It is a little more than a year ago, that I finally finished the writing and publishing of the tenth and final book in my series about the Ten Commandments in the 21st century. Quite a relief, I might add. It took me nineteen years to finish this book series. I have received news that No other gods is a finalist for the 2025 Christian Indie Awards. Yeah, that is an honor in itself, if you ask me. Looking at the shortlist I noticed that there are twenty-one categories and a little over seventy finalists in the Christian Indie Awards. Read more about this topic HERE (my new blog ..read more

It is often said that the things we focus on will grow, whether negative (self-pity, worry, pain, lack) or positive (success, gratefulness, friends, creativity). ?Focusing on something is like looking through a magnifying glass; it enlarges the focal point and blurs the rest. We decide, day in, and day out, where we put our magnifying glass. Are we fixing our eyes on the positive or the negative? The choice is ours, always! Read more about this topic HERE (my new blog) and make sure to sign up!  ..read more

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 ..read more

Do you feel overwhelmed from time to time because of all the prayer requests you are trying to keep up with? I do. Let's be honest here. Sometimes, my prayer list gets so long that I end up praying for nothing at all. I just sit there and sigh... Yep, I admit it. Read more about this topic HERE (my new blog) and make sure to sign up ..read more

I started blogging after my first book 'Sacred Sabbath' was published, hence the url I've used for the past eighteen years: sacredsabbath.blogspot.com ? Over time I posted about my books, faith, adventures, and questions. Based upon input from readers I did quite a few blog series. At some point, I wanted to change the web address (url) of my blog because 'sacredsabbath' didn't really accurately describe the variety of topics.  I don't know whether any of you ever tried to change the url, but it means that everywhere you posted a link to your blog, that link would be broken. Nah, didn't ..read more

Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. [John 16:33] Take heart, Jesus said. In other words: be encouraged, be comforted, cheer up. Oh, how we need to hear these words. The crazier the world gets, the more we need to hear His voice, the more we need to guard our heart and keep His perfect shalom. I was reading in a medical article that heart palpitations are a very common experience. If you surveyed 100 people, about 90 of them would have reported heart palpitations. It's usually harmless, but stress and anxiety (as well ..read more

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 ..read more

We are nearing the end of this blog series. In the introduction I wrote; "It is one thing to say we don't steal, but are we generous? It is one thing to say we don't bear false witness, but do we speak truth when we open our mouths? Going from commandment to core value is, in essence, going from theory to application." Let's continue with the ninth commandment: You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16). Of course, if all is well we will not lie, cheat, or falsely accuse others. But the real question is: Do we speak truth when we open our mouths? One of the most fam ..read more

Are you enjoying this series? I sincerely hope these blog posts will give you new insights and revelation about the depth and riches of God's Word. Let's continue with the eighth commandment: You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15). Surely, you are not a thief ? But let's take this up a notch. Are you generous? Do you rather give than take? It is a sobering fact maybe, but we spend most of our lives accumulating possessions, whether they are the house, the car, the boat, the job, the money, or the mate we desire. We think more stuff will make us happier and give us a more fulfilled life, alt ..read more

Hopefully, you are enjoying this new series based on the Ten Commandments and the subsequent books I wrote on these topics. Although the Ten Commandments have not changed, the way we make them come true is totally different under the new covenant. Merely obeying or keeping a set of rules can turn into legalism. However, making the teachings come true by fulfilling them in our daily lives is a whole different story. That is why I have attached core values to the commandments. ?Core values that would make for a happier and safer society... if applied. So far, we've seen that loyalty towards ..read more