This Friday March 26th at 6 pm the Matthew 25/Windsor and District Food Bank Society will be hosting a Nickel Auction at the Avonview High School.

Show your support and come out and bid on the great items that have been donated from the business leaders of our community as well as items donated by the good folk of Windsor. 

Jayson Baxter who is the current Keeper of the Sconestone kindly loaned out the Sconestone last night so that it could be present while a local hockey team, the West Hants Rockets presented the food and money they had collected during a recent food drive to the Matthew 25 Food Bank.

Matthew 25, established in 1965 is a charitable nonprofit organization supplying food, clothing, and all household goods to those in need in the community.  Last night Warren and I had the good fortune to be present at Matthew 25 which is located at 1699 King St. in Windsor for the drop off of food and money collected by the Rockets.  I believe it is organizations like Matthew 25 which are the backbone of our communities, providing help to those in need, and in today's economy many people are finding themselves in the position of needing help who have never had to rely on others for help before.

To the hard working, dedicated and passionate staff at Matthew 25, I can only say thank you for the work that you do; you are an inspiration for many and a beacon of hope and light in these troubled times that we find ourselves in.  To the West Hants Rockets - you guys rock!  Thank you for your community spirit, and may you continue to perform acts of kindness.  And finally, to Jayson Baxter, the 19th Keeper of the Sconestone, a big thank you for sharing not only the Sconestone for the night, but also for your time as a Keeper this past week.  I hope that the Sconestone has touched you, as your many acts of kindness continue to touch those in the community around you.

In kindness, Kari

In 2008, ten yr old Logan saw pictures of children in the West African Province of Sierra Leone, who were experiencing harships such as schools with no chairs, desks, or recreational equipment.  They had few books and roofing that didn't help shelter them from the rain. 

Logan wanted to inspire hope after seeing these children with no materials....so, he talked to his parents, teachers, and his community and convinced them to send a 40ft container filled with educational, building, and recreational materials to Sierra Leone!

This is quite the undertaking for a 10yr old, but his caring and concern was felt by everyone in his community.  When the container was received in Sierra Leone, the people were very happy and the materials have helped to inspire hope and support education for the people of Sierra Leone.

Logan went on to create a short video, including animation, and a song written and performed by Terry Kelly.  This video helps to share the message "Listen to the Children, A Journey of Sharing" with people everywhere.

What a great example of how ordinary people can make a big difference..spread kindness....even on another continent!!

In it, I explore the second of two myths that limit our potential and dissuade us from making the meaningful contributions that we long to make and are innate to our human condition. 

I hope that you find Myth Number 2 an enjoyable and inspirational read and that you take up the challenge it offers.  Don't expect any rocket science, instead a fresh look at some old ideas and some good ole common sense.

To receive your free download, register on my website at:

http://www.giveraising.com/receive_ebook.php

In gratitude,

steve foran

Speaker, Writer and Follower of the Sconestone

Please watch this video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKktPngh53k

I was surfing on the internet and came across the above quote.  I love it, it's brilliant. So simple, yet so incredibly powerful.  How often have we thought of doing something kind, yet never got around to it and then it was too late?  Has happened to me and I am sure it has happened to you too.  A good reminder to never put off a kind act!

Last week my trusty elastic band I had been using finally gave up the ghost and I was forced on a quest to find a replacement. We only have one stationary shop in town which I was sad to discover had closed as I pulled out front in the rain to a window covered with brown paper. Next stop was the Sobey's grocery store. i was successful in finding a bag of elastics, but they were all thin and multi-coloured. Not a match for what I needed. I then decided to walk around to the local Home Hardware to try my luck. Upon entering the store I bumped into Roger who is always around to lend a helping hand and swap a word or two. I explained to Roger what i was after and he immediately took me to a wrack that had a bag of multiple sized elastics. i thanked Roger and then held up the bag to see if I could see an elastic in the bag that would fit. he asked me what I was doing and I said I was actually just after one elastic band of the right size and then described what I was after.

Roger was funny, he said to heck with buying a whole bag just to get one elastic band and immediately marched me over to the check out counter to rummage through their own elastic bands beneath the counter. And presto, there it was, the perfect elastic band. Roger handed it over and said Merry Christmas. Thank you Roger for your good nature and act of kindness. And just so you know it has been put to good work already in my next carving. Merry Christmas.

What I'm about to tell you may contradict everything you've ever thought....this is the PERFECT time to spread kindness...when people are least expecting.  This is the time when people will be most shocked and surprised to be the recipient of a small, kind act. 

The true story... many years ago, when I was in primary school, it was Christmas time, and my parents were struggling with finances.  They didn't know how they would scrape together money to buy presents for us kids, besides trying to keep the clunky car running and food on the table!!!  My dad is a humble, hard-working man, who always kept our house running fixing anything that needed fixing!

Several days before Christmas, my father was at a music store looking at used pianos.  My mother had often said she missed playing piano, and the joyful sound of music in the house.  He thought long and hard about how he could surprise her with a piano and bring some happiness to our home, but had no idea how he could afford even a used piano (about $500 U.S.)

The day before Christmas, he stopped in again just to look at the piano which he pictured sitting in our house, with my mother playing and us children singing along.  As he turned to leave the store....a man who he never met approached him.  This man handed him a white envelope and simply said "Get the piano for your wife, so that she may fill your home with God's music.  God Bless & Merry Christmas!"

My dad was so stunned; he didn't know what to do.  He said thanks as the man walked away and left, never to be seen again.  My dad, still in shock, peeked into the envelope, and saw several hundred dollar bills.  Tears welled up in his eyes, and he just stood still for several minutes.....which felt like hours.  As he realized what had happened, he turned to the store manager and said, “Please tell me how I can have this piano delivered for Christmas!”

This is a true story.  Now, remember it doesn’t have to be a large act of kindness; kindness comes in all shapes and sizes.  I will never forget this experience from my childhood and the many years of joy we had!

A grove of trees is a lasting gift or memorial. Instead of giving someone a single tree, you can set up a grove to allow friends and family to plant a number of trees for the same person or occasion. We will set up a page on this website to tell people about the grove, and where you can see how people have responded. Your dedications will appear on our website and be read out as the trees are planted.

It’s £50 for the Web Page, and the first 8 trees for the Grove. Each additional £5 donated towards the grove allows us to plant another tree.

Wedding Groves If you’re getting married or forming a civil partnership - how about the wedding list with a difference? Get trees instead of toasters, it's much more romantic! See the Wedding Groves

Baby Groves What could be a better way to celebrate new life than by giving the living legacy of a restored wild forest? Now you can have a dedicated grove of trees for your special new family addition. See the Baby Groves

Celebration Groves are for any occasion. For example Birthdays, Anniversaries, Retirements and leaving gifts, to mark the completion of a project and more. See the Celebration groves

Memorial Groves. Losing a loved one is never easy. Sometimes it's hard to find a unique and meaningful way to remember them. Let us help you to celebrate the life of your loved one, with a special grove of trees planted in their name. The trees will never be cut down and will be both a lasting memorial and a legacy for future generations. See the Memorial groves

How to set up

Take a look at the existing grove pages, and send us details of what you'd like; then we'll set up the grove. Send us an email at info@treesforlife.org.uk, with:

• The person/people or event the grove is for
• The occasion
• Any significant dates you would like us to include
• A photograph and text for the grove page
• YOUR contact address and phone number (these will not appear on the page)

Sandra
 

There was an elderly couple sitting in the booth behind the girls and they were listening in on their conversation about what to order to get the most 'bang for their buck".  After some creative accounting the girls placed their order and waited for their dinner to arrive.  The elderly couple finished up their dinner and left.  When the girls had finished their dinner, the waitress came up to them and told them that  the elderly couple had paid for their meal.  I wish I could have been there to have seen the look of complete shock and surprise on their faces.  They couldn't believe that complete strangers would do something so kind for them. 

This happened 2 years ago, and I still send up a mental thank you to the kind hearted couple who acted out of kindness and paid for their dinner.  

It started last year when out of the blue Chris would appear at all hours of the night to plow us out of snow storms. Even though Chris knows I have a snow blower, he seems to take great pleasure out of helping us. He's just one of those super nice guys who enjoys lending a helping hand. When Chris came up to our front door I went out and invited him in for a hot cuppa tea and we spent and hour catching up on time gone by.

Not only did Chris do a kind act for us, but he also firmed our friendship. Thank you Chris for being the good guy you are.