Sunday Reflection - Jesus Could You Forgive Me?

Rodney

photo by John Decker

Jesus Could You Forgive Me?

I wonder what would happen if Jesus came back to live among us. Suppose He just wanted to see up close what we’re doing with our lives, how we’re treating one another, and if we’re practicing the values of love, compassion, and mercy that He taught. I imagine Him taking on a human form that would allow Him to live as one of us. The Jesus I love probably would not take the position of a CEO of a large company or a well-known leader.

He might be more likely to return as a homeless person. The thought of that makes me shudder. For just last week, a homeless man approached me, and I turned away. Was it a lack of empathy on my part? Fear perhaps? It doesn’t matter why really. I could have been generous, but I chose to be selfish – not just with my money, but worse, with my heart. Dear Jesus, if that was you, could you forgive me?

He could come back as a lonely old man, like the one who lives next door to me. My neighbor keeps to himself and we seldom speak – and to be honest I haven’t made an effort to change that. I’ve never offered to help him lug his groceries up the stairs, scrape ice off his sidewalk, or do any of the many tasks that must surely challenge an elderly man. Have I been too lazy to be kind? Too self-involved to reach out? Jesus, if that is you, could you forgive me?

If I hurt them, did I not hurt Jesus, too? For He has said, “Inasmuch as you have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”. So, still I must ask, Jesus, can you forgive me?

Every single day offers chances to be helpful, supportive, or generous. What do you do with your chances? Do you see a person in need as an opportunity to touch another life – or as an intrusion on your own? Do you walk away, when you could reach out? Do you judge, when you could support? When we fail to help, aren’t we failing Jesus? And ourselves?

If I could strive to treat those individuals as if they were Jesus, I’m pretty sure He would be a lot more pleased with the person I had become. And so would I.

written by David L. Weatherford

Matt 25:40 And the King will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me.'

Matt 25:45 And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'

If It Is Thursday It's Going Green - Mandatory Take-Back Programs

Did you know that there are Mandatory Take-Back Programs?
-

Certain items are required by law to be accepted by retailers or manufacturers. Whenever you have a product to take back, call before you go to ensure that retailers are complying with the law.

The following list indicates some of the mandatory items: auto batteries, bottles and cans, cell phones, motor oil, rechargeable batteries, plastic bags, paper, sharps and tires.

Personal Auto Tires


Used tires dumped at the side of the road, in vacant lots, or along railroad tracks are unsightly and provide a breeding site for mosquitoes that could potentially carry the West Nile virus.

Improper maintenance can reduce tire life by 50 percent. You can extend the life of your tires by taking a few minutes each month to check the pressure and tread depth.

Reuse

Buy retreaded tires. Retreading bonds new tread to the existing tire body using a process very similar to the manufacture of a new tire. You don’t have to pay to dispose of the old tire, and the retread is 30 to 50 percent cheaper than a new tire. Two studies conducted by the American Retreaders Association (ARA) concluded that residual body strength in worn tires is at least equal to that of new tires, in some cases doubling the standards requirement of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) Federal Motor Vehicle Safety standard test, which applies to all new tires. Retread tires are also regulated by the standards set by the NHTSA.

Recycle

When buying new tires, bring back your old ones to be recycled. Businesses that sell or install tires must take back tires of approximately the same size that they sell. People can recycle up to the same amount of tires that they buy new. The fee for the collection of old tires is included in the cost of new tires. If a service station or retailer refuses your used tires, contact the Region 2 Office of your state.

If you have old tires to get rid of, New York residents can drop off up to four passenger car tires at any NYC Department of Sanitation garage between 8 am and 4 pm, Monday through Saturday, except holidays. Check the Sanitation website for the location of the nearest garage. Tires are collected by a contractor and taken to a facility where they are converted to electricity. Check out the regulations of the state or municipality where you live and hopefully you will find that there are regulations governing recycling. If not, I urge you to make requests of you local government to get such a program started.

Remember the slogan: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Repair

"Together we can make a difference."

peacesojourner

Sunday Reflection - How To Enjoy Life

This squirrel is taking a break, looking at the world, and enjoying life.

