Blessed Earth

Testimonies

THREE GREEN PEAS AND TWO PENNIES

By Zadie K. Ryan

I am easily overwhelmed by many things such as a menu of many choices, a department store of many cl othes, a gift shop, a flea market, household lists of things to do, the many chapters in the Bible, praying for many people and situations, the needs of so many people and the list goes on and on.

At the age of three my son did not like to eat anything that was green. I would put one green pea on his plate for him to eat. Later I put two green peas and then three green peas. He seemed to think that was enough, and I knew that it was good to eat three green peas.

When my dad and mom were first married in 1933, they lived with my paternal grandparents on the family farm. My dad milked the cows and saved the cream, which he took to the country store on Saturday to sell and buy staples such as flour, sugar and salt. One Saturday when he returned home he had two pennies left. When he asked my mom what they were going to do with two pennies, she said, “Give them to the church; they can always use them.”  She knew that giving God two pennies with a heart of  love and compassion would help in His kingdom.

These two stories have become very important to me as guidelines for tackling big, overwhelming needs that I see daily in God’s beautiful world.

My journey with reducing, reusing and recycling began very small with recycling aluminum cans about 10 years ago. Slowly I began to recycle other things such as cardboard and glass. In 2006 I read Dr. Matthew Sleeth’s book, Serve God and Save the Planet. It was an encouragement to do more. I began drying at least one washer load of clothes per week on a drying rack inside or outside, if weather permitted. When I first started using the reusable shopping bags, I would not always remember to take them into the store. Now after five years, it has become a great habit and I seldom forget. At this point in 2010 I have graduated to recycling all that I can, using compact fluorescent light bulbs, and turning down the thermostat two degrees in the winter and up two degrees in the summer. I continue to add new things to my list.

As we have heard many times, it doesn’t take a few people doing a lot; it takes a lot of people doing a little to make a difference. As my faith journey grows and deepens, I am learning that I do not have to do it all - just do what God calls. Small amounts add up to large amounts when we all join in together to work in God’s Kingdom.

The philosophy of three green peas and two pennies has become a constant in my life with everything that I do. If a job seems to big, just break it down and do a little at a time and know that a little becomes a lot when doing God’s work and that everything is God’s work.

Zadie K. Ryan is a homemaker, mother to three sons and grandmother of four girls. She enjoys volunteering, helping others, reading and knitting with all natural fiber yarn. Zadie and her husband, Pat, reside in Lexington, Ky., where they are active members in the Centenary United Methodist Church.

 

 

FLOATING FOR FAITH

By Al Parker

Some people, in order to discover God, read books. But there is a great book: the very appearance of created things. Look above you! Look below you! Note it. Read it. God, whom you want to discover, never wrote that book with ink. Instead He set before your eyes the things that He had made. Can you ask for a louder voice than that? -- St. Augustine 354-430 A.D.

Ever feel the fascination of a toad vibrating in your hand? Ever wander through lush spring flowers and feel like there really is hope? Ever wonder about not just the names of trees, but of their character? Ever sit alongside a stream and have cares of this world washed from you? Ever revel in the power of a storm because you know the One that made it? Ever think about spending some time in a quiet place the way Jesus did?

In my youth, I was fascinated with all things growing, flowing, and living in the wilds. I had this incredible thirst to know who they were. That desire took me to studies of wildlife and work with re-introducing endangered species.

But it was not until I turned to Christ that I realized the joy I feel in the wilderness. God had used the created order of His world to reinforce His glory in my own heart. I began to see the Maker behind each living thing that I had learned to know like a friend. Hosea (4:3) tells us that animals are disappearing not because of...capitalism, or industrialism, or other “-isms”... but because “there is no acknowledgment of God in the land.”

While watching a nest of eagles on a hillside awakening to spring, I realized that young people need time in nature to understand God the Creator. What better way to help them take hold of a faith in the Creator and Redeemer than to get them out in it? What better way to help them hold onto their faith than to help them see God in what surrounds them every day?

Our family had spent most of our vacations on river trips and had often shared the experiences with friends and families.  We wondered, How can we make these river experiences available to others?

Psalm 71:17 convicted me of a calling, “Since my youth, O God, you have taught me, and to this day I declare your marvelous deeds.” In 2006, our family began the nonprofit Canoe Creation, a mobile stream and natural area guide service that teaches participants about the character of God “through the things He has made” (Romans 1:20).   

