The Portable Patriot

Description: The American soul was forged in the smithy of the spoken word and printed page. Our reliance on the word goes back to the Pilgrims and the Mayflower Compact. It continues through the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution of the United States, and the Bill of Rights. It emerges in the political struggles of the Revolution and the ratification arguments of our national charter. Americans needn't turn to biased media to find our national identity. It's already written richly into our history. The Portable Patriot makes the choicest and most valuable selections accessible again.

Review:  The Portable Patriot offers a look at American history through some of the most influential documents of the time period.   It's an insightful collection that takes readers through the founding of this country in chronological order and from the words of the founding members.   The documents are kept true to form without a lot of added narrative to detract from the original written words.   The only complaint that I have is that I wish there had been a bit more attention paid to the actual founding documents.   Still, this is a rich and insightful historical collection and wonderful historical resource. 

Captivating (Revised and Expanded) by John and Stasi Eldredge

"Life is harsh on the heart of a girl. And a woman. Remember your fairy tales-the villian always goes after the Beauty.  The story of your life is the story of the long and sustained assault on your heart by the one who knows who you could be-and fears you. But every store also has a Hero.  The story of your life is also the story of the long and passionate pursuit of your heart by the God who comes both to ransom and restore you as a captivating woman." -John and Stasi Eldredge

Captivating is a book that sets out to liberate the inner desires of a woman's heart through the affirmation of scripture and faith.  It offers an affirming take on the lives and hearts of women and shows that we, as women, are exactly what God wanted us to be.  

Like many others, I found this book to be uplifting.   It's one of those books that, if you open yourself up to it, hits a chord somewhere deep inside of your soul.   It allows you to realize that there is no set mold for who and what you need to be as a woman.   That mold is cast by society, not by God.   God made women beautiful and all those societal standards of what you should or should not do as a woman are surface deep at best.   This is a book that I will definately be sharing with my daughter when she's old enough to fully engage in it.