Day: June 5, 2012

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’ for June 5

‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

Everyone is a collector of something. And everyone’s collection looks peculiar to someone else. And yet, who knows why an item may have a certain appeal to one particular person. The shape, the color, the whole idea may have a hidden background, but it is most definitely there!

It may be old books, or magazines. Perhaps it is pill bottles, fishing hooks, or something “I may need someday when….” Who knows the reasons old calendars continue to hang, and scraps of this and that may someday be just what I need.

But more dear than any of these are the happy thoughts we collect to use along the way. We can use them to cheer someone, to pass along a word of courage, a simple prayer, a smile. And when someone has time to share with us an experience that we may profit by the pain they felt – yes, these are collector’s items. These priceless bits of life’s fabric, woven by someone’s cares and offered to us in hopes that it will help.

Whatever it is that we collect, we must never forget the dearest collections are the kindnesses, the thoughtful acts, the smiling faces that can be ours by giving the same.

What could be so priceless as true friendship? Friends for which time and space do not exist! It is written, “What a great blessing is a friend with breast so trusty that thou mayest safely bury all thy secrets in it, whose conscience thou mayest fear less than thy own; who can relieve thy cares by his conversation, thy doubts by his counsels, thy sadness by his good humor, and whose very looks give thee comfort.”

All of us have had many friends, but the special ones remain forever in our memories. The dearest are those who believe in us and are willing to trust us with their friendship.

We cannot force friendship. It is something mutually felt, mutually understood, and silently accepted. It is our opportunity to demonstrate our very best selves – to ask no questions and to pass no criticisms.

“Before us is a future all unknown, a path untrod;
Beside us a friend well loved and known –
That friend is 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

 
*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

Advertisement

Elder’s Meditation of the Day June 5

Elder’s Meditation of the Day June 5

“It is not through the great skill of the hunter himself that success is achieved, but through the hunter’s awareness of his place in Creation and his relationship to all things.”

–Thomas Yellowtail, CROW

If only the human being could understand the power of proper relationships, the need for power and control could be abandoned. It’s not what is going on that matters, but how we look at what is going on. It’s our relationship to it that counts. Nothing in the world has any meaning except the meaning we give to it. To be more effective at this, we need to consider our relationship with the Creator. Our relationship to the Great Spirit determines how we will perceive the meanings we put to places, people, institutions and things. We need to let the Creator tell us and guide our thoughts about these relationships. Any relationship that we have that is causing problems means we need to pray for a new point of view.

Creator, let me see the world and the people through your eyes.

*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

June 5 – Daily Feast

June 5 – Daily Feast

Nothing equals the loveliness of a summer morning when the first rays of sunlight sweep a field of wheat ready for harvest. The honey-colored heads bow with the weight of grain and the moisture of dew. Few of us could miss the peace that comes when the first light breaks through the foliage at the far side of the woods. It beams misty shafts of gold into areas untouched at any other time of day. It passes quickly and leaves the need to see it again. A miracle happens with the morning light. Worried thought lightens with the trill of the summer tanager. The wild purple cone flowers make their appearance in the meadow – and so the day begins.

~ Warm as go gi a ga li s gv, the peaceful day begins.
Warm as summer sunshine, the peaceful day a leni s gv. ~

‘A Cherokee Feast of Days’, by Joyce Sequichie Hifler

*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*<<<=-=>>>*

Daily Motivator for June 5 – Your time to choose

Your time to choose

You can always live the life you choose. Because you can always choose, in each and every moment, how to be.

Sure, life in this world sends all sorts of seemingly random and often disturbing occurrences your way. Yet the choice of how to think and feel about them, and what to do with them, is yours.

It is through the use of that choice that your life is fashioned. From the perspective you select comes the world you experience, in this hour, this month, this decade, this lifetime.

Whatever comes, will come and go. What you choose to do with it, is what makes your life the way it is.

It is never too late, and you are never too far off track to live the way you wish to live. For in this very next moment, no matter what it may contain, you can choose how, and why, to proceed.

You never have to resign yourself to less than the best. For now is always your time to choose.

— Ralph Marston

The Daily Motivator

Daily OM for June 5 – Releasing Guilt

Releasing Guilt
Permission to Forgive Ourselves

by Madisyn Taylor

 

Dwelling in guilt is like living your life with an anchor tied to your ankles dragging you down.

Learning to accept the things that we perceive as wrong can be a difficult task for many of us. Often we have been brought up to accept that it is normal to feel guilty about our actions and that by doing so we will make everything seem alright within ourselves. Even though we might feel that we have a reason to make up for the choices we have made, it is much more important for us to learn how to deal with them in a healthy and positive way, such as through forgiveness and understanding.

