The official site of author Cindy Woodsmall http://www.cindywoodsmall.com New York Times best-selling author Wed, 22 Feb 2012 17:09:18 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 A few images taken during the ongoing book tour ~ http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/22/a-few-images-taken-during-the-ongoing-book-tour/ http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/22/a-few-images-taken-during-the-ongoing-book-tour/#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:06:58 +0000 Cindy Woodsmall http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/?p=2699

I've been having a really good time the last few days on the beginning of my book tour. I've met some new friends and shared some new experiences with old ones. I would like to give my readers an update of some photos and stories of these experiences.

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Here’s an image from an evening stroll around Pinecraft Village in Sarasota, Florida.

Yesterday’s signing at Yoder’s meant so much to me. I connected with some wonderful reader friends, and I also met an Amish-Mennonite man who is the founder of a very unusual business. I’d written about that business in an upcoming novel, A Season for Tending. When my editor read the first draft, she asked me to write a bit more about that business. Meeting him was so great, and I filled pages of notes while he talked.  Then Sherry and I and six others shared a fabulous meal at Yoder’s. It was a perfect evening!


Sherry Gore, author of Taste of Pinecraft, and me after cooking up a dish
commonly found in Amish diners across the U.S.
I’ll share the making of it in a vlog as soon as the edits of the clip are complete.

I’m looking forward to the next stops on the book tour!

]]> http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/22/a-few-images-taken-during-the-ongoing-book-tour/feed/ 0 My newest novella releases tomorrow! http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/20/my-newest-novella-releases-tomorrow/ http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/20/my-newest-novella-releases-tomorrow/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 14:30:14 +0000 Cindy Woodsmall http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/?p=2645 The Scent of Cherry Blossoms releases tomorrow! In celebration of its release, I would love to share with you a vlog about the story behind my inspiration for the setting and the story. ]]> Hello, my friends!

I am so excited! The Scent of Cherry Blossoms releases tomorrow!

My book tour also starts tomorrow in Sarasota, Florida. I hope I will be able to meet and visit with those of you who live in the Florida, South Carolina, and Georgia areas over the next few days.

In addition, I would like to announce the results of last week’s contest. I chose the winner using Random.org, and that winner is Megan Parsons. Congratulations, Megan! She has won an autographed, large print copy of Plain Wisdom. Thank you to all of my readers who participated in this giveaway and joined me in discussing a bit about the faith of the Amish people. I hope you will join me again next time!

]]> http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/20/my-newest-novella-releases-tomorrow/feed/ 1 Some Thoughts on the Old Order Amish and the Old Order Mennonites http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/18/some-thoughts-on-the-old-order-amish-and-the-old-order-mennonites/ http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/18/some-thoughts-on-the-old-order-amish-and-the-old-order-mennonites/#comments Sat, 18 Feb 2012 17:00:58 +0000 Cindy Woodsmall http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/?p=2637

]]> http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/18/some-thoughts-on-the-old-order-amish-and-the-old-order-mennonites/feed/ 11 A Vlog for my upcoming novella release! http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/17/a-vlog-for-my-upcoming-book-tour/ http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/17/a-vlog-for-my-upcoming-book-tour/#comments Fri, 17 Feb 2012 19:11:24 +0000 Cindy Woodsmall http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/?p=2622 The Scent of Cherry Blossoms. I am really excited that it releases on Tuesday and would love to share some of my thoughts about it with you!]]> Hello, my dear reader friends! I want to take a quick break from preparing for my book tour to share with you a brief video about The Scent of Cherry Blossoms. I am really excited that it releases on Tuesday and would love to share some of my thoughts about it with you!

]]> http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/17/a-vlog-for-my-upcoming-book-tour/feed/ 6 Are the Amish saved? –and a giveaway http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/13/are-the-amish-saved-and-a-giveaway/ http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/13/are-the-amish-saved-and-a-giveaway/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:30:23 +0000 Cindy Woodsmall http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/?p=2586 Update: this contest is now over. I would like to thank everyone who joined and made this contest so much fun. I chose a winner using Random.org, and that winner is Megan Parsons. Congratulations, Megan!

