“All of life is a battle against fear. We fight it on one front, and it sneaks around to our flank.”

S.D. Smith’s book, The Green Ember, wonderfully weaves a tale of adventure, family, friendship, betrayal and conquering fear. We meet Picket Longtreader and his sister, Heather, as they are forced to go on the run after they return home to find it on fire and their parents and baby brother missing.

A wolf attack forces Heather and Picket into a cave. Thankfully in the nick of time, they are rescued by their uncle and a rabbit named Smalls who take them to Cloud Mountain.

All the rabbits are working together to fight against evil forces that are trying to overtake them. Their beloved King Jupiter had been betrayed by someone in the Longtreader family so Heather and Picket do not have the red carpet rolled out for them if you know what I mean. Emma was not like the other rabbits, she was helpful and kind to the newcomers.

Helmer is a big brute of a rabbit who keeps to himself. Picket wants Helmer to train him to be a fighter. Helmer calls him Ladybug.  The training is tough when “Everything is a weapon.” 

Will the rabbit community be strong enough to get peace from their enemies? 

“You can choose what you believe, Shuffler (Picket’s other nickname), but you can’t choose what’s true.”

Yes, dear listeners, “Healing is on the horizon, but fire comes first. Bear the flame.” Are you ready to meet these endearing characters and join the journey?

In this episode of the Recap Book Chat, Kate and Sheila dive into Rachel Norman's book 'If Mama Ain't Happy,' discussing the importance of self-care, setting boundaries, and the role of authenticity in relationships. They explore the difference between treating oneself and genuinely taking care of one's needs, emphasizing that self-care is essential for overall well-being. The conversation also touches on the significance of routine and planning in family life, and how clear communication can foster healthier relationships. The episode concludes with key takeaways and practical advice for listeners.

Kate recaps Rachel Norman’s book, If Mama Ain’t Happy which stresses the need we all have of setting healthy boundaries. Rachel’s wake up call came when her cancer doctor told her that she couldn’t keep doing what she was doing and survive.

“Simplifying makes life less stressful.” Join us as Kate highlights some of the high points of this remarkable book that will benefit anyone trying to ‘white knuckle it through life’. 

This quote resonated with me, “We can decide how far we want to push ourselves, but that doesn’t change when we’ll give out.”

Do you stuff things in your emotional basement? It is what we do when we shove our feelings and emotions down. Sooner or later (and usually at the most inopportune time) they erupt and come out like overfilling a gas tank.

This book will change the self-care mindset. Self-care actually needs to be done first. We can’t pour from an empty cup. Treating ourselves is not the equivalent of taking care of ourselves. Self-care is a way of preparing ourselves to be our best self. Have you ever thought about self-care as an act of worship? Would our abundant God want us running on empty?

“Being authentic attracts others.” Isn’t this quote so true! “It’s better to be honest about your capacity than to over promise and underdeliver.”

Why not pick up a copy of this little jewel to get some help with setting beneficial boundaries and keeping them? Let’s thrive in 2025!  Do you agree with the author about happiness being a natural byproduct of wise living? Dive into this recap as we continue our quest to read the best! Blessings to you dear listeners!

Have you walked through the struggles in the book of Job? God describes Job as blameless, however his friends did not get the memo. In the midst of severe loss Job’s friends lambast him with all the wrongs they think he must have done to end up in the shape he’s in.

(Note to self: Give grace instead of advice, everyone is struggling with something.)

 As Kate mentioned, the friends waited in silence for 7 days… definitely their finest hour. 

We can learn so much from this book! 

The big question is… Why do bad things happen to good people? This is woven throughout life and the book of Job. God is no respecter of persons and He is just…this leads us to realize that life in this broken world will not be fair. If life were like Job’s friends describe obeying God would not be from the heart but from a place of concern for self to avoid hardships.

Please join us as we recap the amazing book of Job, we’re sure you know the Author! Have a blessed day dear listeners! Let’s continue our quest to read the best!

In Episode 172, we learned the difference between IQ (Incorrect questions) such as “Why did he cut me off?”, and QBQ (Questions that are positive and productive) like, “What can I do to help you out ?” 

QBQs focus on action. How can I improve myself? How can I provide value to you?

Action requires courage; inaction is fueled by fear

Action builds confidence; inaction builds doubt

Action even when it leads to mistakes leads to growth; inaction leads to stagnation

In the Question Behind the Question we discovered the Power of ONE: Departments, teams, committees don’t change, People change…one at a time.

Asking questions that focus our efforts, thoughts, and energy is the way to be effective and really make a difference.

John G. Miller was taught by his wrestling coach, aka his father,  he had 3 people to beat:

Please join us as we dive into QBQ: The Question Behind the Question and discover instead of thinking outside the box, it is beneficial to succeed using what is in our box, a Bloom Where You’re Planted mentality. 

Learning is about change. We always have a choice, even if it is choosing not to make a choice.

