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Trials and Purpose – Guest Post by Paige Snedeker
"Trials and Purpose," written by my sweet friend, Paige Snedeker. Even though a rare disease took her sight, hearing, and mobility she has found her purpose.
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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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Homeschooling: Answering Your Questions (Part Two)
by Sally Matheny Even though homeschooling is a widely accepted educational alternative, people still have lots of questions–especially those who are considering taking the leap. In an earlier post about homeschooling, I answered some frequently asked questions. This post is part two of answering questions I often receive about homeschooling. How rapidly is home education growing? Almost 2 million students were homeschooled in the United States during 2002-2003.* The growth rate is 7% to 15% per year, according to Dr. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute (Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling). How my Family Came to Homeschool After teaching nine years in the public-school system, I came home to…
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Shall We Gather at the River?
Plannig a mission trip takes weeks of preparation. My sweet friend, Nan Jones, kindly accepted my invitation to post on my blog this week. Thank you, Nan, for blessing me with the much needed time and blessing my readers with your words of encoragement. Shall We Gather at the River? by Nan Jones Photo by Sally Matheny The mountain air gave us goosebumps. It was chilly for the first day of June. Overcast skies and occasional mist decided an even chillier river. As the water tumbled over river rock and brushed against grassy banks, the chill couldn’t dampen the hearts of the people gathered for the baptism. Tom*…