Surviving Shoulder Surgery: Preparation

On August 4, 2020August 3, 2020 By Naty MatosIn ArticlesLeave a comment

In December of last year, I hurt my shoulder. I am not one to run to the doctor quickly when something hurts so I did not give it a second thought. The issue was that the pain did not go away. My mom got sick, and I got busy Tending to her and with the appearance of COVID-19, my shoulder went into the back burner.

At the beginning of May, I had a routine appointment with my primary doctor and mentioned to her my shoulder pain and she referred me to an orthopedist. I decided it was time to address that annoying pain that I have had for six months. Long story short, they found out that I had a torn rotator cuff, arthritis and bone spurs in my shoulder and that the only solution was surgery. So as a birthday present I gave myself a new shoulder.

I had decided to do a lot of research on this surgery. A lot of the things I saw and learn made me decide that I was going to give back what I received. A lot of people made video journals of their journey through the surgery, which helped me a lot into preparing for what was to come. I had promised myself to do that, but videos are not my thing; therefore, I’m going to pay it forward in the only way I know writing. I am doing this by using one of the tools I’ve had to incorporate, since it’s harder to type with just one hand, especially when it’s not your dominant hand: Dictate on Word. Don’t worry I will do my best to check for typos. But excuse me ahead of time for any mistakes.

Preparation

I think the most important thing is to prepare before the surgery. This was my first surgery ever, so I had a lot of questions on how things were going to play out. Now I do recommend for anyone to go on YouTube and look at all the videos there in terms of rotator cuff surgery. I will share a lot of what I learned through the videos and lot of my personal experience.

Insurance

As soon as they tell you that you are going to have surgery, please call your insurance company. One of the things I learned through this process, even though I’ve been working with insurance companies for many years is that it is never too early to call your insurance for clarification of what are the requirements for your surgery. Your doctor’s office is going to call the insurance company, but do not rely on that. At the end of the day it is you who will have to pay for any mistakes, and I mean money.

One of the issues for me was, my insurance company only required me to notify them three days in advance of the surgery. However, there was an issue with the location of where the surgery was going to take place. It took six weeks to get that sorted out. If I had not started the research as soon as I heard that I was going to have surgery, my surgery would have been postponed probably by two months. Even starting early, the surgery ended up being moved to a different location and different date than originally scheduled.

There was a lot of negotiation between the insurance, the provider’s office and the facility and I had to be involved in all of that.

The other issue I faced was confusion on the benefits. I had a copay. The doctor’s office thought it was due to them. The facility said it was due to them. During my pre-op appointment, I paid the copay to the doctor thinking that it was due to the doctor. So, when the facility called me to say that I owed them money, I was confused. I had to call the insurance company and had them with me on the phone to clarify who was the money owed to. At the end of the day, yes it was to the facility, but now I had to chase the doctor’s office for a refund. I must clarify my doctor’s office was great and they processed the refund really quick. But at some point, I had less twice less money because I had to pay that copay twice until things were sorted out.

Home Preparation

It may sound crazy, but the first thing I did was try to do everything I do on a regular basis without the arm that was going to be operated on. Part of the reason I did that, is because I had to identify what things I was going to need to make my life easier once the surgery happened. Especially because I was going to be on a sling for a month. I was going to have no use of that arm for a while. Trust me, no amount of practice is enough, even if people look at you crazy you are the one who’s going to have to deal with it

For example, I realized that I would not be able to cut anything. I am right-handed and that’s the arm that was going to be operated on. I was not going to risk cutting myself by trying to cut something with my left hand. It proved to be exceedingly difficult. I could not even butter bread with my left hand because it was hard to take it out of the tub. I decided to buy squeezable butter and that was the best thing ever.

After that I also bought everything for personal hygiene in pumps:

hand soap
body wash
shampoo
conditioner
toothpaste dispenser where you can put your toothpaste on the wall just put the toothbrush underneath it and it will dispense it all of it very worth it.
Spray deodorant
Wipes-the first two days you can’t shower and in other days you just want to make sure you’re clean after using the bathroom.

Work

I work from home. I knew that I was going to return to work before I was off the sling and have my arm operational. Therefore, I had to do some practice and adjustments too to make that work.

