‘THINK on THESE THINGS’
By Joyce Sequichie Hifler

There are very few days when we have control of our time. No matter what our schedules may be, there is always a change taking place that keeps something from happening when it is supposed to happen. And when the day is ended and our schedules have not been met, then it begins to drag on our spirits.

Soon we become so wound up in the problems of the moment that the delights of our souls drift away and become a part of the mist of “someday.” Someday I will get to do what I want to do. Someday when this necessary work is finished – and it is possible that the things we believe to be so necessary are really robbers of our lives? Do we spend too much time with the menial tasks and allow our creativity – the ability to bring newness into our lives – to dry up and become nonexistent?

William Blake called this within us “God.” One of the greatest poets ever to live, he believed that if we keep alive our ability to see and feel the beauty of life, our menial tasks will become easy and the way successful.

Yesterday is only a dream, tomorrow only a vision, but today – we live. If we live as we should, our yesterdays will be dreams of happiness, and our tomorrow’s will be visions of hope.

Nothing is so sad as the man who spends all his time today judging tomorrow by his experiences of yesterday. He has a vision, but his faith does not support him to pursue it. If some great stroke of good fortune should overtake him, he will be all ready to go, but he doesn’t really expect it to happen. So today he sits waiting for the world to change for him, never guessing that he is the one who must change.

No one is so misled as the woman who has such a busy schedule that she hasn’t time to listen to her children. She expects to take the time to play with them – someday. But it is today that the bridges must be built from the soul to the body to the spirit. It isn’t something built from a quick kiss or a smart smack in the right place, but from daily communion and understanding.

Today is the very life of life when the best things are nearest – breath in our nostrils, light in our eyes, flowers at our feet, duties at our hand, and the path of God before us.

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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

Elder’s Meditation of the Day July 5

“It does not require many words to speak the truth.”

–Chief Joseph, NEZ PERCE

The truth shall set you free. This is the truth. When we speak the Truth, we do not need to be defensive. Truth needs no defense. When we speak the Truth, we do not need to attack because Truth cannot be attacked. It is so easy to want to manipulate or to be deceitful or dishonest. My head tells me I can get away with doing these things, after all everybody does it.

My Creator, today let me know Truth.
Let me live Truth.
Let me risk the Truth.
Let me make the Truth sweet.
Help me to make my word good.
Let Your spirit and intent be added to by words.
Let My thoughts be Truth.

July 5 – Daily Feast

Remembering can be painful and sometimes without any real benefit. It keeps us feeling guilty and regretting so much that the good memories are washed out. It is easy enough to forget the good that happened, without covering the good with bad memories. No doubt, everything has not been ideal – but haven’t we given enough thought to the unhappy times? It doesn’t do any good to ruin the present time recalling what went wrong in the past. But we can begin to change. Maybe only a little at first – but honest effort has always changed things for the better and given us self-respect as well. Time grows more and more precious and what we do with it at this moment makes or breaks today and all our tomorrow’s.

~ We are not afraid to work and we are not afraid to do right. ~

TOOKLANNI

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

Changes for the better

If you want the world to be a better place, then work to make it a better  place. If you see something as a problem, then take responsibility for  implementing a workable solution.

It’s a waste of time to prove how bad things are. Instead, put your thoughts,  your passion, your energy and efforts into making things better.

When you find some aspect of life to be frustrating, or unjust, or abusive,  don’t complain or assign blame. Come up with a positive alternative.

Life changes in every moment. So use this moment to make some changes for the  better.

The future does not have to equal the past. You can choose your future by  what you do with what you have right now.

Just because you’re in a difficult situation, doesn’t mean you’re stuck  there. Make some changes for the better, and move your life in the direction you  choose.

— Ralph Marston

Daily Motivator 

Remember the Light Side

In Praise of Fun

by Madisyn Taylor

 

During our journey we can become very serious, it is important to remember to have fun along the way.

 

Often when we talk about fun, or doing things just for fun, we talk about it in a dismissive way as if fun isn’t important. We tend to value hard work and seriousness, and we forget to pay our respects to the equally important, light side of silliness and laughter. This is ironic because we all know the feeling of euphoria that follows a good burst of laughter, and how it leaves us less stressed, more openhearted, and more ready to reach out to people. We are far more likely to walk down the street smiling and open after we’ve had a good laugh, and this tends to catch on, inspiring smiles from the people we pass who then positively influence everyone they encounter. Witnessing this kind of chain reaction makes you think that having fun might be one of our most powerful tools for changing the world.

Laughter is good medicine, and we all have this medicine available to us whenever we recall a funny story or act in a silly way. We magnify the effects of this medicine when we share it with the people in our lives. If we are lucky, they will have something funny to share with us as well, and the life-loving sound of laughter will continue to roll out of our mouths and into the world.

Of course, it is also important to allow ourselves to be serious and to honor that side of ourselves so that we stay balanced. After a great deal of merriment, it can actually be a pleasure to settle down and focus on work, or take some time for introspection until our next round of fun begins.

DAILY INVOCATION & BLESSING

Thou art the King who reigns within,

The jester and the Friar,

The maiden child, innocent and bold,

The mother, crone and liar.

 

Thou art the meaning of success,

The flash that doeth inspire,

The holy beam of golden light,

The flickering of the fire.

 

Thou are the glory of the day,

The beautiful song of birds,

The light that glowest in the dark,

The poet, and the words.

 

And every single day I see,

In every star that shines,

With fear and wonder, joy and love,

That thee and me combines.

 

For in the end we are one,

The Lady and the Lord,

The spirit and the great God,

The truth I’m moving toward.

 

So in the day that lies ahead,

To every man and tree,

To members of the fairy lands

Bright blessing be to we.