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Wes and I are enjoying retirement. We moved out of the Toronto area, and, though I miss good friends, I don’t miss the traffic and incessant roar of the city. I enjoy a quieter, slower pace now; trees fill my vista instead of high rises and aggressive vehicles. I hope I am still as enthused with my new surroundings in January. I am sorting through boxes to find our heavy coats. This summer, we spent time visiting family and renewing old friendships. I heard many stories and n...
My favorite story in the Bible is the beautiful story of the night Jesus was born. We’ve all seen paintings of the Nativity and we’ve seen plays and movies and, of course, Christmas cards showing baby Jesus in the manger surrounded by Mary and Joseph, the shepherds, the Wise Men and the angels. Maybe it didn’t happen exactly the way it is shown on a Christmas card but in my mind and in my heart, that is how I want to think of it. I want to think of the Wise Men riding camel...
There's a wonderful song by the Christian music group Mercy Me entitled "The Hurt and the Healer." This song is very powerful and I want to translate this song from my own experience, Scripture and the life of Jesus and let it help heal your broken heart. Here we go with the lyrics. "Why? The question that is never far away. The healing doesn't come from being explained. Jesus, please don't let this go in vain. You're all I have. All that remains." Many times when we...
When I was a kid my brothers liked to tell me stories of prison. For never being there, they sure knew a lot about it. They said inmates had escaped the nearby penitentiary and were headed this way. Backyard sleepovers had little appeal to me that summer. Other stories had to do with police officers making random arrests in our town, hand-cuffing boys who didn't seem particularly interested in attending school or church. I was terrified of the police as a child. So you can...
It’s unfortunate that the last 12 books of the Old Testament are tagged the “minor” prophets. The term was coined because these writings are short, not because they are unimportant. Creator God’s heart is powerfully revealed in the prophecies of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi. These 12 short books are anything but minor. If you have never seriously studied them, I challenge you to start digging now. Just as Jesus chose 12 unsophisticated disciples to prea...
Have you seen anything funny lately? If you go looking you’ll find a lot to laugh about. Here are a few ads I’ve seen in newspapers: • For Sale: Bull dog, will eat anything. Loves small children. • Used Cars: Why go elsewhere to be cheated? Come here first! • For Sale: Antique dresser suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers. • Illiterate? Write today for help. Here are some actual questions asked by lawyers in court: • Were you present when your picture was t...
This week I received a priceless gift from a woman I’ve never met. Gretchen attends the same church I attended as a teenager. I haven’t been back to that church since I was young, but regardless of how many churches I’ve attended since that time, that small old church was always “The” church. The one that changed my life, saved my life, it’s where I found God. Gretchen sent me an old hymnal from the church. It was worn and well used, the pages fell open to favorite hy...
Born in Candle, Alaska, Laura Beltz Wright was a member of the Eskimo Scouts, also known as the Tundra Army and the Alaska Territorial Guard (ATG). The units were created in 1942 during WWII out of the United States’ concern over enemy invasion of the territory of Alaska. They patrolled 5,000 miles of Aleutian coastline and 200,000 miles of tundra to defend Alaska and provide intelligence on any enemy operations. The Scouts also rescued downed US airmen. Most women served a...
Do you remember the well-known song He Touched Me written by Bill Gaither? I will quote the words to the chorus and explain how these words, when combined with the Word of God, will help you as you go on a journey of healing your heart and soul. He touched me, Oh He touched me, And oh the joy that floods my soul! Something happened and now I know, He touched me and made me whole. We all have had painful experiences in our lives, no matter who we are or where we are from, or...
There is no earthly treasure, human accomplishment, or enthralling romance that can compare with the joy of walking with our Creator. No money can buy His presence or His friendship. No cultural or religious tradition can compare with His truth and authority. He is, after all, the Creator of the universe. I finally finished my book, Walking with the Creator Along the Narrow Road (available through Indian Life). I worked on it for 20 years. I started out writing some...
This summer was the best I had I got to go fishin’ with our Dad. Dad put the worm on my hook I didn’t like that so I just never looked. Fished by the lake, side by side Then we went for a long boat ride. Sat by the fire late at night Big yellow moon was shining bright Looked up at the sky, tried counting the stars, Saw the Big Dipper maybe Mars! Sang camping songs, what a fun week! Even watched lightning bugs, play hide and seek. Little sis never made any fuss at all In her sl...
It is early in the morning but already Bright Sun feels hot. I look up at the vast prairie sky. “Thank You, Creator,” I say as Summer Wind blows cool, refreshing air on my neck. I help Mama water the thirsty vegetables in our garden. I wish I could see Summer Wind but it is invisible so I smile knowing it is there. After my chores and breakfast, Mama packs me a lunch, and I ride my bike to my friend’s house. Everything is quiet along our country road. Summer Wind gives me a...
I heard something thumping and banging in the lobby of the building where I live. I went outside into the hallway and saw a young sparrow in the hallway and he was flying against the large window next to the door. The door was wide open and the bird had obviously flown inside through the door but now he was confused and he kept flying against the window. He could see the trees and the sky through the glass. He could also see his home, but no matter how hard he tried, he...
