Answering Jihad: A Better Way forward by Nabeel Qureshi

Answering Jihad: A Better Way forward by Nabeel Qureshi has been the best and most concise book I have ever read about the Muslim faith without being biased and harsh but honest and clear. I have read the Quran as well as other books about Islam, took world religion courses in university that have delved deep into Islam but found the Quran was at times difficult to read and understand, jumping all over the place and contradicting itself quite often (I read an English translation of it) and never understood why that was. Other books and religion courses never really dealt on controversial topics or ever tried to dig into something that could offend Muslim readers/ believers, even if it was true, so this book was completely new and enlightening to me.

Answering Jihad did a fantastic job of teaching me the beliefs, where they came from, why they are practiced as well as giving me the background knowledge to put verses and statements into perspective. Qureshi, coming from the background he did has good authority to be able to write a book like this and be honest on both fronts. The fact that he grew up Muslim knowing his theology more than most Muslims yet also had the courage to search for answers that lead him to Jesus gives this book a unique perspective that cannot be obtained from other authors.

To anyone who is curious why Muslims believe what they do and where it comes from, this is the book that will give you clear concise answers. The answers are historical and based on sources like the Quran or the Hadith and so are reliable and cannot be argued from a Muslim perspective. Many Muslims don’t even know themselves where some of their beliefs stem from and why they believe what they do, this will not only educate you about their faith but also educate you how to approach Muslims to get them thinking why it is they believe what they do and possibly point them in the right direction of ultimately finding Jesus as Qureshi himself found.

Thank you to Zondervan for blessing me with a copy of this book for my honest review of it.

Your Best Destiny Doesn't Need to Wait Any Longer

Your Best Destiny: Becoming the person you were created to be by Wintley Phipps was an inspirational and encouraging reminder that God has amazing things in store for me. It emphasized that I have every ability of becoming the person that I desire to be, that others would be proud off and that would give me joy and fulfillment.

Phipps, who has excellent stories, examples and experiences breaks down how to fulfill the longing we all have to become better, more joyful, more fulfilled individuals through eight key steps: 1) Belief 2) Virtue 3) Wisdom 4) Self-Control 5) Perseverance 6) Sacredness 7) Kindness 8) Love.

Although these 8 keys do not seem like anything new, we all know we need to love more and practice self-control, but what Phipps does is help us make these things not just words that we know we ought to practice and live by but helps us recognize ways to live them out and the difference that’ll make once we start practicing them.

Whether you are satisfied with the way you are living and who you are right now or not I highly recommend you read this book. You will see how much more you can learn from Phipps about being the best you can be not just meeting human standards and expectations but also knowing you have God’s blessings pouring out on you and on those that come in contact with you.

Thank you to Tyndale for blessing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Perfect Bible for a little Princess

Recently I received The ICB Princess Bible from Thomas Nelson, this bible is a perfect bible for a young girl. When I ordered this bible I did so because I thought the cover was very pretty and totally suiting for my little niece (which loves everything princess). When it came it did not disappoint. The cover was beautiful but more importantly it is what was between the covers that had me pleasantly surprised. I have never heard of the International Children’s Bible translation so I didn’t know if they were cutting some bad stories out, rewording stories that might lose the real meaning or anything of the sort that to make it “safe” for kids, but that is not what I found. The translation was perfect for kids, it’s very easy to read, children at a third grade level should be able to read and fully understand this translation and there is nothing missing. The whole bible is there, all the stories without any original meanings lost, it’s just that it’s much easier to read and understand. It also contains nice inserts about “Why Should I read the Bible”, “How Do I Know Jesus Loves Me”, “Bible Verses to Know”, etc. Pretty much the only down side to this bible is that the pages aren’t of the highest quality but honestly that is not a big deal. I would highly recommend this Bible to any young girl who loves princesses. Thank you Thomas Nelson for blessing me and my niece with a copy of this bible.  

The Entitlement Cure by Dr. John Townsend

The Entitlement Cure by Dr. John Townsend is a book that is ripe for our society (including myself). Although I didn’t pick up this book because I felt like I needed a cure for my self entitlement I began to realize reading through it that “hey I think that or do that sometimes; is that really how I come across to people when I do that?” It opened up my eyes to some of my behaviors and how I am seen by others as well as gave me a sense of understanding how to deal with those that act entitled.

Society today all feels entitled to get a piece of the pie while doing nothing to contribute to its making. People who don’t spend any time thinking about the future or caring for their education expect society to take care of them all because they live in America. And on the other hand people that are successful act all entitled because they worked hard to be successful, however they don’t come off as very nice people. This book help illuminate the wrongs paths and wrong way of thinking in terms of entitlement and shows how curing such way of acting and thinking actually makes for a better life, creates healthier relationship, and promotes a Christ centered way of living instead of self centered.

This book is for all, weather you are reading it to learn how to deal with people that act entitled around you or you are reading it for your own good it will help spur a healthier way of living and help develop a life that others want to be a part of. A 5/5 rating! Thank you to Zondervan for blessing me with this book.

The Berenstain Bears, The Very First Christmas By: Jan & Mike Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears, The Very First Christmas is a cute book for readers of all ages. It’s the shortened and illustrated version of the Christmas story that your child can easy read and understand. Although the story is missing the whole story it gives the gist of the reason for Christmas and why Jesus is at the center of it all.
Everyone loves the Berenstain Bears and this book is no exception to what you have come to know and love about the Berenstain family. The illustrations are very cute and this would make a perfect book to add to the Christmas (or Berenstain Bear) book collection. It is short, affordable, fun and to the point. Thank you to Zondervan for blessing me with a copy of this book.