Book Review of Devotions for Sacred Parenting & Gift Card Giveaway!

by Sally Matheny

Devotions for Sacred Parenting by Gary Thomas

“Do you think your children feel more like projects or deeply loved children?”

When I read that, I thought of all the times I have tried to shape my children into productive citizens.

If you’re like me, sometimes that training-them-to-live-in-the-world mindset overrides the cherish-them-for-who-they-are moments.  

The question above and the devotion that followed in Gary Thomas’ book, Devotions for Sacred Parenting, sent me immediately to talk with my heavenly Father.

This devotion tugged at my heart because he talked about a phrase I have often said, “raising kids.”

Thomas wrote,

“It can diminish family life to a farm activity—raising crops or raising pets. Kids are so profoundly different. I’m relating to them, caring for them, involved with them. I don’t want the utilitarian aspect—growing them into adults—to become the defining point of our relationship.”

“We can get so busy trying to make sure our children complete their homework, display good manners, not watch too much television, get enough exercise, and eat well that we can forget to enjoy them and relate to them."

Ahhh . . . and that is why I love, love, love this book. It’s not just another book on how to parent effectively. It takes a fresh look at how God uses parenting to transform us, to draw us to Him, and how that makes us better parents.

This hardback book, published by Zondervan, contains fifty-two devotions followed by reflection questions.

It is for parents of all ages and stages. My husband and I have two grown children out on their own and one teen still at home. We are gleaning precious reminders as well as introductions to some new things to ponder and pray about.

Normally, I’ll use the books I’m sent to review as giveaways here on my blog. I like this book so much I plan to keep this one.

*However, I like it so much, I’m hoping you’ll get one for yourself, so I am giving away a gift certificate to ChristianBook.com!  A name from the list of subscribers to this blog will be randomly selected as the winner on Friday, August 10, 2018.* 

Is your name on the list? Check back next week to see who won!

In the meantime, share with our blog family here, something you cherish about your children-- who they are, what they're teaching you, or ways you enjoy spending time with them.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher in return for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

100 DAYS TO BRAVE Book Review and a New Year's Challenge

by Sally Matheny

100 Days to Brave

In what area of your life do you crave courage? If you’re like me, you’re feeling a tug in a certain direction but, for whatever reason, you’re lacking the confidence to move forward. Have I got a book recommendation for you!

100 DAYS TO BRAVE, written by Annie F. Downs, is a compilation of devotions for “unlocking your most courageous self.”

How good is this book? Well, let’s just say I read one hundred devotions in thirty days. The devotions build on one another and unfold like a story. Downs intrigued me so I couldn’t stop reading after just one devotion a day.

The one hundred devotions cover eleven areas:

Brave Enough to Start

Brave Enough to Be You

Brave Enough to Believe God

Brave Enough to Dream

Brave Enough to Work Hard

Brave Enough to Love Others

Brave Enough to Face Change

Brave Enough to Persevere

Brave Enough to Pursue Healing

Brave Enough to Serve

Brave Enough to Be Where You Are

Brave Enough

The author includes personal experiences in most of the devotions to illustrate a point. She bravely exposes our fears and offers helpful encouragement on how to maneuver past them.

Encased in a beautiful hardcover, each devotion is about 400 words in length. Each begins with a short scripture and ends with a call to action.

I highly recommend this book. While men would certainly glean encouragement from it, I believe it is best suited for women. Even though the author writes of her experiences as a single Millenial, all ages of women will enjoy and benefit from her book.

Now, a challenge for you.

While you’re mulling over your list of goals for the new year, will you pray about those areas where you need courage? Ask God to help you follow through with whatever it is you just know you’re supposed to do.

Ask others to pray with you. I think this is where I’ve failed in dealing with my own fears.

Facing serious health issues requires courage. We often don’t hesitate to ask for prayer in those situations. There are many other personal battles that call for bravery. Why do we hesitate to ask for prayer in other areas of our lives?

Are we afraid to reveal the thing we feel led to do? For if we give it a voice, then we may have to actually follow through with it! It may be difficult. There may be repercussions. We may have to change.

Whew! Scary, isn’t it?

Let’s dedicate time to prayer, specifically about this THING. What is it for you? Say it—out loud. What fears have immobilized you? Why? Expose them for what they are.

Want us to pray for you? Share your request for bravery below or send it privately through the Contact Page.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

THIS DANGEROUS BOOK by Steve & Jackie Green: A Review & Giveaway

 by Sally Matheny

This Dangerous Book

“Research shows over 80 percent of Americans own a hard copy of the Bible. More than half of agnostics and skeptics own a Bible.

