|
 
Wednesday, December 31, 2003December 31 - Daily FeastThe woods have been a place of enchantment, a world of lacy patterns and mysterious stillness. The snow- and ice-covered limbs of huge oaks form intricate patterns against the sky, and ribboned lace, white on white, lies across the frozen pond like tiered ruffling. It is the only time of year when the white bark of the stark cottonwood blends with the landscape, and the bright red cardinal becomes a striking contrast. nature's patterns are etched in ice and in us. There are places within us that are as soft as silk, si li gi, and as polished as silver, adelv-negv. We have designs in our souls, caried in color, solitary, enlivened with warmth and love - and beauty we often view as illusionary. But sometimes it is the illusion that is most real. ~ You promised us that the weather would be clear and that your children should have so much silver that when they looked at each other they would look as bright as the rising sun. ~ OTTOWAN CHIEF "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler (End of Volume #1) *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 31 "They must give themselves to Wakan' Tanka and live a spiritual life. They will have the peace that frees them from fear." --Frank Fools Crow, LAKOTA There are two wills available for us: self will and God's will. Our choice is: figure it out ourselves, or have the Creator involved in our lives. If we are honest with ourselves and look at past experiences, what are our lives like when we try to figure it out ourselves? Is there fear, confusion, frustration, anger, attacking others, conflict, fault finding, manipulation, teasing others, belittling others or devaluation? If these things are present, they indicate that we are choosing self will. What is it like if we turn our will over to the Creator? What are the results if we ask the Great Spirit to guide our life? Examples are: freedom, choices, consequences, love forgiveness, helping others, happiness, joy, solutions, and peace. Which will I choose today, self will or God's will? Creator, I know what my choice is. I want You to direct my life. I want You to direct my thinking. You are the Grandfather. You know what I need even before I do. Today I ask You to tell me what I can do for You today. Tell me in a way I can understand and I will be happy to do it. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 2:43 PM 
Tuesday, December 30, 2003December 30 - Daily FeastThere are times when we forget the road we have been over together, how difficult it was, and how good. Undoubted loyalty has thrived between us. We know we can depend on understanding and kindness, but most of all forgiveness. We have laid aside anything we did not understand until it came clear, yet we have not excluded others or forgotten their importance. The Great Spirit wrote it in our contract to take special care, to load every rift in life with good thinking, good acting, and good words. From the beginning, we have planted good seeds. Now is the time to share the harvest. We will walk on paths of peace and broadcast to others that it is well with us. ~ It is my duty as your chief to be your father while in the paths of peace, and your leader and champion while on the war path. ~ KEOKUK 1832 "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 30 "Always remember, that the Great Mystery is good; evil can come only from ourselves!" --Grandmother of Charles Eastman. SANTEE SIOUX The Great Mystery is love, good and principle. He is a guiding Father. He doesn't play games. He knows only how to love. Sometimes, when things go wrong, we blame Him or others. Usually, if we are honest, we can see how decisions or things done in the past put us in a position to be hurt. It comes back to us. When this happens, it is not something the Creator caused, but something we, ourselves caused. Most of our problems are of our own making. When this happens, we should correct what we've done, ask the Great Spirit for forgiveness and pray for guidance in the future. My Creator, bless me with Your good. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 11:05 AM
December 29 - Daily Feast Thunder Fox 10:55 AM
December 28 - Daily Feast Thunder Fox 10:41 AM
December 27 - Daily Feast Thunder Fox 10:34 AM
December 26 - Daily Feast Thunder Fox 10:23 AM
December 25 - Daily Feast Thunder Fox 10:11 AM
Wednesday, December 24, 2003December 24 - Daily FeastAll that has been a part of the important past is a part of this more important present. We are bits and pieces of who we were yesterday and all the many yesterdays - and we are stronger persons with new eyes and new hearts. This is the day for which all preparations have been made. It dawned like any other day - but it came bearing gifts. This is the turning point, the place where we begin to see over the hill and around the bend. A new path comes into view and there is no longer a need to look over the shoulder. What might have been cannot govern or grieve us. Better, happier and more joy-filled times are, the Cherokee says, e gi ni yo ha: they are looking for us. And they have found us. ~ The reason Wakan Tanka does not make two birds.... or two human beings exactly alike is because each is placed here.... to be an independent individual to rely on himself. ~ OKUTE "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 24 "Believing people can soar beyond ordinary life." --Fools Crow, LAKOTA We are created by God to be vision people. First we set the goal and then we see. If we create within ourselves a picture or vision and we hold that picture or vision in our mind, whatever we picture will show up in our reality. If we can see ourselves being educated, then schools and teachers will show up in our lives. If we picture in our mind a positive, spiritual person to be in our lives, we will attract this type of person in our relationships. How big can our dreams be? Great Spirit, let my visions today be Your vision. Put within me a vision of the being you would have me be. Then help me to keep the vision in my mind. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Think on These Things - Thoughts to Enrich Your Days From the book by Joyce Sequichie Hifler The tragedy of life is not that we quarrel with our fellows, but that we do not take the time to know them. In his great understanding of man and nature, Thoreau wrote, "Let a man take time enough for the most trivial deed." Take time. How often what seems to be an unfriendly atmosphere is only a lack of time. Some of our dearest friends are hidden behind the mask of hurry. And we need so desperately to know each other. Understanding comes when people are allowed to talk to one another. They discover the ways and needs, the loves and hopes, and the despairs and fears when they take the time to speak of them. All these things that make for understanding and compassion come from personal contact and the knowledge and practice of good will. People become more civilized, more peaceful, more as God intended them to be when they take time to make friends out of acquaintances. To be a good listener endears many a friendship. Everyone needs someone with whom to talk at length on all subjects without later regret. It has been written, "What a great blessing is a friend with breast so trusty that you may bury all your secrets in it. And how often we need to be that friend and be the listener, and to make sure we are worthy of that trust. Listening comes in many ways. We listen with all our senses, knowing many ties without having to be told what someone's needs are. Charles Dickens said that no one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of it for anyone else. And it just may be by listening that we lighten another's load. Sometimes we listen with our hearts and understand in silence. Sometimes we simply have to put ourselves into a situation to understand all sides of it. And we best do so by listening. All our lives we carry secrets with us that we long to reveal to someone who understands. There are relationships in our lives better and closer than the ordinary. Closer yet than brothers or sisters are those with whom we can share all our secrets, we think. What a sad state of affairs when life imparts that others cannot always be trusted. What a shock to realize we have given all our hearts and bared our souls to people whose curiosity was the only motive that compelled them to listen. Phillip Massinger, sixteenth century poet, wrote, "I have played the fool, the gross fool to believe the bosom of a friend would hold a secret mine own could not contain." Not one of us can testify that we have nothing within our lives and thoughts that we cannot reveal. And many of us have not expressed our innermost thoughts because we have found no one in whom we can confide. As Shakespeare said, "Many a man's tongue shakes out its master's undoing." Sometimes the loquacious tell their secrets not out of a need to tell them, but out of a love of talking. One of the greatest feelings in the world is to discover we haven't told something we cherish very much to someone we once thought we could trust. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 3:17 PM
Tuesday, December 23, 2003December 23 - Daily FeastThis is the time to talk kindly to ourselves. When time and tinsel begin to depress, some time alone is not a bad thing. And there's nothing wrong with being alone. Who is better company than we are? Who is more important to our well-being? Never say it is not worth the trouble to celebrate alone. When we are good friends with ourselves, we are good for others. This is the time to wrap two gifts. Put time and thought into the selection and into the paper and ribbon. Then give one of them to someone who most likely will not have a gift - and save the other to open later. The Cherokees are a close-knit tribe, but every person knows it is important to enjoy a time of perfect solitude and celebration. We need to know that when we all come together we will have something to offer - ourselves. ~ I must give something that I really value - therefore I promise to give (myself) my body. ~ CHASED-BY-BEARS "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 23 "It's not the package and the wrapping which counts but what is inside, underneath the clothes and the skin." --Lame Deer, LAKOTA Our eyes and ears gather information that is fed to the mind, and we tend to form judgements, opinions and assumptions on what our perception is. We might see someone act a certain way, then label that person forever, not at all concentrating on what is inside the person. It matters not our height, our size, our facial features, or our gender. What matters is our thoughts. Good thoughts overcome all obstacles. Great Spirit, let my inside contain Your qualities. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 5:49 PM
Monday, December 22, 2003December 22 - Daily FeastThere is something about a Christmas sky when the night is clear and still, and the stars are bright enough to light the way without the help of the moon. The countryside lies quietly under such a sky, peaceful and serene, with only the softest hoot of a distant owl. Even the cattle move slowly in the herd or stand quietly around a stack of hay. Nature can soothe the land and give us peace if we can let it be - if we can tune in to the silence and feel the tranquility that smothers the rush of too much activity. Christmas was a gift to us. When we hear the chimes play music out across the rooftops, it is balm to the soul. And then we know what it means, that it includes us in the new birth. ~ Indians love their friends and kindred, and treat them with kindness. ~ CORNPLANTER "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 22 "From Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, there came a great unifying life force that flowed in and through all things-the flowers of the plains, blowing winds, rocks, trees, birds, animals-and was the same force that had been breathed into the first man. Thus all things were kindred, and were brought together by the same Great Mystery." --Chief Luther Standing Bear, SIOUX The Great Spirit has six things that make up this life force. They are life, love, intelligence, soul, principle, and truth. These are the reasons the life cycle continues. None of this can be altered by man, but we can have access to these powers any time we wish. Just think about it-anytime I have a need I can access one or more of these powers." Oh Great Mystery, let me know how to use these powers. Today, let me love life, let me know truth, let me live by principle, and let me follow Your intelligence. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 2:17 PM
Sunday, December 21, 2003December 21 - Daily FeastThe sense of touch is the most improperly used of all our senses. There is nothing more dear than the touch of someone we know we can rely on or with whom we feel secure. And there is nothing less appealing than the heavy hand that can't get near without pressing or insisting on contact. Many times, such persistence is insecurity and the need to be noticed -sometimes it is ignorant boldness. The less tender concern a person has in his nature, the more he requires of others. All of us need to be touched, to be treated with kindness - but everyone has not developed a caring touch. If it is not good, it is known instantly and alienates. If it is a thoughtful and warm touch of kinship, it is soothing, the way love touches. ~ The Great Spirit is looking at me and will hear me. ~ CHIEF JOSEPH "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 21 "He [The Great Spirit] only sketches out the path of life roughly for all the creatures on earth, shows them where to go, where to arrive at, but leaves them to find their own way to get there. He wants them to act independently according to their nature, to the urges of each of them. --Lame Deer, LAKOTA Every person is created with purpose and with direction. This purpose and direction is written in our hearts when we are conceived. In addition, we are given access to a quiet guidance system which helps us find our purpose and our direction. We need to recognize this guidance system. It's called intuition, the quiet voice, urges, the knowing or the feeling. Once we locate our purpose and direction, we are given skills, talents and abilities that are unique to only ourselves. We must practice daily prayer and meditation with God to find this information. To be solid and confident in ourselves, we always need to be able to answer three questions: why am I?, who am I?, and where am I going? If I can answer these three questions, I always know I'm OK! Great Spirit, show me my path of life. