By
Teresa Beasley (Indianapolis,IN)
This review is from: Life Is What You Make It (Perfect Paperback)
In Life Is What You Make It by Carl Mathis, readers will learn seven steps to move forward in life after experiencing a loss. Carl Mathis shares his story with readers while providing the tools he used to overcome his loss, hurt, and pain. The author's story leads into how to accept your situation, take responsibility then condition your mind to make the right decisions, build a team, believe, and define the new normal.
After reading Life Is What You Make It, I have discovered that after a loss or tragedy that a person can become victorious by reclaiming their life. The author is living proof of this and of the seven steps within this book. I recommend this inspirational and motivational book to others.
This book was provided by the author for review purposes.
Teresa Beasley
APOOO BookClub
Showing posts with label berement.symphty. Show all posts
Showing posts with label berement.symphty. Show all posts
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Diary of a Struggling Man
Let me take you back to 1984. It was my sister’s friend’s wedding; I was a young male who was fresh from the United States Army Basic Training. My sister, Heseland, introduced me to one of her friends named Dale. Dale was attending Boys and Girls Height School in Brooklyn, New York. From that moment on, we were a match made in Heaven. We were together ever since. We had our share of ups and downs, but we stuck it out. We had two boys, and then we moved to Miami, Florida, in 1995. Then we had one more boy. We were a family of five, and everything was okay for a while. We were active in the church, and I was striving to be a minister. But in 1994, Dale was diagnosed with lupus. Many doctors visits, hospital attendance, and medical bills began to take effect. After a while, there was no trace of the infirmity in her body. I credit that to the prayers of the righteous, the late Harriet Jones and the members of Holy Ghost Tabernacle Church, and also our family and friends who labored in prayer.
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
James 5:16 (nlt)
After some time passed, Dale was then diagnosed with a spinal virus called HTLV1—Tropical Plastic Periphrastic. This virus attacks the spine and the lower part of the body, which sometimes travels to the respiratory system. From that point on, things started to decrease dramatically. One of the first signs was that she started to drag her feet when she walked. In 1991, when the former President Bill Clinton came to the University of Miami to campaign, Dale and I, along with our oldest boy, Jaron, went to see the President. When we were leaving the campaign site, because Dale could not lift her feet too high, she tripped on a crack on the sidewalk and fell, busting her lips and teeth. From that day on, life was a downward motion.
Then she began to lose her ability to walk. She had to use a walking cane, and before you knew it, she had to use a wheel chair. When she had no ability to walk at all, she was diagnosed as permanently disabled. She began to lose her ability to write, and then she had difficulty seeing, breathing and eating. But with the love that I had for my wife, there was no doubt that I was going to be by her side to the end. This went on for approximately ten years. There were many hospital visits, surgeries, emergencies, etc. I remember the tubes that were put down her throat and in her side to feed her and help her breathe. Yes, there were times when I was tired and frustrated. Yes, only God knows. It was a long challenging road. I can personally tell you, whether you believe in God or not, a higher power than man must have been looking over me because there is no way I could have handled all that. I know it was God holding me and guiding me through this trial.
Imagine trying to take care of a disabled person, without much help from insurance for medical bills, raising three growing boys, paying for the regular household bills and the needs concerning the necessity of life, trying to hold down two jobs to keep my family above water, and trying to keep up with the boys schooling.
I was a shy and quiet person, but there were many, many times I wished and hoped and prayed that somebody would come by to offer some physical help. I am not insinuating that no one helped us, but the burden, the task and all the things that needed to be done were so much that we needed much more than basic help.
On the morning of December 15, 2005, I was getting ready to leave work from doing a graveyard shift when I got a phone call from one of my sons, informing me that Dale had passed away in her sleep. I began to scream as a if piece of my flesh had been ripped from my body. When you get a phone call saying that your wife or your husband is no more, what would be your reaction? I could not handle the fact that I would be without someone to talk to and have funny conversations with at night. From that moment on, I was like an empty vessel.
Here I was ordained as an elder in the church, but hurting on the inside like a little baby that lost its first love. I preached and ministered to people, yet hurt on the inside. I went to work and supervised people, yet hurt on the inside. I still had to do the necessities to provide for my three boys, who were growing day by day. I would ask myself, “When will it end? When will I be able to say the hurting is over and my vessel has some substance inside it?”
I was searching for anything or anybody to fulfill my hunger for fulfillment. I looked good on the outside, but inside I was like dried up bones. I had no one to talk to.
