1) Dr. Charles
F. Stanley's 30 Life Principles
Life
Principle 27
Prayer
is life’s greatest time saver.
Change is
never easy, especially when our choices affect other people. Change means
important decisions will be made—which introduces the possibility of terrible
mistakes and ongoing consequences. When we make those choices without seeking
the Lord’s leadership, we are headed for disaster. But when we pray to God,
requesting His guidance and committing ourselves to His will, He moves in
astounding ways to help us.
I remember
the time when we needed to find a new property to house our “In Touch”
television and radio ministry. Four months before we had to move, we found a
building that we thought would be perfect. The only problem was that it cost
$2.7 million. Several of our board members and executive staff felt good about
the location and price, so they suggested we borrow the money for the property.
Several others, however, rejected both the price and the idea of going into
debt.
One Wednesday
afternoon after that, a group of us met for a long time to discuss the move but
were unable to come to any consensus. It was as if we were in a fog. We needed
divine direction, and I knew we were not going to receive any sitting around
that conference table. I asked my secretary to call Unicoi State Park and book
some cabins for the following week. I understood that to stay there, we should
have called four to six months in advance—it was unlikely they would have space
for us. Ten minutes later, however, she returned and reported that we were all
set.
On the
morning we left for Unicoi, I asked a friend to negotiate with the owner to see
if we could purchase the property for $2 million. I also asked our church
administrator to see if we could possibly extend our stay at our current
offices for six more months. Both told me they would do their best.
During the two hours I drove from
Atlanta to the cabins, I thought and prayed. And God brought Zechariah 4:6 to my mind: “‘Not by might nor by
power, but by My Spirit,’ says the Lord of hosts.” I took it as a sign that He
wanted to do something that we knew nothing about. So I prayed, “Lord, whatever
You have in mind, please don’t let us miss it!”
For two days,
we did very little talking and a whole lot of praying. We cried out to God in
desperation, realizing that a deadline was looming while our peace and unity
were missing. During one break, I called our administrator and discovered that
we had been given an extension at our current location—we had six more months
before we had to move. That was great news. Later, my friend called to tell me
that the owner of the property had agreed to sell it to us for $2 million.
There was only one problem. The building had a tenant who still had another six
months on their lease. Moving them out early would cost us extra. We just kept
praying.
When we left
Unicoi two days later, we still didn’t have any clear direction about how to
purchase the building, but we were committed to waiting on God. We were
confident that He had something different in mind other than borrowing the
money and that it had already been worked out.
When I
arrived home, I had a message to call a man I had never met. He was an “In Touch”
viewer who was interested in helping the ministry. I called him back and he
said, “Dr. Stanley, I have had you and your ministry on my mind the past
several days. I notice that you never ask for money on the broadcast, and I was
wondering if you had any needs.”
I didn’t know
whether to laugh or cry. I explained our situation and then told him about our
prayer meeting. He asked how much the building cost. I told him I thought we
could get it for $2 million. He said, “I think I can handle that.” And he did.
We closed about 90 days later.
Can you
imagine the mistake we would have made if we had not stopped to seek the Lord’s
guidance and had failed to trust in His provision? Can you imagine the time,
energy, and resources we would have wasted if we had tried to acquire that
property in our own strength instead of God’s?
Prayer is always life’s greatest time
saver. You may be facing a great change or decision that seems overwhelming to
you. The Lord knows exactly what you need, and He will always answer your
prayers as is absolutely best for you. Therefore, spend time listening to Him,
receiving His wisdom and direction, and drinking in His presence and power. Be
quiet before Him, rest in Him, and allow Him to order your steps. He will keep
you from moving in the wrong direction or from wasting your time doing useless
things.
Are you
willing to stop and listen to Him? Are you ready for Him to make you the most
fruitful you can possibly be? Then no matter what you face, commit yourself to
His schedule, wisdom, provision, and guidance through prayer. You’ll find that
your time with Him is the best investment you make every day.
2) The 30-Day
Reading List That Will Lead You to Becoming a Knowledgeable Libertarian by
Robert Wenzel
What If Public Schools Were
Abolished?
