Do you ever wish life would be simpler, slow down, that you had more money or that you had deeper relationships?
I do!
Most of us live a rushed life, whether it’s rushing to work, to a kid’s practice after school, or home to try to make a home-cooked meal. We are always on the go! When you receive a text or email for work, the person sending it to you expects an answer within a few minutes, not only during “business hours”.
Recently I read the book, Almost Amish.
The Amish fascinate me in many ways, as I know they do many other people. The Amish are not perfect (no culture is). I think their hardworking lifestyle is overlooked in favor of romanticizing and idealizing the thought of slowing down, eating real food, and having real conversations.
(I mean, eating a home raised chicken sounds great, but how do you eat a live chicken from the chicken coop? They don’t just magically appear on a plate! Do you want to have to go out and butcher it first? I grew up on a farm. My mom butchered chickens. If I have to get chicken that way, I choose to not eat chicken.)
So even though I wouldn’t put the Amish on a pedestal, (they are sinners just like we are), I do think there are some things we can learn from their lifestyle that are that are very praiseworthy. I think these principles applied to our every day lives would make many of us happier people, but once again, not to over romanticize as I can still smell the nastiness of butchering chickens!
Here are a few ways that I’m inspired by the Amish.
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Simplicity
- Do you ever crave simplicity? The Amish are known for their simple lives where the focus isn’t on things. Our American culture is completely the opposite where almost everything we use is mass produced in a factory and most of it doesn’t last very long causing clutter in our homes and lives. Our homes reflect our lifestyle. The more stuff we have, the more stuff we have in our hearts. Sometimes simplicity is best!
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Faith
- Life isn’t easy and many times it’s just plain hard. When life is tough, we can always rely on faith. The Amish center their lives around their faith. God is first in their lives, home, and work.
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Family
- The Amish are extremely tight-knit group of people. (I’m not saying they are always perfect here, because there are always exceptions.) Divorce is almost unheard of and children are taught important life skills by their parents and other family members. I realize that there is still abuse and other sins that apply to the Amish just like the rest of us.
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Frugal Living
- Amish people approach money in a Biblical sense. They are wise with money. They don’t blow their money, avoid debt, and give to others who are in need. Imagine what life would be like if we always waited to have the money before we bought the items we wanted!
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Community Awareness
- Amish focus on community. They care about their neighbors. They support one another’s businesses, worship God together, and help one another. That’s what community is all about.
Have you read Almost Amish? What inspired you about the Amish way of life?
Have you enjoyed what you read here today? Do you have friends or other women you know that could benefit from this resource? If so, please do me a favor! I have included the links below to share with other intentional women! They’ll be glad you did!
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