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I like to have a purpose or a goal-something that gives me a reason to get out of bed in the morning-and the start of a new year seems like a good time to examine my purposes and explore new goals. I always thought I would like to be a treasure hunter. I watched a documentary the other night about how divers accidentally discovered a Spanish shipwreck from 1715; it had carried millions in gold and jewels. They set their anchor, flagged their location, and the show ended. Oh,...
Experiencing a power outage is no fun! It is especially no fun when you are by yourself and not prepared. Groping in the dark and struggling with the simplest of tasks can feel so frustrating! Isn't this how life can be when we are facing the most difficult situations? We have no physical shortage of power, but deep within, we don't seem to have the strength; life just feels so dark! God's Word says, "When we were yet without strength, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). God...
Well, it's 2024, and many people have made New Year's resolutions and are trying to make this year better than 2023. Although some people do make changes around the New Year and do stick to their resolutions, life isn't always that easy to plan and navigate. In reality, life happens to all of us. Overdue bills, sickness, disease, death, and car accidents. Even for believers in Jesus, not all will go well. So, with this in mind, I will attempt to encourage you and myself. When...
I've just finished going through an eight-year journey with my daughter, who recently passed away at the age of 22. She was diagnosed with cancer when she was 15, but after chemotherapy, that cancer went away and never came back. Then at the age of 19, she was diagnosed with stage three ovarian cancer, which over the course of three years ravished her body until she left this world to be with Jesus. It was a very rough journey that I just came through. There were many sacrific...
I like writing about butterflies and the wonders of water and light, but to do so right now in the midst of wars and misery seems more like someone avoiding reality and escaping to some fantasy world; it doesn't seem professional. At least I didn't think so-until I realized that focusing on God's creation is exactly what brings me comfort in the midst of a painful, broken world. Psalm 121 begins with, "I lift up my eyes to the hills-where does my help come from?" I had always...
During this time of year, we prepare our hearts for the Christmas season. The Christmas story will be told all over the world thousands, if not millions of times during the month of December. The faith of Joseph, Mary, the angels, and the shepherds plus others will be recounted, as they heard about the good news of a Savior being born, the gift to all mankind. Their faith in the Lord brought about glory to God and much joy in their lives. Faith is the first step of obedience,...
How is your smile? I've been reading about the benefits of a good one. And the riches of turning a frown upside down. Apparently it takes 22 of our 42 facial muscles to smile and 37 of them to frown. You wanna save energy? Smile. You wanna bring joy? Smile. On average, women smile 62 times a day. Men? Eight times. Ouch! Guys! Kids smile about 400 times a day, adults 35 times. Where did we lose 365 laughs a day? That's 133,000 a year. There are a thousand benefits to a smile. H...
I tossed. I turned. I flipped. Nothing helped. I could not fall back to sleep. I wasn't sleepy, and I had just finished a nice dream, so I knew I had slept for a little while, anyway. Now as I lay awake, I wondered how late -or early-it was. Even in prison we try to keep up with world events. TV, radio, and letters from loved ones help us see, hear, and read about the outside world. With all the devastating natural disasters, and incidents of hate happening all around the...
The very word "Christmas" either brings a smile to our faces or stabs our hearts with a sword. It is both the best time and the worst time of the year. If we are fortunate enough to spend Christmas with family, friends, loved ones, then it is the happiest time of the year. If we are alone, it is the worst time of the year. My children live thousands of miles away. Sadly, most of my close friends have died. I was facing another Christmas alone. I spent last Christmas alone and...
As we were driving through the Canadian Prairies, my husband picked up the Intertribal Life paper somewhere. Today, I am resting with a cold and had time to read the paper. There are so many encouraging stories, and it's good to know what is available to the First Nations community. Thanks to everyone who expresses themselves in writing; it is brave as it can feel vulnerable to do so. It's so exciting to hear the depth of growth and repentance of individuals. We quickly...
"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!"-1 John 3:1, NIV Jimmy was pretty young when his single mom married the man Jimmy would come to know as "Dad." It turned out to be a real good move, and Randy turned out to be a real good dad! At the time, nobody thought the procedure of adoption was needed. Jimmy was about 42 years old when somehow the subject came up. Randy started thinking about what it...
From July 17 to 21, Todd and Krystal, the ILM director team, had planned to travel some distance to help facilitate a Vacation Bible School. Two weeks before the event both Todd and Krystal started to feel unsettled about attending. This feeling didn't make sense, though. Details were solidified. The event had been advertised locally. A team of volunteers had booked the time to attend. And most importantly, the children knew they were coming. So why, two weeks prior to the...
If he stumbles, he's not down for long; God has a grip on his hand. Psalm 37:24 (THE MESSAGE) Playing Hockey on our reservation was a memorable experience! As a teenager, I got some really good lessons from that life frame. Lessons like "Don't get the ref mad or you'll pay for it!" and "There's no 'I' in 'TEAM'" and "Play hard or you'll ride the pine," and the most memorable one: "Get up, it's a long ways from your heart!" That was Chief Allan's line! He was there at almost...