In American culture, public schools
are praised in public and criticized in private, which is roughly the opposite
of how we tend to treat large-scale enterprises like Wal-Mart. In public,
everyone says that Wal-Mart is awful, filled with shoddy foreign products and
exploiting workers. But in private, we buy the well-priced, quality goods, and
long lines of people hope to be hired.
Why is this? It has something to do
with the fact that public schools are part of our civic religion, the primary
evidence that people cite to show that local government serves us. And there is
a psychological element. Most of us turn our kids over to them, so surely they
must have our best interest at heart!
But
do they? Murray N. Rothbard's
Education:
Free and Compulsory explains
that the true origin and purpose of public education is not so much education
as we think of it, but indoctrination in the civic religion. This explains why
the civic elite is so suspicious of homeschooling and private schooling: it's
not fear of low test scores that is driving this, but the worry that these kids
aren't learning the values that the state considers important.
But to blast public schools is not
the purpose of this article. There are decent public schools and terrible ones,
so there is no use generalizing. Nor is there a need to trot out data on test
scores. Let me just deal with economics. All studies have shown that average
cost per pupil for public schools is twice that of private schools (here is a
sample study).
This runs contrary to intuition,
since people think of public schools as free and private schools as expensive.
But once you consider the source of funding (tax dollars vs. market tuition or
donation), the private alternative is much cheaper. In fact, the public schools
cost as much as the most expensive and elite private schools in the country.
The difference is that the cost of public schooling is spread out over the
entire population, whereas the private school cost is borne only by the
families with students who attend them.
In short, if we could abolish
public schools and compulsory schooling laws, and replace it all with
market-provided education, we would have better schools at half the price, and
be freer too. We would also be a more just society, with only the customers of
education bearing the costs.
What's not to like? Well, there is
the problem of the transition. There are obvious and grave political
difficulties. We might say that public education enjoys a political advantage
here due to
network effects. A
significant number of "subscriptions," etc. have been piled up in the
status quo, and it is very difficult to change those.
But let's pretend. Let's say that a
single town decided that the costs of public schooling are too vast relative to
private schooling, and the city council decided to abolish public schools
outright. The first thing to notice is that this would be illegal, since every
state requires localities to provide education on a public basis. I don't know
what would happen to the city council. Would they be jailed? Who knows?
Certainly they would be sued.
But let's say we somehow get past
that problem, thanks to, say, a special amendment in the state constitution,
that exempts certain localities if the city council approves. Then there is the
problem of federal legislation and regulation. I am purely speculating since I
don't know the relevant laws, but we can guess that the Department of Education
would take notice, and a national hysteria of some sort would follow. But let's
say we miraculously get past that problem too, and the federal government lets
this locality go its own way.
There will be two stages to the transition.
In the first stage, many seemingly bad things will happen. How are the physical
buildings handled in our example? They are sold to the highest bidder, whether
that be to new school owners, businesses, or housing developers. And the
teachers and administrators? All let go. You can imagine the outcry.
With property taxes abolished,
people with kids in public schools might move away. There will be no premium
for houses in school districts that are considered good. There will be anger
about this. For the parents that remain, there is a major problem of what to do
with the kids during the day.
With property taxes gone, there is
extra money to pay for schools, but their assets have just fallen in market
value (even without the Fed), which is a serious problem when it comes to
shelling out for school tuition. There will, of course, be widespread hysteria
about the poor too, who will find themselves without any schooling choices
other than homeschool.
Now, all that sounds pretty
catastrophic, doesn't it? Indeed. But it is only phase one. If we can somehow
make it to phase two, something completely different will emerge. The existing
private schools will be filled to capacity and there will be a crying need for
new ones. Entrepreneurs will quickly flood into the area to provide schools on
a competitive basis. Churches and other civic institutions will gather the
money to provide education.
At first, the new schools will be
modeled on the public school idea. Kids will be there from 8 to 4 or 5, and all
classes will be covered. But in short order, new alternatives will appear.
