✥ March 31 - Daily Feast ✥ (WEDNESDAY)

March 31 - Daily Feast Real power is often just knowing when to keep our mouth shut. We have so much we want to say and so many to say it to that it is almost impossible to stay silent. But silence teaches in a way that nothing else can. The mind makes deep adjustments in the quiet times. True laughter bubbles up from humor too precious for words - and brings with it a joy that dissolves disappointment. Real, mind-changing power is of the spirit and can clear a path a mile wide through pain. The human spirit fights valiantly, and when it is blended with this power, it comes out like a tiger. ~ My heart is big and glad that you have told us that you will not make war on Indians. ~ KICKING BIRD - KIOWA, 1800's "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 31 "The old Lakota was wise. He knew that man's heart away from nature becomes hard; he knew the lack of respect for growing, living things soon led to a lack of respect for humans too. So he kept his youth close to its softening influence." --Luther Standing Bear, OGLALA SIOUX When we live in nature it's like constantly being in school. We are in an environment that is always teaching. We are constantly being reminded hat there are laws, Natural Laws, which are running the universe. Once we know these laws and we drift from them, we start to live our lives in a different way. Soon we become discontent, selfish and disrespectful. Then, we get in trouble. If our lives have become this way, it can be reversed by going back to nature to be among our teachers. Great Spirit, teach men, again, the Natural Laws. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler A lady of much wisdom has often remarked, "If you want to feel well all the time and feel alive, you have to keep the rhythm in your body." Rhythm, the gentle, easy flow of life. Ordinarily we think of keeping time with music when we think of rhythm. The very idea of allowing one's self the frivolity of feeling rhythm - and such a wonderful idea! There is an underlying rhythm to all of living. Wherever there is life, there is that pulsating rhythm that has everything on the move. There is harmony and there is a subtle smoothness to finding one's own pace. When we get out of step and resist that pace, we have "one of those days" when everything goes wrong. William Shakespeare wrote, "The man that hath no music in himself, not is not moved with concord of sweet sounds, Is fit for treason, stratagems, and spoils; the motions of his spirit are dull as night, and his affections dark as Erebus. Let no such man be trusted. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 30 - Daily Feast ✥ (TUESDAY)

March 30 - Daily Feast This morning cool breezes blew up from the river bottom and stirred the new green leaves on the pin oak. The change of season wavers from cool brisk air to warm pockets trapped beneath heavy foliage. We, too, waver because of changes that tell us something is pending. Something is adjusting the days and hours, and we can't seem to pin it down. The deer lifts it head to catch a scent - should it be afraid? As creatures with spirits, we do the same things - testing and sniffing the breezes to detect anything different. Are we ready? ~ The Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I have ever known. ~ JAMES MOONEY - RECORDING CHEROKEE HISTORY, Circa 1835 "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 30 "If anyone has children, they better teach their children to follow the traditions that we're leaving behind because it is later than we think with all that's going on." --Juanita Centeno, CHUMASH The habits, attitudes and beliefs that carry the human through the trials of life are developed at a very young age. If we are taught respect at a very young age, the odds are we'll be respectful through our whole lives. If we are taught to dance at a young age, we'll dance our whole lives. If we are taught to sing the traditional songs while we are young, we'll sing those songs through out whole lives. And weho do we drum and sing songs to? Our children. This is how we keep it going. Great Spirit, today, teach me to teach the children. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler America's art critic Henry Theodore Tuckerman believed the hand to be the mind's own perfect subject. As physical labor shows in a man's hands, so does illness, or greediness or strength. No other part of the body so expresses human behavior. With our hands we work, play, communicate, love, and express our fear; joy, and grief. These beautifully sensitive symbols of faith, love and friendship are the hands of time that never stand still. They clasp to us the things we love, the books we read, the seeds we plant, the stitches we sew, and the civilization we build. This marvelously made human hand, directed by the mind's eye, the mind's ear, and the heart's desires, works every waking moment to express its owner's life. The gentle touch, so closely linked with our emotions, can also be the unmistakable expression of strength and honesty. And the most beautiful of all, the praying hands, for surely they are conscious only of God. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 29 - Daily Feast ✥ (MONDAY)

