2023 was the year of Taylor Swift, it’s looking like 2024 just might be the same…especially since she has added more Era tour dates in the U.S. after her global tour It was said that the U.S. economy was boosted because of her success of her sold out shows. It was more than that, it […] The post Taylor Swiftanomics appeared first on Matthew J Diaz ..read more

This blog post is originally from February 9,2021! The cold opening of Saturday Night Live (Start at 3:16) this past weekend (Originally February 7, 2021) was an attempt to bring relevant fresh humor surrounding the Super Bowl. However, embedded within the satire was something that seems to be missed by the writers and the media. Stating the phrase with laughter in the background, “No Child Sex Trafficking in the basement…” to make fun of the Pizzagate Conspiracy was in poor taste.  Child Sex trafficking has been the greatest tragedy, the cruelest form of slavery, and the worst kind of e ..read more

Did you watch the music video after reading the last post? Did you see where the artist and the film makers drew their inspiration from? I hope the topic of end times did not deter you from watching this video. I want to leave you with a balanced perspective of both intrigued if you disagree with the interpretation or challenged if you believe in a literal interpretation. It’s time to play a game I like to call, “How Well Do You Know Revelation?” We will see many other verses outside Revelation, but this book is heavily used for its apocalyptic descriptions. As noted in the last post, the tit ..read more

“What is God teaching you?” I was asked by two family members. “Pain, suffering, misery,” I said melodramatically as if my life could not be any worse. The truth is I know I’ve been through worse situations to the point of seeking counseling to recover from them. What made this situation different? The comparison game to other people is just as bad as the comparison game with your own situations. Just because you have been through a more difficult situation doesn’t make the current situation any more, or less difficult. What is God teaching me? When is he not teaching me something? Sometimes ..read more

Art of Kintsukuro – Golden Repair It was in the evening time, after the kids had gone to bed and my wife and I were sitting on our living room couch.  This soft, giant, u-shaped brown synthetic fiber couch was one of the best investments we made when we first moved to North Phoenix. It’s the kind that has several especially cozy spots that you can sink into. Our nightly ritual is to catch up with each other’s days, talk about any problems that arose with the kids and how to handle them. Our parenting is a constant dialogue of both our observations of each child and mulling over advice fro ..read more

It’s Christmas time again and you don’t even know when exactly it started. Was it after Halloween when the stores put up decorations, or after thanksgiving when radio stations started playing Christmas music? It’s mid December and it’s clear that you are supposed to be in the Christmas spirit, wishing people something merry and adding an adjective before a holiday. You do this every year and what was once a childhood dream has been jaded by repetitious seasonal traditions. You put off putting up a Christmas tree until someone in the house begs you to get the signal that your home has begun to ..read more

Photo from 1999 WTO Seattle Riots What were we talking about before Covid-19? In terms of political discourse of the upcoming election, the impeachment, the state of the union…somewhere in there Covid-19 changed the trajectory of historical events into an unknowable, almost alternate reality. Toilet paper, of all things, was the first sign that people were ready to hunker down and stay home for who knows how long. It was strange and odd to watch lines of people coming out of Costco with carts full of what was once thrown carelessly in front of front yards as a prank. More than any other resour ..read more

Thoughts on my birthday! I am a disciple of Jesus, a Christ follower, a believer, born again, saved, baptized by water and Spirit, renewed, atoned for, redeemed, restored, bought with a price, whatever the faith the New Testament authors ascribe this faith to; I am that. Words mean something. Words have the power of life and death. Words can build up or tear down. Words can imply the right thing or wrong thing. That is why it is hard to only say, I am a Christian, because it doesn’t capture what I want it to in today’s society. In my heart, since I was a child, I call myself a Christian becau ..read more

It wasn’t what we expected, but it doesn’t define us! We have a lot in common. My graduation year had two two’s and two zeroes as you have (2002). This will only happen one more time this millennia in the year 2200. However, the more important shared experience is that we are both leaving high school. You the student are graduating and I the teacher am leaving the classroom. It’s been a good run. I started teaching during your 6th grade year and everything was new. It was a new job, new atmosphere and new responsibilities. I know you felt the same. Seven years later and now look at us. We have ..read more

Where is the balance between being prepared versus hoarding? (Shutterstock/Kevin McGovern) “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (ESV). Psalm 73:26 “Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup; you make my lot secure.” Psalm 16:5 Manna from Heaven: God said to Moses in Exodus 16:4-5 “The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day.” They were also commanded on the 6th day to collect enough for two days so that they did not work on the sabbath. The Israelites broke both those commands and Moses had to rebuke them. The ones ..read more