There will be schools for half-day classes. There will be large, medium, and
small schools. Some will have 40 kids per class, and others 4 or 1. Private
tutoring will boom. Sectarian schools of all kinds will appear. Micro-schools
will open to serve niche interests: science, classics, music, theater,
computers, agriculture, etc. There will be single sex schools. Whether sports
would be part of school or something completely independent is for the market
to decide.
And no longer will the
"elementary, middle school, high school" model be the only one.
Classes will not necessarily be grouped by age alone. Some will be based on
ability and level of advancement too. Tuition would range from free to super
expensive. The key thing is that the customer would be in charge.
Transportation services would
spring up to replace the old school-bus system. People would be able to make
money by buying vans and providing transportation. In all areas related to education,
profit opportunities would abound.
In short, the market for education
would operate the same as any other market. Groceries, for example. Where there
is a demand, and obviously people demand education for their kids, there is
supply. There are large grocery stores, small ones, discount ones, premium
ones, and stores for groceries on the run. It is the same for other goods, and
it would be the same for education. Again, the customer would rule. In the end,
what would emerge is not entirely predictable — the market never is — but
whatever happened would be in accord with the wishes of the public.
After this phase two, this town
would emerge as one of the most desirable in the country. Educational
alternatives would be unlimited. It would be the source of enormous progress,
and a model for the nation. It could cause the entire country to rethink
education. And then those who moved away would move back to enjoy the best
schools in the country at half the price of the public schools, and those
without children in the house wouldn't have to pay a dime for education. Talk
about attractive!
So which town will be the first to
try it and show us all the way?
3) Roger’s
Rangers Rules or Plan of Discipline by Major Robert Rogers
Rule
#27
If you find the enemy encamped near the banks of
a river, or lake, which you imagine they will attempt to cross for their
security upon being attacked, leave a detachment of your party on the opposite
shore to receive them, while, with the remainder, you surprise them, having
them between you and the lake or river.
4) 52 Weeks to
Preparedness by Tess Pennington
Week 45 of 52: Long-Term
Food and Water Needs
Let’s assume for a moment that a devastating disaster occurred and
you have realized that the life you formerly knew has ended. You are now in a
fight for survival. Luckily, unlike many of those around you, you have
provisions in place and have planned accordingly for a long-term emergency.
But, the longstanding disaster is now threatening to exceed your food supply.
What do you eat after your food supply is depleted or, if it is ruined by insects and rodents?
Like any preparedness plan we must plan for the unexpected by
finding food and supplies that can withstand the test of time. It is my hope
that by now your preparedness supplies are diverse and large enough to cover
both short-term and long-term emergencies.
From the start, my goal with this series was for you to be
prepared enough to survive the above scenario. In order for you to get through
this relatively unscathed, you must prepare for the worst.
Listed below are some examples of long-term food sources. If you
are planning for emergencies such as EMPs, nuclear attacks, economic collapse,
grid-down scenarios, apocalyptic epidemics, etc., then I would strongly
encourage you to invest in the following prep items.
- Lifetime Foods
– Foods
that can last for up to 10 years or longer will be a solid investment for
your future, as well as your best bet at surviving a long-term
disaster. Foods such as wheat, sugar, salt, white rice and corn are some
food items that can last a lifetime. To learn about more of these forever
foods, click here. Ensure
that these foods are stored properly and
away from your food’s worst enemies.
- Freeze-Dried
Food – Freeze
dried food can last for 20 years. There are a variety of freeze dried
ingredients and cuisines to choose from for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The best part of investing in this long-term food source, is different
cans of freeze-dried ingredients can be mixed together to create new
entrees. The best way to get your money’s worth is to purchase the #10
cans. Further, purchasing by the case will save you even more on your
investment. Due to the preservation measures, they can be pricey, but
when you work out the math per serving, it is quite reasonable. Many
preppers have stocked up on this as their initial food source for a
disaster. Because of the long expiration date, I prefer to keep the
freeze-dried foods on standby in the event that I run out of my other
foodstuffs. Please keep in mind that due to the sodium in the
freeze-dried foods, it tends to back up the intestines. Therefore, if you
choose to stock up on these essential long-term foods, I would advise for
you to also stock up on stool softeners.
