Council Fire

“Do not forsake your own friend or your father’s friend.” Proverbs 27:10 (NKJV) “Are you two old guys done with your coffee and ready to call it a morning?” Smiling, Ronald approaches a table in the Sippin’ Good Coffee Shop. Bob, his father, glances up at him with fondness. “Nothing better to do, son. Me and Greg here go all the way back to kindergarten!” Ronald scoots a chair forward and sits nex...

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 I was born as a Cree person, and I am very proud of who I am. I was raised by my mom and dad with values and virtues. There has been a lot of talk lately about “finding yourself” in order to be healed. I was never healed because of who I was, but by the saving grace of God, the Creator,...

“So, if you think you are standing fi rm, be careful that you don’t fall! No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” 1 Corinthians 10:12-13 (NIV) 4x4’s are great! I used to think it was sort of a luxury to drive on...

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 (NIV) June 18, 1997, I surrendered to Jesus. A month later, I voluntarily cooked at a Youth Dynamics Bush Camp for children. We prepared meals for 60 to 70 people. To get there, we traveled two hours into the high mountains of BC...

“For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit.” Jeremiah 17:8 (NKJV) Near my house stand very tall spruce trees. These trees have many branches, and the sum of their weight must be incredibly heavy. One even...

“Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, ‘children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.’ ” Philippians 2:14,15a (NIV) Don’t you love that innocent, pure feeling when you go to a children’s Christmas event? Doesn’t their singing tug at your heart? Don’t their silly faces looking at the camera bring a smile to your face? There is som...

“Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds.” Colossians 3:9; “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” Proverbs 12:22 (NKJV) Have you ever asked yourself why some people make up lies and why others so easily believe them? Well, there was one such story made up about Willie, a jovial fellow that I knew from Little Buffalo, and the Metis leader, Stan Daniels. Th...

“Then Moses told his father-in-law all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel’s sake, all the hardship that had come upon them in the way, and how the Lord had delivered them.” Exodus 18:8 (ESV) God’s people suffered 400 years of slavery. That’s a long time, my friends, but during that time the people cried out to God, and He heard them. Out of His mercy, God raised up a...

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28 (ESV) I sure didn’t find anything “good” in the scalding grief I felt when I lost my husband. He was my best friend, the love of my life, the best father, the most loving grandfather and chapan (great-grandfather). He was the backbone of our family, a wonderfu...

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” Isaiah 1:18 (NIV) The windshield was cracked. Not just a hairline fracture, but a “spider web” shatter that had the potential to make Spiderman sit up and take notice! So, I got it changed. Such a difference — from the gr...

“Then pay to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s; and to God the things that are God’s.” Matthew 22:21 (NASB) There is always a political cycle where we vote on civic, tribal, and even national candidates who want to lead us as a people. As believers in Christ, we must follow a different grid in evaluating who we consider the best candidates to vote for. It is the believer’s responsibility to not...

“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 (NIV) My life was out of control. Drugs and drinking had taken over and ruled my life. I was headed for a party on my motorbike. There were three of us riding on it, but we never made it. We ended up in an accident, and I was taken to jail in handcuffs. I woke up in ja...

“Cast all your anxiety on him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7 (NIV) She was the tiniest puppy of the litter. Her brothers and sisters would push her away and Mama wouldn’t let her eat. One of the kids in the house tried to feed her with a doll bottle, but that didn’t work out so well. When I first saw this skinny little “runt of the litter,” I wanted her. It didn’t matter that she was malno...

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brethren, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as do the rest who have no hope.” 1 Thessalonians 4:13 (NASB) Grief is something that we all have in common. At some point, we will all experience loss. July 29th, 2023, was the day I felt it very deeply. My “Papa” (grandpa) Wesley Cardinal went to be with Jesus. After a long battle with dem...

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.” Psalm 39:7 (NIV) We always look to things in the world for hope. It seems that those things are always changing from day to day, and they never give us lasting hope. If we would only remember that Jesus came to live with humankind to teach us God’s ways — so we will know that true Hope is only in Him. Hebrews 13:5b says, “God has said, ‘Never...

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1; “My times are in y our hands.” Psalm 31:15 (NIV) Experts agree that a staggering amount of time is consumed each day by interruptions. Whether at work or at home, a phone call or an unexpected visit can distract us from what we feel is our main purpose. God has given each of us exactly the same amount...

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) The late Ed Wood, a former Indian Life Board member, was one who believed in realizing potential. I’ll tell the story as it was told to me — the un-stretched version! Yup . . . read on. Ed’s teenage daughter had just graduated from high sch...

“Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah.” 1 Samuel 16:13 (ESV) David’s anointing is a pivotal moment in Israelite history. God will promise David that the throne will stay in his house (lineage). David would eventually be king over all Israel, and just o...

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” John 10:10 (NASB) I had started my vehicle on a cold morning before church. I ran in the house for not even a minute, came outside, and stood there in disbelief . . . my vehicle had been stolen! I had my passport and birth certificate in the vehicle. So, they not only stole my car, they st...

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) It is so easy to remain focused on our troubles and issues when we are struggling and broken. That can lead to more heartache, anger, unforgiveness, stress, anxiety, fear, and pain. It is during these times I like to say...

“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when the desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown brings forth death.” James 1:14,15 (NKJV) Last year, I had some small fi shing lures that I was intending to give away, and were still in the package. I thought I had put them in a safe place, and that was needed because our small...

“He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” John 1:11-12 (NIV) Jesus never promised us an easy path. In fact, He told us that we would have trials and troubles while on planet earth. Paul encouraged the Roman church with these words: “I consider that our present...

“So they cried out to the Lord in their distress, and God saved them from their desperate circumstances. God brought them out from the darkness and deep gloom; he shattered their chains.” Psalm 107:13-14 (NIV) Have you ever been (or are you) in a season where you don’t understand God’s plan? Are you frustrated? Confused? Apprehensive? It can be difficult to navigate through the valleys when you ca...

“They received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.” Acts 17:11b (NIV) It was hunting season some years back. My brother-in-law, Frank, and a couple others were hunting on the rivers and lakes near Opaskweyak, Manitoba. It was a good trip and they got a moose, which they skinned and loaded into their boat. As they were finishing...

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come!” 1 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV) I was born as a Cree person, and I am very proud of who I am. I was raised by my mom and dad with values and virtues. There has been a lot of talk lately about “finding yourself” in order to be healed. I was never healed because of who I was, but by the saving grac...