Podcast Categories: Kids & Family

We’re about all things family and home. If you’re a mom, and on the verge of jumping off the dryer or overdosing on Diet Dr. Pepper, visit us weekly for some laughter and hope. Learn from our fails and the successes of others. Motherhood is the busiest, messiest, worst paying job that we love…most of the time. We want you to know you’re doing better than you think. When life gets you down, know that your family is looking up!

As a mom your first responsibility is to your family and you should take that calling seriously, but there is so much more out there. God has given you a unique set of gifts and talents to be used to lead others to Christ. That little place where your passions and God’s purpose collide– that’s your mission field. And as you raise your children to love and serve the Lord, God will use your entire family, together, to further His kingdom. I’m a mom of 7 who is trying to figure all this stuff out right beside you. My prayer is that this podcast will help equip families to reach communities and impact the world.

Originally written for his young daughter Josephine, who died tragically aged six, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling is a collection of short stories which were published separately in magazines before being compiled into a book.

The stories are in the form of fables, where animals communicate and speak to each other as humans do and the purpose of each story was to convey a moral or message to the reader.

Modern readers would be more familiar with the Disney animated version in which Mowgli the little “man-cub” is raised by wolves. As he grows, he is trained by denizens of the jungle like Bagheera the panther, Baloo the bear and Kaa the snake. The dreaded tiger Sher Khan is a diabolical villain, feared by all. However, the book is quite different from the Disney film which tends to romanticize some of the characters and demonize others! The original Jungle Book includes the delightful Riki Tiki Tavi tales about a valiant and clever mongoose who protects his friends from the dangerous snakes of the jungle. Contrary to the film version again, only a few of the stories are about Mowgli.

What strikes the reader is the sense of wonder and magic that Kipling evokes in these stories about the mysterious jungle and its inhabitants. The writer’s brilliant skills with the English language are another feature that makes the book such a reading pleasure. Interspersed with delightful poems, this is indeed the perfect choice for a read-aloud with your kids!

First published in book form in 1894, the original edition contained beautiful illustrations by Rudyard’s father, John Lockwood Kipling, an artist and art teacher who spent much of his career in India. It was here that Kipling first heard Indian folk tales and was inspired to recreate his versions of them for his own children. The Jungle Book also gained a great reputation for being a “moral story” and Sir Robert Baden-Powell, the founder of the Scouts movement requested permission from Kipling to use many of the book’s situations and characters as motivational resources. The leader of a Scout pack was dubbed “Akela” after the warrior wolf of the Free People as wolves are called in the Jungle Book.

Kipling was a journalist who covered several wars like the Boer War in South Africa. His extensive body of work includes the famous Just So Stories, Kim and several volumes of short stories, articles, essays and poetry. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1907 and till date, remains the youngest to have won the prestigious award. Today, though his reputation stands dimmed as he is seen as one of the “prophets of Imperialism” the magic of his words cannot be denied.

The Jungle Book is a classic that indeed belongs on every bookshelf!

By day, “The Rookie” is the producer/sidekick of Garage Logic with Joe Soucheray on 1500 ESPN – one of the longest running, most successful radio shows in the Twin Cities. By night, he’s Matt Michalski – one part of an entertaining family of six. Join the Michalski family for an audio place at their homemade dinner table. Table Talk discusses life events, including family ups and downs. Table Talk with Rookie’s family will make you think, laugh and probably make you cry. It’s just that real.

Bark n Wag 15 Minute Vet Talk teaser

In order to be fulfilled in our lives and relationships, we must be willing to invest in those things that matter most to us. Many people invest years of their lives in school and training in order to practice their chosen career, knowing that in the end, it will be worth it. Your marriage is the most important asset you have. It’s all about strengthening the legacy of your family. It would be an honor to go on this journey with you.
As a Counselor/Coach, Husband/Wife team we share vulnerably with simple truths and lots of laughter.

What is Family Folktales? Think of it as story time on demand. Whether you’re running errands, trying to make dinner, or getting little someones ready for bed, you can listen to a story or two. The stories may be new to you or old favorites. They may even be different, possibly gorier, versions of those stories you now share with your children. Listen, wherever you get podcasts.