About the Book

Book: Long Live Love: Walking Out Freedom From Painful Generational Patterns

Author: Rena Roberts

Genre: Spiritual Memoir

Release Date: May 6, 2023

While utterly broken and at the end of herself, Rena Roberts broke free from spiritual bondage…and you can too.

In real life, victory over destructive generational patterns is rare. Psychologists have studied pathological family patterns for decades, trying to discover why they persist but to no avail. Part memoir, part psychological education and application, and part Christian living, Long Live Love is an invitation and opportunity for self-reflection and healing from family-of-origin issues.

Rena Roberts grew up in a profoundly dysfunctional home and set out to create a healthy, loving Christian family of her own. But when her daughter began to rebel in her late teens, Rena found herself stripped of her faith and everything she counted on from God. It was then that He began to radically transform her as she surrendered to His will and word, no matter what.

Rena’s approach to overcoming deep bondage and spiritual darkness will embolden others to go after freedom recklessly and bring the power of God’s supernatural love to their family line. This journey of freedom from generational jail is told in three sections: Longing, Living, and Loving. Each chapter ends with spiritual growth and reflection questions to examine the longings we have throughout our lives, how we try to live differently from our family of origin, and how we can truly love those we never thought we could.

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About the Author

Rena Roberts grew up in poverty amongst a profoundly dysfunctional family. She muscled her way through college and a graduate degree in Psychology/Counseling. Rena became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in 1998. She specialized in the treatment of eating disorders for twenty-five years. She has worked as a primary therapist at a residential treatment center, a clinical director of a day treatment center and in private practice over the course of her career. After homeschooling her three children and holding leadership positions in her local church, she underwent a spiritual crisis that ultimately led to the authorship of her first book, Long Live Love: Walking Out Freedom From Painful Generational Patterns. She now speaks by invitation to various women’s and youth groups sharing her life’s work and God’s work in her so far.

More from Rena

I wouldn’t say there’s anything fun about my book. It’s intense and raw and very real. It has been super fun to receive feedback from readers! They love it. They are inspired by it. They all thank me for writing such a vulnerable book. They love the reflections questions..I think my chapters on forgiveness are most inspiring to my readers and
some have applied the practices I encourage and report to me that it has been life changing, saved their marriages, etc. That’s super fun!

I also realized that I love to write and that I am a writer. I did not know that prior to this project. I hope you enjoy it. I look forward to your thoughts.

Author Interview

Can you share 5 random facts about you that we will not find in your bio?

I cleaned houses to pay expenses while in college.
I go to bed very early and wake up very early (8 pm – 4 am)
I am an excellent cook but not as good as my mother or my daughter. I come from a family of amazing cooks so I come by it naturally.
My sons make fun of me mercilessly. They have so much fun and I think it’s funny too. My youngest son loves to video tape me when I don’t know he’s doing it and post it on his friend group social media app (I don’t know what the app is called).
My husband planned to ask me to marry him on top of Half Dome in Yosemite. But two miles from the summit (it’s a nine-mile hike), I quit. My back was hurting, and I didn’t feel well. He tried to carry me the last two miles but of course that didn’t work. We headed down the mountain and got in a big fight. He even said, “We should never get married.” Despite everything though, we drove to the top of Glacier Point (also in Yosemite) that night and he asked me there. It’s been thirty-three years now.

When did you first discover you had a passion for writing?

I discovered my passion for writing while I was writing my book. I began the project in obedience to The Lord. I felt I was supposed to share this story. I knew I was capable, but I never considered myself a writer per se. Most of my writing (after college), was stream of consciousness journal writing. But as my book was coming to completion, I realized that I was loving the process and that my mind was full of more book ideas. I am excited for my next two books which will be very different.

What was the most challenging part of bringing this story to life? 

It was so hard to figure out how to articulate what God did for me, taught me and how He did it. I couldn’t figure out if I should write it chronologically or topically. At first, I had dates next to each story. I really struggled with how to order the last section of my book. I talk about (in the book) how the process was up and down and around in circles. I kept learning and practices the same lessons over and over. I could not predict what challenge would arise next. In many ways it’s impossible to articulate the work God does in our souls. I did my best, but it was super challenging!

What was the most rewarding?

I achieved everything I wanted to in creating my book. It’s beautiful outside and inside in terms of the cover and typography. The writing is excellent, in no small part, due to my editor, Jennifer Edwards. The content and organization is everything I wanted it to be. I feel like I accomplished what I set out to do. I feel like I was faithful to the project and that is so rewarding. Equally rewarding is hearing from readers about how my book has blessed them. I love reading their reactions. I read them over and over.

Where can readers follow along to see what’s coming next? 

I’m super bad about social media stuff. I do have a Instagram which is @rena_roberts_.

I’ve been doing a better job keeping my website up to date. My website is renaroberts.com. I have my book, my speaking engagements, and therapy services on the website. If someone wants to contact me they can email me at rena@renaroberts.com.