Monthly Archives: April 2026

April 14, 2026 · 4:09 AM

Reflections From My Heart

From my heart to yours:

For more than ten years, I’ve been pouring out pieces of my life right here. Some posts came from deep pain, others from quiet gratitude or hard-won lessons. To my humble surprise, a few of them have kept drawing readers year after year, long after I first hit “publish.”

These are the posts that have touched the most hearts over time. They talk about real struggles—loss, brokenness, family wounds, verbal abuse, and the battles we fight inside—but they also point to the hope and healing that only God’s grace can bring. Many of them echo the same journey I share in my memoir, Running in Heels: A Memoir of Grit and Grace.

If you’re walking through a hard season and feeling unseen or hopeless, I pray one of these reflections meets you right where you are and reminds you that you are not alone.

Here are my Top 12 Most-Viewed Posts

I’ll Never Forget 9/11: A personal reflection on that heartbreaking day and how it still echoes in our lives.
About Me: My story, where I came from, the struggles I faced, and how God can transform despair into hope. This page alone has welcomed over 80 heartfelt comments from readers who shared their own journeys.
The Battle Within: The struggle didn’t disappear, but through God’s grace, I learned I no longer have to fight it alone.
Beauty For Ashes: An honest wrestling with the idea of beauty in the middle of real-life devastation.
Verbal Abuse: I wrote this from a place I know all too well—the silent pain of feeling broken, invisible, and trapped. But it’s also a reminder that we are not meant to stay there.
I Dreamed a Dream: I’ve walked through seasons where the dreams I once held began to fade, pushed aside by life, responsibilities, and discouraging words. But I’ve come to see that what feels like the end may not be the end at all… just the beginning of a new dream.
This Thing Called Tears: Tears don’t only come in sorrow; they show up in joy, frustration, and even gratitude. In these everyday moments, I’m reminded that God meets us in every emotion, and every tear has a purpose.
Damaged Goods: I once believed the lies that I was broken, unworthy, and beyond repair. But I’ve learned that we are not defined by what we’ve been through. God doesn’t see damaged goods… He sees something worth restoring.
Stick-to-Itiveness: Persistence isn’t easy—but it’s powerful!
Ode to a Mother’s Heart – Part II: A mother’s love & the unimaginable pain of losing a child. My heart grieves with those who carry this kind of sorrow, and I lift them up in prayer.
The Shadow of My Baby Sister’s Death: Love, loss, longing… and the ache of what could have been.
Shark Bait: This is my dear husband’s story, and a reminder of how faithful God is, even in the most unexpected moments.

Each story carries a piece of my heart. Some made me cry as I wrote them. Others reminded me of God’s faithfulness even when life felt unbearable. Readers have told me they saw parts of their own stories in these words, and that blesses me more than I can say.

If these reflections speak to you, I believe you’ll find even deeper encouragement in the pages of Running in Heels. It’s the fuller story behind so many of these posts—the raw truth of growing up in pain, surviving abuse and abandonment, and learning to walk in grit and grace. The book is available on Amazon in paperback, hardcover, Kindle, and audiobook. And I’m thrilled that a Spanish edition, Corriendo en Tacones, Memorias de valentía y gracia, is on the way for my Latino friends and family.

We’re prayerfully hoping to reach 500 honest reviews on Amazon so this message can reach more women who feel broken or stuck. If any of these posts (or the book) touches your heart, I would be so grateful if you’d take a moment to leave a review.

Thank you for stopping by and for being part of this journey with me. Whether you’ve been reading for years or this is your first time here, my prayer is that I lift you up with love and faith.

From my heart to yours, Mary A. Pérez, Author of Running in Heels: A Memoir of Grit & Grace, Houston, Texas 2026

Curved stone pathway through lush garden with sunrise in background — A colorful stepping stone path winds through a vibrant garden at sunrise.

7 Comments

Filed under Christian Blog, Faith Journey

Tagged as abuse, encouragement, Faith, Grace, grit, healing, hope, memoir, redemption, resilience, testimony, trauma

April 6, 2026 · 4:00 AM

Still Choosing You: 32 Years Later

Thirty-two years ago, (and after three years of dating), I stood in a mid-length off-white dress and said, “I do.” I had no idea that God was giving me my greatest second chance. At the time, I believed the twists in my life had run their course.

You know my story, babe. Life hasn’t been a straight path for me. It’s felt more like going in circles, running into things I never saw coming. Grit got me through those days that tried to break me. And then you waltzed into our lives. You became a step-dad to my four kids, loving them like your own from the very start. No hesitation. Just heart and true devotion.

