A Reality Check on Fear: Book Giveaway!

It may seem a little strange for me to review a book written for moms. The 10 pounds of fur snoozing next to me is the closest thing I have to a ward. Much as he thinks he is a baby, he’s not!

My friend Bethany Douglas’s book Helicopter Mom is definitely relevant for the moms I do know and it was helpful to me too. I think any woman who struggles with fear for the people she loves will benefit from it.

Written from the unique perspective of a flight nurse who is also a mother, Helicopter Mom uses illustrations from the exciting (and chaotic and scary) field of emergency medicine. As Bethany explains from the beginning, the book won’t tell you that you have nothing to fear. She knows all too well from her job experience that people’s fears for their kids, loved ones, and selves DO sometimes come true.

With a realist’s perspective on fear and danger, Bethany delivers hard-hitting truth from Scripture and a Christian worldview about how believing moms are to respond to fear. Her technique is multi-faceted.

The book serves as a memoir combined with workbook-like questions and plenty of practical devotionals and reality checks.

Fast-paced and at times a little graphic, Helicopter Mom is an energetic read packed with interesting facts, memorable metaphors, and important lessons on handling fear well. For example, Bethany moves in one chapter from an illustration on the limits of knowledge in medical emergencies to addressing the mom-tendency to try to “know it all” in order to protect the family. She then calls out the problem: knowledge can be an idol. Knowing everything you can know as a mom isn’t the same as wisdom (AKA: the fear of the Lord.)

She summarizes:

“We need to infuse wisdom, real knowledge, real Godstuff into our minds. No amount of research, reading, blogging, talking, etc. will ever be able to give us the peace that God can.”

Honest, helpful points like these are peppered through the lessons Bethany offers. Her view is balanced, too. In this same example chapter she does not negate knowledge or the value of being informed. However, as in the rest of Helicopter Mom, she puts fear and our response to into healthy, godly perspective.

The overall goal Bethany aims for is helping moms and women who struggle with fear for their loved ones let go of the “control” that we think we have to instead lift our people to the Lord (who she likens to the perfect pilot in her helicopter illustrations.)

If you like illustrations, funny quips, are fascinated by anything medical or flight related, and need a reality check on fear’s role in a believer’s life, I think you will enjoy Helicopter Mom.

Bethany has graciously provided two copies- one for me to review and one for one of you. Comment on this blog post or on the giveaway Facebook post by July 28th to win a free copy for yourself or a mom you love!

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