Cordless mouse – I have the advantage that I have taught my left hand to use the mouse years ago but. With this gadget my life has been easier.
Keyboard- Through practice I understood that my keyboard was going to be an issue. Typing numbers was going to be challenging when it is on the right side of the keyboard. I was not going to buy a full keyboard for just a month. I did buy a numbers pad that I could locate on the left-hand side

Those things arrived weeks before the surgery. I was able to test their effect effectiveness into what I was trying to do and work perfectly fine.

For the first week, I was going to have someone with me all the time. At some point I knew I was going to be on my own. I bought a little plastic cabinet with three drawers just took put in the clothes that I was going to wear during this time. Again, this may sound crazy. It has really proven to be a good decision.

Clothes

Talking about clothes one of the things I learned from the videos was that you should get tops 2 size bigger than your normal size. That may sound like an exaggeration, but it is not. Although you do take the sling off to put your clothes on, since you can’t lift your arm, not just because you’re not supposed to but you literally can’t, it is hard once you get up the one sleeve to put the shirt over your head. It really hurts a lot.

Now post-surgery I’m not able to use any of my regular clothes because they won’t go through my head without hurting my shoulder. So, I’m glad I took that advice. I have a lot of sleeveless shirts, to sleep, for day use, even to go out wherever I need to go, all of them are at least one size bigger and that has made my life so much easier.

Also, pants, no buttons, no zippers just something that you can slip up and keep on walking.

Shoes have not been an issue I’ve been able to put socks and tennis shoes and sandals on without trouble.

Ladies if you have long hair, it’s going to be problematic. If there’s one thing I can’t do, is put my hair on a ponytail or a bun. I do need someone to prop my hair up every day. I can’t do that by myself and I have not found a solution.

Sleeping Arrangements

Most people on the videos that I saw bought a recliner. For the most part you’re going to be uncomfortable sleeping flat on a bed for the first a few weeks. I didn’t go with the reclining option because I have an adjustable bed and that has worked perfectly fine. Now if you don’t have either and even if you do have any of these options, you’re going to need a lot of pillows to prop yourself up, to prop your arm up during the day and at night . I have one pillow for my office to put my arm on, while I’m working. I have four pillows on my bed. Pillows are going to be your best friend during the post-surgery time.

I think I have covered everything I did too prepare for this surgery. If I remember something else, I will add it in one of the next posts, but for now I think I gave you most of the things I did prior to the surgery. The next time, I will give you the information on what I did and what happened the day off the surgery.

Be blessed!

Easter The Old Fashion Way

On April 11, 2020 By Naty MatosIn Articles, Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

In the last few weeks there’s been a lot of controversies about the closure of places of worship due to the cornonavirus situation. Most places of worship have determined on their own to move their services online. Others have challenge the recommendations for social distancing.

I was watching pastor Rick Warren, from Saddleback Chuch in California, speaking on CNN and he said some things that really resonated with the way I view this issue.

He mentioned that pastors are not only responsible for leading the sheep, but also to protect it. And he also reminded people that on the first Resurrection day, the apostles were at home, in fear and Jesus came to them, right where they were.

While they were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”
They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”
When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Luke 34:36-44

The early church didn’t have a specific building to worship. The Holy Spirit is in us and the Word says that where there’s two or more of us together in his name, He is there. And if you’re like me, where there’s no other with me, the fact that I can join an online community makes it the “two or more of us” .

Here’s an article from Bible Truths that you may enjoy about the early church gatherings.

Is it different than worshiping with our friends and family? Yes, of course. At the same time, I don’t think we should place limits on God. How many people have gotten saved just by listening to an old teaching, or watching a TV show? The power of God is not limited by distance. We have the advantage to still congregate, just through other means.

Please be wise, for yourself, your family and those around you. Our celebration this year, will look a lot like the first resurrection day. Let the light of Jesus reach us where we are.

Stay safe!

Naty

Caretaking From a Distance

On April 6, 2020 By Naty MatosIn ArticlesLeave a comment

If you think that not being able to go out is the worst part of social isolation during the Covid-19 crisis, there’s a lot you’re missing. Yes, a lot of people are struggling financially, but there’s another group that on top of all the very difficult situation are having to deal with a more painful reality, they can’t be with their loved ones in their moment of need.