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler The usual thing at Christmas time was to take a pair of long cotton stockings to an old lady who lived alone in a little shack. A tiny shack with a dirt floor and only a path to walk from where she cooked to where she slept. Never a question about how she took a bath, how she carried her groceries or if she had clean linens. She was my friend and her sweet voice was always joyful when I presented her with the gift. She told me she had a quilt she wanted me to have, and the day they took her away for her funeral I saw the chest of her belongings moved out. The quilt was in her chest -- but it was all right with me because she would remain in my memory and remind me to be grateful, to be sweet even when there was really nothing to cause it. She was far from pretty, but she was beautiful in my eyes. And so are all of you who love and cherish and give of what you have. Those who seem to have it all have nothing -- unless they love. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 10:22 AM
Saturday, December 20, 2003December 20 - Daily FeastSome things deserve to be remembered - others to be forgotten. Many of us fail to think and speak positively because our memories are too good. We need both - remembering and forgetting - to keep us balanced. Remember some of what was wrong so as not to repeat it - and forget some of what was right so not to park by it. Every day is a matter of picking up and putting down, catching hold of what we want and letting go what we do not need. When we are happy, there is nothing worse than recalling vividly the miserable times. And when we are miserable, we know that we can remember being happy, then we have the capacity to be happy again. Remember with understanding - and sometimes remember to forget. ~ When the sun goes down, he opens his heart to God, and earlier than the sun appears on the hills, he gives thanks for his protection during the night. ~ CORNPLANT 1791 *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 20 "My pottery is the handiwork of God." --Teresita Naranjo, SANTA CLARA PUEBLO The Great One has given every human being at least one special talent and one special gift. We need to develop and practice these gifts because they are the handiwork of God. Maybe we are artists-when people look at our work it puts joy in their hearts; maybe we are singers- when people listen to our songs, their hearts are happy; maybe we are writers of song or poetry-when people hear or read our work, it may change their lives. We need to honor ourselves and our gifts. We need to thank the Creator for our talents and our gifts." My Creator, let me use my gifts to further Your work on the Earth. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler When we were very young we rode our horses back into the ranch country and then we cut our own fresh Christmas tree and brought it home tied behind us. The fragrance was wonderful and since we had been making decorations out of every bit of bright paper we were ready to decorate immediately. Everything that went with Christmas was awesome -- the smell of frying sausage, a roasting hen, bread pudding, and the program at the school. Snows lay deeper then and it was harder to get to a store. One Christmas an old Indian that we were particularly fond of brought my grandmother a turkey. It was wonderful and she asked him if he had raised it. He said no, he just saw it roosting on a fence and he took it before someone stole it. One year, a niece carved on a dry stick, tied a string to it, and wrote a story about what all it could be used for, and it still is in my pencil holder. It took effort and creativity and she cared enough to do it. This is Christmas and we need to remember that Jesus cared enough to do it. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 8:40 AM
Friday, December 19, 2003December 19 - Daily FeastSadness clings like dust particles, and makes us think there is no other way to feel than sad. But what makes us sad? Is there something tangible that we can deal with. Or is it just everything - and yet, nothing in particular? At times, there is a sorrowing of the soul, the deep-seated knowledge that all is not well, and things are getting worse. No one respects anyone else and when will it cease? How can we be happy when there is so much wrong around us? This is out chance to be a seed of happiness, a spark of hope, a star that someone can look to and follow out of a dark place. If we fall into a trap that we are supposed to be sad - then, we are no different from the unknowing ones. Sadness is a symptom that is contagious - but so is faith and cheerfulness. ~ I am heard now by all Indians, and they are pleased, and have said to me, Brother Teedyuscung, you are promoting what is good.... ~ TEEDYUSCUNG "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hilfer *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 19 "Flexible strength is better than inflexible. Let the storm flow over you, and then pop back up." --Michael Kabotie, HOPI Flexibility is taught by nature. You will see the trees bend in the wind. You will see that tree branches are flexible. To be rigid is to break. When we have life problems it is good for us to be flexible. Sometimes we need to flow with what is going on. If we resist, it becomes more painful. We need to be on the path of least resistance. Water flows down the mountain through the path of least resistance. Electricity flows through the path of least resistance. Power flows through the path of least resistance. As Indian people our strength has always been our flexibility. Creator, I will be flexible today because I know You are with me. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 1:45 PM
