Legitimate Rape

On April 8, 2013April 8, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Articles8 Comments

During the US Senatorial Campaign in Missouri, a politician stated that if a woman was involved in a situation of “legitimate rape” the body knew how to reject the products of conception and she wouldn’t get pregnant. This raised a huge issue, as it should have. Starting with the concept of legitimate rape, implying that there are situations of non-consensual sex that are not considered rape. Why am I bringing this up now? Recently, NBC’s “Law & Order: SVU” aired an episode dealing with this issue and brought it back to my mind.

I don’t agree with the biology of this concept and I know a lot of people were outraged by the insinuation. But then it became an issue of faith when the Bible was misquoted insinuating that God approved of Rape. These were some of the scriptures utilized.

Deuteronomy 22:28-29– This scriptures talks about pre-marital sex not rape and how a man who was already engaged to this woman should marry her after having sex with her.
Deuteronomy 21:10-14 This scripture talks about marrying a prisoner of war women, not rape. Now historically no woman had a choice in the men they married in those times. Within that logic every woman before the 19th century was raped and we know that’s not true.
Zechariah 14:1-2 This scripture is describing the situation going on, not asking for women to be raped.

Personally I couldn’t serve a God who believe in rape, but I know this is far from the truth. I know how he has healed me from situations that were not His will but someone else’s misuse of free will. Taking the Word out of context is a old trick from the enemy to distract us from the healing that God has for those who have been hurt.

If you have been sexually assaulted, I know that you are hurting. Do not believe this is your fault. Do not believe that this was God’s will. This was the misuse of someone’s free will and God wants to free and heal you.

Now this is what Jesus has asked us to do with each other and it shows the Truth of God’s heart:

John 13:34 says “”A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” NIV

We also read in

1 Corinthians 13:4-8 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.Love never fails” NIV

Jesus said that when Moses was giving the law, he allowed certain things because of the hard hearts of men. Although he said that in relations to divorce, I can see that translating to other subjects. God has not approved for women to be hurt. If we love others, we would not hurt others and that’s the True command.

Until then, be blessed.

“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

The Many Legitimate Inspirations for SVU’s Legitimate Rape Episode (nymag.com)

WF: All things are possible

On April 5, 2013March 24, 2013 By Naty MatosIn WorshipLeave a comment

As part of returning to blog, we are also back with our Worship Fridays. Like I said at the beginning of this week, sometimes life gets in our way. We can find ourselves in a place where we feel limited to what we are able to do. Let’s not forget that those can be distractions from our purpose. As humans we can allow ourselves to stumble but let’s not allow ourselves to fall .

Let’s live by the words we read in Matthew 19:26

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

WF: Worship Friday

“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

Competing Faith

On April 1, 2013March 24, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Articles, Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

Have you ever been in a competition where Christians discuss their denominational differences almost like football fans? I think what we miss as believers is that our differences are really as the many ways of making white rice. What do I mean?

Growing up I learned that to make white rice I had to place oil, water and salt, bring it to a boil then pour the rice. Some people use butter instead of oil, some add garlic powder. At the end of the day you get in your plate the same thing: white rice

The Word of God tells us in John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

I believe that our particular rituals work for us in our humanity. Just like music is a matter of taste, but at the end of the day is the message of the Word of God that we are called to live by. I also believe that our discrepancies are used by the enemy to distract us from our real purpose which is to spread the Good News to others. So when you find yourself and those around you that we are ALL here to do the work of the kingdom and not for our purposes. I also invite you to use that opportunity to come together and do something for the kingdom that all of those in the conversation can agree. You will see that you have way more in common than you imagine.

Until next time, be blessed!

“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

Home for Easter

On March 31, 2013March 30, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts2 Comments

As you have probably noticed, although some of the great authors from Grace and Faith Connection have done appearances at The Rising Muse, you have not heard much from me. I wish I could tell you that I was finishing my next book for your reading. Yes, I did some of that and the book is not yet ready. That has not been the reason for my absence. Life just got complicated. You can blame my 9-5, you can blame some health issues, but the reality is that at some point I had to be back.

