The Amish Doll: Amish Knitting Novel (Bonus Knitting Pattern Included) (22 page)

Raven cried many tears when she heard this. Tears that fell on the shoulder of her soon to be new mother-in-law, Susanna. Elma helped her, too, and became like another mother. Susanna encouraged Raven to knit a prayer shawl for her aunt, which she did. Her Aunt Brook gladly accepted it, and apologized for being so harsh toward her as a child. Thinking her sister was death, she’d taken her anger out on her. It took Raven a few more visits to be able to embrace her aunt, but when she did, she felt the grace of God in her heart to truly forgive her.

In late October, Raven was baptized into the Amish church, Eb standing by her, tears flowing down his cheeks. After the service, Joshua took her hand and they ran through the fall leaves and hid behind an oak tree. He drew her to himself and kissed her for what seemed like an eternity. Now that Raven was a member of the church, they were now free to court. Joshua asked her to marry him, and they did, two weeks later.

Aunt Brook came to the wedding wearing the shawl Raven made her, and sat beside Susanna.  Raven wore her new navy blue
dress with a white apron and
kapp
that she sewed on Elma’s sewing machine. When she said her vows, she looked into Joshua’s blue eyes and marveled at the power of pure love.

Raven
embroidered a pillow to put on their bed. On it was the Amish proverb,
Kindness is a language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.
The pillow was a constant reminder to be thankful for her husband whose kindness caused her to see the love of God and hear Him gently whisper, I love you, dear one, my child. 

1.
       
When Raven first comes to Appeton, we discover she’s prejudiced against Christians. What were some of the preconceived ideas about Christianity that tainted her judgment?

2.
      
When Raven meets Susanna, her hard heart is slightly cracked by the love of God.  Many times we think we need to do say the right words, but an Amish proverb says,  People don’t care about how much you know until they know how much you care. Do you agree with this proverb? Was there a time in your life when actions spoke louder than words?

3.
      
Raven is suspicious of Bible Club and attends with the boys. She hears John 14: 16-18:

“ I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.”

Feeling of abandonment surfaced in Raven.  According to Merriam –Webster Dictionary, abandonment means “to withdraw protection, support, or help from”. Feelings of abandonment can plague us all at times.  What does the scripture above tell us to do in these times?  Read John 14, the whole chapter, like Raven did, and see if  you too find comfort.

4.
     
James Rowe had a sad childhood like Raven, and through his father alcoholism he had to deal with of abandonment too. He handled his pain differently with God’s help.  In giving to the boys at Appeton, he was a blessed and happy man.  2 Corinthians 1:4 says,

“He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.”
(NLT)

Take inventory of hardships in your own life. Have you received God’s healing and comfort? If so, do you think He wants you to help others who are experiencing the same problems?

5.
      
Joshua was drawn toward Raven for what reasons? What does this tell you about his character?

6.
      
When Suzanne is rushed to the hospital, Joshua looks up at the stars and thinks. Christ’s light shines brightest when all is dark around us.  Corrie Ten Boom, who recounts her time spent in Nazi Concentration Camps in
The Hiding Place
said a profound thing.  “In darkness God's truth shines most clear.” Can you think of a dark time in your life when Christ’s light shone like the stars? Was the dark valley you went through worth it to see Christ’s light brighter?

7.
      
Milking a cow brought back memories of abuse inflicted by her aunt. She cries out “Why God?” Do you think this is scriptural? Read Jonah 2:2 and Isaiah 1:18 and discuss.

8.
     
Raven is embarrassed that Eb found her crying in the barn. He says to her, “It’s good to cry. I go to the bottle.” Studies show crying has many benefits, such as cleansing the body of harmful toxins and helping the body relax. Do you think it’s good to cry? Read Luke 11: 32-36 and Psalm 34:17-18.

9.
      
Raven pretends she’s dead after “Amish skiing”. When the boys find out she was just kidding, they bombard her with hugs. Do you think the boys had a part in Raven feeling loved?

10.
   
Rueben blames Eb for leading him down a path to immorality. Did Ruben have just cause to feel this way?  Can we lead others astray?

11.
    
Lottie seduced Joshua while he was sick and on a buggy ride. Her behavior continues to decline into lying, manipulation, and total lack of self-control. Do you think her company with Bruce caused this change in behavior, or jealousy over Joshua’s attention toward Raven? Or both?  See Proverbs 27:4 and Psalm 1:1.

12.
   
When we first meet Raven she has very few happy memories of her time in foster care.  As the story continues, more happy memories surface.  What’s changing in Raven? 

13.
   
Eb says, “I call a TV a box. Don’t’ know why people watch other people live. Why not just live yourself? Makes no sense to me.” This is how the Amish really feel about television. Do you agree? How can you change viewing habits?

14.
  
After Brandon’s visit, Raven can’t believe she’d dated someone like him. What made her see she was in an abusive relationship?

15.
   
Raven realized why she didn’t like Ellington at first. It was like a Thomas Kinkade painting with houses full of warmth and happy families. Raven desired to be in a family, as did the boys at Appleton. What does the Bible say about desires in Psalm 37:4?

16.
   
Granny Weaver and her knitting circle from Smicksburg visit Susanna in the hospital after her transplant. They knit her a blanket and love seemed to pour from the blanket, making such a difference to her aching body. Do you think gifts can really make a difference? See testimonies  at Prayer Shawl Ministry at http://www.shawlministry.com/stories.html

17.
   
The Amish church council wait on God to see if he clears Joshua’s name after being the father of Lottie’s baby. 

Psalm 37:5-6 says:

Commit everything you do to the LORD. Trust him, and he will help you. He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn, and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun. (NLT)

Can you recall a time when the Lord cleared your name or defended you?

