How to Adopt Amish Principles . . . as a Teen

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Living in Montana for fifteen years I enjoyed being out of the flow of busy life. Montana is a destination. It's not someplace people "drive through" or "stop by." Life has a slower pace, too. Maybe because there is snow on the ground 6 months of the year. Maybe because the views of the meadows, mountains and lakes make you remember what's really important in life—God, family, nature—and not the to-do list.

Imagine my surprise when I traveled up to the West Kootenai area and discovered a slower pace still. My daughter Leslie and I had lunch in the West Kootenai Kraft and Grocery and noticed neighbors running into each other and sitting down for an impromptu lunch—Amish and Englisch alike. There were little boys driving four-wheelers and a few girls riding horseback down the country lanes. Another teen boy was mowing the field behind the grocery but his attention seemed to be drawn to the sky and the mountains on the horizon as much as the weeds he was trying to whack down. People in the store chatted about their gardens and yesterday's rain. I thought my life had been slow-paced in Kalispell, but being in the mountains of West Kootenai I felt like I'd taken my first deep breath.

Since writing Beside Still Waters I've moved to Little Rock, Arkansas. Things are busier here. There are more cars, more traffic, more things to do and see. The challenge for me has been not to get caught up in the flow. To remember that just because people around me have full schedules doesn't mean I have to do the same. It's something I'm still trying to figure out.

Yet being in the West Kootenai has taught me a few lessons I've tried to incorporate, and you can, too.

1. If you run into a friend, whether you're at school or at the grocery store, try to chat for even five minutes. Ask about that person's day. Ask how they really are.

2. Take a few minutes to enjoy nature. Yes, that means putting down the phone for a few seconds. Really stop and look at those beautiful vegetables you are bagging up at the grocery store. Pause to appreciate a flower bed at the park or even in front of your favorite store.

3. Take a big breath and sit back and enjoy lunch on a weekend with someone you care about. You don't need to be on vacation or spring break to make time for a friend.

4. Finally, appreciate God's handiwork in your area. He's created each place with joys of their own. Don't forget to thank Him for that today.

No, it's mine!

Stephanie speaking. (Is that too close to “Camy here!”? I just don't want everyone to have to scroll to the end of the post to figure out who's doing all this yammering.)

So, we’re just about two weeks into the New Year, and I’m feeling pretty good about how I’m doing with the goals I set. (Which kinda makes me think I didn’t set high enough ones.) I had a slew of boring career goals that I won’t bore you with, but my spiritual goals were to read my Bible more consistently (five days a week, I decided) and to be more hospitable.

That second one is tricky, because to your face I can be the most accommodating hostess in the world. I’ll make you a nice dinner, offer coffee, and I’ll genuinely enjoy our time together and feel glad that you came over. Afterward, I’ll happily clean up and talk with my husband about what a great time we all had.

The area I need work on is the before. I normally get to use my two-year-old’s nap time for writing, and heaven forbid anything come between me and my writing. As I wipe down the bathroom or dice veggies for dinner, I grumble to myself about not being able to do what I want to do. And once, when I was grumbling to God about “my time being taken away,” I heard Him say gently (but firmly), “It’s not your time; it’s my time.”

Oh.

I’m a very controlling person. In some ways this has benefited me. I have the discipline to work largely by myself, and to work from home. Our house stays pretty organized. Trips to the grocery store are brief because I have a list.

In other ways, namely when I’m trying to control things I don’t need to be controlling, this can really bite me in the butt. So this year I’m working on hospitality, but I’m really working on giving “my time” back to God. I’m asking him more how he would like to me to spend it. And sometimes I’m saying to him, “Are you crazy? Do you understand the limitations I’m working with here? There’s no way I can get all that done!” And He says something like, “Girl, I got it under control.”

Yes, He does.

Hope you all are having a great start to your year!

Stephanie
www.StephanieMorrillBooks.com

Time passing

I am always amazed that the year is gone. Wasn't it just yesterday, or may a whole month ago, that I made that New Year's Resolution?

It couldn't have been 12 months.

Time is one of the things we spend that can never be replenished. If you waste an hour playing computer games (my downfall is Mahjong), you can never recapture those minutes. If you buy a fancy dress, wash it, and realize it was supposed to be dry cleaned, you've ruined the dress and lost your investment. But I can earn more money, and I can buy another dress.

