I’ve experienced the pleasure of knowing, even in some small way, what it feels like to be Amish whenever I spend time with our Amish friends. A few years ago my husband and I were invited to stay with some of our Amish friends for several days. While we were there, I enjoyed washing the dishes, hanging freshly washed clothes on the line to dry, and helping to cook a meal on a propane-operated stove. I gave up watching TV, curling my hair, working on the computer, and communicating via my cell phone with emails and text messages. Instead, I spent many hours visiting, singing, watching Amish children play, and becoming one with nature. That Sunday, my husband and I attended church with our Amish friends, and rode in their horse-pulled buggy. We may not have understood all the words being said during the three-hour service, but we felt a worshipful spirit as Amish voices were lifted to the rafters in praise to God.

Have you ever tried being Amish for a day, or even a few hours? If so, what did you do and how did it make you feel?

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?