Fellow Patriots,
Greetings and welcome to the PENL Edition #97. I appreciate you being here. Thanks for stopping in. I know your time is valuable so having you here on the Hope for Survival website means a great deal.
I hope you and your special one enjoyed a blessed Valentines Day and weekend. Hopefully you picked her some wild flowers and cooked her some dehydrated pasta and chicken or freeze dried spaghetti to make her smile. I bet she loves you for the effort, huh? Maybe carve her name in a tree instead of buying a $10 card at the local corner mart. Let me know if it worked out okay. If the dehydrated meal worked for you I will try it on her birthday. Maybe set the two person tent up in the living room and make a cardboard Motel 6 sign to hang on it. Sounds like a plan.
If you are a guest or newcomer to the HFS journey, please check out this link for additional information offered through HFS. https://www.hopeforsurvival.com/post/guest-and-newcomers-information-page
Thursday Zoom Rallies – We had Zoom Rally #42 as HFS continues the Thursday night series discussing preparedness related topics like gardening, building preparedness groups and leadership to name a few. This weeks special speaker, Writing With Fire, taught first aid and wound care to the attendees. Outstanding. Excellent information and presentation. Thank you much W--W-F. Thanks to everyone who attended and participated in conversation on the topics covered. For those who departed early the last hour was spent discussing communications, antennas, and satellite phones. Great information offered by those participating. We continue moving forward on group building in multiple states and regions. If you wish to attend a Zoom Rally monitor the website for each weekly notification for the upcoming meeting.
Mark your calendar for May 21-23, 2021, and make plans to attend Heritage Life Skills in Waynesville, NC. If you have never attended this event it is a must for the serious preparedness minded individual and family. This event is sponsored by Carolina Readiness Supply. Be watching for CRS to start sign ups coming soon.
Communications: You can now follow HFS social media on the following outlets:
Facebook – Hope for Survival
YouTube Channel – Hope for Survival
MeWe: - //mewe.com/p/hopeforsurvival2
You can watch the most recent HFS YouTube video, HFS February 2021 Update, posted this week at https://youtu.be/YWEb88JLkfQ
Connect and give me a shout. Share with family and friends.
Moving along …
We must make this brief public announcement to protect the innocent.
Ding, Ding, Ding....Attention HFS readers..... Opinions shared in this newsletter are just that, opinions, and nothing more. Read at your own risk. The owner and author of this site is not responsible for hurt feelings or thin-skinned readers. I do my best to show restraint and respect to the best extent possible. I take as many precautions as possible and try to remain as nonpolitical as possible, however, there are times when I just can't help but point certain things out. Occasionally I use words only Patriots recognize and understand. It's not personal against any non-Patriot. It's just the truth. Sometimes we must pull up our spenders and suck it up. Just saying. Stay the course, read what you want, and avoid the rest. Avoid fear porn as much as possible and the day will be okay. When all else fails… Keep the faith and always have Hope.
As HFS continues to grow, I believe it's important to remind everyone respect and honor is important to the HFS family and mission. We welcome everyone aboard and hope you find a comfortable place to hang around and learn preparedness. I know you will find the HFS family offers some amazing people. With multiple platforms (Zoom, Signal, and Comment section in articles) to interact with other HFS members, I remind everyone to treat one another with respect. We all come from different backgrounds, ages, experiences, and desires. Disrespecting, demeaning or intimidating comments will not be tolerated on any account.
Let’s move along and get to some thoughts...
Thoughts for the week –
I must start this week out with my condolences to Rush Limbaugh who passed away from cancer. Agree with his voice or not, Rush was a true Patriot who loved our great nation. Some of you may not have been born when Rush busted out on the AM radio scene in 1987. I remember the first time I heard him on the air. I asked "who is this guy" to the owner of the radio on the filing cabinet at Malmstrom AFB, Great Falls, Montana. Big, bold, matter of fact type voice busting through the speaker from the AM radio station. President Reagan once told Rush "you have taken my place as the voice to the conservative party. He was the voice of opposition to Bill Clinton. He was the trailblazer who opened up the airwaves to alternative voice across the conservative platform. No matter how hard the liberals tried, they could not bring down Rush Limbaugh. It would be interesting to know how many left leaning radio voices failed from the day Rush started on the airwaves. Any and every voice you hear today on conservative radio should thank Rush Limbaugh.
Rush was so often ahead of the story. Folks who hated Rush would blast him for his topics and words without researching the driving force behind the story when Rush would air it to the world. One particular topic was the "Barrack the Magic Negro" song that surfaced around 2008, give or take, and was used during commercial breaks on the EIB Network. Fire was lit and the loaded torpedoes seemed to never run out. The other side of the story was Rush did not write the parody nor was it aimed at Barrack Obama. The song and title was originally authored by a liberal Los Angeles news writer. https://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/race/2008/12/barack-the-magi.html and then discussed in Obama's hometown newspaper. Most never heard the story and simply blasted Rush as the racist.
What you don't hear are the stories of Rush's generosity and kind heart. We heard about the annual fund raising events for cancer and MS. Rush and his followers raised millions of dollars for special causes. There was another side of Rush he didn't want broadcast or shared. That being his efforts to reach out and help everyday Americans struggling to survive. Often time this was veterans and children of deceased Veterans. He was big with the Wounded Warrior Foundation. The list goes on. Rush was a great motivator and visionary.
Mr. Limbaugh, sir, you will be missed. Thank you for the many years of direction and guidance to our great nation. We now must take the lessons you taught us and carry your torch forward. Blessings to your family and friends.
NC Scout posted some great words after the news of Mr Limbaugh's death hit the news wires today. From NC Scout:
"With a heavy heart, Rush, we wish you a farewell. In your dying days, still on the radio, you spoke words of staunch encouragement, leading by example, to those committed to the greatness of this Nation to never, ever give in. Never back down. And never give up."
Valuable words offered by our Patriot Brother Festus
Let's all commit to doing the same. Our circumstances, abilities, and actions will differ somewhat from each other but the resolve to be our best, do our best and never give up should be the same in all of us.
The adversities we face will require different actions at different times. As we have been saying at HFS for many months..... take the time and energy to know yourself, stay balanced in every area of life (mental, physical, and spiritual), prepare steadily in a balanced way, help each other when opportunities present themselves.
None of us can do everything. But all of us should be doing something in both preparing ourselves, our families, and communities for whatever may come our way AND working to know, defend and promote the federal and state constitutions in our communities. If we don't do both, can we look our kids and grandkids in the eye and say we did everything we could for you?
This is a lot to put on ourselves. It's a lot of mental and physical work. Personally I would much rather be helping my kids, spoiling grandchildren and enjoying my homestead and generally enjoying retirement after navigating a long hard road of working and raising a family and keeping the bills paid. But God has put me here at this time and place and with a burden on my heart for a reason, for such a time as this. I don't want it. I didn't ask for it. But here it is. Here we are.
It's been said that God does not give us more than we can handle. Looking back over my life I know that is true but at various times He sure did stretch and mold me. He took me behind the woodshed a time or two. At times it HURT. Look back and identify times in your life when you were challenged, encouraged, disciplined, and provided for. Use those and know that God always fulfills His promises. In His timing, not necessarily ours (darn it!).
We face a long and difficult road in this country. But remember, God does not give us more than we can handle, He fulfills His promises, and He is still in the miracle business. Also know that we cannot do God's part and He will not do our part. The sea did not part until by faith Moses put his foot in the water. If we take action in faith He will take care of the rest.
Lets follow Rush's example by blazing new paths, give God the glory, and never give up."
Next....
Over the weekend Ms. Lucy and I drove through the backroads of rural Tennessee with some family members just enjoying the beautiful countryside. A light rain drizzled down while we pointed out different farm houses, barns, and cattle roaming the fields. More often than not we passed former farm homes that had fallen and would be classified as shacks. I wondered to myself who's history lived in that home? Did family carry it forward or did the story end as the roof collapsed around someone's chapter in life.
The radio was lightly playing in the background and interestingly the old 1980s song by John Cougar Mellencamp titled "Little Pink Houses" started playing. The song took me back to my first duty station in eastern North Carolina at Seymour Johnson AFB which was located in Goldsboro, NC about an hour off the eastern coast. I remember driving the backroads in Smithfield, Kinston, and other small communities and seeing the old falling farm houses and tobacco barns. One by one, abandoned homes with no families. Basically a 35 year period between NC to TN and the view was the same. Heck, for that matter include fly over country. The song sang "ain't that America, you and me, ain't that America, home of the free, little pink houses for you and me......." So true isn't it? Maybe not the pink house, but you get the point, right?
One of the most needed professions in America has been shut down by our own government. For nearly 40 years our government paid farmers to not grow crops. Crops no longer needed. Looking around the farms it appeared the people are no longer needed either. Next will be cattle because they cause global warming, right? Have you ever walked over in the field by a couple cows and stood for a few minutes? Did you notice the climate change? The temperature must rise five degrees or more. Right? Yea, thought so. I didn't notice it either. Actually I didn't buy in to the cow gas causes the oceans to rise. Sorta like global warming causing the current ice age in Texas.
