"the qur'an dilemma"

About the book (from press materials): The Qur'an Dilemma gives English-speaking readers, both Muslims and non-Muslims, many of the critical arguments concerning Islam and the Qur'an. It addresses whether the Qur'an is a book of terror or peace, an inspired divine book or a mere political text. The book weaves through Islamic history and its many classical commentaries and resources to provide an objective, investigative body of research concerning the truth about Islam.

The book is a result of the team effort of many former Muslim researchers, scholars, writers, and specialists. The team approach was taken to eliminate any undue bias, misunderstandings, or propaganda against Islam and its teachings.

The critical methodology used in this book was inspired by the courageous tradition of those who have dared to analyze the Qur'an throughout history. Contemporary intellectual productions available in Arabic and foreign sources were also incorporated. The result is a book directed equally to both Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

My take: The Qur'an Dilemma is an excellent resource for someone wanting to know that the Qur'an really says. It is divided into three sections: "The Background of the Qur'an,"—an introduction to both the Qur'an and The Qur'an Dilemma, an explanation of abrogated verses (verses that have been overridden by other verses), a discussion of women and the Qur'an, and other topical articles; "The Qur'anic Text"—a verse-by-verse reading of the first nine suras (chapters) with explanation about abrogation, contradictions in translation, and various interpretations of the text; and "Resources and References"—suggested readings, glossaries of names and definitions, a timeline of important dates in Muslim history, and other references.

As someone who has little knowledge of Islam or the Qur'an, I found the book to be a bit overwhelming. However, if I had specific questions about the Qur'an, the book is set up in such a way that I would easily be able to find answers. I don't think this book is meant to be read from cover-to-cover for the casual reader; rather, it functions well as a reference book. (I could see it being used as a textbook in a college class, as well.)

I also must comment on the appearance of the book. It is absolutely beautiful! You can see from the picture above that the cover is stunning; what you can't see is that the center design is embossed. Inside the book, color is used to draw attention to verses (for example, green signifies abrogation) and helps the reader track with the authors. This is a very attractive book that calls out to be picked up and examined!

Overall, I give The Qur'an Dilemma 5 out of 5 stars. It may not be something most readers will devour, but I think it accomplishes its purpose of shedding light on the contents of and problems with the Qur'an.

For more information or to order the book, please visit the website TheQuran.com. There you'll find a wealth of free information, including the opportunity to read sections of the Qur'an in a variety of languages.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free for review from Glass Road Public Relations. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"mornings with jesus" giveaway winner!

With the help of random.org, I've selected a winner in the Mornings with Jesus giveaway. The winner is the author of comment #6, Ja-La-Sta! I'll be contacting her for her mailing address and will get the book sent next week.

Thanks to everyone who entered!

have you said this?

I came across a brilliant video today. Whether you read reviews or write them yourself, you've surely seen some of these phrases. And I must admit, I've used my fair share in my reviews. Enjoy!

"an amish wedding" by beth wiseman, kathleen fuller & kelly long

About the book: As Priscilla prepares for her wedding to Chester, her best friend Rose and older sister Naomi do their best to help her. But when things begin to go wrong, Priscilla doubts whether God really intends for her to marry Chester.

Meanwhile, Rose finds herself engaged to her longtime friend, Luke—a good man, but not one who ignites feelings of passion within her. And Naomi, whose heart was badly broken in the past, meets a man who just might be worth trusting her heart to.

In these intertwining stories, three Amish women learn what it means to trust their futures to God.

My take: As with any anthology, I enjoyed each of these stories to varying degrees. The first story, "A Perfect Secret" by Kelly Long, was my favorite. Rose and Luke's journey intrigued me, and the story contained some good mystery elements along with the romance.

I also enjoyed Kathleen Fuller's "A Perfect Match." I've read several Fuller books, and I've liked each of them.  This is the most "straight up romance" of the three, and Naomi's matchmaking ways made me chuckle.

The final story, "A Perfect Plan," was my least favorite. The plot just didn't interest me, though the story was written well. Chester and Priscilla faced obstacles as they prepared for marriage, but none of those obstacles seemed like they might actually drive them apart. And since the story takes place after the two have already fallen in love, I just didn't care too much about what happened.

