andrew dodson

More and more, we’re being bombarded with the idea of “going green.”  Eco-friendly products are becoming more and more available.  The process of making products is becoming more and more eco-friendly, as well.  With all of the fuss about going green, I wonder where God comes into play?

First, I must admit, I’m not an environmentalist.  But, I’m also not an anti-environmentalist.  I sit on the fence.  I don’t litter, and to my knowledge, my vehicle is the only not-so-environmentally-friendly product I use.  I don’t recycle, personally, but we do recycle cans at CLS (for a person we know - not an employee - that uses them to help pay her bills).  I’m supportive of our city’s recycling program (which I don’t participate in, only because I don’t own a home).  My guess is, if I researched my lifestyle in relation to environmentalism, I’m not doing all that I could to help the environment.

The story of Genesis tells of how God created the earth.  We also see in Scripture that God reveals himself through creation.  Scripture also tells of God’s sovereignty over the earth.

Part of me hears all of this fuss over going green and thinks it’s a futile human attempt to prolong the life of the earth.  Since God is sovereign, it’s up to Him, not us.  Another part of me thinks that since God did create the earth, we need to be good stewards of it, just like we are to be good stewards of our money.  All good things come from Him.  Another part of me is excited about the growing use of organic products to create things we use every day.  It’s like we’ve finally realized that what God created is sufficient for our every day needs.

Where do you sit?  Is Earth Day like Christmas for you?  Or, do you not care?

I’m still excited about the snow. A lot of people around here don’t like snow or cold, but I do. Actually, I don’t like cold without snow. But, cold with snow I’ll take. Anyhow, here’s some random blogging:

• I’m going to see Christian comedian Tim Hawkins tonight with a group from The Point. It should be fun, and I’m looking forward to it.
• I don’t think my PCG is meeting this week, due to Valentine’s Day. As much as I’ll try to get them to postpone their celebrations until Friday, I think I’ll be out-voted. Regardless, I’ll still be posting PCG notes for this week’s text on Thursday.
• The Josh Martin Band settles back into gigging with a performance this Friday. It’s a small gig for a church Valentine’s Day dinner, but a gig nonetheless. We’ve been working on a few new songs as of late, but I’m not sure we’ll play any of them just yet.
• I writing this post using ecto - a desktop blogging software. I’ve tried desktop blogging before, but ultimately went back to using Wordpress directly via the web, or ScribeFire (a Firefox plugin). It seems software like ecto has become more powerful since I last tried it (probably back in 2006 sometime). With the rising popularity of blogs, it seems desktop software has grown in features. We’ll try it for a few days to see if I like it. I’ve also tried MarsEdit, but ecto has more features that suit my tastes.
• Don’t miss the Extreme Makeover Home Edition this Sunday! It is a two-hour special, and it is the Louisville episode. If you remember, CLS was a part of this construction, as we assisted with some printed curtains and pillow cases.
• I can’t believe my parents are registered Democrats. Poor folks will have to choose between Hilary or Obama if they vote in the Primary. I would vote don’t vote in that case. Or, vote for the most beatable of the two, hope that one wins the Primary and then gets beat in November. I think they’re switching parties before the Election, finally.
• I haven’t publicly (on this blog) endorsed a candidate, yet. Maybe in the next week or so, I’ll post my choice and why I support that candidate. Not that it matters to you much - you can make up your own mind. But, it might drum up some support for my choice, or cause you to consider them for your vote.
• Thanks to everyone who, through the blog, Facebook, MySpace, phone calls, text messages and emails, wished me a happy birthday. I really appreciate it!

Democratic candidate for Governor, Jody Richards, is using Wordpress to power his campaign website. It’s a fairly simple design, but I’m a fan of simple.

Anne Northup is also using Wordpress.  A little more visually appealing.

Georgetown College has seperated from the Kentucky Baptist Convention to become its own governing body.

Georgetown College - Kentucky Baptist Convention Agreement

I suspect this will open up new financial opportunities for the College, though I’m only speculating. Reason being, President Crouch is known for being a money-hungry leader, and the College has been in a financial bind for the last several years. Otherwise, I can’t figure a reason for the split.

I hope this will result in a stronger relationship between the two organizations.

The month of September is shaping up to be extremely busy for me. I’m going to make every effort to blog ever so often throughout the week, but no guarantees. If I happen to not make it around here too often over the next few weeks, I’ll see you in October.

(as a side note, “Wake Me Up When September Ends” by Green Day is a great, great song).

