May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
Romans 15:13
If we were to meet at a café for coffee and begin a conversation about all Christmas means, we’d have a long and encouraging discussion.
And if we could catch a glimpse beyond our usual capacity to understand, we may discover that the list is actually endless. The Christmas season is many things, and all of it seems to be wrapped inside of hope with strong emphasis on encouragement. Without hope and encouragement, humans struggle to even get out of bed, let alone strengthen the next generation.
The greatest gift we can give to our loved ones is encouragement.
Encouragement gives hope, and it speaks words of faith.
Encouragement strengthens.
Nourishes.
Sustains.
Encouragement causes love to grow.
Love for life. For one another. For the Holy One.
Darkness. Wretched, miserable darkness cloaks itself in discouragement.
But encouragement causes us to find our way along darkened corridors.
It beckons us to move beyond the iron gates of whatever holds us prisoner.
Every aspect of faith is wrapped inside its warm embrace.
But oftentimes we must fight off discouragement before we can embrace encouragement.
Fight if you must.
Fight to hear the voice of encouragement, to clutch it to your heart.
Fight to feel its power despite discouragement’s reality.
For with encouragement will come the strength and power to accomplish what you need to…and much more.
…hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
Romans 5:5
Winner of the Win a Stay with the Amish Contest
The winner of the Win a Stay with the Amish contest has been chosen! Random.org was used to select the winner from the over 2,000 entries.
Congratulations to Arleen Curry!
Thank you to everyone who participated in this contest. It was so much fun!
Giveaway
This giveaway is not related to Facebook and is completely separate from a similar giveaway I am currently offering on my Facebook author page.
If you are reading this anywhere other than my website, such as on Facebook, in an email, or on Goodreads, please hop on over to my website and leave a comment at the bottom of my post to enter the giveaway. (http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/12/19/advent/)
Only comments left on my website will be entered into the giveaway. (It’s just too hard to track down all the comments left in various places, and that means it’s too easy to miss some of the comments.)
The deadline for this contest is Monday, December 24, 2012, at noon. The winner will be chosen using Random.org and will be contacted privately, as well as announced on the next blog post.
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I would definitly love to win that. I’ve really been enjoying learning about the Amish
I just love, love, love your books!!!
Winning would be great fun! Would love to have some of the things at Rachel’s.
I just read the poem about the children of Sandy Hook and loved it. I always enjoy visiting the stores and restaurants in Holmes and Wayne County in Ohio. Thank you so much for your wonderful stories about the Amish. They are a delight. I am always looking forward to your next one. Merry Christmas!
Would love to win. Thanks for the great contest. Have a Merry Christmas!
Thank you for the giveaway. Also thank you for the video of Breath of Heaven, also the scripture in Roman5:5. The great gift to our family is encouragement. Merry Christmas and God bless you
Norma Stanforth from Ohio
Thank you for the contest! Thanks for sharing the website as well– I saw some new books I want to read.
Mary in IL
Thank you for this opportunity to enter. I plan to stop in Lancaster after Christmas, and hope to find a nice place to shop as well as just enjoy being there.
Blessed Christmas!
~Pat in New Hampshire
Would love to win
I would love to win
Congratulations to Arleen! I hope Arleen will post a comment on this website telling us all about her visit.
Cindy, thanks for another opportunity to enter another one of your contests. Please keep your books coming.
Merry Christmas!
Wishing you and your family a Merry Christmas, Cindy! Congratulations, Arleen.!
Congratulations, Arleen! Merry Christmas.
Wishing you, your family & all your fans a very blessed & Merry Christmas. May God dwell in your hearts and bring you the joy & peace of his birth.
Also, please enter me in your contest.
sorry, misspelled my own name & email. That is pattysdream not pattydream.
Oh my, what a wonderful and blessed opportunity this would be. I highly respect the Amish, their life style, beliefs, and their dedication to community and family. God Bless you, Cindy, and keep up the great work!
