Earth Stewardship: Dirt Under the Nails, Not Cash in the Plate

By Tim Gamble (Cade Shadowlight)

     Between Shadows and Light.

  

Last time (article link), I laid out why Biblical stewardship beats modern environmentalism - hands down. Genesis 2:15 started us off, but God’s Word runs deep. Let’s dig into scripture. It contains God’s playbook for tending His creation. Here are the highlights. I do recommend you look these up yourself and read the exact quotes in full context. I'll give you my brief notes on each. 

• Genesis 1:28 - Human lives first. We are to subdue the Earth, and rule over it. But good rulers don't destroy their kingdoms. 
• Genesis 1:31 - God calls His creation “good.” Nature is important, and has value on its own merits, not just for its usefulness to us.
• Genesis 2:15 - The big command from God for Earth Stewardship. Mankind is installed by God as the caretakers for His creation - "to work it and watch over it" - to cultivate it for our use and guard it with care (the word is shâmar in Hebrew).
• Leviticus 25:2-7 - The seven year cycle mirrors the seven day creation week. Six days of work, one day of rest for us. Six years of work, one year rest for the land. This resting of fields is an important concept in sustainable agriculture, and helps maintain healthy soils. 
• Deuteronomy 20:19 - Trees are important (food, producing oxygen, and many other ways). So much so that God forbids their destruction as a tactic of war. That's right. Armies are forbidden from using deforestation as a war tactic. 
• Job 12:7 - Says ask the beasts, they’ll teach you. There are actually things we can learn from nature. 
• Isaiah 24:4-6 - Mankind can, and will, bring destruction upon the Earth, and suffer ourselves for it, as our numbers decrease, and "few people are left." 
• Psalm 24:1 - The Earth and all of creation still belongs to God, not us. I've heard Christians erroneously claim that God gave us the Earth. He did not. He made us caretakers over His creation, not owners.  
• Proverbs 12:10 - It is regarded as righteous to care for animals, wicked if one doesn't. 
• Romans 8:19-22 - Creation, nature, is a reflection of coming glory. 
• Colossians 1:16-17 - God as the Creator of all things, including the Earth and nature. Shall we destroy what God created? 
• Revelation 11:18 - A promise to Reward the servants and "destroy those who destroy the Earth."  

Most of these are not direct "Plant trees" commands, but show that creation is tied to God’s purpose, and humans are given the role of guardian and caretaker. It is about balance. Humans and nature. Both are important. Both have value. 

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Biblical Stewardship of the Earth

By Cade Shadowlight 

     - Between Shadows and Light.

I grew up on my grandfather’s farm, splitting my days between school, chores, and racing through the woods - sometimes alone, sometimes with friends - because that's all there was to do. And I loved it! I can still feel the mud between my toes. That rural South wilderness was my playground, my classroom, my everything.

It’s why I’ll always love nature - and why I can’t stand what the environmental movement’s become. Today’s environmentalism isn’t about saving nature; it’s carbon taxes, shuttered farms, and guilting kids into thinking they are a plague upon the Earth. My grandfather worked his farm because it was his - and that’s why he cared for it. Freedom and responsibility, not bureaucracy, drove him. 

I am embracing Biblical Stewardship of the Earth, where man is the gardener and caretaker of God's creation. I  still love nature. I still enjoy the outdoors. And we all need clean air, clean water, clean food, and plenty of open spaces.

Balance Between the Needs of Humans and Nature

Genesis 2:15 says God put man in Eden "to work it and watch over it" - to cultivate it for our use and guard it with care (the word is shâmar in Hebrew). Creation’s for us, yet valuable too. God doesn’t say pave it over or starve for it - He wants balance.

What does Biblical Stewardship look like? It puts human lives first (Genesis 1:28), while still recognizing the importance and value of nature (Genesis 1:31). It seeks to fulfill our role as caretaker, as given by God (Genesis 2:15), under His ownership (Psalm 24:1). It works towards balance between mankind and nature. It respects nature, while also protecting personal freedoms and property rights. 

The priorities of Biblical stewardship are simple and clear. Clean air. Clean water. Clean food. Open spaces for needs of wildlife and human recreation. And the protection of species and habitats.

What are the tactics needed to meet these priorities? 

• Agrarianism: putting agriculture at the heart of society, built on small businesses and local control of food and resources.
• Sustainable agriculture: permaculture, regenerative agriculture.
• Sustainable forestry.
• Energy efficiency.
• Small scale solar and wind, for home and farm.
• Urban and community gardens.
• Encourage backyard habitats.
• Protecting and restoring natural wild spaces: national and state parks, greenways, wildlife corridors, and especially mountain forests and wetlands.
• Protecting and restoring native species.

