John J. Murray Jr.

This is one of the most actionable devotionals that I have ever come across. Do not get me wrong I love warm fuzzies just as much as the next person, however this book puts your foot on the path that God has you on. It may not make things easy but it makes them possible. Action steps give us assurance of His presence and power in our lives. A Must Read and a Must Have! I recommend this book and have given to many friends, family and others.

The practice of daily Christian devotions with God is necessary for the development of one’s spiritual life and the preservation of a personal relationship with Christ. “Man Na: A Daily Guide to Becoming the Salt God Intended” by John J. Murray Jr. provides some tips for cultivating a meaningful quiet time with God, which can help you get more out of your daily Christian devotional time spent with him. The reader is given food for thought via the inclusion of a verse from the Bible once every week, together with daily comments on how the scripture should be interpreted and put into practice, and questions that are thought-provoking and based on the story. Recommended.

Just as the preface indicates, “Man Na: A Daily Guide to Becoming the Salt God Intended” is not just another devotional. The author John J. Murray Jr., proposes that we should be better people, not only for ourselves, but also for others. I found this book very interesting, because it is different from others. I am only going to make a constructive criticism, and it is that I would have liked to have had a space at the end of each day to make notes. Beyond that, I really liked it and I agree with the author for transmitting God’s message to us and being salt for others.

Man Na is a daily devotional that not only feeds your mind but also your spiritual knowledge. Manna as defined in the bible is the substance miraculously supplied as food to the Israelites in the wilderness. I remember having daily devotionals in college and I can say that I enjoy reading through this one a lot. The author was very forthcoming with his take on each passage and how he has related it to his life. I find it entertaining how the author ends each day with a reflective question that would make you dig deep in yourself what god is trying to tell us. I was able to easily relate to each week. I would continue to follow this devotional; it’s really helping my soul.

I have come to expect great things from the author, and once again he hit the mark. I have actually never read a daily devotional before, and the way I am reading this book is probably a bit unconventional but it works for me. I have a difficult time keeping up with the daily reading, too much going on day to day so I like to read a week at a time or so. The scripture and stories that support the daily readings for the week, for me, when read all at once really help tie the message all together especially since I have a difficult time reading it every day. Also, some days I feel like I am inspiring and some days I feel like I need to be inspired. Reading a week at a time arms me with the message and perspective I need to meet both situations head on. I appreciate the author’s recognition and message that not only do you always need to draw your strength from God, put Him first and don’t let other things in your life take the place of God’s love, but sometimes you need help from others to do this and sometimes you need to help other to do this. What greater gift is there than to help someone else to be closer to God, AND having the humility and vulnerability to accept help to be closer to God. I certainly identify with both of these situations and I am excited to see what new stories, scriptures, advice, perspectives and strategies for helping others and myself stay close to God are in the rest of this wonderful book.

An inspirational read with a dose of spiritual guidance. Man Na: A Daily Guide to Becoming the Salt God Intended by John J. Murray Jr. tells us about our special role to the people around us that God wants us to have. In this book I was able to bring myself closer to God once again. It is such a gentle reminder to us that we can make a huge difference to the people around us by inspiring them in a spiritual way. I love that the book especially highlighted biblical scripts and how they relate to us on a daily basis. I can tell that this was a challenging book to write for John J. Murray but in the end, it was worth it because the book was sensible and it gives so much motivation to be kind, positive, and gentle to not just to the people you surround yourself with but also to yourself.

I bought this book the day it came out. I am most impressed with the format. The author starts each week by telling a story, and asks thought-provoking questions each day of the week based on the story. I already use two devotionals on a daily basis and this is my third. It’s different from the others and is fast becoming my favorite. Already bought a few more copies as Christmas gift for family and friends. Great Devotional!!

I enjoyed reading this book. It’s clever, inspirational, and pleasant to read. Kudos to the author!

A good tale that explores the subject matter well.

