Solace Farm

"Mercy. eleos in the Greek translation. (Strongs G1656) Defined as: mercy: kindness or good will towards the miserable and the afflicted, joined with a desire to help them. A) of men towards men: to exercise the virtue of mercy, show one’s self merciful.

I’ve often said that it’s easy to love those who love us, but the challenge lies in our ability to love the unlovable. That calls for grace. I think it must be said often because there’s this mindset around us that wants to reinforce this idea that kindness is only for those who deserve it."

- Darlene Schacht

A local Dairy friend shared this with me and I just had to share it with you...

I was blessed with this letter this morning and am thankful for the reminder that our small acts touch many lives (read to the end to understand).  What we do daily is like a small drop in a pond that causes ripples to touch the very edge.  Thank you Thomas for the reminder that the world is indeed a small place and we are all God's children.......

HI SANDRA IT'S THOMAS FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA CANADA....ALWAYS ENJOY

READING THE MESSAGES FROM SOLACE FARM AND THE COMMUNITY EVENTS IN YOUR

AREA. IT SOUNDS LIKE

YOU LIVE WITH A LOT OF COMMUNITY SPIRITED PEOPLE.

I HAVE BEEN ENJOYING MY SOLACE FARM SPINDLE AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE

A STORY WITH

YOU. AFTER PURCHASING MY SPINDLE AND WAITING FOR IT TO ARRIVE I

WATCHED YOU TUBE TUTORIALS ON DROP SPINDLES TO PREPARE MYSELF. I FOUND

ONE VIDEO THAT I SEEMED TO CONNECT WITH BECAUSE OF THE MANNER OF THE

INSTRUCTOR AND HER PRESENTATION. HER NAME

WAS PAM AND SHE HAS A SMALL FIBRE FARM IN CT. AND ALSO A SHOP ON ETSY.

I VISITED HER SHOP ON ETSY AND PURCHASED SOME FLEECE. MY SPINDLE

ARRIVED AND AS YOU KNOW THERE WAS FLEECE AS PART OF THE PACKAGE.

USING MY YOU TUBE KNOWLEDGE AND READING THE BOOKLET THAT ARRIVED WITH

THE SPINDLE I SET TO WORK SPINNING MY BEAUTIFUL WHITE FINN SHEEP

FLEECE....NOT A BAD RESULT BUT PRETTY THICK AND THIN ....WONDERING IF

I COULD KNIT KNIT WITH IT I GOT OUT MY FAVOURITE NEEDLES.... 5MM DPN

MADE FROM MILK PROTEIN

AND I KNIT A VERY SIMPLE SQUARE...I WAS VERY PLEASED WITH MYSELF AND

THE SPINDLE.

MY ETSY PURCHASED FLEECE ARRIVED FROM DREAM COME TRUE FARM IN CT. AND

I SET OUT TO LEARN MY NEW CRAFT. SOME TIME LATER AROUND CHRISTMAS THAT

TERRIBLE TRAGEDY HAPPENED AT SANDOWN SCHOOL IN CT. WHERE 20 CHILDREN

AND 6 ADULTS WERE MASSACRED.

A SHORT TIME AFTER THAT TRAGEDY I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM PAM BLASKO

WHO WAS CONTACTING FOLKS SHE HAD SOLD FLEECE TO IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO

SEND AN 8" SQUARE TO BE

INCLUDED IN A LOVE AFGHAN SHE HOPED TO GIVE TO HER NEIGHBOUR WHO SADLY

LOST ONE OF HER TWO CHILDREN THAT ATTENDED SANDDOWN SCHOOL....OF

COURSE I WAS ONLY TOO GLAD TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE PROJECT. I SAT

DOWN AND TRIED TO THINK WHAT MY CONTRIBUTION WOULD LOOK LIKE WITH MY

VERY LIMITED EXPERIENCE AND MY MIND WENT IMMEDIATELY TO MY FIRST

ATTEMPT WITH FLEECE FROM "SOLACE" FARM .... I GOT OUT THE SQUARE AND

FOUND IT TO BE EXACTLY 8" SQUARE....THERE WERE MORE THAN A FEW TEARS

THAT EVENING AS GAVE THE SQUARE A BATH IN HOT WATER TO SET THE TWIST

AND BLOCK THE SQUARE BEFORE FORWARDING IT TO PAM TO BE INCLUDED IN THE

AFGHAN.....THE EMAIL I RECEIVED WITH THE ANNOUNCEMENT FOR YOUR

COMMUNITY GATHERING TO DO NEEDLE FELTING REMINDED ME....COMMUNITY

INVOLVEMENT IS NOT DEFINED BY DISTANCE OR BORDERS BUT BY THE

FELLOWSHIP AND LOVE OF ONE ONE ANOTHER NEAR OR FAR AND YOU AND YOUR

FAMILY AND SOLACE FARM WA: WITH ME BC CANADA; AND PAM BLASKO AND HER

FAMILY AT DREAM COME TRUE FARM CT: AND THE LOSS OF A FRIENDS CHILD WE

ARE ALL APART OF ONE COMMUNITY ALL DRAWN TOGETHER BY A FEW STICKS OF

WOOD AND A HAND FULL OF FLEECE .... PERHAPS WE SHOULD ALL GIVE THIS A

LITTLE MORE THOUGHT IN OUR EVERYDAY LIFE AND DEALINGS....EACH AND

EVERY ONE OF US IS A PART OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN.......I WISH I

COULD THINK OF SOMETHING WISE TO SAY OR A SOLUTION TO PROFFER

BUT......

.....STAY SAFE AND HEALTHY SMILE OFTEN AND HUG YOUR KIDS OFTEN AND SAY

YOUR PRAYERS BEFORE YOU GO SLEEP................ ...T.

Quote to live by:

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

~Ralph Waldo Emerson

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.

-Winston Churchill

Make it work, Make it yourself, Make do or Do without.....

• Kindness is in our power, even when fondness is not.

                                                         Samuel Johnson

Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. 1Thess4:11.NIV

"Most people don't recognize opportunity because it's usually dressed in overalls and looks like work." by Thomas Edison