The problem

Two church members are talking. One says to the other, "Sometimes I'd like to ask God why He lets people harm his world and his creatures when He could just do something about it."

"God's always listening. Why don't you just ask?"

"I'm afraid God might ask me why I'm not doing something about it."

God has no "Plan B". He's counting on us!

Treasure trove of environment books

I have discovered over 4,000 books about conserving the environment that you can order at a discount. Where, you ask? Better World Books.

Their "Outdoors & Nature/Environment/Conservation" category currently lists 4,418 books. Most are presumably used books at a nice discount. But the company stocks new ones as well. "The Green Festival Reader" was showing as a Better World Books staff person's pick this week. That actually started me poking around and finding the environment conservation category.

Disclaimer: One of my kids works at Better World Books, which is how I came to be searching their web site. I like the company's philosophy. Better World Books' tag line is "The Online Bookstore with a Soul".

Snapple Cap Eco Fact

"Every ton of recycled paper saves 17 trees."

That got me researching and examining recycled personal laser printer papers.

A tidbit from the "Get Involved" web page related to Armstrong Atlantic State University sort of slapped me up side the head:

"When buying printer paper, look for recycled paper with a high percentage of post-consumer content and the minimum of chlorine bleaching. Even recycled paper gobbles up a great deal of energy, water, and chemical resources in its processing."

I have been buying Recycled paper from Office Depot. But it's only 35% recycled materials. A fast web search showed that Mohawk recycled paper is from 100% recycled materials.

Then I ran across another sobering fact: "100% recycled copy and print paper use at least 50% post-consumer recycled content ". So 100% = 50%. Strange math! Read the labels carefully

Not only that ... most recycled paper is guaranteed to run on office copiers, laser printers, and inkjet printers. Only testing will tell if the paper curls too much in humid conditions (like summer in Hotlanta).

After more searching (I refuse to say "Bing-ing") I found acid-free 100% recycled paper processed without using chlorine. The paper has better recycled amount, is certified by the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC), is available from a local business, and is an excellent price. Next time, I get the 100% recycled paper!

• Staples 100% FSC-certified recycled paper (currently only $7 per ream)

Looking with spiritual eyes

I was reading some posts at the Wonder of Creation blog and came across some great photos in the "Spiritual Values of Wilderness" article. The article is certainly excellent, but what actually stuck me was how I interpreted the "Yellowstone terraces" photo (below).

I carefully looked at the photo again, even considered a "retouch" for effect and personal use, rejected that idea as spoiling reality, then reflected on how a non-believer might see the same photo differently.

And therein lies the problem, I think. We Christians sometimes assume that everyone "thinks" like we do and that the truth of what we are saying must be "obvious". Not so. When we look with spiritual eyes, we see the world and the people in it differently.

Perhaps we could further God's work better by forcing ourselves to look at the world through the eyes of non-believers and then considering how best to "get through" to them.

Oh ... the photo of Yellowstone terraces? I immediately saw a cross in the photo, though it was really a tree stump combined with a shadow under a rock.

In the past, I have often stopped and quietly spoken thanks to God for a magnificent cloud formation or a beathtaking view of a valley. Is my associating the beauty of nature with God a plus or a weakness and "unreal"? I think it's a real plus. Would a non-believer? How can we get non-believers to see with spiritual eyes?

Eat green, save greenbacks

Wouldn't it be great if you could encourage restaurants that use less disposable plastics and also get a meal discount at the same time? Well, at a Decatur Dairy Queen yesterday I stumbled across a small slick handout from an Atlanta organization called "GreenPlate".

GreenPlate's primary focus is reducing use of disposable plastics by local restaurants and businesses by promoting better options. Why? Some facts from their handout:

• There's a huge area in the Pacific Ocean, twice the size of Texas, that has six times more plastic than plankton (marine life food).
• Fully 90% of marine trash is plastics.
• Land and local watersheds are the source of 80% of the plastic marine trash.
• Producing plastics uses 10% of U.S. oil.
• Most plastics ever made still exist today! They don't biodegrade.
• Plastic is now entering the food chain!

GreenPlate promotes sustainability by way of their "GreenPlate Specials" program for local restaurants and businesses. You get 50% off by using gift cards and coupons available through their web site.