HOW TO ENJOY LIFE




• Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay 'them'.

• Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 


• Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever.

• Enjoy the simple things. 



• Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 



• The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.

• Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 


• Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 


• Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country but NOT to where the guilt is. 


• Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. 



AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: 


Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take,

but by the moments that take our breath away.

British Humour

*Some 'Quips' from British Newspapers *

Commenting on a complaint from a Mr. Arthur Purdey about a large gas bill, a spokesman for North West Gas said, 'We agree it was rather high for the time of year. It's possible Mr. Purdey has been charged for the gas used up during the explosion that destroyed his house.'
(The Daily Telegraph)

Police are being handicapped in a search for a stolen van, because they cannot issue a description. It's a Special Branch vehicle and they don't want the public to know what it looks like.
(The Guardian)

At the height of the gale, the harbour master radioed a coast guard and asked him to estimate the wind speed. He replied he was sorry, but he didn't have a gauge. However, if it was any help, the wind had just blown his Land Rover off the cliff.
( Aberdeen Evening Express)

* Heard On The London Underground Tube *

A list of actual announcements that London Tube train drivers have made to their passengers...

1) 'Ladies and Gentlemen, I do apologize for the delay to your service. I know you're all dying to get home, unless, of course, you happen to be married to my ex-wife, in which case you'll want to cross over to the Westbound and go in the opposite direction.'

2) 'Your delay this evening is caused by the line controller suffering from E & B syndrome: not knowing his elbow from his backside. I'll let you know any further information as soon as I'm given any.'

3) 'Do you want the good news first or the bad news? The good news is that last Friday was my birthday and I hit the town and had a great time. The bad news is that there is a points failure somewhere between Stratford and East Ham, which means we probably won't reach our destination.'

4) 'Ladies and gentlemen, we apologize for the delay, but there is a security alert at Victoria station and we are therefore stuck here for the foreseeable future, so let's take our minds off it and pass some time together. All together now.... 'Ten green bottles, hanging on a wall.....'.'

5) 'We are now travelling through Baker Street ... As you can see, Baker Street is closed. It would have been nice if they had actually told me, so I could tell you earlier, but no, they don't think about things like that'.

6) 'Beggars are operating on this train. Please do NOT encourage these professional beggars. If you have any spare change, please give it to a registered charity. Failing that, give it to me.'

7) During an extremely hot rush hour on the Central Line, the driver announced: 'Step right this way for the sauna, ladies and gentleman... unfortunately, towels are not provided.'

8) 'Let the passengers off the train FIRST!' (Pause ) 'Oh go on then, stuff yourselves in like sardines, see if I care - I'm going home....'

9) 'Please allow the doors to close. Try not to confuse this with 'Please hold the doors open.' The two are distinct and separate instructions.'

10) 'Please note that the beeping noise coming from the doors means that the doors are about to close. It does not mean throw yourself or your bags into the doors.'

11) 'We can't move off because some idiot has their hand stuck in the door.'

12) 'To the gentleman wearing the long grey coat trying to get on the second carriage -- what part of 'stand clear of the doors' don't you understand?'

13) 'Please move all baggage away from the doors.' (Pause..) 'Please move ALL belongings away from the doors.' (Pause...) 'This is a personal message to the man in the brown suit wearing glasses at the rear of the train: Put the pie down, and move your bloody golf clubs away from the door before I come down there and move them for you'

14) 'May I remind all passengers that there is strictly no smoking allowed on any part of the Underground. However, if you are smoking a joint, it's only fair that you pass it round the rest of the carriage.'

In Britain if you travel by train, bus or taxi, you are very likely to hear British humor by the conductors or drivers. They are all comedians :-)

If It Is Thursday It's Going Green - Recycling Is So Simple

If It Is Thursday It's Going Green

Here are some simple changes that you can make.