- Seeds – As previously
indicated in the newsletter for week 43, non-GMO
or heirloom quality seeds are the best types of seeds to store and grow
during long-term emergencies as these seeds produce seeds you can save
for future harvests. However, some believe that having some packets
of GMO seeds to rely on would be beneficial during times of long-term
crises as they have been formulated to survive droughts, have larger
yields and be disease resistant. Having dependable seeds and dependable
fertilizers and soil amendments in times of a crisis is another example
of having back up for your backups. Further, if stored properly,
these seeds can last much longer than their expected expiration dates.
Consider growing vegetables that have high yields and high amounts
of nutrition and vitamins, as well as finding varieties that
possess medicinal properties.
For other considerations for a survival garden, click here.
- Water Catchment
Systems – Those that do not have access to their own water
sources run the risk of being completely dependent on municipal water
supplies. Having knowledge about how to harvest water through means
of rainwater catchment systems is
a great place to begin this path towards self-reliance. Some suggested
low cost options are: collapsible water containers or 5-gallon buckets,
rain harvesting containers or barrels, rainwater downspouts routed to
water tanks by PVC pipes. If outside water catchment systems are
being used, learn more about which catchment system is best for your
home. Here is a great YouTube video on
creating a rain harvesting system from scratch. This website has
multiple water conservation projects that you can adapt to your
lifestyle.
- Water
Filtration Units – In an extended emergency, possessing
knowledge on how to properly clean water will be essential in
keeping sanitation related illnesses at
bay. Water filtration systems with extra filters and parts, water
purification tablets, chlorine granules,
bleach, electrolyte or re-hydration
powders, anti-diarrhea medicines are essential in having clean
drinking water. Here is a YouTube video on
how to make a gravity fed water system similar to the Berkey Water System
for the low price of $50. There will be a high risk of water-borne
viruses, so anti-diarrhea medications will also be valuable to stock.
For many of us, our core beliefs are to provide for our family and
keep them safe. But, according to societal mores we should only provide safety
up to a certain extent. It is a societal taboo to think in terms of worst case
scenarios. But sometimes, we must break through societal codes to do what is
best for our family. In the case of preparedness, thinking in worst case
scenarios may help you better prepare. Unexpected events will happen
during SHTF scenarios, and it will be up to you to be ready for them.
Preps to Buy:
[In Quantity]
- Foods for
long-term storage such as wheat, rice, sugar, salt, honey, and corn. To
learn more, click here.
- Freeze-dried
foods
- Stool softeners
- Seeds, both GMO
and Non-GMO
- Fertilizers
(enough for 3 seasons)
- Water catchment
system items
- Anti-diarrhea
medicines
- Re-hydration
powders or drinks
- Filtration
units such as the Berkey Water Filter
Week 46 of 52: Survival
Caches
Archaic food caches have been found all over the
world. The fact that our ancestors planned for the unexpected gives
us a clear picture into their unpredictable lifestyle. Foods such as nuts
and dry goods as well as foraging tools were put away for a time when they
needed them the most (Source). Today, we
face the same uncertainties in life; and preparing for this sudden upheaval is
the best way we can secure our odds at survival.
Survival caches are the ultimate back up plan. If you are going
for your survival cache, that means, Plan A and Plan B went awry. In this case,
you may be left to survive with only the contents in your cache. Therefore, you
must plan out the contents accordingly.
Given the seriousness of this preparedness issue, many preppers
see the value in having multiple caches spread out geographically to fall back
on in order to lessen the risk of losing everything. Survival caches can be
buried or hidden in secure areas around the property to ensure you have extra
survival items to fall back on. Keep in mind that before you hide a cache, you
need to have chosen a good location preferably within the parameters of your
evacuation route. You also want to keep in mind that the best evacuation route
would be one that does not require use of highways or frequently used roads.
Ideally, you want some of your cache(s) to be away from your
retreat. One prepper in particular I read about has multiple caches along his
bug out route and has even gone to great lengths of planting edible native
plants he can use as an emergency source of food.
