EarthCare Online Update MARCH/APRIL 2006
"Caring for God's Creation" www.earthcareonline.org
"The earth is the LORD's, and the fullness thereof..." (Psalm 24:1, KJV)
Contents:
The beauty of the Lord and his creation
Spring conference canceled
Creation care and nature events
At Home
Spring Cleaning the healthy way
AT
CHURCH
Sunday, April 23 churches will be thanking God
for his Creation
In Our Community and World
The sacredness of all work done for God
For
Kids
"Healthy Snacks for Kids" workshop at Crabtree
Farms on June 3
For EarthCare Online Update subscription information, please click here.
The beauty of the Lord and his creation
I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.
―Song of Solomon 2:1, KJV
And let the beauty of the LORD our God be upon us,
And establish the work of our hands for us;
Yes, establish the work of our hands.
―Psalm 90:17, NKJV
Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and yet I say unto you, that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.
―Luke 12:27, KJV
Spring conference canceled
Due to scheduling conflicts, EarthCare has canceled its 2006 Spring Conference. Please look for news about the annual Fall Retreat to be held sometime in October or November 2006.
Creation care and nature events
2006
Hikes sponsored by the Chattanooga Hiking Club. hiking.chattanooga.net.
Tennessee Aquarium Events. tnaqua.org.
Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont Events. gsmit.org.
march 20
monday
First Day of
Spring
MARCH 25 SATURDAY
Wildlife Photo
Opportunity - Chattanooga
Saturday, March 25, 2006. 10am - noon.
Chattanooga Nature Center, Chattanooga.
Cost: Chattanooga Nature Center members $35. Non-members $45.
Preregistration is required.
Information: chattanature.org.
(423) 821-1160.
april 1 Saturday / RAIN DATE - april 8
EarthCare
Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup
9am. Meet at Central High School.
Contact: Patrick Spiesser to sign up to assist with cleanup
(423) 855-7488.
april 1 saturday
Organic Gardening Seminar - Chattanooga
Saturday, April 1, 2006.
9:30am-1pm.
Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St., Chattanooga.
Registration:
Cost is $20 a person and
pre-registration is required. Register by phone (423) 493-9155 x16 or
email to sign-up.
More information:
crabtreefarms.org.
april 2 sunday
Daylight Saving
Time begins.
Spring forward one hour.
april 7-9 fRIDAY THRU SUNDAY
Reflection Riding Spring Wildflower Festival and
Native Plant Sale - Chattanooga
Friday and Saturday, April 7 & 8, 2006:
9am - 5pm.
Sunday, April 9: 1pm - 5pm. Reflection Riding,
Chattanooga.
The sale will feature sale of native trees,
shrubs and wildflowers, guided wildflower walks, and talks on a variety of
gardening topics.
Admission: Free.
More information: www.reflectionriding.org (423) 821-9582.
april 8
Saturday
Household Hazardous Waste Collection - Chattanooga
2nd Saturday of each month. 8am - noon.
Household Hazardous Waste
Facility, 3925 North Hawthorne St., Chattanooga.
Information:
Chattanooga Public Works
(423)
698-9531.
april 9 sunday
Palm Sunday
april 10-14 monday
thru friday
Dalton Tire Amnesty Week
Monday-Friday, April 10-14, 2006. Dalton, GA.
Dalton Public Works will collect up to 6 car tires from the curb.
To schedule pick-up:
call (706) 278-7077.
april 11 Tuesday
EarthCare
Monthly Planning Meeting
2nd Tuesday of each month.
6:30pm.
Chattanooga State (follow the signs or contact us for
info.).
Information:
.
april 13 thursday
"What is Your Role in Creation Care?"
lecture -
Collegedale, TN
Thursday, April 13, 2006. 7:30pm.
Hickman Science Center - Room 114. Southern Adventist University..
Dottie Shuman Ph.D. from
Montreat College will introduce the different perspectives that Christians have
in caring for God’s creation, and learn about one person’s journey toward that
goal. This presentation is part of the E.O. Grundset Lecture series.
