Stocking Up & Surviving

[JimT]

It's funny. Apparently if you live long enough you start seeing life recycle. Things that happened once happening all over again. Take the present crisis for instance. I remember when "Survival" was a word on everyone's lips. There were stores, businesses all catering to those who were preparing to last through the oncoming devastation. When a peanut farmer from Georgia got elected to the White House the survival movement really got going.

People were laying in stores of ammo, guns, food and water. Inflation was running away and normal investments were crashing. People were putting their money in gold and silver. It all was quite exciting.

Having grown up on a ranch far from town, we just normally live with having food, water, guns, ammo etc. around. We never were taught to depend on the government to rescue us. We took care of ourselves. And still do. It's not a "survival" thing. It is just the way we live.

But it was big thing then and it's come around again! People are getting in on it by the thousands .. many just discovering it for the first time. It's kinda funny in a weird sorta way.

The big problem is that most people don't "prepare" properly. For instance, during the "survivalist" thing in the 70's and 80's there was a writer by the name of Mel Tappen. He was really into it. He had a fully stocked cabin in Mexico and another somewhere up north. If things hit the fan he had a place to retreat to, no matter where he was.

The bad thing was, he had a heart attack and died in his mid 40's. I often wondered if he was as prepared to meet his Creator as he was to meet social disasters.

I fear many today who are stocking up are not preparing in the right way. Quite a while ago a Rabbi told the story of a man who was preparing for the future. He had so much that he had to build extra barns to hold it all. Just as he finished them he died. The question was asked, "how prepared are you if you aren't prepared for that?"

A lot of wannabees envision themselves in some glorious shootout with oppressing agents of evil, not realizing that the likelihood of coming out it alive are slim. (Besides, what few shootouts I have seen are far from glamorous. More like "stuff your pants")

But as I said, it all seems to be coming around again. I see it on TV and hear it talked about a lot. Oh -- I am not against stocking up. No.

But while you are at it, you might consider stocking up on the things that make the next place you go to after this world a more pleasant place.

Just a thought.

[kimwcook]

A very good point, Jim. I try to keep that part of my pantry stocked as well.

I'm some what torn with a piece of property with a cabin on it. Not that I don't want one, it's just the reason why I'd have it. If as a survival tool, I think by the time a person were to realize they need to skidaddle and leave everything else they have behind besides what they can fit into their vehicle. I wonder if the cabin would have the provisions still intact. The more someone thinks there's something inside because of all the iron over the windows and doors. The more they're going to want in and probably will get in. Then you've got a cabin in the tules with no provisions and more than likely a short chance of re-stocking. I'd love to have one for recreation and a possible retiring home.

[alnitak]

Words of wisdom, Jim. Thanks for the reminder about what should be a priority in all our lives.

[kmittleman]

Amen. An important set of points we can all overlook during times of stress. They make us consider what's really important as well as not what to look to but WHO to fix our eyes on in all things.

-kevin

[Rusty]

In a word...

BIBLE

Basic
Instructions
Before
Leaving
Earth

[Grizz]

thanks Jim

we appreciate that and we remind ourselves that

our citizenship is in heaven

[Nath]

Well said Jim, good words, thanks

Nath.

[C. Cash]

Well Said +2!

[rjohns94]

I live by keeping the "eternal" perspective. With our focus on him, the rest of this seems trivial. blessings and thanks for the post

[Borregos]

Good point Jim, thanks.

[Don McDowell]

A most excellent sermon Reverend Taylor. Well done

[DBW]

Thanks for posting Jim. I know that as I grow older I find myself leaning more on the Lord above than any ability I might poccess to survive. This part of life is temporal and only a prelude to the one I am going to share in His presence.

[BlueStateSaint]

We've got a 16-month-old daughter. God works through her every minute of the day. Having typed that, it's good to see someone else remind me that He is The Important One.

If I could high five you, Jim, I would.

[Hobie]

Jim,

As you know, the reminder is necessary and timely. Poor Mel was in a wheelchair when he died, or so I heard. I have also wondered if he was ready for that eventuality.

Glen Beck is making noise about coming troubles and preparation. Chief among those is preparing for the next life, getting "right" with God (as we say around here).

[JohndeFresno]

Most excellent and timely, Parson!

Thank you.

[tman]

get a glock 18 and 5-33 round clips and pray to GOD that you never have to use it

[Jason_W]

It seems to me the biggest enemy of humanity/civilization is panic. When I look around, it's all I see sometimes. It's funny, the same species that created art, music, literature, the theory of relativity, and most importantly beer too often acts like a herd of frightened gazelles when things get a little tough.