But have you ever asked, ‘What is this book, really?’” 
                 -This Dangerous Book

The release of THIS DANGEROUS BOOK coincides with the opening of the Museum of the Bible located in Washington D.C. Steve and Jackie Green, the founding family of the museum, co-authored this book with Bill High. 

It’s a book about three journeys—that of the Bible, the Green’s, and the Museum of the Bible.

The Greens interweave vignettes of their own faith journey while sharing fascinating information about the Bible and the effect it has had on people throughout history. They are transparent about their Christian faith in the book, yet they have chosen not to proselytize within the museum.

        “We would not promote our faith but could present the facts.”

No doubt, some people will say there’s not enough of Jesus represented at the museum, while others will say there’s too much.

“Yet throughout the process, we’ve continued to pursue a factual presentation of the Bible…I know that we won’t satisfy everyone. There will still be critics who will challenge our methods and motives…Like it or not, the Bible simply cannot be ignored.”

The mission of the museum is to “invite all people to engage with the history, impact, and narrative of the Bible. It is the largest museum in the world “devoted solely to the presentation and the preservation of the Bible.”

THIS DANGEROUS BOOK opens with almost twenty endorsements from folks such as Lee Strobel, Dr. David Jeremiah, and Korie Robertson. After a foreword by Rick Warren, the book contains five parts:

Part 1: The Story Begins

Part 2: The Book

Part 3: Collecting Secrets

Part 4: Appeal to Heaven

Part 5: To the Ends of the Earth

Each part contains three to four chapters. Each chapter opens with three or four quotations—some from the Bible, some from people since the Bible’s publication. Most are from Christians but a few are not, such as the one from the fictional Huckleberry Finn.

A Book Review, a Challenge, & a Giveaway!

by Sally Matheny

Kids' Visual Study Bible
(photo courtesy of Zonderkidz)

The Book

Is there a visual learner in your family--someone who lingers over graphic charts and notices the fine details of an illustration? Some folks just prefer using their eyes more than their ears to learn. I know. I’m one of them.

That’s why I am delighted to review a children’s Bible published by Zonderkidz in 2017. The Kids’ NIV Visual Bible has many features your child will enjoy, whether he’s a visual learner or not. And it’s not just for kids. In fact, I’d say it’s best suited for ages 10-18ish. I’m well over eighteen and I find it captivating.

There are over 700 colorful photos, illustrations, maps and some very cool infographics. Plus, there are helpful notes in the sidebars.

Each book of the Bible is introduced with information about the author, the primary purpose of the book, whom it was written for, the key person of the book, where it took place and some of the key stories in the book.

I like the layout of one, wide column of text per page rather than the typical two-columns. I think kids might find that easier to read. It doesn’t state the size of the font but I’m guessing it’s a 10 point font, maybe an 8.

Located in the back of this nice, hardcover Bible are more helpful resources:

Table of Weights and Measures

Infographic Index

Maps Index

Additional Set of 12 Maps

Often times I like to share the books I’m given to review and offer them as giveaways to my blog readers. However, this book will be a great resource for the class of 5^th-7^th graders I teach each Sunday so I’m keeping this one.

Kids' Visual Study Bible infographic

But, I do have a challenge for you and I do have something to give away!

The Challenge

Some of you may have heard about “Bring Your Bible to School Day.” The event sponsored by Focus on the Family is on October 5^th this year. 

Let's encourage children to carry their Bibles to school that day. Not as a cell phone app, not an e-book, but an actual Bible book as a testimony of their Christian faith. For many students, this will take an enormous amount of courage, so begin talking and praying about it with them now.

For Christian homeschool families, we are blessed beyond measure to speak and teach, using the Bible as our guide throughout our day. We bring our Bibles to school every day! So, I want to ask homeschool students to do something just as courageous as the public school students.

I’ve designated October 4^th as “Give a Bible Away Day.” 

Give a Bible Away Day - Oct. 4

Book Review of MY NAME IS RIVER by Wendy Dunham & a Giveaway

by Sally Matheny

(My Name is River by Wendy Dunham)

If fictional worlds merged, I bet twelve-year-old, River Starling, in My Name is River, would pal around with Opal, the little girl in Because of Winn-Dixie. Both girls have similar spunk and curiosity.

However, the author, Wendy Dunham, masterfully presents River with the “class dork” for a friend. Since River is running low on camaraderie and has been assigned to do a class project with him anyway, River decides to give Billy a chance. Besides, her Gram always says, “If you judge a book by its cover, you may miss a Hemingway.”