Canoe Creation runs summer camps, river classes for schools, field and forest classes, youth group adventures, father-son trips, marriage retreats, field ecology classes for homeschoolers, and family vacation floats.

You can find out more about this river-based, faith-growing mission at canoecreation.org.

 

 

KNOWING WHERE TO PLACE OUR TRUST

By Kimberly Button

“Thanks be unto God for his amazing gift, Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.” John 6:36

At the very heart of Christianity is faith. Faith that the Lord our God is an awesome God, faith that God is always in control, faith that God knows what’s best for us and faith that God loves us, no matter what.

So many daily decisions rely on faith - faith in something or someone. But do we consider just how much faith we’re putting in industry - which is of this Earth - without question, yet possibly struggle to have continuous faith in God?  

When we pour milk over our child’s bowl of cereal, we have blind faith that the food is healthy and that it has been tested for safety. When we take a shower and use shampoo and soap and shaving cream and a whole host of personal care products too numerous to name, we’re trusting that all of the products have been adequately and carefully tested. If we spray herbicides or fertilizers on our lawn and garden, we believe that those products wouldn’t be sold if they were actually found to be damaging to our child’s or pet’s health...and our water supplies.

Yet as Christians wanting to protect the Earth and its inhabitants, we can’t always put our trust in man-made entities. Some crops in our food supply are being irrevocably altered from God’s design by artificially tinkering with genetics. Some personal care products contain a slew of chemicals, 90% of which have surprisingly never been tested for human or environmental safety. Chemical-based fertilizers and other lawn care products have been found to be slowly killing our oceans.

Our society has put too much faith in the industries and companies that bring us things of this world, while questioning the one whom we should be putting all of our faith in -- God.

Going green and striving to protect God’s perfect creation can be a test of our faithfulness. Each of us can make a positive difference in this world by being vigilant about where we place our trust.

Kimberly Button is a friend of Blessed Earth and the founder of greenWell, an eco-wellness company helping families and businesses create healthier, greener living and working environments. For more information, visit www.getgreenbewell.com and www.greenwellconsulting.com.

 

 

A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST

By Phil Hall, Director of The Harvest Network

The Harvest Network began with a simple idea: help those who are struggling to make ends meet.  What makes The Harvest Network unique is that we help people make ends meet by training them to live sustainable lifestyles, both in the context of the household and in the communities where they live, all the while involving individuals and Christian communities in the process. 

Much of the philosophy that drives what we do is based on the idea that we are to help people take care of themselves as much as possible and enable communities to help provide for each other by sharing their resources with those in need. By sharing resources, communities can reduce their need for money and therefore reduce their impact of the environment. 

Many of the approaches we take to helping people are inspired by the Hebrew culture as outlined in the Old Testament. For example, the Year of Jubilee occurred every 50 years in the biblical tradition. During this time, all land was to return to the family of the original owners. By doing so, all of the land was e qually re-distributed to all of Israel, thereby breaking the cycle of oth ers being materially dependent on a system that favored a few wealthy families. While this isn't currently feasible in today's culture we are currently working with churches to allow people who usually come to churches for food assistance to use church land to grow their own food. In doing so we are helping to create material independence and dignity, especially for those who would normally receive handouts from the social justice ministries. We have found that something wonderful happens when we do this: community is created between Christians and those who need help. 

Using church land is just one of the many ways we help people. We also help people to grow their own food in their back yard. This usually begins with a garden, leading into the development of more technical skills for living sustainably. Throughout this whole process of training people to live sustainably we are helping people cultivate community around sustainable practices. We slowly move from individual sustainability to organizing relationships around the needs of the larger community. The technical skills that are further developed include raising chickens and incorporating them into their gardening efforts; food preservation like freezing, canning, and pickling; and any other way to grow their own food instead of buying it. 

Some social aspects of what we help people do include: recognizing what resources are available in their own community; organizing communal gardens where several households come together to grow more social crops like potatoes and sweet corn; and help them recognize the advantage of doing things like canning in a community setting. 

