Naty Matos's Blog, page 40

Careful when praying for light

We all have heard that we should be careful what we ask for because we might get it and it may not be what we have in mind. I’m a nosy person. Friends and family struggle with surprising me because with a minimal clue I am able to figure it out. But I’ve learned that with God things are a little bit different.

Sometimes when someone lies to us or we are in conflict about something, that we can tell that we do not have all the necessary information, we may ask God to reveal to us what’s hidden, but are we ready to handle what will come out?

The Word of God says in 1 Corinthians 4:5 (NIV) “ Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart. At that time each will receive their praise from God.”

I’ve included this verse in many of my prayers and when things were opened and revealed I was either devastated or astounded by those things that were unknown to me. Now I’m not advocating to stay ignorant. God wants us to walk in truth, wisdom, and freedom.

What I decided to do was to add a little extra to that prayer. Instead of just asking the Lord to reveal what is hidden from me, I’ve also asked him to prepare my heart for those things that may hurt. I ask him to give me wisdom on how to react to the findings and for the peace to deal with it all.

There has never been a time when I’ve asked for revelation of the truth when God has not responded almost immediately, but now I prepare my spirit and my heart for whatever the revelation is.

Do you have an experience where a revelation caught you unprepared and changed your life? I would love to hear it.

Stayed prayed up and be blessed.

Talking about revelations, stay tuned for my new release on December 1st and find out what the letters from Amelia reveal to our main character Daisy Adair.

It’s time to take off running

This is her as a puppy.

When my dog was a puppy, I used to let her walk to the door, place the leash on her right by the door, open the door, she would walk by herself until she was at the end of the driveway and wait for me until I closed the door behind me. She never took off or ran away. One morning I was distracted and I opened the door but I never put on the leash. It was a total accident.  I quickly realized what I had done, but hoping she would be use to the routine, I tried to act just as normal to see if she would wait at the end of the driveway like she did every morning. She walked halfway to the driveway, she looked back at me like saying “something is missing”, she quickly noticed what it was and took off running wagging her tail. It was playtime!

Not so puppy anymore. Last Christmas Eve 2011!

After that day I made sure that I had the leash on her before opening the door. Somehow even though she was lose, the leash was her indicator not to keep on running. Today when I walk her I sometimes let the leash go while I pick up after her and she doesn’t take off, she stays right by my side. I’m not sure that if the leash was not on her she would do the same. It got me thinking. As fast as she is, if she realized that she is free once I place the leash on the ground she could easily take off and give me a good time chasing her.

How many times in our lives we have been freed from a situation and we continue to carry it just like if we were still in chains? I love my dog and of course, aside that its the law that I walk her on a leash for her own protection, but the leashes in our lives are not always good restraints and those are the ones that I’m talking about.

It really got me thinking, of the times that I’ve prolonged with the leashes of shame, condemnation, or pride being stuck when I have been forgiven, delivered, and set free. Sometimes we are so accustomed to the leash, that we don’t even try to run anymore.

I think it’s a good day to remember that who the Son sets free is free indeed. It’s time to enjoy that freedom, starting right now!

Blessings!

In Growth Lessons, I was reminded of this beautiful truth: Our walk with the Lord is a process of growing up into the image of Christ. P. Yates

I would recommend this book for anyone who would like some common sense and light added to their life. C. Cunningham

Great for meditations and daily devotions. N. Thames

Happy Thanksgiving!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM

NATY MATOS

AND

THE RISING MUSE

Remember that I’m donating 50% of all my sales for both of my books Growth Lessons and The Road Home  until Friday to the Red Cross to help the relief of Hurricane Sandy.

    

Putting Thanksgiving into Action

This year we will not be talking about the turkey, the history of this holiday or the thousands of things we are thankful about. The reality is that this year I want to encourage others to put their true attitude of gratitude to action.

We sit together as families and tell each other how grateful we are of the things we have, the love and company of those near us and just bask in the thought of the gratitude. How about this year you make a decision to be the force behind someone else’s gratitude? Why not share those blessings with others?

