Author: Naty Matos

Great desire to worship God through the gift of writing and share a message of inspiration to all around me.

First Encounter with Faith

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts2 Comments

I grew up in church. I heard about God all my life, but the God that was portrayed to me was not a loving God. To me he was this big eye in the sky waiting for me to make a mistake and pulverize me at any minute. I was quite involved in church growing up, but it was out of the sense that I needed to keep that God happy to avoid the pits of hell.

I had gone to a retreat and I was pulled to the side and asked if I would take Jesus as my Lord and Savior. In my mind I remember saying: Lady what kind of question is that, are you trying to get me killed?  So obviously I said yes, but nothing changed in my life. A few years later I felt the calling from God and I did give my life to Christ, but I was attending a church that didn’t explain about the journey of a born again Christian or the love of God; it was all about his wrath.

So as a human I sinned and I thought that I was already condemned for life, so instead of running to the arms of Christ, I ran to the arms of the world. I found more sorrow and pain than before. Eight years later (you can’t deny that God is patient) I came back home. I came just like the Prodigal Son, telling my father that I didn’t deserve to be back and that I knew I needed to sit in the back, that I was not worthy of serving him, but if he would only have mercy I would appreciate it.

He sent a young lady in my life to tell me that all those thoughts were claims from the enemy. She told me that God and the angels were rejoicing to have me home. From that point on I felt like I had met God for the first time. I was finally truly born again. God has never left me and has loved me more than I could ever imagine.

“I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there.’ And it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ” Matt 17:20

Share with us, What was your first encounter with faith? I’m glad to hear it.

If you are looking for a good read, The Road Home is for you. Find out what was Desiree’s first encounter with faith and see if you can identify with her.

Until next time, be blessed.

The Road Home 

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 “This book certainly held my interest straight through to the very emotional ending. ”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 and love. ”Cynthia

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

 

WF: I Will Follow

On By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

Just by looking at the title of this song you can tell that it is a praise in which we tell our Lord that we will follow him forever and under any circumstances. Those are beautiful words of praise, but the ones that have the deeper meaning for me are the following lines. They tell the truth of a life lived for Christ.

Who you love, I’ll love

John 3:16- For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

So He loved the world to the point of giving his son. Do we love those around us? Do we serve as an example of a holy life so that they can be open to the Good News?

How you serve, I’ll serve

Philippians 2:6-8 Who, being in very nature[a] God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;  rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.  And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Is our life a life of servitude or do we always expect to be served?

If this life I lose, I will follow you

Luke 17:33 If you cling to your life, you will lose it, and if you let your life go, you will save it.

Are we truly willing to die for the cause of Christ?

It’s a lot to think about. Pay attention and be conscious while you praise with me today. Happy Friday!

 Growth Lessons
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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

Author Emma Right

On By Naty MatosIn Book Review3 Comments

Today we have Guest Author Emma Right talking to us about her new book Keeper of Reign.

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Emma, tell us about you?

I’m a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast of the USA. Besides running a busy home, and looking after their five pets, which includes two cats, two bunnies and a Long-haired dachshund, I also writes stories for her children. I loves the Lord and His Word deeply, and when I doesn’t have her nose in a book, I am telling my kids to get theirs in one.

 Wow, you are quite busy. Have you always been in the writing industry?

I worked as a copywriter for two major advertising agencies and won several awards, including the prestigious Clio Award for my ads, before I settled down to have children.

Why did you write Keeper of Reign?

I wanted to write an allegorical fantasy about the fall of man and the redemption story set in a fantasy setting that’s filled with danger and adventure. Something young readers can enjoy but still have a Christian message.

What  do you hope Keeper of Reign will accomplish?

I hope my readers can see that with the power of the gospel, we can overcome our problems and difficulties. I want to empower young readers with this message, that if they seek the truth (the Ancient Books, in Keeper of Reign) they will find wisdom and answers to life’s problems. It doesn’t mean the answers are going to come easy, but persistence will pay off, and the Bible has the answers.

How readers can connect with you?

Please, do connect with me…

Please visit my webpage: http://www.emmaright.com, or my Facebook.com/ emma.right.author, and fanpage on http://www.facebook.com/keeperofreign and follow me on twitter. If you sign up for my newsletter on my http://www.emmaright.com page I will give you book and contests updates.