By helping people be self-sustainable, we limit their need to purchase products that have been shipped from far off places, produced by the use of petroleum powered machinery, or with an unhealthy use of chemicals. On a larger scale, living this way can have a profound impact on the environment. It reduces our dependence on oil combustion while also reducing the amount of unnatural chemicals in our environment. If everyone grew their own food instead of buying it, we could help create an economy where people rely on community and God instead of industry for their basic needs, an economy where sharing replaces buying and selling. In short, The Harvest Network  hopes to help materialize the dream of Matthew Sleeth, and Christians all over, who desire to be good stewards of God's green earth.

For more information about The Harvest Network, please visit http://www.theharvestnetwork.net.

 

CONFESSIONS OF A RECOVERING RETAIL MANAGER

By Teri White

Christmas had become the center of my life, but for all the wrong reasons. It was my job to merchandise stores with the latest seasonal stuff. If it was new, it was better. It was my duty to make others want all that stuff, and I was really good at it. I helped determine the Christmas shopping season, and it was best to get it started earlier each year.

Consumerism was my career focus. I had a sales number for a goal, and I forgot the real reason for the season. Yes, it was me displaying all those Christmas ornaments and decorations earlier each year. Sometimes, I could convince myself it was just better planning. Planning, I told myself, is good; promoting greed is bad.

What was I thinking? I’m conditioned by consumerism to think the same way most of us do: I am what I own. I am my house, my car, my clothes. When I think I am everything I own, I might look good on the outside, but there’s really nothing good happening on the inside. 

The Bible warned me about this trap:

But the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. Mark 4:19

My work was in conflict with scriptural truth.  Somehow, I needed to become more content with what I had, rather than striving for a never-ending MORE: 

But godliness with contentment is great gain. For, we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many grieves. 1 Timothy 6:6-10

With the help of groups like Blessed Earth, I began to see that selfish consumerism is not only bad for me; it’s bad for the planet. My desire for stuff was toxic to all God’s creation. I started to learn about another way: God’s way. With His help, I could actually begin taking care of His creation. I could have a more simple life. I could separate my desires and needs, and I could plan accordingly. 

Conditioned to be an instant gratification kind of girl, I admit my less materialistic lifestyle is an on-going struggle.  I know God wants me to prosper, but finding a balance is tricky. Scripture helped me discover a layaway plan:

On the first day of every week each one of you is to put aside and save, as he may prosper, so that no collections be made when I come. 1 Corinthians 16:2

Exchanging gifts is a good tradition, but I should plan ahead and save in advance, not buy impulsively. I’m sure the Wise Men planned for a long time to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures they presented unto him gifts; of gold, and frankincense and myrrh. Matthew 2:10-11

As a reformed Christmas merchandiser, here’s my advice: instead of giving to those who need nothing, give to those who have nothing. Start saving early, don’t overspend, and make your gifts symbolic of the offerings that give honor to the Prince of Peace, who brought joy to the world.  No thing will fill your stocking--or your heart--like the love of Jesus Christ. n

Teri White-Griffin is a recovering retail marketing manager who now shares creation care wisdom and sustainable meal planning advice at http://SageMcGreen.com.

 

 

GREENING OF THE GRAVES

By Jack Graves

The Graves family has been getting green this spring.  My wife, Bobbi, was converted on reading Dr. Matthew Sleeth&rsqu o;s Serve God, Save the Planet. That book was in my hands while she had moved on to reading his wife, Nancy Sleeth’s Go Green, Save Green.  I moved from Matthew’s book to that of his daughter Emma’s (It’s Easy Being Green)—The Sleeth Green Trifecta.  

We were introduced to the Sleeths’ books and ministry by two of our daughters who while attending Asbury College were influenced by their Creation Care message and their example as a family.  

My conversion to environmentalism began in late June 1969 when I watched an evening news report about the fire that had been burned that day on the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio.  It was the summer before my junior year in high school.  I became involved in the first environmental group and helped organize the first Earth Day clean up in my home county in southern Indiana.  We cleaned up about a mile of state highway near our school that day and filled six dump trucks with effort.  Salt Creek, which flows near my high school, is to this day one of the seven most polluted streams in Indiana.  For someone who loved the outdoors, Indiana in 1971 was a cross to bear.

