PREPARE Magazine December 2013

Encouraging, Empowering and Enriching Your Journey

Teaching Youth Survival Skills Apache Knife Fighting (Tactic 2)

Managing Stress & Anxiety with Lavender The Importance of Being on the Same Team Product Review: Multi-Flame Tool

Problematic Paradigm

Teaching Youth Survival Skills DECEMBER 2013

Letter from the Editor

The calendar year is drawing to a close. The weather has turned cold for most of us. We’ve celebrated one year-end holiday, here in the United States with more festivities to come. Given this time of year, you might expect this issue of PREPARE Magazine to be wrought with products, advertisements and top recommended things to buy. Sorry if it disappoints you but, we want to take a break from that focus. You get enough of that pressure around you already this time of year.

Let’s take the path less traveled by and let it make all the difference.

With the regular seasons of life marching on while preparing for an irregular future ahead, we often forget that part of this journey is dealing with the dynamics of family and friends while we prepare.

You can have all the food you may need, but no one with whom to share it. If we neglect our relationship roles or neglect to put them into an effective perspective – we may survive, yes, but at what cost to our own meaningful existence. Building and maintaining healthy relationships with friends, family and loved ones is just as important as the means by which to protect ourselves.

If you are feeling alone walking the preparedness path, perhaps you can find a group to bond with in Community Connections. It is always good to fellowship and share with others whose strengths may be your weakness and to whom you can offer support as well. There is great truth to The Importance of Being on the Same Team. So LETS Work Together to build a stronger community (no - that is not a typo in the word “LETS”).

During the busier time of this season, relationships can be affected when we add the stress of the uncertain future. So you may want to learn ways of Managing Stress & Anxiety with Lavender.

Memories serve to connect us with relationships. Whether it is priceless heirlooms that connect your family history or photos of a special vacation or occasion, you will want to Hang Your Art Securely to preserve precious memories for years to come.

If you have school-age children, you don’t want to scare them into being prepared but you may gain a partner on the journey if you could make it fun to learn skills by using some Preparedness Fun & Games. Your teen may be ready for you to begin Teaching Youth Survival Skills or maybe you are willing to offer that to other teens. Storytelling, as done long ago, did not only serve to capture the imagination, but like the Apache Story of ‘Scattered Feathers’ a lesson of a Fighting Tactic is deeply rooted in the listener’s memory.

This month’s Product Review: the Multi-flame Tool is the tangible evidence of one family’s focus of working together. Maybe your family or friends face a Problematic Paradigm and wonder how to resolve that issue to strengthen unity. Lastly, but very importantly, it is Faith – The Glue that Keeps Us Together that can help us to face with Peace, the storms and opportunities that may lie ahead.

Unconventionally, we chose not to focus on a wish-list, shopping list or to-do list for the winter in this issue of PREPARE Magazine. Rather, in the coming holidays of Christmas and New Year’s celebrations – we hope that we have been a word of encouragement to you focus on the relationships that you have now and the ones you hope to have in your future by building each of them with care and maintaining them, regardless of what life may become in the future.

In Service and Sincerity,

Donna L. Miller Managing Editor of PREPARE Magazine http://www.PREPAREMag.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS PREPARE Magazine www.preparemag.com

•

Letter from the Editor

•

Problematic Paradigm!!

•

Managing Stress & Anxiety with Lavender! ! !

•

LETS Work Together !

•

The Importance of Being on the Same Team!

•

Teaching Youth Survival Skills

•

Apache Knife Fighting Tactic 2! !

•

Preparedness Fun and Games ! !

•

Hang Your Art Securely!

•

Faith- The Glue That Keeps us Together! ! !

•

Product Review: Multi-Flame Tool

•

Special Thank You

Publishing Mainline Marketing Group, LLC Advertising 800-361-1797, Ext 8 advertising@preparemag.com Subscriptions www.preparemag.com/subscribe subscription@preparemag.com Support Services www.preparemag.com/support support@preparemag.com Community Connections contributors@preparemag.com Chief Vision Officer Joseph Miller Managing Editor Donna Miller Legal Compliance J.S. Defner, Esq. Design and Graphics Coolbrees Studio LeverageChile.com Contributing Editors Kelly Thomas Britt M. Additional Contact: P.O. Box 934, Burnsville, NC 28714 Fax: 800-891-0973

!

!

!

!

Legal Statement: Although PREPARE Magazine works hard to present you with advertisements for quality products and services, PREPARE Magazine cannot spend the time to do the due diligence it takes to ensure that only reliable services and products are advertised with us.

Therefore, you should understand that PREPARE Magazine does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the advertisements in our magazine or the quality of any products, information or other materials displayed, purchased, or obtained by you as a result of an offer in connection with any advertisement.

PREPARE Magazine encourages you to do your own due diligence before purchasing any product, whether it is offered here or anywhere else for that matter, before purchasing.

Please use your own judgment and carefully check out those products that interest you.

Under no Circumstances shall PREPARE Magazine, or Mainline Marketing Group, LLC., be liable for any damages, whatsoever, and in particular, shall not be liable for direct, indirect, consequential, incidental, or punitive damages, or damages of lost profits, loss of revenue, or loss of use, arising out of related to any portion of this Magazine or the content, information, or advertisements contained in it, whether such damages arise in contract, negligence, tort, under statute, in equity, at law or otherwise

Problematic Paradigms: Cognitive Dissonance

By Charles Daugherty won WWII. But, let’s face it: most of our fellow Americans would have absolutely no idea how to survive without modern conveniences. Their idea of roughing it is camping in a $100,000 camper with a shower, toilet and TV. In my opinion we have lost our way…..what ever happened to the Boy Scout Motto of “Be Prepared”? As each generation has reared their children, they have tried to make life easier for them. The excuse was, and is, that we love them and don’t want to see them struggle through life like we did. This sounds nice but the reality is we have raised several generations of people who have to have everything done by someone else. We have created a society of dependents, of “special” people who deserve everything and have to give very little. They live life in a bubble where problems are handled and incidences swept under the rug. Confrontation is considered out of control behavior and not normal. Heck, I happen to believe that a good nose bleed from time to time for standing up for yourself and others is a good thing.

The other day, my family and I watched the National Geographic special “American Blackout2013.” The show was quite interesting. There were some things that we thought were illustrated pretty well, others not so much.

The one thing that was totally believable is that the overwhelming majority of the U.S. population is not prepared for any type of emergency, let alone something as big as a catastrophic failure of our electrical grid. You would think, at least, we Southerners would be a little more prepared. I mean, let the weatherman mention even the most remote possibility of snow and the food flies off the shelf! Events like a power grid failure and solar flares, by their nature, will provide no advanced warning signals. The sad truth is most people would not be able to care for their families, on their own, for more than a day or two even WITH some type of advanced notice. We suffer from Cognitive Dissonance!

Why is this? I mean, we are only a little over 100 years out from some of the most resilient people in history.

