Reading Log

The big kids have a reading log for their classes; sometimes it looks the picture in this post
and sometimes we fail at getting it done what with all the craziness and having added another person to the mix.  It helps me to read to them when it's something I can get into also, so George MacDonald it is. 

The Wise Woman is great. The story is about 2 spoiled girls. One a princess and one a daughter of a shepard.  They are parralelled but MacDonald begins with the Wise Woman being summoned to the palace by the king and queen to advise them on why their daughter, Princess Rosamond, is so difficult and how she can be a better person. The wise woman interjects little as they tell her of the princess' horrible behavior and she finally tells them much of her poor behavior is their own fault.  The king, of course, is completely offended and feels he's unjustly been accused.  The wise woman takes on the case though and in the morning, the princess runs out of the court room after throwing a huge tantrum and it's then that the wise woman takes her to her cottage.  All along the walk to her cottage, Rosamond begins to push her boundaries with the wise woman to see what she can get away with, just as she does her own servants but the wise woman does not cater to Rosamond.  At her cottage, Rosamond is expected to do chores and earn her keep. This is basically where we have stopped for now.  George MacDonald can get flowery and drone on but I really enjoy some of that. When it comes to human nature, he nails it. He's great at describing types of people and he doesn't sugarcoat it, he calls it like he sees it.  To paraphrase about the type of person Rosamond is.  She thinks she is "Somebody", meaning she feels entitled to everything and that her needs and wants should come before anyones. She doesn't have a self esteem problem at all and thinks she's SO good when she has a change of mood. Which is another thing MacDonald says about a certain kind of person, their mood dominates and dictates how they will act that moment.  If they feel good then everything is going well, if they are in a bad mood everything is horrible and nothing can be right. We just can't be ruled by our circumstances or emotions.  Our attitude is our own choice. 

I'm so glad God is unchanging.  When we focus on Him then there is no time to dwell on all that surrounds us and we can be a more effective Christian and glorify the Lord.