Unfortunately for me, I was as drawn to environmentalism by my hatred of humanity in general as much as my love for nature in particular.  Neither is a good basis for healthy environmentalism.   In the fall of 1971, I enrolled at Indiana University as an Environmental Studies major and sank into depression.   Like me, most of my environmentalist friends were a self-absorbed lot.  We weren’t really friends at all but rather just allies in our war with humanity.  We loved Nature, even if we knew little about it, and would have been happiest if the population would just leave us alone to enjoy it in peace.

Early in the summer of 1971, a friend asked me to read Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth.  The title resonated with my view of the world but the book only served to convince me that not only did this life hold little for me, but I was lost and didn’t have much to look forward to in the next life either.  I began t  o search for God but wasn’t having any luck finding Him.   As the fall wore on, the contemplation of suicide took hold.  I had given up on humanity, was fast giving up on the world, and was growing convinced that God had given up on me.

God reached out to m e in the form of a student I had never met who asked me a question I had never been asked. My conversion to Christ upended and transformed my life.  The discipling I received, or didn’t receive, essentially ended my pre-occupation with the environment.  I knew I had truly been converted when I discovered that I was not only interested in people but actually concerned about them.  Jesus had created within me a love for others.  So profound was the change for me that by 1976 my wife and I were missionaries to the island of Java, Indonesia—the most densely populated island on the face of the earth.

I began to love my neighbors but found myself losing patience with environmentalists. I recognized in most them what I had discovered in myself—disaffected, maladjusted, depressed loners who were always looking for the worst to believe and the person to blame.  

In the intervening years, little I have read or heard has convinced me that environmentalists have improved on their motivation for their activism.  So reading the Sleeth Trilogy has been a spiritual encouragement.  Approaching the environment from a basis of stewardship and compassion for the poor meshes not only with my Biblical understanding but also with my experience in missons. 

The Sleeths have refreshed my love for the environme nt by relating it to serving God and loving the lost.  As Nancy has put it, “One by one, the whole family became believers. Suddenly, we had a clear purpose: to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. One way that we could show our love for the Creator, and for our global neighbors, was to start taking better care of the planet.”

We may never become environmentalists of the caliber of the Sleeth family but we have been making some major changes in the way we live and we’re finding joy and other rewards in the process.  

To date the Graves family has..

  • Replaced 73 incandescent light bulbs in our home reducing the total potential draw of these lights from 4650 watts to about 1250.   This has been an investment.  If the CFL marketers can be believed, we should realize a savings of about a zillion dollars in the next ten years.   Personally I’m just hoping I don’t have to change a light bulb every time someone sneezes like I’ve been doing with incandescents all these years.  
  • Purchased cloth shopping bags and stocked them in our cars.  We have reduced the number of plastic shopping bags we use by about 90%.
  • Started reusing “Zip Loc” bags and tin foil.  Bobbi even found a little plastic bag dryer that now sits on our counter.  My mother, who grew up during the Great Depression, would be so proud of us.
  • Begun drying our clothes without the use of our large gas dryer, a change that has been surprisingly easy.
  • Steadily replaced as much grass in our yard as possible with perennials and mulch (our city provides the mulch for free).  Our 14 HP riding mower will soon be sold and we will rely on our push mower keeping our remaining grass legal.  By using the push mower, I can raise the mower higher to about 4 inches, allowing me to mow half as frequently as my neighbors.  Mowing the grass higher helps to choke out the weeds and keeps the grass green even in the hottest weather. I estimate I have reduced our mowing by 60%.
  • Replaced our furnace filters with permanent filters, which I found on-line.  Because we were changing our filters more frequently (I have a shop in the basement) the cost of the high quality permanent filters was less than the cost of a year’s supply of disposable filters.  
  • Rebuilt and enlarged our compost bin—it’s 4x4x8.   We have composted for years but have taken it to a new level. We’ve added a countertop compost container that helps to make sure that almost everything gets taken out for composting.  We have even stockpiled a large trailer load of leaf mulch (courtesy of our city) –it will be perfect next year for dressing the raised garden beds we built for our kid’s gardening interests.
  • Purchased a 275 gallon water tank for recycling rainwater to the garden.  I found the tank on Craig’s List for $50.  
  • Begun timing our showers.  Bobbi installed a small wall mounted three- minute egg timer in our master bath shower.  We have both found it is easy enough to shower in under three.  We’ve been testing a 1.6 gallon shower head and have found it works well, so we will soon replace the other shower heads soon.  
  • Begun washing our clothes in cold water using laundry detergent made by Seventh Generation.  It works great.
  • Snuggled our water heater in an insulating blanket.  Because the heater was already a high efficiency model the payback may be many years away but it looks cool and it didn’t cost a lot.  As it is now, we have reduced our hot water use by more than 50%.
  • Adjusted our thermostat --we’ve turned the heat down by 4 degrees and the AC up by 3.  Fortunately our furnace and AC were replaced three years ago with the highest efficiency appliances then available.  
  • Nearly retired our oven with the use of a toaster oven, bread maker, and microwave.  
  • Made paper towels and paper napkins disappear from our shopping list.    Our Indonesian friends eliminated toilet paper by using their left hands and water (referred to by westerners as the “Charmin of the Orient”) but there I draw the line.   We are now using “tree-less” TP made from recycled paper.
  • Begun using rechargeable batteries and have the computers on switchable power strips, which we are learning to remember to use.  I’m working on designing a battery recharging center for the cell phones and various portable tools that can work off of a timer.
  • Joined a local organic farmer coop and have begun haunting our town’s farmer’s market.  
  • Canceled our newspaper subscriptions and gotten off the mailing lists of about a bazillion catalogues.  We have reduced the mail coming to our house by about 60%.  
  • Found a recycling site about two miles from home that will accept any kind of plastic, metal, glass, paper and cardboard.  By recycling all of these things we have reduced our trash offerings so far by about 75%.  
  • Begun preparing for the mother or all garage sales.  In the last four years we have lost three parents and a grandmother who lived with us for 14 years.  Since 2005 we have been struggling with what to do with all of the stuff that we have inherited from generous and sentimental parents.   Our oldest daughter paid for her master’s degree by selling some of the stuff on e-Bay.  But up until recently, we have been dealing with the accumulation of five households in our home.  The experience has taught us that possessions really do consume your time and energy.  We want to keep some special pieces to pass on to the kids, but thankfully our daughters are on board with our new mission to unload. 
  • Found ourselves reading the oddest sort of articles (including toilet paper comparisons in Consumer Reports!) and joking about recycling possibilities for road kill (fur caps and raccoon kabobs).  We are having fun with this and finding peace and blessing along the way.   

