This is not to blow my own horn, but rather, to encourage all you GIs to listen and watch for opportunities, and to keep on helping everyone you can to prepare.

Saturday I fulfilled a promise to my long-retired GI neighbor, and drive her to some stores where I'd gotten supplies, to get her heat, light, cooking equipment. While we were at WalMart, a gracious little Taiwanese middle-aged woman approached me. She had heard me explaining to my friend why she needed a certain item, and she quietly asked me if I could advise her on heating. She couldn't manage the size of the round cannister-style kerosene heaters she'd seen at Home Depot or Hechingers, and didn't know where else to look. She also didn't have a clue about cooking and lighting, and appeared to be on a tight budget. After taking her on a tour of the various departments and helping her to get some items (battery-op carbon monoxide detectors were out...get yours now!), I gave her my card and told her to call me and I'd give her directions to the hardware store where I'd gotten my kero heater, as well as any other information I had on preparations.

She told me she was concerned because when she'd lost power for just one day in winter, it was hard on her elderly mother, who is in a wheelchair. The ramp was all ice and snow, and she couldn't get her out to help either. So she knew she needed to prepare this time for what she realized would be far worse.

I prayed all weekend for these women, and that they would be prepared adequately, and that I could help. Today I am home on a sick day, and she really did call! She said, "I told my friend [who cares for her mother while she is at work] that I had met someone I knew must be a Christian, because she was so kind and she helped me so much in the store." I was able to point this woman towards some other items she will need, and invited her to come and help herself to the materials I have printed from this forum and have copied to give to others, if she wishes.

It isn't too late to make a difference. Keep your eyes and ears open at the stores when you are doing preps. Don't give up on encouraging others on the check-out lines. You don't have to give up your own identity, as I don't if I am afraid of doing so with anyone, but you CAN give that boost, that info, that encouragement others so much need who haven't access to this or any other forum to get that.

You will feel as moved and rewarded as I feel today, sick or not.

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), September 27, 1999

Answers

Elaine,

Get well soon.

Sincerely, Stan Faryna

-- Stan Faryna (faryna@groupmail.com), September 27, 1999.

Elaine, you ARE a true Christian, vigilant to work as the arms and legs of Christ. We pray for your protection and strength to shine as a beacon.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), September 27, 1999.

Correct, it's not too late. Every day we are making a difference here. The attendance at community-wide gatherings is disappointing, but the attendance at local groups is up, and interest is rising. Last night we were at a church kickoff for community preps, and every single one there is GI. I'm talking packed house.

Every pound of beans we buy is a pound we'll have when the pipeline stops. Every person who gets a cord of wood is a person who doesn't have to find a shelter if the lights go out.

Things aren't slowing down, they're picking up. I'm just glad we have most of our stuff out of the way, because we are spending all our time on others. This is pretty much what we'd planned for last year, which is why we prepped early.

Wow, what an amazing time we are in.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), September 27, 1999.

amen, guys and gals! btw, have you registered your church with the red cross yet?

-- jocelyne slough (jonslough@tln.net), September 27, 1999.

Very nice post Elaine.

As part of my preps I've been mindful of others, and am doing what I can to ensure I have extra stuff.

-- Tuan Cu Mhara (Strider X6@aol.com), September 27, 1999.

Good points and great taking "care" suggestions, Elaine.

Have had several over-the-cart conversations that indicate more people than we think are quietly preparing, and yet, they are still extremely confused about what to do.

As Senator Bennett says... "Stockpile information." Then be sure you spread it around, when the synchronicites happen.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 27, 1999.

By the way, many Jewish people I know are charitable to the nth degree and are totally devoted to God's way. I always get somewhat offended when these qualities are only attributed to Christians. I can't keep quiet about this.

-- a mom (onewith@god.com), September 27, 1999.

