“When you claim it, you control it.” What a power packed statement from Jefferson Fisher in The Next Conversation! We’re in chapter 5, Control the Moment and Jefferson gives us a ‘road map’ to follow. Getting the framework down will take some time, but once it is built, wala communication upgrade! Let’s dive in:

1. Let your breath be your first word. He even gives the breathing technique that helps the most. 
2. Body scan - Where is my body holding stress? Name it - “Verbalizing transforms insecurity into a product of confidence and strength.
3. Small talk - Start with a verb it pushes you to act. “Stand up! Welcome the difficult,

Find the Struggle…

“You can’t control the other person, but you can control the moment.” Let’s grow together!

Let’s connect to reflect. Blessings dear listeners!

Readers who loved the Emma M. Lion series will thoroughly enjoy meeting Marianne from Edenbrooke. Yes, dear readers there is a ‘knight’ in shining armor. This complex character exemplifies the mystery of Pierce, the love of books as young Hawkes, and the witty banter of the Duke.

How does the perfect romance novel  include a robbery, a shooting, and a kidnapping? I am not sure, but somehow Julianne Donaldson weaves it artistically into this beloved book!  No spoilers here, just the recommendation that you will not regret meeting Marianne Daventry. I can’t say as much for her twin sister. 

Sheila’s one word summary was noble and Kate’s was misunderstanding. 

We loved this advice to Marianne from an older wiser character: 

“ I have discovered happiness is being true to who I am. I hope you will give that idea some consideration.” 

“Don’t let others' expectations direct the course of your life.”

Treat yourself to a whirlwind romance that even Jane Austen would recommend! You will savor your time in Edenbrooke!

Blessings dear listeners!

Time travel with us to London back in December 1931. Right off the bat a soldier disabled from WW I  blew himself up with a hand grenade; our heroine was so close she got her bell rung! Among the Mad is Jacqueline Winspear’s sixth Maisie Dobbs novel. Maisie’s summoned to work with Scotland Yard to help solve the case. They’re up against the clock because the Prime Minister's life has been threatened.

Maisie is also worried about her trusted assistant, Billy, and his wife, Doreen, who has not been able to accept the death of their daughter. Another concern Maisie is faced with is her dear friend, Priscilla, who is battling dragons of her own.

The caringness and understanding of our protagonist shines through as she meets people where they are and tries to move them forward. Never does she rush, she thoroughly asks questions no one else is asking, and she listens intently to answers, compiling the clues piece by piece like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.

The Superintendent Chief MacFarlane called Maisie in to work on the case after receiving a threatening note that mentioned her name. Maisie’s approach differs from the men she’s working with because she holds to the adages, “...inside the villain is a victim” and leave no stone unturned.

Maisie’s dad, Frankie, referred to London as a desperate place, with those who cannot find work contrasted with those who’ve got too much. Sadly, we learned that the isolation returning soldiers were fighting was a much different battle than the one they fought alongside comrades in the trenches. 

Won’t you join us as we join Maisie and Billy to untangle the mysteries! Blessings dear listeners! Let’s connect to reflect!

https://recapbookchat.com/2026/07/13/among-the-mad-maisie-dobbs-6-episode-236/

Today we recap Psalms 42-72, Book 2. The sons of Korah wrote Psalms 42-50, do you remember them? Kate sent us back to Numbers 26:11, Korah died and 250 others, but his sons did NOT die! What a story of REDEMPTION! Psalm 42 begins with an amazing visual of a deer panting for water. This reminds us how we should thirst for God. Our thirst should focus us on God, even in times of trial. Testing our thirst is how we test our hearts. Do we thirst for God’s Word? Do we thirst to talk about spiritual things? Do we thirst to worship God? This connects to MT 9:13 “I desire mercy not sacrifice.” Jesus was quoting Hosea 6:6, where God was explaining He desires faithfulness, love, and mercy from His people. Following the law to the letter and ignoring its spirit put the Pharisees in the same boat as the ancient Israelites. 

