The puzzle of life

On September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 By Naty MatosIn Articles, Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

I really do not believe in coincidences. I do believe in a masterplan, which is like a puzzle with many pieces that need to fall into place for the complete picture to come together. Here are some of the issues we face when we are trying to complete the puzzle.

Too many pieces

When we look at all the things that we are juggling we become overwhelmed. How is this going to happen? How is that going to happen? It can be overwhelming. But just like a puzzle, you can only put one piece at a time together. The same way, start with the corners. In real life, the corners are those small tasks that make it easy to check off our lists. It will give us a sense of accomplishment to have something done.

I am currently helping homeschool one of my nephews. It is a lot of material that I must review every week to make sure that he has all the lessons he needs to complete. It is also a lot to review afterwards. I made a spreadsheet. That is my way of organizing my pending tasks. I have all the subjects we need to cover with the dates that we will be working. Every week I go cell by cell of that spreadsheet, adding each task that he needs to complete per subject. If it gets to be too much, I do something else and come back to it.

I printed all the worksheets and literature that he will be reviewing this semester and it is in piles in my office. Once I schedule on my spreadsheet the tasks for the week, I go to my piles and pull out those sheets, then I put them in a binder for him.

If I were just looking at the piles of work that needed to be completed, I promise you that I would freeze and get nothing done.

It does not fit

Many puzzle pieces look alike, and we do not understand why this one is not fitting in place. We can be exceptionally good at trying to get a square peg in a round hole and get frustrated of why is not working. When something is not working, it is time to take a step back. Are you trying to do something that is not beneficial to you? Are you trying to go about something the wrong way? Are you trying to take a shortcut when the only way to get to the goal is by following the steps? Stop, see what you are doing and why are you doing it? Be honest with yourself. Talk to someone you trust about this roadblock. Sometimes another set of eyes can help you see where that piece fits, or if that puzzle piece is not part of your picture at all.

I have tried several business ventures. Aside from writing, I would like to be an entrepreneur, but not all business models are right for me. They do not fit my schedule, my personality and/or my values. I have had to take inventory when things are not working and realize that is not lack of dedication or motivation. This one is not for me. That is ok, not everything is for everyone.

Communicating, writing, interacting with people, that, is my gift. Selling products is not.

It is taking too long

I complete puzzles every day for fun. I do it on a mobile app. The game allows you to do as many pieces as you want. The same puzzle can be divided from 36 to 400 pieces, your choice. My usual setting is 144. The smaller numbers are too easy and boring. The larger numbers take me too long, usually more than one day and I want to see at least one complete puzzle a day. But the game has events that include puzzles of all sizes, you cannot customize those. I am not going to lie; I live the 400 pieces one for the end. It takes too long! But if I do not complete it, I cannot complete the event and get my reward.

The same happens to our daily life. The constant pressure can be paralyzing and give you the desire to give up. Sometimes it is ok to take a break and then come back to the task. Giving up is not a choice if you want the reward. Stopping and restarting is not failure, not continue to try is. Of course, that is if it is not something harmful that you need to stop altogether.

I hope this motivates you to go on today.

Blessings

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A moment at a time

On August 31, 2023August 31, 2023 By Naty MatosIn Inspirational ThoughtsLeave a comment

Are you having a rough day today? I know we’re all going through something. Don’t allow anyone to minimize how you feel. Yes, sometimes looking around and realizing that there’s people around us whose misfortune looks a lot more severe helps us put our problems in perspective. That doesn’t make your problems any less real or important.

Phrases like:

Those words, even if you believe them, do not bring immediate comfort to your anxiety. You think, how can I see that it will be ok, when I can’t get past right now. The great thing about faith and history is that they can reframe our anxiety.

Stop to think, when have you been in a similar situation and how it was resolved. Did God come through for you? I’m sure he did. Because even when the answer to your prayer may have been “No”, with time you have come to realize that it was best for you. Faith is the ability to trust what we don’t see. Are you able?

Amid storms, it’s hard some time to step out of the boat and walk on water. It’s sometimes even hard to breathe.

Let me tell you a story of something that happened to me some years ago. I honestly can’t remember why I was anxious that day. I had a lot going on, but I do know how I got through that day and made it.

There’s a portion of the extended serenity prayer that says: “Living one day at a time, enjoying one moment at a time”. That day I focused on that verse. I remember I was on my way to work when I became overwhelmed with anxiety due to whatever circumstances I was dealing with. I told myself that there was nothing I could do while sitting in my car. I decided to focus on driving.

Photo by Aayush Srivastava on Pexels.com

It was the morning rush, so you can imagine the amount of traffic I was facing. Sometimes when my anxiety levels are very high, I can’t even listen to music; any noise annoys me. In other occasions, is the opposite, I start playing music and sing very loud. I don’t care if I’m ridiculously dancing. It gets the anxiety kicked out. This particular morning was one of those where noises were not part of the plan. Focusing on traffic was not going to help, but there was nowhere to go. So, I focused on my surroundings.

How many times have you driven down a road without noticing things? We’re going so far and focused on our destination that we miss a lot of what’s around us. That day I saw businesses that I didn’t know where on my commute. I noticed trees and trash on the highway. I wondered, how and when that trash would be picked up? By the time I made it to work, I hadn’t resolved a thing, but I could think more clearly. I have also gained insight into things I hadn’t noticed before.

So, if you’re having the kind of day where you can’t get past the next five minutes, DONT. Don’t think about what is going to happen five minutes from now. Focus on what’s immediately in front of you. After that, focus on what’s immediately in front of you at that time. Do tasks one at a time. You may think that you’re slowing down, but the reality is that you’re accomplishing something that you were not doing at all, while paralyzed with anxiety.

Take a breath, what haven’t you noticed around you. It may or may not have the answer to your problem, but it could give you a new perspective.

Photo by Jean van der Meulen on Pexels.com

Want to share with us your moment of stress or ways in which you have battled your own moments of anxiety. Feel free to comment below.

If you want to do so privately, feel free to email me at @therisingmuse

Blessings!

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Let’s get reacquainted

On August 23, 2023April 19, 2024 By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts, Worship3 Comments

“Cough” “Cough”. Oh it’s so dusty in here! I can’t believe I’ve been away for so long.

There’s much to update my readers on. Looking at my last post it’s amazing of all the changes in my life, that somewhat have kept me away. My last post was posted on 8/4/2020. I’m sad to announced that was the day before my beloved mother passed away. I will go into more details later.

If you go back, I was recovering from surgery after that. Good news, I’ve recovered well.

There’s a little person in my life. That’s another story in itself. It’s also another reason why I haven’t thought of butt to chair in a long time.

I’m currently between jobs, which was the last time I launched a book. I think everything happens for a reason.

I think what I miss the most is sharing praise and worship music with you.

It’s good to connect again. Let me know what’s going on with you.

And here I leave you with a song that the Lord placed in my heart.

Be Blessed.

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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

Going back to move forward

On April 3, 2020April 3, 2020 By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts2 Comments

*cough* *cough* pfftt!! No worries, I’m not sick. I’m just trying to dust this place. Wow, it’s been more than a year since we’ve been able to check on each other. Time really flies. Now this is not necessarily an update post, we can do some of that in the next few weeks. But let’s talk about what’s really in front of us.

People, there’s a virus out there! I know, this came super fast and we’re having to adapt very quickly to a new normal. From someone who doesn’t like change, trust me is not easy.

Now, I must admit, that the last year of my life was a training for quarantine. Right now, my mom is in the hospital and although I’m concerned for her; I’m technically just responsible for me right now. My heart goes out to all of you with big families having to balance many things.

Everyone is getting how to’s on taking care of yourself physically, but let’s not forget that we’re not solely a body; we also have a mind and soul. Let me try to give you some pointers on how not to lose it right now. (I need them more than you)

Stay away from the news! – Now, I’m not going to tell you to not be up to date with what’s going on. We must know what’s happening. From experience, when something big is going on, I start binge watching news outlets, and searching through social media during commercials. I’m obsessive and crazy, but you already knew that. That’s not going to help you. That’s not going to keep you or your family any safer. Restrict your diet of news to once or twice a day to catch an update and do something else the rest of the time.
Try something new or finish something old – Keeping ourselves busy helps with not dwelling into our anxiety thoughts. The actress Gwyneth Paltrow said she’s learning a new language. I had started that before the crisis. I’ve been relearning French for the last 4 months. If you’re interested, there’s an app, Duolingo, that makes that possible for free, just 15 minutes a day. If that’s not what interest you, go to that pile of books that you were going to read one day, the book you were going to write, the diy project that has been on hold; watch cartoons. Resurrecting this blog is one of mine, lol
Fill your life with music. I haven’t met someone who doesn’t like music. If you don’t like music, there’s something wrong with you, go fix yourself! Music allows us to connect our spirits with something higher than us. Now listen to something uplifting and not chaotic or depressing. That will defeat the purpose. Below I share one of my favorite songs.

Remember who you are – Try to connect to that part of you that has conquered challenges in life. For my fellow believers, I had to go back to the Word and remind myself the promises of God.

After reading this I remembered how many times my life has been in danger and how God has delivered and protected me every single time. He’s still God and in the throne. What shall I fear?

Be wise! – Not being afraid doesn’t mean to forfeit wisdom. Stay your happy self at home. Wash your blessed hand. Worship at home. God is not in a building, it’s in YOU!
Stay connected– Social isolation is really a bad term. It should be named physical isolation. Again, keep your happy self at home and away from anyone who doesn’t share your address. But make phone calls, have family meetings via web conference, write a snail mail. Connect, connect, connect.

We’re in a time in which we need to take a step back from pushing through the grind, to place ourselves in perspective, so that we can move forward in an emotional and spiritually healthier way.

Stay safe my beloved. God Bless!

Naty

More than Pumpkins and Cancer

On October 7, 2018 By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts1 Comment

October

October marks the beginning of the fall. The weather starts to cool off a little, or at least I’m waiting for it to finally do. The stores start carrying everything in pumpkin flavor. I like pumpkins, but some things should not be pumpkin flavored, just my opinion. October is also breast cancer awareness month, a very worthy cause, but let’s not forget that it’s also Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

Since I started blogging, I’ve tried to make a concerted effort to recognize this cause, because it’s close and dear to my heart. I try to provide information and a venue for survivors to share their stories. This year will not be different. I’ll admit that some information may sound like repetition, but some things are worth repeating.

To anyone wanting to share their stories, I have a form on the site where you can share the story confidentially. I will post it on the main page, only if I have your consent. If not, and all you wanted to do was vent, I’ll consider it an honor the fact that you decided to share with me and I’ll pray for you.

To family and friends of victims, I say this: be patient. You may not understand why someone doesn’t leave an abusive situation. I can promise you that it’s complex. Rushing the person before they’re ready or putting them down will make the situation worse. Offer a listening ear and support as much as you’re allowed to.

To those who have survived, I say this: you made it! You may still be dealing with y battle wounds and other struggles, but everything will be OK. It may take a while, but it will be fine.

To those in the situation (men and women), I say this: You are loved! Don’t even believe that you’re not worth it, because that’s a lie. Don’t ever believe that you are stupid, because that’s a lie. Don’t ever believe that you can’t do any better, because that’s a lie. You are precious, loved and wonderfully made. Reach out, we’re waiting for you.

Be blessed

Naty

The National Domestic Violence Hotline

Questions to Ask God

On July 25, 2018July 25, 2018 By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts, Writing Happenings1 Comment

By Chaz Douglas

God has given us different gifts and we must go to him so we will know how to use what he has given us. God only gave Manoah and his wife the gift of Samson so they will have specific questions for God based on the awesome gift they had been given. We have gifts, abilities, and talents that God has given us that we must ask specific questions to God on how he wants us to use them.

Here are some tips of what we should do with our gifts:

God wants us to come to him to learn how he wants us to use the gifts that he has given us. There are specific places, times, and groups of people that God wants us to minister to with our gifts. We have to come to him s
“So Manoah asked him, `When your words come true, what kind of rules should govern the boy’s life and work” (Judges 13:12 NLT)?
As we live our lives for Christ there are specific questions we should ask God that are designed and tailor made for us. There will be questions that only you can ask God because he has only given you the particular gifts and abilities.
Manoah didn’t see or speak to the angel but he prayed that the angel be sent again to teach him and his wife how to bring up their son.
o we can be where he wants us to be, when he wants us to be there, and to help who he wants us to help.
We should ask God questions to understand specifically what he wants us to do with our gifts. God has made us to have completely different bodies, personalities, education, abilities, and resources. It would behoove us to ask God specifically how he wants us to use our gifts with our unique bodies, education, personalities, abilities, and resources. Remember God gave Manoah the unique son of Samson so he had specific questions based on what God gave him.

What has God given you that only you can ask God about?

About Chaz Douglas:

Chaz Douglas is an educator and member of the United States Air Force Reserve. He has a Bachelors in Education from Eastern Michigan University and a Masters in Educational Leadership from Central Michigan University.

Douglas began teaching Bible Study for the Youth Ministry at his church from the ages 6-1

7. He would later be asked to teach the Youth Ministry’s teachers learning strategies and biblical principles to assist them with the children that they would instruct.

He is currently taking a course by Tom Corson-Knowles an Amazon bestselling author. Douglas believes the course is preparing him to become an author who is produces what readers want.

The reason for writing this series was the experience Douglas had being deployed in the Chaz Air Force. He was deployed for six months and used his time at Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait to increase his relationship with God. As he prayed, read, and mediated on the Word of God the Holy Spirit increased his wisdom to be able to write biblical lessons that that men and women can apply in their lives. The Holy Spirit led him to write this series to help all people have a better relationship with the Lord.

My Birthday Gift

On July 19, 2018 By Naty MatosIn Inspirational Thoughts17 Comments

It’s noon and I’m just getting around to breakfast today. I had a day planned out, but plans laptop change, that’s why I rarely make them. I’m at Starbucks enjoying my free birthday coffee. Of all the freebies I can get today, this is my most important, don’t ask me why.

As I was rolling in my bed deciding if I wanted to get up yet, I remembered two things: Usually I update my readers twice a year of what’s going on in my life and that I haven’t blogged in a while.

If you follow my blog, you know that most of my posts are inspirations of my walk with Christ and ideas that I think I can share with my readers. I’ve had plenty of those, but none of them positive and that’s why I haven’t been writing. I’ve been very sad.

I’ve been very sad about how the world around me has changed; what it seems to be overnight. I see believers fighting one another, families torn up apart because of belief systems and opinions, this has really grieved my heart.

It has taken a lot of strength to not just yell, STOP IT! You were the closest just 2 yrs ago, how can you let ANYTHING separate you from the people you love? But it’s happening. The hardest part for me has been watching this cultish mentality. This philosophy of “My side is right even if they’re wrong because if I accept that my side has even made one mistake then I’m giving into the other side.” Insanity!

When did we pick sides? I thought we were all #TeamJesus.

We’re called to be salt and light of the earth and right now we’re being sheep following wolves. We’re all going to think different, God made us that way for a reason. God protect this world if everyone all of the sudden starts thinking like me, because sometimes my brain gives me some crazy doozies. We need to get back to respecting each other and loving each other.

Have we forgotten our second commandment to love our brother as ourselves?

So if you’re interested in giving me a birthday present today, the best gift you can give me is to be kind to others; especially those with whom you disagree. In fact, if you consider them your enemies, then not only be kind to them, but love them, the bible tells us so.