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July '22

"Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone."

~ Romans 12:18

 

Reflection:

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I remember my childhood fondly, growing up close to Amish farmland. Summers were lazy and fun—riding bikes with my sister, visiting with cousins, playing volleyball and Ping-Pong, picking sweet corn with my dad and sister, and harvesting oodles of tomatoes, berries, potatoes, and squash. The homegrown produce that made its way to Mother’s kitchen table was delicious, and my father’s beaming face was priceless as we sat down to say the mealtime blessing.

 

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We always spent the Fourth of July with extended family and/or our church family. Kinfolk came together to share the fruits of their gardening labor in the form of casseroles and delicious desserts. (My mother loved making strawberry-rhubarb pie to share nearly every Fourth. The recipe is found on pg. 143 in The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook.)

Sharing with and caring for loved ones, extending empathy and encouragement, discussing plans for future get-togethers, enjoying time together while rejoicing in God’s goodness . . . these precious things still linger in my mind all these years later. As I look back on those idyllic summers, life seemed far less complicated, but of course, I was a young girl without family responsibilities and writing deadlines, though I was already secretly writing on my own! (And I did pick a lot of potato bugs and dig up dandelions for Dad, too, so it wasn’t all fun and games!).

Aside from the close relationships back in Lancaster County, the peace I experienced during my childhood summers is what I now cherish most in this busy phase of my life. A refrain from an old hymn we used to sing in my father’s church comes to mind as I reminisce with you today. “Oh, the peace that Jesus gives never dies: it always lives. Like the music of a psalm, like a glad, eternal calm, is the peace that Jesus gives. Is the peace that Jesus gives.” (Lyrics by Haldor Lillenas, 1885-1959).

Have a peaceful and happy Fourth of July . . . and all summer long!

—Beverly Lewis

 

Updates:

1) I’m looking forward to the launch of my next novel, The Orchard, this September and enjoying promoting it, too. And writing my fall 2023 novel—set in beloved Hickory Hollow—is going well. The Heirloom features Ella Mae Zook, the Wise Woman you may recall from other books, and her Indiana Amish niece, Clara Bender. I can't wait for you to meet them and the rest of he cast of characters!

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2)  My sister, Barbara, and I have created two more unique cards for summer: In honor of our mother's birthday. "Birdhouse" is available to order now at www.amishcheer.com. "Watermelon" card will be available on July fifth.

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Thanks very much for your enthusiasm for our Amish-themed card lines, friends, as well as for my novels. You are the best!

June '22

"As a deer gets thirsty for the streams of water, I truly am thirsty for You, my God."

~ Psalms 42:1

 

Reflection:

June is the month for strawberries!  As a young girl, I enjoyed picking and eating them, sometimes right from the berry patch.  And who doesn't love a delicious homemade shortcake drenched with glistening red strawberries and piled on top with oodles of real whipped cream!  My mother enjoyed making this dessert when I was growing up, and we often celebrated her June 28th birthday with this special treat.

When I was young,  June was also the month for books, the ones that were not required reading during the school year.  I remember falling in love with the old classics (The Robe by Lloyd C. Douglas and Freckles by Gene Stratton-Porter immediately come to mind) at the historic public library in downtown Lancaster, where my mother often took me and my sister, Barbara, on Saturdays.  Ah,  the amazing smell of that grand place.  Its high ceiling and ornate detailing initially commanded my attention, but only for a moment, because the books inside were always my priority.

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Books rescued me when my mother was so ill with terminal cancer.  They took me far away from the sadness, and fear, of losing her.  And they gave me hope, especially when I saw myself in fictional characters who struggled with impending loss of one kind or another.  Some books made me think about places I wanted to travel to when I grew up; others grounded me right where I was, encouraging me to see the beauty of Amish farmland in front of my nose.  I learned that, what I was feeling, others felt, too: I was not alone.  Books have such wonderful power!

My parents also taught me as a little child to love God's Word.  The Old Testament showed me the stalwart and courageous, yet flawed, leaders of the faith who looked ahead to Christ's coming and to the Cross.  And the New Testament taught me that Jesus knows and understands the things all of us grapple with,  and that He loves us far beyond what we can ever comprehend.

When my father preached in his pulpit on Sundays, I took many notes—some of which I still have to this day, pressed into the pages of my very first Bible.  God's Word assured me that I wasn't alone in my yearnings.  No one was perfect: Others had sinned and needed God's saving grace, too.  It taught me that my thirsty heart—like the deer longing for streams of water in Psalms 42:1 (my first-ever favorite verse)—could be fully satisfied in Christ.

June is also the month I was baptized in the vast Susquehanna River at the age of twelve.  It was fitting that my pastor-father did the baptizing—on a Father's Day of truest joy!

I wish a very happy Father's Day to all the dads and to those who step in and take the role of a father in all the ways that matter.

Blessings abundant,

—Beverly Lewis

 

Updates:

1) I'm delighted to share that my upcoming novel, The Orchardhas gone to the printer for a September 6 release.

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2)  My return to Hickory Hollow—and Ella Mae Zook as a viewpoint character—has been so enjoyable as I write my Fall 2023 stand-alone novel, The Heirloom.  Stay tuned for more tidbits about this.

3) "The Bridges of Lancaster County" Amish Cheer cards are ready for ordering, friends! There has been a strong interest in the idyllic covered bridges in my beloved Lancaster County, so now you can share these pretty cards with your friends and family.  They are blank inside, allowing you to use them for many different occasions.