GreenPlate actions include:

• Half-off gift cards
• Emailed specials
• e-Newsletters
• Alternatives to plastic water bottles
• Green art projects to educate through product designs
• Multi-media talks to groups

Some plastics-related sustainability actions we can take as individuals:

• Pick up plastic trash.
• Recycle plastic trash when possible.
• Say no to plastic bags.
• Patronize "green" restaurants that avoid plastics and styrofoam.
• Get the truth, then speak out!

Related links:

• GreenPlate
• Half-Off Green

We are God's agents of renewal

"The Whole Gospel", a recent article at the Wonder of Creation Blog, reminded me very much of the "Ecology of the Bible" study session we had that was titled "Jesus is coming – Plant a tree!" That study tied end-times and the environment.

We often think of Heaven as detached from earth and many people mistakenly view the "new earth" as replacing this one or else being in some other location. But it's quite the opposite. The new creation at end time is a "making new", not replacing it. One day the curtain will be pulled back and the Godly dimension and current earth will be joined as the earth is made new – creation is renewed.

Meanwhile, it's our job to be God's agents of renewal. If we truly follow Christ, we must participate in that renewal in an ongoing manner. Ours is a wonderful creation radically spoiled by our own hands and awaiting redemption. Sitting back and doing nothing or allowing spoilers of creation to go unchecked is not really an option for the "complete" Christian. Jesus has no "Plan B". He's counting on us!

Use that rainwater!

For most of us, the rain that falls on our roof runs off into the ground or the sewer system. But if you’re motivated to save a little water and re-distribute it on your lawns or plants — or even use it for laundry, dishes or other interior needs — collecting rainwater from your gutters’ downspouts is a no-brainer.

Water supply from the sky

According to John C. Davis, writing in E – The Environmental Magazine, just about any homeowner can collect rainwater, since the roof and gutters do most of the work. An inch of rain falling on a 2,000-square-foot roof produces some 1,200 gallons of runoff, so you could collect enough to supply all the water needs of a family of four for about two weeks. Of course, most of us would only use rainwater to irrigate our lawn or garden, and there should be plenty to go around for doing that in all but the most drought stricken areas.

Why use rainwater?

• Plants and grass actually do better when fed rainwater instead of tap water, which is usually treated with softeners that actually inhibit plant growth.
• The lack of minerals in rainwater actually makes it more effective than tap water for shampooing or doing dishes.
• Using rainwater for plumbing uses can also extend the life of pipes and water heaters, since the salts added to tap water help corrode the pipes.
• Harvesting rainwater reduces the erosion, flooding, and pollution runoff associated with heavy rainfall.
• Using rainwater lessens the burden on public water supplies.

Due to these benefits, some states subsidize residential rainwater collection systems. One caution, though – If you plan to use rainwater for interior needs, set up a water purification system.

How to get started

Many varieties of rain barrel systems, starting at just $100, are available for home installation. A typical set-up is simply a rain barrel positioned under a gutter’s downspout. According to the EPA, a single 100 gallon rain barrel can save up to 1,300 gallons of utility-provided water during the high demand summer months.

If you are handy, you can make their own water harvesting systems, but buying one pre-made is a lot easier. Most nurseries and garden centers offer a range of choices (as well as advice). Websites such as Aquabarrel, Clean Air Gardening and Rainxchange also make it easy to order a system online.

Related links

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Aquabarrel
• Clean Air Gardening
• Rainxchange

Source: EarthTalk®, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at:www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php

Greener dinners out

Restaurants are starting to get on the "green" bandwagon. As customers get more interested in human impact on God's earth, eateries are slowly adjusting. This can be a selling point, even in today's tight economy.

Some restaurants have removed bottled water from their menus, offering filtered tap water instead. In our area, Feast has offered filtered water from the start. Bottled water doesn't just contribute to excessive plastic waste, it also costs us a thousand times more than tap water. Yet up to 40 percent of bottled water starts as tap water! Is it a coincidence that "Evian" is "naive" spelled backwards?

Ted's Montana Grill uses water-efficient toilets and flushless urinals, which seem a bit odd, yet work well. The chain also offers pressed paper straws and biodegradable take-out containers. Overall, the restaurant is 99% plastic-free. The eco-friendly aim is even documented on one of their web pages.

You can encourage restaurants by asking for filtered water. Remember ... turn down water if you really don't want any. You can also frequent those who show a concern for God's earth.