No food producing farms. No farmers. Farmers die and their children ran for the offerings of society at 18 and now sell off the farms to industry when possible. Have you ever read Agenda 2030? Also known as Wilderness Corridor? Its no wonder Bill Gates is the largest owner of land in America today.
Put both your feet on the ground and think about this. A man develops a software for computers. The government buys billions in software license as do many other foreign governments. The man then develops a cure for viruses to the software. The man makes billions and tells others the world has to many people. The man gets involved by donating millions of dollars to third world nations. Man convinces third world nations to vaccinate their youth. Man make billions of dollars off software and vaccinations. Still with me? Global virus hits worlds population hard. Man works with others to create a vaccination. Man who believes the world is over populated and birth rates should be decreased to save the planet takes part in global virus vaccination to stop a virus that is killing less than 0.001 % of those infected. Man makes billions off virus vaccination. I digress.
Are we going to wake up someday soon and innocently ask "what happened?" We went from a nation of back breaking labor and farming to skinny jeans, I-Phones, virtual meetings and microwave ovens. What happens when the microwaves stop working? Most youth today can not use a manual can opener. Not an insult, its a reality. Many of he parents of our grandchildren can not function in todays world while they convince the world we must depend on technology for a brighter tomorrow.
While cruising from hill top to hill top and having deep thoughts about the view and our America today I was thinking about the current administrations proposal for the entire government vehicle fleet to be electric by 2030 ish. The entire government fleet includes the Department of Defense fellow Patriots. Do some research on the batteries used in these electric cars. Find the documentary released about ten years ago showing the damage to the Ozone layer above the location the batteries are produced. At the time of the documentary a single electric car was produced in seven different nations. Think on that one. We are worried about cow gas but not the energy used to bring all the electric car pieces to the assembly line.
Have you paid attention to what is going on in Texas this week? People are freezing because their grid failed. The turbines and solar panels are frozen. Hi tech, right? People paid for this technology and did they ever pay. The bonus? A mid-February winter storm dumping the power grid and most of these folks are not prepared to survive. Numerous Wal-Mart stores closing and stock is depleted. Folks are asked to call their local Wal-Mart to see if they are open and if they have the stock requested by the consumer. Folks this is unheard of.
Just for a second imagine this. The grid is down and pipes start busting. The streets are now flooded and iced over. Gas lines break and a large section of town begins to burn. Most can't call 911 because they have been without power for a week and cell phones and towers are down. A wise patron jumps in his car to head for help but the car is dead. He runs three blocks for help and finds out the entire 1st responder fleet is grounded because their electric vehicles are dead and they can't be charged without power. Sounds fairly simple, right? Technology. Are we willing to pay the price for the shortfalls to have the positive gains in our daily life but fail us during severe weather?
Next....
The number of folks stranded or needing help this week was beyond counting totals. Thousands or more on social media boards pleading for help. "We are freezing and we have no water" stood out the most to me. So I wanted to put a few of these "how to create heat" videos on here in the event a single person stops by and needs to know how to create heat for their family. Here's a couple different simple solutions. Be safe and wise anytime you use fire inside your home. Take precautions always. Remember, these are methods to survive, not heat the entire house.
This is one of my favorite emergency heat methods. You basically need three resources. Empty can, toilet paper and 90% alcohol.
This is another simple method one could use to get some heat for surviving.
This is some basic guidance to apply to your situation. Remember, body energy is a great source of heat in emergency situations.
Next ......
I was turned on to a new product this week by a Patriot brother in Huntsville, AL who purchased and offered a virtual demo of the product. The product is the Grayl GEOPRESS water filtration bottle and system. The cost is roughly $89.95 and the filter gets about 60 gallons of water cleansing before replacement. This is a well designed product with the user in mind during the latest design. Here is the link to the Grayle GEOPRESS site - 24oz GRAYL® GEOPRESS™ Water Purifier Bottle - Camo Black. Here is a YouTube video you can check out on the product. -
For those who attended the Thursday Zoom Rally #42 and wanted to see the brief presented by Writing With Fire or those who missed the brief, here is the video. The file is to large to email to you and the time it would take to upload to a drop box and then explain to numerous requesters would be to time consuming. This was the easiest method to get the video out to you. For those on the Zoom emailed due outs with the slides from the brief, you can find the slides with the pictures and recommended medical supplies. Thanks again to Writing With Fire for her information. Great job.
Okay, lets move along to the news…
Preparedness News –
1. From Ashley Adamant - Practical Self-Reliance - 50+ Pressure Canning Recipes (practicalselfreliance.com) - Here is another one to print and keep in your paper preparedness library. Good stuff.
2. From Old World Garden Farms - How To Rejuvenate Raised Bed Soil - 3 Simple Methods To Power Plants! (oldworldgardenfarms.com) - With garden season quickly approaching here's some more good information to energize your raised bed soil.