A Mom...I couldn't agree with you more. I spent several years in my mid-life in the family of a Jewish Vietnam bomber squadron leader and his children, and for several years I worshipped in a reformed temple, because the little girl I was surrogate mother to had cried when she was persecuted in school, and when I was rocking her to comfort her, and telling her about the great people in the Old Testament, she asked me, "If it is so good to be Jewish, why aren't you?" I saw to her being Bat Mitzvah, when her own errant, runaway mother wasn't interested, and studied along with her. On Friday nights I led the family in the beautiful candle-lighting ceremony, and recited the mother's prayer, "Baruch atah Adonai, elohenu malek ha olam. Asher kiddishanu, bamer vitz vitanu, lahad neek ler shel Shabbat." (That's phonetic, from dormant Hebrew not used in many years. My best since-youth friends called me at 11:30 p.m. last night on into Monday morning, from Israel, where they have been sacrificially working for ten years, leaving their children and grandchildren in the U.S., and knowing full well, as they said last night, that they may not live through the war they expect is imminent, and in which the rest of the world will come up against them, so evident in NWO events today. Christianity is based on the foundation of Judaism, but Christians, including some born in Jewish homes, believe that Yeshua is the Messiah prophesied by the Old Testament, and long-awaited by Israel. This includes my beloved friends mentioned here, Avi and Leah (formerly Al and Lois, when our kids were growing up together and we were sure their son would marry my youngest daughter!) There is never the intent on the part of those posting here, I can assure you, to say that we have the corner on charity and good deeds. I mentioned that the woman in WalMart told me today that she had told someone else that she knew I was a Christian because of my compassion. She certainly meant that of me because this was an attribute taught to us by and practiced perfectly by Yeshua Messiah, as shown in His healing of all sorts of diseases, his protection from the religious leaders of the woman taken in adultery, His compassion on the masses, who He saw as sheep without a shepherd, and over whom He cried, saying, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, how often I would have gathered you as a chick gathers her hens, but you would not." In modern times Jews have contributed a wealth of good to society with their many deeds of charity and compassion, and I think none of us here would gainsay that truth. I greatly appreciate it. When we say it is a Christian attribute, we are saying that it is an outgrowth of our teachings and belief systems, taught us by Yeshua. He and his mother were Jews, as were His disciples, and those Jews who wrote for us the New Testament, and we all owe a great debt of thanks to all of them, many of whom laid down their lives in order to share their faith with the world. (Nero didn't just watch while Rome burned...he burned Christians there as garden torches!)

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), September 27, 1999.

Thank you all for your kind comments. This is really a wonderful group, an extended family I hope to meet the other side of Y2K!

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), September 27, 1999.

Thank you for your response. I totally know it is an unintentional offense but I feel compelled to respond whenever it seem blatent to me. It is a small way to combat an exclusive, superior type of attitude. I realize this is not your attitude but whenever I read something like this, it has that feel to it. I want more people to be aware that this kind of thing can offend certain sensitive people. I know your heart is a loving heart and thank you again for listening and responding. We are all growing together in God.

-- a mom (onewith@god.com), September 27, 1999.

Elaine, it is such a privilege and blessing to know you, even if just over the net.

I don't think saying someone was a 'true Christian' reflects an exclusive attitude towards goodness or kindness, but rather is a compliment based on acknowledging the universally good reputation of the life that Jesus lived. It is simply saying she is like the one she confesses and follows.

-- Mumsie (Shezdremn@aol.com), September 27, 1999.

Thanks sister. :-)

-- BB (peace2u@bellatlantic.net), September 27, 1999.

Elaine -- I know you feel that doing what you did is just in the way of fulfilling our role as "unprofitable servants" to our Master.

It's interesting that the vast majority of GIs I know personally, both from the forum and elsewhere, of all faiths, have long been helping other people -- with respect to Y2K and generally.

Isn't it peculiarly "odd" that our preparations are viewed as selfish by DGIs??

-- BigDog (BigDog@duffer.com), September 27, 1999.

Elaine- Keep up the good work...though time is short, some additional good can be done.

-- Mad Monk (madmonk@hawaiian.net), September 27, 1999.

Elaine, Though we do not know each other, I do think of you often. Your words have always given me something to ponder over. Hope you are feeling much better this evening.

-- Lilly (homesteader145@yahoo.com), September 27, 1999.

One critical point that needs to be made here: you can only take most DGIs a small fraction of the way to full GI status. Most of those who GI before TSHTF are unusual; they seem to generally be skeptical about believing PR feel-good pap from gov't/corporations that portray those organizations in a good light. They also in my experience are usually book readers, and have both practical and abstract-thought-capable aspects to their mental makeup.

Everybody, think of how small a percentage of people you have managed thus far to educate to GI status in the first (or any) session of frank discussion with them. The days of realistically hoping to educate double-digits percentages of people in any large category about Y2K in time for them to make substantial preps is over.

It's now mainly a situation of prepping your immediate families (that means in your household ONLY), and generously givng time/practical info to those who are mostly GI before they met you, but are still rough on some details of Y2K contingency planning that you have some good background on.

my site: www.y2ksafeminnesota.com

-- MinnesotaSmith (y2ksafeminnesota@hotmail.com), September 27, 1999.

It wasn't until I really got into neighborhood organizing for y2k that I realized how scared people are of each other, especially in cities. Each person that is reached out to as you did is one less terrified person. I think the panic, if it happens, will be about being afraid of near neighbors, because folks don't love their actual neighbors, but stick to 'communities of interest'.

-- seraphima (seraphima@aol.com), September 27, 1999.

Elaine:

I totally agree with you. I just got back from a "Community Conversation." What a waste of time. You are correct. The best way to get the word out is person to person to person. Keep on talking and helping. Sharing your own knowledge and stories works.

