Tag Archives: survival

Christmas Cards Arrive En Masse After Arson Survivor’s Wish Goes Viral

An 8-year-old girl who lost her father and three siblings in an arson fire two years ago is receiving Christmas cards from around the world this year after a Facebook post went viral.

Sa’fyre Terry was the only survivor of a May 2013 blaze in Schenectady, New York, that killed her father, sister and two brothers. Family friends say Terry suffered burns on more than 75 percent of her body and had her right hand and left foot amputated as a result of her injuries.

Last week, a family friend posted a picture of Terry to Facebook, showing the girl standing next to a tree-shaped Christmas card holder. The friend, Kevin Clark, wondered how many people would send a card to Terry, who simply wanted to receive enough cards to fill up her tree.

She’s probably going to need a bigger tree.

Clark’s post has been shared more than 25,000 times, and Terry’s story been covered by many national media outlets, including CNN, The Today Show, Buzzfeed, The Washington Post and People Magazine. Pro wrestler Hulk Hogan shared Terry’s wish on his Facebook page, which has about 5 million likes. Even publications in England were reporting the story.

Family friends had set up a fundraising page on youcaring.com to help Terry’s caregivers with expenses. The page had a goal of $15,000, but had raised more than $155,000 as of Wednesday.

The address to mail Christmas cards is P.O. Box 6126, Schenectady, NY 12306.

The fundraiser page can be accessed through this link.

Venezuela Pet Shops and Supermarkets Struggling to Stock Shelves

Venezuelan shoppers who were already facing long lines for staples like flour and toilet paper are now struggling to even get food or medicine for their pets.

Pet owners are now forced to stretch their food supply and police units are now having to ration food for canine units.

The chronic product shortages for both pets and people are likely caused by the combination of a failing state-led economic model and the falling of oil prices. Factories are also having issues producing pet feed because they cannot receive imported raw ingredients like soy and white corn.

“I only have two or three kilos (of dog food) left,” said Maura Morales, 41, as she searched a local pet store for food for her dog Milo. “If I can’t find more, I’ll give him rice and carrots.”

Pet owners also cannot make homemade food consisting of chicken or beef because those meats are also in short supply.

Venezuela’s division of Purina stated they are continuing to supply the market by offering less varieties of dog and cat food, so it can maximize its rare raw materials.

The pet food shortages have also made it difficult for animal shelters to find families to adopt stray dogs and cats.

“We have around 170 cats and dogs that are seeking homes, said Mariant Lameda of the non-profit Canine Support Network. “The situation with pet food is critical, and obviously this is affecting adoptions.”

Drought Makes One California County Like Living in Third World Country

The four-year drought that has been drying out California is making some parts of the state on par with life in some third world nations.

In a county that traces its history to residents fleeing the “Dust Bowl” of Oklahoma in the 1930s, residents are facing fields of dust that lay fallow because of a lack of water.

Tulare County brought in $8.1 billion in agriculture revenue in 2014, the most of any county in the nation.  Now, 1,252 of its wells are dry, more than all other California counties combined.

In Okieville, California, some residents can’t even get enough water for a single flush of their toilet.  Almost all the 100 homes in the community are without water because their wells have run dry.  Residents banded together to create a single water line from the only well in town deep enough to hit an aquifer that is rapidly drying out.

The county has been filling 2,500 gallon tanks in many yards using state drought relief money.  Still, officials admit the conditions are disastrous but because of the nature of the problem it’s not easy to show to the world.

“It’s not an earthquake or flood where you can drive down the street and see the devastation,” Andrew Lockman, of Tulare County’s Office of Emergency Services told the AP.

Some farmers have gone to extreme steps to keep their farms in place.  One farm bought their own $1 million drilling rig to make sure they never run dry.

Many residents of Okieville are so poor they cannot afford to move nor can they sell a house without water.  Maria Marquez said they pray for rain and that she does it nightly when she bathes her 4-year-old granddaughter.

“God, give us water so we don’t have to move,” the 4-year-old says, pressing her palms together. “God, please fill up our tank, so we don’t run out of water.”

Concrete Dome Home Survives Wildfire

A Washington State man who said he “knew what he was getting into” when he bought land in an area where a wildfire was likely has survived the flames from the state’s worst wildfire with his home intact.

The home?  A concrete dome designed to survive mother nature’s fury.

John Belles had been at work 30 miles away from his home when a friend called to say the fire that has ravaged Okanogan County was closing in on his property.  Belles quickly returned home and shuttled vehicles away from his property and then prepared for the flames.