We are thankful to the Sleeths for the encouragement their ministry has brought to our lives and their encouragement to remember our stewardship responsibility. 

The Graves are not green, but we are getting greener.  We are blessed.

Jack and Bobbi Graves own The Leadership Protocol Institute, LLC.

 

 

FAMILY TRANSFORMATION

By Carolyn Reilly

Our family has not always been green. Some people who know us now are surprised to hear this when it comes up. Our family’s story of moving toward greener living has been a faith-filled learning process.

I guess you could say we were a typical American family: husband and wife with three kids, dec ent income and living beyond our means. We were recycling and thought we were “doing our part” in caring for God’s Creation, but the truth is, we were not being good stewards of all that He had given us, including our world. Over time and through different experiences we set out to save money and found that we learned along the way to be thoughtful caretakers of God’s handiwork, this planet we call home.

More and more we have come to the realization that the path to living green begins in our heart and our mind. Truly, it is a choice.  We consider every purchase that we make, now thinking through the sort of imprint we will leave; whether from the waste a product has, to energy it takes to recycle something.  

Some of the most basic choices at the grocery store are items that are over-packaged. I have come to a point where I cannot even buy gum because of the packaging and waste that it has. I instead choose to buy mints that are NOT individually wrapped in a tin (that can be recycled). We have also stopped buying paper towels as the messes we used them for could be cleaned just as well with a kitchen towel.

Our quest toward greener living eventually brought us to composting and beginning a garden. This effort helped us save on the garbage we were accumulating, and growing our own herbs was a huge money saver for great cooking!  Another way we have moved toward greener living is by purchasing used items as opposed to new. From furniture to clothing, toys and décor, there are many ways to save money by going green.

This past fall, we heard about a new Bible on National Public Radio called The Green Bible. I mentioned that I would be interested in having this and, lo and behold, I received a copy Christmas morning. After reading the Introduction by Dr. J Matthew Sleeth, I had to share it with the entire family (and several friends, too!).  We were so moved by his testimony and willingness to surrender an extravagant life to care for Creation. Dr. Sleeth’s passion and zeal ignited us to look further into how can we greater make an impact, not only in our own family, but in our community, our church, and our country.