You are always so full of wonderful surprises! Thanks for the opportunity!
would just love to win a night at a amish home i love all your books too,Cindy
I just hopped over to the website for the store. Its simply set and has great products available online, wish that I lived closer to check the store out in person!!
The Amish are know to be cruel to animals and are responsible for running horrendously cruel puppy mills.
Go online and Google Amish Puppy Mills and you will be astounded at what you see. I would never go to
any areas where the Amish live, do business etc. One visit was enough….and what I saw was appauling.
Then I found out about the Puppy Mills….and couldn’t believe a people who profess to love and worship
God could abuse and force dogs to live in such tortured and brutal conditions….all for profit….to sell the
puppies of their tortured parents. They breed these dogs until they are “used up”, and the dogs either
die from what they’ve lived through or animal rescue groups go and plead with the Amish to release
them for rescue. Google “Madonna of the Mills” and you will see what I mean. Dear God save these
poor creatures that you created from these heratics.
I love reading your books as well as listening to the ones I download from our local library. Reading about a simple way of life – although filled with hard work – and reading the Scriptures that are woven into the stories – gives such peace. As we live in Appalachia we are close enough to Amish communities in both Ohio and Pennsylvania that we can visit them fairly often. I look forward to each visit. Thank you for sharing about wonderful people and places.
I would love to win, what a great Christmas surprise that would be!
Have a Merry Chrisymas
To win would be divine.
I’d love to win a gift certificate. I wish we had an old fashioned general store with bins and barrels of dry goods and homemade pickles…
Congratulations to Arleen Curry! You will have a great time. I have visited the Amish in Minnesota.. Always fun to sign up for giveaways.. But, mostly just love to read your Blog. May you and Your family have a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.. Blessings, Roxie
I would enjoy winning the $20 gift certificate to Rachel’s Country Store! I found lots of your books on the website and could buy some. Sharon, San Diego
You are a fantastic writer! I’ve enjoyed all of your books so very much! And thanks for these great giveaways!
I love the Amish culture. Would enjoy a visit back home to PA
I’ll just keep on til i get it right
Would like to shop at Rachaels
Would love to win the Amish store giveaway! The Amish really know how to make everything easier! Merry Christmas and Happy New year Cindy!
Would love to win a gift certificate. Loved the website of Rachel’s Country Store…can’t wait to visit as I live in York Co., PA. Cindy, you have the best give-aways. Looking forward to another great year in 2013….Thanks, Linda M.
I would absolutely adore having a gift card to an Amish store run by one of your Amish friends. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Cindy.
Another great contest! Thanks for offering it.
I would love to win Cindy! Thanks for the wonderful stories that you write.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to win another giveaway! Merry Christmas!
Would love to win this gift certificate! I enjoy visiting a special Amish friend!
Thank you, Cindi Many Christmas and New Year Blessings to You and Yours
Please enter me in the contest. Thank you!
Would love to win this gift certificate. I enjoy reading your books and learning about the Amish.
Would love to win this gift certificate!
I have been to Rachels Country Store and would love to go back. She has rearranged and changed some things since I was there, but it is still a lovely store.
Oh how I would love to win this, Merry Christmas and a Healthy Happy New Year and God bless all. Patti in VA ==pag1936@yahoo.com
What a lovely prize — a gift certificate – would be thrilled to win. Please accept my entry. Thank you and have a Merry Christmas.
How fun to be included in a drawing for Rachel’s Country Store. This would only be made better if we could visit to do the shopping. Thank you.
I would luv to win a gift certificate. Give me a chance
Would love to win the gift certificate!
I would love to win a gift certificate to Rachel’s Country Store. A friend and I were at the store this afternoon, enjoyed shopping there, and had a nice chat with Rachel.
Congratulations to Arleen. Enjoy the visit. It should be wonderful.
Lucky Arleen Curry!!!
What a wonderful idea. Merry Christmas and a safe holiday to all!
