Go into the world

Patience was the keyword in 2006
When looking back at 2006 all we can say is that is has been a very productive year. Although is hasn't always been easy, we definitely learned faithfulness, endurance and patience while working on our assignment. Getting established in the publishing world isn't easy. Being taken seriously in the Christian world is even harder but the Lord surely blessed the work of our hands! We are looking forward to an exiting year 2007 in which the fruit of our labor will continue to grow!
The publishing of the first two books in the Ten Commandments Series was the biggest event of 2006. A miracle in itself, since not many authors have two books published in one year. Thanks to the internet these books are available worldwide through various booksellers. We saw the books come up in China, Japan, Finland and many more countries. But that is not all, the first audiobook is on her way! I just finished reading and recording Sacred Sabbath and Tate Out Loud will be doing the editing and marketing. Soon this product will be available for worldwide sale too.
Trying to make full use of the internet we also created this informative blog. It is a simple and inexpensive way of informing readers everywhere about the book series and related events. What a privilege to be working, living and traveling on two continents! What a privilege to be a messenger of the Good News!

The Word of Life

Christmas MeditationBefore the world was created, the Word already existed; He was with God, and He was the same as God. From the very beginning the Word was with God. Through Him God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without Him. The Word was the source of life and this life brought light to mankind. The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out. (John 1:1-5)

About the Christmas buzz

Was the promise of peace on earth a marketing mistake?
Believe it or not; if you are celebrating Christmas this week you are doing so in remembrance of the birth of Jesus, the Son of the living God. His arrival on earth changed the world forever, which is the reason we still celeberate this more than 2000 years later. Jesus came to earth for a reason, not just as a display of divine power but as a messenger of peace. God set it up a certain way, which the bible explains in Colossians 1:20

Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to Himself. God made peace through His Son's death on the cross and so brought back to Himself all things, both on earth and in heaven.
Wow, it was through Jesus that the whole universe came back to God, all things, both on earth and in heaven. That was God's way of making peace. Not a written statement, not a treaty, not a peace plan, but the miraculous birth of His Son among people. God desires reconciliation, He desires a spiritual relationship with every human being. That is why He has put a void in every one of us, a void that can never be filled with human love alone. No relationship will ever be sufficient, no human relationship will ever be perfect. If human relationships were perfect, no one would ever come to Him! No one would ever feel the need for Him!
Sin seperated us from God ever since Adam and Eve, but somehow God decided to bring the whole universe back to Himself! The peace we sing about each Christmas therefore is not the absense of war, but the coming together of God and men by means of Jesus. Do you merely celebrate or do you truly believe this?

For more insights about the relationship with your Creator, order a copy of Respectfully Yours today at www.tatepublishing.com or (for those outside the USA) at www.amazon.com.

God's love towards mankind

About spiritual connection
In my newest book Respectfully Yours I speak about relationships, spiritual and natural ones. One of the most amazing features of Christianity is God's love towards mankind. God, the Divine Ruler and Creator of the universe, wants a personal relationship with every human being. I used to believe such an idea was a crazy brainwave from people who had no friends. Now I know it is true. I discovered that the spiritual relationship with our Creator is there before we are even born; it comes with the package so to speak. We are related to Christ without realizing it. I learned this from John 1:3

Through Him [that is Jesus] God made all things; not one thing in all creation was made without Him.
Wow, those words had me thinking for a while. Our relationship with Jesus Christ is there, before we are even born, whether we like it or not. It is up to us if we believe and accept that. I know now why every human being is in some way or another in search for the so called 'meaning of life'. All we try to do is figure out the connection that is already there. Ironically, during that search most of us run away from the source of life instead of running towards it. I have done it in the past and I still see many people do so today. I am glad Jesus said once, seek and you will find! Now, that is a very comforting promise.

The Real Thing

A promise of long life and well-being
According to the bible, being children of a heavenly Father has a great advantage; we will actually live forever. God's love for us is extremely vast, so vast He wants us to have an everlasting life! Probably the most famous scripture about God's love for His children is found in John 3:16

For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him may not die but have eternal life.
Being children of earthly parents is a different story, sometimes we can't wait to get out of each other's sight. Human love is not as pure as God's love. Often we fail, we hurt and disappoint each other, sometimes even without knowing it. Is it possible to love other people the way God loves us? God promises us everlasting life in return for our faith in Jesus. He also promises a long life and well-being right here on earth in return for obedience and respect towards our parents. His blessing for our life on this earth therefore is a picture, a taste of the real thing!

