Almost Gone by John Baldwin & Mackenzie Baldwin (Book Review)

*Disclosure of material connection- I received a copy of the book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for my honest thoughts. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own.

About the book-

This is the never-before-told, riveting true story about a teenage Christian girl who was seduced online by a charming young Muslim man from Kosovo, and her father who ultimately worked with the FBI to save her from disappearing forever.

Told from the viewpoint of both father and daughter, Almost Gone follows Mackenzie’s network of lies and deceit and her parents’ escalating bewilderment and alarm. More than a cautionary tale, this is the incredible story of unconditional parental love, unwavering faith, and how God helped a family save their daughter from a relationship that jeopardized not only her happiness, but also her safety.

My thoughts-


This was one intense book. I wanted to read Almost Gone because this happened right in my backyard. I live 20 minutes away from Plano, TX where Mackenzie Baldwin grew up and this situation went down. I commiserated with and felt deep empathy for her parents as I read from her father John's perspective and as these events unfolded for him and he and his wife figured out what was going on and had very little time to put a plan into place that would ultimately save their daughter from what could have been a very bad situation. I commend Mackenzie for being strong enough to share her story in hopes that it might help other girls her age from making the same mistakes. What I took away was to never assume your kids won't do something no matter how far fetched it is, no matter how many times you have told them not to or talked to them about the danger of things, even a smart kid at 17 or 18 years old can fall victim to the pitfalls of internet relationships. I was happy this story had a happy ending and the Baldwin's shared the whole thing, painful as it must be, to help others. I recommend this book to anyone who reads non-fiction.

What A Son Needs From His Mom by Cheri Fuller Book Review

From the back of the book:

Ever Feel like your son is from a different planet? Don't worry, Mom. There's a good reason why your son perplexes you. He's the opposite sex! Boys really do think, communicate, and process the world differently than girls. But no matter your son's age, he needs you, and he needs you in not-so-apparent ways.

Drawing from her own experiences, as well as those from moms and sons around the country, Cheri Fuller shares what makes boys and young men tick and how to become a more welcome influence at every stage in their lives. She answers all the top questions including:

• How can I help my son (and me!) deal with his emotions in a healthy way?
• School is such a struggle, how can I help him?
• Our personalities are SO different, how can we get on the same page?
• My son hardly says a thing. What can I do?
• What are the best ways to instill good values?
• How can I encourage a lasting faith in God?

With page after page of use- it-today advice and encouraging stories, this book will help you steer your son toward becoming a caring, confident young man.

Thank you to Bethany House Publishers. While I received a complimentary copy of the book, I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions stated are 100% my own. 

My thoughts:

I have wanted to be a mom since...well for as long as I can remember and those dreams always included having a little boy. My husband and I were blessed beyond belief in 2009 when we found out we were having twin boys to add to the one little girl we already had. While having baby boys was always something I wished for, I never thought beyond that stage in their lives until recently. They are 3 years old and I have been thinking that I really should find some parenting books that deal specifically with boys, since they think and act so differently than we as women might think they should. I hit the jackpot when I found Cheri Fuller's What a Son Needs From His Mom. I am happy that we are still in a stage where my boys are snuggle bugs and mommy's little guys, but I know that all too soon, they will grow more into their little personalities and when that day comes, I want to be prepared. Fuller's book is full of insight from the earliest times in little boys' lives all the way up to letting them go as they evolve into young men. I think that including chapters about how to prepare them to be out on their own is something that is very important. I love that this book is broken down to kind of answer all of the questions our minds as mother's might consider pondering about little boys (and growing boys...and grown boys!) That this book answers questions about growing into their own skin, adolescence and all of the hormones that come with it and preparing to leave the nest makes it a book worth having on any mother's book shelf...or in arm's reach on her night stand. I especially enjoyed the unique perspective offered by men throughout the chapters on what their mom's did to raise them that was meaningful to them or what their mom's could have done differently. I know that I will re-read this book plenty of times in the span of my boys' childhood and will likely include it in baby shower gifts for moms of little boys from now on. You can never start too early!

About the author:

Cheri Fuller is a gifted speaker and award-winning author of more than forty books, including the bestselling When Mother's Pray. A former Oklahoma Mother of the Year, Cheri has worked with kids of all ages and is the executive director of the nonprofit organization Redeeming the Family. She and her husband, Holmes, live in Oklahoma and have three grown children (two boys and a girl) and six grandchildren.

Connect with Cheri Fuller on Facebook
Connect with Cheri Fuller on Twitter
Cheri Fuller's Website

Etched...Upon My Heart by Jill Kelly Review + Giveaway

About the book: Our lives are made up of moments. Some we hope to remember forever and some we long to forget. But it's the tapestry of these moments that come together to write the story God is telling in each of our lives.

In Etched...Upon My Heart, Jill Kelly shares some of the unforgettable moments in her life- some sorrowful, others filled with joy-as a "living epistle" to her daughters. Kelly's raw and honest replections provide encouragement and inspiration for women and mothers who long to pass on hard-won knowledge of God's stedfast love and healing grace to their children.

As she writes, "God will break our hearts, but He will hold the pieces. He will cradle us and redeem every tear we cry." Although great personal pain informs these pages, Kelly's story is ultamtely one of forgiveness, reconciliation, and hope. Through the moments in time that Jill Kelly recounts, you will recognize the daily reality and eternal value of God's plan for your own life.

My thoughts: I found this book both heartbreaking and inspiring. Jill Kelly is wife to NFL Hall of Famer Jim Kelly and they have faced some heavy trials together, the biggest being the loss of their very young son Hunter. Kelly is open and real as can be opening her heart and sharing some of the most painful times she has been through and how God got her through it. I love the weaving of her personal stories with the chapters different focuses. The chapters are divided by different subjects,  Love, Suffering, Prayer, Forgiveness, Giving, Death, ect. Each chapter contains Kelly's personal story relating to the matter, as well as insight from the Bible relating to the subject. At the end of each chapter, there is a prayer relating to the subject as well as several Bible verses to encourage you and "Etch  Upon Your Heart. I like the way the book was laid out and felt just like Kelly said she wanted readers to feel at the beginning, like I was talking to a girlfriend over coffee. The thing I like about this book is how honest the author is about the things she talks about. She doesn't deny her struggles and she also talks about profound moments she has had spiritually. I felt it was a very well rounded book. I think this is a great book for a mother or any woman really. It's a reminder that we all face some big moments, sometimes big ugly moments, sometimes unbearably sad moments, sometimes joyous moments. Sometimes it good to be reminded we are never alone and even when we feel we are, God is working on our lives in that very moment.

About the Author: Jill Kelly is the wife of former Buffalo Bills quarterback Jim Kelly. In September 1997, months after their infant son, Hunter, was diagnosed with a fatal disease called Krabbe Leukodustrophy, Jim and Jill founded the Hunter’s Hope Foundation. As chairman of the board of Hunter’s Hope, Jill helps children suffering from Leukodystrophy, and their families by raising awareness and research funds to fight this devastating disease. She and Jim live in Buffalo, NY, with their two daughters and three dogs. Hunter’s Hope Foundation can be found online at www.HuntersHope.org. Jill is also the author of Without A Word.

 

Connect with Jill Kelly on Facebook
Connect with Jill Kelly on Twitter
Jill Kelly's Website

Enter via the Rafflecopter below for your chance to win a copy of Etched...Upon My Heart!


a Rafflecopter giveaway