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When I was a child, I worried about all the water running out of the rivers and into the oceans. First, I worried that the rivers would run out of water. Then, I worried that the oceans would fill up and flood over the land. If you think about it, my worries were logical. How do the rivers keep running so long? (The Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the Middle East are even mentioned in the Garden of Eden). And, since all rivers flow into the oceans, why don't the oceans fill up...
Forgiveness is one of those experiences that you participate in as a receiver and as a giver. If you have one without the other than it just doesn't feel right. With all the talk in the circles of the truth and reconciliation meetings that have taken place, and all the recommendations that came forth, forgiveness must play a vital role in that process. Survivors told their stories, truth telling took place and talk of healing was central to those talks. Yet, if forgiveness...
Lately I've realized all the people I knew when I was young have long since passed away. As a child, I had no idea these "old" people around me had lived rich, exciting, even dangerous and heroic lives. When I was with them they talked about their health or their gardens or what they had for lunch, and as a child, I didn't know that if I would ask the right question I could unlock a treasure chest of stories that only they could tell. When they died, their stories died with...
Winner, National and International Boxing Titles Model, CoverGirl Cosmetics Community Activist Mary Spencer, an Ojibway athlete originally from the Cape Croker First Nation began her boxing career at age 17. Although she was born in Wiarton, Ontario and lived there for a time, she also lived in Big Trout Lake, Owen Sound and Detroit before settling in Windsor, Ontario. She attended Roseville Public School where she played volleyball and soccer and was also a track and field...
As a well-traveled North American, I'm fascinated by culture. I've been in every Canadian province and most U.S. States. In Nova Scotia, my wife and I were treated like family by complete strangers. Trust me, this does not happen in New Jersey. Americans are more likely to say "um" than "eh." Canadians are more likely to apologize than our American cousins. When I cross the pond to Europe, the rules change further. I tried to tip a waiter in Germany, and he looked at me like...
Karen Wingate I remembered the feeling of days long ago, before my Christian conversion, when I got high; a feeling of lethargy, as if my arms weighed 50 pounds each. I could actually feel the blood coursing through my veins. I could feel my heart beating without touching my chest. Suddenly things would get very quiet, and my vision centered in more and more as my peripheral vision narrowed. Yes, I remembered the feeling. In fact, I was feeling it again, but now I was on...
The pressure was strong. His sales pitch was impressive and tempting, yet I kept declining. "Come on!" he was upping the ante, "I'll make it three and you choose the day." I hesitated because the offer was great, but in the end I declined it, too. Using the shower only happens three times a week in Ad Seg (the Hole). Although the showers are filthy, a full head-to-toes cleansing makes a big difference, both physically and emotionally. Plus, the shower is the only place we are...
There is no place quite like the mountains to enjoy the first rays of morning light. Shimmering rays glint across lakes and streams, inviting wildlife to leave their shadowy shelters for a cool morning drink. Through the stillness I hear the familiar plinks of fish jumping to snatch insects. Insistent jays and chattering chipmunks urge me to pay attention to the glory around me. Indian paintbrush, yellow buttercups, and purple columbine paint brilliant hues on grassy slopes...
Psalm 32:7 (NJKV) says, "You are my hiding place: You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance." When we are seeking the healing of our broken hearts one of the best approaches we can take is to hide. Hide from our troubles? Hide from our friends? Hide from our family? Hide from our community? No, we hide in God, our heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus, who wants us to hide in Him. Many of us are great at hiding and running from our...
My brother and I have never been particularly close, so when he showed up on my doorstep one evening, I was rather surprised. Automatically, I offered him a coke and a seat. He half-heartedly made small talk for a few moments. Then, he stumbled onto the real punch line, "Susan has left me." I was floored. They'd been married ten years. Both were Christians and active in a strong church-Susan was even a pastor's kid. I knew they had their tense moments, but I certainly never...
Major Depressive Disorder is the second most common form of mental illness (diagnosed in 6.9 percent of American adults). According to the National Alliance for Mental Illness, anxiety disorders, the most common mental illness, occurs in 18.1 percent of Americans. The examples of mental health issues, including depression, are plentiful. A stressed-out individual is diagnosed with a mood disorder. A busy stay-at-home mom feels as if her identity is slipping away and starts...
It seems like last Thursday that our kids were teenagers. People would ask, "What do you do?" and I would say, "I follow teenagers around the house. I shut lights off. It's a full time job." Suddenly our teens grew up and had children of their own. And now, we follow grandkids around the house shutting lights off, vacuuming, mopping and hosing down the disaster area. With six of them under the age of three, we have no idea what they're gonna do next. One minute they reach...
I saw the moving van parked in front of the house across the street and knew it wasn’t a good sign. Molly had lived in that house 50 years until she became ill and her family placed her in a nursing home. The moving van meant she wasn’t coming home. I walked across the street to talk to her son, Fred. We’d only met a couple of times, but he’d seemed like a nice person. I asked him how Molly was doing, and I already dreaded the answer. “Mom doesn’t have much time left,” he said...