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

Am I Respectfully Yours?
Remember that old song? Give a little respect... The letters of the word respect were spelled out like some sort of a recipe. That song was a hit decades ago, but the urgency of the message still lingers. Respectfully Yours is an urgent message. An urgent message to a world that is slowly crumbling into pieces of pain, loneliness and despair. Individualism is rising in our society. People live their lives in their own room, talking on their own cell phone, watching their own tv and driving their own vehicles. Let's put it this simple: everyone is doing his or her own thing! In the process we struggle building good relationships, with our family, with our friends and with God!
Respectfully Yours is NOT a book about rules. It is about love and respect; the biblical way to well-being and a long life. It will shine fresh light on common things. It will bring light into dark places and situations. Yes, it will light up your perspective on family relations. If there is one book that America needs today, it is this one!

Recording audio book started!

Sacred Sabbath being voiced
Great news for anyone who likes to listen to audio books! Even bigger news for you all who enjoy listening to foreign accents! Yesterday I had a very interesting day at Mountaindog Music Studio in Oak View, California. We started recording the reading of Sacred Sabbath. I have to be honest, it felt kind of awkward to hear my own voice, heavy Dutch accent and all, over the mike. Once I got over that fear of new beginnings (and the jokes of Tim, the professional recording artist) everything was running smooth. We recorded about half the book and will be finishing up a few weeks from now. We will be sending the files to Tate Out Loud who will do the editing and final touch before presenting the audio book nationwide.
While reading I was reminded of the words God spoke about Moses (who received the original Ten Commandments) in Deuteronomy 18:18

I will put My words in his mouth, and he will tell them [the people] everything I commanded him.
That's how it felt for me. I received a message, a revelation about God's Law in the 21st century, all I had to do was voice it, tell people about it. First I did it in book form, now I literally spoke to an unknown audience. Only God knows who will be my future listeners.

Be filled with thanksgiving

Make a thank-you list!
This week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving in the USA. Again, as with other holidays, it will be all about the food, the fun and the family. Nothing wrong with that, but let's not forget why we come together in the first place: to give thanks! I have heard people complain about meeting with certain family members. Well, some people have no family members at all to celebrate with! Think about our military oversees, think about the homeless, think about the hospitalized. I have heard people complain about the preparation of so much food. Well, many people have never heard of the food we eat here on a daily basis! Think about the poor, the needy and the persecuted. We are so privileged in this country to be able to celebrate our abundance, our riches and our prosperity. The least thing we should do is make a thank-you list and present it to the Lord. Be filled with thanksgiving for your health, your family, your food, your country and your future.

2e book now available

Order your copy of Respectfully Yours today!
The official nationwide release date for Respectfully Yours has been set for January 16th 2007. Family and friends don't have to wait that long to order. The book is now available through the publisher (not yet through bookstores and web sellers). If you want your own copy as soon as possible, order one today from Tate Publishing by simply going to the following link
http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=1-5988658-2-X
or by placing a phone call to the publisher:

toll free: 888-361-9473
office: 405-376-4900
fax: 405-376-4401

The retail price is $10.99 + SH. We are curious to receive the first comments. We just know that this book will bless many readers, as it deals with a subject we can all relate to. We will use your comments in the press releases that will go out to various papers and magazines. The marketing process of a book is totally different than the creative process. I feel the book is 'finished', but I know it is just beginning!

Tate Publishing starts pre-sale 2nd book

Order Respectfully Yours on-line today!
Proverbs 16:32 says it is better to be patient than powerful. That is so true! Writing, editing, printing and publishing a book is a lenghty process. If I think about all the work Tate has to do, my part seems easy, now that it is over (for this book at least). I am excited that Tate Publishing started the pre-sale of the 2nd book in The Ten Commandments Series. For everyone in the USA: make sure to order your personal copy right now at www.tatepublishing.com. It is even more convenient to go directly to the following link http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=1-5988658-2-X. This should take you to the right page at once. Placing your order there will really help to build up pre-sales; I will be forever thankful for your support to get this book out there.
Respectfully Yours is based on the commandment to honor our parents, but it deals with a much broader aspect of family life: the mutual respect between God, parents and children. I believe this book is a must-read for everyone who wants to improve, restore or even rebuild family relationships.

