Recap Book Chat

Our Bonus Bite for this week continues from House Rules by Jacob Hudgins with Rule #3: We tell the truth. Let’s embrace the simplicity of telling the truth. “We serve a God who tells the truth (John 17:17) and cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Satan is the father of lies (John 8:44).” We really only have two choices. Christian homes need to be places where the truth is told. This takes much work and intentionality, nothing drifts to the top. If our purpose is to glorify God and live a life pleasing to Him then we must be able to admit our wrongs. We must keep our commitments as we strive to be faithful like our heavenly Father (1Cor 1:9, 1 Cor 10:13, 1 Thes 5:24 & 2 Thes 3:3). Why are we afraid to tell the truth? Is it facing the consequences? Is it angering or disappointing others? Is it fear of losing love? Any or all of these could be the culprit. How do we overcome these hurdles and avoid developing a habit of dishonesty? To borrow a phrase from the classic character from the old Andy Griffith show, “Nip it in the bud.” Yes, we must own our mistakes and overreactions. The sooner the better to avoid trust issues. In our homes we must feel safe to admit wrongs and move forward. Let’s not give the devil the foothold of dishonesty. Here’s this week’s diamante contrasting Lies with Truth. Lies Selfish, fearful Damaging,betraying,consuming Disobedience, consequences trustworthiness, humility Admitting, confessing, committing Faithful, intentional Truth. Please join us as we strive to live out these House Rules…’ what starts at home changes the world!’ Happy listening and reading dear friends! Book mentioned: Living Fearless: Exchanging the Lies of the World for the Liberating Truth of God by: Jamie Winship

Greetings book friends! Join Kate and Sheila as they dive into The Persian Pickle Club. What a timely tale stitched up by Sandra Dallas that takes us back to the dirty thirties to the town of Harveyville, Kansas! There’s a plethora of personalities around the quilting frame but one thing that stands out like a beacon is how these ladies show up for each other in times of need! “There wasn’t a quilt top turned out by a member of the Persian Pickle Club that didn’t have fabrics from all of us in it. That made us all part of one another’s quilts, just like we were part of one another's lives.” Queenie Bean, the youngest member, came up with the idea of doing a Celebrity Quilt to auction off and help a home for unwed mothers. When Rita, Mrs. Ritter’s daughter-in-law, arrives from the big city, the Pickles welcome her with open arms even though her attitude is less than stellar. Rita cannot grasp the closeness of the quilters but she did write an article about the Celebrity Quilt for the newspaper. Mrs. Judd is a powerful force who exercises tough love for Queenie after a terrible ordeal that caused her to lock herself in the house and refuse to interact with others. “You can stay locked up here feeling sorry for yourself like Lizzy Olive would have done, or you can put the bad time behind you like Ella did and think about all the things the Lord gave you. He’ll keep on giving them to you if you let Him, but how can you take advantage of His opportunities behind the kitchen door with the hook on.” When the skeleton of one of the quilter’s husbands turns up buried in his field, Rita turns into super sleuth and attempts to solve the murder so she can write another article and kiss the dust of Harveyville goodbye. Who killed Ben Crook? How are the quilters going to use one problem to solve another? What made these hard times bearable? Are you ready to join these calm, caring, conscientious and concerned quilters who stitch up more than quilts? They connect with each other’s lives in ways that remind us to ‘go and do likewise.’ Happy reading dear friends!

