Publisher and Publication Date: WaterBrook. January 28, 2020.
Genre: Christian nonfiction. Anxiety. Toxic thought patterns.
Pages: 256.
Source: Self purchase.
Audience: Christian readers. People who want to change/repair/replace toxic thinking.
Rating: Excellent. Bravo!

Amazon link

Further links for Jennie Allen:
Website/You’ll have to sign up for the newsletter but there are freebies.
Facebook
IF: Gathering 

The YouTube video is long but interesting.

Jennie Allen’s bio and list of books at Goodreads.

“Learning to capture our thoughts matters. Because how we think shapes how we live.” Page 5.

Summary:
Jennie Allen believes the greatest spiritual battle we have takes place in our minds. This book is about understanding the seriousness of the battle, the origins, the reasons, and what can be done to change. Freedom is possible.
This book is not an alternative to not taking medication for anxiety or depression. This book is a tool. A huge help.

My Thoughts:
I’d only read a few pages of this book, and began texting several friends and family members telling them, “you have to read this book!”

This is a powerful book. It’s a book that is strong in teaching, but very strong in application. Throughout the book I took notes, underlined, and starred portions of it.
The profound words that I often tell myself (from the book) is “I have a choice.”
“I have a choice” of what to think about. I am not a victim. I am not a passive person letting any thought that drifts in my head build a nest.

The book is divided into three sections: “All The Thoughts”, “Taking Down The Enemies Of Our Minds”, “Thinking As Jesus Thinks.”

Chapter two is about the “lies we believe.” All lies will reflect one of the three lies given. For example: the thought, “I am not good enough.” This lie reflects, “I’m worthless.”
In this chapter, Allen goes on to share a story about her experience with spiritual warfare. This began after a speaking event in Little Rock, Arkansas. For a long time, Allen didn’t want to believe she was under spiritual attack from the enemy. It came as a shock.

Page 52 is an illustration of a map of sorts. This is homework: write down the toxic thought and dissect it. The goal is to be proactive and active about the thought now and when it comes back. We are to “look for patterns and common themes.” For example: Do I criticize myself? Am I angry?

Chapter six. Allen is blunt, she is training us to “fight.” Not only will we take the toxic thought “captive”, but the thought will be replaced with God’s Word.

Chapter nine talks about distraction. Distraction is one of the three d’s that the enemy uses against us. This last statement I’d read somewhere else. But, I’ll go ahead and fill you in on the other two because I think about these three d words often. Discouragement and deception. These three d words the enemy uses against us to keep us focused on other things-toxic thought things. Allen brings up the word distraction, because it “keeps us from seeking help.”

Allen moves on to talk about “group-therapy” and “community” in chapter nine. I’m not onboard with sitting in a group of strangers and talking about myself. If it is a small group, a couple of people, I’m okay. I’ve noticed in a large group, even as many as six, there is going to be at least one person who is too chatty. The chatty ones prevent the quieter ones from speaking. Even the best of group leaders have problems with this scenario. Further, we all have different personalities. We all have different ways of communicating and learning.

Over-all this is a fantastic book! It’s a book you read cover to cover, then concentrate on for the applications, and hold on to for reference.