“The fire was getting close, in fact, there was a firefighter there at the time who got trapped inside when I shut the gate inadvertently,” Belles said to Good Morning America.

“I grabbed the hose, soaked my clothing down and doused the north side of the building as much as I could. [The fire] got close enough that it was super heated and getting uncomfortable out there in the smoke. I went inside, shut the door behind me and watched it move by.”

Belles said the flames roared through his property in about a minute.  He watched the flames through the windows of his concrete shell.

“The building survived as it’s supposed to. I was surprised the outside of the building didn’t have any damage at all. The whole 20 acres is just scorched.”

Be in Command On Being Prepared

How many years have we been talking about preparing?  As the days grow more and more urgent, Lori and I have been stepping up on our preparations, looking for what we may be missing and stocking up on necessities for our family.

In Lori’s last blog she talked about all of the items you need for your car in case of emergencies.  Please understand that this is not just talk.  We DO practice what we preach!  We have spent years gathering information for our family and for you. Over a decade ago God asked me to help prepare you.  He told me that Morningside would be a place for the prophets to come and speak out about what is happening in our world!  We know we are living in the last days, we have studied the prophecies in the bible together and we all know that, like Joseph, we must prepare for what is to come!   Continue reading →

Be Prepared Wherever You Go – What to Keep In Your Car

Proverbs 22:3 (NCV) The wise see danger ahead and avoid it, but fools keep going and get into trouble.

For the next couple of weeks, both Jim and I have decided to focus; really focus on being prepared for emergency situations. As you probably already know, I am someone that likes to be prepared for anything.  My family has teased me about it for years but guess who they come to when we are traveling and they need something that only I anticipated to pack?  For me, the security in knowing that my family is prepared for the unexpected is worth a little extra thought and just a little time.    Continue reading →

Band of Brothers Prepping

On one of our recent shows, Pastor Scott Hunt came to share his wisdom about being ready for anything in his book, “The Practical Prepper’s Complete Guide to Disaster Preparedness.” There were many things he talked about that really hit home, but the two I want to talk about is: 1) the importance of community; 2) water.

Scott talked of the “Band of Brothers” and the concept of networking and prepping as a community so that everyone brings something to the table.  He emphasized that this is the key to survival in Times of Trouble.  I totally agree with Pastor Scott and have said so many times over many years.  It’s important who you have around you in these Last Days when we can almost count on going through at least some kind of difficulties as the prophecies of Matthew 24 come to pass. Good friends and family (including Church family) should come together and support each other with prayer and practical things. Continue reading →

It’s Not Just About Survival – It’s About Revival!

Every week when it’s time to write a blog, I search the Lord’s heart for a timely word. Let’s face it, we don’t know how much longer any of this will continue as we know it. The world is changing and the days – every one of them – are getting shorter.  We have an opportunity to do or say something that will make a difference in people’s lives and I’m determined not to miss it.

First, I want to ask you if you know that you are saved and on your way to heaven? Until you are right with God, nothing else matters! What good would it do to survive the soon-coming troubles in the world if you then spent eternity apart from God? There is no greater hell than to face an eternity where evil is unrestrained and there is only wickedness constantly. Continue reading →

The Proverbs 31 Woman Prepares!

Not many people think of the Proverbs 31 woman with a characteristic of being prepared for emergencies or natural disasters.  But, the Bible does bear out that this woman, the example of a virtuous woman for all generations,  does indeed prepare ahead of time for any situation.

The society we live in doesn’t really assign much value to a virtuous woman – but God does.  That’s why we have a context in the 31st chapter of Proverbs to help us understand what real virtue looks like.

First, this woman is a thinker.  She has her priorities in order and  she pays attention to the things she knows are right – those things which are beneficial for herself and her family.  And I’m going to add here, since we’re 21st century Christians, she also knows her Bible and she bases her life on its precepts.

When I’ve done all I can do, then I will rest in the Lord.    I have always said “faith without works is dead.”  While others say they will just trust in the Lord – I believe we should act on our faith.

James 2:17,18 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.”

While television, movies and magazines will try to convince today’s woman that her priorities lie in looking good and a variety of other petty issues – the Proverbs 31 woman knows that beauty fades and charm is deceiving, but her strength is in her virtuous character.

Oh, I know what you’re thinking…. but Lori, you always look so ‘put together.’  Ladies, when you see me on television, that’s not really me.  The real me has her hair in a pony tail with a baseball cap on, and no makeup!  And I know you’ve heard Jim tell on the air that my favorite thing to do is clean the house!  It’s true!

