NEWSLETTER
December 2009
Beloved Reader,
The beautiful shades of fall have faded and the gorgeous overhead canopies of reds, yellows, and oranges are gone. But I love the more subtle elegance of bare tree limbs. When cold weather began sneaking into my day, I found myself looking forward to writing to you and sharing a Christmas greeting.
The anticipation of celebrating Christ’s birth is all around us, and I can’t help but think of all the Christmases that have passed by so quickly. We are powerless to slow the movement of time, but we have the power to make this holiday season linger in the hearts of family, friends, and even strangers.
How?
By mixing prayer, love, and time together into a beautiful concoction that makes good memories for others, helps out someone in need, and encourages everyone it touches.
It truly is an exciting season each year!
We don’t have to handle everything perfectly or try to fulfill each person’s wish list. We only need to follow Him and look for ways to touch hearts. Inside this newsletter, I hope you find useful ideas and encouragement for spreading love.
Romans 5:5 says, “And 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.”
First Peter 4:8 says, “Love covers a multitude of sin.”
If you get weary or stressed throughout the holidays, I hope you’ll take a relaxing breath and remember that the graciousness of love is the only way any of us can stand before God or each other.
I’ve just returned from a trip to Pennsylvania that began before Thanksgiving.
It is always special to get to catch up with extended family, especially during Thanksgiving time. The meal was delicious, and the time spent talking, sharing stories, and laughing together was invaluable.
After the rest of my family headed back to Georgia, I had something else to be thankful for: a visit to one of my Amish friends’ home.
We treasured our week together, and I returned home a few days ago.
I hope you are treasuring these weeks before the birthday of our Savior.
Merry Christmas!
Cindy
Cindy’s Itinerary
Book Signing Saturday, January 9, 2010 10:00 to 10:30 a.m. The Carpenter's Shop 756 N. Chase Street Athens, GA 30601 (706) 546-7375 |
Asbury United Methodist Church Saturday, January 23, 2010 9:00 to 3:30 Walking by Faith…in Heels Women’s Conference Madison, Alabama Guest speaker: Cindy Woodsmall For more information, please visit me visit my website. |
In Stores Now!
Remorse and loneliness echo inside Beth Hertzler from the life she once had. Children’s whispers and laughter call to her from a life she only dreams of. A gifted carver holds the answer to both within his hands—but can Beth step beyond yesterday in order to embrace tomorrow?
“This is a wonderfully written, transformative story of two Amish families at Christmastime. It will bring sleigh-riding memories to life as readers vicariously join in this jolly and exciting holiday tradition.” –Romantic Times 4½ stars
To read chapter one of The Sound of Sleigh Bells, click on your preferrered format: (PDF); (Web page)
You can find The Sound of Sleigh Bells in your local bookstore and also at these online sellers:
Order from: |
Amish Connection
I’d like to share with you a fictionalized account of a true story.
Years ago an Amish man and his wife spent their days struggling against poverty. They had four children under the age of five. Even with both Dad and Mom doing all they could, they were barely able to keep food on the table and a roof over the family’s heads.
Then the man’s wife became sick. As she grew weaker, she could no longer take care of the baby while her husband worked. After weeks of prayer, they knew what they needed to do. There was a suitable Amish family in the district who needed the love of a baby to ease their own recent loss.
With tears of sorrow and sacrifice, the couple agreed to relinquish their six-month-old daughter to their care.
While the other children waited in the horse-drawn carriage, the dad helped his wife carry their precious infant to the front doorstep, where the grateful couple waited with both anticipation and compassion. The infant cooed blissfully as she was passed from one woman’s arms to the other’s.
The mothers embraced, gently pressing the baby girl between them. “When your health returns,” the neighbor said, “we will bring her back to you.”
But the mother did not get well. Some months after this painful parting, she passed away.
As the bereaved father struggled through his grief, he continued working hard to keep his three older children fed, clothed, and housed.
After more than five years slipped by, the youngest one began attending school with all her siblings in the one-room schoolhouse. That year, as Thanksgiving drew close, the older children approached their dad and asked if the youngest could return home to live and if they could all be together in time for Christmas.
