A Little Understanding...

Amish.

A single word that conjurs up thoughts of horse-drawn carraiges with slow moving traffic triangles, old bearded men wearing straw hats, and 200 hard-working folks raising a barn in a single day. All of these would be correct, but would also fall far short of truly describing the people, their lifestyle and their faith.

One word that would not be used is "blogging."

The understanding we want you to have is this... that this blog has been established to bring light to a world that is often misunderstood and to help bring attention to a community that would seldom ask for it. Please understand that our company, ByAmish Handcrafted Furniture, sells the beautiful heirloom quality furniture and accessories that are lovingly manufactured by our Amish artisans. We do so for a profit, but we also do so because we've fallen in love with a people and wish only the very best for them.

The Amish believe that calling attention to themselves is a form of idolotry, taken from a passage from Exodus 20:4 in which it says, "you shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or the earth beneath or in the waters below." This is why you won't find many images of Amish people - even though photographers the world over would love to spend days capturing the charming weather worn faces of the elders and the cherubic smiles of their little ones.

But, as you can surmise, this leaves the Amish is a bit of a pickle. How do you sell the goods you produce, if you can't market them in traditional, or even non-traditional ways? If you aren't passing by our machine shed in Harmony, Minnesota, it's unlikely you'll ever get to know just how wonderful Elias' furniture really is. And, that's where technology can come in to play.

The Amish can sell their furniture to us, and we in turn, can post it online, or advertise traditionally, or, like this blog, begin a new conversation with folks from around the country. In doing so, we help fund the lives of these people we care about so deeply. Understand, it's no charity case, and the Amish would be the first to dismiss the notion. They are a very proud people with a long and resourceful past... it's simply our attempt to help bridge the divide between a culture that chooses to live simply, honestly and in harmony with God and nature with that of a technological world that for all of its advancements, could take a lesson or two on slowing down and smelling the flowers far more than it does.

So to conclude, we don't wish to paint a false impression - of a rogue Amish man typing away at a keyboard to let you into his world. Rather, we aim to be reflective of his thoughts, feelings and prayers for his people, his family and his world. If this connects you more closely with the handiwork of his labor, we thank you. And should it only enlighten you to an better understanding of a world hidden from most of us, then to that, we say "thank you" as well.

www.byamish.com