DONATE OLD CELL PHONES: About 130 million mobile phones are retired every year, resulting in more than 65,000 tons of waste — including potentially hazardous materials, such as lead and mercury. A non-profit program the Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation will recycle your phone for free into new metal products. You'll find these collection boxes in stores like Radio Shack and The Home Depot. You can learn more at www.call2recy.org.

BATTERIES: Buy rechargeable batteries for electrical gadgets. For every 500 charges, you’ll save 499 batteries from ending up in a landfill.
Sooner or later, all batteries, even rechargeable, are no longer usable. When it's time to dispose of them, you will want to keep them out of the landfill, where they may leach acids and heavy metal pollutants into the soil and groundwater. Look for centers that recycle them instead, and buy only types that you know your center handles.

DISPOSABLE CAMERAS: Quick and convenient though they may be, disposable cameras produce a lot of solid waste—not just the camera body, but also the foil and cardboard packages. About a quarter of the cameras never make it back to the manufacturer to be recycled. A digital camera takes good pictures and generates far less waste, especially since you’ll probably print only the shots you really like.

We can make a difference just by making some small changes in our lifestyle!

CHILDREN: If your efforts to encourage the children away from their video games have been ineffective, consider involving them in games that get them thinking about more worthwhile subjects. CO2FX, for instance, explores the connection between global warming and political and economic factors.

Remember the 3 R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

*****

Remembering Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Let's Continue to Move Forward Together

Today is Martin Luther King Day. On this day we celebrate the life and legacy of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who devoted his life to the pursuit of justice and equality for all.

President Ronald Reagan signed the King Holiday Bill into law on November 2, 1983—fifteen years after the assassination of the civil rights leader. A congressman from Michigan introduced the legislation just a few months after Dr. King’s death in 1968, but it took years of petitions, politics, and personal appeals from Coretta Scott King to get it passed.

Today, as we celebrate the 83rd anniversary of Dr. King's birth, I am reminded of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, where Dr. King delivered his "I Have a Dream" speech.

"I traveled with friends and neighbors from Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. We caught the bus at midnight and arrived in D.C. in the early hours of August 28th.

We were filled with the passion and promise of change, ignited by the idea that, just maybe, if enough people showed up, the world would understand we were not satisfied with the current conditions of racism and the exclusion of so many in the United States.

After arriving in the Capital, we joined the organized march from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial. We stood in front of the podium, close enough to see and hear the speakers. The "Big Six" organizers of the march were Dr. King, of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference; James Farmer, of the Congress of Racial Equality; John Lewis, of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; A. Philip Randolph, of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters; Roy Wilkins, of the NAACP; and Whitney Young Jr., of the National Urban League. The event included musical performances by Marian Anderson and Mahalia Jackson.

The written demands of the march were the passage of meaningful civil rights legislation; the elimination of racial segregation in public schools; protection for demonstrators against police brutality; a major public-works program to provide jobs; the passage of a law prohibiting racial discrimination in public and private hiring; a $2 an hour minimum wage; and self-government for the District of Columbia, which had a black majority.

The events were emotional, as 250,000 people from all walks of life, of different complexions, cultures and faiths, joined hands. Together we sang "We Shall Overcome." On that day our lives were changed forever. We wept, we laughed, we experienced joy and, most importantly, we returned to our homes with a renewed commitment to make a difference in the world. We were asked to take the message of a call for change back to our various communities.

I recently came across a paper that I had written on that day in 1963. Here is what I wrote:

"I pledge I will not relax until victory is won.

I pledge to carry the message to my friends and my neighbors back home and arouse them to an equal commitment and equal effort.

I will march and I will write letters.

I will demonstrate and I will vote.

I will work to make sure that my voice and my brothers' voices will ring out in all corners of the land.

I pledge my heart, my mind and my body unequivocally and without regard to personal sacrifice, to the achievement of social peace through social justice."

Today, I recognize that I was filled with youthful enthusiasm when I wrote those words. But I feel proud as I realize that during the time that has lapsed since that day, I have done my best to fulfill the pledge.”

**Portions of this were first published in The Buffalo News, New York - January 17, 2009

*****

In 2012, we are remember that we are the change that we are looking for. Let's continue to move forward together for a unified future.

