Recap Book Chat

Greetings listeners! Book 4 of Psalms starts with Moses’ prayer which ends with, “Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us…”

This group of psalms 90 - 106 is powerful! God is our refuge and our fortress, He is the one in whom we trust! May we be rooted and grounded in Him like the cedars of Lebanon! Cedar in Hebrew is firm/strong, these trees grew to be 120 feet tall (think about a 10-12 story building!!!).

Discipline draws us closer to God who is our Stronghold! His steadfast love holds us up!

Psalm 96:9 “Worship the Lord, in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth!”

Kate’s one word summary was sovereign! God is all knowing, all powerful and He is everywhere!  He knows our ‘frame’ and remembers we are dust (103:14), but He wants a relationship with us!!! Amazing!

Sheila’s one word summary was steadfast because it describes God's love for us, through the ebb and flow of our lives. 

Psalm 100 is a beautiful psalm of thanksgiving, “For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations.” Kate challenged us to memorize these five verses before Thanksgiving! Let’s do it!

Thank you dear listeners for taking the time to reflect so we’re able to connect on God’s Holy Word!  Blessings!!!

If you've ever wished for a do-over Gordon Korman’s 2017 book Restart is right up your alley!!

We meet football star and renowned school bully, Chase Ambrose, after he fell from a two-story window. He has amnesia so bad his personality changes. The rattiest rat changes into a super kind guy! It is quite a transformation! Confusing friends and enemies alike!

Each chapter comes from a different viewpoint:

Shoshanna Weber: She hates Chase mightily because of what he did to her twin brother, Joel. Chase and his goons (Aaron and Bear) were the cause of Joel having to transfer to a private school because of the trauma he suffered when they blew up Joel’s piano!

Brendan Espinoza: Wannabe famous YouTuber who forgives Chase’s past bullying against him from the get go. He takes a risk and asks Chase to help shoot a video while Brendan rides a tricycle through a car wash. 

Mr. Solway: Feisty nursing home resident who strings a necklace out of all the gout pills he’s refused to take. He was awarded a Medal of Honor from Harry Truman for his service in the Korean War, but mysteriously the medal is missing! He and Chase have a bond.

Summary Words:

Titus: Connection/relationship and Disguise (a curse, like Chase’s injury, was a blessing in     

disguise).

Jonah: Humble-Chase 2.0 is much more humble and thinks of others.

Kate: Redemption-Chase’s old persona had him stuck on himself and unable to grow.

Sheila:Transformation-We all can change, that’s how we grow. Chase wasn’t the only one  transformed in this book!

The principal told Chase that his injury was an opportunity to start over. Chase takes the ball and runs with it and becomes Chase 2.0. Join us as we discuss, Restart, and Kid Approved 5 star read!!! Blessings dear listeners! Let’s connect to reflect! 

Chapter 6 of The Next Conversation focuses on the importance of controlling the pace of communication, particularly through the use of pauses, to enhance understanding and engagement in conversations. Kate and Sheila discuss various examples and personal experiences that highlight how effective pauses can lead to more meaningful interactions and better emotional control. The conversation explores the importance of effective communication, the impact of stress on health, and the need to slow down in life to appreciate beauty and foster meaningful connections. It emphasizes the significance of being aware of one's body and emotions, and how numbers can help in recognizing and addressing issues.

Takeaways

• Control the pace of conversation
• The power of pauses Effective communication is essential
• Slowing down enhances well-being

Chapters

• 00:00 The Importance of Controlling Pace
• 03:03 The Power of Pauses in Communication
• 06:01 Brevity and Impact in Speech
• 08:48 Silence as a Tool for Clarity
• 11:56 Creating Safe Spaces Through Pausing
• 15:09 The Role of Silence in Conflict Resolution
• 18:01 Personal Strategies for Effective Communication
• 20:59 Memory Techniques and Learning
• 24:25 The Importance of Communication
• 27:02 Managing Stress and Health
• 30:39 Controlling the Pace of Life
• 34:33 Planning for Beauty in Life
• 39:29 Embracing Change and Self-Improvement

The Last of the Really Great Wangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards is a whimsical and imaginative book that encourages readers to look up and use their senses. It explores the themes of imagination, confidence, and perception, while also highlighting the importance of noticing and play. The book's purpose is to inspire readers to face temptation, use their imagination, and look up instead of down. Thanks to our special guest hosts, Titus and Jonah, for providing their extra insight into today's review.

Takeaways

• Imagination
• Confidence
• Perception

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction to the Book
• 02:22 Exploring Imagination and Perception
• 07:09 Noticing and Play
• 20:01 The Author's Purpose

“With my mother it was all work. But this is a different type of house. Here there is room, and time to think.” Foster, a novella by Irish author Claire Keegan, slows readers down. We meet the Kinsellas, relatives, who welcome the protagonist into their peaceful home overflowing with warm kindness! 

She is dropped off, literally, by her disengaged, shiftless Da (aka father), what a contrast her past abode and living situation is to what is now before her.

“The water tastes cool and clean…it tastes of my father leaving, of him never having been there.” 

