Wednesday, June 30, 2010

How To Dehydrate Peaches





Here in the Texas Hill Country it is peach season, so it is a great time to store up some for later use. In this video I walk you through the process of preparing and dehydrating peaches using the Excalibur Dehydrator.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

ACT NOW - Cold Steel Knife Sale - 12 inch Spear Point

Hey Everyone,

I just have to let you know of a GREAT sale that is going on with Cold Steel Knife Company.
I am a big fan of Cold Steel and for the price, you get an excellent knife.
BUT... I have to tell you about the 4th of July sale they have going on with the 12 inch spear point machete.
Here is what Cold Steel says about the 12 inch spear point...
This centuries old blade style is very popular in Central and East Africa as well as parts of South America. This is because of its nearly inexhaustible, "all-around" versatility. It cuts, chops, and slashes like the best of them, plus, it possesses a sharp enough point to make it useful for piercing and performing more delicate utility jobs usually left to a smaller knife. It is available in 12 and 18-inch blade lengths and comes complete with a Cordura sheath.
The special sale has this the 12 inch spear point selling for $7.99 each!
Folks, at this price you can buy one of these for each room of your home.
Cold Steel 4th of July Sale - http://www.ltspecpro.com/july-4th-sale.html
Cold Steel 12 Inch Spear Point Machete - http://www.ltspecpro.com/sppoma.html
Now you need to make a $25.00 purchase to order at these prices, so why not get several and keep them around your home or give one to a friend. I am getting a couple for us and one for my older son.
It comes with a great Cordura sheath which I would like to adapt and add some straps so I can wear it on my back handle down for quick access for camping or just walking on the ranch keeping an eye out for the rattlers.
I own the 18 inch Kukri Machete and it is a nice weapon. In fact this one sleeps right by my bed. It came "battle ready" with a nice sharp edge and a serious point!
Folks, Cold Steel is quality!
You just can't beat this price and these are great for personal home protection. Show these to a bad guy and they know you mean business.
If you get one, let me know and post here what you think about it. Take advantage of this opportunity.
Oh yea... I am not getting any comps from Cold Steel either, this is just a great sale and I would be foolish not to tell you about it.
One last thing, while you are at the website, order one of their catalogs. Not only is it a cool catalog full of knives, swords and such, but it comes with two great DVDs free "Absolute Proof Knives" and Absolute Proof Swords."  These both are double sided DVDs with a ton of cool product info, there is a lot more there than just knives and swords. You want to see Cold Steel products in action, the DVDs give it to you.
Like I said... Cold Steel is quality!

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Why is Being Prepared Important to Me?



