History Lessons: The Footprints of Faith

It's difficult to get back into the swing of things after taking time off. After a lovely birthday weekend, doing most of the things I love to do...catching up on my shows, harvesting the garden, cooking, road-tripping, eating cake and ice cream, visiting with friends and family, sleeping (LOL)...I returned to work renewed, rejuvenated, and ready to go. 

But once I was back in the saddle, it didn't take long to get discouraged with the mountain of work that lay before me. My approach to most things is: Difficult? Yes. Impossible? No. So I once again grabbed the bull by the horns. It took me some time (doesn't everything?) and a lot of breaks, but I got back on track and moved forward to the next.

This week, I also put some thoughts forward on my Facebook wall about some current issues, mainly stemming from the effects of Charlie Kirk's death. I call it the "Second Shot Heard Around the World" because it really was a revolutionary event. With the media, social media, and his memorial service televised around the world, millions were impacted. First, the stages of shock, then the stages of grief.  My assessments and observations (and questions) eventually derived from not only how the masses have been impacted, but the directions so many have gone in order to make sense of the senseless.

Then, the chaos quickly ensued. Video clips, emotionally-invoking productions on the life of Charlie Kirk; hundreds of thousands of posts, reels, videos, etc. The reactions and political polarizations took the nation by storm. Amazing how one life taken can impact the world.

Sound familiar?

What is Faith?

Perhaps the biggest thing I've observed is the polarization of beliefs and Faith. To me (and based upon my own experiences), they are not one in the same. It was a horrible experience leaving the LDS (Mormon) church...a terrible divorce and yes, a death of my heart, mind, and soul. LDS friends shunned me, abandoned our friendships. The ward I was a member of...my social life? Gone (everyone but one). My belief in Joseph Smith and all the Mormon prophets, the Book of Mormon, LDS Scripture? Gone. Those who have read my book, Through the Eye of a Needle, have an understanding of what I went through. I was miserably lost and broken.

I've had so many Footprints in the Sand moments since then. I've had to go through so many trials and tribulations...physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual battles...to learn how to see and how to walk my life's journey with Faith, what and who to trust and not to trust. It's not an easy road, but I've learned a lot about the Nouns--the people, places, and things--that have been placed in my life with purpose.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your paths."

(Proverbs 3: 5-6)

Martyrdom and a Land of Opportunity Opportunists:

America has long been known as a land of opportunity. I typed in "What was the religious climate in the 1800s in America?" into AI, and, among other things, it brought up "The Second Great Awakening" in revivalism and evangelism, denominational growth, and social reform in the early 1800s. It described diversity and tensions, adaptations and challenges in the mid-to-late 1800s. Ironically, this was also the Industrial Age. The evolutions that stemmed from several religious revolutions culminated in a time of invention and opportunity. (Those who watch The Gilded Age and watched American Primeval, those are two good series set in that time period.)

As an example closer to home...Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion, was in the early to mid-phase of denominational revivalism. His vision of two personages (which, by the way, is polytheism), the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine & Covenants, etc. (Mormon scripture) were all developed in this time period. Joseph Smith was considered a martyr for his religion, and it might have all ended there...until Brigham Young took the reins. An opportunity in the Gilded Age. He took the religion to a whole new level, with Utah and Salt Lake City as his empire. There's a statue of Joseph Smith on Temple Square. There's a monument of Brigham Young at 1st South Main in SLC.

My kids used to tease me and say, "Mom, what was it like back in the olden days, when you were a kid?" Olden days?? Little brats! Of course, I could always tell them what life was like without cell phones, computers, Saturday morning cartoons on a 19-inch TV, and no McDonald's...but I also lived a very sheltered life when it came to knowing or understanding social and political issues. For example, I would innocently belt out "Book of Mormon Stories" or "This Land Was Made For You and Me" long before I learned that this land was never "their land" to begin with. As I learned more about my Native heritage, I had a lot of questions that no one could (or would) answer. After all, I was raised to believe I was a Lamanite. I was raised to believe that the Mormon church was the only true church on the face of the earth, and all others were wrong. Why? Because that's what Joseph Smith said.

"Then He went into the temple and began to drive out

those who bought and sold in it, saying to them, "It is written,

' My house is a house of prayer,'

but you have made it a 'den of thieves.'"

Luke 19:45-46

All Creatures Great and Small

One of my favorite shows is All Creatures Great and Small, a BBC TV series based on the book(s) by James Herriot. For those who haven't read the books (I did in grade school), it contains the tales of a young, small-town veterinarian, the community he lives in, and the animals he cares for. Perhaps the most amusing thing I see repeated in this series is that his boss, Mr. Farnon, continually cares for animals for free, when he should be charging for his services. One might think: "How on earth does he stay in business?" But he does.

Some may think that, because I left the LDS church, I'm against the people of it. That couldn't be further from the truth. I know so many good people from all walks of life...Christian, Mormon, Muslim, Buddhist, Wiccan, pagan, atheist, agnostic, etc. All creatures great and small! No, the things I'm against are hypocrisy, lies, deception, ulterior motives, and acts of evil and malintent. However you believe is not my point...

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to them, "Go in peace; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds." Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds. You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder." (James 2 14-19)

And now we have another devastating shooting at an LDS church in Michigan. More innocent lives lost. I'm curious about motive (which is still in question), because I sure hope it's not because of Charlie Kirk. I sure hope it's not because of left and right extremism. I sure hope it's not because the LDS church did him wrong, shunned him, abandoned him, hurt him. The lines between good and evil are becoming clearer, and we cannot say we haven't been warned, countless times. (Exodus 34: 6-7)

Does it really matter which Jesus you believe in?

Well, yes, apparently it does. The history and evolution of Christianity have led us up to the present day. Cults and televangelists have sprung up for decades. We have corporate and political systems intermingling, influencing, and marketing to the masses. We have mega-religions and churches actively investing in the stock market and crypto. And now we have the liberal Jesus and the conservative Jesus duking it out in the fight of the century...drawing lines in the sand, instead of following (or even noticing) the Footprints.

Do you have to be on a bandwagon to be a believer? No! Do you have to go to church to be a believer? No! But if you do go to a church, remember: You will know they are Christians by their Love! Not conditional love, not how many members they have, not how much money they have, not how great their worship team is, not how much noise they make...but the love and peace of Christ (John 14).

And it's okay to say you don't know! Learn about Christ with the faith of a child...your own faith, not someone else's. Beware of wolves in sheep's clothing (Matthew 7:15). Beware of those who cry "lo here, lo there" (Luke 17). Don't lean on others' understandings or interpretations. You decide what you believe. Don't let anyone decide your spiritual path for you...it's between you and your Creator (Matthew 6). Your journey is your own, and your child-like faith will guide you. Be wise. Pray often.

The battles will not get easier. There are so many who don't know how to live a life of faith; they're living in fear. And believe me, I know that fear, all too well! I'm not going to lie to you; those first steps of faith are scary ones. It can be difficult, especially when we cling to the things we see and think we know, and reach out for the things we don't see and don't know. I can only tell you, the possibilities are endless.

Then Jesus said to His disciples,

"Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.

And again, I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle

than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying,

"Who then can be saved?"

But Jesus looked at them and said to them,

"With men this is impossible,

But with God, all things are possible."

Matthew 19: 23-26

END NOTE:

"If at first you don't succeed...try doing what Jesus told you to do the first time."

Coffee With A View: Enemy Mine

Star Trek Day! Most of you know about my affinity for sci-fi and fantasy, and I usually use my weekends to catch up on 'my shows.' I may do a Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit binge, with the spin-off, The Rings of Power. Last weekend I did a short binge of Star Wars movies. Today, I'm doing my Star Trek binge.

Last night I caught up on the latest episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (Season 3: Episode 9). Most of the reviews I read/watched mentioned several past episodes in Star Trek history, where the creators used the "Enemy Mine" plot, a 1985 movie where a human and an alien, though enemies, would work together (or had to work together) to save themselves in a dire circumstance. Most of the reviews were positive, although they just had to mention that the plot was overused and provided clips from past Star Trek episodes of the human-versus-alien theme.

So for this blog, I thought I'd give my own perspective. Grab some coffee! LOL

Many light years ago (LOL)...I worked for an attorney in California whose passion was to accumulate data and evidence of life on Mars, or proof of visitations on Mars. Besides copy-editing his paperwork and dockets for IBM, the side job was to also copy-edit and proofread his findings. His research on Mars was astounding...literally mounds of papers to go through, desktop and jump drive files, and long discussions over coffee and tea (he drank, ironically, Earl Grey).