Thank you, it was a pleasure having you with us today.

Keeper of Reign

Books written in blood. Most are lost, their Keepers with them. A curse that befell a people. A Kingdom with no King. Life couldn’t getperf6.000x9.000.indd more harrowing for the Elfies, a blend of Elves and Fairies. Or for sixteen-year-old Jules Blaze. Or could it?

For Jules, the heir of a Keeper, no less, suspects his family hides a forgotten secret. It was bad enough that his people, the Elfies of Reign, triggered a curse which reduced the entire inhabitants to a mere inch centuries ago. All because of one Keeper who failed his purpose. Even the King’s Ancient Books, did not help ward off that anathema.

Now, Gehzurolle, the evil lord, and his armies of Scorpents, seem bent on destroying Jules and his family. Why? Gehzurolle’s agents hunt for Jules as he journeys into enemy land to find the truth. Truth that could save him and his family, and possibly even reverse the age-long curse. Provided Jules doesn’t get himself killed first.

What did I do this summer?

On By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings2 Comments

Taking this summer off was a great decision. Some times you just need some time to take a step back and regroup. It is hard to hear the voice of God in the middle of noise. I needed  a change of scenery in order to organize,  a real vacation and some projects.

I was able to de-clutter some old things that I’ve been hanging on for too long. I was allowed to finally have a vacation, the last one I had was in 2006. I read a full book. Yes, writers love to read too, we just don’t have enough time.

I took a vacation from my healthy lifestyle and recovered some of the pounds I had lost, but I’m now back  on  track and decided to lose them with the plan to not find them again.

Finally I was able to get some writing work done. My new novel “A Brother’s Vow” is in the final stages of editing and the cover is being worked on. I started a new project, currently called “Second Chances”, which I was able to write the first five chapters and many more things to come.

It’s good to be back.

So tell me, what has your summer been like?

Still for 0.99 cents Season’s Greetings from Amelia

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“This book is in a class by itself, you will not be able to put it down! The characters pull you in and you begin to feel their emotions. Excellently written. The title fooled me, the saying goes” never judge a book by the cover “and this is one of those books.” By Duezette

2 Corinthians 13:10

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts1 Comment

By Staci Stallings

One of the things I like to do is take a Bible verse and read different translations of it.

Confession:  Sometimes reading the long version sheds very little light on what the author is trying to say for me.  I prefer the easier to read versions.  Not that I stick to those exclusively, but if  I want to read the Bible, I’d much rather read The Message Bible than most other translations.

There is a verse in TMB that has become one of my personal guide verses.  It is 2 Corinthians 13:10, and it goes like this:

The authority the Master has given me

is for putting people together,

not taking them apart.

What I’m learning is the breach in the Garden, which we call Original Sin, disconnected us from God.  We got unplugged.  It’s as if Adam and Eve took hold of the cord and yanked it from the wall socket.

Now this is very easy to see.  What happens to your lamp if you disconnect the plug from the socket?

It won’t work, right?

I mean, you can stand there and click that little button or pull that little string or change the light bulb as many times as you want.  That light is not coming on!

Cursing it out won’t help, and getting a new one if you don’t plug it in won’t do any good either.

Maybe that seems like a dumb example, but is it?

How many of us are limping along on our own power, in our own wisdom, with our own strength?  How many of our fellow planet-dwellers are doing that?

See, I think God’s whole plan right now is to reconnect us to Him.  He’s going around, pursuing us, trying to convince us to reconnect.

The problem is we’re still standing there trying to “fix” our lamp.  Oh, we try lots of things… adding to our bank account, going to the right parties, creating the right image, getting the right clothes, and shoes, and car, and house.  We try to find the right spouse, go to the gym to lose those extra pounds…  Only to find our lamp is still not on.

The issue here is that we must re-plug in FIRST.  Then all the other stuff will follow.

I believe THAT is the ministry of believers.  And by believers, I don’t mean people who show up a couple times a month to church and check God off the to-do list.

I mean people who are ACTIVELY WORKING on strengthening their connection to the Master–God.

Once you are connected, you begin to see that the problems people are facing would be much easier handled, if not solved, by reconnecting.

But here’s the thing.  I can’t just tell you to go to church and think that will reconnect you.  Most of the time, it won’t.

