Narrator: Let me tell you a fable of three brothers, sitting and having a feast around a table:

Brother 1: Who is this God compared us three? Are we, His image, not better than He? Is not our greatness exposed for all of the world to see?

Brother 2: Yes my brother, I am inclined to agree. For I am an axe who is capable of felling any tree. Be it cedar, maple, or oak. No matter how tall or how small. All I need is a mighty hand to swing me, and I shall lower them all

Brother 3: Ah my foolish brother, you are nothing more than a brute, where as I myself am a beautiful flute. I’m the one people desire as they feast and they dine. The one they enjoy as they sip on their wine. All I need is someone to breathe through me, and I shall make a sound most divine.

Brother 1: Silly brother, who are you to try and pretend? For you know that to the heights of my glory you shall never ascend. For great as you are, of us three you are least. You shall not rise, as bread lacking yeast. Where as I am a well of knowledge, for I am a book. People have travelled far and wide just so upon me they may look. The information I contain has built kingdoms from dust, and left empires shook. I record all of that which I see, just so long I have an author to write within me.

Brother 2: Brothers now is not the time to argue about who is greatest and who is least, but let us sit together and enjoy our feast.

Brother 3: My brother you are right. This is not the time to argue, let us not fight, but rather let us lift up our glasses as I propose a toast. For we three brothers are the pinnacle for most.

Narrator: Fools! Who are you to arrogantly boast?
For You are but mere tools, who are useless unless you are used by your Master
And the works of your hands are doomed to collapse, as a wall built without mortar or plaster.
For you trust in knowledge, strength, and fame, looking to them for your power
But their power is fleeting, and they shall depart from you in your final hour
The works of your hands shall crumble to dust at times passing
But as for God, His work shall be everlasting
How can man hope to compare to the almighty God?
For He is the One who spoke forth the heavens and created the earth
He was the One who formed man from the dust, and was there when woman first gave birth.
He is the judge who shall pass forth our sentence
And the only One with the power to bring forth works of repentance.
You think that your glory shines so valiant, so bright
But in the wake of His glory, it shall appear as day, even in the darkest of night.
So raise up your glasses, and make ye your toast,
But as for me, it is in the Lord God I shall boast

to listen in order to speak,
to speak in order to be heard-
a human flaw we’ve come to
adopt
robbing us of the beauty of
what it means to be
human
to connect-
fully.

we live in a world where your response
matters more
than the proposal,
where the aftermath, the outcome,
is better than the journey-
we’ve lost the beauty in the becoming
too busy rushing to be.

we’ve adopted the butterfly
as the mascot of freedom,
her beautiful wings spreading wide,
ready to take on the world-
we neglect
what it took to get there
the caterpillar who lurks,
stuck in the before.

we celebrate our 18th birthday
then our 21st
then the 25th
and our 30th.
glossing over the others-
because, somehow
they’re unimportant.

and at 30,
you’ll wonder where your 20s went-
as if you didn’t
only celebrate them twice.

at 30, you’ll wonder where time went,
feeling like you lost your ‘prime’
as if,
during this time,
you weren’t just waiting for the next best thing:
turn 30, get married, own a home,
start a family.

now what?

you’ll wait to turn 40.
maybe gather family for celebrations
as you realize you are just a
watered down version of yourself-
the dreamer of your 20s slowly
slipped through the drains of a city
that used to inspire you-

you’ll wonder what happened to your zest,
when you stopped writing,
when you stopped looking up,
and looking down instead.

maybe-
you got too used to it
to enjoy it-
the architecture used to wow you,
now
you casually pass it by on your weekly Sunday walk to trader joe’s,
you don’t look up at it anymore,
or stop in the middle of the street
to capture the perfect photo,
one that will humble you-
and will live on,
or so you thought.

but it didn’t stop there,
you stopped smiling at strangers
you stopped losing your breath every time you saw the Manhattan skyline at night
your inspirations became too comfortable
and the appreciation swept away.

so what’s next?

you’ll turn 40 and realize half a life has gone by
since you last had a
lust for life,
half a life has gone by
since you last got your breath taken away
by the beauty of your new home.

so, you’ll spend the next 20 years
begging for your youth back
as the wrinkles multiply-
you’ll celebrate every
single
birthday
between 40 and 60,
because there is 20 birthdays inbetween
40 and 60-
not just four.

you’ll teach yourself the in-betweens
are worth celebrating too,
that turning 42 is somehow,
just as special as turning 21-

you’ll teach yourself that while
it feels like you have already lived so
many lives,
it’s still your first- and only- life.

you’ll teach your kids that you’re still growing up too-
that youthfulness and adulthood can coexist,
that 60 is the new 21
and to listen is
just as important
as to speak.

