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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 6, 2011 10:33:37 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 6 "We hold on to our otuhan, our give-aways, because they help us to remain Indians." -- Lame Deer, LAKOTA Our traditional communities and villages function on interdependence. Share the deer and give freely of what you have to another. Another way to express this principle is, it's better to give than to receive. To share what you have eliminates complexity. The Elders say, live a simple life. One of the principles in the Unseen World is, the more you give, the more you get. You can become a channel for abundance for your family, tribe, or community. A giving person sets up a flow or replacement. Whatever you share will be returned to you in an amount equal or greater. The Indian way is for everyone to give to another, thus the community wins.
Great Spirit, today, teach me the principle of giving. Let me be Your channel of abundance.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 8, 2011 11:55:59 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 7 "I can tell you that understanding begins with love and respect. It begins with respect for the Great Spirit. All things - and I mean ALL things - have their own will and their own way and their own purpose; this is what is to be respected." -- Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE Everything on earth has a purpose and is designed special. No two things are created identical. Sometimes in our minds we have a picture of how things should be, and often what we see is different from what they really are. When this happens we often want to control how things are, making them act or behave according to our picture. We need to leave things alone. God is running all things. How do we do this? In our minds we tell ourselves to love all things and respect all things just as they are. Accept what we cannot change.
Great Spirit, teach me the value of respect and help me to accept people, places and things just as they are.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 8, 2011 12:12:58 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 8 "No individual or group can block another individual's path or change it against what fits his nature and his purpose. It might be done for a time, but in the end it won't work out." -- Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE Every person is born for a purpose. We may know our purpose very early in our lives, or it may take us some time. Very often we need to experience many things before our purpose is clear to us. Sometimes we pick our goals to please others. Sometimes others pick our goals to make themselves happy. Often this makes us unhappy. We need to pray to the Creator and ask Him what our purpose is. When we live outside our purpose, our path is full of obstacles. When we live inside our purpose, our path is smooth. When we are aligned to our purpose, we are happy and content.
Great Spirit, whisper to me, in terms I can understand, what You would have me do and I will do it.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 9, 2011 9:17:20 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 9 "It can be 100 degrees in the shade one afternoon and suddenly there comes a storm with hailstones as big as golf balls, the prairie is all white and your teeth chatter. That's good - a reminder that you are just a small particle of nature, not so powerful as you think." -- Lame Deer, LAKOTA No event, no relationship, no joy, no sadness, no situation ever stays the same. Every setback is only temporary. Even setbacks change. Why? Because the Great Spirit designed the world to be constantly changing. We are not the center of the universe, we are but a small part. The whole is constantly changing, and we as humans are constantly participating in the change. We have two choices, to resist change or participate in the change. Every change can be resisted, and every change can be made in cooperation. What will I choose today, resistance or cooperation?
Great Spirit, teach me to make cooperative changes.
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Post by blueemerald on Feb 9, 2011 22:24:10 GMT -5
We are like a grain of sand... It amazes me that we are created the way we are - as such a small part of such a huge universe - and that the Almighty would care about me. Thank you Lord!
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 10, 2011 9:27:31 GMT -5
Yeah, it is pretty amazing when you get right down to it and think of just how very tiny we really are!
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 10, 2011 10:09:24 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 10 "The ground on which we stand is sacred ground. It is the dust and blood of our ancestors." -- Plenty Coups, CROW Mother Earth is the source of life and the place all life returns to. She gives us life. She feeds us through our journey and she waits for us to return to her. The Indian way is to recognize the earth as the place of our ancestors. That is why certain places on earth are considered sacred areas and sacred land; this is the place of our ancestors. We all need to reflect upon the earth, the place where our ancestors lived. We need to have love and respect for the earth.
My Creator, let me honor the place of our ancestors, Mother Earth.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 11, 2011 13:18:13 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 11 "Oh God! Like the Thunderbird of old I shall rise again out of the sea; I shall grab the instruments of the white man's success - his education, his skills, and with these new tools I shall build my race into the proudest segment of your society." -- Chief Dan George, SALISH One thing the Indian people do well is adapt. This is why we survive. We must learn to keep our culture, but also to learn the good things that other races have to offer. Education is the future weapon of Native people. We must learn the legal system, health, science and engineering. Indian people have great contributions to make to the world. We need to educate ourselves so we can better protect the land and our children. Otherwise, we will lose the things and the land that we have.