They’d seen her on church Sundays and eaten the district-wide meal with her after those services, but bringing her home had not been possible. “I would love nothing more,” he said. “But I don’t make enough money to provide for her.”
His children gathered around. “We can all help,” the eldest said. She fingered the sleeve of her frayed coat, which was already too small for her. “This could last one more winter. And I don’t need a new pair of gloves for Christmas like I asked for. I can patch the ones I have.”
Her sister took Dad’s hand. “I can alter Mom’s old dresses instead of getting new material to make clothes for next year.”
“And I’ll eat only one slice of bread at dinner instead of three,” the young boy said. The family laughed.
Touched by his children’s sacrificial offers, the father thought of more ideas for making extra money. “With a bit more help from you girls, we could expand the garden so we will have more produce to sell during the summer months.”
He turned to his son. “If you could help me add stalls to the barn, we can rent parts of the building to our neighbors. They’re looking for space to raise their new calves.”
The children eagerly agreed to the plans. Their hearts soared with hope.
The father and his excited children clambered into the carriage and headed for the home of the couple who’d been taking care of their baby sister. When the horse stopped at the front gate, they saw the young girl playing in the yard. Even though the dad spent time with her on church Sundays and at district-wide events, she seemed like such a big girl that day. In spite of holding her a couple of times each month since giving her to this family, the father’s heart ached over the years he’d missed with his littlest daughter. He wondered how she and her new parents would feel about her returning to her family.
The couple emerged from the house and embraced the father and his children. The woman called to the little girl, and she came toward them.
“She will be thrilled to be going home with you,” the woman said. “We’ve always told her this day would come.”
After the dad asked his little girl if she’d like to come to his home to live, she jumped into his arms. The older children surrounded them.
The father told the couple about the plans they had made that would help them provide for the youngest one. Both families rejoiced over the little girl returning home.
In the days that followed, the father and his children continued to fight against poverty, but in the midst of it they bonded with one another and found joy in the little things life offered. A beautiful sunrise, building snowmen, walking together to school and to the home where church would be held, sledding down the backyard hill, silently praying at the dinner table, always knowing they had each other.
A week before Christmas the dad received a hundred dollars in the mail. None of the family knew who the money came from, but they each had ideas for how it could be spent.
“Food,” suggested the son, smacking his lips and rubbing his belly.
“New winter clothing,” the middle daughter said, her eyes aglow.
“Perhaps,” added the oldest girl, “we could get fresh prayer Kapps so we’re not dishonoring God by wearing tattered ones.”
The father turned to his youngest girl, who had so recently been reunited with them. “I think we should let her decide.” He brought the little one onto his lap. “What do you think we should do with the money?”
Her face lit up with a bright smile. “I think we should help someone who is poor.”
The family looked at one another. Didn’t she realize they were poor?
After a moment, the oldest daughter mentioned a non-Amish man who lived down the road. “He is more poor than anybody I know. I’ve heard that he doesn’t have any family either.”
They all heartily agreed to take every penny of that hundred dollars to the man.
They rode in a carriage to the old man’s house. Dad knocked on the door. After several moments, it creaked open.
“Merry Christmas,” the father said as he handed him the cash.
The old man’s body shook and tears soon rolled down his face.
He invited them into his home, walking stiffly. He told them he’d injured his back at work months ago, and he was unable to return to his job for a while. “I’m afraid I have nothing to offer you in return.” The old man sat with a groan. “This winter has been the worst of them all. I’ve been sitting here alone, thinking that no one cared about me. Not even God.”
The old man looked into each of his visitors’ eyes. “Because of what you’ve given me, I’ll be able to keep food on the table until I return to work. I don’t know how to thank you.”
After helping the old man with a few jobs around the house and yard, the family hugged him and said good-bye. As they rode home in their horse-drawn buggy, they held hands and sang carols, basking in the warmth of Christmas joy.
A few years have passed since then, and the dad and children continue to work hard, but poverty has released its awful grip, leaving few signs behind that it had once lived with them. Perhaps the true spirit of the Christmas season is most often found inside of hope that does not have to see help to know it is coming. Blind hope has the power to get us through our toughest times and it continually nudges us onward until we can embrace a better tomorrow.
