The Heart Of The Amish by Suzanne Woods Fisher ~ Christian Living Review

The Heart Of The Amish

Life Lessons on Peacemaking and the Power of Forgiveness

Suzanne Woods Fisher

Christian Living

We have all been hurt and we all have someone we need to forgive. But sometimes it's hard to let go of our hurt and anger in order to truly forgive and move on.

For the Amish, forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith. From daily annoyances to heartbreaking tragedy, they exhibit an incredible capacity for forgiveness that often baffles us. How do they do it? And how can we have the same attitude and ability to forgive?

Through true stories gathered from a variety of Amish communities, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows you how the Amish are able to release their pain and desire for revenge, and live at peace with others. Her in-depth, personal research uncovers the astounding yet fundamental way the Amish can forgive anyone from the angry customer at the grocery store to the shooter at Nickel Mines. You'll learn how to invite God into your story, apply lessons from the Amish to your own circumstances, and find the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.

Read An Excerpt

My Thoughts

I've enjoyed so many of Suzanne Woods Fisher's books that center on the Amish. One common thread through each of those novels is the ability to live in community peaceably. The centerpiece of that seems to be their ability to forgive and move on. In most cases the bonds of those involved become strengthened.

In The Heart of the Amish, Suzanne takes us into the lives of real Amish, Mennonite and other Plain families. Through their sometimes heart-rending stories we're able to gain a better perspective on how it is possible to forgive not only the daily offenses but the truly unforgivable. 

Most people remember the tragic story of the Nickel Mines Amish schoolhouse shooting that made headlines across the nation. I remember being so amazed at the ability of the Amish families to not only forgive the shooter but to reach out in compassion to the shooter's family. Suzanne includes several interviews with people that were involved including the shooter's mother and wife. 

After reading through the book I found myself pondering how I have handled forgiveness. Each one of us has had the experience of needing to forgive someone or needing forgiveness from someone. It is a very humbling situation but also a very freeing experience when done correctly. I think we could all learn something from the Amish about extending and receiving forgiveness. I would recommend this book to anyone that struggles with forgiveness. The different stories are sure to resonate and allow you a glimpse of what life could be like. 

At the end of each chapter is a section entitled Reflections on Peacemaking. The preceeding situation is discussed and questions are asked to allow you to contemplate how you feel about it and what you would do in the situation. This book would be a good addition to a reading group that would be interested in a study of the Amish and their lifestyle.

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Photo Credit: © Dan Davis Photography

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Amish Values for Your Family by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suzanne Woods Fisher is thrilled to announce the release of Amish Values for Your Family, her latest non-fiction release. "It offers loving ways to bring your fractured home back to life-Amish style. Read it and apply generously! It’s a beautiful book-funny, charming, soulful, and beautiful." -Mary Ann Kirkby

My thoughts:

I loved Amish Values for Your Family. We are expecting our second child come January so I was excited to review this book. What surprised me was how much the Amish and my own family have in common. I tend to read a lot of Amish fiction and enjoy it. After reading this book I realized why. The Amish value family and faith the way my own family does.

One chapter in particular that I really enjoyed was Laundry Day. Suzanne tells a story of twin daughters and their mother and how much work went into wash day. It took all day and was a ton of work that took the three of them working all day by hand. Then one day their father decides to buy a washing machine for Christmas and the mother says no.  The father asks “But why? It would save you so much time! It would cut the job in half.”  The mother responds, “As I wash those clothes, I use the time to pray for each one of my children. That’s not time I want cut in half.”

This story really blew me away. As a stay at home mom in the modern world I am constantly doing what appears to be meaningless tasks. I am glad that I now have a different perspective on how my day is spent and even in doing the tasks that feel meaningless I can be using my time to do so much more than that simple task. I really loved this book and it was perfect timing for me. Sometime it’s easy to forget what is important and for me that is my family. When I am home with my son that is the most important thing I can be doing and this book helped me to see that. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

*I received a copy of this book for my participation in this blog tour. This review is my own.

Plain Wisdom by Cindy Woodsmall and Miriam Flaud

Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into An Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women

Cindy Woodsmall & Miriam Flaud

Nonfiction / Amish

When I first requested Plain wisdom I assumed it to be another story about the Amish. However when I received the book I was excited to see that Miriam Flaud was an Old Order Amish woman who had never written before and that She with Cindy Woodsmall had written about their everyday lives and the things they have learned in Plain Wisdom.

The whole time I was reading I felt as though I was sitting around a table with coffee discussing the life stories of two women very much like me! I felt uplifted, encourage and that I also being a believer could relate to both women’s life stories and lessons learned. It was personal! This is a book that I will keep. It is full of recipes and like the title says wisdom!

I was impressed with this book and really enjoyed learning about the Amish life and how much believers have in common no matter if we are Amish or a Best Selling author!

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review!