tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20250743945636610562024-03-12T19:52:12.368-05:00the voices of thistle farmsLove is the most powerful force for change in the world.the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.comBlogger371125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-77383941531842374802015-06-18T13:35:00.001-05:002015-06-22T09:23:20.955-05:00Family Ties<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaYEPOgw7KsPuTQLlF_hPCaOF4IAH18kKNKovqj_bwF7CbjIqgvoaVRYg4ojDLMUNvG4NOFQ3se_S4ubPMnteSr0KPSFnG9ZUCT7oR7_VEBJyUEcyB3KT6xImi9H9joNeyun4KUHdQjU/s1600/Joseph2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheaYEPOgw7KsPuTQLlF_hPCaOF4IAH18kKNKovqj_bwF7CbjIqgvoaVRYg4ojDLMUNvG4NOFQ3se_S4ubPMnteSr0KPSFnG9ZUCT7oR7_VEBJyUEcyB3KT6xImi9H9joNeyun4KUHdQjU/s320/Joseph2.jpg" width="271" /></a></div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">Thistle Farms' new Rose Geranium
Insect Repellent does more than just ward off mosquitos and bugs. The product
unites the Thistle Farmers of Nashville and the Ikirezi Farmers of Rwanda under
a common goal: Transforming the lives of women all around the world. </span>The women of Ikirezi harvest
essential Geranium oil, and the women of Magdalene combine it with other
ingredients to create the finished product. This partnership was the product of
Rev. Becca Stevens’ Shared Trade initiative to promote economic freedom for
women worldwide.</div>
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<span style="text-indent: 0.5in;">This summer, Thistle Farms has
taken the cross-continental partnership to a new level in welcoming Joseph Mugisha
as a volunteer. Joseph’s father, Nicholas Hitimana, founded Ikarezi as a way to
encourage recovery among women affected by the devastating Rwandan genocide. Joseph
says, “The women at Ikirezi have lost husbands and struggle to provide for
themselves. In a sense, this is similar to the women of Magdalene.” Joseph is
spending several weeks in Nashville, working alongside the women of Magdalene
to produce the Rose Geranium Insect Repellent with the oil from his father’s
cooperative.</span></div>
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Having spent time with women from
both organizations, Joseph has realized that there is a universal story that
the women share. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“There’s a sense of
familiarity for me despite the language and cultural differences between the
women here and the women in Rwanda. They both have faced great hardships, but they
both have a really immense love for each other and the people around them. In
that sense I think that Love is something that is cross cultural.”<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-73862215234346334622015-06-10T11:23:00.001-05:002015-06-11T13:05:53.018-05:00Congratulations Class of 2015!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8mzBr3yd_UVoE66SAv15fn0pxkBf0t1Ddb0k0P_UWr5SrR4y4mOOrcKHYpHGMB6j93VRdKU-dG_TT6FW3Y6Nout0Mtpl_96-feM6_wpFvrn3G18s_l-RFHyYauWjubzbv_TSTiHyqDI/s1600/Graduation+2015.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8mzBr3yd_UVoE66SAv15fn0pxkBf0t1Ddb0k0P_UWr5SrR4y4mOOrcKHYpHGMB6j93VRdKU-dG_TT6FW3Y6Nout0Mtpl_96-feM6_wpFvrn3G18s_l-RFHyYauWjubzbv_TSTiHyqDI/s400/Graduation+2015.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">On Friday, May
29<sup>th</sup>, in St. Bartholomew’s chapel, nine women graduated from Thistle
Farms’ two-year Residential Program. Together, these women share eighteen years
of healing in community and over 18 years clean and free from addiction. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Their accomplishments
were celebrated while dancing down the church’s aisle and commemorated in
reflections for each graduate by Donna Grayer, Director of the Residential Program.
One of the many highlights of the ceremony was Katrina Robertson’s words for
the graduates. Facing each graduate and speaking from her own experience,
Katrina gave the following address:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This has been a long time coming. You did
it. You finished a two-year program with rules. When I graduated, other people
had their own reasons they were happy for me, but all I could think about is
how,<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">for
the first time in my life, I finally finished something.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ms. Donna used to always remind us we
were in a two-year program with rules. I thought she was doing that just to
have control over us, and it worked. But what she was really telling us was
that if we could complete this program, then maybe, just maybe, we would be
ready for the big world that has a lot of rules to follow. If you make good
choices and decision in this world, then there will be good consequences and
outcomes; and if you make bad choices and decisions, you will get bad
consequences and outcomes back. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hold out your hands. Now that you have
finished the program and are moving into your own places and your own homes,
your destinies are not in Ms. Donna’s hands, not in Regina’s hands, and not in
Holli’s hands.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Your
destinies are in your own hands.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">So set goals, dream big, and if you fall,
get back up. I am so proud of you, and you have a whole community of people
that are proud of you and will be with you no matter what adversity you face. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Last Friday was
an illustration that not all accomplishments are created equal, and some
battles are harder fought than the rest. These nine women, with outstretched
arms, represent years of commitment, sacrifice, hope, healing, and the
unconditional support of a community. Thank you to all of you who have and who
will continue to stand in the Circle with the community of Thistle Farms, and <b><i>a</i></b></span><b><i> very special thanks to the Women of St. Bartholomew's who lavished the graduates and all of Thistle Farms with hospitality and love!</i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love Heals. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-31446498953178671472015-05-27T22:12:00.000-05:002015-05-29T15:20:08.975-05:00Our Sons<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Credit: Taro Yamasaki, Courtesy of the Flerlage Foundation</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">For the past twenty years, several of us have raised our sons while working alongside survivors of trafficking, genocide, and addiction. This summer, our sons have all come to work at Thistle Farms, the community we helped build. Thistle Farms is one of the largest social enterprises run by women survivors in the United States. We are so proud that our sons are a part of this movement for women’s freedom. This work reinforces a quality of masculinity that empowers them to stand up against pressures in the world which tell them to give in, turn the other way, and stay focused on their own pursuits, even as many young women suffer violence at the hands of abusive men and communities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Their presence reminds communities globally that sexual violence is not just a women’s issue. It is a human rights issue and we need our sons to stand with young women as the next generation works to heal the whole community. Our sons understand the struggles of growing up on social media and witnessing the privacy of others exploited with a single click. They grew up in in schools that prepare for mass shootings. They understand things differently than we do, and we need them to help lead us now that they are in college and entering the workforce.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">As a mother, I long to help young men step into life with eyes for advocacy and justice and to learn to see love as the most powerful force for change. I want our sons to speak up for their sisters and others who are exploited. I want our sons to know that their voice matters because silence is a form of complacency. I want our sons to experience the labor and tears of women who have survived brutality as they work alongside them. I want our sons to learn to use their privilege as a means of liberation for others no matter how small. I want our sons to know that their daughters need them now, before they are even born — working towards a world that protects innocence, holds traffickers accountable, and tells on abusers. As a mother, it is sometimes hard to let go. But I promise that it is much easier to follow as they take the lead on some of this work. It’s joyful to watch them laugh and learn while working on heartbreaking truths.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Our sons are beautiful and powerful. They are becoming more convinced that love requires them to advocate, take action, and stand up for those exploited. We pray for them. We pray that </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">an initiation into a life of leadership, deep caring, and honesty, not self-gratification at the expense of others.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: white;">My son and your sons have so much work ahead to help us heal this world and grow rich fields of love. </span><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">-- Becca Stevens</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Founder, Thistle Farms</span></div>
Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-6024754323350947932015-04-15T20:34:00.001-05:002015-04-15T21:25:15.296-05:00Sharing the Light of Isabel Allende<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The Rev. Frannie Kieschnick has been a dear friend to Thistle Farms. We asked her to write the dedication of the new <a href="http://www.thistlefarms.org/index.php/site/share-the-light/" target="_blank">Share the Light Campaign</a> to author, activist -- and Thistle Farmer -- Isabel Allende.</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>What a huge gift, as well as an honor and a responsibility, it was for Thistle Farms to be awarded the Isabel Allende Foundation’s annual $80,000 2014 Espiritu Award. Isabel created her foundation with the proceeds from her writing and in the name of her beloved daughter Paula, who passed away at the age of 28.</i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>However, the gift wasn’t only in the form of the generous infusion of financial support just when Thistle Farms was launching it's global initiative, <a href="http://www.sharedtrade.org/" target="_blank">Shared Trade: A Fair Share for Women</a>. It was also the infusion of light which filled and flowed from each of the women invited to Isabel’s home last fall to witness her presenting the award to three Thistle Farms women, Becca, Anika and Shana. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Sitting in a sacred circle that night, we did what we always do together. We lit a candle for the unknown women who remain in the darkness of despair, addiction, poverty, prostitution, and trafficking.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Then we went around and shared about someone who has been a light for us in our lives, especially in a dark time. We wept and laughed. We fell in love with each other in that circle of sharing our stories without even knowing everyones’ names. We celebrated the presence of Paula’s compassionate spirit and we watched Becca and Isabel, two magnificent, beloved, feisty, radiant women, lean lovingly toward one another sharing the same passion for justice for women, especially the most vulnerable. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i>Soon after the evening of that intimate gathering at Isabel’s home, she received the Presidential Medal of Honor. As President Obama presented her with the honor, he said of her that she writes about the big stuff, about families, magic, romance, oppression, violence, redemption, and makes them accessible. Through her foundation, she ensures that women and children facing violence and oppression can gain access to resources to transform their lives, and to thrive, not just survive. Doesn’t this sound like Thistle Farms and Shared Trade?</i></span></div>
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<i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">It was during that gathering at Isabel’s home, sharing in a circle and in a meal, that a flicker of an idea began to burn in the hearts of the Thistle Farmers. That flicker has caught fire and become the Share the Light Campaign.</span></i></div>