Due to the high level of contagious from this virus, if you have a family member in the hospital, or any other type of medical institution, regardless of the diagnose, you’re banned from visiting your loved one. This has been a reasonable decision, but not any less difficult for the loved ones of that patient and the patient themselves.

Our current reality is that some people have died alone. Others are deteriorating just by the fact that their isolation is causing depressing feelings.

I can relate to this. My mother has been bounced between rehab and the hospital since mid-February. Originally, she had a stroke. She spent days in the hospital and moved to rehab. Few days while in rehab, she had a fever and went back to the hospital to discover she had an UTI (urinary tract infection). She went back to rehab, where she developed fever again but now with some respiratory issues. At this point, visits to rehab had been cancelled and I talking on the phone was my only way of communication. She went back to the hospital; she was tested for Covid-19 but the results took forever. She had a positive test, but she’s medically much better. The issue I’m facing now is what are the next steps? She’s not well enough to come home, not because of the virus, but because of the stroke. No rehab will accept her until she has a negative result on the test. We’re currently in limbo.

As someone with an elderly mother, I totally know how to advocate on her behalf, but this is the first time I’ve had to do it at a distance. I can relate to the feeling of powerlessness, and the fact that you truly have to trust God and the medical professionals to do their part because there. is . nothing. you. can.do.

But yes, there is, and I want to share with you some things that have kept my sanity and some illusion of control over the situation.

Call the nurses – I admit that I felt bad doing this because I know they’re overwhelmed. I’ve been lucky enough to have very sweet nurses that always encourage me to call as many times as I want. I don’t abuse it. I tend to call once on each shift for an update, that way I’m not bothering the same person.
Be prepared – Remember that your loved one is not the only person that they’re tending to. More than likely they’re also receiving several calls from family members all the time. Have your questions ready, that way you can shoot them and get off the phone as soon as you can.
Talk to the doctor – As sweet as the nurses were, they didn’t have much medical information for me. My calls to the nurses were more related to: How did she sleep? Is she eating? Is her breathing better? Is she taking her medication? (at one point she was spitting it out) My questions were more geared to the day to day welfare check. The doctor is the one making decisions, telling you what tests he ordered, what where the results. He can explain the rationale between changing or adding a particular medication to the regime. He’s the one that can give you prognosis and estimate timeliness. Be also prepared for this call, they have even less time to talk to you than the nurses.
Did I mention call? – The reason why this bears repeating is that if you wait to hear from the hospital you may be sitting there for a long time. You must do the outreach. I’m not going to say that I haven’t received unexpected calls from the hospital, but I did most of the calling to make sure that I knew what I needed to know and that I could provide as much of what I knew of my mother for them to have necessary information to adequately deal with her needs.
Be nice – We’re all stressed out. Don’t be short or inpatient with those taking care of your loved one. These people have families too and are risking their lives to take care of the one you love. Be kind, patient and thank them for their sacrifice.
Pray – That is something you can always do. Pray for your peace of mind. Pray for the health of the one you love, but don’t be stingy, also for those others who are in the hospital. God has enough to give, be generous with your prayer. Finally, for the medical health professionals and their families.

We’ll get through this. I’m realistic. I can’t promise you that we will be back to puppies and rainbows. But, did we really have puppies and rainbows before this crisis? No, we were all struggling in one way or another and making it. The same way we will make it this time. Maybe somewhat banged up, but with a better testimony that when we started.

Be safe beloved

Naty

Adventures in Snowcalypse 2017

On December 9, 2017December 9, 2017 By Naty MatosIn Articles3 Comments

Let me set the stage by explaining that although I was born in New York, I celebrated my PR2 first birthday in Puerto Rico and the following 28 as well. If you don’t know this, Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean, where snow is only seen on television. I did see snow before I moved to Atlanta. I think my most vivid memory of snow was when I was eight or nine. My brother lived in Maine by a lake. My mother and I went to ring the New Year with his family and there was snow, oh there was snow!