Don’t wait to look up. Don’t wait to be obedient. Don’t wait to be humble. Don’t wait to be kind or show love. Don’t wait to be better than our dogs. Don’t wait. Be better today.” This is an inspiring and thought-provoking book that will tug on your heartstrings but also bring a smile on your face. I adore the unique way the author came with all these lessons. In such a refreshing way, this book makes us think about our spiritual journey. The writing style is easy to understand. The beauty of it is in its simplicity. This is a special and heartwarming book, especially for all dog lovers. The things this author and his wife went through with their dogs are very entertaining, but also emotional. The author’s love for God and dogs shines through these pages, and it is contagious. I would recommend it to all age groups, especially Christians and dog owners.

When having faith and embracing it becomes a struggle, take a lesson from this book. The author brings having a faith based life back to basics by using his pet as the example of how obedience to ones master embraces the path to a stress free and rewarding life. Faith at its most basic is beautifully portrayed in the examples given.

Full disclosure: John was a student in my English class in high school many years ago. I am not surprised that he wrote an interesting book. When a person writes about something he really cares about and there is direct emotional involvement, it brings the reader in to that world, which is the whole purpose of writing. Sometimes writers do things that get in the way like trying to be an expert or showing off one’s knowledge, but that doesn’t happen in this writing. I would describe it as honest, sincere, and straightforward. When you admit to being insecure, it makes a reader respect that vulnerability. When you lose a battle with a pet, the reader thinks, “Yep, I’ve been there.” That greatly reduces the psychological distance between the reader and writer. The second rule of writing is “Show, don’t tell,” and this book isn’t really a telling of stories as it was a showing. That happens when there are enough details for the reader to imagine being there, whether it’s a description of poop on a couch, the look in a dog’s eye, or a description of barking, behavior around other dogs, or racing around the yard. It all works. Another strength of this book was its readability. I sometimes have a problem with books full of jargon, trite language, or the sheer number of typos or grammatical issues. This book is eminently accessible, a quick read. I’d also like to focus on one specific chapter. The chapter on The Devil Dog was one of the funniest things I’ve read in a long time. I laughed out loud. I don’t mean to be inconsiderate in reacting to a predicament with Socrates, the devil dog, gone to the dark side temporarily, but still, it was hilarious. I wasn’t laughing at the author or the stages by which Socrates healed – um, okay, that’s exactly what I was laughing at – because it was funny. Something that funny usually begins with a core that is humorous, but even then, I’ve seen writers try too hard, and the humor falls flat. That didn’t happen in this book. Each page was a new predicament and I laughed as the crazy events built on each other until the end. A final thing I found interesting was the initial prompting of the book, a need to plan something worthwhile for a Bible study invitation and all the pressure that presents. The interesting part is that we never know where some challenge will lead, and in this case, it lead to parables grounded in real life, pets and the crazy things they do and how we react.

This is a fantastic read for all ages. It leads you to think differently effortlessly and evaluate our everyday lives. The use of a “man’s best friend” to break down religious passages to those of us who are not as versed as we’d like to be really makes it easy to follow his guidance and the scriptures. Could not put it down and finished it in one sitting! I hope I’m a Darby

Absolutely amazing! This book blessed my heart so much. The Author done a brilliant job. At times I laughed and at times I had tears in my eyes. I definitely found myself examining my own heart as I read it. I’ve owned my own dog grooming and dog boarding business for 23 years now, so I truly get to be surrounded by dogs everyday. I feel like God planted my feet exactly where he wanted me to be with my business. I tell people all the time I have the best job in the world. Dog’s truly are man’s best friend. Thank you for writing such a inspirational book. I have already recommended this book to several people and will continue to recommend it. If you love God and you love dogs, it’s a must read.

This avid reader guarantees Better Than Our Dogs is the best thing you will read this week, this month, and maybe this year. The author’s funny and touching stories of his own dogs intertwined with lessons from the book of James left me ready to “look up” and let God guide me. I laughed at the dogs’ antics and cried at their defeats. I love the use of photographs throughout the story. There are just enough to show off the dogs’ personalities, but not so many that they take away from the story – they only add more smiles. The lessons in the book made me consider my own life and the type of person God wants me to be. I love that the book teaches without preaching and reminds us all that we cannot wait until tomorrow to get better – we need to take advantage of each day He gives us.

