Month 5 is all about a reduction of waste. You know the mantra, Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It's being hammerred into my elementary kids heads with force through the efforts of the public school system which brings me to an interesting point; we who love God with our whole heart have gotten a reputation as Earth trashers. The author relays a quote she found on twitter, "Today is Earth Day, or as conservative evangelicals call it, Thursday." Part of this statement is true, in the fact that I have only been recycling for a few years in comaprrison to my lengthier walk with the LORD. In my elementary public school days, we didn't know what recycling was, or how to recycle at school. We are progressing by the generations. I hope that we can shed this reputation and gain some ground among our Earth loving friends as compatible. Back to the book review. The Hatmakers adopted seven habits for a geener life encompasing a fast from consumption. They included: gardening, composting, conserving energy and water, recycling, driving only 1 car, shopping second hand, buying local.
Favorite Thoughts From The Author
"I'm done separating ecology from theology, pretending they don't originate from the same source."
Simply stated, if we love God, we should honor His creation by stewarding it with care.
"What does it mean to be a godly consumer? Can we unlearn our destructive habits and reimagine a way to live lighter on this Earth? What if we changed our label from 'consumers' to 'stewards'? Would it change the way we shop? The way we think?" I really have given my habits over to God in this area and I want to continue to do so daily. Within the past 3 years, we've started recycling, rid our home of all paper products excluding toilet paper,
I did get a little slack from my parents on the lack of paper products. When they come to visit they just don't buy into the idea of sharing the 4 washable napkins on the table. I think it's kinda fun to watch them squirm. My Dad asked me how I cook bacon without paper towels and I laughed alittle, but it really is an easy transition once you get used to it.
We use reusable lunch boxes but I hope to add in reusable baggies. They make cloth ones that are washable and kinda cool looking. We also buy local milk from a farmer. The jars are washed and returned each week which decreases our carbon footprint and we get to support a local farmer!
I have a favorite second hand kids clothing sale I shop twice a year and I LOVE IT. I've found it saves me time throughout the rest of the year to only shop in the Spring and Fall.
Gardening, composting and farmer's markets are of course seasonal here in the Midwest so once the spring time hits I plan on starting a compost bin in the back yard. I think conserving energy and water and buying local are the areas where I need more transformation. Lord, help me.
"I don't want to raise ignorant little consumers who think food is from the fridge where produce angels magically deposit it. Appreciating creation means learning what it is capable of producing." This idea really hit home for me last year. I have a few friends who are foodies, and consequently they garden and even help tend to other people's farms for free crops. My kids were able to go a few times to a farm to help and my daughter really loved it. I wanted my kids to understand the natural and cyclical process of planting, tending and harvesting so we started a garden last Spring.
I used a book about square foot gardening and the concepts within because I am totally clueless about this topic. It not only helped me simplify gardening, but organize it as well. We grew lettuce and swiss chard in abundance, and everything else was eaten before fruition by the deer. Lot's of salads and nothing to top them with, ay yi yi. This year I intend to try harder at keeping those pesky deer away but my kids enjoyed it and were introduced to God's creation through gardening.
The author's garden was 15x15, and mine is 12x12. It really does not take a lot of space at all!
Word(s) that Last
"The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters." Psalm 24:1-2
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