Category Archives: Faith

Wholesome entertainment for kids from FishFlix

Children today have so many options for entertainment.  As a parent, it can be hard to evaluate all of the choices available and find wholesome entertainment for kids.

I’m always happy to have family friendly entertainment resources that make it easy to find selections that are appropriate for kids.

I recently learned about FishFlix.com, an online retailer for Christian and family friendly entertainment.  This site has a huge selection of films, TV series, documentaries, and educational DVDs.  You can find a wide range of options for the whole family.

FishFlix has theatrical releases like “War Room” and popular series like Hallmark’s “When Calls the Heart.”  It also has many great options that aren’t as widely known, but are fun to explore for wholesome entertainment.

My kids and I were introduced to a new series when we received a free sample DVD from FishFlix’s children’s collection for our honest review.  We received Owlegories Volume 2 – The Ant, The Fruit, The Butterfly.  It’s the most recent release in the “Owlegories” series, and we were glad to have the opportunity to watch it together.

Buy Christian Movies on FishFlix.com | Owlegories Vol 2 DVD

“Owlegories” is an animated children’s series that teaches Bible concepts in short episodes featuring a wise owl teacher and his five owl students.  The student owls embark on adventures that teach them more about their faith.

In the Volume 2 DVD that we received, the three episodes were entertaining stories that taught about Bible principles in ways that children can easily understand.

The series is even educational in the name “Owlegories.”  I had to explain that it was a take on “allegory” – a story that uses people, animals, or things with hidden meanings to explain or teach some truth.

We enjoyed watching the three episodes on this DVD.  This series is a great way to teach kids.  My daughter especially liked the theme song, and she thought the little owls were entertaining characters to follow on their adventures.

I liked learning that the series was a family endeavor.  It was created by parents who wanted a fun way to teach their children.  It began as an app that was developed into an educational series.

We thought the animation was good, and we learned that the “Owlegories” team includes people with a lot of experience in film production and animation.  The quality was evident in the production.

If you’re looking for wholesome entertainment for your family, FishFlix is a good resource with a lot of choices.  The prices are reasonable, and they have a large selection of $5 DVDs.  Shipping is free for orders of $40 or more.

Thank you to FishFlix for providing a free DVD
to facilitate my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

Raising Uncommon Kids by Sami Cone {book review}

We live in a day and age that celebrates individuality and accomplishment.  Most parents would be happy if their kids had traits that made them uncommon, right?

Some great characteristics may come to mind.  Valedictorian or a sports superstar?  Musical prodigy or masterful writer?  Hysterical comedian or suave public speaker?

What about uncommonly kind and selfless?

That may not be the most celebrated way to be uncommon, but it is such an important and worthy goal in raising kids and passing on the right characteristics to the next generation.

Sami Cone explores this topic in her book “Raising Uncommon Kids: 12 Biblical Traits You Need to Raise Selfless Kids.”  Thank you to Baker Books for providing a free copy of the book to facilitate my honest review.

Raising Uncommon Kids is available at Amazon (affiliate link).

I was immediately intrigued from the description on the back of the book.

The greatest lesson we teach our kids isn’t anything we say – it’s what we do.

Many parents are surprised to discover just how little we’re actually modeling the behaviors we hope to pass on – qualities such as unconditional love, gentleness, forgiveness, patience, gratitude, humility, and more.

This unique book offers a fresh way to look at molding your children: by focusing more on adding good behaviors than on eliminating bad ones.

Using the Bible passage of Colossians 3:12-17 as her guide, Sami Cone focuses on 12 characteristics to foster in ourselves and our children. These traits are addressed in three sections:

  • Your Heart at Home – with chapters on love, harmony, gentleness, and bearing with one another
  • Your Attitude Toward Others – with chapters on forgiveness, wisdom, patience, and kindness
  • Your Influence in the World – with chapters on gratitude, peace, humility, and compassion

The book is not designed as a how-to for managing the behavior of children, but rather a look at what parents should be modeling and shaping in their kids.  As the introduction says, “You may be looking for a quick fix for your kids: I’m here to coach you in paying a little less attention to their behavior and spending a little more time evaluating your own.”

As I read this book, I was continually thinking about areas where I need to exhibit better leadership for my kids in my actions and not just my words.  The book was a gentle challenge for me to step up and be a better mom and a better Christian in order to be a better influence on my kids.

I use the term “gentle challenge” because the book was not at all overbearing or preachy in addressing the principles that we should be modeling as parents and molding in our kids.  It very effectively uses real-world examples and examines Bible passages to discuss each topic.