I was born to write, and in these weeks when I was away, rather than resting I was wilting. It is this space that allows me to connect with you, to tell you how God is working in my life. More than my books, this is the place when I can share with you the message of hope. So I saw very fitting to resuscitate this blog on the most important day of our faith, Resurrection Day!

With that I know that life still happens and it’s always complicated, but one thing I’ve learned in my walk with Jesus is that you don’t need a lot of time, you just have to be intentional.

May the Lord Bless you this day and always. May his blessings be upon you. May the light and hope of his resurrection reaches your heart today.

HAPPY RESURRECTION DAY!

THE ROAD HOME $1.99 Only through Easter!

A powerful story of redemption…

“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

God’s My Salesman

On March 25, 2013March 10, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings10 Comments

By Suzanne D. Williams

I’m going to give you the best key to successful marketing you will ever read. It’s so simple, and yet we as Christian authors fail to use it to our advantage. Because we do have an advantage. We have something that enables us to spread word of our writing, draw in readers, and push our books to great success.

Prayer.

Let me ask you a question. Have you prayed over your book? Now, I’m not talking a “please, God, please” prayer. I’m talking the fervent prayer of a righteous man, a prayer based on faith in God’s ability, willingness, and power to help you. (Jas 5:16) I’m talking a bold in-your-face prayer. (Heb 10:19)

“Wait,” you say, “can I pray that?”

Absolutely, you can. First, God said, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” (Mt 7:7) He told you to ask, and he promised answers in the asking. (v8) However, He was specific about how to ask. He said, “Ask in faith, nothing wavering.” (Jas 1:6)

How do you do that? You find a Scripture and apply it to your situation. God has promised success and prosperity in numerous places in the Bible. Joshua 1:8 promises “good success” to the man who mediates (or spends time in) the Word. In 3 John 1:2, we find God wants us to prosper “above all things.” But I especially like the story of Joshua in Genesis 39:3. The Bible says of Joshua’s success, “And that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.”

That’s pretty amazing!

“But, I’m not Joshua,” you say. No, you’re not. You’re greater even than he was. You’re a child of Almighty God, washed in the blood of the Lamb, who sacrificed Himself to save you.

Salvation is all inclusive. It’s more than just your soul. It’s your job, your finances, your health, your children, even your dog. And also your books. God didn’t do a half work, but completed what He came here to do. In light of that, how can you not claim His promises over your writing? If He gave you the story, if you obeyed Him in writing it, then He will bring it to success.

Yet in all things we do, we often put Him last. We strive on our own, using social media, blog articles, and any other manner of getting the word out there and our books into the hands of the readers, forgetting all the while our greatest weapon is to let God do the promotion. He said we can have “exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think.” (Eph 3:20) So we should take Him at His word, stand, and having done all to stand, keep standing. (Eph 6:13-14)

Of course, along the way, there’ll be naysayers, those who don’t appreciate our work, or come against it in some fashion. I’ve seen this quite a bit with one of my stories in particular, and to be truthful, I struggled with that. I kept asking God why. And He showed me that I need to stop worrying about why and instead, once again, turn back to what He said in His Word.

Jesus gave us the answer in Matthew 5:44. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”

Ah, blessing the enemy. I admit, this is the hardest thing to do, but it is also the most important because it has a two-fold effect. First, it removes the pressure from you. The devil can no longer hold whatever the negative situation is over your head as a threat. I mean, why bother you with it when it doesn’t bother you at all? Second, if every time something similar crops up, the person causing the trouble gets blessed instead, that’s not to the devil’s benefit.

“But I lost money.”

“But he hurt my reputation.”

“But my ratings went down.”

But Romans 12:20-21 says, “Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”

Overcome evil with good and sew your prayers, and sometimes your books and your money, into the life of someone who needs it. Give them a blessing and move on. Then raise your hands to heaven, and thank God for your success, and let Him do His part. He is, after all, the best marketer there is.

Suzanne D. Williams is a native Floridian, wife, mother, photographer, and writer. She is the 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.

GROWING UP PENTECOSTAL

On March 11, 2013March 10, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings1 Comment

Note: FREE! The book, Confessions of a Pentecostal, first published by the Assemblies of God’s Gospel Publishing House in 1978, became available for Kindle in 2011 after being out of print for years and many used copies sold online. The Kindle version is free of charge March 9-12 at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0088OP460

GROWING UP PENTECOSTAL

By Ada Brownell

Few people have the wonderful heritage I did.

