Recap Book Chat

What a blessed episode! Join Kate and Sheila as they interview Jacob Hudgins, the author of House Rules, the book we’ve been highlighting on Thursday’s Bonus-Bite episodes. He shares how he came to write the book and what he and his wife have learned on their adventure of parenting children together. We appreciate his dedication to putting God first and writing in a straightforward style that helps us amplify God’s Word in our everyday lives. The title is

House Rules but it could also enrich everything from the workplace to the classroom to Nana and Pop’s place.

Jacob’s books can be purchased on Amazon. He can be contacted at his website,

www.jacobhudgins.com We are so grateful he took the time to be with us today!

His motivation to clarify what was truly important in the Hudgins’ household was inspiring. Each chapter is finally honed and ends with suggestions that (when put into practice) will move us closer to God. We want to let God show us where to draw that line in the sand.

Parenthood, like life, has seasons. Whether we find ourselves in the newness and growth of spring, the heat and energy of summer, the bliss and beauty of fall, or the slowing down and gathering around the fire in winter, we all will be blessed to follow these biblical guidelines within our circle of influence.

Please join us as we meet the author of House Rules, School of Christ, A Year with Jesus and Humility Practice and learn how God has led him and his wife to be intentional on this journey called life.

Greetings dear listeners! Please join Kate and Sheila for Rule #5–No Gossip Allowed in Jacob Hudgins’ book, House Rules. We have an enlightening interview with Jacob coming out on Tuesday. We hope you’ll join us! What does God’s Word say about gossip? The Bible uses words like slander, speak evil of, whisperer, reviling, back-biting, busybodies, talebearer, and meddling. Whew! Quite a list! “...blending together the various biblical expressions, gossip is saying bad things about other people to ruin their reputations or condemn them, especially when they are not present.” In Christian homes, there is no gossip allowed, we want to build up not tear down.

Jacob gives different reasons why we gossip, such as: laziness, jealousy, revenge, or for fun.

Gossip is not a victimless vice, it hurts not only the one being thrown under the bus and also the thrower. Is it a lack of gratitude on our part that unleashes the gossiping gargoyle, destroyer of trust and wrecker of relationships (with people and with God)???

Help! Improvement Wanted! “For lack of wood the fire goes out…” Prov 26:20

Let’s start with us-Be aware. What are my intentions? “The fact that I know something doesn’t mean I have to say it.”

Ask bold clarifying questions-”Is that what they said or just what you heard?

Push back with compassion and understanding-”break the self-centeredness cycle”

Complimenting the victim can change the tone.

Use caution at home not to take the bridle off our tongues, or as Kate said, “Never put stretchy pants on the tongue” Bahaha! We must strive to build and create (like our Heavenly Father) instead of destroy and distort.

We thank you for striving to be intentional with us as we journey toward knowing God better!

Happy Growing and Reading!!!

The Horse and His Boy is book #3 in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia timeline. Readers meet Bree, a powerful and confident war horse, whose homeland is Narnia, hence the reason he can speak to Shasta, a poor fisherman’s boy, on the brink of being sold into slavery. Bree convinces him to escape. When Bree finds out Shasta can’t ride he asks him if he can fall. “I suppose anyone can fall,” said Shasta. “I mean can you fall and get up again without crying and mount again and fall again and yet not be afraid of falling?” What a vivid picture of perseverance!

Shasta and Bree’s path crosses with a princess fleeing from an arranged marriage, Avaris. They start journeying to Narnia together but are separated when Shasta is suddenly mistaken for a prince and whisked away.

Meanwhile, Avaris overhears an evil prince plotting to capture Queen Lucy in Narnia and destroy another land along the way. When Avaris and Shasta reunite they ride for all they’re worth to alert King Lune of the trouble. Bree says he can run no more and even gives the reason why. “But one of the worst results of being a slave and being forced to do things is that when there is no one to force you anymore you find you have almost lost the power of forcing yourself.”

Aslan tells Shasta, “I was the lion…I was the lion who forced you to join Arvais. I was the cat who comforted you among the houses of the dead. I was the lion who drove the jackals from you while you slept. I was the lion who gave the horses the new strength of fear for the last miles so they should read King Lune in time. And I was the lion you do not remember who pushed the boat in which you lay, a child near death, so that it came to shore where a man sat wakeful at midnight to receive you.”

Guidance, courage, justice, and forgiveness are some of the impactful themes wonderfully woven through this gripping tale. Won’t you join Kate and Sheils as they saddle up for Narnia? Happy Reading dear friends!

“Sometimes little things matter a lot. Words change things. Words start wars—and end wars. Words start marriages—-and end marriages. Words make us feel like we can’t go on—and make us feel like we can. We speak with love.” Jacob Hudgins shows us in House Rules why Rule #4 We Speak with Love is so vital for families. James 3:7-8 tells us that the tongue cannot be tamed, that it is restless evil, full of deadly poison. Doesn’t that sound serious?

Time should be taken before speaking so our family hears the point not the anger. We must watch what comes out of our mouths because it reflects what is in our hearts. As Eph 4:29 says, “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.” Don’t you love that terminology?

Build up vs destroy, which has a path for growth? Here’s this week’s diamante:

Anger

Harsh, destructive

Provoking, attacking, labeling

Insults, tone, patience, consistency

Nurturing, growing, benefiting

Kind, constructive

Love

Thanks for joining Kate and Sheila as they seek to fill the quiver of families with godly wisdom that can impact today’s homes in such a way that will glorify our Father in heaven!

Let’s look back to a simpler time, when kids played outside until dark and phones were attached to the walls. Have you seen the movie Secretariat where the father says to his sons, “Get your devices off the table,?” The devices were their toy airplanes, that always cracks me up but it also is a reminder of how much things have changed. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger reminds us of a less hurried time. He wrote from his hear masterfully weaving together a novel of historical fiction, matters of grief, coming of age (bildungsroman), and mystery.

The story is told from Frank Drum’s viewpoint as he, now a grown man, looks back to the summer when he was an unsettled kid of thirteen grappling with what manhood was all about in his mixed-up world. His younger brother, Jake, has a stuttering problem. He also has deep insight. He didn’t fake things, he was the real deal. Ariel, their talented older sister, was soon to be on her way to Juliard. Their father, Nathan Drum, pastors 3 churches, ministers to his war buddy,Gus, and pours into the whole community. “My father and his great embracing heart.”

On the other end of the caring spectrum we meet Ruth Drum, distant mom and wife, being a preacher’s wife is not what she signed up for.

Kruegar shows the after effects of WWII. “I think that it wasn’t so much the war as what we took into the war. Whatever cracks were already there the war forced apart, and what we might otherwise have kept inside came spilling out.”

The novel starts with an accidental death of a small boy then the boys find a homeless man who died of natural causes. Next, there’s a suicide attempt and a murder! Not a book for youngsters, the content is heavy and the language is like that of sailors, but for readers that are ready it is a gift. We are shown the different ways people work through grief.

“Hope was what my father held to. My mother chose despair.”

“I (Frank)felt ______’s death had shoved me through a doorway into a world where I was a stranger.”

Jake said, “If we put everything in Gods’ hands, maybe we won't have to be afraid anymore.”

Please join Kate and Sheila as they dive into the 1960s. Blessings to you, dear readers!

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!