Infinite earth photos

The infinite photograph at National Geographic is composed of photos. Click on an area, and it expands to show other photos that made up the original. In turn, those photos are made up of other photos, and so on.

Tip: Double-click a single photo in a composite to see information about that photo. Single-click to zoom in and see other photos that make up the one in the yellow-bounded rectangle.

Enjoy ... appreciate God's earth.

Riding trains lowers pollution

Train travel is one of the lowest impact ways to get from point to point short of walking, jogging or bicycling. By 1929 the U.S. boasted one of the largest and most used rail networks in the world, but U.S. carmakers began a concerted campaign to acquire rail lines and close them.

That, coupled with a major push in Congress to build the world’s most extensive interstate highway system, combined to shift Americans’ tastes away from rail travel and toward cars.

The Obama Administration has now allocated $8 billion of stimulus funds to upgrade and increase speeds on existing lines and create new high-speed lines in 10 corridors nationwide, including in the Southeast. A 2006 study by the Center for Clean Air Policy and the Center for Neighborhood Technology concluded that building a high speed rail system across the U.S. (similar in scope to that proposed by Obama) would likely result in 29 million fewer car trips and 500,000 fewer plane flights each year.

That would save six billion pounds of carbon dioxide emissions every year — the same effect as taking a million fume-belching cars off the road.

• Amtrak
• Center for Clean Air Policy
• Center for Neighborhood Technology

[Source: EarthTalk, from e-magazine, 28 Knight Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Phone: (203) 854-5559/x106 - FAX: (203) 866-0602, earthtalkcolumn@emagazine.com]

Simple things: drive smart

An insert from the World Wildlife Fund today got me thinking. The insert was titled, "10 Simple Things YOU Can Do to Help PROTECT the Earth". One of the 10 was to walk more and drive less.

OK, I buy that. But you and I both know that you can hardly get anywhere around the spreading metropolis that is Atlanta by walking. That is unless you are lucky enough to live in an area with close access to many of the places you'd want to go -- shops, grocery store, church, hair salon, and restaurants, for example. Downtown Decatur is one of those areas. But we don't all live in an area like that.

So here's a more practical tip for people in metro areas like Atlanta -- when you have to drive, drive smarter. Here are some tips on driving smarter:

• Slow down to a reasonabe amount over the speed limit. (You know who you are!). Slowing down from 75 mph to 65 mph saves over 10% on your gas. If you, like many Atlantans, have long commute time, you could save over $300 a year. That's not chump change!
• Make a constant freeway speed your goal. Use your cruise control whenever possible. Constantly speeding up and slowing down wastes (costs you) gas.
• Use your cruise control to slowly change speed. One press of the button usually changes the speed only 1 mph. This makes more efficient use of the gas and your vehicle's system.
• Wait to fill up. Filling up too soon increases the number of times you have to stop, then restart your vehicle. Each startup uses an extra slug of gas. So wait until you really need to gas up.
• Carpool when practical. Share the cost and lower the gas consumed, which also lowers the pollution belched into the air. If you can pick the co-riders, you'll also enjoy the trip more. Too many families these days each drive their car to an event. Bite the bullet; drive in one car. Make compromises. Just "getter done!"
• Use rapid transit when practical. Drive to a nearly train station if you need to save overall trip time. Then rail it! Use the time on the rail to read a good book. Relax and enjoy helping the environment.
• Plan trips. Make maximum use of your drive time and distance. Combine needed use of the car for shopping, eating ,work, etc. into as few trips as practical.

Climate change news

Below are some links about climate change on God's earth.

• Sea Ice At Lowest Level In 800 Years Near Greenland
• New York, Boston "Directly in Path" of Sea Level Rise
• CO2 Levels Highest in Two Million Years
• Tropical rain band shifting north
• Warming threatens some wonders - Interactive world map with text, photo info.
• Vital signs of a warming world - Interactive world map with multimedia info in several categories.

Cell phone recycling

Did you know you can recycle your old cell phone and help save Gorillas at the same time? A hyperlink rabbit trail today led me to the "Recycling Your Cell Phone Can Help Gorillas" web page at the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International site.

Both recycling and helping God's creation at the same time is a warm fuzzy.

