CALLED TO BE AMISH

Called to Be Amish: My Journey from Head Majorette to the Old Order (Plainspoken) Paperback – February 9, 2015

by Marlene C. Miller (Author)

Fewer than one hundred outsiders have joined the Old–Order Amish—and stayed—since 1950. Marlene C. Miller is one of them. In this rare memoir, Marlene recounts her unhappy and abusive childhood, how she throws herself into cheerleading and marching band, and how she falls in love with Johnny, the gentle young Amish man who helps her lace her ice skates.

Against the wishes of both sets of parents, Marlene and Johnny get married and begin a family. Follow the author on this unusual journey to find out how God’s love called her out of bitterness and depression and into the warm embrace of her new Amish community.

Accompany her as she dons an Amish dress and prayer covering and gets baptized. Learn how she endures the strain of ten children, a hundred-acre farm, and accidents and tragedy, and find out how she comes close to walking away from it all. Turning Amish has proven to be anything but plain and simple for this former majorette. But nearly fifty years later, Marlene is still living out God’s call as an Old Order Amish woman.

My Review:

This book is the real life story of Marlene and her journey to becoming an Old Order Amish woman. She grew up in a dysfunctional family. The only loved shown to her as a child came from a few christian relatives. As a teenager she meets her future husband, an young Amish man.Through the story you learn how they marry and later live as an  Amish family. While life is not easy for them you gain insight into their Amish way of life.

I received a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for this review.

The Heart of the Amish

Life Lessons on Peacemaking and the Power of Forgiveness

by: Suzanne Woods Fisher

About

"Powerful! That's the first word that comes to mind after reading this excellent book. You will be inspired to make changes in your life."--Chandler Gerber, featured in the film From One Second to the Next 
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.


"Fisher's stories of the Amish will arm you with tools to forgive and find the path to reconciliation as they draw you closer to God."--Elizabeth B. Brown, author of Living Successfully with Screwed-Up People

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of Amish Peace and Amish Proverbs, as well as many novels about the Amish, including the Lancaster County Secrets series, the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series. She is also the coauthor of an Amish children's series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner for The Search, a Carol Award finalist for The Choice, and a Christy Award finalist for The Waiting. She is also a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher.

My Review:
This is a wonderful and encouraging book on forgiveness. For most of us forgiveness doesn't come easily but for the Amish it is a way of life. This book is filled with stories of forgiveness given or granted both with which follows amazing grace by all involved.
I found myself underlining certain passages through out the book. Some of these quotes helped me to understand the forgiveness process. One such statement is, "The more often you practice forgiveness, the more forgiving you become." This book is transforming and I would recommend it to all my friends.

I received a copy of this book from Revell Books in exchange for this review.

The Love Letters

by: Beverly Lewis

About

Marlena needed time to let things sink in. It was beyond her how all this could possibly work out--adding the care of an infant to her daily routine. Fortunately, it would just be until Luella returned home from the hospital and was stronger.No more than a couple weeks, surely.

Marlena Wenger's life takes an unexpected turn on the day she learns she must care for her estranged sister's baby. Spending the summer in Brownstown, Pennsylvania, to assist her Mennonite grandmother, and miles from Marlena's Old Order Amish beau, she feels out of her element in nearly every respect. Yet Marlena determines to do her best and stay focused on her future, even as those hopes become drastically altered.

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THE AUTHOR

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   Photo courtesy of Gene Photography

   Beverly Lewis

   Beverly Lewis, born in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch country, is the New York Times bestselling author of more than ninety books. Her stories have been published in eleven languages worldwide. A keen interest in her mother's Plain heritage has...

   Continue reading about Beverly Lewis
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My Review:
I enjoy this book so much. Beverly Lewis knows how to tell a story while at the same time minister to our hearts and draw us closer to the Lord. The story lines centers on Marlena who is searching for more in her heart and life while struggle with her desire to stay Old Amish to please her boyfriend and Little Jake who struggles to measure up to his fathers standards.As the story unfolds both Marlena and Little Jake find that God answers their prayers in some tremendous ways.
I would recommend this book for all that love to read Amish fiction and for those who her looking for a good uplifting Christian fiction book to read.

