Beforeword: Dear Future Me, if you ever feel distant from your WHY, let this letter be your guide.
Hey you— Yeah, you, The one standing tall in the AFTER, Wearing the GLOW of prayers answered And paths made clear.
When you get there— Where the air feels lighter And your shoulders no longer carry the weight Of the unanswered… I hope you’ll pause. Just for a moment. And remember me. Standing here In this messy middle.
I am the version of you Still whispering “maybe” Still holding space for something That hasn’t yet arrived— A job that feels like calling, A love that feels like home, A place to finally unpack all my boxes And just be.
Right now, I am Neither beginning nor ending— But… becoming. Unfolding. Stretching in faith like sunrise Even when I can’t see the sun.
I need you to know: Some days I wake up strong. Other days— I question everything. My place in this world. My direction. Even whether my prayers Are still being heard.
But still—I show up. Still—I trust. Still—I place one trembling foot In front of the other.
So when you arrive at the place I can’t yet see, Please—don’t forget me. Don’t forget how much courage it took To bloom in the uncertainty. To smile through silence. To hope in the absence of proof.
And I hope— Oh, how I hope— That it ALL found you. The promotion. The partner. The peace. Not all at once, But in the timing that taught you To value the journey as much as the arrival.
I hope your days feel settled now. That home is no longer a suitcase or a prayer, But the secret place of the Most High— A solace. A rhythm of peace. A presence that cannot be shaken.
And when the world tries to pull you into hustle, May you return to the quiet strength Of this moment— This version of us Who waited, not always with patience, but Who kept the faith When everything felt foggy.
So, when you get there— Laugh with your whole chest. Love like you were never broken. And live like the miracle you are.
And if ever again you forget who you are or your place in the world— Read this. And remember: You were always walking in the purpose of God. You were never lost. You were just in the middle Of God’s beautiful unfolding.
With love, Me—right now, Still waiting, Still becoming, But already knowing Me now… Me then… We are enough.
While on a safari tour (a micro-cation) high in the Aberdare mountain range, we stopped at a lookout point overlooking the lows of valleys and peaks of mountains.
In the distance I could see a thin dirt track snaking its way up the curve of another mountain.
Pointing toward it I asked our guide if that’s where we were headed and he explained that the remaining portion of our drive through the Aberdare National Park would take us down into the valley before climbing to the summit of that very mountain.
As we approached the top, something shifted within me.
It was deeper than emotional.
My spirit, my soul opened up.
An unmistakable prompting rose from deep inside.
“Stop!”
Then, more urgently,
“STOP!”
The driver stopped. I stood up in our high-top safari vehicle, looked—all around us was the majesty of trees. Listened—all around us was silence.
This was not an empty silence though, it felt alive. It settled over the mountain, pressing gently against my heart.
Every distraction fell away. Every thought grew quiet. My soul opened, and I experienced hiraeth—that profound longing for home, for the place where the soul remembers it belongs.
For those few precious moments, we stood untouched by deadlines, free from family responsibilities, and beyond the relentless cycle of news headlines, wars, violence, and the endless demands that so often crowd our lives.
We found peace—not the absence of noise, but the presence of God.
Hands lifted toward heaven, we sang together. I imagine that our voices echoed across the mountains, and for a little while, heaven felt wonderfully close.
Unbeknownst to us the driver recorded snippets of us singing and shared it with me not knowing I was writing this post! Coincidence, I think not! [see postscript note below]
When we finished singing, the tour guide pointed out what we had not seen:
Photo: Amos Mogaka
Across the valley, on another mountainside, a herd of elephants moving through the forest, slowly making their way through the landscape.
I don’t know whether they were there all along.
I couldn’t help but wonder if the Creator simply allowed us to notice them at that very moment. Yeah, that’s what it was—the Creator and creation had joined in the worship time of the created.
That moment reminded me that all of creation bears witness to His glory.
God is always present—an ever present presence. It’s just that we aren’t always aware.
The pace of life has a way of dulling our spiritual senses. We hurry from meeting to meeting, obligation to obligation, until the whisper of God is almost drowned out by the intensity of our schedules.
But on that mountain in the Aberdares, God spoke—not through spectacle, but through stillness. Not with thunder, but with the gentle whisper, and I imagine that’s how it was for Elijah.
Or like it was for Moses before the burning bush. I knew I was standing on holy ground right there in that safari vehicle. That mountaintop became an altar, and praise became my offering.
Greatest gifts of a micro-cation is not simply rest from work
It reinforced the lesson for me that one of the greatest gifts of a micro-cation is not simply rest from work. It is the recovery of perspective. It gives us permission to slow our pace, quiet our souls, and become attentive again to the God who has been walking beside us all along.
Perhaps that is why Jesus so often withdrew to lonely places to pray. That kind of solitude is not an escape from life. Being alone with one’s self, even in the company of others, is where life can be put back into its proper order.
As I left the Aberdares that day, I carried more than photographs and memories. I carried a renewed awareness of God’s nearness.
My prayer for you is simple.
May you make room for quiet.
May you learn to welcome silence.
May you discover that God’s presence is often found in the ordinary moments when we become still enough to know we don’t need to manufacture extraordinary moments.
And when that happens may your only response be:
To stop.
To listen.
To praise.
Shabbat Shalom.
Postscript—From Safari Driver:
I wanted to share these videos because they captured one of the most meaningful moments of our safari.
As you sang praise and worship in the middle of the wilderness, I found myself quietly listening, and I must say: it was my heart that was touched. In that moment, surrounded by God’s beautiful creation, I was reminded how powerful faith, gratitude, and nature can be when they come together.
When you mentioned, “God our creator is really amazing!” This made me realize how beautiful nature truly is, even though some of us have always seen it as something ordinary. Those words stayed with me. They reminded me that our work is about so much more than taking people to see wildlife—it’s about helping people slow down, reconnect with creation, and experience its beauty in a new way.
Thank you for allowing me to be part of your journey. I hope these videos bring back the peace, joy, and blessings you experienced that day.
2026 All Rights Reserved
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Beforeword: There are simple pleasures that dot the “i” of LiFE. Joy that can be found in what is small, easily missed—like the dot above the i—but essential to making LiFE enjoyable in spite of everything that tries to weigh it down. Like:
Watching sun break through night clouds only to disappear behind horizon.
Jumping in puddles while walking in the rain.
Catching snowflakes on my tongue.
Making snow-angels on snow days.
Hot chocolate leaving whipped-cream circles on my lip.
Frolicking through piles of autumn leaves.
Beaches and crystal-clear waters.
Swimming in the ocean on a hot summer’s day.
Watching the countryside whiz by from the window of a moving train.
Singing my favorite songs on a long-distance drive with my favorite guy.
Eating ice cream.
And definitely eating chocolate.
The “just because…” call.
The “just because…” gift.
Fresh-cut flowers.
When I’m tucked into a woolen onesie on a cold winter night.
A fireplace crackling on that same cold night.
Binge watching my favorite show.
Stolen glances.
Stolen kisses.
And, hugging that same favorite guy ‘cause he’s my only love.
These are the simple pleasures that dot the “i” of my LiFE—small moments, small mercies, small joys that make the ordinary feel wonderfully complete.
This is the abridged version of the longer poem found here.
Three years ago I was in the throes of making plans to celebrate my birth over the full month of April, like I’ve traditionally done for birthdays past. However, on 11 March 2020 after the corona-19 virus infected people in 114 countries, WHO declared a global pandemic and soon thereafter countries were locked down. And so were my birthday/birthMONTH plans.
Gratefully, I survived being infected with the first strain of the virus (before we had vaccines). This year, 3 years later when the world is closely getting back to the old-normal, I wanted to commemorate life and to celebrate my birthday in a way that connected me to the root/route of my beginning—Africa.
And so was birthed a 3-girls, 3-weeks, 3-country trip for 3 years’ birthday/MONTH commemoration. I returned to two of my favorite African countries—South Africa and Botswana—and visited Tanzania for the first time. Thanks to a plane that literally stopped working, I also spent a night in Malawi.
The little plane that could NOT!! We stopped on one of the many legs and everything in the plane also stopped—no lights, no air, NOTHING. This happened on two of its stops only then did the airline ground the plane. I prayed so hard. A 3-hour trip turned into just over 24 hours!!!!! Adventure!!!!!
The trip included: reunion with friends not seen for over 10 years (in all 4 countries); viewing Africa’s wildlife up close; vineyard tours including the first 100%/fully black-owned winery; sandbanks and pristine white-sand beaches; food and spice markets; rich cultural heritage (history, religion, fashion and more); sailing in dhows; magnificent sunsets; and all along the way, gastronomic delights.
The absolutely “bestEST” part of my trip was reuniting with and being with my friends. Good friends are truly more and better than pocket money. #grateful
Some highlight photos—ENJOY:
With winemaker of 1st black-owned winery, Klein Goederust —Frsanschhoek, South AfricaJetty to Robben Island —Cape Town, South AfricaMesmerizing sunsets—Knysna, South AfricaAfrica’s wild life —Johannesburg, South AfricaWhen a church actively takes part in social justice. The walls of this church still have holes from gunshots fired at students during a march against apartheid who took refuge under its pews —SOWETO, Johannesburg, South AfricaGotta experience the night life! —Rosebank, Johannesburg, South AfricaSerbian Orthodox Church, an architectural delight —Gaborone, BotswanaMokolodi Game Reserve —Gaborone, BotswanaWhat’s a Safari tour if your truck tire doesn’t pick up a puncture?! More adventures in the wild!! BotswanaRemember Pumbaa (Lion King) … warthogs —Gaborone, BotswanaTea and a mystery anyone? Have you read the books or watched the series shot in Gaborone, BotswanaGreat tasting food (boonoonoonoos, as we say in Jamaica) was everywhereDinner at Emerson on Hurumzi is a royal dining experience complete with hands watched in rose water and the view of the sunset is to die for —Stone Town, Zanzibar, TanzaniaViewing Tanzanite, the stone found ONLY in Tanzania is a must—Dar Es Salaam, TanzaniaStreet food … now that’s a must! —Zanzibar, TanzaniaHistoric Dhow Palace Hotel, it’s like sleeping in history —Zanzibar, TanzaniaDhow, SafariBlu tour, white sand beaches, warm crystal clear water —Nakupenda, Zanzibar, Tanzania In the boundless sky, thousands of feet above a continent rich in history, culture, allure, mystery; where travel mishaps are built into the adventure; and, the sun sets are to “die for”!!! My Africa respite was an absolute delight and just what the doctor ordered!!!! Another birthMONTH celebrated. #grateful
2023 All Rights Reserved
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When the Most High God created us, He gave us a most powerful and beautiful gift—choice!
The power and beauty of choice is that it’s predicated on there being more than one option or possibility; and, the path taken will over time make you, you. In other words: you make choices, choices make you.
We choose our joys and sorrows long before we experience them.
Khalil Gibran
If based on hope and not fear, choices will create room for exploration, growth, learning and overall self-development.
Doing something a little different this week. No poetry. No prose. Instead I’ll be posting a series of snappy one-liners that are as good as a mouthful like:
Life’s too short not to live a new day in a different way.
This blog, titled "Empowering Leadership: Building a Harmonious Partnership Between School Management and Principals," explores the essential factors that foster a strong and effective relationship between school management and principals. Drawing on historical context, philosophical principles, Indian legal frameworks, and mythological analogies, the blog offers insights into creating a balanced dynamic where principals are empowered yet accountable. It provides practical strategies for ensuring the administrative, academic, and financial health of educational institutions through clear communication, shared vision, and mutual respect.
Poems & More 