Discussion Questions for A Whisper and A Wish

1.      Christy moves to California in this book. Did she like this move? Were were some of the positive things about moving? What were some of the negative things? Have you ever had to move? How did you feel about that?

2.      When Christy learns that she missed a chance to see Todd when she arrived back in California, her friend Leslie tells her not to dwell in the “Land of If Only”. We can’t keep wishing our circumstances were different but must believe God is in control and nothing happens by mistake. This is a reoccurring theme in the book. What are some other situations that occur that Christy wishes might have happened differently? How does she learn to trust God through them? Can you think of some times that you have thought “if only”? How did you learn to trust God more through those circumstances?

3.      Uncle Bob gives Christy a journal to record her thoughts in. Do you have a journal? Does it help you to work through difficult times in your life?

4.      Christy’s mom is fairly cautious about Christy attending a party with girls she has just met, calling the parents and checking out the situation before leaving Christy. Why do you think she did what she did? What would you think if your mom did that?

5.      Have you ever TPed a house before, or has someone done that to your house? Were you surprised that Janelle’s mom helped them pull of the prank? What would you have done if you had been Christy in this situation? What would you have said to Rick?

6.      Christy and her friends discover that Brittany has an eating disorder. How did they handle the situation? What could they have done differently? What do you think you would do if you discovered that one of your friends was dealing with this issue? Why did Brittany feel that she needed to lose weight? Whose standards should we judge ourselves by when making decisions about our bodies and our images?

7.      What should Christy have done with the pills that Brittany gave her? Have you ever been in a situation like this? How did you handle it?

8.      Katie tells Christy that her pastor said that to grow as a Christian; we need to let the Lord into every area of our life. What would that look like to let the Lord be a part of everything we do? How would that affect the things we do and say and the decisions we make?

9.      In church, the youth leader talks about the scripture “Bad company corrupts good character.” Can you think of some examples of that in the book? Do you think Christians should befriend or date others who are not Christians? How can we be a good example to non Christians without letting them pull us down? How can we be better friends to our Christian friends? Which of Christy's friends helped her the most? Which ones should she have been more cautious about listening to?

10.  Christy allows her friends to lead her into a decision that had very bad consequence. Have you ever had trouble with letting others make decisions for you or are you good at standing up for what you think is right? How else could Christy have handled this situation so that it turned out better?

11.  Christy said she learned that no matter what happens to her, the Lord goes before her and is with her. How was the Lord with her in this situation? How did He help her during this trial? Can you think of a difficult time that you have gone through when the Lord helped you through it? How does it make you feel to know that no matter what we go through, God is there with us?

12.  More than one person tells Christy that the most beautiful girls are the innocent ones. What does that mean?

13.  Christy learns the importance of saying “no”, but Todd also teaches her the importance of saying “yes” to the right things. What are some examples of things we should say yes or no to?

14.  What was your favorite and least favorite parts of this book?

15.   Who did you relate to the most in this book?

16.  What lessons did Christy learn? What was the most important lesson you learned from reading this book?

Thriving Family also has discussion questions for this book. You can find them at THIS LINK.