Not surprisingly, one overriding theme in The Amish Clockmaker is time—recognizing it, seizing it, respecting the fact that its passage cannot be stopped. Time is something that comes up often for me when I think of the Amish. For example…

When I visit an Amish home, time often seems to stand still. Without the usual noise and distractions of an Englisch household, I’m better able to be “in the moment” and savor what’s right in front of me.

When I get dressed in the morning, my time often feels poorly spent. Standing at the closet, stumped, I tell myself that if I were Amish, this would be so much easier, no decisions required.

When I’m in the car, time often seems like my biggest enemy. Racing around like a madwoman, one eye on the clock, I can’t help but wonder what life would be like if I were Amish. With only a horse and buggy to get me from place to place, I couldn’t go nearly as far for the things I need—or think I need. I would group my errands and appointments more efficiently. I would eliminate various tasks and responsibilities entirely, because their distances would make them undoable.

There’s just something about time and the Amish that feels right to me. They don’t seem to fight time as I do. Thanks to their agrarian lifestyle, not to mention their eschewing of electricity, their days are far more in rhythm with the earth, with the rising and setting of the sun. Perhaps, sometimes, with God Himself.

Last night, I sat down to watch a show on Netflix. My husband and I usually head to bed at a decent hour, but he was out of town so I decided to stretch it a bit. But then one more episode led to yet another, and eventually I found myself deep into an hours-long binge watch. I finally turned the TV off in the wee hours of the morning, and today I’m tired and cranky.

Ephesians 5:16 tells us to make “the best use of the time, because the days are evil.” Obviously, these things—a television, an automobile, a closet of clothes—are not evil in and of themselves. But they can serve evil, depending on how I choose to use them—or rather how I choose to allow them to rule me. Thanks to a plethora of modern-day devices, we have gained the ability to artificially prolong our days—which can sometimes lead us to pretend we’re actually extending time itself.

But we’re not.

In The Amish Clockmaker, one character points out that we can use time or misuse it or waste it, but we can’t stop it. Today, I am trying to embrace that truth. With an eye toward the Amish, I am reminding myself that…

I can make time seem to stand still, simply by eliminating distractions.

I can use time more wisely, simply by paring down my choices.

Finally, I can view time as a blessing, simply by being more deliberate in how I choose to spend it.

I pray the same for you as well.

***

Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of more than 20 books, both fiction and nonfiction (more than 800,000 sold), including coauthoring the Christy Award-winning The Amish Midwife. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live in Pennsylvania. Visit her online at www.mindystarnsclark.com.

Filed under: Amish Fiction, Devotions, Mindy Starns Clark by Amber | AmishReader.com
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We’ve made it to the second month of 2015! And with this new month comes some brand-new Amish/Mennonite books from Harvest House Publishers for your reading pleasure.

Which one(s) are you most excited to read?

New Amish Fiction

The Amish Clockmaker (Book 3 in The Men of Lancaster County series)

Purchase your copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com

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Miriam’s Secret (Book 1 in the Land of Promise series)

Purchase your copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com

 New Mennonite Children’s Books

When School Bells Call (Book 3 in the Farm Life series)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com

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Autumn Days (Book 4 in the Farm Life series)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com

New Amish Nonfiction

The Amish Book of Prayers for Women

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com

(P.S. Don’t forget that you can enter to win a copy of The Amish Book of Prayers for Women by clicking HERE and leaving a comment on that post! Winner to be announced February 13th.)

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Our Amish Values

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook.com

Filed under: Amish Fiction, Elva Hurst, Esther Stoll, Jerry Eicher, Lester Beachy, Mindy Starns Clark, Monthly Gathering, News, Susan Meissner by Amber | AmishReader.com
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The “Clockmaker Countdown” continues, with only 12 more days until the official release of The Amish Clockmaker, Book 3 in The Men of Lancaster County series by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner.

(But if you just can’t wait to get your hands on the book, it’s currently in stock at Amazon and Christianbook.com!)

In the meantime, here’s a sneak preview to introduce you to the mystery. This is from Part 1 of the book, which takes place in present day and is told from the point of view of the current owner of the clock shop (now a tack and feed store). Enjoy!

***

“Since when do Amish refuse to help other Amish?” I asked as I banged the dust from the pan into the trash bin. “We are always there for one another.”

Amanda let me rant, perhaps sensing I needed to get the frustration and worry out of my system. When I was finished, she didn’t even try to say anything to cheer me up, for which I was grateful. She must have caught on to how dire our situation was growing and knew that mere words would not encourage me now.

