Going Green: Wind Power

When we lived in Illinois, we shared our experiences of the wind from growing up in western Kansas. The interesting thing was, that part of Illinois was not accustomed to receive much wind (except on an occasional storm), so many didn't believe that a 25-30 mph wind, wasn't a gust, it was much of a norm for a day (maybe a couple of days). Gusts could get into the 60's and just start to be on the brink of worry. Some days the wind would get even higher than that.

For you golfers, try playing east-west with a southern wind of 20-30 mph! What isn't fun is when then wind decides to die down a bit just when you hit it toward a side of a fairway and it doesn't come back to the fairway - like you thought it would!

God has created wind for various reasons. It is one 'fuel' which we can/have utilized so that other fuels aren't used up. It is almost unlimited! Especially, if you use it correctly.

As Christians, we have a fuel that is probably not utilized in most people, like it should, and this fuel is basically unlimited (we are the only ones that can limit this fuel). The 'wind' that drives our sails is the Holy Spirit. As we are "filled" with Him, we should take advantage of His guidance. As we looked at this "wind power" yesterday, here are some applications to choose to use this week...

1. Cooling Off - Ever worked physically hard away from a breeze, say inside a building? It is miserable! That is what it is like to work all your life's situations out without tapping in to the wind power of the Holy Spirit...it is miserable. Open yourself up to His power!
2. Sailing Away - Being a father of a young child, I am now watching cartoons. My son likes basically one cartoon. One episode has the group sailing, until they hit the 'doldrums'. There, the wind stops and they must row their big boat. A sailboat was created to utilize the wind. You were created to allow the "wind" in the Holy Spirit to fill your sails to take you through life...don't row, let Him take you places! Maybe some you never thought possible!
3. Transporting Seeds - We've all probably blown on a dandelion, causing the seeds to be blown all over. The wind of the Holy Spirit can act like that. What I'm getting at is that through you and the seeds you plant, the Holy Spirit starts to work in other places. We don't know where that seed will take root or after it grows, another seed will be spread. We may never see what comes of it...that is an awesome mystery of the working of Him...tap into it...relish in it...God is awesome!
4. Fuel Your Fire - Oxygen is an important ingredient in keeping a flame going. Air is fed into a fire to keep it going stronger. A quenched fire will go out. Don't quench the Holy Spirit as that will cause your fire to go out...open up the vent and allow the air to come in to your life to keep the fire going or build it up! Utilize the power of wind!

When people are using wind turbines to capture the energy of the wind, they are utilizing an energy that is natural and good for the environment.

When you allow yourself to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit, you, too, are utilizing an energy that is natural and good for your environment.

Capturing this 'energy' will cause your environment to be better. It will cause your outlook to be different. Your attitude to be different. Your faith to be different. Make someone else's environment cleaner by utilizing this 'wind power' yourself and make a difference in others' lives!

Enjoying the breeze...

Going Green: Eradicating Pollution

How much do you pollute? It may not be with plastics, aluminum, or oil spills, but you are probably still a polluter!

Though I do not have any memory of ever throwing an entire fast food sack of trash out the window, I do remember throwing things out the window when I was a young boy that I would never think of doing now. It is ironic how the norm changes. I hesitate to throw a toothpick out the window! After watching a childrens movie a couple of years ago that had an animal who wore one of those six-pack plastic ring binders around their neck, I even break those rings apart, when I buy them, so that no animal could get stuck.

Pollution can destroy thousands and thousands of areas of earth. However, each one of us also pollutes in different ways. As we focused on yesterday, in this week's message, we pollute when we get caught up on complaining, grumbling, gossiping, and those of the like.

Reflecting on that lesson, here are some applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Start caring about your environment - Don't dismiss the fact that you can make an improvement to any area you are at. You are an important variable in making someone (or more than one) have a better day because you came across their path.
2. Pray for awareness - It is too easy to be caught up in the every day monotony. One must be conscious of their environment to make a difference. If we develop a callousness we will lose sight of trying to make a difference. So, ask God to keep you aware.
3. Be aware of your intent - What is your intent when you open your mouth and speak? Is it to tear someone down, drag someone through the mud, or elevate yourself. This may not apply to EVERYTHING one says, but often when we are at the "watercooler" and get to talking in our groups of friends.
4. Don't pollute - The words we speak have the potential to tear down someone, negate an idea, or lower morale. Think about this as you are going about life. It may allow you to help out someone who is one who pollutes the 'environment' frequently.

Pollution can destroy an environment. Whether it is trash being tossed out or trash being spoken, it all pollutes. One of my big pet peeves is receiving editorials which puts down brethren in the church. To them the intention is good, but that intention is simply pollution. Why spend so much time "trashing" someone when you can spend more energy trying to "save" someone else?

Let's try to make our environment cleaner and greener by saying something encouraging or something else that is positive, instead of doing something that just pollutes the environment.

I will end the same way I ended my sermon..."Give a hoot, don't pollute!"

Going Green: Altering Yourself to Help Your Environment

"Going Green" has been a hot topic for the last few years. With more and more people becoming aware and concerned with the environment, the craze continues to gain ground. Though I am not an environmentalist, I do get concerned with throwing so much trash away and thinking about the earth and generations to come.

When I was investigating the concept of "going green" I found out something interesting, at its essence. One simple explanation was "altering your activities to help your environment". When you enter a room/environment, we are going to affect that environment. What effect will you have when you enter your workplace, your home, a store/check out line, a restaurant, etc.?

This "Going Green" is not so much the global environment, but more the unseen environment/atmosphere. We looked at five of the seven churches in Revelation, chapters 2 & 3, to get an idea about how a bad environment is not very appealing to God. Here are some applications to choose from this week...

1. Reflect back over the past few hours or days of work. How did your actions pollute or improve the environment?
2. Reflect back over the past few hours or days at home. How did your actions pollute or improve the environment?
3. Be conscious of trying to improve an environment which you enter in to. So, the next time you go shopping, try to improve the environment by helping someone, saying something nice to someone, calling your cashier by name, buying a cashier a candy bar - to say thanks, or some other way that may help the "environment".
4. Pray that God would help you as you aspire to help the various environments that you are in.
5. Self-reflect different areas that you need to clean up your body/mind "environment". Is there negativity toward someone? What do you need to do to "go green" and positively alter that environment?
6. Pray for your church family so that we can have a positive environment for which God to work and that He will be pleased to "digest" our service and worship to Him.
   

Recycling, planting trees, reducing hazardous materials, and many other things will help the earth to not be polluted. It will also save many natural areas and habitats.

With these same concepts, we can "go green" and create an environment that is reduced from pollution and allow our environment to not be "polluted".

Remember the catch phrase from Woodsy the Owl..."Give a Hoot, Don't Pollute!" Click here to recall one of those commercials.