Amish Values for Your Family: What We Can Learn from the Simple Life by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publication Date: August 2011
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Genre: Practical Amish Values
Pages: Paperback, 192pp
ISBN-13: 9780800719968
ISBN: 0800719964
(Received for an honest review from Revell Books)
Purchase: Barnes & Noble, Book Depository, Christianbook.com, IndieBound
Suzanne Woods Fisher on the WEB: website, blog, facebook, twitter
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Excerpt from Amish Values for Your Family
Synopsis:
When it comes to strong families that know how to truly enjoy life together, there is much we can learn from the Amish. Just how do they establish such strong family bonds, such deeply held values, and such wonderful family traditions? In Amish Values for Your Family, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shares the secrets of Amish family life. In this inspiring and practical book, you will meet real Amish families that are a lot like yours. Through their stories you'll discover how to
- slow down
- safeguard family time
- raise children who stand strong in their faith
- prioritize what's truly important
Thoughts:
Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher brings readers a book centered on good, solid, family values, from an Amish perspective. Amish Values for Your Family takes the principles and ideas of the Amish faith and translates them into the everyday life of the reader. What can we learn from the simpler pace of life, deep family connections and solid faith of the Amish people? Through proverbs, real life stories and practical applications, readers will be able to see how the values of the Amish can benefit their own lives, without having the electricity turned off or trading in the family Sedan for a horse and buggy!
Suzanne Woods Fisher is well known for her Amish fiction novels, but in this book she takes the practical knowledge she has learned from the Amish and shows readers how they can apply it to their own lives to build stronger families. In today's society the family unit has taken a real beating, with high divorce rates, deteriorating social standards and and overall lack of faith. Through all this the Amish have stayed grounded and strong in their beliefs, attitudes and actions. Though many people do not understand why the Amish people are so different, they do respect their values and faith. The author does an amazing job of showing readers how they can institute Amish principles like, community, forgiveness, and obedience into their lives without actually "going Amish."
Amish Values for Your Family is divided into four sections: Children Are Loved but Not Adored, Great Expectations, Daily Bread, and Letting Go. Each section then has several chapter headings that discuss specific values. Woods Fisher delves into many practical areas of the daily Amish life, that readers can glean tidbits of wisdom and ideas to cultivate in their own lives. I really enjoyed the overall format of the book. Each chapter begins with an Amish proverb, many of which I now have hanging throughout my house. Then the author has a story straight from a real Amish family that illustrates a particular value and follows it up with practical applications that readers can use to instill these values in their own lives.
One idea that comes through in every single story and every quote is that the Amish life is based on faith and a strong belief in God. The Amish way of life is not a lifestyle choice, it's all faith based. The way they view the world is a lot more cut and dried than the average person. It's either pleasing to God or it's not. When the Amish marry, they are not making vows to each other, they are making vows to God. I think that Christians from every walk of life, should take a page out of the Amish book and apply some of their reasoning in daily life.
One of the values that most impressed me in this book and one that I try to emulate in my own life with my children is the idea that children should not think that life revolves around them. They are an integral part of life and one that brings great joy and love to a family, but if they are made to feel entitled and given everything without earning it, they have no concept of personal responsibility nor are they equipped to deal with the real world. I'm not sure how we have gotten away from the idea that children should have chores and be taught to take care of themselves, but it is obvious that the Amish still practice these ideas in their daily life and I hope to as well. One of my favorite Amish proverbs in the book illustrates this: "A family that works together, grows together." I want my children to learn how to get along in this world in a respective, responsible, faithful way.
This is such a great book of wisdom that I think readers who are interested in the Amish will find informative and full of great ideas. These are values that families need to possess no matter what religion they aspire to or believe in. I recommend this one to all of my Christian readers and even those who are not. You don't have to wear funny clothes or never turn on a light switch to implement these wonderful concepts into your daily life.
Available August 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.
I'm giving this one 5 out of 5 apples from my book bag!
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs, as well as the Lancaster County Secrets novels. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is the host of a radio show called Amish Wisdom. She lives in California.
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