“Our family thoroughly enjoyed your family story! We love to read and are very grateful for books with good moral and historical lessons. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.” - This was written on a card received from a reader living in Pennsylvania. Many have said that it reads like a storybook. “At 707 pages, “Vera’s Journey” is extensive but reads like a storybook, rich in description and history, with photos along the way. The book also has an area map, recipe cards, and Ralph and Vera’s family trees. “Vera’s Journey” takes a historical look at the matriarch of a Mennonite family living in the [Shenandoah} Valley [of Virginia].” A quote taken from A Life Fulfilled featured on the front page of the Saturday Magazine published each Saturday by the Daily News-Record authored by Jacquelyn Walsh, August 29, 2009. You may read the story on line at dnronline.com.

Vera’s Journey is about relationships in family, church, and community. It is also a history of bygone years, of suffering and triumph. Some people grow grouchy and irritable as they grow older. Not so with Vera. She grew old gracefully. Complaining was not her way. She learned in some of the most difficult experiences of life to trust God. Once when asked if she fears death she gave a typical, careful response, “The unknown is before me.” Vera’s life was unusual and yet very normal. What makes Vera’s story so riveting is the combination of longevity and uniqueness mixed with pain and triumph. The final triumph came when God granted her request to take her home. Her parting was a most sacred moment as gathered family members observed her passing. It seemed she moved from one would to the next without a noticeable transition. There was a complete absence of struggle, a serene calmness. Her trust in God was profoundly evident in that defining moment.

“You’re not wearing that, are you?” Such questions often lead into quarrelsome conflicts. Dad wants his son to look more decent and Mom is not happy with her daughter’s wardrobe. One way to stir up strife is to register a concern about immodesty and indecency. The conflict is fueled by those who say “God doesn’t care how you dress. He looks on the heart, not the outward appearance.” Is that really what the Bible teaches? Is it true that God doesn’t care how His redeemed children dress themselves? What does the Bible say about appearance? “You will find this book refreshingly honest, like a cool refreshing drink on a hot summer day. The clear well-illustrated teaching of old truths is a breath of fresh air for those who are seeking relief from the endless merry-go-round of fashion that has so captivated many in the Christian world.” -  Glenn Yoder of Rosewood Fellowship, Middlebury, Indiana. This book has served many through personal studies and group studies. Every preacher and Bible teacher could benefit from this book.

Have you ever heard people brag about how they fibbed a little and got the best end of a deal? The storyteller makes himself look like the smart guy and the victim the dummy. This kind of story you might hear at the local “coffee hole,” where people gather to sip coffee and exchange gossip laced with tales that bring eruptions of laughter around the table. One man tells of fibbing to the police officer and getting out of a ticket. Another boasts of collecting a little extra insurance by pointing to prior damage on a vehicle - damage that was not a part of the accident being investigated. Someone relates that he bought a gift for his girlfriend and claimed it as a business expense. In an interview on Fox News, a well-known, influential newscaster told the nation, “You can be an honest person and lie about any number of things.” Lying and cheating have become common practice for many people. Is this a laughing matter, or does it represent a serious decline in moral standards? Is dishonesty just a clever way to get ahead, or will it lead to a bitter harvest for our society? Schrock clearly addresses this malady from a biblical position.

“Anna Mary Byler spells out the practical aspects of this life. On page after page she calls wives and mothers to consider the graces that crown mundane responsibilities with resplendent success and eternal satisfaction.”- One editor.

“Thanks for having Mrs. Byler’s book available. Our family has been blessed by God enormously and continues to be blessed to this day. Only through her books have I learned what love and submission really mean and only through true submission could my relationship with my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ truly grow. Thank you again for being a vessel in God’s plan for our family.” - Maryland

“Once I opened the book, it was hard to lay it down. I appreciate the many encouraging thoughts you shared. They have been a blessing to me.” - Indiana

“This book has been a source of real inspiration and blessing in my live. I’m so glad for the privilege of reading a book that deals with the issues we face in our personal lives.”
- A reader from New Mexico.

“I write to give praise to God and to thank you for positively responding to God’s call [for you] to write this book. I am a woman for whom this book will bring a great deal of hope. I borrowed a copy [from] one pastor and I believe God responded to my sincere request for Him to show me a video of my life and reveal my weak areas.”
- Africa

“Yesterday I bought your book and today I’m “poor” mother. Yours is an extension of friendship to many “friends” through your book. You cared about the needs among us.”
-  Pennsylvania

This book is a book for busy mothers. It covers the scope of womanhood in marriage and family. The subjects covered are Devotion and Womanhood, Marriage, Motherhood, the Home, and Ministry.

Life isn’t all ever blooming roses. The bright petals fall and thorns prick our comfort zones. The future is lined with scattered clouds of uncertainty. A Woman from God’s Perspective comes at a time of rapid change in how we work and live. Our impressive technology is constantly improved, forcing us to update or replace. City dumps are peppered with obsolete electronic equipment. The housewife has an abundance of automatic gadgetry to “save time” and do her work; the advertisers advise her that she still doesn’t have the latest. The author writes in the midst of her own testing and suffering. She writes from her experience as a loyal wife, a faithful mother, and a caring grandmother. Her insights come from a deep inner desire to be a godly woman from God’s perspective, a commitment to God’s Word, and a careful walk with Him. Here is a noteworthy encouragement to be a godly person in a changing world. -- Simon Schrock