June 2026 | Poem
A Morning Thought of Love
I woke up this morning with a thought of love. / A specific woman of style I had in mind: / My wife of almost 14 years, delivered and signed / From a blessing of a covenant from above / That descended so lightly upon me as a dove.
Under the tree, we find our safety strong. / On the rock, we establish our song. / With the dissolve of time, we redeem our years. / Any sadness will turn into joyful tears.
July 2026 | Poem
Barriers
What is the purpose of trials and tribulations? / What is suffering to me? / Why do I act like I have nothing in me worth weeding, purging, burning, pricking, threshing, pruning— / in order to obtain? / What is my withholding my mind, / My Flesh, / My Soul from cleansing, / From refreshing? / Oh, what a barrier the flesh is to redemption! / Oh, what a barrier the mind is to salvation! / What a condition I deem so dear: / my skin. / What a condition I pride: / the limits of the fortitude or mind.
July 2026 | Poem
Fruit
As I speak, I witness the fruit of my lips. / I see the outpouring of my heart. / Naked are my intentions and integrity. / My words conceal my ignorance and blindness— / my lack. / Of course, by the wayside, I shun the things that I hate, / My desires bearing witness to what I abhor. / Nonetheless, the things I do not desire, / Those very things which compromise my future and prosperity, / I take note of how to smother them.
July 2026 | Poem
Day My Life Changed
The day my life changed. / How I met her at Starbucks. / A band in her short hair, / A flower, / And her smile. / Her eyes were bright as the summer sun. / Dang! / They still are. / Her sound, / Her voice moves mountains, / Yet is soft and quiet. / Her words flow out like waters, / Not out of Meribah, / But from the wells of life. / Does she not move with an elegant swiftness? / A strength as vulnerable as a delicate, intertwined rope. / Her knowledge outweighs her years. / Her wealth is with her. / She magnifies God and defies falsehood. / Still, / She wants me. / She sees me. / As we talk, we feel the future. / We frolic in the music of God.
June 2026 | Essay
Word That Build People Up
"The mouth of a righteous man is a well of life: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked" (Proverbs 10:11).
Initially, it seems that this passage is talking only about the person who is using her or his mouth because the passage does not mention another person. So it may seem that the well of life or the concealed violence pertains only to the person who is doing the speaking. But the second part of this passage hints at something else. When we translate the second part of the passage correctly, it is the mouth that conceals violence, not violence that conceals the mouth. Thus, we can imagine a wicked person saying something in a manner to cover up violence that may be going on unnoticed. This wicked person would not be hiding something from himself or herself. And since the author contrasts the righteous man and the wicked man directly, we can safely assume that the effect of words in both cases is the same. Therefore, I believe this passage emphasizes the power of our words on others. This "power" is not magical in any way. Yet, the power of the words this passage talks about is real and something we have probably all experienced. Now, it may surprise some people that our words can affect people as much as this passage suggests. People might think words cannot nurture life for others or be violent against others. But most people know how it feels when other people hurt them with insults, rumors, or unkind words. This hurt is an example of violence. People also know how they feel when someone else compliments them. Such compliments can encourage someone to keep on doing what they are doing or do better in life. This response is an example of someone, so to speak, drinking from a fountain or well of life. We may not study the lasting effects of such words. We might have to take time to consider just how compliments or insults can affect someone over a period of time. Still, it should be reasonable to see how constant reinforcement of a positive or negative word to the enrichment or detriment of someone else can affect the outcome of their life. To be sure, everyone has a choice and power in how much they let the words of others affect them. But we should also not be in denial of how much positive or negative words affect us and others.
The apostle Paul writes in a letter to the Ephesians that we should, "let no corrupt communication proceed out of our mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29). Here, Paul emphasizes the effect of our words on others. Paul calls what I call "others" as hearers. In this passage, Paul links the responsibility of our speech to our connected obligation to those who hear us. These hearers are not the speakers of life or violence, but the hearers of it. I believe the passage in Proverbs has a similar emphasis to the passage in Ephesians because both stress the effect of our words on other people. In the Ephesians passage, Paul goes on to say, "Let all bitterness, and wrath and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you" (Ephesians 4:31-32). In this passage, Paul clarifies that our words serve to build up (edify) other people. But he also suggests our words can have the opposite effect if we speak with hate, anger, wrath, unforgiveness, and bitterness. These emotions, especially in this passage, refer to affections toward others and not ourselves.
Today people seem to focus mostly on how their own words can affect their own future because we live in a very selfish culture. Many things in our culture, from advertisements, entertainment, and products, are geared toward self-satisfaction. When was the last time you heard an advertisement from a fast-food restaurant or just a regular restaurant mention feeding the poor or mentioning something you can do to support them feeding someone other than yourself? Thinking about the well-being of others is not common in our culture today. But I believe strongly that God wants us to focus more on how our words can have a positive or negative effect on others. I believe this because of the emphasis given through the previous scriptures. Of course, we must be careful what we say regarding ourselves. We should not be careless and speak words of death or negativity over our own lives. Yet, it is equally, if not more, important to be mindful of how our words affect others. So, if we believe God cares about how our words can affect our future or trajectory in life, we should also believe that God cares even more about how we understand how our words can affect others' future and trajectory in life. We should not be so selfish to think the power of our words pertains only to ourselves and disregard the positive and negative impact we can have on other people. Again, I do not claim our words hold magical powers. Still, our words are powerful, existing in the real world, containing a force to change the world we live in.
July 2026 | Poem
In the Sea
Keep me away from evil and its hurt. / Though I am not perfect, I am perfect in Jesus. / Yes. / I call his name as one who calls out in the middle of the sea, / Who cannot swim, / Neither has arms nor legs to tread the water. / My only hope of life is in Jesus my Savior / Amongst the waves of death and wickedness.
July 2026 | Poem
A Sound of Love
The drums pitter and patter. / The ride cymbal crashes. / Coltrane pours out sound. / The bass splashes. / I can see the sunset over the expanse. / Each note played fervently, leaving nothing to chance. / The sound is now caught in lives' dashes, / Between the years, reviving the ashes. / I stare into the open vision, / Not a glance. / The drums pitter and patter.
June 2026 | Poem
Repay
How can I repay her? / She has loved me through the thick and thin. / She received my ring made out of tin / And fashioned it into gold that smells like myrhh. / An artist, she is—a breed of connoisseur /
As her dad. A love felt, / Prevalent presence vast as the veldt. / Rest in my arms—these fleshy branches / As my joy avalanches.
June 2026 | Poem
Likeness
I never thought I was good / enough to be blessed with a son / and wife. For what have I done? / Has not the Lord given me more than He should? / Have I not done less than I could? /
Look at his eyes. / Like his momma's. It's no surprise / His smile melts my worries / And his laughter quells my furies.
June 2026 | Poem
His Righteousness
The Lord has always been there. / Never has he left me confused, / my crying pleas for forgiveness not refused. / He handles my prayers and soul with the utmost care— / His judgments and tests: always fair. /
Though I do not understand always, / My soul testifies His truth while my mind betrays. / His goodness is forever the fruit I partake, / And only because of His righteousness' sake.