Lifelonglearners

Let’s be honest.
If the Proverbs 31 woman had Instagram, these are the stories we’d be seeing:

• Buying land
• Planting vineyards
• Running a household
• Managing staff
• Making clothes
• Trading goods
• Speaking wisdom
• Planning for the future

The Fall Wears a Crown

We have seen it before,
The businessman whose name filled cities,
The general whose voice moved armies,
The father whose word ruled his house.
Strong hands, steady gaze
Certain tomorrow would bow to them.

So stood King Saul,
Head and shoulders above the rest,
Oil on his brow,
The people’s choice, heaven’s anointed.
Victory once followed his stride
Like a loyal servant.

But fear is a silent blade.
Jealousy, a slow poison in royal veins.
On Mount Gilboa the mighty trembled,
His sons fallen, his strength undone.
The sword he once lifted in triumph
Became his final companion.

For in every pulse of human blood
There runs an ancient decree:
No throne resists the grave,
No crown silences dust.
The fall of the mighty is not surprise
It is the inheritance of us all.

I used to think focus was just the ability to do many things at once by managing my time. Multitasking, checking messages while answering emails, jumping from one task to another—I thought that was focus.

But recently, I learned something powerful from observing lions… and it changed my mindset completely.

Here are five characteristics of lions that taught me what true focus really means:

Patience – Lions can stalk prey for 30 minutes or more, waiting for the perfect moment. I realized that rushing tasks doesn’t make me productive; waiting and planning makes me effective.

Observation – A lion studies its environment, noticing every movement and detail. I started paying attention to my surroundings and priorities instead of rushing blindly.

Targeted Action – Lions don’t chase the whole herd; they pick one target and commit fully. True focus means choosing one task and giving it my full attention.

Timing – Lions attack at the precise moment when success is most likely. I learned to act strategically, not impulsively.

Persistence – Even after failed attempts, lions try again with steady determination. Focus isn’t just attention .it’s consistent effort toward the goal.

What if in one single day you lost everything you owned and everyone you loved?

In the Book of Job, Job was a wealthy and faithful man. He had large flocks, many servants, and a loving family. His life was full of peace and blessing.

Then disaster struck.

Raiders attacked and stole his oxen. Fire fell and burned his sheep. His camels were taken. His servants were killed. One messenger after another arrived with terrible news. Could the pain get any worse?

Yes. A powerful wind destroyed the house where his children were gathered, and they all died.

In a single day, Job lost his wealth, his servants, and his children. He was left with nothing. How could anyone survive such loss?

Yet instead of cursing God, Job fell to the ground and worshiped. Broken, grieving, and alone, he still held on to his faith.

This poem is inspired by the story of King Saul, who condemned what he later sought.

Shoes Have Sizes

It can be easy to point, to poke
When we are safe in our own cloak.
It’s easy to judge, to criticize views,
When we are standing in our own shoes.

But we forget shoes have sizes,
Different struggles, different crises.
What fits you well may bruise another,
You do not know the weight they cover.

We speak so loud, we post so fast,
As if our strength will always last.
We call out wrong, we name the sin,
Yet rarely look at what’s within.

Remember Saul, so bold, so sure,
He banned the mediums firm and pure.
He drove them out, declared them wrong,
His voice was sharp, his rule was strong.

But when the silence filled his night,
And fear replaced his former might,
He sought the very door he’d sealed,
And knelt before what he’d once repealed.

The thing we mock, the thing we blame,
May test our own resolve the same.

If you think you stand,take heed!