After she finished closing out the register, we carried the money to the back room to put it in the safe.

“What’s that?” she asked, looking toward the area that had been partially dismantled when we’d broken down the old bathroom on Wednesday. Glancing over, I realized she was talking about an ancient coal hamper that our work had uncovered. Unused for I didn’t know how many decades, it had been built into the far wall of the original structure and later covered over with plaster.

“Do you know?” she prodded, stepping toward it to get a closer look.

“Ya, that’s an old coal bin,” I explained as I finished locking away the cash. “Which means this building must have used coal heat at some point in the past.”

Located at about knee level, the bin’s metal door was flush to the wall and had been designed to work in tandem with a similar door on the exterior, where the coal would have been dumped into it from the outside. That door was long gone and bricked over, but this one had been made accessible again the other day when we’d broken away some of the wall’s plaster. Amanda leaned down to study it now, and then she gripped the handle and gave it a tug.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” I said in warning. “You might end up in a cloud of coal dust.”

But it was too late. She’d pulled it open and was already peering inside.

“No dust,” she said, her voiced echoing against the metal of the bin. “It’s perfectly clean, as a matter of fact. But come look, Matthew. There’s something else in here.”

Skeptical, I joined her and peered down into the hamper. Sure enough, there was something at the back, wrapped in what looked like blue cloth. I reached into the hamper and pulled the bundle gently from its tomb-like niche, hoping it wouldn’t disintegrate at my touch. But the space felt cool and dry, and I was able to easily lift the item from its hiding place. The cloth was soft to the touch, with hand-stitching around the edges, though whatever it encased seemed heavy and hard. I laid the package on a nearby table. Together, Amanda and I peeled back the corners of the blanket.

Inside was a clock, an intricately carved but very dusty mantel clock. For a moment, we just stared at it. It sat on an equally finely carved pedestal, and even though the cabinet was discolored and covered in dust and cobwebs, and the glass over the face of the clock was cloudy, I could see that it had been beautiful and quite fancy in its day.

It was definitely not an Amish clock, but I had a pretty good idea which Amish man had made it.

For a long moment, Amanda and I stood in silence, taking in this unexpected sight.

“Why in the world was a thing this beautiful shoved into a coal bin?” she asked.

My thoughts exactly. “I don’t know. Maybe Clayton or his father used the old bin for storage once the shop converted over to another source of heat.”

Amanda took the clock and studied it more closely, looked in the bin again, and said, “I don’t think it was put there for storage. I think someone was using the coal bin as a hiding place, someone who didn’t want this clock to be found.”

***

Excerpted from The Amish Clockmaker by Mindy Starns Clark and Susan Meissner

Intrigued? If you haven’t read the book yet, what would you guess is the reason why the clock was hidden in the coal bin?

Filed under: Amish Fiction, Mindy Starns Clark, Susan Meissner by Amber | AmishReader.com
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This week we’re featuring the dynamic duo who authored the “Men of Lancaster County” series! Today’s guest is Mindy Starns Clark, and we’re chatting about the first book in the series, The Amish Groom.  Let’s take a trip to Amish country…

Mindy Starns Clark is the bestselling author of more than 20 books, both fiction and nonfiction (more than 800,000 sold) including coauthoring the Christy Award–winning The Amish Midwife. Mindy and her husband, John, have two adult children and live in Pennsylvania. Visit Mindy at her website: www.mindystarnsclark.com.

Welcome, Mindy—happy to have you here today! You mentioned in your interview on the Harvest House blog in August that your husband came up with the initial plot idea for this story. What was it about the premise that really resonated with you and Susan? Did your husband continue to give input during the writing process?

Mindy: Anyone who watches the book trailer will probably find the idea resonating with them as well. (It’s my favorite book trailer ever!) I was just so drawn to the idea of a man truly torn between two worlds and having to decide in which one he belongs. Our main character, Tyler, is the son of an ex-Amish woman and a military man. When Tyler is six, his mother dies, and his father—who is about to ship off overseas—sends him to live with his mother’s parents, the Amish grandparents he never even met until his mom’s funeral. Just like that, Tyler’s whole world changes. And though the arrangement is supposed to be temporary, it ends up lasting for years. Our story opens as Tyler is in his early 20’s and is at the point where he has to make a decision. Is he Englisch, like the family he was born into, or Amish, like the family that has raised him since the age of six? The question of whether or not to join the church isn’t an uncommon theme in many Amish novels. But this angle of really having one leg in each world brought a whole new dimension to it for me.

