Caring for Creation

Today is Earth Day!

As a teacher and a mom, this is one of my most favorite "recognized days". I don't think it qualifies as an actual holiday.
What I do know is that we, as Believers, should be leading the way in this world which was created by God, in the areas of reducing, recycling, reusing, replenishing and restoring.
What things will you do today with your children/family to help care for the creation God has given to us?
Here are some ideas to get you started:

• RECYCLE! Teach all the children in your family to recycle. Teach them how to sort.

Our current garbage contractor gave us 3 bins: cardboard and food boxes (yes, I recycle more than I put in trash!), newspaper/magazines/paper, cans/bottles/glass. We actually fill all 3 bins and usually our garbage can is NOT full. We have a 30 gallon can and every week it is usually only half full. This is great for us as it used to overflow. Recyclables are picked up each week, same day as garbage from our particular hauler, so keeping a schedule is easy. Both of my daughters know that if they empty something, they rinse, recycle or reuse. EASY! We also save the water bottles to get 2 uses out of them rather than drinking one and then tossing in bin. This cuts down on cost, too!

• REDUCE! Simplify your life. Get rid of unread or unwanted magazine subscriptions. Get rid of "not in style" anymore clothing that you know you and your children will never wear again; this goes for shoes, boots and coats. Donate to Goodwill, Salvation Army, a church, a women's shelter or a crisis center. Clean out your books/movies/games: donate to daycare centers or church nurseries/prek's. If books are for older children, donate to a school or town library. They will be thrilled to get them! Board games could be donated to a domestic violence shelter, daycare, elementary school or church youth center. Stop buying so many water bottles and start using the kind you can refill. LLBean sells a great kind that is aluminum and keeps water cold and coffee hot. You can wash it out and reuse!

• REUSE: see the above paragraph plus: if storing cut up veggies in plastic storage bags (I use the ziplock kind) just rinse out with warm water when empty, air dry and then reuse for more veggies or fruit! Invest in some plastic ware that can be washed and reused for leftovers, rather than relying on plastic wrap. Reuse empty, washed jam jars, pasta sauce jars, etc. as drinking glasses. They are especially fun to use in summer with bright colored fruit smoothies or iced tea/sparkling water. GET CREATIVE!

• REPLENISH: Nothing else saddens me in this world than seeing people mistreat the things of nature. Most particularly, campers who just decide to cut down tree branches, etc for firewood, rather than purchasing logs from the camp office or from people who sell it from fallen trees, etc. PLEASE TEACH YOUR CHILDREN, starting at a young age (about 18 months) TO NOT PICK WILDFLOWERS, PULL OFF TREE LEAVES FROM BRANCHES or HARM BUSHES, TREES, FLOWERS, ANIMALS, etc. If you live in an area like I do where there is still lots of houses going up to the detriment of the forest, then determine in your heart to PLANT A TREE! PLANT FLOWERS! PLANT VEGGIES OR FRUITS if you can. We cannot plant veggies due to our active lifestyle in the growing months. There is no one here who can oversee the work needed and we cannot afford a gardener. BUT...we do grow potted flowers, potted herbs, and have wildflowers growing along one side of our backyard. We have planted lilac bushes and maple trees as well as pine trees, tulips, and other perennials. We also do some annuals each spring. DO SOMETHING! AND PLEASE: if hiking, please teach your children to not pick the flowers they see growing. Picking wildflowers from your own yard is one thing: please teach them to leave nature in its spot so others can enjoy it too!

• RESTORE: this also goes along with the above paragraph. But let's take it a step further if we are Believers: PRAY! Pray that our nation's leaders would use wisdom with environmental actions, etc. Limit your waste. Teach your children how to do this. Conserve energy and water. Teach your children how to do this. And read the Scriptures about being good stewards of the earth. God made it. It's up to us to take care of it.

You can get other Earth Day ideas and Scriptures about creation/stewardship, by clicking here.

"The Lord God took the man
and put him in the Garden of Eden
to work it and take care of it."
Genesis 2:15

How are you celebrating Earth Day today?

What things are you teaching your children to do?
What is one thing you could recycle today?
What is one Scripture you enjoy about creation/stewardship?




to read about ideas on how to conserve your time, scroll down to the next post.