Thursday, December 18, 2003December 18 - Daily FeastInitiative is the will to win. It is the decision to begin right where we are, the self-starting push that gets us over the hump in the road. It is the smile and the quick step that gets us past what seems wrong. It is the ability to see a rainbow when others are crying over the rain. Initiative is a new surge of bravery and makes us stand up straight and use our heads and hearts and not fall into envy and fear. It is a new burst of strength that understands what it takes to get going. And the best part of self-motivation is to follow up the will with good work, with more faith and more courage - that this time, we are going to strike gold! This time is a new time, a new heart, a new person that will not wilt in the face of opposition. ~ The Great Spirit puts a shadow in your heart when you destroy.... ~ JOE FRIDAY "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 18 "Parents have to demonstrate the value of trust, respect and honor." --Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders Children learn more by watching than by listening. If we want our children to understand and value trust, they know it by watching how adults live their lives! If we want the children to be respectful, they will observe what the adults do and say to each other. We need to walk our talk. We need to remember the children are watching. Grandfather, help me learn these important values: Trust, Respect and Honor. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 12:27 PM
Wednesday, December 17, 2003December 17 - Daily FeastOne of our basic needs is to be accepted. We fear rejection and somehow get the idea that we are worth only what someone else says we are worth. We can't allow their experiences to put limits on who we are. Looking for approval is a vicious circle. An outsider can be suspect - simply because he is an outsider. And every person has to realize that self-respect and self-acceptance precede what others may think. Confidence is knowing who we are, heart, mind, and spirit, and never allowing that confidence to cause us to put someone aside because he lacks standing. The Cherokee believes we should not a da de hu to di - insult the Great Spirit by criticizing one of His creation. ~ Many times we have been laughed at for our native way of dressing, but could anything we ever wore compare to the utter foolishness of the steel-ribbed corset? ~ STANDING BEAR "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 17 "Hear me! A single twig breaks, but the bundle of twigs is strong." --Tecumseh, SHAWNEE You can take one arrow and break it in half. But if you take 12 arrows in a bundle, it's almost impossible to break any of them. There is strength in Unity. When we are together we are very powerful. This is the way the ancestors told us we need to be. Strong. We need to unite ourselves. This is why the Elders say, when we make decisions, we must first consider the good of the people. If every person in the community thinks this way, then we will always make strong decisions. Creator, let my decisions have the strength of the bundle. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 4:18 PM
Tuesday, December 16, 2003December 16 - Daily FeastSomeone said humorously that there is one thing money cannot buy, and that is poverty. But it can. It doesn't take money to be the richest person in town. Anyone that has survived an ordeal, where to merely exist is important, knows what it is to be rich. It is life seen through the heart - and for them poverty doesn't exist. Prosperity includes many things. Simply being well in body, mind and spirit tops the list. But seeing the change of seasons, touching the faces of those we love, breathing fresh air, or breathing freely, is wealth unlimited. The Cherokee expression of wealth is nu we hna v i, it is the right to be free, the right to pray, the right to one's own decisions. And that should enrich us all. ~ In the last place.... we are bound.... to watch for each other's preservation. ~ CANASSATEGO 1742 "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 16 "If you have one hundred people who live together, and if each one cares for the rest, there is One Mind." --Shining Arrows, CROW One of the principles of Community is Unity. The alignment of thoughts in groups of people will cause One Mind to form. One Mind is Unity. Each individual in the community must align their thoughts with what other members are thinking. If all the people think of helping one another, then the community will be service oriented and powerful results will be enjoyed. Having our thoughts aligned within a group will cause our children to experience a positive environment. When they have children, the grandchildren will automatically experience these results also. My Creator, help me to contribute to positive group thought. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 11:29 PM
Monday, December 15, 2003December 15 - Daily FeastThe secrets of Christmastime give ordinary work special meaning. The sights and sounds of the season mean getting ready - preparing for the celebration. We hear wood cutters busy with their saws, yelling back and forth, and the thumping of firewood as it is thrown into the truck bed. A thick spiral of smoke rises above the treetops as brush is cut away and burned. Fallen leaves tumble into the blaze as though some great hand swept them all in one direction. Christmas has always taken some of its delight from the woods. Burr acorns and puff balls and clusters of red berries festoon the wiry vines on the rough trunk of the hackberry. Breath hangs in a misty vapor and a cardinal flashes red through a light misting of snow. A joy to be sure, a joy to see. "We acknowledge first the goodness of Wakan Tanka.... we are sure his spirit lives... ~ CHASED-BY-BEARS "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 15 "People are equal partners with the plants and animals, not their masters who exploit them." --Haida Gwaii, Traditional Circle of Elders As human beings, we are not above anything nor are we below anything. Because of being equal, we need to discuss a little about the value of respect. Not just respect when it comes to human beings, but respect when it comes to everything. We are not masters over things; we are caretakers for the Great Spirit. We need to treat all things with respect. Great Spirit, let me accept and see all things as equal. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 9:49 AM
Sunday, December 14, 2003December 14 - Daily FeastWe cannot see everything from beginning to end. Life is too large to see that far. Sometimes it seems we have to give more than we receive. We sometimes have to reach beyond what we really want to do, or take part of someone else's load rather than see them break down. Sometimes we have to forgive more than we are forgiven, and work harder to believe in the goodness of the Great Spirit. We may lose sight of God, but God never loses sight of us. And then there is a burst of sunlight, a new day when we know that giving more is blessed. The scales balance out and we see that we cannot get less than we give when the gift is our best. It is impossible. We cannot love more than we are loved. ~ If I have these and kept back the best no one would believe I was in earnest. I must give something that I really value to show that my whole being goes with the lesser gifts; therefore I promise to give my body. ~ MATO-KUWAPI "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 14 "Male and female is fundamental to life; partners in work to be done." --Oren R. Lyons, Spokesman, Traditional Circle of Elders The Great Spirit created a system which would allow us to reproduce, to have companionship, to love, to laugh, to cry and be happy. Man and Woman each have gifts the other doesn't have. But, together they have these gifts to share with each other. The Great Spirit made it this way. So let us treat each other with respect. Let us look upon each other in a sacred way. Grandfather, Grandmother, bring the spirits to teach us. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler Just for the fun of it, play "What if." What if every Christmas gift is perfect and reasonably priced? What if the house is in order, the Christmas tree causes no pain to decorate, and there's time to meditate and count our blessings? What if we felt better and stronger than we have in months and there is good humor every where we go? If this could be true, what reason would we have to complain? Nothing to complain about -- what a wonderful gift to give one's self. What an opportunity to gather our thoughts and to see what really is important. Our minds and spirits shine if we do not load them down with heaviness and discontent. Enjoy being who you are and what you are. See the Light and bear witness that you are standing in it -- not just "what if" but for sure! *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 8:14 AM
Saturday, December 13, 2003December 13 - Daily Feast Protection is not a weapon or a locked door – or even a ferocious appearance. Protection is from the inner person. It gives an invisible sign that this person is not vulnerable but a presence that defies sedani, or evil. Security is not easy to define. It is not foolhardy and it is not overbearing. But it does have a calm poise that even animals respect and bad people avoid. It is a strength that anyone in his right mind will not put to a test. These are days that speak of caution. Take nothing for granted and wear the protective armor of faith and firm decision. Agitators are as cowardly as they are smart enough to know that you do not prey upon someone who understands the situation and is ready. ~ I do not want war, but want to make friends. ~ SANTANA “A Cherokee Feast of Days,” Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 13 "In our language there is no word to say inferior or superiority or equality because we are equal; it's a known fact. But life has become very complicated since the newcomers came here. And how does your spirit react to it?. It's painful. You have to be strong to walk through the storm. I know I'm a bridge between two worlds. All I ask is for people to wash their feet before they try to walk on me." --Alanis Obomsawin, ABENAKI For native people who speak their language, English can be very confusing. Many times you cannot express in English the true meaning of Indian words. When we hear something in English we sometimes react or our spirit reacts. Sometimes we need to use English words out of order to express our true meanings. We need to be patient and pray. Living in two worlds can be difficult. Life is painful sometimes. The pain of life is where the lessons are learned. Creator, let me learn the lessons You have taught my people. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler Snows have come and now they are gone and sunshine warms the heart and glazes the windows. Take a walk and look at every minute part of the land, enjoy the fragrance, notice the red berries that hang on the vine with all the thorns. A friend once told me that thorns have roses, but in this case the wickedly barbed vine has clusters of red berries. Snow will come again, it is the nature of winter -- but it will leave as well. Crystal clear water drips over the rocks and gurgles under a thin covering of ice. Along the branch are wild plum trees that will have leaves in a very short time and bright yellow wild flowers will pop up all through the woods. Right now, take the day as it is. The possum that sniffs out the cat's food and the raccoon with its mischievous face wants a part of it. Our dogs, Annie and Hannah, will enjoy the chase and keep a vigilant watch for another chance to show them who rules. Think joy rather than resentment. Think happy and be happy -- it is our personal choice. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 8:39 AM
December 12 -Daily Feast Thunder Fox 8:15 AM
Thursday, December 11, 2003December 11 - Daily FeastWhy are we willing to settle for less than what we can have? Why do we consent to live on the fringes of other people's lives, standing on the outside looking in with longing eyes? We are not meant to be fringe people, starving when there is a feast prepared for us and waiting. It is like owning a mansion and living in a closet, catching the crumbs when we should be sitting at the table. A few moments spent on the edge of life is sometimes thought to be worth the hollow times. But we are more apt to be lonely, u hi so di, the Cherokee calls it, peering inside than having an expanded view of the whole outside. There is more pain in imagining what other people are doing than in looking at our own potential and going toward it. Fringe people have tremendous capacities for living - and with a little evaluation and change they can use them all. ~ There was a time when I had a choice. ~ RED EAGLE "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 11 "Peace... comes within the souls of men when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the Universe dwells Wakan-Tanka, and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us." --Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa) OGLALA SIOUX If we are to know peace we must look within ourselves. In order to do this, we must learn to be still. We must quiet the mind. We must learn to meditate. Meditation helps us locate and find the center that is within ourselves. The center is where the Great One resides. When we start to look for peace, we need to realize where it is within ourselves. When we experience conflict we need to pause for a moment and ask the Power within ourselves, "How do you want me to handle this? What would you suggest I do in this situation?" By asking the High Power for help we find peace. Creator, help me to find peace. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler Helen Keller in her insatiable desire to learn once asked, "What color is think?" She was told that when we are happy, think is bright, but when we are bad, think is dark. Do we ever think we are naughty when we allow our thoughts to drift to the dark and morbid? Most people are unaware of the thoughts they entertain hour after hour...Their thought travels so fast over so many things, slowing down only for the pleasant or the painful; and often resting on the unproductive. When we turn our thoughts to things productive we break up a pattern that has been the culprit in setting us off in the wrong direction. It is never easy to change our habit of thinking in certain ways, but when we choose to change for the better and make it a definite aim, we will see many rewards -- some that have been impossible. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 9:19 AM
