Consumerism and Recycling

Consumerism - is the equating of personal happiness with the purchasing of material possessions and consumption.

Lately, I have been thinking a lot about consumerism. One of the reasons this has been at the forefront of my mind is because we are trying to figure out how much I will need to work once the baby is born. I have been racking my brain trying to think of ways we can reduce our expenses only to realize that we live a fairly simple life. It has made me think though about how I can not participate in the consumerism that has overtaken society.

My best friend Hannah and I were talking last night about the pressure there is to buy in America. She and her husband just moved back to the states from Eastern Europe and she is experiencing reverse culture shock. One of the things that has been affecting her lately is the amount of consumption in America. Since coming back to the states they have had to purchase the necessities such as furniture, kitchen supplies and so on. Doing all this shopping has made he face the ugliness of our consumer society. She was telling me how as a mom you will hear from other mom's about the things you must have. She told me it was nice being in Romania because she was not faced with those pressures. Also, although her kids did not have the latest and greatest toys it was a non-issue because they found plenty of things to play with. As a new mom I can already feel the pressure of making sure I have the best stuff.

In 2003 when I went to visit Diane Davis in Kenya we went to an orphanage. It was an very memorable experience for me. The picture that has stayed with me was of this adorable little boy, probably about 15 months old, who was having the best time playing with a bag. It just makes you think?

TAKING CARE OF THE EARTH
For the past 2.5 years we have been working very hard to recycle, use non-toxic cleaners and be mindful of how our life affects the earth. Lately, I have also been thinking about the water crisis. In CA we are eventually going to run out of water. Farmers are being told they have to limit their water use and so in an effort to do so they are reducing their crops. My questions is what is my part in this crisis? I have decided that when I shower I will turn off the water to shave my legs. Also, when I am waiting for the water to warm up before I do dishes I am going to try and collect the water and use it to water our lawn. This may seem silly to some but for me it weighs heavy on conscience. I feel like often times Christians just figure that eventually when Christ returns this earth will perish so why should we take care of it. I think this is sad and that we need to be good stewards of what God has given us.

I am also going to try and start composting. I want to plant a garden so it will reduce the waste we contribute to the landfill and it will also provide nutrients for my garden.

So ya I am pretty green! But in my mind what I do is very minor in the grand scheme. What are you doing to protect this beautiful earth? Are you using the recycling bin the city gives you? Would it really be that much more work for you to do so?