We need His grace!

In union with Jesus we share in the righteousness of God
We can discuss and debate the Ten Commandments all we want, but as long as we don't look at them the way Jesus did, they will never make sense. Sacred Sabbath is not about the Law, it is all about the fulfillment! I don't see how the attitude of a believer could differ from the attitude of his Master. Jesus came to fulfill the Law, we can do so too! Well, you might say, that is not true, because we are not Jesus and we are not without sin.
Being a Christian simply means being Christ-like. Jesus is the example of a Christian life. Simply imitating Jesus without accepting His grace would lead us nowhere. Trying to obey His teachings without accepting the forgiveness of our sins would only lead to frustration. The Bible speaks very clearly about the position we have in Christ, for example in Acts 15:11

We believe and are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus.We need His grace! With our sinful nature we could never, ever even come close to fulfilling the Law the way Jesus did. That is why Jesus shared our sin in order that we could share in His righteousness. Our sinful nature has been taken care of when Jesus died on the cross. We have absolutely NO excuse not to follow in His footsteps. There is a powerful scripture about that concept in 2 Corinthians 5:21

Christ was without sin, but for our sake God made Him share our sin in order that in union with Him we might share the righteousness of God.Wow! This all happened for our sake! Once we have accepted God's grace and forgiveness, it turns out to be an honor to fulfill the Law in love, the way Jesus did.

Enlightenment

About the guidance of the Holy Spirit
Sometimes people ask me, 'Marja, isn't is difficult to write about the application and interpretation of bible verses? Doesn't that take years of study?' I understand that concern, we are so programmed to think that education is the only way to get knowledge. Don't get me wrong, it takes a lot of reading and studying to learn more about certain things; I study the bible seriously on a daily basis. But we should not forget that as New Testament believers we received a gift, a helper, a teacher in the form of God's Spirit. When reading the bible, I rely upon the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the same Spirit who inspired the authors at that time, in order to understand what God wants to teach me. I simply ask God to open my eyes for His Word the way the Psalmist did in Psalm 119:18,

Open my eyes, so that I may see the wonderful truths in Your Law.
I know it is necessary for my spiritual eyes to be opened for the secrets of God's Word. Jesus did the same thing for the disciples as we can read in Luke 24:45

Then He [Jesus] opened their minds to understand the Scriptures.
It is a turning point in the bible. Jesus then tells His disciples to wait for the power of the Holy Spirit to come down upon them. We know that after Jesus' departure it is indeed the power of the Holy Spirit that opens our eyes. He is still willing to do the same thing for us today.

Medicin for the soul

Sacred Sabbath has healing properties
Once in a while a book gets out there that offers the cure for a disease ridden society. Sacred Sabbath may not look like your average over the counter medicin, but it surely has some healing properties. Ironically, the people who need this prescription the most, are also the ones who find it hard to swallow the pill. In a fast spinning world, in which many people seem to go round and round in circles, it is difficult to find the time to think about time. Hectic schedules and overfilled agenda's make it almost impossible to think about the days that make up a week, the weeks that make up a year and the years that make up our lives. Time is part of the Creator's design and He wants us to use it purposefully. I challenge you, the next time you'll find yourself on the road to nowhere, pick up a copy and pause....

Endless inspiration

'When He spoke, the world was created '
'When He spoke, the world was created'. You can find those words in Psalm 33:9. Besides the world, He created you and me and He embedded His creating power in us. That is why we love to build, to design, to fabricate and invent. That is why I love to write! Never before would I have thought it possible to write so much about just two verses in the Bible, like I did in Sacred Sabbath. It tells me something about the enormous impact of God's words. If just two verses give enough inspiration for a book, just imagine how many books are hidden in the Bible! People get inspired every day, all over the world, when reading God's word. Think again about that word 'inspired', it means in-spirit. I don't get inspired because I am so good and wonderful, it is because the Spirit is alive in me. He shows me things I simply could not see before.
Reading about God must be like being with Jesus. The gospel of John ends with these words:

Now, there are many other things that Jesus did. If they were all wrtitten down one by one, I suppose that the whole world could not hold the books that would be written!
Wow, I am looking forward to endless inspiration! Isn't that every author's dream?!

