Sorted by date Results 1 - 25 of 133
Question: "My life and my community have faced a lot of loss. At times, it feels like the grief is overwhelming. Does God give us any tools in His Word to deal with deep grief?" Answer: I'm sorry to hear about the grief you and your community are enduring. That's the exact way to describe it-enduring! Enduring signifies that strength still prevails, that there is much hope and that God's Word still commands your thoughts! James' epistle says, "My brethren, count it all joy...
"God bless you all for the hard work all over the world; you all do an excellent job! I have learned lots of inspiring stories. . . . I will be praying for you all every night, every day."-Rosemary S. "I met a sweet little Cree granny in the hospital in Regina and gave her some [Intertribal Life] papers. She seemed grateful and I promised her some more. Could you please send a year's subscription to her?" -Patricia G....
"I love those who love me, and those who seek me find me." Proverbs 8:17 My mosoom (grandfather), Thomas Jackson, was a future-focused individual. Back in 1939, he was the first one on our reservation to own a radio. As near as I can figure, it would have been a 1939 Zenith 9S367. My dad talks about that time, remembering how people would come over to their place to listen and marvel at this box that talked-with no "real" person speaking! Some would check carefully behind the...
This season has been a full one. With travelling to Sioux Lookout for a testimony conference, planning two dessert night fundraisers (one for a mission trip and one for Intertribal Life Ministries), regular Native Youth Conference planning meetings, and planning for the Samaritans Purse Operation Christmas Child First Nations Shoebox Packing Party, our time has been rather full. This, in addition to being parents, spouses, friends, active church members and loving children to...
The worldview of an Indigenous people comes from all aspects of life being connected physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally. Today, I want to look at the title of this column through spiritual eyes. How can we realize that a certain amount of healing is possible on this side of the grave? Even when harsh and unimaginable things happen to us? Even when we feel like our hearts have been broken? As someone who has lived for 57 years, I can testify to the fact that...
What are some of your favorite experiences of feeling our Creator's presence and knowing for certain that He is there and that He cares about you personally? It is a powerful feeling! At this point it is extremely important to know our Creator's name. So how can we know who our Creator really is? What are His ways? How does He want us to worship Him? If He truly created the stars and our planet, the earth, then He probably has His own thoughts. I've had many encounters with ou...
In May 2013, Harrison Okene's boat of 12 crew members capsized off the coast of Nigeria and sank to the bottom of the ocean. Harrison, who was the cook on the boat, spent 72 hours in a watery grave 100 feet underwater, in complete darkness and isolation from the outside world. He was the only survivor who managed to find a small air pocket in a bathroom. Because he saw some movement and light in the water from a recovery diver who was looking for bodies, he reached out to the...
You don't meet many musicians who would sooner play to a handful of people than to a thousand, but my friend Mark is one. He's been my friend since the day I spoke at a church where he pressed a business card into my hand and said those three magic words, "Let's golf sometime." And so, we did. Together with our sons, we hacked and duffed and mulliganed our way around a golf course; it was the thing of which friendships are made. Recently, Mark and his wife, Cori, took my wife...
Many people believe in "luck" but don't really believe they are "lucky." I've survived fires, floods, and car accidents and almost drowned twice. When I was a teenager, I walked into a store and saw a man using a knife to rob the owner. I turned and ran and was stabbed in the back. The police arrived, arrested the thief and drove me to the hospital, where I was "stitched up." I'm a survivor, even though I could have died a dozen times. Moku was a rabbit. He would have been an...
January 1, 2026 marked the launch of the Council Fire podcast. With 1638 downloads in the past 60 days, we have been hearing story after story coming in from listeners, letting us know how they have been encouraged by it. Read what a few have to say: Peter writes, “I have lived as a Christian all my life. Always read or heard devotionals. Council Fire is special! Simple, inspiring and addictive! Thank you, Council Fire creators.” Gary called us to say, “I was on my way to th...
When I think of everything that I've been through in my 57 years on this earth, it sometimes overwhelms me. At other times, I feel like a warrior for surviving all these years. Through the ups and downs and all of the hairpin turns. There were seasons when I felt that I was in complete rebellion with our Creator. There were seasons when, just like the gospel song, "Trust and Obey," says, "When we walk with Lord in the light of his words, what a glory he sheds on our way." As...