March 29 - Daily Feast What we say reaches far. Someone is listening for hope, someone is reaching foe help - and it may be us. What do we need to hear? Say it for others. When we say it, we hear it as well. We hear it twice, through our ears and through our hearts. Children and pets and older people need the voice of love and common sense. They long for the happy voice, the tone that says all is well and there is no danger. Lord, we all need to hear peace so much - and there is so little spoken. ~ We looked up to the Great Spirit. We went to our Father. We were encouraged. ~ BLACK HAWK - SAC, 1832 "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 29 "Tell the people not to cry. Tell them to be happy." --John Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA (told to his son, Archie, as he died) Our Elders know about the two Worlds, the Physical World and the Spiritual World. Many times, before we pass to the Spirit World, our relatives, who have gone there before us, will come for us and they will help us. The Spirit World, the Elders say, is a good, happy and harmonious place. When we die, it means we have only entered another world. We will all see one another again. Great Spirit, allow me to understand both the Spirit World and the Physical World. Today, let me be happy. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler All the world listens for the voice that speaks with its heart. How important is the tone of voice, no matter what position we hold in life. The voice of authority, the demanding, commanding and authoritative voice has little lasting effect upon its audience. But the voice of kindness, the cheerful and friendly voice creates receptivity that few can resist. In the words of Longfellow, "How wonderful is the human voice!" It is indeed the organ of the soul. The intellect of man sits enthroned, visibly on his forehead and in his eye, and the heart of man is written on his countenance, but the soul reveals itself in the voice only. The voice on the telephone creates a picture for the listener. With the business of the world being run to a very great extent by telephone, it is of the utmost importance what sort of picture that should be. No matter how sharp, strong, hard, flat, weak or soft, that voice creates an impression. If only we could have our voices played back, we would hear ourselves in one of those categories. Even animals and children respond to voices as they truly are. All the actions in the world speak loudly, but the voice of love, the voice of friendship, and the voice of encouragement are the sweetest of all sounds. The truly sincere quality in the voice is from the nature within, springing from concern for those about us, the divine love, the deep feeling for all life. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 28 - Daily Feast ✥ (SUNDAY)

March 28 - Daily Feast Worry about how much we can remember can throw the mind into such stress that it cannot function right. The harder we try, the less we are going to recall. As living progresses there is more to remember, and very little of it worthy fact. The incessant chatter that goes on around us is not important and when it comes to the children's ages - let them remember. If there is something we really want to retain, then we should write it down. A notebook has saved many a day and acts as a companion to someone who doesn't want to remember everything. ~ We love the Great Spirit - we acknowledge his supreme power - our peace, our health, and our happiness depend upon him. ~ PETALESHARO - PAWNEE, 1822 "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 28 "Sacred sites and areas are protection for all people—the four colors for man—and these sites are in all areas of the earth in the four directions." --Traditional Circle of Elders, NORTHERN CHEYENNE The Elders say that values come from the Mother Earth. Different places and areas around the Earth have different values. The Water people live in harmony and know the values that correspond to that particular part of the Earth. The Desert people know the values of the desert and respect and live in harmony with that part of the Earth. The Woodland people know the values of their part of the Earth and live in harmony. If you live in harmony with the Earth, you will live a life that is full of values. We should have great respect for the Mother Earth. Grandfather, today, let me learn values from Mother Earth. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler If we could but read it, all human beings carry the marks of their character in the lines of their faces. The very expressions are etched there by habitual thought. The most beautiful features may be blank of expression, lacking depth of thought or understanding, while the plainest face may be lighted with a radiance only sincerity and inner beauty can produce. Alexander Smith was a Scottish poet who wrote, "On your features the fine chisels of thought and emotion are eternally at work." No pretense can hide the thoughts and feelings. The narrowed eyes of suspicion and discontent tattle, while serenity and devotion to others can reveal such beauty of spirit that the shape of the face is forgotten. "In thy face I see the map of honor, truth, and loyalty," wrote Shakespeare, and it is safe to say that being able to see those things in another's face is an assurance that he also had such a face. To see only avarice and selfishness in every expression turned to us is to know that our own expressions lack something to be desired. Life does not have to be full of ease to reflect beauty. Some of the most beautiful faces in history have not had eyes to see nor voices to move their lips, but have possessed peace and serenity that only faith could render. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 27 - Daily Feast ✥ (SATURDAY)

