Earth Day | JOY for Today

(Updated March 14, 2024.)

Earth Day provides us with a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with our maker, simplify our life, and remind us of true beauty as we surround ourselves in the work of His hands.

Earth Day is April 22nd Annually

JOY for Today Offerings:

• Did You Know... Five Earth Day facts we didn't know.
• Wolfe Stew Connects To God's work and your part in it.
• Bible Verses and Quotes About the Earth.
• Activity Suggestions Books, crafts, discussion questions, and family challenge.

UPCOMING HOLIDAYS:

• Honesty Day (April 30th Annually)
• National Day of Prayer (May's First Thursday)
• Star Wars Day (May 4th Annually)

Did You Know:

1. Anti-Vietnam protests inspired Earth Day? Wisconsin Senator Nelson, after watching the success of student-led anti-Vietnam protests, organized environmental awareness teach-ins that eventually became the now globally recognized Earth Day. (Earth.org)
2. It falls on April 22nd to maximize student participation? Wisconsin Senator Nelson chose the day as it fell between spring break and final exams. It remains on this day to encourage college students to attend events. (Earth.org)
3. Earth day was first celebrated in 1970? At that time, leaded petrol was the main concern. Today, it is no longer in use. (Earth.org)
4. Several well-known and still existing environmental acts quickly followed the first Earth Day? Shortly after the first Earth Day, the United States birthed the Environmental Protection Agency and adopted the Clean Air, Clean Water, Endangered Species, Resource Conservation and Recovery, Federal Environmental Pesticide Control, and Federal Land Policy and Management Acts. (Earth.org)
5. There is an official Earth Day flag? It features an image of the Earth as seen from space on a dark blue background. (Today.com)

We'd Love to Know:   

Which fact was new to you?

Wolfe Stew Connects

God's work is the Earth, and we are all the work of His hands (Genesis 1:1 & Ephesians 2:10). Our work is to create and to steward His creation, so that our lives may glorify His name (Genesis 1:27-28 & Isaiah 43:7). We accomplish the work we were designed for by:

1. Serving God, not man or money (Ephesians 6:7 and Matthew 6:19-21).
2. Faithfully stewarding what we are given: time, resources, talents, and our flock (Psalm 90:12; Luke 12:42-48, Romans 12:6-8; and Proverbs 27:23).
3. Surrendering to Him in all things (Luke 9:23-24).

Ask the birds in the sky, they will tell you (Job 12:7-10). Go to the ant, it knows (Proverbs 6:6-11). Consider the lilies of the field, they'll show you (Matthew 6:28-29). Your life is in His hands.

Let's not overcomplicate things. Find JOY as you surrender to your design.

In response:

1. Identify the area you are fighting hardest against your maker: in serving, stewardship, or surrender. Confess it. Then, commit to return to your design.
2. Join us as we grow to be hardworking by looking at Proverbs 31:19. Next week, we investigate the significance of hands, being held, and how it all relates to us as the Church. Take a peek at our Wolfe Notes to see what we covered last week. Or engage in last year's growth opportunity and learn to TRUST God's Promises.

Bible Verses and Quotes 

Bible Verses

• The earth belongs to God! Everything in all the world is his! Psalm 24:1 TLB
• Then he climbed up into the boat and the wind stopped! They just sat there, unable to take it in! Mark 6:51 TLB
• "And why worry about clothes? Notice how the flowers grow in the field. They never work or spin yarn for clothes. But I say that not even Solomon in all his majesty was dressed like one of these flowers." Matthew 6:28-29 NOG
• You may say there are still four months until harvest time. But I tell you to look, and you will see that the fields are ripe and ready for the harvest. John 4:35 CEV
• For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12 KJV

Quotes

• "Land really is the best art." Andy Warhol
• "Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean." John Muir
• "Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better." Albert Einstein
• "The earth is what we all have in common." Wendell Berry
• “And forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." Kahlil Gibran

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote makes you crave time in nature?

 

Activity Suggestions

Become Environmentally Aware

• Earth Day facts and activity suggestions from National Geographic 
• Fact Sheets from Earth Day (Plastic Pollution, Conservation and Biodiversity, Food & Agriculture)
• Ways to Invest in Our Planet EarthDay.org offers 52 suggestions like cleaning up plastics on beaches, switching to reusable bags, and turning off lights.
• Books:
• PreK-1st: The Great Paper Caper by Oliver Jeffers (YouTube read aloud by Steve). The trees are disappearing! Join woodland animals as they host an investigation to discover whodunnit, restore the forest, and find a solution to the culprit's problem.
• 2nd & 3rd: Follow the Moon Home by Phillipe Cousteau and Deborah Hopkinson (YouTube read aloud by Rachel Bates) Vivienne moves to a new school just in time for a new project. Her teacher, Mr. J., wants the class to find a problem they can work together to solve. Inspiration comes when she visits the beach and is warned to cover the holes to help save the baby loggerhead turtles. Using her powers of observation, she notices a problem and calls on her classmates to help her find a solution. Opportunities for involvement are included at the end.
• 4th-6th: Seeds of Change: Wangari's Gift to the World by Jen Cullerton Johnson; illustrated by Sonia Lynn Sadler. Wangari learned about the importance of the mugumo tree from her mother. As an adult, the mugumo inspired Wangari to become a biologist who showed the world how to care for the environment and the rights of women and children.
• Classrooms: Unearthing Garden Mysteries: Experiments for Kids by Ellen Talmage
• Families: The Truth About Nature: A Family's Guide to 144 Common Myths about the Great Outdoors or The Kids' Outdoor Adventure Book both by Stacy Tornio and Ken Keffer. The Kids' Outdoor Adventure book serves as a checklist of activities to complete before you become an adult. But as an adult, flipping through the book awakened my own spirit of  adventure. Activities are sorted seasonally and are given an adventure rating of 1-5, where 1 is simple and 5 is challenging.

Complete an Activity

• Make a seed ball with Buggy and Buddy.
• Discuss carbon footprints with Kitchen Counter Chronicle
• Take the Earth Day Pledge with Babalisme
• Make a plastic bag jellyfish with Rainy Day Mum

Discuss "Would You Rather..." Questions

• Shop at a farmer's market or grow your own vegetables?
• Make an invention out of recyclable items or a nature collage out of things from nature?
• Learn about the wildflowers or trees that are native to where you live?

If you would like three "Would You Rather...?" questions for every April day, download this Wolfe Stew PowerPoint. 

Take on the Family Challenge

Spend time together in nature.

We'd Love to Know:

What you do for Earth day.

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. 

Your Partners in JOY Finding,

Sample these related posts:

To go on our "J is for Jellyfish" ABC Nature Walk.

To consider the ant.

To climb your mountains.

To meet our turtle.

To view nature photography.

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.