Mission trips, outreach strategies, evangelistic campaigns, discipleship programs, new church plants, contemporary worship styles—for many denominations, these are the backbone of church growth efforts. Yet few of them come close to how rapidly the Old Order Amish are growing. The most conservative of all the Amish groups, the Old Order do not actively evangelize. In […]
Hope is a word we use casually. We hope for nice weather. We hope for that check to arrive in time. We hope to meet a deadline. We hope someone else will keep a promise made to us. We hope there will be no traffic jam on the way to an important appointment. We hope […]
A Dream of Miracles – This One’s A Keeper! Ruth Reid has taken her readers on a fantastic journey with her Amish Wonders series. I was mesmerized with A Miracle of Hope, and enchanted with A Woodland Miracle. But could Reid deliver yet another tantalizing tale with A Dream of Miracles? After losing much sleep […]
Sense and Sensibility – Sold! Sarah Price has been making her mark in the Amish genre over the last couple of years. Her Amish Classic series has put her in a whole ‘nother realm. As a Jane Austen fan, I was leery to see someone even attempt to put their own twist on what I […]
Jakob Ammann was a tailor. Most of us likely imagine he was a farmer, and perhaps he did farm, but the fact that he was a tailor may have played a role in the way his views developed. A little background: The roots of the Anabaptists, or “rebaptizers,” go back to the early 1500s. Huldrych […]
Shame can cause people to make drastic, sometimes life-altering decisions. When they experience the consequences of failure, whether at their own hands or at the hands of others, their instinct can be to retreat to avoid experiencing hurt again. That knee-jerk reaction can strain relationships and lead to isolation. This is one of the themes […]
To celebrate the upcoming release of CRIME AND POETRY, the first novel in the Magical Bookshop Mysteries, on April 5, 2016, Amanda Flower will be giving away four $50 gift cards from Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Winners can choose either Barnes and Noble or Amazon. Winners will be chosen the four weeks leading up […]
Grace’s Forgiveness – Jebber Jabber When Molly Jebber’s first book in her Keepsake Pocket Quilt series came out, I was less than enthused. The storyline was fine, but it could have been used for any people group – and in actuality, did not measure up when it came to the Amish genre. My hope was […]
Hi Lizbeth, Thanks for joining us! To get started, why don’t you give readers an introduction into the Seven Brides for Seven Cowboys series, and The Bride Wore Starlight? 1. You have a passion for horses and horseback riding. How did that influence the themes and settings around your books? Pictures of horses adorned my […]
Rising Darkness – Sleepless in Sanctuary I did a little happy dance when I received my coy of Nancy Mehl’s latest installment in her Finding Sanctuary series, Rising Darkness. Why? Because I know I am in for a good story – one that will have me reading long into the night – sleepless, if you […]