because I can be a real bear. Allowing myself to just react is selfish and the truth is what I can become turns my stomach.

While we are living in a time of turmoil, we will make it through WHATEVER comes our way. But it will take a certain amount of effort on everyone’s part. How well we live during any time of trouble is up to us. Whether we eat earthworms or caviar is determined by our level of preparedness as individuals and families but we will eat. Whether we have potassium iodide tablets in order to protect us during an attack, masks to protect us during an outbreak of infectious disease, or a method to purify water during some other emergency is up to us. Whether we live at each others throat or we make a concerted effort to be civil and helpful to each other is up to us. We have free will and help is always available. Times change, lives change, the world changes and we must be responsive to our environment. We must adapt.

As a woman of faith I know that prayers are answered sometimes through divine intervention. Most times though God works through our fellow man. I have been the recipient of many blessings at the hands of such individuals. I could list the names of about a hundred selfless people just off the top of my head. Individuals who have worked tirelessly for the benefit of us all whose motivations are simply to reduce suffering by urging us to prepare ahead of an “event”.

So people who push preparedness on us. Are they fear mongerers or do they have a message that they we ALL must hear and act on?

The truth is, preparedness reduces fear. Action is a powerful antidote to anxiety. Going forward even when we fear gives us confidence. A fear mongerer would say there is nothing we can do to mitigate anything. But this is NOT the message. There are things we can do. And it is time that we do them.

Get Pandemic Ready - Get “whatever” ready

Prep ON!

Follow the Leader

The truth is that we all follow the leader at some point in our lives.

Combine this with the truth that we all long for acceptance within the group, whichever group we happen to be in, and we have a dangerous combination of complex drives which leave us open to behaving in ways that we never thought possible or blinded to behavior that we never thought that we would accept.

Cult leaders (despots and tyrants) know this intuitively and they use this to their advantage. Some become dangerous when followers begin to see through the carefully constructed charade and some are allowed to wreak havoc on lives while we blithely go on with our lives.

We even sometimes become players in their drama and once complicit we have even more difficulty seeing the error that we are living. Because then we are also at fault. Since we do not want to share in this we refuse to look at what is being done. And we don’t want to think that we have chosen to follow wrongly.

And most of the time these twisters of lives and minds are very subtle. They have their craft down. They have had time throughout their lives to master their manipulative behavior.

It is so easy, too easy, to follow the leader. Good looks and charisma, a finely tuned tongue and masterful speaker, a smiler, a toucher, a seemingly sympathetic ear are all qualities that we are drawn to. A person who understands our hurts and promises to heal our wounds or has the answer to our biggest questions - we are enamored with someone like this. But this type of person is pretty obvious, there are more subtle manipulators who begin on the right course, draw people in, and then enjoy watching their followers do their bidding.

Another truth is that we are all capable of manipulating others. We learn the behavior as babies. We cry and get a response. We smile and get another. We learn how to get along in the world even without knowing how to walk or speak. For some an intense enjoyment in having power over others develops. Perhaps their basic needs were not met as children and this caused them to move on to more dramatic behavior. I can almost say that the reason doesn’t matter but it does because there is a lesson for how we raise our children today. But I could get off on a whole other tangent. When these megalomaniacs actually do have power watch out because hurt will surely follow. Some make truth seem like a lie and lies seem like the truth. They are devious, conniving, and some even believe the lies they tell.

There is a way which seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death.

 Proverbs 14:12

The antidote to this way of death is prayer and discernment. When we set up hierarchies dangerous territory is ahead.

We are all created equal but we are all unique. We all have different gifts and talents that can be helpful and useful within our social circle, our churches, our workplace. No should be more valued than another.

It has taken me eight long years to write this post. It took eight long years of watching a situation develop where all I could do was keep silent and pray. It took eight long years of self doubt to see in the end that I was being taught something profound.

I have learned to:

• Know the reasons why someone wants to lead others. Listen and learn their motivations. Look at their “track record”. Is it consistent with their stated reason and motivations?
• Know what their detractors say about them and listen acutely to why they say what they do.
• Look at leaders as people chosen for a task. They have no more intrinsic worth than those doing the most menial and lowly jobs in our society. They are just gifted differently. Beware and keep in check any leader who begins to expand his scope of influence. Having a mouth willing to speak and the attention of the media does not necessarily indicate that someone is the right person for a leadership position. Some of our best leaders have been the most reluctant to lead.
• Stay clear of anyone who devalues another human being for any reason.
• Seek out leaders who will not ask anyone to do something that they are not willing to do themselves.

