Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World

by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Organized around five central themes in Amish life, this book shows you how you can cultivate a simple life of love, gratitude, and faith in the midst of a very complicated world. It includes real-life stories and examples of Plain People, Amish proverbs, and fascinating facts about Amish communities. Each section also contains questions for reflection and action, outlining things you can do in your own life that "make for peace." (218pp. Revell Pub., 2009.)

Genres: Amish, Nonfiction, Christian, Religion, Spirituality, Inspirational, Christianity

218 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling, award winning author of fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish for Revell Books, host of the radio-show-turned-blog Amish Wisdom, a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazine.

Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, who was raised Plain. A theme in her books (her life!) is that you don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate the principles of simple living.

Suzanne lives in California with her family and raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To her way of thinking, you just can't 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

Reviews

[7jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book discussed various forms of Amish wisdom and faith in their ordinary yet ordered and quite peaceful life. The book is divided into five different parts: Simplicity (keeping things simple), Time (the rhythm of the days, lack of hurry), Community (strong), Forgiveness (expected and practiced) and The Sovereignty Of God (strong faith, practiced faith). Each smaller chapter has a story, reflections and a fact about Amish life.

To me the whole gave me more admiration of the Amish life. Even when one won’t live their kind of life, there is still plenty one could learn from it and put into practice in one’s personal life while part of a more rushed and wordly world. It gave me a sense of calm, and I can see how it can easily give a boost also on one’s life in faith, whatever brand of Christianity one is. Beautiful, and recommended. :)

[April Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Under a cozy quilt and by the light of my bedside lamp, I find myself picking up Suzanne W. Fisher’s latest book, Amish Peace. I’ve already completed it once this month, but it’s calling to me again. This time, I’m taking notes.
My interest in one of America’s most fascinating ethnic groups, the Amish, is only one of the draws this book has. Comprised mostly of real-life stories from today’s Amish community (as told to the author) Amish Peace is dedicated to unveiling the secrets of this unique people’s tranquility of spirit.
[The Amish:] may seem old fashioned, writes the author, but when it comes to living with an abiding peace, they are far beyond most of us living a frazzled, fast-paced modern life. So is the answer to living with abiding peace to “go Amish”?
Hardly. We’d never survive anyway.
Suzanne claims it’s possible to take the principles the Amish live by and adapt them to our lives without switching to horse and buggy. She has packaged their tried and true methods in a lovely, easy to absorb format and made it available to every “Englisher” willing to give it a try.
Simplicity of life, the value of Time spent on what truly matters, a deep sense of Community, the important of Forgiveness, and the Sovereignty of God are all subjects Suzanne touches on. Readers of every age will be challenged by the principles laid out and by Suzanne’s probing reflections at the end of each chapter.
As a homeschooling mom of two young children, I particularly felt God tugging at my heart to slow down, simplify life, re-prioritize, and begin to instill over-looked values into my kids’ lives.
I found Amish Peace to be the most inspirational and challenging book of a practical, hands-on nature that I’ve read in ages. It comes highly recommended by this reviewer to be used either as a do-it-yourself study, or even better, as a group Bible study.
Not written for either gender, this book is probably more appealing to women. Although the brave man who truly gets his heart and mind around these useful, godly principles can only benefit himself and his family to the glory of God.
Amish Peace goes way beyond the popular Amish fiction books stocked on today’s bookstore shelves. It peels away the romantic mystery surrounding these gracious people and leaves a sense of camaraderie. After all, just like us, they’re flawed folk seeking to live a life more pleasing to God. It just seems to me, they’re more diligent at trying than most.
They’ll be the first to admit they aren’t perfect, nor do they have it all figured out. But they do have a bucketful of wisdom worth sharing and you don’t have to trek to Lancaster County to get it.
It’s only a book away.

[Umm Layth · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a Muslim woman, this book inspired me to look at the ways we can improve our own communities. Although at the moment I live within the city, I think this book serves as a wonderful reminder to get to know our neighbors, visit the sick, take care of each other, invite people over for lunch, dinner, and tea, and raise our children to help others, all with GOD in mind always. I think the Amish are a very peaceful people and these stories serve as good reminders for us to appreciate our friends and families, our time, and everything, and reminds us to be content with what we have. The Amish have very strong communities that keep faith at the top of things always and they do raise hard working AND happy children. Of course, this isn't to say that they are free from problems - I just think their communities are build solid and provide them with the help they need to take things on. I think there is a lot we can learn from them and would definitely recommend this book to anyone who needs some encouragement to keep seeing the beauty in this God-given life.

