Monday, November 06, 2006

A Book Meme

Your blog could use some culture, admit it!
Here are the rules:
1. Grab the nearest book.
2. Open the book to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the text of the next four sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.
5. Don't you dare dig for that "cool" or "intellectual" book in your closet! I know you were thinking about it! Just pick up whatever is closest!

Here's mine: "If you get near it, you feel drawn into it. So most people catch generosity from a family member or a friend. (They catch uptight, upright, calculating conservatism in the same way.) Family Culture is the most natural way to encourage generosity--and maybe the only way. Do you want to raise generous kids? You have to become generous yourself, in such a way that the hwole family shares in that spirit."

This is from Nevermind the Jonses. It is a book to help you identify and develop your own Biblical family culture and values. It is actually a pretty fun read--although I have been reading it for months now (as it sits on my nightstand). Since Jon and I have been married for 6.5 years we have already developed some of our own family values and it was kind of fun to see some new ideas too or some things we haven't thought about. The premise of the book is that every family has a culture and shares values--and describes 13 family values. I definitely recommend it--especially if you have kids and want to do some proactive thinking about your own family life and how you want to show the love of Christ through your family as your family grows (up).

5 comments:

E. Twist said...

Good stuff.

This probably frightens Al and I more than anything; how do we teach our kids a healthy sense of money/property/etc. when we seem absolutely incapable of structuring our own life in this area appropriately?

e.

amelia said...

Right on Erik--I think that we are the best and most powerful/prominent examples to our kids and that we are communicating values we have even if we never talk about them (and the book makes the point that we should define our values and talk about them as a family). Jon and I really value hospitality and relationship with others but it has been hard since we moved here because we live so far from everyone (except our neighbors of course). I like the book because it helps you define what you do already and gives you ideas to grow in other areas.

thelins said...

HAHA - the closest book to me is my Greek textbook.

ceciliabrie said...

i'm posting my 123 right now! fun idea. b

Anonymous said...

Sounds like a good book to read and contemplate what values our families need to survive in the world, especially ones that the children can keep with them all their lives. My book was pretty dry: "Arthritis Without Pain." Here goes my fifth sentence, "The needle cover on the pre-filled syringe contains dry natural rubber, which may cause an allergic reaction in people with a sensitivity to rubber or latex." Wow...aren't you glad you asked? Nothing cultural here, sorry. Just the closest book to me at the moment.Love you, Grandma