My Thoughts
Amish Values for Your Family highlights what is most important in the lives of the Amish: faith, family and friends – values that we can all relate to and benefit from. The book is laid out into 4 sections and further broken down into chapters. Each chapter covers an area of the values presented and begins with an Amish Proverb. The bulk of the short chapter is taken up with an anecdotal story of the Amish and how they practice the value. Next comes a road map, a sort of life application section outlining ways that we could apply the value in our own life. The chapter ends with stories taken from The Budget, the community newspaper of the Amish. I was asked to choose a value presented in the book and share with you how it has impacted me and how I could apply it to my own life.
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Teamwork divides the effort and multiplies the effect – Amish Proverb
The Amish have many values and belief’s that fit into my own personal belief system, and no, I am not Amish. The one that resonated most strongly with me is about preparing our children for adulthood. I truly believe that it is our duty as parents to raise our children in such a way that when they reach adulthood, they are fully prepared to be an engaged asset to the community, by accepting responsibility for themselves and fulfilling their obligations. Miss Fisher cites a statistic on page 57 saying that 80% of college graduates in 2009 moved back home with their parents, up from 67% in 2006.
The Amish know that a good solid work ethic begins at home, as children help with chores and tasks. They give their children age-appropriate chores as young as three and as they grow, their responsibilities grow. Having grown up in a household where we were all expected to help, I learned very young how to be a hard worker. And in turn, I gave my children chores and responsibilities as they were growing up. Now that we are nearing our “empty nest” years (having only 2 children still at home, both in high school), I have seen my children grow into fully capable adults, willing and able to shoulder their responsiblities. I truly feel that teaching them how to run a household, and expecting them to have a work ethic while growing up, has stood them in good stead.
Today, don’t write a to-do list. Instead write a to-be list. Remind yourself of bigger better goals: enjoying time with family making happy memories. pg. 59
About the Book
Title: Amish Values for Your Family
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Revell
ISBN: 978-0-8007-1996-8
SRP: $12.99
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, author of I Am Hutterite
For readers who long for strong families that know how to truly enjoy life together, there is much to learn from the Amish. Values like community, forgiveness, simple living, obedience, and more can be your family legacy–without selling your car, changing your wardrobe, or moving out to farm country.
In Amish Values for Your Family, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows how you can adopt the wisdom of the Amish when it comes to family matters. In this inspiring and practical book readers will find charming true stories interlaced with solid, biblical advice about parenting, marriage, and all aspects of family life. As readers get an intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of real Amish families, they will learn to prioritize what’s truly important, simplify decision-making, slow down as a family, safeguard time together, and let go when the time comes.
Listen to an Excerpt:
About the Author
Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. She has many, many Plain relatives living in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and travels back to Pennsylvania, as well as to Ohio, a couple of times each year for research.
Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate many of their principles–simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily– into your life.
When Suzanne isn’t writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To Suzanne’s way of thinking, you just can’t take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone’s underwear in its mouth.
Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com
I have 2 copies of Amish Values for Your Family to giveaway to 2 winners. And be sure to check out the giveaway that the author and the publisher have going on, it’s right below the rafflecopter form. Good Luck!
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<a href=”http://rafl.es/enable-js”>You need javascript enabled to see this giveaway</a>.
Suzanne Woods Fisher is thrilled to announce the release of Amish Values for Your Family
To celebrate the release of Amish Values for Your Family, Suzanne has teamed up her publisher Revell Books to giveaway a Kindle, and with Bill Coleman (the amazing photographer used on Suzanne’s book covers) to give away a signed Bill Coleman original.
One Grand Prize winner will receive an Amish Values Prize Package (valued at over $200) and includes:
* A brand new KINDLE
* A Signed Bill Coleman original
* Amish Values for Your Family (for KINDLE)
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Click on one of the icons to enter. Winner will be announced on 9/2 at Suzanne’s blog. Be sure to stop by the blogs on Suzanne’s blog tour – many have copies of Amish Values for Your Family to give away.
But, wait there’s more! Suzanne is running a Bill Coleman caption contest during the month of August on her blog. Title one of Bill’s gorgeous photos for a chance to win a print from Bill’s Amish Photo site and/or a copy of Amish Values for Your Family.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free through the LitFuse Publicity Group blog tour program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
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