I've been reading a book called The Book of Lists. It includes things like "10 Celebrities who have seen UFOs." These include Muhammed Ali and William Shatner of "Star Trek" fame. Another list is "11 Cats Who Traveled Long Distances to Come Home." At the top of the list is a two-year-old part-Persian named Sugar who was left behind with a neighbor when her owners moved 1,500 miles from Anderson, Cali. to Gage, Okla. Two weeks later, Sugar disappeared. Fourteen month after...
"... 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...
"Anything worth doing is worth doing well.” Philip Stanhope is credited with first writing a form of this quote to his son in 1746. I heard it many years back, likely from my parents, and I found myself repeating it to our adult son just the other day. He is studying to write his third-year test for an apprenticeship program at a polytechnic school close to home. Upon hearing me say this, he smirked and jokingly rolled his eyes at me, followed with, “I know, Mom.” I guess I’ve...
Starting a new year, 2026, we look forward with anticipation as we consider the doors that are open for Intertribal Life Ministries. We’ve spent a lot of time reflecting on why we do what we do. What various endeavors are Intertribal Life Ministries involved in, and why are we involved in them? Simply put, the love of Christ compels us. When Jesus walked this earth, He was intentional about truly seeing people. About looking beyond what he could see with his eyes, and going deeper, into the heart of the matter, teaching other...
I grew up on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming, not because I am Arapahoe or Shoshone (I am actually part Ponca), but because our doctor in Denver told my parents that my brother needed to live on a farm. Mom had several cousins living there, so that is where we went. I am not sure of the doctor's wisdom; my mother went from a house in Denver with its amenities to houses in Wyoming with no running water. Dad worked long hours as a farmhand and that basically meant moving...
Christmas is the best time and the worst time. If you have a family, children, loved ones, friends, Christmas is the best, happiest time of the year. If you are alone, it is a sad, painful, depressing time. Making new friends and finding new companions is very difficult. Apparently the best places for seniors to find new mates is Botswana and Iceland. I don't think anyone wants to travel to Botswana or Iceland to find a mate. Two million seniors in Canada will spend Christmas...
Council Fire, daily devotionals written exclusively by Indigenous and Native American followers of Jesus, has been our best seller this year. We have printed and distributed over 30,000 copies with more reprints to come. That's 30,000 copies in 2 years! We praise God for giving Intertribal Life Ministries such an opportunity as this, and for our many partners who have helped make this publication possible. About a year ago, the Intertribal Life Ministries team, along with...
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...
The journey of FamilyLife Canada's Family Matters began about 25 years ago in Mistissini, a Cree Nation town nine hours north of Montreal. A local police officer named Noah Coonishish began to feel a burden on his heart as he saw pain and brokenness in the homes around him-couples struggling, families hurt by violence and addiction. "During my career as a police officer, I saw a lot of violence in the community," he explains. "When we got married, I wanted to be a good...
A few weeks ago, we were invited to a conference in Steinbach, Man., by the pastor of our home church in Langdon, Alb. The conference was about personal renewal; renewal of the spirit and soul. We learned many things, but it all came back to the fact that when individuals are renewed, this results in churches being renewed, which results in the worldwide church being renewed. It was a life-giving weekend for us individually, as a couple and as the director duo of Intertribal...
"Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believe" (John 20:29). This verse above seems to contradict the way the whole world lives! Everything seems to have to be validated by sight. People will not put their confidence in something unless they see it. If it's a business transaction, you want to see the money first, right? When you chat with people online, it's always great to connect through video so you can see the person with whom you are chatting. People will flock to...
Question: In most indigenous cultures, respect and care for our elders is deeply rooted. What is our responsibility in caring for our elders, according to God's Word? Answer: In our family growing up, Mom and Dad never actually said much about respecting elders, but their lives and the way they treated older people modeled it. When Dad would go hunting and kill a moose, he would make sure that he would share with the elders, and this would make them very happy and...
Thank you for sending me your newspaper. It is a great way for me to stay in touch with my people, as there aren't a lot where I live. The stories are inspirational and add to my strength. Thank you for sending it to me. -R. Barkley Thank you for sharing about the Native Youth Conference. It is so wonderful to see how many youth are coming to the Lord Jesus Christ and that 256 youth received Bibles. It is encouraging to read that our youth are volunteering and encouraging...
"... 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...