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book about the Amish lifestyle--how they live, work, think. So many good things we could all practice for a more peaceful life. Many wise Amish proverbs.
From page 15 of the introduction:
"Become Amish? If you admire our faith, strengthen yours. If you admire of sense of commitment, deepen yours. If you admire our community spirit, build your own. If you admire the simple life, cut back. If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them yourself."
Gelassenheit is a basic foundation of being Amish, which means "yielding to a higher authority." page 109. From page 110,
"Most Americans really wouldn't want Gelassenheit. To a typical American, the individual comes first. To the Amish, the community comes first."
I highly recommend that you read this book!

[Clayton Tune · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. It was amazing. Life changing. Don't go into it thinking it's literally going to change your life or be the greatest book ever written, thats over hyping it, despite the fact I said life changing. Be open to it. You're hearing from a different culture of people who live by the idea of peace. Immerse in their world and you should come out a little changed.

[Kelly · Rating 2 out of 5]

I appreciated the premise of this book, as well as the thoughtful, reflective questions at the end of each concise chapter; but, overall it felt a bit disjointed to me.

[Arjaye-Rose Brewer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great book full of action steps you can take in your own lives. I love how the book is broken down into different sections for the different areas of life. The addition of the Amish proverbs and scriptures from the bible were all really good.

The simple wisdom throughout is really good and it’s nice hearing more about the Amish way of life too. I love how as a community they really come together for each other.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been curious about the Amish and their simple way of life! This book is a perfect introduction! I learned so much. The little Amish proverbs were an added bonus!

[Kaylea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll admit, I’ve grown a bit tired of all of the Christian novels which seem fixated on the Amish.

It seems like every “big” author on the Christian circuit has come out with a book focusing on the anguish, betrayal and upheaval within the Amish community – all with a happy ending of course.

Fortunately, Suzanne Woods Fisher’s book is different and stands out among the crowd.

With her family deeply “rooted” in that Amish tradition, Fisher has gathered numerous real-life stories from a variety of sources highlighting the inner peace found among many members of the Amish community in her newest book – Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World.

Fisher’s manuscript focuses on five areas of peace – simplicity, time, community, forgiveness and their faith. These areas lead to one common trait – an inner tranquility, centered in a faith in God.

These are lessons everyone, regardless of tradition, can take to heart – especially those concerning community, which is a vital part of the Amish faith and lifestyle.


Valuing Community
The Amish value and nurture relationships, particularly when it comes to their passion for visiting family and friends.

“For the modern church, this is what small groups are all about,” Fisher said. “Their [the Amish:] believe in face-to-face visits rather than telephone. Their calendar is filled with fellowships, quilting or canning ‘frolics’ (work parties), barn raisings, youth singings.”

Those twice-a-month church services are all-day affairs – with three hours of worship followed by a fellowship meal.

“To a typical American, the individual comes first,” she said. “To the Amish, the community comes first.’ For the modern church, this is what small groups are all about.”


Forgiveness Beyond Face Value
Another section of Fisher’s book focuses on an issue, unfortunately, which is too familiar to everyone, regardless of location or faith tradition.

It was a story that shocked the nation – a lone gunman holds Amish children hostage in a one-room schoolhouse. Before the event is over, numerous children are hurt or killed.

Could you forgive the person who killed, injured or traumatized your child and community?

For members of the West Nickel Mines School community, forgiveness was not only necessary; it was a vital part of the healing process.

Through her Amish contacts, Fisher’s includes several stories from this tragedy, all containing a central theme – finding calm in the midst of tragedy by trusting in God’s sovereignty.

“We just have to keep going on,” remarked one Amish woman whose family members were among the victims. “People think we’re perfect, but we’re not. Yet we can’t dwell on what happened. We have to leave it in God’s hands.”

Fisher said that fundamental belief also enabled the Amish community to extend incredible, almost immediate forgiveness to the gunman and his family.

Going Amish
You don’t have to ‘go Amish’ to find true peace – that’s a message Fisher weaves throughout the book. Instead, she said, people can learn from their examples and incorporate some of the lessons within their lives.

“That’s what Amish Peace is all about—being inspired by the best of the Amish way of life,” she said.

I’m glad I didn’t let the title or the subject matter stop me from reading this devotional. I would have missed a treat – a true oasis in the midst of a chaotic world.

This book truly stands out among other books highlighting the Amish faith.

