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"... I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse. Therefore choose life, that you and your offspring may live," Deuteronomy 30:19, ESV A while back, I had the chance to drive my 11-year-old grandson to his hockey practice (about 130 km away). It was a real good time to talk and catch up on where he was in life! We talked about everything from dinosaurs to hockey equipment and Bible verses. Then we ended up talking about the future-his future, and what that would l...
In 1998, Fender Guitars and country and western singer Merle Haggard teamed up together to create a guitar line called the "Merle Haggard Tuff Dog Telecaster." It was a strikingly beautiful instrument with extra sustain and a warm, rich, resonant tone. An American-made Tuff Dog in good shape sells today for between $6,000 and $12,000 USD. That kind of pricing kicks the door wide open for the production of counterfeits, and they can be easily found and bought (brand new) for...
"... a man will always reap just the kind of crop he sows!" Galatian's 6:7 TLB I remember as a 19-year-old, working on reservation housing renovations and how nearly every morning, I would cut it close in getting to work on time. My boss, Pitcheech, would be standing by his truck, looking at his watch as I pulled up in my rusty, "less than trusty" 1966 Ford van. If I was more than three minutes late, he'd be shaking his head and demanding a reason! "I had a flat tire." "My...
Jordan's a friend of mine who lives up along the Yukon River in central Alaska. He's a sled dog musher and invited me to his place to check out his team. Pointing to his lead dog, he proudly commented, "He ran the Iditarod." Wow, now that's a canine compliment!! You see, the Iditarod is the Everest of dog races. Snaking along 998 miles of tundra, forest, mountain passes, frozen rivers and sea ice, the trail follows the old (modified) freight run to Nome, Alaska. The Iditarod r...
It was a rolling chassis 1955 Chevrolet Apache 3100 truck that my friend Austin had gifted to me. I was so excited about what I could do with this shortbed stepside pickup, making plans for a mid-sixties 327 V-8 power plant and "4 on the floor" tranny to mobilize Kene's dreammobile! I was beginning to hunt for the parts I needed, envisioning how the prismatic polyester metallic paint in the semi-gloss, charcoal finish would showcase this eventual beauty! There was no time or...
"The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you." Psalm 9:9 A few years ago I met Carl-we were singing at the same Gospel Jamboree. While I was packing up equipment afterward, he told me that he was in the early stages of Alzheimer's. That was kind of a shocker, but I was really impressed by his attitude: "As long as I can, I'll keep...
Mom told me a story once about T. Texas Tyler, an alcoholic country and western singer who became a believer back in 1958 (before my time). As his music morphed to country gospel, TTT began closing his contractual obligations that were part of his former life as a country and western star. Hollywood and the Grand Ole Opry weren't that hard, but one promoter wouldn't let him out of an "ironclad" contract for a series of fairs and rodeos and threatened him with a lawsuit if he...
If he stumbles, he's not down for long; God has a grip on his hand. Psalm 37:24 (THE MESSAGE) Playing Hockey on our reservation was a memorable experience! As a teenager, I got some really good lessons from that life frame. Lessons like "Don't get the ref mad or you'll pay for it!" and "There's no 'I' in 'TEAM'" and "Play hard or you'll ride the pine," and the most memorable one: "Get up, it's a long ways from your heart!" That was Chief Allan's line! He was there at almost...
I have a few times, but there's always been a good reason for it. The road was icy, the road was muddy, the car was too fast, the sun was in my eyes, I was adjusting the stereo, I was reading the map, my wife was tickling me, etc. etc. Yup, there's plenty of solid (and not so solid) reasons for my missing the road! Whatever the reason (or bad excuse) was, my truck came to an abrupt stop! Never mind that I'm a five-million-mile driver. I was in the ditch! Not the place I...
Last year, I was asked to write a song about a man I didn't know. The friend who requested it sort of figured it wouldn't be hard to figure out something to write about the guy, but I was at a total loss for words, not knowing anything about him! So I made a bunch of phone calls, sent a few emails and fired off a myriad of texts in my quest to find out all I could about this unintroduced stranger. My hunt was successful!! I found out he was 87 years old, a USMC veteran...
I love old guitars. What can I say? I just love old guitars! A bunch of years back, we were singing in a really remote, fly-in community and I couldn't believe what I saw hanging on a friend's back wall. It was a 1956 Gibson ES125-a collector's classic that was a few years older than me! I'd never played one before, and I was just wowed by this half-century-old guitar!! I was even more speechless when my friend gifted it to me! Two weeks later, I was getting the Old Gibson...
I'm saying good-bye to a Gospel Musician friend of mine today. We're singing a few songs at his wake and then the funeral is tomorrow. I'm really going to miss the guy! I'll remember him as one who lived his life victoriously! Attending a funeral brings to mind our own mortality-something that most of us try to avoid thinking about till the harsh reality of it slaps us in the face! Like the milk carton in your fridge, you and I have an expiry date. The biggest difference is...
One of the things that we work with here in NEFC (Native Evangelical Fellowship of Canada) is Radio Broadcasting. We operate Native gospel radio stations across Canada. It's exciting to see God at work through our FM broadcast! The radio towers we use are an interesting concept. The freestanding (no wires) 96-foot tower stands tall and has no problem handling storms and gale-force winds! Sure, it's built pretty solid, but the key reason for its staying power is the tower...
One of the constants and givens of living life is change. Most of us don't like dealing with change, but there are always a few who will absolutely thrive on it! I guess I'm somewhere in the middle. Indian Life Ministries has come through a lot of changes over the years to survive and continue as the newspaper entity that it is. We have had to do some fairly significant morphing to keep going. Many of our readers wouldn't see those changes. You just continue to appreciate a...
The windshield was cracked. Not just a hairline fracture but a spiderweb that had the potential to make Spider-Man sit up and take notice! So I got it changed. Such a difference-from the gravel-battered glass of yesterday to the clear, shiny drivability that I could now experience. It reminded me of how God's Word talks about His forgiveness in Isaiah 1:18 (NIV). "Come now, let us settle the matter," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as...
I was meditating the other day on the concept of gratefulness-a close cousin to the concept of thankfulness. Both have the common denominator of appreciation. It was just a few days after Covid-19 hit and many people were really concerned about where this all was going. I started to think about what all we had been blessed with. I thought about having a home-not everyone does, you know. I thought about how all my kids and grandkids were safe, secure, and had enough to eat-not...
We pass milestones every 12 months when January 1 rolls around again, and again, and again . . . all of a sudden we look at a few more years gone! Indian Life passed a significant milestone this year. We turned 40 years old! In a time when magazines and newspapers are dropping like flies in acquiescence to internet, social media, and the like, Indian Life has survived. I say that's a GOD thing!! What do your milestones indicate to you? As 2019 gives its last few flickers of...
I took the time the other day to count the doors at our place. It took me about 30 seconds to figure out that we have 12 of them. It was kind of a mundane exercise, but it got me thinking about Closed and Open Doors and how God uses both kinds in our lives. The Open Doors are the opportunity ones. They can be captivating, motivating and exciting or, on the flip side, intimidating, overwhelming and downright scary! You see, open doors usually mean change! Change is a great...
I've been intrigued by the story of a Rocky Mountain Cree of the mid 1800s, a chief named Maskepetoon. Told by many, his story has become a mix of myth, legend and truth. However, all sources bear common denominators that follow the common thread of peacemaking. Maskepetoon, a renowned warrior who came to Faith in Jesus, found out that personal peace would only come when it was partnered with forgiveness. His only son had been murdered by a companion, and Maskepetoon, faced...
For the last couple years, my wife, Milly, and I have been involved with what are called "grief camps." This is rapidly becoming a real focal point on our schedule, one of those, "I don't want to miss this for anything" type events! It's where people who've lost someone close to them in the last few months can come and find some hope and healing-a five-day reprieve from the storms and pressure of their everyday journeys. As we get to know those who've come, we try to provide...
A couple years back, about a week before Easter, a fellow musician shared with me this viewpoint on Easter Sunday. I’d like to pass it on to you. Read on. He said, “I don’t call it Easter Sunday anymore, I call it Resurrection Sunday. Why? Because every time I say that, I’m telling whoever’s listening that Jesus is Risen—that He’s Alive!” Just by naming the day in that manner, he was testifying to everyone in his world that he believed in a Savior who was Alive. After mulling...
I watched this year as the summer season morphed to fall. It happened quite abruptly as the September snow fell on the green leaves and grass of an ecosystem that wasn't quite ready for it! It looked like a battle between the trees trying desperately to stay alive and green, but the cold, white snow having none of that argument. Every party involved or watching knew who the ultimate winner would be. Hey, welcome to winter for a few months (before spring makes a comeback)!...