Admission: Free.
More information: www.southern.edu.
april 15 Saturday
Household Hazardous Waste Collection - Dalton, GA
3rd Saturday of each month. 7am - 2pm.
Household Hazardous Waste
Facility, Old Dixie Landfill, Dalton.
Information: (706) 277-2545.
april 16 sunday
Easter Sunday
APRIL 22 SATURDAY
Earth Day
Information:
earthday.net
APRIL 22-23 saturday - Sunday
Crabtree Farms Spring Plant Sale - Chattanooga
Saturday, April 22, 2006. 8am-1pm.
Sunday, April 23. noon-4pm.
Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St., Chattanooga.
Plant sale list and more information:
crabtreefarms.org.
APRIL 23 SUNDAY
Earth Day Sunday / Creation
Sunday
Resources:
nccecojustice.org,
creationcare.org
April 23 SUNDAY
Dalton Ecumenical Earth Day Celebration
Sunday, April 23, 2006. 12:30 - 3:30pm.
Christ the King Lutheran Church, Dalton, GA.
Information: (706) 278-3979,
driving directions.
APRIL 28 FRIDAY
National Arbor Day
Information:
arborday.org.
MAY 2 TUESDAY
Crabtree Farms' Farm Stand Opens - Chattanooga
Open
May 2 thru November 18, 2006. Tuesdays thru Saturdays.
9am-1pm.
Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St., Chattanooga.
More information:
crabtreefarms.org.
(423) 493-9155.
may 9 Tuesday
EarthCare
Monthly Planning Meeting
2nd Tuesday of each month.
6:30pm.
Chattanooga State (follow the signs or contact us for
info.).
Information:
.
may 13 Saturday
Household Hazardous Waste Collection - Chattanooga
2nd Saturday of each month. 8am - noon.
Household Hazardous Waste
Facility, 3925 North Hawthorne St., Chattanooga.
Information:
Chattanooga Public Works
(423)
698-9531.
may 20 saturday
Growing
and Cooking Herbs - Chattanooga
Saturday, May 20, 2006.
10am-12noon.
Crabtree Farms, 1000 E. 30th St., Chattanooga.
Registration:
Cost is $20 a person and
pre-registration is required. Register by phone (423) 493-9155 x16 or
email to sign-up.
More information:
crabtreefarms.org.
may 20 Saturday
Household Hazardous Waste Collection - Dalton, GA
3rd Saturday of each month. 7am - 2pm.
Household Hazardous Waste
Facility, Old Dixie Landfill, Dalton.
Information: (706) 277-2545.
may 26-28 and june 23-25 friday thru sunday
Natural Building Workshops
- Whitwell, TN
Friday-Sunday, May 26-28 and June 23-25, 2006.
Sequatchie Valley Institute, Whitwell.
More information: svionline.org or
(423) 949-5922.
JUNE 3 SATURDAY
National Trails Day
Information:
americanhiking.org
Spring cleaning the healthy way
This time of year many of us engage in decluttering and spring cleaning. Here are some tips for creating a healthier home with non-toxic household cleaning products:
• Declutter. By giving away, recycling, and throwing away those items that you no longer use or that do not bring you joy, your home will be easier to clean. Clutter collects dust and often gasses off chemicals into the home.
• Let in fresh air and sunshine. Frequently airing out your home replaces polluted indoor air with fresher outdoor air. Sunshine reduces the growth of dust mites.
• Clean a little every day. Doing just a few homemaking tasks on a regular basis helps make cleaning jobs more manageable and keeps the home cleaner on an ongoing basis. Regular cleaning routines also make it easier to maintain a clean home using only mild, non-toxic products.
For tips on how to go about decluttering, developing household cleaning routines and making homemaking fun, visit Flylady.net. The site offers a free email list through which subscribers receive homemaking tips, encouragement, and daily reminders. As you develop new routines, try experimenting with some of the natural cleaners listed below.