Loving=Serving=Obeying

Serving others is a key!
One of the questions asked in Sacred Sabbath is 'what does it mean to serve the Lord?' Well, for one thing it has nothing to do with the work of a waiter or waitress in a restaurant. God is not waiting for us to bring Him the things He ordered. God doesn't need anything from us. The bible explains this in Acts 17:25

Nor does He need anything that we can supply by working for Him, since it is He Himself who gives life and breath and everything else to everyone.He does not need our service, but He wants us to serve others. That is what He loves. We can find ways to serve the Lord throughout the bible. Loving, serving and obeying cannot be separated. I want to put it this way: out of love for God, we will serve others, and in doing so, we'll obey Him!

A new commandment

Love is the fulfillment of the Law
Every now and then people ask me why I write about the Ten Commandments. Didn't Jesus came to free us from the Law? Didn't Jesus came to fulfill the Law? Why write about something that has been fulfilled? We cannot do what Jesus did.
Well, Jesus taught me to answer a question with another question. So I challenge everyone who isn't sure about this law thing; When Jesus gave us the new commandment to love another as He loved us (John 13:34), was He commanding us to do something, yes or no?
If your answer is no, you don't believe what Jesus said. If your answer is yes, you know what to do: love one another. Do you realize what that means, to love one another?

Love is the fulfillment of the Law (Romans 13:10).

In loving others we fulfill the Law, just like Jesus did when He loved us. Yes, we can and must follow in his footsteps and do what we are told to do. This book series will open your eyes to the words of Jesus when He said He came to fulfill the Law. You will see what His plan for the New Testament generation is. Freedom in fulfillment! Romans 8:2 says:

For the law of the Spirit, which brings us life in union with Christ Jesus, has set us free from the law of sin and death.

Contract for audio book signed

Sacred Sabbath soon available as audio book!
Personally I love nothing better then to hold a real book, with pages, letters, a colorful cover and all, in my hands. I must admit I have sometimes purchased books only because the cover was so beautiful or the lay-out was just awesome! There are books everywhere in our house, I just love books! I do realize however, that millions of people find it easier to listen to books on tapes or CD's or to download them in MP3 format on their computers and i-pods. Thanks to modern technology the possiblities to reach people all over the world are endless.
I see it as exciting news that Tate Publishing is going to publish the first book in the Ten Commandments Series as an audio book. In doing so, we will enlarge our reading audience and reach more people with the good news. Jesus said in Mark 16:15

Go throughout the whole world and preach the gospel to all mankind.

Sacred Sabbath nr. 1 in search engines

Google and AOL show 1st book in series
Excited and delighted, that is how I felt yesterday when I was checking out some search engines and discovered that the words 'Sacred Sabbath' showed the 1st book in the series as the nr. 1 search result at both Google and AOL. Now, I realize that those results change all the time and only give us a momentary glimpse of what is going on non-stop on the internet, but I thought it was awesome that the book showed up as the 1st result of more than a million websites. God knows what I am working on and He can prosper it! (Although you all buying a copy will certainly help too.) The internet is such a vast bulk of information. How do you get people to notice your work? I must admit I ask myself that question from time to time. Yesterday however, I was reminded of Psalm 1:3. The words hold such an incredible promise for those who seek and obey God; They will succeed in everything they do. Now, that is something to shout about!

Tate Publishing accepts 2nd book

Production 'Respectfully Yours' in full swing
One book doesn't make a series! That is why it didn't take Tate Publishing long before starting on the production of the 2nd book in this series! I believe Respectfully Yours (Revealing God's truth about well being and a long life) is a worthy sequel to Sacred Sabbath. I have used the same low key and down-to-earth style, many readers have become familiar with, to present the ancient teachings of the Bible. This time it is all about family relationships. As with the 1st book, this is not a book about rules. It is not about do's and don't's. It is about the way Jesus revolutionized traditional family concepts.
Christianity is not just a religion, it is a relationship and I am not afraid to say that we can learn all there is to know when we open up God's word in our efforts to restore, rebuild or simply reorganize our family life.