I am sure that others could add their own lessons learned. As I said, this has been a post that has been rattling around in my brain since my very first “Forever Standing Firm” blog so many years ago. It is good to finally find the words….I am sure the lessons will keep coming out of this.

…oh, and in writing this I was not thinking at all about our current administration.

A Glimmer of Hope

I am truly convinced that our society is experiencing the normal reactive stages to trauma. We have been wounded and we are healing. During this process it is difficult for us as a society to process more hurt and more potential problems. So what we do is go into a protective mode where we have a type of tunnel vision. We become numb to the horrors around us and we become unable to process what may come. In this state we are vulnerable. We are protecting our psyche but we are also further endangering our lives.

It is no wonder that we are doing so and this is all expected and predictable. But doing so allows us to bury our heads in the sand while we recuperate….and this we must not do. We must not have hardened hearts to what may come our way.

The fact of the matter is a pandemic looms. The fact of the matter is that there are enemies who would love to wipe us off the map. The fact of the matter is that there is a war on terrorism because evil exists. There truly exists those in the world who desire to hurt, maim, kill, oppress, and annhilate others. They hurt others because they want to do so and not because they are oppressed or in poverty or in need as some would suggest. They are like they are because they enjoy what they do and are rewarded for their deeds by others of similar ilk. It is difficult thing to pray for your enemies, to love those who hate you and to heap coals of kindness on those who seek to destroy you but that is what we are called to do as people who follow God. And these things can be done, just not in our own strength and not through our own will.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” Philippians 4:13

The glimmer of hope that I see is that there are young people who are rebounding. There are young people who are volunteering. There are young people who are fighting the apathy who have lifted their heads out of the sand which threatens to entomb. There are young people who are leading. And we should be learning from their example.

I received an email from a young couple who are shining examples of what is right with our country today. They asked me to post some links to free courseware that is available to all. Once taken we are armed with more arrows in our quiver. We can face what is ahead with more confidence - that is why we prepare.

The fact that we can go forward not paralyzed by what threatens but with confidence because we have strengthened our armour we become a formidable force enabled to stand firm. And relying on God in order that we may do these things is not a weakness but a strength. My glimmer of hope is in that each day I hear of those who are being filled by the Holy Spirit of God and they are standing firm. My heart rejoices at the healing and the fullness of character that results.

 

So as requested I will post the link and some of my own as well. We simply must use what is available to us to be ready for whatever comes our way.

Free independent home courses:

FEMA Training: IS-100 Introduction to Incident Command System, 1-100

Know why our volunteers and leaders respond as they do or volunteer yourself. These are the basics to get you started.

University of Albany School of Public Health - open courseware - Preparedness and Community Response to Pandemics

Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health - open courseware

There are many other resources available free of charge for those who seek to help others - neighbor to neighbor, or within your own family.

 

God Bless and good healing,

Jackie

Have we passed our prime?

I was speaking to a good friend the other day. My heart grieved as she voiced the opinion that as a nation we have passed our peak. Have we? Or will this be the self fulfilling prophecy that will do us in? There is still time and there is still hope.

We must fight against our own attitudes. That is where the biggest battleground is. Our hearts and minds can lead us in all the wrong directions. I know this to be true from my own experience. When we serve up a plate of anger, resentment, hatred, fear, disatisfaction….when we feast on these things they become our heart’s poison.

When we allow those who hate to order our days we will become hateful ourselves.

But it is SO HARD to be a part of the “Love Revolution” when every day you have to stare down the hatred that is directed at you. And we all are staring it down one way or another. At work, at home, at play - hateful, mean, spitefulness is running rampant in our society.

None of us have all the answers, none of us will get it all right the first time. Even hating the haters proves our incapacity for turning hate to love. It simply cannot be done in our own strength.

So my dear, dear, friend has lost hope. How many of us have? Have you? Hearing her give voice to her despair over the state of our nation, our world, our town, hurt - and yet I understand. I understand all too well where she was coming from.

Our town has a campaign “No place for hate”. When we need to have campaigns like this - the latest “buzz” or fad, it means that a lot of hatred must be in existence. What are we feeding on? What dishes are we serving up that are poisoning us? Why are we persisting in feeding ourselves a diet of poison?

