Two Good Books

We are closing in on the end of the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. We are halfway throught the second to last of 9 books. These last two are favorites of my older kids who have already heard them two or three times in their lives. The whole series is wonderful, and though I have read it aloud three times at least, I still love it. Through all these books Laura's love for her family is obvious, and it is really heartwarming. A real life, decent God-fearing family that loved each other and did their best to raise their kids and keep going in the face of adversity. Things were definitely not always easy for them, but they perservered, gaining courage and confidence in conquering the obstacles that continually beset them.

*This book is just so good. Lots of stuff in here about the condition of the family in our country today.
*The loss of community...
*Our media culture bombarding us continually...
- telling us how we need all this stuff,
- how we are not happy/cannot be happy without it,
-reinforcing the notion that we are all entitled to happiness--which can only come from consuming--no matter that most cannot afford it....
*How this attitude drives our decisions,
- and blurs our morality....
*How so many people, working for money to consume things that don't satisfy, are not especially interested in whether their vocations contribute anything to the community.
And that is only part of the focus of this book.


Mary Pipher communicates so well, this book has been a great read. I found myself agreeing with so much that she wrote.
Some passages from this book:
*"Our country is in a profound crisis, of decency, civility, of character."
*"The moral education of children is about character--it is teaching the young to make wise and kind choices."
*"Character grows over the lifetime and is influenced by everything. As William Least Heat Moon said, 'A man becomes his attentions...' "(italics mine)
*"Happiness ultimately comes from a sense that one is contributing to the well-being of the community. In reality, making wise moral choices is the most direct route to true happiness."

I would LOVE to hear this woman speak. I am thinking of buying this book so I can re-read it and underline and highlight the daylights out of it. It is just a great book, inspiring to me as I rethink my parenting decisions/priorities and reassuring me that what I want for my kids and my family is not unattainable, and I am not unrealistic to want it... reminding me morality is not dependent on what each individual thinks is right for them. So Biblically right on...