Jack Sharpe and his beautiful wife, Jean, spent Texas’s worst snowstorm in a hundred years in our cabin near our home in East Texas. I believe in divine appointments like Bill Bright used to call them. Jack and Jean spent the last twenty-plus years resurrecting books, the classics for kids. 

So, was it really an accident we met? Heck, no! (Jack is in Texas for a couple more weeks. Now is a great time to invite him to your Sunday school class, book club, curriculum summit, or homeschooling event.)

Resurrecting Books

You know what a nut I am for books of any kind, but books that teach good old common sense values to kids? Along with accurate history. Appreciation for all the multitude of cultures mankind imagined over the centuries. Add to that respect for God. Oh my!

Naturally, I couldn’t wait to catch Jack and Jean’s story in an interview. Who are these people and how did they know children’s books needed rescuing back in the 80s?

Ironically, the Sharpes traveled to Texas to escape North Dakota’s frigid winter months. They are part of Bethlehem Books. Many homeschoolers will recognize Bethlehem’s name. 

In this episode, I learn a new word, oblate. And Jack explains how normal people can foster community, uniting in spite of differences. Yep, he and his wife live in community with families who share everything and built a “rescue mission” for resurrecting classic literature. Amazing stuff! Find more Fireside Talk Radio podcasts.

Bethlehem Books

“For those of you who don’t know us—Bethlehem Books is a small, home-grown publishing company dedicated to restoring to children and families a treasury of wholesome, character-building literature. We are more than just a business. Our work springs from the heart of the Bethlehem Community of Benedictine Oblates, a lay group of families and single people which began in 1971,” reads Bethlehem’s opening statement.

With the Sharps close by, Dave and I took the opportunity to ask Jack lots of questions. Especially about creating community, while overcoming division. Almost instantly, we grew to respect the scholarly, yet practical way he thinks about faith. Plus, in a real boon to us, Jack showed David how to fix busted pipes. 

All the while, Jean devotes herself to the many behind-the-scenes tasks necessary when rescuing classic children’s literature. With Easter around the corner, I like to think of her work as resurrecting books. (Find more on peaceful celebrations of Easter with DIY Stations of the Cross.)

Creating Community

“Actually, in the late 60s and early 70s when we began community was a buzzword at that time,” explains Jack. “There were all kinds of intentional Christian communities all over America. Dozens and dozens of them. We just happened to be one.”

The Sharpes live in a community of believers in North Dakota similar to L’Abri. (If you’re familiar with the work of  Francis Schaeffer, you’ll know what I mean. The Sharpes even spent some time with the Schaffers early in their community experience.)

In the early days, Jean’s parents were simply hosting young people who stayed in their home. Originally, they came together to “try to live the Christian life 24/7.” For us, Jack explained why the idea seemed novel at the time.

Christian Beyond Sunday

“You know, for our church upbringing, you went to church on Sunday, you went to prayer meeting on Wednesday nights, and what did you do with the rest of the week to serve the Lord? That’s what we were up against.” As the ministry grew, they had up to 80 young people spread out among the homes of their members at any given time. 

“Young people could come in, kind of try to live together, work together, sharing income,” reports Jack. “We were sharing our incomes, which was very radical, frankly, at that time.” (Find more on teaching kiddos the value of sacrifice.) After a decade, some of their members felt it was time to rethink their six months at a time commitment. Keep reading....

“A faith that is tried by fire is a faith that can be trusted.”~Robin Luftig

How do we stay calm in a crisis? Life throws lots of surprises at us. Take the way frigid temps and snow changed everything this past few days. Plus, we all make foolish decisions we live to regret. But, a faith that is tried by fire is a faith that can be trusted, according to Robin Luftig. 

Robin came on Fireside Talk Radio because I wanted to hear what she learned from her near-death encounter with a brain tumor. 

After I read her book, God’s Best During Your Worst, I had questions. Lots of questions. I needed to talk to her myself. How do we stay calm in a crisis with all the challenges life dishes out? Not to mention our own silly mistakes (read: my own selfishness)? 

Silly Decisions We All Make

“We do make silly, silly decisions,” says Robin. She thinks back to a series of life-changing decisions she made as a young person. She was living with her dad after her parents divorced.

“I decided it was time that I take control of my life. I knew everything I needed to know.” She decided to get married at seventeen.

Whoa! Definitely not what I expected.

You’re gonna love Robin’s gentle spirit and the quiet, thoughtful way she answers all my questions. Talk about authentic! You’re in for a treat today. Find more from Robin and many more Fireside Talk Radio podcasts.  

Calm in Crises of Our Own Making

Of course, we’ve all make foolish decisions as young people. Looking back, there’s always something we wish we could do over. Most women can relate to the suffering Robin experienced as a result of her youthful mistake. (Find more on how trauma in our youth affects us for a long time.)

“The thought of that now just makes me shake,” she says. “That (decision) set me on a path that was devastating.” (Find more on healing after trauma.)