I remember one time I told him that there was no way I could help him effectively in the intensive few hours I worked for him, unless I was at least able to take some of those files home with me. He was adamantly against it...for a while. It took a couple of months of research before one day, he came over to my workspace, stood beside me in silence for about a minute, and gave me a jump drive to work on at home. Surprised (and shocked), I asked, "Are you sure?" He said that I had done a great job, and there was no reason in his mind why he shouldn't trust me.

I was fascinated by his passion and determination to share his findings with me, and though I had to play devil's advocate a few times, I had to admit that there were no other explanations...scientific or otherwise...for what he believed about aliens and the evidence of their existence and travel.

I moved to Nashville before I was able to help him complete his monumental project, but I never forgot him. I think about how he was so ahead of his time as I see the progress of SpaceX in the news and on social media. I think of him when I watch Ancient Aliens.

When I was attending BYU, I actually had an encounter of my own that neither the witnesses of the event nor I could explain. We were hanging out on the steps of the dorms, just talking and laughing...and all of a sudden, what looked like a red mechanical ball flew up (about the size of a softballl), suspended in the air for a few seconds right in front of us, then zipped away into the night. I noticed that it had what looked like just one lens (kind of like a camera lens), and before it flew off, it appeared to smoothly and seamlessly turn on some sort of invisible axis to survey all of us.

We all saw it and became silent. Mind you, this was no drone; it was the spring of 1986; there were no commercial drones...heck, we didn't have laptops or cell phones! We all just stood there, didn't say a word. I went back to my room, and my roommate was sitting on the edge of her bed, quiet. We just looked at each other....and never spoke about it again.

Humanity: We did it wrong

We are still far from traveling to distant planets. Efforts are being made, and billions of dollars are being spent on space travel. But if there's anything that could be learned from history, I think it would be that the powers-that-were and the powers-that-be have screwed up life on this planet, big time. The desire for power and control has driven all of us into an age where there is very little balance, and chaos has infiltrated many facets of our lives and economies.

"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice

is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine

and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7: 24-27)

Somehow, as our fates have been continually chosen for us...there is a strange peace that comes from knowing that a Greater Power will always be in control...a Power that always and ultimately achieves balance in the chaos. The gods and beasts that have been created by mankind are a pitiful match for the Creator of the entire Universe.

And we can't say we haven't been warned. Prophets have been mocked, called crazy, and put to death for speaking out. Politics and religion have divided belief systems that are no longer founded on Truth, but cleverly-crafted narratives...and anyone who tries to even attempt to find the truth or achieve balance in their views is mocked or scorned.

Some things just never change.

And as it appears that we're moving towards a world currency (Revelation 13), and forced to worship the Beasts that have been created, it should give us great pause to think about the past, present, and our future as a near-destroyed planet. I think about my home state of Wyoming, the beauty of our mountains, rivers, and streams...the flowers and wildlife we enjoy. Better enjoy it while we can, because the Beasts are circling and hungry.

One of my very favorites is the opening scene of Star Trek: Into Darkness. The interaction with the crews and the natives is not only entertaining but fascinating. I think about this interaction, and my mind soars towards how our Earth used to be, and the Native cultures that existed. You go waaay back in history, and you'll find that the foundations of Native American cultures have great reverence for the Earth, Sky, and Life in between for a reason. My soaring thoughts land when I think about my own tribe, and how we were once called "Blue Sky People". It caused me to look up the following with AI:

"In Native American traditions, "Star People (or "Sky People") refers to extra-terrestrial or celestial beings who are often considered ancestral or benevolent figures to many Indigenous cultures, origin stories, and legends, such as the Hopi and Dakota nations. These stories describe images that came from the stars to help guide, teach, or interact with humanity, with some traditions seeing humans as being connected to or even descended from these star-beings."

Can we make it right?

Folks might laugh and call me crazy (and they have! LOL)...but as I look at the world today, I often wonder what our planet would be like if there were more agendas of love and peace, wisdom and guidance...rather than agendas of hate, greed, division, and war. I think about what could have been, had we all actually lived the words of Jesus and not made Him into a marketed idol. I think about an inevitable paradigm shift where we could change the patterns of Time and actually work together to choose the side of good over evil.

Because if we don't, you can bet that a Greater Power will do it for us.