By Ray Gano
1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV)  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
I am a student of Bible Prophecy. I say that because I know how the end of the story plays out and also who wins. With that said, I do not believe in a utopian world promoted by many out there. Man left to his own devices will always seek the greediest, most hedonistic, selfish path possible. 
That is why we who have accepted Christ as our personal savior pick up our cross and follow Him daily.
Knowing that we are in fact living in the last days of the last days, I believe that today's Western world is more vulnerable to both natural and man-made catastrophes than at any time in our past.
The science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke once said:
Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.
This statement is commonly known as Clarke's Third Law.  
We now live in a world that is so completely immersed in advanced technology that we depend upon it for our very survival.  Most of the actions that we depend upon for our everyday activities -- from flipping a switch to make the lights come on  to obtaining all of our food supplies at a nearby supermarket.  
If one would have viewed modern technology a mere 200 years ago, it would consider magic and may have even been burned at the stake.
I often get asked  "why are you always talking about being prepared?"
Our civilization has become very vulnerable. We forget where our food originates from and many believe that it comes from the "magic place" called Wal-Mart. In fact if Wal-Mart did not exist, there  are times that I wonder if modern man would have been able to survive.
Because I am a student of Bible Prophecy, I know that this world is not going to get better, but in fact things will get worse.
But if I were to set aside what I know from God's Word and what it speaks of in these last days, there are still several big picture factors to consider that work or and possibly even working together in a dangerous way, especially here in the US.
Economics: The U.S. national debt is a long-term threat to the nation's economy and current levels of government spending are unsustainable. Across the ocean and we see most of Europe is no better. In fact due to recent developments many nations in the European Union are in far worse shape. Greece, Portugal, Italy instantly come to mind. Still, governments spend like ther e is no tomorrow and that the coffers of cash are unending.  They forget the future generations who will be strapped with this buren and will not be able to repay these debts.
To say it plainly, our nation is in serious danger of bankrupting itself.
Compounding this issue is our dwindling manufacturing , which is laying off people daily. Due to this and other establishments laying off, the tax bases are also dwindling. Not to mention aging infrastructure, declining educational system, and our absolute dependence on foreign oil. Which thanks to the lack of serious response by our current administration, it will probably become much worse. It would not surprise me to find out that much of this lack of response is planned so that the government can seize the oil companies much like they did the banks and auto industries.
 In the U.S. and abroad, legislatures seems determined to spend us into oblivion all in the name of "peace and safety."
The outcome - no money
Resources: Whether you believe if the Peak Oil theory is correct or not, fossil fuels are becoming more difficult to extract and will become more expensive over time. Again I point to our Gulf oil "crisis."
 The U.S. cannot be energy independent given current oil and gas reserves. We need to invest in our own energy solutions and start producing once again. But will we? The powers that be say that we will not.
China and India's populations are growing and so are their energy needs. Alternate energy sources cannot fill the void, at least not right now. It will still take several decades to "ramp up" these infrastructures.  Unfortunately, modern civilization is based on access to cheap fossil fuels, and world governments seem to be oblivious to the need to prepare (e.g., start building hundred of wind turbines,  nuclear reactors, solar array farms, etc, now) for the future.
The outcome - dwindling energy solutions at a very high cost playing catch up.
Demographics:  The "baby boomer" generation is rapidly aging,  and coming into retirement.  This means there will be less workers, paying less taxes. Our retirees "nest egg" has been robbed multiple times by wall street, inflation, and constant rising taxes. Because of this the "baby boomers" are forced to dip into resources, that were set aside to help support their golden years. But more and more of these people's resources are gone. This issue also compounds the economic problems above.
Tack on illegal immigration which often in cases do not contribute to the tax system and we see an even stronger strain on the welfare system of today.
