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What are your plans today? We had an ice storm early this morning so I cancelled my previous plans, put on some warm, comfy clothes, made some orange-cranberry scones and a cup of tea, and sat at my computer to write you a note. Plans change for all sorts of reasons. Through my TV, I rode along with some storm chasers yesterday. I thought they got a bit too close to those tornados for my comfort. I cannot imagine facing such monsters, and the fact that many come at night...
Spring is here, and it's so nice to have this change in season, I'm comforted by some simple things. I'm comforted as I leave the window of my office open and hear the birds, squirrels, and wind. I find comfort and healing from these aspects of nature that surround me each day. Most of us already know that animals, no matter what kind, size, or where they inhabit their living space, communicate with each other all the time. They warn each other of danger. They fight with each...
About a month ago, we had the joy of witnessing believer's baptism. A young man from Sandy Bay First Nation wanted to obey the Lord and identify with his Savior's death and resurrection by being immersed into water, as the scriptures teach. Since it is winter, the lake wasn't available, and we didn't have a bathtub of any sort. In situations like this, we use a large animal trough that a water truck fills, since we are not on a waterline. A couple of days before the baptism,...
The heat was unbearable. My body didn't want to peel itself off the bunk. I tried to convince myself that maybe today I could take a break and just veg out . . . until I saw him. He was all alone, and scurried frantically about. He moved left. Then right. Forward. Then left and right again. I was intrigued, and soon found myself mesmerized by his movements. His rhythmic walk invited me to join him. I have lots of time on my hands, as I wait in Ad Seg (the hole) for my...
Whenever I've spoken to a group of people or when I wrote my first two books, I've focusd at some point on experiences that I've gone through from birth until later adulthood, including my being a residential school survivor. One reason I do this is from wanting to connect with people more deeply. When I focus on my story, I hope my account can connect with other people's stories and make my main points more visual and relatable. We all love stories. That's why most of us grew...
This Winter I got the opportunity to drive to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. I hadn't been there in more than eight years and was impressed with the complete makeover of the tourist resort of Elvis Presley. The classy exhibit presentations of his life in various showrooms contained expensive sports cars, his dazzling jumpsuits, black and white photos blown up over 20 feet high, and the walls mounted with hundreds of gold records, awards and so much more, were pretty impressi...
I was picking out a Valentine's card for my wife. One section read, "Apology Cards." I was curious. Flipping through them, I found mostly excuses. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking." "I didn't mean it." "I experienced temporary insanity." "I'm sorry for offending you." In school, one child was told to write an apology to a friend. He wrote, "Dear Brody, Miss P. made me write you this note. All I want to say sorry for . . . is for not being sorry cause I tried to feel sorry but I...
How are you today? I'm munching on chocolate. An ice storm roared through earlier today. My husband, Wes, wondered what the noise was, and I explained that a snow plow must be working on the road. After 15 minutes, I realized that the "plow" had not moved; instead the wind was plowing through our community. But that's not the reason for the chocolate; it only adds backdrop to my sadness and uncertainty. How do you feel about the world's trauma and upheaval? The earthquakes in...
When I was a teenager and had my first job, I lived in a motel that charged $1 a day. I had a mean boss and hated my job, and when I went home to my motel room, I was so afraid I'd push furniture in front of my door. I mostly lived on cereal or ketchup I'd pour into boiling water and pretend it was tomato soup. I got fired from my job and only had ten dollars in the world. I didn't know how I'd pay my rent or buy food. There was no one who would help me. While I was walking...
I got the newspaper of Indian Life. Thank you so much. Now let me tell you what happed that weekend. I was reading the newspaper and after I was done, I passed it to a Native American. He read the news and came to me and said he needed to come back to the Lord Jesus. He came to church and now is in the family of God. . . . God is good. And I saw your picture of the banquet you all had; now when I pray for you I can lay hands on your picture. -T. H....
In less than a month our baby boy will be 18, and then in another three months, he will be graduated from high school and off to a polytechnic school in Calgary, Alb. It's hard to believe he was a delicate four pounds when he was born. I was discharged from the hospital before he was. Leaving him there while I went home was the hardest thing I had ever done in my life at that stage. His tiny foot was smaller than my pointer finger. I remember taking a picture of his first litt...
"The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights." Habakkuk 3:19 The power was off here at our country home for a few hours this morning. No lights, no coffee, no phone charger, no "Global Calgary News" on TV (No TV!), no heat, nothing! The obvious solution? Drive 30 km to the nearest town for breakfast, hang around and wait for the repair guys to do their thing! Bacon and eggs should help dull the pain . . . I...
