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! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

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!!! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

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?” --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

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! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! This vice really hit home. Gluttony, like all the vices, begins with something created for good but sin creeps in and our desires run amok. Gregory the Great from the Middle Ages summed gluttony up in five categories: Too daintily (nothing is ever quite right) Too sumptuously (lavishly) Too hastily (gobble and go) Too greedily (ravenously-think Augustus Gloop) Too much (tastes like more) We learned that “what’s being eaten” deals with the first two and “how the food is eaten” deals with the last three. Indulgence whets the appetite instead of satisfying it. Ecclesiastes 6:7 reminds us…”his appetite is not satisfied.” The trouble with instant gratification is it only lasts for an instant. This quick fix leaves us depleted and spiritually starved. We’re made to find our flourishing in more than physical pleasure. Something I need to remind myself when I reach for chocolate! God made food good for our bodies and He made taste buds for us to savor the flavor. It all goes south when we try to do what Adam and Eve did long ago in the garden. When we choose to rely on food or drink instead of God we thwart our spiritual growth. Every virtue has two vices, extremes in both directions. Those joyless about food lack appreciation, while the self-indulgent are striving to provide pleasure through food. How do we get off this hamster wheel and unlearn the bad habits we’ve picked up? Rebecca DeYoung guides us in Glittering Vices to give up gratification for gratitude.Yes, intentionality is key as is practice. Will it happen overnight? Not a chance, change takes time, however, rightly forming our desires will put us on the right pathway. Please join Kate and Sheila as they strive to say, Good-bye gluttony, Hello temperance. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

“No great wisdom can be reached without sacrifice.” What a powerful quote in The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis! The prequel to the enduring and ever-popular The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Readers discover how Narnia came to be in this timely tale when two children from London, Digory and Polly, stumble upon Digory’s Uncle Andrew; he tricks them into putting on rings that transport them to another world. They encounter the evil queen, Jadis, who destroyed her world and seeks to destroy theirs as well. Polly and Digory work together to get Jadis out of London before that can happen. This amazing story shows readers the consequences of impulsiveness and selfishness and the beauty and strength and obedience found in putting others first and doing good. “All get what they want; They do not always like it.” Join Polly and Digory as they meet the great Aslan, whose presence scares Jadis aka the witch causing her to skedaddle. The talking animals debate whether Uncle Andrew is a vegetable, mineral, or human and finally decide he is a tree and plant him thigh deep in the dirt : ) Digory tells Aslan his mother is dying. He asks if he could send him back with something from Narnia that would heal her. Aslan looks at him with tears in his eyes and tells him that the two of them are the only ones in Narnia who know about grief. He encourages with these words, “Let us be good to one another.” Aslan sends the adventurers on a mission. Will Digory and Polly succeed or will the mission be thwarted by the evil witch. The kids are stronger in making wise choices the closer they are to Aslan. Isn’t that how we are? The closer to Christ we are the more we are able to battle the troubles and struggles in life in a manner that strengthens instead of devastates us. Self-control is a struggle and obedience is too but we never regret doing the right thing. Please join us as we dive into the first chronicle and meet the young adventurers, the self-absorbed uncle, the cool cabby and his steadfast steed, the evil witch, and the magnificent lion. Pour yourself a cup of coffee or tea or listen as you go for a walk if the weather’s cooperating as we visit the land of Narnia. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Join Kate and Sheila as they dive into the vice of wrath from Glittering Vices by Rebecca DeYoung. There are two schools of thought on this vice. Aquinas believed it was a natural expression of a human emotion and it could be righteous if it targeted injustice. Anger as a holy emotion has justice as its object and love as its root as Jesus overturning the money changers tables. Anger turns wrathful when it fights for its own selfish cause. Cassian claimed all anger causes blindness which obscures our ability to see Christ. In James 1:19-20, “...we are told to be quick to listen…slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” “There is nothing that can be done with anger that cannot be done better without it.” Dallas Willard was in Cassian’s camp. Psychologists call anger a “secondary emotion” because it masks other sorts of distress. John and Julie Gottman liken our emotional life to an iceberg: only anger shows above the surface, while fear, grief, and shame lurk under water. What is our anger guarding? Is it our deepest attachments to worldly desires or the most significant sources of our identity? Wrath reveals idolatrous attachments and our prideful sense of self. Disrespect rankles us. It is a struggle to take a breath and give grace. How can we thwart this powerful vice? We hope you will join us as we go over the virtue that can kibosh wrath. Good-bye wrath, Hello Gentleness! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Welcome back, Recapsters! In this episode of the Recap Book Chat, we delve into the rich tapestry of Fyodor Dostoevsky's masterpiece, "The Brothers Karamazov." Settle in with your favorite cup of tea as we embark on a journey through the complex dynamics of faith, doubt, and familial bonds. First, let's meet the titular characters: Dmitri, Ivan, and Alyosha Karamazov, three brothers who couldn't be more different yet are deeply interconnected. Dmitri, the passionate and impulsive eldest brother, Ivan, the intellectual skeptic grappling with existential questions, and Alyoshai, the pious and compassionate youngest brother, serve as mirrors reflecting the multifaceted nature of the human soul. Their father, Fyodor Pavlovich Karamazov, is a deeply flawed and hedonistic man whose actions cast a long shadow over his sons' lives. Fyodor's contentious relationships with his sons, coupled with his libertine lifestyle, serve as catalysts for the unfolding drama within the novel. Central to "The Brothers Karamazov" is the exploration of faith and doubt. Dostoevsky masterfully weaves existential and religious themes throughout the narrative, inviting readers to ponder the nature of belief in the face of moral ambiguity and suffering. Ivan's famous philosophical dilemma, the "Grand Inquisitor" chapter, challenges conventional notions of faith, while Alyosha's unwavering devotion to his faith provides a counterbalance. As we sip on our Honeybush tea, we'll discuss how Dostoevsky skillfully navigates the labyrinth of human consciousness, inviting readers to confront their own existential quandaries. In this first part of our exploration of "The Brothers Karamazov," we've only scratched the surface of Dostoevsky's magnum opus. Join us in the next episode as we delve deeper into the intricate plot twists, profound character developments, and timeless philosophical questions that make this novel a literary classic. Fear not dear listener, no spoilers in this episode in case you haven't yet embarked on the journey of "The Brothers Karamazov," yet. Until then, keep sipping, keep reading, stay on track and read your stack. Cheers! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Greetings Recapsters! For this episode, we discuss Gretchin Rubin’s book, The Four Tendencies, where she discusses how people respond to inner (stop nagging) and outer (traffic laws) expectations. She also wrote Better than Before to help us discover why some people can form habits more easily than others.How do we change? Habits are the invisible architecture of our lives. 40% of our daily behaviors are repeated, why not harness this information to gain self-knowledge that will help us adopt habits successfully? 41% of the population are Obligers. “You can count on me and I’m counting on you to count on me.” They are motivated by external expectations and struggle with inner expectations and with saying no. 24% of the people fall into the Questioner category. “I will comply if you convince me why.” They are motivated by clarity, reason, logic and fairness. They can have bouts of analysis paralysis. 19% of folks are Upholders. These are the people that respond readily to inner and outer expectations. Discipline is their freedom. 17% fall into the Rebel category. “You can’t make me, and neither can I.” This group places a high value on authenticity and acts best when you give them the information and let them make a choice. Our tendencies color the way we see the world. If you want to take the short quiz to discover your tendency click here. Thank you for joining us on our quest to read the best! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Glittering Vice # 4 — Avarice What do Ebenezer Scrooge, King Ahab, Lot, and King Midas all have in common? They all give us a clear picture of the vice of avarice. They put themselves first. Did Scrooge even see Tiny Tim? Did Ahab understand why Naboth said ‘no deal’? Why didn’t Lot insist that Abram have first choice on the land? Why didn’t Midas appreciate what he had? What causes this unquenchable desire for more, more, more? Horace’s pithy quote packs a punch, “The one who is greedy is always in want.” Sadly, greed corrodes the virtue of generosity and also leads us to shun the claims of justice. “Our greedy tendency to trust in wealth for happiness and security undercuts our trust in God.” In Glittering Vices, Rebecca DeYoung puts it in a nutshell, “Those with well-entrenched avarice are willing to use people to serve their love of money, rather than using money to serve their love for people.” Our attachment needs to be to God, the great provider and we should NOT seek to take over God’s role. When we give to others we are offering the world a picture of God’s heart. “Detaching from material goods means using them as a means to a great end which is attachment to God and to fellow human beings.” Please join us as we try to flesh out a strong desire of the flesh…by knowing our own weaknesses we can struggle to be free from the grip of this vice. Good-bye greed, Hello trust! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Letters From Rifka by Karen Hesse is told entirely in letter format, so here we go: Dear Reader, The year is 1919 in the month of September when Rifka (age 12) and her family make their escape from Russia. Sadly, the trip to America was eventful. In Poland, Rifka and her family got typhus except for her ornery brother Saul. After the family recovered their journey continued. Rifka befriends a Russian peasant on the train by fixing her hair. The vivid description of the peasant’s scalp by the author is graphic so when Rifka is diagnosed with ringworm, there is no doubt where she caught it. Her long golden curls fall out. But there is something worse than losing her curls, losing her family. Her family must continue the journey to America where jobs await them. What will become of Rifka, astute readers ask? How does she survive? Fortunately, the country of Belgium opens its arms to immigrants. “That is what you are when you are wandering between two worlds.” Rifka is left with mama’s locket and papa’s prayer shawl. A kind Sister treats her ringworm everyday. She receives hospitality from a generous couple who share their home with her for about a year until her condition is completely healed. Finally, she is on to America! After waiting for a year, imagine her dismay when the Americans refuse to let her in because she is bald. During her journey, Rifka has been writing her cousin on the white spaces found around the poems in the Pushkin poetry book Tovah gifted her when her family left Russia. Rifka has the gift of language but better than knowing different languages is her gift of compassion for the hurting. The orphan baby with typhus becomes her mission as does the 7 year old Russian peasant boy that will not talk or eat. Can she help them? Will she be reunited with her family? “Suddenly I realize how defenseless we are —not just Jews, all of us…I realize how precious our lives are. And how brief.” May you join Rifka on her journey and see her wonderful example of taking life one day at a time and blooming where one is planted! Your fellow recapsters, Kate & Sheila --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Glittering Vice #3 Acedia (uh·see·dee·uh) What is acedia? Maybe we should first say what it is not. Acedia is often called sloth. The problem with this term is it helps to camouflage the real vice. Sloth paints a picture of one who has an aversion to work, like Tom Sawyer taking it easy while his friends whitewash the fence. Actually, the lazy person and the busy person can both suffer from hearts afflicted with acedia. The original definition of sloth was lazy about love not work, a faintheartedness accompanied by unhelpful thoughts that threatens our core commitment to our identity. It thwarts our fundamental identity as someone devoted to developing a lifelong relationship with God. Remember Lot’s wife? During the family’s lifesaving rescue, what did she do? Sadly, she looked back. Why? She was reluctant to leave her former life of ease. People with acedia choose to stunt their spiritual growth by avoiding the tough stuff while we work feverishly on minor things that are ‘urgent’. Ouch! Aquinas defined acedia as “aversion to the divine good in us.” We are made in the image of God, but we have many struggles to overcome to stay focused on pleasing Him. These struggles come daily so our response to them must be daily. Think about it, relationships need to be invested in to thrive, whether they’re with God or family or friends. When acedia creeps in those relationships flounder instead of flourish. What can we do? Relationships need sacrifice, nurturing, and effort. We cannot exterminate this vice without consistent commitment. Our love for God, our choice to be like Him, must be lived out day after day as we dedicate ourselves to developing and deepening our relationship with our Heavenly Father and the relationships of those near and dear, whether we feel like it or not. This daily discipline, this perseverance, this weaning off worldly wants and learning to enjoy God’s presence is a process. Join us as we struggle, with our Father’s help, to overcome this vice that often goes under the radar. Good-bye acedia, Hello diligence! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Join Titus, Kate, & Sheila as they discuss The Wingfeather Saga, book 1, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. They meet Janner, a 12 year old questioner, Tink, a brave 11 year old with a fear of heights, and Leeli, their younger sister who has a twisted leg and a dog named Nugget. The kids live with their mom, Nia, and their grandfather, Podo, an ex-pirate with a pegleg. The Igiby family lives in a land that has been taken over by flagitious forces. This gritty determined family endures many hard times because the brutal Fangs have the family’s homeland in their cruel clutches. On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is filled with enlightening quotes: “It does no good to worry over what’s already happened. What matters is now. The past and future are both beyond our reach.” Nia told the boys this after Slarb took Leeli. Podo, the grandfather, shares his wisdom. “To think too long on what might happen is a fool’s business.” “Part of being a man is putting others' needs before your own.” “Lad, it’s one thing to be poor in pocket—nothing wrong with that. But poor in heart—that’s no good. Look at them. They’re sad in the eyes, and it’s a sadness no amount of money could repair. Why, they hardly remember what it’s like to laugh from the belly anymore.” Titus started his summary with the Igbys wanted freedom…Isn’t that a quest for us all? Freedom doesn’t come easy, dangers and struggles ensnare, Be bold dear readers, be aware— Discover the truth if you dare! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Glittering Vice #2 Envy What is envy? Rebecca DeYoung explains this vice so well. “Jealousy is envy’s close cousin. Both are personal and related to love. The jealous “have” something or someone they love but might lose. The envious, by contrast, are the “have-nots”--they do not have the good their rival does, and they do not have self-love either.” Let’s look at two athletes and contrast the differences. In 1924, Eric Liddell raced against Harold Abrahams in the 400 meter race in the Olympics. Eric said he felt God's pleasure whenever he ran, not when he won. (This explained why he confidently switched to a race he had not trained for because he would not compete in the 100 meter that was held on Sunday.) Harold devoted himself to winning. Winning was his goal and the fear of losing was what drove him. What is driving us? We all need to be loved and found worthy but the envier makes it competitive. “Envy is ever joined to the comparing of man’s self; and where there is no comparison, no envy.” --Francis Bacon To escape this vice we must find a different foundation for our self-worth as we work on a new vision of who we are, unconditionally beloved children of God. There’s a lot of talk about identity. We should all rest assured and repeat— I am a child of God! My worth is found in my Creator. Let’s reframe our vision of the world, ourselves, and others beginning with a change of heart. Please join us as we strive to exchange fear and resentment for gratitude and contentment. Good-bye envy, Hello love. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

In Saving My Assassin readers meet Virginia Prodan in Communist Romania in 1961. This powerful memoir begins with this quote, “I should be dead. Buried in an unmarked grave in Romania. Obviously, I am not. God had other plans.” Virginia was a real-life Cinderella, she was forced to do all the work while her siblings played. Her mother threatened to put her up for adoption, dyed her red hair black so she would blend in and never once in 18 years made her a birthday cake or said a kind word. The family went on a vacation to Bucharest every year while Virginia stayed home to work. After she finishes school, she goes to Bucharest to stay with her Aunt Cassandra to prepare to take a test to see if she will be accepted into law school. This was a memorial time for Virginia. Her aunt showed her kindness that she had never had as a child. During this time, she meets Radu and the two eventually marry. Virginia was grown before she was told, “I believe in you. I will help you as long as you are teachable” by Vera Poescu, a lawyer with spine problems but very strong in heart. Virginia was a seeker of truth her whole life. The first scripture to impact her was John 14:6, “I am the Way and the truth and the life.” For years, she’d been searching for truth in the wrong places. Her faith in God strengthened her and sustained through the worst of times. When she entered courtrooms she thought, “This is His battle and I am His tool.” Please join Kate and Sheila as they recap Saving My Assassin in which the author profoundly lives out Stephen Covey’s quote, “I am not a product of my circumstances. I am a product of my choices.” This is the episode of the podcast where I first heard about Virginia and here is her website. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Are you looking for a novella to introduce your children to WWII? Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop fits the bill. Twenty French kids are living at a Catholic school during the German occupation of France. They agree to hide 10 Jewish orphans. This book was inspired by a true story. The kids are told by Sister Gabrielle that if they say yes they cannot tell about the Jewish children no matter what the Nazis do to them. It is a tale of kindness and integrity that needs to be told. Friendship begins over shared soup and a small piece of chocolate. The Flight to Egypt Game cleverly connects Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus having to flee to escape King Herod just as the Jewish children must hide to escape the Nazis. The climax comes quickly in this page-turner. Sister Gabrielle doesn’t return on her trip to get the school’s food rations. Nazi soldiers try to bribe the hungry kids with food. How will the Jewish kids hold up in the cramped cave? Will the French children be able to hold up to the intense pressure? What a wonderful story to share with kids or grandkids! Join Kate, Sheila and Jonah as they recap this historical fiction jewel! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Bonus Book Bite - Greetings! As Kate and I are reading through Rebecca DeYoung’s Glittering Vices, we pondered doing short podcasts on each of the seven deadly sins and their positive counterparts. Please join us as we break this valuable information into bite size pieces. What is a vice? Vices are corruptive and destructive habits while virtues help us to live and act well, to be solutions instead of instigate problems. C.S. Lewis wrote The Screwtape Letters in a backward format so we would know the enemy’s game plan to help us maneuver more succinctly through this broken world as we strive to be aligned with God. “Naming our sins is the confessional counterpart to counting our blessings…The project of becoming like Christ is our life’s most important task. C.S. Lewis once said, ‘We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea.’...Once we identify our moral corruption as a muddy puddle we want to leave behind, we are faced with the challenge of re-forming our habits from vice into virtue—” Thus, our journey begins… The first glittering vice is vainglory, the excessive and disordered desire for approval from others. Pride wants to excel above others while vainglory hinges on display,letting others know how great you are. Think Gaston from Beauty and the Beast. We call pride and vainglory vices because they distort our desire of good things. In Matthew 23:27-28, Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their showiness that was done to be seen by man. Boastfulness, bragging, dominating the conversation are all examples of vainglory. Enough of the vice, what is the antidote? In 2 Cor. 10:17-18, Paul writes, “Let us boast in the Lord…” We need to devote ourselves to a life that glorifies God, seeks to please Him, and yields control to Him, this takes humility. The desire to control our own happiness comes from fear or overconfidence not from God. We are known and loved by God. He is our Father. Let us practice… silence and solitude alone with Him unplugging from social media listening to others ATTENTIVELY (not just to respond) Ouch! serving others Are you ready to grow together? Good-bye- vainglory… Hello- humility! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message

Can readers follow families in 1939, 1994, and 2015 as each one seeks to survive unbelievable circumstances in uncertain times? Alan Gratz gives us the chance in Refugee. We meet Josef and his family as they escape their homeland, Germany, and board the MS St. Louis heading for Cuba. Next, Isabel and her family board a small homemade boat built by their neighbors to travel to America. Their passage would have been refused if not for Isabel’s fast-thinking. She sold her prized trumpet to buy gas for the journey. Lastly, Mahmoud and his family of four are exiting Syria as quickly as possible after their apartment building was bombed. Will his family make it to Germany? Follow each family in different decades with different dilemmas as they struggle to move forward while striving to stay together. Mahmoud tried to stay invisible until he discovered… “If you were invisible, the bad people couldn’t hurt you, that was true. But the good people couldn't see you either.” Join Kate and Sheila as they dive into this beautiful weaving of three stories into a common thread of family, hope, and love. Please check out the Love Better podcast. It will enrich your life. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/loves-formula/id1662597316?i=1000627569498 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/recapbookchat/message