To help people learn to reconnect, we have to be willing to share the journey, to share our journey with others.  We have to be willing to get real about the struggles in our own life.  Although it sounds great to just reach down and lift someone up, the truth is, even God didn’t do that.

He sent Jesus to be here, with us, walking with us, living with us, eating with us, being with us.  When you take on the God mission of helping others reconnect, you don’t do it standing on the rock, holding up your staff so the waters part.  You don’t get to stand there in perfect safety telling those who “follow” that it’s okay, you’re pretty sure they won’t drown.

No.  You LEAD by example.  You practice YOUR faith and let them walk closely enough to see it.

Nowhere is this more important than with your children.  Your children will imitate what they see.  If they see a parent yelling and freaking out, if they see a parent who hates going to church and makes excuses not to go, if they see a parent disengaged and self-centered… just what do you think they will turn out like.

BE the person you want others in your life to be.  LEAD by example.

And become a person who believes in reconnecting people with God.  That is the best way I know to change the world.

Copyright Staci Stallings, 2013

Staci StallingsStaci Stallings, the author of this article, is a stay-at-home mom with a husband, three kids and a writing addiction on the side. She is a #1 Best Selling Christian author and the founder of both Grace & Faith Author Connection and CrossReads–a site where Christian readers and authors can connect.

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Summer Break

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

To all my readers,

I will be taking off from blogging during this summer. This year has been a little bit more challenging than anticipated and I have not been able to be true to my promise to provide you with new good reads. I will be focusing on the following stories: “My Promise To Keep”, “Breaking Free” and the first draft of a new novella “Hope”

This has been one of the challenges. My computer has broken down several times and as I type this is barely allowing me to work. It is my hope to get that problem resolved in the next few weeks.

I have been very involved in too many projects and for the first time in three years I will be going on vacation. Although I’ll be writing during my time away, it will be great to focus on it in a new environment. It is awesome when you are writing fiction and your story is just as good as your reality.

So enjoy  your summer, be safe, be blessed and see you all back on August 5th

WF: East to West

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

I think one of the things Christians, especially new Christians struggle the most is condemnation. We live in the world of “forgive and not forget” and we have the tendency to look at God in the same light.

I have said many times that understanding God’s mercy was hard for me. How could he forgive the things I had done when his Word said that those things were against his will? Then I discovered Grace. That favor that God gives us that covers all our sins. That which brings to life the sacrifice of the cross.

Even after salvation we are not perfect, and there are times when we life in this fear of when will be the day when he will say enough, you’ve crossed the line of unforgiveness. But lucky for us that day will not arrive. As long as we repent we will be covered once again by the blood of the lamb, because Jesus died for ALL our sins. The ones we did and the ones to be done.

 1 Peter 1:18-20

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.  He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.

Let’s Praise God for that!

The Unknown

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts3 Comments

In a conversation the other day someone said that they got irritated when they didn’t know something. It reminded me of who I was before I actually surrendered my life to Christ and how I can be when I forget who master’s my life. I have a theory, that the unknown affects us due to our need for control. We want to know everything that’s going on around us just to make sure that we will know how to handle it. In that we forget a few things.

· Luke 12:25-26 “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life Since you cannot do this very little thing, why do you worry about the rest?”

· Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matthew 6:34)

· Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

The other part of the unknown is lack of trust. It’s that feeling that tells you that you need to know exactly everything around you, because if you lack information you will be caught with your pants down and end up in trouble. But actually my life experiences have taught me that sometimes ignorance is bliss and I do not need to know everything. There is a reason why God doesn’t reveal everything to us in our time but in his time.

Think about it, as parents, do you tell your kids everything or do you shelter them from certain information until you know that they are prepared to handle it? Our heavenly father does the same with us. But as the bratty children that we can be, we too think we know better than God about what we can or cannot handle.

I’m not a parent, but my 9-5 requires me to manage people. As a manager there are details of the operations that my staff doesn’t need to know. There’s no point in burdening them with certain situations that are for me to deal with, situations that are out of their control and that I will resolve before it affects them. That’s imperfect, knuckleheaded me. Don’t you think that our God, first of all, doesn’t need our help and then that there are things that we don’t need to worry about because it is something that HE will work out. The question is do we really trust Him to come through? With our mouths we usually say yes, but do our actions reflect that level of trust? Just food for thought.

