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 |  A journey through life, complete with life lessons! |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only **  Thank you Wanbli Ska, for this beautiful gift of poetry! Welcome! I share with you here, some lessons through life, and from some old wise ones. Even children and animals have been my teachers. These experiences that we go through in life are meant to teach us something. To help us grow spiritually. Be grateful for them... give thanks, for they are all needed. ~SummerLyn |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Knowledge speaks, but wisdom listens ~Jimi Hendrix It was Lame Deer who said that "what you see with your eyes shut is what really counts." Don't know if I should have put that into quotes because it's not really a direct quote, but he did say it. And well...did anyone ever see this movie, entitled. Eyes Wide Shut? I never did, but I actually like the title because it speaks to me of silence and in the stillness one can hear...one can see...all the senses become more alive and in this silence, this is where you come to a knowing, for within this silence is a voice. This voice you can only hear when you are in this silence and you shut all your other senses out. Some time when someone is speaking to you. Listen with your eyes shut. This may sound odd, but sometimes we need to close our eyes in order to shut down our perception to truly be able to see. Wishing you peace in your moments!  My 'Gift' Of Song For You~  [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** One life is all we have and we live it as we believe in living it. But to sacrifice what you are and to live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying. ~ Joan of Arc Except it's going to be in the 40's today, but heck...I say...Bring it onnn! We really could use the moisture. Oh wait! I need to go to Walmart. Let me get some groceries and then it can snow all it wants to! Fa-La-La-La and all that! Ohhhh..are we in the wrong season now?  As a reminder to all Christians...I understand it's lent! What are you giving up? This, I am guessing you all call 'sacrifice'. Interesting how the Christians parallel some Native beliefs ( and you called us heathens, HA!)...for instance, in the Lakota Way. We have what is called a Sun Dance. A person is called to dance in this sacred ceremony, around the tree of life. Prior to that, there must be preparation. They will have to make prayer ties, go to Hanblechey(translated to crying for a vision) where they are placed up on a hill(we have Bear Butte), sort of like Moses going up to receive those Ten Commandments... and sit in a circle of prayer ties with only a bowl of wasna and a knife which is placed in the ground in front of you, for four days(usually, unless the spirits say something else). It is told to the Wicasa Wakan in ceremony how long and if the person should be allowed(or if they are allowed) to Sun Dance. Usually it will come in a dream for the person, or a sacrifice to help those who suffer..perhaps even a sick loved one. After they have gone up on this hill, after the fourth day, they are brought down by one of our Wicasa Wakan's helpers and they go into an Inipi Ceremony to tell of their vision(if they had one). Then they dance for four days. No food...usually just sage tea. They dance from Sun up to Sun down, calling in the spirits with an Eagle bone whistle they have made. The Eagle flies closest to Tunkashila, and it is the Eagle who assists us at this ceremony. Some are made to drag Buffalo skulls. It's sort of like Jesus carrying the cross. Whether they dance or are made to drag buffalo skulls, they are pierced and this flesh is the offering to Tunkashila for the life of others and for the continuation of life for all people. For us, there is no sacrifice...only a necessity so that life will go on and to give thanks to Tunkashila for all that is given to us. Unfortunately, I am lacking in time today or I'd go further into detail of one of our most sacred ceremonies. Yet, I leave you this day with a song that very much describes the feeling one receives from being there at this Sun Dance. Floyd Bad Hand, I believe is the one who translates from English into Lakota. One of my favorite songs by this artist. Wishing you peace in your moments given~ My 'Gift' For You This Day~ [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I love you when you bow in your mosque, kneel in your temple, pray in your church. For you and I are sons of one religion, and it is the spirit. ~ Kahlil Gibrán To all cultures on this Earth Mother, were given a Path or a Way to our Creator. To the Lakota and other Indian people, we were shown that the Creator is in everything and everyone. To the others a different way of thinking and praying. They even hold a different name or label for this Creator of all things. Regardless of how someone prays, or what name is placed on this Source from which we all come from, there is the Way. Like spokes on a wheel...all lead to the Center. That center is within us all. For me, my church is everywhere, my alter is here within me...I don't look at one day to pray...I do it everyday and everywhere. It is good to have others around you to pray. Sometimes the water that flows in that stream where I pray is present. Sometimes I hear it pray with me. The birds in those trees where I pray in that forest, are present in my church. They listen and sometimes I think I hear them sing to Wakan Tanka. As I sit here and type, I am in my church. Where is your church? Do you carry it with you? My 'Gift' Of Song For You This Day~ [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |
| ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Dreams are always crushing when they don't come true. But it's the simple dreams that are often the most painful because they seem so personal, so reasonable, so attainable. You're always close enough to touch, but never quite close enough to hold and it's enough to break your heart. ~ Nicholas Sparks (Three Weeks with My Brother) It's only once in your lifetime...I believe anyway, that you find someone who can completely turn your world around. There are things that you can tell them that you’ve never shared with another soul and they absorb everything you say and their attention to it seems unlimited. You can share with them your hope for the future, dreams and goals that were never achieved, nor may never come into being, along with the many disappointments you've experienced in life. You can't wait to tell them all the wonderful things that happened, as you know they will share in your excitement, and feel that joy just as if they have experienced it with you. They will cry with you when you are hurting or laugh with you when you make a fool of yourself and are laughing at yourself. Never do they hurt your feelings or make you feel like you are not good enough. In fact, they will always make you feel you are good enough for anything life has to offer. They are there to build you up and show you the things about yourself that are special and even beautiful about yourself. Amazing how they affect your senses. Suddenly, those things that seem insignificant to most people, like a little note, perhaps a song, become such valuable treasures kept safe in your heart to cherish forever. Memories of days gone by come back and are so crystal clear that it feels as if you are there again. Colors somehow seem brighter and more brilliant to your eyes. Laughter seems part of daily life where before it was infrequent or didn’t exist at all. A phone call during that day seems to help to get you through a long day’s work and always brings a smile to your face. In their presence, there’s no need for continuous conversation, for you find you’re quite content in just having them nearby. Things that never interested you before become fascinating because you know they are important to this person who is so special to you. You find yourself thinking of this person on every occasion, even every waking day, as well as in everything you do. Simple things bring them to mind like a warm summer sunshine, a gentle breeze or even a rainbow on that horizon there. You open your heart knowing that there’s a chance it may be broken one day and in opening your heart, you experience a love and feel such a joy that you never, ever dreamed possible before. Although you feel vulnerable and your know it, it is the only way to allow your heart to feel true pleasure that’s so real it actually scares you. You find strength in knowing you have a true friend and possibly a soul mate who will remain with you, all the way to the end. Life seems completely different, exciting and worthwhile. Your pleasure is found is in knowing that they are a part of your life, forever. What else can be more wonderful, yet so simple in life?!  My 'Gift' Of Song For You~ [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Because we all share this planet earth, we have to learn to live in harmony and peace with each other and with nature. This is not just a dream, but a necessity. ~Dalai Lama It was last week, I had this visitor at my door. One of the Creator's children... a mountain lion coming to visit this sacred ground. A surprise for me, to open my door and find him/or her staring at me through the storm door, for that was the only thing that separated us. I could have been breakfast that morning. It wouldn't have taken much for this one to lunge forward through that door, but it just looked at me. Oddly, it did not seem surprised by me, as I was. My mind was quickly processing thoughts. "What do I do?!"..."I wish I had a camera..oh wait, I have my phone in my hand!...Quick! Take a picture!" Slowly raising my phone...Click! And I very slowly closed the door. "Whew!" I thought...but the thought again of how this animal...this creature of the wild...my brother/or sister could have very easily devoured me. I waited...for what was the rush?!  After about a half hour, I decided to take a peek out by opening the door slowly. I didn't call the police, nor any animal control. They only would have shot it. It was obvious that this creature of Wakan Tanka meant no harm.Our Creator, created a world of harmony. A world that is very much interconnected. All of life should be honored and respected, for all are sacred. If you are ever out in the wilderness...perhaps on a hiking trail, or down near a flowing river or stream, pick up a stone and you will see there is a face in every stone. Some are happy...some show their age. The Earth and all it's inhabitants are very much alive. Show honor and respect as you walk on Mother Earth. This is my thought this day! Wishing you peace in your moments given. My 'Gift' Of Song For You This Day~ [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like. ~ Laozi Yes..I'm back! In the process of cleaning out my portfolio, my blog had been deleted as well. Yet, it gives me the opportunity to make a fresh start to yet, another blog...this journal...a journey through life. And well...here in South Dakota, we have such drastic weather changes. I don't know about where you live, but here...it can be sixty degrees one day, and the next day, we can get a blizzard with freezing temps. I don't see this as a bad thing. It is Tunkashila's way of reminding us, that we are not always in control of everything. There is SomeOne else holding that power. We are merely like a small particle of sand...of nature. Not so in control, as we may think. Life, to me, is like a kaleidoscope...ever changing. This is good, for if there is no change, life would become stagnant as a still pond. But because there is constant change, it brings the reminder that everything is only temporary. Whether it be a relationship, a situation..whatever it is, it is only temporary. You may have sadness in your heart today, but tomorrow holds promise that there will be change, and in time this too, will pass. It is how we choose to deal with that change that really makes the difference. You can choose to go with the flow, or you can choose to resist those changes. Which do you choose?! My 'Gift' Of Song For You This Day~ [Embed For Use By Upgraded+] |
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