Wednesday, December 10, 2003December 10 - Daily FeastWhile it pays to be cautious, very often our skepticism is surpassed only by our ignorance. When we can't believe in anything that doesn't figure in dollars and cents and other tangible benefits, then life is all on the surface. More of life is invisible than visible. We draw on the invisible the way we draw on a bank account, seeing nothing of the workings but getting results. We believe our money is in the bank, not expecting it to be where we can see it. When we need it, we call for it. The Cherokee believes the Great Spirit has a great many other things, health, peace and happiness to name a few, in the bank for us. It is our part to keep what we have balanced, to add to the strength of it with faith, and to be grateful for it. But until we call for it, using the right name, it remains where it is. ~ Indians.... know better how to live..... Nobody can be in good health if he does not have all the time fresh air, sunshine and good water. ~ CHIEF FLYING HAWK "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 10 "Come forward and join hands with us in this great work for the Creator." --Traditional Circle of Elders, NORTHERN CHEYENNE The Elders have spent years learning to pray and communicate with the Great Spirit. Their job is to pass this knowledge onto the young people. The Elders have told us we are now in a great time of healing. The Creator is guiding them to help the young people figure this out. We must get involved and participate. We should pray and see what it is the Great Spirit wants us to do. We need to sacrifice our time to help the people and to be of maximum use to the Creator. Every person is needed to accomplish this great healing. Creator, whisper what You want me to do. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler How long can we hold onto a rope that has no knot in it to stay our hands? Apparently not very long. We have asked for certain conditions that have not come into being. So, does that mean our asking is in vain? No, but it does say we have not really investigated our source and we don't really know how to ask. We can ask a source that we have been involved in over the years and get no answer. There's more to a relationship than a casual acquaintance. How many honest down-to-earth conversations have we held with this source? If it has been a request in a crisis and we don't know this person very well, we are not apt to get help. To know ourselves is crucial, to know our source is equally necessary. Do you even have a relationship worthy of a crisis? Can we run to this person on a moment's notice and be received warmly? Not unless we have shared time and money and love on a regular basis. We can start out by being grateful and express our gratitude and our willingness to be made new and not renege on our word. If we do that, our source will never renege on his word. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 11:45 PM
Tuesday, December 09, 2003December 9 - Daily FeastTake away the plastic, the film, the artificial and give a small boy a stick to dig in the dirt, to whack the water at the pond's edge - and you have given him happiness. Show him deer tracks and the handprints of a raccoon, and you give him curiosity. Boost him up to the lowest limb of a tree and he can take the next one with vision. Show a small boy something other than cartoons, sing him songs that are not commercials, teach him gentleness with small animals and other children, and you have given him a life laced with love and kindness. The best part of sharing an hour with an exuberant little boy is that he gives back so much, shining eyes, imagination, questions without end, and laughter at nothing and everything. It is an hour well spent and will be remembered. Hopefully, in later years, he will recall that it was spent with Grandma. ~ It does not require many words to speak the truth. ~ CHIEF JOSEPH "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 9 "The Natural Law will prevail regardless of man-made laws, tribunals and governments." --Traditional Circle of Elders, NAVAJO-HOPI Joint Use Area The Great Spirit made Laws by which Man needs to live. These Laws are just and are about living in harmony. Man has passed many laws that say it is okay to do things. Many of these man-made laws are out of harmony with the Laws of the Great Spirit. These man-made laws will cause trouble for the human being if they are out of harmony with the Laws of the Creator. Great Spirit, teach me Your Laws. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 11:19 PM
Monday, December 08, 2003December 8 - Daily FeastHumility is what we think other people should have. But from the instant we think this, we need it even more. Humility is knowing we are nobody when it looks like we are somebody. It is believing we are somebody when it feels like we are nobody. Humility is being sufficient, but lacking pride in sufficiency. It is knowing grace - and knowing we did nothing to earn it. Humility is being modest, but not resigned. It is in the deepest sense - kindness. It is being plain folks that love and care about everyone around them - never taking into consideration whether anyone loves and cares about them. It is yv wi-a ne hv, humanity, in its absolute best clothes. ~ That is the way with us Indians, goods and earth are not equal. Goods are for using on the earth. ~ YELLOW SERPENT "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 8 "We as men should not fear our mates; we should listen to their counsel." --Oren R. Lyons, Spokesman, Traditional Circle of Elders The Elders say the men should look at women in a sacred way. The men should never put women down or shame them in any way. When we have problems, we should seek their counsel. We should share with them openly. A woman has intuitive thought. She has access to another system of knowledge that few men develop. She can help us understand. We must treat her in a good way. Great Spirit, let me look upon the woman in a good way. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 1:12 PM
Thunder Fox 12:54 PM