March 27 - Daily Feast Things have been shaky before, and some things broke down - but with courage we made it. We made it because we decided to stand up and not let anything whip us. The best revenge against anything that would tear us apart is to not let it happen. We simply have to see things for what they really are. It will pass. And if we do not grieve and blame ourselves we will overcome every memory, every wound, and flow in strength and security. Just a little courage - and a big decision to use it. ~ It is a white man's treaty, and the white man did not make the Indian understand it as he meant it. ~ MICANOPY - SEMINOLE "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 27 "...you have to believe it first. Not wait until you see it first, then touch it, then believe it...You have to say it from the heart." --Wallace Black Elk, LAKOTA We are designed to function from faith. First we pray. Then we use our imagination to create a vision or picture in our mind. We surround this mental picture with our emotions or feelings. These feelings are available when we ask or say it from the heart. The combination of the mental picture and asking from the heart to create the emotions will cause us to believe it. Then we just need to wait. We need to believe as though it is already done. Great Spirit, remove from me any doubt that comes up today. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler There seems to be two important things to do in times of difficulty. One is to pray and the other is to keep our sense of humor. The first is essential to make the basic correction and the other is necessary to balance the human spirit while things work out. Without a sense of humor, we tend to become too serious about the personal self. It becomes all too important, too self-righteous, and far too self-centered. At the first signs of trouble, we may want to find someone wiser in whom to confide and ask questions. And their advice may be most helpful but it still our own responsibility to get off our backs and do it with dignity and self-respect that will not lower our standards nor cause us embarrassment. And humor can help us do it. There is humor in every situation of we can detach ourselves from the seriousness of it long enough to look for it. Abraham Lincoln knew the importance of his sense of humor and said, "With the fearful strain that is on me night and day, if I did not laugh I should die." *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 26 - Daily Feast ✥ (FRIDAY)

March 26 - Daily Feast The end of the day brings out the emotions. Some come alive at the first sign of dusk, and evening softness suggests things to be - and things that never were. And then there is night - a time when bone-tiredness can make a pillow heaven until some bit of worry begins to tap on the consciousness. Night, like the tongue, magnifies, and everything is bigger than life. But morning comes - and with it the realization of what is finished and what there is left to do. If night has not done its work well, the day has to call the shots - and the sooner the better. This day does not belong to stress. I will call it peace. ~ You told us to speak our minds freely. We now do it. ~ LITTLE TURTLE - MIAMI, 1795 "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 26 "In our modern world today, we may seem like drowning men because of the loss of much of our spiritual tradition." --Thomas Yellowtail, CROW Our spiritual tradition shows us the way to live in harmony, balance and respect. The tradition taught us how to behave and how to conduct ourselves. The spiritual way taught us to pray and to purify ourselves. Handed down from generation to generation were the teachings about a way of life. Our relationship to Mother Earth and to each other was very clear. The Modern World does not relate to spirituality but to materialism. If we do not allow spirituality to guide our lives, we will be lost, unhappy and without direction. We are spiritual beings trying to be human, not human beings trying to be spiritual. It is said, Know thyself. Grandfather, lead me to spirituality. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler Variety is said to be the spice of life. Anything in which we can continually find something new, a difference, will hold our attention indefinitely. Even the most interesting work can become monotonous if there never is a change. We are a restless people, finding life more livable and exciting when we know there is a bit of a change in store. One isn't always aware of monotony. It is a subtle something that creeps silently into a well formed routine. And most are unaware of its presence until its victim, interest, begins to lose ground. Sometimes a change of pace fulfills a need for variety, but the most satisfying is one's ability to lay aside a regular routine to lend a hand to a neighbor when he needs it. The very old and happy habit of helping your neighbor never found a body bored. The hearts of helpers are light, not because they are searching for variety, but because variety find them when self is forgotten and the need to help a neighbor is the only thought. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 25 - Daily Feast ✥ (THURSDAY)

