by Nancy Sleeth
Chapter 10
1. Is your faith permeating every aspect of your life as it does for many of the Amish? In what ways could you incorporate your faith on a daily basis?
2. How could you show your love for God through worship?
3. The Amish are best known for practicing forgiveness and peace. Which of these two practices do you wish were stronger in your life?
4. Has God ever held a mirror up to your face? What do you think he was trying to tell you, and what did you see?
5. Name at least three specific changes that you have made or would like to make in your life as a result of reading Almost Amish.
Acknowledgments
The parable of the ten lepers teaches us to give thanks to those who give us life. “Thank you” is a mere shadow of the gratitude I feel for the family and friends who gave life to this book.
Matthew: You are the love of my life. Thanks for more than thirty years of love, friendship, walks, and laughter. You helped me see the Creator and his creation with new eyes. Most of all, thank you for bringing Jesus into my life.
Emma: I can think of no greater peace than having you rest on my shoulder. Thank you for playing Scrabble, baking perfect challah, and reminding me to have fun. You make being green not only easy but beautiful. I will always be your “me-mommy.”
Clark: You are the least materialistic and most humble person I know. Thank you for dedicating your life to God and to “healing the people.” Being your mother has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.
Valerie: The greatest gift Clark ever gave me was you, our brilliantly beautiful daughter-in-law. Your love for the Lord and your love for my son bring me joy every moment of every day. You are an answer to many prayers, and I love you dearly.
Greg: This book wouldn’t have happened without you. Some people have friends. Others have agents. We are blessed to have both in you.
Cara: You are an editing angel—extraordinarily patient, kind, funny, and wise. Thank you for making Almost Amish at least a zillion times better. I truly, truly could not have done it without you.
Carol: When you drove down to Kentucky to meet us for the first time, I knew we would be friends for life. Thank you for being my sister in Christ and for putting together the Tyndale dream team. Thank you for believing. It’s been a match made in heaven.
The Tyndale Team: To Ron Beers, Lisa Jackson, April Kimura-Anderson in marketing, the incredible designers, the indefatigable copyeditors and proofreaders, the national sales team, and all the other people who made Almost Amish possible—thank you for honoring Christ in everything you do and say. It’s pure joy to work with you.
Mom and Dad: You give new meaning to “unconditional love.” Thank you for more than five decades of warm hugs and shared lives. You are the best cheerleaders a daughter could ask for. I love you both dearly.
Margie and Leslie: “Friends may come and go, but sisters are forever.” Thanks for always being there. Richard: I miss you. We all do. Very much.
The Blessed Earth board and our Blessed Earth friends throughout the world: Your love and encouragement sustain us. Thank you for your inspiration and for all you do to care for God’s creation. We are grateful.
Diane Ives and the Angel Kendeda: You make dreams come true. Every day, we thank God for you.
The Spicers: You are our second family. Thank you for your counsel, friendship, faith, and generosity. You model what it means to live as Christians, on-call for God and his broken people, 24/7.
Geoff and Sherry: You are my heroes. Thank you for providing care for our souls. You live with and love the least among us, just as Jesus calls us to do.
Linda and Terre: Laughter and tears; prayers and thanks-giving; grief and joy. Our gatherings feed me, physically and spiritually. It would be a lonely journey without you.
To the Amish and Mennonite people: Thank you for continuing to live out the principles of simplicity and sustainability. Thank you for showing me how faith life and way of life are one. Please accept my apologies for any inadvertent errors, and my gratitude for the living example you are.
To all the friends who allowed me to share their stories and the people around the country who invite us into their churches and their lives: This book is for you.
God: Thank you for being who you are—Creator and Sustainer, Artist and Inventor, Gardener, Shepherd, the Rock. Thank you for putting your Son by my side as I walked down the mountain. Thank you for never leaving me. You are the author of my life, my friend, my Savior.
About the Author
Nancy Sleeth and her husband of thirty years, Matthew, are cofounders of Blessed Earth, a faith-based environmental nonprofit. After an environmental and spiritual conversion experience, Nancy and her family radically altered their footprint, giving away half their possessions and reducing their energy use by more than two-thirds. Prior to heeding this environmental calling, Nancy served as communications director for a Fortune 500 company and as an educator and administrator, most recently at Asbury University. She is a graduate of Georgetown University and holds a master’s degree in journalism. Nancy and Matthew are the parents of Clark, a medical resident preparing for missionary work, and Emma, the author of It’s Easy Being Green (Zondervan), which is a call to teens to live sustainable lifestyles. The Sleeths live in Lexington, Kentucky.