God has stirred in our family a desire to help share Dr. Sleeth’s timely message to those in our Church as I think that we Christians have been “behind the times” in acknow ledging that God calls us to action in caring for the Earth. As Christians we see that moving towards green living is important for several reasons. First, we do have a planet that is in need of revival and care. Sadly, we are learning the consequences of past generations’ lack of stewardship of God’s Creation. Second, we are responsi ble for teaching the next generation how to be wise caregivers for creation. Third, and most importantly, we should actively obey God and honor the craftsmanship of His hands (Psalm 19:1).  But will we? Let us rise to the call God has given us and believe that we will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living (Psalm 27:13).

Carolyn Reilly and her husband, Ian, make their home in Gainesville, FL, and enjoy the joys of parenthood with their four children. 

 

 

SMALL CHANGES, BIG IMPACT

By John Humphreys

All of us want to help God’s world -- reaching out to the dispossessed and impoverished, fighting to keep the beauty of His creation unsullied -- but the devil is always in the details. We have to work within the constraints of our lifestyle, our relationships and our pocketbooks and begin to ask ourselves, “How radical can I be?”

My wife, Nancy, and I have quite different preferences for night-time temperatures. Our bedroom sits over the garage and is the hottest part of the house. Nancy cannot sleep at all if nighttime temperatures exceed 74º. Because of the inefficiency of our air-conditioning, we have to set the thermostat lower than that and run every fan we can find full-blast.

Meanwhile, of course, I shiver under the bedclothes.

What am I to do? To cherish my wife is a deep biblical mandate (and I want to anyhow!), so I am not about to tell her to knuckle down to the discomfort of high indoor temperatures. But I agonized this last July and August over the pollutants all the coal-burning power stations emitted on my behalf. And I tried to forget those people in Appalachia being dumped on by mountaintop removal.

So, eventually, Nancy and I took the moral high ground and switched to 100% renewable electricity (http://www.theenergy.coop). It is fortunate that we both agree on the importance of environmental stewardship, and we are grateful to be able to afford to make some changes -- large and small -- that make a big difference.

First, don’t give up. God smiles when we do the right thing. Even if all seems lost, we must fight on the side of what is right. Shifting from a comfortable lifestyle to a life that honors God’s creation isn’t always convenient or comfortable.

Secondly, you will actually make money if you use compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. Just compare the electricity bills! Admittedly, I found their slow ‘warm-up’ a little strange at first; and some lights can be difficult to replace. But each bulb helps, and that electricity saved means less pollution all around.

Third, cut back on your use of plastics. Most supermarkets recycle plastic bags nowadays. I save every bit of flimsy plastic: plastic bags that held the veggies in my grocery shopping, the plastic bags wrapping my daily newspaper...And at the end of each month or so, I take a HUGE bagful to my local Acme. This garbage is therefore prevented from choking sea turtles and trashing God’s planet. Such efforts cost you nothing!

Fourthly, if you have a yard of any size, plant easy-to-grow veggies (beans are a cinch) a nd surround them with native perennials. Food and butterflies for free! Remember to compost all the weeds, veggies and coffee grounds you can, too. Our flowers never looked better with the free fertilizer that results from my enthusiastic composting.

Finally, be a ‘hyper-miler’ in your car. If you avoid exceeding 2000 rpm and dream your speed-racer dream in your head and not on the gas pedal, you’ll cut way back on fuel consumption and emissions. I also find taking the train buys me precious reading and contemplation time as well as giving me an opportunity to meet other people. Remarkable, eh?

So, we do small things, and we occasionally pluck up the courage to do some of the bigger things. And we are blessed. Join us in doing the same.

John Humphreys is a dear friend of Dr. Matthew and Nancy Sleeth. Biochemist and conservationist, John works in the pharmaceutical software field. He loves all aspects of natural history, especially birdwatching. He lives in Doylestown, PA, with his wife, Nancy.

 

CREATION'S 'NEW AWAKENING'

By Julia Burnett

A little over a year ago, I was led to read Dr. Sleeth’s writings, and after reading I heard the Holy Spirit’s voice say “contact him NOW” – so I did.

I knew there was a reason God wanted to connect our lives, and God began to unfold a vision and mission of a creation care ministry at Centenary to help our members to learn to be good stewards of the earth and its people. 