A Broken Process

“My whole process was broken. I was in control,” she says. “It was all about me. That set a standard I followed for many years. God had to save me from the gates of hell. To pull me back from that sense of control.”

Naturally, we can all relate. If there’s one thing the last week has taught me as I sit in my freezing house with no electricity and no water, it’s this. Clearly, I’m not in control. But I sure wanna be.

Worthy of God’s Love

Yep, Mother Nature whipped up a dollop of fluffy snow and the pioneer woman in me ran and hid under the blankets by the fireplace. Luckily, I made and ate a noteworthy supply of fat bombs to survive. Fortunately, David is a terrific and very funny companion in crisis. A nice calm-in-crisis balance to my panicky, let’s-fix-this-NOW mode.

I like the way Robin gets to the point when it comes to who is in control. 

“There is nothing any of us could do to make us worthy of God’s love. Conversely, there is nothing so bad that would make God not love us,” explains Robin. “That’s what my purpose in life is. To share that God’s love for us is not ABOUT us, but ABOUT Him!”

Wow! Does God really love me or not? Keep reading...

It’s always a riot when Motherhood Talk Radio’s Sandra Beck and I talk. Mostly, I try not to say anything that would embarrass my kids. She got me talking about the way we all want better communication and I started telling stories.

Two talkative gals. Dangerous.

I’m pretty sure I don’t owe my kids any apologies. See what you think…

Sandra invited me on her show Motherhood, Inc, to talk about the challenges of communicating in our families. Find this episode here or here. We talked about my book, The Well, The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversation (Elk Lake Publishing, 2020). You can find more podcasts on Fireside Talk Radio.)

Sandra Beck is known for better communications.

That’s a Great Question!

I do things spontaneously with Sandra I would not do with other people. I talk about things, I don’t normally share. Clearly, Sandra asks great questions; a key to better communication. She has a relaxing effect on me. I hope you enjoy our conversation. Here’s a sample of the stuff we talked about.

Sandra Shares a Story

“I had to have a tough conversation recently because one of our family friends, very good friends, their older son offered my younger son pot,” Sandra recounts. Three families were involved. 

Is marijuana even legal in California? I don’t know. The point is we all have moments when we have to have tough conversations in order to preserve relationships we really value.  

Three similar families with kids who hang out frequently. Two similar conversations. Basically, the same information shared. One set of parents thanked Sandra for the info. The other parents? Well, you guessed it. That conversation tanked.

I shared a personal story from my parenting adventures, too. If you have kids, you’ll laugh along with us. Sometimes, parents’ antics are more flabbergasting than the teenagers! We’ve all been hurt when a conversation backfired on us. Oh, for better communication!

Read More personal stories. Plus, more about Messy People, Better Communication, and Claiming the Influence God has for YOU!

Find my book about His better communication strategies here.

Thank You, Sandra Beck!

Speaking of influential women, Sandra was the first person to help me create a manuscript out of my passion for the story about the woman at the well. 

Along the way, she also helped me transform a pile of notes about marriage for my kids into a real book. Marriage Conversations: From Coexisting to Cherished (CrossRiver Media) releases in a few weeks. (Preorder your copy of Marriage Conversations.)

As you listen in, I bet you love Sandra as much as I do. 

Thanks, San, for inviting me on Motherhood Talk Radio. Our friendship is always fun and inspiring. You make my life better in every way, my friend! I can’t wait to talk over how to have terrific Marriage Conversations with you soon!

:)

cathy

Coming to a Sunday School Near YOU!

I taught Sunday School for years. So I know, every now and then teachers need a break. Substitutes can be hard to recruit. Wouldn’t it be nice to put your feet up one Sunday and relax? Do Jesus’s better communication strategies interest you? I am available to teach your class. Just let me know how I can serve you.  

Practical Ideas. Progress instantly. Preorder now.

Up Next

 Great News! Marriage Conversations: From Coexisting to Cherished releases within the next few weeks!   

Plus, in an upcoming Fireside Talk Radio, Nancy Kay Grace shares some powerful stuff about grace. This is one lady I love to quote!

Especially for homeschoolers, I get to interview a leader in the field soon, Jack Sharpe of Bethlehem Books Publishing. I’m pretty infatuated with the way Bethlehem resurrects classic books for kids. I bet you will fall in love with them, too.

Join the TEAM!

When join our BOOK LAUNCH TEAM, you’ll get a fun freebies.

Plus, I’ll share inside stories. I promise not to fill up your inbox. So much fun stuff!! So little work, but lots of prayer. THANK YOU!!! 

Special Treat–Hands Full Author Brooke Frick

Need a guest speaker for your Sunday school class or book club? Author and friend Brooke Frick is coming to Texas! Yep, Texas is just too big to miss when you pack your family into an RV and cross the country! Brooke and I can team teach, if you like, too. Fun!!