Psalm 44 is powerful because the people are going through hard times and they have NOT forgotten God. Sometimes, bad things just happen, we must TRUST God whatever life throws at us. Remember Paul and Silas singing in prison? 

David prays for God to create in him a clean heart in Psalm 51. This is after his sin with Bathsheba and the killing of Uriah. David humbly beseeches God, he doesn’t play the blame game or make excuses. He seeks God’s mercy.

Portrait of a Fool, Psalm 53, mirrors the message in Psalm 14. Remember when God repeats something, He wants us to pay attention. Fools never seek to learn about God and know Him because they say there is no God.

Psalms show the ups and downs of living for God. Is it easy? Can you name anything worthwhile that is easy? The wide path is easy but it’s not the one that leads to God.

Solomon ends Book 2 with Psalm 72. We go from David to Jesus, King of all nations! His kingdom will not end.”May people be blessed in Him, all nations call Him blessed!”

May our thirst for God remind us daily of our need for Him. Let’s connect to reflect!

Blessings to you dear listeners! 

https://recapbookchat.com/2026/07/07/psalms-42-72-aka-book-2-episode-235/

Do you know the last fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5? It is the theme of today’s podcast from chapter 4 in The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher, Control Yourself. Fisher explains the two phases of every argument, ignition (aka fight or flight) and cooling (aka rest & digest).

“Ignition happens when, with enough friction, the productive becomes destructive.”

In this phase, the prefrontal cortex functions little to nothing. This explains why so many unkind and  unthinkable comments are growled and often yelled, the decision-making part of the brain is out to lunch. Connects with a couple of idioms,  “I put my foot in my mouth” and “He put his foot in it.” The Next Conversation will help us eliminate those instances!

“Friction offers room for improvement. Because what triggers you teaches you.”

Here is Fisher’s breakdown of triggers:

1. Physical triggers-most noticeable, impact your sense of well-being
2. Psychological triggers

• Social triggers - worried about how others perceive you
• Personal identity threats - A. Competence, B. Autonomy, C. Purpose, & D. Value
• Loss 

If you learn to understand your body’s reactions and ups and downs, you’ll also be able to recognize the triggers of others. “They aren’t behaviors to get offended over. They’re information to gather.”

Remember, what triggers you teaches you, if you’re willing to learn…If you want to put out fires, find their trigger.” It’s a win win, are you ready to dive in? Blessings!

Kate and Sheila share their favorite books about freedom, liberty, and captivity—fiction, nonfiction, and kid lit—ready for America's 250th Independence Day!

This firecracker of an episode has a different look. Kate and Sheila discuss a myriad of "freedoms," highlighting book after book. Whether fiction or nonfiction, these treasures are guaranteed to hook. Contrasting both the cost and the blessings liberty brings, we see the cruelty of captivity and the wonder of wings. These texts are so freeing, they’ll make your heart sing!

Happy 250th Independence Day, dear listeners! Blessings!

Books Featured in This Episode

Nonfiction

• Unbroken
• The Last Green Valley
• Glittering Vices (Sloth / Vainglory / Envy / Greed / Wrath / Gluttony / Lust)
• Here Be Dragons
• Destiny of the Republic
• Everything Sad Is Untrue

Fiction

• Les Misérables
• The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek
• The Brothers Karamazov
• East of Eden

Kid Lit

• Way of the Warrior Kid
• The Wingfeather Saga
• The Bronze Bow
• Letters from Rifka

Let’s dive into the poetry and wisdom genre of the Bible! Today we recap Psalms 1-41 a.k.a. Book 1. David wrote all but 2 of this group, most are prayers of distress or statements of confidence in God. David reminds us in Psalm 1 to delight in the law of the Lord. The man who meditates on His law day and night will be like a tree planted by the water. What a robust visual!

