I’ve spent the past couple of days visiting with friends in Keswick, Ontario where I was happy to stop off, particularly when I heard of their plans for a road trip to St. Jacob’s in the heart of Mennonite Country.

View of Lake Simcoe near Keswick

I hadn’t been there in years. I used to make a regular habit of going to the farmer’s market there every other Saturday. So, when opportunity knocked, I raced to the door with visions of the requisite sausage on a bun dancing through my head.

Vegetable stand in the market

Here are my words of wisdom about a trip to St. Jacob’s. Do not, I repeat, do not have a big breakfast before you leave home. This is not the time to start your day with oatmeal. Save your appetite for the abundance of indulgences that await you at the market. And there are plenty.

After enjoying my two must-haves – the sausage-on-a-bun and the deep-fried apple fritters (hey, I didn’t say I was going to eat healthy all the time on this trip, did I?), we strolled the vegetable vendors and then hit Main Street for some gift shopping.

Mennonite buggy

It was there that I found two essentials for my trip. First, a beautiful set of chimes for the inside of Miss Daisy to help complete my feng shui. Miss Daisy isn’t a quiet ride shall we say; between to the gentle roar of the 454 Chevy motor beneath me and the rattling of all else inside the cupboards that isn’t nailed down, I have sometimes yearned for a more peaceful sound.  And the chimes will now fill a nice void, especially given that there is a distinct lack of radio stations in these environs to help drown out the cabin noise.

Most importantly, I’d like to tell you about the second item that I found. I’ve had a few folks email me after seeing Miss Daisy around town, noting that the quote on the side, “Follow your heart wherever it takes you”, resonates with them or comes to them at a critical juncture in their own lives. It seems that many of us, myself included, are yearning to find a way to live life from that place, from the heart.

One fellow from Stouffville, Ontario contacted me looking for some inspiration, perhaps an answer to his questions. I don’t know that I have the answer but as I was out on my bike ride earlier today it struck me that I had to share what I found yesterday. Inspired by Mike but a message for all of us…….

Why is it difficult to follow our heart? My guess is that the main reason is fear. Fear we might be wrong, fear we might fail, fear of the unknown, fear of being alone, fear of whatever……when we let our minds rule, we can easily find all sorts of reasons why we “shouldn’t” do something.

I could have come up with several myself. I shouldn’t take the summer off to travel because we’re in a recession. It’s not safe for a woman to travel by herself. What if the RV breaks down? How can I afford this trip? What will I do when I get back? Where will I live?

However, it is in those moments of stillness, listening to our inner voice, being receptive to possibilities, dismissing our fears that our heart speaks its undeniable voice.

I still have small moments of small fears as I venture forth. Yet I know that I cannot live in fear and from the heart at the same time. It is one or the other. So I wanted something to help me focus those thoughts in those moments when I need a reminder to keep me in my heart.

As I walked around one store I stopped in front of a glass display and saw it. A simple silver pendant on a chain with the word, “Faith”, engraved in it. That was it. That’s what I needed. And I think what we all need.

My friend Peggy McColl purchased the pendant for me as a gift. And a very appropriate one given that I have listened to her CD, “Turn Fear Into Faith”, (check it out www.destinies.com) on many occasions and I’ve found her wisdom very helpful.

We need to have faith. Faith that life will provide. Faith in the knowing of our heart and soul. Faith in the wisdom of things we can’t see. Faith that things will work out. Faith that there is enough for all of us. Faith that love will come to us, at exactly the right time. Faith that we will always be okay.

Faith means we trust in the process of life. It means that we no longer hang on with fear. It is the opposite of fear. And when we have faith, it will bring us closer to our hearts.

There are many ways and tools to help move from fear to faith. One technique that I use is to switch my thoughts. As I do not have a highly planned itinerary for my trip, I sometimes find myself thinking, “but what if I can’t find a camping spot?” (fear). When I find myself saying something like that, I’ll switch it to something like, “the perfect spot will be available at the right time, in the right location and I’ll be fine”.

Now as for my fear as to whether I’ll be able to find a good hairdresser along the way who is good with short hair, that’s another story…….

I just need to have faith with that one too. Faith. Faith. Faith.

Just have faith.

St. Jacob’s, thanks for the goodies and the reminder about faith.

P.S. And be sure to stop off at Picard’s Peanut Factory too, especially for their “chip nuts”, peanuts covered in different flavours of crushed potato chips. Sounds like Homer Simpson sort of invention but I found them very tasty and hope to win over a few new friends around the campfire with them

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