No, I didn’t grow up among rich lords and ladies or with an impressive blood line. Spiritual wealth became the gold mine available to me.

I had pastors who believed the Word; lived it; preached it.

As a spectator in my growing up years, I witnessed people kneeling in repentance and being changed by the power of God.

One of the most spectacular conversions was an aunt. Beautiful, personable, talented, she turned away from God in her teens. In her 30s she woke up, spiritually bankrupt, her marriage in trouble, and thinking of ending her life.

One night, Mom persuaded her to come to church. My aunt cried out, “I’m lost!” interrupting the pastor’s sermon. She rushed forward to the altar. With wide eyes, I heard her repent with screams and guttural groans. Then the joy hit. She praised God all over the church. From that day until she died at age 91, she was still dancing with joy and living for God.

I had seen youth I knew were rebellious and a black mark on the church. One night a whole pew full of guys who gave my sisters grief threw their hands toward heaven in surrender to the One who forgives sins, repented and were filled with the Spirit. They became different young men and still serve God or did until death.

My seven older siblings accepted the Lord in their youth and our house was filled with music and their singing.

I saw miracles. A friend was healed of leukemia. A child healed of diabetes never had the problem again. I saw people healed of deafness and sicknesses.

I accepted the Lord when I was age 5, was filled with the Spirit about age 9, but I was in my early 20s when I had a life-changing encounter with God. My husband and I moved to Thompson, Utah, population 100. No church. Three bars, and the tiny grocery store was in a bar.

Formerly a youth leader, I was discouraged. We traveled 38 miles to Moab to church on Sunday night because Les worked weekends. Seemed the pastor thought the days of revival were over. I became so hungry for God’s touch, I started praying at home.

One night when I stood up to testify about God’s faithfulness, the spirit of God poured over me like warm oil. Joy bubbled out of me with praise to God in a language I didn’t know.

Afterward I told God if he’d send me a helper, I’d start a Sunday school in that town. Within a week a wonderful Baptist woman my age moved there, and we started a Sunday school in the school house. Every child in town enrolled.

Although I’d written fillers before, Thompson, Utah, is where I became a writer and that’s where I became a journalist–a correspondent–and ended up with a career.

God’s power literally changed the destiny of our family not only for eternity, but in this life as my brother, Virgil Nicholson, became an educator and the force behind Evangel College’s great accreditation. Joe, also an author, headed the music department at Evangel College for years and also served as academic dean of Berean College. Everette pastored many years. The girls were used of God in many ways.

To God be the glory.

CONFESSIONS OF A PENTECOSTAL

When Ada Nicholson Brownell was a child, a faithful Christian neighbor witnessed to her mother. Not just once, but almost every day. “The family did everything to get rid of her,” the author recalls, “but she came to ur house…her Bible tucked under her arm, an enthusiastic smile on her face.”

Then Ada’s older sister attended a Pentecostal service at the invitation of a teenage friend. One by one all 10 members of her family were saved and received the Pentecostal experience.

Ada tells of those early childhood days, what it was like to grow up in a Pentecostal home, and then of her continuous search for spiritual fulfillment. Her search has not been without trials, sickness, and disappointments. But God has given her an abiding strength and a vibrant faith to overcome these problems. Her inspiring confession of faith will encourage and bless believers everywhere.

The book was listed in 2011 among 10 recommendations on Pentecostalism by The Library Thing.

Free March 9-12 http://buff.ly/KmLPMi

Intuition and Breaking Writer’s Block

On February 14, 2013February 21, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings1 Comment

I’ve read that women’s intuition is a real thing—it stems from a woman’s ability to keep an eye on the periphery, store what she observes on a subconscious level, and then make connections with that information that a man’s more linear thinking can’t do.

It’s a gift. A talent.

And we know what God asks us to do with our gifts. We need to invest them to bring back a profit to the master. The servant in the parable of the talents who buried his talent to keep it safe, was not his master’s favorite. God wants a return on what he has invested in us.