March 25 - Daily Feast Know that reason gets away from people in the heat of the moment and they do things that are totally without reason. Just stop worrying about what other people will think and do what is necessary for protection. If you live in fear, pray for help - and then go meet it. Never wait for miracles - cause some. And it will amaze you how others understand and give you support. Life needs a mind-renewal, but sometimes we can't wait for that process. The time to move is when darkness hovers. This is the time to stop wavering. This is your hour, take it. ~ Hardly any two....agree on what should be done. ~ SPOTTED TAIL - LAKOTA, CIRCA 1880 *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 25 "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 to the younger people. The Elders have told us we are now in a great time of Healing. The Creator is guiding the younger people to help them 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 and do what is our mission –to help the people and 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 To be in harmony with others, we must be in tune with ourselves. This is not always a state of mind easily come by, but necessary and possible to those who truly want to put their best foot forward. They must cultivate and recultivate the things that make peace within themselves. They must not only have faith, but they must depend upon it, drawing from it, energizing joy, love, and lightness of heart. They must know and understand the moods and manners of their coworkers and express to their colleagues their happiness and enthusiasm for the good things of life. At times everyone has fits of uncertainty concerning their way of life. And it is gratifying to have someone capable of lifting us out of the blues and scattering the doldrums. But the job is mainly ours. We have to cross examine ourselves again and again to be sure there's nothing that will not contribute to our best self, or draw less than the best from others. To be cooperative is not only beneficial to associations with others, but to our own health, peace, and happiness. Let there be peace and harmony and let it begin with me. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 24 - Daily Feast ✥ (WEDNESDAY)

March 24 - Daily Feast At the close of the day when owls call to each other in the woods, we say, "There's Grandfather." Not grandfather owl but Grandfather Sequichie. He could mimic an owl so well that another owl would answer. As children fishing with him on the creek bank at night, we worried that there might be an owl revolt when so many came close to our campfire and called to this talented Indian. What would they do when they found out they had been fooled? His attention was diverted to a fish on the line and he forgot to keep calling and the owls at last drifted away. It was comforting to feel the still warm dust on the road home and know we had escaped another owl attack. ~ I think to come and visit you tomorrow, and to talk over many things that I have seen in my journey. ~ TEEDYUSCUNG - DELAWARE, 1758 "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 24 "Our religion is the traditions of our ancestors - the dreams of our old men, given them in the solemn hours of night by the Great Spirit; and the visions of our sachems, and is written in the hearts of our people." --Chief Seattle, DWAMISH Our Spiritual ways have carefully been given to chosen people. Slowly, through our past generations, through past conflicts, our Elders prayed for guidance, which the Creator provided. Then it was passed down to the next generation through culture, ceremony and oral traditions. Our Indian religion has been tested and is about how we should behave and treat other people, animals and the earth. This knowledge is written in the heart of every person. We can find this knowledge by looking inside ourselves. My Creator, today, when conflict occurs, I will look inside myself for the answers. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler If you've ever been alone in a strange place, you're bound to know how wonderful it is to have someone make you feel welcome. Many people have the knack for being at home in whatever place they find themselves. And in this gift they find no loneliness to tug at them, but more often than not most of us feel like strangers. And in doing so we set ourselves apart, or make it sometimes questionable as to the wisdom of asking us into a friendly circle. A friendly face and a friendly voice can make the most timid souls feel welcome. It can make them feel at home. For in the midst of many there is loneliness. Perhaps it is because our feigned look of self-sufficiency made someone question our need for help. Many a door has opened, and many a sound friendship won when someone said, "We're glad to have you...." The very atmosphere can be charged with concern when we see others who cannot find their way. The warmth of divine love is for daily use in making someone feel welcome. We should not forget nor fail to see the wisdom of Hebrews 13:2: "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unaware." There must be no stronger feeling in the heart of most people than the desire to belong. To belong to something, to someone, and in a place where the feeling is warm and friendly. The most blessed children in town are the ones born and raised in the same neighborhood, who have the tightly knit sense of belonging to everyone. Suddenly these children are not just the children of their parents, but the children of everyone in the church, in school, and anywhere where there is warmth and love and peace. War rages within so many, disallowing them any connection or any strand of love that would tie them to anything that gives them a sense of security. And when people become insecure they become demanding. And in demanding they lose the most essential part - the ability to attract love to themselves simply by loving first. In the words of William Blake: "Love seeketh not itself to please.... Nor for itself hath any care.... But for another gives its ease.... And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair." Some of my most productive moments are not when I consider how evil the world is, but how powerful is my God. Some of the best times are not all when I'm enjoying life, but when those I love are knowing happiness. The highest peak of wealth comes when the joy within surpasses anything I can create out here. The bloom of good health is felt more richly when I let it flow through me rather than dwelling on the possibility of sickness. Friendships are strongest and most true when I don't worry about giving more than I receive. In order that others forgive me, I must also learn to forgive. I must never forget that negative thoughts feed on fear and starve on faith. One of the greatest mistakes I can make is to believe myself to be without friend or faith or opportunity. These personal proverbs belong to all thinking persons who want their lives to have more meaning, know more happiness and feel more richly the love that is the medicine for the sickness of the world. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 23 - Daily Feast ✥ (TUESDAY)