After all these years with you, I’ve realized something deeper. Grit keeps me moving forward, but grace is what keeps my heart from turning hard and bitter. And you? You’ve been that steady tenderness I could actually feel. Patient when I wasn’t. Calm when I was losing it. Forgiving even when I made it really hard.

We’re not some picture-perfect couple from a magazine. God knows we both brought plenty of baggage. We’ve experienced real life together. Faced real pain that could have split us up. Had loud arguments that left us both raw and exhausted. There were days I wasn’t sure we’d make it. But we kept choosing each other anyway. We’d sit across the table. Me being my loud Puerto Rican self, and you with that Irish stubbornness of yours. Neither one wanting to back down. We talked through the ugly stuff because we had to. We forgave when walking away would’ve been easier.

Second chances aren’t about pretending the past never happened. They’re about believing God can still build something beautiful with whatever’s left. That’s the truth we’ve been living together for 35 years.

Those early years were wild. Raising a family, juggling bills, teenagers, and way more than we thought we could handle. Some nights I’d fall into bed exhausted, sleepless nights, praying and wondering how we were going to get through tomorrow. But we stayed committed. We kept showing up.

Now the pace has slowed. The house is quieter. The chaos isn’t running our lives anymore. And you know what still surprises me in the best way? When you look at me and say, I’m pretty. When you still reach for my hand across the room. Plus, you still can make me laugh. That spark is still there in your eyes, not the young, hungry one from back then, but something deeper. Seasoned. Steady. Fierce. Stronger because of everything we’ve been through together.

Yes, time has slowed us down, humbled us, and taught us what really matters. We’re not the same two people who said those vows 32 years ago, and thank God for that. We’ve grown into each other. Learned to hold hands when words don’t come. Figured out that just showing up every single day is its own kind of romance.

To my husband, my rock, my second chance: thank you. Thank you for being the steady place when everything beneath me was shaking. Thank you for walking beside me through every chapter, the hard ones and the sweet ones. Thank you for loving every version of me.

You loved the scared, insecure girl I used to be. You embraced the woman I fought to become. And you support the one I’m still becoming, with your hand in mine.

Here’s to 32 years of choosing each other. To slowing down without drifting apart. To still catching that look across the room that says, “I see you, and I’m still all in.” And to all the grace-filled days ahead, because with you, I know they’ll be good.

“Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”
— 1 Corinthians 13:7–8

Happy anniversary, babe. I’d run this race with you all over again, in heels or in flats. Thirty-two years later, I’d still choose you every time.

You’re my forever.

4 Comments

Filed under Anniversary celebration, Marriage

Tagged as 1 Corinthians 13:7-8, Choosing Each Other, Enduring Love, Faith and Marriage, Marriage Anniversary, Marriage Journey, Marriage Reflection, Puerto Rican and Irish Love, Relationship Growth, Second Chances in Love, Stepfamily Love

April 3, 2026 · 3:11 AM

It’s Friday, but Sunday’s Coming!

Full Transcript:

It’s Friday.
Jesus is praying.
Peter’s a sleeping.
Judas is betraying.
But Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.
Pilate’s struggling.
The council is conspiring.
The crowd is vilifying.
They don’t even know
That Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.
The disciples are running
Like sheep without a shepherd.
Mary’s crying.
Peter is denying.
But they don’t know
That Sunday’s a comin’.

It’s Friday.
The Romans beat my Jesus.
They robe Him in scarlet.
They crown Him with thorns.
But they don’t know
That Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.
See Jesus walking to Calvary.
His blood dripping.
His body stumbling.
And His spirit’s burdened.
But you see, it’s only Friday…
Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.
The world’s winning.
People are sinning.
And evil’s grinning.

It’s Friday.
The soldiers nail my Savior’s hands
To the cross.
They nail my Savior’s feet
To the cross.
And then they raise Him up
Next to criminals.

It’s Friday.
But let me tell you something—
Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.
The disciples are questioning,
“What has happened to their King?”
And the Pharisees are celebrating
That their scheming
Has been achieved.
But they don’t know—
It’s only Friday.
Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.
He’s hanging on the cross.
Feeling forsaken by His Father.
Left alone and dying.
Can nobody save Him?
Ooooh…
It’s Friday.
But Sunday’s comin’.

It’s Friday.
The earth trembles.
The sky grows dark.
My King yields His spirit.

It’s Friday.
Hope is lost.
Death has won.
Sin has conquered.
And Satan’s just a laughin’.

It’s Friday.
Jesus is buried.
A soldier stands guard.
And a rock is rolled into place.

But it’s Friday…
It is only Friday.
Sunday is a comin’!

Let’s remember: