Saddle Up Again

It has been almost a year now since the passing of my beloved Lady. She was my first horse; my first real sense of owning something of great importance. We did everything together. Countless rides through the neighborhood with neighbors, several trail rides at near-by Farragut State park, and several Cowboy Mounted Shooting Competitions. We learned a lot together. She and I had a special bond that only horse owners could understand. Along with the joy rides there were also falls… and I must admit that there were a few… the worst physical fall I had, I wound up with a partially dislocated shoulder which tore up the cartilage pretty good, but no matter, I got up and rode again…

But by far, the worst fall of all, physically, emotionally, and mentally, was her death on February 22, 2010. That fall took me awhile to get up from… but I finally did. I have a new horse now, his name is Skeeter. I have to admit, the bond between the two of us isn’t that strong yet, partially, I think, because I haven’t been able to let go of Lady. I guess that’s just “The Guardian” in me… but that will be another post sometime soon.

With Lady, I learned how to ride, fall, get up and get back in the saddle…. Looking back on it now, I think she was preparing me for her death… metaphorically, we rode, she fell, and I was left to get back up and saddle up again…

One day soon we shall forever ride on the fertile fields of heaven.

E-du-di Hi-ne-gv- Grandfather Speaks

An old Grandfather said to his grandson, who came to him with anger at a friend who had done him an injustice, "Let me tell you a story.

I too, at times, have felt a great hate for those that have taken so much, with no sorrow for what they do. But hate wears you down, and does not hurt your enemy. It is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die. I have struggled with these feelings many times."

He continued,

"It is as if there are two wolves inside me. One is good and does no harm. He lives in harmony with all around him, and does not take offense when no offense was intended. He will only fight when it is right to fight.

But the other wolf, ah! He is full of anger. The littlest thing will set him into a fit of temper. He fights everyone, all the time, for no reason. He cannot think because his anger and hate are so great. It is helpless anger, for his anger will change nothing.

Sometimes, it is hard to live with these two wolves inside me, for both of them try to dominate my spirit."

The boy looked intently into his Grandfather's eyes and asked, "Which one wins, Grandfather?"

The Grandfather smiled and quietly said, "The one I feed."

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This is incredible to me... this is an old Cherokee legend. God truly worked among the Cherokee people. How else could the Grandfather have been able to explain the Spiritual Warfare so vividly and truthfully in a Native American fashion? The Grandfather has it nailed... it is as though two wolves are fighting within you. Another way of putting it is: a fight between the forces of good and evil in the world. The forces of God and the forces of Satan, Lucifer, the fallen one. A battle can only be fought with strong healthy troops, the force that has the well fed army will beat the under rationed army.

So ask yourself this, my brothers and sisters: Which wolf will you feed? Will you give your life to God and let him use you for His glory and honor? Or will you choose to give your life to the Fallen One, Lucifer... will you choose a life of disgrace, dishonor, anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, self-doubt, and ego?

My brothers and sisters, you will never in your life have to make as important a decision as this. Make the right decision, you may never get the chance to change your mind. God is not the "God of a second chance", He is the "God of another chance". However, that does not mean you should put off making that decision... you may not get the chance to make the commitment.

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Make your choice, which wolf will you feed? Even now I hear the wolves fighting...

A Cherokee Blessing:
"May the warm winds of Heaven blow softly on your home, and the Great Spirit bless all who enter there. May your mocassins make happy tracks in many snows, and may the rainbow always touch your shoulder."

One thing that I find so cool is the fact that many of the Cherokee people accepted our Lord as the one true God. Around 1801, Christian missionaries came to the Cherokee people. The Christian missionaries were well accepted among the Cherokee because they didn't push their religion on the Cherokee Tribe; they lived and worked with them and shared the Gospel by example. During the Trail of Tears, the missionaries were right there with the Cherokee people as they endured the hardship of that journey. Thus many Cherokee came to be Christians. And even though many of the Cherokee became Christians, they still respected the beliefs and customs of their people. God truly worked among these people.

Cherokee Proverb

"Creator gave you two ears and one mouth so that you can listen twice as much as you speak."

I have been thinking alot about this proverb recently, and it is so true. God (the Creator) created us with:
Two eyes: that we may see things in perspective.
Two ears: that we may hear what others have to say.
One mouth: that we may not speak more than we have to.
Two hands: that we may be hard workers
Two feet: so that we may move about and be active.

God definitely had a plan when He created us... Romans 10:15 reads, "How beautiful are the feet of those who spread the Gospel and share the good news." God also commands us in Mark 16:15, "Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to everyone."

Legend of the Cherokee Rose

In 1838, The Cherokee Nation's Trail of Tears began. The trip was long and hard, many of the mothers were crying so much that they were unable to help their little ones along the journey. The tribal elders began to pray for a sign to give strength to the mothers and lift their spirits. The next day, their prayers were answered, a beautiful white rose had grown where a mother's tear had fallen. The Cherokee hold this rose sacred; the rose is white representing the tears cried during that long journey. The center is gold, symbolic of the gold stolen from the Cherokee lands. The stem contains seven leaves, standing for the seven clans of the Cherokee. Today, the Cherokee Rose still grows along the route of the Trail of Tears.

I pray that this blog will be a sign of encouragement to you and that it will lift your spirits when they need to be lifted.