Tag: Jesus

Careful when praying for light

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts4 Comments

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.

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Satan and the Hot Stove

On By Naty MatosIn Writing HappeningsLeave a comment

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!Staci Stallings New Headshot 1

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 clip_image002life 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.

Living our life with purpose

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

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.

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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

Towdah: A Cancer Survivor’s Song of Hope

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts1 Comment

By Sheryl Holmes

“Jumping up and jumping down, screaming NO(!) inside my heart,…atoms crashing one by one, frozen in the moment; releasing — rushing — over the cliff…. Let this not be true oh God, Let this not be true!”
These are excerpts of word phrases from the lyrics of a song I wrote in attempt to describe the nauseating and shocking state of being when I was given the diagnosis of cancer.
Universal to all are the emotions and the bewilderment.  The anger and the fear.  Is there anyone who does not shake their fist at God for a moment and demand to know, “WHY ME?”  I sure did.  Even after following the Lord for twenty-plus years, I stood indignant before God.
Weeping an gnashing my teeth, I drooled on my pillow as I bit it in frustration — silently wailing and heaving.  Voiceless cries filled the night.  I wrestled with God.
In the morning, I was weary; weariness gave up the weeping and the gnashing and the cries. Through the gentle reminder of a friend, came my answer to my prideful questioning of the Lord.  I was asking the wrong question….not “why me?” — but I should’ve been asking “Why not me.”
Jesus had already done everything for me — “…while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8b
“Towdah: A Cancer Survivor’s Song of Hope” is my book.  It is filled with hard questions like, “Why Me?” — “Is Salvation enough?” — “Would God stand by me? — by His promises? — Would He spare me of stage three cancer?” — “Am I going to die?”  I weave these hard grappling’s throughout my book and sprinkle in childhood reminiscing, humor, and poignant studies on life as I have experienced it as a home schooling mother of nine children and a wife of 27 years.
Treatment was harsh and my body produced every side effect that was predicted: mouth sores, fevers, aches in the joints and muscles, nerve issues that even plagued me today 24/7.  Radiation annihilated my feminine parts and forced me right through menopause reeking havoc on my relationship with my husband.
Yet, God’s mercy came in abundance.  His grace and compassion came in various forms of support.
Treatment ended.  My cancer is nonexistent at this time.  One year out of treatment I struggle with what I am calling the second phase of recovery: grieving loss.  I have been internalizing my losses – loss of who I was before I had cancer.  I am not the same person physically, emotionally, or spiritually.  I have a “new normal” and I do not really  like it… depression lurks in the doorway of my life.
So where do I  go now?
In the scriptures, Paul tells us:  “Whatever was to my profit, I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.  What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord….”   My profits, who I was and what I had accomplished before are now lost.  But, in giving the old me up, I am able to draw closer to my Lord and rely on Him for filling my losses with the gains of knowing Him deeper and deeper. The eyes of my heart have been opened.  My reaction is thanksgiving and praise for who God is.  I look to see His grace poured into my day — every day.  He IS there!  I call these God Sparkles and I share them often on my Face Book page and in my blog writings.
Fellow survivor of this difficult life – come join me in resting in HOPE; no matter your circumstance there is always a song of hope to sing!  Check me out at: alwaysasongofhope.com — signup to receive my blog postings and LIKE me!
I also have been nominated on Yahoo’s online magazine as “A Woman Who Shines” — please vote for me by Oct 26th at:bit.ly/SherylHolmes and I will have the chance at winning a sweet prize and have a featured  article spot in their magazine(!).


My book:  “Towdah: A Cancer Survivor’s Song of Hope” is available on Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble online for a mere $3.99 for ebook and $9.99 for paperbacks.  Though my story is of my battle with cancer, it has a universal message of striving and persevering in HOPE through the pains and agony of life and all the trials we face in this world.
May Grace and Peace abound to dear reader friend.  What God has done for me — He will do for you in a way that is unique to your being and life.
He’s just THAT kind of God!

Spiritual Abuse

On By Naty MatosIn Articles5 Comments
I wrote this post last year during Domestic Violence Awareness Month and thought it was worth reminding ourselves that this does exist and it’s something we should be aware of.  Be blessed!

Researching information for this month’s articles I ran into something, that yes, I’ve seen but it had not clicked in my mind when I thought about abuse and it’s the term “spiritual abuse” in a relationship. This relates to when a spouse uses God to control or manipulate the other spouse with the Word of God or an alleged spiritual gift or “power”

These abusers use their spouses faith and a legalistic vision of the Word of God to manipulate, control and undermine their spouses. With this behavior the enforced their authority and the victim submits to avoid consequences not only with their perpetrator but with their higher power, as they believe this is coming from God himself.