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Also, two Father's Day cards are still available, but only through June 12.  Don't miss out on these bright and cheerful greetings! Order at our secure website: amishcheer.com 

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As always, thanks so much for your interest in my novels and my Amish Cheer cards. I appreciate you very much, dear friends!

May '22

"Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord"

~ Ephesians 5:19

 

Reflection:

When I think of my dear mother—with the Lord seventeen years now—one of the first things that comes to my mind is her love for Jesus.

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She often demonstrated that love in worship at the piano or while playing the organ in church. My mother also composed lyrical praise songs to our Lord, some of which I still remember to this day. She lived her life for Christ, extending herself to her family even when she was weak and suffering from terminal cancer. Softly, she sang her devotion to God in her sick bed and quoted Scriptures, viewing them as nourishment when her body rejected food.

As a little girl, I remember removing my shoes before going into her bedroom and tiptoeing, since even the least amount of sound caused her all the more pain, she was that ill. “Jane might live six months,” the surgeon told Daddy after performing the exploratory surgery that revealed a cancerous tumor with tendrils spread throughout her vital organs. My book The Sunroom chronicles our faith-filled journey of that time in a fictional way . . . with its true-to-life miracle ending.

One of the hymns that deeply touched Mother's heart during this challenging time was "Beautiful Savior." While she hoped for healing, she reached out to Jesus the Healer more because she loved His comforting presence. And the Great Physician honored her many prayers, as well as those of others who were interceding for her around the world. My mother lived to see her daughters grow up, and her grandchildren and two of the great-grands. She also celebrated her eighty-fourth birthday with all of us. Miraculously, cancer never returned!

In honor of my sweet, godly mother during this month we celebrate mothers, here are the lyrics to the hymn that spiritually buoyed her during her darkest days. May it strengthen and encourage you, as well.

 Fairest Lord Jesus, ruler of all nature,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Thou of God and man the Son,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Thee will I cherish, Thee will I honor, Thou my soul's glory, joy, and crown.

 Fair are the meadows, fairer still the woodlands,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Robed in the blooming garb of spring:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       Jesus is fairer, Jesus is purer, Who makes the woeful heart to sing.

 Fair is the sunshine, fairer still the moonlight,                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           And all the twinkling starry host:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Jesus shines brighter, Jesus shines purer than all the angels heaven can boast.

 Beautiful Savior! Lord of all nations!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Son of God and Son of Man!                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Glory and honor, praise, adoration, now and forevermore be Thine.

~Lyrics by Joseph A. Seiss

God's abundant blessings!

—Beverly Lewis

Updates:

1)  I am currently reviewing the final pages for The Orchard, my novel releasing this September 6. You may preorder at your favorite online stores, as well as anywhere books are sold. Some preorder links are below:

Preorder from Baker Book House to get 40% off + FREE Shipping (US only)
Preorder from Barnes and Noble
Preorder from Amazon

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2)  The first draft for The Heirloom, featuring Ella Mae Zook, Hickory Hollow's Wise Woman, is well on its way. I'm really enjoying Ella Mae's wit and wisdom—so much fun "visiting" with her and having peppermint tea again! This stand-alone novel releases Fall 2023.

3) Don't forget: Mother's Day is May 8. My uniquely handcrafted quilted easel card (Mother's Day 2022) and Box Garden card are perfect for the Amish enthusiasts on your Mother's Day card list, friends. My backstory features additional personal memories of my mother, Jane, with the Lord since 2006 . . . but never forgotten.

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April '22

"The angel said, 'Don't be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn't here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid His body.'"

~ Mark 16:6

 

Reflection:

If you were born on Easter, as I was, you may be as thrilled as I am to have a birthday linked to that wondrous day we commemorate the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!

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As a young girl, I often wondered how long I'd have to wait for my birthday to fall on Easter again. Finally, when I turned 11, it happened. My parents even had a special birthday party, and sometime after that, I asked my mother when I could celebrate my birthday on Easter again. "How long must I wait this time?"

Amazingly, somehow, she was able to determine that it would be many years away—not until the year 2022. This was decades before Google, of course, and my response to her is still implanted in my brain. "Well, I doubt I'll live to be that old!"

Through my growing-up years, I remember my pastor-father calling my sister and I early on Easter Sunday mornings, "Rise and shine, it's Resurrection Day!" with such a jubilant tone in his voice.

So, you see, Easter has always been a day of expectation and rejoicing for me and for our entire family. I still have goose pimples when I blend my voice with the congregation singing joyfully, even tearfully, "Christ the Lord is risen today. A-lle-lu-ia!" The powerful message of the Cross and the empty tomb never grows old, does it, friend?

Christ's conquering death gives us hope as believers. He broke the chains so we can be free from the grip of sin. Our Savior Jesus is alive and intercedes for us, cheering us on, to our heavenly Father. Amen and amen.

Easter Blessings!

—Beverly Lewis

Updates:

1)  My fall novel, The Orchard, is on track for release September 6. If you'd like to receive a 40% discount and FREE shipping, simply preorder from: bakerbookhouse.com (They ship only in the US.)

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2)  I'm already well into the writing of my Fall 2023 novel titled, The Heirloom, which features Ella Mae Zook, Hickory Hollow's Wise Woman, as a secondary point of view character. More about that later.

3)  My handcrafted Easter cards are available through April 9. They're going fast, so place your order today at our secure website: www.AmishCheer.com

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4)  Thanks, as always, for your enthusiasm for my novels and for the Amish Cheer cards. Your prayers continue to mean everything to me. Blessings abundant!

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