"The primary way simple living families care for the earth is by using less of its precious resources."
Use it up,
Wear it out,
Make it do,
Do without.
"Simple living, living lighter on the earth, is, by its very definition, a vote for the planet."
~from the book Living Simply with Children
"Now if I believe in God's Son and remember that He became man, all creatures will appear a hundred times more beautiful to me than before. They I will properly appreciate the sun, the moon, the stars, trees, apples, as I reflect that He is Lord over all things." ~ Martin Luther
"The creation is quite like a spacious and splendid house, provided and filled with the most exquisite and the most abundant furnishings. Everything in it tells us of God. ~John Calvin
Last fall, I listened to a podcast that featured an author named J. Matthew Sleeth, MD. He was speaking at Rob Bell's church for a series called God is Green. He was discussing his life and his book Serve God Save The Planet. Scott and his Dad have read the book. I have only read parts of it. It is good. Sleeth is a Christian that is passionate about calling others to action. He has changed his life in drastic ways in order to be kinder to the environment and truly make a difference.
In the back of Sleeth's book he has several helpful lists. I will share bits from each with you.
Lord, help me TODAY to:
* Pick up and throw away any trash I see on the ground.
* Turn off the faucet while brushing my teeth and shaving.
* Turn my thermostat up three degrees (in summer) or down three degrees (in winter).
* Wash my dishes by hand, or if I use a dishwasher, run it only with a full load, and not use heat for the drying cycle.
* Turn off the lights, TV radio, and stereo when I leave the room for more than sixty seconds.
* Give something away.
* Spend at least ten minutes with the you, quietly, in nature.
Lord, help me THIS WEEK to:
* Read Psalms 23, 24, 104, 147, and 148.
* Take a day of rest - no shopping, no work, no driving.
* Bike, walk, carpool, or use public transportation instead of driving.
* Avoid the mall completely.
* Visit the grocery store only once.
* Recycle everything I can.
* Consciously combine trips and errands.
* Buy only fair-trade and shade-grown coffee and other sustainably grown foods.
* Donate a box of books to the library.
* Avoid fast-food restaurants.
* Air-dry my laundry.
* Buy only "tree free" toilet paper, paper towels, and tissues made from recycled paper.
* Change at least five lightbulbs in my home to compact fluorescents.
Lord, help me THIS MONTH to:
* Stock up on handkerchiefs, cloth shopping bags, and cloth napkins so I can kick the paper habit.
* Clean out my closets and donate clothes I have not worn in the past year.
* Compost my food and yard waste.
* Install low-flow showerheads.
* Save all the catalogs that I don't want to receive and call each one, asking to be taken off its mailing list.
* Disconnect the ice maker in my freezer.
* Unplug the TV and stereo when not in use, or put them on a switched power strip or outlet.
* Start a weekly or monthly family night where we eat dinner together, play games, or read a book aloud.
Lord, help me THIS YEAR to:
* Donate my old cell phone, computer, or printer to a good cause.
* Set up a recycling program at my workplace, church, or school.
* Cut way back on the Christmas frenzy.
* Set up a share board in my church or organize a clothing exchange.
* Start a tool library or toy library in my town or church.
* Use no pesticides or chemicals on my lawn or garden.
* Instead of a birthday gift or flowers for a a funeral, send a donation to charity.
* Pick one endangered species and do something to help save it.
* Start a vegetable garden at home.
* Stay closer to home on my next family trip and stay home on one holiday when I usually travel.
Visit www.servegodsavetheplanet.org to read more about Sleeth, his book and his podcasts.
Our family has actively been changing the way we live for years. We still have a long way to go. Living simply is our goal. I think the ideas listed above are good ones. Jot a couple of them down and make a change.
1 comment:
Thanks for this post, Anna. I bought cloth shopping bags a couple of months ago and I feel so cool/proud using them instead of plastic or paper. Of course there are times that I still forget to get them out of my car before going in. Most of the times I've run back out to get them. Our city has mandatory recycling and that has been very motivating to recycle our plastic, paper, etc. Mitch is considering how we can use environmental issues as a springboard for the gospel in our city. He has read a lot more about it. Anyway, thanks for the post. Its good to be encouraged to take care of the earth that God has blessed us with.
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