My resolution this year is to only spend the time alotted to me in positive ways. An hour of a game isn't lethal, but choosing the game over working on relationships with friends, family, and God . . .well that is detrimental to my overall health. So I'm going to be aware and make good choices. I'm going to lasso time and not let it get away from me.

Finding the Time

Think of something that you want to accomplish. Perhaps you are one of the many who has said “I want to (write a book, try out for a play, join the dance team, or fill in the dream),” only to lament in the same breath, “but I don’t have time.” A couple of weeks ago I had a chance to interview an amazing man. Maybe Richard Couser’s story will give you a much-needed kick start. He managed to find the time to accomplish a huge goal while working full time as an attorney and partner in a law firm. Richard is in his 60’s, has a family, and like most of us, is dealing with some major life stuff. Still he did it! Let him inspire you today.

For his first book with WinePress Publishing this Concord, New Hampshire resident chose a topic not often tackled in fiction—the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy.

“I didn’t want to write another commentary on Deuteronomy. I figured there are enough of those.” He should know—Richard has over 70 books on Deuteronomy in his library. Instead, understanding that people respond to story in a unique way, he chose to weave it into the lives of two true-to-life characters.

The Deuteronomy Project: A Journey into the Mind of God centers on the mentoring relationship between Chris, a young lawyer seeking a deeper understanding of his Christian faith, and Hal, a retired pastor. The two men read through Deuteronomy and in the process take a journey that allows Chris and others to see how this ancient book applies to their contemporary lives. When asked if he patterned the characters after real people, Richard admits, “I’m Chris.” Hal, he says, is based on many pastors and mentors he has known throughout his life. And his life is as interesting as a book. He is certainly no stranger to the discipline and perseverance that it takes to write.

Raised in Lebanon, New Hampshire by working class parents, Richard earned a work study scholarship to the prestigious Phillips Exeter Academy. “My main job was doing dishes. That’s how I covered my tuition.” He recalls the challenge of living and going to school with teens from more privileged backgrounds. He had to work and earn his way through while they didn’t. But he did get involved and make friends, his closest friendship being with a Porto Rican student, also attending Exeter on work study. “Of course I went to Exeter in the late fifties, early sixties so things were pretty different,” he says. “Now the school is much more balanced when it comes to race and social status.”

In the end Richard’s hard work paid off when he got another scholarship, this time to Yale University. His studies at Yale prompted him to choose law and accept another incredible opportunity—Stanford Law School. “I chose law late in the game. When it came time to graduate and decide what to do next I saw that my interests pointed to a career as a lawyer. I had many offers but chose Stanford for the chance to go to California.” It was there that he reconnected with an old friend from New Hampshire. Linda had moved to San Francisco about the same time that Richard started law school. Linda quickly became the love of his life and was instrumental in Richard going from “I’m go to church so that makes me a Christian” to being a true believer and follower of Christ. They married in 1966 and now have 2 children and seven grandchildren, including a son who followed Dad’s footsteps to Phillips Exeter and Yale.

In addition to over 30 years as law firm partner Richard is an active member of Christian Legal Society, a group for Christian lawyers. He is also involved in his church and in his community. So when did he ever find time to craft a 500+ page book?

“The bulk of the writing happened during a 4-month sabbatical that the firm offers. I never would have finished without that.” Even with the sabbatical he had to discipline himself to finish, rewrite, and work the story into something that people would want to read. In the end it took nearly ten years, but he did it.

He is thrilled to see the response to The Deuteronomy Project. It has been read by his fellow lawyers, as well as non-lawyers, men and women. “People like the characters and find the subject matter interesting.” Some read it because they gravitate toward character-driven books that make them think. Others are simply interested in Deuteronomy. As Chris discovers in the story, readers see that this often underappreciated Old Testament book is still important to the contemporary Christian—that it is the basis for how God wants us to live. “It’s one of the most quoted Old Testament books.” Richard points out. “Jesus and Paul both refer to it often in their teaching.”

During the week of July 13-18 Richard had a chance sign and promote The Deuteronomy Project at the International Retail Show in Orlando, Florida. He looks forward to seeing what God will do with the results of his ten years of making the time to write.

And I look forward to hearing what this story drives you to find the time for in the near future. Oh, and if you’re a book lover like I am, check out Richard’s book. It’s a great story. Spead the word!

Jeanette