Becca Stevens extolls the power of love in this inspirational collection of letters. Letters from the Farm describes a faith that strives for justice and peace through loving our neighbors. It began with the simple hope that love can help in the community. That hope led to a social enterprise called Thistle Farm and that led to learning that we reap a hundredfold the seeds that are sown into a loving community. Accompanying each letter is a verse of Scripture and some questions for reflection so that this book can be used as a devotional guide, as well as a piece to inspire you in your faith and life. “Becca Stevens has written a beautiful book demonstrating the power of God’s healing love.”―Jane Shaw, Dean for Religious Life and Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University "The book’s subtitle is a 'path for a deeper spiritual life,' but the book might better be described as a well―the benefit comes from dipping in here and there. Her letters perhaps unintentionally gloss over human pain, but they are also gentle reminders that lives unfold within a larger spiritual context of grace and restoration." ― Publishers Weekly "Becca Stevens is an Episcopal priest who was looking for a way for her congregation to become active in social justice issues and the one she focused on was sex trafficking." ―Nicholas Kristof, from the documentary A Path Appears "Becca Stevens writes as she lives and works and speaks: with a fierce tenderness and an extravagant trust in God’s endless mercy. The letters in this book are written to all of us who long to cultivate such a life. They are an invitation to look for the bounty and beauty growing all around us, to find ourselves astonished and grateful for the presence of Grace . . . even in the weeds." ― Jeffrey D. Lee, Bishop, Episcopal Diocese of Chicago "Becca paints each letter with gentle brush strokes, reminding us of living truths long forgotten or drowned out by busyness and shame: truths old as the dirt that pierce our heart, awaken memories, and baptize us in tears. This is not a book to be skimmed or plowed through but sipped, savored, and even prayed." ― Mike Kinman, Dean of Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis and board president, Magdalene St. Louis "Becca Stevens has written a beautiful book demonstrating the power of God’s healing love. Wherever you are in your faith journey, these letters, with their compassion for humanity and passion for justice, will encourage you to deepen your faith; and Becca’s work with Thistle Farms will inspire you to open-hearted, generous living." ― Jane Shaw, Dean for Religious Life and Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University "Becca Stevens has written a beautiful book demonstrating the power of God’s healing love. Wherever you are in your faith journey, these letters, with their compassion for humanity and passion for justice, will encourage you to deepen your faith; and Becca’s work with Thistle Farms will inspire you to open-hearted, generous living." ― Jane Shaw, Dean for Religious Life and Professor of Religious Studies, Stanford University Becca Stevens is a justice entrepreneur, survivor of childhood sexual abuse, priest, and tireless advocate for women survivors. She has founded ten justice initiatives around the world and has helped raise millions of dollars to lift women out of poverty and into freedom. Becca is the president of Thistle Farms, and has been featured on NPR, the New York Times, the TODAY Show, and ABC World News. She has been recognized as a Top 10 CNN Hero and a White House Champion of Change. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Letters from the Farm A Simple Path for a Deeper Spiritual Life By Becca Stevens Church Publishing Incorporated Copyright © 2015 Becca Stevens All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-8192-3175-8 Contents Acknowledgments, Introduction, Spring, Begin with Dirt, It's Not What You Believe, It's How You Live, Pray to Get Out of the Way, Search for Purple in Nature as We Grope for God, Let Your Knees Buckle with Gratitude, Notice the Light at the Eucharist, Let the Mission Form the Worship, The Light of Hope, Keep It Simple, Beggars in the Field, The Holy Ground of Farming, The Fellowship of Farming, Be a Bold Farmer, Summer, Remember the World Is Our Farm, Cultivate the Tender Soil of Forgiveness, Cultivating Peace, Grow Tree Roots, Weep at Injustice, Wild Fruits of the Spirit, Don't Wait for Inspiration, Be Reinspired as You Work, Be a Story-Keeper, Find Joy in Your Work, Digging for Our Own Healing, The Labyrinth of Farming, You Are What You Grow, Fall, Whispered Prayers, Find Ritual in the Mundane, Old Ways, New Visions, Communion Is for the Birds, We Are Tenants on the Farm, Traveling Light, After the Blossom, Pray without Ceasing, You Can Forget How to Farm, or Ride a Bike, Searching for the Heart of Farming, Trolling Is Not Farming, Imagining the Harvest, Winter, Signs of Life, Stand in the Field of Hope, Go