On this special day take a moment to honor Dr. King’s work and reflect on his dream for America. Find out how you can participate in the national day of service and volunteer on Martin Luther King Day

peacesojourner

Sunday Reflection - Remembering Dr. King’s Birthday

Remembering Dr. King’s Birthday

Today marks the third anniversary of the birth of my on-line blog site ‘Peacesojourner’.

I started this blog on a day that was very symbolic to me because January 15, 2009 was the 80th anniversary of the birth of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Here is what I wrote on my very first blog in 2009:

‘I have read several accounts of people speculating about what Dr. King would think of what is happening in the world today.

During the Civil Rights struggles of the 60's people marched and protested for basic rights such as eating at a lunch counter, attending schools in their own neighborhoods, being hired for a job for which they were qualified, and to exercise the most fundamental right of citizenship, to vote. We demanded justice and equality for everyone, not just the chosen few.

Yes, in many ways we are a better country today, and in some ways, the nation is moving beyond 'The Dream', but a look at recent news headlines tells the real story:

- Palestinian Death Toll in Gaza Approaches 1000 - Cemeteries Running Out of Space

- Bush Admin Official Admits Gitmo Prisoner Tortured

- 4 Charged in Election Night Hate Crimes

- 4,225 men and women from the USA have died in the current Iraq War

- Over 500,000 Lose Jobs in December - Official Unemployment Rate at 7.2%

- Illinois House Votes to Impeach Blagojevich

- A Transit Police Officer in Oakland, CA shot Oscar Grant execution style. He was shot in the back while facedown on the subway platform, unarmed and posing no threat.

I believe that if Dr. King were alive today he would still be trying to make changes for basic human rights. I also believe that he would have been the person chosen to give the prayer at the upcoming inauguration of President Barack Obama, and that he would have been beaming with joy.

Dr. King spoke the following words when he was speaking out about the US involvement in Viet Nam. The words are still very relevant today:

"If we assume that life is worth living and that humans have the right to survival, then we must find an alternative to war. In a day when vehicles hurtle through outer space, and guided ballistic missiles carve highways of death through the stratosphere; no nation can claim victory in war.

The church cannot be silent while humankind faces the threat of nuclear annihilation. If the church is true to her mission, she must call for an end to the arms race.

I am convinced that if we succumb to the temptation to use violence in our struggle for freedom, unborn generations will be the recipients of a long and desolate night of bitterness, and our chief legacy to them will be a never-ending reign of chaos.

Forgiveness is not an occasional act: it is a permanent attitude."

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’

*****

Today is the 83^rd anniversary of the birth of Rev Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

He will never be forgotten. May he Rest in Peace.

THEY SLEW THE DREAMER - LONG LIVE THE DREAM

peacesojourner

If It Is Thursday It's Going Green - Be Green, Live Green, Buy Green

Remember the 4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repair

Most of us have heard about the importance of making environmentally friendly lifestyle changes. Do you think that "going green” could mean turning your life upside down?

If you believe you don't have the time or money to join the green movement, you might be surprised that you already have some eco-friendly habits. These simple practices make a difference and can help you on your way to living an even greener lifestyle.

If you follow any of the green practices listed below, you just may be greener than you think?

If your household:

• Recycles paper, glass and metal items

• Has swapped plastic bags for cloth bags when shopping

• Utilizes natural sunshine light during the day

• Uses long-lasting fluorescent light bulbs

• Turns light switches off when they leave a room

• Covers windows with curtains to keep out cold air

• Closes the fireplace damper when a fire isn't burning

• Has insulated all heating pipes in the home

• Runs your dishwasher and washing machine only when they are full

• Removes lint from the dryer filter after each use

• Covers pots and pans when cooking

• Cooks food in the microwave instead of the oven

• Uses shower-time efficiently and have installed a low-flow showerhead

If you eat: Locally grown organic foods, a variety of fruits and vegetables and limit your red meat consumption

If you drink: Filtered tap water instead of bottled water

If you buy:

• Organic cotton, bamboo, soy, or hemp clothing

• Reusable products, such as cloth napkins or plastic containers for food storage, rather than the disposable versions

• Natural bath and body products

• Nontoxic cleaning products

• Rechargeable batteries

If you travel…

• By carpool

• By public transportation

• By bicycle or on foot

• In a fuel-efficient vehicle

How are you doing so far?