And let’s not forget about the greatest generation that

Think about our society now versus what it was like when we were growing up. We played outside from sunrise to sunset. We built forts and tree houses and wandered the woods (or streets if you lived in the city.)

We rode our bikes without helmets, we played on sports teams that actually had winners and losers and most valuable players. We played cops and robbers, cowboys and Indians and had BB gun wars. And for most of us, television consisted of less than 10 channels or cable was just becoming a common thing. We didn’t spend hours in front of electronic entertainment. We lived and played within the world that we created on our own, a world of scrap lumber and old thrown away items that were turned into those forts and go-carts. We got banged up, cut up and tore up and hid it from our parents for days.

Wow, have things changed. Now we live in a land of constant stimulation. Satellite TV gives us hundreds and hundreds of channels. The internet can gives us anything we want, anytime we want it. Creativity…….what is that? We have lost it to a never ending barrage of technological gadgets. These electronic devices will create our reality and we don’t even have to figure out really how to use it. An escape from true reality is constantly at our beck and call, allowing us to retreat into

a cocoon for the “reality” that we want. We are a country of “famous” wannabes. “My world revolves around me. I designed it that way.” All of this selfgratification, self-indulgence has created a people that live in the land of wishful thinking. We have been desensitized regarding life and destruction. So when things happen in front of us, we don’t react the way that we should. We have an obligation to pull back and to take charge of our lives and to rebuild our minds and creativity. We need to relearn how to survive, design and create the future.

When I sat down to put some of my ideas on paper, I came up with ten problematic paradigms that I believe have put our population into this precarious position. I realized though that nine of them actually stem from one root paradigm, one root cause. It is most simply that people cannot imagine disaster happening to them or to their families. So Cognitive Dissonance is the biggest problematic paradigm as I see it.

We live in the land of plenty, the land of milk and honey if you will. The advances that our country and society have seen are simply beyond comprehension to those in years past. The United States is filled with the best and the brightest of everything; people, way of life, resources, technology and opportunity. For most people they just cannot wrap their head around the possibility that it can all go away. They see tragedy and horrible circumstances, but that is only what happens to someone else. Remember we can only deal with what we can visualize or imagine. Because of the way we were raised in this bubble, people have a hard time grappling with the concept of lack, want and need.

As a society we need to realize that the world is a dangerous place, that nature does not care and that the events that can do us the most harm are out of our control. We do not control the economy, nature, the sun, foreign countries, the spread of disease, our even our neighbors. We do well to control ourselves and our immediate family. Our Cognitive Dissonance needs to change to Cognitive Awareness and we need to begin preparing ourselves and our families to be effective members of society with a purpose to protect ourselves, our loved ones and others around us.

At this point I could go all “audit the Fed”, takers versus makers, unfunded liabilities on you…. but I won’t. If you are still reading this article, chances are you and I are already on a very similar page. The issue is what to do about your friends and family members that think you are a total whack job if you even talk about something like this. Or those that do know that

you prepare and say, “Well, if the stuff hits the fan I know where I am going to go, to YOUR house!” I think what probably bothered me most in the “Blackout” show was what happened to the Survivalist. He was prepared (for the most part), he had prepared for his family, he had provision. BUT when neighbors came calling, what happened? He really wasn’t prepared to deal with the “zombies” that know that YOU planned and, in desperation, won’t hesitate to come and take it from you. He did nothing really to prepare his family to deal with the harsh reality. My Christian heart would struggle deeply with this. I would want to help whenever and wherever I could. But my realistic mind tells me that in a situation like this, you couldn’t just give a little. Hoards would come back and take it all.

So, just like my Christian witness, I need to start “witnessing” to my friends and neighbors. And it might not be as difficult as you think! Most people have this uneasy feeling deep down but they don’t know how to quantify it, they live in their cognitive dissonance. But there are countless many that are just frozen in the “I have absolutely no idea where to begin” stage.

Trust me, your beginning efforts to change your mindset and attitude towards preparedness will be met with hostility from everyone, including yourself. You will be balancing a big bag of rice in one hand and tickets to a movie in the other. You will second guess yourself a thousand times, your spouse will tempt you with exciting weekend excursions, your kids will fall in love with a new sport or hobby. And that is just within your own household! Once you cross the line to sharing your thoughts on personal responsibility with others you will be asking yourself “why, oh why didn’t I take the blue pill?!”

Your mother and father-in-law will not understand your desire to squirrel away food, water and supplies.

Your neighbors will shrug their shoulders and say “Hey, when the mess hits the fan I will be at your house.“ And yes, even your parents will just smile and say “We love you and support you in your decision.“ Friends? Well, you will quickly find out if you actually have any.

Believe me when I tell you that the first couple of years I felt like I was alone in the world. Everyone that I shared with just gave me the cold shoulder and did anything to change the conversation. But the Lord is faithful. He blessed me with a new company in 2009, Patriot Crime Defense, and through it I have had many conversations with other Christians around the country

world and you cook with it right on top of the coals in the camp fire.”

that have helped me deal with this “calling” to prepare my family.

The best way to start is by telling your friends and family that you are taking up a new hobby, like “camping and hiking.” That is the best excuse for most of this gear that I have found and will keep things under the radar until you can share some of your experiences with them on how to use the equipment and how much fun you and your family are having.

You can share things like: “You know, I feel so much better knowing that I have that camping stove and fuel, especially if we lose power again this winter for two days like last year.” Or, “You know, it sure was a blessing having that extra water handy when the water department busted the water main and we did not have water for two days…..sure made flushing the toilet and washing our hands easier.” How about this, “Man, this Dutch Oven cooks the best cobbler in the

You have to start slow and work your way into it with real life scenarios and ways that would have made life easier for the people who went through it, as well as draw on past experiences within our own lives. For example, prior to my grandparents getting married, they got together with their families and literally canned a years’ worth of food and bought a milking cow before they were allowed to marry. Now that is getting prepared! Do some research….find out about the worst disasters that have ever happened within a 100 mile radius from your home. What were the main issues that people faced during that disaster and prepare for that, at a minimum. Remember, what is good for me in Georgia will not be adequate in Montana and vice versa. Planning has regional equipment issues. A good example would be that in Florida you don’t need a -20 degree sleeping bag.

This is going to take time and a real commitment on your part. And take some very important advice here; you and your spouse will need to be on the same page.

The kids will follow your lead. Be sure to print and collect your research articles and news feeds and use them as proof to others to help them realize the need to prepare. I know for me and my house, our goal is simple….to simplify our lives and to live as close to our food source and nature as possible. In the end, I believe that this really boils down to a spiritual issue. Christ always met a person’s individual need before He dealt with their spiritual need. We are to be the hands and feet of Christ in times of trouble and disaster. The question is: are you equipped to do so?