So here are some ideas to do just that:

Invite over for dinner those who are away from their families. I used to do that for the longest time. Every one I knew that didn’t have a place to go, were invited to my house. The only reason I stopped doing it was because I don’t have the space to host anymore. It was such a rewarding experience.
Cook a meal for a family in need. If you know someone in your neighborhood who has lost their job, have a family member sick or have struggling, take them a plate or a few plates. You very well know that after two days you’re going to hate turkey anyway. You’ll have less leftovers and you’ll have made someone’s day.
Remember those who have lost everything-It doesn’t matter how big or small your donation is for those recovering from the damages of Hurricane Sandy, any little bit helps. Even if it’s not money, blood donations are also very welcome.
Donate your time and talent. You may not have resources. but you can spend some of your day with someone who needs it. I had a friend who use to spend two hours on these kind of holidays going a children’s hospice. She’s a divorced mom and her children are with their father on Thanksgiving. As a mother she understands that when you have a sick child you don’t want to leave them alone. So she spends Thanksgiving mornings there giving parents an opportunity to go home to take a shower or go get something to eat and then in the afternoon she goes to celebrate with her family.

These are just a few examples of way to give back to others. I am sure you can come up with other ideas as well. What am I going to do to put my gratitude in action?

I’m actually cooking healthy desserts for the place where I’m going to be reuniting with family and friends. I’m grateful that God had shown me a better way to relate to food. I know that as I reunite with some that have not seen me for a while I will be able to witness to them.
I’m donating 50% of all my sales for both of my books Growth Lessons and The Road Home from today until Friday to the Red Cross to help the relief of Hurricane Sandy. (You can help me with that)
I’m joining an initiative of authors in the South that are donating books to libraries in New York and New Jersey, for those who lost the books due to the hurricane Sandy.

Please be safe and to all a Happy Thanksgiving!!

Doing Nano is Not Like Riding a Bike

I have to admit that being that this is my 4th year doing NaNoWriMo, I came into it with somewhat of a cocky attitude. I’ve done this before. I just published The Road Home, the novel whose first draft I wrote during my first Nano. I’ve always come up with way more than 50k words. I got this. I can do this easy peasy. Not so fast.

Doing NaNoWrimo is not like riding a bike. Just like every day of our lives, the fact that every week has a Monday doesn’t mean that every Monday of our lives will be the same and I learned that lesson real quick this year. October 31st I was sitting on my bed, ready to start right at midnight. I hate the look of a totally blank page so I have to admit that I wrote the title of the novel before midnight, but I don’t think two words will disqualify me from the race. As soon as the clock hit midnight the race for words started and I went to bed around 12:30am with already 2k words. I was on top of the world.

Well, since the week before Nano I had been struggling with a cold, which of course doesn’t cripple my fingers, but it does fog my brain. Now I had to push through going to work, go to all the write-ins that I committed to host and the rest of my life not feeling my best. Also this year was election year and I was glued to the television waiting for the results.

The reality is that although I’m still making good stats and I’m ahead on my word count it has been quite a struggle to do so. My focus and concentration have been divided between responsibilities, life, and writing more than in years before. But also I was not counting with the editor Monster to be part of my journey. For some reason I had been able to just write out my story in years prior. This time the editor voice in my head refuses to shut up. By Day 3 I was ready to push select all then delete. I have to say that thanks to my NaNoLanta Wrimos I held back from doing it and just wrote an alternate Chapter 2 that has allowed me to go on with my story.

You may want to know, which story did I choose. As per your suggestion and my desire I’m writing “The Adulteress” and if I finish it on time I will begin Greetings from Saint Nick, but right now I don’t think that second part is going to happen, because this story has gone way out of the original plan and taken on a life of it’s own. Oh, and I have managed to write almost half of this novel and all my characters are alive. Talk about an accomplishment.

Well, let me go and stop using my blog as another method of procrastination for the struggle: I have to write this novel.

Write Wrimos Write!

21 Ways to Celebrate Gratitude

Idea #15: Thank a Co-worker For Doing Their Job Well

Guest post by Shelley Hitz

Thanksgiving season is soon approaching and this year, I encourage you to take the opportunity to celebrate gratitude. In the midst of the hustle and bustle of this holiday season, take a moment (or two) to celebrate gratitude.

Don’t forget to check out the free book giveaway below.

 

Idea #15:Thank someone at work for doing their job well. If you are still in school or college, thank one of our teachers that has made an impact in your life.

See all 21 ways to celebrate gratitude this Thanksgiving at Shelley’s website: http://www.bodyandsoulpublishing.com/21-ways-to-celebrate-gratitude-during-thanksgiving-this-holiday-season/

Free Gratitude Resource:

On November 14, 15 and 16th, 2012 you can download a FREE Kindle copy of the book, “21 Stories of Gratitude: The Power of Living Life With a Grateful Heart.”