March 23 - Daily Feast Long earrings made of turquoise and silver swung from her rather large earlobes. More silver and turquoise lay on her bosom and on her wrists and long brown fingers. She was lacing leather in soft moccasins as she watched a much older man having difficulty walking on rough ground. "Be careful," she said, "what you watch others doing. If you see yourself at his age and having problems, then change your view. You haven't had his hardships, you probably won't even live to be as old as he is, and now is when you should correct what is wrong." Aunts, mothers, and grandmothers teach. Can we hear? ~ Our relations with the neighboring tribes are of the most friendly character. Let us see that the white path which leads from our country to theirs be obstructed by no act of ours. ~ JOHN ROSS - CHEROKEE CHIEF "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 23 "We must relearn how to cry. A strong man cries; it is the weak man who holds back his tears." --Archie Fire Lame Deer, LAKOTA Indian men and other men should really meditate on this Elder's saying. So many men have been taught it is unmanly to cry, to show emotions or to feel. When people cry, the Elders say there are two types of tears – one type will taste salty; the other type will taste sweet. One is caused by pain, and the other is caused by the release from the pain, or joy tears. A strong man knows himself and knows his relationship with the Great Spirit. The release of tears is a spiritual act. Our bodies are designed to cry. We should honor our bodies and use them as the Creator intended. Great Spirit, Grandfather, today, teach me to cry. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler As long as there has been a human race there has been someone crying out, "No one understands!" Somewhere along the way communications have broken down and the result is misunderstanding. To be misunderstood is painful. We keep wanting to explain and explain until we get our message across. Sometimes it is the lack of the wise use of words. Then, it may be an unwilling ear. But whatever the race, the politics, sophisticated or home grown, everyone has the desire to be understood. They want every motive, every mood, completely and unquestionably understood. But to be completely understood can also have its rebound. A goddess can turn into a woman and a hero can slip into a man when only one of their moods is completely understood. Understanding breeds familiarity. Familiarity may not breed contempt, but it can certainly take the edge off the mystery. And it is mystery that keeps life interesting. In all wisdom, we should worry much less about being completely understood, and make a more diligent effort to understand others. Something dies within us when no one cares. It is a circumstance of our own making when we have failed to give another the thought and concern that would have helped when it was most needed. Sorrows can be borne because others care. Greatness can be achieved because someone cared. To care is our purpose. Who knows but that these small acts of sympathy and understanding may place another life into the one slot on the jigsaw puzzle of life. If we were all the things we expect of others, the result would be perfection. We would be perfect in forgiveness, faithful in love, and devoted to the welfare of others. Such excellence has never been accomplished, except that we work continually for it. To work for it, we have to care. And for someone to care is the thing that matters. "Instead of allowing yourself to be so unhappy, just let your love grow as God wants it to grow; seek goodness in others, love more persons more; love them more impersonally, more unselfishly, without thought of return. The return, never fear, will take care of itself." - Henry Drummond. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 22 - Daily Feast ✥ (MONDAY)

March 22 - Daily Feast After all the tears, spring has burst into laughter and promises of riotous color. The breezes stir the meadows as though a gentle hand brushes lilac color. Birdsong overflows the woods and kittens romp among the irises and day lilies. Every day a new plant pushes through mellow earth and butterflies come in like flying flowers. Life moves outside and shows off with shameless drama. It is spring! Our hearts rejoice and our spirits sing for having this lovely experience. ~ The old people came literally to love the earth.... To remove their moccasins and walk with bare feet on the sacred earth. ~ LUTHER STANDING BEAR - LAKOTA CHIEF "A Cherokee Feast of Days, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 22 "Everything's so simple, and we make everything so complicated. That's why we're confused." --Vickie Downey, TEWA/Tesuque Pueblo The Creator designed a very simple set of Laws for us to follow. If we follow these simple things, we'll be happy. If we don't follow these simple things, our lives become complicated. For example: Respect Mother Earth Love one another Be truthful Give to your brother and sisters Be gentle with each other Be happy Following these simple Laws will have great rewards. Great Spirit, let me lead a simple life. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler Others don't seem to be interested in our excuses - they merely want performance. Alibis for lack of service, for lack of ability to give a full measure of trust make a bad servant. And we are all servants, serving each other in one way or another. It is an unhappy one who is not depended upon for something. There is great satisfaction in being needed, even to the point of doing more than one is capable of doing. English divine Sidney Smith once wrote, "Try to make at least one person happy every day, and then in ten years you may have made three thousand, six hundred and fifty persons happy, or brightened a small town by your contributions to the fund of general enjoyment. We cannot move a step upon this earth without finding someone to serve. And as we serve each day, we never stop to consider how many we've made happy; but it should be very vivid in our minds how many we've made unhappy. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 21 - Daily Feast ✥ (SUNDAY)