Manage Anxiety & Stress with Lavender commonly used for anxiety, hyperactivity, mental stress, physical stress, insomnia and other sleep problems. To help with these conditions, there are many different options one employ aromatically and topically.

Aromatically, one can simply inhale lavender essential oil from the bottle. An individual can also apply the oil to his or her hands (since it’s safe to use neat) or into a tissue and inhale. Diffusing the oil into the air also has those relaxation benefits.

Lavender essential oil (Lavandula angustifolia) is one of those universal oils that every home should not be without. It’s one of the more relatively inexpensive essential oils and its versatility is comparable, if not better, to oils like tea tree, peppermint, and lemon. It’s also one of the easier oils to use and is safe to apply “neat” (undiluted directly onto the body).

Its properties range from pain reduction and antidepressant to regenerative and anti-inflammatory, with plenty of other properties in between. It can affect the nervous system, cardiovascular system, skin, and even your emotional balance. Lavender essential oil has been used to address many different skin conditions. Things like rashes, dry skin, and even burns can be helped with its use. I’ve used it on bug bites and bee stings to help draw out the poisons and reduce inflammation. I’ve also used lavender essential oil to aid in managing certain allergies because of its natural anti-histamine properties.

One of the main uses I’ve found for lavender essential oil though is its benefits in helping to manage anxiety and stress. We live in a society of stress and worry. In the desire to prepare, we can also get anxious or stressed on a daily basis in trying to be ready for anything. Children can be susceptible to anxiety or stress as well, especially if they aren’t able to developmentally understand the circumstances of the family’s desire to prepare.

When used aromatically and topically, lavender essential oil has a calming and relaxation effect. It is

To address any sleep issues, one can simply place 1-2 drops on a pillow at night. If it has already been inhaled at night in the manner above, individuals should still reap the benefits of more restful sleep without having to apply the oils to a pillow, but there are benefits to inhaling the oil throughout the night.

One of my personal favorite ways to reduce stress and anxiety is to take a therapeutic bath with lavender essential oil. Some people use bath salts along with the oils and bathwater, but just using the oil alone is also beneficial and relaxing. Add 1-6 (no more than 6 drops) to bathwater whenever you desire an anxiety or stressrelieving bath. In this method, lavender is applied both topically and aromatically.

Topically, massaging the oil into the skin can help relieve nervous tension, stress, and anxiety. Dilute 1-2 drops of lavender essential oil in about 1 TBS of some type of vegetable oil (also known as carrier oil), then apply and massage on the temples, bottoms of the feet, and/or back of the neck.

We each struggle with stress and anxiety in some degree and during different times of our lives. Chances are that if you try each of these methods, whether aromatically or topically, you will discover one of these uses of lavender essential oil will works best for you or be your preference. Take special care in using essential oils with children, the suggestions above only apply to adults, so conduct further research for use on children and infants or people with special needs and conditions.

If you aren’t sure you like the scent of lavender, you aren’t alone. I’ve discovered both extremes in reactions from people to the scent of lavender. There is no doubting lavender essential oil has a distinct, sweet and floral aroma. But while some find it appalling, others

love it! To be honest, initially I was the former – I hated it. If you absolutely cannot handle the scent, there are some other oils for stress and anxiety, but I have yet to discover or use them and there aren’t many that I know of that have the same documented backing of lavender essential oil.

Like I said, I basically despised the smell of lavender essential oil and avoided it even when I knew some of its benefits. When I discovered doTERRA however, I actually began to enjoy it so I use it fairly regularly now. DoTERRA lavender smelled more real and pure to me. I put my senses to the test and compared the brands I had after obtaining the doTERRA lavender. I still hated the other one, but enjoyed doTERRA – so the reason why you hate it may just boil down to your brand and its purity. So try some others before giving up on lavender… it’d be worth it for you to reap the rewards of managing your stress and anxiety. Not to mention the other uses of this universal oil!

References: Modern Essentials (Fifth Edition): A Contemporary Guide to the Therapeutic Use of Essential Oils Mountain Rose Herbs (Lavender Essential Oil)

LETS work together

By David E Crossley The system is usually run by an administrator or small team, who maintain the database either on computer or in handwritten ledgers. Individual traders come to them to register their location, skills, and to agree on rates for their work. Then, when someone needs something done that they can’t do for themselves, they contact the administrator. The administrator will either put them in touch with the trader who is nearest to them or best suited to the job or might make the contact for them.

To get the system up and running, people who register as traders and potential customers are usually assigned an initial credit. As they do work for other members of the scheme this ‘advance’ is then replaced by the credits they have earned. Often, in order to encourage people to employ other traders within the scheme rather than ‘outsiders’, a maximum limit is placed on the number or length of time Credits can be held in an account.

When our normal financial systems fall apart and paper notes are recognised as worth no more than paper for lighting fires, some other trading system is usually needed.

In a small, closely-knit community where everyone knows one another and what their capabilities and specialities are, it might be the case that everyone simply pulls together, helping one another as and when they can for no reward other than the satisfaction of friendship and the knowledge that if ever they need help they will receive it in return. But when the community is larger in number or area and less connected through a church or other reason to bond, then a more formal method of trade and exchange is usual. One design that has been proven in various countries is the Local Exchange Trading System (or scheme), also known by other names but with the same initial letters.

A LETS is centred on a database of local people who are offering their skills and labour in exchange for work from other people. No money is involved but a system of Credits is agreed based on the perceived value of what someone is offering. The wider the skill base covered, the more successful the project will be, but everything from child care or carpentry to medical skills or mechanics might be included. For simplicity, the Credit value might be based on current financial units but that isn’t always the case. After the collapse of established society, skills valued might be very different from what they are now.

For example, the knowledge and abilities of a doctor will probably still be highly regarded but those of a blacksmith could be considered as worth far more than those of a computer technician or a lawyer.

A trader will often keep a bank book of their Credits. This will usually list the jobs they have done, the Credits received, and those paid to others. After the work is complete, customers will contact the LETS administrator to confirm that the agreed Credits should be assigned to the trader. The administrator might also act as a mediator if there is any dispute over the quality or quantity of work provided.

In a large scheme, the job of an administrator can be both busy and stressful, but they are usually rewarded by a regular wage in Credits in return for the work that they do and the costs of running the system will be covered in one way or another by the members of the scheme.

The advantage of a LETS over traditional barter is that it doesn’t have to be one-to-one, so the person who ‘hires’ LINKS you is not necessarily the one from whom you will receive work in return. However, LETS and barter often run in parallel. For example a trader might give some of their time in return for materials or tools, or someone who doesn’t have any specialist skills or labour to offer might trade vegetables or other goods in return for work. Such exchanges are outside the registered LETS records but provide more opportunities for work for traders and can be organised by the administrators, perhaps for a few of those vegetables.

LETS do operate in many places even when the normal systems of finance and trade are running and can work very well but inevitably you can then get into complications with regulations and taxation. Where the arrangements are informal this might not be a problem, but do be aware of the implications if you want to set up a system before any collapse and take professional advice if appropriate. Whether you pay for that advice or trade for it in LETS Credits is up to you!

“Homesteading and the importance of being on the same team”

By Tammy Trayer young or little children in this too. Little ones can be responsible for simple chores like watering or feeding the dog. Teaching them responsibility young is a very good thing, but the bigger thing you will be teaching them is how to be a part of the family and allowing them to feel important also. It teaches even young children pride and the feeling of belonging to something of value. " Something we find that continues to keep us working even better as a team is playing just as hard as a team. How does the saying go? All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy! It is never good to always work and not have some down time. The nice things for our family is that we get just as much enjoyment out of working together as we do taking a 20 mile hike into the wilderness for fun.

When you can have fun working, it no longer feels like work which is also a very important aspect of things. So be sure to take time for the lighter side of life too!

Have you ever watched a football team totally out of sync and completely not playing as a team? The game doesn't go very well for that team, does it? " Well, that is exactly what will happen to a family wishing to homestead, pioneer or even prepare if they are not working together like a well-oiled machine. They will constantly be moving two steps forward and three steps back. It is important for everyone to be a team player. To understand that everyone may have a different task, but the end result or goal is the same. Everyone needs to be working together with the greater good of the goal at hand in the forefront. " Our family chooses to be on the same page with not only our homesteading, but our Christianity, our life goals and our day to day life. By doing, so we really have a very tight knit connection with each other and work together well. Are there hick ups? Sure, but because we love our lifestyle it is usually a quick regroup and we quickly get back to it. " Homesteading and pioneering may require more work, but the difference is that your life is so much more gratifying and rewarding. " So how do we do it, you ask? Make a list of all things that need to be accomplished on a daily, weekly, monthly and even a seasonal basis. Everyone needs to know what the goal is that you are working for. You will need to divide up the daily chores so that one person is not responsible for everything and be sure to include even your

" With hard work comes a sense of pride and ownership to the life you are creating. You are not only creating a day to day life, but you are creating memories that will last a lifetime and you are instilling in your family things like values, skills, ethics, work ethics and roots. " In our family, when opportunities arise in our day to day lives we also incorporate the “what would you do if” scenarios. This helps so that if there is ever a situation that we would need to embrace a survival situation we would also be on the same page. " Additionally, every time we are out in the wilderness for a hike, trapping, hunting, etc., we hone in on our survival skills, even if we have done it a million times.

Practice makes perfect and survival skills are essential.

Teaching your family these skills are just as important. Be sure to share this knowledge with your family members. If your family ever becomes separated in a situation it will be important for each member to have the necessary skills for them to survive. Knowing that your family has the necessary skills can add comfort for yourself as well in such a situation. " Skills, knowledge, desire, dreams and team work put together and you can accomplish anything! Embrace your dreams, build your family, work together in all that you do and survive.

For additional tips, survival information and more visit my website at http://mountainwomanjournals.com

Spring, Well, Pressured & Rain Water.

Locally owned and operated

MANUFACTURED IN POLK COUNTY, NC

We create solutions for all your Water Containment Systems.

Clean, Lightweight, Easy to Install, Durable.

Teaching Youth Survival Skills

By Jason Hunt Equipping children with the core skills of survival such as making fire, shelter and boiling water can not only be a great family activity, but a test of their personal resolve, forcing children to come face to face with the harsh realities of making a fire without a lighter. Will they give up or will they press on- this develops their survival mindset and allows opportunity for teaching about personal awareness and survival psychology regardless of their decision. All of this information should be practiced as regularly as possible to give opportunity for growth and improvement.

The Authors family: Robyn Hunt teaching 7 year old daughter shelter knots and construc;on.

While the skills are fun, the reasons for the skills are topics that many seem to have trouble conveying to their children. I personally do not understand this. If they are your children, why is there problem conveying information? I know how to talk to my kids, I treat them as I would want to be treated now and as I would have liked when I was a child. So, I articulate my concerns about the world to them as best I can on a regular basis.

When I see something in the news that alarms me, they all hear about it. When we watch a movie together and there’s an important lesson in it, I pause it, talk about the lesson and how it applies to us and we move on. This is our daily routine. The Bible tells us to train up a child in the way they should go so that when they’re grown, they will not depart from the path we’ve shown them.

(Proverbs 22:6)

If you’ve done your part as a parent, they will share your concerns and develop an awareness of these same issues and will then begin conveying these issues back to you. Is there fear involved? It depends on your family dynamic.

My kids have been raised to believe in Jesus Christ and we look at all “disaster scenarios” we may not be able to avoid as a quicker way to see the one we talk to and about daily that much faster… So for us, fear is not a factor, but all survival situations serve as a tool for making us better disciples of Jesus Christ and better ministers of His word- for the longer we can help others survive, the longer we can preach to them about the coming of the Lord and explain world events in a Biblical context. However, some of you may not have the same faith I do and are forced to leave your lives to chance.

This is a fearful situation because without a greater hope for the future, what point would there be in surviving the present calamity? To survive simply for the sake of living without a purpose beyond consuming more is no purpose at all. To those without an eternal purpose, I fear for you and can only offer my prayers that you too will experience the type of faith relationship with God that I have, for that is the only hope worth holding on to.

So, how do we approach teaching skills to our kids? If we’ve never let them hold a knife before, we cannot expect them to be able to use it to strike a fire-steel the first or the fiftieth time. First we should get our kids a decent knife; for that I recommend a Mora 511. You can usually pick one up for around $7 and they are razor sharp and hold an edge very well. They come in carbon or stainless steel and have no problem striking a fire-steel off the spine. The handle design also provides added protection so little hands won’t slide up onto the blade should unnatural force be applied or the knife become wet. Knife safety becomes top issue as the kids need to understand proper cutting and carving techniques, understand the “Triangle of Death” which put the lower abdomen, groin and femoral arteries in danger and the “Blood Circle” which puts people in the arch of your knife swings in danger.

Knife Safety is a class in itself and you can test them by assigning them the task of making a wooden tent stake. If they can use safe techniques and make a workable tent stake without injury or issue, they get to keep their knife.

Then we move into proper fire lays, explaining what Tinder, Kindling and Fuel is, how to find it in nature and how to find natural accelerants such as fatwood.

It’s also good to stress the importance of always carrying “sure fire” with you at all times in case of a survival situation. “Sure Fire” is material that has been chemically treated to burn even in wet conditions such as a makeup pad soaked in lamp oil then dipped in wax and allowed to harden. When torn open and fluffed up, this makes an excellent sure fire device that will burn even after it’s been submerged in water.

Once a solid foundation has been laid and proper fire lays have been taught, fire-steel striking techniques should be discussed as most people (adults included) have a tendency to do it wrong. Then alternative ignition sources ranging from lighters and solar ignition sources to batteries and primitive fire techniques should be fully investigated.

glass bottles and jars to use for water boiling. All of these skills, once they get a handle on them should be timed. Yes, TIMED! Your goal is to have them perform each skill set- Make a fire, Build a Shelter, Boil 32oz of water in no more than 5 minutes per skill for a total of 15 minutes.

By enforcing this dynamic, situational awareness is developed, hard skills mastered and fear eliminated as they’re able to perform quickly and effectively under stress.

By starting with these basic skills, you’ll not only prepare your children for stressful times, but have a

Class Par;cipant Cecile, age 11 comple;ng her 3 Skills in under 8 minutes

great bit of family fun doing it. Consider offering such training to local youth groups, as well as churches, civic and at-risk groups. The more kids we get prepared the better off we’ll all be in the end!

The Authors son Ethan age 10 here, making fire with natural ;nder

Shelter would be next on the list of priorities. The simple lean to survival shelter with knots should be taught in addition to alternative uses of the survival shelter and what to look for in natural shelter sites.

The primary importance is to stay warm and dry when it’s cold and cool and covered when it’s hot; these two sentiments will help maintain core body temperature and stave off hypothermia and hyperthermia. Last but not least, water purification should be discussed. How to pre-filter water before it’s put into a container and how to boil the water are the easiest and most reliable safe practices for kids. Also teach them how to scrounge for containers such as

Apache Knife Fighting & Battle Tactic 2 Scattered Feathers and the Foolish Bat

By Snake Blocker, Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas After the daring kill of the Thunderbirds, the Apache warrior needed help getting down the large precipice, where the Thunderbird family nested. The Apache had killed the whole family of Thunderbirds and threw their bodies off the cliff. There was no way for the Apache to climb down, and any mistake in trying to descend from such heights would surely be the death of him. He pondered for awhile, but then he saw the old bat flying above him. He called out to her, “Old Woman Bat, come down here.” The old bat came to his call.

“Let’s make a basket from the Thunderbird’s nest and I will climb inside it so you can fly me down to the bottom of this precipice,” said the Apache. “What would I receive in return for such work?” asked the bat. “You will get to fill the basket afterwards with as many feathers as you can carry to keep your family warm and add to your thin feathers,” said the Apache. The old bat agreed and after the Apache constructed a sturdy basket, he climbed inside and the old bat flew him down, below the cliff. They gathered beautiful large feathers from the dead Thunderbirds and the basket was full. Then the old bat flew away. The bat was very tired and sat on a tree branch and took a nap without covering the basket with her wings.

Cross Wind came along and scattered all the feathers away. When the old bat woke up, she noticed that she had lost all the beautiful feathers to Cross Wind. She flew back to the Apache warrior who was giving thanks to The Creator for his success, as he was cutting meat from the Thunderbirds to take back to his tribe.

The old bat said, “I need more feathers since Cross Wind came by when I was napping and scattered them all away.” The Apache said, “Okay, I will give you more feathers but do not be so foolish to let Cross Wind scatter them away again.” After the Apache filled her basket again, the old bat flew away.

Sometime later, she grew tired again and rested in a great tree filled with many birds. She closed her eyes and took a long nap.

When she awoke, she noticed her basket was empty and the birds had scattered all her feathers. She flew back to the Apache, who was packing up the Thunderbird meat. She said, “I need more feathers;

for the birds of the great tree had scattered them while I slept.” The Apache said, “Alright, once more I will give you more feathers but you must not be so foolish in letting the small birds scatter your feathers. Go straight home and secure your feathers.” The old bat agreed. The Apache unpacked the Thunderbird’s wings and gave old bat more feathers. The old bat took her feathers and flew away. Once more the old bat flew away and she rested at a small cave on a cliff, away from trees, birds, and Cross Wind. She thought, “I will rest a bit before my journey home.” As she rested, Upward Wind came up the canyon and blew into the cave and scattered the feathers out of the cave and up the mountain.

When Old Woman Bat woke up, she saw that her feathers were no more. She flew back to the Apache, who was traveling back to his tribe, along the Pathfinder’s ridge. She said, “Give me more feathers for Upward Wind scattered my feathers when I was resting in the cave.” The Apache said, “No! You have been foolish these three times and you do not deserve any feathers now.” The Apache took out his knife and cut all of old bat’s thin feathers and kept them. The Apache warrior said, “Because you are so foolish, you will fly without feathers, and you will no longer rest in nests. You will remain in caves and have to sleep upside down to keep watch for other birds, Cross Wind and Upward Wind. You will live in darkness the rest of your days to think about your foolishness and laziness.” That is why bats today have no feathers and live upside down in caves.

When in battle, an Apache warrior uses his open hand and fingers (like feathers) to go across the eyes (Cross Wind) or go up the eyes of their opponent (Upward Wind). These tactics are used to distract an opponent with the Apache’s finger going to their opponent’s eyes, as the Apache’s other hand attacks with a weapon or empty hand strike. This action emulates the scattered features that the birds, Cross Wind and Upward Wind took away from Old Woman Bat. The Apaches call this tactic “Scattered Feathers.”

Snake Blocker teaching Natives at Tall Bull Memorial, Colorado.

Preparedness fun and games for children and youth

by Bill and Janet Liebsch

There are many online resources that can help parents teach children about disasters, emergencies, fire safety and preparedness. However, it can get a little overwhelming since there is so much information out there, so we have compiled a short list of some sites that hopefully will make it easier to talk about these things with your kids by using games, activities, apps and other tools developed by experts in this field.

The American Red Cross Masters of Disaster® curriculum is centered on a series of ready-to-go lesson plans that help both organizations and parents educate children about important disaster safety and preparedness information. The Masters of Disaster curriculum materials meet national educational standards and are specifically tailored for lower elementary (K–2), upper elementary (3–5) and middle school (6–8) classes.

FEMA recently revamped their Ready Kids site with more resources for parents to help their children and family get prepared. The site also has a few games for kids to help them learn what steps to take during a disaster or emergency situation, as well as how to build a kit.

Ready Kids also now offers Youth Emergency Preparedness Curriculum for Educators. This emergency preparedness curriculum for grades 1-12 teaches kids what to do before, during, and after an emergency while fostering critical skills such as problem solving, teamwork, creativity, leadership, and communication. (The curriculum might be a great resource for parents who homeschool.) Learn more at www.ready.gov/kids and visit www.ready.gov to find planning tips for Seniors, Pets and Businesses.

Another online video game offered

by FEMA is called Disaster Hero. It is designed to teach children (grades 1 through 8), parents, and teachers/ caregivers how to prepare for disasters. The overall goals are to ensure that players know what to do before, during, and after a disaster. http://disasterhero.com

Masters of Disaster contains lessons, activities, and demonstrations on disaster-related topics that organizations can incorporate into daily or thematic programming. The series of topics is very robust with almost 200 lesson plans covering safety and prevention for injuries and damage from hazards in the United States. The Masters of Disaster® Family Kit and Educator's Kit are both available for order through your local Red Cross or on their Stay Well site at www.shopstaywell.com

The Sesame Workshop group, along with its project partners, created a series of instructional and training videos — one of which is called “Let’s Get Ready!

Planning Together for Emergencies.™” They also offer other preparedness “tool kits” videos about dealing with the aftermath of a hurricane or other natural disaster, some resources to help military families and more. They also have downloadable activities, guides and plans to help the entire family get prepared for emergencies. Visit www.sesamestreet.org and do a search on the phrase “Let‘s get ready”

The National Fire Prevention Agency (NFPA) has developed memorable, engrossing stories and interactive games using Sparky the Fire Dog to help kids (and parents) learn and retain important fire-safety skills to keep their families safe.

Their mobile app, ideal for grades PreK-2, is packed with animation and games, while the eBook, best suited for grades 3-5, mixes fire-safety messaging with compelling stories, science facts, and more. Visit www.sparkyschoolhouse.org to get the free app and ebook, and stop by www.Sparky.org for more games, cartoons and activities for your little ones.

Also consider searching sites like USGS.gov, Discovery.com and NationalGeographic.com since they have games, puzzles and interactive, educational tools and resources about weather and science for kids, teens and parents. (And be warned ‌ some of the puzzles can be addicting!) Share the knowledge with your loved ones so everyone can get more prepared.

Â

Hang Your Art Securely – Be Prepared or Pay Dearly!

By Scott M. Haskins, Art Conservator Whether you scour garage sales and swap meets for deals or you collect costly fine art, you have something abhorrent in common with most all collectors that you don’t even realize! I am constantly startled at the nonchalant attitude art collectors have when hanging framed items on the wall.

Even if the rip is repaired perfectly, what is the loss of value compared to a similar “virgin” painting? If you want your investment to look its best then you have to add to that price cleaning and potentially a list of other treatments. Have you added the cost of repairing the frame?! I advise you to do this to avoid the financial impact and emotional pain. Be prepared.

WAIT! Don’t roll your eyes and turn the page!

Even if you only decorate with cute framed items, this article can save you $1,000s of dollars in damage or lost value (and this in NOT being overstated)… or great heartache seeing your ancestor lanced through the face. I offer this info to you through this article in PREPARE Magazine as a charitable teaching moment to help you avoid the pain.

The additional “twist” you probably haven’t heard before is to use the additional support and stability on the wall that can be ensured with two quarter sized balls of Museum Wax on the bottom corners of a medium sized framed painting. The balls of wax will hold the artwork to the wall. In the event of an earthquake or hurricane, when the house or business starts to shake and rattle, the artwork will remain on the wall and not jump off the hanging hook.

I go into the homes all the time and inspect sometimes a 100 paintings a month (or more!) and see plenty of disasters waiting to happen: it‘s not rocket science. In fact, the way to resolve this potential disaster is almost logical… but with an essential twist especially if you live in earthquake, hurricane or tornado country. See tips below…

Here is a short video to show you examples: (we can embed the video mentioned in a digital issue) http:// www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGGAzvijoU8

Here are two valuable tips you can take to the bank and a short free video to show you examples: The logical upgrade to your present hanging habits is to make sure hanging hardware on the artwork and the wall is overkill, super strong, super attached.

Framed items that fall off, or are knocked off, the wall result in damage that is totally avoidable. If you take the easy and quick way of hanging something on the wall (a nail or screw into the plaster wall board) then what happens in the event the building shakes… even a little?!

Envision, if you will, a great New Year’s Party, a solid sonic boom, rowdy teenagers or Mother Nature. Be Prepared. What is the down side of ignoring this valuable coaching?

The painting above, as you can probably tell, is not worth very much. Perhaps you’ve seen similar quality paintings, whether figurative or landscapes, at the swap meet for under $200.00. I wouldn’t pay $50. Here’s the kicker…

A small puncture/rip with minimal paint loss, repaired well, will cost $200 -$300 to repair. A decent sized rip repaired in the proper way will cost closer to $1,000.

This painting valued at $25,000 by Charles Rollo Peters fell off its nail in a public library when a sonic boom occurred.

The repair bill for the painting and the frame was about $1,800.00

Faith – The Glue that Keeps Us Together

By Sonja Upham In a world that is constantly changing and seemingly getting worse every moment, just how are we supposed to handle the cards that are dealt to us without falling apart? Better yet, how are we supposed to provide for our family? Well, we can find a very uplifting response to this question in the Bible. We are told in the book of II Corinthians, “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory” II Cor. 4:8,9,17 As we can see from this passage, the things that can seem so perplexing and overwhelming are compared to an eternal reality which we can’t quite wrap our minds around, making the problems in this world seem so small and insignificant and “for a moment”.

This verse isn’t meant to down play at all our feelings of hurt, sadness and anger as we go through the disasters, the plagues, the governmental breakdowns, but rather to help us deal with the tribulations that are happening now and will get increasingly worse.

In the book Christ Object Lessons1, the author has this to say about our trials: “Trials well borne will develop steadfastness of character and precious spiritual graces.

The perfect fruit of faith, meekness, and love often matures best amid storm clouds and darkness.” This sounds like trials are helping us to develop strength of character, which will allow us to not only bear our share of the burden, but also be able to help those around us.

A fuller understanding of this principle is found on pg 61 where the author quotes from James 5:7 “The husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain." So the Christian is to wait with patience for the fruition in his life of the word of God. Often when we pray for the graces of the Spirit, God works to answer our prayers by placing us in circumstances to develop these fruits; but we do not understand His purpose, and wonder, and are dismayed. Yet none can develop these graces except through the process of growth and fruit bearing. Our part is to receive God's word and to hold it fast, yielding ourselves fully to its control, and its purpose in us will be accomplished.”

So how can this “glue” of faith keep our family together?

We need each other, but as we see the time of trouble approaching, we need something “stronger”, more reliable, than our own abilities to keep that bond as closely knit as possible.

Our human tendency is to fend for ourselves when things get tough. We can see just a glimpse of this in the case of Hurricane Katrina, one of the most devastating disasters the US has ever seen with thousands of people fending for themselves, trying to stay alive and not able to help anyone else. But, in the midst of this we see many of those with a strong faith able to get outside of their comfort zone and provide not only for themselves but for those around them. Holding onto prayer and a faith that would not let them go, they were strengthened to do sometimes what seemed to be the impossible.

Faith, the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, will be our stronghold as we go forward in a world full of inconsistencies, doubt and despair. It will be the “glue” that can hold the family together, the church together, the community together and finally the world if this faith is grasped and held onto.

We continue in our passage from II Corinthians where it says, “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.” II Cor. 4:18. This gives us a hope in a life that is beyond this one, full and free, that we can look forward to as we walk this journey together with each other and with our faithful Lord. No matter the circumstances, He says, “I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Matthew 28:20 1Christ

Object Lessons, pg. 61, E.G. White

Review: MultiFlame Tool

By Vickilynn Haycraft Most fire pistons are pistons alone; in other words, that's all they do. Glen Trayer of Trayer Wilderness Inc. created and engineered an ingenious multi-task tool which can perform several functions, including starting fire as a fire piston. Glen and his wife Tammy live the wilderness life on 5 acres in Northern Idaho. You can read more about them and their son and all they do at M o u n t a i n M a n J o u r n a l s . c o m , M o u n t a i n Wo m a n J o u r n a l s . c o m , and MountainBoyJournals.com.

Features: The interesting features of the MultiFlame tools extend past making fire. The knob is removed to reveal an opening for a brush tool to clean your handgun (9 mm or larger), plus a hex-cut opening on the other end for attaching 1/4 inch hex tool bits such as screwdrivers, nut drivers, drill bits etc. The MultiFlame tools are multitaskers, great for outside treks, wilderness camping or emergency preparedness. On the larger MultiFlame tool, there is an auger bit adapter which fits over the shaft for auger bits and more heavy-duty tool needs.

Extras included with kit (additional o-rings, tin, auger bit adapter with large MultiFlame tool) Can attach to belt or packs Reasonably priced 100% made in the U.S.A.

Cons: For those not familiar with using a fire piston, it may take a few tries to ignite the char cloth, however, following the excellent video tutorials by Glen Trayer (links above) should eliminate the need for several attempts. We found the video demonstrations to be invaluable and we achieved consistent success with fire-starting.

Conclusion: We recommend the MultiFlame tools (both large and mini) for every family, even every family member in case they get separated, in their preparedness tools as these can perform several important functions. Excellent, quality tools!

Recommended highly

Testing Fire pistons may take a few steps to start fire, but they are usually reliable fire making tools. Our experiences with the MultiFlame Tools were excellent. Once we followed the simple instructions found in Glen's instructional videos (links at their website) we had success. We each used the MultiFlame tools to create fire. They are effective fire pistons.

The hex opening at the end of each MultiFlame tools accommodated 1/4 inch bits and worked well in each test. The large MultiFlame tool's auger bit adapter was simple to use and provided the stability and power to work with the auger.

The size, weight, configuration and kits provided with the MultiFlame tools were perfect for carrying in or attaching to packs or belts with the loops provided. We found the MultiFlame tools to be excellent products with multiple applications in reasonably-priced units plus extras included. We consider them to be an essential addition to our carry packs.

Pros: Aluminum materials Sturdy, but not heavy Multiple uses and applications Lined nylon pack with compartments for accessories

MultiFlame Tools by Trayer Wilderness Trayer Wilderness, Inc. Glen & Tammy Trayer Survive@TrayerWilderness.com

THANK YOU! The Launch of PREPARE Magazine has been a labor of love, sharing of helpful training and ideas, and a partnership with some wonderful people. We are so thankful for the support and kindness of so many people who have joined with us in the journey and contributed to the creation and growth of PREPARE Magazine. We want to share our sincere and humble gratitude for everyone who has shared their support and encouragement. We simply could not have launched PREPARE without you!

On behalf of our readers, subscribers, advertisers, and staff, we wish to extend our heart-felt appreciation to all of you. We believe there is a very special mission for PREPARE Magazine, and are so pleased to be yoked with wonderful people who wish to sow encouragement and help to others in the Preparedness Journey.

Again‌ To all of you who have contributed and shared financial resources, preparedness training, advertising, testimonials, and encouragement, please know that we greatly appreciate you – and look forward to serving on your behalf.

Joseph and Donna Miller

Special Partners

Special Contributors

Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy Ronald G Wittig H Michael Rauscher Kirk Illian Joe and Amy Alton Tracy Singer Steve Mileusnich Karyn Rios Jonathan Violassi Donna Henken Rats Overton Shannon Dulawan Douglas Drury Kelly and Stanley Gaddy CoolBrees Designs

Raymond Freeman Heather Balentine Frank Gregg Joy walker Leslie Moore Peter Sedlak III Mark Firehammer S. Ryerson John Fairchild Bryan Van Hook Kathleen Roberts Bobbie Nelson Bill Liebsch Gail LaCroix Vaunell Temple Velda Solomon Jared Novotny Seth Johnson Vickilynn Haycraft Benjamin Geleynse Steven Jones Brandon Rains Rebecca Sanchez Teri Roberts Jeff Rowland Dr. Kaly Sellers Jim Kennard

Trent Powers Ken Youngquist Jason A. Hunt Vickilynn Haycraft Rick Austin Evan Folds Bryan Miller Bill & Janet Liebsch Pierce Jacobson Vina8 Eric Waters Charles Belitz Lynette Frye Kelly Thomas Nigel Jones Dale W.Montgomery Kim Lippy Steve Mistretta Aaron Berwick Valarie Brown Scott Angell Caryn lee Wayne Spencer N. Campbell Judith Hooley Founding Subscribers

Our Contributors...

Charles Daugherty is the owner of Patriot Crime Defense specializing in preventative home security. They have designed and have manufactured The Patriot Door Kit, which when installed will prevent your doors from being kicked in. In addition to his engineering and design background, Charles is an avid outdoorsman, a certified NRA Rifle and Pistol Instructor and Range Safety Officer. His life is simple; he wants to honor God in his work, take care of his family, and help others succeed!

Snake Blocker is a member of the Lipan Apache Tribe of Texas, is an accomplished martial artists and Apache Historian. He has served in the U.S. Navy since June 2001 and did tours in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. He is the featured instructor in several videos and promotes his signature line of survival products and knives. Snake has been featured on Deadliest Warrior “Apaches versus Gladiators” and Doomsday Preppers “In the Hurt Locker”.

He hosts “Snake Blocker Survival” on Preparedness Radio Network.

Scott M. Haskins Professional Art Conservator since 1975, is the renowned author of “How To Save Your Stuff From A Disaster” (available as an as an e-book) and “Save Your Stuff in the Workplace,” both available on Amazon. He is widely published in corporate newsletters, art magazines, and other specialty publications and websites. On his blog, Tips for Art Collectors, you can sign up for free collection care tips. He may be reached at 805 564 3438.

Jason Hunt is the President of Frontier Christian University a ministry school designed to equip believers for the end-times. With degree programs in Wilderness Ministry and courses in Preparedness, Marksmanship and Wilderness Medicine, Frontier is a school unlike any other.

Jason offers various survival oriented courses at the FCU campus throughout the year. To learn more visit www.frontierchristianuniversity.org

Sonja Upham Wellness Educator has been serving the public since 2002. A graduate of the Global College of Natural Medicine, she is now studying to obtain her doctorate in Natural Medicine. In their health ministry, HeavenScent Wholistic Health, , Sonja along with her Husband Dave, use simple natural remedies and lifestyle counseling to address client health concerns, believing that education is key. Sharing her passion for helping others, she is also an author and educator, providing classes on country living and wellness.