I’m often asked if the Amish are saved. I think what people are really asking is whether the teachings of the Amish church follow the precepts of God’s Word.

You may have heard that the Amish avoid saying that they are assured of heaven. The Amish are most likely to say that they have the hope of heaven. I’ve heard many people say that this must mean the Amish aren’t saved.

The Amish are taught the Word of God in its entirety, including that one must be saved by grace through faith. So why do they say they only have a hope of heaven? Because they do not want to be caught in assumption of any kind.

Some outsiders feel that their unwillingness to say, “I know I’m going to heaven,” reflects a lack of faith on their part. But Scripture points out that not everyone who thinks he or she is saved is truly saved, and those who think they stand need to take heed lest they fall (Matthew 7:22-23; 1 Corinthians 10:12). The Amish, by culture, are humble in their assertions toward God.

Another question that often comes my way is “Are the Amish beliefs based on works or faith?” The Amish lifestyle appears, to some, to focus on legalism over grace.

The Word says that Christ has set us free. Galatians 5:1–3 says, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”

But the Word also tells us that faith without works is dead. James 2:18 says, “Someone may well say, ‘You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works.’” And Philippians 2:12 tells us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.” Romans 12:1–2 says, “ I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”

Our goal as Christians is to balance God’s gift to us, which is redemption through Christ, with our gift to Him, which is being a living sacrifice (Galatians 3:16; Romans 12:1).

The Amish are taught from both the Old and New Testaments. But they also strive to keep the Ordnung, which is the written and unwritten rules of their forefathers. The Ordnung has been passed down for hundreds of years. When people officially join the faith, they agree to keep the Ordnung and to raise their children by those standards. Because the Ordnung is a “rule book,” it has a tendency to make its followers rule-conscious. At the same time, the Amish teachings from the pulpit make it clear that no one can make himself or herself worthy of salvation. That must come through Christ.

I hope all of us remember to not take Christ for granted, but to walk in love and humility, knowing that none of us has our beliefs in perfect order, perhaps not even as close as we might hope.

Even if we think we have beliefs that are fully in line with God’s intent, we’d do well to offer grace to those who may not. For if Christ had let into His heart only those who understood God and His Word in its entirety, He would never have bothered to come to Earth to begin with.

Em Gott Sei Friede (In God’s peace),

Cindy

 Giveaway

For a chance to win a large-print edition of Plain Wisdom: An Invitation into an Amish Home and the Hearts of Two Women, please leave a comment below.

This contest ends Monday, February 20, 2012.

Remember that only comments left on my website will be entered. If you’re reading this on Facebook and such, please hop over to my website. (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.)

Last week’s contest is now officially over! We had a great week of chatting on the blog. I’ve chosen the winner using Random.org, and the winner is Marilyn Taylor. She’s won an autographed copy of The Scent of Cherry Blossoms. Congratulations, Marilyn!

Em Gott Sei Friede (God’s peace),

Cindy

]]> http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/13/are-the-amish-saved-and-a-giveaway/feed/ 203 Valentine’s Treat and a Book Giveaway! http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/06/valentines-treat-and-a-book-giveaway/ http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/06/valentines-treat-and-a-book-giveaway/#comments Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:30:27 +0000 Cindy Woodsmall http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/?p=2521 Update: this contest is now over. I would like to thank everyone who participated. I had a lot of fun! I chose a winner using Random.org and that winner is Marilyn Taylor. Congratulations, Marilyn!

Hello, my wonderful readers! Today, before we get into the yummy part of this post, I have a little bit of business to discuss. My book tour for The Scent of Cherry Blossoms starts February 21. Be sure to hop over to my “Appearances” page to look at the details and share them with your friends and family who live in the area.