The approach of this book was interesting. I’m not usually a fan of the parable take on things, but the author did a good job of interweaving the story lines. Good book.

Wonderful book that everyone can relate to…. even if you’ve never owned a dog. Well written and inspiring! It makes you laugh and is also very thought provoking. Great read!

This is definitely a feel good book that makes you think about your own spiritual journey. I would highly recommend it!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The story was written in a relatable fashion, partially through the life of dogs. I often had a smile on my face while reading. We all know how we are supposed to act, this will help us pay attention to our actions. Beautiful story.

The book is a quick yet thought provoking read. It inspires one to look at life from the simpler viewpoint as inspired by a most loyal pet. The examples provided made me laugh, yet think.

This book tells us how to live a life in obedience to God’s commands while giving us entertaining stories of the author’s canine companions. It is well written with great doses of dog humor all dog owners can relate too. I wholeheartedly recommend it.

I was intrigued by the dog and book of James metaphor. The book did not disappoint! I laughed and I cried. The storytelling kept me engaged and I couldn’t put it down. I would’ve never made the connection between entanglement, Israelites, and canine anal glands, yet I did enjoy it. Thanks for sharing, John Murray.

BETTER THAN OUR DOGS, is a book about spiritual growth through the use of the authors faith based stories. He tells us how God expects us to live our lives through his experiences with his dogs, while tying these thoughts back to the central theme of looking at how we really live our lives in comparison. The book was easy and interesting to read because of the use of real life stories, at times really funny.

Better Than Our Dogs is a breath of fresh air. I found the book to be entertaining, insightful and educational with a solid faith based message that drive the points home while not being “preachy”. I thought author’s use of personal stories about his dogs was a very creative and refreshing way to relate and reflect on how we manage and view our relationship with God. I also appreciated the focus on a particular book in the Bible throughout. It was a good mix of referencing back to the key points in the Book of James while not getting lost in the scripture. It is very well written and an easy read. I don’t want to say too much and give anything away, so suffice to say I give the book 5 out of 5 stars only because Amazon won’t let me give it a higher rating. Grab this book today!

The author whimsically contrasts the serving of our Master with tales of his beloved dogs and the ability to obey, listen, and “stay.” He brilliantly connects verses from the book of James with how we, and man’s best friend, live our everyday lives and figure it out along the way. It’s an easy read for those who may be looking for a little guidance in their lives or anyone who just loves God and dogs! Such a cute spin on life as we live it in our walk with God, and how we should approach things when certain temptations come our way.

I absolutely enjoyed the brilliance of this book. It allows for simple and entertaining stories about dogs to translate into our everyday decisions and questions readers whether we are living our best life or being the best person we can be. I found myself laughing and crying throughout the book all while appreciating all of the life lessons it had to offer. It sincerely motivates me to be “Better Than Our Dogs”.

The author mixes real life situations with his dogs and scripture beautifully. Lessons on discernment, what it means to take the narrow path, to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, and to let your light shine by leading by example resonated with me. I often found myself laughing out loud and also tearing up at the life lessons in the book. Being a person that has been given a second chance in life I personally know how important faith is. I loved this book!

John Murray’s book “Better Than Our Dogs” was a delightful read because it took lessons from the Bible and applied it through an easy to understand subject: Our Dogs. By using past experiences with his dogs, the author was able to show the reader how dogs teach us so much about being more faithful servants of God. I have always struggled reading the Bible and seeing how it applies to every day life. Most of the time I get bogged down by the semantics and hard to understand wording. This book does the job perfectly of breaking down lessons from the Bible and showing us how we can be more obedient, faithful, and loving on our journey with God. From the very beginning I was engaged because it truly painted a picture of how we as humans fail to follow God’s commandments, but how easy it is to get back on the “right” path of living your life with God. Thank you John Murray for showing and reminding me how easy it is to be a child of God. I look forward to the author’s next publication!