Parisian Phoenix Publishing

By Thurston D. Gill Jr.

The following is Thurston Gill’s February edition of Phulasso Living, the newsletter for his fans and those who wish to participate in his emergency preparedness initiatives. Find in on Substack, if you wish to subscribe or see more click here.

To order a copy of The Phulasso Devotional direct from our distributor for $10, click here.

Emergency Preparedness extends beyond catastrophes and prepares us to move through the ordinary crises of our human lives

God moves us forward through critical events.

For those unaware, I’ve been recovering from a severe leg break that happened in November of last year.

I required surgery, which earned me a rod and screws.

I give glory to our Lord God that my recovery is progressing well, and that my injuries were not life-threatening.

I also thank Him for all that He is teaching me throughout this entire experience.

I want to share some insights that I was fortunate enough to glean from my ordeal.

Emergency Preparedness as a Way of Life

It appears to me that most people think of Emergency Preparedness only in terms of catastrophic events: floods, earthquakes, mass killings, and hurricanes.

For this reason, I often have to remind people that the concept of Preparedness, Readiness, Response, Recovery applies to any event that can dramatically disrupt or threaten the quality of our life and/or our safety.

The impact of injuries, illness, job loss, and mental illness are just a few examples that are often overlooked as scenarios that fall within the scope of Emergency Preparedness.

Based on Proverbs 21:31, we can develop the Christ Prepared Mind concerning preparedness:

“Through continuous development and aggressively engaging our knowledge and skills to prepare us to respond and recover from threats to our wellness while trusting in the Lord for grace to compensate for any deficiencies.”

My Crisis Event

While walking along a creek with my grandsons, I stepped into a sinkhole, toppled, and my crisis began.

Mine is an example of the type of crisis event that is more commonly encountered by most people.

These are the types of events that should constantly be on our radar.

It is not typically the off-grid apocalypse that should get the most attention amongst those of us who are concerned about preparedness.

My crisis revealed that I needed a Christ-focused mentality to respond.

I had to have the mental and spiritual mindset to manage the response and recovery of this critical event in terms of health and healing, loss of income, medical expenses, and psychological trauma (in the form of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder).

Just after I heard and felt the breaking of both bones in my right leg, in my spirit, the Lord made it clear to me that my life would be dramatically changed.

 He had prepared me to show up to this event with the Christ that He has deeply rooted within me.

This was a season in my life, I had been crying out to the Lord about some things that needed to change in my family, as well as some issues I had been struggling with in my heart and mind.

Feeling Stuck

My crisis made me realize that there were things I needed to let go and turn away from. Then, I needed to trust the Lord to fill the void.

My crisis made me realize that there were also habits and thought patterns within me that needed correction.

I was stuck. 

We all get stuck.

I was fed up. 

We all get fed up.

I did not trust Father enough to put away the very things that were keeping me from getting as close to Him as I needed to be.  

I realized if I wanted things to change in the lives of my loved ones, that the change needed to begin with me as the head of my family!

I just couldn’t find the power of commitment to make it happen.

As crazy as it might sound, my bone-breaking experience was part of the universe-splitting events that transformed me and aligned me with the Lord’s plan for my life.

The inner conflicts and mental challenges vanished. My behaviors changed. God’s love renewed and directed my mind to fulfill His plan for my life and the lives of those around me.

Unlearning, Relearning, and Learning

I realized that through Christ I have the power to unlearn thoughts, habits, and attitudes that don’t work for my good or the good of others. I realized that I can relearn what works best to further the interests of the Kingdom of God.

The easiest and hardest lessons to remember:

• First, to love the Lord our God with all my heart, soul, and mind.
• Second, to love my neighbor as myself and train others of all nations to do and, most importantly, live in the same manner. (Matthew 22:36-40. Matthew 28:19-20)

Conclusion: Examine Your Own Life

Do you see how the Lord worked in my life?

Do you see how the Lord works in all our lives?

Do you see how the Lord works in your life?

Do you allow the Lord to do His work?

If we get stuck in our wanting and waiting, the Father allows things to happen so that He can direct the Holy Spirit to come alongside us and keep us present before Him.

That’s why we can be certain that in every detail of our lives (good, bad, or indifferent) the Father uses circumstances to work for our good, the greater good, because of our love for Him. (Romans 8:7-28)