International Threats: U.S. status as a super power is being challenged by China, the Middle East,  and quite possibly even Russia. Those nations and others, however, will also face demographic and resource issues that will make them competitors for trade and scarce recourse, increasing the potential for conflict with our own country. Muslim Terrorist factions actors such as Al Qaeda and the like will continue to be a challenge as Islam grows worldwide with the push for a global caliphate ensues.  And just recently NASA has released a report that all countries remain vulnerable to the threat of electromagnetic pulse (EMP) due to out of the ordinary projected solar storms. Toss in the fact that EMP can also be caused by terrorist / manmade events and one can see the vulnerability.  
Wild Cards: This includes natural disasters, plagues and pandemics, earthquakes, asteroids, etc. – all those things completely beyond the control of humans that could wreak havoc upon civilization by destroying key infrastructure, cities and populations.
Society has faced many of these issues in the past, the difference being that contemporary Western civilization has become dependent upon the "magic" of technology to a degree unsurpassed in history. This is our own  "Achilles heel" or weakness. While there is a level of redundancy that provides some robustness, there is point when failures in one systems that will cause a cascading effect that will result in failures of other related systems.
We have lost many of the vital non-technical skills our grandparents generation had. How to raise chickens, milk goats, make cheese, even mend our own clothes.  Our society has become more dependent on the "magic" of technology. And if this technology is taken down.  The possible effect of large scale catastrophes is magnified by the probability of cascade failures in those technologies.
Now this is the worst case scenario. Personally I believe that what we will see in this nation in severe depression far worse than that of the depression of the 1930s. The reason it will be worse is due to the factors I named above.
Our industrial complex is basically gone, knowledge of lost skills is basically gone, our financial resources are basically gone .
Our hope lies within what we as Americans can do for our own family. But we as husbands, fathers and leaders of our family must never forget, that our true hope lies in the saving Grace of our heavenly Father who will see us through the good times and in the bad.
God has given us strong hands to work with and brains to think with. He is not some welfare agent in the sky. He is not going to rain pennies from heaven nor allow $20.00 bill trees to grow in our back yard.
What He will do is bless our efforts if we work now to plan ahead. He is not going to raise up a vegetable garden over night. But if we get out and till the land, plant the seeds and nurture our efforts, He will bless that effort with a bountiful harvest.
God's Word tells us to "occupy till He returns."  We need to be doing that. Why you may ask?
1 Peter 3:15 (KJV)  But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:  
It is for the sake of the  Gospel that we must be ready always in good times and in bad. If we are not ready for the hard times ahead, how can we have the freedom to share the blessed hope of our Lord and Savior? There will be many who will be on their hands and knees just searching for that next scrap of food. Will people like them have the time to share the gospel? No they will not nor will they be in any position to do so.
That is why it is vitally important that we are busy at the task at hand and "be ready always" to share the gospel in good times and in bad.
We do this not only for the sake of our own families, but for those who we will be able to help.
Think about it. If you know that your neighbor down the road is hurting and in need and you are able to provide some beans, rice, maybe a dozen eggs, don't you think that they would be more open to hearing God's plan of Salvation? Don’t you think that because you are different and had the foresight to look ahead that you might have a higher degree of credibility than one who has fallen on hard times?
Knowing all of this; looking out upon the horizon, this is why I prepare.
I see a great need for bible believing Christians to be ready to share the Gospel. They are not going to hear about God's true love for them from the sugar coated charlatans who claim the title "pastor." What these people are in reality is mere hirelings who are fleecing the flocks.
So we need to be ready to fulfill the task at hand.
Mark 16:15 (KJV)  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
The time to prepare is now, while we still have the time and resources at hand.
When Christ returns, it is my desire to have Him find me hard at work for the sake of the kingdom.
I don’t know about you, but I want to hear those words…" Enter my kingdom my good and faithful servant."
What will you be doing when Christ returns?
What words will He speak to you?

