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Several years ago I wrote a book. Amazingly, I had 3 different publishers that were interested in it. In 2000, Herbal First Aid and Health Care: Medicine for a New Millennium was released by Lotus Press (available online at Amazon.com or through Western Botanicals, Inc.). It did not make the New York Times bestseller list, and Oprah did not call to have me feature the book on her show. However, at the time (1998), I felt the strong need to write a book on taking care of ourselves in times of illness or injury. I felt that we were entering into a time where we would have to become increasingly self-sufficient. While many people were getting hyped-up and excited about Y2K, my business partner Randy (President of Western Botanicals, Inc.) and I felt Y2K would be a bump in the road at most. Turns out, it wasn't even a bump. However, our interest and drive remains that we must be prepared.

I joke with a friend of mine who sells insurance, that he is one big disaster away from unemployment. While this may not be true, I think that there have been some valuable lessons learned with major disasters such as Katrina and the events of 9/11. With Katrina we learned that the government is not going to be there to rescue you. The trucks of supplies, aid and help are NOT ready to roll. In fact, the government has publicly announced that we need to be prepared ourselves and that we should not rely on them for immediate relief or aid. We learned with 9/11 that everything can come to an abrupt halt. The air traffic stopped for several days and in many places supplies became unavailable. Now I don't mean to suggest that either of these events were trivial, but it does stand to reason that something on a much larger scale can happen. Scientists all suggest that we are on the verge or overdue for earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, etc. on a grander scale than what we have experienced. Epidemiologists announce that a major outbreak of the next deadly epidemic is not a matter of if but WHEN. And Economists tell us that our American economy is falsely buoyed up and could easily collapse into a depression.

Yet, life is incredibly wonderful in so many ways. We have endless knowledge at our fingertips. We have brilliant and amazing music and entertainment to enjoy. We have opportunities to learn and grow and share with others. And we have enough affluence that we can devote time everyday to serving and helping others. With so many positive things going on, it is easy to grow complacent because of the relative ease of life. Most of us struggle, not with survival issues (enough food, water, shelter, safety) but with relationships, getting ahead, and the day-to-day busyness we all get caught up in.

So I thought I would share with you what I and my wife and family are doing to prepare for 'a rainy day' metaphorically speaking. When things fall apart, either on a national scale (some unspeakable catastrophic event) or a personal scale (an injury or illness), we want to be prepared.

Our First Tier of Preparedness is what the Red Cross and FEMA call a 72-hour kit. This is a small backpack that contains everything you may need to 'grab and go' and sustain yourself without any outside help for 3 days. Food, water, change of clothes, medicines (herbal in our case), emergency phone numbers, etc. There are many lists of what to include on the internet. There should be a backpack for each member of our family. So in the event of an evacuation (fire threat, etc.). We can grab our bags and go. Again 72-hours of survival is the key. Also, consider the needs of your pets and animals.

The Second Tier of Preparedness would be for a three-week period at home. If for some reason, we could not go to the store (caused by anything from a major earth-changing catastrophe to quarantine issues to a trucking/railway strike), we would have enough food, water, etc. that we could get by for at least 3 weeks. We have several 55-gallon drums of water in our backyard. We have a major first aid kit that has enough supplies to treat infectious illnesses, cuts, wounds, and anything else that I talk about in my book. We have adequate food staples and a garden that will supply us with fresh fruit and vegetables in addition to fruits and veggies that we have canned. Begin to prepare for this when you go to the store next time. Purchase a few extra cans or boxes of non-perishable food and tuck it away. You will be amazed at what you can accumulate in a few short months. Whatever you do, don't go into debt purchasing tons of stuff. Just be consistent with your effort and soon you will have enough for your three-week supply. It will feel nice to be prepared and not feeling like you may be a burden on others.

The Third Tier of Preparedness is to have enough food and resources on which you could get by for a year. The Church of Jesus Christ of Later-day Saints advises their members to have a year supply of food on hand. Many have misinterpreted this that the Mormons are hoarding food. The reality of it is, however, that the food that is being tucked away and stored will be available to all of those in need. When Katrina hit, the LDS church was one of the first ones there with truckload after truckload of food, clothing, blankets and supplies. In the event that "the big one" hits, I hope to be prepared to help my family, friends and community members. When hard times come, it is time to help and assist others, not selfishly guard yourself with stuff. There are those who adhere to the philosophy of supplying just for themselves and hiding out in the wilderness. I feel that there are many problems with that. The Amish people are probably the best example of self-sufficiency. They have developed communities that are sustainable, self-sufficient as well as socially and culturally satisfying. Becoming part of a community, I believe, is vital to getting by during difficult times. Whether your community is those who live within your neighborhood, within your church or some other close-knit organization developing these relationships and friendships will bless and enrich your life whether you ever need to pull together for a disaster or not.

