Keepsakes from Amish Country

I posted about our trip to Lancaster County PA some months back, but I never put up any pictures of some of my keepsakes. We are currently enjoying our last jar of jelly from Amish country. The little shops there are filled with quilted pot holders and other quilted goods. I wish I had pictures of some of the other treasures I bought, but these are all the pictures I have right now. I love so many things about the simplicity of the Amish lifestyle. I have often thought that I would fit in with the Amish very nicely. One aspect I really respect is that their men are men and their women are women. Little girls have generations of predecessors to look to as examples of womanhood. The ladies are not competing with the men but still hold to traditional values for women, and I really like their femininity. Something that saddens me, however, is that many of them do not totally get the Gospel. From my understanding, many of them think that they have to be loyal to the church and follow its rules to gain salvation. I sometimes hear other things that make me think that some of them do get the Gospel. My prayer is that a revival of gospel truth would break out in the hearts of those precious people. They are deeply spiritual and live out christian values but how sad that some of them are trusting in their loyalty to the church rather than the finished work of Christ on their behalf. Salvation is not Jesus plus man's good works. It is not by works but by grace alone that we are saved. Matt and I recently watched a documentary about a young couple that broke away from their church for that very reason. They embraced the Gospel for salvation and wanted to spread that message to others. It was really encouraging. Well, I remain very fascinated with the Amish and know that modern society can learn much by observing their character, their family values, their simplicity and their strong work ethic. These people know that it is a blessing to serve, they recognize the dangers of pride, and they love people. It is a beautiful and refreshing thing to see.