Anyway, fast forward to the present time, snow is a treat for me. In Georgia snows for a couple of hours and it quickly melts, but I get to see snow and even walk in it for a few minutes. Back in 2014, Atlanta had a “big” snowstorm. Now, you north snowbirds can stop laughing right now. It was big for us, so stop it! The city had a real meltdown. Cars were in the highways for days, people were stranded for hours, it was a total mess!

I’ve been fortunate that I’ve always been home when snow comes. I haven’t had to deal with traffic or other kinds of issues. I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t know how to drive in the snow, therefore I leave the deed to the professionals.

snow1 Meteorology in Atlanta is a game of Russian roulette. They will tell you that it will rain, and you find yourself with a pretty sunny day. They tell you that it will be beautiful outside, and you get soaked. So, when I saw that the forecast was announcing snow mixed with rain, I figured I would see a few paper towel dust flurries, rain and move on. To my surprise it started snowing. I ran outside to take a video of it to make sure that I captured the few flurries that were to come.

An hour went by and it started snowing; really snowing. That’s when I realized this one was for real. (Again folks, stop laughing). I was working from home, so I opened all my windows wide and enjoyed the scenery while working. snow2

The first thing that should have clued me that this was not like other times, was that when my dog tried to go out for her morning bathroom break, she seemed to be ice skating on the deck. I told a friend that I was going to take my lunch break to go to the store and get a few things. He asked me if I was planning to walk to the store. (He’s a comedian) When I stopped laughing, he asked me if my car was a four-wheel drive, that was a no as well. He recommended that I stay home unless it was an emergency; and it wasn’t. After work, because I’m a big girl, I got bundled up and decided that if I drove very slow I could make it to the store, get my wants (because there were no needs) and come back. I opened the garage door and proceeded to try to get the car out.

I must clarify that even my realtor and his lovely wife described my driveway as a launching pad because it’s a steep hill. I finally got the car out of the garage and it started sliding in the ice, not something I’m used to. I have very good news, the breaks on my car are perfectly fine. I, still stubborn, tried to get the car a little lower on the driveway. The car was still dancing in the snow3 ice. This is where a little bit of anxiety kicked in, forget the store, will I be able to get the car back up? I opened the garage door that was now closed. Between the gas pedal and my very good breaks, I was able to get the car back up the hill. I closed the garage door and said to myself, “You know what? I really didn’t want hot cocoa after all, what I really want is some tea and I have plenty inside”

A few hours later, looking out my kitchen window, the neighbor’s kids were building a snowman. I smiled and contemplated the idea of making a snowman until I remembered that required getting dressed and being out in the cold. I decided that watching the kids do it was more enjoyable at this point.

Finally, I woke up this morning with snow still falling hard. It is beautiful to see all the white fresh fallen snow on my yard and the streets. I’m writing this from my bed, my dog is curled up in her bed snoring. This is how snow days should be spent.

snow5

I still pray for those who lost power and those who’ve had no choice but to be out on the streets.

Ok, laugh now as much as you want! 🙂

Stay safe and warm

Naty

Perspective: Dallas Shooting

On July 12, 2016July 11, 2016 By Naty MatosIn ArticlesLeave a comment

dallas

I was on the phone with my mother, with the news on the background, when they started talking about the Dallas shooting. It was a confusing situation. During a protest by Black Lives Matter and other organizations, a shooting broke out. 12 people were shot, 5 of them died the rest wounded. 11 of them were police officers and 1 civilian.

This was a significant incident given that the protest was against police brutality and the target of this shootings was the police. At the beginning it was thought that there were multiple shooters, but at the end it was found that it was just one well trained one.

You can find bad apples in every bucket, that doesn’t mean that all the apples in the bucket are rotten. I can remember every interaction with the police that I’ve had. I don’t have a particular bad experience to recount. But I know that’s not everyone’s experience. I have been stopped for no reason to ask for my identification, but it has never developed into a situation. They take the information, they verify and I go my merry way. So I can’t relate to those who have had bad experiences, but I do know that they happen and they are real.

However, the majority of police officers go into this line of work for one reason, and one reason only: to serve. Every day and night they risk their lives to ensure a safe society. Do they need better training? Yes. Do they need better pay? Yes. Are there some that shouldn’t be on the force? Yes. But just like we don’t want racial, socieconomical and gender generalizations, we shouldn’t do it for the brothers in blue.

police 2

The story that really encompassed what happened that night was told by one of the protesters. He recounts that he was running when he heard the shots. A police officer pushed him out of the way to safety. At that same moment that cop was shot and was one of the casualties. John 15:13 tells us “
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” That’s exactly what this officer did and many do every day.

It’s ok to make callouts to justice. It’s not only proper, but a legal right. But we should hold accountable those bad apples instead of harming all the good apples that are working very hard for us.

Food for thought.

Perspective: Philando Castile

On July 10, 2016July 11, 2016 By Naty MatosIn Articles2 Comments

philando

I was listening to the news while watching my twitter feed. Someone posted the link to Diamond Reynolds live stream. She had ended the stream probably 30 minutes prior. This video is very raw and disturbing. Philando Castile, his girlfriend Diamond Reynolds and her 4-year-old were detained by police, and during that traffic stop Philando was shot by the police. Diamond starts live streaming the situation on Facebook. She’s asked to get out of the car, handcuffed and placed in the back of the police car. I watched this video holding my chest in disbelief until her daughter tells her “It’s OK mom, I’m here with you”. I totally lost it. I could not stop crying.

At that point I figured that Philando was on his way to the hospital, so I started praying for the Lord to be with him. I kept trying to find updates online to see if he had made it. It was a long night. At some point I fell asleep of exhaustion. A few hours later, I woke up looking for an update. Philando was dead. But there was a new concern, nobody knew where Diamond and her daughter were once taken into police custody.

The phone number for the Police Department was blasted all over social media. People from everywhere were calling inquiring about her. It was a moment of unity. I had several conversations with people on social media trying to create a line of communication updating each other on any new piece of information we could find. From the pictures on their twitter profiles, there were people from every background trying to make sure that Diamond and her daughter were OK. Total strangers for one moment united looking out for the well-being of one of us, another human being. We need to extend those moments. At some point, in the morning, a friend of hers posted on Facebook that she had been found and we all breathed a little easier.

When I was a child, we used to place firecrackers on our neighbors fences. We would open the little string and take some of the powder off to act as a timer. The idea was that when the firecracker went off we would not be there, so we wouldn’t be found as the culprit. I think this firecracker had been lit for a while and this incident was the one that finally blew it.

I’ve tried to place myself in this woman’s shoes and I don’t know what my reaction would have been. I think that my reaction would have been to tender to him and that could have resulted in my own demise. I don’t think I would have had the presence of mind to get my phone and start recording.

From everyone who knew Philando, that has spoken, he was a great guy. He worked at a Montessori school in the cafeteria. They say that he was a role model to the kids and well loved. It sounds like his passing was a true loss to the community.

philando kids

My biggest heartache is that child. That baby could have been shot in the crossfire. That baby can’t unsee what she saw. We don’t know how this will affect her in the future. If this was an intense experience for people watching the video, can you imagine what this does to the young mind of a 4-year-old?

Different things have been brought up. The ones that have been confirmed are that he didn’t have a criminal record, but tons of traffic related violations. He did have a gun and a permit for it. There has been the speculation that he didn’t have a permit because none were found in his county of residence. Apparently he obtained it in a different county. At the end of the day none of this matters, he didn’t deserve to die.

As I said yesterday, aside from the child, the eagerness to find something to say negative about him has been appalling. The attempt to justify that his life somehow was not important. I think as human beings we need to recognize that those feelings don’t come from godly places.

This one is a complicated one, there’s so many things that went wrong in the heat of emotions. Listing them is not important, but creating consciousness of what matters now.

We need to stop devaluing life. We are our brother’s keeper. We need to keep reminding ourselves that our brother and sister is Every. Single. Person around us. We all get hungry. We all get sad. We all get sick. Our blood is red for all. And it was with blood that we were bought. Blood was the prize that Jesus paid for our redemption. When things like this happen we need to embrace each other.

peace Remember that regardless of the circumstances, there are immediately two families destroyed that had NOTHING to do with the incident; the shooter’s family and the family of the one who was shot. Let cool heads prevail. Let’s pray for the families that are going through the worst time of their lives. Let’s embrace each other instead of fighting each other over the smallest detail. It’s time to mourn together as the human race, because we have lost plenty in the last few days.