• Cell phone recycling facts (Recycling for Charities)
• Mobile Recycling Blog
• Donate your mobile phone (Atlanta-based CARE)
• Where to Recycle a Cell Phone (EPA)
• cell phone recycling programs (Bing search results)

Mountain hike and waterfalls

On June 6th, the Creation Care Team and friends used the Church van to drive to the north Georgia mountains for a visit with Leanne's parents and a hike into the nearby mountain to waterfalls.

Our team plans both social actions and social outings related to care of God's creation.

We're off!

The day started by gathering at the church, packing into the church van, then riding to the Eton area of north Georgia, which is near Chatsworth. Leanne's parents have a gorgeous house with a spacious front porch, which Frank proudly showed off. The porch wraps around three sides of the house, so there's always a shaded part. It also sports several ceiling fans, potted plants, and chairs and swings for a crowd. The porch gives a view of nearby mountains, including Fort Mountain.

After a delicious light lunch of stack-it-yourself sandwiches and iced tea, Frank pulled up in, and showed off, his 1953 Willys Jeep. With his wide-brimmed hat and big carved walking stick, Stacey said he looked like a forest ranger. And so the "Ranger Frank" moniker was born.

The summer cabin

The jeep and church van hauled the team up the narrow, winding mountain dirt road to the family's summer cabin. Then Frank began shuttling the group further up to where the walking trail started. It was a warm, sunny summer day with an ever-so-slight breeze — the perfect day for a mountain hike!

The group waiting at the cabin got to explore a bit more — the cabin itself, the footbridge, the outhouse. Yes, outhouse! We were privy to the joys of viewing "outdoor plumbing". A unique item off to the side of the cabin was a meat smoker — made out of an old refrigerator.

Walking sticks

At Frank's suggestion, we all picked out a "walking stick". Though some poked fun at Bruce for the taller, thicker branch he selected, he would find it quite handy at the stream crossings that lay ahead. "Ranger Frank" then gave us the "caution" lecture — the forest does contain venomous snakes, poison ivy (or oak), and even wild boars — one of which had even charged Frank in the past. And be careful crossing the stream so you don't slip on the rocks. Leanne added a warning about Giardia and a tip to not drink the mountain stream water "just in case". Sideways looks and nervous chuckles spread through the assembled group.

Forest hike

Then we were off. Frank set a pretty good pace ... those who kept a more leisurely pace were "left in the dust". But that also gave the "lead" group periodic short rest breaks and time to really soak in the beauty of the mountain surroundings.

The forest canopy lent plenty of shade and the very slight breeze also helped keep the insects down to a bare minimum, which pleasantly surprised us all. As we hiked along, the trail varied from a one-lane hard dirt road to a narrow trail. Hikers chatted in small groups as they relished the beautiful forest. Along the way, moss-covered downed tree trunks, flowers, fungi, and butterflies brought smiles to the faces of all. Of course, "Ranger Frank" and Leanne pointed out some poison ivy (or oak — we were never quite sure, but we avoided the plants ... whatever they were).

Stream crossings

When we reached the first of three shallow stream crossings, Leanne pulled up one hiking boot at a time and ... removed the soles! It seems that her unique low-top hiking boots came with interchangeable soles. She put on one specially designed for stream crossings. The bottom looked like it had tiny white "hairs". Leanne said that despite the looks, they gripped the rocks very well.

At each stream crossing "Ranger Frank" and Leanne positioned themselves in the stream and helped people cross as they walked in the stream. Bruce's long, thick walking stick let him cross by stepping on exposed rocks and using the walking stick to position his weight. He plunked a foot in the stream only twice, total; and even then his well-laced Army boots kept his feet dry.

Emery Falls

People kidded Leanne about her calling it a "short hike", but we finally reached the foot of Emery Falls. Since the falls cascaded down over several "stairs" of rock, everyone slowly meandered up the hill, stopping to take in the falls at every angle. It was a rest break, water break, and scene of wonder all at the same time. The rushing, splashing water of the falls had a very calming effect. Stacey took several photos here, some using a slow exposure to capture the smooth look of flowing water. [I'm not sure if this is the waterfalls listed as being on Emery Creek Trail by Georgia Trails.]

