Review of Almost Amish

I recently finished reading an excellent new book called Almost Amish: One woman's quest for a slower, simpler, more sustainable life, by Nancy Sleeth.  Years ago, Ben and I read another book by the author's husband, Dr. Matthew Sleeth, and it stirred something in us that ended up reshaping the way we live our lives.  We decided to work towards living a simpler, more intentional, and more responsible life, hopefully being better stewards of the things God has entrusted to us.  Keeping the same principles as her husband's, Nancy Sleeth's Almost Amish focuses in on living simply and intentionally, using the Amish as examples.

Now, I had always thought that the Amish were somehow afraid of modern society and technology, and had thus hidden themselves away from the rest of us.  But as I read this book, I realized their lifestyle isn't based on fear or the belief that technology is inherently bad.  They are actually very intentional, seeking to live their lives completely based on Scripture.  And if something isn't actually beneficial, they don't do it.  That doesn't mean that if we also want to center our lives around the Word that we have to say goodbye to all technology and join an Amish community.  But maybe we do need to take a step back and carefully consider each detail and aspect of our lives, and whether they follow the teachings of the Bible.  Whether they truly add to our lives, or take away from it.   It's easy to get caught up in the trends and "progress" of our culture, but often, the direction our culture is going is not the best way.

And who, more than any other group in twenty-first-century America is countercultural...? Has intact families? Healthy communities?  Gardens, home-cooked meals, and uncluttered homes?  Restrained use of technology, strong local economies, and almost nonexistent debt?  Most of all, what group has kept simplicity, service, and faith at the center of all they say and do?  The Amish!  All of which led to my epiphany: few of us can become Amish, but all of us can become almost Amish.

Throughout the book, Sleeth discusses and develops several Amish principles and how we can apply them to our lives:

1. Homes are simple, uncluttered, and clean; the outside reflects the inside.
2. Technology serves as a tool, and does not rule as a master.
3. Saving more and spending less bring financial peace.
4. Time spent in God's creation reveals the face of God.
5. Small and local leads to saner lives.
6. Service to others reduces loneliness and isolation.
7. The only true security comes from God.
8. Knowing neighbors and supporting local businesses build community.
9. Family ties are lifelong; they change but never cease.
10. Faith life and way of life are inseparable.

The Scripture-based life that Sleeth describes sounds so full, enjoyable, and meaningful.  Not rushed and stressful, like so many of us live our lives today.  It takes a lot of conscious decision-making to get your life this way, but I believe it is worth it.

While reading this book, I learned a lot and felt so motivated to make changes.  Here are a few of the things that especially stood out to me:

• "Our homes reflect our values.  They reflect who we are inside and what we hold most precious.  If our houses are cluttered, our hearts are too.  Possessions should work for us; we should not work for them."  Decluttering our home takes so. much. effort.  And not buying and bringing home things that we don't need takes even more thought and discipline!  But it's so worth it to not have as much to take care of, worry about, organize, and clean up.  I'm working to organize and simplify my day-to-day life so that I spend more time on the things I care about and less on the things I don't care so much about.
• "What technology offers us in terms of convenience and connectivity will always come at a cost, and the Amish carefully count that cost."  Ben and I have been regularly practicing a Sabbath for several months now, and one of the things we do on our Sabbath is fast from electronics.  No computers, no TV, etc.  While it was a little intimidating at first, I can't tell you what an incredible blessing it has been to our family!  In addition to our weekly break from technology, we are watching very little television throughout the week (only the stuff we really care to watch), and we are feeling challenged to reconsider our time spent on the computers and whether we really should continue to "upgrade" our other electronics, such as our phones.  These things can feel backwards, and may seem like they're not much fun, but really there's a lot more fun to be had away from all the screens.
• "...live less in the man-made world and more in the God-made world."  We want to spend more time outdoors, enjoying God's creation, by working in the garden, planning picnics, and just playing outside.
• "'Less is more' is a basic principle of Amish simplicity. The Amish have not bought into the modern myth that bigger is better and faster is first... Contentment and simplicity are two sides of the same coin.  The Amish do not complicate their lives unnecessarily in the insatiable quest for more."  Simplicity, gratitude, and contentment are so closely related.  As I've said before, these are major themes in our lives right now.

I could go on and on about this book.  It's very much about getting back to basics, slowing down, remembering what's important and what's good for us.  Sleeth's writing style is down-to-earth, easy to read, and very practical.  Definitely a book worth reading!