You don't have to "go Amish" to make their practical and peaceful way of life your own! Reflecting on themes of simplicity, time, community, forgiveness, and God's sovereignty, Fisher uses real-life stories, Amish proverbs, interesting facts, thought-provoking questions, and action ideas to show you how to bring lasting harmony to your life---every day. 208 pages, softcover from Revell.

Of all the gifts that Jesus left us, his peace is most elusive. We long for it in our homes, in our relationships, in our life situations. One place we can look and see "living peace" is in the lives of the Amish. But you don't have to become Amish to bring these simple, practical ways of living into your own life--and make personal peace a reality.

Organized around five central themes in Amish life, each section will include real-life stories, callouts of Amish proverbs, and interesting facts about Amish communities. Each section will also contain questions for reflection and action--things you can do in your own life that "make for peace."

Suzanne Woods Fisher's interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Dunkard Brethren Church in Lancaster 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 two novels. Fisher lives in California.

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Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Located in: San Francisco Bay Area
Submitted: October 20, 2009

    Tell us a little about yourself.  I am a wife to Steve, a corporate guy, and a mom to four kids—two boys and two girls. Add to that one son-in-law! I’m almost at the empty nest stage…my youngest is a senior in high school. And yes, I have mixed feelings about an empty nest! How did it happen so quickly? Gardening and cooking are two of my favorite hobbies…but the top of my list is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. My youngest son talked me into this activity after we returned from living in Hong Kong for four years—he wanted a dog and my husband is not a dog-guy. So my son found a compromise…a temporary dog with a noble purpose! Our first dog, Arbor, graduated and was partnered with Jon, a college student. We’re now on our seventh (!) puppy. It’s like eating a potato chip…you just can’t stop at one.

    What was your motivation behind this project?  My relatives on my mother's side are Old Order German Baptist Brethren, also known as Dunkards. (Note to readers: NOT Drunkards. Dunkards!) That's where my interest in Anabaptist traditions began. My grandfather was born into a family of 13 children, started his career as a teacher in a one-room school house in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and ended it as one of the very first publishers of "Christianity Today." We called him "Deardad" even though he was a very stern fellow. Still, Deardad's life inspired me to write this book.

    What do you hope folks will gain from this project?  "Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World" is a collection of true stories and examples of Old Order Amish families. Divided into five sections, it is meant to shed light on how the Amish are able to maintain their simple living and abiding peace…to help us bring those qualities into our homes--to incorporate those principles--without “goin’ Amish.”

    How were you personally impacted by working on this project?  I am still being impacted by "Amish Peace!" Every single day. The concepts of forgiving readily, cherishing family and friends, being content with less, valuing what's really important, yielding to God's sovereignty...they just stick with me. They are profound lessons.

    Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists?  I love to read all kinds of books. Well, I don’t like to read darkly themed books which rules out, pretty much, all of Oprah’s Picks. My favorite authors are Madeleine L’Engle, Phillip Yancey, Anne Lamott, W. Dale Cramer, Lynn Austin, David Kopp, Catherine Marshall. I admire beautiful writing…prose with a touch of poetry, plot twists, surprise endings. That’s how these authors (and other fine writers) have influenced me…I’m inspired to aspire to improve my own craft.

    Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know:  With every book I write, I hope to draw the reader closer to God. I don’t ever want to hit anyone on the back of a head with a 2x4 (metaphorically speaking, of course)…but I hope a reader finishes a book wanting to know more about this almighty God of ours.

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