Christian Living
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Operation Birthday Celebration–Book Review & Giveaway
by Sally Matheny Photo: Operation Birthday Celebration– A Journey to the Manger I stumbled upon a gem for you all while reading Vonda Skelton’s blog the other week. She was interviewing author/illustrator, Angelika Martin, about her Christian children’s book, Operation Birthday Celebration—A Journey to the Manger. I knew I wanted to review this book when the author said, “Christian parents want creative resources that capture a child’s imagination and fuel curiosity while staying true to biblical teaching. Operation Birthday Celebration is entertaining while supporting Christian values and doctrine.” Martin initially wrote the book for her grandchildren because she “didn’t want Christmas hijacked by an elf.” Soon, however, other families,…
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Sharing the Son Means Leaving the Shade
by Sally Matheny My enthusiasm glittered with the morning sun. It was my first time serving a meal at the project. People slowly filtered into the commons area. My cheerful greetings were not returned. Instantly, I sensed a divide greater than the table between us. They had come for the food. Nothing else. Searching in Silence An inexplicable heaviness stifled communication. Icy silence, as well as sharp tongues, severed most attempts at interaction. It was obvious. We were not welcome. After helping distribute the food, I retreated under the outstretched branches of a tree. Thankfully, I’d thought to bring a lawn chair. It provided a secure…
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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…