My challenge today is that we really surrender. That we allow God to decide what information we should be privy off and for him to tell us how to handle it. I challenge us to release our need of control, because at the end of the day we truly have none.

Until next time, be blessed.

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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: Lord I need you

On By Naty MatosIn Worship1 Comment

If there’s something that we can’t say enough is how much we need God in our lives. We wouldn’t even have a life without him. We wouldn’t have a future if it wasn’t for his Grace and Mercy.

Let’s rest in his bosom, just like a newborn child; in total abandonment and filled with peace. Only in the presence of the Lord we can find happiness .

Be blessed.

Related articles

God’s Love and Forgiveness As Seen in the Romance Novel Desires of the Heart

On By Naty MatosIn Book Review1 Comment

By Steve Biddison

How far does God’s love and forgiveness extend? We all know the theological answer that tells us God forgives even our gravest sins and that there is nothing that can separate us from His love. And that is true. However, often times, in our own shame and guilt, we do not feel God’s love and we our subconscious does not allow us to accept His forgiveness. We either wallow in our own mire of disparity or we completely turn our back on God, believing that we do not deserve what He can give us.

That theme of God’s love and forgiveness is a big part of my recent fictional romance book, Desires of the Heart. Both the Eric and Lacey are in dire need of God’s forgiveness for things they had done in the past. Though the book is a romance between two people, at its core we see how God works in their hearts, through a variety of means, to show His love and forgiveness.

I want to share with you an excerpt from the book that not only started Lacey’s conviction of needing to return to the God of her childhood, but also has a message for anyone today who might feel they have gone too far for God to still want them.

Lacey again reached over to lay her hand on top of Eric’s. She needed the strength he gave her when she held his hand. The preacher’s words were stinging her. As hard as she tried, she could not ignore them. God can’t really use me, she told herself. I have blown it so many times, there is no chance that I could be of any use to God!!! I can’t be anything. God, don’t you understand the family I came from? Don’t you know what I have done? How could I amount to anything after having been such a loser?

“You might be thinking that your past is too bad for God to use you,” the preacher said. “But the reality is that God loves using people who are not supposed to succeed. In fact, sometimes the more of a loser the person is, the greater God uses him.” Lacey squeezed Eric’s hand tighter and leaned her head against his shoulder. She needed his strength to keep the tears from flowing freely.

“The book of Matthew opens the New Testament with the same type of genealogy as we read about in the Gospel of Luke.” The preacher continued. “Only this time we see the line from Abraham to Joseph, who was Jesus’ adoptive father on earth. We see several great people of God like King David and Abraham. But we also see people who were not so great in history. King Manasseh, one of the very wicked kings in Jewish history is in that line. We see Gentiles who were considered to be unclean by Jewish standards and we see women who unfortunately in that society were not usually deemed important enough to mention. Perhaps most interesting is that we even see a prostitute in the line of Jesus.” Lacey had never realized that before. God had used a prostitute to carry out His plan. Could God really still use her?

Lacey closed her eyes, trying to shut out the flood of guilt that had begun to flood over her. She opened them again when she heard keyboard and guitar music sounding in the background. The preacher was still speaking. “If you have had some trouble in your past that you think might be keeping you from fully experiencing God, then I invite you to come to the front and meet with God. We have prayer counselors waiting for you up here or you can pray alone.”

Within seconds, Lacey watched as scores of people flooded the isles heading to the front of the auditorium. Could so many people have such serious problems? Everyone stood to their feet as the music continued to play and the guy who had been introduced as the worship leader at the beginning of the service began to lead them all in another song.

****

But then the memories of college began to announce themselves firmly in her mind. That was the period in her life when her downward spiral intensified. No, she had been no worse than most other college students. In fact, probably better than most. But she knew that she had fully turned her back on God and admittedly refused to have anything to do with Him or a church. But now, as she watched the line of people marching forward, she wondered if she needed to join that group.

But what would Eric think of her? She tilted her head upwards to try to read his face. His eyes were lost in his own trance of thought. Maybe God was dealing with him too? She continued to watch his face, looking for any twitch or thought that might give him an inkling to step towards the isle and make his way to the front. If he goes up, I’ll go up, she promised herself. But Eric never moved.