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<i style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Through her foundation in honor of Paula she shares the light of hope. Through the Espiritu Award she has shared the light of hope with Thistle Farms. How can we not dedicate our Share the Light Campaign to Isabel Allende? -- Frannie Kieschnick</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Watch the video below to meet Isabel and to feel a part of that special evening.</span></h4>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PeDAFaIEP_w/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PeDAFaIEP_w?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For information about participating in the Thistle Farms Share the Light campaign and help your local community and the women of Thistle Farms, <a href="http://www.thistlefarms.org/index.php/site/share-the-light/" target="_blank">visit here</a>.</span></h4>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-55257795562308701972015-02-26T22:35:00.002-06:002015-04-15T21:23:09.765-05:00More Healing. More Hope. Moringa Tea. <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">An apple a day keeps the doctor away?</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Move over apple, there’s a new superfood in town and it has such a vast range of health benefits, you might soon forget you ever had a doctor. This superfood is Moringa Oleifera, better known as the “miracle tree” plant native to tropical and subtropical regions of the world.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEY4HhaFPF9XIvS_GOzYMCuyZ13QSgQGPFF7CZfPfFqIxrFiwj7pg-wHC_voVGxC1AA_J15v6Wxl54aFuu11nrpRtRKMvap6_CpldCZK39_FFMQuA1Vz0WpYnnJ09w1Ngdea1WoPycCc8/s1600/C-45.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEY4HhaFPF9XIvS_GOzYMCuyZ13QSgQGPFF7CZfPfFqIxrFiwj7pg-wHC_voVGxC1AA_J15v6Wxl54aFuu11nrpRtRKMvap6_CpldCZK39_FFMQuA1Vz0WpYnnJ09w1Ngdea1WoPycCc8/s1600/C-45.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Credit: <a href="http://kelseycherry.com/" target="_blank">Kelsey Cherry</a></span></i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmiQdYCmntB34Y-Y3GwmIRP5TDVlt0ECNQR2yUKszssp16LGiTVFgymJjXohUF8F14sPdz_UXbXzw5U6nxZmCIu13b3CvsPqzmYkL-xSg5Q44tNjEWhhGlvMrpPstHFTwZbRVqapMTpw/s1600/IndividualBagTeaLabels-Print_002+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Though much sought-after in those regions, people are just getting to know about the health benefits of Moringa in the western world. Thistle Farms is one of the first to really promote Moringa as a healing tea. Rather than sell the leaves as an herb, Thistle Farms has combined Moringa leaves with Kenyan black tea and lemongrass, producing a delicious and nutritious herbal tea blend. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnt27sYzpCr2jD-HLPUeKoAQxAga-TeNqKtp3e9VnAIJfQhB61LqnxeObUrqztpAXObGqGGFVI4DQcVBfWr9r_y6194cycfq43HZUlZNU1Z4xQgdi77ab_GgHtA5ougtrsHTS3sFy44Vw/s1600/Blending+Moringa+Tea+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnt27sYzpCr2jD-HLPUeKoAQxAga-TeNqKtp3e9VnAIJfQhB61LqnxeObUrqztpAXObGqGGFVI4DQcVBfWr9r_y6194cycfq43HZUlZNU1Z4xQgdi77ab_GgHtA5ougtrsHTS3sFy44Vw/s1600/Blending+Moringa+Tea+3.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">On top of that, just as Moringa has healing properties for the immune system, Thistle Farms’ collaboration with the “Moringa Madres” of Juan Cosala, Mexico brings healing to women of the two social enterprises. These women of Mexico grow and harvest Moringa tea leaves, and Thistle Farms purchases the leaves so that meaningful work and income can be provided for impoverished women in that region. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">So, back to Moringa - why “miracle tree” (or miracle tea)? For starters, the amount of healing properties this plant possesses is miraculous in and of itself. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are several known benefits found in the leaves of a Moringa tree:</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Increases energy </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmiQdYCmntB34Y-Y3GwmIRP5TDVlt0ECNQR2yUKszssp16LGiTVFgymJjXohUF8F14sPdz_UXbXzw5U6nxZmCIu13b3CvsPqzmYkL-xSg5Q44tNjEWhhGlvMrpPstHFTwZbRVqapMTpw/s1600/IndividualBagTeaLabels-Print_002+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="background-color: transparent; clear: right; float: right; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: start;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsmiQdYCmntB34Y-Y3GwmIRP5TDVlt0ECNQR2yUKszssp16LGiTVFgymJjXohUF8F14sPdz_UXbXzw5U6nxZmCIu13b3CvsPqzmYkL-xSg5Q44tNjEWhhGlvMrpPstHFTwZbRVqapMTpw/s1600/IndividualBagTeaLabels-Print_002+(2).jpg" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: 'Pontano Sans'; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Balances blood sugar and normalizes blood pressure</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Contains proficient amounts of antioxidants, amino acids, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin A</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-3.5x more Vitamin C than oranges (per 1 cup Moringa tea)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-2x the calcium as milk (per 1 cup Moringa tea) </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-2x the Vitamin A than in carrots (per 1 cup Moringa tea)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Strengthens immune system</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Natural anti-inflammatory</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-High in potassium</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Over 46 antioxidants</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">-Enables better sleep (no caffeine!)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; text-indent: 36pt; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Nature’s healing powers through this plant have not gone unnoticed. Recently Dr. Oz listed moringa as one of "5 Ways to Re-energize Your Day," highlighting its nutrient-density. Soon after, the Los Angeles times wrote: </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>“Moringa sounds like Magic. It can rebuild weak bones, enrich anemic blood and enable a malnourished mother to nurse her starving baby. Doctors use it to treat diabetes in West Africa and high blood pressure in India...and it's not only good for you, it's delicious."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">With Thistle Farms’ Moringa Tea, you can be </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">healed</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For the Moringa Madres, you can be a </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: italic; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">healer</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /></span></span></span>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">The Moringa Tea blend can be purchased at the </span><a href="http://www.thistlestopcafe.org/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Thistle Stop Cafe</span></a><span style="color: #333333; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;"> or online at our </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.thistlefarms.org/" style="background-color: transparent; color: #222222; line-height: 1.38; text-align: justify; text-decoration: none;">Thistle Farms website. </a></span></i></span></div>
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<span id="docs-internal-guid-09bdc2c6-c956-b1e4-f74c-7d0d0b184b9d" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Visit our </span><a href="http://sharedtrade.org/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">shared trade</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> site to learn more about the Moringa Madres and our other shared trade partners.</span></i></span></div>
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</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Pontano Sans'; font-size: 16px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span>the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-6318000907868949972015-01-26T15:31:00.002-06:002015-04-15T21:24:24.666-05:00Where the Path is Leading Shana & Shelia Today: A Path Appears Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: italic; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">A Path Appears: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> is a 3-part documentary from journalists Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn that explores gender-based oppression, as well as effective solutions, across the U.S. and abroad. The first segment of the film explores sex trafficking, prostitution and the connections with early abuse, and features the stories of Shana Goodwin and Shelia McClain, both graduates and employees of Thistle Farms & Magdalene. As the documentary was filmed in 2013, we thought viewers would like to know a little about their lives today.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNjkS6xU-p5-AHEo-xvdyVml0Ke9vsrHDYIIz2XYOeGTMtVaT5solTbGX76ma2YM3dm_0swYB5gsb3F2RtSqzMljhaya1k7pW7z62FzSu6B9cDCV5v4NgUM0IoQ7FwJN-HLls2TAsohs/s1600/ShanaAPAcollage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhNjkS6xU-p5-AHEo-xvdyVml0Ke9vsrHDYIIz2XYOeGTMtVaT5solTbGX76ma2YM3dm_0swYB5gsb3F2RtSqzMljhaya1k7pW7z62FzSu6B9cDCV5v4NgUM0IoQ7FwJN-HLls2TAsohs/s1600/ShanaAPAcollage.jpg" height="205" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This past weekend, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shana Goodwin</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> moved into a cozy new 2-bedroom home with plenty of space for her kids and the goal of homeownership on the horizon! Reflecting on where she is today Shana says, “I’m just grateful. Every night when I lie down in my bed, I think of those nights of sleeping under a bridge. I never want to forget. My next thought is that there's still a girl under there now. I feel it in my gut – the desire to help the woman who is still out there.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shana is a Thistle Farms sales representative and a vital member of our retail team. One of the best ways to help her in her mission to bring more women off the streets, is to recruit new retail stores to carry our line around the country. Have a favorite local bath & body care shop? Tell them about Thistle Farms and encourage them to carry our product. You can reach out to the Thistle Farms sales team and give us your suggestions by </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a href="http://www.thistlefarms.org/index.php/for-retailers" target="_blank">CLICKING HERE</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">In August, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shelia Simpkins McClain</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> earned her B.S. in Psychology. With the goal of earning a master’s degree in mental health counseling, Shelia is already using her education in her work at Magdalene and as an Intervention Specialist at End Slavery Tennessee. When asked what getting this degree means to her, Shelia said, “I was raised to believe I was dumb and that I wouldn’t achieve anything. This degree means that wasn’t true.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> I'm already using my degree with our program for inmates, Magdalene on the Inside. My degree helped me redefine my place in the circle as a professional and a graduate. It has shown me that I can achieve anything I set my mind to</span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.” </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span id="docs-internal-guid-13ebeeb2-281f-7792-0476-09b6b8478176" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">As Magdalene’s Assistant Resident Manager and Coordinator of our prison program, Shelia is a key member of the team. Additionally, she works with juvenile and adult victims of trafficking at End Slavery Tennessee. You can watch a short clip of </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-cl=84503534&x-yt-ts=1421914688&v=I-dFjcOoJxE" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Shelia speaking to inmates here</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and learn more about </span><a href="http://www.endslaverytn.org/" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">End Slavery Tennessee here</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">. Like Shana, Shelia’s passion is about bringing women off the streets, and giving them a chance at a new life. Shelia and the program team can always use donations of welcome baskets for new residents and gift cards to purchase supplies for residents and inmates. Contact stacye@thistlefarms.org for details or </span><a href="http://www.thistlefarms.org/index.php/volunteer" style="text-decoration: none;" target="_blank"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">CLICK HERE</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> to learn more.</span></span></div>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-65903849680600266462014-11-26T18:15:00.001-06:002014-11-26T18:15:41.586-06:00More Happiness In GivingWritten by Thistle Farmer (and Country Music Artist) <a href="http://saraevans.com/" target="_blank">Sara Evans</a><br />
<i>originally published on the blog <a href="http://arealfineplace.com/happiness-giving/" target="_blank">A Real Fine Place</a></i><br />
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‘Tis the season to be thinking of gifts! So in the truest sense of giving, I decided to collaborate with Thistle Farms this holiday season to provide gifts that keep on giving!</div>
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Thistle Farms is a beautiful place (social enterprise) that is run by the women of Magdalene. Magdalene is a residential program for women who have survived lives of prostitution, trafficking, addiction and life on the streets. By hand, the women create natural bath and body products that are as good for the earth as they are for the body. Purchases of Thistle Farms products directly benefit the women by whom they were made. It was founded in 1997 by Becca Stevens. On a personal note, I have witnessed throughout the years all of the dedication that Becca has given this cause. I met her when I first started writing songs with her husband Marcus Hummon, who is an amazing songwriter! We wrote so many songs together, including <em style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Born to Fly</em>, however I think <em style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Rocking Horse</em> fits this occasion perfectly.</div>
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And it was something magic out of something frightening<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />That’s how I live my life,<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />I take it as it comes<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />And I find the hidden love</div>
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They are salt of the earth people and I am happy to share their gifts with you all. Go and give and be Merry!</div>
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<a href="https://store.thistlefarms.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=GiftBag-HolidayHealing" style="color: #bead50; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sara Evans’ Holiday Healing Basket: </strong><strong style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">$45 plus tax</strong></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBDdf-ZLnyfiX2_5azTURi0x3km1P7OxgSnvOwEDujWDvaWJHlVXSYvVsLn_MqXR3Ipbpp2nGzKLJ6VrPXLRx3txqp2mAyZdKjc0NGzp4yWtftEaHRMT8VoNJ-KPww6XWY-X84RsT6_4/s1600/Sara+Evans+TF+Holiday+Gifts+-+02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtBDdf-ZLnyfiX2_5azTURi0x3km1P7OxgSnvOwEDujWDvaWJHlVXSYvVsLn_MqXR3Ipbpp2nGzKLJ6VrPXLRx3txqp2mAyZdKjc0NGzp4yWtftEaHRMT8VoNJ-KPww6XWY-X84RsT6_4/s1600/Sara+Evans+TF+Holiday+Gifts+-+02.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>Holiday Candle<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Holiday Bath Salts<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Individual Healing Oil<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Lip Balm<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />packaged together in beautiful eco-friendly Love Heals brown bag and ribbon<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*note: scents will vary</span></i></div>
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<strong style="color: #bead50; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;"><a href="https://store.thistlefarms.org/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=Basket-HolidayTeaGift" style="color: #bead50; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;">Sara Evans’ Holiday Tea Gift Package: $100 plus tax</a></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY1vutL4vAgx9NUMf7AiXdpRhf091iyulaji2an_wbENO9Ap6l0RohjuCMSIylI4tGYrelEKjQ0hoTnd6iPOKJ6GBG_Z-h4QZBMdXppPbC0OCtcFMSEzS7o7P2DnNoUwkj4mxdZFVMXo/s1600/Sara+Evans+TF+Holiday+Gifts+-+03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; font-size: 16px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJY1vutL4vAgx9NUMf7AiXdpRhf091iyulaji2an_wbENO9Ap6l0RohjuCMSIylI4tGYrelEKjQ0hoTnd6iPOKJ6GBG_Z-h4QZBMdXppPbC0OCtcFMSEzS7o7P2DnNoUwkj4mxdZFVMXo/s1600/Sara+Evans+TF+Holiday+Gifts+-+03.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a>Thermos & Tea Survival Kit<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Thistle Farmer Mug<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Becca Stevens’ The Way of Tea & Justice Book<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Thistle Star Book Ornament<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Gift Certificate to Thistle Stop Cafe <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">*note: must be used at the Thistle Stop Cafe in Nashville, TN</span></i><br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />package together in beautifully wrapped basket and ribbon</div>
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<span style="color: #351c75;">SPECIAL BONUS: Some of the baskets may even contain a random, hand written, holiday wish from Sara herself!</span></div>
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Merry (early) Christmas, and shop ’til you drop!</div>
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Love,<br style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;" />Sara</div>
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<em style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">A Thistle Farmer</em></div>
the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-86833704964354632762014-10-31T23:03:00.000-05:002014-11-01T11:05:05.452-05:00The Way of Tea and Justice<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gbdgGooTu5nhN4ywIxggwkvFKnSnamXtwJlFZ1mLI7FpB3pudlyCnEGSNCjz3lAIqR0JYL5KuZwXkNRubAIty8Fwnm__v5OqfFExqrT4rGqbDN1LVaUUvUkypuI36J0sW2Iw3A0JlrA/s1600/Tea+&+Justice+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8gbdgGooTu5nhN4ywIxggwkvFKnSnamXtwJlFZ1mLI7FpB3pudlyCnEGSNCjz3lAIqR0JYL5KuZwXkNRubAIty8Fwnm__v5OqfFExqrT4rGqbDN1LVaUUvUkypuI36J0sW2Iw3A0JlrA/s1600/Tea+&+Justice+3.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Rev. Becca Stevens, Founder of Magdalene, Thistle Farms and the Thistle Stop Cafe, is proud to announce her latest book: <b><a href="http://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/rev-becca-stevens/the-way-of-tea-and-justice/9781455519026/" target="_blank">The Way of Tea and Justice: Rescuing the World’s Favorite Beverage from Its Violent History</a>.</b></div>
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Becca started the Thistle Stop Café to empower women survivors. But when she discovered a connection between café workers and tea laborers overseas, she embarked on a global mission called "Shared Trade" to increase the value of women survivors and producers across the globe. </div>
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As she recounts the victories and unexpected challenges of building the café, Becca also sweeps the reader into the world of tea, where timeless rituals transport to an era of beauty and the challenging truths about tea's darker, more violent history. She offers moving reflections of the meaning of tea in our lives, plus recipes for tea blends that readers can make themselves.</div>
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Not only is tea the most widely consumed beverage after water in the world, it is the oldest cultivated plant, comes from a single species, and is connected to justice, revolution and religion like no other plant. While tea has helped usher in great economic and spiritual growth in its 3,500 year history, it has been part of the oppression of women. It is tied to the work and mission of Thistle Farms through the stories of sexual violence in the fields of India and the trading of opiates in China. But tea has a noble story too, as its rituals and traditions are great companions for cultivating a contemplative heart. Through our attention to how it is grown and by whom, a tea rooted in justice is a great companion for our spiritual journeys.<br />
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In this journey of triumph for impoverished tea laborers, hope for café workers, and insight into the history of tea, Becca sets out to defy the odds and prove that love is the most powerful force for transformation on earth.</div>
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You’re invited to a book signing Wednesday, November 5th at 6 p.m. at Thistle Stop Café. Becca will be there to sign copies of her book and, of course, share tea.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x1wbfqCbPixc_u-nEUkyHfWOCXurw3QJEDdbDc3VOFZ25_ho93aGYE9_pXQNTUAmF2ZIScY86RYAzLSR1yLLuTtlqPd9LUWoNnFo8ojlaZhIDNgDJEbsyX4N3DRcLKJzgainbI7cHzA/s1600/Tea+&+Justice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9x1wbfqCbPixc_u-nEUkyHfWOCXurw3QJEDdbDc3VOFZ25_ho93aGYE9_pXQNTUAmF2ZIScY86RYAzLSR1yLLuTtlqPd9LUWoNnFo8ojlaZhIDNgDJEbsyX4N3DRcLKJzgainbI7cHzA/s1600/Tea+&+Justice.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-9848897655854111182014-09-09T14:10:00.000-05:002014-09-09T14:10:37.299-05:00Justice Tea Just Tastes Better<div class="MsoNormal">
Thistle Farmers, ready for something new? We've just launched a new collaborative project, extending economic freedom to women in 5
social enterprises in 4 different countries.</div>
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<a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/product-p/teasurvivalkit.htm" target="_blank">The Tea Survival Kit</a> provides everything you need to fill
your cup: four blends of tea, honey sticks, spoon, tea filters and even a
thermos! Wrapped in a tote sewn in Kenya, you’ll also be styling your favorite
print. Through a new initiative at Thistle Farms called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shared Trade, </i>we’re creating collaborative products like this to
spread the message that love heals around the world.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzIiDW1XU5B6UWVbCFzWORR2H_DKugwNG2gxtr6SkeZ56bPP0btP15f9SCwo8JjoSE5GOfpXMbgppFbttSLcO8mEzL3LYcTrC3e-_OgBqZoKkPYy-YBgaTZOQ46F3b8USWBKxSFuI_Uk/s1600/aekcgo5r8zk7sz4xmez9uh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzIiDW1XU5B6UWVbCFzWORR2H_DKugwNG2gxtr6SkeZ56bPP0btP15f9SCwo8JjoSE5GOfpXMbgppFbttSLcO8mEzL3LYcTrC3e-_OgBqZoKkPYy-YBgaTZOQ46F3b8USWBKxSFuI_Uk/s1600/aekcgo5r8zk7sz4xmez9uh.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></div>
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Bringing five social enterprise partners together for one
beautiful product is no easy feat. First, we had to source our four blends of
tea.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.ajiritea.com/" target="_blank">Ajiri Tea</a></b> is grown and harvested in Western Kenya at the Nyansiongo
Tea Factory, a cooperative owned by small-scale farmers. As independent
growers, our friends at Ajiri handpick the leaves and ensure the highest
quality for our kits. The <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Moringa Black
Health Blend </b>is a blend of moringa, black tea, and lemon grass. The blend
features the tea leaves of two <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Shared
Trade </i>partners: Moringa Madres in Mexico and Hope Tea in Uganda. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUzrID2rSMc4bCvYuKkahIrPAinMjggr2EqSWr1HkEiesvO9IKcGXcHJyx9_cQVbhWm1M09cFHRLD5GoOT5bs7c3vhq35emVueh0CWwJuZqdqzQLDmEweUHsLdJtSKMn5maiSDdAUa24/s1600/MoringaHarvest2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivUzrID2rSMc4bCvYuKkahIrPAinMjggr2EqSWr1HkEiesvO9IKcGXcHJyx9_cQVbhWm1M09cFHRLD5GoOT5bs7c3vhq35emVueh0CWwJuZqdqzQLDmEweUHsLdJtSKMn5maiSDdAUa24/s1600/MoringaHarvest2.JPG" height="292" width="400" /></a></div>
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The third tea in the kit is the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Thistle Stop Café Herbal Blend. </b>Made of Milk Thistle, dandelion
root and cardamom, this tasty blend of flavors is a natural tonic for liver
health. And finally, the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Gunpowder Green
Tea Blend</b> is made of green tea, orange peel and ginger root, and aids
digestion. The gunpowder leaves are closed until they open in the water. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WEIKCRKmWcb7N0MAaSfTaOZoeZmPx8mtTaZcoxMAB-pwbuIttiuPW3qA3vkxxLCgcqEg4MqYca-rN0cWbCFOm57OfMhpJl6UWwgWrQHCQ4yNkzE7ASzBD3LByLjwpGhfs3KmVHlkzts/s1600/aekcgoxfonog5xma0ctopu.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4WEIKCRKmWcb7N0MAaSfTaOZoeZmPx8mtTaZcoxMAB-pwbuIttiuPW3qA3vkxxLCgcqEg4MqYca-rN0cWbCFOm57OfMhpJl6UWwgWrQHCQ4yNkzE7ASzBD3LByLjwpGhfs3KmVHlkzts/s1600/aekcgoxfonog5xma0ctopu.jpg" height="303" width="400" /></a></div>
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We think you’ll enjoy sweetening up these teas with ten
organic honey sticks that have been regionally sourced. The spoon and filters
are the last tools you need to enjoy a cup of tea! If you don’t have a cup, the
new Love Heals thermos will keep your drink warm and delicious. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Each tea kit ingredient has a special pocket in the satchel
that folds up and is easy to carry. In consultation with the <b>Thistle Studios</b>,
women at <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Visions Sewing Group</i> created
each satchel. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Visions</i> is an
enterprise of <a href="http://lwalacommunityalliance.org/programs/economic-development/" target="_blank"><b>Lwala Community Alliance</b></a>, a nonprofit initiative to empower women
in Kenya through education, healthcare and employment. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">New Visions </i>also sews the Evening Survival Kit and will be a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://sharedtrade.org/" target="_blank">Shared Trade</a> </i>partner. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMdXzYRZpxzxW1p40VtHYwz1poMgtVDe9Cq89-HotF51jFE8iMro4VNSTYB9YHnBrc1Lf6Dz7s1vPEdJuoKBIVuTtHmei3jFfVp1ynZe4pnmkSQ893xbz00rZYpAYUEVnxl0hIkPjvWc/s1600/MoringaMadres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMdXzYRZpxzxW1p40VtHYwz1poMgtVDe9Cq89-HotF51jFE8iMro4VNSTYB9YHnBrc1Lf6Dz7s1vPEdJuoKBIVuTtHmei3jFfVp1ynZe4pnmkSQ893xbz00rZYpAYUEVnxl0hIkPjvWc/s1600/MoringaMadres.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div>
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Well, each of these pieces arrives separately at Thistle
Farms here in Nashville. Thistle Farms then put the pieces together in the
satchel. We even blend the Moringa tea in manufacturing! The finishing touch to
each Tea Survival Kit is the leather tie sewn on by the team at Thistle
Studios. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qMU_ZX7kvEMfVVIXgVvRBnyHjHW4T16R_qVfXM_ws8WWCjNmrERXEElA9l9l_devPT8LS8_odQmkoj1ctmYKs1Cmx6xzFBTc5V4jY6E2R6Ppp5D0-5CEj5Nz-7-YEUtEsHw4NyxqPlI/s1600/Tea+Kit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qMU_ZX7kvEMfVVIXgVvRBnyHjHW4T16R_qVfXM_ws8WWCjNmrERXEElA9l9l_devPT8LS8_odQmkoj1ctmYKs1Cmx6xzFBTc5V4jY6E2R6Ppp5D0-5CEj5Nz-7-YEUtEsHw4NyxqPlI/s1600/Tea+Kit.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Tea Survival Kit is a great companion for your next
adventure. The sale of each kit supports women artisans from around the globe.
The Tea Survival Kit is now available online. Order and we’ll ship it out to
you, or drop by the café to buy your favorite satchel print in person!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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Look for more <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/sharedtrade" target="_blank">SharedTrade</a> </i>products coming to you in October! <o:p></o:p></div>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-25334364177319302872014-08-20T22:16:00.007-05:002014-08-20T22:16:52.817-05:00Home Grown: Best of Nashville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's that time again! <a href="http://posting.nashvillescene.com/nashville/Survey?survey=4243335&surveySection=4243486" target="_blank">The Nashville Scene</a> has opened its electronic doors to Nashvillians to choose the best of the best things in town. Won't you take a moment to vote for your favorite social enterprises, Thistle Farms and the Thistle Stop Cafe?</div>
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Here are our suggested choices -- be sure to <a href="http://posting.nashvillescene.com/nashville/Survey?survey=4243335&surveySection=4243486" target="_blank">CAST YOUR VOTE</a> by September 5th:</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Section 1 of 7: Food and Drink</span></b></div>
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Best Coffeehouse: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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Best Menu: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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Best Patio: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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Best Place For A Business Lunch: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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Best Restaurant: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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Best Restaurant Ambiance: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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Best Service in a Restaurant: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Section 2 of 7: Home, Goods and Services</span></b></div>
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Best Nonprofit: Thistle Farms</div>
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Best Place To Buy A Gift: Thistle Farms</div>
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Best Place For A Wedding Reception: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Section 3 of 7: Music, Arts and Entertainment</span></b></div>
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Best Charity Event: Thistle Thursdays (at the Thistle Stop Cafe)</div>
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Best Concert Series: Thistle Thursdays (at the Thistle Stop Cafe)</div>
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Best Local You Would Like To See Make a Cameo On Nashville: The Thistle Stop Cafe!</div>
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Best Place To Hear Live Music: Thistle Thursdays (at the Thistle Stop Cafe)</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Section 4 of 7: Media and Politics</span></b></div>
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Best Facebook Page: Thistle Farms</div>
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Best Local Twitter Account: Rev. Becca Stevens</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Section 5 of 7: Kids</span></b></div>
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Best Family-Friendly Restaurant: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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<b><span style="color: #274e13;">Section 6 of 7: People and Places</span></b></div>
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Best Community Role Model: Rev. Becca Stevens</div>
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Best Place To Take Out-of-Towners: Thistle Stop Cafe</div>
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Best Religious Leader: Rev. Becca Stevens</div>
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Once you vote, spread the word by sharing this blog post (and this<i> I VOTED</i> sticker!) on your social media outlets. Thanks for your help in naming Thistle Farms and the Thistle Stop Cafe the best of in Nashvile! </div>
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<br />the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-26285360653021843972014-06-10T09:52:00.001-05:002014-06-11T14:26:39.245-05:00Loving our Community Partners: Interfaith Dental Clinic<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Since the earliest days of Magdalene, we have relied on the generosity and love of our Nashville neighbors to help spread our message. Coming off the streets, escaping prostitution and homelessness, our women have many needs. From medical and psychiatric to legal and financial, these needs are met by an integral support system of community partners committed to the wellness of our residents and graduates. Ever thankful for the aid they give us, we want to highlight the role of our amazing community partners in proving that love heals.</div>
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<a href="http://www.interfaithdentalclinic.com/" target="_blank">Interfaith Dental Clinic</a>, one of our most valued partners, helps us to fulfill the women’s need for oral healthcare. You might not think of dental hygiene when envisioning the recovery process, but Executive Director, <a href="http://www.interfaithdentalclinic.com/staff" target="_blank">Dr. Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi and her staff</a>, believe it is an essential part of the journey. With the motto:<b> “A smile changes everything,” </b>Interfaith Dental hopes to bring superior oral healthcare to the working poor and income-insecure seniors of Middle Tennessee.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">We recently popped in to visit our friends at Interfaith Dental and they were very kind to give us a full tour. Pictured from left to right - Deb Markland, Thistle Farms, Education & Outreach; Dr. Rhonda Switzer-Nadasdi, Exec. Director of Interfaith Dental Clinic; Ashlyn King & Laura Herrod, Thistle Farms interns; Keri Seay, Magdalene's Assistant Program Director and pictured on the far right, one of Interfaith's beloved volunteer dentists.</span></i></td></tr>
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In 1994, Dr. Tom Underwood, with the help of the <a href="http://nashvilledentalsociety.org/" target="_blank">Nashville Dental Society</a> and the <a href="http://www.westendumc.org/ministries/missions/outreach.html" target="_blank">Outreach Commission of West End United Methodist Church</a>, set out to bring their ministry to the people of Middle Tennessee. They began in a church basement and worked their way to a beautiful clinic on Patterson Street with state-of-the-art equipment.<br />
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Dr. Switzer-Nadasdi was called to work for this mission by Dr. Underwood’s own example. <i>“His passion for the cause, and the obstacles he faced starting it but succeeded anyway, made me believe I could make an impact.” </i>She states that her favorite part of the job is witnessing the private moment of a patient smiling at themselves in the mirror on their way out when they think no one is watching.<br />
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Speaking of their partnership with Magdalene, Dr. Switzer-Nadasdi claims, <i>“physical healing is a big part of the women’s journey. Sound oral health can be a major step towards overall improved health. In their psychological journey, their mouths often reveal a past of struggle they are trying to put behind them. Through our partnership we can give a new healthy smile that shines with promise and wholeness.”</i><br />
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Magdalene and Interfaith Dental Clinic are working together to spread a message of love, healing and peace. In the words of Mother Teresa, <b>“Peace begins with a smile.”</b><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Story by </span></i><span style="color: #666666; font-family: Trebuchet MS, Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small; line-height: 18px;"><i>Ashlyn King</i></span></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Thistle Farms Intern</span></i>the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-19927359337931486652014-05-22T19:24:00.003-05:002014-05-22T19:24:56.515-05:00Remember This Day<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
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The Magdalene Graduation is joy-filled event where we celebrate women who have achieved incredible milestones and completed the two-year program. This year as hosts for the event, the women of <a href="http://stbs.net/">St. Bartholomew's</a> once again showed us what hospitality looks like. They let us use their lovely sanctuary, gave gifts to honor the graduates and fed us until we were physically, and spiritually, full.</div>
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Our honored speaker this year was Carole Hagan. Carole has served the women of Thistle Farms & Magdalene for many years as a full-time volunteer events coordinator, a chair for the fundraiser, a gifted photographer and editor, former recipient of the Thistle Farmer Award, and a mentor and role model to many women. We asked her to share a message of encouragement and inspiration at the ceremony this year.</div>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">May is a month full of joy - a time of celebrations. Catalpas and peonies harmoniously trumpet commencement tidings. Graduations abound. Candidates are being awarded degrees: doctors of medicine, law, phd’s in theology. Dissertations following years of research are complete and ready for publication. Processions of academia robed in black gowns trimmed with velvet and shiny colored satin are parading on campus lawns with tasseled mortar boards in step to the strains of Elgar’s Pomp and Circumstance.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">None, not one, can compare with this graduation. None of those accomplishments can compare with what you have achieved. Those of you graduating today, our past graduates and our residents. Remember this day. Remember how you feel and who is sitting beside you. Who you are holding up and who is holding you to do what none of us can do alone, but we can do together.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Having taught school for about 25 years, I have heard many graduation speeches. I do know that everyone who has ever given a graduation speech, wanted it to be inspiring. I am no exception. So I thought I might share with you some of what has inspired me. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">On my desks at school and at Thistle Farms, I taped quotes to guide my day, to keep my priorities in check. At school one of the quotes was one from Anne Frank, who with her family went into hiding when the Nazis occupied the Netherlands. They were betrayed and sent to the death camps where Anne died in 1945 at the age of 16. As oft-quoted part of her diary reads:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>“In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. I simply can’t build up my hopes on a foundation consisting of confusion, misery, and death.” </i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Anne Frank had risen above, had transcended the atrocities of the Holocaust. You, my friends, are forging ahead, remembering the past, but not letting the past define who you are today. You are building up your hopes on a foundation of healing love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Another quote on my school desk was from an educator, Charles Fowler, who said:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>“If we fail to touch the humanity of students, we have not really touched them at all.” </i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Inspired by his quote, my goal for each of my students was to find her voice and cherish it - then use it to go out into the world and touch humanity. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">My granddaughter, Maddie, at the tender age of either four or five taught me about finding your voice. I was driving her on a ghastly hot summer day to meet the bus for Camp Whippoorwill. She asked for my help on a personal problem. <i>“Gitty,"</i> - the name she gave to me - <i>"I have been trying to decide whether to try to fit into the group or just be myself.” </i>Weeks later I asked her if the problem had been resolved. With bewilderment that it had ever been a problem, she cheerfully replied,</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>“Yes, Gitty, I found that when I am myself, I fit in just fine.” </i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">You, my friends, have found your voice and speak your truth. You and your courage have touched so many lives, brought so many people to their knees. We cannot begin to comprehend the enormity of your sacred work.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">One more quote that was on my school desk is from Albert Camus, a French philosopher and Nobel Prize winner. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;"><i>“In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. And that makes me happy. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.”</i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">You, my friends, have discovered your invincible summer, realizing that you can push back against the world with the stronger force of love.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">On my desk at Thistle Farms I taped a quote from Micah, one of the lesser prophets of the Hebrew Bible.</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">“What does the LORD require of you? To do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”</span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">Every time we light the candle in our mediation circle for the women who are still out on the streets and every time you tell your stories, we are fighting injustice. In Nashville, in Africa, in South America. Even in Asia, that group of sweet ladies from Korea who loved our Holli. We are part of a global movement committed to women’s freedom.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">God knows our world is in dire need with hundreds of terrified young girls captured in Nigeria, sexual assault rampant and our waiting list of one hundred women on our very streets praying for the sanctuary of Magdalene.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">The last quote I ever taped to my Thistle Farms’ desk was:</span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #0b5394; font-size: large;">“Dear God, Please help me live my every day through the lens of abundance rather than that of scarcity and that I end the day with more things done than left undone. Amen” </span></i></blockquote>
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">That was written by Lisa Froeb in March 2013 three months before her death. We all loved Lisa and miss her deeply. Lisa was a lover of mercy, a fighter of injustice, and she walked humbly with her God. She was a dedicated warrior for Magdalene and Thistle Farms.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394;">We are charged with what Becca wrote about Lisa -</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">She walked with grace upon this earth.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">We grieve her beautiful bounded body’s passing.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">Seen in signs and memories she helps us walk through our mourning.</span><br />
<span style="color: #0b5394;">She calls like a saint for us to keep walking, keep loving, keep close, till we reach the other side of time on love’s eternal shore.</span><br />
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<i>By Carole Hagan</i><br />
<i>Magdalene Board Member and Longtime Thistle Farms Volunteer</i><br />
<br />the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-81350421529385053442014-05-14T22:07:00.001-05:002014-05-14T22:07:51.801-05:00Putting Down Roots<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Life at Thistle Farms is made up of small victories, from recovery anniversaries to new jobs and promotions. For Chelle, a 2005 graduate of Magdalene and Thistle Farms Administrative Assistant, her newest victory is becoming a homeowner.<br />
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When Chelle went to the bank to get approved for a loan, she wasn’t thinking she would really buy a house. She knew her credit had improved greatly over the last few years and she just wanted to see if she could get approved. There were a few bumps in the road, like an old student loan that had been paid off but was still on her record, but Chelle knew her credit was good. A few month before she had applied for a credit card and been approved. <i>“I knew I was growing up and my credit was climbing,” </i>she said. When she was finally approved her first though was to tell them no, she didn’t want it. The thought of being a homeowner scared her. It was such at big step. But she knew she was growing up, and growing up met taking big steps. <br />
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Chelle spent eight weeks searching for houses. “<i>I didn’t want to rush the process, I didn’t want to end up with something I hated.”</i> The house Chelle fell in love with was not as new as she was hoping (built in 1953) but it had been recently remolded and had a huge back yard, which was what really sold her. Chelle has three children between 6 and 14; the thought of having a big backyard with a back deck was more than enough for her.<br />
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The process between when Chelle started the paper work for the house to become hers and when she actually closed on it was the most stressful few weeks of her life. <i>“I really thought I was going to wake up one morning and someone was going to yell ‘psych!’”</i> But no one came running around the corner to tell her no and before she knew it Chelle was the owner of a house. <i>“I have moved so much. With my addiction I just kept moving. Putting down roots is another step in the healing process.”</i><br />
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<i>“I still don’t feel like the house is mine,”</i> Chelle said a few days before moving in. <i>“I think I am still in shock.”</i> In shock or not everyone at Thistle Farms is excited for Chelle and her family. They are putting down roots and growing together in ways they never thought possible.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Story by Julia Nusbam</span></i><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Thistle Farms Intern</span></i><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></i>the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-28614765488892089302014-05-01T18:06:00.002-05:002014-05-02T12:30:58.780-05:00Products with Purpose: iSanctuary and Thistle Farms PartnershipThis year for Mother's Day, Thistle Farms has partnered with <a href="http://isanctuary.org/" target="_blank">International Sanctuary</a> to help mothers, daughters, sisters, godmothers and grandmothers on two continents celebrate the gift of freedom: freedom from the bondage and oppression of human trafficking. <a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/product-p/gift-of-freedom.htm" target="_blank">The Gift of Freedom</a> pairs a <a href="http://isanctuary.org/inc/sdetail/china-chain-champagne-brass-necklace/99/253" target="_blank">handmade 23" brass and champagne bead necklace</a> from iSanctuary with <a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/Lip-Smoothie-p/lipsmoothie.htm" target="_blank">an award-winning Lip Smoothie</a> from Thistle Farms.<br />
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The beautiful necklaces from iSanctuary symbolize a movement offering women freedom from lives of human trafficking. Founded in 2007, the organization has helped more than 200 women in Mumbai, India and Orange County, CA move from the sex trade into lives of safety and economic independence. Like Thistle Farms, iSanctuary offers so much more than a job. They provide their employees with vocational training, medical services, and a safe haven to heal.<br />
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The idea for iSanctuary was born after Stephanie Pollaro and Wendy Dailey visited India in 2007. They had to do something. Stephanie calls it her “moment” when her whole life changed. For the past 7 years, Stephanie has lived in Mumbai, coordinating production of a whole line of jewelry and training for the women making it. Now, she and Wendy work from Orange County, CA, overseeing operations and sharing the iSanctuary story. iSanctuary also employs women in Southern California, escaping lives of prostitution and addiction, to inventory, pack and ship the jewelry made in Mumbai.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJUtTDIvAu6BTVt0o2yF3V8D6XjmXDeH8RKGU5MwcHfXX7CasVIkP9bAqcYtjA0Ixakcb0t-H3Lm2b-dfm9jxxdXS9U3T402bVtGbDsDfOODp6jLLWOp_Os9CMLLB6UcCk0-w-fEW18E/s1600/iSJewelryMaking.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoJUtTDIvAu6BTVt0o2yF3V8D6XjmXDeH8RKGU5MwcHfXX7CasVIkP9bAqcYtjA0Ixakcb0t-H3Lm2b-dfm9jxxdXS9U3T402bVtGbDsDfOODp6jLLWOp_Os9CMLLB6UcCk0-w-fEW18E/s1600/iSJewelryMaking.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Thistle Farms team is excited to start an ongoing partnership with iSanctuary through the Shared Trade movement. Spearheaded by Thistle Farms, <b>Shared Trade: a fair share for women</b>, was launched at the Thistle Farms National Conference last year. Focused on expanding freedom and economic opportunity for women around the world, Shared Trade works to bring women permanently out of poverty through sustainable employment, recovery from violence, stewardship of the environment, and closing the gap between producers and consumers as a product comes to market.<br />
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For Mother's Day this year support the <a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/product-p/gift-of-freedom.htm" target="_blank">gift of freedom</a> for women everywhere. To view more goodies from iSanctuary, visit <a href="http://isanctuary.org/" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">By Laura Herrod</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thistle Farms intern</span></i><br />
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-19436206597787818642014-04-24T10:54:00.000-05:002014-04-24T10:54:04.098-05:00Love Reunites: How One Mother and Daughter Found Healing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The relationship between mother and daughter runs deep. It’s a complicated relationship full of heartache and happiness—full of wounding and healing. Genetics link mothers and daughters together, but the relationships go beyond genetics. Most mothers and daughters love one another more deeply—more fiercely—than any two people on earth. At Thistle Farms and Magdalene, we’ve learned that to heal the women, the familial bonds must be healed as well. As Mother’s Day approach we take the time to think about healing bonds between mothers and daughters.</div>
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Katrina and Ebony are mother and daughter working together at Thistle Farms, and they are best friends. With their desks arranged close to one another in the sales department, they exchange jokes, laughter, sarcastic remarks, and lots of joy throughout the workday. They could not be happier to be coworkers.</div>
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But Katrina and Ebony have not always been so close. When Ebony was a child, Katrina struggled with addiction, living on the streets, and leaving Ebony to be raised by Katrina’s mother. Katrina’s mother was a constant for Ebony, taking care of her when Katrina could not. As a little girl, Ebony would sometimes stand in the living room window of her grandmother’s house, waiting and watching for her mother to come home. “She waited for a long time,” Katrina says.</div>
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But Katrina did eventually find her way home. She found her way to Magdalene, where she was given the help and care she needed to get clean and the tools she needed to be reunited with her daughter. For Katrina getting clean met being around a nonjudgmental community. A community that loved her for who she was helped her heal.</div>
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Today, Katrina is the National Sales Director at Thistle Farms and her daughter Ebony works as the Whole Foods Accounts Manager. Mother and daughter working together, it is something they never expected to happen. Both women have found healing at Thistle Farms. “It reunited us,” says Ebony, “It gave me back a healthy mom, and that caused me to be a healthy child.”</div>
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The best part about working together as mother and daughter for Katrina is watching Ebony create her own story in a place that helped her get her story back. “She is my biggest inspiration,” Katrina says about her daughter. “She has graduated from high school and college, she’s traveled around the world, she is healthy and happy.” And that makes Katrina happy, knowing that her daughter is growing up in a community that is teaching her how to be a strong woman.</div>
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Ebony also finds joy in coming to work everyday and working along side her mother. They laugh together and they cry together on a daily basis. My mother created a world for herself, Ebony says, “and now I get to be part of that world. I get to see the lives she has impacted and the people who look up to her. I am proud to say<i> 'that’s my mom.'</i>”</div>
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Even though Ebony and Katrina couldn’t be happier with the way life has turned out, there is a tinge of sadness underneath of it all. Katrina’s mother passed away last year and talking about their journey without her around is painful for both. Katrina’s mother raised Ebony while Katrina was on the street. “She bridged the gap, so that Ebony always knew I loved her. Even when I wasn’t there.”</div>
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Katrina and Ebony’s story is only one of hundreds of mother and daughters (and sons) who have been reunited with help from Thistle Farms. Saving a mother so often means saving a family. So this Mother’s Day, we remember all of the mothers and daughters and sons who have struggled, endured and come out stronger for it.</div>
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For Mother’s Day, to support and help broken families reunite and heal, buy a <a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/product-p/gift-of-freedom.htm" target="_blank">handmade product from the women of Thistle Farms</a>.</div>
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Story by Julia Nusbam</span></i><br />
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-66509646984341074752014-04-20T06:07:00.000-05:002014-04-20T06:07:00.172-05:00Hope Rises with the Sun, Easter 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I starting walking before the sun rose on a smooth beach, where yesterday’s footprints were erased by an eternal tide that gracefully lives in the moment. In real time that rushes to grow children and deepen lines of worry, there was a pause. There was no question which direction to walk; its an instinct to turn towards the east where love is painted in lavender on a bluing canvas. <br />
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Sunrise starts before dawn. It was probably just a slight change in tone that called Mary Magdalene to head to the garden. The story of the Resurrection begins with the words, <i>“while it was still dark."</i> The light had not yet risen on Jerusalem on the Sabbath as Mary heads out with grief as her guide to carry her to the body. Light transformed from grey to pink like water to wine is enough for her to see the stone rolled away and to run to Peter and John. As they run back to the tomb, in a race with the murky light of dawn, they see enough to know Jesus is gone. Mary stands alone as the light breaks through and she sees angels and linen on the floor. Even though she cannot make out what she is seeing, she hears Jesus calling her. Then the light of hope fills her from within, and she reaches for Jesus.<br />
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It's hard to hope for resurrection, especially after crossing through wildernesses bruised by thorns that caught us on the way. The wake of death casts a huge pall over dawns, and on those mornings, sunrise is a surprise, no matter how long we have waited and hoped. I can imagine Mary’s surprise as the sunrise poured light into the tomb and hope caught her unexpectedly. We all carry grief to the tombs of those we love. After the unexpected deaths this year in the community of St. Augustine’s of Lisa Froeb and Bob Feldman, whom we buried a day apart, I found myself this lent sitting in the chapel before work with their ashes that rest in the altar. On those mornings, as the light seeps into the chapel in unadulterated beams of white, I have felt hope rise with the sun. Sunrise in the story of Easter is not just a time of day; it is a state of the heart. Sunrise is the space where nighttime fears move aside for hope, where we feel peace about our mortality in the scope of the universal truth that love abides and where we feel light crest the dark horizons of hearts we have kept walled.<br />
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There was an eight hundred year old marbled Cathedral with beans of light filtering through stained glass in the early morning that our group from St. Augustine’s visited in the mountains of Ecuador last month. At the altar dedicated to Magdalene, there were a group of indigenous women chanting prayers that carried this sunrise story of deep grief and unbounded hope with a melody through the rose-colored air. Several of us hovered near to catch a ray of that love story as we lit candles, wept for Lisa and Bob, and felt hope rising in the truth that for thousands of years grieving hearts can sing.<br />
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Last week as the sun was rising, I received an email from Rev. Canon Gideon in Uganda. He is the founder of an organization that works with children and families who are HIV positive and runs a school and wants to begin a social enterprise for women this summer. He wrote about speaking with donors from the World Bank asking them for continued financial support even after Uganda’s harsh legislation against gay and lesbians that threatens not just their safety, but of all the people who support and preach love without judgment. He is leading like a bright light with courage and a prophetic voice as a witness to justice and freedom for all people. The sun rises all over the world, all day long. And when we get a glimpse of its brightness, it is so beautiful it makes me weep. <br />
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When the orange globe peeks above the horizon in bursts of resurrection each morning, the moon takes a sweet bow. As we turn towards home under the rising yellow force, or leave a chapel holding friends we love, or walk away humming a love song we don’t even understand the words to, or feel the courage of fellow pilgrims preaching radical love, we follow a sixty-foot shadow with an aftertaste of joy that is gratitude. We can walk like Mary Magdalene who left with the sunrise preaching, <i>“Walk with hope in faith because love lives.” </i> Its not that we are more faithful than we are in the dark of night, its just that our pace is lighter.<br />
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When we follow in the footsteps of Magdalene, we can dance a jig that on this endless spinning earth, we have seen the light. The stone has rolled and all those we love who have died live on in love and the memory of God. All we grieve is rising, like the sun did on Easter and on the very first morning. That is the hope that shines in the darkness leads us home. Sunrise calls women with grieving heart to sing, it enables priests to dream of equality in desperate times, and paints each morning in colors so tender they turn stone hearts to flesh. Sunrise means that we can live in hope, dedicated to justice and truth, knowing the light will never leave us. The light is ours for the beholding and allows us to make our song even at our own Easter morning, “Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.”<br />
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Peace and love,<br />
Becca<br />
<i><a href="http://twitter.com/revbeccastevens" target="_blank">@revbeccastevens</a></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo by Becca, Coast of Florida, March 2014</span></i><br />
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<i><br /></i>the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-19317629740320997692014-04-12T11:52:00.000-05:002014-04-13T01:13:45.715-05:00Healing Oils Help Ease through Life's Difficult Transitions<div style="border: 0px; font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
This past winter was a busy, and at times difficult season, in our home. Aside from the usual comings and goings, celebrations and challenges, both my husband and our oldest son were presented with serious health issues.</div>
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Friends have asked how I managed my worry and stress through these difficult days. The answer to that question is <b style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Community.</b></div>
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I don’t have any immediate family here in the U.S so I have created a ‘family of choice’ over the 20+ years that I’ve lived here. Many of my new family members are the women of <b style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Magdalene/Thistle Farms.</b></div>
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When Deb brought me one of the first sets of oils, I knew I had received a special gift. But I was unaware just how important these oils would be in the following months.</div>
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I have a small area in my home where I sit, pray, cry, meditate, sometimes just to be alone. It’s a quiet spot that I return to again and again, where I make contact with the God of my understanding, and with the abundance of Love and undeserved Grace that surrounds me. In this precious space I practice a few simple rituals that connect me to home. Home to myself.</div>
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I light a candle, sometimes burn incense, and choose one of TF five healing oils. Depending on day, time, what I’m feeling, and what I need…. human kindness (<i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mitzvah</i>) reflection (<i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Contemplation</i>) love (<i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Ahimsa</i>) new dreams (<i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Inspiration</i>) or mindfulness (<i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Compassion</i>) </div>
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Rolling oil on both temples I ask for clear thoughts and ease of mind. And in that hollow place at the base of throat, I pray for loving and helpful words. Smoothing oil on both wrists, I ask for tenderness and strength for me, and my loved ones. At the breastbone, I ask for energy, and the steadfastness to go through another day of doctors and hospitals.</div>
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Soon, I am surrounded by the scent of compassion, understanding and peace. I then know, I remember, that family holds me - here, across the ocean, and in the Heavens.</div>
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I give thanks for the oil, for the women who prepare the oil, for those who bottle and label the oils, for my friend, Becca, and her mission that declares, <b style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Love Heals</b>.</div>
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And I give thanks for this simple space and time where I come back to <b style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Home.</b> </div>
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Click <a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/category-s/54.htm" target="_blank">here</a> to buy a set of healing oils for yourself.</div>
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<i>By Fiona Prine,</i></div>
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<i>Thistle Farmer</i></div>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-74249040716258862582014-04-05T09:14:00.001-05:002014-04-05T09:15:17.410-05:00Hey Mom, I Need Some Compassion!<span style="font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">I’m a believer in the power of positive thinking, so the idea of using healing oils for moving through life’s small difficulties is very appealing. We all experience times when the stress of a situation looms large or emotions run high and we need help hitting the reset button. A great way to work through these times is with a simple routine like sitting in a quiet space, stilling the thoughts and setting a positive intention. I’ve found </span><a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/category-s/54.htm" style="font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;" target="_blank">Thistle Farms’ Healing Oils</a><span style="font-family: ProximaNova, 'Helvetica Neue', helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"> to be a great anchor for this type of ritual. Here’s a recent example from my own life that worked like a charm:</span><br />
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My son John was born sensitive. I knew it from the start when he waited ten long days past his due date to leave the cozy womb. At 13, he’s still a procrastinator! He comes by his sensitivity naturally inheriting his relatives’ penchant for anxiety. John's Grandpa Ed had OCD and couldn’t handle loud noises, so sometimes when we were little, we’d drop the dictionary on the floor just to see him jump.</div>
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As a younger child, John had a few more significant issues including a tree nut allergy as well as a debilitating fear of loud noises like fireworks just like Grandpa Ed. He refused soft textured food. He didn’t like new shoes or socks with seams (thank God for tube socks). Fortunately, he grew out of most of it. To most people, he seems like a typical teenager – boisterous and quirky, but I see the times of vulnerability.</div>
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Recently, John started a new school known for its academic rigor. He was gifted with a good brain and is an excellent student, but he is a worrier and gets overwhelmed by fear when too much work piles on. Exam week was tough. <b style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Having anticipated his anxiety, we had a full set of Thistle Farms healing oils on hand.</i></b> <b style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The “<a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/product-p/healingoilsindividual-8.htm" target="_blank">Compassion</a>” healing oil seemed especially suited for the task. </i></b><b style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Made with geranium, chamomile, lavender, and myrrh essential oils, these essences</i></b> <b style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><i style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">naturally promote relaxation and calm.</i></b> I applied the oil to his temples and the back of his neck and had him set the intention to let go of his fear and be compassionate with himself. Thirteen is a funny age and I wasn’t sure if he really “bought in” to the idea, but he calmed down and went back to work. About two hours later, I heard a voice from the other room, “Hey Mom! I need some of that Compassion!”</div>
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Six months later, he’s gotten used to his new school and has grown in confidence. But just the other day, he poked his head in looking for more “Compassion.” It has become a simple ritual he can use to gather himself, set a positive intention, and move through his fear so he can get back to work.</div>
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There are many ways healing oils can be helpful in moving through life’s trials. Find a quiet place, still the mind, apply the healing oil and set the intention. Take a few moments to reflect. Here are some ideas:</div>
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*To ease hurt feelings and diffuse anger after an argument: <b>AHIMSA</b>: <i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sow seeds of universal love and non-violence</i> with sweet orange, cinnamon, clove and cedarwood essential oils in olive oil.</div>
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*When feeling resentful, confused or disappointed e.g., hearing bad news, needing perspective on a situation, feeling out of control. <b>CONTEMPLATION</b>: <i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Restore body and mind for reflection </i>with jasmine, frankincense, myrrh and grapefruit essential oils in olive oil.</div>
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*Feeling bored, blocked or stuck. <b>INSPIRATION</b>: <i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Uplift the spirit and invite new dreams. </i>Bergamot, cardamom, sweet orange and lavender essential oils in coconut oil</div>
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*Having to perform a task you’d rather not do, seeking to forgive when treated unfairly, wanting to act out against someone. <b>MITZVAH</b>: <i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Encourage acts of human kindness. </i>Mandarin orange, lavender, and ginger root essential oils in sweet almond oil.</div>
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*Being too hard on oneself, to free the mind from obsessive thinking, thinking negative or harmful thoughts. <b>COMPASSION</b>: <i style="border: 0px; line-height: 19px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Open the heart to prayer and mindfulness. </i>Geranium, chamomile, lavender and myrrh essential oils in jojoba oil.</div>
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<i>By Beth Preston, </i></div>
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<i>Thistle Farmer</i></div>
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<span style="font-family: ProximaNova, Helvetica Neue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><i>To discover which healing oil is best for your life, go to our <a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/product-p/healingoilskit-8.htm" target="_blank">online store</a> </i></span></span></div>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-47765367137740595472014-04-01T18:26:00.000-05:002014-04-02T11:05:28.932-05:00Becoming Stewards of Children<br />
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<span style="font-family: ProximaNova, Helvetica Neue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Every woman who comes through the doors at Magdalene has a story about how she got to the street. Listening to hundreds of stories has taught us that human sex trafficking and prostitution are rooted in childhood trauma. While each woman's story is unique, their collective journey begins in a childhood marked by sexual abuse and neglect at the hands of parents, family members or trusted caregivers. Current statistics indicate that <a href="http://www.d2l.org/site/c.4dICIJOkGcISE/b.6143427/k.38C5/Child_Sexual_Abuse_Statistics.htm" target="_blank">1 in 10 children in the US are sexually abused by the time they are 18</a>. Research suggests that <a href="https://fortress.wa.gov/cjtc/www/images/APSAC%20Handbook%20chapter%20Disclosure.pdf" target="_blank">90% of these children don’t tell anyone about the abuse</a>. Both the short and long term impact of sexual abuse makes it likely the most serious health problem children face. Children who have endured sexual abuse and neglect at the hands of family members are those most vulnerable to being trafficked. </span></span><br />
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At Magdalene and Thistle Farms we believe the best way to prevent human sex trafficking and prostitution is to prevent child sexual abuse. To that end, we’ve joined the Sexual Assault Center, Tennessee’s Child Advocacy Centers, Our Kids, Family and Children’s Services, Nashville Children’s Alliance and Prevent Child Abuse Tennessee to create the Nashville Child Protection Coalition. On April 15th, with support from The HCA Foundation and The Children’s Hospital at TriStar Centennial, the Child Protection Coalition is launching a regional initiative to provide adults across work, faith, school, recreational and neighborhood settings with education and practical tools to prevent, recognize and respond to child sexual abuse in our community.</div>
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Stewards of Children is an evidence informed, two hour training that empowers adults to protect children from sexual abuse. The training can be facilitated anywhere there are adults who love a child or care about their welfare. It specifically equips adults to create safer environments for children and to respond protectively should they suspect abuse or encounter a child who has or is being abused. With initial support from HCA and TriStar, Nashville’s Child Protection Coalition aims to provide the training to 5% of the adult population in Middle Tennessee—considered a ‘tipping’ point in terms of creating new cultural norms and changing behavior across a community.<br />
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<span style="font-family: ProximaNova, Helvetica Neue, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">Like other successful campaigns that address public health issues across ethnic and socio-economic boundaries—wearing a seatbelt, vaccinating against disease, eating a healthy diet to prevent heart disease-- the Stewards of Children curriculum is based on the idea that once adults can sit with their discomfort about the topic long enough to acquire new information, they are empowered to change their own behavior and in turn, protect the children in their lives from harm. <a href="mailto:llooser@tncac.org" target="_blank">Lauren Looser</a> at Tennessee’s Children’s Advocacy Centers will work with you to schedule a training for your co-workers, your faith community or your child’s school or sports league. I’m a trained Stewards of Children facilitator and will be delighted and honored to present the curriculum in your community. </span></span><br />
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<i>Cary Rayson</i></div>
