Caring for Orphans (Part II): Article by Tricia Goyer

This week, in celebration of the release of Sarah’s Orphans by Vannetta Chapman, we’re talking about the blessing of caring for orphans. Today Tricia Goyer (author of Sewn with Joy) shares about her experiences with adoption…

Read Part I of this series (article by Vannetta Chapman) HERE!

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My heart for adoption started with a magazine article about orphans in China over fifteen years ago. As I looked at the photograph of the sweet babies in an overcrowded orphanage, a Scripture came to my mind: “Pure and genuine religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you” (James 1:27 ɴʟᴛ).

The verse stayed with me over the years, and we never did adopt a baby from China, but God opened doors in other ways. A friend of mine connected us with a birth mom who was looking for a family for her baby, and we adopted Alyssa in 2010.

A few year later John and I heard about the needs of families to adopt children from the foster care system, and we adopted Casey and Bella in 2013. For a few years I thought we were through (with our biological children we now had six kids), but a few years later we felt God’s stirring in our hearts again. We learned there was a huge need for families to adopt sibling groups, mostly made up of older kids. After talking to an adoption specialist, John and I were matched with a sibling group of four girls, ages 11-15. We welcomed them into our house in 2015, and the adoption of Maria, Lauren, Jordan and Florentina was finalized this year.

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I won’t say that adoption has been easy. Adopting kids from foster care was especially hard. These kids have faced neglect and abuse. The stories they tell me are heart-breaking. We’ve received a lot of help from professionals and counselors. And over time the love and care we’ve given our kids has broken down walls, which I’m thankful for!

Another hard aspect is the addition of so many people to our home! After two of our older kids left home, we only had a teenage son and a little (adopted) baby in the home. Within a few years our walls were bursting. We now have 11 people in our home, including my 87-year-old grandma who has lived with us for the last 15 years.

Of course I have to laugh because I’ve been writing Amish novels for many years, and I’m just now starting to understand what living in a big family is all about. I have doubled all my recipes to feed this crew and the chores are twice the work, too. Thankfully, I have a washer and dryer, and I’m able to travel by van, instead of horse and buggy, to all our appointments. I can’t imagine having this many kids without those luxuries!

One thing that I know I have in common with Amish mamas is the discovery that my love is able to grow with each child added to the family. It’s not like I only had so much love to give around and with new kids the “old” ones got less love. Not at all. Instead, my heart has expanded and the love has multiplied. Not only that, the kids’ love for each other has grown. There has been some conflict, but there’s been even more joy. When one of the kids is away at a friend’s house or an event, their absence is noticed, and everyone is happy when we’re all around the table again.

Adoption wasn’t something that I even considered when I was growing up, but I’m thankful that God had different plans. That one magazine article opened the doors to a life and a family that I love. It’s amazing what can happen when you allow God’s dreams to be planted in your heart and grow!

Want to learn more?
Find further resources
 in Tricia’s Adoption Directory post.

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About Sewn with Joy

Sometimes Dreams Come Together
One Piece at a Time

Sewn with JoyJoy Miller wanted nothing more than to be a wife and mother—especially now that her relationship with Matthew Slagel, the bishop’s son, was deepening. But when a television crew rolls into Pinecraft, Florida, to film a new show about the Amish, tension threatens to rip apart their relationship…and the entire Amish community.

Joy is initially hired to sew costumes for the show, but she soon finds herself becoming increasingly involved in the production—a fact that upsets Matthew and his father. Yet the more Joy befriends the Englischer production crew, the more she senses God working in their lives through her. Can she turn her back on this opportunity to share God’s love? Will she and Matthew somehow be able to stitch together their dreams for the future?

Experience love, heartbreak, and hope in this sweet story of two worlds uniting in unexpected ways.

Amazon | Barnes & NobleChristianbook

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Tricia Goyer is a homeschooling mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. A USA Today bestselling author, Tricia has published over 55 books and is well-known for her Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors Amish series.

Visit her at www.TriciaGoyer.com.

 

 

Tricia Goyer Offers {FREE} Amish Paper Dolls

We’re so excited about Tricia Goyer’s fun freebie for her readers! In her own words…

Last month, I had a new novel release: Sewn with Joy! It’s a story about an Amish woman who was asked to sew for a new Amish TV show, but before she knows it they’re asking her to get in front of the camera, too!

Even though I took two years of home ec, I’m not much of a seamstress, but one thing I do love is paper dolls. Recently my daughter Alyssa was enjoying Little House on the Prairie paper dolls, and I thought it would be fun to create some Amish ones for my readers!