Be blessed.

Perspective: Alton Sterling

On July 9, 2016July 9, 2016 By Naty MatosIn Articles4 Comments

As promised this is my first post on my perspective series. I’m trying not only to voice some of my feelings, but also some of my concerns with the current events in our country. I’m going to try to do this in the chronological order of the events.

The first incident (this time) was the death of Alton Sterling in Baton Rouge, LA. A homeless man called 911 stating that Mr.Sterling had threatened him with a gun. The police came to check the situation and he was shot to death during the exchange.

I became aware of this incident by the time the second video came out. That second video was the first one I saw. Without more details I couldn’t understand why this man was shot. In the video that I saw, I saw him pinned to the ground by two police officers. One policeman had his legs, the other one was pointing a gun to his head and all of the sudden he received multiple shots to his chest. I know some people say that he was moving his hand, that his hand was moving towards the cop’s gun or could have been interpreted that he was going for the gun that he had in his possession. I don’t argue with what others saw. I didn’t’ see that. But that’s not for me to determined. The justice system is working on that and more details will come and provide more insight on this issue.

What hurts my heart about this incident has been the anger and reaction towards Mr. Sterling as a person. Comments like “he’s not an angel” and “he’s a sex offender” are thrown as if he deserved to die. From my perspective a lie and a murder are equal in the eyes of God. So any sin that I’ve committed in my life is not better or worse than any shortcomings that Mr. Sterling could have. In moments like this we need to remember Romans 3:23

romans 3

I don’t know if the death penalty is legal in the state of Louisiana, but to my knowledge there are no sexual offenses that qualify for the death penalty legally speaking. Even, if so, as a society we have a process, a justice system that includes several steps to determine such things.

Mr. Sterling was a registered sex offender. He spent 4 years in jail for his offense. If you stop right here, you have already painted a picture of this man. But then you hear what the “victim” of his offense had to say; things are not so black and white. The mother of his son went on television to explain that she was in a relationship with Alton Sterling when she was 15 years old. Alton Sterling was 19-20 years old at the time. In the process of their relationship she became pregnant therefore he was accused of statutory rape and registered as a sex offender. I think in perspective the picture changes. The same lady stated that he was a good and present father for all his five kids and had a decent relationship with the mothers of his children.

Alton Sterling owed money for child support. If you stop right here, you can assume that he was irresponsible. Our reality as a society is that most convicts pay the consequences of their transgressions for a lifetime. Once they come out of jail, it is very hard for them to find a stable job due to their criminal record. So even when they have paid their debt to society, we continue to punish them beyond the term that the law saw fit for their punishment. Even with an education, it would have been very hard for him to find a well-paying job that could provide appropriately for his family. I’m not sure that he would qualify for a license to open his own business due to the same reasons.

The encounter with the police was not related to any of his past transgressions. When we say “but he did, but he was” we are providing a justification for his death. We are telling ourselves that it’s OK for him to not be alive because he wasn’t up to whatever standard we have placed on him and that’s not OK.

I saw his oldest son sobbing on television. It was a very sad thing. That son is 15 years. He and his siblings will not have a father to grow up with. Regardless of any past or current actions of Alton Sterling, he was a human being. He was a father, a son and a friend.

My prayer is that the community gathers around his family not only for support during this time of mourning, but for the kids in the future. My hope and prayer is that those around those kids step up to be inspirational figures so that they can become productive citizens.

Most of all, I want to make sure that we stop to think that a human being is dead and that a family is in mourning.

Blessings.

rest

I want to stress that my writings are my own. Those are my opinions, views and perspective and they do not reflect the views of my employers or any organization that I belong to. I also plan to not censor comments on these posts. I really never do, but I do require pre-authorization because I do not allow profanity, hate speech, or insults to me or other posters. Any comment with that content will be deleted. Disagreements in a civil way are more than welcome.