Don’t miss this chance to snag Brooke for your Sunday school class, church, or book club! Contact her here. 

Cathy Krafve, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations and Marriage Conversation: From Coexisting to Cherished. We invite you to join the Fireside Tribe. Truth with a Texas Twang.

How do we bring together our body, brain, and emotions in a healthy way? Personally, I always want more time and energy for my real priorities. 

Obviously, stress and anxiety can sneak up on us all. Throw in an unexpected crisis, like a sick family member, and the cliff of depression looms large. How do we restore balance in our lives? 

Her own challenges following a childhood trauma prompted Erin to develop the acronym, L.I.V.E. to describe the way balance ripples out to spark wholeness and well-being. 

Mental Health in Families

We all want balance, well-being, and wholeness in our own hearts and in our families.

“We’re all gonna be at risk for mental health issues at some point,” she explains. Whether you’re living with hormonal teenagers, just gave birth, or caring for aging parents, she’s got a good point.

In this episode, Erin goes into detail about why the brain-gut connection impacts our mental health. Depression, anxiety, even severe mental illness can all be tied to the way our brain and our gut interact. Find Erin’s story and many more podcasts on Fireside Talk Radio.

She likes to tell how her husband married her with no prior background in mental health. Even then, Erin was already learning to manage the bipolar disease triggered by childhood trauma. (Erin’ tenderly shares her personal story of finding balance in spite of bipolar here.)

“Sleep is number one,” she says, adding, “if you’re sleeping too much that can also be a problem.”

Sleep and a Mini-Breakdown

However, planning a wedding cost her sleep, prompting a mini-breakdown while they were engaged. Fortunately, he sought excellent advice from a wise marriage counselor. Her husband is a marriage counselor now himself.

“I gotta add that in. He’s a licensed professional counselor,” she laughs, “It’s kinda fun. Yeah, that happened. He went to get his counseling degree and license. All that after we got married. But at first, he had no idea!”

Read More from Erin, including The Exercise of Stillness, The Brain-Gut Connection, The Struggles For Balance, and The Comfort of Together. Don't miss her L.I.V.E. acronym for beating stress!

And PLEASE listen to the podcast, too, because Erin is so knowledgable. Plus, fun and fascinating!

The Mind-Body Connection

The mind-body connection is strong, according to Erin. Is your boss a bully? Is your child acting out? Does your spouse fail to listen to you? All can produce stress and anxiety.

Find more on creating healthy relationships through good communication.)

“It’s gonna catch up with you. Your body is going to express discomfort from that in some way,” she says. 

For over 40 easy strategies for better conversations, check out The Well: the Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations.)

God Rejoices Over You

Erin quotes Zephaniah for comfort as we all seek balance, seeking “Nutrition for Mind, Body, and Soul,” as she calls it.

The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.”

~Zephaniah 3:17

Yep, God delights in us, wherever we are, no matter what we’ve gone through. We all struggle to believe we are fully loved by Him. Yet it’s true. For those living with mental health challenges in their families, Erin is clear.

“He delights in you and He loves exactly who you are, how you are right now in this moment,” she concludes.

 You are delightful to me, too! I am grateful for YOU!!  Keep reading for prayers, questions, and more fun stuff! 

:)

cathy

P.S. YOU are Invited to Join the FUN!

Our latest book, coming soon! Packed with good stuff. Preorder now.

Our Book Launch Team is such a source of encouragement and support, not to mention PRAYER. The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations is taking off! Stories already get back to us of lives changed ONE conversation at a time!! Go God!

Woohoo! We are only weeks away from the release of our second book: Marriage Conversations: From Coexisting to Cherished releases really SOON! Yay! Please help us by joining our BOOK LAUNCH TEAM.

When you sign up, you’ll get a fun freebie. Once in a while, I’ll also send you treats, exclusive offers, personal prayer requests, and behind-the-scenes stories. I promise not to fill up your inbox, though! So much fun stuff!! So little work, but lots of prayer. THANK YOU!!! 

Hands Full? Brooke will be in Texas. Yay!

As if the Marriage Conversations news wasn’t wonderful enough, I have more to share with YOU!

Author and friend Brooke Frick is coming to Texas, and YES, my house! I can hardly wait to spend a few days with this amazing mommy to five adorable hands-full kids. Don’t miss this chance to snag Brooke for your Sunday school class, church, or book club! Contact her here. 

They are spending a year in their RV, so we know she’s awesome, and really down-to-earth!

We LOVE to hear from YOU!

What stressful challenges are you facing? How do you set aside quiet for stillness in your soul? What topics would you like to hear on Fireside Talk Radio in the coming months?

Cathy Krafve, Speaker, Blogger, Podcaster, and author of The Well: The Art of Drawing Out Authentic Conversations and Marriage Conversation: From Coexisting to Cherished. We welcome your stories, ideas, and questions at CathyKrafve.com. Truth with a Texas Twang.