Mediator between the U.S. military and the Apache Information about her is sketchy-including her date of birth and the specifics of her death-but Dahteste (ta-DOT-say) was a member of the Chiricahua Apache band. Dahteste fought with the warrior Geronimo when the Apaches warred against Mexico for having murdered Geronimo's family. She also fought against the United States for its encroachment and colonization of Apache ancestral lands. Dahteste was reputed to have been quite...
In March, I took a little drive to have a refreshing break. On a ten-hour trip, my truck began to act up. I kept losing power! It was quite concerning, and left me feeling helpless because I had no idea what was wrong! The only thing I knew to do was to pull over, stop the truck and wait a bit. Then I started it again and continued my trip. Thankfully, I reached my destination safely and was able to take the truck to a mechanic for help. As I reflect on the whole situation, I...
My emotions were in a tangle. I wasn't mad or agitated; but I was sad and happy at the same time. Waiting in Ad Seg (the Hole) to be transferred is nerve-wracking. An inmate in the Hole can wait up to five months-or more, in some special cases-to be put on a bus. Every day, we listen for our names to be announced from the weekly transfer list. Ears perk up and the air goes still as we all try to hear the officer making the announcement. We hear whoops of happiness and cheers...
You can prevent sight loss. And it's not that hard. Health experts promote diet and exercise programs to ward off systemic diseases such as heart issues, stroke and diabetes. As much as we care for our overall health, it's important to not neglect care for our eyes as well. Diminishing eyesight from issues such as cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration can limit our mobility, challenge our daily living tasks and isolate us from social connections. Health...
Whenever we experience some sort of grief, loss or trauma our body, soul and spirit want to run and hide and try to cover the pain-or try to numb or forget the pain. Yet, when we look at our holy book called the Scriptures, we see men and women expressing their pain and hurt. Throughout the Holy Scriptures, that God gave to our spiritual ancestors and told us to pass along to our children, we hear stories of people like Job who lost everything within a short period of time eve...
"I don't have to put up with this. I'm outta here!" Amber* stomped to her room in the lower level of our home. I don't remember what the issue was, but I do remember my stepdaughter had seemed unsettled since her 18th birthday two weeks earlier. "Everything's the same," she'd moaned on her special day. She'd expected to magically be an adult and was bewildered that nothing in her life had changed. Well now she made changes in a hurry. We discovered that she'd left the house...
Legends about Big Foot or Sasquatch have been around for hundreds of years. If you mention Big Foot, everyone immediately knows who or what you are talking about. Most people don't believe in leprechauns or fairies, but if you mention Big Foot, they don't seem as sure. If you ask people if they believe in mermaids they'll say no, if you ask them if they believe in Big Foot they'll say "Well, not exactly but if we had more proof, I suppose it is possible." I think we like the...
What would you do if you had nine minutes to live? My wife and I were in Hawaii. I was preparing to speak the next day. I know, it's a tough life. All that sand in your shorts. Ramona and I enjoyed an early breakfast. Then suddenly at 8:07 a.m., the world went crazier than a cageful of monkeys. A zillion cell phones buzzed and a message flashed onscreen: "Ballistic missile threat inbound to Hawaii. Seek immediate shelter. This is not a drill." Now, I'd be a liar if I told you...
The eldest of five children, Alvina Begay was born on the Navajo Indian Reservation to Alvin and Wanda Begay in Ganado, Arizona. She learned responsibility early: while her mother worked full-time, Alvina cared for her younger siblings. She used what little "down time" she had running across dirt roads of the mesas and trails of Ganado. Her goal was to one day qualify for the Olympic trials. For a dream that grand, Alvina kept her mind, body and emotions in top condition....
The first time anyone ever served me water with a meal, I was in tenth grade and was eating with Judy N's family. I don't remember what we had for supper, but I do remember the water served in crystal glasses. I kept waiting for Judy's mom to bring out the sweet tea or to ask if anyone would like a glass of milk, but that never happened. Judy and I went to high school together in southeast Texas, but her family was from New York. I learned that day that folks do things...
I knew they wouldn't believe me, and I began to get a little anxious. I looked up to the light fixture and calculated the distance. I figured by using the toilet to climb onto the sink, I could reach the light and bang on it. The light right outside my cell door's window stayed on last night-all night. Normally the night watch turns off all the lights so we can sleep, but for some reason the light stayed on. I could not sleep because, no matter what position I tried on my...
I cried out to God for help when everything I knew about serving Him fell out from under me. I discovered that the spiritual leader I had trusted for over 20 years lived a lie. He preached one thing but lived another. He raped young women; he lied to all of us and about each of us to each other in order to keep control and he soaked up as much money as he could while many of us lived in poverty. God answered my cry by telling me to look at who He was. Romans 1:20 tells us...
