The Yearling

We finally finished reading The Yearling, and still I’m thinking about the characters.  It was a long book for us and written in a dialect we were not used to, but my heart became attached to these poor authentic country folks living in the backwoods of  post-civil war Florida who struggled to simply live and make ends meet. This story although considerably long on descriptions, was quite moving, tender and realistic.  I find myself thinking about this boy Jody, and wanting to know more.  I want to have coffee with the Mother Ora because I know her heart was lonely and sad.

One reason we decided to explore this particular book was because it is a definite boys book with plenty of  adventures…and yet it allows the reader to get an intimate view of the hardships, struggles and successes of the Baxter family. There were many adult themes in this story (death, starvation, rattle snake attacks, devastating floods etc.)  so I would hesitate to read to very young children, but the life lessons were so profound that I would not want to skip reading this at the proper age.

Although we’ve watched this old classic film several times, the book described in detail so much more than the movie did.  The film emphasized the relationship between the boy (Jody) and his pet fawn (flag).  In the novel the main relationship was between the boy and his dad.

Christians, Silence is not an option

Matt Barber calls upon pastors to confront assaults on culture, faith.

The secular left has mastered use of the Internet to further its extremist goals. In fact, President Obama’s web-based “Organizing for America” propaganda machine may have given him the 2008 election.

Let’s beat them at their own game.

To that end, I have a strange request. I’m asking each God-fearing, freedom-loving American who reads this column to forward it, post it, tweet it, print it out and give it to every pastor, priest or cleric you know. If you don’t know any, give it to someone who does.

Why? I agree with Barack Obama that November 2012 represents the most important election of our lifetimes – perhaps our history. Of course, that’s where my agreement with Mr. Obama both begins and abruptly ends.

Here’s the operable question: Do we want America “fundamentally transformed” to mirror the secular-socialist ideals of the radical leftist currently “occupying” the White House?

In Barack Obama’s America, individual freedom is trampled beneath jackboots as a matter of course. It’s already happening at an unprecedented rate.

One need only look to the HHS mandate forcing Christian groups – both Catholic and Protestant – to violate, under penalty of law, biblical prohibitions against abortion homicide.

Or consider recent attempts by multiple elected officials, all Democrats, to shutdown Chick-fil-A – a private, Christian-owned business – simply because its leadership holds the biblical view of marriage.

Is this George Washington’s America, or Joseph Stalin’s Russia?

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