[Cami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book consists of 2- to 3-page vignettes followed by reflection questions. I very much enjoyed this glimpse into the lives of the Amish. I drew my own conclusions on the principles and ignored the forced applications of the reflection questions but could see how this could be used as a tool for improving your life by emulating the strengths you see in their way of life. Some of the details became repetitive the farther along I read, but that gave me the impression that the chapters are to be pondered individually and could stand alone. There is definitely a lot of wisdom to be gleaned from the Amish way of life and think “Amish Wisdom” would be a more fitting title than “Amish Peace” (although “wisdom” is in the subtitle). I learned that Amish people are not against technology; they are just self-sufficient and do not rely on others for their energy or welcome things into their homes that could adversely affect their families (like television). I was under the impression that they did not believe in modern medicine but this book has several references to emergency care at hospitals, so maybe I’m wrong. I love their absolute dependence/reliance on God and patience with His ways. Where we might see restrictions; they see freedom. I can relate to that in my own religion. I admire their respect for elders, love of community, dedication to family, strong work ethic, and teaching by example. I highly respect their devotion to God’s word and wish more communities observed the Sabbath day as honorably as the Amish! They are the epitome of Christians in many ways, though I do not fully subscribe to every bit of their culture. My favorite part of this book is all the Amish proverbs given at the beginning of each chapter; they are sermons in a sentence! I wrote down many of them to remember for later. This quote from the Introduction summarizes my thoughts on the book: “If you admire our faith, strengthen yours. If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours. If you admire our community spirit, build your own. If you admire the simple life, cut back. If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them yourself” (p. 15).

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading this book! I think we all need the wisdom that is in this book. We could all learn some things from the Amish community.

[Ginnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you struggle to find more peace in your life? For most of us, peace seems to come and go in no discernible pattern.

Suzanne Woods Fisher recognized that some of her relatives, members of an Anabaptist group related to the Amish, seemed to have abiding peace. "So is the answer to living with an abiding peace to 'go Amish'?"

An Amish newspaper suggested that most of us wouldn't last a day living an Amish lifestyle; however, a contributing writer offered:

Become Amish? If you admire our faith, strengthen yours. If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours. If you admire our community spirit, build your own. If you admire the simple life, cut back. If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them yourself!

By sharing the stories of Amish individuals and families, Fisher shows how we can adapt portions of an Amish lifestyle to our own to achieve enduring peace. Each short chapter includes thought-provoking questions to help the reader consider how the practices might benefit our own lives. She does an excellent job showing the reader how decisions to exclude certain elements of modern technology were made by Amish bishops to strengthen community and family.

Highly recommend.

[June Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author is one of my favorite Christian fiction/Amish fiction authors. When I performed a search of our library system's online catalogue using her author name, this book came up. I knew I wanted to read it!

This is an insightful, in-depth view of Amish life told through anecdotes the author shares of her conversations and experiences with the Amish.

There are five themes; each theme includes several stories. Each story includes an Amish proverb, the story, and questions relating to the lessons in the story. I view this book as a devotional for Christians seeking to grow closer to God and to learn more about the Amish faith.

The theme on 'forgiveness' is especially touching, poignant, and meaningful.

I borrowed this book from the non-fiction section of our local public library.

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**This book is completely clean in language and content. :0}

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[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book about the amish. It gave a lot of examples of how the amish would think and act in different situations. It was divided into five sections and then under each section, there were many sub chapters.
I liked the overall book and what I learned about the amish and their simplicity and god centered reverence, and how they help each other in a community.
What I did not like about the book is that each chapter was two or three pages, in other words, not much to go into depth, but a lot of chapters.
Overall a good book to get acquainted with the amish. I believe I am going to read more books to delve deeper.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silent and listen are made up of the same letters

Use it up wear it out, make do or do without

Try to scale back on energy use. 

 6x more steps than average English  18,400 steps a day woman 14000 steps

Exercise 

Time- / pm each short hour with God and the long years will take care of themself.

Enjoy today, it won't come back.

Sue bender plain and simple

Slow down! 

Days are like suitcases all the same size but some are able to pack more into them than others

More is caught than taught

Only one life, will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.


"It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness"

Rejection is protection

Who we were before Leah Mercer

[Hope Irvin Marston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This informative look into Amish families is face paced and uplifting. I especially appreciated the Amish proverbs that introduced each brief chapter and the Reflections which provide food for thought and plans for action based on the previous text. The Plain Living paragraph at the end of each chapter gave an informative peek into Amish beliefs and practices. A thoughtful reading of this book will enable the readers to the capture the simple peace of the Amish in their own lives.

Hope Irvin Marston, author of AGAINST THE TIDE: THE VALOR OF MARGARET WILSON

[Spela Ankele · Rating 2 out of 5]

Knjiga o amiški kulturi, vendar je napisana dokaj opisno in zelo faktografsko. Pogrešam takšne opise, da bi se nam zdelo, kot da vidimo, kar je pri amiških družinah videla, čutila in doživela avtorica. Zato se mi zdi to pisanje bolj kot neko znanstveno delo ali seminarska naloga. Ki pa bi, z malo več občutka za jezik in z nekoliko več občutka za zgodbo, lahko postala dokaj nepozabna knjiga o Amiših.

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book. Easy read with short chapters and thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter. Discusses the Amish way of life and how we nonAmish can adapt some of their ways into our lives to live a simpler, more fulfilling life. Highly recommend!!! Ironically read it on Jan 2nd which was a great segue into the new year!