Let me know how many of these environmentally friendly changes you

and your family have made.

peacesojourner@yahoo.com

Death in the Afternoon

Here his mate is injured and her condition is grave.

He brought her food and attended to her with love and compassion.

Shocked at her death he tries to move her.

Aware that his sweetheart is dead and will never

come back to him, he cries with adoring love.

None know how long he stood beside her and cried,

devastated by the loss.

Finally, aware that she would never return to him, he stands

beside her lifeless body in sadness and sorrow.

Millions of people cried after viewing these photos throughout America, Europe and India . It is said that the photographer sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the most famous newspaper in France. All copies of that newspaper were sold out on the day these pictures were published. And some people think animals don't have a brain or feelings.......... Do animals have souls????

*****

The Death Of The Bird

For every bird there is this last migration;

Once more the cooling year kindles her heart;

With a warm passage to the summer station

Love pricks the course in lights across the chart.

Year after year a speck on the map divided

By a whole hemisphere, summons her to come;

Season after season, sure and safely guided,

Going away she is also coming home;

And being home, memory becomes a passion

With which she feeds her brood and straws her nest;

Aware of ghosts that haunt the heart's possession

And exiled love mourning within the breast.

The sands are green with a mirage of valleys;

The palm-tree casts a shadow not its own;

Down the long architrave of temple or palace

Blows a cool air from moorland scraps of stone.

And day by day the whisper of love grows stronger,

The delicate voice, more urgent with despair,

Custom and fear constraining her no longer,

Drives her at last on the waste leagues of air.

A vanishing speck in those inane dominions,

Single and frail, uncertain of her place.

Alone in the bright host of her companions,

Lost in the blue unfriendliness of space.

She feels it close now, the appointed season:

The invisible thread is broken as she flies;

Suddenly, without warning, without reason,

The guiding spark of instinct winks and dies.

Try as she will the trackless world delivers

No way, the wilderness of light no sign,

The immense and complex map of hills and rivers

Mocks her small wisdom with its vast design.

And darkness rises from the eastern valleys,

And the winds buffet her with their hungry breath,

And the great earth, with neither grief not malice,

Receives the tiny burden of her death.

-- A. D. Hope

A simple poem, but one that has always impressed me for the quiet way it

builds up in force and slowly expands to show her smallness against the

immensity of what she sets out to do.

peacesojourner

The Full Wolf Moon Tonight

The Full Wolf Moon

Amid the zero cold and deep snows of midwinter, the wolf packs howled hungrily outside Native American villages. The Full Wolf Moon also known as the Old Moon or the Moon after Yule will be seen tonight. The Full Wolf Moon was named by Native Americans because it took place in January amid the cold and snow.

The Farmer's Almanac states that Indian tribes kept track of the seasons by giving distinctive names to each recurring full moon. The names, such as Wolf Moon, were applied to the entire month in which each occurred, so we are in Wolf Moon month.

To dedicated sky watchers, the moon has its own fascination, especially when it is full, as it will be tonight — the first full moon of 2011 and the biggest full moon this year. After all, this is the only object in the solar system on which we can see a wealth of detail without any optical aid whatsoever.

The first thing to look for is the man in the moon, or perhaps you can more easily see the woman in the moon or even the rabbit in the moon. One way or another, you can probably see a pattern of some sort in the play of bright and dark markings across the moon's face.

The darker areas are known as maria (singular mare, Latin for sea), though they have never seen a drop of water in the last four billion years. The lighter areas are mostly cratered highlands, where relatively recent asteroids have crashed into the moon's surface, exposing bright rock beneath the surface.

This, the first full moon of the year, is known as the Old Moon. Other names are Moon After Yule, and Ice Moon. In Hindi it is known as Paush Poornima. Its Sinhala (Buddhist) name is Duruthu Poya.

