Just want to thank Teresa for this wonderful book review! She rocks!
Mary A. Perez is a WordPress Blogger and the author of her gripping memoir Running In Heels. This raw memoir begins with Mary Perez’s childhood and that mysterious resilience that children often have when life treats them harshly. We read how this little girl dug within herself to find her inner strength to survive even when it meant stealing cold cuts from stray cats. The journey takes us through her sad loss of her childhood where we are also seized by her experience of tragic loss.
At times the book reads like a journey through time as Mary grows up and recounts events in her life which coincide with historical events such as the assassination of Martin Luther King and the attempted assassination of Ronald Reagan. There are some small fond memories of TV programs of the 60’s and 70’s and popular food labels of that time. We also…
View original post 151 more words
Filed under Uncategorized
If I had known then what I know now,
I would have stopped the clock and savored every precious moment.
Instead, I was encumbered with the daily task of trying to stay afloat as a mother.
If I had known then what I know now,
I would have frozen time just to gaze upon your little chest, rising and falling with every heartbeat while you slept peacefully in your crib.
If I had known then what I know now,
I would have sung more lullabies while rocking you on my lap, nestled in my arms, given you more kisses, and chased away all nightmares.
I’d have tickled you harder, squeezed you tighter, laughed with you louder, and played silly games with you longer.
I would have taken more walks in the park, built many sand castles, eat more ice cream cones with sprinkles, dug for the best sea shells, rode on all the merry-go-rounds, climbed every rock, smelled every flower, played catch more, run through the rain puddles, taken more photos and captured every single moment with you!
I was needed when you were small; you relied upon me then. If only I could now, I would hold you closer still, wipe your every teardrop, chase your every fear, and never let you down.
But the tide has turned, and I can only watch from a distance. The sun has set and is hidden beyond the horizon. My silent tears serve as a constant reminder that times are fleeting, with every hour, every minute, and every second.
My heart swells with pride to see that you, my children, have blossomed and matured.
But if I had known then what I know now … I would have done things so differently. I would have hushed the madness with all the hustle and bustle sooner, cherished those magic moments when you were small, cradled you in my arms forever, and never let you go.
I am so glad that God doesn’t call the qualified, but He qualifies the called! I am one who may feel like puking my guts up before an event. But then once the execution is over, I may bawl like a baby! As much as I am thankful for the grit in me to undertake a task, I am much more grateful for the grace of God that carries me through a task. I don’t take this lightly.
Be yourself; nobody else is better qualified than you.
This weekend, I had a wonderful opportunity to share my heart at Howard Partridge’s Round Table. I was blessed, not only by the warm reception but especially by the men at the conference being so responsive. Many voiced to me how touched they were by my words, as they reflected on their own situations or someone dear to them.
Regardless of faith, status, education, or race, we’ve all felt discouraged, rejected, abandoned, or betrayed at one point or another. We’ve all had our dreams smashed, our dignity shot, our hearts torn, and our hope lost.
If my life of peril can become a life of promise, yours can too. I believe your yesterday does not have to define your today. Just remember: You may not be where you want to be today, but thank God you are not where you once were.
![20150501_IC_5730[2] copy 2](https://maryaperez.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/20150501_ic_57302-copy-2.jpg)
Filed under Inspiration
Thank you Sally for this fabulous Five Star Treatment – I am honored to be featured on your wonderful blog!
Filed under Book Review
My heart is heavy, Lord. I can’t go another day.
The sun is hiding its face from me. Dreams are shattered. My heart is torn. Sleep escapes me. My eyes are swollen from the never-ending tears. My head hangs low. My shoulders slumped over. My feet feel like they’re walking in concrete.
Yet You say: Trust Me.
I don’t know if I can hold on longer. I’m not sure I can take another step – another hour, another minute, another second. I can’t today, Lord. I feel like a failure. I have nothing left to give. This darkness doesn’t lift. There’s trouble on every side, darkness all around. The burden is too heavy. The valley is too long. The ocean too wide. The pit too deep. God, please don’t leave me like this! Don’t forsake me now! Whom do I have besides You, Lord?
Please, God. Help. Me. To live.