What can we do to bless your day?

Happy New Year!!! May your reading continue to thrive in 2025!!!

Join Kate and Sheila as they very carefully recap The Nature of Fragile Things 

by Susan Meissner while striving to withhold all the plot twists and jaw droppers.

This roller coaster of a read begins in 1906 just before the San Francisco earthquake.

We meet a young mail order bride, Sophie. She is an Irish immigrant who answers an ad of the bereaved widower, Martin, who is seeking a mother for Kat, his 5 year old daughter. Sophie longs to have a home and be a mother.

This book is unlike any historical fiction we’ve read! 

“It is the nature of fragile things to break…it is also in our nature to start over after disaster.” 

GloriaZ  recommended this book and The Frozen River, so far she’s been a good resource in our Quest to Read the Best! 

Have a blessed day dear readers!

https://www.youtube.com/@GloriaZThompson

2024 Recap Book Chat Awards…Please join Kate and Sheila to see if you agree or disagree with their choices : )

Most Whimsical - ?

Grittiest - ?

Most Unique Format - ?

Best Opening Line - ?

Most Unpredictable - ?

Most Intense - ?

Most Impactful in Society - ?

Most Creative - ?

Best Leading Lady - ?

Best Leading Man - ?

Best Ending - ?

Changed Our Lives - ?

Stands the Test of Time - ?

Overall Best Book - ?

Quotes from The Green Ember: “All of life is a battle against fear. We fight it on one front, and it sneaks around to our flank.”

“Stay on the job, son. Do the next right thing.”

Have a Happy New Year dear listeners! Happy Reading : )

“Knowledge is something given bit by bit. In life, there are few things that must be done the first time around.” I’m so thankful for God’s grace! Let's join together and strive to learn and grow into the women that God designed us to be. We are all at different places on the road of life, some of us are on bumpy roads while some are smooth sailing and others experiencing dangerous hairpin curves! The beginning of the journey we tend to have more energy, and as the miles stack up behind us we gain wisdom.

I get it, you want to make sure that hubbie is right before you’re all in. But where is the trust in this kind of thinking? Life is uncertain, that is where faith comes in.

“All men make mistakes. A woman’s place is simply to obey for God’s sake, not for right’s sake. If you wait until you feel that your husband is right before you obey him, then you will seldom obey him, and you will never enjoy the miracles of God.” : )

We finished up Titus 2:3-5, we discussed being discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, and last and  most challenging … obedient to their husbands.

What tools do we need to have a glorious marriage?

Joy

Thankfulness

Contentment

Reverence

Submission

Prayer

Believing God’s Word

Culture may have changed but God’s plan for marriage remains consistent with His Word.  Please join Kate and Sheila as they wrap up Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. 

Merry Christmas dear listeners!

Episode 168 - A Christmas Carol

What caused the miser, Scrooge, to choose his path?

Was it his absence from home or his father’s wrath?

He chose his master passion, Gain- over his intended, Belle, 

She released him with a heart full of love for the man she once knew so well.

He grew self-absorbed, uncaring, and oh so tight,

He might never have changed without his visitors each night.

The ghost of Christmas Past taught a reluctant Scrooge a thing or two,

To the  second shade  he was much more open to learning something new. 

“Scrooge was better than his word. He did it all and infinitely more.”

This little book hits everyone at their core.

Thank you for sharing your day with Sheila and Kate and Dickens too,

We wish a very Merry Christmas to each one of you!

The Man Who Invented Christmas is the movie whose title escaped us,

https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B077MFZMB3/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

Please join Kate and Sheila as they continue discussing Created to Be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. 

Part 2 recaps how God encompasses all the kinds of men mentioned in part 1:

 Mr. Command, Mr. Visionary, and Mr. Steady.

We learn that our reactions define us because they are not premeditated so they show what is in our hearts. Luke 6:45…out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 

2 Cor.10 says to bring every thought into obedience of Christ. 

“Eve was deceived, she was supposed to be Adam’s helper but she helped herself to spiritual knowledge and acted independently, becoming his downfall instead of his help meet.”

Jezebel and Ruth are two very different women, one lived for self and the other was a beautiful example of a woman with a thankful submissive attitude. Which one would you want to have coffee with?

Being a godly wife is not contingent on your husband being godly, he might be a super jerk but enduring abusive words should not leave one feeling abused when living in the love of God. Women must gain their self-image from what God thinks of them instead of what their husbands might say in selfishness and anger.

Titus 2:3-5 gives eight things God requires of women. We covered:

make wise decisions. Think of Mary, the mother of Jesus, a teenage girl clinging to the back of a bouncing donkey, contractions pulling at her exhausted body, while her desperate husband searched for a place for her to give birth. Her emotional well-being did not depend on her surroundings.

This book is challenging, yes, but there is a delight and peace that comes from leaning into God’s design for us instead of resisting it.