You might be interested to hear that I am doing something new for this tour. If you have a book club in one of the areas that I’ll visit during my tour and would like to make arrangements for a visit from me while I’m in the area, please send an e-mail to cindy@cindywoodsmall.com with a subject line of “Book Club,” and someone will be in contact with you to see what can be done.

I would also like to announce the winner of last week’s blog. She’s won a one-year subscription to Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living. The winner is Cheryl of WVa! Congratulations, Cheryl!

Okay, now for the yummy part! For today’s post, I would like to celebrate the upcoming Valentine’s Day. Let’s make a tasty treat together that those dearest to you will LOVE! ;-)

Although there’s a little debate about this, most historians agree that whoopie pies were originally created in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. They were made from leftover cake batter. Legend says that the husbands and children would be so excited upon seeing these treats in their lunch pails that they would yell out, “Whoopie!”

I don’t know if that’s true, but I do know that’s what I wanted to yell out one spring afternoon while staying with Old Order Amish friends. A young mom with two adorable children walked into the home where I was staying, and she had a batch of freshly baked whoopie pies. We put a pot of coffee on the stove and had a lovely time soaking in the beautiful weather, the laughter of children, and delicious whoopie pies.

So, with these pleasant memories in mind, I came across this picture of a whoopie pie and thought the pink frosting was really cute and very appropriate for Valentine’s Day. I hope that you will be able to savor a few moments of peaceful surroundings and good company like I did while enjoying these delicious desserts.

Whoopie Pie

Cakes
2 cups flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg

Filling
½ cup softened butter
1½ cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup marshmallow crème
1 teaspoon vanilla
Red food coloring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. In a small bowl, mix the buttermilk and vanilla extract. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar until evenly blended. Add the egg and blend until creamy.

Combine half of the flour mixture with the butter mixture. Mix in the buttermilk mixture. Add the rest of the flour mixture.

Scoop the batter into evenly sized mounds and place, evenly spaced, onto cookie sheets covered with parchment paper. Be sure to scoop an even number of mounds. Bake the sheets one at a time for ten minutes. The cakes should feel moist and soft. Let them cool on a rack before icing.

To make icing, beat all of the filling ingredients together, except the food coloring. Once ingredients are blended, add red food coloring until you reach your desired tint.

To complete the whoopie pies, spread icing evenly on the top of one cake and then gently press another on top. Continue until all of your cakes have been used!

I hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful Valentine’s Day together! And if you’d like a chance to win an autographed copy of The Scent of Cherry Blossoms, please leave a comment below.

 

]]> http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/02/06/valentines-treat-and-a-book-giveaway/feed/ 527 Cooking & Such and a giveaway http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/01/30/cooking-such-and-a-giveaway/ http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/2012/01/30/cooking-such-and-a-giveaway/#comments Mon, 30 Jan 2012 19:16:34 +0000 Cindy Woodsmall http://www.cindywoodsmall.com/?p=2416 UPDATE: Thank you to each and every one of the three hundred wonderful participants in this contest! I used Random.org to choose a number and the winner is Cheryl of West Virginia. Congratulations, Cheryl!

 

Welcome to Plain Talk. Today’s post is from my friend Sherry Gore. She’ll post here once each month. Sherry and I became friends years ago, and if you don’t know her, you’ll enjoy getting to do so through her posts. She has a WONDERFUL magazine called Cooking & Such, and I’m giving away a year’s subscription. You can read Sherry’s bio at the bottom of this blog. The author of the article is a Plain woman who wishes to stay anonymous, so we simply used her first name. Enjoy!

Here’s what you’ll find inside the spring issue of Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living. A Mennonite cowboy calf branding in Wyoming; Mother’s Day brunch; barn kitties and cuties; fresh, Easter dinner and other spring recipes; stories that’ll make your sides ache and lots more! Oh, and find out what not to do in front of a buggy driver with a whip!