I was so lonely that I would find myself wanting to go to work to keep from thinking of crazy things. I began to pray that God would give me a companion, someone just to talk to and keep a conversation with. But it never happened. So finally I realized that no one was coming, and that my life is what I make it.
Carl Mathis: author of Life is what you make it – seven steps to moving forward
Go here now http://www.carlmathis.com
Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.
James 5:16 (nlt)
After some time passed, Dale was then diagnosed with a spinal virus called HTLV1—Tropical Plastic Periphrastic. This virus attacks the spine and the lower part of the body, which sometimes travels to the respiratory system. From that point on, things started to decrease dramatically. One of the first signs was that she started to drag her feet when she walked. In 1991, when the former President Bill Clinton came to the University of Miami to campaign, Dale and I, along with our oldest boy, Jaron, went to see the President. When we were leaving the campaign site, because Dale could not lift her feet too high, she tripped on a crack on the sidewalk and fell, busting her lips and teeth. From that day on, life was a downward motion.
Then she began to lose her ability to walk. She had to use a walking cane, and before you knew it, she had to use a wheel chair. When she had no ability to walk at all, she was diagnosed as permanently disabled. She began to lose her ability to write, and then she had difficulty seeing, breathing and eating. But with the love that I had for my wife, there was no doubt that I was going to be by her side to the end. This went on for approximately ten years. There were many hospital visits, surgeries, emergencies, etc. I remember the tubes that were put down her throat and in her side to feed her and help her breathe. Yes, there were times when I was tired and frustrated. Yes, only God knows. It was a long challenging road. I can personally tell you, whether you believe in God or not, a higher power than man must have been looking over me because there is no way I could have handled all that. I know it was God holding me and guiding me through this trial.
Imagine trying to take care of a disabled person, without much help from insurance for medical bills, raising three growing boys, paying for the regular household bills and the needs concerning the necessity of life, trying to hold down two jobs to keep my family above water, and trying to keep up with the boys schooling.
I was a shy and quiet person, but there were many, many times I wished and hoped and prayed that somebody would come by to offer some physical help. I am not insinuating that no one helped us, but the burden, the task and all the things that needed to be done were so much that we needed much more than basic help.
On the morning of December 15, 2005, I was getting ready to leave work from doing a graveyard shift when I got a phone call from one of my sons, informing me that Dale had passed away in her sleep. I began to scream as a if piece of my flesh had been ripped from my body. When you get a phone call saying that your wife or your husband is no more, what would be your reaction? I could not handle the fact that I would be without someone to talk to and have funny conversations with at night. From that moment on, I was like an empty vessel.
Here I was ordained as an elder in the church, but hurting on the inside like a little baby that lost its first love. I preached and ministered to people, yet hurt on the inside. I went to work and supervised people, yet hurt on the inside. I still had to do the necessities to provide for my three boys, who were growing day by day. I would ask myself, “When will it end? When will I be able to say the hurting is over and my vessel has some substance inside it?”
I was searching for anything or anybody to fulfill my hunger for fulfillment. I looked good on the outside, but inside I was like dried up bones. I had no one to talk to.
I was so lonely that I would find myself wanting to go to work to keep from thinking of crazy things. I began to pray that God would give me a companion, someone just to talk to and keep a conversation with. But it never happened. So finally I realized that no one was coming, and that my life is what I make it.
Carl Mathis: author of Life is what you make it – seven steps to moving forward
Go here now http://www.carlmathis.com
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
"I was very impressed - Life is What You Make It"
I had the pleasure of reading Rev. Carl Mathis book titled. "Life is What You Make It" I was very impressed at his strong will and ability to pick up the pieces that had seem to have fallen apart after losing the love of his life. It gave me such a great respect for him as a man of God to read how he stepped in to his son's lives in order to put them back on track, although the struggle seemed a bit hard at times. But with God's strength and mercy his family are now focused on the most important thing in life, and that is Life IS what YOU make it! Thank you Mr. Mathis for sharing your experience with me and all other readers that have had the opportunity to read about your journey. May God continue to keep you and your family working toward His will and purpose for your lives. Be Blessed!
Evangelist Betty A. Carr.