If rating these separately, I'd give "A Perfect Secret" 5 stars, "A Perfect Match" 4 stars, and "A Perfect Plan" 3 stars. So that averages out to a 4-star book. I do think that Amish fiction fans—especially fans of any of the authors—will really like this book.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this product free for review from Amazon.com through its Vine reviewer program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

valentine's day

It's Valentine's Day. As a single woman, I'm supposed to loathe this day, right? Here's the thing, though: I don't. Do I wish that I had a significant other to make this day special? Of course. Do I sometimes fantasize about a secret admirer coming out of the woodwork to profess his love for me on this day of romance? Yes. (However, if this actually happened, I'd probably find myself creeped out beyond belief. It's a nice rom-com scenario, though!) But can I still enjoy this day on my own? Absolutely! I think it helps that I'm not an overly sentimental person. Sure, I have my "God, why am I still single?" moments like everyone else, but they're not usually triggered by Valentine's Day.

Through the years, I've spent Valentine's Day in a variety of ways: judging at a speech meet, going out with friends, watching sappy movies on the Hallmark Channel, and having a special dinner with my family. In fact, special Valentine's Day dinners with my parents and siblings are my favorite Valentine's memories. I remember one year—I think I was in high school at the time—when we all dressed up, used Mom's wedding china, and had steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, red Jello, and red Kool-Aid. My mom did a great job of making Valentine's Day about the love of family, rather than romantic love, and that's a tradition I plan to carry into my future family. (She also liked to give us "Valentine socks"—a tradition I appreciated much more than my sisters did!)

So how will I be spending this Valentine's Day? Well, tonight I'll probably be working with speech kids for a while. And then Blendy is coming over to make me dinner, and we'll play Just Dance and watch Smash. Sounds like a good Valentine's Day to me :-)

In case you'd like a chuckle on the day of love, check out today's post on Stuff Christians Like. And the answer is no—I do not want to be a shipwrecked tentmaker!

Valentine's Day: love it or loathe it? Do you have any special traditions—romantic or not—that you observe?

"mornings with jesus" review & giveaway

About the book (provided by Litfuse): "Be still and know that I am God.” is one of the most beautiful verses from the Bible, but it’s not easy to practice in this busy world. Mornings with Jesus will help you do just that—“be still” in Jesus’ beautiful and powerful presence. For those who are seeking a deeper experience in their relationship with Christ, Mornings with Jesus offers a fresh perspective of who Jesus is (the Healer, the Son of God, the Comforter, the Good Shepherd) and what that means for day-to-day life. With a warm and friendly voice, 365 short devotional writings on the character and teachings of Jesus encourage readers to greet each day by drawing near to Him and inviting His presence into their day. Spend time with Jesus at the beginning of each day and experience His nearness and peace in a new way throughout the year. Each day’s selection includes: • a Bible verse • an entry based on Jesus: His words, miracles, and parables; His wisdom, compassion, and comfort; His mystery, power, divinity, and humanity • a “faith step” that will inspire and challenge readers to apply the day’s message to their lives.

To see what other reviewers are saying, go here. You can buy the book here.

My take: Mornings with Jesus is a great devotional to read as you begin your day. It reminds me of the "Our Daily Bread" devotionals my grandparents used—only these devotionals are geared toward women. I wouldn't recommend this as the only thing you do in your time with the Lord, but it makes a nice supplement to Bible reading and prayer. It's a great way to focus your thoughts first thing in the morning.

I received my copy a few days into the new year, and I've been reading each day's devotional as soon as I wake up in the morning. I decided that, even though I needed to review the devotional, I would not read ahead; I'd simply read each devotional on the appropriate day and base my review on the days I'd read. A couple weeks ago, I was really struggling with being happy for my friends who were in new relationships, had recently become engaged, or had just had a child—all things that I have longed for but have not yet experienced. I woke up one morning feeling really fragile. When I opened the devotional, the day's message seemed geared right to me. Author Sharon Hinck spoke about her desire to be genuinely happy for friends who were experiencing great joys while she walked through a season of pain. And then she wrote the words that jumped off the page at me: "I can't do any of it. But Jesus can. And he lives in me."