The attorney I worked for said that, in my approach to research, I should look at the patterns and evidence with an open mind. Look at the probabilities over timelines of events. Consider that those who claimed they've seen UFOs or celestial beings weren't crazy. It takes an open mind and a lot of courage to not fear but embrace the powers and dimensions we cannot see. (Believe me, I know! Being blind was terrifying.) I also have to consider...did people, after seeing what they saw...do it right? Or do it wrong?

Do I believe in Life in the universe and on other planets? Absolutely. The same God of this planet we live and breathe on is the same God of the entire Universe we are all a part of. And I believe that the paradigm shift that needs to happen will consist of critical choices that humanity as a whole will have to ultimately make. Are you on the side of love or hate? Humility or pride? Building or destroying? Peace or war? Friend or foe?

Change is inevitable. We are such slow learners, and there are so many distractions that throw us off. But Time is all we have here before we move on to other dimensions we know very little about, but that will be a Journey I no longer fear. To be a part of Life, in whatever form, is both an exciting and humbling thing.

I just want to do it right, here and now...while I have the time.

"For as lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west,

so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.

For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."

Matthew 24: 27-28

Unorthodox Christianity: "Honesty is such a lonely word..."

"Honesty is such a lonely word

Everyone is so untrue

Honesty is hardly ever heard

And mostly what I need from you."

--Billy Joel

"Honesty" from the 1979 album 52nd Street

According to ChatGPT (hey, it's kinda been a fun tool to play with!)...the definition of a lie is "a deliberate false statement made by someone who knows it's untrue, with the intention to deceive others."

The key elements of a lie are:
Falsehood – The information given is not true.
Knowledge – The person knows it's not true.
Intent – There is an intention to mislead or deceive.

AI then provides examples of various types of lies. A white lie, such as saying "I love your cooking!" when you really don't, or don't want to hurt someone's feelings. A lie of omission is about leaving out important information so as to mislead...like telling your boss you finished the project, but leaving out the fact that someone else did most of the work. A lie of commission is just an outright lie, as in saying you didn't do something when you actually did.

Exaggeration is the stretching of the truth, like a tall tale ("The fish was this big!" or "I've told you a thousand times..."). There's also minimization, such as saying something isn't such a big deal when it actually is (gaslighting).

Then there's bluffing, fabrication (inventing a false story or narrative), and plagiarism (claiming something as your own when it is not...let me say that I'm fully giving credit to ChatGPT for this wealth of information, lol!). I'm going to add in cheating , which is "acting dishonestly or unfairly to gain an advantage."

"What you don’t see with your eyes,

don’t witness with your mouth."

Jewish Proverb

Gossip: "Be careful, little ears, what you hear..."

AI goes on to say that, if someone says something untrue without knowing it's false or without intending to deceive, it's not technically a lie — it could be a mistake or misinformation. However, gossip can still damage reputations and livelihoods, relationships, and divide families.

I've been the subject of gossip many times. So have my children. Fortunately and most of the time, I have good friends or co-workers who will inform me of it. Sometimes it saddens or angers me, but sometimes I can (and have to) laugh and brush it off as quite entertaining. I don't know...I'm so glad I could be the subject matter of your boring life? I don't know why people gossip. People who know me, know me. They're a part of my circle(s), they know what I do and what I'm about. And people who don't know me, don't...and most of the time, don't want to even make the effort.

"Isn't it kind of silly to think

that tearing someone else down builds you up?"

— Sean Covey

I'm reminded of the story "Feathers in the Wind": "Just as you cannot retrieve the feathers once spilled, so you cannot withdraw words once spoken. No matter how sincerely you desire to undo what you have done, the harm caused by thoughtless speech cannot be rectified."  In a world filled with narratives, it is difficult to sort through all the feathers and find the truth.

Remember back in the day when there were racks of tabloids at the grocery store check-out counters? The National Enquirer. The Globe, The Star, etc. A lot of folks called them 'gossip rags'. In my years as a reporter, I learned that there are not just two sides of a story; there can be many sides, and that there is a huge difference between opinion and fact. Oftentimes, it was like trying to search through all of the 'feathers' that had already fallen to the ground. When I was a reporter for the Ledger Dispatch, I remember my editor always telling me to get "quotes and photos, quotes and photos". We didn't have ChatGPT or Satchel AI back then, so a solid quote was golden, and a picture painted a thousand words.