If you’d like to order the magazine, go to http://www.sherrygorebooks.com/books.htm

The Phone Shack Adventure

by Linda

We Amish have a separate outbuilding where we keep our telephone, which we call a phone shack. Having the phone out nearer the road makes it convenient to share with our neighbors, which cuts down on the cost. I find keeping the phone outside helps keep our home more peaceful with less distractions. More and more these days, using the phone to call a business has become time-consuming as I wade through all the voicemail options and long for one that lets me talk to a person, which reminds me a of story…

For two years I had been searching for a certain item and when I finally found it in a catalog, I boldly march out to the phone shack and picked up the phone to face yet another 800-number full of recorded voices asking me to select a number. “Hello. Thank you for calling. For English press 1, for Spanish press 2.” Quickly I punch #1. Next I hear five choices from which to choose. I pick number 5 because I still want to speak with a representative. “Thank you for calling. Your call is important to us. Please stay on the line, we will be with you just as soon as possible,” quips a chipper voice. Broken up and staticky, music begins to play. Oh boy! This could take a while.

I jab at the speakerphone button. The phone is dropped into the cradle. Yikes! Speakerphone made the so-called music sound even worse. Into the sixth minute of being on hold, an idea starts forming in my head. I reach a decision quickly. Yes, I think I can run back into the house, grab my book, and be back out to the phone before a representative answers. Or should I stay? The longer I debate, the bigger the chance to miss the call. My decision made, I make a mad dash for the house (about 50 yards away), yank open the door, dive for my book, put the gears in reverse and head for the door. In my extreme hurry to get back out to the phone, I give the door an extra shove so it’ll latch correctly. The book flops out of my hand but I snatch it back up and take off full-throttle. Skirts billowing and cap strings flying straight back, out I rush into the phone shack.

Yes! I know I am successful as I am greeted by the sound of scratchy hold music. I sit down, lean back in the chair, and make myself comfortable as I open my book. But wait! Riffling through the pages, I quickly realize I have lost my bookmark in my haste. However, I soon find my place and begin to read. Pages flutter by as I skim over the words, deeply engrossed in the story. Flutter, flutter, flutter…

“HELLO,” the phone shouts. Startled back into reality, my poor head bumps the ceiling, preventing my successful jump to the moon. “Thank you for calling. My name is Tara. How can I be of assistance today,” asks the long-awaited voice. Quickly I wedge my head out of the imprint on the ceiling and back to earth. Heart still throbbing from surprise, I begin placing my order, but then I hear the sound of a vehicle. I take a quick peek. Yup, there sits the FedEx truck in front of our house. Do I have to sign for the package? Will the driver leave the package if I don’t? What do I do? Should I call out to him? Or should I finish the call and hope he waits?

“Umm, ma’am, are you still there,” asks Tara.

“Oh yes, I’m sorry. I got a little distracted here,” I apologize. I complete the order as I listen to the truck rumble away in the background. With my order successfully submitted I head back to the house.

To my complete joy, I notice the driver left my package on the doorstep. Reaching for my awaited package, my joy turns into embarrassment, for there on the door latch hung my bookmark. No wonder the driver left me my package. The bookmark (a memento from a recent wedding) read “Peace – Love – Joy – The greatest of these is love – Our wedding day, Eli and Lydia Miller”.

Giveaway

For a chance to win a year's subscription to Cooking & Such: Adventures in Plain Living magazine, please leave a comment below. This contest ends Monday, February 6, 2012. I'll announce the winner when I post next Monday's blog.

Remember that only comments left on my website will be entered. If you’re reading this on Facebook and such, please hop over to my website.

Thanks! (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.)

~

Editor's (Sherry Gore) Note: Years ago on Saturday mornings my friend Esther and I sold our baked goods together at Yoder's Farmer's Market in Pinecraft. I've always been a fan of carrot cake but this recipe of hers (a customer favorite) stands out above the rest. I'm certain you'll like it as much as I do!

To visit Sherry's website, go to http://www.sherrygorebooks.com