Happy New Day. Happy New Year
The 2008 Christmas season gave its own special memories—times of laughter, excitement, peace, renewed faith, and tiresome duty. We shared times that were well-planned, spur-of-the-moment, and mundane. All of them too fleeting.
I have a lot of goals for 2009. Contracts to fill. Marketing to accomplish. School lessons to teach. Suppers to cook. Souls to feed. My soul to feed. There is no way to keep up with all I need to.
We all know the drill—prioritize, which feels like a euphemism for: make a list, make choices, make people angry.
Sometimes I long for the ease of days when infants wakened me in the middle of the night or when teen sleepovers never ended soon enough. Not that long ago, I homeschooled two middle-schoolers while nurturing a newborn into toddlerhood. Those middle-schoolers are men now—one married, one soon to be. And the once-toddler is studying for his learner’s permit.
Each Christmas season offers so many, many things and one of them is a reason to gather. It gives us festivities for renewing fellowships, and for making new as well as keeping old traditions. It allows us to embrace the very best of life in preparation for a year that is sure to have times of sorrow.
But whether the Christmas season was what you’d hoped it would be or not, the new year will keep marching on. And it’ll be filled with opportunities to try again, forgive, dream, work, and try again.
Happy New Day. Happy New Year!
January 7th, 2009 at 9:53 pm
I received your books for Christmas and have now read all three. What an amazing experience!
I had no idea “Christian Fiction” could be so . . . broad and deep with subtle and unexpected insights about life in all its messiness and beauty.
January 7th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Neat post. Thanks.
From the release of your debut in 2006 to the finale in 2008–the wait was indeed long AND TOTALLY WORTH IT!!
It’s been a LONG, LONG time since I’ve enjoyed any series like I have this one!
S
January 10th, 2009 at 1:19 am
Dear Cindy,
Good evening! I truly enjoyed you 3rd book
“When The Soul Mends”.So looking forward to new book “The Hope Of Refuge”coming out this Fall 2009.
Oh! how I wish it was now but all hang in there and continue to share your books with my customers
at Barnes & Noble Bookstore in East Towne Mall,
Madison, WI. Awaiting your next series. I love your characters and their commitments to each other in the story line along with Amish heritage represented so special in its own right.Thanks so much!
January 11th, 2009 at 12:51 am
Just finished “When The Soul Mends” and absolutely loved it! I really appreciate your last paragraph in New Year Plain News, that whatever last year was like we get to try again.
Do we really have to wait until Fall 2009 to read “The Hope of Refuge”?
January 13th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Thank you for all the lovely writing you do, and I am so eagerly awaiting your next book, yup it does seem to be a long wait, considering we have to go thru 2 more seasons yet. In the meanwhile, can you suggest some good Amish literature to read, I’m craving some good reads.
Thanks
January 15th, 2009 at 10:33 pm
I am not a big fan of reading, but I love your books! I have read all three and cannot wait until the next one is published. I wish they would make a movie about your books. It would make great Hallmark movie!
January 16th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Dear Cindy,
I’m praying for you to have the ability to be concentratively creative; know what I mean? All the great things about family and Christmas and the need to divide ourselves caused me to feel kind of disjointed when everything got back to normal. So, I asked the Lord to take all of my ” bits and pieces” and give me focus and the ability to want to concentrate on one thing exclusively. Deadlines will seem a little less pressurized if you fall into the rhythm of His grace. Lord, let Cindy fall into you as she writes this week.
For His Glory,
Debby
January 22nd, 2009 at 12:12 pm
Dear Cindy, I just finished reading all 3 of your books and want to express my appreciation for the depth of the relationships you gave us the readers. I found myself almost walking in Hannah’s shoes at times, wondering what choices I would make. Thank you for the journey. I look forward to future book. God’s blessings.
January 22nd, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Hello! Soooo great to hear from each of you!I slipped by the site to see what’s going on and now I’m very encouraged. Thank you for the prayers. Thank you for your kind words. Thank you for sharing about the books with friends and family. And thank you for taking the time to write to me.
Um, did I say Denki?
Em Gott sei Friede, (God’s peace),
Cindy
January 22nd, 2009 at 11:47 pm
I think When The Heart Mends is the best book I have ever read. I read the first two and waited and waited for this one to come out. When The Heart Mends finally came in the mail, I put it aside and started the series over again. It was the best. I will read this series over and over again. Loved it!!
January 23rd, 2009 at 5:41 am
Hello Cindy,I read all your books,keep up the good work. After I get done reading them ,I pass them on to my 13 year old grandaughter she is always asking me if I got the new one yet.So far I have her interested in Wanda Brunstetter and Beverly Lewis’s books. But yours is number #1.Thank you for the journey and God bless.
May 14th, 2009 at 9:59 am
Hello Cindy,
I just wanted to let you know that I really have enjoyed getting to know your characters through reading your books. As a HUGE fan of Beverly Lewis, I am SO excited to find another wonderful author who is writing about the fascinating life of the Amish!
I have collected all of Beverly’s books and now I’m working on yours. 
I am not on your email list for your newsletter, but when I get done leaving this comment I’m going to look around your site and find out how to sign up. I would also like to enter the contest for the Amish Wall Hanging. That would be a really cool thing to own.
I’ll look forward to reading your next newsletter!
Wendy Zenor, Iowa