March 21 - Daily Feast When time passes and nothing seems to change, we are afraid that we are caught in a whirlpool that takes us around and around and goes nowhere. We don't want to be pressed into a mold that keeps us from moving forward. Within us is the power to move mountains. Frustrations and confusion can glaze that power so we become negative - but we are powerhouses, and we can break through. We are children of Light and we cannot be held against our will. ~ The Tsa la gi [Cherokee] does not desire to be involved in war." "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 21 "The manner with which we walk through life is each man's most important responsibility, and we should remember this with every new sunrise." --Thomas Yellowtail, CROW Every spiritual person should carry a vision of God's will in every area of their life. One day at a time, each morning at sunrise, we should spend time praying to the Creator. We should say something like, my Creator, this morning I ask you to show me, in terms I can understand, what you have or me to do. By doing this daily, over time, we will develop an unquestionable vision. Each person is responsible for taking the time to do this. It will bring great joy and peace of mind to those warriors who do. My Creator, give me the vision, today, of what you want me to do. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler A graphologist is a handwriting analysis expert who can take apart the loops and dashes of our penmanship and tell us about our nature. We have a natural curiosity about ourselves. We want to know whether our self-image is the true one. We often think we are capable of seeing another's true nature, but we seem to lack the ability to really know ourselves. In fact, so much about us reveals our disposition and temperament that it can be distressing. Our handwriting may tell us about our emotional nature, and we may learn that we are introverts by the slant of our letters, but much of our disposition can be self-analyzed by the way other people respond to us. It doesn't take a graphologist to tell us that if we are inconsistent in our friendliness, of the tongue alternates acid and honey, if we continually complain, continually gossip, criticize and pout, we are revealing a nature we too often think is hidden. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 20 - Daily Feast ✥ (SATURDAY)

March 20 - Daily Feast Few people go through life without some kind of trauma. But everyone doesn't react the same way. Certain experiences are magnified by pain and kept alive by distressed memory - so hostile conditioning is the result. Our own included. Nothing is ever fixed by glossing it over or covering it up. We cannot change what has already happened, but we can lessen the effect by putting it in perspective. It happened, it hurt, it still hurts. Talking about it makes it more vivid - but writing it in a personal journal takes it out of us and puts it somewhere else. Seeing it in black and white brings it into focus - and ultimately helps heal our wounds. ~ Our eyes are opened so that we see clearly. ~ RED JACKET - SENECA, 1700s "A Cherokee Feast of Days, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 20 "You have wandered away from your teachings. You must concentrate on your spiritual teachings...Don't be sidetracked." --Henry Quick Bear, LAKOTA Why are the Elders always telling us to know The culture and listen to the teachings? When We go off track, why do the Elders say, return to the teachings? The teachings tell us how to live in harmony with the Laws and principles of the Great Spirit. Living means Life – a good life, a happy life. Many of us have grown up without the teachings and the culture, that is why we don't know how to live. To improve on relationships, to treat our children with honor and to respect our Elders, we need to live by the old teachings again. Great Spirit, today, show me how to live. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK on THESE THINGS By Joyce Sequichie Hifler The greatest tragedy of life is not that we quarrel with our fellows, but that we do not take 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 enough 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 times 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. There are relationships in our lives better and closer that 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 our 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 web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 19 - Daily Feast ✥ (FRIDAY)

