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Divine Applause


I knew I liked his style of writing. I just didn't recall that I had read anything from him before. Oh, but I had.

The book in question is Divine Applause by Jeff Anderson. The previous book was Plastic Donuts, which you can see my review on here.

I don't know how you read books, but I normally do so with a pencil nearby. I like to underline sections that grab my attention. But since I'm not going to spend the time flipping through a book to look for pencil marks, I also fold over a corner of the page. As you can see by the image below, I underlined quite a bit, as I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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To say I enjoyed might need some clarification. It challenged me and caused me to stir about the choices I make. So, for as much as anyone enjoys being challenged, I would recommend Divine Applause.

Jeff Anderson has taken Jesus' Sermon on the Mount and reflected on what turns out to be pretty straightforward talk from Jesus. In that sermon, Jesus told us to pray, give and fast and watch what happens in return. Jeff tells us these are the not-so-secret ingredients to getting God's attention and seeing how He responds to us.

Far from being a seek-after-God-and-receive-untold-riches kind of story, Jeff centers in on the sometimes mundane manner in which God responds to His children. He explains this is because we are individuals and God desires a relationship with us that reflects that individuality. But make no mistake, God is watching us.

"But the reality that God is watching speaks of His care. His watchful ways are intended to inspire, not frighten us. This is one of the key mind shifts necessary to hearing god's applause. It all has to do with how your picture God's face." ~Divine Applause, page 15.

I'd include some more direct quotes, but when I choose not to read by my Kindle, where I can highlight and then copy/paste quotes, it means a lot more typing for me. And when I think you should simply get the book yourself, it would also be counter-productive.

I received this book for free from my good friends over at Blogging for Books. They give me books and ask for my thoughts, which you now have.

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