Shepherding Lessons from the Shepherd Saint Himself — St. Patrick

Welcome my friends to a special edition of Olde Stone Well Farm! What’s the occasion? It’s St. Patrick’s Day! They say everyone is Irish on March 17.

This year, though, I found myself thinking about St. Patrick’s early life as a shepherd. I often forget about his humble start. But it was the very vocation of shepherding that enabled Patrick to hear God’s voice and, thus, hear God’s call in his life to serve and proclaim the good news of Christ.

Shepherding is a solitude job and it can be quite harsh. But it is in such wilderness that we can see and hear the Divine.

As a shepherd, I am sure Patrick found himself anointing many a sheep’s head, too. I’ll explain more about that act of pouring oil on a sheep and the powerful meaning of it has for us today.

I also invite you to join me in one of my favorite Lenten activities — making pretzels, which have so many meanings and legends attached to them. I also share with you how beaver — yes, beaver — was once a Lenten delicacy!

And so, welcome!!

Pull up a chair, pour some tea or coffee, and join me at the old farm table — where there is always room for you and your friends.

I’m curious to hear from you as to what shepherding can teach you in your walk of faith today?

And the burning question is this: Do you like corned beef and cabbage? (My husband dislikes this St. Patrick’s day dinner. So I will need a place to a takeout order for my celebration!)

Drop me a note. I love hearing from you. Blessings!

Signs of Spring and a Surprise Snowfall

What a week I’ve had. I hope yours was better than mine!

First, thank you for the chicken soup recipes many of you sent to me when I was feeling under the weather. It really meant a lot to me, and I tried several of your delicious recipes. I am back now, feeling a bit better — just a wee bit congested still.

But while I was struggling with the sniffles, I had so much work still to do. Writing assignments were due, I was slated to guest preach at a midweek Lenten service and I was also a guest preacher at an adorable Vermont church where dogs are welcomed. It was so cute to see one little fur ball sitting in the pew.

As the week progressed, I began feeling better. Yes, your chicken soup helped, as did the warmth of the sun and signs of spring that I began to see all around.

Just as hope was truly blooming, I got a surprise — four inches of snow the other night. Ugh. I am so ready for spring. But I vowed not to let things beyond my control impact my mood. So I found a way to turn the snow day into a day of joy.

So come and join me as I share the many signs of hope and new life all around and how I even try to see that hope when things just don’t go the way I want them to!

Tell me about your week…and where you are seeing new life, hope and signs of spring where you are!

Blessings!

Time Doesn’t Heal Hurts, It Teaches You to Live With Them

It is great to be back. After a week away from the chatter of social media, I feel refreshed. But this time off was about more than just the need to unplug, it was a time to acknowledge an important anniversary and to honor the heaviness in my heart.

And I came to realize that time doesn’t heal the heart; rather, time teaches you how to live with the losses and how to keep moving forward.

My time of reflection also came at the start of the Lenten season — those 40 days that the faithful are invited to enter into the wilderness and walk with Jesus to the cross of Good Friday, where on the other side of death, waits new life. I couldn’t think of a better time of year to think about death and life, and everything in between.

So thank you my friends for patiently waiting for a new video. And thank you for being part of Olde Stone Well Farm!

How are you observing the season of Lent? What anniversaries make you move more slowly and make you remember a time gone by? I would love to hear from you.

Blessings!

Ashes and Hearts and Some Moravian Love Feast Coffee!!

A special time together on this special day as we celebrate Valentine’s Day and Ash Wednesday. Yes, they are both on the same day, and how perfect is that! It’s a time to broaden the definition of love beyond Cupid and chocolate hearts and really remember that the most beautiful love is sacrificial…giving ourselves to another. So on this day, when I burn the palms from last year to make ashes and make some Moravian Love Feast coffee (more on this in the video…hint: it was served at the first love feast in 1720s), I invite you to join me because I have what I think is an important message for you. That is, YOU ARE LOVED!

Come and Join Me This Shrovetide — And Flip Some Pancakes With Me!

The days leading up to Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent, is often marked by carnivals and feasting. Here at Olde Stone Well Farm, I get ready to enter into the weeks of Lent by observing an ancient time called, Shrovetide — the three days before Ash Wednesday where pantries are rid of meat, eggs, flour and butter. Women would make pancakes on the day before Ash Wednesday and legend has it that they would race to the church to show the priest their pancakes. Today, there are still parts of the world that hold Pancake Flipping Races on the day before Ash Wednesday.

I give it a try (enjoy my feeble attempt at running and flipping at the same time!). I also share with you a wonderful 18th-century pink pancake recipe made by mashing a boiled beet! It is yummy! But there is something deeper to all this fun. This is a time to do some early spring cleaning, to not only clean out the pantry, but clean out the soul — and we do that with confession.

Yes, confession is good for the soul because to be our best we need to recognize our worst. So, come and prepare for the season of Lent with me with a little fun and reflection. Share! Comment! And tell a friend about your visit to Olde Stone Well Farm.

(And yes, that is a picture of my old house at the beginning of this episode. And yes, I did add an “e” to the Old in Olde Stone Well Farm as it feels more 18th-century!) What do you think of this episode.

Let me know!

Blessings!

Age Is Just a Number — We Should Never Stop Dreaming

I finally visited the homestead of Grandma Moses, a prolific artist who picked up a paintbrush in her late 70s. I needed to be reminded that it is never too late to start something that will add beauty to this world. And, it is never too late to dream up something big and wonderful. With the celebration of Candlemas on Feb. 2 (where I share a candle blessing with you) I was reminded again of two people in the Bible who held onto their dreams and kept believing in God’s promise no matter how long they waited or how old they got. They are an inspiration to me as lately I am feeling age sneak up on me and I am letting the world’s “you’re too old to…” messages put a damper on the dreams I still hold dear to my heart. What about you? Do you still believe that your dreams can come true? Do you realize that you are NOT too old for whatever it is you might want to do? Before you disagree with me, settle in and let’s spend some time together here at Old Stone Well Farm. Blessings to you!! (And share your thoughts…and share this message with others who you think might need a little encouragement to embrace all that life is offering!)

A Sad Day at the Farm

Friends, it was a sad day here at Old Stone Well Farm as I lost two of my chickens to a fox. I’ve had chickens before and I don’t remember feeling this sad, but this time around it really hit me. That’s when I realized how important it is for us to care for ourselves when our heart aches. It doesn’t matter if it is a chicken or not, grief is grief and you need to honor your feelings. So I share with you a few ways I coped and the lessons Omelet and Priscilla taught me. I also discovered an 18th-century cookie recipe called “funeral cookies” or “death cookies” that were served with hot spiced wine at funerals, especially among the early Dutch settlers of colonial New York. So come, join me here at Old Stone Well Farm. I wish I could share the cookies with you (they are quite good!), but I am more than happy to share the recipe if interested. How do you cope when your heart is heavy? Share your thoughts…and even your special recipes for comfort food. Thank you for coming to Old Stone Well Farm. Share with others! Blessings!

Finding Peace Amid Winter Storms

We’ve had a series of wicked storms in one week here at Old Stone Well Farm, and I have to admit, they rattled me! The winds blew over trees, caused damage to the 18th century house and made me realize that sometimes my faith isn’t all that strong.

So when an old tree toppled over, I had to ask myself, how strong are my faith roots? Can I trust God’s goodness when the storms of life hit? So join me in this episode of Old Stone Well Farm where I get real and share the good, the bad and the ugly! I also share how I found peace in the storm using an ancient prayer technique.

What about you? How do you nurture your faith when times are tough? Where do you find peace? I would love to know. Comment, like, share!

Blessings! Donna