As for my husband’s ongoing input, absolutely, I couldn’t do my job without him. He’s so great at plot ideas and story shaping and pacing. I call him the “Story Doctor.” He can fix almost any issue, small or large, just by helping me reason through the problems or questions and offering up solutions. With this series, he’s been especially helpful, because he’s also our designated “male reader,” the one who makes sure our male characters don’t say or do anything that seems unmanly or doesn’t ring true for the male psyche.

Did you draw from any real-life examples for any part of the story?

Mindy: I imagine bits and pieces of every story come from real life in one way or another. But I guess one scene in this book that comes to mind is when Tyler is out in California, staying at his dad’s house, and he accepts an invitation to church from a twenty-something young woman whom he has befriended. It turns out to be a megachurch with a super modern, young-adult-oriented service complete with videos and a Christian rock band and everything. In other words, it is the complete opposite of the very quiet, very somber, very multigenerational types of Amish services that Tyler is used to. It was fun to see such a startling contrast through his eyes and then have him process the whole idea of what worship looks like to different people.

The idea for that scene came from a church we visited in Lancaster County during a research trip for the book. Though our home church falls somewhere right in the middle of the two extremes, we’d been planning to attend a conservative Mennonite church while there, one that had been recommended by friends. We were running late, however, so we ended up having go to a later service at a nondenominational church instead. As it turned out, that place was rockin’, with a full-on multimedia assault. It was great—as I’m sure the Mennonite church would’ve been as well—just extremely different from the worship service we’d been expecting!

Most Amish romance novels are either from the heroine’s point of view, or both hers and the hero’s. Since most readers of this genre are female, what’s the appeal in seeing the story strictly through the hero’s eyes?

Mindy: I think it’s just really important to view “life” through a completely different lens sometimes, so to speak. Avid readers of Amish fiction are a savvy bunch and have acquired all sorts of knowledge about the Amish life through the stories they’ve read. But experiencing these same kinds of elements from a male perspective really does offer a fresh and unique take on the subject. It’s fun and fascinating.

For example, in the early chapters of the book we go to an Amish wedding, which is not an uncommon element of an Amish novel. But rather than seeing it through the eyes of a young woman, perhaps one who is single and hoping to sit with the guy she likes or whatever, we’re seeing it through a man’s eyes, where we learn about the rejection factor and how it feels when a guy asks a girl to join him and she turns him down. Simple touches like that make a really fun difference and offer a whole new take on familiar components.

On a deeper level, telling stories from a male viewpoint allows us to explore more male-oriented issues such as the father-son bond, or the balance between being strong and allowing oneself to experience deep emotions, or the matters to be weighed prior to making a marriage commitment. These are all things that men deal with, yet women are deeply interested in them as well. Hopefully, these stories will offer insights that both men and women find satisfying to read—and that may even be useful in real life!

It’s probably safe to say that most people who pick up this novel would never have to choose between the Amish love-of-their-life and the freedom of the Englisch. How might they still be able to relate to and learn from Tyler’s struggles?

Mindy: I think as we grow, each of us reaches some point where we find ourselves transitioning from that person our families molded us to be and/or expect us to be and the person we really are as independent adults. It’s a rite of passage for everyone, Amish or not, so it’s a common struggle and one that will likely resonate with most people.

What’s one of the things you appreciate most about the Amish lifestyle?

Mindy: The peace and quiet! Amish life is engineered to allow plenty of time for prayer, meditation, reflection, and the like, and though there are certainly the sounds of conversation and daily life and various appliances and machines running from alternative power sources, there’s nothing digital, which makes a tremendous difference in the overall volume level. Imagine how much quieter your world would be without any phones, televisions, computers, iPads, video games, etc. It’s a kind of silence that many of us forget can even exist! Just the difference between a calm, slow buggy ride and a mad dash in the car—radio blaring, GPS directing, phone ringtoning, and more—is like night and day. I doubt I would ever have the strength and discipline to unplug quite so completely, but I do enjoy the quiet tremendously when visiting Amish homes.

They also cook some pretty amazing food too.

Thank you for taking the time to visit with us, Mindy! 

Amish Readers, tell us—what do you appreciate most about the Amish lifestyle? (And don’t forget to stop by on Thursday as we chat with Susan Meissner about Book 2 in the series!)

Photos from Amish country courtesy of Mindy Starns Clark. Top photo is of Mindy and her husband when they were conducting research on an Amish farm.