I'm continually astounded by those who will almost religiously get sucked into and support "fake news" when the only ones benefiting from it are the people, businesses, and corporations (and politicians!) that spread it. Many just give up and are content to believe whatever. Many simply refuse to do the work to gain knowledge of the truth because they've believed the lies and half-truths for way too long. Yet others fear the truth and hide from it...but it does eventually catch up to you.

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples:

"The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat.

So you must be careful to do everything they tell you.

But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach."

Matthew 23: 1-3

I also think that hypocrisy is a form of dishonesty.

I recently witnessed someone I knew cheating at a community event held in Riverton (this person is actually well-known in the community, and has been in the news). At this fun, family-oriented event, each child was given one card to have stamped as they completed a series of games at each table. At the end, each child could turn in their card to get a prize if their stamp card was full, indicating that they had played the games. This person I knew obtained not just one, but two cards for the child they brought. Later, I was with a friend who was standing in line, waiting to get the prize for her own grandchild, and this person happened to be standing in line in front of us. By the time we got up to get a prize, the officers had no more prizes to give out. So the person who cheated and had two cards got two prizes, and my friend's grandchild got nothing.

So...what do these actions say about the person who cheated? What do these actions teach their children? That it is okay to cheat, as long no one figures it out, and as long as you get what you want? How do you explain these actions to the child who didn't get the prize they deserved? "Life isn't fair." No, people aren't fair. Or honest.

In hindsight, I was not only angry at the actions of this person, but I was disappointed in myself that I didn't say anything (I guess I'm saying it now), and I certainly didn't want to create a scene. So this person just gets away with it? Believe me, I was stewing with that one for quite a while.

So here's my message: People are watching you. Children are watching you. You can spit-shine a public image, pat yourself on the back, call yourself a "good Christian" man or woman, and talk about all things you're doing in your community. But actions speak louder than words, and speak volumes about your character. And if you cheat and lie with the seemingly small, insignificant things...how can you be trusted with the big things?

When confronted with the truth, people can often go into denial, or get defensive of the narratives they believe, or mock and scorn those who tell the truth...or simply close their ears and refuse to hear it. People have been threatened and silenced, even with death, for telling the truth. In the Bible alone, you have Isaiah, Jeremiah, Zechariah, John the Baptist...and of course, Jesus Christ.

But the truth is the truth, whether you believe it or not, and eventually the truth does come out...when it's supposed to. And only God is in control of that timing. What goes around eventually comes around.

"If we say we love God, but hate others, we are liars. For we cannot love God, whom we have not seen, if we do not love others, whom we have seen." (1 John 4:20)

But the truth hurts!

Yes, it does! But worse than a lie? It can. For instance, I had to come to grips with several truths in my own life. I used to lie to myself about how much I drank..."I've only had a few beers" when truthfully, I'd had a lot more. In an abusive relationship, I told myself, "It's my fault." When I was suicidal, I told myself, "I'm worthless". And like I wrote in my last blog, for over three decades, I wholeheartedly believed in a religion that told me I was something I was not. Yes, that hurt. That hurt a lot. Living or believing a lie or denying the truth can have huge ripple effects without even being aware that it's hurting you or others. (Matthew 7: 3-5)

But wouldn't it be better to come to grips with the truth than to just be content in believing/living a lie? Because then at least we could humble ourselves enough to start down a road towards owning up to the lies we've told and mistakes we've made, coming to grips with our vices, making things right, mending fences, building bridges, healing the hurts, and the soul finally being at peace.

Back on the subject of gossip...if you want to know the truth about someone, grow a pair and ask them! Have the courage to approach them, face-to-face, sit down, maybe have a cup of coffee or tea, and actually talk to them! What a concept. Most of all, have the courage to defend someone who is being gossiped about. "I don't want anyone in my life who can't defend me in a room I'm not in." - Unknown

Also know that being honest or truthful about yourself or to others can be a lonely place to be, but not for long. People in my circles of family and friends have come and gone. Some have betrayed my trust; others have had to experience my boundaries and earn it back. I've even had to earn trust back after lying to my own self, had to come to the realization of many hard truths. I've had to learn to apologize and correct myself if I was in the wrong, but also to carefully listen and think before just believing anything and everything. And it's hard! There's so much guck out there to swim through.

Oh yes, I've definitely learned that it can be lonely...but I'm never alone. I've taken a good look around at those who have stood by me, supported me, and love me for who I am today, not judge me based on the past, because the truth is, I don't live there anymore. And though I've had to witness unfairness and injustice, and "let go and let God", the biggest truth is...I have been blessed with so much more.