The next miracles were direct answers to my two greatest fears. First, I had this intimidating vision of going before the board of trustees and inquiring about energy use within the church, specifically the heating and air conditioning system. And, within a month’s time, my husband Seth (who had no idea of this fear) was asked to serve on the board of trustees. The very first project he was given was the servicing of the heating and air conditioning system!

My second biggest fear was that I would be the only one who cared. I began praying for God to raise up leaders, and within a  week I was introduced to  Zadie Ryan, a fellow church member who shared this passion. Zadie lives in my neighborhood, only three streets down from me.

The list of miracles is actually longer, but I hope you are encouraged to know that this ministry is indeed something important to God. He is already doing a great work among his people and we are choosing to jump in to what He’s already doing. This ministry is timely. This ministry is necessary. And this ministry could be an amazing bridge between believers and non-believers.

I sense an awakening, a rustling of sorts, among the Christian community to care about the interconnectedness of all life.

Jesus said the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.  Will you be a worker and join in?  There are endless opportunities to serve. We will need fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, and youth leaders to start a “No Child Left Inside” program. We need parents who take their children away from the TV and outside into God’s world, youth leaders to educate our youth and make it fun, dish washers, leaders of mission trips to replant forests in Eastern KY, community garden workers on the land, grocery shoppers to put away the plastic and the paper and use re-useable grocery bags. There is a place for everyone to serve.

Most importantly, we need followers of Christ who are willing to be inconvenienced to do the right thing — followers of Christ who are willing to live in the world but not of the world, followers of Christ who do not accept the hand we’ve been dealt to us as, ‘Okay, someone else will do it.’

James, the brother of Jesus said, “Faith without works id dead.”  I pray that the flood gates of your heart may be flung open to take off the old lenses to experience a new way of thinking and a new way of life.

When I met with David Thomas [former senior pastor of Centenary UMC] last year, he was not only super supportive, but he also encouraged me to be an agent for change.

He has a list of national and international accolades, but his humility proceeds him. 

Our earth is dying. Arising out of humanity’s desperation, the cross is the bridge from knowing to doing. May your heart have ears to hear.

Julia Burnett recently shared these words with the congregation of Centenary United Methodist Church in Lexington, KY, just before Matthew Sleeth delivered a sermon about stewardship of God’s creation.

 

 

FROM YARD SALE TO 'FREE SALE'

By Marcie Kahler-Davis

Spring is rapidly approaching and, as we all know, that means it’s time for Spring Cleaning! Spring also brings in the early waves of yard and garage sales.  While I’m a big supporter of yard sales, sometimes they are more of a hassle than what they are worth.

One day my husband I just decided to have a free yard sale instead of a real yard sale. I just wanted stuff GONE and, personally, I hate doing yard sales. I like to shop at them, don’t like to put them on.

For me, a yard sale means a long day of seeing your stuff picked through and dealing with pricing the items, setting it all out, advertising, making change, the chance of rainy weather, kids breaking your stuff, and the list goes on.  I know I sound like a downer, but yard sales are a lot of work!

So instead of a yard sale, consider a Free Sale. They are much easier and less work. We posted an ad on Craigslist and Freecycle (free advertisements!) and kept an eye on the pile at the actual sale. Sure, every so often we would go out and make sure the pile wasn’t all over the driveway, but mostly it was pretty easy. We watched with giddy excitement as people pulled up and started loading what we consider junk into their cars. And besides, it saved me having to haul items to the Goodwill -- and who doesn’t like free stuff!?

And why not do a Free Sale when so many people are out of jobs? We watch the news and wonder if there’s anything we can do to help make things better for our country. If any of my things that are just lying around, they can be given to someone who needs them. A Free Sale can be my act of love toward those who are out of work.

Tips for Having a Successful Free Sale:

  • Take pictures beforehand for an online ad. Having a picture to show how large your pile is will encourage people to come by.
  • Put a lot of stuff out there! If you have just a few things, it won’t be worth it for people to stop by.
  • Post a BIG sign!
  • Be clear what isn’t free if you have to place items near things you don’t want taken. I had one guy assume my 2 cars were also part of the Free Sale!
  • List the items you have in your online ad. We had a ton of tile and people flocked to get it.
  • Update your online ad as much as possible. You don’t want to upset anyone.
  • Be honest. If you don’t want people to email you about your pile, tell them in your ad. I had to state I would not hold anything, but I did update my ad as often as possible so as not to disappoint.
  • Be real with yourself.  When you start making your pile, ask yourself, “Do I really use/need/want this item?” If you can use it, keep it; if not, pile it up!
  • Don’t leave your pile unattended. Items might end up all over your front yard!
  • Take down the online ad when your pile has dwindled down.

