Plans of the Diligent

The plans of the diligent lead to profit as surely as haste leads to poverty. Proverbs 21:5

If you have ever read my blog before, you know that I make a lot of plans. This is both a good and a bad thing. It's good when I remember my proverbs, but bad when I steam ahead with "tunnel vision". I admit to being prone to this, as well as not wanting to plan for things that I'm not really enthusiastic about. That's why the blog Homestead Revival's Preparedness Challenges are good for me. After all, who wants to plan for something we'd rather not think about, such as weather related emergencies or even worse. However, not taking the time to ready ourselves, families and homes isn't going to help us any. (OR delay an emergency!)

Before I get to far, I do want to add, that first and foremost we should not be anxious. Nor should we feel that being prepared in anyway shows doubt in God's faithfulness or love. I believe that being prepared for an emergency is good stewardship.Knowing how to care for your home and family should a disaster strike is just smart. And the more families that are prepared, the more to serve those that are not or that are unable to help themselves, such as the elderly and disabled. Also, depending on where you live and what sort of weather you have, your next door neighbor and you could both be prepared, but their home is damaged while yours is not and vice versa.

So, back to planning. I got the planner pictured above from my mother for my birthday a few years ago. It's blank and empty, as pristine as the day I received it. That's not a good thing. After reading the post at Homestead Revival, I decided it was time to get it out and take a look. It has room for planning as well as soring some important documents. It's handy because you can grab it in the event that you need to leave your home quickly. There are places to record contact information for family members as well as out of town relatives to use as contacts. It also emergency kit checklists and contact info for American Red Cross, FEMA, etc. My goal for this coming week is to get the family contact info. filled out, as well as the contact info. for out of state relatives. I'd also like to get working on our 72 hour kits.

Not feeling ready to tackle emergency prep. on large scale? (If not, I really encourage you to start thinking about it!) What about small scale? Do you have a first aid kit in each vehicle? How about in your purse? I have a kit in each of our vehicles. It doesn't have to be fancy or huge, but it should contain some basics such as:

band aids

antibacterial ointment

hand sanitizer

antiseptic/antibacterial cleaning for wounds

pain relievers such as Tylenol or ibuprofen

tweezers

You might want to include anything that is a special need for your family, such as contact lens solution and lens case, eyedrops, etc. And perhaps an instant cold pack if you have a real accident prone family member. For moms, you might want to consider a bag for every occasion that includes a first aid kit. I have a "Rec" bag that goes to the rec center with us that contains a first aid kit, bug spray, sunblock, baby wipes, and an extra white shirt that will fit any of my kiddos. It doesn't hurt to have a non-aerosol bottle of bug spray and sunblock in the car for impromptu hikes, etc.

Do you have any plans in place in case of an emergency? If you do, please share! You can leave a comment below.

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Kelly