Review by Jose Cornelio for Readers’ Favorite

Secrets of Broken Pottery: Seeing the Great Potter — Being Seen by Him pulls readers into the heart of God and shows them His tenderness and how He sees them. While it is easy to feel discouraged and despairing, especially when we are in difficult moments, this book reflects the way God sees us, not as sinners or broken things, but creatures that He loves deeply. Heidi McKendrick uses the example of the Great Potter from the Bible and explores the different scenarios and situations of the relationship the Potter has with His work. The author demonstrates, with compelling and convincing arguments, that God never abandons us, even when we feel terribly helpless and lonely. Like the Potter who cares about His work, he gathers the pieces — which are very important to Him — and recreates us. The author explores our human brokenness and shows how the pain in our flesh, spiritual, moral, and physical, can make us drift further away from God and then shows us what God does in moments like these.

This book shows readers the relationship between God and humanity, exploring the way God sees us with intelligence and in prose that is graceful and engaging. It is easy to see oneself in this book, and as the author comments on the stories and experiences of some of the prominent people in the Bible and their relationship with God, a clear image of God emerges, one that is loving, tolerant, compassionate, and patient. Heidi McKendrick shares wonderful lessons and articulates brilliantly on the Creator. This is a strong message of hope for everyone, as it reveals to them that they must have had a very wrong idea of God. Like the prophets and powerful men and women in the Bible, God has a way of transforming our inadequacy into a field where He exercises His creativity; the creativity of the potter. If you are looking for an inspiring book that defines your relationship with God, then Secrets of Broken Pottery is the book you should read. I discovered the God I never knew.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR’S POTTERY

Friends have called my book Heidi Potter’s Adventures. A fitting title as in a way birthing this book has been a long process that indeed includes, if not ‘adventures,’ certainly a long journey – the good and bad experiences, my learning process with the Great Potter. On His table, seeing, and being seen.

So, a few words about my pottery’s adventure. The journey began a long time ago in the snowy north. I had met the Great Potter in my early childhood but had to go through various phases of immersing myself in the secrets of broken potteries before ridding myself of the distorted images of Him.

I finished my PhD in 1998 and I have been a full-time university professor since 1991. I hold an advanced level of psychotherapy–training, and extensive experience in working with potteries suffering psychological trauma and PTSD. I have conducted innumerable workshops and seminars on grace-filled topics and brokenness around the world to NGO organizations, churches, seminaries, and universities. My messages always include the truth that the Great Potter will never throw away our broken pieces!

I am married with two adult children. My pottery enjoys music, art, cooking, gardening, and travelling.

Workshops & Contact

If you are interested in learning how you can incorporate Secrets of Broken Pottery into your small-group settings, I will later write my ideas on this website.

More about my workshops. My favourite topics include:

Helping Helpers to Help
Vicarious Traumatization, Compassion Fatigue, and Burn-out of Helpers
Counselling Challenges when Working with People Suffering Psychological Trauma, PTSD, or Depression
Refugee Trauma 101
Spiritual Abuse
Therapeutic Pastoral Counseling
Healing Distorted Images of God.

… and of course: “Secrets of Broken Pottery” and “Broken Pottery Inn.”

If you want to organize a workshop or seminar on the topic or wish to write a review of the book, please email editor@katamerismou.com.

Review by Jose Cornelio for Readers’ Favorite