I just looked to the sky and locally we have heavy clouds - but here is what I know about Nature, the Full Wolf Moon is just above those clouds and elsewhere in the world there are many who will be able to view the magnificence of this moon.

So, once again, heads up tonight – enjoy Mother Nature’s gift to us.

peacesojourner

Sunday Reflection - The Baptism of Jesus

Baptism of Christ: Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River by John.

painting by Davezelenka 2005

Today’s is the celebration of the Baptism of Jesus, when Christians officially end the celebration of Christmas and now move on to the next phase in the liturgical year, which is called the “Ordinary Time.”

In this season of endings as well as of new beginnings, we are assured of God’s ever-abiding presence. He remains to guide and protect us.

The Baptism, signals the end of the private life of Jesus Christ and the start of his public ministry. In Matthew 3 - John baptizes Jesus and then, the voice of the Father in heaven was heard, saying: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:17)

Some families baptize their children when they are infants. Others wait until the ‘age of reason’ (usually around the age of 12) and there are others who are not baptized until they make it their own personal choice as an adult.

No matter the age of the person, baptism is a commitment on behalf of the child or by an adult and is the ritual of initiation or entry into the community that unites us with Christ Jesus and the Christian community. Thus, in baptism, we bid “goodbye” to our old self and we welcome the “new life” in Christ.

As we celebrate today, let us be reminded of our personal baptismal promise to reject what is evil and to embrace what is good and pleasing before God. If we do this, we, like Jesus, will be pleasing to our Father in heaven.

1 Peter 3:21 - 'this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also - not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ.'

In these turbulent times I pray that this reflection about Baptism will help to keep us grounded and that we concentrate on our personal faith journey and not get distracted by the acts of hatred that we witness or hear about daily.

Stay focused and do no harm, in this way we will be able to make positive changes in the world.

peacesojourner

If It Is Thursday It's Going Green - Save Energy in Your Kitchen

Here we are again at the beginning of a new year. Our minds usually start thinking about ways that we can improve our lives in the upcoming year.

I have written several blogs about energy conservation and how we can improve the environment. There are so many easy ways that we can make small changes and I encourage you to consider the suggestions that I make. Here are some ideas from the local electric company:

The energy used in the average home can be responsible for more than twice the greenhouse gas emissions of the average car. When you use less energy at home, you reduce greenhouse gas emissions from power plants and help protect our environment from the risks of global climate change.

Kitchen

When you can, cook many dishes together when using the oven. If the dishes call for separate temperature settings, just set it in the middle. Adjust cooking times rather than using the oven twice.

Cook with lids on your pans. For example, cooking spaghetti without a lid on the pot can use three times as much energy.

Use the smallest pan and burner needed for the job.

If the oven self-cleans, turn it on just after use, while the oven is still hot.

Don't peek into the oven as you cook. Every time the door is opened, a lot of heat escapes.

Contact a qualified heating contractor if your gas burners have a yellow flame instead of blue. Yellow flames may mean the gas is not burning efficiently.

Seek alternative cooking sources. A pressure cooker cuts cooking time by about two-thirds, and a microwave uses less than half the energy of a conventional electric oven.

Many dishwashers have energy-saving wash cycles that use less water. Using these cycles can save $5-15 per year.

Avoid running small loads in your dishwasher.

A no-heat air-dry feature also can save energy by as much as 15 to 50 percent. If you have an older dishwasher, turn the dishwasher off after the final rinse cycle is complete and open the door. This allows air-drying.

Some dishwashers have heaters to boost water temperature up to 140° or 145°F. However, most dishwashers function well at the 120°F setting. If your dishwasher has a booster heater, turn down your water heater thermostat to 120°F.

If you wash dishes by hand, fill wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run. This uses half as much water as a dishwasher does.

Use cold water when running your garbage disposal. Cold water congeals grease better and keeps the disposal cooler, helping the unit run more efficiently.

Don’t forget “together we can make a difference”

peacesojourner