"America by Heart" by Sarah Palin

Just finished reading Sarah Palin's book "America By Heart" which is a beautiful collection of her thoughts and wisdom on all the things she holds dear which are dear to me as well: Faith, Family, and Freedom.

I especially loved her chapters dedicated to our military, American Exceptionalism, entitlement versus hard work, and the one she wrote on her perspective as a mother.  I'd like to share some of her writings on the latter:

"...far from holding me back, my family is my main motivation.  It's the source of my energy as well as my optimism about America.  ...I don't balance anything.  We do it together."

"Having a family gives you a gift that you may not recognize at first.  It teaches you that the sun doesn't rise and set around you.  It's not about you.  (Regarding other family member's interests and pursuits:)  If it's important to one of us it's important to all of us.  And if it challenges one of us, it gets support from all of us."

"...it turns out that it's the quantity of time we spend ---not the quality--- that is best for our kids.  Busy parents like to comfort themselves that they can make up for not being there by occasional bursts of special activities.  But you can't just plan on being a good parent; you have to earn it."

"At home my happiness springs from very different objects; the gradual unfolding of my children's reason, the study of their dawning tempers..." ~J. Hector St. John de Crevecoeur

"...elevate the minds of our children and exalt their courage; accelerate and animate their industry and activity; excite in the an habitual contempt of meanness, abhorrence of injustice and inhumanity, and an ambition to excel in every capacity, faculty, and virtue.  If we suffer their minds to grovel and creep in infancy, they will grovel all their lives." ~John Adams to his wife, Abigail

"Families matter."

"The left wants us to believe that any grouping we choose to call a family is worthy of the name, that it doesn't matter if children are raised by two loving parents or are shipped off to virtual full-time day care, and that divorce has no effect on children's quality of life.  When it comes to raising good citizens, all 'lifestyle choices' are not equal." 

As our beloved Ronald Reagan said (I know I am repeating myself), "All great change in America begins at the dinner table."  So mommies, daddies, kids: let's change America!  Let's change the world!  Engage your family in discussion about truth, righteousness, God, freedom.  It isn't just important, it's invigorating!!