"Rain on us, Saint Honesty

Salvation is coming in the morning, but now what we need

Is a little rain on our face from you, sweet Saint Honesty."

--Sara Bareilles

____________________________________________

Worth the Read...

Matthew 23

Worth the Listen...

Worth the Watch (for the kiddos)...

History Lessons: "And the little child shall lead them..."

A friend of mine made a Facebook post recently that prompted today's blog piece. It read:

"I asked our chief of police what plan the city has to protect the citizens in Riverton from ICE."

Because of social media and AI, we all have become aware (all too well) and informed of the problems that plague the tribes and communities we live in. So when I see folks asking what the government is going to do about something, I find myself thinking, "Wait, what am I doing in my community to help...?" 

There have always been huge gaps between being aware, knowing, and voicing the issues and actually doing something about them when the powers-that-be cannot or will not. These chasms were made over thousands of years, so we are seeing the consequences of the Beasts that have been created over time. It's one thing to air grievances on social media, hold marches and rallies (which can sometimes escalate to riot-level)...but when it's all over and done, then what? Plan the next rally? Post the next campaign?

One of the many beasts is the Beast of Discrimination. It comes in many forms, and works well with its co-workers of Pride, Greed, Lust, and Envy. Its fangs and poison infiltrate government, politics, religion, businesses, and social constructs. It has honed its strategies and tactics over time, with clever programming to maintain control. It's crafty, this beast...it blurs the lines between good and evil, truth and lies, uses the disguises of denial, gaslighting, sarcasm, and humor to catch its prey. And the feeding begins...and it feeds, and feeds, and feeds...

History Lessons: It's not easy being green...

But God is and always has been in control, and everything has purpose (Ecclesiastes 3). All the death and suffering, the wars and battles...everything in the history of the world has happened for a reason...for such a time as this (Esther 4).

I took one of those DNA tests a while back, and it really didn't tell me anything that I didn't already know through genealogy. My birth mother is Native American and Hispanic; my birth father is Caucasian, and then I have a little bit of something else that apparently migrated over the Bering Strait. I used to do some modelling jobs back in the day, and my makeup artist always struggled with my olive complexion (I still struggle to this day, lol...hey, if anyone out there knows a good makeup for green skin, please let me know!)

Many know that I was adopted as an infant into a white LDS family. As I was raised with everything I needed and wanted, little did I know that everything I was taught to believe about myself was untrue. In the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith's story/interpretation of Native Americans was about the battles between the Nephites (white/pure) and the Lamanites (filthy and loathsome).

Well, obviously I was a Lamanite in Joseph Smith's story. But imagine my confusion as a child being programmed for that as the "truth" about my being. I remember sitting at the kitchen table, listening to Book of Mormon scriptures, and when I had questions about the Nephites (good) and the Lamanites (bad), the answer? "Don't worry, you are becoming more and more white and delightsome all the time."

"I had reasoned this out in my mind;

there was one of two things I had the right to, liberty or death.

If I could not have one, I would have the other."

- Harriet Tubman

One of my heroes in history is Harriet Tubman. Against various beasts and against so many odds, she formed and ran the Underground Railroad. According to AI, she "personally led approximately 70 enslaved people to freedom."

The slave trade was a business, and a booming one at that. Also, according to AI, "enslaved people were primarily forced to cultivate and produce several key commodities that fueled the Southern economy and significantly impacted global trade." So you have one person...one person!...starting a network and fighting against the beasts of Pride, Greed, and Lust (and Gluttony) at the same time? Amazing.

The Beasts Within Us

A story similar to the Children of Carlisle, it took me a lifetime - from childhood to present -  to understand exactly where I belonged in this world. I wanted to respect and embrace my Northern Arapaho heritage (my Red Wolf), so I enrolled in the tribe and tried to surround myself with good people to teach me. But I also experienced those who rejected me, said I wasn't a "real Arapaho" and gossiped about me, saying that I was raised in "white privilege". On my Hispanic side (my Brown Wolf), I found out that my grandfather was a pilot in WWII. And both my Red and White Wolves gave me an understanding of where my artistic creativity and musical talents came from. My grandmother gave me the name 'Sweet Singing Woman' (she had never heard me sing before she died).

Fighting the Beasts of Discrimination

Being aware of the Beasts doesn't make them any easier to slay. You can run, but you can't hide. You can clang pans and make a lot of noise, but the Beasts don't care; in fact, they'll probably laugh at you. My own journey was wrought with homelessness, domestic violence, addiction, and suicide. I had an accident that crippled me; I went blind in both eyes. The Beasts that held me bound with depression, hopelessness, and despair could have very well won the battle.

But remember, there is purpose in everything. Back to my point about discrimination (and I do have one)...the solution is first looking in the mirror, coming to grips with, and doing battle with the Beasts within ourselves, and seeing the Truth through the lies. Target the predators who lead and manipulate us down roads where we continue to be the prey. Taking back control of who the Creator meant for us to be, instead of believing the labels society puts on us, and mocks, hates and scorns you for. Republican, democrat, liberal, conservative...red, yellow, black and white (or green, lol). Christian, Mormon, Muslim, Buddhist, Atheist...member or non-member.  Aren't we sick of all this by now?

Remember Harriet Tubman. One person. It starts with one person.

Over time, I've had to assess, treat, and heal from the battle wounds I sustained as I learned how to fight the Beasts that were trying to program me to believe something that I was not...what to say and how to say it, what to wear, what to eat and drink, etc. I hate to say it, but some of the worst discrimination I've experienced was right within my own tribe and circle of "friends"! Do you know what it feels like to be called a "half breed"? So not only do you have tribes and communities divided and destroying themselves from within, you have literally thousands of centuries that have gone by, chock full of those already aiding and abetting the Beasts! And we want to go to the government for answers? If we can't tolerate it in our communities, why are we tolerating it within our own selves?

Take a look at some US currency. "In God We Trust"?? No, we don't!

"And the little child shall lead them..." (Isaiah 11)

Children are the closest ones to God that you can get. You can try, but you really can't bullshit a child. Like I mentioned before, when I questioned elements in the Book of Mormon, the responses were pre-programmed by the church and by my parents. I was innocent, but I wasn't stupid. I had eyes that saw, ears that heard, a mind that thought, and a soul that felt. Discrimination is taught...in the home, at the pulpit, in the schools, in business, in the media...by all the Beasts and powers-that-be.

At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

 He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said:

“Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children,

you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child

is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.

“If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble,

it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck

and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.

Woe to the world because of the things that cause people to stumble! Such things must come,

but woe to the person through whom they come! (Matthew 18: 1-7)

Again...merely being aware of or knowing about the Beasts, within or without, doesn't make them any easier to fight or slay. We need to get strong enough, not just for our own selves, but move with love and compassion for those who are on the front lines of a myriad of battlefields. Stop the bleed!

God will always achieve balance and control. A tornado, hurricane, earthquake, tsunami, any disaster doesn't care what color your skin is, how much money you have, what kind of clothes you wear, or how many friends you have on Facebook, or what your business/corporation's top or bottom line of growth is, or how many indentured servants work for you. Ask any first responder if they've seen blood that runs yellow, black, or white.

The history lesson? I learned that, from the very beginning, I am a human being. I was an innocent child who grew into an adult and went down many roads filled with terrible Beasts and survived to tell the tale. I've learned that, though I was discouraged and at the point of despair many times, my Creator was and will always be with me, every step of the way...through all the twists and turns, bumps, trips and falls, through all of the temptations and humbling moments that made me feel weak and helpless, through all the gossip and lies that fly like bullets...

...if but for the very purpose of calling out the bullshit that plagues this world, and, like Harriet Tubman, can build a network of like-minded people who are on the front lines facing the Beasts.

"No one can serve two masters.

For either he will hate the one and love the other,

or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and money."

Matthew 6:24

It starts with one person. Who is the person God wants you to be?

Yes, there are do-overs. God wants you to become the child--the warrior--who has learned the lessons.

________________________

WORTH THE WATCH

YouTube: The Emperor's New Clothes

WORTH THE READ

Matthew 24

Revelation 12-13

Unorthodox Christianity: Jesus Wept

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. “Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
Jesus wept.
Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

John 11: 33-37

First responders never know what they’re going to walk (or run) into on any given day. They are trained to be prepared, but sometimes all the training in the world cannot prepare them for many of the scenes they respond to (I described a few of these when I wrote my letter for EMS Week for County10).