But one thing that is constantly on my mind is emergency preparedness.  Why?  Because I believe we’re living in the Days of Revelation and it’s only a matter of time before some catastrophe or event challenges our status quo lifestyle.  I’m not afraid of what’s ahead, but I do respect the warnings in the Bible that there will be Times of Trouble.

I don’t know exactly what this ‘trouble’ may be, but I’m not going to take chances with the lives of the ones I love.  It’s my responsibility to see to it that my family has their best chance of survival when a catastrophe hits.  If I can alleviate any of their suffering, why wouldn’t I?  I believe that’s why the Bible tells us ahead of time that these things are coming…. so that we can prepare!

“She looks well to the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:27

“She is not afraid of the snow for her household, For all her household are clothed with scarlet.” Proverbs 31:21

“Strength and dignity are her clothing, And she smiles at the future.”
Proverbs 31:25

Whatever you’re going to do… do it NOW!

It is an amazing time to be living as the Bible’s Last Days events are taking place on a daily basis. Earthquakes have increased and even tornados have quadrupled!  This should not scare us but reassure us that the Bible is true!  Jesus said when all these things take place, He will take us, who believe in Him, to a home He has prepared for us!

Whatever we are going to do for Christ, NOW is the time to do it. Israel is God’s Time Clock and the alarm is telling us we are near earth shaking events. The AP news service declares; “U.S. Intelligence Officials say Israel won’t warn the U.S. if they decide to launch a preemptive strike against Iranian nuclear facilities.”

Iran has declared their goal is to wipe all Jews off the face of the earth including those in the United States and around the world!  Israel is surrounded by her enemies, just as the Bible says that they would be in the Last Days. We could be one bomb away from an Armageddon!

This is just one of the reasons Lori and I and all of us at Morningside are preparing for the Last Days great harvest time!  We are enlarging our school and adding a new production studio to reach the youth of the world. Our new ministry and food storage center, with housing for visitors coming for teaching and encouragement and a safe place in Times of Trouble, is under construction. The steel has arrived for this important building we call Morningside Old Mill Inn, which by the way, will house even a tornado-proof shelter for residents and visitors.

Lori and I are not only storing more food at Morningside and doing more to help our friends and faith partners get ready, we are adding to our personal storage for our family! The Bible even says that a person is a fool who sees trouble coming and does not prepare!  We believe what Jesus said would come to pass, will come to pass! And what Jesus told John to write down in the book of Revelation is coming to pass NOW!  Remember tribulation simply means pressure!  WOW, are we already there!

Why are we preparing this City of Refuge with power generators and its own food and water supply? It is to encourage and teach God’s Word, and store and grow food, and save babies, and train young and old alike, and to broadcast the Gospel around the world 24 hours a day!

I will give you just a few reasons why I am storing more food right NOW!  The number one reason is that I have spent the last two decades studying the Bible and focusing on the book of Revelation, researching in the Greek each word of this amazing book one word at a time and I am totally convinced we are living in Revelation Days NOW!  The “Four Horseman of the Apocalypse” are not only out of the barn but they are beginning to gallop throughout the world!

The number two reason why I am storing more food and have even put in emergency power into our home is America has turned her back on God!  The Harbinger warnings from God before Israel was destroyed have all taken place in the United States!  It was ten years after the bricks fell that Israel was destroyed and we are in the tenth year since 9/11!  Read Rabbi Cahn’s book, “The Harbinger” if you do not know of this important warning from God to America!  2012 is not the end of the world like many are saying, but as Rick Joyner has said, it may be the end of the world as we know it!

The third reason is that Jesus says in Matthew 24, that a sign of His return is there will be “no food to eat,” and there will be earthquakes all over the place!  In case of earthquakes or hurricanes or tornadoes or lack of food or riots or power failures, do you have a plan where you will go and where will your family meet if all phone lines and phone towers are down?  Iran plans to explode an Electric Magnetic bomb over America shutting down all transportation that has motors and our electric grid system. Do you agree it is time for America to turn back to God?  Our only safe place is in Jesus Christ;  He will never leave us or forsake us! The Bible says, “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord!”

It’s time to prepare food and water, for this is key to sustaining life!   Look over our food offers and get ready NOW!  One day it will be too late!

What do you think the Bible means when it says “In the Last Days perilous times will come?” Perilous means difficult, dangerous, furious and reducing the strength!  Are these difficult days?  Dangerous days?  Are people furious and has even the strength of America been reduced?  The warning signs of God’s prophetic words are flashing NOW!  Will you heed them and be ready?

Don’t be afraid – be ready!  Get your food ready for your family and have some for others too!  We can’t give them Jesus until we give them food first!

Remember that we love you and God loves you, He really does!

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