It is such a relief to have clutter gone. I can open drawers or closets and not cringe when I see all the excess stuff in there. So, this Spring rather than fretting about having a yard sale, consider a Free Sale! It’s fun to see people get excited about something you have, but it’s even more fun to have the clutter gone!

 

 

FIRST STEPS THAT PAY OFF!

By Jason Parmer

One of the best things about going green is that it’s basically free money! I was amazed at Nancy’s ability in her Good Steward wor kshop to make “going green” simple for those of us who have never really thought about living that way at all. She’s not a crazy tree-hugging hippy; rather, all of the principles from her Good Steward workshop are practical ways to easily save the earth while saving money. She doesn’t tell you to rush out and buy a hybrid, put expensive solar panels on your house, or buy a composting toilet. Instead, she discusses simple, practical things all of us can do right now.

I’ve found that even implementing one of her great ideas a week saves me money and has put me on a path to better wellness. I’ve found that I’m naturally eating healthier, being more active, and being a better steward of my money and possessions. I think that’s the point: once you see the benefits of being a good steward in one area, taking care of other areas is a natural by-product.

One of the first things I implemented was re-weatherstripping my front door. Previously, there had been a 10º difference between rooms in my house, and after spending just $20 on supplies, that difference is 2-3º. That’ll save me hundreds--especially with today’s ever-increasing energy costs!

I also can’t say enough about the Sleeths and their commitment to helping those of us “newbies” get started. I’ve emailed Nancy several times with questions ranging from better composting practices to downsizing my “stuff” to developing community gardens. I’m eager to see what God has in store for all of us in the months and years to come through their unique calling!

 

 

BACK TO THE BASICS

By Jim Williamson

What a difference a month makes...

A little over a month ago I attended a Creation Care conference hosted by Flourish and CrossPoint Church. I really didn’t know what to expect. Not familiar with any of the speakers, I hoped I would not get sucked into a left-wing, liberal faction. What I found, however, was a group engaged in the honest exploration and discovery of where we are globally, nationally and locally as it relates to the issue of caring and being good stewards of God’s creation - the Earth and all its wonders.

The discussion of the obvious effects of our pollution of the earth was especially convicting. It also became clear that the lifestyle I maintain has both ripples and cost to others.

It seems a lot of what I enjoy and focus on comes at a cost to others who have a small voice or little opportunity to overcome. It was never intentional on my part; I just hadn’t slowed down in a long time to consider that every choice I make impacts the world. It sounds simple but, literally, when I use paper towels, that paper comes from trees.  Usually the cheapest trees available are trees from the rain forests of Central and South America. The forests are, therefore, producing less oxygen. This directly causes less rain in regions of Africa that are already having water problems. Then, the competition for water in these areas becomes taxed. Families in Africa are forced to source water from farther locations to bring back to their homes, and children are often given the task of collecting that water. Their very safety is at risk to being captured for exploitation in armies or human trafficking. The ripples of our actions are bigger and farther reaching than we often think.

Another helpful part of the conference was a practical workshop led by Nancy Sleeth. Nancy challenged us to take a complete inventory of the consumption in our own lives.

Some of the changes I made immediately upon my return home were easy and are already producing results. Here are just a few:

I joined a community garden in my neighborhood. I now have a time set aside to do a short presentation about creation care in our children’s program on Sunday.

It’s been simple taking “Navy” showers and moderating my water use. For example, whatever the dogs do not drink in their bowls goes out to water plants.

I’ve had coffee with my Pastor to go over what I learned in the conference and discussed what we might do as a church. We talked about starting a community garden on unused church property.

I haven’t upgraded my TV for the digital transition -- and I may not!

Evangelism seems to be most effective when the local church is truly reaching into and loving its community. After attending the Flourish Conference, I definitely believe creation care is one of the most powerful ways to reach into today’s community and change lives for Christ.