Showing results by author "Linda Byler" in All Categories

Decisions have always been hard for Mary. Her whole life, she has found herself so controlled by the stern voice of her father that she struggles to hear God's voice or even know her own desires. What does it mean to give up one's will when you can't tell what your own will is, never mind God's? Finally, Mary commits to marriage, and so begins a tumultuous journey into life as a wife and mother. Will she pass her insecurities on to her daughter, or will she choose a new way of parenting? And will her daughter be able to navigate life and love without the same pain that Mary faced?

Running her own bakery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania keeps Mary busy and her active mind engaged. But she continues to struggle with anxiety that is sometimes crushing, and though she has Aunt Lizzie and a few good friends, she often feels lonely and out of place. She's still questioning her very conservative Amish upbringing, too, and feeling torn between fear of an angry, exacting God and the hope of a loving, forgiving one.

Lydia Beiler loves teaching school in her Amish community in Wisconsin. As a single woman in her fifties, the scent of chalk dust and the feel of a red Bic pen between her fingers is her calling, and she lives it to the full extent. But teaching isn't without its struggles—namely Jesse Stoltzfus, a sixth grade boy who pushes Lydia's patience to the limits. It doesn't matter how many times she makes him stay in from recess; he seems determined to argue everything and distract the other students with his toe tapping and incessant teasing.

Susan has been in Wyoming long enough to feel at home, but instead she finds herself still struggling to adapt to the dusty landscape, the different customs, and life so far from family. She knows she should be appreciating the big, beautiful log home that Isaac built, but sometimes even that feels like a burden—so much of it to clean, and Isaac always traipsing in with his muddy boots and clothes smelling of diesel. But those are just the surface problems.