In my own power, I cannot remove my eyes from my pain to rejoice with my friends. But God can grant me that power, that joy! That reminder—that I don't need to face things alone—was so freeing! The next day, I wanted to tell a friend what I had learned, so I opened the devotional to the previous day's devotion to soak in the message again. What I saw was a message about being busy. Confused, I started flipping through the pages. I finally found the devotion I'd read ... it was the one written for the following Tuesday. Somehow, even though I have a bookmark that I move along day by day, I'd managed to read the wrong devotion that fragile Friday morning! I may not know how it happened, but I know why. It's because on that Friday morning, God knew exactly what I needed to see in order for Him to speak truth into my heart!

About the giveaway: I have a copy of Mornings with Jesus to give away to one of my readers! As I said before, this book is a great supplement to your time with God, and I'm sure it will be a blessing as you use it. On Saturday, I'll choose one commenter at random to receive a copy. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post by 6 p.m. (CST) on Saturday, February 18. The giveaway is now closed! Go here to see who won!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

"beyond molasses creek" by nicole seitz

About the book (provided by Litfuse): 

Three lives are bound by a single book . . . and the cleansing waters of Molasses Creek.

Having traveled to the ends of the earth as a flight attendant, Ally Green has finally returned to the Lowcountry to bury her father as well as the past. But Vesey Washington is still living across the creek, and theirs is a complicated relationship—he was once her best friend . . . and also part of the reason she’s stayed away so long. When Ally discovers a message her father left behind asking her to quit running, it seems her past isn’t through with her yet.

As Ally’s wandering spirit wrestles with a deep longing to flee again, a young woman on the other side of the world escapes her life of slavery in the rock quarries of Nepal. A mysterious sketchbook leads Sunila Kunari to believe there’s more to her story than she’s ever been told, and she’s determined to follow the truth wherever it leads her.

A deep current intertwines the lives of these three souls, and a destiny of freedom, faith, and friendship awaits them all on the banks of Molasses Creek.

My take: Beyond Molasses Creek is a beautiful story of love, heartache, and redemption. Told in first person from Ally's, Vessey's, and Sunila's points of view, each person comes alive through the prose. All the characters—main and supporting—seem like people you could really run into on the street. No one is angelically good (though Vessey is pretty close); no one is hideously evil. It's a "warts-and-all" portrayal that you don't often see in Christian fiction. And I love that the ending is happy but not contrived. Beyond Molasses Creek is a book to be savored.

I read and reviewed another of Seitz's books, Saving Cicadas, a couple years ago. That book won me over eventually, but I had a hard time connecting with it at first. That was not the case with Beyond Molasses Creek. Equally as beautiful as Saving Cicadas turned out to be, Beyond Molasses Creek gripped me from the beginning and didn't let go until I finished the last page. Seitz has grown as a writer between these two books, and I can't wait to read what she writes next! I give Beyond Molasses Creek an exuberant 5 out of 5 stars!

Interested? See what other bloggers are saying or buy the book.

About the author: Nicole Seitz is the author of several critically acclaimed novels - The Inheritance of Beauty, Saving Cicadas, A Hundred Years of Happiness, Trouble the Water, and The Spirit of Sweetgrass. She is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Journalism, and also has a degree in Illustration from Savannah College of Art & Design. Her paintings are featured on the covers of her books. Visit her at @NicoleSeitz, Facebook and www.nicoleseitz.com for more information.

About the giveaway: Nicole is celebrating the release of Beyond Molasses Creek with a fabulous "Friendship" Facebook party! She'll be giving away a ton of great stuff! (KINDLE TOUCH, some of her own beautiful artwork, a Book Club Prize Pack [10 copies of the book for your small group/book club and a Live Skype Chat with Nicole], and more!) CLICK the button (below) to RSVP for the party - then join us on February 16th for a book chat, story sharing and prizes! Hope to see you there!
Save the Date! 2/16!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."