From the Chronicles of the Twelve Gates of Twenty-Six
Dear 2026,
I’ve met your first delegate, January.
I’ll admit, I originally hoped you would be my personal guide through all twelve of your gates, but I am unashamed to confess: I am not disappointed. January’s reputation preceded him with good cause; I have never been more fabulously led.
He brought me first to the Highlands. Its cool, quiet beauty maintains a brilliance that feels purely magical. Upon arrival, I was met by the Fierce Lion Branding—a mark I’ve since realized isn’t mere decoration, but a deliberate symbol of territorial dominance.
This place is not a house; it is a city. A royal estate as breathtaking as the Swiss Alps, yet entirely its own. The vastness of the land and the abundance of the livestock are beyond anything I could have imagined. Standing here, I don’t just feel satisfied—I know, with a sudden, sharp certainty, that I am safe.
But it is the people who have truly changed me.
They are a household united in mind, purpose, and love. They don’t just claim royalty; they inhabit it. In the few weeks I have journeyed amongst them, I have been schooled in the dignity of conversation, the integrity of business, and the depth of faith. I now carry the weight of belonging—the sense of duty and the heart behind the sacrifices offered here.
And the greatest sacrifice of all is the PRAISE.
I have watched them—men, women, and children—in every season of maturity and through every kind of struggle. I have seen them lift hands, voices, and weary eyes in total surrender. Within these walls, I have laughed, wept, and even eaten in the atmosphere of worship.
When I ask why their praise rings so deep, the response is always the same:
“This is the House of Judah!!!”
Now I understand. Their dignity ends where their “undignified” praise begins. Their royal dominion bows in worship; their vast wealth becomes nothing in the presence of the King. What a household.
January tells me another guide is coming to lead me to the next gate. And while I am human enough to be terrified of leaving this joy and certainty, I am not afraid. Wherever I go next, I carry this home in my heart—because its fingerprints are now all over my praise.
