About the reform of education...

When president-elect Donald Trump announced the reform of the Department of Education, I was thrilled. Why? Because I think something is fundamentally wrong with the things they have been teaching kids at school.

According to the UN the purpose of education is 'to promote the full development of the human personality and to strengthen respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms.'

Read more about this topic HERE (my new blog) and make sure to sign up!

Ten Core Values for the Christian life (10)

And so, we have come to the end of this blog series, the tenth commandment: You shall not covet (Exodus 20:17).

The full text says: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

Let's make this simple: You shall not desire anything that isn't yours to begin with.

Maybe you're thinking: “Oh, I don’t envy my neighbor, his house, car, or wife. I don’t desire what someone else has.” But come to think of it, what do you desire? What are the desires of your heart? Are you passionate about the right things?

I believe the message behind the last commandment is both bold and obvious and of great value for today: ➤Don’t be envious of what others have, go after what God has for you!

The Bible says that nothing we desire can compare with wisdom, which is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold. Wisdom is more precious than rubies; nothing we can ever desire can compare with wisdom. Isn't that the very thing we should go after then?

👉The core value I have attached to the tenth commandment is WISDOM.

We do not desire the things of this world but seek spiritual virtues such as wisdom.

🕂🕂🕂🕂🕂

For more on this topic, read my book 'MY NEIGHBOR'S HOUSE' (Digging deeper to find the treasure that will satisfy the longing of your heart). This book is available on Amazon in your country.

Are you a treasure seeker?

Job seekers, thrill seekers, freedom seekers, truth seekers... they are everywhere. What about treasure seekers? 

There was a time when we were backpacking all over the world. I found joy in collecting rocks, stones, and sea shells. I would fill my backpack with such treasures and then complain that it was too heavy to carry 😏

Most of the time I ended up tossing my treasures, lightening my load, and realizing life was easier that way.

I know, I know what the Bible says about collecting too much stuff: Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal (Matthew 6:19-20).

How do we store up our treasures in heaven? Why? Isn't heaven full of treasures? Maybe I will get the answers one day, who knows.

One thing I do know: God is not against treasures. Jesus is God's greatest treasure, and He sent Him down to live among mankind. He shared His greatest treasure with us. And I discovered that God wants us to go on a treasure hunt! Seriously.

The Bible says about Jesus: In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). I don't know about you, but I can't really grasp that truth. All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Jesus.

In a world where wisdom and knowledge have degraded to nothing more than a false pretense, I want to be a treasure seeker for the wisdom from above! Simply because stuff will lose its value and disappear but wisdom will last forever.

↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠↠

COMMANDMENT

You shall not covet

BOOK

My Neighbor's House

CORE VALUE

Wisdom

We do not desire the things of this world but seek after spiritual virtues such as wisdom.

Wisdom has a name

If there is anything that we should desire, it is wisdom. "God knows the way to wisdom," I wrote at the end of my previous blog. Yes, and that way brings us back to Proverbs 8, the chapter on wisdom.

In that chapter "wisdom" is being presented as a woman; a wonderful fact in itself 😁

If you read chapter 8 carefully, you will discover the riches hidden in wisdom. Nothing in the whole world is more precious than wisdom. The chapter also contains quite a few special statements. Just to mention a few:

• My mouth speaks what is true, for my lips detest wickedness. All the words of my mouth are just: none of them is crooked or perverse (verse7 and 8). Who can claim such a thing?
• I love those who love me and those who seek me find me (verse 17). Where have I heard that before?
• For whoever finds Me finds life (verse 35). Who said that?

Surely, it is clear that wisdom which is more precious than gold, silver and rubies is Jesus Christ himself?! In Colossians 2: 3 it says about Him:  He is the key that opens all the hidden treasures of God's wisdom and knowledge. We need to get to know Him better in order to gain wisdom. This can be done by reading His words and asking the Holy Spirit (our Teacher) to explain what we are reading.

Jesus is the power and wisdom of God (1 Corinthians 1:24).

[I talk about this in detail in my book My Neighbor's House].

To covet or not to covet

When I was a teenager, I found the Bible and Christianity a little oppressive. So many rules and laws. And fun things? They were prohibited, of course. I had this idea that becoming a serious Christian would limit my 'freedom' and so I kept postponing the choice to live for Jesus.