Enjoy the land

God did not have a retirement community in mind when He shaped the Sierra's

During the past few weeks we thankfully grabbed another opportunity to camp out in the Sierra's of Northern California and what a wonderful time we had! Thoughts about the nineth chapter of Sacred Sabbath are slowly coming to my mind while looking back on our vacation.
'Why would God make such an incredible beautiful country for millions of people? To merely exist and work as slaves? To build houses just about everywhere? To pollute nature? Do you think He had a retirement community in mind when He shaped the Sierra's, when He formed the beaches and when He created the forests? Do you think our excuses to postpone enjoyment of what He made for us, by about 50 years, will impress Him?
I believe God wants us to enjoy the land we live in, right now! Based on what God says in Isaiah 58:13-14 I wrote Sacred Sabbath. Check it out and re-think your life while you can!

Love never fails

Try to learn what pleases the Lord (Eph. 5:10)
Treating the Sabbath as sacred is just one way of pleasing God. One way with many blessings attached. Remember, we should not be pleasing God to get things done from Him or to become better people. We should be pleasing God because we love Him, because we respect Him, and because we are thankful for His love for us! Don't you think it is rather crooked to say you love God and at the same time refuse to do what pleases Him? That wouldn't work in human relationships. When you love someone, you like to please that person, even if it was just to see a smile on their face. Treating the Sabbath as sacred is just one way of pleasing God. He gave us many ways to please Him. Think about the Ten Commandments as a whole, which of course are all summed up by Jesus in one new commandment. You can read that in John 15:11-12

I have told you this so that My joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My commandment is this: love one another, just as I love you.

That pleases God!

Six days to do your work

A shadow of things in the futurePeople ask me all the time if I regard the Saturday or the Sunday as the Sabbath and if my book offers any opinion on the subject. My answer is always disappointing to some and liberating to others; I leave it up to the reader. Sacred Sabbath is NOT a book about rules! The Bible says in Colossians 2:16-17,

So let no one make rules about what you eat or drink or about holy days or the New Moon festival or the Sabbath. All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.

Whether it is your custom to regard the Saturday or Sunday as Sabbath is of no importance to the message that I want to bring across. The book holds a simple but clear word from God, a personal word for whoever wants to hear it out. Only you can decide to take this message or leave it.

CBA Convention, Denver, Colorado

You're part of something bigger
'You're part of something bigger' was the motto for the International Christian Retail Show 2006 that took place this week in Denver, Colorado. My husband and I had the privilege of attending this world's biggest Christian retail trade event and we do wholeheartedly agree with these words. Yes, we are part of something bigger! The show was an awesome opportunity to learn more about books, to meet other authors, to catch up on happening events elsewhere and most of all to experience what God is doing worldwide through ordinary people like you and me. Creativity is the key word! Through books, movies, music, merchandise and multi media the good news about Jesus Christ is being spread throughout the world.

Fulfillment of our dreams

Re-think your life while you can!
I just want us all to think about our personal situations. Are we truly happy and satisfied with where we live and how we live, or is there deep, down inside that longing for more. If only I could buy that house, that boat, that car. If only I had more time. If only I had visisted more countries. Very often we think that reaching our next goal will bring us closer to the fulfillment of our dreams, but will there ever be an end to our feeling of lack? Is it possible to enjoy who we are, where we are, and what we are in life without having to add?

Listening is learning

Do you have room to receive?
You may think the God of the Old Testament doesn't have the answers for your problems today. After all, it was a different time, and it seems people spend their precious time fighting violent wars, setting up camp, watering their gardens, and maybe counting cattle. No sight yet of a 24/7 society: weekend jobs, endless social obligations, frequent credit problems that take up time and effort, and on top of that, sport games and new movies to watch every week! Will the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob be able to help us today to live a happy, relaxed, and peaceful life? The answer is yes. He is as serious about guiding us today as He was about guiding His beloved people thousands of years ago. Do we want to hear what He has to say? Are we open to suggestions?

His voice is written down for all generations!