I'm not much for the survivalist mentality. Even if you have 10 years worth of canned food and a million rounds of ammo, how long can one man, or even a family unit hold out? In a major societal upheaval, the only chance people would have would be to band together on the community level. Other than that, dropping out and being less like a survivalist and more like survivorman might work, but who really want to run around the woods eating bugs and tree bark for a few years while the crisis passes?

[shdwlkr]

Jim
It seems to me that a certain person who is now in the white house made a negative comment about those bible carrying and gun toting folks out there and the funny thing is that more folks having been buying firearms since he won the election then ever before.
Yes I am one of those bible carrying gun toting folks and I have some military training behind it. What I see happening is the collapsing of major stores and businesses, food becoming hard to come by, natural disasters and the collapse of the banks.
As to a shoot out because things have hit the fan I am not sure of yet but I do think more folks think they can take what you have at gun point and not worry about it. But that seems to be changing to as more and more people are fighting back.
As to being ready to leave this life, heck no I am not ready but I am not scared of it happening either. Why you might ask, well when you have a brain tumor you learn that your time clock can be filled up at anytime and you can't do a dang thing about it. No my tumor can't be operated on easily and I am not guaranteed that I will be me after the operation if it ever comes to that. If it acts up and I am out and about I have 5 minutes to get to a hospital and get a hole drilled in my head to remove the excess blood. So it is over for me if this happens. I have sort of made my piece with my maker and he has done for me by giving me a large family that has little ones in it to keep me going. If I can live until they are grown and see them happy and some grand kids I have been truly blessed and have not one complaint as I have done that long enough here. Ha Ha

[Sixgun]

Jimbo,
Its the third time in my lifetime that the "survivalist thing" has hit us.

The first was in the late fifties and early sixties when we all thought a "A" bomb was gonna get us. In high school in the late sixties, we used to smoke weed and drink wine in bomb shelters that the parents of some of my friends made.

The second, as you say, was in the eighties with Mel. I do remember that well.

Its different now---a lot different. This country has for the first time, has been economically surviving on a bubble with the credit thing that was started in the mid sixties. Inflation is rampant. Even my own little rancher on 4 acres has risen from 45K in 1975 (when I had it built) to 500K now. Something is wrong---way wrong. It should be worth 100K

The economic indicators are showing its the worse since the 1930's.

We are going to get hit in the next three years----The Anti-Christ is in the W.H. ---------Be Prepared--------I am both ways----------------------------------------Sixgun

[shdwlkr]

T B Good
the funny part is that when the brain surgeon came in to tell me about my tumor he thought I would go to pieces but I asked him to explain the operation and all the tools he would use and I had him in tears because of my comments about the tools and how funny it was to be using this or that tool that was totally made out of stainless steel as I have some of them that I use at home made out of just plain steel. If You can't laugh at having a hole drilled in your head and the strange scar it will leave and I asked him to make a second one on the other side so I could say he went straight through before the surgeon realized just how hollow my head really was. To say it doesn't or didn't scare me for awhile is just plain stupid and realizing that it can all be over in just a few minutes just reduces you to the reality that we are here for very short time no matter how long it really is.
I am totally convinced I am still here because I have something yet to do here before I can go back home and I just hope I get it done right before it is too late.

[marlinman93]

My wife's cousin got into the idea of being ready for armageddon, and whatever might come years ago. He began stocking up supplies in his basement, and tried to talk me into doing the same. I told him I didn't need to stock up with all that stuff, because I owned guns and knew where he lived when the big one came! The look on his face was priceless!

[Sixgun]

As I sit here, my wife hollars from the other room that the banks in Delaware are being nationalized. better go stock up.

[AJMD429]

It seems to me the biggest enemy of humanity/civilization is panic. When I look around, it's all I see sometimes. It's funny, the same species that created art, music, literature, the theory of relativity, and most importantly beer too often acts like a herd of frightened gazelles when things get a little tough.

I'm not much for the survivalist mentality. Even if you have 10 years worth of canned food and a million rounds of ammo, how long can one man, or even a family unit hold out? In a major societal upheaval, the only chance people would have would be to band together on the community level. Other than that, dropping out and being less like a survivalist and more like survivorman might work, but who really want to run around the woods eating bugs and tree bark for a few years while the crisis passes?

+1