You took advantage of a vulnerable situation
Gave me your hand that led me to lies
I just wanted you to stay
Now I need you to stay away

Empty promises of passion and adventure
Sounded so great until you took it away
I wish I could hate you but I have too much empathy
Still, I hope you stay a million miles away

Stay with me
Stay away
Stop playing this little game
I wish you could take all the blame
We’re both guilty of the sky turning grey

In ten years you will be ready for something more
When you come I won’t answer the door
Permanently closed to the idea of reconciliation
I threw away the key to our ultimate fantasy
Stay where you are
Don’t come back to me

I watched you from the shadows,
a quiet, steady beat.
You moved through the world
like the ground kissed your feet.

I studied the curve of your laugh,
the shine in your eyes,
dreamt of moments we’d share,
but they were all lies.

I was invisible, a ghost in the crowd,
a whisper, a breeze, never too loud.
But inside, my heart raged,
a storm I couldn’t tame,
trapped between silence
and the sound of your name.

So one day, I stood tall,
my fear on display,
and told you the truth
in the boldest of ways.
But your smile held pity,
your answer a no—
a wound I expected,
but it still cut low.

Yet from that “no,” I found my voice,
discovered in me, I had a choice.
No longer hiding in the cracks of the wall,
I became the light that burns through it all.

Now I walk taller,
no fear in my step,
because loving myself
is the best move yet.

You didn’t choose me,
but that’s okay,
I’ve learned to love me
in a brand-new way.

Down the Rabbit Hole

I tumble through shadows, stars in my eyes,
A velvet night sky, where silence sighs.
The walls of the tunnel, alive with my past,
Moments like whispers, they flicker and flash.

Sad times drip slowly, like tears from a stone,
Anger erupts where I stood all alone.
Laughter ignites like a flame in the dark,
Joy paints the void with a radiant spark.

I see myself giving, my heart stretched thin,
Smilin’ for others while breakin’ within.
Each frame a story, each ache, each flight,
A kaleidoscope spinning in endless night.

At the end of the tunnel, the cosmos unfolds,
Planets and universes, their mysteries untold.
A breathless horizon, a shimmering start,
A whisper that maybe, this time’s a new part.

I land in the glow, a world vast and free,
A rabbit hole journey to rediscover me.

High-quality, high times, feeling,
Optimistic about this moment. It’s
Untitled, put together like a puzzle.
Reality framed beneath the boarder
Serendipity, with the hours. With no (H) is
…………………..Ours

Grandmother Willow, Grandmother Willow, I come to you for your advice.

Can You Hear Me Through the breeze that sways within the trees? Like the leaves, I cling to you for life within your glorious crown. 

Young Seedling, I am here for you. I heard your prayers through my roots. I learned of your struggle from the birds that land upon my branches. 

Grand Mother Willow, Grand Mother Willow? 

What will become of me? I want to be tall and beautiful. Someone the World can look up to. What Will Become of Me if the Woodsman Chops Me Down. Down to the Ground, I would fall, laying waste at his feet as he stepped over me like I was nothing. Grandmother Willow What Will Become of Me?

Dear Sapling, the squirrels tell me tales of your Love towards them, feeding them before the Winter Frost and granting praise to them. Dear Sapling, the rabbits tell me the poems of their Trust in you. As you lead them to safe havens so they can create their dens for their families. Oh sweet Sapling, the deer trot with Joy through the Woods, singing an old song of your Survival and Strength that You have Honored them with. 

So, My Child Think Not of Tomorrow Because Your Presence is a Present to All those Young and Old, for the Owl of Wisdom Watches over You. She will Guide You to Become a Queen Worthy of Crowns of Adornment. And I, Your Grandmother Willow; will always shield you from the Storm of Self Doubt.

Dear Unsealed,

I wrote a little poem based on the fable of the Scorpion and the Frog. It reflects on our inherent nature and how it doesn’t necessarily dictate our fate. We all still have a choice, in the end.

SCORPION and the FROG

Let’s cross water together

I don’t want to cross alone

Like a dog without a bone

Or a bird in stormy weather

Climb upon my back

So we can take the journey

Cautiously and without hurry

Leaving ripples as our track

If you get the urge to sting

In the middle of the deep

Just put yourself to sleep

With the lullaby I sing

Sting me later if you must

I don’t mind the sacrifice

My heart will not turn to ice

Though your nature I don’t trust

Soon we’ll make it to the shore

Landing safely on dry ground

Where our nature can be found

In the way just as before

Do we part our separate ways

Or do we make the compromise

Not to live our separate lives

As our dark hairs turn to greys

And though love can turn to hate

If we don’t learn compromise

Pledge forgiveness in our eyes

So that nature’s not our fate

Alone but not lonely
Some just loan me their time, while
The sum adds up.
Im taking out loans,until,
I make enough to maintain alone.
Then I’ll invest it for my preference.
A loan, to be “alone” I’m just a loner.
Yet, far from lonely. Sometimes…
The question comes, Are you alone?
And the response in the mind is, if only.
Thinking about….
The outcomes & possibilities.