God's Word is the source of all existence
When God speaks, He creates. He brings something into existence just as He created light by using words. We can find praise for His creating power in Psalm 148. The writer urges all creation (the angels, the sun and moon and stars) to glorify God. In verse 5 he explains the reason for this worship

Let them all praise the name of the Lord! He commanded, and they were created.
God created more than the heavens and the earth. He spoke laws, promises and truths into existence. These are written down in His Word for the reader to meditate on and live by!

Express your love

God wants us to fully enjoy life!
For centuries, people have been discussing God's law, Commandments, regulations, and guidelines. Somehow, God's orders were altered, changed, misunderstood, or simply ignored. Many people have been trying to be better people by telling others what to do and what not to do. Somehow, I think they have been missing the point. God's guidelines are not about being a better person than the one next to you. God's guidelines are not about gaining favor with some folks around you or even with God Himself. He has set up His rules for the lives of His children, and in doing so, He gave them a way of expressing their love for Him. In 1 John 5:3 it says,

For our love for God means that we obey His commands. And His commands are not too hard for us.

Yes, we can express our love for God by obeying Him! His commands are about blessings, they are about a full life! In Isaiah 48:18, God says

If only you had listened to My commands! Then blessings would have flowed for you like a stream that never goes dry.
Wow, what a wonderful promise. We don't have to cry or beg for our blessings to come down; they will flow for us. God's instructions weren't given to make our lives miserable and complicated. They were given so we could enjoy life! His commands are about a life the way God had it in mind when He created us!

Re-think your life!

Useful tools in every chapter
Before you start reading this book, it is important to take notice of the following statement: this is NOT a book about rules! The Bible says in Colossians 2:16-17,

So let no one make rules about what you eat or drink or about holy days or the New Moon festival or the Sabbath. All such things are only a shadow of things in the future; the reality is Christ.
It is not my intention to discuss the differences between Old and New Testament and whether God speaks to Jews, Christians or nonbelievers. I do not want to discuss whether modern day Christians are required to keep the whole Law, parts of the Law, or nothing at all because they are set free. These are interesting questions and worth debating, but not in this book. I certainly do not want to talk "Sabbathology". This book is a simple but clear message from God. It is a personal message for whoever wants to hear it out. It is His message, and I see it as my assignment to give it to you and make you think about it.
Throughout this book (and the whole series) I urge you to re-think your life. I hope that while reading, your thoughts will start to drift; that is why every chapter ends with some questions to meditate upon and room to journal your thoughts and ideas. For example:

# Could I use more time? If yes, for what reason?
# Do I do things in my life just because everybody does it?
# What natural and spiritual improvements do I want in my life?
I hope and pray that while reading this book you will discover the power of God's Word. I do not have to prove that God's word still works today; it will prove itself. If you are serious in discovering the secret behind the words; get your pen or pencil out, let the Spirit talk to you and...write!

How the series started

A message given by the Holy Spirit
One morning my husband and I were studying the Bible and praying, when somehow we came across the Scripture in Isaiah 58:13-14, which deals with honoring the Sabbath as in the 4th Commandment. I heard an unmistakable voice inside my spirit. "This is your book." I wrote down that Scripture on a piece of paper, and we immediately prayed over it. We thanked God for the idea, we prayed for wisdom and inspiration, we blessed the work of my hands, and we declared it a bestseller, right there and then, before one word was written down. The book was there in the spiritual; it was my job to give it form in the natural!
When God has a message for His people, He uses someone to proclaim it, just as in Old Testament times. He uses a messenger, a prophet, many times one that has no clue as of what to say or how to explain things. In this case, someone who does not even master the language perfectly, someone who has never written a book before and who never spoke to an entire generation. I simply wrote down what He wanted me to write down. The subject has never before been on my mind. Believe me when I say it would be the last thing I wanted to write about. It is His message, and I see it as my assignment to give it to you and to make you think about it. His message still has the power to change lives and ultimately that of a nation!

