Ready for Anything: Preparing Your Heart and Home for Any Crisis Big or Small

Lipp (Clutter Free) presents a timely, useful guide on practical preparedness. After being caught unprepared when her house nearly caught fire as the townhouse next to hers burned down (in a panic, she fled without shoes or her son), Lipp set out to make sure she would be prepared for any future disaster. Using the biblical description of a devout woman in Proverbs 31 as inspiration, Lipp seeks to be in control but not overwhelmed by overpreparing. She recommends living somewhere between being oblivious (doing nothing because God will surely take care of every need) and obsessive (becoming a prepper defending hundreds of cans of beans with a weapon). The process can start small with the purchase of a few extra supplies, such as food and an extra gas tank; updating a first aid kit; or keeping $100 in singles tucked away somewhere. Being prepared to be away from home for a few days and starting an emergency fund, Lipp writes, can serve as the foundation for a more complex plan to survive long-term emergencies. Lipp’s warnings to store extra food supplies in the face of empty grocery store shelves and having a two-week toilet paper supply on hand have certainly proven prophetic during the Covid-19 pandemic. Other advice on managing finances and decluttering will have practical benefit for everyday living as well as during times of crisis. Though aimed at Christians, all readers will appreciate Lipp’s hard-earned and practical insights. (June)