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<i>Executive Director, Magdalene </i></div>
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<b>Find Out More:</b></div>
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<b>April is <a href="http://www.nsvrc.org/saam/sexual-assault-awareness-month-home" target="_blank">Sexual Assault Awareness Month</a></b></div>
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<b>Watch a trailer on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOd0b7S4p6o" target="_blank">Stewards of Children</a> </b></div>
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<b>Learn more about Darkness To Light's <a href="http://www.d2l.org/site/c.4dICIJOkGcISE/b.6243681/k.86C/Child_Sexual_Abuse_Prevention_Training.htm" target="_blank">Stewards of Children training program</a> </b></div>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-20627015070696206542014-03-23T22:45:00.000-05:002014-03-23T22:45:51.344-05:00Healing Oils – Deep Healing for the Body and SoulAs our signature tag line -- Love Heals -- states: the mission of Thistle Farms is to promote healing. For the women who come into the program, and for all who come into the community circle. <a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/category-s/54.htm" target="_blank">Thistle Farms Healing Oils</a> were created to aid in the process and are derived from plant essences steeped in a long history of healing. A blend of essential oils, when combined with a carrier oil and loving intention, can help in many life situations.<br />
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In our modern day, the use of essential oils is generally relegated to the realm of ministry. Baptism at the beginning of life and Extreme Unction at the end of life are rituals performed by clergy using essential oils. We’ve lost the art of performing sacred ritual for ourselves in our daily lives. Over the next few weeks, we'll be highlighting stories of people who have used the healing oils to make meaning out of ordinary life events. Anyone, anytime, and with loving intention can perform a simple ritual using an essential oil to mark a major transition, to honor a milestone, or to ease a burden.<br />
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The first story comes from Jennifer, a 2012 graduate of the Magdalene program. Jennifer came to Thistle Farms skeptical of what essential oils could really do for her healing. <i>“I have always been searching for things outside of myself to make my insides feel better,”</i> Jennifer said when remembering how the healing oils changed her life. Her days at Thistle Farms revolved around healing oils from the very start. Placed in manufacturing, Jennifer handled the oils on a daily basis. The aroma of the healing oils had an impact that she never expected. When working with the oils Jennifer’s moods would shift depending on what oil was being used, <i>“…my moods would alternate between calm and serene to happy and joyous.”</i><br />
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It was not until a family donated a still to Thistle Farms, however, that Jennifer began to learn about the healing properties of essential oils. <i>“After being the one called on to run the still I thought it would be nice to research the oils we were distilling. I learned that when we rub essential oils into our skin they absorb within twenty minutes and start to act like other nutrients that would normally be absorbed though food and other sources.”</i> After researching the oils and running the still to make the oils, Jennifer started to use them herself. <i>“I believe in these oils, and I know for a fact that they really do work. My personal favorite is Ahimsa that contains cinnamon and clove. This oil is really good for circulation and always sooths my knees and feet after a long day.”</i> One of Jennifer’s other favorite oils is the geranium oil, which soothes her migraines.<br />
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Jennifer’s story does not stop with the affect that the healing oils had on her body and spirit. Earlier this year she met Nicholas Hitimana who started <a href="http://www.ikirezi.com/" target="_blank">Ikirezi</a>, a farming cooperative that works with survivors of the Rwandan Genocide. The group produces the organic Geranium oil that Thistle Farms uses. Upon meeting Nicholas at the Thistle Farms National Conference Jennifer’s life was changed. While speaking at the conference Nicholas invited Jennifer up on stage and apologized to her on behalf of all men. <i>“I couldn’t believe what happened,”</i> Jennifer said, <i>“He said he was sorry for the harsh and brutal ways that men have been treating me all my life. He said he was sorry that I was treated like an object with no dignity…up until that moment I had not realized that I was looking for or even needed an apology. At that moment something inside of me lifted. It was as if a heavy weight that had been holding me down was suddenly pulled away.”</i> Jennifer discovered that, <i>“healing comes from within and from the most unusual and unexpected places. Who knew that these strangers and essential oils would be the most important piece of my healing.” </i><br />
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To purchase your own healing oils, go to our <a href="http://store.thistlefarms.org/category-s/54.htm" target="_blank">online store</a>.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Story by Julia Nusbam</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Thistle Farms Intern</span></i><br />
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<br />the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-33714846971233142682014-03-16T20:20:00.003-05:002014-03-16T20:20:55.406-05:00Looking For The Thistle Among The Shamrocks<br />
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St Patrick’s Day has become a confusing holiday for me; a mysteriously marbled mixture of Scottish and Irish folklore and traditions. I come from a long line of both Scottish and Irish clans. As a child, I attended the Scottish Highlands Games and Festivals. My little brother and I delighted in all things Celtic. (As in “Braveheart! FREEDOM!!”) We also knew the story of how St. Patrick used the Shamrock to explain the Holy Trinity to the Pagan Irish and his supposed banishment of the snakes. We wore green on March 17th and looked for pots of gold, leprechauns and fairies. We figured if the Blarney stone was worth kissing, it must be pretty darn lucky. My mother, being gifted in the ancient art of storytelling, stitched trinkets of both Irish and Scottish lore into the patchwork quilt of stories from our Appalachian heritage. Life was so simple. </div>
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And then it all changed. I became a Thistle Farmer, pretty much overnight. My path in life took a new direction; all things childish were set aside. After many years of letting thorns and weeds choke my very life, I experienced the healing power of the thistle. Now, those beautiful, purple blossoms that stand tall enough to be seen from a car window, are much more fascinating to look for than “lucky” 4-leaf clovers or those pots of gold that I never found. <b>I now spend my time looking for the thistles among the shamrocks.</b></div>
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The Irish celebrate “Luck o’ the Irish” on March 17th. I was surprised to learn that the very first St. Patrick's Day celebration in America was held at a place called the “Thistle Tavern.” Even though there isn’t a national holiday for the “lucky thistle”, the Scottish consider the thistle as bearing good fortune much as the Irish do the shamrock. </div>
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Becoming a Thistle Farmer has brought me far more than shamrocks. More precious than gold is the strength and love of our volunteers, watching as our events calendar fills, being present on a resident’s first day of work… and her second… and her third. More precious than gold is seeing the courage and resilience of the women as they strive to regain custody of their children, hearing the gratitude they share in morning meditation, and building reciprocal relationships with compassionate, community-driven organizations. Those are all rainbows in my book, and way better than that tarnished pot of gold that will never appear.</div>
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It is not a coincidence that I ended up at Thistle Farms. God has strategically placed me here. Not for my purposes, but for His. Whether it be from thistles or shamrocks, I figure either way, <b>I have all the luck and love in the world. </b>After several false starts, graduating Magdalene and working at Thistle Farms, I consider myself blessed beyond measure. On this day of “Wearing of the Green," honoring St. Patrick, and unconsciously looking for the end of rainbows, I am also celebrating the thistle. I thank God for the salvation it brought to my distant kinsmen and now for the way it is healing my own life today, hundreds of years later. </div>
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Unlike those illusive pots of gold at the ending of rainbows, I have found actual rainbows sweeping upward and outward, like the stroke of a multi-hued paint brush, from the end of the stalwart royal purple thistles. </div>
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Rainbows begin and end in my office every day: stitching the story quilt of Thistle Farms. </div>
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<i>By Kristin V.</i></div>
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<i>Magdalene Graduate and Thistle Farms Event Coordinator</i></div>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-46009245477395665502014-03-08T09:35:00.000-06:002014-03-10T10:53:49.865-05:00Strategically Placed<i>Adapted from the <a href="http://kristin540.blogspot.com/2014/02/why-i-love-aberdeen-green-waterproof.html" target="_blank">blog of Kristin V</a>., Magdalane Graduate and Thistle Farms Event Coordinator</i><br />
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As a part of a community that constantly shows their love, hope, support and compassion on a daily basis, I am used to hearing of amazing acts of kindness and unbelievable stories of redemption. It is not unusual for people to call, email, or show up at my job to volunteer their time, donate something, share their story or simply be a part of our morning meditation. The volunteers and donors, since the beginnings of Magdalene, have shared the same fire and dedication as the women of the program; turning a small program into what is now a national movement. I have always been so incredibly grateful to those that were involved in creating, implementing, sustaining, and sharing a program that saved my life.<br />
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I am so passionate about what we are doing, about what I am a part of, that it is very hard for me not to cry, a lot, all the time. As the Events Coordinator, I handle numerous emails and field phone calls 24/7. And typically have the tell-tale signs of being a "crier" with my mascara starting to run down my face by the end of the phone call. Normally, the first 10 minutes of the call (or first few paragraphs of an email) consist of people explaining how much they love us, how being involved with Thistle Farms has "changed their life," why they want to donate money or asking how they can help. But wait a minute -- aren't I the one who is supposed to be saying "<i>Thank You?</i>" I'm confused, because, it was through their support, their donations, their volunteer time, their love that this program has flourished. However, it often becomes a "Battle of Gratitude," sounding something like: <span style="color: #674ea7;">"Thank You."</span> <span style="color: #6aa84f;">"No, Thank You." </span><span style="color: #674ea7;">"No, no, Thank YOU." </span>You get the idea....<br />
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So I don't know why I was surprised when I found myself in the same conversation, repeating how thankful we were, with those pesky tears threatening to ruin my perfectly applied makeup for the evening, as I was asked to help host an event. (But I was prepared! I now use WATERPROOF mascara on a daily basis and could probably write it off on my taxes as a necessary tool as an Event Coordinator for a non-profit.). I was having a "gratitude battle" with some chicks I LOVE: Carly & Amanda of <a href="http://www.aberdeengreenmusic.com/" target="_blank">Aberdeen Green</a>.</div>
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These amazingly talented, incredibly sweet and highly motivated women took it upon themselves to plan, promote, organize a benefit for Magdalene & Thistle Farms -- <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1457048527850505/" target="_blank">Music City: Women 4 Women</a> </b>-- a musical benefit to raise money for us! They got the venue, food, sound and artists donated or paid for -- as a means of holding a fundraiser for us. </div>
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The whole night was amazing. Jennifer, Rita, Penny, Dorris and I attended, and were completely blown away by the love and compassion displayed by everyone involved. The highlight of the night for me was being witness to another graduate, Dorris Walker, performing her original song <i>"Magdalene"</i>, for the first time. Singing a song that she wrote, on a Nashville stage, accompanied by an incredibly talented artist, for the first time, was a huge event that I know she will never forget. And Dorris rocked it!<br />
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The talent in that room last week rivaled that of any 10 Nashville venues that night! Every single person and group that played, was simply amazing. At the end of the evening, nearly $2,000 was raised! That money goes directly into the program to help get some of the 100+ women on our waiting list off the street. Women who have been victims of sex-trafficking, domestic violence, prostitution, sexual abuse and drug addiction come to Magdalene seeking a solution to a life that has gotten stuck in a cycle of misery, pain and hopelessness. Through the belief that love is the most powerful force for change in the world, our community is changing that cycle. By providing a 2 year, residential program, at no cost to the women, Magdalene provides a place for healing, compassion, and an unconditional love that, seven years later, overwhelms me every day.<br />
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As a graduate, I feel<b style="font-size: x-large;"> I want to be more focused on loving, instead of being loved. </b>But no matter how much I love, how grateful I am, how passionate I am or how excited I get, I always run across volunteers and supporters that are even more motivated and dedicated that I am.</div>
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It is only through the dedicated supporters and volunteers that this program is even possible. If you want to find out more about getting involved with Thistle Farms & Magdalene, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and visit us on Wednesday mornings at 51st & Charlotte in Nashville.</div>
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As I travel on this amazing journey that God has strategically sent me on, I cannot help but smile when I think of how He places people in my life. Carly & Amanda sing about a valley: The Shenandoah Valley. I grew up just a stone's throw away, in another valley: The New River Valley. Working with these two reminds me of home, of the mountains and the cool air. I can see the Blue Ridge Mountains & the lake I live on when they sing. And that's about the best thing in the world. I've tried my whole life to run from those mountains and that lake, mostly because of the things that happened during my drug use and addiction. Thank you, Amanda & Carly, for giving me back a beautiful picture of my home.</div>
