October 3, 2016 Daily Feast Of Wisdom (Tsugitsvnvda Danalisdayvhvsgv Agadohvsdi ) (ᏧᎩᏨᏅᏓ ᏓᎾᎵᏍᏓᏴᎲᏍᎬ ᎠᎦᏙᎲᏍᏗ)

2016

October
Duninvdi
ᏚᏂᏅᏗ

Monday
Dodaquonvhi
ᏙᏓᏉᏅᎯ

October 3 - Daily Feast

The first crystal clear morning after days of blue mist is like music after a long silence. Even the cool air does not dampen the spirits of domestic animals and those that live in the woods. A young bobcat in prime coat wanders along the rock ledges in full view but unaware of interested eyes. No doubt he hunts for field mice and that explains why the barn cats have stayed so close to home. We have not felt the extremes of oncoming winter, but time will insure it. Meantime, adjust, adjust. Don't be taken by surprise. Prepare for change and the unexpected within change.

~ Our people possessed remarkable powers of concentration.....and I sometimes fancy that such nearness to nature.....keeps [us] in touch with unseen powers. ~

CHARLES EASTMAN, PHYSICIAN - SANTEE DAKOTA

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

Elder's Meditation of the Day - October 3

"Spiritual Values are an Attitude."

Leonard George, Chief Councilor

Attitude is a direction which we follow. If you have a positive attitude, it means you will lean towards a positive direction. If you have a negative attitude, it means you will lean away from the Spirit. Therefore, if we lean toward spiritual values, then our actions will become significant and important. If we lean away from spiritual values, our actions will become insignificant or unimportant. For example, if we value love, we will lean towards it; we will prefer to express and embrace it.

Great Spirit, teach me the significance of spiritual values.

"THINK on THESE THINGS"
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Courage must have its everyday face. We can't preserve it just for special occasions. We must have courage when we are disappointed, because disappointment is a robber of reason and faith, and even dignity. We must remember that whatever we have to meet there is something within us to help us meet it. But it is like a vein of rich ore. We must tap it, know what it is, and turn it into a finished product that will serve a purpose.

Every day we must have courage to forgive. The adamant we shall always face, but to forgive is to disarm. To forgive is to release and to release is to remove the graceless things that make it necessary to forgive.

A little common, everyday courage can give a life so much more to live for and to find contentment in the knowledge that today I did not give in to the smaller self. And I can draw on the strength from One who bore personal suffering with supreme courage.

A comforting adage is that it is always darkest just before the dawn. The darkness of fear and worry and misunderstanding can last only so long, and then the light of dawn breaks through to show everything in its true perspective.

To someone who is troubled, the darkness holds only the most frightening difficulties. This kind of night seems to have no end, but given a little time it will pass, as will our problems.

The very fact that we are not alone should give some comfort, for no matter what we are experiencing someone else has been there too. We must not delude ourselves with notions that we are meant to be cross-bearers forever.

And frequently, they are much better people who emerge from their own night to remember that it is as important to have faith in the dark as it is easy to have faith in the sunshine.