Perspective

On July 9, 2016 By Naty MatosIn Articles, Inspirational Thoughts1 Comment

For the last couple of months I’ve been silent. I know I’ve told most of my readers that I’m working on getting back to writing, but that I’ve been reading for a while, which is true. Something has changed in me. It’s not the desire to write, but somehow I can’t get butt in chair to get it going. The events of the last few months have really troubled me and I’ve still been quiet, not out of not wanting to ruffle feathers or concerned with opinions. Those who know me know that I can speak my mind. I just couldn’t do it.

I think I’ve grown. When I started writing seriously back in 2008, I said that part of the reason I was starting this blog was to share my perspective on things. I wanted to share the truths that God had revealed in my life. The things I’ve learned. I did so nonstop for several years. I also wrote some pieces of fiction that you have enjoyed and I did too. Ministry called me to work and my time to sit and write was not there, so I entered into a semi hiatus in which I reached out to check on all of you from time to time. Once that season was over, I couldn’t get back in rhythm and I think it was because I was trying to force myself to go back to finish those fiction projects that I have not yet completed.

This morning I woke up with a heart full. I’m full from all the events of the last days. I want to write about it. I want to write about my pain and my heart for what’s going on. When I started writing fiction it was in part because there were certain events in my life that I wanted to share on an indirect level. Every author tends to do that. But I know that when I’m most passionate is when I speak from my heart. So to my novel lovers, they will come…but for a while I think I need to stick to my blog and some nonfiction ideas that are burning in my heart.

I’m going to start a series called Perspective: In this series I’m going to talk specific about : Alton Sterling, Philando Castile, Dallas Police Shooting, Racial Bias, Election 2016, Social Media in Current Events and other topics as they come along. Yes they are hot topics, but these are conversations that need to happen.

Expect the first one of these later today.

Let’s get the conversation started.

Are we celebrating the REAL Christmas?

On December 7, 2015 By Naty MatosIn Articles, Inspirational Thoughts2 Comments

The last 48 hours have been quite funny and sad at the same time. For the last 6 years I had stopped celebrating Christmas. I got divorced 6 years ago. I live alone with my dog and felt that there was no reason for me to put decorations or cook a big meal because I didn’t have anyone to share it with. Yes, I’ve gotten invitations from family and church family members, but it didn’t feel the same.

This year I got really down during Thanksgiving for the same reason. One of my brother’s in Christ saw me the Monday after and I told him how I was feeling. He told me to decorate my place and invite him and his wife over for dinner. Although I appreciate their gesture; something didn’t set well with me.

The next Sunday, visiting a friend’s church, they were talking about the meaning of Christmas. The pastor was talking about the time when Mary was visited by the angel. We all know the story, the angel told her she was going to fulfill the prophecy, have a virgin birth. She basically said let God’s will be done. Joseph wasn’t happy, but another angel came and told him this is from God and he went OK. He married Mary and off they went to Bethlehem and had the baby.

Was it that easy? I’m not a parent. Your 14 year old comes home and says she’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Think about it, I’ll wait. Your virgin fiance tells you that she’s pregnant by the Holy Spirit. I’ll give you a chance to digest that. You are minding your business cleaning the house and an angel shows up and tells you that you are going to be carrying God’s child.

The faith and obedience that Joseph and Mary had to believe God’s plan against what the world was in those times and it’s right now, most of us wouldn’t pass that test.

It got me thinking, what are we really celebrating? Everyone knows that Jesus was not born on December 25^th, but that as a society we picked that day to celebrate his birthday. Are we really? Our Christmas celebrations have become about us and not about Jesus, even for those of us who go to church.

TwasChaos-640x400

I’m sure many will think I’m the Grinch and I’ve come to terms with that. Our traditional Christmas celebration is usually to decorate the house, a tree, and have lots of food. I’ve heard that Christmas is about gathering the family together. I didn’t read that during the story of Christ’s birth, but here we go. And of course we need presents, lots of them, especially for the kids, because we need to make it special for them. So we go to church, and pray before the meal and read under the Christmas tree the story of the birth… Being the good Christians that we are,”right”?

I think we’re wrong.

If we’re going to celebrate the birth of our Lord, shouldn’t we be giving gifts to him? Shouldn’t this be a day of service to others as an offering to him instead of serving ourselves? Naty, what the idea of getting together with the family? You can do that any time of the year. Actually why are you waiting for Christmas to tell anyone you love them? That sweater or new TV is going to be the same sweater or TV March 13th as it is on December 25^th. Save that gift for that person’s birthday.

Naty, what about the kids? What about starting to teach our children the true meaning of Christmas so that they don’t stumble through the same paths that we have?

We get hung up on coffee cups (which I know it was a hoax). We say we need to put Christ back in Christmas, when our celebrations don’t put Christ in Christmas.

As I was thinking about this post I realized that the majority of us actually partake in the 7 deadly sins even while celebrating that God sent his only son to save us from hell. Naty you are exaggerating! Am I?

Gluttony- I don’t even have to explain that.

Anger- It’s a joke already about the fights that happen when the family gets together.

Lust-Remember lust is not only about sex, but about things and pleasures that have nothing to do with God.

Envy-Wait, why is their gift better than mine?

Pride- I’m not inviting/calling XYZ, You remember what s/he did to 7-Deadly-Sins me? Or, I have to make sure my outfit is perfect for the next Christmas party.

Sloth-This one comes right after the gluttony attack.

Greed-It’s the season to “give” but I’m expecting to receive too.

We already received our Christmas present. It is JESUS, is he not enough?

That was my revelation. I realized that when I was married, I still didn’t have a big family. It was usually my husband, my mom and I. But I used to invite anyone who didn’t have a place to celebrate to my house. I was sad out of my selfishness because I had forgotten who my real brothers and sister’s really were. I had bought into the lie of the traditional Christmas. And as I try to get closer to God I’m no longer afraid to be criticized for not following the world but for following Christ.

I think this is the real gift, anyone who says that they love the Lord should give to Jesus on December 25^th. Ironically this is in Matthew 25:34-40

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’

“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

I challenge you to celebrate the true nature of Christmas. From this year forward, I know I will.

Merry Christmas

The Rising Muse Mid-Year Review 2015

On July 20, 2015 By Naty MatosIn Articles, Fun1 Comment

mid year review

As always I like to make an inventory of how things are going usually around my birthday and the end of the year. God planned those very well because they’re exactly 6 months apart. I know I haven’t been writing as often as I used to. The funny thing is that I think about posts I want to write all the time, but the butt to chair connection hasn’t happened. The year started with great news, I was moving into a new 9-5 that would allow me more breathing time to write and do other things.

At the beginning of that transition I decided to take some time off. My last 9-5 had left my brain cells quite fried and I needed to take time for myself. After resting a little, I decided to catch up with some life things that had been left behind. Do we ever catch up with life? I don’t think so.

I was able to finish the first draft of “Saving Paola” earlier in CLR February, but it’s sitting there waiting for a second review. I’ll get to it…lol. God has been pressing in my heart some things. I had been entrusted with a ministry back in 2013 and just like newborn babies; they require more attention than grown up children. As a new “mom” I was trying to figure out what to do. God never calls the equipped but equips the called and let’s say that boot camp is his form of training. I say this to say that although I was tending to this baby ministry in autopilot for the last year, now that I had the opportunity to give it some time and dedication, it became my priority.

It’s been an exciting process. I’m learning and doing things that I would not have imagined in my wildest dreams. I recently had to move residence, which I’m sure most of you know how pleasant that experience is. I like the new place. It’s a lot smaller but I know that it is exactly what I need. One of my goals is to learn to live a simple life. We have so much junk that we don’t need or use and I don’t think that’s good stewardship.

moving Right now I’m living out of boxes still trying to decide what to keep and what needs to go. It’s going to be a journey. But I think of you, my readers, a lot. I miss interacting with you and letting you know about all the things that I’m learning about how to live this life that has chosen us with Christ. So forgive my selfishness.

I was reminded yesterday how big writing is a part of my life is and the part that plays in my calling. Ironically, because there are no coincidences in God’s kingdom I ran into someone this morning that had found this page and told me how it had meant something to them. So here I am. No promises on frequency, I have a lot on my plate right now, but with the commitment to not let this much time go by.

Be blessed.

Naty procrastination