Ray is the executive director of Prophezine.com and was my guest on DestinySurvival Radio for May 10, 2012 to talk about his book. I’ve chosen it as my DestinySurvival Amazon Pick of the Week.

The full title is Survive the Coming Storm: The Value of a Preparedness Lifestyle. It’s over 200 pages in paperback and has a rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars. As of this writing, it hasn’t been reviewed by many people. Nonetheless, I’ve read it myself and think the rating is fair.

Ray’s open and frank about his faith in his book and quotes several Scripture passages. Some verses are quoted numerous times throughout the book for emphasis.

Ray is from New Braunfels, Texas, where he and his family experienced fallout from Hurricane Katrina and the swine flu flare-up a few years back. Those events were motivators that helped propel him and his family into a more active mode of preparedness. It’s a shocker when you shop for supplies and there are none to be had.

Ray believes we’re headed for disaster and disruption brought on by economic collapse. We’re incredibly in debt, and the dollar is doomed. Hyperinflation and rampant crime are headed our way.

He’s certainly not alone in that forecast, though scenarios from one analyst to another vary as to specifics. Too many are saying these things for us to ignore them.

He cites historical examples of how America has come back from economic troubles in the past, even if it took years. Supposedly cycles have a way of working themselves out. Therefore, he thinks we’ll come back again after whatever’s coming down the pike this time.

I don’t share his optimism, and I don’t see how he can hold to his. When we talked about this on DestinySurvival Radio, I got the impression his hope hangs by a thin thread.

The “new normal” he writes about is like that of a Third World country. While I agree that this is likely to happen, I believe we’ll fall so much farther and harder than we’ve ever fallen before that the repeating cycle pattern will be broken.

Our dependence on computerized technology and the lack of character and moral fiber we had in past generations is the kiss of death on our society. And I don’t foresee enough Americans turning back to God in the face of calamity to make things better.

It’s up to you and me to make sure our own households survive, regardless of what the rest of the country does.

Ray quotes from Ecclesiastes 1:9 to say there’s nothing new under the sun. I agree with that. But our modern time has never seen the likes of what’s likely headed our way. Life as we know it will change irrevocably.

Having said that, I’m gratified that Ray says this won’t be the beginning of the Great Tribulation written about in the Scriptures. I agree with him on that, too. Ray and I touched on that and other end time matters when he was on my show last Thursday.

As with other books on prepping, Ray gives advice on what food to store. You can do well with carefully chosen canned foods. Have a dehydrator on hand, too.

The rule, of course, is to buy what you’ll eat. Then eat what you buy. Ray also recommends the Shelf Reliance shelving systems as a convenient means of food storage.

A preview of his next book discusses edible begonias. I like the direction he’s headed with that. We need to know about edible plants of all kinds.

I appreciate Ray’s attitude of readiness. He encourages us to imagine life threatening scenarios and visualize how we’d handle them. For example, could you face an attacker with handgun or knife drawn in self defense?

He shares his preference for knives in one chapter. In another he discusses firearms and calibers.

He’s partial to 9 mm Glocks, but says good things about .22′s as well. The 20 gauge shotgun is written about favorably, too. The AR-15 or AK-47 aren’t high on his list for prepping. But you’ll have to read the relevant section in his book for his full analysis.

Ray also writes about everyday carry (EDC) and becoming the “gray man.” The idea is to blend in. Don’t stand out by dressing in camo or looking like you’re ready to fight the world. I’m reminded of similar advice given in Selco’s One Year in Hell course.

Whether you agree or disagree with Ray’s Christian beliefs or his thoughts on our economic situation, he’s right in saying we’re going to have a “new normal.” And you and I had better be ready for it.

Get a copy of Survive the Coming Storm by clicking on its image below. You’ll be taken to the Amazon.com page where it’s featured. Add it to your cart to start the order process.

What do you think? How concerned are you about an economic storm coming our way? Are we sliding into the “new normal” already? Share your thoughts in a comment below.

Note: An autographed copy of Ray’s book is available for $20 at www.prophezine.com.

Recently I was contacted by a representative from Nextdoor.com. It’s a service that uses social media to connect neighbors in ways I’ll describe below.

