Jennie Allen's Anything ~ Reviewed

ANYTHING

By Jennie Allen

Published by Thomas Nelson

ISBN#978-0-8499-4705-6

193 Pages

Back Cover: 

Safe. Comfortable. Happy. Words we all love. Feelings we want. Even crave. We may love God, but being that he's invisible, words like comfortable seem to feel better faster.
We are all chasing something. Our hearts were made to run hard and fast after things that move us. But as a generation we are all beginning to stir and wake up, identifying that these words don't satisfy for long, especially when compared to God. If God is real, and we are going to live with Him forever, shouldn't He be everything?
Caught in this familiar haze of worldly happiness and empty pursuits, Jennie Allen and her husband Zac prayed a courageous prayer of abandonment that took them on an adventure God had written for them.

Review: 

I’m thankful for the review copy of a book that introduced me to Jennie Allen; a young lady who tells it like it is and shares from the heart.

Jennie was raise in the church and struggled believing the way others did. She says, “How do you give someone God? Honestly, I felt neutral about God. When you grow up with the stories, songs and lessons, you accept everything: you aren’t trying to explain God if you grew up hearing about him since birth, like Santa Clause. I knew what I thought I needed to know…I don’t remember it feeling very real. I remember God feeling plastic. He was a plastic stature on my mantel…you can’t control seeing God. That is left to His own discretion – how and when people really see, really get Him. But I needed God to not be plastic before I trusted Him, especially with everything.”

I found this author brave and transparent as she shared her experiences. I remember feeling the same way when I was younger. Unlike Jennie I wasn’t raised in the church. She goes on to talk more about her plastic God. This touched my soul, “Plastic gods are safe. Plastic gods don’t mess with you. Plastic gods don’t matter; they fit in a small crevice of the life you want, the life you were planning to have. And when everything in life is working…plastic gods feel like enough.”

Oh, wow. This author tells of her quest from plastic god to having a personal relationship with Jesus and letting him move in her life in unexpected ways. It’s an inspiring journey you won’t want to miss reading. She and her husband wanted more than they had spiritually. They wanted God to make himself real. They prayed this prayer, “God we will do anything. They were over chasing the American Dream with fancy houses, nice cars and cute Christmas cards.” Jennie said, “We wanted something: we couldn’t put our finger on. It was burning in us. We had loved so many other things more than God…we were ready to do anything.”

When this couple surrendered to God’s will for their lives everything changed. The found meaning in life, they felt fully alive and life was gratifying! They were pleasantly surprised. Was it easy? Did things go smooth after that prayer? No, but the didn’t lose heart.

I was compelled to read this couples story no matter how much laundry and dishes piled up around me. I was mesmerized and encouraged by their transparency, bravery, and willingness to let go of control and let God have His way. They traded fear and anxiety for a peace that passes all understanding. For the first time in their lives God was real and they were doing life with Him by their side. He wasn’t plastic anymore.

This author is a good communicator, her message is simple, clear, encouraging and she shared from the heart. It was a refreshing read that challenges readers to live a life surrendered to God. It’s more satisfying than chasing the American Dream.

Jennie Allen gives an authentic look at how she developed her personal relationship with Jesus. How we can have hope in a future that looks bleak. This book is a keeper. You’ll be re-reading it and telling your friends about Jennie and her journey. This author also has two bible studies that deal with the topics in her book. They are called Stuck and Chase. I highly recommend the studies and this book as a book club pick. Oh, there is so much to talk about! I look forward to reading more books by this author!

Reviewed by: Nora St.Laurent

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