The following is a quote I heard and copied from the History Channel's series called "The Real West." It was spoken by a Native American, probably in the latter years of our Western expansion, but I don't know who. I do know that it affected me deeply. It sure made me refect on the great changes that have occured on this continent since Europeans first arrived. Here is the quote:

In a past that is now lost forever, there was time when the land was sacred and the ancient ones were as one with it

A time when only the children of the Great Spirit were here to light their fires in these places with no boundaries

When the forests were as thick as the fur on a winter bear, when a warrior could walk from horizon to horizon on the backs of the buffalo

And in that time, there were only simple ways; I saw with my heart the conflicts to come. And whether it was to be for good or bad, what was certain was there would be change

The two people pictured here are my mother and father. Both of them have past from this world to the next in the last two years. I am still experiencing the grief associated with such a loss. My teenage years at home were turbulent and painfull, mostly due to things that were going on inside of me that no one, especailly me, knew how to deal with. I am thankful that mom and dad stuck with me over those years, even when I hurt them and made thier life miserable. That began to change at 17 when Christ came into my life. The process of reconcilliation began at that time and I am happy to say that my adult years have been filled with many happy and pleasant memories with mom and dad. I was present at both of their passings and wish that our time here on earth together could have been longer. But I am thankful that the time we did have was meaningful. God is a God of reconcilliation, change and healing.

Recently I traveled to Williamsburg, Virginia. Here, I met James Ingram, the man in the photograph standing next to me. As an interpreter at Colonial Williamsburg, he depicts a Baptist minister in Virginia in the 1770's. The colony of Virginia had a church/state government and the Anglican Church was the official church. People of other religious that wanted to practice their particular faith were called dissenters. A dissenter was allowed to practice their faith, but at a cost. Baptist dissenters were especially feared because they believed that the Bible was what they should base their faith on and not the tenants of any single church. Dissenting preachers were required to get a license to preach and could not even legally marry someone without doing so. The church/state religious machine did not recognize a marriage between a black couple. And a black, Baptist preacher was a concern with slaveholders because it was thought that their preaching might incite slaves to riot. One black minister, named Moses was publicly whipped. Thank God for the first amendment which protects our religious rights!! James Ingram was a great person to talk to.

Daniel Boone's 16 year old son James was killed near the very spot I am standing in 1763. Boone was leading his family to Kentucky and James and a party of people were sent to retrieve some supplies. As they were camped only a few miles from the main party, Indians attacked the group. James and two others were wounded right away and could not escape. What followed is a grim story of human torture and death. When the bodies were found, they had knife wounds all over their hands and arms where they had tried to fend off their attackers. The boys were wrapped together and buried in a shallow grave covered by rocks--so the wolves would not desecrate the bodies. One year later Daniel returned to the site to get some closure. The image of a father still stricken with grief and remorse while he replaces some of the stones moved away by wild animals fills my mind with images of a very raw and violent frontier. Daniel described the experience as the most melancholy of his life.