Are you debating whether to take a step in faith in Jesus or to wait until you can see how to do the thing yourself? Obey Him with glad reckless joy.
From John 11:7-9: “Then after this He said to the disciples, ‘Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to Him, ‘Rabbi, the Jews were just now trying to stone you, and are you going there again?’ Jesus answered, ‘Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Those who walk during the day do not stumble, because they see the light of this world.'”
The inspiration for this poem comes from an essay written by William E. Farr, “Troubled Bundles, Troubled Blackfeet: The Travail of Cultural and Religious Renewal.” This essay is part of a larger collection of writings that link Montana’s past with its future in the book, MONTANA LEGACY.
Facing an uncertain world
Life asking questions of “when”
Intertribal wars threaten
Hostile danger setting in
Preserving Blackfeet culture
Each passing generation
Saving sacred heritage
Hold for next generation
Ritual artifacts cache
Spiritual lives won’t rest
Supernatural visions
Medicine dreams will attest
Honoring warrior life
Holy treasures speaking out
Collected and safeguarded
Sacred bundles carry clout
Filling with key elements
Common and natural sought
Feathers, hides, shells, horns added
Teeth, wood, bones . . . each with a thought
Passing on these rituals
Mother Earth, Creative Sun
Guarding life’s sacred relics
Legacy, father to son
Success is a result of consistent practice of winning skills and actions. There is nothing miraculous about the process.
The only important statistic is the final score.
Bill Russell played professional basketball for the Boston Celtics in the 1950s and 1960s. He was the consummate team player, but his leadership helped his teams earn championships in the Olympics, NCAA (twice), and NBA (11 titles). He became the first African-American coach in NBA history, and as player-coach, he led his beloved Celtics to two more championships.
Gentle breeze blowing
Autumn leaves fluttering down—
Fading memories
Pollen count drops low
Refreshing air we now breathe—
Morning rains arrive
Morning’s early dawn
Fog blankets each creek and pond—
What mysteries wait?
Do noble things, do not dream them all day long.
From Romans 14:22-23: “The faith that you have, have as your own conviction before God. Blessed are those who have no reason to condemn themselves because of what they approve. But those who have doubts are condemned if they eat, because they do not act from faith; for whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.”
Police issue an “All-Points Bulletin” in a flash. The local jewelry store has been robbed by an elderly man dressed in a white suit. Patrol cars frantically scurry here and there—no luck!
Detective Joe Friday joins the hunt. His crime-solving skills are legendary. He always reminds each interviewee, “Just give me the facts.”
Driving down a quiet residential street, Friday spies a white ice cream vending cart on a corner. Selling ice cream treats to the neighborhood children, the gray-haired man hands out love and more.
Pulling up behind the cart, the renowned detective surveys the scene. Calling on his car’s radio for back-up, he knows he can’t wait. The last of the children walks away with their frozen, sweet treats.
Approaching the man in the white suit, Friday pulls out his gold detective shield. With a confident voice and a smile, he asks, “Do you happen to have something ‘hot’ on ice today?”
Your mind is a magnet. You don’t attract what you need or what you want; you attract who you are.
Stay in your heart.
From Psalm 118:1: “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His steadfast love endures forever!”
Rejoice and be glad in our God
His steadfast love endures forever
Giving thanks and praise to the Lord
His goodness shall reign forever
In our distress, God hears each cry
Without fear, we follow His way
His Peace driving away our fears
His Mercy filling up our hearts
His voice calls us to His refuge
Our confidence rests with the Lord
His Word comforting our sorrows
His Love healing our many wounds
From Psalm 118:24: “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”
His Holy Son, our cornerstone
Salvation arrives at the Cross
His Grace delivering His love
His righteousness covering sins
God, the Father, blessing Spirit
Through His beloved Son, Jesus
His Wisdom showing us the way
His Manna feeding hungry souls
God’s infinite strength, our fixed Rock
All foes challenging us . . . vanquished!
Rejoice and be glad in our Lord
His steadfast love endures forever
From Psalm 118:29: “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever.”
When the Lord calls you to an assignment beyond your abilities, rely on what you know about Him and His promises. You will discover that our faithful God always empowers us for the work He wants us to accomplish.
From Deuteronomy 1:30-31: “The Lord your God, who goes before you, is the one who will fight for you, just as He did for you in Egypt before your very eyes, and in the wilderness, where you saw how the Lord your God carried you, just as one carries a child, all the way that you traveled until you reached this place.”
Big Sky Buckeye 