Filed under: Amish Fiction, Authors, Mindy Starns Clark by Amber | AmishReader.com
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Amish Marriages Are Arranged: True or False?

FALSE.

Although Amish marriages may have far more traditional ceremony involved than English marriages, they are not “arranged” in the technical sense. Amish men and women are allowed to court each other voluntarily, with the blessing of their parents, and may freely choose whether or not to marry each other.

For an engagement to be made official, the groom must go to his bishop, declare his intentions, and acquire a Zeugnis, which is a letter of good standing from his church. If the bishop is aware of any sinful behavior or need for correction, he deals with it at that time.

Once the groom acquires the Zeugnis, he delivers it to the bride’s minister or deacon. That church leader will visit the bride, confirm she desires to marry the groom, and discuss any sin or other concerns in her life. After this meeting, if all is satisfactory, the leader will wait until the appropriate time and then “publish” or announce the engagement to the church.

This answer has been provided as an excerpt from the upcoming book, Plain Answers About the Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark. Learn more below.

Plain Answers About the Amish Life By Mindy Starns Clark Available Now For Amish fiction readers, young and old alike, Plain Answers About the Amish Life provides a glimpse into an obscure, fascinating world—what the Amish believe and how they live. Learn more: http://bit.ly/YLsURw

Filed under: Amish Facts, Mindy Starns Clark by AmishReader.com
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Amish Groups Are All the Same: True or False?

FALSE.

Due to several centuries of church growth, expansion, and division, many different types of Amish affiliations are now in North America, each with different sets of rules and practices. There are, however, certain elements that most Amish groups tend to have in common, including that they:

• Adhere to a statement of faith known as the Eighteen Articles
• Wear some form of distinctive Plain clothing
• Worship in homes rather than in church buildings
• Do not connect their houses with public utilities as a way of remaining separate from the world
• Use horses and buggies as their primary means of transportation
• Limit formal education to the eighth grade
• Live in rural areas
• Emphasize an agrarian lifestyle
• Are pacifists
• Choose their religious leaders through divine appointment by drawing lots
• Speak a German dialect as their primary language
• Value the history of their people and their martyrs’ heritage

In what ways are the various groups different?

While all Amish affiliations adhere to the same basic belief system, the particular ways in which they choose to live out those beliefs can vary greatly from group to group. Aspects on which they may differ include such elements as buggy styles, church discipline, clothing, lawn mowers, technology, and much more.

How are they divided into the different groups?

Though it’s difficult to provide an exact number, at least two dozen different Amish affiliations are in North America. These affiliations are further divided into more than 2000 church districts. Approximately 500 Amish settlements are located in 30 states and in Canada.

This answer has been provided as an excerpt from the upcoming book, Plain Answers About the Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark. Learn more below.

Plain Answers About the Amish Life By Mindy Starns Clark Available Now For Amish fiction readers, young and old alike, Plain Answers About the Amish Life provides a glimpse into an obscure, fascinating world—what the Amish believe and how they live. Learn more: http://bit.ly/YLsURw

Filed under: Amish Facts, Mindy Starns Clark by AmishReader.com
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The Amish Would Go to War with Syria: True or False?

FALSE.

Because of Bible verses such as Exodus 20:13 (KJV), “Thou shalt not kill” and Matthew 5:39, “If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also,” the Amish believe force should never be used in any human relations whatsoever, for any reason. This is why they do not serve in the military nor practice any form of self-defense. It is also why they won’t work as police officers, hold political office, or serve on juries.

In the early years, the Amish lifestyle and practices were not that different than those of other Americans, so they tended to blend in. But as the country changed and began adopting more industrialized/modern practices, the Amish began to stand out more and more. From the 1920s to the early 1970s, the Amish were viewed with suspicion and even hostility—especially during wartime, due to their pacifist stance.

In the mid-1970s, however, a new attitude about the Amish began to emerge as suspicion and contempt gave way to compassion and curiosity. Time passed, and ill feelings engendered during the World Wars faded into the background. As “diversity” and “tolerance” became American buzzwords, the Amish gained a new level of acceptance.

This answer has been provided as an excerpt from the upcoming book, Plain Answers About the Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark. Learn more below.

Plain Answers About the Amish Life By Mindy Starns Clark Available September 2013 For Amish fiction readers, young and old alike, Plain Answers About the Amish Life provides a glimpse into an obscure, fascinating world—what the Amish believe and how they live. Learn more: http://bit.ly/YLsURw

Filed under: Amish Facts, Mindy Starns Clark by AmishReader.com
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The Amish Only Go to School Until the 8th Grade: True or False?