The fact that the victims are being abused will make them be more submitted as they think that they must be doing something wrong, as they continue to be criticized or chastised by their abuser. On the other hand this can hinder their faith as they would have trouble understanding why God would allow them to live in such conditions, when it’s not God, it’s the other person’s free will that is attacking them.

Jeremiah 23:16 says “This is what the LORD Almighty says: “Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.” But if this is your husband or boyfriend, how can you tell?

  • Study the Word yourself.
  • If your spirit says something is not right, it probably isn’t. Look it up before you agree to do something.
  • Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for clear direction.
  • Read the Word in context and not singling out scriptures. Sometimes just reading a few more sentences can bring clarity to the context.
  • In doubt, research. Sometimes just reading different versions of the same scripture will bring clarity to our notions.
  • Talk to other Christians (be careful about this one, you don’t want someone who is misguided as well)

If you want to identify a potential spiritual abuser, read Matthew 23:1-39 ESV Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long”

Be safe!

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We Will Never Forget!!!

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

As we honor and keep in prayer those who’s lives were most greatly affected by this horrific tragedy, that ultimately pulled our country together as one UNITED nation…..

Lamentations 3:20-23
I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.(NIV)

Growth Lessons  http://ow.ly/deZC1

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

FINDING YOUR WAY OUT OF A DARK ALLEY

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

by Lillian Duncan

James 4: 8

Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.

We humans are not necessarily the smartest of God’s creations even though we think we are! We seem to go out of our way to hurt ourselves in so many different creative ways. At one time or another most of us end up in a dark alley of our own making through our own bad choices and actions. And sometimes other people put us in those alleys or at least lead the way.

It always seems so dark and so lonely there, but God never abandons us—it only feels that way sometimes.

And that’s what I want readers to take away after reading DARK ALLEYS. No matter what we’ve done, God never stops loving us. He is always there waiting for us to ask for His help. In James 4: 8 it says, Draw close to God, and God will draw close to you.”

To me that means, God is always there waiting for us to come to HIM.

One of my favorite verses is Jeremiah 29: 14, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and will bring you back from captivity. Another way of saying draw close to God and God will draw close to you. Of course, His help may not come in the form we want or expect, but then again His ways are higher than our ways.

The important thing to remember is that God loves us and he won’t abandon us.

My latest book, DARK ALLEYS is a story about a woman who ends up homeless and alone in a dark alley on a cold winter night. She witnesses a murder while in a drunken stupor and almost becomes his second victim. She awakens in the hospital with no clear memory of how she was injured. She attempts to put her life back together but, of course, the murderer has other plans.

I wanted to write a story where the main character was the queen of underdogs and I think I succeeded. Tessa is a mess, just like the rest of us. She could give up and no one could blame her, but she doesn’t. She keeps going—putting one step in front of the other.

And some days that’s all any of us can do.

Those are the days we need to keep our eyes focused on Jesus.

And one step at a time He will lead out of that dark alley and into His light.

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ABOUT DARK ALLEYS: Being innocent and proving it are two different things, especially when a powerful politician is involved

Tessa’s life spiraled out of control after the death of her only child, and she finds herself in a dark alley on a cold wintry night. After she witnesses a murder, she almost becomes his second victim, but manages to escape—just barely.

Homeless and alone, she knows the authorities won’t believe someone like her, leaving her only one option—to run.

Lillian Duncanwrites stories of faith mingled with murder & mayhem. She writes the type of books she loves to read—suspense with a touch of romance. Whether as an educator, a writer, or a speech pathologist, she believes in the power of words to transform lives, especially God’s Word.

To learn more about Lillian and her books, visit: www.lillianduncan.net. She also has a devotional blog at: www.PowerUpWithGod.com

Places in the Body of Christ

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts1 Comment

I ran into this scripture the other day and let out a chuckle. Not because it’s funny but because we all know someone who needs to be reminded of this part of the bible.  Have you ever ran into someone who says, but I’m (insert churchy title and their name)? My thought is always, is that the name your Momma gave you? So let’s go ahead and make sure that we are all reminded.

Romans 12:3

[Humble Service in the Body of Christ] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.

As leaders in the body of Christ we have to remember that we should be the first ones to be of service and not to be served. That the leadership position is just a call to serve and it’s really more responsibility than prestige. A title given to organize our responsibilities doesn’t give us status. Jesus being God humble himself washing the feet of his disciples.

Jesus said in Matthew 23:1-13  “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat.  So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. They tie up heavy, cumbersome loads and put them on other people’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

 “Everything they do is done for people to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted with respect in the marketplaces and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by others.

 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. And do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. Nor are you to be called instructors, for you have one Instructor, the Messiah. The greatest among you will be your servant. For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”

Yes, we are to respect, follow and honor our leaders. But for those of us who are leaders, we need to remember that we are all part of the body and nobody is more important in the eyes of God than other.