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We invite you to head over to Tricia’s blog to get a glimpse at the dolls (designed by Osoconalas) and download an entire Amish family set for free! Just click HERE or the image below…

Free-Amish-Paper-Dolls-Printable

Q&A with Tricia Goyer (Sewn with Joy)

We’re celebrating the release of Sewn with Joy (#PieShopBooks) here at AmishReader.com! This week we’re featuring a series of fun interviews with author Tricia Goyer.

(And don’t miss the awesome giveaway for a chance to win a Whirley-Pop popcorn popper gift set, a $25 Amazon.com gift card, and two copies of Sewn with Joy! To get your name in the drawing, fill out the form HERE or at the end of the post.*)

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Interview with Tricia Goyer: Q&A

AmishReader: What makes Joy Miller and her story unique from the other sisters featured in the Pinecraft Pie Shop series?

Tricia: Joy Miller loves to sew and after moving to Pinecraft she started working at Pinecraft Fabric and Quilts. Joy is unique because for the last two years she’d been working for Elizabeth, a very wise elderly lady. Interacting daily with Elizabeth has grown Joy’s faith. It was a time of preparation for what God had in store for her when a television studio came to town. Joy’s story is unique because she feels God asking her to be involved with an Amish television show—not something her family is very happy with!

AmishReader: How much of your own personal experience went into the plot? What sort of research did you have to do?

Tricia: My story is similar to Alicia’s. I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my past, and I’m so thankful for those who reached out to me to share Jesus. I had fun with the research, too. Sherry (Gore) was actually part of a television show, so she gave me insight. I also have producer friends Guy and Amber Lia who answered a lot of my questions. Also, a few years ago I was able to be on the set of Dancing with the Stars for a show and it was fascinating to see how things were done!

AmishReader: What has blessed you the most about writing Amish fiction and studying the Amish way of life?

Tricia: I love learning more about the simple faith and traditions that the Amish have. Their proverbs and interactions with each other really are inspiring. In a world where people don’t often interact with their neighbors, the Amish show me what living in a loving community is all about.

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About Sewn with Joy

Sometimes Dreams Come Together
One Piece at a Time

Sewn with JoyJoy Miller wanted nothing more than to be a wife and mother—especially now that her relationship with Matthew Slagel, the bishop’s son, was deepening. But when a television crew rolls into Pinecraft, Florida, to film a new show about the Amish, tension threatens to rip apart their relationship…and the entire Amish community.

Joy is initially hired to sew costumes for the show, but she soon finds herself becoming increasingly involved in the production—a fact that upsets Matthew and his father. Yet the more Joy befriends the Englischer production crew, the more she senses God working in their lives through her. Can she turn her back on this opportunity to share God’s love? Will she and Matthew somehow be able to stitch together their dreams for the future?

Experience love, heartbreak, and hope in this sweet story of two worlds uniting in unexpected ways.

Amazon | Barnes & NobleChristianbook

* * *

Tricia Goyer is a homeschooling mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. A USA Today bestselling author, Tricia has published over 55 books and is well-known for her Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors Amish series.

Visit her at www.TriciaGoyer.com.

*The giveaway is open to US residents only (due to high shipping costs). The form will close at midnight on October 3, 2016. Good luck!

 

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Tricia Goyer Shares Some Joyful Favorites (Sewn with Joy)

We’re celebrating the release of Sewn with Joy (#PieShopBooks) here at AmishReader.com! This week we’re featuring a series of fun interviews with author Tricia Goyer.

(And don’t miss the awesome giveaway for a chance to win a Whirley-Pop popcorn popper gift set, a $25 Amazon.com gift card, and two copies of Sewn with Joy! To get your name in the drawing, fill out the form HERE or at the end of the post.*)

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Interview with Tricia Goyer: Favorites

  • Character in Sewn with Joy: Joy is my favorite. She has a tender place in her heart for listening to Jesus and seeking to share him with others.
  • Line in the story: I love the advice that Elizabeth gave Joy when Joy was questioning if she should go against others’ wishes to follow Jesus: “If you’ve gone to the Lord, and you believe you’re doing the right thing, then trust in that,” Elizabeth had said. “Sometimes it takes some people longer to come around, but if they’re open to God’s voice they eventually will.”
  • Recipe featured in the book: I made the Zucchini Casserole, and it was delicious!
  • Hobby: I love reading. Every day I read for myself, and I spend a few hours reading aloud to my kids in homeschooling and at bedtime. I’m always excited about what book to read next.
  • Bible verse on joy: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3).

Sewn with Joy Sharable 3

Your turn! Who’s your favorite character in Sewn with Joy? What’s your favorite hobby and/or Bible verse on joy? Let us know in the comments, and join us on Friday for Part 3 of the interview!

* * *

Tricia Goyer is a homeschooling mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. A USA Today bestselling author, Tricia has published over 55 books and is well-known for her Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors Amish series.