Why Go Social With Neighborhoods?

• Social networks in a neighborhood lower crime, improve public health and raise test scores. (Robert Putnam, Harvard Professor and Author: Bowling Alone)
• Over 65% of all online adults use social networking sites. (Pew Research)

• To communicate with neighbors
• Trade goods
• Borrow gardening tools
• Find lost pets
• Cut back on crime
• Respond to emergencies

Nextdoor communities are user-driven.

• Create successful neighborhood watch groups
• Coordinate community meetings
• Work with local law enforcement
• Organize community events
• Find lost pets
• Find baby sitters
• Buy, sell and trade goods and left-over garden produce

Who is Nextdoor?

I

Watch this introduction to Nextdoor.

Ray sees a financial collapse coming which will likely bring us down to the level of a Third World nation. Hyperinflation and crime will be rampant. Thus, he’s telling everyone to get prepared now.

We didn’t get into many specifics about the book because our discussion took a different direction than usual. I think you could say it was more philosophical than anything else. Some might call it religious, though I’m not comfortable with that term.

I’ve interviewed several Christians before, but we’ve never gotten into our beliefs–and the implications of those beliefs–as deeply as Ray and I did. It was refreshing for me because Ray and I are on the same page regarding many things. It’s always good to talk to someone of a kindred spirit.

I’m sure we’d have a rousing discussion on the finer points where we might disagree, but yesterday we covered big concepts and core issues about what motivates our prepping endeavors.

Many preppers and survivalists are Christians of different stripes, and I realize we’re not all going to see things the same. However, it wasn’t my desire to be controversial or alienate anyone.

It’s just that Ray and I had a good conversation between too brothers in Christ, and you’re invited to listen in, if you haven’t already heard the show.

Here’s a taste of what came up in our conversation.

• How can accidents and natural disasters prove to be instructive?
• Why does the state of the economy have Ray more concerned than other disaster scenarios?
• Will our country be able to come back from the collapse that’s coming?
• Is America being judged by God?
• Is America in prophecy?
• When a Christian believes in the Rapture, what should be his/her attitude regarding prepping?
• Why should preppers practice being “the gray man”?

I encourage you to listen to my interview with Ray Gano on DestinySurvival Radio for May 10, 2012. You can buy Ray’s book from his site, or click on Survive the Coming Storm and buy it from Amazon.com.

Ray’s site, Prophezine.com is a ministry oriented site which looks at world events from a conservative, premillennial, pretribulational, dispensational point of view. Those are big words, I know. If you know what they mean, you know a lot about where he’s coming from.

There aren’t many who hold to such a position these days, and I applaud Ray and his wife for adhering to their beliefs. Go check out the site for yourself.

Are you spiritually prepared for what’s coming? How’s your relationship with the Lord?

I’m guessing you have opinions about something I’ve brought up in this post or something Ray and I discussed on DestinySurvival Radio. Why not leave a comment below and share your thoughts?

Now you can shop Cabela’s by clicking on the ad banners you see in several different places here at DestinySurvival, such as the Prep Mart pages on Survival Kits & Essential Supplies, Food Storage & Preserving, Outdoor Survival, and Personal Defense & Security.

I’ll bet you’ve heard of Cabela’s somewhere along the way if you’ve been prepping for any length of time. Maybe you’ve shopped at one of their stores.

They’re not shy about saying that they dominate the outdoor industry with high-performance hunting, fishing and camping gear at competetive prices.

They’ve been around since 1961. Since then they’ve built their reputation on strong brand recognition, unmatched customer loyalty and a guarantee that could be called legendary. They have an ever-growing national customer base and a large international following.

Cabela’s offers you…

• Top brands in the outdoor industry
• Legendary Customer Service
• Free shipping to any U.S. Cabela’s retail store

• A huge selection of quality-first men’s and women’s apparel
• Field-proven footwear
• Automotive and marine accessories
• Nature-inspired home décor
• Commercial-grade food-processing tools and kitchenware
• …Andmore.

Have you heard about the FakeTV? It’s a novel idea that just might keep your home from being burglarized. And it’s the DestinySurvival Amazon Pick of the Week with a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars.

When you’re away from home, especially if you’re on vacation for a few days, you don’t want to give the impression there’s nobody around and that your home is unattended.

You’ve probably heard it’s a good idea to have your mail held for a time. Have newspapers picked up by a neighbor so they don’t pile up.

Maybe you’ve got one of those timers that turns lights on and off. Well, the FakeTV is like that. After dusk it can fool a potential burglar into thinking you’re home watching TV.

As a result, he’ll likely skip his plan to break in. The manufacturer says FakeTV is recommended by numerous police departments and neighborhood watch groups.

So what does the FakeTV actually do?

• Simulates scene changes, color changes, and on-screen motion
• Light output never repeats
• Light output is equivalent to 27″ LCD HDTV
• A built-in light sensor turns FakeTV on when it is dark and off when it is light
• it can be set for 4 hour, 7 hour, or constant on operation.

Several weeks ago, when we made the show arrangements for the first show, she asked me to send her a list of basic essentials for survival.

Once I sat down to put it together, it didn’t take that long. I sent her the list which appears below, as bare bones as it is. I figured it would be scratch notes to work from. To my surprise, Sylvia had high praise for it as one of the best lists she’s seen for beginner preppers.

Much of what’s on it is simple, common sense. Some of what I jotted down was influenced by guests I’ve interviewed on DestinySurvival Radio. Info gleaned from Selco’s One Year in Hell course provided further input.

The list isn’t necessarily in order of priority either. You might put water above food. Sylvia and I agree that having a Bible is definitely a priority item.

See what you think.

Recommended Necessities for Preppers

• Provision for adequate shelter. (Broad subject–Know how to stay warm or cool, as well as dry.)
• Food for your survival pantry–Whatever you can get that’s healthful.
• Water supply–Store it or know a source. Water filtration system like Berkey.
• First Aid Kit–Adventure Medical Kit with items categorized. Medications for family members. Extra bandages & sanitation supplies.
• Adequate clothing for the seasons. Accommodate growing children. Extra shoes for all.
• Gardening supplies–Seeds, fertilizer & soil supplementation, good hand tools.
• Survival library.
• School materials for home schooling.
• Games for the family.
• Bible.

That’s especially true if you’ve got medical issues like diabetes, celiac disease or lactose intolerance.

This was the topic of conversation a few weeks ago with Donna Miller of Miller’s Grain House when I was a guest on her show, Your Preparation Station. View my post about it here.

This is such a vital subject, and I wanted to be sure to bring more information about it to you. So Donna was my guest on DestinySurvival Radio yesterday. We covered a lot of ground, but could only touch on a few high points. It is a broad subject after all.

I’ve known Donna for some time now, and believe me, she offers guidance you can use. She has personal experience with benefits of the alternatives to the processed food diet so many of us are accustomed to eating. She’s an advocate for eating real, wholesome food.

Donna practices what she preaches. As she’s said before, she likes to play with her food. And every time she talked about something she’s made for her family, it made me want to have a taste of it for myself.

Her suggestions are practical, too. For example, make your own nut milk if you can’t handle dairy products. Try alternative whole grains, like popping corn, , oats, quinoa and millet.

Use herbs and spices to season food so you can cut down on salt. Donna finds a book called The Flavor Bible to be very helpful for doing this.

While we talked some about storage food options, it’s essential to consider as many options as you can. Have a garden. Can or dehydrate some of the produce you grow.

Grind your own flour. Make your own bread. Doing that made a big difference for Donna because she doesn’t have the unpleasant reactions she’s had when eating foods containing processed wheat flour.

What you grow in your garden may depend on your climate and general growing conditions. You probably have your own vegetable preferences, too. Donna suggests, if you can do it, grow berry bushes and fruit and nut trees so you’ll have low maintenance, ongoing sources of food.

I love having so many ready made storage food options these days as well. The storage food industry has made a lot of progress in the past several years. But if you’re like me and aren’t fond of some of the entres available, get pouches or cans of single items. There are plenty of choices for vegetables, fruits and meats.