Great Spirit, make me teachable today.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 17, 2011 12:32:02 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 14 "Sometimes, life is very simple, but it is we two-leggeds, we who are thought to be smart that make it complicated." -- Larry P. Aitkin, CHIPPEWA Sometimes it may take years for us to find out what we are really after - it is to be happy. The Elders say, lead a simple life. This doesn't necessarily mean poor, it means simple. There are some things that makes life complicated such as needing control, needing power or being resentful or angry. These things make complications happen. We need to walk in balance in every area of our lives.
Great Spirit, let me lead a simple life.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 18, 2011 23:15:56 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 13 "I wanted to feel, smell, hear and see, but not see with my eyes and my mind only. I wanted to see with CANTE ISTA - the eye of the heart." -- Lame Deer, LAKOTA Why is it that some people seem to have peace of mind every day? How do some people remain so darn positive? How do you stay positive if you work or live in a negative environment? How is it that two people can observe the same difficult situation, but one person is upset about it, and other isn't? Two people experiencing the same situation react entirely different. If each morning we ask the Creator to allow us to see with His understanding and with His love, we will open a new way of "seeing". This eye of the heart is a free gift given to us if we ask for it in prayer each day.
Grandfather, allow me to see the world and all things You have made through "the eye of my heart."
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 20, 2011 18:51:40 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 20 "When a community does something together, that community is very happy, jovial, connected, and unified." -- Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA The Indian People have always been able to adapt. If the hunting changed, we found new hunting grounds. If the earth changed, we moved to a better place. If the river changed course, we followed the river. But with every change, we kept our Indianness and spirituality. Our culture and spirituality have always been our strength. Our culture and spirituality taught us to live in harmony. We must change with the times, but we must maintain our culture and spirituality, always living in harmony.
Great Spirit, You have taught us to survive. Let me always maintain my Indianness.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 21, 2011 13:38:24 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 21 "Every thing or living being that exists in this world, be it trees, flowers, birds, grasses, rocks, soil of the earth, or human beings, has its unique manner of existence - its essence, its spirit that makes it what it is. That is what is meant by connectedness." -- Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA Scientists are finally realizing what the Elders have taught for thousands of years - everything is connected. Because everything is interconnected, whatever you do to any one thing, you do to everything. If you poison any part of the earth, the poison eventually affects everything else. If you poison the plants, the birds will eat the plants, which poisons the birds. The birds are eaten by humans which poisons the humans. The humans will have babies who could be deformed because the plants were poisoned. We must learn to live in harmony with the earth. We must learn to think good things. Every good thought is felt by everything, which causes everything to be happy.
Creator, let my thoughts only be good thoughts.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 22, 2011 11:23:30 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 22 "In the Indian way, we are connected to that flower if we understand its spirit, the essence of its life." -- Larry P. Aitken, CHIPPEWA Everything on our Earth is alive. Every rock, every plant, every animal, every tree, every bird, every thought is alive. This is true because everything is made by the Great Spirit and the Great Spirit is alive. We need to slow our lives down each day and realize, consciously, that this is true. First we need to realize it, second, we need to acknowledge it, third, we need to appreciate it and, finally, we need to go on.
Great Spirit, let me see life through Your eyes. Today let me be alive.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 23, 2011 9:42:33 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 23 "We've got to learn what's going on today in the world, and we've got to get an education so we can survive." -- Jimmy Jackson, OJIBWA Indian people have the ability to adapt. In these modern times, we Native people must walk two roads. We must get educated so our people don't lose. We need lawyers, doctors, nurses, foresters, scientists, educators, carpenters, welders. These skills are needed to help the people. While we are learning we need to remember to keep our culture, learn our dances, sing our songs, learn to speak our own language and maintain our culture for future generations.
Great Spirit, let my education never lack the meaning and value of Indian spirituality.
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Post by aneaglesangel on Feb 24, 2011 14:12:12 GMT -5
Elder's Meditation of the Day - February 24 "But each of us must find out for himself or herself what their gift is, so that they can use it in their life." -- Jimmy Jackson, OJIBWAY The old people say, everyone has a song to sing. This song is the reason we are on this earth. When we are doing what we came on this earth to do, we know true happiness. How will we know our song? Pray. Ask the Great Mystery, "What is it you want me to do during my stay on earth?" Ask. He will tell you. He will even help you develop yourself to accomplish His mission.
Great Spirit, help me find my song and let me sing it.
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