As we’ve mentioned before our playlist matters. Remember the adage, GIGO (garbage in, garbage out), let’s flip that and put wisdom in and pray that wisdom comes out.

David wrote that we should “serve the Lord with fear’ Psalm 2, but we do NOT need to fear evil (Psalm 23) because God is with us. What a powerful contrast!

Psalm 19:7-11 expresses the cause and effects of God’s law! Read those verses and notice the outcomes of being true to God and His Word. Psalm 34:5 describes those who look to God as being radiant. 

David trusted God through his triumphs and his trials, what a great example of how situations should not be the focus. Our focus should be on seeking to please God!

Try sprinkling a Psalm in your daily Bible reading. Share which one you connect with the most at this season in your life. What a blessing you are, dear listener! May we grow together as we connect to reflect!

In episode 232, we discover The Truth About Connection, chapter 3 in Jefferson Fisher’s  outstanding book, The Next Conversation. 

This was a powerful point:

“You’re living in a world of transmission, not connection. . .Transmission conveys information, but connection breathes life into it.”

Transmission is reading sheet music and connection is hearing a symphony perform it.

We must remember that connection has 2 parts: understanding and acknowledgement, both must be present to have connection. It is important to note that we can understand and acknowledge without agreeing.

As Jefferson’s dad put it, “You don’t have to like it. You just need to understand it.”

He allowed Jefferson space to disagree. Connection can be positive and negative.

There are 3 ways connection can be cut off:

1. Lack of awareness
2. Lack of understanding
3. Lack of self-assurance

Are you ready to dive into living a life well lived? Kate referred to it as grace under pressure and   connected it to the Madame Chic books. Sheila connected it to John Wayne’s quote:

“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” Blessings!

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more,” Jane Austen’s well-known line from her classic novel, Emma, written in 1815. Readers will love Mr. Knightley, family friend, who does not hesitate to confront Emma Woodhouse when she is in the wrong. 

Mr. Knightley: You are materially changed since we talked on this subject before.

Emma: I hope so – for at that time I was a fool.

Emma befriends young Harriet and attempts to match her with Mr. Elton, coercing Harriet into turning down a proposal of marriage from Mr. Martin. Emma has a bit of a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude where Harriet is concerned. Mr. Knightley calls her out because Mr. Martin is a good man. Throw into the mix charming Frank Churchill, the visiting stepson of Emma’s governess Mrs. Weston, and things get even more interesting.

There is wit and whimsy but as Shakespeare penned, “The course of true love never did run smooth.”

Kate’s one word summary was humility which leads to growth. Sheila’s word was perspective. How we see or understand people is all about our perspective. Won’t you dive into this classic with us as we connect to reflect? Blessings!

Greetings fellow communicators! Are you ready to level-up to chapter 2 in 

The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher? Have you ever had a moment when you played out a conversation in your head and it went totally awry? Jefferson has a powerful reminder for us: “Have something to LEARN not something to prove.”

The next conversation can be much more transformative than the initial one. It levels us up. Reframing, restating, clarifying, and apologizing trumps the prized first impression. 

When we identify our values (who we want to be and how we want to show up) they help align us and make the tough decisions for us. Remember in the Bible when Isaac asked Jacob who he was he replied, “I am Esau” which was a false identity. When God asked Jacob that same question much later in his life, he said, “I am Jacob” which was his real identity, but not his true identity. God gives Jacob that when he changed his name to Israel:

Then he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed."

Words are powerful! We want our actions to speak louder than our words so we must embrace the uncomfortableness of growth. 

Jefferson shares a few of his values:

• Where there is room for kindness, I will use it.
• Tell them who I am without saying my name.
• If I can’t be a bridge, I’ll be a lighthouse.

Values in conversations serve as our compass, helping us to set realistic goals as we strive to  navigate toward what is meaningful and important.

Let’s learn the power of… The Next Conversation as we Connect to Reflect!

Blessings!

https://recapbookchat.com/2026/05/25/the-next-conversation-chapter-2/