!

Brittney Miller

is an avid “experimenter” of natural alternatives to conventional health, body, and home care products. She has a desire for healing to reach every facet of the human life. Brittney works in the healthcare field as a CNA, but her passion is to share and inspire others toward better living through the use of nutrition, recreation, herbs, essential oils, and other God-given alternatives. She is a dōTERRA® Independent Product Consultant and shares her holistic health journey on MyProVerbLife.com.

Bill & Janet Liebsch are the founders of FedHealth, a publishing and marketing company formed in 1999 to help the public focus on preparedness and health-related issues. We also are the authors, copyright owners and publishers of "IT'S A DISASTER! ...and what are YOU gonna do about it?" and are dedicated to developing programs that primarily benefit First Responders, schools and volunteers. Get a sample of the content with this free mini-ebook HERE

David E Crossley

is a British Prepper living in Scotland. He has been into prepping for over 40 years and has built his experience through 22 years as a soldier, 4 years as the Training Manager for Scotland for the British Red Cross and many years studying and doing the prepping things so many people just think or talk about. He is also a published author. Learn more about him at his website at: www.tfns.co.uk/index2.html

Tammy Trayer is a freelance writer, soon to be author, radio show host on the Survival Mom Radio Network, web designer specializing in the outdoors, entrepreneur, pioneer, avid hunter, outdoorswoman, homesteader, homeschool mother and wife. She, her husband & Mountain Man of her dreams and family live traditionally off-grid and enjoy educating on autism, gluten free and dairy free cooking, self-reliance, wilderness survival and so much more. She can be found at http:// TammyTrayer.com & http://MountainWomanJournals.com as well as http://YouTube.com/ MountainWomanJournals.

Vickilynn Haycraft

is the hostess of the Get Real – Get Prepared radio show on PRN. She is the author of: “Wrapping It Up!” and co-author of “Naturally Healthy Cuisine, Real Food for Real Families”. Vickilynn is a sought-after independent product tester and book reviewer delivering accurate, honest, and trustworthy reviews on products and books for the whole family. Subscribe to Vickilynn at: RealFoodLiving.com, National Product Review Examiner, National Family Preparedness Examiner.

We are are looking We looking for for contributors contributors Your voice may be the one to help someone else

submit your contributions at

www.preparemag.com We are currently seeking contributions for the following...

Community Connections General Articles Feature Articles Instructional Articles Photos and Videos Testimonies Preparedness Experiences

Community Connections These groups have meetings in December.

PACIFIC Community Barter Buddies Meet, Network & Swap Something Event Monday, December 9, 2013 - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM Village Inn - Tualatin, OR The Survival Podcast Meetup Group Building Your Own Battery Back-Up System Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM Ramona, CA - Exact location is shown only to members Primitive Wilderness Survival Bow Drill and Hand Drill Fire Making Saturday, December 28, 2013 - 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM Coyote Hills Regional Park - Fremont, CA

SOUTHWEST Citizens Emergency Preparedness Prepper Group of Oklahoma December Preppers Meeting Sunday, December 8, 2013 11:00 AM Tulsa, OK - Exact location is shown only to members Preppers of East Texas Meetup Group Natural Building! Cob, Strawbale, Rammed Earth, Compressed Earth Block, Adobe Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 10:30 AM to 5:30 PM Greenville, TX - Exact location is shown only to members

Dallas Sustainable Living & Organic Gardening Free Intro to Soils Talk by Nicholas Burtner Saturday, December 7, 2013 - 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM

Dallas, TX - Exact location is shown only to members

NORTHWEST Greater Denver Urban Homesteading Group Ink Making: From Walnuts and Pomegranates Saturday, December 14, 2013 - 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM 63rd St Farm - Boulder, CO Wichita Preppers Network December Meeting: Canning Sunday, December 8, 2013 - 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM American Legion Post #401- Wichita, KS Colorado Urban Tactical Survival Group Come learn about prepping and Urban Survival!

Tuesday, December 3, 2013 - 7:00 PM Broomfield, CO - Exact location is shown only to members

MIDWEST Northwest Indiana Preppers Winter Camping/Survival Weekend Saturday, December 7, 2013 - 9:00 AM Stoney Run County Park - Hebron, IN Patriot Preppers of Central Illinois Home Security & Back up Plans Friday, December 13, 2013 - 6:00 PM Central Illinois Phone Repair - Peoria, Il Fox Valley Preppers Bulk food and emergency food storage workshop Saturday, December 7, 2013 - 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM Granary Bulk Foods - Appleton, WI

SOUTHEAST Port Charlotte Preppers

Community Connections Blackout Grid Down Trauma First Response Saturday, December 7, 2013 10:00 AM Port Charlotte, FL - Exact location is shown only to members Florida Survivalist Network Region 6 - Preppers FREE: Women's and Family Safety Seminar and Roundtable Pt Saturday, December 7, 2013 - 10:00 AM T.Y. Park - 3300 North Park Road, Hollywood, FL WNC Preparedness Group Share your 2014 Preparedness Goals and Plans.

Saturday, December 28, 2013 - 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Asheville, NC - Exact location is shown only to members

NORTHEAST Northern VA Preppers Emergency Preparedness using Essential Oils Saturday, December 7, 2013 - 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM Avalon Crescent - 1569 Onyx Drive, McLean, VA Southeastern Pennsylvania survivalist and bushcraft First aid Saturday, December 7, 2013 - 11:00 AM Mohnton, PA - Exact location is shown only to members Geo NYC Mapping for Disaster Relief and Community Resilience.

Monday, December 9, 2013 - 7:00 PM OpenITP and New America Foundation - New York, NY

OUTSIDE USA Sussex Bushcraft Group Basic Bushcraft - Fire Lighting Saturday, December 7, 2013 - 9:45 AM to 3:00 PM Hove, United Kingdom - Exact location is shown only to members Bushcraft Niagra Archery / Slingshot Practice Saturday, December 7, 2013 - 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM North American Prepper Society - 13458 Willowdell, Niagara Falls

Kitchen Gadgets, Lessons, Recipes, Grains and More

MILLERS Grain House

"Preparing you and your kitchen with tools, tips, skills and encouragement."

E! CLICK HER

Learn Preparation Skills

!

E CLICK HER

WonderMill

E!

CLICK HER

Preparation Food Storage

CLICK HER

E!

WonderMill Jr. Deluxe

E!

CLICK HER

Excalibur Dehydrator

FREE WHOLE GRAIN RECIPES

•

RADIO SHOW

•

PREPARATION BLOG (800) 824-4655 (828) 536-4988 www.millersgrainhouse.com/store

Mondays-Thursdays 9:00 to 5:00 Eastern Fridays 9:00 to 4:00 Eastern Closed Saturdays & Sundays