When we writers hit a wall, get blocked, or just don’t know what to do next with our story, we tend to turn to others for help. It’s good to check your story line against a solid framework, like Bell’s Plot and Structure, and it’s great to let trusted friends have a read and give feedback, but don’t dismiss your intuition. God gave it to you so that you would use it.

Is your writers block presenting as a terrible blank first page? Let your intuition help you start out. Ignore the nagging voice that keeps asking if your idea will sell, and focus on what you love. Do you have a great character in mind? What places does that character naturally fit? Do you have a great setting you’ve always wanted to write about? Who would you naturally see there? Your answers will be all you own, springing up from your deep memory. Flesh out your people and your world and see what kind of stories build from there.
Not a seat of pants writer? It’s okay. Neither am I. Once you have a background built, feel free to plot with as much care and structure as your heart desires.

Do you have a great start on a story but you’ve hit a wall? Try this: Write a scene from sometime in your character’s past. Pick a time of transition or stress for your character: his wedding, her graduation, moving to a new school, losing a parent. Seat of pants this one for me. Don’t plot it out, just let your intuition carry the scene. What happens and how your character reacts to it should open up new connections in that subconscious of yours, where you have been storing little details about your story, but didn’t realize it. Of course, this scene won’t go into your book, but knowing your character better should help you move your story forward.

I secretly think all writers have women’s intuition, even the men. How else could we draw whole worlds out of our minds? Well, whatever you call it, intuition, imagination, inspiration, or just plain paying attention, don’t let this gift from God go to waste. Let your mind wander, to unstuck your work in progress.

Traci Tyne Hilton’s newest story, “Cupid’s Cappucino” is available just in time for Valentine’s Day! Find it in the romance collection. Heart Bouquets at amazon.com!

Traci Tyne Hilton is the author of The Mitzy Neuhaus Mystery Series, and one of the authors in the The Tangle Saga series of science fiction novellas. She was the Mystery/Suspense Category winner for the 2012 Christian Writers of the West Phoenix Rattler Contest, a finalist for Speculative Fiction in the same contest, and has a Drammy from the Portland Civic Theatre Guild. Traci serves as the Vice President of the Portland chapter of the American Christian Fiction Writers Association.

Traci earned a degree in History from Portland State University and still lives in the rainiest part of the Pacific Northwest with her husband the mandolin playing funeral director, their two daughters, and their dog, Dr. Watson.

More of Traci’s work can be found at http://www.tracihilton.com

Drowning Lessons

On February 11, 2013February 10, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Writing Happenings1 Comment

Any lifeguard will tell you the worst thing someone that the lifeguard is trying to save can do is to “help.” A drowning person in a panicked attempt to “save” themselves by thrashing about can end up taking the lifeguard down with them. It’s a lesson all of us need to learn no matter how good we are at swimming in spiritual waters.

Many people ask: “What is my purpose here on earth?” They go through various exercises and workshops to find out what their purpose is. I will save you some time and money if you, too, are asking this age-old question.

You have one purpose here on earth, and it can be summed up in two words: to learn.

You were sent here to learn—to learn about yourself—your capabilities, your liabilities, your strengths, your weaknesses, your abilities, and your limitations. You were also sent here to learn about and how to deal with others—those who are easy to love and those for whom God’s mercy will have to be super-abundant for their forgiveness to be obtained.

Nonetheless, you were mostly sent here to learn about God and His unending, unfathomable, unstoppable, overwhelming, unbelievable love for you.

One of the biggest lessons and one of the hardest to take and accept is what has been called a disruptive moment. These are the times in your life when you have been easily walking next to the water when suddenly something pushes you in to the deep end.

This something might be someone. It might be an event or an illness or death or a sudden change that blows gaping holes in your belief that all is right with your world.

Suddenly you are buffeted—slapped on every side with wave after wave of despair, doubt, anger, hopelessness, helplessness, grief, anxiety, and fear so strong it pulls you under like a rip tide.

I believe what we are sent here to learn is that it is precisely in these times of trial and fear that we learn the real depth of God. It is in these moments that the Almighty Lifeguard takes hold of us, rather than us holding onto Him.

The problem here is that many of us continue to struggle. We continue to try to save ourselves even as the waves wash over us time and again. What God says to us at these moments is exactly what the lifeguard would say to the drowning person. “Relax. Let Me do it. Do not rely on your strength, trust in Mine.”