Although I did not grow up in a very "conservative" church, the Ten Commandments were an invisible guide in our family. I always thought the tenth commandment to be difficult: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s. Well, can't we do anything at all then?

After I had given my life to Jesus, I slowly began to see that those words were not meant as a restriction, but rather as a challenge. A challenge to find out what we should desire. No, not our neighbor's stuff ... but the very things that God has reserved for us.

Have you ever read it that way? It became the approach in my English book My Neighbor's House. Go, and find out what healthy desires are. In Mark 11:24 it says: Therefore I say unto you, What things soever you desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them. Obviously, this is not about our neighbor's stuff.  But then, what is it?

Good news blog

Wishing you all a blessed and inspirational 2015 full of pleasant surprises from our heavenly Father!

In a world that seems to continually scream bad news at us, I have yet again made a commitment to write short (I know how busy you all are) encouraging, uplifting and positive blog posts in 2015 and to share good news  items whenever possible. After all, we are called to share the good news, not to spread and repeat the bad stuff (which we will leave up to the secular media).

It is my wish that a visit to my blog will make your day brighter, so you can pass the light on to others... Let's do it!

If you can think of a topic that needs a fresh (biblical) perspective, please do not hesitate and send an email to meijers.marja@gmail.com. Who knows it will turn into an interesting blog series.

Elsie Amata, you have won the December give-away. Please, send me an email with your address and I will make sure the two books will come your way. Congratulations and have fun reading!

December give-away

Dear readers of this blog,

At the end (almost) of yet another beautiful and inspiring blogging year I want to thank you for reading along, for commenting and for sharing the posts. Your input and responses make each post a valuable interaction about the deeper issues of life.

I cannot thank you all personally, some readers desire to stay anonymous and that's just fine with me, but I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who visits this blog, whether you are a reader, a blogger or a writer (to be)... Without your encouragement this blog would not continue to exist. As a way of saying thank you I will be hosting a give-away this month!

You can win a copy of My Neighbor's House and, as a bonus, a copy of any other book in the Ten Commandments series you desire. The only thing you need to do is to leave your comment underneath this post and describe in six words how you have experienced 2014. (This is a great opportunity for the writers and poets among us to practice writing a six-word-story.)

I'll ask my husband to draw a name, later this month!

Visiting Karen Lange today

Today fellow blogger and author Karen Lange is hosting me on her blog. So, you could do us both a favor by hopping over for a visit, simply by clicking HERE.
Thanks a million.

Serving Jesus in a culture of abundance

Last weekend I picked up the next book from my 'to-read' stack (which has become a wall that divides my room in two), The 180 Degree Christian by Carter Conlon, the senior pastor of Times Square Church in New York. An interesting read so far.

Conlon zooms in on our westernized Christianity. It feels kind of awkward and uncomfortable to look in the mirror of our own faith. Yet, at the same time I am recognizing a theme that keeps coming back in this present time. How can we practice basic Christianity in a culture of abundance?

No matter how sincere we try to focus, every now and then we all get distracted by life's worries AND luxuries at the same time. Let me know if anyone has found a way to avoid this :) I write about this struggle between our natural and spiritual life in my latest book My Neighbor's House. Honesty is the key when writing about all the stuff that will distract us from being focused on the great commandment and the great commission.

I remember how, years ago, I drove around in a USA city at night, for the very first time in my life. All the lights, all the bill boards, all the blinking and flickering signs... It was all new to me. I cried out to my husband: 'I can't see the traffic lights, there are too many colors.' It seems funny now, but isn't this how it feels to live in a culture where there is plenty of choices, plenty of everything? No wonder we sometimes loose sight of clear directions.

If you're ready to pick up a book (or two) on stewardship and holy living, you might want to consider The 180 degree Christian and/or My Neighbor's House.

Happy reading!

What is the longing of your heart?

Have you spotted any attractive and desirable donkeys in your town lately? Probably not, although... I just came back from a short mission trip to Macedonia and there I saw a lot of donkeys. They were carrying heavy loads of firewood, while their owners guided them on the way home. In many parts of the world donkeys are still desirable means of transportation.