It's a new year. That time when my dentist says, "Out with the old teeth; in with the new." That time when we leave some things behind. In January 1973, I left trumpet lessons behind. I picked that thing up, and neighbor dogs would clap their paws over their ears and howl. Little kids would yell, "Mama! Make it stop!" In January 1974, I left piano lessons. And picked up the guitar. I'm so glad. Pianos are hard to carry. In January 1983, I left behind a moustache. And some...
A young Kiowa brave stood quietly in the midst of blackberry bushes and waited for a giant elk to approach him. "Welcome, my brother," the brave, named Broken Face, reached out his hand and stroked the neck of the elk. "And how is Bear Killer on this fine day?" The elk snorted and shook his mighty antlers. When the elk had been young, he had been attacked by a bear. The bear had raked the elk's hide with his sharp claws, leaving scars that still showed after ten years. The str...
How are you with silence? I wouldn’t want continuous silence, but I enjoy special moments of stillness. I especially like quiet. My dad once told me that it was because I grew up in Wyoming. Dad really missed Wyoming in his last years. I don’t live there any longer so I miss it too. I remember nature’s concert as the Wind River flowed around a big bend in the pasture. Water rippled over rocks here and there, adding high notes to the river’s music. I can still hear that sw...
It happened twice, two days in a row. Both times I was forgotten. Time moved, but I didn't. I was left alone, cuffed, in a stand-up-only cage. I love business. I truly enjoy the art of growing a business and pivoting to keep up with demands and market trends. Business comes easily to me. I am intrigued by the working parts, especially sales and P.R. (Public Relations.) All businesses are based on sales, and to sell itself, a business needs P.R. The image of the business is...
QUESTION: We talk a lot about reconciliation in our country. Is God's definition of reconciliation the same as the government's? What does the Bible say about reconciliation? ANSWER: Achieving reconciliation between indigenous people and government has been an important subject matter in recent years as we have aimed at the hope of attaining a harmonious, healthy and equitable relationship between the parties that addresses the historical and current grievances unjustly faced...
Sometimes letters we receive include delightful artwork. Thanks to Dustin for sharing his gifts with us!...
Our vision at Indian Life ministries is to restore hope, healing and honor within indigenous communities through a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. One outreach of Indian Life ministries is that of Intertribal Life newspaper. It is a one-of-a-kind newspaper in North America. That's right. No one else produces what Indian Life does. To God be the glory. Intertribal Life newspaper is filled with 50 percent Indigenous news and 50 percent gospel truth. That means that if a story...
I don't like New Year's resolutions. Year after year I have declared, resolutely, to do or not do something, and year after year without fail, I fall short. I may last a solid two or three months, but I always quit, give up, and fail. And you know how I feel? Awful. Like I have failed. I hate failing. The precious time between Christmas Day and New Year's Day is transitional. It's those precious seven days when we are still living in the old (2022) but are anticipating the...
I have a few times, but there's always been a good reason for it. The road was icy, the road was muddy, the car was too fast, the sun was in my eyes, I was adjusting the stereo, I was reading the map, my wife was tickling me, etc. etc. Yup, there's plenty of solid (and not so solid) reasons for my missing the road! Whatever the reason (or bad excuse) was, my truck came to an abrupt stop! Never mind that I'm a five-million-mile driver. I was in the ditch! Not the place I...
No warning is given. The instant brightness burns through my eyelids. I only have two options: open my eyes to the light, or cover up and try to avoid it. Here in Ad Seg (the Hole) I have control over little. Although I can flush my toilet when I use it, the system limits me to only two flushes every thirty minutes. I'm allowed to shave when I shower; however, I only receive three showers every seven days. And although I have a light switch, the wizards behind the steel...
QUESTION: I have a husband who is a Christian, but he is not Indigenous. I have children from an earlier marriage living with us. Their relatives want to see them, but they aren't Christians. Should I let them? My kids need to know their background, but I am afraid of the non-Christian influence. ANSWER: I would like to say a word about the first part of your letter, though it isn't the main part of your question. The part I refer to is "but he is not Indigenous." If there is...
Christmas had always been a time for me to get things. Right from my first memories of toy trucks under the tree, it was that way. I remember the Christmas when I decided to do it differently. . . . In Canada we have Kijiji (it's like Craigslist), where I posted an ad, "Free Boosting. Anytime, Anywhere around Calgary. Just call me! Merry Christmas!" I added a picture of some booster cables, gassed up the old Jeep 4x4, and started to field the calls that came in. It was really...
Have you ever noticed that we can be encouraged by someone's words at one moment, and then utterly discouraged the next? One parent may celebrate with a child who comes home with an 80 percent on a test. However, the other parent may ask what happened to the remaining 20. Your boss may discipline you for the way you handled a customer, but a co-worker may empathize with you over how hard the customer was. One teacher may point out all of the things a student is doing wrong, wh...
