PrepareToday!

Getting in shape? Don't forget about your home, too!

My wife and I have been eating so much better lately, cutting out on pasta, pizza, pie and potatoes  (my former staple foods). She's lost 40 pounds! I weigh a few pounds more than I did my Senior year of high school AND just bought slacks 2" smaller than everything else in my closet! We've also been walking, cycling, even did some canoeing and horseback riding recently. 

With all this "getting in shape" stuff ("But isn't ROUND a shape?" I asked), it's a good question to determine what kind of shape your home preparedness is in.

See, a person who is vulnerable to disruptions in food, energy, and water is at the mercy of whoever can supply them. Rule o' thumb: don't be that person!

What does that level of vulnerability look like?  For starters, standing in line for a meager government ration of food and water, even if that results from a broken water main or downed power lines.  Then, there's paying an outrageous price to criminals and profiteers for whatever THEY decide to give you (or allow you to keep).  

In a word, home preparedness can reduce your own suffering. In a world which is increasingly predatory and dysfunctional, it’s better NOT to be at everybody else's mercy. If you allow yourself to become vulnerable and dependent, you won’t be in any position to protect or help others later. Wouldn't it be a better Christian witness if YOU were the one who was at peace? Wouldn't you prefer to have a calming effect on others? A positive outlook can put you in a position of respect and leadership, giving you an audience and allowing you to share your faith in a very practical way.

Having a safe, productive home makes you an asset to your community rather than a burden and might allow you to become an integral part of a re-bounding local economy.  You can - and should - be an example for others to follow.  A fit home increases your community’s chance of future success which, in turn, increases your own.

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo