24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.
O Father, send the light of thy Son into our lives anew
today. Let your presence touch our minds and hearts with your mercy, grace, and
truth. Direct our thought, speech, and steps to the end that we may walk in
your way today and always. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
1. Opening - Round the Table
Individual Prayers
2. Breakfast is served
3. Morning Psalm: 16
4. Breakfast Reading: Colossians 4:2-18
5. Breakfast Discussion Topics:
News around the valley
Community Aid
through Christian Churches; we must to teach our community to fish and to
provide mutual aid to local governments.
Action
Plan
1)
Mission Statement:
Who: Christian Veterans of the
Bitterroot
What: Showing the public how to
construct a 72 hour kit in coordination with the churches of Ravalli County
When: November 2014
Where: Ravalli County
Why: To help our neighbors prepare
themselves for possible local disasters. For nation shall rise against nation,
and realm against realm, and there shall be famine, and pestilence, and
earthquakes in divers places.(Matthew 24:7) For when they shall say, Peace and
safety, then shall come upon them sudden destruction, as the travail upon a
woman with child, and they shall not escape.
(1 Thessalonians 5:3)
2)
Newspaper Announcement:
Do you feel pushed around?
All
of you are welcome to attend the Christian Veterans of the Bitterroot Valley
“push back” with a prayer breakfast every Monday morning at 7 am, at Hamilton’s
BJ’s Family Restaurant. We come together to pray, read the bible, talk about issues
of faith and have lively discussions about current events. Please join us. “Live
today in Jesus Christ’s presence, remembering he is near and will sustain you
as you serve in his name. Amen”
3)
Contact “March for Jesus Christ” churches
4)
Pick first venues:
a)
Darby Foursquare Church
b)
Corvallis United Methodist Church
c)
Bitterroot Valley Church of the Nazarene
5)
Pick topics and speakers
a)
Kits and Sets
a)
Communications
b)
Medical
c)
Psychological
d)
Buying in bulk
e)
Local Law Enforcement
f)
Food Preservation
g)
Security
h)
Important Papers
i)
Emergency Planning
j)
Pandemic Planning
6)
Always finish with “Breaking Bread”
52 Weeks to Preparedness by Tess Pennington
1)
Week 43 of 52: Gardening and Livestock
6. Closing - Round the Table
Individual Prayers
Upcoming Events:
10 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
11 Nov 2014 –
1100 – Veterans Day Parade in Corvallis
11 Nov 2014 –
1700 – Bitterroot Valley Dining Out
17 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
24 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
27 Nov 2014 –
Thanksgiving
1 Dec 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
8 Dec 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
15 Dec 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
22 Dec 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
29 Dec 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
Our
survival homesteads will be our safe havens to protect us and help us thrive.
Consequently, living through a long-term emergency will require our attention
on many matters. Therefore, we want our land to work for us in the most
productive manner possible.
The
image above is a good example of a micro farm and should give you a good
indication of how to make the most use out of the land you have. You want to
plan on creating a relationship between your livestock and your gardens for the
most efficient, healthy and cost-effective homestead. This is particularly important
in a post-disaster world. The more food you can produce for yourself, the
better your chances of survival in a long-term situation.
Especially
on a smaller homestead, micro-livestock can be a vital element. The smaller
animals, such as chickens, goats, ducks and rabbits, are a great addition
because they require less space, less care and less food, but can still provide
your family with meat, dairy and eggs. Manure from the livestock can be added
as a rich fertilizer for your gardens. Bloodmeal and bonemeal can both be used
to amend the soil, and can also be added to the compost pile. My favorite type
of gardening is sheet mulching, or composting in place. This allows the compost
to slowly decompose and be present for the plants that have been planted on
top.
Microlivestock
can also make helpful farmhands: you can press them into duty and use them to
help clear areas of weeds, roots or cover crops; all the while fertilizing the
land at the same time.
When
planning your garden, it’s important to remember your furred and feathered
friends. Be sure to stock up on seeds that will provide food for them as well.
Poultry are fond of millet, sunflower seeds, certain types of corn and grains,
sorghum and of course, left over garden clippings. If they are allowed to free-range they will
eat grass, weeds, and wild seeds, as well as worms and insects. Click here to
learn more about growing your own poultry food. Larger animals like goats are
grazers, and rabbits thoroughly enjoy the scraps from your garden.
The
most vital element for your garden is, of course, a selection of reliable
heritage seeds. Stay away from anything GMO (Genetically Modified), as you
won’t be able to save seeds for following years from these plants. When
choosing your seeds, look for the most nutritional value in the least amount of
garden space. The top 25 seeds to have for human consumption as well as there
nutritional information can be viewed here. Further consider planting some
perennial vegetables that come back year after year. This will make less work
for you in the long run. Berry varieties, asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes,
horseradish, garlic, perennial onions, and herbs of both culinary and
medicinal.
Below
are a list of easy to grow vegetable and fruit varieties that will be good
seeds to begin practicing your gardening skills with. They are not only easy to
grow, but will also provide lots of nutrition for your family.
Nut/Fruit
Trees – To learn more about essential nut and fruit trees for a survival
homestead, click here.
Squash/Zucchini
Berries
– Blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, etc.
Grapes
Peas/Beans
Kale
Broccoli
Peppers
Tomatoes
Cucumbers
Lettuce
Pumpkin
Seeds
are the key to long-term survival, so it is vital that you carefully choose and
collect seeds to be stored properly and protected from the elements.
For
long-term sustainability, learn to understand the natural cycles of your small
farm. The waste products from both plants and animals can be used to nourish
the soil, which in turn helps the garden flourish, which in its own turn, feeds
the animals. Understanding this symbiotic relationship can allow you to work
smarter, not harder. Finding ways to use what most would consider waste is the
ultimate form of recycling. Embrace the old ways of farming to enhance your
long-term sustainability.
To
conclude, I want to emphasize how important it is to practice your gardening
skills before you need to rely on them. Learning from master gardeners,
gardening groups or from those with more experience can help the learning curve
we all seem to experience when starting something new. Marjory Wildcraft has
created a DVD series on how to Grow Your Own Groceries. In the series, she
shares all that she knows about gardening, companion planting, water catchment
systems, as well as some handy tips she has learned along the way. This would
be a great way for you to learn from the convenience of your own home.
Preps
to Buy:
Books
or dvds on homesteading, gardening, permaculture and animal husbandry
Heirloom
or non-gmo seeds
Garden
tools
Containers
for long-term storage of seeds
Action
Items:
Research
the available resources in your area.
Are there plants growing wild that would be good grazing foods for your
animals? Is there an abundance of organic material for compost?
Learn
about composting and how to reuse plant waste.
Consider
taking a vegetable gardening course at a local nursery, community center or
gardening club.
POSTED AT 10:01 AM ON NOVEMBER 9, 2014 BY ED MORRISSEY
“Sunday Reflection” is a regular feature, looking at the specific readings used in today’s Mass in Catholic parishes around the world. The reflection represents only my own point of view, intended to help prepare myself for the Lord’s day and perhaps spark a meaningful discussion. Previous Sunday Reflections from the main page can be found here.
This morning’s Gospel reading is John 2:13–22:
Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, as well as the money-changers seated there. He made a whip out of cords and drove them all out of the temple area, with the sheep and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables, and to those who sold doves he said, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father’s house a marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume me.
At this the Jews answered and said to him, “What sign can you show us for doing this?” Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” The Jews said, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and you will raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking about the temple of his Body. Therefore, when he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he had said this, and they came to believe the Scripture and the word Jesus had spoken.
Today is the feast day of the dedication of St. John Lateran Basilica in Rome. Not too many people know that this church, and not St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City, is the official cathedral seat for the Bishop of Rome and therefore the Pope. Its original construction in 324 AD followed shortly after the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman empire, and the basilica became known as the “mother church” after the pontiff chose it for his official location. The current St. John Lateran is a magnificent structure, rebuilt in the 16th century after the decline of the Avignon period and two 14th-century fires made Lateran unusable when the papacy returned to Rome and moved to the Vatican for practical reasons. Still, Lateran remains the “mother church” and the ceremonial seat for the Pope in Rome in his role as bishop.
Like other churches in Rome, seeing Lateran is as easy as walking into the church. As opposed to some of the other basilicas in the city, the interior of Lateran gets a significant amount of natural light in its nave and altar areas, by design and later modification. The 18th-century sculptures of the apostles almost spring from the sides as one walks toward the altar. It’s an amazing experience, and it’s entirely free, unless one wishes for an audio tour — and that is provided for a free-will donation of whatever one can afford or wishes to give. Every other church in Rome allows free access to pilgrims and tourists as well, including St. Peter’s Basilica.
I mention this because the feast day and today’s Gospel reading tie together in my mind, perhaps since it’s only been a month since I toured Lateran myself. The scene we have with Jesus takes a very different character, not just from Lateran but from the rest of Jesus’ ministry, too. Throughout the Gospel, Jesus teaches, advises, heals, consoles, and often rebukes – not just Pharisees and Sadducees, but His own disciples as well. These rebukes, however, were always verbal.