It was here that "Ranger Frank" educated the group on Yellowroot's reported medicinal properties in relieving stomach distress. Stacey and Jen even volunteered to chew on some, which they pronounced bitter. We mused that perhaps the bitterness prevented people from complaining about a stomach distress in order to avoid getting the "cure" — sort of like kids and Cod Liver Oil.

What goes up ...

After a time that was refreshing both physically and spiritually, we retraced our steps. Where the dirt road started again, "Ranger Frank" began shuttling people down to the summer cabin — Bob and Jann first. Bruce, in a moment of temporary insanity, encouraged the group he was with to keep walking down toward the cabin — "Frank will pick us up as he comes back up". Oh, yeah. Great plan. After several minutes of walking down the steeper part of the dirt road, everyone's muscles around their kneecaps began to hurt. A few minutes after they halted the downward plodding, the welcome sound of the Jeep reached our ears.

The Sheriff!

At the cabin, those who had come in the van chose the Jeep as their return vehicle. But there was one more surprise adventure in store for us. At the foot of the mountain where the dirt road meets the paved one, there were several Sheriff's cars. Everyone was being stopped ... here in rural north Georgia! A mystery!

After locking the dirt road's swing gate and getting back on paved road, Frank decided to give us Jeep-riders the "special tour" and pointed the Jeep across the field toward "Blue hole", the swimming hole near their house. There he met a relative, who filled us in about the Sheriff's cars. They were dealing with the report of several gunshots heard near the swimming hole and road area.

Back at the house, we met up again with Julia, who had stayed at the house. Everyone took off their shoes and socks. Most changed into dry ones. Everyone but Peggy, that is. It seems she had not read that very last email from Leanne that recommended bring spares. We all enjoyed more iced tea and cookies as well as more conversation.

Back to Atlanta

As we packed back into the van for the return trip, Bruce helped Peggy gingerly walk barefoot across the large crushed gravel driveway.

People were more observant of roadside businesses as the return trip started. Among the unusual ones we saw:

• Curl Up and Dye hair salon
• Dee Dee's Roadkill Cafe
• Dirty Dave's, which stocked everything from "adult" items to tomatoes, it seems. We laughed at the "Dave's" connection.

Though this had been billed as an afternoon trip (we kidded Leanne again), it was after 7 pm when the van was a bit below Chatsworth, so we stopped at a Cracker Barrel for dinner. Yum! Comfort food and more fellowship!

As we reached Atlanta in the late evening and slowed to a crawl in the freeway traffic, we came upon an odd sight that got everyone laughing — a large RV with an exercise cycle on the back. We wondered at the mindset of people headed to a vacation in an RV and yet planning to "exercise in place" once they got there. Stacey asked driver Leanne to get close so she could take a photo of the exercise cycle strapped to the RV.

A tired group in great spirits arrived at the church about 10:30pm, thanked Leanne profusely for her idea and invitation to her parents and the wonderful mountain hike, and then headed home.

• All 43 photos of the mountain hike trip

Kick the plastic bag habit

Plastic bag tidbits from Worldwatch Institute:

• Americans throw away about 100 billion polyethylene plastic bags per year
• Only 0.6 percent of plastic bags are recycled.
• A quarter of the plastic bags used in wealthy nations are now produced in Asia, not America.

These flimsy, lightweight suckers clog storm drains, "escape" and fly around the landscape, and can even end up harming wildlife.

What you can do:

• Commit to using at least one less plastic bag a week.
• Recycle plastic bags.
• Start carrying reusable bags -- for groceries, books, and more.

Related:

• Being Green - canvas grocery bags and more...
• Where to recycle plastic bags

Global warming kills

Researchers believe that the effects of global warming cause about 150,000 deaths each year around the world. They fear that the number may well double by 2030 even if we started getting serious about emissions reductions today.

A team of health and climate scientists from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the University of Wisconsin at Madison published these findings last year in the science journal Nature. Besides killing people, global warming also contributes to some five million human illnesses every year, the researchers found.

Some of the ways global warming negatively affects human health — especially in developing nations — include:

• Speeding the spread of infectious diseases such as malaria and dengue fever;
• Creating conditions that lead to potentially fatal malnutrition and diarrhea;
• Increasing the frequency and severity of heat waves, floods and other weather-related disasters.