So, what's up with donkeys? Well, in my latest book My Neighbor's House I have taken a closer look at the tenth Commandment, yeah... the one about desiring someone else's house, wife or cattle. This Commandment tells us not to desire the wrong things. The most logical next question would be, “So how then do we desire the right things?” After all, we don’t really want to go through life with just a short list of do’s and don’ts as if we were programmed robots. As intelligent beings, we prefer explanations and reasons; surely the Bible must have an answer for us.

The first thing I noticed when studying this subject was that the apostle Paul wrote extensively about it. It almost seems like a war was constantly going on in him between good and bad desires, spiritual and natural desires. His writings were based on his personal experiences. He says in Romans 8:5, Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. His words should trigger the evaluation of our own lives. It is one thing to say we do not desire someone else’s stuff, but what do we desire? What is the longing of our heart? Are we happy and content with life? What does it mean to live in accordance with the Spirit, and what does the Spirit desire, anyway?

Both the Old and the New Testament talk about the desires of our human nature. The teaching of the Tenth Commandment is simple; don’t desire anything that is not yours. The teaching of the apostle Paul in the book of Romans goes beyond that restriction; make sure you set your mind on what the Spirit desires. It is clear that the instruction for us New Testament believers goes further than a simple prohibition; it urges us to seek the blessing behind it.

I remember when I was in high school, and at the beginning of each new semester we would receive our class schedule as well as class rules and restrictions. At first sight it seemed nothing but a set of instructions and regulations that would make our lives as students miserable. But then we learned that there was also room for a school dance, movies to watch, and field trips to make, which surely made life in school more pleasant. Learning and enjoying went hand in hand. This is how it often works with God’s Word. The Bible contains many laws, rules, and regulations—whatever you would like to call them. But that is not all there is, certainly not! The Bible contains promises, blessings, and insights, as well. When God gave the Ten Commandments to Moses, He didn’t send him down the mountain in a hurry. He spent a long time talking with Moses and gave him various moral and religious laws, laws of justice and fairness, and even laws of healthcare. 

Do you see His commandments as too hard, too complicated, out-of-date, not relevant or are you curious to find out more about the spiritual principle behind them?

Restrictions indicate opportunities

Dutch bicycle

My mother, who is now eighty years old, is in good health. She still rides her bicycle to church and walks to my house for coffee. Well, not this week ;) because we have tons of snow blocking all traffic. Years ago she lost most of her eyesight, so she cannot read small print or do cross stitch. However, she does not focus on what she cannot do; she focuses on what she can do!

This perspective is the main thought behind my book series on the Ten Commandments. The commandment not to desire our neighbor’s house, for example, doesn’t put a ban on human desires; it gives us the opportunity to steer our desires in another direction. Therefore, as in the other books in this series, I am never focusing on the negative command (don’t do this) but on the positive urging of God’s Spirit, who will always guide us in what we can do and should be doing.

In the Today’s English Version (more commonly known as the Good News Bible) that I often use, the word covet is replaced with “desire.” The Tenth Commandment, as described in Exodus 20:17, simply says, Do not desire another man’s house; do not desire his wife, his slaves, his cattle, his donkeys, or anything else that he owns. At first sight this commandment looks like an easy one to understand. Just keep your thoughts and hands off of other people’s belongings, and you will be fine. When, however, we seriously think about such a moral code, a thought arises. If we are not allowed to desire stuff that belongs to someone else, we certainly must be allowed to desire certain things that don’t belong to anyone necessarily, which tells me there are right and wrong desires.

That makes sense, doesn’t it? If the Bible tells us not to do the wrong things, it will surely teach us how to do the right things. Restrictions indicate opportunities. My mother knows this as no other. Disabled people often understand this best because they learned the hard way. Certainly we can learn something here as well...

In my latest release My Neighbor's House, as well as in my previous books, I want to offer a helping hand in reading and interpreting the commandments (which we often see as restrictions) in relation to what the Holy Spirit is saying (which is often very liberating). Hopefully this will enable us to look beyond the commandments. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:6, The written law brings death, but the Spirit gives life. He knew this like no other. A written law can be kept or broken; a spiritual law will teach us something. In case of the Tenth Commandment, the Holy Spirit will show us what is behind that law and will make us understand the purpose. The Holy Spirit will teach us a valuable principle about desires.

