“I will turn their mourning into laughter and their sadness into joy; I will comfort them.”
~ Jeremiah 31:13
Is Christmas a hard time of year for you or for someone you know?
Many churches, ours included, offer Holiday Blues classes for people who struggle with sadness or depression during Christmas and New Year's.
I've wondered if this seasonal sadness has grown due to the lack of face-to-face interactions. So many interact only on social media, never even seeing in person the people they are trying to forge a true and lasting friendship with. How much better it would be if we could be present with one another!
This isolation is not the case in the Amish communities where the elderly and ailing are never alone but rather live near their close-knit families. They reside in a Dawdi Haus (grandfather house), a smaller home connected to the main house, where meals and chores are shared, and conversation is plentiful. No one is left behind; no one is abandoned--emotionally or otherwise--not the older folk, nor the youth, who are linked together in groups that attend Singings and other activities designed just for them. During Christmas, Amish women enjoy cookie exchange parties, quilting, baking, and helping each other when one of them is hosting house church. Meanwhile, the men attend farm, animal, and benefit auctions together, hunt game and butcher, and clear out their fields--all of this in groups. The youth gather for Christmas caroling, sleigh rides, ice skating, and Secret Sisters reveal parties. As you can see, there is ample opportunity to be with friends and family in each Amish church district.
What if we, too, could emulate something that offers that kind of companionship this Christmas and ongoing?
Is there a family or a single mom or widow in your church, at your workplace, or in your own neighborhood who would appreciate a helping hand, an afternoon off, a hot meal and good conversation, a delicious dessert over coffee or tea . . . or an invitation to attend Christmas Eve service with you and your own family?
Just think of the morale boost your attentiveness could bring. Even offering a listening ear can make a big difference for people, just like my beloved character Ella Mae Zook does for Liz and her family in my new book, The Christmas House.
Let's chase away the holiday blues by spreading kindness and cheer, helping make Christmas more joyful for someone who needs to see the love of Jesus in action.
Spreading God's love in practical ways is a special gift all of us can give this Advent season!
Blessings for Christmas and the new year,
—Beverly Lewis
1) The Christmas House continues to appear on bestseller lists, and I am so delighted that many of you have chosen to purchase multiple copies for family and friends for Christmas. Thank you, thank you! Here are the retailer links:
Baker Book House (30% off and free US shipping )
2) My sister, Barbara, and I have created several new Christmas cards to encourage and inspire the people on your card list. Order yours at: www.amishcheer.com/seasonal
3) Beginning January 1, 2026, I will be writing longer blogs for each of the four seasons—once every quarter. I will also continue to be active on social media, sharing my writing life and research, as well as updates on the next book and my latest Amish Cheer cards. Something else to look forward to is an exciting new design for my website. More coming on that soon!
4) Now I want to wish you a most blessed and inspiring Advent, one that centers on not only the Babe in the manger but on how that Holy Child was born to die to save the world. Jesus, the Son of God, surrendered His will to accomplish God's wonderful plan of redemption for you and for me. The most precious gift of all!
“Let all that I am praise the LORD; may I never forget the good things He does for me.
He forgives all my sins and heals all my diseases.
He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
He fills my life with good things. My youth is renewed like the eagle’s!”
~ Psalm 103:2-5
Last month I was delighted to spend some much-longed-for time in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, my beloved homeplace. Dave and I welcomed this opportunity to visit with dear cousins, longtime Amish friends, and research consultants. We also worshiped with our Mennonite friends at the Strasburg Mennonite Church, where my own precious grandparents, Omar and Ada Buchwalter, are buried in the historic graveyard.
We stopped in at the Old Candle Barn in the Village of Intercourse, where a scene from my new book, The Christmas House, takes place. I was fortunate to talk with the manager, Melissa Hurst, and even took a picture with her! Now she knows how fond I am of her incredible store.
The next day, while visiting with my Amish friends Rachel and her husband, Sam, and their family at Smucker's Quilts in New Holland, I spotted a handmade quillow on the shelf and immediately purchased it as a surprise birthday present for my sister, Barbara. Rachel's little preschool-age granddaughters—five of them, all dressed in pastel-colored dresses and with their braids wound around their little heads—came out to the store, stood side-by-side in a row, and sang five songs about Jesus for us. Oh, I wish you could have been with me that day! One of the many sweet memories I cherish!
Now . . . you might be wondering: What is a quillow? If you’ve never seen one in an Amish shop or elsewhere, it is simply a lap quilt with a reversible pocket, the fabric placed in such a way as to be folded to fit inside the pocket, which forms a plump pillow. So, quilt or pillow, you can have both. Quite creative, I must say!
Like that Amish quillow, giving gratitude to God offers us so much more than we might expect. It is about more than thankfulness. Gratitude is a form of worship, too, and it builds up our faith while drawing us ever closer to Jesus, making it possible to receive more of His blessings. Prayers of gratitude inspire our mind, enhance our outlook, and fill our heart with joy. Gratitude can turn into a blessing!
This season of Thanksgiving, let us unfold the quillow of gratitude as we worship our heavenly Father, and in so doing receive all that He has for us. Perhaps, far beyond our dearest hopes and wishes.
Blessings abundant!
—Beverly Lewis
1) It touches my heart the way you show up again and again for each of my new book releases, friends. Your enthusiastic response to The Christmas House is inspiring and delightful, and I am so thankful. Here are the retailer links:
Baker Book House (30% off and free US shipping )
2) My sister, Barbara, and I have created a new, handcrafted card to help you spread encouragement and cheer this Thanksgiving—$2.75 each or 5 cards for $12.50. Order yours at: www.amishcheer.com/seasonal
3) What a surprise to see The Christmas House top the ECPA Fiction bestsellers list! Thanks to all of you, and to many who purchased several copies for Christmas gift-giving. You continue to amaze me, dear reader-friends!
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