Saturday, June 12, 2010

We Have a Winner!!


UPDATE - We heard from Denise L and she is getting the DVD set. 

BUT.. our next give-away will be the PZ Firesteel Kit. Look for details about that contest here soon.


Ray
S4C/PZ 

-==-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

We have a winner to for the Apocalypse DVD boxed set. 

The winner is .... Denise L

How the winner was picked. 
To remain as random as possible, I asked my lovely wife three questions..
1 - Pick Left or Right... she picked Left
2. Pick Up or Down... she picked Up.
3. Pick a number between 1 and 121... she picked 83
So starting from the top of the followers list and from the left I went down eight rows and counted 80, 81, 82, 83 and landed on Denise L.
So congratulations goes to Denise L for winning.
Denise, I have sent you a message notifying you, but you can also contact me at my email address  raygano@mail (DOT) com).. just remove the "dot" part. I will need your mailing address so I can send you your winnings. 

NEXT GIVE - A - WAY >>> The PZ Firestarter Kit

Now I have to figure out a contest.

Ray
Survival4Christians

Friday, June 11, 2010

Always Be Ready - Thoughts after the storm, flood and tornado

By Ray Gano
Well this has been an interesting week. In one night we got close to 12 inches of rain and flooding takes place everywhere.
If you are ever watching CNN or FOX News and you see flooding in Texas, nine times out of ten it is here in New Braunfels.
What makes New Braunfels so famous is that fact that we have the greatest waterslide park in the entire nation, Schlitterbahn. What also make New Braunfels so great is that we have several rivers, primarily the Guadalupe the flows right through our little town. People from all over come here to go "tubing" and float down the river on a hot Texas day.
Just to give you an idea, during the summer we go from 45,000 in population to one million plus.
About twenty miles up the Guadalupe river is Canyon Lake dam. With all the rain we have been getting, Canyon Lake is very full. This is due to the fact that Canyon Lake is also fed by the Guadalupe from the higher Texas Hill Country areas.
New Braunfels is at the foot of the Texas Hill Country, in other words we are "down hill." Canyon Lake is "up hill" and the rest of the Texas Hill Country is higher than that too. Now we are not talking huge mountain, just rolling hills, thus the name Hill Country.
Why am I giving you all this information? Because when it rains here, if it is of any large amount, it floods here.
Water flows down hill and New Braunfels is a the foot of the hills.
This is one of the many reasons my wife and I also live a more "preparedness" life style.
If you watched CNN, Fox News or read about our floods in the news, we had some pretty bad flash floods. In fact in some places we had twenty nine feet over the regular water flows with the average low water crossing about 1-3 feet deep.
Now the nice thing is that we live on high ground and when there is flooding, we just get land locked and can't get out very easily.
In all of this, both my wife and I were very calm. Our electricity was out for about 3 hours, but it did not bother us, we had plenty of flashlights and if things got worse, we have lanterns as a backup. But we did turn this into a learning lesson.
I found out that it would be nice to have an extension hose for my large propane tank so I can run my Coleman cook stove instead of using the small propane tanks meant for weekend camping.  Those tanks run out so quickly that they are a pain. But if you have  one of those " Blue Rhino" tanks, that will give you weeks upon weeks of using your Coleman stove.
So I will look around and see about getting one of these hoses. I think Walmart carries them, but I am not sure. This is going on my "prepper" list of things to get.
Another thing that I want to get and this is pure luxury, are some of those Coleman LED camp lanterns. The run time on those are 66 hours on low, 32 hours on high with 8 D batteries. The long-lasting LED sheds 170 lumens of light on "high" setting. That is a lot of light. These run about $30.00. Put some hooks in your ceiling ready to hold those and one lantern can light up an entire kitchen, family room, etc.
Famous Sports Star Changes Diaper with iPhone
Here in San Antonio we have the world famous Spurs Basketball team. {{{ GO SPURS!! }}}
Now here is an interesting story about one of our beloved players Manu Ginobili.
Yesterday, at approximately 8:30 pm local time, a terrible thunderstorm unleashed in the U.S. city San Antonio. The basketball player, Manuel Ginobili, reported from Twitter the events with several notes of a picaresque type.
“Tremendous storm in SA. I went off 2 hrs ago and never return. Also fell the tree in my yard. What plunger! “Manu said last night by Twitter. The storm left a little less than 120 thousand users without electricity.
Shortly afterwards, the Argentina star posted ” I had 2 run 2 HEB 2 buy candles! Can u imagine changing diapers w/ just the light of a cell phone & a small flashlight? Tough! “
Come to find out that Ginobili had to change his babie's dirty diapers with an iPhone. Thank goodness he had the "flashlight" app on the phone.  What he said about changing diapers using a cell phone as a source of light illustrates what a pain it can be if you don’t have a good flashlight.
Now, you know what caught me? Here is a basketball star and he makes great money, and yet he does not have a single decent flashlight in the home?
What would he have done if things were worse and the electricity was out for days?