According to this article, a GPS would be
ideal as you can program the location of the cache as a way-point in the
navigation system. Special markings at the location can also be used as a way
to identify the location. For instance, spraying yellow paint on two tree’s to
mark that the cache is in between them. Ensure that you keep good track of
where you hide your survival cache and also remember to keep the location of
your cache quiet. The more people who know about your survival cache, the more
vulnerable the cache is to being found and used by someone else.
Many preppers have chosen to hide or bury their caches in
different locations and in an assortment of containers ranging from enclosed PVC pipes,
water proof ammunition containers, 50-gallon drums and even small water
bottles. To waterproof the edges of a pvc pipe use an extra bead of silicone
sealant as a fail-safe. Whichever container you choose, ensure to keep the
following suggestions in mind:
- Keep your
storage space in mind. The best storage space for survival supplies will
be in a cool, dry location that features elevated shelving and is sealed
against rodents.
- Disaster caches
should stock enough water to last a set number of people for several
days. Normally, a person needs 2-liters of water per day. If your cache
is for an isolated cabin with a reliable water source, a distiller or
carbon filtration system and boiler are more important than a large
supply of bottled water.
- Select and
purchase a wide variety of canned goods. Most vegetables, many fruits and
all meats are best stored in canned form, and the typical canned food
product has a shelf life measured in years. Note: ensure that you have a
means of opening your canned goods or purchase canned goods that are of
the “pop top” variety.
- Supplement the
canned goods with a multi-vitamin.
- Stock coffee
and tea. Or, if you have small children, consider storing some packages
of kool-aid or powdered drink mixes. These treats will boost morale, and
they have a long shelf life.
- Stock cooking
oil and extra cooking fuel. These are critical for cooking in the long
haul.
- Store dried
grains, such as flour, rice and corn or corn meal. Beans are also a good
idea. These items will last almost as long as the canned goods.
- Consider
growing mushrooms. If you have a cool, dark space (such as the cellar of
an old cabin) you can set up a mushroom farm and let it take care of
itself for months at a time. This is the only food that can be put into a
survival cache that will partially replenish itself.
So, what items would you stash away? Would they be day-to-day
essentials like canned goods, freeze-dried foods or would you stash hunting
gear so that you can hunt for wild game? Depending on the size of the
container, you could also include other necessary supplies that will benefit
your basic survival needs. For example, if you were burying a 50-gallon drum or
a large water-proof ammunition container, you could bury a fully packed bug-out
bag. Here are some ideas from a previous newsletter on evacuation readiness.
How great would it be to have everything you need for survival, just in case?
Here are some other thoughts on what to store in a survival cache would be:
- First aid kit
- MRE’s
- Small fire
starting kit (matches/lighters)
- Knife
- Water filter
- Duct tape
- Handgun
- Ammo
- Spare clothes,
wool socks and hiking boots
- Emergency
shelter – tent or tarp
- Rain and cold
weather gear
Choose the best survival cache container that fits your needs.
Remember, you may need to solely rely on the contents in this container one day
so be thorough when stocking it and keep track of where you hide it.
Preps to Buy:
- PVC
- Silicone
sealant
- 50-gallon drum,
or water-proof container
- First aid kit
- MRE’s, freeze-dried
food, canned goods
- Small fire
starting kit (matches/lighters)
- Knife
- Duct tape
- Handgun
- Ammo
- Fishing kit
with collapsible fishing rod
- Spare clothes,
wool socks and hiking boots
- Emergency
shelter – tent or tarp
- Rain and cold
weather gear
- Hand-crank
radio
- Flashlight and
extra batteries
Action Items:
- Have multiple
evacuation routes planned in the instance that Plan A and Plan B do not
work.
- Make list of
what items you want to have in your survival cache.
- Find a good
location, along the planned evacuation routes and bury or hide your
survival cache.
- Practice
getting to the survival cache using different modes of transportation to
see how long it will take to get there.
- Create multiple
caches if necessary.
5) 110 Rules of
Civility & Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation by George Washington
#70 - Be not apt to relate News
if you know not the truth thereof. In Discoursing of things you Have heard Name
not your Author always A Secret Discover not.
#80 - Be not Tedious in
Discourse or in reading unless you find the Company pleased therewith.
#81 - Be not Curious to Know
the Affairs of Others neither approach those that Speak in Private.