Get your copy here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B009YWM3WI

Book Description:

Are you living life to the fullest? Or are you merely surviving from day to day?

One way to live life to the fullest is to live each day with a grateful heart. In this book, we share 21 stories of gratitude to give you encouragement and hope in your own journey. Gratitude is possible! Even though many times we cannot change our circumstances, we can change the way we see them. We can ask God to empower us to change our thoughts.

Our prayer for you is that you find encouragement within these pages. And we pray that you will ask God for His strength to renew your mind with His truth and the hope He offers each one of us every day. It is only through Christ renewing our minds that we can truly live each day with a grateful heart.

“And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”Romans 12:2 (NKJV)

Other Gratitude Resources:

· 21 Days of Gratitude Challenge: Take the 21 days of gratitude challenge to celebrate Thanksgiving this year. You can do this by yourself or as a family.

· 21 Prayers of Gratitude: Read a prayer of gratitude for 21 days to focus your heart on God and all He has given us.

About the Author:

Shelley Hitz has been writing and publishing books since 2008. She is also the author of the website, FindYourTrueBeauty.com, that reaches thousands of girls each month around the world. Her openness and vulnerability as she shares her own story of hope and healing will inspire and encourage you.

Shelley has been ministering to teens since 1998 alongside her husband, CJ. They currently travel and speak to teens and adults around the country. Shelley’s main passion is to share God’s truth and the freedom in Christ she has found with others. She does this through her books, websites and speaking engagements.

You can find more about Shelley at www.ShelleyHitz.com or invite her to speak at your event here: www.ChristianSpeakers.tv

Satan and the Hot Stove

By Staci Stallings

The other day it occurred to me that God is like a lot of parents who want to keep their children safe because they know the dangers inherent in this world. So think about the parent who is in the kitchen with her child toddling around. The child gets close to the stove where Mommy is heating supper.

“No. No,” Mommy says. “Don’t touch. Hot!”

Wide-eyed the child looks up at her and nods. Thinking the child surely understands that “hot” equals “it will hurt you,” the mother continues preparing until she hears the child wailing uncontrollably.

Why?

Because the child just touched that hot stove of course!

Now consider this, not altogether different, scenario. God is in the Garden with his children, and He tells them, “You can have the whole garden to play in, just don’t eat from this one tree.”

Why? Because God knows the everlasting pain it will cause His children. Then He goes back to doing His God things leaving his children to play in the garden.

I guarantee the same thing happens next. Satan shows up, knowing that the tree just like the hot stove will cause pain, and wanting the children to be in pain. So what does he do?

“Did God really say…?” “I bet Mom’s just trying to ruin my fun.” “God just knows if you do it you’ll be like Him….” “Mom uses that stove all the time, why can’t I? I’m going to try it.”

Our problem is not with the thing that causes pain. Our problem is not listening to the One Who has our best interest at heart!

We start listening instead to that little voice in us that says we don’t have to listen to authority, that they don’t know what they are talking about, that we know better.

Think about how many times this scenario is played out in our lives. First it’s the stove or the stairs. Then climbing that tree, putting that rock in our ear, or the car in gear. Then it’s riding the ATV too fast or driving at night alone when you are only supposed to drive during the day with an adult present. Then it’s taking our friends for rides in that car and sneaking out to be with someone we know Mom and Dad don’t approve of.

As we get older, we kind of transfer our transgressions from not obeying Mom and Dad to not obeying God. We sleep in on Sundays because who’s going to know. We start hanging out with the “fun” crowd, drinking and doing other things that don’t make us feel very good in the morning.

Oh, and sometimes, instead of being content with what we have, we start becoming materialistic–wanting cars we can’t afford and other status-symbols to impress our friends and make us feel “accepted” and “worthy.”

The amazing thing is that at some point we all realize we are hurting and miserable. When the pain shows up, what do we do? We blame the very Person Who warned us against doing all of that stupid stuff in the first place!

Remember this, no matter if you are 2 or 92, Satan has a plan for you, and it is for your ultimate pain and destruction. He is going to lie to you and manipulate you, and do whatever he has to in order to convince you to touch that hot stove. So if you are inclined to not take God at His word that doing so will hurt you, I strongly suggest never letting God take His eyes off of you. Latch onto Him and don’t let go!

God really does have great plans for you–to prosper you and not to harm you, but you have to be willing to take Him at His word that that stove is HOT and you should not touch it!