Since moving into my apartment, I’ve been in a war. Like the current (real) war, I thought it would be a short-term problem that would take care of itself quickly. I thought my offensive and defensive schemes were far superior to that of my opponent. Like the insurgents, my opponent has stuck around. Still not powerful enough to win the war, but just strong enough to sting every once in a while. Strong enough to decrease my morale in regards to this war.

My opponent? Lint. Yep - I said lint. This isn’t your ordinary lint though. This is a nasty black lint that comes from my bathroom towels and wash cloths. To this day, they still shed their pesky lint, which covers my bathroom. I’ve washed & dried them over and over again. I wipe out my tub, wipe off the toilet and sink regularly. I sweep the floor. Still, I have lint in my bathroom.

I think I’m at my wit’s end. I might head to a good, quality retail establishment very soon (i.e., NOT Wal-Mart) and pick up some good towels and wash cloths. Maybe they’ll work FOR me, as opposed to AGAINST me.

AOL News - U.S. Coastlines May Be Next Frontier for Oil Drilling

Drilling in an Alaskan Wildlife Refuge? Not a good idea. Drilling off the coast, miles and miles away from existence? Yes!

Yeah, yeah. There’s still environmental issues with drilling in the ocean. Let’s give our forests and wildlife areas a rest though and explore elsewhere. After all:

An estimated 16 billion barrels of oil and 78 trillion cubic feet of natural gas lie in offshore areas currently off-limits, according to government and industry statistics. That’s enough oil to meet total U.S. demand for more than two years and enough natural gas to supply the country for three and a half years.

Let’s do it!

Most of the United States is caught up in the Terri Schiavo story right now. I figure I’ll add my two cents.

What’s happening to her right now is wrong. Who are we to play God and decide when this woman should die? There’s something wrong when the justice system can overrule her parents - the two people who brought her into this world. To all the people who would argue she has no chance of recovery, I pray you never have to experience a similar situation with a loved one. Then we’ll see how your feelings change.

While I’m on the subject (sort of)…

Over the past few years, my feelings about the death penalty have also changed. I used to believe anyone that committed murder should be put to death. Once again, humans would be playing God by flipping the switch or inserting the needle. This is wrong. While I’m in support of life sentences without parole, I don’t think we need to decide when a criminal should die.

Recently, the Supreme Court placed a ban on the death penalty for juveniles. While the following quote supports that decision, I believe it applies to criminals of all ages:

“(We encourage) … guidance that will lead young people away from violence and crime, but we do not turn our backs on those who commit criminal acts, including murder,” said Day, who leads the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, which prioritizes ministries to children and young people worldwide. “The Bible and the church teach love, forgiveness and the opportunity for restoration even in cases of the worst offenders.”

Ok - so what’s my opinion on war? After all, war involves humans killing other humans. Those who know me know that I’m a fan of President Bush and I’m pleased that Saddam Hussein is no longer in power (our pursuit of Osama bin Laden and whether or not we had a good strategy going into the war with Iraq are completely different subjects).

Bible.com has a nice response to the Christian viewpoint of war:

Where we find most of our problems with the military action of our government versus loving our enemies is that God’s law of justice for the taking of a life demands that life be taken; yet, God’s spiritual law of mercy and forgiveness grants that a murderer can be forgiven and restored. How can we reconcile this? We must understand that God instituted civil authorities to maintain order in the earth. God uses them to restrain evil and they should be obeyed for this purpose.

How can I be against the death penalty, but a supporter of war? It’s a touchy subject, for sure. I’m not sure I’ve thought up a good enough answer to put into words on this blog. Maybe we’ll revisit this post another day…

Rick Long says:

I think we Christians need to be promoting what we are for. The world knows what we are against. Actually, the world thinks we are against pretty much everything outside of baptism and designated offerings. I am sick of hearing the self-rightous and pious point out the filth, and much of it is indeed filth, while leaving the love of Jesus out of the equation.

I couldn’t agree more. Specially, this whole “traditional marriage” debate. Do Christians realize that our aggressive support for one man/one woman is being viewed as hatred toward homosexuals?

Shouldn’t we instead focus on reaching out to homosexuals? Instead of trying to interfere with how they live their life, we need to show them God’s love. We need to support and encourage anyone who may be struggling with this issue. Help is available.

http://www.exodus-international.org/default.asp
http://www.peoplecanchange.com/
http://www.becomingreal.org/

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