•
Use healthier household cleaners. Most
household cleaning jobs can be accomplished using vinegar or baking soda. For
cleaning recipes and ideas,
check out the following resources:
Baking Soda,
Vinegar,
More Baking
Soda and Vinegar (by About.com)
Alternative
NonToxic Recipes
Clean &
Green Natural Homemade Household Formulas
Books:
Better Basics for the Home: Simple Solutions for
Less Toxic Living, by Annie Berthold-Bond (Three Rivers Press, 1991).
In this book, Berthold-Bond offers more than 800 recipes for addressing a wide
range of homemaking needs, including cleaning, personal hygiene, and gardening.
Check at your local library for other books on house cleaning or natural products.
Sunday, April 23 churches will be thanking God for his creation
On the Sunday, April 23, 2006, the first Sunday following Earth Day, many churches will be pausing to thank God for his creation and to examine ways in which they may be good stewards of God's earth. For curriculum and worship materials for Earth Day Sunday/Creation Sunday, visit nccecojustice.org or creationcare.org. This year the National Council of Churches' focus is on the topic: Through the Eye of a Hurricane: Rebuilding Just Communities. The Evangelical Environmental Network is offering resources on Climate Change.
The sacredness of all work done for God
Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever
ye do, do all to the glory of God.
―I
Corinthians 10:31
KJV
"Let every man abide in
the calling wherein he is called and his work will be as sacred as the work of
the ministry. It is not what a man does that determines whether his work is
sacred or secular, it is why he does it. The motive is everything. Let a man
sanctify the Lord God in his heart and he can thereafter do no common act. All
he does is good and acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For such a man,
living itself will be sacramental and the whole world a sanctuary."
―A. W. Tozer in The Pursuit of God
"Healthy
Snacks for Kids" workshop
at Crabtree Farms on June 3
Saturday, June 3 from 10am to 12noon, Ashley
Ironwood of Sequatchie Valley Institute will teach kids and their parents
about healthy eating in a hands-on workshop at Crabtree Farms. Come, mix
up tasty snacks and take home recipes that you can make quickly and easily
with your family. The lecture and demonstrations will take place in the
beautiful Crabtree Farms kitchen.
Registration:
Cost is $20 and pre-registration
is required. Register by phone (423) 493-9155 x16 or
email to sign-up.
More information:
crabtreefarms.org.
The LORD bless you and keep you;
The LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you;
The LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.
(Numbers 6:24-26, NKJV)
EarthCare Online Update is a free email newsletter published by EarthCare, Inc. Published approximately six times a year, the newsletter focuses on Christians' call to care for the earth, news of EarthCare activities, and resources to assist with daily aspects of creation care.
Please note that the views expressed in resources listed in the Update are not necessarily those of EarthCare. In the Update we attempt to include a variety of books, websites, etc. in order to facilitate readers' education and exploration of ideas regarding the care of God's creation. It is our hope and prayer that before embracing new beliefs or practices, readers will examine them in context of the teachings of the Bible and God's personal call in their lives.
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ABOUT EARTHCARE
EarthCare, Inc. is a non-profit Christian organization that exists to promote creation stewardship within the Christian community. For more information about EarthCare, caring for God's creation, and links to other creation care resources, please see our website www.earthcareonline.org.
TO DONATE
"EarthCare Stewards" are what we call the generous individuals and churches who contribute to the ministries of EarthCare. We invite you to become an EarthCare Steward and join with us in supporting creation care in the Christian community. The ministries of EarthCare are funded entirely by gifts from folks like you who want to make a difference. Most gifts we receive are small, but because we're all volunteers any amount that you give will have a big impact! Your gift will go directly to support EarthCare ministries (projects, conferences, website, email list, mailing services, and other EarthCare activities). All gifts are tax deductible.
You may contribute by mailing a check or money order to the address below. Thank you!
EarthCare, Inc.
PO Box 23291
Chattanooga, TN 37422
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