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Share the Hope of Christ with the Mentally Ill
by Sally Matheny Share Hope with the Mentally Ill Many years ago, one of my kindergarten students, “Cody,” exhibited bizarre and sometimes violent behavior. He wasn’t malicious. Yet, he consistently wrecked havoc among the five-year-olds, causing everyone around him great stress and concern. No matter what methods we tried to encourage success for him, they only helped for a short time—a very short time. My assistant and I felt all our efforts were hopeless. And school wasn’t the only place of Cody’s erratic and raucous behavior. One morning he came in with singed hair and no eyebrows. His crystal blue eyes remained expressionless as he told me what he did in…
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Review of Fragile World: A Film by Sandy Boikian
by Sally Matheny An intriguing movie released in 2015. While fictional in story, Fragile World may shatter a few misconceptions about those who suffer with the realities of mental illness. It certainly refreshed my perspective. The award winning, inspirational film has earned the highest rating of five Doves. This nonrated family feature is free of foul language, sexual content, and violence but the storyline is best suited for ages twelve and up. The main character, Rosalie, an interior designer, suffered a mental breakdown after the death of her father and occasionally suffers from delusions. One day, she meets the man of her dreams, but does he really exist? That question, as well…
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A Giveaway and A Review of Sarah Young’s Book: Jesus Calling-My First Bible Storybook
by Sally Matheny Jesus Calling My First Bible Storybook by Sarah Young Today, I’m reviewing a captivating, little book for young children, Jesus Calling- My First Bible Storybook. I’m also giving away a copy! Be sure to read for the details below. First, I want to mention the beautiful illustrations in this book. Antonia Woodward’s use of color and soft lines are friendly and captivating! This forty-page, board book is full-color, cover to cover. Best-selling author, Sarah Young, presents twenty Bible truths in this book using scriptures taken from The International Children’s Bible. The twenty stories are representative of most toddler storybooks. They include: God Made Everything, Noah’s Big Boat, Baby Moses,…
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Review of Angus Buchan’s devotion book LIVING A MIGHTY FAITH
by Sally Matheny The bestselling author of Faith Like Potatoes. Angus Buchan, has penned a book of 365 devotions. He offers “practical encouragement and amazing stories of how God used a simple potato farmer to help change a nation.” This book did not have a foreword or an introduction of any kind. I like reading forewords in books—if they’re brief. They give me a feel for who the author is and why he wrote the book. So, I was a bit disappointed there wasn’t one here. However, I was not disappointed in the content of the book. In fact, once I began reading, I did learn more about…
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Children’s Book Review: God Bless Our Country by Hannah C. Hall
God Bless Our Country, a board book by Hannah C. Hall, introduces young children to a few of the reasons we love America—especially in the summer. Too often, our little ones overhear negative opinions of our country. This joyful little book highlights the blessings God gives us—especially in the summertime. The satisfaction of families working and playing outside together, parades, swimming, stargazing, and fireworks, to name a few. And don’t forget eating ice cream! An explosion of cute, colorful pictures fills every page. Steve Whitlow chose to illustrate animal families portraying Hall’s rhyming stanzas. A deer family picnics on a quilt. Two eaglets nestle beside a grandpa eagle who’s praying…
