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Easy Green Tip of the Week

[Insert obligatory reference about Spring here]


Eco-Solutions: Spring Cleaning Edition


My wife is pretty amazing…make that pretty and amazing. She is always looking for ways to save us time and money. Now that we have a little person in our house that can’t read warning labels yet (not to mention two VERY curious cats), she has been finding ways to make our home safer.


So let’s hold on a second before bringing out the big guns for your Spring Cleaning. My wife has recently shared a link on her Facebook page which gives step-by-step instructions on making your own cheap, effective, and non-toxic cleaning kit.



The instructions are provided here at Care2 Make a Difference. You can make your own soft scrub (great in the bathrooms), your own all-purpose spray (awesome at cleaning up messy counter tops), window cleaner, etc.


Now you can freshen up your home without worry. Baking soda, washing soda, vinegar, and dish soap are the main ingredients in most of the products. Completely safe, environmentally friendly, and extremely inexpensive.


Happy cleaning!

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Blinded

“I can’t see anything.”

“You’re suffering from hibernation sickness. You’re eyesight will return soon.”

“Where am I?”

“Jabba’s palace.”

“Who are you?”

“Someone who loves you very much.”

Han and Leia share a kiss, and live happily ever after. It’s not every day that the damsel rescues the knight in distress.

Anyway, Han spends the next several scenes in a state of near-blindness. I feel his pain. The same thing happens to me when I stumble to the bathroom at 2 am and flip the light switch. It’s painful to go from several hours of darkness to instant light. How much more pain must Han have felt after such a long time frozen in carbonite?

I can across this passage this morning which I have read many times, yet I noticed something new this time. 1 John 2:10-11 says, “Whoever loves his brother abides in the light and in him there is no cause for stumbling. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going because the darkness has blinded his eyes.”

The verdict is still out on whether or not someone can actually go blind from being in utter darkness for extended periods of time. Some say yes, you can go blind from darkness after several weeks because the muscles in and around the eyes would atrophy and the rods and cones would eventually die out. Others say no, there is no evidence that eyesight will be completely lost but it will take a while for the eyes to adjust back–like Han Solo.

Regardless, I feel like we have all experienced “blindness” from the dark. The movie is over and some idiot flips the light switch without giving the proper warning. Your mom turns on your lights to wake you up for school and the only logical response is to pull the covers up over your head to protect your eyes from the pain of the light. You get up to use the restroom at 2 am and miss because you have been blinded by the darkness.

I think you get my point. John is saying the same thing here about those who hate their fellow man. He says they are living in darkness and just stumble around. Even when they try to come out of that darkness and show love, they don’t know where they are going because they have been blinded.

Coming out of the darkness and into the light is a painful process, and it takes some time to adjust for most people. But instead of turning the lights out again quickly to avoid the pain, John is urging us to live in the light.

That means adjusting to the light. Living in love. Saying no to hate and malice while saying yes to compassion and mercy. By living a life of love, we will clearly see where we are going. No more stumbling around or pulling the covers over our heads.

And who know. When you come out of the darkness and into the light, you may just find someone who loves you very much.

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Huh…Who Knew?

I just read this interesting NY Times opinion article about the importance of monogamy in America. The author is not necessarily pushing for the religiously conservative save-yourself-for-marriage type of monogamy, but he points out a surprising trend occurring in the sexual lives of teens and young adults.


Stats show that in 2002 only 22% of those age 15-24 were virgins. That percentage rose to 28% in 2008. He goes on to say, “Successful abstinence-based programs (yes, they do exist) don’t necessarily make their teenage participants more likely to save themselves for marriage. But they make them more likely to save themselves for somebody, which in turn increases the odds that their adult sexual lives will be a source of joy rather than sorrow.”


Across the board, teens are not exactly saving themselves for marriage, but they are waiting longer and being more choosy. This also correlates to recent finds that show, “a significant correlation between sexual restraint and emotional well-being, between monogamy and happiness — and between promiscuity and depression.”


Is everything perfect? No. And it never will be. But mankind has a tendency to learn the hard way what God has already told us.


“Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a person commits are outside the body, but whoever sins sexually, sins against their own body.” 1 Corinthians 6:18

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High Five Thursday!

IRISH EDITION


Happy St. Patrick’s Day, everybody! In the spirit of the day, here is my Irish-themed Top 5


Top 5 of All Things Irish:


Celtic Knots


Knot work has been a part o Celtic history for centuries. But some of the more famous knots weren’t around until St. Patrick brought Christianity to the island. I love the Celtic Cross (I even have one on my Bible) and the Triquetra (the trinity knot).

















