Breaking the Patterns That Break You: Healing from the Pain of Your Past and Finding Hope That Lasts

Foster care advocate Petersen (Fostered) aims in this compassionate guide to help Christians dismantle the false beliefs that undergird their destructive thought patterns. Arguing that feelings of “brokenness” can nurture a closeness to God, she assures readers struggling with self-hatred that loving themselves isn’t conceited (embracing “who God created you to be” is a holy act); with restlessness that “chasing unpromised potential” instead of appreciating what one has precludes satisfaction (“God may be trying to bring you healing with what you have, right where you are”); and with a lack of purposele that one’s “calling” lies not in professional aspirations but in serving as a “witness to God’s love” by loving others. Petersen makes clear throughout that the emotional healing process is often nonlinear and should facilitate self-acceptance rather than the prevention of pain, which can be an impetus for connecting with others and trying to understand Christ’s suffering. Blending Petersen’s vulnerable disclosures from a volatile childhood spent in and out of the foster care system with her concrete tips for healing (including daily mantras to reinforce one’s faith), this is a valuable starting point for believers looking to turn over a new leaf. (Feb.)