Excerpts from Tim Pawlenty's memoir

In his new memoir, "Courage to Stand: an American Story," former Gov. Tim Pawlenty chronicles his blue-collar South St. Paul upbringing.

Below are some excerpts from Pawlenty's book. You can also Read the full story about Pawlenty's memoir.

In a section of the book about the death of his mother when he was just 16 years old, Pawlenty shared some of his spirituality:

"Trusting God is not just a matter of hearing words in church and hoping they're true. For me, it's been a lifetime of experiencing a faithful God who always provided what I needed, when I needed it, according to His will. He doesn't promise a pain-free or trouble-free life. But He does promise to be present if we reach out to Him for prayer. I know beyond a doubt that God has walked every step of the pathway with me."

Pawlenty wrote this about how important faith was to the nation's founders:

"There are some folks in America who have lost sight of the fact that the founders of our country were deeply committed to God. Their reliance on God was apparent at the time they conceived of, debated, and ultimately created the documents that form the pillars of our nation."

Pawlenty wrote this about his time as Majority Leader of the Minnesota House:

"...our Republican majority accomplished a lot, but I think the thing I'm most proud of is that we cut taxes by the largest amount in Minnesota history. That was a major accomplishment in the state of Minnesota, which at that point was one of the highest-taxed states in the country."

Pawlenty wrote this about his frustration with the growth of government spending:

"My desire to cut spending and reduce the size and role of government is not driven by polls or a series of check marks on a scorecard of how to win an election. I've simply had enough with the growth of government. And I'm not alone. People all over America have had enough, too."

Pawlenty wrote a great deal about his modest upbringing, and he makes the case that the suburban home he shares with his wife and two daughters is far from a mansion:

"We have one computer in our Eagan home that the whole family shares (and sometimes fights over). If I'm on the computer and the girls are watching television, they're doing so just around the corner, and all three of us are within easy earshot. Upstairs, out bedrooms are all mere steps away from one another. And my only office at home is a desk tucked into a small alcove off the master bedroom, where I can look over the railing to see who's coming up the stairs."

Pawlenty on President Obama:

"...[he] had run an inspiring campaign, fueled by optimistic words: Hope. Change. Yes, we can. While many of us disagreed with his proposals, I was hopeful he would govern the way he had campaigned and keep his promises to deliver truly bipartisan reforms and stop reckless spending."

More on President Obama and Democrats:

"The President ceaselessly - and gracelessly - blames George W. Bush for running the country into a ditch, but he himself is now driving it off a cliff. Unfortunately for all of us, the current administration and Democrat-controlled Congress have led us further down the road of the socialist, liberal agenda than at any time in the history of this country."

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