Copyright Staci Stallings, 2012

Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a #1 Best Selling Contemporary Christian author and the founder of Grace & Faith Author Connection. You can check out Staci’s newest release…

For Real

Book 3, ~ THE COURAGE SERIES ~

“It will pull you in and touch your heart.”

Blaine Donovan has a secret, but so far his plan to keep the rest of the world in the dark about who he really is and what’s really going on in his life has worked. If he can just finish school before the demons catch up with him, he knows he can make life make sense once again. However, when he runs into Melody Todd, a semi-friend he had thought was long-gone, life takes a turn Blaine wasn’t at all expecting.

Still hurting from watching her best friend marry someone else, Melody Todd has given up on dating, guys, and on herself. In fact, when Blaine shows back up in her life, she does what she always does with the eligible guys who look her way—she sets him up with someone else. But Blaine soon proves to be much different than he at first seems. Too many things are not adding up the way they are supposed to, and the more Melody digs, the more she sees that the Blaine she knows is not the real Blaine at all…

“For Real will show you how you can lay those things that are preventing you from loving Jesus at the foot of the Cross. It will inspire you and give you hope.

Creating Believable Characters

By Suzanne Williams

There are three keys to creating believable characters, characters a reader desires to know more about and cares for. The first key is emotion. A character’s emotions create a reader’s emotions. The second key is creditability. How true to life is that character, and can the reader identify with him or her on a personal level? The third key is what I call the “male or female factor,” and I will explain that in a moment.

The character’s emotions are what draw readers into a story. In the following paragraphs, the main character, an Irishman named Michael, for multiple reasons cannot consummate his marriage with his wife. One evening, he kisses her and it sends him over the edge.

“Hands shaking, senses convulsing, Michael collapsed against a tree. What had happened?”

“His head spun, and the moment repeated itself, the sweetness of her mouth, the supple feel of her skin. He squeezed his eyes shut and floated helplessly skyward and back to earth on a swollen wave of sensation. He would have her; he would touch her again.”

“His eyes flew open at the vivid image of thirst and yearning quivering before him. She returned his feelings at last. But for his escape, they wouldn’t have stopped.”

Michael’s emotions come into the story through the use of powerful words like “shaking, convulsing, sweetness, supple, floated [and] swollen.” Now, make note that the only terms used to indicate any body parts were “mouth,” “skin,” and “eyes,” harmless enough terms, so it is the choice of adjectives that let you know he’s struggling and exactly how he feels about her.

When working with a character’s emotions, consider what the purpose of the scene is and how you feel when you read it. If you’re emotional, often the reader will be as well. And here’s something to think about. When creating emotion in a scene, I tend to go where I am uncomfortable. I have found that playing it safe leads to a boring scene.

This thought leads me to credibility. Credibility is that factor that makes a character a real person. In the same scene above, Michael, a twenty-year-old male, has fallen in love with his wife. His problem is he didn’t realize it was easier when she wasn’t returning his feelings. Now that she is, he sees the struggle in himself.

Thinking like a young man of that age and all the factors that led up to this moment are what made me write the scene as I did. I wanted him to have the same battle with his flesh that a man that age would have in the same situation.

Credibility comes into play in many other ways and with many other scenarios. Author Peter Levell once told me, “Never have two cowboys sharing a cinnamon role in a café.” I have never forgotten that advice because it holds to credibility. Two cowboys are not going to do something of that nature, and even if I write such a scene, the reader won’t believe it. I once read a western where the hero was dashing off to catch a criminal with a sandwich in his hand. Uhm. I don’t think so.

Now, this leads me to point number three – the “male and female factor.” I am opposed to males who speak and think like females. I’m sorry, but a man in love with his wife doesn’t want to hold her hand. He is a man, so he’ll think like a man and have the desires of a man. Similarly, a female isn’t going to deal with the same situation in the same way. When Michael’s wife approaches him later in this scene, she hasn’t a clue why he’s acting that way.

“She’d watched Michael for days, memorized his every movement, his mannerisms, until they were as familiar as her own. She saw how he tilted his head when he teased her, how the muscles in his neck flexed when he was upset. She heard him say he loved her, felt it in his gestures, and knew it when he didn’t speak. Yet to have him flee sent her spinning.”

“Isn’t this what he wanted? He wanted her to love him. Now that she did, he backed away?”*

Notice, how female she’s being. She’s spent time watching him, noticing all the funny little twitches or habits he has. What wife hasn’t done that? I could make you list of my husband’s quirks. Also note, it wasn’t enough that he’d told her he loved her, she expected more from him. This is decidedly female, and even more so when she is clueless as to why he’d run off in the first place.

