It Began with a Rabbit's Foot...

Katrina Shanks has lost her library job, and with it her chance to stay in college - until Whit hires her at Whit's End. Eugene should be thrilled, but instead he rushes off to hunt the want ads for any other job she could take, and at last admits why: he believes he's in love with her, and he's afraid the faith she'll meet at Whit's End will change everything between them. Meanwhile, Whit tells Lucy how the Bible Room began... with a rabbit's foot. Years ago Connie was reading kids their horoscopes and handing out lucky charms, and Whit's answer to all that false luck was a room where children could try on the armor of God and march around the walls of Jericho. Now the old story does its work again: Katrina overhears, starts asking questions about Jesus, and heads off with Connie to learn more - landing exactly where Eugene feared, and maybe just where she needs to be.

Found on A Journey of Choices Album 20 · 12 episodes

The run See every episode

0260 Naturally, I Assumed... Eugene's daily library visits to Katrina come to a sudden halt when she mentions a mysterious "him" she can't keep waiting, sending Eugene - with Connie as his self-appointed romance coach - into a comedy of unspoken feelings and mistaken conclusions.

0261 Afraid, Not! Danny Schmidt's mysterious black eye and his refusal to explain it force him to confront the shame of being bullied and the fear that lingers long after the danger seems past.

0262 A Prayer for George Barclay With their unemployed father strangely at peace while the family sells off what they own, two kids decide to pray him into a new job - and get an answer no one saw coming.

0263 When Bad Isn't So Good When a well-behaved kid decides the only way to get noticed is to be bad, his scheme collides with a bitter theater owner whose insult-fueled radio fame is setting the whole town on edge.

0264 Making the Grade When career day sparks Jimmy's dream of becoming a paramedic, he discovers the job may demand far more than enthusiasm and a first-aid book.

0265 War of the Words A vocabulary spat between two Whit's End employees spirals out of control when a misheard word takes on a life of its own among the kids of Odyssey.

0266 It Began with a Rabbit's Foot... When budget cuts cost Katrina her college library job, a new position at Whit's End unsettles Eugene - and prompts Whit to recall how a rabbit's foot led to the Bible Room.

0267 ... It Ended with a Handshake When a personal computer disk goes astray, Eugene must scramble to keep his most private feelings from reaching the one person they're about - Katrina.

0268 Pet Peeves When Donna Barclay adopts a scruffy stray dog to bring some stability back to her rapidly changing family, she gets far more chaos - and far more insight - than she bargained for.

0269 Fences Connie's excitement over her father's long-awaited visit collides with a neighbor's new fence, forcing her to confront what walls - wooden and otherwise - really keep out.

0270 The War Hero A reporter's Memorial Day story about Odyssey's war heroes unearths a decorated veteran who refused his medals - and a stranger who has spent fifty years searching for him.

0271 The Secret Keys of Discipline A boy with a history of quitting must find the discipline to keep his promise when a talent show gives him the chance to shine at the piano.

1 of 2 0272 Two Brothers... and Bernard When a schoolgirl admits she sometimes hates her trick-playing little sister, Bernard sets down his window-washing bucket to tell her the ancient story of two brothers whose rivalry began before they were even born.

Featured characters

Minor characters & crew 3 more roles

3 supporting roles

Bible Verse Mirror Phil Lollar Sylvia Heather Sanders Philo Sanderson Nathan Fisk

Made by

Chris Anthony Host Paul McCusker Writer · Producer Phil Lollar Director Dave Arnold Sound Designer · Producer Chuck Bolte Executive Producer

The story

Read the full synopsis 3 min

Katrina Shanks comes to Whit’s End looking for Eugene after Campbell College eliminates her library job in a round of budget cuts. Without the income, she cannot afford to remain in school. Connie tries to comfort her but becomes so depressed by every detail that Katrina has to reassure Connie instead. Then Connie finds a practical solution: ask Whit to hire Katrina.

Whit offers Katrina a temporary position at Whit’s End. She accepts gratefully, but Eugene is startled by the news. Rather than celebrate, he rushes away to search newspaper advertisements for another job she might take.

At the same time, Lucy Cunningham-Schultz is researching an article about the Bible Room. She asks Whit why he created it, and he says the story began years earlier with a rabbit’s foot, before Connie became a Christian. A prankster named Philo Sanderson had carried the charm because he believed it would protect him. He told Whit that Connie had given it to him after reading a horoscope that warned he needed extra luck.

Whit had confronted Connie. She had just read in her own horoscope that she would receive a promotion, so she mistook his serious visit for good news. Whit was disturbed that she had been reading horoscopes to children and distributing a charm. Connie argued that it was harmless fun, but Whit identified astrology, fortune-telling, palm reading, and luck charms as occult practices.

Connie insisted that no one took the predictions seriously. Whit reminded her that she herself had expected a promotion because of what she read. She had not realized the influence she was having, so he did not fire her, but he required her to discuss new activities with him before introducing them to children. Connie agreed to stop reading horoscopes.

The incident continued troubling Whit. He and Tom Riley discussed how easily occult ideas appeared in newspapers, entertainment, shops, and other ordinary places. Tom suggested that accessibility was only part of the problem. Scripture carried a far more powerful message, but Christians sometimes presented it so poorly that children regarded the Bible as dull while false spiritual promises appeared exciting.

That conversation inspired Whit to transform a cluttered storage room. When he finally opened it, children discovered interactive exhibits that brought Scripture to life. They could handle the armor of God, circle a model of Jericho, and speak a Bible verse before a dark mirror that brightened with the promise of seeing clearly. Whit designed the room to help children experience the truth and excitement of the Bible rather than be distracted by false substitutes.

Whit tells Lucy that the Bible Room itself illustrates redemption. A useless, crowded room has become a place that helps children know Christ, just as God can take lives and give them new purpose. The discussion catches Katrina’s attention. She knows Christian teaching academically but has never considered its personal effect. Connie begins explaining the meaning of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and Katrina asks for more. Connie borrows the book on basic Christianity that Whit once gave her.

Meanwhile, Eugene privately explains his resistance to Katrina’s new job. His life revolves around college and Whit’s End, and time with Katrina has been an escape from both. If she works beside him, that refuge disappears. More importantly, Eugene confesses to Whit, “I believe that I’m in love with Katrina.” He has not discussed love with her and does not know whether she feels the same.

Eugene also worries about Whit’s End’s Christian influence. He fears Katrina may reject the beliefs of the people there - or accept them and change in a way that alters their delicate relationship. Connie then enters for the Christian book and reveals that Katrina is already asking about Jesus.

Eugene finds Katrina deeply engaged in the conversation. She marvels that Christianity has personal consequences beyond academic study and wonders why Eugene has never discussed it with her. He offers no real answer and quietly tries to excuse himself while Connie and Katrina move to Whit’s office to keep talking. Katrina’s new job has placed her exactly where Eugene feared and where she may discover the faith she has begun seeking.