I’m running a very special contest that will only last until February 15.
The prize is an Amish-made quilt! (See photo above) This quilt was sewn by Anna, who is the daughter of a bishop. She's signed and dated the quilt.
This special contest is for anyone who becomes a Cindy Woodsmall Facebook friend or fan. You are welcome to join either. You can let your friends and family know so they can participate, too.
Are you already a friend or fan of mine on Facebook? I appreciate you so much and want you to join the contest, too. Just check out #2 on the entrance guidelines below.
Here’s how to enter:
This contest is now closed. Information on how to enter has been removed.
Newsletter Contest
In September’s newsletter, readers had a chance to win a small basket of goodies, including a copy of The Sound of Sleigh Bells. The winner of this contest is Linda of Chateaugay, New York.
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Congratulations, Linda! |
NOW! I have a different type of contest to share with you for this “newsletter contest.” My publisher is having a special 12 Days of Christmas sweepstakes AND The Sound of Sleigh Bells contest. The contests end soon. To enter, go here.
Bookplates
Bookplates are adhesive-backed stickers that I can sign and mail to you in a regular envelope with letter-rate postage. Putting the sticker on the title page of your book makes it an autographed copy! Any requests made after December 1 may not get to you in time for Christmas.
For more information, please visit my web site.
Spotlight
Rather than sharing an author in this month’s spotlight section, I’d like you to meet a friend of mine—Nora St. Laurent. I thought you might find her story encouraging. Since we met four years ago, I’ve been impressed with her spirit of compassion for others, determination to overcome life’s obstacles, and her desire to serve everyone she can. She helps to keep our local LifeWay store a success, is an encourager to all who meet her, and is an excellent book club leader. I know she’s a great leader because I was her first “author visit” more than three years ago, and I returned for a second visit just last week.
Confessions of a Book Club Leader
By Nora St. Laurent
I’m a book club leader. What I have to confess might surprise you. I find myself amazed God has chosen me to be a leader in the first place. I confess I’ve never hoped or dreamed I’d be in the position I find myself in now—ever!
I didn’t even know book clubs existed until I started working for a Christian bookstore, and now I’m running two of them and help run one online. God has me blogging—who’d a thought?—on Finding Hope through Fiction, where I feature author interviews, book reviews, and so much more. Okay, I admit none of this is really anything extraordinary unless I confess to you, I’m dyslexic.
I was diagnosed at twenty-six after I agreed to participate in a family study. It was a relief to find out why I had struggled with learning to read, couldn’t concentrate on the page I was looking at, and why reading out loud was always a hilarious adventure for my classmates. They laughed as I read words that weren’t on the written page! I only knew I was reading the wrong words because of the teasing. I still struggle with reading like this, especially when I’m tired.
When my friend asked me to run a book club, I looked behind me to see who she was taking to. It couldn’t be me. I’d only started to read because I was working at a bookstore and totally loved to talk to people. The problem was, the only thing to talk about at a bookstore, besides several gift items and a few hundred cards, were books. Lots of them! I had to start reading on a regular basis if I wanted to talk at work! I confessed to her, “I love talking to people. Reading gives me something to talk about.” Since it wasn’t my passionate desire to read for reading’s sake, I told my friend she might want to consider someone else to run the meetings, but she refused. She told me I was the one. I went to the Lord in prayer—complaining. I couldn’t believe it, but He agreed with my friend. I didn’t argue.
Everything was fine until one day my boss asked me a question. “Nora, we’re making some changes around here. We’ve talked about you and we’ve all decided we want you to run book clubs at the store. What do you say?”
Was he kidding? I knew he was talking to me because he used my name. Okay, God, this wasn’t funny. Was there anyone else up there I could talk to? You know I’m dyslexic, right? Reading and I haven’t exactly gotten along! Remember? What gives? You know I can’t read as fast as everyone else on the planet. I haven’t read all my life; how am I supposed to play catch-up?
