Sharing a little of my heart …..
Its so important today more than ever in the past 50 years to know how to do things for yourself, to know how to cook, clean and make things for your family. 
Not because it makes you a super-mom or super-wife, not because it makes you better than others. But simply because it can give you a head start if/when the US economy gets really, really bad or if you or your husband loses a job, an illness hits or other personal emergency.
No one likes to talk about bad things happening. But the Bible tells us over and over again to be ready for life’s eventualities. Its not “if” something difficult will happen, its “when”. So I don’t want to harp on bad things happening, but I do think its important to acknowledge that they will in all our lives.
Are you ready to cook over a fire or grill 100% of the time? Are you gardening? Putting up food instead of relying on the ‘just-in-time’ grocery store? Do you know how to mend clothing instead of pitching it and buying new? Do you know how to to keep your home clean without chemicals? Do you and your family know how to ‘make do’ and be content?
My desire is to offer you anything I know that could help you and has been for the past 15 years online. If I can help you in some way I haven’t addressed, just ask. If I don’t know, I’ll try to help you find out!
Will the economy get really, really bad? I don’t have any way of knowing that, neither do you. However, leading economists and people who have a good track record predicting turn-downs and recessions seem to think it is likely that it will.
Bad economic times aren’t new to this country, but they are new to most of us alive today and under the age of 75 years so it can be intimidating to think about it or read about it. But I think we have to come on out of our hiding places and face the possibilities of economic hardships whether caused by a job loss, poor health or other more global factors.
Don’t worry, don’t panic, don’t stress. Do your best to prepare your family for hard economic times, be obedient and a good servant to the LORD, rely on Him. Help others, be a light and a beacon, be of good cheer! Consider any economic hardship that comes to be a challenge to your know-how and a challenge to grow in your spiritual walk.
*…fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10*
Are you preparing? What are you doing to prepare? What are your thoughts about economic hardships?
Hello and welcome! I'm Sylvia Britton, and I've been online since 1996 offering encouragement and help in the spirit of Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 at Christian Homekeeper. CHK is the original Homekeeping site on the internet
SYlvia, This is so true and exactly why I am here. I love doing things for my family and feeling more that I could “laugh at the days to come”, even with hardship, by knowing how to do things simply and without relying so much on other’s know how or manufactured things. Thank you again for sharing freely your knowledge. Titus 2 Lady! 😀
We live in a place where we can’t have animals… maybe we can have a garden, but who knows truly with the desert. The cost of water is sooooo high to keep a vegetable garden here in addition to building an area that would sustain it (raised flower bed).
In any case, I have learned so much in a small amount of time. Thank you.
Nancy you don’t know what a blessing just reading your post has been for me. I love to help and I love to learn. I’m really glad you’re learning here at CHK. Thanks for letting me know. 🙂
That’s so true but it’s so easy to “relax” when things go well.
People learn the hard way unfortunately. But when i feel starting to feel “soft” i quickly remind myself of the hard times and get to do something …anything just to get rid of that laziness.
That laziness can be very dangerous when unpredictable happens.
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I think you’re right, Cindy. Its easy to become complacent and comfortable and then be caught unaware.
Love your post. It really hits home. I grew up old fashioned I guess we did not have running water in the home or a bathroom. We grew a huge garden and canned almost all of our food and raised all sorts of animals. We lived like kings, but I am inching close to 40 and don’t remember much about the ways we did things it was just what we did never thought I might have to use these skills once I grew up. I really hated all of the chores and now I would give anything to get some of those skills back. I was not a very good student. Thats why I love your site I CAN learn again and prepare the impossible. Thank you so much for what you do it is great to learn.
Trish,
I really do understand what you’re saying. I’ve forgotten a lot that I did as a child too. Hopefully we can work on regaining some of that lost knowledge together!
Loved your post. It is a wonderful reminder that no matter where we live, we need to be ready for any potential hard times. Unfortunately, living in a small home in a urban area, I haven’t been thinking of preparedness that much. I have some homework to do.
God bless you and your family!
God bless you too, Lisa!
Its never too late to start preparing until its too late, kwim? I hope you can get started soon and have good success.
Wonderful article! We live in town so we are limited to a small garden and no animals. I have just learned a wonderful weed killer: 1 tbsp dish soap to 1 gallon vinegar. Was shocked when weeks were dieing within 2 hours. I’m learning how to dehydrate and can foods. I’m fairly new to your blog, but have thoroughly enjoyed it. Keep up the great work!
Blessings~
Catherine
Great article, thank you. We have slowly learned, over the last 20 years living here, to be more self sufficient and make do with what we have. What is most wonderful is that we are learning to reach out and be of help to our neighbors, which brings us and them such a sense of fulfillment.
I do think that in hard economic times we will need to be more opened to helping those that live close to us and be willing to accept help too.
We raise chickens, ducks and garden. I do bulk baking and my husband is pretty good with a grill. We are slowly saving towards big purchases like a cow or goat as well as some pigs.I’m sure my husband would love to cook meals over a fire! We have a clothesline and we already wash our clothes in cold water…and know how to wash them in the tub if needed! God has really blessed our garden this year, which is on the smaller side and won’t give us produce until next year but we are new to it and needed to start small…not to mention we are expecting a baby in August! Everyday is a new adventure for us, like pasteurizing milk from our Amish neighbors and making cheese, making butter…way too much fun!
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