Also, a study by Stanford civil and environmental engineer Mark Jacobson shows a direct link between rising levels of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the air and increased human deaths. He found that the added air pollution caused by each degree Celsius increase in temperature caused by CO2 leads to about 1,000 additional deaths in the U.S. It also leads to more cases of respiratory illness and asthma. Jacobson estimates as many as 20,000 deaths related to air-pollution may occur worldwide each year with each degree (Celsius) of temperature increase.

“This is a cause and effect relationship, not just a correlation,” emphasizes Jacobson.

[Source: EarthTalk, from e-magazine, 28 Knight Street, Norwalk, CT 06851. Phone: (203) 854-5559/x106 - FAX: (203) 866-0602, earthtalkcolumn@emagazine.com]

Home CFL swap-outs

On Saturday May 16, several Creation Care Team members assembled at the church, then used the church van to visit 3 home-bound members and replace their incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) ones.

We managed to use up all the 13 watt (60 watt equivalent) CFL bulbs that we had on hand. In addition to saving energy and helping the environment, each bulb will save the recipent $38 over the bulb's life. So based on the total bulbs replaced by the Creation Care Team, we have saved these members $1,254.

UMR on Care of Creation

The United Methodist Reporter blog had a recent posting on Care of Creation. What caught my attention (other than the title) was that it mentioned mountaintop removal -- part of the special presentation we did during worship on Care of Creation Sunday. You'll remember that UM Reporter is our "new" newspaper covering news from North Georgia to the world.

Recent postings

Recent Team-related postings at our Avondale Pattillo News blog:

• It's a brighter day in church!
• Creation Care Team plants a tree
• Creation Care projects
• We recycle newspapers

Embrace Creation Care

Our first session of "Ecology of the Bible" featured a representative from Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL) and an excellent presentation about faith communities embracing creation care.

The presenter, Katy Hinman, has been gracious and shared that slideshow with us.

• Faith Communities Embrace Creation Care slideshow (PDF, 3MB)

Calculate your carbon footprint

The World Wildlife Federation has a "Carbon Calculator" page that lets you figure out how much damage you are doing to God's earth. You list figures for daily activities, then look at the results. The calculator includes areas such as transportation, food, housing, good, and services. It also shows how you compare to U.S. and world averages.

Red Hot Green Events

Here are some upcoming green events in the Atlanta metro area:

• Green Market, Piedmont Park, Sat., May 2, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.
• Decatur Green Fest, Sat., May 2, from 3:00 - 9:30 pm. The event is a benefit for the Dogwood Alliance and the Decatur Preservation Alliance.
• Free live music
• A green tasting from some local restaurants
• Green vendors
• A teaching tour of green buildings (1:00 - 6pm)
• Green Living and more: Events coming to Atlanta.
• Go green: Get rewards at Underground Atlanta, May 16.
• Atlanta Green Expo, May 30-31.

Tree planting

"Jesus is coming — Plant a tree!" That was the theme of the last session of the "Ecology of the Bible" study on April 26th. After review of an article on that topic by Dr. NB.T. Wright, Bishop of Durham, the group went outside, got busy digging, and planted a crab apple tree in the area near the beautiful azaleas in front of The Gathering Place. On the absolutely gorgeous Sunday afternoon, several members of the class got their hands dirty, including two "recuperating" ladies. The study may now be over, but the group is not disbanding. Instead, they have committed to staying together as the "Creation Care Team" here at Avondale Pattillo. The group has already planned several actions in the coming months. Next on the action list is distributing some Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs to home-bound members in the area.

• Gallery of tree planting photos
• Slideshow of the tree planting

Ecology of the Bible study

Avondale Pattillo UMC offered an "Ecology of the Bible" study from March 15th to April 16th this year. The first session started with an illuminating presentation by a member of Georgia Interfaith Power and Light, which has nothing to do with the power company. In a later session a landscaper gave many tips about plants for this area of Georgia. Most sessions included a review of one article in The Green Bible plus study of one of the six themes found in the back of this handy and unique Bible. Key people in getting this study going were Leanne, Julia, and Stacy. Stacy and Julia organized and led most of the sessions and Julia provided simply delicious meals near the end of every meeting. The outcome of this study is an enthusiasm for "getting to it!" This blog is one way of letting everyone know what the team has planned and what's it's doing. It will also present links to interesting articles and web sites (including other blogs) that deal with our Christian need to Care for Creation.