I’d recommend freeze dried meat over TVP (textured vegetable protein). As Donna notes, TVP and other soy products go through a lot of processing to make them the way they are.

A good rule of thumb for healthful storage food in your pantry is, the less processing it’s gone through, the vetter.

If you’re diabetic or simply want to cut down on carbs, go with a diet that’s higher in protein. Donna recommends balancing protein with whole grains. That’s because they contain carbohydrates which digest more slowly and cause less blood sugar fluctuation.

Donna and I agree with Doctor Prepper’s philosophy. Store what you eat, and eat what you store. She says not to wait until an emergency or crisis hits because you don’t want to be in the position of needing to get familiar with what you’ve stored.

If you’ve wondered how you’ll manage your own proper food intake during stressful times of crisis, you’ll want to listen to our discussion on DestinySurvival Radio for May 3, 2012.

Also, be sure to subscribe to Prepare Magazine while you can still get a free subscription. Donna and her husband are quite involved in publishing this monthly magazine to encourage you along your preparedness journey.

What do you think? Do you have insights about having healthful storage food in your survival pantry? Leave a comment below and help others stay healthy.

Herb Fairies takes things to the next level. It’s a series of 13 illustrated chapter books and plenty of activities that revolve around a story. And, of course, the story is centered around fairies.

There’s a fairy for 12 different fun and kid friendly herbs. And they’re the most used herbs for children’s herbal remedies. Recipes are included, too, so you can make things like Candied Violet Flowers and Dandelion Flower Cookies.

What they’ve done at LearningHerbs.com is to develop a children’s herbal learning system that engages kids through stories. It encourages them to learn more by providing
exciting hands-on activities.

The books talk about identifying qualities and a few simple uses for each herb. You have the option to work on the activities included with the books on the web site for Herb Fairies.

Parents can easily get involved, too, by reading the books with their children and helping with the fun and simple herbal preparations. That way children are mentored through the learning and discovery process.

According to the Herb Fairies site, the story tells of a time when plant magic was fading from the world. A group of kids go on an adventure. In each book they meet an herb fairy, such as Stellaria the Chickweed Fairy, Viola the Violet Fairy, Tago the Plantain Fairy and Melissa the Lemon Balm Fairy.

The kids learn about the plants through their adventures with the fairies, and help heal a Magic Keeper in each book. Throughout the series of stories, the children get closer to restoring the plant magic to the world.

Herb Fairies includes a “Magic Keeper’s Journal,” coloring pages, recipe cards and a book with activities, puzzles, games and more.

I could say more, but the best way for you to get up to speed about Herb Fairies is to watch a 10 minute video which explains…

• What’s in Herb Fairies
• More on what it looks like
• How the materials are delivered (Find out the seven advantages to digital downloads.)
• How much it is (It’s about 67% less than what you’d expect to pay.)
• and more…

This one’s made of stainless steel and is rust proof. It’s virtually indestructible.

It’s 14 inches long and includes a 6 inch Incised Depth Gauge to help with bulb planting. You’ll find it easily if you misplace it because it has a bright red plastic handle. Hang it with your other hand tools by its leather strap.

This garden trowel is meant for any hand digging situation you can think of in your garden. Use it for transplanting, digging out weeds or planting bulbs.

I have one of these, and it plunges into the soil easily with good leverage. It’s comfortable to hold, too.

I can tell you that it’s sharp enough you wouldn’t want to be on the receiving end of it if someone took the notion to lunge at you with it as their weapon. Good thing that’s not likely to happen.

There are lots of gardening trowels on Amazon, and the name for this one is a description, rather than just a product name. But everyone who has reviewed this one so far gives it 5 out of 5 stars. Plus, it’s made in the U.S. and has a lifetime guarantee.
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If you’re tired of replacing hand spades and trowels that just aren’t built to take the work that needs done, get this trowel. Click on its image below. You’ll be taken to the Amazon.com page where it’s featured. Add it to your cart to start the order process.

Novices and survival gardening veterans alike will appreciate this sturdy tool. It’s worth the money to have it. It would also make a great gift for a friend or loved one this gardening season.