I wonder how many doors I have stepped through today? I am not talking about “doors of opportunity.” I mean actual “doors”! I probably stepped through various doorways in my house at least 30 times today. When I went downtown, I stepped through the post office door and the insurance agency door. Each entrance was done with purpose of heart. I was on a mission; I needed to get to a certain place that only had entrance through a particular door. My will totally dictated my move...
Sometimes bad decisions make for great stories. While writing a book called When You Need A Good Laugh, I had a small accident that wasn’t very funny at all. And come to think of it, it wasn’t so small either. In fact, the doctor told me I had no business surviving, that my family should be planning a funeral and that the back of my head kind of looked like a cantaloupe. (Apparently he took Bedside Manners by correspondence.) My friend Larry and I had been revving our way thr...
My husband is retiring in a few weeks. We sold our home and purchased a truck and fifth wheel. We plan to take a few months to visit family and friends and volunteer at Eagles’ Cove Ministry Centre near Thunder Bay, Ontario. I am looking forward to seeing people we have known over the years, and this time we don’t have to rush back to work. I am sorting and packing. Yesterday I looked back through decades of journals and read an English essay I wrote when I was 16. The ess...
Mary Golda Ross (1908-2008) Aerospace Pioneer The only Native American Indian female member of a “think tank” to design manned orbital space system concepts, Mary Golda Ross (Cherokee) was born in 1908 near Park Hill, a small Oklahoma town. A gifted child, she was taught early that education was a valuable resource, and that it was as important for girls as for boys. To receive the best opportunities for an Indian youngster of her era, Mary was sent to live with her gra...
As I’ve been finishing one of the last classes for my seminary degree, I had the privilege of taking a course called “The Wisdom Literature.” During this course, I wrote a paper on Ecclesiastes 12:1-8. As I investigated this unique passage, I realized that although the message of pessimism came seeping through the pages, I also realized that it takes Jesus Christ to make it all make sense. The first conclusion I came to was that Ecclesiastes was written by an author who had “L...
WITHIN THESE WALLS Thank you for sending the Indian Life newspaper. I appreciate the cool Bible you’ve sent and Jesus is shining in my life. I’m feeling better with myself although my family still hasn’t written to me yet. I ask Jesus to look after them in my daily prayers. I also ask Jesus to look after my two kids and their families. Every morning I wake up within these walls and I ask Jesus to come into my life and show me the path that He wants me to follow. The booklet (Choosing the Creator’s Path) is a lot of help un...
I will always remember a beautiful Sunday morning when I drove across the rolling farmlands of Nebraska. For as far as my eye could see, the fields were aglow with blooming sunflowers, set against a vast blue sky. I remember smiling and feeling that I had entered a sanctuary. All were standing in unity, as though worshiping Creator. On my right, a display of bright faces, stretching upwards, focused on their life source—the sun. To my left, the opposite side. I was in their m...
I spend the majority of my time pushing a cart which holds a laptop and a projector. Time is of the essence as I roll from class to class having meetings and seeking to be on schedule. A couple of weeks ago I was pretty miffed at the wheel on my cart, it definitely wasn’t cooperating! When I wanted to push ahead, it would not budge and if I did get it to budge it would swerve to the left or to the right. I needed to be careful since I was carrying expensive equipment but at t...
Many people know the story of Chief Standing Bear. Books have been written and movies made about his story and that of the Ponca Tribe. I am not writing this story to open up old wounds or stir up resentment towards nationalities or governments. I am writing it because Standing Bear’s story inspires me to walk with God—no matter what. The U.S. government had taken his land in South Dakota (now northern Nebraska) and forced his people to travel to Oklahoma. Many died from mal...
One of the twentieth century’s most influential Native Americans in politics, Comanche social activist LaDonna Vita Tabbytite Harris was born February 15, 1931 in Temple, Oklahoma on a Comanche allotment to William Crawford who was of European descent, and Lilly Tabbytite. Her parents separated shortly after her birth and LaDonna was reared in Indian Country during the Great Depression by maternal grandparents John and Wick-kie Tabbytite on a farm near tiny Walters, O...
There is so much heartache around us and sometimes it feels like there is no end. But according to the words of Proverbs healing is available. “A joyful heart makes a cheerful face, but when the heart is sad, the spirit is broken”(Proverbs 15:13). “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones” (Proverbs 17:22). When we look at the heartache either in the lives of the people around us or in our own lives, we can feel the words of Proverbs. It’s li...
GUIDING LIGHT I’m serving life in prison. Although I do have family left, as well as some hope in the courts (blessings not taken for granted), it still gets to be an emotional uncertainty as far as the future goes. At times, I walk a dark and lonely path. I find strength and peace in the presence of God. Also, I truly enjoy reading the Indian Life news. I can relate to many of the stories. Though I’m white, and from many miles away, the personal stories hit close to home. The uplifting words from your correspondent Ril...