[Deann Doolittle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read. Lots of rules of wisdom we can all live by.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

very enjoyable and relax reading

[Cathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book.

[Shari Lyons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book! Easy read and gave me much to think about. Interesting and informative. This was a great choice for book club discussions.

[DavidSheri Quirie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good reminder to sow down and live your faith.

[Maggie Cohea]

Audio

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good! Stories of Amish life.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book describing how Amish live their lives in a peaceful and much less stressful manner compared to the society that surrounds them. The book mostly relates real-life stories from members of the Amish community that serve to illustrate the values of their community. As the title indicates, the book illustrates the peaceful nature of the Amish people. This is not to say idle - work on the farm and raising large families requires much labour. The way they live their lives is much less hectic and stressful than what most non-Amish people experience. The premise of the book is that non-Amish can choose to emulate the values and approaches of the Amish to make their own lives more peaceful.

[Laura Gilfillan]

This book was mostly about the culture and practices of the Amish, with a small introduction to some of their beliefs. Not a whole lot of details about their religion though. It was interesting to learn about their culture, and this book certainly left me with a lot to think about.

[Richard Bracken · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Amish are a fascinating group of believers. A people so determined to make God the focal point of their lives they’ve turned their collective backs to any modern conveniences that might distract them from their mindfulness and reliance upon Him.

In Amish Peace the author describes the basic tenets of their simple God centered ways. ”Put the swing where the children want it. The grass will grow back” is one of many simple yet profound Amish proverbs sprinkled throughout the book. I’ve sent various ones in letters to my mission serving children throughout the years.

The Amish are famous for their insistence on forgiveness. In one example in the book, a young Amish couple were traveling to various houses while celebrating their honeymoon when a seventeen year old young man, named Joel, was recklessly driving. He hit the buggy at high speed, killing the Amish wife. The parents of the driver insisted Joel attend the viewing, which he was reluctant to do, but did go. There, the entire Amish family embraced him and told him they had forgiven him.

Most stories might end there, but saying “I forgive you” is sometimes quite different from actually doing so. The Amish are next level.

”They befriended Joel and his family, inviting them over for dinner. They wrote letters to the judge to beg for a pardon of the charges. …When Joel was married, they attended his wedding. And when he and his wife went on the mission field to Jamaica, they supported him financially”.

In learning about other faiths there’s sometimes an attempt to proselytize the reader. The Amish don’t seem interested in any of that, yet Amish Peace does contain invitations for anyone who appreciates the kinds of things they do.

”If you admire our faith, strengthen yours. If you admire our sense of commitment, deepen yours. If you admire our community spirit, build your own. If you admire the simple life, cut back. If you admire deep character and enduring values, live them yourself.”

[Adriane Devries · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amish Peace is a lovely and informative look into the simple lifestyle of the Amish, divided into short chapters suitable for daily readings, with thought questions after each segment. I had no idea what a truly fascinating and inspiring group of people these were until I opened these pages. No longer do I see these Plain Folk as strange or backwards in their avoidance of telephones, cars, or electricity; they are, instead, proactively discerning of the maddening changes that technology brings, and the inevitable rifts of societal bonds that must follow. Desiring to be a close-knit, interdependent community, they seek to live as Biblically and God-centered as possible, seeing fashion and modern amenities as distractions from their eternal perspective. They are known for their deeply reverent lives, especially the extravagant forgiveness they offer to those who hurt them either accidentally or intentionally. Forgiveness is a virtue not often celebrated even in Christian circles, despite the very words of Jesus on the cross regarding those that tortured him, “Forgive them, Lord, for they know not what they do;”and perhaps it is this very choice to forgive that clothes the Amish lifestyle in such an otherworldly peace. Though I will not likely give up my air conditioner anytime soon, I am challenged to read more on Amish ways and to give up what things I can to live more focused on my Lord.

[Holly (2 Kids and Tired) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book with a high-lighter handy. I loved it. Suzanne Woods Fisher will take you into the homes and lives of the Amish people, and you will learn practical, simple ways of changing your attitudes and your perceptions.

The book follows five themes: Simplicity, Time, Community, Forgiveness, The Sovereignty of God. Each section shares real-life experiences and comments from Amish people. They explain their faith and their belief in family and community. They've chosen to keep themselves out of the world and to not be controlled by technology, and I personally can understand why. I think that simply limiting our own access to outside influences of media and television would have a profound effect on our families and our lives.

These are a people who value friendship and family, who make time for visiting and serving, and who treasure their Sabbath day. We, as a society, tend to forget the journey or the process of doing something, and only focus on the finished product or event. Slowing down and taking time to observe and listen, often is just what we need to remember God's place in our lives.

A complete gem of a book. It fit in my purse and was easy to read. I could read a couple of chapters in the few minutes I spent waiting in the car as I picked up my son after school. This is one I will re-read.