Please join Kate and Sheila as they recap rule #2-All people deserve respect— in Jacob Hudgins book, House Rules. Respect may be a bit challenging to define but it is easy to see the lack of it. Where is respect taught first?... You guessed it–The home! We are made in God’s Image and God values all people, yes ALL people, the good, the bad, and the disparaging. It is not about us or them, it is about our Heavenly Father, 1 Peter 2:17 says to ‘honor everyone’, quite a challenge when leaders are unjust. David was a good example of respecting an unjust ruler. David could have killed King Saul but would not because he was the Lord’s anointed, he trusted God’s timing and was known as a man after God’s own heart. This is a tough rule indeed. It is easy to see when this rule is not kept. In times past, manners, kindness, and courtesy were modeled in the home. Where/when did we lose ground in this arena? Instead of looking back and pointing fingers let’s look forward and endeavor to make a change. Do you want to set your children up for a more joyful life? Give them the gift of respect.Thanks so much for listening as we strive to live lives pleasing to our heavenly Father! This week we have a diamante poem to highlight the contrast between the dark side and the light. Disrespect negative scornful Belittling, ignoring, interrupting Arrogance, inconsiderateness, appreciation, kindness Empathizing, listening, teaching Positive, valuable Respect Additional books mentioned in this podcast: Love & Respect: The Love She Most Desires; The Respect He Desperately Needs — by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer The Devil and the White City by Erik Larson

Cathy Gohlke’s book, Ladies of the Lake, has astute readers asking a plethora of questions from the get go. Why is Rosaline Murray no longer Adelaide? Why won’t she go to her daughter’s graduation? Why did she want to disguise her voice? What is Dot’s secret? What is Rolsaline’s veil for? Join Kate and Sheila as they join Addie on her tumultuous journey. “Dear God and Father of us all, we come to You heartbroken, grieving the sudden and terrible loss of Adelaide’s beloved parents. We grieve for the loss of their strong arms about her and the loss of the home where she was born and felt safe. Now she’s on a journey, Lord, into the unknown. Be with her Father. Let her know Your love and care. Bring others into her life to help her. Remind her daily in tangible ways that she does not travel this life alone…Hold her, guide her, Father. Bless her with courage and peace only You can give. Thank You for placing this dear girl, my new friend, in my path. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.” What a beautiful prayer from the lovely woman, Mrs. Simmons, that Adelaide aka Addie met on the train! Addie’s older brother, Lemuel, sends her off to Lakeside Ladies Academy in Connecticut after the sudden drowning of her parents at sea. At the young age of twelve, she is whisked away from Prince Edward Island enroute to a new country. Addie meets Dot, Ruth and Susanna who become dear friends. The girls graduate in 1910 and Addie and Dot remain at the school to teach. They are both in love with Stephen Meyer and as tension between the girls mounts so does the tension between townspeople toward the Meyers family because their family came from Germany. Fear fuels folks to throw bricks and hand out white feathers. Are you ready to read a gripping tale told by two narrators, Addie and Dot, in two time periods, 1911-1917 (past) and 1935 (present day)? “We are all scarred in one way or another.” Ruth Scars, inside or out, should not define us. Our identity shouldn’t be in what we’ve lost but in God’s plan for us. Happy reading dear friends!

Greetings dear friends! We are embarking on a new impactful Book Bite journey. Join Kate and Sheila as they start 10 Guidelines for Christian Homes in House Rules! The book connects with the timely quote by Fredrick Douglass, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Jacob Hudgins delivers a clear and concise plan to help readers build homes where families thrive. “Homes are where kids’ hearts are formed and if we get home wrong we cause unspeakable damage.” Homes are: Habit incubators Growth engines Hypocrisy revealers Homes feed societies. Sadly, homes are under attack. Do we have our armor on? Let’s start with Rule #1 Home is a Safe Place. We have to be intentional, godly homes do not just happen. We have to swim upstream against the cultural current. Are you ready for this week’s poem? Environment safe continual speaking, failing, learning Love unconditionally like God Home One of our favorite quotes was, “Children’s questions are windows to their hearts.” Another one that packed a punch, “What starts at home changes the world.” Thanks so much for having ears to listen and learn with us! Happy Reading!

