Walking The Journey

I had the opportunity to travel alone, driving over 1100 miles, through the prairie and plains of South and North Dakota. I saw God's beauty all around me, the great vastness of land, the beauty of a sunset, the breathtaking wonder of the Badlands, to name a few.  I was able to experience solitude, loneliness, reliance on God, silence, and me in a different way than I had in a long time. During this time, I drove through and stayed in four Indian Reservations, visited three Tribal Colleges, met so many relatives, created new friendships, and gained a refreshing of my soul.  Along the way, I encountered many memorials to people, places, and events that hold significance to Indian people. I walked through cemeteries of my ancestors, honoring them and walking along the memorials that honored their sacrifice. They were there to remind us, never to forget. There are many references in the old testament where God commands man to build a memorial, to create something that

I've discovered in life that we walk through cycles and that these cycles are like seasons of the year. The seasons travel through cycles and have a pattern. Each season has its own qualities, it's own specifics. Each season relies on the season before it for its own birth and looks to the season after it for its death. That sounds gloomy but in reality, the cycle of seasons are the rhythm of life. We need each season as we move through the years. Serenity comes when we realize the season we are in and learn to understand and accept the flow and events of that season.  We enter our seasons with hope, the blossoms of spring and the great and new feelings that come with reviving rain and the warmth of the son. Our spirits remain joyful and hope and life is all around us.  Summer is a season of contentment, of peace, of relaxation. We walk the earth in new and wondering ways, our senses alive and active of all that lives around us. Fall brings with it beauty, maturity, and