Christian Living
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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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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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Prayers That Changed History by Tricia Goyer: A Book Review and a Giveaway
by Sally Matheny Prayers That Changed History by Tricia Goyer Prayers That Changed History, by bestselling author, Tricia Goyer, is a unique blend of a history and a devotion book. Over the years, during her research of various historical figures, Goyer stumbled upon delightful information that isn’t typically found in textbooks. She compiled her research and shares about the prayer lives of twenty-five notable figures in history. At the end of this review, be sure to read how you can win this book! Beginning with Polycarp in 155 A.D. the book progresses through with various folks including Governor William Bradford, Sojourner Truth, George Muller, and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Each section covers…
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The Best Gift My Husband Ever Received for Pastor Appreciation Month
Sally Matheny shares about the challenges of church pastors and what the best pastor appreciation gift her pastor-husband ever received.