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Celtic Music


I’m a sucker for some Irish music. From Gaelic Storm and The Chieftains to Flogging Molly and Dropkick Murphys, there’s nothing like a good jig.


And it doesn’t get much more Irish than this:





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Irish Blessings


“May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And the rains fall soft upon your fields
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand”


“May your glass be ever full,
May the roof above your head be always strong,
And may you be in heaven
Half an hour before the devil knows you’re dead”


And my personal favorite:
“May those who love us love us,
And those that don’t love us,
May God turn their hearts.
And if he doesn’t turn their hearts,
May he turn their ankles
So we may know them by their limping.”
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Guinness


Not necessarily the beer, but the family in general. Not only did they produce the Guinness Book of World Records, but they are also churned out quite a number of well respected theological books. There is no doubt that the Guinness family has made a name for itself in Ireland and around the world. What’s more, they’ve also spread the name of God throughout Ireland and around the world.

















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U2


One of the greatest bands of the last 3 decades calls Ireland their home. I mean, what can I say really? They are known the world over, and their music has inspired millions. They bathe their music in the gospel without losing any appeal to non-Christians. I’ve only recently fell in love with the band, and I feel like I’ve missed out on something.


Anyway, here’s one of their latest singles, “Magnificent.”


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My Re-Birthday

Yesterday was Pi day. Yet before I knew that magical, irrational number, March 14 was the day on which I was baptized. I guess I was in 5th grade back in 1999 when I made the decision to obey in faith the gospel which I had been taught.

It’s interesting to me that I could quite calmly make the biggest decision of my life as an 11 year old. But now that I have been a Christian longer than not, I look back and realize that in the last 12 years, I have sinned WAY more than in the first 11.

That brings me to this song. I have been a big Relient K fan ever since their first album. They put out a single a year or two ago that I just recently started paying attention to. It’s called “Forget and Not Slow Down.” The chorus is a great reminder of the fact that on our journey to follow God, there will be many times that we fall down, turn aside, or just lose track of where we are.

But God will always be there to “resurrect the saint within the wretch.”

“But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son continually cleanses us of all sin.” 1 John 1:7

And since I’m on the topic of baptism, here’s “Rebirthing” by Skillet. I personally think we should blast this song over the PA system whenever someone is baptized.

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Easy Green Tip of the Week

Water-Saving Shower Heads

I love a nice, steamy shower almost any time of the day. However, apartment living has basically forces us to endure small, inefficient water heaters. So a couple weeks ago, we decided to upgrade to this:

It’s the EcoFlow by WaterPik. It has several different settings, including a “Water Saving Trickle,” which actually has more pressure behind it than our old shower head. On the “trickle” setting, it sprays 2.0 gallons per minute (gpm). That’s down from 2.5 gpm with our last one.

It may not seem like that great of a difference, but over a 10 minute shower, you end up saving 5 gallons of water. Since both my wife and I take showers almost every day, that turns into a 10 gallon savings each day. This quickly adds up to 3,650 gallons of water per year! This $20 shower head should pay for itself in no time.

But if you want to save even more on your water and electric bill, there are shower heads that shoot as little as .5 gpm! I haven’t seen a detachable head with that low of a flow, but there are plenty of options out there.

In fact there are so many options available, I don’t know why you wouldn’t choose a low flow shower head! I love it when you can save some green by going green.

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In the Garden

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you’ve probably noticed that there is a big push to “Go Green.” Environmentalism has entered into mainstream pop culture. Now with oil prices on the rise and sky-high energy prices, more and more people are jumping on the eco-train. And why not? Using less energy = saving more dollars.

What’s more, Americans are becoming more aware of the long-term environmental impact that everyday decisions can have. Global warming has become a household term and a serious concern for many people. We understand now that if we continue on the same track, there won’t be much of an earth left for our grandchildren to enjoy.

This is all good in my opinion. The only unfortunate part about this whole green revolution is that it has begun and is primarily sustained from a secular angle.

Let me explain. In response to the whole global warming issue, I’ve heard many Christians scoff, brush it off, and say that it’s all bumpkis. I’ve heard things like, “The earth can correct itself,” or, “Humans can’t destroy the earth. That’s up to God.” Then there are those who think that Jesus is going to come back and destroy the earth sometime in the next century, so it doesn’t really matter how we treat the earth.

Think about it. When was the last time you saw recycling bins in a church building?

Creation-care has not been the top priority of the church over the last couple centuries. If anything, it has been a passing thought or a footnote. But should it be that way? Should God’s people keep focusing on everything besides the environment? Or should the church be at the forefront of this environmental revolution?

I think it helps to look at God’s intended plan for His creation. In Genesis 2 we see God’s original intention for His prized creation. Just after God made man, He placed him in the Garden with a job.