Here are additional things you should consider during this final tier of preparedness.

Fuel Source and Cooking. If you live where there is sunshine (i.e. Planet earth), hands down the best way to cook your food is with a solar oven. I am lucky to have one of our nations authorities on solar cooking as a neighbor, Cathe. She has turned-on our neighborhood to solar cooking. Her ovens have become a gathering spot for our meals as several of her neighbors carry their meals to the oven to be slowly roasted while we are away at work. Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter if the sun peaks out from behind the clouds the oven is on. On a cold Winter day with partial sunshine, she baked cookies. Having an alternate fuel source for the cloudy or rainy days is also advisable. But seriously, building a solar oven should become a priority for summer cooking as well as becoming prepared. There are many resources on the internet to get plans or to purchase something already made. Additionally, consider how you will keep your house warm during the cold of winter - or at least one room warm.

Water Source. This is probably one of the most crucial issues. For those of us who live in the West, we cannot rely on summer rains. Water should be stored in barrels or cisterns. Ideally, we should catch the rainfall and store it for later retrieval. This water can be used during the hot summer months to water our gardens and in an emergency for personal use. One concern that arises is the purity of the water. Again the sun comes to the rescue. Our neighbor, Cathe has a solar water distiller. It distills and purifies water making it fresh and perfect for drinking and cooking. There are also other filtration systems and pumps available. You should have something. If you do not have a well or access to one, you should know where you could get water. Many cultures walk miles and carry water back to their homes each day. Do you know where you could walk or ride a bike to find a daily source of water if necessary?

Get Out of Debt. Short of a total collapse of the economy, banking system and life, as we know it, finances will still be vital. During the Great Depression, if you owed money to anyone, they were not above collecting on their debt whether it put you out in the cold or not. Mortgages were foreclosed upon and any loan that was secured was pursued. So I strongly recommend each of us live 'within our means' by spending less money than we bring home. Pay off any debt with the highest interest rate first and once that is paid off shift the money to the debt with the next highest rate until it is paid off. Keep doing this until you are debt free. I know there are many philosophies on how to best leverage your money, but there is nothing that compares to the feeling of owning what you have and being out of debt. Additionally, you need to have something put away for emergencies. Whether you have stashed some cash, gold, silver or platinum, you should have something you can get your hands on - just in case.

Develop Marketable Skills. It is not beyond imagination that we could fall in to a bartering economy if our society were to experience some sort of upheaval. I would encourage each of us to have some marketable skill. Often we find that a hobby or interest can be a valuable commodity or service to someone else. If you have an interest outside of your normal job, pursue it by taking classes and working on it. Our skills and interests are often the best vehicles to serve and help others. So whether your are good at fixing things or making things or have an interest in learning something new through your passion into it. Begin by sharing and trading with others.

Develop a Reservoir of Necessary Supplies. While I am not against medicine, per se. I have found more success in treating non-life-threatening problems at home. As for me and my house, we keep many things on hand. Fortunately, most of the herbal products we use have a long shelf life. We have (and we use from our supply) many bottles of the following: Anti-Plague Syrup, Complete Tissue Repair, Bountiful Blend, Earth's Nutrition, Colon Cleanse, Colon Detox, Immune Boost, Lobelia, Cayenne, Goldenseal, Nerve Calm, Castor Oil, Herbal First Aid & Health Care. I urge each of you to consider stockpiling those things that you may need.

Grow a Garden. We have beautiful colorful lettuces growing in the planter outside our front door as well as many other fruits and vegetables hidden or strategically planted. We also have medicinal herbs that can give us medicine as well as beautiful flowers to enjoy. One key to success I have found is to put everything on a drip irrigation and a timer. It will save you time as well as money and you will not lose plants or have to worry about them when you go away for a few days.

Cultivate an Attitude of Service. We are not in anything alone, unless we choose to be. Be moderate in everything, except sharing your love and gratitude.

Bloom Where You Are Planted. My wife often says this. This means that you should not go looking for that greener pasture. Unless you feel like you are being divinely directed to be living in another place, chances are you are right where you should be. Bloom where you are planted. The flower will make the best of wherever it is and bloom. It does not take the attitude of not trying because there may be a little too much shade or too much sand or clay in the soil. There will always seem like there is a better place, but bloom, grow, develop and prosper right where you have been planted. If the time comes for you to uproot and move, you will know, but until then get to work on blooming.

Few will disagree that we live in a time of transition. It is not a time for fear or worry. I often tell people that we are right on schedule and everything is as it should be. It is a time for work and preparation. A time to foster friendships, hone our skills and cultivate a sense of community. So sit down with those you love and review these suggestions and decide how you should act upon them.

~ Dr. Kyle D. Christensen ~