Going Amish

During our trip to my Ohio homeland, the girls, my mom, dad, grandfather and myself went to visit a small Amish store about a half and hour from my parents house. This is always a really nice change of pace for me. In this small store you can buy homemade pies, baked goods, Amish cheese, candies, and some knitted items I believe. It’s really a small building on the edge of a working Amish farm. My favorite story of visiting once happened several years ago. My husband and I asked the woman if they had a loaf of bread we could buy, and she opened up the wood burning stove and took out a freshly baked loaf with her bare hands. I had to giggle when she put it on the counter in front of us.

I had a picture I took outside their barn but it would upload right on the blogger post so I grabbed another similar online. I really wanted to grab a shot of a little boy who was my youngest daughters age because the he was adorable and really caught her eye, however due to my knowledge of their beliefs against pictures of themselves I didn’t want to disrespect that.

While I personally believe the Amish faith is really religious, I do think there are a lot of things they do right if you study their core beliefs. The whole concept is a desire to get back to the more simple things in life. The concept is not living in the world. Their desire is that God comes first and then family and everything else is just a distraction. In that sense I can really respect them.

I am not suggesting we all return to the farm and wear Amish gear. I have long sense come to the conclusion that I would have been a horrible Amish woman and farmer’s wife. However what I am suggesting is that we all take some moments in the chaos of life and return to the core of living our lives for God. We return to the simplicity of who God is, and what Jesus did for us on the cross. I am suggesting for a few moments we shut off the TV, close down the internet, and ignore the texting. I am suggesting we take a deep breath and return to our first love. We return to the focus of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps John 3:16 is the most well known scripture, but it always needs repeating.

John 3:16 (NIV)
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.


Life doesn’t always have to be so complicated. We make it so. Return to the simplicity of who we are in Him. Take some moments today; schedule it in if you have to, to talk to God. Leave the stress at the door, and take comfort in Him. I for one am typing this blog enjoying my favorite Canadian green tea just thinking about the goodness of God. We always need a moment in life to return mentally and spiritually to the simplicity of who God is, and He is greatly to be praised. God has awesome plans for your life, so get excited.