Sad thing is that attitude is what 80% of the people have out there.
Now I am not trying to pat myself on the back. But when we woke up to the floods, Tracye and I were not concerned in the least. We have plenty of supplies on hand and even have flashlights to boot. We have our grandchild here and we were able to change diapers with no problem. The only thing that we could not do is get on the internet. Well, Tracye had her blue tooth so getting an email out if we had to would be no problem.
I point out all of this because we were prepared. We were able to weather this storm without even noticing the inconvenience it has caused the rest of the Texas Hill Country.
Because we planned for this "rainy day," we were able to assist others in need. We called all our neighbors, our pastor who lives about a mile or so away and some family friend.
Come to find out our family friend had a small tornado go right through her neighborhood. It ripped up about 15-20 trees. Some of these smashed in some roofs and roads were blocked. The tree fell on the electric lines and also wiped out the electric in the entire neighborhood. When trees toppled, it also ripped up water lines which left our friend not only without electricity, but also without water.
So we started prepping up our son's bedroom, getting it clean and ready to go. We then invited our friend and her kids to come on over here and "camp out" for as long as they needed till they got back all their utilities.  
The lesson I am trying to put forth here is that because Tracye and I prepared for this day, we were in a great position to help others who were in need. Because we were "always ready" we were in a great position to also go out and share the gospel where it was needed.
Folks, I get a lot of emails saying that I do not trust God, I am some gun running, right wing survivalist who leans on my own abilities vs that  of God's. I get called all sorts of things by those who refuse to prepare.
I have to say that is not true.
We are living in a time where things can go real bad, really quick. This nation of ours is not doing well and a major disaster or man made event can really ruin one's day.
We who are bible believing Christians need to "always be ready" to share the hope that is within us. (1 Peter 3:15) We do not prepare for the bad, we prepare for the opportunity to share the gospel and help others in need.
Now I want to address the men of the home here for a moment.
Scripture says…
1 Timothy 5:8 (KJV)  But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
Men, we are head of the household and the leaders of the family. If we are not providing for and preparing for the storm we are letting our families down. We need to "always be ready" for our own family. It all starts with the leader of the family. If we are "always ready" then our family will take from our example and they to will "always be ready."
If we are not providing for our family, scriptures say that we are worse than the infidel. That is a pretty poor position to hold.
Folks, Tracye and I do not have much, and we live a frugal life. But we have made sacrifices now, saved here and there and bought extra cans of food whenever we go to the store.  We have made preparedness a part of our life. Because of that , we were able to sail right through these recent storms, floods and tornados.
I guess what I am saying is that it is never to late to start preparing.
When you are at the store, get 2-3 cans of extra food and put them away. Search out garage sales and Goodwill Stores for survival gear. You would be surprised at what you will find.  This nation is such a wasteful nation. People go out and buy all the latest and greatest camp gear for a week vacation and 6 months later it is sitting at the Goodwill, practically brand new.  And garage sales… you can find real bargains there on barely used gear.
Folks, If Tracye and I can do it, and we live on pennies, then so can you.  
Scripture tells us to always be ready. Tracye and I take that seriously and when the storm hit, we were ready and went into action.
Thank the Lord that no one really was really in need, but we were ready to be there and to give a helping hand if needed be.
In being prepared to help those in need, it also opens the door to share the gospel. Don’t you think that if you helped a neighbor in need and they saw how well you were ready for the storm that it would give you a higher amount of credibility in their eyes?
Folks we are called to a higher duty and one of service to our Lord. We are commanded in scripture to "always be ready" and yet so many are not.
1 Corinthians 15:34 (KJV)  Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.
When we stand before the Lord and give an account, what will God say?
Will we stand before him the lazy steward, the infidel, the sloth?
Or will God say to us, Enter my kingdom my good and faithful steward?
What have you done to "always be ready?"
How will God address you when you give the final account?

Thursday, June 10, 2010

S4C Contest - LAST CALL

We are shooting for 100 followers on Survival4Christians blog, but it has been slow getting there. So this Saturday I am picking a winner, 100 followers or not. I have more stuff I am itching to give away.
What is up for grabs right now is the complete Apocalypse Box Set. This set contains all 4 great movies Apocalypse, Revelation, Tribulation, Judgment.
All you need to do to enter is go to Survival4Christians and click the FOLLOW button.
So enter now by becoming a Survival4Christians FOLLOWER
Look on the right hand side and scroll down a bit. You will see it. --->>>