Stacy Hawkins Adams is a Christian fiction author and former journalist whose love of writing was nurtured by family, friends and teachers from the time she could read. During a long career as a newspaper reporter and as the author of six women’s fiction novels, she has used words to encourage others to live joyously, pursue their purpose, and trust that because God loves them, they can love themselves. Stacy’s most popular novels among young adults include
Speak To My Heart, Watercolored Pearls, and the upcoming
Dreams That Won’t Let Go. She is a married mom of two – a daughter, 11, and a son, 8 – and lives in Richmond, Va.
She welcomes SUSIE sisters to chat with her or “sound off” about the big news in their world and how it relates to their faith. Visit her website to learn more about her work or find inspiration for your own writing efforts:
www.StacyHawkinsAdams.com.
Deep in the heart of summer, you may still be taking a mental holiday, but I have to ask…been watching the news lately?
If so, I’m sure you’ve heard about the disaster in the Gulf region of the U.S. that has involved a seemingly unstoppable flow of crude oil off the shores of Louisiana. The British Petroleum oil spill has harmed sea life, wildlife and beaches as far as Florida and Alabama.
Maybe you live in that part of the nation, and have witnessed some of the problems firsthand.
Either way, have you paid close attention? And honestly, do you care?
I’d love to know if issues like this are on your radar, or if you leave this kind of “heavy stuff” to your parents or other grownups to fret over and handle.
That may be your choice, or maybe you’re among the increasing numbers of youths who understand that everything we do, or don’t do, to keep our air, land and environment free from pollution will help make our world a safe place to live during your adulthood, when you may be raising a family, and many years later, when you have grandchildren with hopes and dreams they’d like to fulfill.
Whatever your perspective, now is a great time to reflect on Psalm 24:1, in which David declares:
“The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.”
Reading that Scripture reminds me that God doesn’t just care about people; He cares about all of His creation, and He wants us to both enjoy it and take good care of it.
One of the ways we can do this is by becoming more informed about how the earth is being harmed, so we can do our part (however small it seems) to keep our air and water clean, our wildlife safe, our energy consumption low.
Regardless of your age or personal circumstances, I’m confident there’s something you can do – whether it’s recycling your plastic water bottles or other containers, turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth, or reminding your parents to take reusable bags along when they shop.
Do you believe that youths your age can (and should) do something?
There’s a website you might want to check out as you consider this. The
www.GreatGarbagePatch.com shows the effects of taking earth for granted.
Then there are tons of sites dedicated to helping you and your peers understand that how we treat our world today will affect the world we live in years from now.
Why not visit Kids for Saving Earth (www.kidsforsavingerth.org), Kids for a Clean Environment (www.kidsface.org) or Young Environmentalist Actions for Kids (http://www.globalresponse.org/kidsactions.php). (Try to ignore the fact that these sites use the word “kids” when you young ladies are beyond that stage, and enjoy the tons of info they provide!)
Hopefully you’ll be inspired to treasure the environment and treat it more kindly.
Then, will you take a few minutes to share on this blog page how you intend to begin making a difference? Or, if you’re already thinking green and honoring the earth, give the rest of us ideas!
Environmentally Yours,
Stacy