In the temple, though, Jesus physically strikes those who have turned temple worship into a business. He doesn’t just slap people in the cheek, either; he whips them, destroys their property, and chases them out in defense of His Father’s house. This seems so out of character with the rest of His ministry that it almost begs for explanation. It seems to conflict with Jesus’ own teaching about turning the other cheek and the need to love neighbor and enemy. What prompts this scene, and why did Jesus physically expel the temple trade?
Consider the situation in Jerusalem at the time, where the temple had become a prize for the leadership in the city. The trade in the temple gave that leadership tremendous political power, as the people of Israel had only the one location in which to worship and a religious duty to do so. Jesus’ mission was in part to provide salvation to all by becoming the new temple, the dwelling place of God in this world and to eliminate the need for temple worship. It was this power structure that would be destroyed in the end, and this power structure that would attempt to destroy Jesus to prevent it.
That leadership had in effect usurped God’s authority for their own purposes. But Jesus did not just want to open the temple to the poor; He knew that destruction would come soon for the temple and for Jerusalem after rejecting Him. He intended to end temple worship and replace it with a personal relationship with Himself through the Holy Spirit. The new temple was Jesus, and His Passion would end the corruption of worship and allow all to come to His salvation. That Passion was set in motion by this challenge to the heart of authority in Jerusalem, with the clear message that Jesus didn’t intend to just overturn a few tables in the temple area but the entire power structure — and that meant that the Pharisees and Sadducees had to end the threat. To do that, they had to usurp God Himself and doom themselves to destruction.
Jesus raised the temple of His body in three days. Thirty-seven years afterward, the temple got destroyed and never rose again.
This is mostly just history, of course. One recurring theme in the Gospels is the struggle between corrupted temporal authority and God’s actual plan of salvation, so all but the most casual reader would know these nuances of what transpired at the temple in John’s telling. Paul adds another dimension in today’s second reading from 1 Corinthians 3:9-17; although perhaps not intentionally linked by Paul to this Gospel reading, it connects to and amplifies Jesus’ challenge to the temple authorities.
“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” Paul writes to a group of people that may well have been perplexed by this statement. At the time Corinth received this missive, the temple in Jerusalem was still very much in operation and would be for another decade. Jewish Christians especially might have assumed that the spirit of God still remained there. Paul contradicts this, telling the, “You are God’s building,” and that each person who builds on a foundation of Jesus Christ is therefore “holy.”
The context of this argument is doubly interesting. In 1 Corinthians 3, just before this reading, Paul tries to stop factions from forming in the Corinthian church. Much of this epistle is in fact a rebuke to the Church, and this is one of the main problems Paul addresses. The community has begun to split and form allegiances to specific authorities — Paul himself and Apollos, a missionary working with the Apostles. The Corinthian church has missed the point of Jesus’ challenge to those who usurped God’s authority for their own aggrandizement, and are now trying to create their own rather than build themselves on Jesus Christ. Paul tells them in no uncertain terms that they are heading in the wrong direction. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth,” Paul writes. “Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth.”
The message is clear in both readings. The human heart, where will and intellect meet, is the temple of the Holy Spirit, not a building or a leader of the church. Even the magnificent buildings of Rome, such as St. John Lateran, are useful only to the extent that it brings the community together and lifts them up so that their hearts can truly house the Holy Spirit. The destruction of Lateran (on several occasions) did not destroy the church, because the “church” is the community, not a building. “You are God’s building,” Paul writes, and the Christian church is the Body of Christ on Earth in space and time.
So when in Rome, make sure to carve out some time to walk through these marvelous churches, from Lateran and the other major basilicas to some of the more humble churches, such as Santu Spiritu in Sassia and many others. Marvel at the beauty and history of these works of dedication. Better yet, go to Mass in them, because all of them are still working churches serving their communities. But look for the Holy Spirit within yourself and open your heart to Jesus Christ, because you are the temple of God, and He wants to help you build it every day on the foundation of Christ.
Based on the talk after Election Day, it could be easy to think we might as well forget about pro-life campaigns. Two out of three pro-life ballot initiatives failed on Tuesday. The campaigners – in Colorado specifically – are often criticized for coming at it again and again.
So why do it? Why should pro-lifers continue to put measures on state ballots? Why should they continue to push legislation in their state and federal legislatures?
What’s the point?
First, it works.
