My husband grew up in a Mennonite church in Pennsylvania. Getting to know my Mennonite relatives gave me a sense of yearning for the simpler life. When one of our Mennonite friends introduced us to an Amish man he worked with, my desire went deeper. When I discovered that my great-great grandparents were part of the Anabaptist faith, I realized why I had such a deep yearning to know the Plain People. It wasn’t long after that and we began making friends with many Amish families in several communities across the country.

Back in 1996, I decided to write Amish-themed novels so my readers would have a better understanding of the Amish people and their way of life. What have you learned about the Amish from reading my novels, devotionals, and cookbooks? Have you put any of the Amish ways into practice in your own life?

In my upcoming novel, The Restoration, the third book of the Prairie State Friends series, Priscilla Herschberger finds herself pursued by Elam, a childhood friend from her community. David, an outsider, raised in the modern world, also takes an interest in Priscilla. Elam would do almost anything to convince Priscilla that David would never fit into the Amish way. When flames of jealousy rage out of control, Priscilla must decide if she will forgive the person who has hurtfully wronged her.

As the year 2016 begins, many people will make one or more New Year’s resolutions. For some, it might involve forgiveness. In Matthew 6:14 (NIV) it says: “For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” Wouldn’t this New Year be a good opportunity to forgive someone who has hurt you by something they have said or done?

When we forgive those who have wronged us, our relationship is often strengthened, or a new friendship can take place. How has someone hurting you affected your life. If you forgave that person, how did it make you feel?

The Amish use no instruments to accompany their singing during church, yet whenever I hear them lift their voices in song I know they’re offering praises to God. Many of the hymns in the Amish Ausbund, as well as those hymns found in other denomination’s church hymnals, were written to help us understand the beliefs and suffering of those who wrote the hymns of old. These songs are a reminder of the songwriter’s faith, and were often written during times of suffering, although many of the hymns are songs of praise.
God likes it when we praise Him. In Luke 19:40 Jesus told the Pharisees who had rebuked the people for praising Him, that if the people didn’t praise Him, the stones would cry out. Songs that glorify God can reach the deepest level of our hearts. What better way for us to praise God than through singing songs of praise?
One of my favorite hymns is The Old Rugged Cross. What are some of your favorite hymns? In what way do the words of the hymns speak to your heart? The next time you sing a hymn try to visualize the time period it was written, and the condition in which the writer of the hymn lived. Think about the praise it offers to God when we sing songs to Him. Think about the joy it brings to you.