God and our 24/7 society

Are we able to define our destination?
We know our way around this world. Yes, we know all about time management and multi tasking. We have become masters in planning and scheduling. Who doesn't have a full calender page each week on the refrigerator door or a overflowing digital agenda in the laptop or a weekly schedule at the office? Wherever we go, our hours seem to be planned by others: opening and closing hours in the stores, office hours at the bank and the post office, class schedules at the gym, appointment openings at the doctor's office, etc. Our days are filled from morning to evening. We have arrived, haven't we?
I know I speak for many when I make the statement that somehow the big question still remains: If we are all so busy moving, what are we headed toward? Where are we going? Are we able to define our destination? Why the rush? When are we supposed to be there? If we are so capable of running our own lives, how come we end up tired, stressed out, overwhelmed, and sometimes even depressed? How come we hardly ever get the feeling that we are where we want to be?
God knows everything about our busy lives, our hectic schedules and our longing for some rest and peace. He knew. He knew all along. That is why He wants to talk to us about time, about the days that make up a week, about the weeks that make up our lives.

Joy is divine happiness

"Your Commandments are my eternal possession; they are the joy of my heart"
Personally, I love the word joy. It means so much more than happiness. You can be happy because someone has been nice to you, because the sun is shining, or because you have received a present. Happiness is the result of certain circumstances or certain things done to or for you. How often do we say: Yes, that will make me happy. Something needs to be done to produce that feeling. Joy is something you have, regardless of the circumstance. You are happy, but you have joy. Happiness is the result of something happening to you; joy is the result of something that has happened in you. Joy is a possession; it doesn't come and go like happiness or even pleasure or enjoyment. Let's say joy is divine happiness. Joy is part of God's divine character. He likes to share it with us through His Spirit. In Galatians 5:22 we can learn what God's character is all about. "But the Spirit produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self-control." Joy is a product of God's character in us. We have it, even if we don't feel happy!

Giving in order to receive

God wants to multiply your time!
If for whatever reason we regard one day a week as special, we regard it as our special day, and thus we want to do the things we like or love. God's way of thinking is different: One day a week is special. It is not yours, it is Mine. Pursue Me and not your own interests.
Could it be that we lack time during the week because we are trying to keep all the days for ourselves, because we refuse to give God His rightful one day a week? Think about the biblical principle of giving in order to receive. If we give Him back one day a week, He can bless the other six! It works with money, why wouldn't it work with time?
I want to challenge you if you are one out of those millions of people who are often busy and hardly ever have enough time to get everything done; start giving back to God His special day. You will find out He starts to bless the other six days too, in a supernatural way. You will always have enough time. By giving Him the hours on that special day, He will mutiply them and give them back to you during the other days! You will never, ever run out of time again!

From the author

Are you curious and ready to receive an uncommon thought on a much debated, yet sometimes forgotten issue?
In Sacred Sabbath I have taken one of God's Commandments out of its birthplace in history and put it in our daily lives at the dawn of the 21st century. I have put it smack in the middle of a time in which the Ten Commandments are the reason for public debates, lawsuits and political turmoil. I am aware of a movement that is trying to get rid of the display of the Ten Commandments in America's courthouses, judicial system and schools. I am even more aware that we serve a God who wants the Ten Commandments back in America's homes, in America's family lives, and in the hearts of the people. It is from there that we will be able to change the world we live in. It is from within her own people that America can turn back to moral and high value living, the way God had in mind when He created us in His image!

First Book in Series Launched

Sacred Sabbath, God's way to Multiply Our Time and restore Our Joy
This is the first book in a series about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century. This short and easy-to-understand study doles out profound nuggets of wisdom to anyone who wants to live the life that God had in mind when He created mankind. It explains how we can fulfill the Law in a spirit of love, just as Jesus did. It will lead the reader into an inward change rather than towards an outward experience. The book contains fresh insights and holds the key to reorganizing our present day busy lifestyle in a way that seems forgotten, yet so simple. You will never be able to look at the days of the weeks that make up your life, the same way again!

Pastor Lonnie G. McCowan, Solid Rock Christian Center, Ventura CA:

"When I first read Marja's book Sacred Sabbath I literally had no idea how profound the impact of this manuscript would be. Even though I have pastored a church and been in ministry for over 20 years, I found myself receiving new insights and principles to approach the Sabbath. Her style of writing and accuracy of Scripture immediately started to quench a thirst inside of me as I read each page. It was so enlightening that I read the book in one sitting. If you read it, your eyes will be opened to a new level of living, a new level of peace that comes only when you see the Sabbath as sacred.