PrepareToday!

Forget 'Sandy'... are YOU prepared?

You've probably heard by now: National weather authorities have issued an URGENT ALERT regarding Hurricane Sandy. They say it's likely to be the most dangerous hurricane to hit the Northeast corridor in decades. High winds, destructive flooding, fallen trees, blizzard conditions and widespread power outages affecting as many as 60 million people are anticipated up and down the East Coast. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued across the region, particularly in coastal areas. Places hundreds of miles inland are expected to be severely impacted by the storm as well. After the snow accumulation begins to melt, what effect will that have on already-soggy ground?

Fist fights have reportedly breaking out at some stores, as unprepared citizens fight over basic supplies. At least folks are TRYING to prepare, but why wait till the last minute? Crises such as this raise a pressing question you MUST ask yourself...

"Do I have the basic necessities I would need to evacuate or survive an emergency?"

Not just you, but what about your business? Your employees? Your church? Your neighbors? What could YOU be doing differently RIGHT NOW so you can hit the ground running when the next storm has passed YOUR area? 

And it IS coming.

Disasters do NOT have to be an "every man for himself" situation. At best, it's an opportunity for we, as Followers of Christ, to let our light shine brighter than ever before. Our Biblical models of disaster readiness include Noah and Joseph, but there are many others. If you are out of harm's way, living far west of Hurricane Sandy (uh, last I heard, Hawaii and Seattle were under a Tsunami warning from a 7.7 quake Saturday - some safety!), let's use this so-called "FrankenStorm" to remind us of the importance of disaster preparation. 

I use the acronym "FEPS" as a guide for preparedness: Financial, Emotional, Physical and Spiritual Preparedness.

FINANCIAL: What will you do if the electricity stops working - for days? You can't use charge cards, ATM's, banks. Cash registers won't work and the lack of electricity won't be keeping food and milk cold in the stores any way. You COULD be using this time to exchange your cash for gold in small 1-gram bars such as Karatbars offers (CLICK HERE, then contact me) as well as pre-'65 silver U.S. coins (I recommend dimes).

EMOTIONAL: Emotional Preparedness comes in the form of training. Reading articles on preparedness (I suggest Ready.gov) and taking courses on First-Aid will help you "keep your head" during disasters. You may even want to conduct a drill so family or staff know what to do when the going gets tough.

PHYSICAL: You could start walking or cycling, perhaps join a gym. If you needed a reason to shed some pounds, saving your life and your loved ones is a great place to start. What about your physical needs... food, water, warmth, shelter, self-defense? This is a great time to start stocking up. A friend just attended a large gun show in our area. He said he surprised at how many people were not buying hunting rifles or even talking about hunting; they were Preppers. People were buying dried foods by the case. Ammo cans were being purchased for seed storage. Some gun show, huh? In our house, we've been storing GOFoods (CLICK HERE for FREE SAMPLES). It tastes delicious and it's nutritious. Remember, if you can't air your tires, pump gas, watch TV, illuminate your home, warm your family, cook your meals, what will you do? Now is the time to make lists and have discussions with others in your world. This bears repeating: people start dying after only 3 days without clean water. In flood conditions, all the water becomes highly toxic from everything that's been swept along with the surge. What about meds? Have you stocked up? Supply lines always get cut-off during disasters.

SPIRITUAL: This is a great time to examine your own spiritual condition. While some see faith as a crutch, I prefer to think of it as a wheelchair. There are certain things we humans were simply not built to handle; we need One who is greater than we are. The God I serve (I call Him Jesus) has been there for me and has come through in so many of my own personal disasters, I cannot help but trust in Him for Wisdom and Safety in the midst of life's storms (and I am NOT talking only about weather-related kinds). It all starts with a decision to renew your mind. I suggest reading the Holy Bible, starting with the Gospel of John. Prayer is good; it's merely conversation between Created and Creator. Forget all those thee's and thou's; just talk as you would with anyone else. Don't change a thing (God can handle it, trust me). You might want to consider attending church services or, at the very least, having discussions with others whose lives reflect a level of intimacy with God that you admire. Ask them questions. Learn from them. Bear in mind, the word "church" that we use does not refer to a place; it refers to people are are to BE the Church wherever we go, including stained-glass steeples.

Remember, God, Gold, Guns, Groceries and GOOD Water are five important check points where disaster readiness is concerned. Well, are YOU ready?

Let's talk!

Every blessing,

Michael Tummillo

Texas, USA

miketummillo@me.com