18.
  
Raven had a hard time forgiving her aunt because she doesn’t feel forgiveness. Susanna tells her forgiveness is like a seed planted. You don’t see any signs of life for a while. What she’s saying is forgiveness is not based on feeling, but faith. As a gardener, I know it takes faith to believe a tiny seed can become a plant. Is there someone you need to plant a seed of forgiveness toward, even if feelings don’t follow?

19.
   
Susanne has a favorite Bible verse. Psalm 131:1-2. When my mother was declining I’d go over to my sister-in-laws and cry. She’d hold me, just like Raven, and say….Psalm 131. In other words, don’t try to figure it all out, but rest in God. 

Read Psalm 131:1-2 several times. What do you need to      stop trying to figure out, and simple trust God that He’s in control?

Lord, my heart is not haughty, Nor my eyes lofty.

Neither do I concern myself with great matters, Nor with things too profound for me.

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother;

Like a weaned child is my soul within me. (NKJV)

Oatmeal Whoopie Pies

4 c. brown sugar

1 ½ c. Oleo (Crisco)

4 eggs

4 c. flour

4 c. oatmeal

2 t. cinnamon

2 t. baking powder

2 t. baking soda dissolved in 6 T boiling water

Cream together sugar, Oleo, and eggs. Add pinch of salt, flour, oatmeal, cinnamon, baking powder. Add soda water last. Beat and drop by teaspoon full on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees. Take two cookies and spread with filling, holding them together.

Whoopie Pie Filling

2 egg whites

2 t vanilla

4 T flour

4 T milk

4 c. powdered sugar

1 c. Crisco

Beat egg whites until stiff. Add other ingredients. Spread between cookies and enjoy.

Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix

2 c. powdered milk

1 ¼ c white sugar

½ c unsweetened cocoa (bakers cocoa)

Stir all ingredients together and put in airtight container. Can use for up to 2 months. To use, mix 2-3 Tbsp. (heaping) of mix into a cup and fill with boiling water. Enjoy
!

Books mentioned in
The Amish Doll

The following Amish books can be found at Scroll Publishing:
www.scrollpublishing.com

Pathway: Devoted Christian's Prayer Book

This small book is a collection of prayers
from an Amish and Mennonite prayer book that dates back to 1708 or earlier. It can be used in daily devotions or on special occasions. The book also includes the Dortrecht Confession of Faith and "Rules of a Godly Life." 124 pp. Hardback.

Family Life Magazine,
a monthly magazine designed for adults and families. It contains articles on Christian living, parenting, and homemaking. It also contains editorials, letters from readers, medical advice, poems, recipes, and children’s stories.

Devoted Christian's Prayer Book
. A collection of prayers from an Amish and Mennonite prayer book.

1001 Questions and Answers on the Christian Life
; This book covers virtually every aspect of the Christian life: salvation, baptism, the new birth, faith, prayer, discipleship, non-conformity to the world, child training, courtship, dress, nonresistance, swearing oaths, worship, and numerous other topics. The answers are from an Old Order Amish viewpoint, and so this book serves as a handy reference book on Amish beliefs.

The Martyr’s Mirror
Classic accounts of more than 4,000 Christians who endured suffering, torture, and a martyr’s death because of their simple faith in the gospel of Christ. Songs, letters, prayers, and confessions appear with the stories of many nonresistant Christians who were able to love their enemies and return good for evil.

Books about Jesus.

More Than a Carpenter:
Josh McDowell, Sean McDowell Tyndale House (2009)

Jesus Among Other Gods
: The Absolute Claims of the Christian Message, Ravi Zacharias, W Publishing Group (February 8, 2002)

The Case for Christ
, Lee Strobel, Zondervan; 1 edition (September 1, 1998)

The Jesus I Never Knew
, Phillip Yancey, Zondervan (February 1, 2002)

Recommended Reading about the Amish

The Amish Way: Patient Faith in a Perilous World
,
Donald B. Kraybill, Steven M. Nolt, David L. Weaver-Zercher - John Wiley & Sons (2010)

The Riddle of Amish Culture
: Donald B. Kraybill, The Johns Hopkins University Press; Revised edition (September 27, 2001)

The Amish in Their Own Words
, Brad Igou, Herald Press (VA) (October 1999)

Think No Evil: Inside the Story of the Amish Schoolhouse
Shooting...and Beyond, Jonas Bieler, Howard Books (September 22, 2009)

Books that Properly Portray the Seneca Indians of Western New York

A Friend Among the Seneca’s: The Quaker Mission to Cornplanter's People.
  David Swatzler, Stackpole Books; 1st ed edition (November 1, 2000)

Light and the Glory: 1492-1793
, Peter Marshall, David Manuel, Revell; (June 15, 2009)

A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison
, James E. Seaver, University of Oklahoma Press (March 15, 1995)

Acknowledgements

Jesus Christ, who keeps me knit together in His love.  (Psalm 139:13)

My husband, Tim Vogel, for
coming up with the idea for the mystery of the Amish doll, and how the answer was under the black boot. You  mysterious man, you. Love you much.

First Readers
Betty Berkey, Karen Berkey, Bette Fisher & Karen Malena, Your encouragement gives me wings, and you corrections make me look better than I am.

Grace “Hawkeye” Yee, my gentle editor and friend.  Some
one who can say it like it is, but never leaving me discouraged. You’re a gem.

Pittsburgh East Scribes writing group. I learn so much from you all.

My agent, Joyce Hart, who continues to believe I am a writer….

My readers…I keep writing by your encouragement.