Billy, a patient, kindhearted, handicapped student embraces life with a positive attitude. Experience has taught him how to adapt when necessary and persevere until a job is done well.

On the other hand, River impatiently waits on the answers she has about her life—like where are her birth parents, and her adoptive parents, for that matter. What can she tell people when they ask about her name? And what will happen to her if something happens to Gram?

Set in 1983 in West Virginia, River’s friendship with Billy grows deeper as they work on their school project, deal with a school bully, and as they search for answers to serious life questions.

My Name is River is a Christian, 144-page, chapter book published by Harvest House Publishers for readers ages 8-13.

Not only is it written with a Christian worldview, but also since Billy’s dad is a pastor, the reader is privy to hearing a clear message of the gospel presented in the story.

Readers will relish River’s honest and humorous viewpoint of the church, especially since she’s never attended church before.

     "I decide that even though they're technically called pews, I'm still going to call them benches. I don't think a word like pew is nice enough for a place like this."    - stated by River in My Name is River

I highly recommend this wholesome and entertaining book. I think girls may like it best, but boys will find value in it as well. Readers will “discover the unforgettable story of one girl’s search for a place to call home.”

I look forward to reading the sequel, Hope Girl, later this summer. But for now, I’m giving away a copy of My Name is River. Who wants to win this delightful book?

All you have to do to enter is make sure your name is on my email list. You can do this by entering your email in the sidebar on the right where it says, “Follow by Email.”

Once on the email list, you’ll receive updates from this blog, which is usually just one, but occasionally two per week. I hate spam. Don’t you? That’s why I will never share your email address with anyone for any reason.

That’s it. Easy as pie, right? I’ll place all the names from my email list in the drawing and will announce the winner on July 3.

If you'd like more information about My Name is River check it out at:

Amazon, Harvest House Publishers, or anywhere books are sold. 

While we’re waiting, I’m curious. What are your kids reading this summer?


KAREN B., FROM KENYA, you won the book! I'll contact you about where I should mail it. Congratulations!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the author in return for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255

The Bible Explorer's Guide Book Review

by Sally Matheny

Teh Bbile Explorer's Guide
by Nancy I. Sanders

Have you ever seen a manger created from stone instead of wood? Do you know what the Euphrates River looks like today? Have you ever thought about what the apostle Paul’s dungeon cell looked like?

My answer was no to all of these questions. But thanks to author, Nancy I. Sanders and Zonderkidz, my answers have changed.

The Bible Explorer’s Guide- 1,000 Amazing Facts and Photos contains 80 pages of just that.

The author has culled intriguing facts about places, objects, people and cultures mentioned in the Bible. Presented with a Christian worldview, the information sparks a desire to go back to the Bible and read more.

The visuals in this reference book are just as appealing as the text. The maps and illustrations are great but the photos are my favorite. Artifacts from various times and places mentioned in the Bible capture the attention of all ages, even though this book is slated as juvenile nonfiction.

If you’re like me and have never been to the Holy Lands, this book may be the next best thing. I have never seen a manger carved out of stone or the beautiful aquamarine shades of the Euphrates River. To observe a photo of the prison where Paul suffered before his death adds depth to my understanding.  

Not only are scripture references given throughout the book but it also includes in the back of the book a simple timeline, a Who’s Who in the Old Testament and in the New Testament.

I highly recommend this book. The hardcover copy retails for $14.99 but I saw it at Christianbook.com for $10.49. It's well worth the price. I’m using mine to enhance our Bible studies at home and in my Sunday School classroom at church. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookLook Bloggers <http://booklookbloggers.com> book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

About the Children’s Picture Book on Abortion & an Apology to the Author

by Sally Matheny

There's a children’s picture book, Sister Apple, Sister Pig, causing a great disturbance among conservative Christians. 

The theme of the book is abortion. Thankfully, this book is only available online and isn’t readily available in your child’s library.

I read the free e-book. Then I read reviews and interviews. I can see why the response was so intense.

What makes people angry about the whole thing is:

The author, Mary Walling Blackburn, presents the topic of abortion in the form of a children’s picture book. 

While she says it is meant for adults, not children, it is still formatted as a children’s book and the main character is three years old. It’s dedicated to “Little Friends.” By all publishing standards, it looks like a children’s book. Abortion is not an appropriate topic for a young child.