Yes, child, He whispers. I am here.
Maybe … just maybe, I’ll try again tomorrow.
Personal Note: I felt compelled to jot these words down. I don’t know who this is for, but you know who you are. May hope arise within your spirit, and may you sense the Father’s peace as only He can grant in the midst of the storm. May He fill the void from within and heal the pain in your heart. Yes, He loves you just the way you are, but too much to leave you that way.
Love,
Mary A. ~
Filed under Inspirational, Prayer
Worth repeating!
A message I heard in church a few years ago was about three kinds of enemies. I’d like to share this insight with you, trusting that it’ll help you the way it did me.
We probably all know someone in either category. We may have an idea, a vision, a dream, a desire, or feel passionate about something that we may share with somebody, but then that person does not share in our enthusiasm but merely seeks to crush our spirit. Before we know it, we are pulled back, stifled, crushed, and beaten down. I’m not saying there won’t be times when we are to make ourselves available in helping others. I am saying there will be times when we need to be around those who care enough to pour something back into us.
I need to be refilled. You need to be refilled.
MEDIOCRITY HATES VISION.
See the bigger picture of something greater and something better.
If we don’t grow, we die. This was me about four years ago. I wanted to grow, move forward, and better myself but only felt squashed and discouraged by those around me. Yet, they were moving forward. So in my prayer time, I sought guidance and courage. And when I heard my pastor’s message a few days later, it hit me.
Image source: thinkstock by Getty Images
I took a leap of faith and moved on. Why? Because I knew God had something better for me.
I had to make a choice and yes, it was frightening. It took a few months, but it was the best decision I made for me. Still today I am in a much better place and in a much better job position. I am challenged, fulfilled, and continue to grow. I am encouraged for doing my best and appreciated all that I do. I work for a phenomenal boss and some pretty phenomenal people.
Sometimes you have to give up something good to gain something better.
© M.A. Perez, 2015, All Rights Reserved
Filed under Devotional, motivation
So many nights I’d sit by my window
Waiting for someone to sing me his song
So many dreams I kept deep inside me
Alone in the dark, but now you’ve come along
And you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
Rollin’ at sea, adrift on the water
Could it be finally I’m turning for home?
Finally, a chance to say hey, I love you
Never again
To be all alone
‘Cause you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
‘Cause you, you light up my life
You give me hope to carry on
You light up my days
And fill my nights with song
It can’t be wrong
When it feels so right
‘Cause you, you light up my life
Happy Twenty-First Wedding Anniversary to the one who continually lights up my life.
Here’s to twenty-one more years together. I love you, babe.
Found a beautiful poem written by Helen Steiner Rice titled
With OUR EYES we see
The beauty of Easter
as the earth awakens once more…
With OUR EARS we hear
The birds sing sweetly
to tell us Spring again is here…
With OUR HANDS we pick
the golden daffodils
and the fragrant hyacinths…
But only with OUR HEARTS
can we feel the MIRACLE of GOD’S LOVE
which redeems all men…
And only with OUR SOUL
can we make our ‘pilgrimage to God’
and inherit His Easter Gift of ETERNAL LIFE.
I got to do a guest blog today! Thank you Susan, I am honored to be here!
Today author Mary A. Perez stops by my blog as part of her Running in Heels virtual book tour.
Tell us a bit about yourself.
I am Puerto Rican descent, meaning both my maternal and paternal grandparents, as well as my father, were all born and raised in the Island of Puerto Rico, which by the way, I have yet to visit!
Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was born in the Bronx and raised in Miami. In the year ’77 we moved to Texas. Although Houston has been my home for the past 38 years, I am far from having a Southern country accent. I am told that I sound like I am from up North. Go figure.
What is the best thing about being a writer? The worst?
The best thing about being a writer is that writing can be therapeutic. It…
View original post 1,320 more words
Filed under Author Interview, Featured, Running in Heels
From Heart to Heritage
NEW! Book Club Edition
Reflexiones del Corazón
I just want to thank Mandy for making me a hero in her garden. I was deeply touch and wanted to share my appreciation by adding her link on my sidebar. Click the picture below to view her blog. . .
Reflections From the Heart 