All of my deep fears
The monsters in my closet
Stem from this small thing

Procrastination
I say I’ll do this later
But the time is now

I don’t want to yet
This is all so very hard
To take in right now

I’d really rather
Scroll on social media
Than deal with this

Pesky task at hand
Veritable kryptonite
Anything but this

I’ll do this later
Let me crawl into a hole
And never come out

Then I tried this app
To beat procrastination
I was skeptical

Ten minutes a day
That I will try out this app
For my life to change

I figured, why not?
Only a small chunk of time
That’s all it would take

So I used the app
It seemed insignificant
Just a few modules

Immediately
It was life changing for me
I started on tasks

Not putting them off
I actually finished them
I felt accomplished

Overcoming fears
I did not know I harbored
Now I’m the victor

Instead of victim
I could actually do things
I felt empowered

No longer I’d wait
The absolute last minute
To get all things done

Heart skipping beats on narrow attic stairs,
           making hasty a getaway over thin air.
Chased by hazy visions from dreamy hells
            and the devils, too close at my heel.

Running down sharp walled halls
               too afraid to stop or fall.
Terrified of the sounds, lost hidden howls,
             all the fear my imagination’s found.

Fearing missteps with clumsy, unpopular opinions,
             always dreaming of lofty, aimless ambitions.
Climbing past the highest clouds, too afraid to leap,
       then falling over lazy hills, too anxious to sleep.

Agonizing and pointless routines when life in the light
and old obscurities mingle, and nothing feels right.
Reading and rereading, searching for a newer spark,
to illuminate glimmers lost in the endless dark.
 
Slowly wandering through and throughout  
            the deep twilights, me and my doubt.
Shutting off lights, walking without the fright,
           strolling with stars guiding in the night.

Seeing with clarity the emptiness
            hidden in shaded oblivions.
Dreading only the darkness
           that still lingers in me.

I am currently on a trip to New York, and during my devotional time in my hotel room this morning, I was suddenly led to write and share “Your Presence” here:

Your Presence is what I seek
Your Presence is where we meet
Your Presence brings me peace
Your Presence is for the bold and meek

Your Presence is unmatched
Your Presence is the latch
Your Presence I respect
Your Presence is where we connect

Your Presence is golden
Your Presence is emboldening
Your Presence beautifully mends
Your Presence is a gem

Your Presence is dependable
Your Presence is commendable
Your Presence is my truth
Your Presence is my root

Your Presence holds my hand
Your Presence is time with my Best Friend
Your Presence has no end
Your Presence is where I stand!

In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

My life has been a rollercoaster of self-discovery and survival. From a young age, I never quite fit in. In school, I had friends, but I always felt like the outsider. They got the dates, the attention from boys, the spotlight. Me? I was just… there. Tall, skinny, with long hair and hand-me-down clothes, I came from a family that didn’t have much. My father was strict, even into my twenties, and our household lacked the freedom to explore or express who we were.

But the real challenge wasn’t just at home—it was the relentless bullying that shaped my self-image and, for a long time, my life. I was teased, mocked, and made to feel invisible or unworthy. And those scars followed me into adulthood. They left me questioning my value, my voice, and my right to take up space. They turned me into a people pleaser, someone willing to go above and beyond for others just to feel accepted—only to be used and discarded when my boundaries went unnoticed or ignored.

That need for acceptance shaped my choices in ways I couldn’t see at the time. I picked the wrong partners, made bad decisions, and ended up chasing validation from people who never had my best interests at heart. Even in the workplace, I sought belonging, only to be met with superficial acceptance that often turned into exploitation. The same patterns of feeling unseen and unvalued repeated themselves, leaving me struggling with depression, self-doubt, and an overwhelming sense of being misunderstood.

For years, I carried this weight, convinced it was mine to bear. I felt trapped in a cycle of trying to prove myself to people who had already made up their minds about me. But then, somewhere along the way, something shifted.

Now, in my forties, I’ve reached a turning point. I’ve had enough. I’ve realized that the reason I never fit in, the reason I was bullied and mistreated, wasn’t because I lacked something—it was because of my light, my aura, the favor God placed on my life. People weren’t pushing me down because I was weak; they were trying to dim the brightness they saw in me.

I came across a quote one day that struck me to my core: ‘Thieves don’t take from houses or stores that have no value.’ That’s when it clicked—I had value all along. That’s why I was targeted. That’s why I felt the weight of other people’s insecurities projected onto me.

Now, I understand that no amount of changing myself will ever make someone like me if they’re determined not to. And that’s okay. Their opinions don’t define me, and their insecurities aren’t mine to carry.

I’ve stopped shrinking myself for others. I’ve stopped trying to be the loudest voice in the room or bending myself into someone I’m not just to avoid rejection. I’ve embraced who I am—flaws, light, and all.

The journey hasn’t been easy, but it’s been worth it. I’ve learned to set boundaries, to value my own voice, and to love myself without needing outside validation. I’ve discovered the freedom that comes from knowing I am enough, just as I am.

For anyone reading this, who feels unseen, unworthy, or caught in the trap of trying to please everyone else—know this: You don’t need to change to fit someone else’s mold. You are valuable, and your light is worth protecting. The people who matter will see it, and those who don’t? They were never meant to stay in your story anyway.