No matter what we have to endure as a country, as towns and villages and neighborhoods, do we have the courage to see our way through? We won’t if we take our focus off the source of all goodness and hope. We will not have the joy that surpasses all understanding. We will not have the strength, if the source of our strength has been rejected. We will fail miserably. We truly do stand at the fork in the road now? Which way will you choose?

I Take Up compassion and Surrender my excuses

              I Stand against injustice

and Commit to live out simple acts of God’s love

    I Refuse to do nothing, this is my resolve

        I AM THE LOVE REVOLUTION (T.P.)

        www.theloverevolution.com

 

So…the results are in

A drill was the best thing to do after all is said and done. Acting on our fears in a positive way.

I found that stocking up is a whole lot harder to do on a strict budget. Food costs are up slightly in our are and fuel is cutting into the budget a lot more. 

Keeping ourselves healthy and following our medication protocols, exercise routines, and eating as healthy as possible with fresh foods is actually a good idea. Stocking up we will mostly be eating starches because that seems to be what we can afford. 

I also discovered that too much energy is expended trying to get back to maintenance level when we become lazy in our routines although it is easier to start up again than it is to begin for the first time. So establishing routines now is a good idea.

Part of my drill was to make sure that what we will need for at least 8 weeks is on-hand. I am not talking living a princesses life. I am talking *survival* for at least 8 weeks. Toilet paper (or even a resourceful alternative), supplies for good hygiene, entertainment (books mostly but other things to occupy active minds), Food, water, and some extra things for exchange or barter with neighbors.

If I had to characterize our state of readiness on some sort of scale I would say that we are at “barely survivable” on our own.

This time around, as far as drills go, I found myself much more able to brainstorm through unexpected events. Losing power, running out of fuel during the winter, no hot water for cooking or cleaning, fire, even some security type issues, I was much more able to think of solutions and even come up with the problems. They seem far less threatening since I have thought through these things.

Treating a life threatening illness in the case of medical system collapse is something that I still struggle with brainstorming through. I know what to do but I still have not wrapped my mind around actually doing this yet. Maybe next drill.

What I do know is that drilling, even if it is running through these checklists mentally, is tremendously helpful. At least it has been for me and mine so I thought that I would pass along this information.

Hope it helps.

Jackie

Batten down the hatches…

A drill? Perhaps….but something has my hair standing on end. So a drill is in order….just in case.

I have been “on vacation” from flu stuff but some recent posts have me paying attention.

Time for our family to have a bit more vigilance, we need to tighten up tour preps - IOW do a real good grocery shop in order to augment what little we have been able to store up in this economy, fill the water bottles that we have on hand, and keep our personal protection ready and available at all times (hand sanitizer and masks). Time for heightened hygiene I think too. Lax hand washing habits, public drinking fountains, and not drinking out of the can for sodas and such. I admit, I have grown a bit sloppy while taking my little hiatus. Time to get back to good habits.

A drill? I sure hope so. But we can’t wait to react after the start of the trouble - we must be proactive. Since we can’t know if the time is now or will come ten years from now…..so a drill, time for a drill.

To each their own - talent that is

Communities are planning for a pandemic - Monson is - but for me it is time to implement what I personally can do to contribute to the health of my community.

Communication, food, and the underserved of any age seem to be who I am most concerned about helping. My mind is churning with how to make this work in my little neighborhood. I love sharing vegetables and flowers with my neighbors. I hate seeing anything go to waste out of a garden. I am not sure if everyone loves getting fresh from the garden vegies but I bet most do. So sticking to my set parameter is it has to start small and build outward… building a neighborhood garden produce swap area may be very helpful to my neighbors with prices going up and up —and encourage them to plant and share what they grow as well. With the help and brilliant thinking of Rob and a friend of the family, Nicole, ideas are building.

I love the energy of young folks. Not that I am that old but years have worn down the old “can do” excitement that I had in my 20’s. Now its thats a good idea BUT…..a good balance but sometimes you just have to jump in with both feet.

A neighborhood garden produce swap area. We can make it inviting by utilizing our outdoor fire pit for a gathering spot, etc…. camraderie, cohesiveness and above all communication.

So we will see where we go from here….start small and build.

I do know that sitting around and not doing what needs to be done is squandering God given preparedness time that some day I will kick myself for wasting. I keep saying everyday “push on”. But now I have to people helping who are capable of leading the whole effort. I am still dogged tired so as they say ”more hands make for lighter work”, and I am so thankful for more hands.

All we can do is try, try again, and keep trying — and always learn from our failures.

Preparing: what we are doing

[Posted on May 6th]

Hoarding…As a “prepper” this is the area that I have always had a struggle with in an ethical sense- how much is enough and where is the line drawn when stocking up?  With prices on the rise and paychecks not keeping up we struggle to make ends meet so hoarding is not a concern.

I have to admit that most of my “preparedness” has been spiritual, informational and emotional. Things that you cannot eat, but I have learned of ways to be more self sustaining on the food front. But I know that I am going to have to go a bit further than that in order to ensure that we have the amount we need because even preparing for 3 months isn’t really a solution - I don’t think that we can purchase our way through what is ahead on all fronts….we are going to have to change our behavior — a lot.

So no, even with all this time that I have had to prepare, my shelves are not packed to the ceiling. We have eaten up a lot of what we had stored up. We started late and now its even tougher.

What we are doing….

We are reducing consumption across the board. We truly live on much less. I drive less than 20 miles per week, some weeks less than 10. We turn off lights, tv’s, unplug appliances, etc. and we are seriously attempting to grow some of our own vegetables. Over the years we have acquired a lot of “stuff” I am reusing that “stuff” in novel ways. An old iron swing set has been converted into a giant hanger for upside down tomatoes and cucumbers which will be growing over the sunniest part of our lot - our deck, an upside down “victory garden”. I reused chicken wire to create a potato cylinder for a crop of potatoes etc.

We are saving newspaper, plastic bags, and 5 gallon water containers. In other words, anything we can use twice or better yet three or four times gets stored.

We shred mail and newspaper and keep other clean burnables for winter fire starting. We use wood to heat our house. It warms us three times..stacking it, hauling it in the house and burning it. Even food scraps are being composted in the mulch pile and I am learning about making compost tea. We have generated around 5 yards of nutrient rich topsoil over the years. At $15/yard plus and exorbitant delivery charge we have been rewarded for our efforts. We don’t have a large lot so I can imagine what can be done on an acre or more!

Our clothesline is up too so no more clothes dryer….that should save on our electric bill.

On the neighborhood front we are enjoying getting reacquainted with our neighbors. Most are largely unaware, still, of the pandemic threat. A quick mention here and there is about all that people endure. One favorite neighbor of ours mentioned the newspaper article in November and that it stood out in his mind that I said that I was storing some rice for neighbors. The rice supply is dwindling as we eat up some of what has been stored and I told him so. He offered his services as a hunter and fisherman!!!

My next project is to build a solar dehydrator using found and reused materials. It will be fantastic on our upper deck, which is also sunny and quite hot during the summer. Dehydrating fruits and vegetables while they are plentiful and cheap will help us through the fall and winter months. I am also toying with building a cold storage structure for apples since there is an orchard up the street and apples are cheap in season or for root crops. One project at a time

I do notice that I spend a lot of time off the computer now so my posts may be a little infrequent. I have a renewed respect and admiration for how hard our ancestors worked — and not that many generations ago.

 

Clinging to faith in rural America with joy in my heart!

Yes, I cling to faith and we are familiar with firearms. Um, we even live in a rural area. Bitter? Oh my, not in the least. Full of joy and sense of purpose is how I would describe my life. No bitterness and I don’t know many bitter people.

A Christian perspective…

Springtime, Hope, and Victory Gardens!

Go back to simple food, simple clothes, simple pleasures.
Pray hard, work hard, sleep hard and play hard.
Do it all courageously and cheerfully. - Herbert Hoover

Gardner at Fluwiki brought up the subject of Victory Gardens today. This is a subject that we have bantered around flublogia for quite a while.

Flu: What You Can Do

Massachusetts Statewide Home Flu Care Campaign

Flu: What You Can Do – Caring for People at Home

This booklet and many other resources are available here …

Highlight: Neighborhood Watch

Neighborhood Watch Programs

USAONWATCH.ORG

From the website:

Register Your Watch Group in 5 Easy Steps:

• 1 – Recruit and Organize as many neighbors as possible
• 2 – Contact your local law enforcement agency and schedule a meeting
• 3 – Discuss community concerns and develop an action plan
• 4 – Hold regular meetings and train
• 5 – Implement a phone tree and take action steps

 

Volunteer for the Monson Medical Reserve Corps!
Call Monson Board of Health for Information (413)267-4107