March 19 - Daily Feast We need something to stoke our fire, to stir us into action. If we sit all day and wonder why life is passing us by, it is probably because we gave so little enthusiasm. Lack of enthusiasm can be the result of fear - fear of disappointment, fear of what others will think or say. But on the other hand, who cares what someone might say? That is their problem, not ours. It may seem easier not to count on anything, but if we take the time to study a situation to see what we can do, it could be worth a few disappointments to just see our own grit and enthusiasm to tackle it. ~ We have borne everything patiently for this long time. ~ JOSEPH BRANT - MOHAWK "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 19 "There's a deep wound in people-that they have been so cut off from the source of their being, their mother, their Earth Mother." --Francis Story Talbott II (Medicine Story), WAMPANOAG When we are connected to the Earth Mother, or when we are clear on our purpose, we will feel connected and safe. We will feel love. When we are disconnected from the Earth Mother, or we don't know who we are or why we are, we will feel pain. It will be similar to a little child who has lost its Mother. We will hurt inside-we will be wounded within. If this happens to the whole community, the people will be very sad and lost. It will seem like there is death in the air. When this happens, it is time for ceremony and reconnection to God and Mother Earth. This is the time of prayer. Great Mystery, today, help me to stay connected to the Earth and to You, my Creator. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* THINK on THESE THINGS By Joyce Sequichie Hifler Cooperation is said to be the essence of success. Without it confusion and chaos are the ruling factors and inharmony the main thought. Cooperation is a result of excellent leadership, the ability to build a team of loyal players who can follow instructions or think for themselves, whichever is for the best of all concerned. A team is a group with specific parts to play. In all wisdom they know a little about every part, but they play their own positions with precision and efficiency. Every player cannot be captain, and every person cannot play quarterback. The part may be small, but if it is played with fairness and dignity and to the utmost of ability, then it will be as important to the successful outcomes or results as the biggest job in the team. The practical view of cooperation is vivid in John Dickinson's words, "By uniting we stand; by dividing we fall." We are only as strong as the weakest, only as cooperative as the spirit in which we work. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 18 - Daily Feast ✥ (THURSDAY)

March 18 - Daily Feast Don't give up. We have been up against stone walls before and had no one to tell us what to do. Stay away from self-condemnation. It is designed to tear down our interest and vision. When a person loses interest, he loses his ability to see solutions. Be quiet. Excess noise, too much talk, and too little rest only adds to the confusion. Most likely something will whisper to use reason - whose reason? The wrong reason may be the cause of most of our trouble. And that wrong reason may have come because we did not first ask Asga Ya Galun lati - the One who knows. ~ May the Lord bring you out of all your troubles. Trust your course with Him. ~ JOHN ROSS - CHEROKEE CHIEF "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 18 "The sacred fire used to heat the rocks represents the eternal fire that burns at the center of the universe." --Dr. A.C. Ross (Ehanamani), LAKOTA Our Sweat Lodge represents the womb of Mother Earth. This is the place of forgiveness. The altar is the place where the Grandfathers are heated. The Sweat Lodge and the altar represent the whole story of the universe. The Sweat Lodge and the ceremonies are sacred. The Great Spirit gave these things to us to help us. He taught us to do the ceremonies in harmony with Mother Earth. We need to know and understand these things. Great Spirit, let me understand harmony. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler Every year at the time of festive paper, ribbons, and shimmering tinsel, we hear at least once, "Christmas has become so commercialized." Christmas is whatever we make it. If we contribute to the commercializing of Christmas by choosing gifts begrudgingly, giving thought only to the dollar spent but never to the spirit of giving, then by our own minds we are losing sight of the most beautiful time. In the face of those who miss the true meaning of Christmas are the happy people whose lives are based on the gifts they share. There's a simplicity in the shopping, but there is splendor and great joy in the gifts of light they shed. Their presence is a silent blessing, their words are cheerful, and they smile with kindness. These truly beautiful gifts of sincerity give a rise to the heart that cannot be matched. They are basically the one gift that God gave us called Christ - the priceless gift of love. If at Christmastime you receive one gift of love, you have received the best gift of all. The genuine product is never packaged, never purchased and impossible to commercialize. And the most delightful and heartwarming time to receive it is right after having given it. It is said that it is not the amount of food, but the cheerfulness of the guests that make the feast. And when we consider that we are guests at the table of life, we must also decide whether we are making it a feast or a famine. In fact, we are living evidence of whether our lives are feasts or famine. Everything we feed ourselves, whether it is thought, word, deed, or bread is written upon our physical and spiritual lives. To think of feasting brings to mind a table laden with different and delicious dishes. But, deep in our thoughts we know that without the warmth and light of others, a feast is only a meal. The cheerfulness would be replaced by a meager existence. There would be no laughing faces, no sensing that all is well because love dwells at that table. And so to share our lives in that manner is to make living a feast. But to withhold our friendship, to know no close communion and happiness is to feel the barrenness of famine. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

