Dear Doves,In regards to all the articles on the current world food crisis, I am surprised that this has not been a bigger open discussion among us. A year ago, from news stories posted, I saw it coming. I debated with myself for a very long time--feeling a need to protect my loved ones, yet sincerely wondering if doing that would be not having faith in the Lord to protect us; so I prayed a lot about it. I found an urging in my spirit to prepare, and it seemed for awhile everyday when I'd open my Bible I was reminded of Joseph and the 7 years of plenty prior to the 7 years of famine, and how he saved his family which became a nation.I feel that most of us probably live in a flood, tornado, earthquake, drought or hurricane-prone part of the world and should have some water and provisions set aside for these disasters. Even if one's reason isn't one listed above, the plain fact is that our money as of last month could only earn between .25 to 2.0 percent in the bank, while inflation has increased approx. 10 to 11 percent a year. And according to the economists, the paper we carry around that we call money that was worth a dollar after WWII is now worth 4 cents! I've read too many stories online of various countries suffering hyperinflation where the bills were stamped with new values, and it took a wheelbarrow full to buy a loaf of bread.So, to me making provisions for my family made perfect sense, if not for some natural disaster or monetary crisis or simply inflated prices, it seemed to be the most prudent. I mean, if we could have, who of us wouldn't have loved to have stored tanks of $1.25 or even 1.99 per gallon gas to use now? Absurd, I know, but it's the same principle! I feel the Lord expects me to be a good steward of the money He gives me, and I feel that buying when (and where) prices are lower for use in more inflated future times is doing just that. Besides, being a believer in the rapture, I know there are people I care about who will be left, and will need to eat! And even if hard times hit while we're still here, we need to be prepared to not only feed ourselves and loved ones, but many others we know (or even total strangers) who will need food to eat--and what an opportunity to minister to them of Jesus' love for them! I will never forget my Grandmother telling me about the depression and how lucky they were that my Grandad worked for the railroad. They had food on the table, sometimes not much, and when times were lean they'd just break up a piece of bread in a glass of milk--and that was dinner, and they felt blessed. My Grandmother also had a tiny garden, maybe 4 x 10', and grew some green onions and radishes, etc. But, she also said they constantly had men coming to their door asking if they had any food to share. She said the Lord was good to them and they always had enough to make these men a sandwich or something, and never sent any away hungry! And aren't we called to love our neighbor as ourselves?And preparing doesn't mean you become a survivalist, or have to mean spending thousands in a panic buying freeze-dried foods at places like www.beprepared.com , where you'd have to have a small lake to provide enough water to re-hydrate a year's supply, or storing wheat, oat grouts (whatever that is), and buckets of honey like the LDS folks do. Besides, as a city girl, I wouldn't even know what to cook with that stuff anyway! Although, I will add that BE PREPARED does have valuable storage items that you can't get at the grocery store, as do many others. So, in my planning, I realized that my family would only eat the same stuff they're eating now! So, every week when I went to Aldi's, (www.aldi.com ,and if you haven't been to one--GO and save tons of $) I just picked up a couple of extra whatever I was buying. Their canned vegetables and fruits are wonderful. Canned goods don't need water, but do need to be rotated in your pantry occasionally. And their boxes of Macaroni and Cheese are like 25-33 cents! You'd be surprised how many "normal" things you buy in the grocery stores are dehydrated! It's just that they have air in the bags, so have an expiration date. If the air is taken out, they will store much longer in tight containers. I have discovered dozens of neat things by doing this, and if anyone wants more details I will be happy to share what I've found. I believe that we are to have eyes and ears to see what our Lord tells us is coming upon the world. Pro 10:5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.In the meantime, I highly recommend you listen to Chuck Missler's teachings "Behold a Black Horse." Just remember, these teachings were given about nine years ago, but sounds exactly like today! Now, what he speaks of is a GLOBAL crisis! He explains (the WHO and WHY) of famines and inflation, and it's the shocking truth you NEED to know! IMHO, gold is not going to be the new money; it will be food! So, I see nothing wrong with exchanging some virtually useless paper for something of real value. Anyone around at the time of the mark of the beast will be mighty blessed that you did!