“The LORD God took the man and placed him in the Garden of Eden to work it and to take care of it.”

The first job mankind ever had was tending to, working, and caring for God’s creation.

So you tell me. Does creation care matter? Can’t God just clean up the mess that humans have made of this world? Or is it up to us to take care of the earth, take responsibility for the mess we’ve created, and take measures to correct it?

From the beginning, God has left it up to us to make use of the land and tend to the land. The earth takes care of us, and we take care of it.

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High Five Thursday!

Spring is just around the corner. As we get ready to lose an hour of sleep, adjust to bipolar weather patterns, and suffer through yet another round of sinus infections…..Here’s my top five things to do in the Spring!

Top Five Things to Do in the Spring!

Grilling out

Or for you Northern folk, “barbecue-ing”. Although any true Southerner can tell you that barbecue is something you eat, not something you do. But anyway….I absolutely love firing up the grill. In my opinion, a charcoal grill sprinkled with hickory chips is the best way to cook any piece of meat. Not to mention corn, potatoes, etc. If I had the time, money, and energy for it, I would light up the coals every night from April to September.
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Opening up the windows

I love it when God sends us that weather where the temperature hits that magical 72 degree mark and the clouds take a hiatus. At that moment, the thermostat is set to “Off,” all the light fixtures are off, and our apartment is bathed in sunlight and fresh air.
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Busting out the sandals

When the weather is warm, I would rather wear my Chacos than any other pair of shoes. There’s just something about the freedom from socks and laces that I love so very very much. Or for dressier occasions (church and whatnot), I will dawn my Greek sandals. Whatever the case, I try my hardest not to wear shoes during warm weather months. Sandals all the way.
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Gardening

Pretty much anything that gets me outside and working with my hands is an activity worth doing. I’m really enjoying working on the grounds crew at Harding. It’s getting time to see the fruits of all our labors during the winter as everything starts to bloom out and sprout up. There’s nothing better than stopping to smell the roses you took the time to prune just a couple months ago.
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Walking/Running/Hiking

Going on a walk, a run, or a hike on a clear, warm Spring day relaxes me like just about nothing else. It gives me a chance to get my blood pumping and my mind thinking. Sometimes, I just clear my mind and take in the beauty in the world around me, whether on a mountain or in a neighborhood.

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Dirt

Yeah, can you believe someone actually made a movie about dirt? I started watching it the other day, but didn’t have time to finish it. The filmmakers and the interviewees shared some very interesting insights about the ground beneath our feet.

Did you catch the one guy in the trailer who said, “We are dirt”? As a matter of fact, fertile top soil contains pretty much all the building blocks of human life–carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, water, and various other elements and minerals. When any living organism dies, it is broken back down into these fundamental elements to become…dirt.

[This is where I’ll throw in this week’s eco-tip: Composting! Is simple, it’s green, and it will help replenish parched dirt or fertilize your own gardens. For some helpful ways to get started, check out these websites: howtocompost.org; composting101.com; compostguide.com]


When God made humans, Genesis 2:7 says that He formed man out of the dust of the earth. When a person is dead, they are molecularly the same as when they were alive. Yet, the moment their heart stops beating, their bodies begin the decomposition process, which turns them back into dirt. It’s really the breath that makes all the difference.


God formed the first man from the dust of the earth, and then He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. Breath. It’s a simple, unconscious action that we take for granted. We can live without water for a few days and without food for a few weeks. Yet we can only live a few minutes without breath. That breath you just took is the most essential thing we take into our bodies.


Okay….duh? So what’s the point?


In nearly every ancient language, be it Hebrew, Greek, Latin, Sanskrit, etc., the word for breath is the same word for spirit. English has two different words – spirit and breath. Yet to ancient peoples, spirit and breath were the same. When a person died, their spirit and their breath had departed from them. We think of it as a double meaning, yet to them, it was the same. It is the spirit that sustains life. Our physical bodies cannot survive apart from our spirits.


So what is it that separates us from dirt? Our spirits. The breath we just took is a taste of the divine, it is a gift from God. It is a physical manifestation of our spiritual reality. Apart from God’s Spirit, we have no true life in our bodies. The same held true in the valley of dry bones found in Ezekiel 37. And again, the same language is used in Acts 2 when the Spirit of God fills the room like a violent wind.


Breath is essential for our bodies to survive. But it is just as essential that our lives be filled with the breath of God. If not, then “all we are is dust in the wind.”

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Jesus Knows Me

I saw this wooden wall plaque on Etsy. I think it is so cool. We talk all the time about how Jesus loves us, but it seems so philosophical. This twist of the familiar children’s song reminds me that to be loved is to be known.

Jesus knows me personally, intimately. And I love that.