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Thank you sister, to you the same.Good afternoon HeReignsInMe. Have a blessed afternoon and evening.
That is good advice.4EverLoved... that was an amazing story and quite inspiring! Thank you so much for posting it.
Thank you everyone for the prayers. I did call my neighbor this morning. Of course because we are friends, not just acquaintences, I knew she was not going to answer when the caller id said it was me. I left a message humbly apologizing. I hope this does not ruin a friendship, but it was a great lesson learned. And I will share....
DO NOT under ANY circumstances think it's okay to email a friend, neighbor or relative with a complaint no matter how large or small, no matter how well you know one another, etc. Apparently it can be taken sooooooo far out of context it's not the slightest bit funny. Phone calls with a live person's voice, tone and sincerity is the best.
At least that's the lesson I've learned from it so far. It seems so simple and non-trivial. What inspired me to email? I have no idea other than maybe since we're so friendly I was quite lax in my thinking it could be taken harshly. I regret it and would definitely do it differently if given the opportunity. But I feel so much better knowing I did the right thing by calling to apologize and make peace-- even if it was through an answering machine.
Have a great weekend everyone! I have a ton to do today... not sure when I'll be back on.
Eldaah... I'm thinking about you and praying!
And I'm praying for all of us too!
Awesome story, thank you for sharing it.
An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice... "Let me tell you a story."
"I too, at times, have felt great hate for those who have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It's like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times. "
"It is as if there are two wolves inside me; one is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to do so, and in the right way."
"But...the other wolf... ah! The littlest thing will send him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all of the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing."
"Sometimes it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."
The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather ?"
The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."
It is great to hear that, and good to know it.It is a wonderful place to come where we know we will be welcomed and affirmed, and not judged, as Christianna said. It never fails that I come here and read others' posts, or just look at the beautiful pictures spiritwinds posts here, that Jesus touches me.
Christianna, may God bless you in all your interactions with your neighbors and truly use you to show Jesus to them.
good question.Eldaah, How are things going in West Virginia?
that is sad to hear, I agree that whoever tells you that you can't embrace God and you're heritage is wrong.Only around 2% of American Indians today are Christians, even though there has been over 500 years of attempted christianizing of the indigenous peoples. Although I am not full-blood, I have encountered great hostility and criticism from other white Christians because I have embraced my Cherokee and Choctaw heritage. I have been told numerous times that I cannot be Indian and Christian at the same time. I must be one or the other. I have been told that to embrace my heritage is to betray my faith. I do not embrace the spirituality of my Ancestors, although I believe it has been greatly misunderstood by many who are not of Indian descent. Due to the pressure I felt, more than one time I have denied my Indian blood, and at other times I have walked away from my faith in defiance. Finding peace and unity between my white man and red man heritages and my Christian faith has been a great struggle for me.
There is great resentment that has taken root in many American Indians against Christianity because of what was done to our Ancestors in the name of God, and I have known of some who have left the Christian Church because they, too, have encountered great hostility and criticism from white Christians, who tell them that they must worship our Great Father as the white Christians worship him. Now I see this as a tremendous problem for the Christian Church, but I do not see many from either side who have the desire to help resolve this problem. Forgiveness, healing, and peace need to the take place of hate, racism, and resentment. I would like to open a dialogue in the hopes that we can learn from one another, and be encouraged to reach out to the indigenous peoples for Christ.
Nea (nigh-yah)
Spirit Wind
I wholly agree.I am glad you have brought this forward, spiritwinds. This issue needs to be discussed, prayed over, and acted upon in Jesus name.
And yes you can be an Indian and a Christian. Whoever tells you you can't is wrong.
The Jews in the early days did the same thing to the Gentiles. Jesus came to save the lost. He does not care what color we are, or who our ancestors were. He put color in us to make us all different so we would be like a rainbow.
But we are all one in Christ Jesus.
That is also very good. Thank you for being such a blessing here
In 1854, the United States Government offered to buy two million acres of Indian land in the Northwest. Below is a translation of Chief Sealth's (Seattle) reply to resident Franklin Pierce in December of that year. It has been described as the most beautiful and prophetic statement on the environment ever made.