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<i>In Love & Gratitude,</i></div>
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<i>Kristin</i></div>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-10171491489729013342014-03-04T17:54:00.000-06:002014-03-04T17:54:35.328-06:00Showing Up and Showing OutI was honored when I was asked to join Becca and Tim on an out-of-town trip to Texas. I later found out that one of my mentors was going along also. From the time I realized that I was really going with these amazing people, I knew that God was showing up and showing out. The whole opportunity was a blessing. I also pride myself on having the awareness that I wasn’t operating on my self-will, and knew this was an opportunity only God could arrange.<br />
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I took forever to prepare for the trip. Making sure nothing was left behind… I even posted a picture on Facebook because I was so proud! The trip to San Antonio was great. It was a peaceful time with no phone interruptions; a time for me to really connect with God and get balanced.<br />
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When we were leaving the car rental place, Siri on Becca’s phone was calling the Alamo the AH-LAH-MO. We were cracking up when Becca dared Tim to ask the car rental attendant where the AH-LAH-MO was with a straight face. He did, and the belly laugh I engaged in was spirit-lifting. <b><span style="font-size: large;">It struck untapped inhibitions of happiness that I haven’t experienced in 19 years.</span></b> Needless to say, he had never heard of the AH-LAH-MO, but when Gwen corrected the pronunciation, he managed to give us directions to the Alamo.<br />
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We ate on the San Antonio River Walk at a wonderful Mexican restaurant where a mariachi band played for us and we all were able to continue to laugh and enjoy ourselves — something that we continued to do the whole trip.<br />
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Once we arrived in San Marcos, I was able to shop for an hour BY MYSELF. Wow! No one was telling me that I’m taking too long or rushing me. Man, when it hit me, I was really relaxing. No calls, no worries, just enjoying the “now” and focusing on the reason I was there: <b><span style="font-size: large;">I’m alive. </span></b>Magdalene and Thistle Farms saved my life. So much gratitude overwhelmed me when I was able to share some of that gratitude with others.<br />
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We ate at Pastor Ben’s house. The Bishops and their wives joined us. It was a wonderful, intimate dinner with strangers who I felt like I’d known forever. We all laughed, told stories and I bonded with their six year-old little girl. I helped her take her medicine she loathed to take. I felt like she was my own child; the bond was so intense.<br />
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My heart and soul were filled each stop of the trip with pure joy and real happiness. I felt complete. All outside distractions were far, far away. The here and now were all I had to focus on. I was surrounded by people who have the purest of hearts and warmest of souls.<b><span style="font-size: large;"> I felt a peace I didn’t know existed.</span></b><br />
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At the booth, I was able to sell products with Gwen and really spread the word and mission of Magdalene and Thistle Farms. I am so passionate about the program and Thistle Farms and <span style="font-size: large;"><b>I feel so strongly about the power of love and how it heals. </b></span>I’ve been to 13 treatment centers and hospitals. Magdalene and Thistle Farms support me no matter what. I’m deeply enriched by the quality of the program. This program is different than any other.<br />
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When Becca shared my Facebook post in front of hundreds of people, I was shocked at first, but then I was blown away by the honor of being a part of her speech. Becca heard my gratitude and wanted to share it. I can say that this was one of the biggest moments (the whole trip was!) since I’ve been at Magdalene. We ended up selling all of our products and it was the perfect ending to our trip.<br />
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Words cannot describe the emotions of gratitude that filled my spirit. I know God has a plan for me and today I’m willing and excited to see what it is. Thank you Magdalene and Thistle Farms for allowing me to be a part of a life changing movement.<br />
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<i>By Kristin B.</i></div>
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<i>Magdalene Resident and Thistle Farmer</i></div>
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the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-72060840408353886192014-02-28T07:39:00.000-06:002014-02-28T07:39:00.197-06:00Give Me That Old Time Religion<i>From the <a href="http://beccastevens.org/">BeccaStevens.org</a> blog</i><br />
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"Give me that old time religion" is the refrain from the gospel tune of the late 19th century. It’s a sweet mantra to hum while communities of faith explore how to respond to the universal issues of sexual violence, trafficking, and prostitution. The old wounds humanity carries from these issues demand that we respond with love, the oldest and deepest truth of religion.<br />
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Our culture is just beginning to see the scope of the problem, the connection of child sexual trauma and addiction and the pathway this traumatic history lays out to prison. The women who join the community of Thistle Farms and Magdalene, a national bath and body care company with residential homes for survivors, are, on average, first raped between the ages of 7 and 11, and hit the streets in their teenage years. The national conversations in churches, the media and in conferences are changing as people now speak out about how before women were criminalized, they had been victimized for years. Its inspiring to feel the current change and feel that we are being carried down river a bit towards more just shores.<br />
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Yet in my conversations in hundreds of churches over the past 15 years, it feels like many still turn a blind eye to the connection between child abuse, runaways, and trafficking. Faith communities are still reluctant to speak out boldly against people being bought and sold as commodities and downloaded in two dimensions, giving no thought as to the individual being used. There is still a sense that one can buy and sell images and use people without there being any harm to that person.<br />
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So we need some good old-fashioned religion to infuse our communities and use the most powerful force for social change in the world—LOVE. We need to become a living and breathing movement capable of embracing the backside of anger, the shadow side of our world, the underside of bridges, the short side of justice, and the inside of prisons. This movement about women’s freedom, grounded in the belief that love heals, is rooted in radical hospitality that is offered without judgment and that is cast wide enough to reach the hell of the streets and entrenched prisons.<br />
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There was a moment about a year ago when I felt the shift as Thistle Farms became more than a sanctuary and social enterprise. It became part of a movement as churches from around the country began to invite us to share the vision about how we can all get involved to help women navigate unworkable systems, shortsighted politics, and violence to find their way home to sanctuary. It is beginning, but it will take many more communities that want to offer free long-term housing, begin radical social enterprises, and support work going on in communities such as Thistle Farms in Nashville, Eden house in New Orleans, and Magdalene St. Louis. To realize a movement requires that we are all willing to be idealists. We have to dream of a world where children are safe and rape victims expect justice.<br />
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Idealism doesn’t mean being pollyannaish about the world. We know it’s harsh and we have heard the war stories from Kigali, Houston, Lawala, Guayaquil, Omaha, Kampala, and every other city where we have traveled, stories of people who bear the common pain of sexual trauma on their individual backs. In each of these places named above we have been invited to partner with their local groups to create an emerging network of sister organizations. We have just been invited to Lexington, KY where a group from a local church has launched a new residential program called “The Well.” We are committed to helping each other with best practices and expanding our market share to support our individual social enterprises. There are now 20 to 30 new emerging communities that share the work, a witness to the truth that women in loving and compassionate communities do recover and find restitution and freedom.<br />
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It takes a great deal of humility to face universal issues by loving individual women in small groups. By working humbly as a community, we can do more to prevent women from relapsing back to the streets and dying from the violence and drugs that thrive there. We can do more to meet the economic, physical, psychological, educational and spiritual needs of women who have survived by embracing this ideal of a movement.<br />
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I long for faith-communities to go beyond being “mission-minded” into being so idealistic, humble, and close that, like the old time religion, the spirit moves freely to release the captives, preach good news to the poor, and give sight to all of us who are still blind. Good news sometimes is the oldest news we know. We don’t have to overcomplicate it. We just have to take out the trash when the trashcan is full and keep doing the daily work.<br />
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Last summer a group of women in Pensacola, Florida invited us to help them to think about how to begin planting seeds for the movement there. One of the graduates of Thistle Farms who went with me was Dorris Walker. When Dorris was a child she witnessed the murder of her father and was abused as a very young teen. As a young woman she ended up walking a ten-block radius on the streets of Nashville for 26 years. In all that she had witnessed and endured, no one had ever shown her the beach. It was on the trip to Florida that her feet first touched the sugar sands and she saw the sunrise from the coast. When she stepped into the ocean and felt the tide for the first time in her life, she threw her arms up and asked, “Has this been doing this my whole life?” As long as the moon has been spinning around the earth, the tide has been coming in. Like love it is old and true. Sometimes it just takes a community to help us get to the shore to feel its power and remember the source.<br />
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As we grow this movement to address the issues of trafficking, addiction, and prostitution, let us confirm that this work is sustainable for the long haul. With more faith communities investing in long-term housing and social enterprise, there will be less recidivism, women reclaiming families, a decrease in court restitution costs, an increase in gainful employment with decreasing disability payments, and by the sale of innovative products and services by the new business of social enterprises, we will save our communities millions of dollars. We can help protect the next generation, and we can live more deeply into the truths we long to believe. It can infuse our lives with new spirit and be a means to revive the vitality of our common worship.<br />
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Love is both lavish and economical. It’s beyond seeing what our values are in the marketplace and looking at how we can change the marketplace through increased economic and political leverage for others. Last October, Thistle Farms held its first national conference and launched a new shared-trade initiative. People from more than 30 states joined our commitment to use economic and political resources to help our collective work thrive. Love heals, inspires, and changes us for its own sake.<br />
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You can join this movement by becoming a Thistle Farmer, sharing your truth in love, and coming to the next national conference on October 12-14 in Nashville, TN. You can bring Thistle Farms products to your community, and host a flash tea and justice party this summer (news coming soon!). For more information about how to get involved, please contact us through facebook, twitter, or at info@thistlefarms.org.<br />
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Peace and love,<br />
Becca<br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/revbeccastevens" target="_blank"><i>@revbeccastevens</i></a><br />
<br />the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2025074394563661056.post-61231704994109847572014-02-26T11:18:00.000-06:002014-02-26T11:20:06.009-06:00A Non-Traditional HoneymoonUsually, when we think about engagements, weddings and honeymoons, phrases come to mind like “it’s <i>her</i> day” or “we’re celebrating <i>their</i> love.” Jana and Robbie decided to take a different approach. In their own words, <i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>“We felt led to use our wedding as a collaborative opportunity to serve others.” </b></span></i>According to this theme, they’ve chosen not only to register with Target for care items for the women, but they’ve also decided to celebrate their union with a service honeymoon here at Thistle Farms. Robbie, an engineer specializing in construction management, will spend the week here building and fixing our facilities while Jana shares her healing power through spiritual recovery workshops. (They also hope to find time to hike in the State Parks of Tennessee too!)<br />
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At Thistle Farms, we celebrate love in all forms. We are so grateful that Jana and Robbie wish to share their love with us on their special day. If you want to donate directly to Jana and Robbie’s project, they are collecting Home Depot gift cards. These can be dropped off at Thistle Farms in care of PR/Marketing Department (make sure you tell them it's for Jana and Robbie's Service Honeymoon!).<br />
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If this alternative to the traditional wedding experience sounds appealing to you and your partner, please consider a Thistle Farms Wedding. For more information, check out our <a href="http://www.thistlefarms.org/index.php/have-a-thistle-farms-wedding" target="_blank">wedding options on our website</a>.<br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Story by </span></i><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-small; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="line-height: 18px;"><i>Ashlyn King</i></span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; orphans: 2; widows: 2;" /><i style="background-color: white; color: #666666; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Thistle Farms Intern</span></i></div>
the voices of thistle farmshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12169132462029776890noreply@blogger.com0