When the crews come back to the station to write their reports, I have the responsibility of reading about the incident(s) as it happened through their eyes. Each crew member has a certain writing ‘style’...some are pretty clinical and straight-forward; others go into quite some detail on the life-saving measures they took. There are many narratives that put a huge lump in my throat and make my eyes burn with tears. As an empath, my mantra every day I walk into the station is: “Safety for the patients and the crews.”  Every time a call rings out, each time I watch them drive away, lights and sirens…I say a little prayer that includes that mantra.

“When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them and healed their sick…”  (Matthew 14:14)

Our Community Health: Be Kind.

Every day is filled with risks. As we go about our days, we rarely think about them. But if you’ve ever been on the patient side and/or in the back of an ambulance, you may have looked back at your experience and never would have thought in a million years that what happened to you would happen when you woke up that morning. Many don’t…until it does happen to you or a loved one.

Our first responders…law enforcement, fire, EMS…respond to events and incidents that have already happened. Many times, the attitudes can be such that it would be so easy to judge the drunk, the drug addict, the victim, the assailant, the chronically ill. But when you peel back the layers and look at the present, past, and generational traumas that have caused such monumental ripple effects of pain and grief in the world, and how it is overflowing with so many who are injured, sick and hurting…you might consider just how many of those layers of suffering it has taken over time for them to get to their present state.

And then you sometimes think about how many of those events could have been preventable. If only they had worn their seat belts. If only they had called SafeRide. If only they had reached out to someone, anyone…called a suicide hotline, called victim services, called a shelter, called a friend, dialed 911 before things escalated to a point of no return…but even then, you still cannot judge!

“Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about...”

“Go and do likewise.”

One of my very favorite of Jesus’ parables is the Good Samaritan (Luke 10: 25-37). In short, a traveler is attacked, robbed, and left for dead. Both a priest and Levite see the man lying on the side of the road and pass by. But a Samaritan (someone who was actually looked down on by the society of the day) stops, moves with compassion, binds up the man's wounds, takes him to the nearest inn, and pays for his care and expenses (even future expenses)!

Moving with compassion and taking action. The Good Samaritan didn’t judge the man who was injured…race, color, gender, religion, etc…didn’t know the guy’s history, didn’t know anything about him. The traveler was obviously robbed, so he didn’t have any money, and there sure was no such thing as health insurance back then!

“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”

We get bits and pieces from the media as things escalate in the Middle East. As the historic pattern of war games continue, my concerns are more for the people who are considered “collateral damage”. I can’t even imagine the work of first responders on either side of the lines of battle, and to tell the truth, I feel helpless. But I’m not in the Middle East. I’m here in Riverton, Wyoming, and both patients and crews right here are having to fight battles that many know nothing about.

I’ve been in the back of an ambulance as a patient. I once had a friend drive me to the ER. There was a time that I even drove myself to the hospital (when I probably shouldn’t have). I’ve worked in a hospital. I’ve seen ER doctors and nurses in action as they muster up for the incoming. I’ve worked in hospice, worked with some of the most compassionate nurses I’ve ever known.

The people who make (and will make) the most difference in their communities are the ones whose actions are driven by compassion…not judgment, social or economic status, opinions, or terms and conditions. It’s all about the attitudes that prevail in the approach of care. For an example a little closer to home, one might see a drunk in city park and judge an entire race of people based on what they see. But what about what they don't see? Do they consider the layers? Our first responders see it all the time, and to be honest, the attitudes in the approach to multiple calls for alcohol poisonings can take its toll.

But what was Jesus trying to portray in the parable of the Good Samaritan? The approach of compassion and mercy without judgment.  It doesn’t matter (and shouldn’t matter) the race, color, gender, religion, politics, etc. “Go and do likewise.”

The shortest verse in the Bible is: “Jesus wept.”  I think of all of the things that would make Jesus weep today. I think of the things happening in the world that make us all weep. But I also think about the Good Samaritans of the world and in our own communities. Besides our first responders, I think of organizations that need support, such as the American Red Cross, Fremont County Prevention Services, White Buffalo Recovery Services, Riverton Mercy House, local Victim Services…people who work for, are inspired by, and move with compassion to peel back the layers of hurt and grief that overwhelm our society.

Perhaps we, too, can be more inspired, more motivated by faith, love, and hope that good will triumph over evil. Because that’s what Jesus would do.

 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.

In this world you will have trouble.

But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

John 16:33

The NAEMT Code of Ethics 

https://www.naemt.org/about-ems/code-of-ethics