Interviews found online with the Ms. Blackburn reveal many unsettling and bizarre opinions. She likes to express them with a scholarly vocabulary. But Christians find her words profane and offensive.

Ms. Blackburn is an assistant art professor at a Methodist university.

Perhaps that’s where the worst sting lies. She works for an educational organization that supposedly claims to be a denomination of the Christian faith.

I don’t know what Ms. Blackburn’s relationship with Christ is.

All I know is if you disagree with the Bible, then you disagree with God. If you promote things that conflict with his Holy Word, then you’re encouraging people to turn away from God and face an eternity separated from his love and saving grace. And where Jesus is concerned, you’re either for Him, or against Him. It’s that simple.

The intention of this post is not to blast insults at Ms. Blackburn as some folks have done.

Neither do I intend to praise her. To avoid any confusion, I want to be clear—I do not agree with her stance on life. Neither do I support her work.

However, what I’d like to do is offer a sincere apology to Ms. Blackburn. Please allow me to explain.

Book Review of Building Your Strengths & Three Giveaways!

by Sally Matheny

(Women of Faith Books)

I love Thomas Nelson publishers. Not only are they blessing me with wonderful books, but they want to bless my blog readers as well.

This month, they’ve sent, not one, but six beautiful, Women of Faith Bible study books to me. Three for me, and three to give away. 

How cool is that?

Bible Basics: A Baby Believer Counting Primer Review & Giveaway

by Sally Matheny

Bible Basics 

My last book review and giveaway in November is a board book for toddlers. The content in Bible Basics is just as robust as its construction.

The author, Danielle Hitchen, and the illustrator, Jessica Blanchard, are mothers who care about the spiritual formation of little ones. Hitchen’s book grew out of her need to find books that teach theological basics of the Christian faith to the youngest members of the family.  

Bible Basics “teaches the Bible and core tenets of Christianity” using quotations mostly from the Bible (ESV) and (NIV). Also included is a quotation from St. Augustine and one from the hymn, “Hark the Herald Angels Sing.”

This is a meaty book. Babies and toddlers will enjoy the bright pastel illustrations while being exposed to theological concepts and six passages of scripture.

Journal the Word Bible--One for Me & One for You!

by Sally Matheny

Photo: Journal the Word Bible

How sweet the season is—a time of thanks and giving! Christian publisher, Thomas Nelson sent me, not one, but two, NKJV Journal the Word Bibles. One to keep, and one to give away. First, let me tell you how awesome this Bible is!

Every cream-colored page contains wide margins of lightly ruled lines. You can either journal your thoughts or illustrate the meditations of your heart.


I’m doing a little of both in mine, but mostly journaling. No more writing on the back of church bulletins or loose papers! Everything will be in one spot, ready for future reference by me, or the next generation.

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, the Ten Commandments, David and Goliath, Jonah and the Big Fish, Daniel and the Lions, Queen Esther is Brave, Jesus is Born, Jesus is Baptized, A Little Boy’s Lunch, Jesus Calms the Sea, The Prodigal Son, Jesus Loves Children, Zacchaeus, The Cross, Jesus is Alive, Jesus is Coming Again, and God’s Family.   

After the title, is the chapter(s) in the Bible where the story originates. The stories are written in a simple text so young children can easily understand them. 

Book Review and Giveaway of “Case for Grace for Kids”

by Sally Matheny

New York Times bestselling author, Lee Strobel, along with Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse editor, Jesse Florea have pulled together eight, true stories that exemplify grace.

Published by Zonderkidz, the target age stated for the book is for those age eight to twelve, but I think the book tends to lean towards the older youth. I’d definitely not limit it to twelve-year-olds. High school students will find the stories pack quite a punch.

Be sure to read at the end how you might win this book.

Not all of the stories are about kids. Some cover the experiences of college students and older adults. But they all show grace through various forms—from receiving it to learning how to give it.

A Delicious Review of Kristen Feola's Book: The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast

by Sally Matheny

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast
by Kristen Feola

When I first opened The Ultimate Guide I thought the book pertained to the Daniel Plan. The Daniel Plan focuses on the wholesome foods Daniel (of the Bible’s Old Testament) ate and why.

The Ultimate Guide to the Daniel Fast is not the Daniel Plan. Same Daniel. Different agenda. Author and nutritional consultant, Kristen Feola presents an appetizing book for “everyone who is hungry to know the Lord in a deeper way.”

The book includes three parts: The Fast (17 pages), The Focus (27 pages), and The Food (140 pages).

