PROVIDENT LIVING

Dear Sisters,


I've been impressed with the fact that though, food storage is something we should all be involved in doing in our homes, Provident Living is much much more than storing food.

I heard a sister from our ward mention that "No amount food storage will help us through a crisis if we are not spiritually prepared". Being spiritually prepared is the foundation for which we will be able to meet any situation in our lives.

What we first want to ask ourselves is, What are we striving for? Our long-term goal is for our families to achieve the glory of the Celestial kingdom. Our Relief Society President, Brenda Wrye, has stated that "We are preparing for the second coming of Christ".

Living day to day, it's possible to get off the path. There is so much coming at us. So many schedules to keep, lessons to plan, a need to fulfill for a neighbor, that science project one of our children need help with. The list is seemingly endless.

So why provident living? Sewing the button on the shirt as soon as it fell off keeps a crisis from occurring when it's time to put it on and get out the door. The same goes for spending our money wisely, and for having food on hand. We are keeping a crisis from occurring. Crisis causes confusion and confusion is not of the Lord.

The loss of a job isn't the crisis. The crisis comes when we no longer have the necessities when the money starts to run out.

We all want nice things. The Lord knows this. Check out Matthew chapter 6:31-33 and also 3 NEPHI 13:31-33. I find it really cool that this was spoken almost verbatim to the people of the eastern hemisphere and to the people of the western hemisphere. I can almost guarantee that he gave the same exact words to the people he visited after he left the Nephites. He knows us.

When I first read these scriptures I was a teenager and not a member of the church. I thought that we didn't need to give any care or planning to our temporal needs -that if we prayed all day we would find these things. After I joined the church and learned of, and began to live the commandments, I read these scriptures again and began to understand them.

When we live the commandments we are blessed.. We know that we are commanded to live providently. So why do we store food? Having food storage is a commandment.

As Provident Living Specialist, I first want to invite all of us to carve out a time in everyday to read the scriptures, pray. and keep our journals up to date. I have found that If I make these things a priority, somehow all the important things get done.

If you have need of knowing where to begin with food storage, please call on me. I would love to work with you to help you get started. I had to begin as a newbee to the concept. It was daunting before I got started and I was grateful for the help I received.. I'm grateful to help too.

We have the dry-pack canner in our ward in November. I have attached a storehouse order form. I will be going to the Storehouse the last week of October. You can fill the form out on your computer and the numbers tally up for you. After you've filled it out, please print out the form and hand it off to me at church with your check for the total amount made payable to me.

I need to have your forms and money by October 24th. That's a Sunday. If you are mailing it to me, please mail it by the Friday the 22nd.

Looking at the form, please order bulk foods. On the from that's the column entitled "Bulk". And then order the number of cans, lids, and oxygen absorbers you will need using the information in the column that reads, "No. 10 Can Packaged by Customer". Cans fill by volume and bulk foods are sold by weight. That means that you need more cans for that big 25 pound sack of oatmeal as opposed to fewer cans for that smaller sack of black beans. Remember that you won't be ordering from the first column. You are using that column to get the information needed to determine how many cans, lids, and oxygen absorbers you will need for the bulk product you are buying. You will order the cans, lids, and oxygen absorbers at the bottom of the form.

If you have questions about the form or are totally confused by my instructions, please feel free to contact me.

Robbie Marquez
Hedgesville Ward