Until next time, Be Blessed.

clip_image002“Aimee is a constant positive influence in Desiree’s life, gently demonstrating God’s love and mercy. ”Mary Anne Benedetto

“Very well written. ”Emme

“I would recommend The Road Home to any romantic, any lover of books, anyone struggling with forgiveness, anyone. ”Cynthia

Keeping the Sabbath

On By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

“Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work,10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Exodus 20:8

In the passage above we read that we are supposed to rest. Our modern life goes totally against this principle. When God created the world including humanity everything worked inside a principle of balance.

Do you remember that ecosystem science project in school? You needed certain elements for everything to function properly. The same way our lives were designed to work, to have fun but also to rest. The Word of God doesn’t call us to exhaust ourselves and wait for a week vacation once in a while to recuperate, it says that out of every seven days we need one to rest.

Society works against this principle. Our “days off” are usually the weekends, and what do we do with those? Some people work, some people spend both days running errands, doing housework. And like a good friend of mine would say, How is that working for you? How is your body functioning on little rest? How is your relationship with God when your mind is cluttered with business? How is your relationship with those around you when they don’t have down time with you?

Like I said before, everything in God’s perfect plan has an order and a purpose, so aside from obedience conserving the Sabbath is about the balance in our lives to fulfill God’s purpose.

Be blessed

If you want to read about some of my own life lessons in my walk with Christ, check out my book 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

Man on Purpose

On By Naty MatosIn Articles1 Comment

As a woman I can only write from the women’s perspective, but today I have a treat for all my brother’s in Christ, especially those in the state of Georgia. Today we have Richard Rice here with us to discuss his event Man on Purpose.

Richard, welcome to The Rising Muse. Tell us what is “Man on Purpose”?

Man On Purpose is a Ministry created to empower men to become the man postcard-4inx6in-h-frontGod has created us to be with purpose, on purpose. To help men see their greater potential and become intentional on finding that purpose God has for them. Society has taken man created in God’s image and transformed him into a lesser than version, watered down with little or no substance. We have let society tell us what a man is supposed to look like and be like instead of diving into God’s word and finding the answers.

Man On Purpose is all about change. Change in ourselves and then making right what we have let society do to us and the world around us. We are supposed to be new creations in Christ. Man On Purpose is to help men become just that. We have to learn to deal with whatever it is that is hindering us in receiving the fullness of what God has for us.

Man On Purpose is a vision given to me on Saturday morning, April 18, 2012. I received the name of the ministry as well as what to teach about and a page full of ideas. Shortly after that day is when I was told that I have to do an event with the teaching I prepared out of my John Maxwell Certification.

Very interesting and so necessary. I know you have the first event for this ministry coming up. Tell us about it. 

The event is on: August 4, 2012 8:00 am – 1:00 pm World Outreach Church for all Nations 1294 Braselton Highway Lawrenceville, GA 30043

This event is the first of many to come. I will be teaching on The 15 Laws of Personal Growth. This is a teaching geared to help men see themselves in a different light; to help them grow and develop so they can receive what God has for them. We will also be talking about accountability. Accountability is very important in any kind of growth situation. We need to be held accountable for what we do or are not doing, that’s how we can grow. There will be praise and worship as well as prayer time. The goal by the end is to break into groups and men sharing something they have hidden in the dark and bring it into the light. The Man On Purpose event is based on Jeremiah 29:11, 2 Corinthians 5:17, and James 5:16.

If out brothers in Christ would like to know more about this ministry or contact you, where can they do that?

Our website is : www.amanonpurpose.net

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Man-on-Purpose/396676617030072

TWITTER: @amanonpurpose

I can be reached by phone at: 678.522.4170

Who is Richard Rice?

BIOPICRichard Rice is the founder of MAN ON PURPOSE. This ministry was birthed out of a desire to help men become the man they are intended to be with purpose, on purpose.

Richard surrendered his life to Christ in September 2005 and he got baptized in 2006. Searching for men in the church to help him in his walk, he found very little help. What he did find were men that needed the same kind of help he did. In 2007 Richard and Carrie dove into wanting to help others and they became part of the Mercy Team serving in downtown Atlanta ministering to the last, the lost, and the least; namely the homeless.

In 2009 Richard and his wife Carrie helped start a ministry in their church called Celebrate Recovery, during this time Richard was able to come face to face with a lot of his issues and overcome many of the hurts, habits, and hang ups. Through this process of growth and obedience God was able to give me the vision of Man On Purpose on April 18, 2012.
Through MAN ON PURPOSE it is Richard’s hope that he can challenge men to live an intentional life on fire for God.

Richard has been married for 6 years this month and has 7 children. Carrie, his wife came into this marriage with 4 children. Morgan 23, Trey 22, Nathan 19, and Joshua 17. Richard has 2 children from his previous marriage.  Christian 20 and Darijan 15. From another relationship Richard also has Stefen 10.