so it's been awhile . . .

In all honesty, I've been lagging behind in this whole green pursuit as well. We've made some basic changes in our lives that encourage us to be more green but as with anything, the initial excitement fades . . . I was thinking about what it meant to serve God by being aware of my impact almost every day and everywhere I went. I am still acutely aware of these things but it's not as consuming as it was initially. I guess it's good that some things are becoming habit, like really paying attention to recycling, composting and making sure that we're carpooling. I know we still have a lot to learn and I am committed to trying to continue living in a way that will show Christ to the world by living a sustainable lifestyle.

Since my last post, our church had the trash pick-up and it was wildly successful! It's exciting to see that the people in our congregation are willing to give back to the community that way. What they don't know is that it's beginning of my push for our church to become more green. Where do they think those recycling bins have come from? :) I am working on a list of 10 free things you can do to help be conscious of your impact on the environment. Maybe I'll post them here to get some feedback once I feel like I have a good list generated.

But back to the people that came out - I know some of them have political issues with saving the environment and it was refreshing to see those people put the political side of things aside so that they could serve. Praise God. I truly believe that sustainability and environmentalism should not be a political issue at all - people are dying and they are the poorest, youngest, oldest and the least capable to take care of themselves. Jesus said to help them, therefore we should - even when that means that we don't get that huge SUV or we don't use disposable utensils and plates. . .

On another note, Thursday, March 20, Matthew Sleeth (author of Serve God Save the Planet - read it if you haven't) will be interviewed in a live streamcast at www.TheVirtualBibleStudy.com to discuss creation care and honoring the Sabbath. Hope you can tune in: 8 pm CST, 9 pm EST.

Well on that note, I'll wrap up and try to commit to blogging a bit more. . .

“You shall not pollute the land in which you live. . . .You shall not defile the land in which you live, in which I also dwell.” Numbers 35:33–34, NRSV

Buy Local = Loving People because People Matter to God :)

More food for thought about food :)


10 Reasons to Eat Local Food

Eating local means more for the local economy. According to a study by the New
Economics Foundation in London, a dollar spent locally generates twice as much income for the
local economy. When businesses are not owned locally, money leaves the community at every
transaction.

Locally grown produce is fresher. While produce that is purchased in the supermarket or a
big-box store has been in transit or cold-stored for days or weeks, produce that you purchase at
your local farmer's market has often been picked within 24 hours of your purchase. This
freshness not only affects the taste of your food, but the nutritional value which declines with
time.

Local food just plain tastes better. Ever tried a tomato that was picked within 24 hours? 'Nuff
said.

Locally grown fruits and vegetables have longer to ripen. Because the produce will be
handled less, locally grown fruit does not have to be "rugged" or to stand up to the rigors of
shipping. This means that you are going to be getting peaches so ripe that they fall apart as
you eat them, figs that would have been smashed to bits if they were sold using traditional
methods, and melons that were allowed to ripen until the last possible minute on the vine.
Eating local is better for air quality and pollution than eating organic.

In a March 2005 study by the journal Food Policy, it was found that the miles that organic food often travels to our plate creates environmental damage that outweighs the benefit of buying organic.

Buying local food keeps us in touch with the seasons. By eating with the seasons, we are
eating foods when they are at their peak taste, are the most abundant, and the least expensive.

Buying locally grown food is fodder for a wonderful story. Whether it's the farmer who
brings apples to market or the baker who makes bread, knowing part of the story about your
food is such a powerful part of enjoying a meal.

Eating local protects us from bioterrorism. Food with less distance to travel from farm to
plate has less susceptibility to harmful contamination.

Local food translates to more variety. When a farmer is producing food that will not travel a
long distance, will have a shorter shelf life, and does not have a high-yield demand, the farmer
is free to try small crops of various fruits and vegetables that would probably never make it to a
large supermarket. Supermarkets are interested in selling "Name brand" fruit: Romaine Lettuce,Red Delicious Apples, Russet Potatoes. Local producers often play with their crops from yearto year, trying out Little Gem Lettuce, Senshu Apples, and Chieftain Potatoes.
Supporting local providers supports responsible land development.

When you buy local, you give those with local open space - farms and pastures - an economic reason to stay open and undeveloped.

courtesy of http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/

Christmas Time

So it's the holiday season again. There is so much to be thankful for and with this new focus on being green, it forces me to look at the season with new eyes.

For example - Christmas lights - I LOVE Christmas lights, but they tend to use a lot of extra energy. . . so manufacturers are begining to come out with LED Christmas lights. We got some of those this year - it's pretty exciting! :)

Another thought - wrapping paper. What a waste of paper! And I don't think I've ever seen anyone recycle their wrapping paper. Between Thanksgiving and New Year's day, Americans throw away a million extra tons [900,000 metric tons] of garbage each week, including holiday wrapping and packaging, according to Robert Lilienfeld. Lilienfield, who has published a newsletter on reducing waste since 1996, notes that if every family reused just 2 feet [0.6 meter] of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles [61,000 kilometers] of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet. Who would notice if you wrapped their present in newspaper or old paper bags and used fun bows to dress it up? For bows, you could use old VHS and cassette tape (both curl nicely on a sharp scissors' edge), old Christmas lights, tape measures, shoelaces—really anything from the junk drawer that's long enough to tie around a box—for a vintage look. Then you're reusing things instead us using bought wrapping paper that only has one purpose!

Something else to be on the lookout for. . . What Would Jesus Buy (www.wwjbmovie.com) it looks to be a super entertaining movie about commerialism in America especially during the holidays. . . check it out!