No, not every ballot initiative or potential law passes, but many do. From 2011-2013, 205 abortion restrictions were enacted around the nation. According to the Guttmacher Institute (basically a research arm of Planned Parenthood), “by 2013…22 states had five or more [abortion] restrictions, and Louisiana had 10.”
2013 was a record-breaking year for abortion clinic closures. 87 surgical abortion clinics shut down or stopped performing surgical abortions. This is just one result of the heavily successful pro-life legislation passed in recent years.
Second, beyond the hard numbers of lives saved after pro-life laws are passed, we also have the countless people behind the percentages of losing campaigns. A campaign is often relegated to mere numbers on paper, but saved lives are behind those discouraging numbers.
The mere presence of a pro-life campaign in a state saves lives and changes hearts and minds. No, a law may not be passed, but that doesn’t change the fact that the citizenry is still having a vital conversation about abortion.
I’ve seen firsthand that these essential conversations change and save lives. Of course, we want every pro-life campaign to tangibly succeed. But we also need to start measuring success beyond the numbers on paper to the much-harder-to-measure changes at the heart level.
Civil rights are often won person by person. Man’s inhumanity to man is often stopped when people realize the truth for themselves on a personal level. And pro-life campaigns – whether they are personhood, fetal pain, ultrasound, or women’s right to know – take the cold, hard facts of abortion and put them into a digestible format for the general public.
Educational pro-life campaigns, too, are vital to changing people’s views at a heart level. Virtue Media has done an excellent job, often lowering the abortion rate by 10-20% in cities where their ads consistently air.
Pro-life campaigns refuse to let the public ignore abortion. When these campaigns are waged, they transform “abortion” from a mere medical term into a living, breathing – and horribly ugly – reality.
Just as Emmett Till’s mother forced the public to realize exactly what had happened to her son, so the pro-life movement must demonstrate to the American public the tragic facts behind abortion. And one of the best ways to do this is to run pro-life campaigns.
Again and again and again.
Baby at 14 weeks. Will we continue to speak up?
Failure is not an option. Every time we run a campaign, we succeed. Our success goes far beyond the numbers and into the very hearts of the American people.
We are a kind, compassionate, nation, founded on the Scriptural principle of justice. And because of this, I have no doubt that, one day, justice and truth will prevail in the abortion debate, and legal abortion will be no more.
Just as the Southerners and the German citizens stood aghast when they realized the terrible human tragedies they had allowed in their own backyards, so Americans, too, will be horrified when the full weight of abortion comes to settle in our souls.
O Father, you divide the day from the darkness, and you turn
the shadow of death into morning: Drive away all wrong desires from us; help
our hearts to keep your law; guide our feet into the way of peace, having done
you this will be strength us when it is day, so when the night comes, we will
rejoice and give thanks. In Jesus Christ’s name we pray. Amen.
1. Opening - Round the Table
Individual Prayers
2. Breakfast is served
3. Morning Psalm: 90
4. Breakfast Reading: Hebrews 11:30 – 12:2
5. Breakfast Discussion Topics:
News around the valley
Community Aid
through Christian Churches; we must to teach our community to fish and to
provide mutual aid to local governments.
Action
Plan
1)
Finale Draft Mission Statement:
Who:
Christian Veterans of the Bitterroot
What:
Showing the public how to construct a 72 hour kit in coordination with the
churches of Ravalli County
When:
November 2014
Where:
Ravalli County
Why: To help our
neighbors prepare themselves for possible local disasters. Matthew 24:77 For nation shall
rise against nation, and realm against realm, and there shall be famine, and
pestilence, and earthquakes in divers places. 1
Thessalonians 5:33 For when they
shall say, Peace and safety, then shall come upon them sudden destruction, as
the travail upon a woman with child, and they shall not escape. 1599
Geneva Bible (GNV)
2)
Finale Draft Newspaper Announcement
Do you feel pushed around?
Every
Monday morning at 7 am, Christian veterans of the Bitterroot Valley “push back”
with a prayer breakfast at Hamilton’s BJ’s Family Restaurant. We come together to
pray, read the bible, and talk about issues of faith. We even have some lively
discussions about current events. All of you are welcome to attend.