Congratulations to Arleen Curry! I hope she has a marvelous time in the Amish Home!
Thanks for the chance to win a gift certificate. Love your books!
It would be great fun to be a winner of the $20.00 to spend Rachel’s country store.
Congrats to the winner of the Overnight stay!! Enjoy your trip!
I would love to win the $20 gift certificate from Rachel’s country store!
Wonderful giveaway!
Would love to win!!! Thank you!!!!!!
Would love to win the gift certificate!!!!! Thank you!!!!
Dianna Bupp
dibupp@yahoo.com
Would love to win! Thank you….
I love reading your books , would love to win
Love your books. Merry Christmas to all,
Merry Christmas!!!
Congrats to the winner and Merry Christmas!!
Jdb8420@aol.com
Love all your books! Merry Christmas to all.
Would love to win this!
Would love to win this
I love your books Cindy. I would love to win something from Rachel’s Amish Store.
Thanks for another fun drawing to enter!
That’s pretty cool! I’d love to be able to visit an Amish store in person…..
Love Rachel’s Country Store, I checked out her website! Wish there were more pictures of the “household” items
Praying that you, Cindy and family, and Rachel and family have a very blessed Christmas!
I would love to win! =)
I’d love to win and either purchase a cookbook or an Amish novel!
Darn, I did not win the night, would have been so nice.
, but know lots of people wanted to. You are all so hospitable. Teresa Hahn
Congratulations, Arleen! Enjoy for all of us!
I would love to enter the contest and the Amish cookbooks I would love to have.
i would love this contest. love your books.
Would love to win! Kimberly S.
I love your Amish books. I love the little tidbits of Amish life that you share with us.
What an awesome gift, count me in!
I would LOVE to win!
I love Amish country and would love to win! Merry Christmas Cindy!
Congratulations to the contest winner, Arlene Curry! And everyone have a wonderful Christmas. :)
Please enter me.I would love to win this.I love amish things.Thanks so very Much and Merry Christmas
I’m reading Christmas in Apple Ridge right now! 2 things I keep wondering…what did Amos eat as a child to grow so tall and why is Jonah’s coffee so good? I just took a peek at the website and love the patchwork pillows!
I’m reading Christmas in Apple Ridge right now! 2 things I keep wondering…what did Amos eat as a child to grow so tall and why is Jonah’s coffee so good? I just took a peek at the website and love the patchwork pillows!
I love Amish auctions. There is one in the southern Indiana Amish community of Cannelburg every year on the Saturday before Labor Day. Although I’m a quilter myself, I’ve purchased two quilts there because they are just lovely. The auction is held annually to benefit the local Amish schools.
There are usually somewhere between 125-150 quilts auctioned every year. Knowing how many hours are involved in making a quilt plus the cost of materials, I find the prices to be very realistic. It takes about $150-$250 in fabric, the cost of batting and backing, thread and then to either have someone machine quilt it or pay someone to hand quilt it.
I just recently finished a beautiful fall quilt that is made from multiple colors of batiks. Each block has a maple leaf in one corner surrounded by a log cabin style block; a realtively easy pattern. I decided to keep track of the actual hours involved just in sewing the queen size quilt together. I have 95 hours in time. That’s not including the time spent pressing the material and cutting it out. If you take the average amount an hourly worker makes- let’s say $7 an hour-that’s $665 just for that time. Soooooo…when you check prices on Amish quilts and see they are priced around $800, you are actually getting a bargain!
would love to shop the country store!
Would love to be a winner. Love reading your books. Maybe that makes me a winner.
This is a wonderful article and so timely!
Congratulations to Arlene !!!! I would like to be in the giveaway, thank you so very much Cindy.. I love Rachel’s Country Store, thanks for the heads up about it !! Rosemary Foley
rfoley@salemstate.edu
Yes! I would love it!
Congratulations to Arleen! I know she’ll enjoy her visit!
Congrats, so happy for you, I would like to be in the giveaway for Rachel’s store.