✥ March 17 - Daily Feast ✥ (WEDNESDAY)

March 17 - Daily Feast These are times that produce tension on every side. We are sensitive to every abrasive remark - real or imagined. We know we can neither wisely withdraw from everything not continue the way we are. Then it is a matter of finding the center of our spiritual lives. Nothing so becomes us as stillness and serenity. A proverb says, "Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and her paths are peace." But not outwardly at first. Time and prayer will relieve the pressure - and then comes peace. ~ When Usen created Apaches.... He taught them where to find the herbs, and how to prepare them for medicine. ~ GERONIMO - APACHE "A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Elder's Meditation of the Day - March 17 "By listening to the inner self and following one's instincts and intuitions, a person may be guided to safety." --Dr. A.C. Ross (Ehanamani), LAKOTA Be still and know. The Medicine Wheel teaches the four directions of inner power-not personal power, but the power of God. These four directions are emotional, mental, physical, and spiritual. As our emotions get too far our of control, we simultaneously create an equivalent mental picture, our physical body fills with stress and tension, and we become spiritually confused. When we experience these uptight feelings, the best thing to do is mentally pause, slow down our thinking, breathe slowly, or pray and ask the spirits to help. Only when we approach the stillness of the mind do we get access to our spiritual guidance system. To be guided, let your mind be still. Creator, today, let me reside in Your stillness. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* 'THINK on THESE THINGS' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler Have you considered the effect your presence may have on the people around you? Do they need you? The answer is yes. We are somewhat selfish with our presence at times. We want to withdraw and think our own thoughts and read quietly rather than entertaining someone or just listening to them. But we never really know how much they need us, not to perform good deeds for their good, but only to be company to share a happening of the day. Perhaps within their minds we can quiet some restlessness, assure them that they are needed or give them a feeling of tranquility. To many life is no simple matter, and to hear them out may be the remedy. It has been said by a very wise man that if you never make a mistake you're not doing anything. It is a relief to know that every day, without fail, we come in contact with people who put such confidence in us that we strive ever harder to never fail. Such people build human beings - and there is no job more worthy, or more creative. Building character and confidence in fellow human beings is a delicate task.... For no two people respond in the same way. Challenges may be the way to boost up some individuals, while others may need encouragement and praise to guide them on the way. But, oh, how human we all are, having the need for accomplishment.... For attention.... For approval. And how great the responsibility for leaders who must have the wisdom to inspire.... The integrity to trust.... The heart to understand. The race is hard for leader and follower, for each must understand the other - and there must be compassion for the slow, courage for the weak, and appreciation for the loyal. To follow one must be secure, to lead one must be very wise. It should be the practice of all of us that when we hear something complimentary about someone to tell them. It is so true that man does not live by bread alone, and to be recognized in having done something that rated approval is a very great reward. Nothing so builds character in children than to let them know someone believes they have a fine potential. That feeling that "someone believes in me" can be the very thing that will anchor their faith deep in hope for humanity. To be able to see the good acts of others renders service to ourselves. Swiss theologian John Casper Lavater once said, "He is incapable of a truly good action who finds not a pleasure in contemplating the good actions of others." Appreciation for the achievement of others is akin to sunshine - we simply can't help it shine on other people without feeling the glow ourselves. *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* Available online! 'Cherokee Feast of Days' By Joyce Sequichie Hifler. Visit her web site 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 Click Here to Buy her books at Amazon.com Elder's Meditation of the Day By White Bison, Inc., an American Indian-owned nonprofit organization. Order their many products from their web site: http://www.whitebison.org   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>* If you would like to Subscribe\Unsubscribe, or change your subscribed email address for The Daily Feast email list, email: Daily.Feast@gmail.com and give your new or updated info!   If you are receiving The Daily Feast From FeedBlitz, you must login there to unsubscribe from their service.   *<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*