Living in the Kingdom of God

Reviewed by Phee Paradise
Amish Peace by Suzanne Woods Fisher

In the introduction to Amish Peace, Fisher says people seeking relief from a stressful lifestyle often inquire about becoming Amish. She quotes an Amish writer who advises them to practice the Amish qualities they admire within the lives they are currently living - qualities like faith, commitment and community. Before reading this book, I didn’t know much about those Amish qualities. Now I admire them for the way they exemplify Christian living. Fisher’s introduction to the ways of the Amish is loving and thorough.

The book is divided into five sections, each dedicated to an Amish value. Within each section there is a selection of two page stories about real Amish people. The stories show how they live out their values and each story is followed by a few questions to help the reader meditate on and apply them to their own lives. Each story is also followed by an interesting fact about the Amish.

I was particularly moved by the sections on community and forgiveness. As I read how the people in the book support and love each other, I asked how I can encourage the members of my church to serve each other in similar ways. I cried as I read the heart wrenching incidents that the Amish freely forgave. The book is an inspiring account of a community that strives to love God and obey and serve Him in all it does.

I usually end my reviews with pros and cons, but I don’t see any cons in this book. Amish principles naturally flow out of the well told stories and inspire readers to humbly ask the Lord to help them live more Godly lives. I think everyone should read this book. You will be blessed if you do.

About the book:
Take a look around you. Everyone is rushing around with endless to-do lists and back-to-back deadlines, barely able to catch a breath. Everyone, that is, except the Amish. Living on the outskirts of modernity, the Amish are icons for a simpler life and a slower pace. It’s this allure—something of a sanctuary, suspended in time—that draws millions of tourists to travel to Amish country every year.

Interviewing dozens of Amish for her book to gain a deeper understanding of their steadfast peace, Fisher got a closer look into the daily struggles and triumphs of the Amish. She shares these touching, real-life stories in the pages of Amish Peace. Through her conversations and interactions with the Amish, she looks at how their enduring peace is rooted in their appreciation for five key elements: simplicity, time, community, forgiveness and their faith. Whether it’s living with only necessities, spending time with family or learning that the world is larger than our feeble understanding, those attitudes provide the framework that allows them to find solace in spite of life’s unpredictable circumstances.

About the Author:
Suzanne Woods Fisher’s interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Benedict left the colony, amicably, and eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. Suzanne’s work has appeared in many magazines, including Today’s Christian Woman, Worldwide Challenge, ParentLife, Christian Parenting Today, Marriage Partnership, and many others. She has contributed to several nonfiction books and is the author of three novels. Fisher lives in California.


Available October 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Buy a copy of Amish Peace, either online or at your local bookstore, TODAY, Monday October 5th, and enter to win a basket of books published by Revell.

Once you buy the book send Suzanne an email (suzanne@suzannewoodsfisher.com) or leave a comment on her blog.

Writing Prompt #17: Are You Ready for some Football?

One of my favorite times of year is college football season. I love the sport, and follow the scores, the teams, and even some of the players, each year. I'm not as big of a fan for pro ball - it loses its appeal to me on many levels.

This weekend has been a great football weekend for me personally, so our prompt for this week is:

Write a scene, an article, or plot an entire book somehow incorporating a football game.

Remember to check our link above to read more writing prompts. We'll be announcing a contest at the end of the month that will put these prompts to use, so be sure to save them in a file or notebook.

And just one more comment about football:

ROLL TIDE! :-)

Editing Tip # 15: Dialogue Tags

Kathy Ide’s Editing Tips
© Kathy Ide, 2009

In this column, freelance author, editor, and speaker Kathy Ide shares tips on self-editing your manuscript.

~ DIALOGUE TAGS ~

A lot of writing books warn against using too many dialogue tags (“he said,” “she asked,” and all the various synonyms), as that can come across as lazy or contrived writing. It is seen by some to be the mark of an amateur writer.

The best way to get rid of those pesky dialogue tags is to replace them with “beats”: narrative descriptions of what’s happening in the scene. For example:

Madeleine looked up from her knitting when her husband walked in the door. “Did you go to the store today?”

“No.” Harry took off his windbreaker. “Why do you ask?”

“Did you forget again?” She shook her head, wondering what in the world she was going to do with this forgetful man.

In addition to getting rid of the dialogue tags, narrative beats help the reader to envision what’s happening in the scene so you avoid having the dreaded “talking heads” syndrome. Beats can also reveal to the reader what the point-of-view character is thinking. They also provide a pause in the dialogue or action. The longer the narrative, the longer the pause.

