The 5 R’s of the Grist Mill–And of The Gospel!
Donate to Support this Ministry!
Grist Mill Educational Outing a Fall Favorite
The Cedar Creek Grist Mill is a Treasure in Northwest History.
Thanks to volunteers who restored the mill, our families received a phenomenal education of how a grist mill works.
The Grinding Stone Grinds the Kernels to flour.
According to a historian at the Cedar Creek Grist Mill, "George Woodham and his two sons built the water-powered mill in 1876. Families throughout north Clark County brought their grain to the mill to be ground into flour or livestock feed." The mill is over 147 years old!
The mill is powered by the force of water, which turns the Turbine water wheel.
A live demonstration gave kids and parents a clear understanding on how the turbine wheel works. There is nothing like active, hands-on, real-life learning, which is what Highest Education is about!
The Mill Reminds us of the 5 R's
01.
refuse.
This may the most difficult R for Americans. We update, upgrade, and in every other way take innovation seriously. Maybe we can learn to at least filter and slim-down our selections of things we buy. We can be more aware of what is recyclable, buy those when possible, and refuse things that are not.
02.
reduce.
By lessening the purchasing of un-recyclables, we can reduce the amount of waste we create. We can also lessen how much we use by living simpler lives. How much do we actually need to live good lives?
03.
Reuse.
Lobbyists and corporate research labs have done much to convince American masses of short product shelf-lives. Yes, safety and usability are legitimate concerns, but why do things have to be replaced every five years, for example? Might there be a better balance between reusing something until it breaks and replacing something before it breaks?
04.
repurpose.
People who out-of-need live with very little know how to give things new uses and new lives. People who use things once or a few times and throw them away have little imagination as to how to repurpose things. But one does not have to be poor to repurpose what is at hand. One just has to be more mindful of treating our planet kindly. What have you repurposed recently? What are some things you can repurpose?
05.
Recycle.
America in many ways has done well in getting people to recycle their waste. However, we have a long way to go–a learning curve to continue climbing. What is something we can recapture its energy by transforming it to a different form? Countries that recycle best–like Germany and Sweden–recycle over 60% of their waste!
Smile! And Focus on Giving Your Family the Best Values.
Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, and Recycle–those are the 5 R’s of sustainability. For followers of Christ, there are more R's. God wants to Redeem, Rescue, Release, Renew, and Repeat!
May you and your family, like grain ready for milling, fall on the Rock, which is Jesus Christ.