Ruta Sepetys' finely crafted WWII novel, Salt to the Sea, is a gem. It was inspired by the real-life tragedy of the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff which claimed over 9,000 lives making it the greatest maritime disaster in history. The story is told in four voices, each from a different homeland, Readers will meet: Emilia, a 15 year old blond Polish girl with unbelievable perseverance and resilience. Joana, a smart young woman with some medical training that abounds with kindness. Florian, a handsome wounded German that saved Emilia from a Russian soldier. Florian is holding secrets, he was once a restoration assistant. Alfred, a Nazi sailor on the Gustloff, concentrates on the people he hates, thinking of getting rid of Jews, Poles, and disabled as a disinfecting. In the group of refugees, there was a cobbler, nicknamed the shoe poet for his gift with words. “The shoes always tell the story…Your boots, they are expensive, well made. That tells me that you come from a wealthy family. But the style is one made for an older woman. That tells me they probably belong to your mother. That tells me you are loved, my dear. And your mother is not here, so that tells me that you are sad, my dear. The shoes tell the story.” “Yet amidst all that , life has spit in the eye of death.” The shoe poet’s wise words after a baby is born in the chaos of war. “You’re a blister, Ava, a sour little blister.” The colorful way he described the negative lady in the group. How do these lives connect? Sepetys depicts the rawness of war and the kindness of caring at the same time in this remarkable book! “Just when you think this war has taken everything from you, you meet someone and realize you still have more to give.” Thanks so much for joining us. Happy reading!!!

Kate and Sheila wrap up Rebecca DeYoung’s Glittering Vices in this episode. It has been an enlightening trek. As Horace said, “To flee vice is the beginning of virtue.” The Rest of the Journey wraps up our study on the seven deadly sins and their remedies. Pride is the root and the trunk of the vice tree and vainglory, envy, acedia, avarice, wrath, gluttony, and lust are the main branches. The worst thing about the vices is that they thwart our ability to love and be loved. “Why are you relying on yourself, only to find yourself unreliable.” –Augustine Our habits say a lot about who we are by reflecting the shape of our hearts and minds. Practicing spiritual disciplines helps bridge the gap between vices and virtues. These daily practices that help form virtuous habits are not always exciting but little by little they transform us into becoming more Christlike. This journey must be intentional, as John Stott said, “Holiness is not a condition into which we can drift.” “The process, it is a gradual process dear heart, of putting off the old self and putting on the new self reveals nothing less than God’s power at work within us.” The process is comprehensive and includes all areas of our lives. It is also concrete. For example, if someone is practicing gratitude they would also do grateful things which would cause them to view the world through a different lens. Lastly, it is a communal endeavor. We all need help along the way, God created us this way. “Are you ready to start the journey toward a closer relationship with Him, confident that God who began a good work in you will bring it to completion, for your good and His glory?”

Have you ever heard the last two lines of this poem? “Water water everywhere And all the boards did shrink, Water water everywhere Nor any drop to drink” Join Kate and Sheila as they discuss Samuel Coleridge’s Four Types of Readers: Sand-glasses / Hourglasses- like sand that runs in and out and leaves not a ‘vestige’ behind, in other words, these readers retain nothing. They are simply passing time as one might do when they are waiting at the dentist office perusing a magazine. Sponges-absorb all they read and return it nearly in the same state only a little dirtied. They don't think much for themselves so they may miss the point. Strain bag / Jelly bag - squeeze out valuable information and hold onto the unimportant or in Coleridge’s words, “retain merely the dregs of what they read.” The violent, shameful, or sullied parts stick and the main points get tossed out. Can happen when one is reading above his/her level. Mogul / Golconda - profit by what they read and enable others to profit by it too. These readers are able to cast aside all that is worthless and retain the pure gems. Picture the miner with a sieve working away searching for nuggets of gold. Annotating and making connections can help us glean from what we read and be more enlightened readers : ) Reading can be a rollercoaster ride, the highs would be the Mogul moments and the lows would be hourglasses and the others. It is interesting to note that we do not always bring our A game to our reading endeavors but maybe Coleridge can help us figure out when we don’t and possibly help us back up the train (of thought : ) to refocus and go for the GOLD! One last Colerige quote, “Little is taught by contest or dispute, everything by sympathy and love.” Clever wording that connects with an old favorite that I just read in The Persian Pickle Club, “... you can get more flies with honey than with vinegar.” Aren’t connections cool? Check out The Read Well Podcast episode #43 to hear where we discovered these four types of readers. We hope you have a blessed week. Thanks so much for lending us an ear, may your day be filled with cheer. Happy reading!

