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The lady directing my GPS does not always know what she is talking about. We were visiting Halifax and had our hotel in sight; we only needed to continue straight for two blocks. For fun, we decided to listen to our GPS and see how it would direct us. We wound around through the neighborhood, turning right and left, and left and right, and ended up behind the hotel. The most tragic example of travelers depending solely on their GPS is when a couple took a suggested road throug...
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...
Have you ever become filled with anxiety because you knew you were running out of something? Maybe your battery power on your phone was low during an awesome concert, and you didn't have any way to charge your phone so you could take pictures of your favorite entertainer. Or have you ever been low on bread, eggs, or milk, knowing that funds wouldn't be coming in for another couple of weeks? Or maybe you have a deadline for a certain type of work you have been hired to do, and...
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...
It's not just about a New Year because every morning when we wake up, we have the opportunity to begin again, start over, change our lives, change ourselves. We will not make the same mistakes we made last year. We can pray with the psalmist, "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). Isaiah 43:18 tells us, "Remember ye not former things, neither consider the things of old." Forgetting those things which are behind, I reach...
Question: I prayed the prayer to be saved. Now what? Answer: Rejoice! The Bible says in Luke 15:10 (NLT), "In the same way, there is joy in the presence of God's angels when even one sinner repents." There is a celebration of angels rejoicing over you when you put your faith in Jesus. How exciting is that! You made the most important decision that you will ever make. You have also become a child of God when you believed and accepted in Jesus Christ. John 1:12 (NLT) says, "But...
"... 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...
As November comes and goes with Remembrance Day and Christmas being the main holidays of these months, I've thought of the whole aspect of healing that comes through remembering. Some of the experts on grief have reminded me that the process of reembering can bring many healing qualities. It can heal us from major traumas and the hurtful things that take place in our lives on a regular basis, as well as hurts that simply come from living this life. Psalm 105:1–4 (NIV) says, "...
No other time of the year is like Christmas! We get to give and receive gifts with one another, much to the giver's and receiver's delight (hopefully!). Christmas, of course, symbolizes the greatest gift given the very first Christmas morning: the Lord Jesus Christ. Not only is Jesus the greatest gift ever given, and not only is Christmas a time to rejoice because a Savior has been born, but did you know that the Lord Jesus has many other names that reflect who He is besides t...
At the Callaway house, Christmas Eve isn't quite complete without the reading of a Christmas story or two. One of our favorites through the years has now been made into a hit movie. The Greatest Christmas Pageant Ever is proof that our best stories are redemptive tales where things go insanely wrong before somehow they are righted. It's the story of the notoriously rowdy Herdman children and their unlikely encounter with their little country church. The kids are shoplifting,...
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...
The trees on the platform glittered with colorful lights as the congregation sang the familiar carols. I heard whispered plans for festive gatherings, but the church's splendor only mocked my heartache. We walked into our silent house and I broke down by screaming, "Jesus does not love me!" Christmas was for the polished church families- not for failures like me. Waves of suicidal thoughts scared me into crying out to God for help. God gave me a dream that night. I was in a...
Question: I was reading in 1 John 4:9–10 about Jesus' sacrifice for our sins. I don't understand what sacrifice Jesus made for our sins, and why He had to do it. Answer: The context of 1 John 4:7–21 seems to be the love of God that was displayed or evidence for us sinners who are saved through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Jesus lived a sinless life and therefore was the Perfect Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the whole world (John 1:29). First John 4:9...
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...
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...
Dreaming. That is perhaps how I would describe the summer of 2025. Dreaming about what the Lord could be inviting us in to, and what He may be encouraging us to set aside. We spent much time in reflective prayer, whilst remaining diligent in ensuring we continued to produce a top-quality newspaper such as Intertribal Life, for you, our dear readers. As we kick off the next four months, the last four months of 2025, we are delighted to report that we will be heading down to Bem...
"... 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...
"Man oh man, it's a ton of work to keep fanning these flames!" I said out loud to no one in particular, as I feverishly attempted to keep the flames burning on our wet firewood. Yes, you read that right. I was trying to keep wet firewood lit. Why? Because it was all we had, and I desperately wanted to sit around the fire, enjoy the flicker of the flames, and warm up. As soon as my exasperated words came out of my mouth, I started to think about how I was fanning the flames of...