-- Sally Strackbein (sally@y2kkitchen.com), September 28, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

It was quite an inspiring post until it was partly spoiled by that unthinking remark and then thoroughly wrecked by the follow-up. If you truly understood, then you would know that it doesn't help to say something very close to, "Oops, excuse me ever so much. I meant to include Jews in that exclusive self congratulatory statement. Christians and Jews. That's it. That's what I meant. Any Jews out there, please excuse me for not including you in the exclusive club of nice people." You've probably heard and said such remarks so many times that it just flips out without thinking. When you truly understand, you will stop doing that. But don't stop helping people prepare. That was the special part.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), September 28, 1999.

Huh, Dancr?

There are wonderful, caring compassionate people of all faiths on this planet... and those who are not. Their loss.

Help wherever you can. Quite simple. It's the "human" thing to do, and something we all share in common.

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), September 28, 1999.

Dancr...you read both my posts and you still DGI about what I REALLY said in each. It wasn't "self-congratulatory" to quote the woman I helped, it was just sharing her appreciation and her manner of expressing it. Why should I not, since the credit is due to the Lord who inspires my giving, and not anything special within me. I am all too human and know my shortcomings, and do not suppose that from within me alone springs any good thing!

Also, you misread me when you say that I then in the subsequent post said, "Oops, I meant to include Jews." NO, I did NOT say any such thing as that! When I wrote the original post I wasn't thinking in terms of Christians vs. Jews...I don't think that way about any subject, thank God! When I wrote back to A Mom I was trying to explain to her and any other Jewish friends on this forum that there is no such intent on the part of several of us who have posted here about our Christian beliefs being put into practice that it should be seen exclusively as a Christian attribute. I was identifying with her because I did that LONG, LONG before I ever wrote this post, back in the 1970's, when I took the loving pains to become an integral part of a Jewish family to the points that I enumerated there, even to introducing family worship and temple attendance!!! I haven't a bigotted bone in my body or I wouldn't have been doing that. And I would not express condescension to a Jewish person ever. My attempt was to say to A Mom that she need not be quite so sensitive, and that she should be reassured that there are many of us who feel great appreciation for the Jews for what they have given to us historically and in this present day.

Dancr, A Mom, should we each preface every post in which we mention, even inadvertently, as I did by quoting the person I helped, that this is not meant to be Christians only, but all persons of all beliefs who do good? Let's all be reasonable and rational and understand that we speak here in the context of our own belief system, and that we should not have to apologize for that fact.

Peace....shalom....

-- Elaine Seavey (Gods1sheep@aol.com), September 28, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

Elaine Seavy says: ... should we each preface every post in which we mention, even inadvertently, as I did by quoting the person I helped, that this is not meant to be Christians only, but all persons of all beliefs who do good?

These are the words we are discussing: "...I had met someone I knew must be a Christian, because she was so kind and she helped me so much in the store." [Emphasis mine.] This means either that the speaker believes there is no way that the kind lady (you) could have been anything other than a Christian, or that the speaker believes that Christians are more likely than others to be kind and helpful.

You're now pushing the responsibility for having "inadvertently" typed that phrase off on the woman who spoke the words. But, you're the one who published them on a high traffic site on the Internet, an international marketplace of ideas, known to cater to people with a wide variety of beliefs, including ones that do not subscribe to any religious dogma at all.

To now claim that that phrase was actually meant to include everyone is disingenuous. Including everyone is the exact opposite of what that phrase does. The phrase is unfair, untrue, and prejudicial, not to mention rude.

To answer your question... No. I do not suggest that you should preface every post with a disclaimer of any and all bigoted statements that you might "inadvertently" make. I only ask that you make an extra effort to pass your posts through a mental filter, to catch that kind of statement, since we know you are prone to make them.

You said: "Let's all be reasonable and rational and understand that we speak here in the context of our own belief system, and that we should not have to apologize for that fact.

I don't have any problem with you speaking in the context of your belief systems, which you do quite often (and I have not said anything about that). But this time you quote someone as saying that those who do not adhere to your own pet articles of faith are somehow less kind and helpful. You seemed to state that this comment on her part contributed to your feeling moved and rewarded that day.

When you make this kind of statement, you should expect those who have just been characterized as less kind and helpful may beg to differ. I don't expect an apology. I only hope, along with others who may speak out in the future in similar situations, to eventually influence you to stop spreading such a message. I know you didn't mean to be offensive. You just were. We'll get over it.

I don't often speak out about this kind of micro insult, and I'm now realizing that it may be that I should have done so privately. On the other hand, for all those who were maligned by the "must be a Christian" phrase, I believe bringing such statements into bold relief in public can serve two important functions. First, it can lessen the probability that bigoted statements will be repeated if speakers realize that they may be challenged publicly.

More importantly, a public airing can provide some moral support for the (many) people who have just been royally insulted, whether the victims even realize it consciously or not. It's crazy making to verbally slap someone with one hand, and when asked to stop, come back and suggest that those who were offended are not being "reasonable and rational" about it.

I will make my "please, stop" request more narrow: When you tell that same story about the woman in the store again in the future, to other audiences, seriously consider whether you will continue to spread that one bigoted, insulting message.

I hope you are feeling better, too.

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage), September 30, 1999.