QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

  1. One theme of The Rancher’s Reunion involves living today and letting God take care of tomorrow. That’s a difficult thing to do. How are you able to incorporate this theme into your life?
  2. Will admits that he follows God on his terms. Do you have areas where you struggle to let go and let God?
  3. Annie Harris dealt with survivor’s guilt because she was alive after the attack on the clinic. Have you ever known someone who also dealt with survivor’s guilt? Were they able to turn it over to God for the ultimate healing?
  4. Annie, Will and Rose are not biological family but they feel like they are. Can you relate to this? Is there anyone in your life who, while not really your family, shares a special bond with you that is like family?
  5. The setting for this book is a small town outside of Tulsa, Oklahoma. Small towns often have a unique and special community feeling. What are the small towns you are familiar with, and how do they evoke community?
  6. Annie and Ryan discuss the pastor’s sermon for the singles group, about waiting for God’s best for their life. What are your thoughts on singles finding God’s best?
  7. Will Sullivan carries a tremendous burden. Huntington’s chorea, or Huntington’s disease, has had a breakthrough with the isolation of the gene in 1993. Have you ever heard of this disease or ever known anyone who was diagnosed with this disease? More information can be found at the Huntington’s Disease Society of America website, www.hdsa.org.
  8. Annie struggles with concerns that she has some negative qualities that her mother had. What is your thought on this? Do you believe people can inherit character traits? If so, can God still free us from those negative traits?
  9. Lulu and Howard reconnected late in life. Lulu sees beyond Howard’s physical impairment. Have you ever known couples who reconnected in their golden years? Share some of these happy stories.
  10. Will discovers that the symptoms he is having are stress-related, not the Huntington’s. Have you ever gone through a period in your life when you were very stressed and ultimately that stress made you ill? If you can relate, how were you able to turn things around?
  11. Margaret Reilly is a very savvy and sophisticated Christian businesswoman. She can also be very controlling. How can we deal in love with controlling people in our lives? How do we set boundaries?
  12. Annie doesn’t want Will to be tested yet. This is because she wants him to understand that her love, like God’s, is unconditional. It is not based on a test and it will not change. What are your responses to Annie’s request?
  13. Who is your favorite character in The Rancher’s Reunion, and why do you relate to them?
  14. What is your favorite scene in this story? Why, and what emotions did it bring out?
  15. Sullivan Ranch ties Annie, Will and Rose together. It is only fitting that Annie and Will marry at the ranch. What do you think of this setting for a wedding? Have you known other couples who chose settings that meant a lot to them yet were unusual places for a wedding?