This isn’t pie-in-the-sky stuff. Clean water flows from regenerative farming - less runoff, healthier rivers. Clean air? Sustainable forestry and ocean protection keep the Earth breathing, boosted by efficient energy and small-scale solar or wind. Open spaces come alive with parks and greenways, room for deer and hikers alike. Clean food grows through agrarianism’s local roots, and biodiversity thrives when it all fits together.

God gave us this Earth to tend, not to trash or to worship. So plant a garden. Clean a creek. Teach your kids to love the woods like I did. That’s stewardship: quiet, faithful, free.

Scripture’s got plenty more to say—I’ll unpack it next time.

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Natural History (DK Definitive Visual Encyclopedias) is a "beautiful guide to Earth's wildlife and natural history, including its rocks, minerals, animals, plants, fungi, microorganisms and more!" I own this book and love it - beautiful and informative. The pictures below are of my copy. (Amazon link)

 

 

Exploring the Shadows: The Power of Dark Literature in the Modern World

By Cade Shadowlight (Tim Gamble)

     Between Shadows and Light.

Folks might be wondering about my fascination with Dark Literature, which I am starting to share on this website. For me, it is more than just about the beauty and even humor that can be found in the shadows. There is a very real practical side - understanding human nature, including my own, and exploring psychological resilience. Both are keys to navigating and surviving our modern dystopian hellscape.

Dark Literature is a genre that plunges into the murkier depths of human experience, unflinchingly examining themes like mortality, despair, fear, and the uncanny. Far from being mere exercises in bleakness, these works strip away society’s polished exterior to reveal the raw, unfiltered truths beneath. They grapple with profound questions: What drives us? Where do morality’s boundaries lie? What happens when science and reason falter in the face of the unknown? This isn’t about physical survival—it’s about psychological resilience, a quiet strength that equips us to endure the existential and emotional tempests of modern life.

At its core, Dark Literature serves as a mirror to our collective anxieties. It forces us to confront the chaos of existence, from the limits of human ambition to the fragility of our moral compass. In today’s world—marked by technological saturation, uncertainty, and ethical ambiguity—these stories resonate more than ever. They don’t offer easy answers, but they sharpen our perspective, teaching us to navigate the psychological and moral storms that define our era. By exploring the abyss, Dark Literature reveals not just our capacity for darkness, but our ability to persist through it.

What sets this genre apart is its willingness to probe the uncomfortable. It’s less about despairing and more about understanding—about building the mental toughness to face a reality that’s often unpredictable and unyielding. Whether it’s the unraveling psyche of a murderer or the hubris of a scientist defying nature, these narratives show us how to bend without breaking. In doing so, they become a lens through which we can better comprehend ourselves and the world we inhabit.

Notable Works in Dark Literature

Here are some standout examples that embody the genre’s haunting power:

1. Edgar Allan Poe – The Tell-Tale Heart (Amazon link) A chilling tale of guilt and paranoia, where the narrator’s descent into madness reveals the psychological weight of hidden deeds.

2. Mary Shelley – Frankenstein (Amazon link) A cornerstone of the genre, this novel explores the perils of unchecked ambition and the moral consequences of tampering with life itself.

3. Fyodor Dostoevsky – Crime and Punishment (Amazon link) A gripping study of morality and human motivation, following a man’s inner turmoil after committing murder and facing the limits of his own rationalizations.

4. Cormac McCarthy – The Road (Amazon link) A stark, post-apocalyptic journey that tests the boundaries of hope and resilience amid desolation, focusing on a father and son’s emotional survival.

5. Shirley Jackson – The Haunting of Hill House (Amazon link) A masterful blend of psychological unease and the supernatural, delving into isolation, fear, and the fragility of the human mind.

6. Bram Stoker – Dracula (Amazon link) A gothic masterpiece that weaves together fear of the unknown, the clash between science and superstition, and the dark allure of immortality, all while probing the vulnerabilities of human will.

7. George R.R. Martin – A Game of Thrones: A Song of Ice and Fire (Amazon link)  The first in the epic series, this work blends political intrigue and moral ambiguity with visceral brutality, ex the psychological toll of power and survival in a world where no one is safe.