3. From Milo Martinovich - New Life on a Homestead - The Ultimate Guide To No-Till Gardening • New Life On A Homestead | Homesteading Blog - Ms. Lucy has struck up an interest in no-till gardening the past year and everything she shares with me catches my ear. Makes sense to me. I just have to get past the concept of weeds aren't so bad.
4. From James Watson - Ask a Prepper - 18 Deadly Mistakes That Can Kill Your EMP Plan - Ask a Prepper - One of the most visited topics in Preparedness. EMP and What If.
5. From - A Year Without the Grocery Store - Epsom Salt Scrubs and Their Incredible Health Benefits - Recipe Included (ayearwithoutthegrocerystore.com) - This is a great site with lots of printable topics for your preparedness library. Hopefully you are storing Epsom Salts in your preparedness resources.
6. From Preparedness Mama - 6 Benefits Of Growing A Sustainable Indoor Vegetable Garden | PreparednessMama - This has been a recent topic of conversation in the weekly HFS Thursday evening Zoom rallies. Gardening indoors.
7. From Samantha Biggers - Peak Prosperity - Setting Realistic Homesteading Goals | Peak Prosperity - Build a realistic plan. Plan for what you can achieve and afford. Plan for needs and not wants. Stay focused and on course to achieve one step at a time.
8. From Linda Loosli - Food Storage Moms - 10 Things You Should Stop Buying - Food Storage Moms - I think this list will surprise you in many ways. One item could shock you.
9. From M.I.Grey - Survival Sullivan - Survival Sullivan | Advanced survival and prepping from real-world experts. - For those of you with pet fish you may wish to check this one out.
Other News –
1. From Staff Writer - The National Pulse - Kamala Harris Is Now Making Joe Biden's Head of State Calls for Him. (thenationalpulse.com) - Are we getting to the 25th Inning already? I mean 25th Amendment? If this wasn't such a scary thought I would add some more humor. But, this is not a funny matter.
2. From John Whitehead - The Rutherford Institute - The Rutherford Institute :: Don’t Impeach Trump. Impeach the Deep State for Its Conspiracy to Kill the Constitution | By John W. Whitehead & Nisha Whitehead | - From my favorite Constitutional Lawyer. JW always provides a great read and gives us a lot to think about.
3. From Michael Snyder - Economic Collapse - 8 Million More Living In Poverty, 9 Million Small Businesses In Danger Of Closing, 10 Million Behind On Rent… (theeconomiccollapseblog.com) - Every month this theme seems to grow. Driving through rural America the evidence is growing clearer by the month. The number of Americans falling behind the poverty level increases daily.
4. From Tyler Durden - Zero Hedge - Texas Bans NatGas Exports Out Of State, 7 Million Under 'Boil-Water' Notice | ZeroHedge - Is it just me or does Texas seem to be in the cross hairs of the "oh crap" gun the past two weeks? Hard for me to believe it was Texans who went with the wind turbine concept and not transplants from California and other liberal states. How's it working out for you now? Sorry, had to get that one in while I had the chance.
Drum roll...........
That's all my Patriot brothers and sisters.
Thanks for your time to read the PENL and hanging out with us for a while. We all have different desires in news and what we read at different points in our day. Hopefully HFS has provided information to stimulate your thinking and the realities around us. It is important for you to keep your feet and minds grounded as the world continues towards an unknown destination.
Thanks for your emails and messages. I enjoy hearing from you throughout the week and sharing your preparedness projects and accomplishments. Share with your family and friends and bring them aboard to get prepared. I also want to thank those who purchased a copy of my book this week. I shipped out 16 books this week which is a good week. Books sold equals hungry mouths fed. Bless you.
Prayers - Please keep our great nation, our elected leaders, military and first responders in your thoughts and prayers. We pray for good health and wisdom. Please pray for our leadership to find answers and guidance to the problems facing our great nation. Please pray for the former President and his family. May your faith remain strong and answers to the unknown provided. God is good and may our prayers blanket and protect you and your circumstances. I pray for each, and every one of our Patriots. Please pray for many who continues to struggle through this period in our history. I pray for those out of work and in need of benefits. May we pray for all the blessings and things in life to be thankful about and continued hope for revival around the world. We must continually pray for the unsaved, our family and friends who live each day without the protection for eternal life and salvation. Amen
Keep charging and have a safe week. Don't allow the events around us to create fear in your life. Stay focused and don't chase rabbits. Build your own self-reliance and focus on hope. Remember we are a blessed nation and we must continue to be great people.
Blessings,
Bravo Echo Out,