Visit her at www.TriciaGoyer.com.

*The giveaway is open to US residents only (due to high shipping costs). The form will close at midnight on October 3, 2016. Good luck!

 

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Multiple Choice Interview with Tricia Goyer (Sewn with Joy)

We’re celebrating the release of Sewn with Joy (#PieShopBooks) here at AmishReader.com! This week we’re featuring a series of fun interviews with author Tricia Goyer.

(And don’t miss the awesome giveaway for a chance to win a Whirley-Pop popcorn popper gift set, a $25 Amazon.com gift card, and two copies of Sewn with Joy! To get your name in the drawing, fill out the form HERE or at the end of the post.*)

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Interview with Tricia Goyer: Multiple Choice

1. The tastiest topping for popcorn is…

  • Butter
  • Caramel
  • Nothing—it’s good all by itself!
  • Something spicy

Tricia explains: I love buttery (and salty) movie house popcorn. It’s really the only time I get it, but then I SPLURGE!

2. The way you’d most like to be involved in a TV show is by…

  • Acting
  • Directing
  • Scriptwriting
  • Binge-watching

Tricia explains: I’ve actually worked on a script before and it’s fun! But I’d never want to get in front of the camera!

3. The character from Sewn with Joy who most resembles you is…

  • Joy
  • Matthew
  • Elizabeth
  • Alicia

Tricia explains: Alicia is someone who just wants to love and be loved. She’s someone who’s made mistakes and regrets past decisions. Alicia is a lot of who I used to be. When Alicia poured her heart into her journal, those words came from deep in my heart.

4. The way you’d most enjoy reaching out to others is through…

  • Hosting a Bible study or book club
  • Serving behind-the-scenes at an event
  • Encouraging someone in one-on-one conversation
  • Creating something that points people to God

Tricia explains: Every week I lead a teen-mom support group. I’m able to gather those young women together and share about God’s goodness. I share simple truths from the Bible, too, and they are amazed. So many of these moms have near heard even the most common Bible stories before, and hearing about God’s grace and love really touches them.

5. The skill you’d most like to hone is…

  • Sewing clothing
  • Quilting
  • Baking
  • Woodworking

Tricia explains: I have 11 people to feed every night. I love making dinners, but I think they’d really appreciate it if I baked more!

 

Your turn! Which answers would you pick for this quiz? Let us know in the comments, and join us on Wednesday for Part 2 of the interview!

* * *

Tricia Goyer is a homeschooling mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. A USA Today bestselling author, Tricia has published over 55 books and is well-known for her Big Sky and Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors Amish series.

Visit her at www.TriciaGoyer.com.

*The giveaway is open to US residents only (due to high shipping costs). The form will close at midnight on October 3, 2016. Good luck!

 

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Pumpkin Spice Cake—An Autumn Recipe from Sewn with Joy

Looking for a way to celebrate the official arrival of autumn? Give this recipe from Sewn with Joy a try! (Sewn with Joy is the third novel in the Pinecraft Pie Shop series by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore. This fiction series includes tasty recipes at the end of some of the chapters!)

We asked our Facebook fans to vote for a sweet recipe they’d like to try from the book:

  1. Apple Cream Pie
  2. Pumpkin Spice Cake
  3. Streusel Coffee Cake

And the winner is…Pumpkin Spice Cake!

You’ll find the recipe below. And if you’re longing to try one of the other recipes (and enjoy an engaging story too!), don’t miss Sewn with Joy!

 

Book Preview: Sewn with Joy by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore

In this excerpt from Sewn with Joy, the third book in the Pinecraft Pie Shop series by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore, Joy Miller is delivering a birthday gift to the bishop’s wife and eagerly awaiting a chance to visit with Matthew Slagel, the bishop’s son (and the man she loves)…

Enjoy the preview!

***

The front door opened, and Matthew walked in. Joy found him stunning despite the fact he was sweaty and sprinkled with sawdust.

“Let me just get out another bowl.” As Jeanette hurried toward the kitchen, she called back to her son. “You better wash up, Matthew, and don’t forget to clean under your nails.”

Joy chuckled at the chiding.

Ja, Mem.” He offered Joy a humored grin and then watched his mem retreat before hanging his straw hat on the hook by the front door. But instead of hurrying to the bathroom to wash up, he moved closer to Joy. The tenderness and care in his blue eyes caused her to squirm. His hair where his hat brim had been was pressed in a circle. His forehead was moist with perspiration, and even his lashes spiked from moisture.

Her heart hammered. Prickles moved up and down her arms as if she’d just been poked by a thousand tiny needles. “Hot out there?”

“Just a little, but I’ve already forgotten about the misery of it.”

“Really, how?”