I received this Book from Bethany House in exchange for this review.

Enough Already

Enough Already (Abingdon, March 2015)

Recognize your own outer and inner beauty as defined by God, not the media or others.

Most women know that God loves them, but might he love them more if they finally lost that last ten pounds, or got their hair to lay right, or finally found a pair of jeans that looked good and let them breathe? Well, maybe God doesn't care about jeans, but women do, and all the talk about inner beauty hasn't kept all of us from staring into a mirror and taking an inventory that never quite measures up.Enough Already will:

-Elevate the soul-freeing, spiritual truth that God is the Creator of beauty and that women are called to appreciate and care for themselves as his own.

-Enable women to accept God-given beauty so that when they look in the mirror they see his handiwork, not their flaws.

-Equip women to win the ugly struggle with beauty once and for all.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1Eqr5Tw

About the author: 

Barbara Roose is an African-American, wife, mother, and pastor with a passion for creatively communicating God's truths in a manner that is relevant and easy for people to apply to their lives. In February 2002, she joined the staff at Cedar Creek Church in Perrysburg, Ohio. Currently, she is the Directional Leader and Pastor of Spiritual Formation. For the past eight years, she has had the privilege to serve as periodic teaching pastor to 10,000 (average) weekly attendees. Since 2010, she has spoken at various women's conferences in the U.S. and Honduras. In October 2012, she was a guest speaker for best-selling author and former Women of Faith speaker, Nicole Johnson's Seasons Weekend Experience. Barbara and her husband, Matt, have been married 21 years and live in Toledo, Ohio.

MY REVIEW:

First of all we have all had those thoughts of if only i was prettier, skinnier, taller, shorter and so on. This is what this book speaks about. As a society that idolizes the celebrities and focuses so much on outer beauty the author urges us to look at ourselves as Christ sees us. While the world looks at us from the outer beauty God looks at our heart.
The author, Barbara Roose also encourages us not to compare our self to others. She shares practical advise for our outward body concerns while also sharing truths to adorn our true beauty of the heart.
I would recommend this book for ladies of all ages. It can be used for a bible study group or for self study. At the end of each chapter there our group discussion questions and personal journaling questions.

I've been given this book free from Litfuse  in exchange for a review. 

The Promise of Palm Grove

e Promise of Palm Grove (Avon Inspire, January 2015)

Leona must decide: Does she follow the path set out before her? Or take a chance with only the promise of what could be to guide her?

A young Amish woman finds herself torn between the man she's pledged to wed and the man her heart desires in this heartwarming story of chance, duty, and choice in the face of love---the first volume in the beloved New York Times bestselling author's new Amish Brides of Pinecraft series.

Amish bride-to-be Leona is thrilled to be in Florida, on a mini-vacation in the pretty town of Pinecraft. Her girlfriends think she's happy because she's away from the stress of wedding planning. They have no idea that Leona's real joy is in being away from her fiancé.

Edmund is a good man, and will make a decent husband . . . just not for Leona. The more time she spends with him and his overbearing ways, the less she wants to be his wife. Her cousins are sure Edmund is the right man for her---and their certainty makes Leona begin to doubt herself. But when a chance encounter with a wayward cat brings her face-to-face with a handsome, fun-loving Amish man named Zachary Kauffman, Leona's faced with two vastly different futures.

Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1aQJuw2 

About the author:

Shelley Shepard Gray is a two-time New York Times bestseller, a two-time USA Today bestseller, a finalist for the American Christian Fiction Writers prestigious Carol Award, and a two-time Holt Medallion winner. She lives in Southern Ohio, where she writes full-time, bakes too much, and can often be found walking her dachshunds on her town's bike trail.

Find Shelley online: website

My Review:
This was an enjoyable read. Love the way the author makes you feel like you are there in Pinecraft watching the characters in the story.You can easily change from the two major story lines without any confusion.
I would recommend this book to those who love reading Amish fiction like I do. Read this book to find out who Leona chooses to be the man for her. Also follow the story of Beverly.
Her life is about to change but how?

I receives a copy of this book from Litfuse in exchange for this review. 

