January 2, 3, 4 2017 Daily Feast Of Wisdom (Tsugitsvnvda Danalisdayvhvsgv Agadohvsdi ) (ᏧᎩᏨᏅᏓ ᏓᎾᎵᏍᏓᏴᎲᏍᎬ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ)

2017

January
Dunolvatni
ᏚᏃᎸᎠtᏂ

Monday
Dodaquonvhi
ᏙᏓᏉᏅᎯ

January 2 - Daily Feast
Volume II

Little quiet spells are as rare as jewels. Many can't stand even a little silence and try to fill it with empty chatter - or with words that should never have been spoken. It is a great art to be silent. The Cherokee calls it, da lo in ge s to di - e lu we i , which is golden silence. We paint with our words that which we want others to see and we choose colors to communicate to understand to sense. The fewest words make silence speak most eloquently.

~ The fruits of silence are self-control courage endurance patience and dignity. ~

OHIYESA DAKOTA

"A Cherokee Feast of Days Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Elder's Meditation of the Day - January 2

"People have to be responsible for their thoughts so they have to learn to control them. It may not be easy but it can be done."

Rolling Thunder CHEROKEE

WE control our thoughts by controlling our self talk. At any moment we choose we can talk to ourselves differently. The fight comes with the emotions that are attached to our thoughts. If our emotion is high and seems to be out of control we can say to ourselves STOP IT!take a few deep breaths then ask the Creator for the right thought or the right decision or the right action. If we practice this for a while our thought life will be different. It helps if in the morning we ask God to direct our thinking. God loves to help us.

Great Spirit today direct my thinking so my choices are chosen by You.

'THINK on THESE THINGS'
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

What would the old Indians thought about the time we are living in? Some would only grunt but their thoughts would have been profound. They had ways of "hearing through the bushes"meaning they could hear the signs of the times -- yes they had ways we do not understand with all our electronic equipment.

When we stopped believing in the supernatural we gave up our sensitive understanding our ability to hear through the bushes. When we were very young we had no TV no radio no cell phones or taped music. Our perception was very sharp and though our mother tried to put a lid on mine I would say it all anyway.

Children without cartoons are more "knowing" than those whose minds are being entertained but not particularly taught. Never feel bad because of what was not available. Be glad that you can think and be richly blessed and don't be surprised when you can "hear through the bushes."

2017

January
Dunolvatni
ᏚᏃᎸᎠtᏂ

Tuesday
Talineiga
ᏔᎵᏁᎢᎦ

January 3 - Daily Feast
Volume II

Some say reality is a thing that can be touched. But reality is more real in the invisible than all we see and touch with our fingers. Trying to face reality without knowing what it is, is little different from seeing a tiny stone and finding it is a boulder buried in the earth. Reality is not a one-dimensional flat surface where everything is visible - but it is spirit and life and faith and love. We many not observe these things but we feel their influence. Prayer is the straight line to the invisible, changing what we see from above and beneath. We cannot see it, but it is the substance of reality, the u w wi and a da nv to, heart and soul of life in its highest form.

~ It does not require many words to speak the truth. ~

CHIEF JOSEPH

"A Cherokee Feast of Days, Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Elder's Meditation of the Day - January 3

"We don't have to say or think what we don't wish to. We have a choice in those things, and we have to realize that and practice using that choice."

Rolling Thunder, CHEROKEE

Having choices makes us fully accountable. No one can make us think anything we don't want to think. No one can determine our behavior and how we act. It's not what's going on but how we look at what's going on. If someone does something and we get upset, we can change how we look at it any time we want. We can tell ourselves in the morning that the day is going to be beautiful and that we have expectations that great things will happen. Doing this daily sets our mind to look for the joy and the excitement of each day.

Great Spirit, help me to choose my thoughts with Your wisdom.

'THINK on THESE THINGS'
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

All of us have memories that we can go back and enjoy the simple times and comforting experiences. When the present gets too heavy transport body, soul, and spirit into one of those good memories and enjoy it all over again.

One of my childhood duties was to bring the cows home from the pasture every evening. A wonderful discovery was how gentle our bull was and I would ride him home from the pasture with all the milk cows following. He was not only gentle, he was smart and as soon as we reached a grove of thorn trees he went through it every time. Didn't take long to get off, but it was not just the herd that is remembered but the evening sun and the barking dog in the distance. Shadows took on a blue haze and the hollows and hills changed with the light.

Those evenings are as comforting now as then. I know they are because I remember it so clearly.

2017

January
Dunolvatni
ᏚᏃᎸᎠtᏂ

Wednesday
Tsoineiga
ᏦᎢᏁᎢᎦ

January 4 - Daily Feast

Tough-spirited sensitive poetic Geronimo. Thousands could not subdue him his freedom was too important and his life too entwined in the refuge of nature. But a time came when he wanted to surrender and live peaceably. He simply commented: "I have to die some time but even if the heavens were to fall on me I want to do what is right. There is one God looking down on us all. We are all children of God. God is listening to me. The sun darkness the winds are all listening to what we say." It is in our power today "I hear You and I surrender."

~ I am going to try to live well and peaceably. ~

GERONIMO - APACHE

"A Cherokee Feast of Days
Volume II" by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Elder's Meditation of the Day - January 4

"Our circle is timeless flowing it is a new life emerging from death-life winning out over death."

Lame Deer LAKOTA

When we look at the world in the manner which the Great Spirit designed it we can see why it makes sense to live in harmony with it: the trees grow and bear fruit the fruit has seeds the seeds fall to the ground the ground grows new tree sold trees die to make way for the young. Any time we think we can interrupt this cycle or change it we will experience turmoil and confusion. The Human Cycle exists as the baby becomes the youth the youth becomes the adult the adult has children the adult becomes the Elder and the Elder teaches the youth. Elders go on to the Spirit World. Spirit comes into babies to produce new life. Flow into the flow. Be the path of least resistance.

My Creator and my Maker today teach me to just flow with the river of life.

THINK on THESE THINGS
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Our mother used to take all the neighborhood young people on a moonlight hike across the prairies. We always found a haystack that gave reason to shove and push and throw hay at each other. Then we would stretch out and our mother would tell us about the stars pointing out different ones -- and the moon.

We were all quiet listening to her words until she told us about the different phases of the moon. Some asked when the moon would be full and she said"The moon is always full." We all contradicted her but she said"We see the moon in all its phases but it is always the same." She told us there is a lunar moon and a solar moon according to time and that the moon is the only satellite that orbits our world.

The ultimate lesson was things are happening even if we cannot see it. She said that we were disbelieving because wanted to see and touch everything -- but it takes faith to know what is going on whether we can see it or not.