He offered a crooked smile and kept his eyes fixed on hers. “Oh, just seeing you makes the whole day better. I’m glad you’re here. You must have been at the shop extra early to see that those curtains got done.”

“I was at the shop before six and…” Should she admit she even skipped breakfast to make sure she got her sewing finished in time to see him? Her stomach offered the smallest growl. “I’m just happy it worked out. It made all the hard work worth it.”

Joy dropped her chin. Matthew tipped it up with one finger and studied her face before a grin turned up the corner of his mouth. “You know how to make a man feel loved, you know that?”

Her lips parted slightly, and then closed again. In the three weeks they’d been spending so much time together, neither had used the word love. Joy had considered it. She’d believed the growing feelings she had for Matthew were love, and hoped he felt the same. But to hear the words…

***

Excerpted from Sewn with Joy by Tricia Goyer & Sherry Gore

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Country Brunch for 20—A Recipe from Sewn with Joy

The next installment in The Pinecraft Pie Shop fiction series by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore is here! Like the other novels in this series, Sewn with Joy includes some tasty recipes at the end of some of the chapters. We asked our Facebook fans to vote for a recipe they’d like to try from the book:

  1. Florida Orange Broccoli Salad
  2. Zucchini Casserole
  3. Country Brunch for 20

The winner is…Country Brunch for 20!

It’s nice to have a recipe on hand that will feed a lot of people. And the characters in Sewn with Joy certainly have a lot of people to feed when it comes to the television crew that rolls into town! You’ll find the recipe below.

Want to read the story and discover some other fun recipes along the way? Check out Sewn with Joy today!

 

Book Preview: Planted with Hope by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore

In this excerpt from Planted with Hope, the second book in the Pinecraft Pie Shop series by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore, widower Jonas Sutter and his young daughter, Emma, join Hope Miller for a gospel sing…

Enjoy the preview!

***

They listened to the music for nearly an hour. Jonas hadn’t seen Emma so peaceful for quite some time. When the music finished they decided to walk down to Pinecraft Park. They talked about winters in Kentucky and Ohio as they walked. They talked about what their homes were like. Hope talked about her garden.

“Emma, when I was your age I used to pick a tin pail full of cherry tomatoes, washing them off under the cool water from the spring pump and then sitting under the tall maple tree and eating them all. I kept the heirloom seeds from those tomatoes. They were as old as the tree itself. Maybe older.”

Emma wrinkled her nose and skipped ahead. “Yuck, who wants to eat old tomatoes?”

Jonas chuckled and shook his head, but he didn’t explain. They seemed so content walking along like that.

“My grandfather once told me that our garden had been tended in the same plot since before the Civil War.” Hope sighed as her arms swung at her sides. “I felt part of something there—part of history, part of the heritage. And I sensed I was meant to tend that garden.”

Hope went on to share about her dat’s illness and their move.

“And here?” Jonas dared to ask. “You don’t feel the same about gardening?”

At the word gardening Emma reached up and took his hand, squeezing it. She glanced up at him and winked. Jonas smiled back, knowing their secret was safe.

Hope lifted her hands in the air in defeat. “Here, for so long, I felt like an imposter. The soil is an enemy. The sun a weapon.”

“Those are strong words.”

Hope cocked an eyebrow. “Have you tried to plant anything here?”

“No.” Jonas shrugged. “But I have a feeling, Hope, that under the right conditions you’d be able to get a garden to grow… no, make that flourish.”

She tilted her head and looked at him. She opened her mouth to say something, but then closed it again. Had she been about to tell him about the garden behind Me, Myself, and Pie? And if so, what stopped her from saying anything?

Give it time. Give her time. The words blew into Jonas’s mind like a soft ocean breeze. Time? He didn’t have much of it. As soon as the school year was finished in Pinecraft he’d be heading home.

The music played, and Emma started clapping along, but Jonas’s mind wandered. Would there be enough time to see if anything special was growing between them?

***

Excerpted from Planted with Hope by Tricia Goyer & Sherry Gore

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Recipe: Haystack Supper

Planted with HopeWe’re so excited that the next book in The Pinecraft Pie Shop series is here! Planted with Hope by Tricia Goyer and Sherry Gore released March 1st. To celebrate, we asked our Facebook fans to vote for a recipe they’d want to try from several featured in the novel:

  1. Poppy Seed Chicken
  2. Haystack Supper
  3. Florida Vegetable Medley

The winner is…Haystack Supper!

You’ll find the recipe below, as well as on our Facebook page and Pinterest recipes board.

If you want more great recipes to try (with a side of sweet Amish romance), be sure to order your copy of Planted with Hope! (And don’t miss Book 1 in the series, Made with Love.)

Haystack Supper - Planted with Hope - edited