When I reflect on my life, as I'm about to turn 55 on July 01, 2023, my heart and my mind keep going to the topic of wisdom. As an Indigenous man who's also from the Sixties Scoop generation, and whose mother and uncles and aunts went to residential school, I realize we were all left with what is called intergenerational trauma. As a follower of the Jesus Way who's born again and set free from sin, I'm also told in the holy scriptures from the apostle Paul that our struggle wi...
Words fascinate me. I like word paintings where wildflowers carpet a meadow and chipmunks chatter above the breeze whispering through the nearby pines. What sights and sounds would you add to your scene? I enjoy imaginative words like kaleidoscope. The colourful pieces at the end of the telescopic tube dramatically change patterns with the slightest turn of the tumbler. Combined words are the most meaningful. Chocolate is a good prefix to any word. What word would you use to...
This past week, my parents and I travelled the Needles Highway. For those of you who are not familiar with this highway, it is a 14-mile scenic byway that lies within Custer State Park, among the Black Hills of South Dakota. It offers sharp turns, narrow tunnels and winding routes. My mom, who is fearful of heights, especially when mixed in with twists and turns, managed to get to the eye of the needle at the top of the eroded mountain-without fainting. I prayerfully...
Kids help me laugh. My grandson said, "Grandpa, you're bald. You look extinguished." Animals help me laugh, too. If you've seen a naked mole rat or a hairless cat, you know God has a sense of humor. Then there's the platypus. I can picture God designing the prototype as angels look on in wonder: "I'll give it a body with flippers on its feet, a little like a beaver. Then, why not a duck head? And have it lay eggs. That will amuse and confuse the humans." I imagine God saying,...
The process is very aggressive. Some might even classify it as violent. But no one in the world would ever try to stop it-it's a process that needs to be endured to achieve the essential result. Dunking it into water and keeping it submerged until the very last air bubble escapes is only the first step. It must immediately be pulled out of the water and then dunked back into it. After this second immersing, it is yanked back out and thrown on the floor. Lying on the ground,...
In the 1950s, I watched movies in which Roy Rogers chased outlaws who stole cattle and robbed banks. Of course, the bad guys were always caught and hanging their heads in shame as they were tied up and taken to jail. The good guys always won, and the bad guys always lost. I was always the "good little girl." I drank my milk, cleaned my plate, put my toys away and tried to obey all of the adults in my life. I was a shy, quiet, only child and always did as I was told. When I...
"No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV William was a believer who was struggling with some leftovers from the life he lived before he got serious about following Jesus. He'd spent the last of his money on a bag of weed; now, he was hitchhiking down the...
I don't know about you, but I've never really liked pain. In ninth grade I weighed a whopping eighty-one pounds if I was carrying a suitcase so I decided to beef up by gorging myself on triple cheeseburgers and lifting weights. One Saturday, as I lay on my back thrusting a barbell into the air, those thirty pounds got away from me. I can still recall the event in vivid technicolor-in slow motion, sometimes in the middle of the night. That barbell came crashing toward my nose....
I was at an engagement party for friends of a friend. I didn't know the couple and was caught by surprise when I was asked to make a toast. I lifted my glass of punch and said, "May you always steal, lie and cheat . . . " The bride-to-be slammed down her glass and rushed out of the room, followed by the groom-to- be. The mother-in-law to-be put down her glass and left the room. People stared at me. "I wasn't finished yet . . . " I explained. "The toast is supposed to be, may...
Wait!" I said, catching him by surprise. "Don't throw that away yet. What can we use it for?" He picked it up and examined it. Ad Seg (the Hole) deprives us of many basic tools; things we take for granted on a daily basis are noticeably absent in here. So, we adjust and make do. According to the law, prison is the just consequence for certain crimes. The court metes out the punishment; the prison's job is to keep the criminal away from society and rehabilitate him. It is not...
I've got this pineapple water bottle. The pineapple itself is yellow, with the lid and straw being green. It's really nothing special. I bought it from the dollar store when all the summer stuff started coming out. I think I was just so tired of winter and so eager for spring and summer, that once I saw it, I thought I could somehow will all of the snow to melt. At least that's what I pictured. During this season of my life, I work part time at a preschool in the mornings....
This guy was really big! He was skating around the back of their net with his head down when I decided to hit him! Gearing up, I took a good run and put everything I had into this mano-a-mano open ice demolition! Understand that I was young, bulletproof, 6 feet tall, 175 lbs, and had a pretty good record of coming out on top in these kind of showdowns (I always gravitated to the grittier side of hockey!). Anyways, he never looked up once. Just kept coming . . . I lined him up...
