When Distance Breaks Your Heart Saying goodbye from a distance is more painful than anyone can imagine. It made me feel so sad. I cried, and I felt weak. I went to Jesus with my tears and asked Him to heal my broken heart. I came to Him in pain, and He saw every tear that fell. I saw how broken my heart was, but my faith was bigger than my sorrow. I texted my dear friends and told them that I had lost my baby boy, Snowball. Even writing those words was hard. It was so difficult to accept. The hardest part is knowing that I am far away. I cannot hold him, help him, or say goodbye the way I wanted to. There is nothing I can do from this distance, and that hurts deeply. But even in my grief, I choose to trust God. I thank Him for every moment, every memory, every kiss, every tail wag, and every joy Snowball brought into my life. He was a gift of love, and I will always be grateful that God allowed me to have him. Today my heart is broken, but my faith remains strong. Verse:“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” — 1 Peter 5:7

Today someone wrote to me: “Maria, these notes of yours are so good. This will be a place I come to for encouragement.” For a moment, I asked myself, “What more should I do? How can I make it better? What should I ask for next?” Then I felt God gently reminding me: “Be thankful.” Sometimes we become so focused on what is next that we forget to celebrate what God is doing right now. If even one person finds hope, comfort, or encouragement through the words God places on my heart, then that is already a blessing. I do not need thousands of followers to make a difference.I do not need perfect words.I do not need to have all the answers. I simply need to remain faithful to what God has given me. The gifts God gives are not meant to be measured by numbers but by the lives they touch. Today, my prayer is not for more recognition.My prayer is for a grateful heart. Thank You, Lord, for every person You encourage through this community. Thank You for allowing me to be part of Your work. Sometimes the greatest blessing is realizing that what God has already given us is more than enough. “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” — 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Sometimes I imagine that God has an email address. Every morning I would send Him a message. “Jesus, I need your help.” “Jesus, why is this taking so long?” “Jesus, can You open this door?” “Jesus, are You listening?” Day after day, I would keep sending emails. My inbox would show “Sent,” but nothing would come back. No reply. No explanation. No timeline. At first, I would be patient. Then I would become frustrated. “Jesus, why aren’t You answering me?” “I have written so many emails.” “Do You see them?” “Do You even care?” In my imagination, I pictured His inbox overflowing with billions of messages from people all over the world. People crying, praying, thanking, asking, hurting, hoping. I thought maybe He was just too busy. But one day I realized something. The problem was never that Jesus was ignoring my emails. He had been answering all along. Some emails received a “yes.” Some received a “not yet.” And some received no answer because His love was protecting me from things I thought I wanted. Years later, I looked back at some of the prayers that seemed forgotten. The relationship that never happened. The opportunity that disappeared. The door that stayed closed. The plan that failed. And suddenly I understood. What I called silence was often protection. What I called delay was preparation. What I called rejection was redirection. Jesus did not ignore my messages. He simply saw what I could not see. Sometimes the greatest answer God gives is not an explanation but His guidance. And when I finally looked back, I realized He had been replying to every email with His faithfulness, His timing, and His love. His answer was not always what I wanted. “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. — Isaiah 55:8 But it was always what I needed.

This morning, during my usual text conversation with my dear friend Dawna, she said something that stopped me in my tracks: “I know He is your boyfriend. Never forget that He is GOD.” Those simple words touched my heart deeply. I smiled because I understood exactly what she meant. My relationship with Jesus is so personal. I talk to Him about everything. I share my joys, my fears, my dreams, and even my frustrations. He is my closest friend, my comfort, and my daily companion. But in that moment, I was reminded of something important. Yes, He is close enough to hear my whispers, but He is also the God of Heaven and Earth. He is the God of promises.The God who makes a way when there seems to be no way.The God of the impossible.The God whose love has no limits.The God who speaks life into dead situations.The God who sees what I cannot see. Sometimes I become so comfortable in His presence that I forget the greatness of who He truly is. I forget that the One who walks beside me is also the One who created the stars. The One who comforts my heart is the same God who moves mountains. Today I learned that intimacy with God should never cause me to lose my awe of Him. He invites me to come close, but He also deserves my worship.He calls me His child, but He remains my Lord.He listens to my smallest concerns, yet nothing is impossible for Him. Thank you, Dawna, for the reminder. Today my heart remembers again: “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?” — Jeremiah 32:27 My God is not limited by what I see.My God is not limited by what I understand.My God is the God of promises, the God of miracles, and the God of endless love. And He is still writing my story.

Do Not Put God in a Box Do Not Put God in a Box One of the biggest mistakes we make is putting God in a box. We limit Him because we think with a human mind, and our understanding is limited. We look at our circumstances, our resources, our abilities, and we assume that God is limited by the same things. But God is not limited by what limits us. When we see no way, He makes a way.When we see an ending, He sees a beginning.When we think something is impossible, He reminds us that nothing is impossible for Him. Too often we decide how God should answer our prayers, when He should answer them, and what the outcome should look like. Then when He works differently, we struggle to recognize His hand. God is bigger than our plans, bigger than our fears, bigger than our expectations, and bigger than our imagination. Do not put God in a box created by your own understanding. Trust Him beyond what you can see.Believe Him beyond what you can explain.Follow Him even when the path does not make sense. The God who created the universe is still working in ways we cannot see and doing things we cannot yet understand. “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord. — Isaiah 55:8 Take God out of the box and let Him be God.