Evangelist Betty A. Carr.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Life is What You Make it, Opened the door for me to Begin Again. By Nicole Elmore
Life Is What you Make it, I Now say this everyday~ Author Carl Mathis touch my deep hurting soul with his words, this book was ordained to process at such a time as this. I was so broken when I started to reach Life Is What you Make it, but as I continue to read word by word, it felt as though the words were leaping into my spirit.I got healing from Life is What you Make it, Author Mathis, in his writing gave me hope, & Learning how to begin again.. Oh Yes I felt Beginning again was the hardest thing to do, but I now know its the Best thing.." Beginning again" Each day I remind myself that none is going to come and rescue me, so I have to shake myself and run into the Presence of God... Life is What You Make it, Opened the door for me to Begin Again.
" Life Is What You Make It~~~~~~ Nicole Elmore
" Life Is What You Make It~~~~~~ Nicole Elmore
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Learning how to Move Forward by Letting Go
Let’s face it: we all have negative or bad experiences n the past that we just cannot seem to get past. There are just certain things, that when remembered, always cause anxiety and anger to build up inside us. And we have to admit that sometimes we just don’t want to let go of these negative emotions and memories. Why? Do we want to feel like we’re the victim? Do we need to even the score before we let go?
The truth is, holding on to negative emotions, feelings, thoughts, or experiences drag us down. They drag us down mentally, emotionally, and sometimes, even physically. This mental and emotional distress doesn’t do us any good in life and can affect the way we do things or relate with other people. It can affect how we see our jobs, how we treat our friends, families, and new people who come into our lives. Holding on to past grudges and negativity is much like hiking. Picking up useless items along the way add to the weight you’re carrying and slow you down from reaching the top. That is why it is so important for us to let go of all the negativity, bad experiences, and depression that may have happened in the past, and eventually move forward.
So how does one move forward from all the past negativity? How can you let go and forget about all the difficult, negative experiences? The key in doing so is to train and condition your mind to focus on other things. Focus the goals you have, the things you want to achieve, and the positive things around you. Negative thoughts and feelings may be affecting you in ways you don’t even notice. Whenever you start to feel anger or depression that stems from past events, ask yourself: is this helping my current situation? Is this helping me move forward and achieve my goals? Am I gaining anything by thinking about this? Once you realize that you answer no to all these questions, tell yourself that you are letting go. Breathe and let go.
There is something so beautiful about the power or emotional healing and letting go of the past. Once you’ve trained your mind to focus only the good things and never to dwell on the bad, your outlook and attitude towards life will change – for the better. You’ll relate better to other people, have renewed energy and zest for life, and work with a passion and newfound determination. You’ll start to appreciate the great things you have in your life, and what else it has to offer. You’ll be happy and content, wherever you may be, because inside, you are at peace. Such an outlook and personality will lead you to achieve your goals and accomplish things better than before.
Motivation speaker/author Carl Mathis
Author of "Life is what you make it - seven steps to moving forward.
For more info go to http://www.carlmathis.com
The truth is, holding on to negative emotions, feelings, thoughts, or experiences drag us down. They drag us down mentally, emotionally, and sometimes, even physically. This mental and emotional distress doesn’t do us any good in life and can affect the way we do things or relate with other people. It can affect how we see our jobs, how we treat our friends, families, and new people who come into our lives. Holding on to past grudges and negativity is much like hiking. Picking up useless items along the way add to the weight you’re carrying and slow you down from reaching the top. That is why it is so important for us to let go of all the negativity, bad experiences, and depression that may have happened in the past, and eventually move forward.
So how does one move forward from all the past negativity? How can you let go and forget about all the difficult, negative experiences? The key in doing so is to train and condition your mind to focus on other things. Focus the goals you have, the things you want to achieve, and the positive things around you. Negative thoughts and feelings may be affecting you in ways you don’t even notice. Whenever you start to feel anger or depression that stems from past events, ask yourself: is this helping my current situation? Is this helping me move forward and achieve my goals? Am I gaining anything by thinking about this? Once you realize that you answer no to all these questions, tell yourself that you are letting go. Breathe and let go.
There is something so beautiful about the power or emotional healing and letting go of the past. Once you’ve trained your mind to focus only the good things and never to dwell on the bad, your outlook and attitude towards life will change – for the better. You’ll relate better to other people, have renewed energy and zest for life, and work with a passion and newfound determination. You’ll start to appreciate the great things you have in your life, and what else it has to offer. You’ll be happy and content, wherever you may be, because inside, you are at peace. Such an outlook and personality will lead you to achieve your goals and accomplish things better than before.
Motivation speaker/author Carl Mathis
Author of "Life is what you make it - seven steps to moving forward.
For more info go to http://www.carlmathis.com
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