Stories of grace for life's unexpected turns
If you think Jesus would have come into your home that day and not issued a strong rebuke to the head of household, you are mistaken. These words of condemnation have been haunting me for days now. They aren’t all that different than the soundtrack I play in my head on an almost-daily basis. It’s…
I am nesting. On Saturday I emptied the refrigerator. Last summer’s homemade pickles in their jars. The bread ends that seem to multiply on every shelf. The eggs. The milk. The fruit and veggies. All of it sat on the floor or the counter as I carefully removed the shelves and wiped them down with…
I’ve heard that life is like a highway. And it definitely seems like that sometimes. The pace of life swirls around me at dizzying speeds. We’re all so busy. In such a hurry. Always somewhere to be, something else to do. I’m a get-to-the-point, get-there-quick kind of girl. I don’t like to waste time on…
We’re home.
That’s No. 1 on the list. No matter where we live, home will always bring a smile to my face.
In part, that’s because of the people we love. The weekend has been full of catching up with cousins, celebrating a marriage, meeting our nephew, spending time with aunts and uncles, and sharing life with family. What we lack the other months of the year, we pack into our short trips home. No matter how long we stay, it’s always too short.
Here are some pictures from the past few days. Of course, the weekly smiles post wouldn’t be complete without saying that it’s good to have the family back together. I missed the kids like crazy and even though they drive me crazy sometimes, I’m glad we’re all in the same state (crazy?) again.
Yeah, they’re angels. Including the monkey.
They were all dressed up for my brother’s wedding reception. Congratulations to Chris and Clara!
Best. Reception. Ever. And we’re so happy to have Aunt Clara in our family.
The kids haven’t really been to many weddings, and now that they’re older, we get experiences like these.
Daddy-daughter dance preview. She enjoyed her dance lesson.
And her very own big girl soda. (Oh, wait, we were in Chicago, so it was “pop.” Yes, Pennsylvania, you have converted us.)
I don’t know if this was the actual reaction to the lemon-lime taste or the excitement of being awake far later than normal. Or all of the above.
The reception was the first chance for my brother, my cousin Shawn and me to all be in the same place at the same time for the first time in a VERY long time. It was Cousins Collide Part 1.
Part 2 took place at Uncle Jon and Aunt Cassie’s house when our kids met their cousin Kaiden for the first time.
Two things about this picture: a) This reminds me of every forced family photo I’ve ever seen. Someone in the photo is always visibly unhappy to be there. Thank you, Corban, for filling that role, and b) you can’t tell me these three aren’t going to find some way to get in trouble together. Man oh man are we in trouble.
(Side note: Phil was speaking in a list like this to Corban that day and said, “A, such and such …” and before he could continue, Isabelle said, “What’s “B” Dad?” It was sass-tastic if I’ve ever heard it. Cute when she’s 4, not so much when she’s 14 and rolling her eyes at the same lecture we gave her a week earlier.)
It was so much fun to be able to feed Kaiden on our first meeting. I love narrating for babies, so in this picture, I think Kaiden is saying, “Look, man, are you sure you know what you’re doing? It’s been a while.” Actually, Phil is an accomplished bottle feeder because he and Isabelle had to share some bottle moments in her early months.
I’ve loved this little guy since the day he was born, and I love him even more now that I’ve met him in person.
We also got in a visit with Aunt Charlotte and Uncle Zach. Fun times at the park. FYI, if you’re anywhere near John Dixon Park, watch out for the “snakes.” Corban drew a bunch of them on the ground with chalk and said, “I’m not going to protect you.” You’ve been forewarned.
And the weekend isn’t even over yet. We’re off to see some fireworks tonight and visit Uncle Lewie tomorrow. Then it’s back to PA for, literally, God knows what.
A week without the kids was refreshing and somewhat productive. When I look back at all that happened in a short week’s time, I feel good and blessed.
May your week be full of blessings and may your eyes be open to see them!
Ah, the lure of the Amish. For whatever reason, the Amish way of life evokes feelings of simplicity, peace and perfection. When we moved to this area of Pennsylvania four years ago, I was intrigued by the Amish. I read lots of Amish fiction and rushed to the window every time I heard the sounds of a horse and buggy.
Nancy Sleeth draws on this fascination with the Amish for her book Almost Amish: One woman’s quest for a slower, simpler, more sustainable life. I, too, long for simplicity and greater sustainability, so I was eager to read what the author had to say.
Sleeth’s family had what they call a spiritual and environmental conversion about a decade ago. Not only did they align their lives with Christ, they significantly and drastically changed their lifestyle. They gave half their possessions away. They learned to live with less. They made caring for the earth their job. You can read more about what they’re doing and why here.
In Almost Amish, Sleeth uses 10 Amish principles to offer ways the rest of us who aren’t Amish can learn from their examples.
I really wanted to like this book, but by the second chapter — on technology — I was angry. And that attitude tainted the rest of the read for me. I think Sleeth has a lot to offer those of us who want a slower, saner, earth-friendlier life, and I look forward to adopting some changes in our home and life.
But I have two major issues with the book.
First, tone. Sleeth is a highly educated woman who also has been an educator. I can appreciate her passion for this topic, but I felt guilty more than inspired by her words. For each of the principles, she offers a practically perfect example of the life of someone she knows. So close to perfect, they almost don’t seem real, and even though I trust that these are real people, I don’t know if I’d want to hang out with them. They seemed unapproachable, and many of the principles, though practiced by Sleeth’s family, seem unattainable by regular folks.
I often felt like Sleeth was talking down to readers. I don’t know. Maybe it was just my interpretation.
Secondly, Sleeth seems to idolize the Amish, painting them as perfect examples of simplicity and living out God’s intended way of life. Even the more controversial aspects of their culture, like shunning, she justifies as necessary discipline. I find it hard to believe that a woman with a master’s degree education would say we all need to be like a group of people who don’t educate their children past eighth grade.
In defense of families, Sleeth quotes these statistics about the Amish: “the divorce rate is less than 1 percent, illegitimate births are nearly unheard of and the suicide rate is less than half the American average.” That all sounds good, but bear in mind, that’s the stuff that’s reported. I’m not saying Amish communities are dens of iniquity but let’s not pretend that bad things don’t happen to them, too. Those statistics made me wonder how many miserable Amish women were trapped in abusive marriages because divorce is rare or whether there were cases of rape or incest among the brethren.
The Young Center at Elizabethtown College, which Sleeth references in the book, provides a partial answer. View it on the site here.
Q: Do the Amish have problems?
A: Yes. They are humans and, like all human societies, have their share of problems. Sometimes rebellious youth act out and abuse alcohol or use drugs. Some marriages turn sour. There are documented cases of incest and sexual abuse in some families. Although such problems do exist, there are no systematic studies to enable comparisons with other groups or mainstream society. In general, the Amish way of life provides many sources of satisfaction for most of its members.
Don’t miss this point: “there are no systematic studies to enable comparisons with other groups or mainstream society.” And a key word at the end: “most.” I don’t doubt that the Amish way of life is satisfying and fulfilling. For most people. And that emulating an Amish lifestyle might provide the same for some non-Amish. But they are not a utopian society nor are they perfect.
In the end, I think I’m mostly disappointed with this book, although it has given me some guidelines for simplifying my life.