Your purpose here is primarily to learn that one lesson as deeply as possible. When the storms blow, quit struggling. Trust the Lifeguard.

He has the strength you need. Relax, and let Him work in your life, and you will surely see wonders come from the moments you thought you were destined to drown. By your own effort, you would have. In His strength, however, you will be brought out of the waters of chaos and confusion into a new life you can only know when you have felt both the rip tide and His marvelous, sustaining strength.

In your weakness, His strength can be made manifest. Trust it for it will save you—especially when you feel you are drowning.

Staci Stallings, the author of this article, is a #1 Best Selling author and the co-founder CrossReads.com a new website that gives Christian readers and authors a place to meet and fellowship. With a newsletter, a blog, a forum, and other exciting, inspiring areas to visit, CrossReads visitors can find fabulous Christian books they never knew existed.

Come over on Feb. 12-14, and enter to win one of 169 virtual baskets of ebooks, gift cards, and other prizes!

Click here to enter
the CrossReads Rafflecopter giveaway

Psalm 19 P.5 And the winner is…

On February 8, 2013February 7, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Book Review, Worship2 Comments

First of all you have to forgive me. This has been one of those weeks, but I didn’t forget about you. I’m very glad that you all enjoyed our latest series of studying Psalm 19. If you missed it, I have linked the previous parts at the end of this post so that you can catch up.

We never got to discuss the last few verses, but I know that at this point you get the message of what this psalm is about. I still want to share those last verses with you for your Friday meditation with a little worship video. (It’s Worship Friday after all, right!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-zJHgaoVa4

Psalm 19:12-14

Who can discern his errors? Forgive my hidden faults.
Keep your servant also from willful sins; may they not rule over me.
Then will I be blameless, innocent of great transgression.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.

Now to the part you are all waiting for.

The winner of a copy of Growth Lessons is…

Marriott Cole

Studying the Bible: Psalm 19 (therisingmuse.com)
Psalm 19 Part 2 (therisingmuse.com)
Psalm 19 Part 3 (therisingmuse.com)
Psalm 19 Part 4 (therisingmuse.com)

Imperfect Justice: A Review

On February 6, 2013February 6, 2013 By Naty MatosIn Book ReviewLeave a comment

Imperfect Justice: Prosecuting Casey Anthony by Jeff Ashton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I know this is not a Christian or an Inspirational Book, but I wanted to read it. Probably just like the author I want to finally get my thoughts off my chest about this case so that I can finally close the door and move on.

I was very interested in this book because, like most of the nation, I was following the case. Yes, it’s true, the book doesn’t have any new bombshell information, but I understood the outcome a little bit better after reading it.

The same errors in the prosecution that Jeff Ashton noticed, I saw them during the trial. But just like him, I hoped that the jury could see beyond those and look at the big picture.

Although I had followed some of the case before the trial, on the actual day the trial began I gave myself an opportunity to be unbiased and listen to the evidence. I was dumbfounded by the results. I was also surprised about the fast turnaround that the jury took into making this decision. I remember thinking, I know there’s one of the jurors who is scheduled to go on a cruise in the next few days, which means they are not going to want to be there for a penalty phase. At the same time I hoped that things would work themselves out in a different manner.

When reading this book I once again put aside my feelings and gave myself the chance to read it. There’s so much unknown and that we will never know about this case, but this book gave me some sense of closure.

Coincidentally the movie based on this book aired on lifetime on the day I was reading the last chapter of this book. I didn’t like the movie at all. It doesn’t do any justice to the real events or even this book. I love watching movies about real life events and if I hadn’t had the background of the trial and the book I would have not understood the movie, which tells me that someone watching the movie 10 years from now it’s not going to understand the process. There was lack of passion in the acting and we saw a lot of passion in the real life. It was disappointing.

Back to the book, it is informative and it did fill some of the story’s gaps for me. Just like Jeff Ashton said at the end of this book, it’s time to move on. It’s time to use our energy for more positive things and to take care of those children who are still with us.

We all will have to answer to a higher power on our judgement day. Let’s make sure that resentment, hatred, and unforgiveness in our hearts are not part of those things we will have to answer for.

Until next time, be blessed.

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