Please don’t just look at God’s commandments as a written law but as a spiritual law that will bring us to a higher and healthier level of living. I pray that as individuals, as a church AND as a nation we will grasp this!

Blogging buzz...

The beginning of a fresh new year, what a great time for a blogging buzz... I have gathered some news items about books and blogs and writing :) I hope you enjoy it.

New release

Today, January 8th 2013, is the release date of my latest book My Neighbor's House. It is the fifth book in my series about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century. If you have read some of the previous books in this series, you will certainly enjoy this one. If you have never read one of my books, well... this might be the right time to start :) In My Neighbor's House I offer an in depth look at the 10th commandment. As in the other books the emphasis is not on keeping the commands, but on living them. It is one thing to say, “Oh, I don’t envy my neighbor, his house, car, or wife. I don’t desire what someone else has.” But come to think of it, what do you desire? What are the desires of your heart? Are you passionate for the right things?

Blogging goal

I didn't really come up with a motto for 2013, but I have picked (again) two words: Share & Connect. Those two words are part of my blogging goal for this year. I want to continue to share fresh insights on ancient truths with you. I can only hope and pray that my fresh approach towards God's Word will encourage and inspire you and most of all: make you grow. It is also my goal to connect more bloggers, writers and readers with each other, simply because it is not good for (wo)men to be alone! It is my plan to host some interviews, highlight interesting blogs, and promote new writers. I promise to keep my blog posts short.

Guest post

This week I am a guest over at Lynn Mosher's site: Devotionals that encourage. Lynn is a doll, as most of you know :) and she offered me some writing space on her website to introduce my new book, My Neighbor's House. I am very grateful for her generosity and hospitality. This is exactly what I want to do in 2013: share & connect! Helping each other to get the word out, inspiring each other to keep going forward and encouraging each other to keep the faith. So, for more news about my latest release, please visit Lynn and once you're there, don't forget to give her a thumbs up for her wonderful writing work!

Meet&greet

Fellow blogger Diane Estrella is still doing a giant meet & greet over at her site. She has made room for bloggers and authors to introduce themselves. You will probably recognize many names from the Christian blogging world on her list. It is a great way to find fellow bloggers and to get links to other blogs. Diane is also forever hosting give away's and promoting good stuff. She calls her blog PR friendly. Don't miss it!

HAPPY BLOGGING YEAR TO YOU ALL!

Final cover My Neighbor's House

Once a year (more or less) a writer has the privilege to share the cover of his or her upcoming book with the audience. Today that privilege is mine :) YES!

Last week we finalized the cover of my upcoming book My Neighbor's House, the 5th book in my series on the Ten Commandments. It will be a few more months before the book is available for pre-sales... but hey, I don't mind looking at this beautiful cover for a while. It gives me time to get used to the idea that yet another book will be added to this growing series.

Fragment of the blurb on the back cover:

What do we do with the old pages of Exodus 20 in this current age and time? How do we apply them in our daily life? It is one thing to say, “Oh, I don’t envy my neighbor, his house, car, or wife. I don’t desire what someone else has.” But come to think of it, what do you desire? What are the desires of your heart? Are you passionate for the right things?

Tell me... what do you think, eye catching cover or not? How do you choose a cover?

Grateful for reviewers

Although I am right in the middle of finishing up the final edits of my upcoming book My Neighbor's House, I still get really excited about positive responses to my previous books. I am so grateful for reviewers who take time to post favorable and well written reviews of one of my books on their blogs or on Amazon.

I realize more than ever that, although writing is kind of a lonely job, the books and blogs we produce are nothing without a group of faithful readers. They are really the ones spreading the word. I do my best to be that reader and encourager for others, and at the same time I am thrilled when someone surprises me with an excellent review :)

Fellow blogger Dawn Paoletta wrote a very helpful review of Grace of Giving on her blog Beneath the Surface. Her blog is certainly worth a visit (I am listening to the sound of rolling waves and seagulls right now) as she has a great variety of posts and book reviews. I will post an interview with Dawn later this month. She will share a bit more about her writing journey with us. I have no doubt she will inspire us all! So, please keep an eye on this blog.

Grace of Giving is available through all major book sellers, if you rather order the Kindle edition, please click HERE.