Saturday, December 06, 2003December 6 - Daily Feast The instant something offends us, we are off the track. Resentment surges through us and nothing is going to please us. We learned how to walk and talk and rely on people - and to mistrust them as well. We have learned how to think, how to rate people and systems - and how to berate them. We form opinions, set up values, decide how far we will go and how little it takes to reach a goal. And somewhere along the way we find that others have done the same things, and will not respect our opinions. We are offended - e s ga-nu li s da ne lv gi. Taking offense creates a weak link. All our gifts, talents and skills must be united so that we are centered and poised in our own consciousness. When we take offense, we are not shut? away from living, but our mouths, our eyes, our thoughts are aware of the weak link. ~ It has come to me through the bushes that you are not yet all united; take time and become united.... ~ BIG BEAR "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 6 "And that, I guess, is what it all boils down to - do the right thing, everything goes fine; do the wrong thing, everything's a mess." --Robert Spott, YUROK The Elders say every person is born with free will and every person has a specific purpose to accomplish during their life time. When our life is relatively free from obstacles we are walking the path of God's will. If our life is full of obstacles, we are not doing the will of God. Often, the Great Spirit guides us through a system of coincidences. We need to pay attention to coincidences. If we are aware of these, we often can recognize the path which God is showing us. We need to pray and ask Him to show us the path in terms we can understand. Oh, Great Mystery, let me recognize the coincidences. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler We do not always see the way to help others who are so dead set against even the idea that someone could know what they need. All we can do is hold their hand until help comes -- help that they can accept. Our thought is so rigid and unforgiving. We try to make things a certain way and always that some other person must pay for our unhappiness. Life is simply not that way. We have to be the first to forgive, even though it may take a while to forget. Wisdom says not to believe every sound of Peace, Peace! But once in a great while there is a voice of peace. We would not want to be so cynical that we miss it. Listen for that voice. It is true. It truly wants to help and we should not foolishly ignore the best thing that could happen. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 10:46 AM
Friday, December 05, 2003December 5 - Daily Feast Our hands tell us who we are. They are believed to be perfect subjects of the mind. As physical labor shows in the callouses on our palms, so does gentleness or greediness or strength. Nothing else expresses human behavior in so many ways. With our hands, tsu no ye ni, we work, play, love, threaten, show joy or grief. Sensitive symbols of faith and friendship, our hands draw us to everything and everyone we love. Marvelously made and directed by the mind's eye, the mind's ear, and the heart's desire, our hands continually express our lives. An abusive hand is from and abusive mind. But the gentle touch does exist - even for those who have yet to experience it. What words cannot say, the hands can express with all tenderness and love. ~ Now we shake hands and make peace.... ~ SPOTTED TAIL "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 5 "I've had a long regard for generational things: pottery, cultural things, participation in dancing, extended family. Only in that way does culture survive; only in that way is culture active. --Tessie Naranjo, SANTA CLARA PUEBLO Culture teaches us how to live and it ensures that knowledge about life is handed down from generation to generation. Culture gives us the feeling of belonging. It helps us raise our family in a good way. It teaches us how to treat one another. Culture sets boundaries for societies. We need to develop our culture. If we have left our culture, then we need to come back to it. Culture leads us back to the Great Spirit. Sometimes in our lives, we leave what we know works and experiment with something else. Then we get into trouble. So we need to come back home. Indian people are lucky to have a culture to return to. Creator, thank you for the culture. Let me live it today. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler We are never going to meet everyone's expectations, it is not going to happen. Even if we did, it wouldn't last long because new expectations are there and they may not be our own. Compensating to make others happy lasts about as long as it does to think about it. Sometimes we are too convenient, too willing to yield. Then our minds and bodies begin to reflect the stress of meeting too many unwise demands. Wisdom knows how to say no? as well as yes. No one else is aware of our limitations -- not even ourselves at times. Limits should never be seen as hindering. They should be taken as a friendly sign when we are ridiculous about trying to meet everyone else's expectations but never our own. Only the Great Holy should have the right to expect us to be who we really are meant to be. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 10:35 PM
Thursday, December 04, 2003December 4 - Daily Feast The land is quiet and serene along a country road in this season. Natural sounds, the crow, the rapping of the redheaded woodpecker, and the ring of an ax in the woods, carry easily over cold airwaves. Like voices with no accent, no soft edges, all are heard clearly at a distance. Even now, the land is colorful. Tufted grass, nature's rose-colored silk, dances in the breeze. Evergreens break the tans and grays at the pond's edge and dot the shadows along the timberline. The flowers may be gone but Indian mullein carpets the ground in secluded areas. Winter has a delightful beauty, red sunrises, magnificent sunsets and layers of blue, deep blue, and purple along the horizon. Quail, like school children in single file, cross the meadows to feed. Peace sounds no alarms, and all is well. ~ When winter comes on, you can take shelter in the woody bottoms....find meat for yourselves and cottonwood bark for your horses.... it is the right place. ~ ARAPOOISH "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 4 "In the end I tell my children, there's no way I can tell you how to be an Acoma, how to be an Indian. You have to experience it." --Stanley Paytiamo, ACOMA PUEBLO Each person must make their own journey. It is like every human is given a life canoe. The canoe has one seat and one paddle. In order to get anything out of life we must be in the canoe and we must paddle down the river of life. Now, I can share with you how my journey has been, but I cannot paddle your canoe. You must paddle your own. Good luck! Creator, I'm so glad I have You to guide my path *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler The great day of Thanksgiving came with all the banter and laughter and food that will afford leftovers for a week. Loved ones surprised us by coming when we didn't think they would. Young ones headed for the woods after being cautioned that they must make their presence known because a deer hunter might mistake them for a buck or a doe. We suspect that the deer can read our no hunting signs because there were ten or twelve behind our barn this morning. We bless the doe and twin fawns that come often to eat acorns in our woods. They are a part of the peaceful scene that helps maintain the serenity of the place. Snow and ice have stayed away but now that December has come -- so will the weather that makes everything in the woods and garden go dormant. Every day there are prayers for those who deal with change and turmoil. We say they are overcomers and will turn challenge to gold. So be it. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 12:25 PM