True.

Amish children conclude their formal education with the eighth grade.

Is that legal?

Initially, school officials considered the Amish teachers uncertified and under-educated and their lack of high school-level instruction unacceptable. A period of unrest and controversy followed, and some Amish fathers were arrested, fined, and even jailed for taking a stand. Some compromises were reached, but the issue finally came to a head in 1972, when the case of Wisconsin v. Yoder reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Finding in favor of the Amish, the court determined once and for all that Amish schools were to be allowed and that forcing Amish children to attend any school past the eighth grade was a violation of their religious freedom.

What does an Amish person do if he or she wants to learn more after the 8th grade?

Amish adults who require further learning on a particular topic, such as bookkeeping, will teach themselves, learn from a coworker, or take a correspondence course. In some communities, when a high school diploma is required for a job, Amish youth may be allowed to get a general equivalency diploma (GED).

What is the parent’s role in an Amish child’s education?

The National PTA has published a list of the “The 10 Things Teachers Wish Parents Would Do.” Not surprisingly, Amish parents have already been doing many of these things for years, such as setting a good example and encouraging students to do their best. In fact, number ten is central to the way Amish parents operate: “Accept your responsibility as parents. Don’t expect the school and teachers to take over your obligations as parents. Teach children self-discipline and respect for others at home—don’t rely on teachers and schools to teach these basic behaviors and attitudes.”

The Amish would never dream of leaving parental matters such as those described above in the hands of teachers. Instead, they know they are the primary authority figures in their children’s lives and are responsible to raise them up in the way that they should go.

This answer has been provided as an excerpt from the upcoming book, Plain Answers About the Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark. Learn more below.

Plain Answers About the Amish Life By Mindy Starns Clark Available September 2013 For Amish fiction readers, young and old alike, Plain Answers About the Amish Life provides a glimpse into an obscure, fascinating world—what the Amish believe and how they live. Learn more: http://bit.ly/YLsURw

Filed under: Amish Facts, Mindy Starns Clark by AmishReader.com
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The Amish Believe They Are the Only Ones Going to Heaven: True or False?

False.

To do so would be prideful, which goes against one of their most basic values. The Amish are respectful of other Christian denominations. As one Amish man said, the Bible is meant to be a mirror, not a spotlight. Better to pay attention to their own walk with God than presume to judge others.

If I asked an Amish person how to get to heaven, what would his answer be?

That person would likely refer to God’s will in the matter and then perhaps describe the need to have a personal relationship with Christ. He might also quote an applicable Scripture, such as, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).

This answer has been provided as an excerpt from the upcoming book, Plain Answers About the Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark. Learn more below.

Plain Answers About the Amish Life By Mindy Starns Clark Available September 2013 For Amish fiction readers, young and old alike, Plain Answers About the Amish Life provides a glimpse into an obscure, fascinating world—what the Amish believe and how they live. Learn more: http://bit.ly/YLsURw

Filed under: Amish Facts, Mindy Starns Clark by AmishReader.com
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The Amish Don’t Go to Doctors or Hospitals: True or False?

False.

Though many Amish are likely to treat ailments with natural or traditional approaches first, they generally have no problem with seeking modern medical care when the situation warrents.

For financial or holistic reasons, the Amish may be less likely to seek out professional help than the non-Amish, especially with minor ailments or injuries. Generally, the more conservative the district, the more likely they are to rely on their own home treatments first, using doctors and hospitals only as a last resort.

Is there such a thing as an Amish doctor or an Amish hospital?

The Amish end their formal educations at the eight grade and professional degrees are not pursued, so the Amish would not be adequately schooled to become a doctor. There are, however, non-Amish doctors who specialize in treating the Amish.

There are also hospitals and other facilities with a decidedly Amish clientele, such as the Clinic for Special Children in Strasburg, Pennsylvania; the Mount Eaton Care Center in Mount Eaton, Ohio; and the Pomerene Hospital in Millersburg, Ohio.

This answer has been provided as an excerpt from the upcoming book, Plain Answers About the Amish Life by Mindy Starns Clark. Learn more below.

Plain Answers About the Amish Life By Mindy Starns Clark Available September 2013 For Amish fiction readers, young and old alike, Plain Answers About the Amish Life provides a glimpse into an obscure, fascinating world—what the Amish believe and how they live. Learn more: http://bit.ly/YLsURw

Filed under: Amish Facts, Mindy Starns Clark by AmishReader.com
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