Please join Kate and Sheila as they discuss the last vice in Glittering Vices by Rebecca DeYoung. She defines lust as a disordered desire for sexual pleasure. Lust begins as a sin of weakness not malice. This habitual attachment to pleasure erodes our relationship with God. DeYoung puts it this way, “Lust is a problem with the heart above your belt before it is a problem with the heat below it. Fulfilling pleasure without full human intimacy is lust’s false promise… an imitation of happiness.” Vice happens when we try to make good gifts fill gaps that only God can satisfy. There is no substitute for God. Lust connects with pride. Engineered happiness results in a shallow version that only satisfies for a moment. Lust plays the same tired old game as the rest of the vices, winning the game means you lose. Lust not only has a lot of collateral damage but it damages the person who lusts as well. Despair, depression, shame, callousness, blindness to beauty, loneliness, disrespect, and self-loathing lay in its wake. “When we misuse something habitually we tend to lose our appreciation for its true goodness. The choice to love is an opportunity to appreciate and value a flawed human for his or her sake.” What is the antidote? Some call it temperance, some call it integrity of the heart, DeYoung calls it chastity. What is chastity? The virtue of chastity must be cultivated inside and out. It grows greater with time and experience. The patience that Paul mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13 is a must in this department. “Do we live a life intentionally bathed in the love of God, a love that quiets our deep search for happiness and communion elsewhere?” “We need communities that show us how to rely on the Spirit’s power in faithfulness and hope.” “Give the body discipline, and you will see that the body is for the One who made it,” says the desert mother Amma Theodora. These early Christians took the unity of body and soul more seriously than we do today. Following Paul’s advice to pursue what is true, honorable, just, pure, excellent, and praiseworthy (Phil.4:8) helps prevent worldliness from drifting in. Thanks so much for listening as we discover how to say good-bye to lust and hello to chastity!

Let’s meet the brothers: Dmitri- the eldest, impulsive, strong, uneducated, driven by desires Ivan- the middle, the intellectual, preoccupied, gloomy atheist Alyosha- the youngest, kind, thoughtful, brave, spiritually minded Smerdyakov-illegitimate, ungrateful, sneaky, devious (creeper alert) Please join Kate and Sheila discussion about the age-old struggle of good versus evil by looking at the gifted Russian writer, Fyodor Dostoevsky’s discordant family found in The Brothers Karamazov! (Translated by the award winning team of Richard Pevear and Larissa Volokhonskyy) The father, Fyodor, was selfish, crude, neglectful, immoral, and muddleheaded. All his sons were raised by Grigory, his servant. Fyodor quipped, “I’m a buffoon out of shame…I act up because I’m insecure.” Alyosha chose a different path than the others. “I want to live for immortality, and I reject any halfway compromise.” His mentor, Zosima, taught him from God’s Word. He also advised the elder Karamazov, “Above all, do not lie to yourself. A man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he does not discern any truth either in himself or anywhere around him, and thus falls into disrespect towards himself and others.” Dmitri shares with Alyosha, “Here the devil is struggling with God, and the battlefield is the human heart.” Ivan’s words from his famous speech, The Grand Inquisitor, “He (Jesus) came to give His life for them! Instead of taking over men’s freedom, you increased it and forever burdened the kingdom of the human soul…by so terrible a burden as freedom of choice.” The action culminates in an unforgettable courtroom scene. Both the prosecutor and the defense attorneys give moving speeches that end with applause. Did Dmitri murder his less than stellar father? If he didn't, who did? Dostoevsky packs a lot into this book. What is the purpose of life? He shows the importance of living a life well and how the life we live affects others. As Alyosha says in closing, “How good life is when you do something good and rightful.” “A crust always looks bigger in another man’s hand.” Trust us this book will look big no matter whose hand it is in : ) It is a mammoth read (823 pages) but well worth the effort if you are looking for a challenge. Happy Reading dear listeners!