These works, among others, showcase Dark Literature’s unique ability to illuminate the shadows - both within us and around us. They remind us that resilience isn’t about escaping the dark; it’s about learning to walk through it. In a world that often feels like it’s teetering on the edge, that lesson might just be what keeps us going.

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From Tim Gamble to Cade Shadowlight: A New Name, Same Fight

By Tim Gamble (Cade Shadowlight)

     Between Shadows and Light.

For years, you’ve known me as Tim Gamble -- prepper, thinker, skeptic of the system, follower of The Way. I’ve written, spoken, and lived a worldview rooted in scripture, self-reliance, and resistance to technocracy’s creep. That hasn’t changed. But today, I’m stepping into a name that reflects the core of who I am and what I’m building: Cade Shadowlight.  

Why the shift? It’s not about hiding—it’s about claiming. Cade is a blade, a survivor’s edge—masculine, practical, unyielding. Shadowlight is my banner: between the shadows of this world’s chaos and the light of Elohim’s truth, where I’ve always stood. It’s not just a name; it’s a call to found the House of Shadowlight—a legacy for my family and those who share this path. A dynasty of faith, freedom, and old-path resilience in a world obsessed with control.

You’ll still find me on X as

@CadeShadowlight

and Gab as @CadeShadowlight -- questioning narratives, digging into history, prepping for what’s ahead. TimGamble.com stays live as my base for now, but keep an eye on CadeShadowlight.com and HouseOfShadowlight.com -- they’re coming. Same mission, new fire.

My survivalist website, DystopianSurvival.com remains the same.

Stick with me - and my muse, Wednesday Addams. The House of Shadowlight starts here, and you’re part of it.

— Cade Shadowlight (formerly Tim Gamble)

You may also be interested in:

• Survival Skills of Wednesday Addams (article link)
• Weapons Skills of Wednesday Addams (article link)
• Medical Skills of Wednesday Addams (article link)

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I’m on Buy Me A Coffee, which enables people to support my work with "tips" as small as $3. If you like my work and what I'm am trying to accomplish by motivating and teaching others, you can buy me a coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/TimGamble

Dark Literature Review: The Castle of Otranto

By Tim Gamble

     Between Shadows and Light.

One of my goals in 2025 is to read more fiction. Since one of my favorite genres is Dark Literature, especially Gothic Horror, I decided to start with The Castle of Otranto, a classic from 1765. 

My copy.

The Castle of Otranto, by Horace Walpole, is often credited as the first Gothic novel. The copy I read (Amazon link) is a large-print version which includes a short 3-page biography of the author. It also features a beautiful cover illustration. 

Plot Summary

In this fun and dreary tale, Prince Manfred of Otranto is desperate to continue his lineage, but either fate or a curse has other plans. On the very day his only son is to marry, the groom is crushed and killed by a giant helmet - the first of several seemingly supernatural occurrences.

Manfred, a wicked and selfish man, decides to divorce his wife and marry his son's betrothed, Isabella, to secure his bloodline. But Isabella, understandably not thrilled by this idea, flees into the labyrinth of passages beneath the castle.

A peasant named Theodore happens to be at the castle that very day, and aids Isabella in her escape. Theodore, as readers will find out, bears an uncanny resemblance to the statue from which the helmet that killed Manfred's son comes.

Without giving away the details for those wishing to read the book, there's love, mistaken identity, and a prophecy that the castle and principality will pass from the current line. Ghosts, paintings that bleed, and a moving statue add to the dark and mysterious ambiance.

Eventually, it's revealed that Theodore is actually the rightful heir. Manfred family, it turns out, had unjustly stolen the castle and title generations past. Manfred's tyranny ends, not with a bang, but with the realization that his lineage was never meant to last.

In true Gothic fashion, everyone gets what they deserve in the end, and the castle, with all its secrets, finally finds peace. Or at least as much peace as a place with such a dark history can muster.

My Thoughts

The Castle of Otranto is a relatively short novel, 136 pages in the large print, that packs a lot of action, intrigue, and unexpected twists and turns into its narrative. It leaves largely unresolved the question of whether or not the outcome is due to an actual supernatural curse or just the natural result of Manfred's selfish and evil ways. It is an interesting exploration of morality.

For those of us who enjoy such things, the tale has a delightfully dark and macabre ambiance. Its importance to the history of literature is unquestionable, as it founded the genre that would go on to include Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (Amazon link), Bram Stocker's Dracula (Amazon link), and the works of Emily Bronte, among others. I highly recommend it to anyone who studies literature or just enjoys the genre. 

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