After a brief introduction to what the fast is, Feola shares her own personal experiences resulting from the fast as well as the testimonies of countless others. Reading how God worked through the fasting of his people was one of my favorite parts of the book.

Feola also assists the reader during the 21-day fast by providing 21 daily devotionals. Scripture verses are included (most are NIV) as well as more references for additional reading.

Then you get to the food part—that ironically takes over half the book. But, I liked that because of what Feola offers here. At first glance, I wasn’t so sure the recipes would be to my liking. While I don’t fry foods, I’m as southern a gal as they come. My family is typical meat-and-potato eaters. Since they were not participating in the fast, my challenge was to cook something tasty for them without sabotaging my fast. Even my picky-eater enjoyed many recipes!

A list of foods to eat and foods to avoid are listed prior to some suggested meal plans. I don’t want to give away the whole content of the book so I’ll just share a few from each list. Three of the items on the “Foods to Eat” list are fruits, vegetables, whole grains. Three items off the “Foods to Avoid” list are refined and processed food, sweeteners, and meat.

There are over 100 recipes, many with full color photos. I haven’t tried them all yet, but I plan to refer to this book often because all the ones I have tried were delicious! Many of the ingredients were new to my cooking. I soon discovered how easy it is to grind oat flour and flaxseed and use them in recipes.

Recipe categories include: Breakfast, Appetizers & Snacks, Salads, Soups, Vegetables, Main Dishes, and Juices. The most surprising recipe for me was the “Date Honey.” Not the prettiest fruit to work with, but the easy recipe produced a yummy food that could be used alone or in many of the other recipes.

Nutritional stats are not listed, such as calorie and fat counts but I think perhaps that was intentional because that isn't what the fast is about. 

This book is delightful and I will continue using it. The devotionals and recipes helped me, especially through the initial difficult days of the fast. 

I can’t forecast what the fast will do for you. That’s an individual heart issue between you and God. I know what it did for me. There were specific areas of focused prayer during that time where I drew closer to God and received great blessings. Also, after the initial headaches from sugar and caffeine withdrawal, my body felt more energized, less sluggish. Brain fog lifted and a clearer focus settled in. Because of Feola’s tasty and filling recipes, I almost felt guilty, as if I had not suffered enough for it to be considered a fast.

"Blessed are those who hunger 

and thirst for righteousness, 

for they will be filled." 

Matthew 5:6

What Happened to the Sweetheart Bullies? (and a Children’s Book Giveaway)

by Sally Matheny

Bullies Are No Longer Sweethearts

What happened to the sweetheart bullies? No, they’re not a famous gang of outlaws from the wild, Wild West. Nor are they a rock band from the sixties.

While doing research about bullies, I ran across the origin and history of the word, bully.

Apparently, bully originated in the early 1500’s and was another term for sweetheart. Wow. Either pickings were slim back in the 1500’s or the meaning of the word depreciated.

Indeed, the word bully has traveled the rendition roller coaster from positive to negative on several occasions.

In the year 2015, Dictionary.com defines a bully as a "blustering, quarrelsome, overbearing person who habitually badgers and intimidates smaller or weaker people."

According to the National Education Association:
90% of 4th - 8th graders report being victims of bullying.
1 in 7 students in grades K -12 is either a bully or a victim of bullying.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if people worked together to bring about a change of heart in those bullies?

Ministry-to-Children.com offers three great posts dealing with this topic from a Christian worldview:

Awareness http://ministry-to-children.com/bullying-awareness/

Intervention http://ministry-to-children.com/practical-intervention-bullying/

and Ten Ways Your [Children’s] Ministry Can Help

http://ministry-to-children.com/bullying-ministry-opportunities/

Lists of children’s books addressing bullying is located at http://childrensbooksguide.com/bullying 
and at

http://www.best-childrens-books.com/childrens-books-about-bullying.html

Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully
by Chris Pedersen

One book that should be added to these lists is the recently published book, Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully, by Chris Pedersen. It is a charming book, written

with a Christian worldview. 


A young boy struggles through dilemmas with a bully at school. Throughout the story, opportunities arise for Ethan’s growth in wisdom, courage, and faith.

The author, Chris Pedersen, has kindly donated a book to give away to one of my blog readers. Enter the giveaway (begins 1/13/15) and Rafflecopter will randomly choose a winner next week.

Or you can find Ethan Blecher Braves a Bully at www.purplecarrotbooks.com and on Amazon.

Bully may never mean "sweetheart" again. 
But you can be a sweetheart by helping stop bullying.

a Rafflecopter giveaway