At that moment I realized that God had a sense of humor. He was putting to test in my life the Scriptures that say, “With God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26 NIV) and “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13 NIV). He was serious about this stuff. I pleaded with God to find a replacement. I felt like Moses when he asked God to send someone else because he didn’t speak eloquently.
When I realized that God was sticking to Plan A, and there was no Plan B, I said to Him, “I really, really can’t do this. It freaks me out. I’m terrified. It’s like standing up in front of the class to read out loud and everyone laughing at me. Please don’t ask me to do this. I can’t go through that experience again.”
Then I sensed God saying in my spirit, “I know you can’t do this by yourself. In your weakness people will see Me. I will make you strong. Trust in Me. I work all things out for My glory and your good. Trust Me—I love you! Can you lean on Me?”
“Yes, I can do that.”
“All I want you to do is love the ladies I put in your path. Love them the way I have loved you—extravagantly. Can you do that??”
Suddenly a huge weight lifted from my chest and my mind became peaceful. Why didn’t He ask me that in the first place? God, You have loved me like no other. Yes, I’ll gladly sign up.
The next day I went to my boss and confessed. He was in total agreement with what the Lord laid on my heart about loving people extravagantly. He told me the Lord had shown him that kind of love too! He wanted to pass it on.
I’ve been running book clubs and having authors speak at them for almost three years now. I’m constantly reminded of Philippians 4:13 “I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.”
The task ahead of us is never as great as the power within us. Ooh, I love this Scripture of hope. We don’t have to be intimidated if we’ve felt nudged to start a book club or when someone out of the blue asks us to start one. God moves in mysterious ways. I’m living proof!
Until next time.
Nora St. Laurent
Finding Hope through Fiction
Book Club Servant Leader
www.psalm516.blogspot.com
Facebook—Finding Hope through Fiction
Recipes from the Esh Family Cookbook
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We have an exciting update since the last newsletter! If you remember from the last newsletter…
While my daughter-in-law Erin and I were putting the newsletter together, she looked through the Esh Family Cookbook for a recipe to share with you, and she discovered this: Aunt Betty’s Rivel Soup, submitted by David B. Esh
“I don’t have the recipe. Ask Aunt Betty!”
After we stopped laughing, she asked me if I thought I could find Aunt Betty. I said I thought I could.
I turned to my Amish friend Miriam to solve this mystery. She also found that entry to be quite amusing. A month or so after I contacted her with the problem, she wrote to me:
Cindy,
I saw Aunt Betty at an auction recently; she sat right in front of me. :) So I got my chance to ask for the soup recipe.
Love, Miriam
Aunt Betty’s Rivel Soup
| 3 tablespoons butter | 3 cups milk |
| ½ cup flour | 1 egg yolk |
| Salt and pepper to taste |
Melt and brown butter, add and heat milk. In a separate bowl, take flour and mix in egg yolk with fork until crumbly. A little at a time, add the flour and egg yolk mixture to the heated milk and butter. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cover with a lid. Turn off heat and let set a few minutes.
Although this next recipe is not from the Esh Family Cookbook, I thought you might find it helpful and fun. Christmas is a great time to share in fun crafts and recipes with your family! Whatever your kids’ ages, be imaginative and free spirited in your holiday plans. They’ll love you for it…eventually.
| 4 cups all-purpose flour |
| 1 cup salt |
| 1½ cups warm water |
Mix flour and salt. Slowly add warm water. Press dough to about an eighth of an inch thick and use cookie cutters. Add ornament hooks into the top before baking. Bake at 325º until cookies are hardened. Cool. Decorate using acrylic paints. You may wish to use shellac as a final coat to help preserve them. (If your kids are going to eat the decorations, use an edible recipe and use frosting instead of paint and skip the shellac!)
A Tidbit about Amish life
Simple Celebrations
The Amish celebrate Christmas in simplicity and tradition. They don’t include Santa, electric lights, tinsel, ribbons, fancy wrapping paper, or Christmas trees, but through simple and creative ways, they honor the season of Christ’s birth.
Here are several ideas inspired by the Amish way of celebrating Christmas. We too can make this year’s holiday celebrations more memorable by keeping them simple.
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