"The Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land. The Great Chief also sends us words of friendship and good will. This is kind of him, since we know he has little need of our friendship in return. But we will consider your offer.
How can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them?
Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing, and every humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man. So, when the Great Chief in Washington sends word that he wishes to buy our land, he asks much of us...
This we know: All things are connected. Whatever befalls the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; He is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself. But we will consider your offer to go to the reservation you have for my people. We live apart, and in peace.
One thing we know, which the white man may one day discover -- our God is the same God. You may think now that you own Him as you wish to own our land: but you cannot.
He is the God of man; and his compassion is equal for the red man and the white. His earth is precious to Him and to harm the earth is to heap contempt on its Creator. The whites too shall pass; perhaps sooner than all other tribes. Continue to contaminate your bed, and you will one night suffocate in your own waste.
But in your perishing you will shine brightly, fired by the strength of the God who brought you to this land and for some special purpose gave you dominion over this land and over the red man. That destiny is a mystery to us, for we do not understand when the buffalo are all slaughtered, the wild horses are tamed, and the veiw of ripe hills blotted by talking wires. Where is the thicket? Where is the eagle? Gone. And what is it to say goodbye to the swift pony and the hunt? The end of living and the beginning of survival. So we will consider your offer to buy the land.
If we agree, it will be to secure the reservation you have promised. There, perhaps, we may live out our brief days as we wish. When the last red man has vanished from the earth, and his memory is only the shadow of a cloud moving across the prairie, these shores and forests will still hold the spirits of my people. For they love this earth as a newborne loves its mother's heartbeat. So, if we sell our land, love it as we've loved it. Care for it as we've cared for it. Hold in your mind the memory of the land as it is when you take it. And preserve it for your children, and love it... as God loves us all. One thing we know. Our God is the same God. This earth is precious to Him. Even the white man cannot be exempt from the common destiny. We may be brothers after all. We shall see..."
Hello allHi my dear friend wolfman.
That is good advice.
I dare say you emailed her because it's become so common to use email for communication.
i know what you're saying.LOL I can understand why you would think that.
No, actually I emailed her because we're quite good friends who just happen to be neighbors. I can read her emails and know exactly how she would say it in real life-- that's how good of friends we are.
IMO it was no different than emailing a best friend or someone very close to a best friend and saying, by the way I was bothered by this, and getting a response such as, "goodness I'm sorry", "oh I had no idea", "wow I didn't know, let's talk about this"... not a nasty on the verge of hate filled email.
I'M BACK!!!! Finally! Alright, I know I missed a lot, but it's going to take me a while to catch up, because I'm on dial-up now. Anyways, I gotta go right now, but I just want to say thank you for all your prayers. I'll try to catch up tommorrow. We just got our internet hooked up today, that's why I haven't been on.
Anyways, thank you all for your prayers and support. I'm still praying for you all. God bless you all!
Eldaah
Good to see ya back.I'M BACK!!!! Finally! Alright, I know I missed a lot, but it's going to take me a while to catch up, because I'm on dial-up now. Anyways, I gotta go right now, but I just want to say thank you for all your prayers. I'll try to catch up tommorrow. We just got our internet hooked up today, that's why I haven't been on.
Anyways, thank you all for your prayers and support. I'm still praying for you all. God bless you all!
Eldaah
I'M BACK!!!! Finally! Alright, I know I missed a lot, but it's going to take me a while to catch up, because I'm on dial-up now. Anyways, I gotta go right now, but I just want to say thank you for all your prayers. I'll try to catch up tommorrow. We just got our internet hooked up today, that's why I haven't been on.
Anyways, thank you all for your prayers and support. I'm still praying for you all. God bless you all!
Eldaah
Hey Eldaah glad you're back, good to hear from you!I'M BACK!!!! Finally! Alright, I know I missed a lot, but it's going to take me a while to catch up, because I'm on dial-up now. Anyways, I gotta go right now, but I just want to say thank you for all your prayers. I'll try to catch up tommorrow. We just got our internet hooked up today, that's why I haven't been on.
Anyways, thank you all for your prayers and support. I'm still praying for you all. God bless you all!
Eldaah
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