“Live today in Jesus Christ’s presence,
remembering he is near and will sustain you as you serve in his name. Amen”
3)
Contact “March for Jesus Christ” churches
4)
Pick first venues:
a)
Darby Foursquare Church
b)
Corvallis United Methodist Church
c)
Bitterroot Valley Church of the Nazarene
5)
Pick topics and speakers
a)
Kits and Sets
a)
Communications
b)
Medical
c)
Psychological
d)
Buying in bulk
e)
Local Law Enforcement
f)
Food Preservation
g)
Security
h)
Important Papers
i)
Emergency Planning
j)
Pandemic Planning
6)
Always finish with “Breaking Bread”
52 Weeks to Preparedness by Tess Pennington
1)
Week 42 of 52: Characteristics
of an Ideal Retreat (or retirement home)
6. Closing - Round the Table
Individual Prayers
Upcoming Events:
10 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
11 Nov 2014 –
1100 – Veterans Day Parade in Corvallis
11 Nov 2014 –
1700 – Bitterroot Valley Dining Out
17 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
24 Nov 2014 –
0700 – Push Back with Prayer Breakfast
Week
42 of 52: Characteristics of an Ideal Retreat
By
now, each of you are keenly aware of the different disasters that could affect
our way of life. Some of these disasters even have the capacity to cause
widespread destruction, panic and suffering. Given the pandemonium that would
ensue in the more populated areas of our country, some of us are ready to take
the necessary steps to be more self-reliant.
As
a result, many are selling their suburban and urban dwellings to move to more
rural settings to start their survival retreats. Preparing your home to be a
survival retreat allows you to stock more supplies, and be more prepared for
longer-term emergencies. This resource, by M.D. Creekmore has excellent book
reviews and shows readers how to build a survival retreat on a low budget.
Deciding
exactly where to relocate is not an exact science. You can gauge the potential
threat and plan accordingly, but you can never be completely certain what will
happen and where the safest place will be. However, knowing that you have
researched and prepared the best retreat possible puts you at a far greater
advantage than many others.
Location
and land characteristics are crucial factors when a person is considering
purchasing land for a survival retreat.
According to James Rawles, author of How to Survive the End of the World
As We Know It, the decision to have a survival retreat should be a
“well-prepared and defensible redoubt with well-planned logistics.”
Experts
agree on the fact that the area we should choose for a retreat property needs
to be a semi-isolated location with steady water supply and a fair amount of
timber for heat in a woodstove/fireplace. If we find ourselves in a grid-down
scenario, we want to be able to support our basic needs. These will be the top
priorities in the beginning.
While
walking the property note what resources and obstacles your site has before you
make a plan. Keep in mind that you want to find a property that can be
sustainable. Ask yourself questions such as:
“What’s
there that you can use? Trees, bamboo, stones, sand, soil, clay…?
Is
there plenty of wood or coal for fire?
Is
there a natural water supply?
Can
you work with those materials? Can you learn to?
Can
the retreat property be seen from the road?
Is
there a major highway nearby?
Can
you protect your land, if attacked?
Keeping
these questions in mind will help you determine whether the property is
appropriate for surviving long-term disasters.
Climate
is another consideration. Although many believe that living in the warm
climates of the south will be an ideal area for retreats, keep in mind that
most southern states are susceptible to damage brought on by hurricanes, tropical
storms and flooding. Most our states are exposed to one or more climatic
issues. Therefore, keep this in mind when determining where you want to set
your retreat up.
Another
aspect to factor in is whether any major cities are in your desired retreat
area. Ideally, you want to choose an area that has low population density. If a
major disaster occurs, living in a more isolated area (especially from major
highways) will help to protect you from transient mobs leaving the cities. You
don’t want to be on the lines of drift from major cities, as towns along these
roads will be hit hard by hordes of people, some of whom might not be friendly.
Some
other important factors to consider are:
A
long growing season
Property
backs up to a state or national park
Low
population density and away major cities and suburban developments
Sufficient
year-round precipitation and surface water
Rich
topsoil
Sunny
area for solar panels
No
major earthquake, hurricane, or tornado risks
No
flooding risk
No
tidal-wave (at least two hundred feet above sea level)
Minimal
forest-fire risk
Away
from interstate freeways and other channelized areas
What
type of employment is in the area?
A
diverse economy and agriculture
Low
taxes
Non-intrusive
scale of government
Favorable
zoning and inexpensive building permits
A
lifestyle geared toward self-sufficiency
Plentiful
local sources of wood or coal
No
restrictions on keeping livestock
Defensible
terrain
Not
near a prison or large mental institution
Inexpensive
insurance rates (home, auto, health)
Upwind
and away from major nuclear power plants
Consider
searching within an active farming area. This is beneficial because the barter
systems are already in place, not to mention an abundance of livestock and
produce.
When
thinking about where you’d prefer to buy your retreat and/or retirement home,
look at all the factors and whether the piece of land can sustain you and your
family’s needs.
Look
into if there are any underground aquifers in the area
If
there are any environmental or climatic issues in the area