Kate’s one word summary was belonging. Our forlorn narrator is invited into the rhythm of the Kinsellas household. Belonging encourages our young protagonist to bloom in an amazing way. Sheila’s one word summary was actually two : )  Torn describes the beginning and end  of the book when the girl wanted to return with her father, struggling between staying in the better place versus returning to the chaos she called home. In the middle of the book the word opportunity comes to mind.. As we have opportunity, let us do good to one another. 

Blessings dear listeners! Let’s connect to reflect!

Greetings! We are joined by our special guests to discuss Andrew Clements’ classic from 1998, Frindle. Prankster Nick Allen meets his match in the formidable Mrs. Granger. This timeless novel weaves quite a tale. Mrs. Granger said people determine the meaning of words, so Nick invented the word frindle for pen. The battle begins. Jonah’s one word summary was chess, because Nick makes a move and it is countered by Mrs. Granger. Then Nick ‘moves’ again… Just like a game of chess. Titus’ one word was over-react. He thought everyone over-reacted… from Mrs. Granger to Nick to the news reporter. Kate went with empowering. Words are powerful. A command of language is empowering. Sheila’s word was flourish, because Mrs. Granger tenacity caused Nick to flourish. She was willing to play the bad guy to get traction for Nick’s word. Like Mrs. Baker from The Wednesday Wars, Mrs. Granger changed Nick’s life in more ways than one.

Join the fun. Who will win the word war? Here’s a interesting quote:

“But of course, all of this is just a silly fad, and when you add an "e" to fad, you get fade. And I predict this fad will fade.” What do you predict?

 If you haven’t met Nick and Mrs. Granger you’re in for a treat. If you’ve read Frindle you might enjoy, Frindle Files, the sequel written in 2024. Pick up your frindle and write this down, “Let’s connect, to reflect”! Blessings dear listeners!

We continue our  journey through Book 3, Psalms 73-89. These Psalms show a plethora

of high and low in relationships with God. When we aren’t as close to God we can rest assured that we are the ones who are moving in the wrong direction. 

“But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all Your works.” Ps. 73:28

“But my people did not listen to my voice; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts, to follow their own counsels.” Ps. 81:11

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly…blessed is the one who trusts in you!” Ps 84:11-12

Kate’s one word summary was remembrance and Sheila’s was trust. When we remember all that God has done we will give thanks to Him with whole hearts as David wrote in Psalm 86 . Remembering fosters an attitude of gratitude.

Won’t you join us as we connect to reflect about the abounding steadfast love of our faithful Father!

We hope that episode 242 will bless you in a big way.  We hope you join us as we recap the  holy fear of God in John Bevere's book, The Awe of God. 

Each chapter starts with a quote such as: 

“Men reverence one another, not yet God.” Henry David Thoreau

Kate’s one word summary was humility and Sheila’s was obedience. Both words heighten our awareness of God’s holiness, which starkly contrasts with our deficiencies. This awareness can be a catalyst for becoming poor in spirit. When we realize that we are spiritually bankrupt we trust God and obey him.  Wasn’t that King Saul’s problem? He was prideful and did not trust or obey Him. He lacked a hold fear of God and this led to jealousy, anger, and impatience.

James 4:8 tells us to “purify our hearts by embracing the fear of the Lord.”

Psalms 112:1-2 “How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying His commands…”

Let’s discover the joyful bliss of this holy fear as we dive into The Awe of God! 

Blessings dear listeners! Thank you for joining in as we connect to reflect!

Bildungsroman at its best! The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt transports us to Long Island, NY back to 1967. Readers meet Holling Hoodhood, a seventh grader stuck with spending Wednesday afternoons with his teacher, Mrs. Baker, while the rest of his class goes to religious classes at their prospective churches. Holling is positive his teacher hates him. 

This book throws a wide loop. There’s several Shakespeare plays, Mickey Mantle signing baseballs, cream puffs, a snowstorm, disengaged parents, cross country, the Vietnam War is in the background along with rats, yes, rats!

Holling’s dad is image focused, how he and his architect company are perceived by the town is all he thinks about. When Holling’s sister leaves home the father is unconcerned!  He might be an awesome architect but he is a lousy father with a capital L.

Let’s jump into The Wednesday Wars! Thanks so much for listening! Let’s connect to reflect!

Blessings!

“You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!” Shakespeare had a gift for turning a phrase! “It was Greek to me” and “mischief thou art afoot” are a few more colorful quips from his iconic play, Julius Caesar. This tragedy was written in 1599, however the actual assassination of the powerful general took place about 40 years before Jesus was born. 

Betrayal is shockingly portrayed as Caesar is stabbed by a crowd of cunning conspirators, the last stab belonged to Brutus, a ‘trusted’ friend.

It is amazing how Shakespeare takes a well-known event in history and weaves it into an unforgettable story. Political problems are prevalent today as well, but we do not have an orator with Antony’s ability to turn the crowd! “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him.” Click the link for an amazing delivery of his speech! Damian Lewis as Antony in Julius Caesar: 'Friends, Romans, countrymen' | Shakespeare Solos

What a great time to wrestle with this text, during the dog days of summer! Thank you for joining us in our jaunt with the Bard! Let’s connect to reflect! Blessings dear listeners!