Brenda Nixon's Blog, page 8

5 Tips to Help Ex-Amish Succeed

Laura, Levi, me, Josh, Mosie, Lynsey, HarveyHaving a place to go - is a home. Having someone to love - is a family. Having both - is a blessing. ~ Donna Hedges

When appropriate, I offer both to the ex-Amish who come across my path. Yet I'm the one who feels blessed! My expanding - ever changing - family has provided rich and rare experiences. Laughs. Merriment. Valued relationships.
ex-Amish Josh loves his gifts
Because I've assisted several ex-Amish in their transition, I now know more about th...

Do Amish Keep their Anabaptist Heritage?

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Is TV's Amish Mafia True?

Is there any truth to if an Amish boy gives an Amish girl a goat it shows he's interested in her? And if he gives her a pregnant goat he's interested in her long term...or did Amish Mafia pull the wool over my eyes again? he asked.

Months ago the network record-breaking TV series aired a segment where the main character, Levi, bought co-character, Esther, a goat, took it into her house, and gave it to her. 

Is the goat-giving practice accurate or more mythinformation about this culture?

I'm...

Amish Spring Break Activities

Happy Spring! I'm blessed with former-Amish friends. Some have a crazy sense of humor. They're witty. See the goofiness in life. A tad irreverent.

Take my bud Ed. He and his brother left the Amish years ago. Today Ed is married, works, and participates in a Facebook closed group for those who've left Amish. Wow, do I ever learn inside, authentic info when I read the discussions! And they've been so good to take me in as a group member.

Ed posted these Top Amish Spring Break Activities he'd foun...

Amish: What's It Really Like?

Amish have many admirable qualities -- hard work ethic, self-reliant, and determined. Like many country residents, they garden and provide food for their family. Children are assigned chores and expected to contribute to the family.

There's also something deeper. Ominous.  

I was taught:
If I lie I will go too Hell,
If I cheat I will go too Hell,
If I disobey Edward and Katie [parents] I will go too Hell,
If I curse I will Go too Hell,
If I don't stay Amish I will go to Hell,
If I'm not Bapt...

Teaching Amish to Drive a Car

Open the Gas Tank LidHorse and buggy are his daily mode of transportation.

He wanted to drive. A car!

In his uber strict - Swartzentruber - order, vehicles are verboten! Cars are worldly.

The Ordnung says he may use an English driver only in the case of a medical emergency. And using anything with rubber wheels - a bicycle - is verboten. Inflated tires are wrong.

He could face public discipline. Put in the bann (temporary shunning) if discovered. (Click here to tweet that)

Determined to drive, he...

Amish Shunning, What's It all About?

I talked a little about shunning in my interview with Josh. More specifically, it was in an answer to a reader's question below that post. Always be sure to read the candid comments.

I admit it! At first, I generalized this practice. Thought I understood. Then I discovered how complex the practice is among Amish. Just as the Amish cannot be generalized, shunning is broader and deeper than most outsiders think.

In my December 12 post It's Sad. Breaks my Heart , I share about a married Swartz...

Breaking Amish Stereotypes Every Day

Harvey, Levi & Mosie awaiting lunch at my homeI have never heard of the Swartzentruber Amish which is very interesting to me, she emailed. 

She's a college Religious Studies major. I hope professors and other "experts" teach that today's Amish are diverse . 

Although Amish may have religious exemption status from some U.S. laws, to me Amish is a culture driven by its Anabaptist heritage. When I speak at schools, churches, book clubs, libraries, or in radio interviews, etc...

My Second Amish Buggy Ride

My first Amish buggy ride was in an open buggy. If you click those highlighted words you can see pictures.

This time, I was privileged to ride in the typical two-seater black, enclosed buggy. 'Surrey' is the proper name. Here's a close-up of the small foot step.

Also note, the steel wheel. The Swartzentruber Order of Amish prohibit rubber tires on buggies. Bicycles are also prohibited as "worldly."

I was invited to visit the Amish homestead of Sarah and Monroe 's brother. My husband, his sister,...

Only Positive Please

I belong to a group where people can ask questions about the Amish. Most of our group members are former Amish from a variety of orders. A few members are English drivers for the Amish. I'm a "mom" to ex-Amish, helping many who are transitioning to the forbidden English life.

One day, a lady asked our group the question about how Amish parents discipline their children. Well, that's a loaded question! There was a firestorm of answers and stories.

Each order has different behaviors...