“Raising Uncommon Kids” has practical ideas woven into the text, with additional ideas listed at the end of each chapter to put the principle of the chapter into motion.  It’s a helpful resource to spark action in practicing Biblical traits as a family.

Thank you to Baker Books for providing a complimentary copy of “Raising Uncommon Kids: 12 Biblical Traits You Need to Raise Selfless Kids” by Sami Cone to facilitate my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

This post contains affiliate links, which help support this site.  Please refer to my disclosure statement for more information about affiliate links.

Insights for a vibrant family home life: The Lifegiving Home by Sally and Sarah Clarkson

As a mom, I strive to make our home a haven for our family.  My goal is to ensure home is our refuge from the frenetic world around us.  I’m always on the lookout for ideas and resources to help guide toward this goal.

“The Lifegiving Home” at Amazon (affiliate link).

I’m happy to have found the book “The Lifegiving Home,” written by the mother-daughter team of Sally and Sarah Clarkson, as a new resource for ideas to hone our family home life.  I received the book for free from the publisher, Tyndale House, to facilitate my honest review.

This book has many helpful insights for cultivating a Christian home.  As I read this book, I found myself marking pages so I can refer back to thoughts and ideas. That’s unusual for me since I generally like to leave books in pristine condition, but this is a book that can be used as an ongoing reference.

The book is packed with wisdom from Sally Clarkson’s experience as a mom who worked with her husband to build a strong home culture for their family.  She relays how they moved often, so it was not all about the place.  In chapter one, she says:

“we focused on creating home out of less tangible materials – traditions, habits, rhythms, experiences, and values.  It was in the love and acceptance we shared, the comfort and warmth we enjoyed together, the spiritual and intellectual connections we fostered, and the traditions we celebrated together that we found both refuge from the world outside and the strength to engage it creatively.”

In part one of the book, Sally Clarkson and her daughter Sarah Clarkson discuss the importance of home in our lives as well as its spiritual significance in shaping people to honor God.

Image courtesy of Tyndale

Image courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers

In part two of “The Lifegiving Home,” the Clarksons address the seasons of home on a month-by-month basis.  It features Sally Clarkson’s expertise in cultivating their family culture and Sarah Clarkson’s experience growing up within the framework her parents provided.

This part of the book has practical ideas for parents as they guide their children through the seasons of life.  One of the specific things I marked in my book was the Stop! Look! Listen! technique for teaching children the heart of good manners in the February chapter.

A Strong Home Culture

Image courtesy of Tyndale House Publishers

Although I like the premise behind the monthly structure, this part of the book felt a bit forced into the monthly construct.  Many of the topics that were addressed were not really month specific so it could have been organized differently, but I get the vision behind it.

The purpose stated on the back cover of the book is for the Clarksons to provide their family story as a treasury of wisdom about home life. It’s very specific to their own family culture, which is heavy on music, classic books, art, family feasts, and tea time. It really doesn’t include a variety of suggestions that may apply better for families that are different from the Clarksons.  With that said, there are plenty of things about the Clarkson family story that can be used as ideas and inspiration for creating your own unique home culture.

One of the passages in the book that resonated with me most was within the chapter about the month of March.  Sarah Clarkson articulates the joy of finding beauty amidst the brokenness in the world and using that to inform home life.  Her words encapsulate my viewpoint as well.

“despite the grief of life in the broken places, my heart still catches glimmers of what life was meant to be, echoes from the shattered gladness of original Creation….Every experience of joy I find is the promise of a coming and complete redemption.  This is what I believe my home should communicate.  This is the atmosphere I want those who come into my sphere to taste – the goodness of God made tangible in food, in pictures, in music, in the way they are served.  I want my home to reflect the deepest affirmation of my heart that God is with me, that He has given me every good thing. I want my home and life to be an invitation to feast, to touch, to savor, and to know the goodness of my beautiful God.”

That passage is a lovely reminder that our homes matter; they can be a beautiful, lifegiving place for our families and guests.  “The Lifegiving Home” is a worthy resource for assisting in that goal of creating a family home that nurtures minds, bodies, and souls.

Thank you to Tyndale House Publishers for a complimentary copy of “The Lifegiving Home”
by Sally and Sarah Clarkson to facilitate my honest review.  All opinions are my own.

This post contains affiliate links, which help support this site.  Please refer
to my disclosure statement for more information about affiliate links.