• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Amish 365
  • About
  • Amish Recipes
  • Amish Culture
  • Amish Marketplace
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Amish Recipes
  • Amish Culture
  • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Amish Recipes
    • Amish Culture
    • About
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » The Plain Columns » The Amish Cook Column

    The Amish Cook: Daniel's Relationship Recipe

    Published: Mar 23, 2020 · Updated: Oct 8, 2020 by Kevin Williams | 7 Comments

    BY DANIEL YODER

    Hello to all,

    We all have been very blessed with warmer weather in Illinois.   My mind has been spinning about all this virus pandemic so I wanted to share a few thoughts this week.

    What do we do now? We have to shelter in place in IL, meaning that we are called to stay in the house except for bare necessities.

    So what does it feel like to stay in the house more? I can say we are very excited about this, but what in the world do we do with hours and hours of house time? Playing electronic games, videos, or browse the internet? How about, instead, taking this wonderful opportunity to take a look at relationships?  First let me tell you, that I am far from perfect, and also am human just like we all are; relationships are one of my favorite subjects, so bear with me.

    The Yoder's buggy parked outside their shop in Flat Rock, Illinois.

    Gloria and I just had our 10th anniversary, March 19th, and I can say we have had a great journey together. So it is like I tell my wife, my goal is to be the best father that has ever been on earth, please take this right, I don't feel like I am, I'm just a believer of having a mark and then try to hit it hard. When it comes to relationships, it is work for all of us to have quality relationships with our spouse or child, when the pressures of life hit, like a financial crisis or work overload, it tests out our goals.

    Anyway, first of all, how important are relationships to us? We have to consider that question; if it is not important, then you can stop reading right here. Are relationships as important as eating three times a day? I have found a book, The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman to be very helpful.

    Let me share a little example. We may say why in the world can we do so many nice things for our wife and they still can't feel our love like we want them to? So in 2018, I told Gloria that for this whole year, I want to give her a card each week- yes, really! That's 52 cards of appreciation, birthday, anniversary, etc. Wow, so she should really feel my love- right? In 2019 I gave her a bouquet of flowers each month, and for 2020 I told her that I would like to be available a half-hour a week completely just for her. "In this half-hour I will do anything for you," I told her, from washing up floors to doing fix-it jobs, or if she wants to sit and chat about life or pray, we can do that. Wow, so I hit the nail on the head in 2020- spending time alone with her! The other day she told me, "I so appreciated all the bouquets and cards that you gave to me, but this year I can just feel that love penetrating in my heart in a deeper or more meaningful way." Wow, this is something that I feel so unworthy of, we can do all the nice things in the world, but if it does not penetrate the heart, then it tends to make us feel that it is not even worth trying.

    A buggy leaves the school in Gloria's Amish settlement near Flat Rock, Illinois

    I often think about the saying, "If you treat your wife like a rose, she will bloom like one."

    For the children we have what we call a weekly date, meaning every Saturday at 12 o'clock, Julia, 8, and Austin,5, know that I will have some time with them, individually. And so what do our dates look like? I normally will get a little drink and snack together and we will just simply sit on the recliner and discuss life, and help sort out their feelings, and also then give them direction. It is like this- if we don't have a relationship with our children, then someone else will, and who will that someone be? I have also discovered that if there is any guilt that a child is carrying with them, then that is another area we can give all the love we want, but it simply won't penetrate.

    So what feels like a crisis time, let us use it for getting our goals together, and hitting them hard, and yes everyone who reads this can do it!

    For the recipe for this week, I will call it:

    The Amish Cook: Daniel's Relationship Recipe
     
    Print
    Ingredients
    • Words of Affirmation
    • Quality Time
    • Gifts
    • Acts of service
    • Physical touch
    Instructions
    1. Communicate with your family, Ask specific questions like, "What would you like best: if I give you a card, or if I help you around the house? Or would you rather have a date, or maybe even a bouquet of 12 red roses?" And you will discover a whole new world open up! Remember, hit hard!
    Wordpress Recipe Plugin by EasyRecipe
    3.5.3226

    « Chrisholm Recipe Series: Spring Bunny Salad
    Amish in the News: Homemade Hot Bacon Dressing, Millie Otto, Amish and Coronavirus, and More! »

    About Kevin Williams

    Hi, my name is Kevin Williams and I am owner of Oasis Newsfeatures and editor of The Amish Cook newspaper column.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lillian

      March 23, 2020 at 10:36 pm

      What a nice article. It sure is all good advise. I love reading The Amish Cook. It sounds like they are a great family. God Bless Them!!

      Reply
      • Kevin

        March 24, 2020 at 9:27 am

        Thanks, Lillian, they are a great family, I'll pass the comment along!

        Reply
    2. Karla

      March 26, 2020 at 4:10 pm

      I really enjoyed this, it actually made me think of all my relationships and how I can improve upon them. I am going to add this to my...well my only 2020 goal. I have much more time on my hands than a busy dad and husband, so I am going to devote a half an hour a day and use it as my touch bases with those I care about. Now to make sure I do not skip a day as I know me it will turn into days and then a forgotten memory, the reason why I do not make New Years resolutions. Thanks for the article and sharing.

      I will give the recipe a try as well, sounds yummy!

      Reply
      • Karla

        March 26, 2020 at 4:11 pm

        I meant the Snickerdoodle cake recipe

        Reply
      • Kevin

        March 26, 2020 at 10:25 pm

        Agreed, Karla, the column was a good reminder to take stock of one's relationships and improve upon them while we are all hunkered down. Hope all is healthy your way!

        Reply
    3. Carla T

      March 30, 2020 at 9:31 pm

      I loved this column - thank you Daniel for following the leading of the Lord for your family. You are being proactive rather than inactive. It's what we all should be doing in whatever role the Lord has blessed you with. Thank you again.

      Reply
      • Kevin

        March 30, 2020 at 10:35 pm

        Thanks, Carla, I'll pass along your comment to them, stay safe!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Rate this recipe:  

    Primary Sidebar

    Kevin Williams - The Amish Editor Amish Cook Column

    Hi There, I'm Kevin!

    Welcome to Amish365, where I share my knowledge of Amish cooking and culture! I’ve spent almost three decades exploring Amish settlements and kitchens from Maine to Montana and almost everywhere in between. I’ll occasionally throw in stories of my travels, journalism adventures (I’m a Pulitzer prize-nominated journalist), fascination with grocery stores and Kmarts, and much more!

    More about me →

    Latest Amish Recipes

    • Homemade Chocolate Crunch Easter "Eggs"
      Homemade Coconut Crunch Easter Eggs
    • 5 Amish Copycat Recipes (Fast-Food Favorites: Big Mac Dressing, Pizza Hut, and More!)
    • Amish Wedding Customs and Traditions
    • Amish Wedding Cake
      Amish Wedding Cake Recipe
    dutchcrafters

    Download The "Almost Amish" Ebook

    Footer

    Footer

    About

    • About The Amish Editor
    • Download "Almost Amish" Ebook
    • Amish Communities
    • Amish Marketplace

    Contact

    • Work With Us
    • Contact

    *As a member of various affiliate programs I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2000 - 2020 Amish 365 | Powered by Touch The Road