When we can look back at our past and really assess what has happened, we begin to realize that there are many dimensions to our actions. While feeling guilty might assuage our feelings at first, it is really only a short-term solution. It is all too ironic that being hard on ourselves is the easy way out. If we truly are able to gaze upon our lives through the lens of compassion, however, we will be able to see that there is much more to what we do and have done than we realize. Perhaps we were simply trying to protect ourselves or others and did the best we could at the time, or maybe we thought we had no other recourse and chose a solution in the heat of the moment. Once we can understand that dwelling in our negative feelings will only make us feel worse, we will come to recognize that it is really only through forgiving ourselves that we can transform our feelings and truly heal any resentment we have about our past.

Giving ourselves permission to feel at peace with our past actions is one of the most positive steps we can take toward living a life free from regrets, disappointments, and guilt. The more we are able to remind ourselves that the true path to a peaceful mind and heart is through acceptance of every part of our lives and actions, the more harmony and inner joy we will experience in all aspects of our lives.

Daily OM

 

Lighten Up – Bill Gates’s Book On Wicca

1. The book would be called Windows to the Goddess.

2. Iconology was be a major chapter.

3. A revised edition would be released approximately every 6 months without which your magic would no longer work.

4. Your broom would crash at least once a week.

5. Cauldrons would be called recycle bins.

6. A book of shadows would be called the folder of magic.

7. A free high speed connection spell would come with every book.

8. Ever now and then, your circle would collapse and you would have to perform the reboot ritual to get it working.

9. If you used the more powerful MagicNT rituals, the above would happen to all circles within a 5 mile radius.

10. At least once a month, you would have to reinstall your spells into your folder of magic.

11. You would have to use a start ritual to exit your circle. (And cake and wine would only be available after a sign from the Goddess saying it was safe to do so.)

And Father’s Day This Month – Father’s Day gift ideas for grown-ups

What to give to Dad when you’ve moved beyond the construction paper stage of your life.

By Stephanie Rogers
 
Thanking Dad for all he’s done for you doesn’t have to stop at a greeting card and a gift-wrapped tie. But coming up with fresh, unique ideas for Father’s Day gifts can be hard, especially when you’ve outgrown homemade construction paper cards. Instead of focusing on expensive material gifts or worrying about how to outdo your siblings, think about fun ways that you can surprise your father or spend time with him, even if you don’t live close enough for a visit. Here are 10 fun Father’s Day activitiesand gift ideas for grown children.

 
1. Treat him to his favorite things. If you live near your Dad and can spend the day with him, taking him out to enjoy his favorite activity is hands-down the best way to spend Father’s Day. Whether you just tag along on a fishing trip or organize an all-day outing of picnics and paintball, having you there with him will make it more special.
 
2. Give him a new experience. Maybe your father has always wanted to go to a music festival or a wine-tasting tour. Perhaps he’s been harboring a secret desire to learn how to paint or to visit a nearby town. Talk to him before Father’s Day arrives and try to glean some inside info that will help you craft a plan of action. We tend to focus on childhood memories when we think of our parents, but we should never stop making new ones.
 
3. Take a spa day. A gift certificate to a spa is traditionally more of a Mother’s Day gift, but who says men don’t want to be pampered? There’s nothing quite like a massage for sore muscles, or a nice soak in a mineral tub. He could even get an old-fashioned professional shave. Group relaxation time is great for bonding, too.
 
4. Do all of his chores. If your father is too busy to take the day off and spend time with you or to relax at home, help him eliminate some of his chores. Arrange to have the lawn mowed, or to have somebody else take care of his errands. Swing by and do all of the things around the house that take up the most of his time. At the very least, he’ll be able to kick back for a day — and that can be priceless.
 
5. Send him a video card. Live too far away to visit? Record a video greeting. This is especially fun if you can get together with your siblings, or if you have children who’d like to participate. Recount a funny story from your childhood, or just send a sincere message of love and gratitude.
 
6. Organize a video chat. If you can’t get home and a telephone call just isn’t enough, plan to meet via Apple FaceTime, Skype or video conferencing software. Few Father’s Day activities are as rewarding as a simple chat, and it’s nice to see each other’s faces.
 
7. Create a custom photo album. If you’ve got the time, going through old photographs to choose your favorite memories of your father and put them in a special album can be very rewarding. If you want to keep the originals, scan them and them use an online photo service like Shutterfly.com to design and print a custom photo book.
 
8. Create a montage of home videos. Many of us have drawers full of old VHS tapes or even film reels taken when we were kids. Among all of the long, boring clips of dance recitals and Christmas mornings are bound to be some funny and touching gems. If you’re tech-literate, you can likely learn how to transfer these moments onto a DVD or digital medium, or you can take it all to a video editing company.
 