Now, you can get away with an occasional “he said” or “she asked,” as those are pretty much “invisible words” to a reader. You can even combine dialogue tags with actions, facial expressions, tones of voice, body language, or internal thoughts (as long as the point-of-view character is in a position to see or hear or think it). For example:

“Where are you going?” he asked, his voice trembling.
“I don’t know,” she replied as she tucked her child into the car seat.

Combine the various methods so you don’t have the same sentence structure so repeatedly that it’s noticeable to the reader.

Don’t tack on adverbs to dialogue tags, such as “he said softly” or “she answered loudly.” But avoid “saidisms”—synonyms for said such as retorted, insinuated, interjected, protested, blurted, crowed, pleaded, pointed out. Make it obvious from the dialogue, actions, and body language how something is being said rather than telling the reader in the dialogue tag.

“He laughed,” “she sighed,” and such are actions, not dialogue tags. Words can’t be chuckled or sighed, only spoken. Therefore, punctuate these as complete sentences.

Incorrect: “You’re so funny,” she chuckled.
Correct: “You’re so funny.” She chuckled.

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NOTE: It is an infringement of copyright law to reproduce this publication, in part or in whole, without the express permission of the author. To request permission, please e-mail Kathy@KathyIde.com.

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AUTHOR BIO: Kathy Ide has been writing for publication since 1988. She has written books, articles, play and movie scripts, short stories, devotionals, and curriculum. She is a full-time freelance editor, offering a full range of editorial services for aspiring writers, established authors, commercial book publishers, subsidy publishers, and magazines. Her services include proofreading, copyediting, substantive/content editing, coauthoring, ghostwriting, and mentoring/coaching. She also speaks at writers’ conferences across the country. She is the founder and coordinator of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network (www.TheChristianPEN.com) and the Christian Editor Network (www.ChristianEditor.com). To find out more, please visit www.KathyIde.com.

Do You Know How to Write a Proposal?

Have you just returned from a writer's conference with requests for a proposal, and have no idea how to proceed?

Virginia Smith is teaching an online course on writing Fiction Book Proposals that will help you make the most of this opportunity. Here's a description of the class:

In this four-week course, award-winning author Virginia Smith will present the elements of the successful novel proposal. You’ll examine samples, and have an opportunity to apply the skills you’ve learned. At the conclusion of the course, you’ll receive individualized feedback on your completed book proposal.

Note: Feedback provided only to course participants who submit a completed proposal, minus sample chapters, within two weeks of the conclusion of the course. The critique will include the proposal elements and the first five pages of the manuscript.

Ginny recently signed her 12th contract in four years, so she knows the business.

The course starts this Monday, October 5, so register today!

Photographing the Weather

BY SUZANNE WILLIAMS

Storm Clouds

Weather is more of a secondary subject in an image. To explain, each photograph must have a main focus point, an object you are pointing your camera at. In the photograph above, it is the distant house. In the photograph below, it is the dew drops. But in each of these two photos, I was also trying to capture the weather.

Dew Drops

Unusual weather always sends me outdoors with my camera. In the early morning I can often find fog and dew. Rain storms bring heavy, sweeping clouds and sometimes rainbows. Even lightning can make for an wonderful image (though you should never stand outdoors in the open during a lightning storm).

The key to using weather properly is to combine the primary subject with the weather itself. For instance, if there is a "blah" white sky, try looking for close ups. Overcast skies make for wonderful flower images and are useful in photographing running water, where the shadows sunlight creates are then eliminated. Rain drops make for fascinating reflections, almost mirror images of the scene itself.

Storm Clouds at Sunset

This brings me to timing. A lot of weather images require great timing. If there are clouds at sunrise or sunset, watch the sky carefully for its most colorful moment. I find the best light on clouds is often just before the sun itself rises and just after it sets.

At certain times of year, early mornings will bring in fog. I love fog in an image. In the picture below, the side direction of the sun both both created a silhouette of the bird and enhanced the fog itself. Just minutes later the light was too flat and you couldn't really see the fog at all.

Anhinga

Use weather to create a mood in your photograph. You can change the same scene from happy to sad or peaceful solely by your choice of days. Watch your local weather forecast and instead of crossing out the rainy days, deliberately go somewhere and take photographs.

Working with the unusual lighting different weather brings is also a way to further your understanding of proper exposure. After all, it is by trying things we are not comfortable with that we can grow and expand the most.

Alien Landscape

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Suzanne Williams Photography
To read more of my words
Florida, USA

Suzanne Williams is a native Floridian, wife, and mother, with a penchant for spelling anything, who happens to love photography.