I challenge the idea that the characters must be devoid of thoughts and feelings and a couple cannot show they care for each other (within Christian guidelines) without it becoming taboo. This type of writing leads me back to the “vase of flowers” concept where children are conceived by some mythical moment and not because the husband wanted to be with his wife. In this same vein, I have read some fabulous stories full of emotion and real-life characters that barely had kissing in them, and yet I knew how the man felt about her and how she felt about him.

Stories are all about words, and an author’s choice and placement of those words are what gives the characters life on the page. And that life is what keeps me reading and makes me relive certain story scenes again and again after I close the book. It is also what keeps me writing – that knowledge that these people could have existed and would have behaved like that. And I like think it is that certain thing which keeps readers returning to my books.

(Unedited story excerpts are from Love & Redemption by Suzanne D. Williams to be released March 1, 2013.)

Suzanne D. Williams is a native Floridian, wife, mother, photographer, and writer. She is author of both nonfiction and fiction books. She writes a monthly column for Steves-Digicams.com on the subject of digital photography, as well as devotionals and instructional articles for various blogs. She also does graphic design for self-publishing authors.

To learn more about what she’s doing visit http://suzanne-williams-photography.blogspot.com/ or link with her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/suzannedwilliamsauthor.

Living our life with purpose

[image error]I was talking to a friend about things we were looking for in future mates. My friend made the comment, “ I don’t care if he’s a garbage man, as long as he’s the best garbage man than he can be and it’s proud to be one. But if he comes home complaining everyday about the garbage and doing nothing to do something about it, then I would have a problem.” This comment got me thinking.

Sometimes we hate where we are just because we don’t know where we’re going. I like the way this is spelled out in The Message version for Proverbs 28:18 “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble all over themselves; But when they attend to what he reveals, they are most blessed.”

Once you discover your purpose in life and what you have been called to do, it doesn’t matter where you are and what you’re doing because you know that’s not your destination. Where you are can be a training element of where you’re going or a temporary way of provision until you can get to where God has called you to be.

I met this young man in a leadership class. He works at a fast food restaurant. He feels like God has called him to be a businessman and to eventually own a franchise of that said restaurant. I honestly don’t know his age, but he didn’t look a year older than 23. He had already gone from front line staff to a management position. He was trying to take as many courses in management and leadership as he could, to prepare for the vision he had. Now, fast food work is not easy. I know, I did some during my college years. He talked about his work with joy, not because he was enjoying the day to day, but because he saw it as an opportunity to learn everything better for when he owned the store.

With the economical issues we are facing, we all have had to make adjustments and sometimes God has steered us into places that are not what we dreamed about. Instead of looking at these places with defeat look at them as an opportunity. We need to remember that if God has allowed us to these places, “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 Let’s keep our eye on the prize and look to our vision.

What if I don’t have a vision? It’s time to get into the Word and into intimate conversation with God so that you can get your personal revelation. Yes, personal. God has a plan designed that is just perfect and specifically for you. Ephesians 1:4-5 NIV “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,”

Be blessed.

In Growth Lessons, I was reminded of this beautiful truth: Our walk with the Lord is a process of growing up into the image of Christ. P. Yates

I would recommend this book for anyone who would like some common sense and light added to their life. C. Cunningham

Great for meditations and daily devotions. N. Thames

WF: How he loves

I was driving home the other day and this song came on the radio. Have you ever been in love and a song brings your beloved to your mind? That’s exactly how I felt. I started thinking how even when I’m not good a corresponding his love. Even when I make mistakes, He always loves me.

God’s love is not a feeling but it’s palpable. His love is so supreme it’s indescribable. It always makes me smile. His presence is quite that nothing on earth matters when we are there in his presence. There’s no love like God’s love.

And as I’m writing this, my chest wants to burst, it’s almost hard to breathe, when I think about in spite of everything, in spite of me He still loves me.

Join me to worship the Lord this Friday and remember, how much he loves us

WF: Worship Friday

 

“This book certainly held my interest straight through to the very emotionalending. ”Mary Anne Benedetto

“With the ever-constant presence of her closest friend, Aimee, Desiree slowly makes her way to God and learns the greatness of His power andlove. ”Cynthia

“A very engaging story about faith, love, and friendship, and the trials and tribulations that life can bringyou. ”Jersey Gina