Wednesday, December 03, 2003December 3 - Daily FeastIn our estimation, most other people are happy, some supremely happy. But are we thinking this because we are making comparisons? Are we asking how someone else can be so secure, so at ease, when we happen to know their unforgivable acts in the past? Envy and resentment of other people are weapons against us. They keep our eyes focused outside ourselves where nothing is ever quite the way it looks. We have no idea of what is going on in other lives, what their thoughts are and what they have resolved. There's great contentment in minding our own business. We can correct what needs correction, make amends if we need to - but let the questioning go. We cannot know how good or bankrupt another life is - but we can know what controls our own. ~ Do right always. It will give you satisfaction in life. ~ WOVOKA 1889 "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 3 "Listen to the howl of our spiritual brother, the wolf, for how it goes with him, so it goes for the natural world." --Oren R. Lyons, Spokesman, Traditional Circle of Elders If we watch nature, we can tell a lot about what is going on in the world. The animals and the plants are great teachers. Some time ago, crops were sprayed with a poison to kill the insects. Other animals ate the insects. The small animals were eaten by the Eagles and the Wolves. We live in an interconnected system. What we do to one, we do to all. If our spiritual brothers are living in balance, chances are we humans are also living in balance. Great Spirit, let me listen to my Earth teachers, the plants and the animals. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK ON THESE THINGS by Joyce Sequichie Hifler Most of us take far too much for granted. We seldom realize how dear something is until we see it slip away from us and then we acknowledge how much it means. We cannot assume that all good things are ours simply because we have a right to them. Having a right doesn't qualify us to get something and to keep it. We must cherish the opportunity to love and care for and keep close those things and persons we expected to always be at our side. Life does not reason and see what means so much to us. It mechanically moves the pieces and sets them down -- but it is our responsibility to love them and to earn the right to have them in our lives. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 3:04 PM
Tuesday, December 02, 2003December 2 - Daily FeastThe law of the echo is at work in our lives. It is the law of give and take, what we put out we get back. It is not limited to material things but to every facet of our lives. What we say, how we treat others, how we stretch the truth, and how we set out to hurt someone's character, these things and more have everything to do with our well being. But they are too often thought unimportant, judged to be u lv da le s gi, which in Cherokee means the absurd or foolish, but the Tsalagi lives by the law of the echo. He knows it is not foolish. We cannot be too careful about what we send out. Can we be as careful of our words, our actions, as we are about polluting the atmosphere with carbon dioxide? The result is the same - it just comes in different packages. ~ You will.... use all means to persuade any tribe to come in for the purpose of making peace, and when you get them together kill all the grown Indians and take the children.... sell them as slaves to defray the cost.... ~ CONFEDERATE? GOVERNOR JOHN R. BAYLOR? 1862 "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 2 "The smarter a man is the more he needs God to protect him from thinking he knows everything." --George Webb, PIMA A spiritual person needs to be careful. The more confident we are, the more likely our egos will get us into trouble. It's relatively easy to become self-righteous. We start to think we are teachers and others are students. We start to judge others. We start, very subtlety at first, to play God. After a while we really get good at it. This is very dangerous. We need to remind ourselves, we are here to do God's will. We need to pray every morning. Each day we need to check in with God to see what He would have us do. At night we need to spend time with God and review our day. By doing these things, we will stay on track. My Creator, guide my path and show me how to correct my life. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 11:18 PM
Monday, December 01, 2003December U Ski'Ya Snow Month Given the proper incentive, no mountain, it seems, is too high to climb, no current too swift to swim, if one is a Cherokee. GRACE STEELE WOODWARD December 1 - Daily Feast Early mornings have supernatural qualities, unreal, yet more real than most things we put stock in. So many beauties, so many things that happen within our sight are overlooked and unappreciated. They pass without notice and will continue for the sake of the land - whether they are seen or ignored. Nature thrives in place where people give up. It has defied verdicts placed on its very existence - and still creates breathtaking views. We have the same abilities if we can keep out the greed and grime that pecks at our minds. The fact that we are u ne na i, wealthy, escapes us when we litter the grass ablaze with dew gems and scatter debris in every sparkling stream. ~ The Kiowa braves have grown up from childhood, obtaining their medicine from the earth. ~ SATANA "A Cherokee Feast of Days" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - December 1 "Sometimes dreams are wiser then waking." --Black Elk (Hehaka Sapa), OGLALA The Great Spirit has many ways of communicating with the human being. He talks to us through the five senses-sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. For example, we can observe nature and see a lesson or get an answer. These five senses function primarily in the physical world. But we also have the ability to receive communication from the Unseen World. To do this we have a sixth sense. It comes in the form of dreams, imagination, intuition, inspiration or a hunch. Along with the dream or intuitive thought there is a feeling, a knowing. We just know it's true without the need for proof. We need to pay attention to our dreams and intuition. Don't cast them off as being silly or useless. Be respectful to our dreams and feelings. Creator, if you speak to me through dreams, let me know it in terms I can understand. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her website to purchase the wonderful books by Joyce as gifts for yourself or for loved ones......and also for those who don't have access to the Internet: http://www.hifler.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their website: http://www.whitebison.org Thunder Fox 6:00 PM
|
![Sambut[1].gif](http://webworks.thunder-fox.com/Sambut[1].gif)
