Friday, January 27, 2012

January 27th Bunker Index - Reflections

First, I'll start off with a confession.

I am not a prepper nor a survivalist.

I once was, and thus my long and noisy participation in the Survival and Emergency Preparedness forum of HomesteadingToday. However, over the years, I have transitioned out of it as a mindset. I'm going to numerate some of the reasons for that now, and I hope the reader will understand my meaning.

  • I believe that a very large disruption in the corporate-industrial grid is coming our way and that it will permanently cast us backwards about 300 years. With that in mind, no amount of beans, bullets, and bandages is going to save your family. Thus I am adopting a simple, sustainable lifestyle in obedience to God. This will by no means preserve your life, as God does not sustain Christians simply because they are obedient. Often the saints die horribly as martyrs, and that may still be our fate.
  • Survival at all costs is simply not in my worldview any longer. Suffering and deprivation would not cause me to give up and die, but there are many, many situations in which I would willingly put my life between hammer and anvil for God to take as He wills. What good is the preservation of the body if you lose your soul?
  • I have come to see dependence upon worldly things as a lack of faith in the providence of God. Jesus felt it was so important that we understand this topic that it was mentioned multiple times by him in the New Testament. We have firmly been instructed to seek ye first the kingdom of God and let worldly wealth follow if it will. It has been promised that our necessities will be provided. History is filled with the saints being murdered horribly by unbelievers or their government, but I don't know of many cases where they starved to death.
So this being the case, why do I continue to put together the Bunker Index? First, it's part of my ministry and about the only thing on the internet I can really do to spread this understanding. But also that you may assess the real situation and the dangers and threats facing your family and consider how you may best be able to bring your own life into conformity with God's plan for you.

Readership has dropped off in the blog lately. We went from about 800 readers at first to a more casual 500 readers once the initial drama of its creation wore off. Over the hiatus in December while I built a home, more readers fell away. With the drop in readership came a corresponding drop in advertising revenue, but this is not a great concern. We are still providing enough in revenue to pay for my internet connectivity so that I may still have the means of producing this. Enough is as good as a feast.

And as a bright side, the readership has now spread out and is coming in from multiple sources now instead of simply the duality of two different forums. (The one group coming to appreciate what I say and the other group coming to scorn.) Now I have readers coming in from various other blogs out there on the internet and folks who I have not yet met. And there's also the ever-present scrutiny of the government, checking in every few weeks to download every word I post. I take this as a good sign. When I was simply an anti-government survivalist ranting into the void they paid little attention. As a Christian extolling the virtues of a simple life of humility withdrawn from the system, I suppose I represent a much greater threat to the establishment. Drinking rainwater and pooping in buckets may just become the status quo among Christians!

I thank you for your visit with me each and every day and I am always surprised that people do indeed show up to read what I have to say. Your prayers sustain us and your encouragement lightens my heart.

Your friend in the desert,
Ernie

9 comments:

Patrice said...

I'm glad that your readership has continued enough to keep you afloat and posting. I also think we are heading for some major life disruptions and getting closer to our Creator is the way we should be preparing for what's coming. Keep up the good work and publishing the BI, I find it very useful in preparing for the future. You and your family are in my prayers.

OD from HT said...

I, too, am glad there are enough of us reading that you keep wanting to share! This is the first spot I check in the morning looking for news. Your opinions and commentaries are greatly appreciated.

zoom said...

Thanks for taking the step of faith in what you are doing for yourself and your family. I too, purchased land, a longhorn, seeds, and "hand" tools. Looking for the jump off spot to evacuate the sinking ship and go agrarian. Love the hard work at my place. I am also in texas, much south of you but I lived in brownwood when I was a kid (1969) thanks for the blog, i read it every day and visit multiple times a day looking for more "stuff"

thanks
Mark

Anonymous said...

I'm glad that you have come to the realization that it's not really about prepping to survive. In the end, we're all going to die. What we do with the time we have on Earth is what is going to matter. You will always have a place to post your BI on Christian Homesteaders, which was also started as a ministry with the Lord's urging. All we can do is fight the good fight and keep the faith. You and yours are in my prayers.

Janice said...

I love this post Ernie. We've also transitioned onto the same path that you are on. It's nice to read your thoughts. This blog is the closest thing to "community" that DH and I have right now. Thanks for making it available to us.

Take care,
Janice

smallhomestead said...

You are in our prays as well
God bless

Ernest said...

Thank you all for your comments and prayers. I'm going to try and post some photos of the cabin and the work that is progressing over the weekend and the BI will continue as usual on Monday.

Have a great weekend!

Dyson said...

Ernie you have said what has been my plan too but I could not say it so well... I have been reading the other forum more for homesteading info not prepping...

I too have found a new place, off in the weeds that I will sign a contract for this weekend. I am making the off-grid leap myself... I believe this is His plan for me... a simple life serving Him...

Will look forward to your solar solutions as I am not intending to tie into the grid... Keep it up as long as you can brother...

Anonymous said...

Ernie, right now there are many of us who feel we are 'in the desert', and I don't only mean literally. I am glad your blog is starting to get views from other places, and I try to check in every evening. It seems to me that anti-government people ranting into the void aren't that big a threat--it's the ones who withdraw from the socio-economic construct of our country that are the true subversives, because those are the ones who can't be bought. God bless you and your family. We're in Texas too, and I wish we were closer so we could help you work on your place. BTW I loved the pics of Forerunner and your sons and BIL working on your cabin. Very inspirational!