Season of Change

A Season of Change: Seasons in Pinecraft | Book 1 Paperback

by Lynette Sowell (Author)

 Can a past filled with loss lead to a new season of life? Stranded at a Sarasota hospital at the bedside of his ailing daughter, Amish widower Jacob Miller is wary of his unfamiliar surroundings—including the strange curiosity of Englischer Natalie Bennett. Natalie, an aerial silks artist whose career in the circus ended before it began, has just uncovered a secret her mother kept hidden for years. Her mom—or rather, mamm—was once Amish. A hundred questions suddenly surface. Why did Natalie’s mother keep this secret for so long? Does Natalie still have Amish relatives? How can she learn more about her heritage? Can Jacob trust Natalie’s piqued interest in his family and their simple ways, or will their clashing cultures thwart their hopes for finding the love of a family? “A Season of Change is an Amish tale with a fresh voice and unique twist. Filled with warmth and love and fried pies, it’s poignant and compelling in a whole new way. You’ll read it and wish you could stay there . . . just a little longer.” —Elizabeth Goddard, Carol Award–winning author of Oregon Outback and Wilderness Peril “Lynette Sowell’s new twist on the genre will capture fans of Amish fiction as well as lovers of unlikely romance. Readers will pull for Natalie and Jacob to stitch their two very different worlds together into a comfortable quilt of family, faith, and future plans.” —Lisa Wingate, best-selling author of The Prayer Box and Wildwood Creek

My Review: 
This book was a pleasant surprised. Set in the Sarasota community of Amish and Mennonites known as Pinecraft Village that I have heard of but not witness myself. This is the story of an Amish widower Jacob with two children that is being pressured to marry again. Instead of fallen for the Amish girl back home he falls for a Circus performer, Natalie that he meets at the hospital of his sick daughter. Find out if these two can find love. There is a secret that Natalie's mom kept that may help these two to become a family.
This book is a good read that I would recommend to others.

 Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Surprised By Grace

About the book: Surprised By Grace

Renowned writer Elizabeth "Tib" Sherrill shares her own faith journey at last! Embrace this page-turner and see God's work in your life every day.

Tib has written for Guideposts magazine for over sixty years, contributed to Daily Guideposts for over twenty-five, and coauthored the best-selling, inspirational adventures of all time with her husband, John, including: The Hiding Place, The Cross and the Switchblade, and God's Smuggler. Yet, Tib's most powerful story ever is this beautifully written, exhilarating memoir.

In it, you'll discover how God's love transformed her life from one of great struggle to one with a clear direction and find inspiration, hope and strength for your own journey.

Enjoy touching stories about Tib's family and close relationships, from her unhappy childhood to John's surprising marriage proposal. Meet her lifelong friend Mea, and her dear father-in-law who was able to see her for the complex person she was even though he was blind. Travel with her to fascinating places across the United States and Europe. And find out how she overcame her poor self-image after a stunning encounter with her Creator.

Elizabeth Sherrill's superb storytelling brings you into every scene, making you laugh and cry many times over. You'll be reminded that God intends hope and freedom for you. You'll also find wonderful insight and encouragement in the uplifting foreword by Guideposts Editor-in-Chief Edward Grinnan and in the inspirational "Conversation Starters," particularly useful for women's Bible studies, book clubs, or home groups.
Surprised by Grace will help you understand more deeply how to completely trust God in the toughest times of your life, how to recognize your dependence on Him, and how to allow Him to light your way.

Purchase a copy at Guideposts and get Elizabeth's devotional 101 Moments of Prayer FREE.

 

About the author: Elizabeth Sherrill is the author behind the classic best sellers The Hiding Place about Corrie ten Boom, The Cross and the Switchblade about David Wilkerson, and God's Smuggler about Brother Andrew. She also is a longtime contributor to America's best-loved inspirational magazine Guideposts, and best-selling devotional, Daily Guideposts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Review:
This is a wonderful book from someone who spent most of her life helping others write the stories of their lives. She now shares her life story in this unique style that makes you want to read more. She starts off telling of her childhood and the sadness she felt most of her early years. She shares some of the details of suffering from depression. Mostly she tells of the amazing journeys her and her husband shared through the many years of research and writing of such stories. And as we read her stories we realize as she said all roads lead to heaven. Amazing book I would recommend to all my friends.

 

 

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”