The Heart of the Amish by Suzanne Woods Fisher

I'm not entirely certain as to why I am so fascinated with the Amish, but I am. Of course, just like many others, I like the simplicity of things. They don't have an overabundance of toys or material things. I want to be that way. In other ways, I'm not certain that I would enjoy doing things that took double the time when certain appliances truly do make our lives more productive. However, one thing I admire about them is the way they forgive.

I'll never forget the school shooting within the Amish community. To read some of the responses of the Amish people was fascinating. I hope I would be that forgiving, but in all honesty, I think it'd take me years to get there if they hurt my child. These people know why forgiveness is so important, as well as peacemaking.

I think this book is perfect for absolutely anyone. Everyone struggles with holding grudges or causing conflict. Hello... gossip?! Definitely not a way for making peace. I was challenged in some ways in these two areas of my life. To see how readily they seek to make peace and not cause conflict is very impressive. It showed me many examples in my life where I need to be more aware of being the peacemaker.

I also liked how easy it is to relate to the stories within this book. It is very honestly written and you get to be taken along on the journey as many people share how they came to forgive others. Anyone who reads this book will be challenged in their ability to forgive and to be a peacemaker.

Suzanne Woods Fisher has been a long-time favorite author of mine when it comes to Amish fiction. I'm thrilled that she's now stepping into the world of nonfiction and sharing so many wonderful stories of the Amish lifestyle. I hope she continues to share the stories from the Amish.

____________

I received this book free from Revell Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

More than Happy: The Wisdom of Amish Parenting by Serena B. Miller and Paul Stutzman

This is probably one of my favorite parenting books that I have read in a long time. I get the chance to read quite a few, but I just loved the ideas in this book.

I like learning about the Amish anyway and enjoy Amish fiction, so it was no question as to whether I would be reading this book. I wasn't certain what to expect about this book, though, considering some people think Amish parenting is bad and others thing it is good. I loved the approach that Serena B. Miller and Paul Stutzman took in this book. They focused on the things the Amish did in parenting that led to happy, content children. Of course, you may not agree with everything, but I had a hard time disagreeing on the topics they chose to discuss.

I was impressed with how they taught their children from such an early age about work ethic. I also liked how their children weren't expected to be praised for helping the family. It was an expectation to give back to the family by helping. I will definitely be using their ideas on hanging up coats; however, I will be using it with shoes! And I can already foresee cleaning becoming much more fun with the quarter idea.

I could relate to taking my children almost everywhere I go and making them learn appropriate behavior in each setting. They work some with me and have learned to be quiet and helpful. The part that I think made me stop and ponder the most was about technology. Our kids are just coming into the age where they like iPads and all. We do restrict television a lot, as in we don't use it much, but I appreciated their reasoning on why they don't allow iPads, iPhones, or things like that. I can see how it takes me away from my children at times. I appreciated the awareness that it brought to me on that subject. I have also become more aware on working more together as a family so we have more time to play and spend together later in the day. I also appreciated the honesty of the Amish in this book. There is no question that they raise some of the most respectful, hard-working, and obedient children. I want that for my children, too.

This book was full of so much information that I will have to read it and re-read it. It's a book that will stay in my possession for many years to come and I can see it already as a great gift for other moms.

______________________

I received this book free from Howard Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.

Plain Faith by Ora-Jay & Irene Eash with Tricia Goyer

I am always reading Amish fiction and knew I would definitely be interested in this book as it held an inside scoop into the life of being Amish. I wanted to know more about what they taught and believed and why.

Ora-Jay and Irene had such a sweet heart. I was heartbroken to read about the death of their 2 daughter and how finally, after many boys, they received a bundle of joy that was a girl! They shared how the death of their daughters was a turning point for them. It was neat to watch their faith grow out of this dark time. It amazes me how the Amish are able to simply say, "God must have wanted it to be so." They weren't really expected to grieve, which I can't even imagine.

I appreciated the very personal letters at the end of most of the chapters. It was interesting to read their hearts and what was going on in their lives at that point. You could also easily see their spiritual growth through each letter.

My favorite story had to be how the Lord provided for them when they didn't have the money to pay for some land. The fact they lived in their basement with no electricity or running water was amazing. They truly were living harder then the Amish and they were still judged.

This is such an insightful book for those that like the Amish lifestyle or like Amish fiction. It's also an excellent book if you want to see someone who questioned all he knew and gave it up to follow the Lord. They found freedom in truly following the Lord.

___________

I received this book free from BookLook Bloggers and Zondervan Publishers in exchange for my honest opinion of this book.