This is way better than TV

My son spent most of the afternoon playing in this group of trees and bushes.  Yep, just him and the bushes.  There is so much nature at my mom and dad’s and the kids just get lost in it all day.  I notice this kind of play is different than the kind of play we have at home.  It is more creative and spontaneous and (the biggest difference) lasting.  They can play with sticks, rocks, grass and leaves for a very long time.  They are happy and sleep well.  They are learning about so many things and free to do so at their own pace.

(An insect found by Liam and observed over an outside supper.)

I love it when my kids get a chance to really be free in God’s creation.  We try and get some nature time every day, but there is something so different about going for an hour to the pond by our house, or a nature sanctuary for an afternoon than this days at a time type experience.  I hope that these times, will help shape them into adults who love nature and want to take care of it because they are aware of how utterly amazing and soul restoring it is. 

God’s gift of this kind of relaxation and restoration is one I am so thankful for.  So for now while it is available, we are going to soak it up.

 

He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.  Psalm 23:2

 

Celebrating Creation

(From Genesis 1)

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light….and God saw that it was good.

And God said, “Let the water under the sky be gathered to one place, and let dry ground appear.” And it was so…  and God saw that it was good.

And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.  And it was so…And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so….and God saw that it was good.

And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so…and God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

So God created man in his own image, 
in the image of God he created him; 
male and female he created them.

 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

 

 

 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

“God writes the Gospel, not in the Bible alone, but also on trees, and in the flowers and clouds and stars.” – Martin Luther

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for knowing God.”  Romans 1:20

Happy Earth Day everyone.  I am in total awe of God’s creation and it’s goodness.

 

Water

When I saw this trailer, I hoped lots of people would watch it.  This trailer brings up many of the current issues surrounding water in North America, especially bottled water. 

Switching over to stainless steel water bottles that we take everywhere with us was one of the easiest things my family has done to cut back on our environmental impact.  (We used to have Nalgenes, but after the whole BPA thing I avoid plastic, even the BPA free stuff, after all it is still made from a petrochemical.) Stainless steel bottles cost between five and 30 dollars (the cost of three to 15 bottles of water) and are well worth the investment.  If you choose a more expensive brand you can get one that is  insulated, to keeps cold cold and hot hot.  You can also use them at your local coffee shop, and take our restaurant, to cut back on paper cup waste.

Drinking a cold glass of water, going for a refreshing swim and taking a hot bath are some of my favourite uses of water.  My family cherishes time at the beach.  I really love water, so the thought of it all being polluted (all that plastic floating around in the ocean, estrogen in my kids drinking water, raw sewage being released into the harbour in Halifax, yuck!) is really disturbing.  Even thinking of my not so favourite uses (washing laundry, dishes, sewer system) are really nice perks.  Being a Christian, I really love spending time in God’s creation.  I think it is so beautiful!  So I want to do all I can to take good care of it, because I love God and I want to treat His creation with awe and respect.

I am always interested in the steps others are taking to respect and love God’s creation, as this is really such a journey of becoming educated and then actually making lifestyle changes.  So many of the things my family does now, we did not do, or even really know about, until a few years ago.  As time goes on and we learn about more ways to take care of the earth, we try and make more changes.  Anyone have any new changes they want to share?