9. Put together a personalized basket of goodies. Does Dad really need another generic gift basket full of stale crackers and salted meats? Give the standard Father’s Day gift basket a little more thought. Purchase an empty basket and fill it with things your Dad likes — specific foods, wine, movies, gift cards and small objects that will make him smile.
 
10. Try your hand at something creative. So maybe you’re not an artist, and you’re long beyond the age when a clay handprint is an acceptable Father’s Day gift. But something made with your own hands is just as meaningful now as it was when you were 10. Doodle, paint, sculpt or sew. If it results in a horrific mess, all the better — it will get a laugh.
 

 

Also In The News – An Introduction to Earthships

By Kevin Stevens, Networx

Imagine a home that heats and cools itself without the need of a furnace or AC unit: one that produces its own zero-emissions supply of electricity, and is not dependent on a municipal source for water. This kind of home also processes all of its wastewater locally, and can even grow a quantity of its occupant’s food. Additionally, the home is built with local and recycled waste products, and it can be built with basic low-tech labor. Does this sound like the ideal home of a space age future? Believe it or not, these homes exist today (many have been built by builders in New Mexico) and have been in existence for over 30 years. This type of home is called an “Earthship” and it exhibits all of these features and more.

Heat and Cooling Naturally

Earthships are homes built with passive solar design principles. During the cool winter months, low angled sunlight enters the home and warms the floors and walls. Exterior and load bearing walls are constructed from a “core” of up-cycled tires and rammed earth. This high thermal mass core is covered with concrete or earthen-based plasters for a smooth and cosmetically appealing surface. The mass of the walls and structure “absorb” the sun’s heat, this heat is stored in the mass walls and is then released back into the living space after the sun sets. In summer, the cool base temperature of the earth around the home provides natural cooling. This is supplemented with convective air flow and skylight vents.

Power and Water

Earthships by their nature are off-grid. This means they are self-sufficient in terms of electricity and traditional service utilities. Solar panels and/or wind turbines generate electric power. The home’s roof surface acts as a “collector” for rain and snow harvesting. Water consumption is further enhanced by re-use. An Earthship’s water stores are “processed” by filtration and purification means for initial use. Grey water from sinks and showers is processed through a biological/planter bed before being used to flush conventional toilets. These planter beds can also be used as gardens (some people grow food in grey water-irrigated gardens; some do not). The waste water from the toilets is then processed in an exterior system that can be used for exterior landscape needs. With this system the water is actually used four times… which is a great savings in its own right. Hot water for domestic use is produced using thermal solar power.

Recycled Building Materials

One of the greatest advantages of Earthship construction is the use of reclaimed materials. The fundamental “building blocks” of an Earthship include tires, bottles and cans. Earthship “foundations” begin with old tires that are filled with simple dirt. This local material is compressed into the “form” of the tire and provides a strong solid and dense “brick”. These tire walls are built on three sides of the structure and provide both thermal mass and support for the home roofing system. Interior and decorative walls are often built using bottles and cans as the “core” materials. This integrated “matrix” of concrete and containers reduces the total amount of mortar that is needed and can provide a great decorative element.
Earthships are gaining popularity and can be found in nearly every climate type. One of the best known examples of this type of architecture and sustainable building style can be found near Taos, New Mexico. Here an entire community of Earthships make up the “Greater World Community.” This “subdivision” has been in existence for nearly 20 years.

Useful Tips You Can Use – 25 Awesome Uses for Old Newspaper

by Aidan Koch

As receiving your news from the internet quickly becomes the norm, getting the ‘paper’ in the morning is becoming a rare and special thing. Even if you just get it on Sundays, as soon as the day is done, that news is mostly obsolete. Instead of recycling your paper right away, maybe using one of these great ideas will save you some time and effort you didn’t even realize.

  • Roll into a megaphone
  • Fold into a sailor’s hat
  • Paste it up as wallpaper
  • Fold into a protective book cover
  • Make papier-mâché sculpture
  • Read it
  • Use as birdcage lining
  • Use to block windows
  • Use to protect floors when painting
  • Use to fill in holes and cracks
  • Make paper chains
  • Cut apart for scrapbooking or collage
  • Shred and reuse to make your own paper
  • Use as a dustpan
  • Use as kindling
  • Cover ground off season to prevent weeds
  • Accordion fold into a fan
  • Line your cabinets
  • Use as a rag
  • Wrap items when moving
  • Protect items when mailing
  • Use in shoes to maintain the shape
  • Wrap presents
  • Use as a tablecloth
  • Line your trash or compost