Those who knew Derek Taatjes said he had a larger than life persona and preached every sermon as if it might be his last. It was! He knew life is shorter than you think. Be prepared. Don't wait to accept Jesus Christ as your Savior. If he could speak to us this moment from Heaven he'd probably say, 'see, I'm here, so don't wait to accept Him. Why let Satan steal eternal life from your grasp'? Hell will never freeze over.
Youth pastor Derek Taatjes, the young 34-year old died in a house fire with his son and his funeral will be held Wednesday, April 20th at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan on the East Beltline at 11 a.m. Both died last Thursday of smoke inhalation - a smoldering fire in the basement that didn't set off a tested and good battery working smoke detector. It was an unforeseen accident that could happen in any home. Why him? Why the faster pastor on fire for Jesus Christ? Will his death yield fruit of the Spirit during Passover?
I've never met Derek, but from what I heard he was 'blazing hot for Christ'. The fire burning within his heart and mind wasn't orange or blue, but white hot, the hottest flame and he was destined to share his overflowing love for Christ with all who would listen to him praise the Lord. Derek lit a fire in others when nobody else could. With God's help he rocketed towards the Kingdom of God and his sparks ignited the dreams and goals of all who knew him. He had a burning passion for teaching others about God and Jesus Christ. His destiny was God-given and God-driven to achieve his dreams and goals in life. He was an accessible pastor, a man on a mission to save others for Christ and to help them achieve greater things if only they'd listen and learn lessons from his heart to the Father's heart.
Derek, like Joseph, knew their potential and limitations, but the motivation behind them was their love for God and Jesus Christ. Both were motivated by excitement to share dreams and goals. This motivational desire pushed them through life w/amazing speed. Both were positive men of conviction that what they did for mankind and Christ was far better than concentrating on themselves. Equally both didn't acquire instant success. They didn't veer off course when confronted with difficulties or problems. They kept their eyes on God and Christ.
Derek's goals and dreams must have been similar to Joseph's, the last son of Jacob. Both knew God and both lived their lives hoping that what they did pleased His sight. They poured out their heart for others and shared the Good News that Jesus is their Light of the World. God had a purpose for these men of faith. Neither of them took their eyes off Him.
You could say that Derek was a 'faster pastor' and flew by the seat of his pants. His pre-eminence was destined for God's service. He was fulfilling his destiny by fueling and sharing his life with the promises made by God. He lived his life like an open book that was pleasing God and God put him on this earth for His special purpose. Derek's mindset was that of Joseph and both sought foremost the Kingdom of God.
The youth pastor's candle of love for Jesus Christ burns brighter in the eyes of everyone he touched, that includes God and Christ. They won't forget Derek or Christ. Someone somewhere introduced Derek to Jesus Christ and his heart, mind and soul went ballistic for saving the lost. His goal - to save them for the Kingdom of God, an eternity with Him. I am not a pastor. I am a storyteller and what you read is from my heart today. The story continues... about dream interpretations in the Bible and destinies, dreams and goals in life.
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Monday, April 18, 2011
The Dreams and Destiny of Believers- 3
I've been writing about dreams and or destinies in life. Life is short, but God has our destiny planned since our birth, and yet, he leaves our destiny in our own hands. Some lives are snuffed out sooner because something unforeseen happened. God's plan can be interrupted by an unperceived tragedy in our life.
Case in point, the young 34-year old Youth pastor in Michigan who died with his one-year old son in a house fire. Both died of smoke inhalation - he in the living room, the son upstairs. His wife and two other children were vacationing out East. It was an unknown fire in the basement. He was well loved by the congregation at Crossroads Bible Church. His death untimely? Was the fire divine accident or was it the destiny of the wife and other two children to be saved? We sometimes shorten our own lives before God's plan is realized and yet God welcomes those who pass from mortal life to eternity before the path to our destiny is fulfilled. Was this his destiny - to die so that others might live like Christ? Or was it to remind us that life is fleeting? Is it time to accept Christ as Savior before the unplanned happens to us? Your heart can't work without your mind and soul. The three are companions of life.
Not all of us are Christian's. Some refuse to believe there is a God Almighty and refute the life of Jesus Christ as our Savior. That is there loss and my gain. As Christians we have no right to brow beat unbelievers. In America it's freedom of religion. To believe or disbelieve. We simply must pray for the unseen and trust that they will see that the real 'Light of the World' is faith in Jesus Christ. Many times priests, rabbis, pastors, etc. preach for years to Congregations and it seems to them nobody is growing in the faith. Many see smoke, but no burning fires. They see no sparks and become frustrated thinking that with all the flapping of their lips they don't see any flames or the burning desires to service the church. As a congregational member I can see their frustration when week after week they preach get more involved, but it falls on deaf ears. Churches need plenty of new help - volunteers to fill posts of the 'burned out' who've given of their own time and talents in excess and need a rest. Why?
I think it is because preachers turn religion into a cult where they think it best to put all eyes and hearts on Jesus or God and forget about the mind dreams of parishioners. It is fine to put God and Christ at the head of your own household, but not if it robs the parishioners of their own dreams and goals of life. People who don't strive to reach goals in life or invest time in their own dreams, well, they seem to wander in life as aimlessly lost. They've got nothing to grab onto and never seem to accomplish anything of much useful value. Many times they let parents, friends, associates, colleagues and preachers tell them what they can, should or shouldn't do in life instead of going on a fabulous adventure to find out for themselves. They are afraid to trust what God and Christ has given them - trust in themselves and prayer. Simply put too many dreamers give up on their dreams. Some put too much emphasis on faith rather than understanding that God-given voices and visions rise from dreams. Never ask others to interpret your dreams. They destroy your life. Seek out possibility thinkers.
What others think isn't always important for they will always tell you why your dream is impossible to attain. If it's your dream, vision or prayer never allow them to bury your dreams. It's your dream - not their dream. Never give someone else the chance to destroy your dream or vision. Forget their opinion. What others might believe is wrong you must forget and believe in your ability to reverse that opinion. Don't let anyone beat you into their submissive life style. Discover your own talents and life style. Never let someone else decide your life, because you are afraid of what others might think. Whose life is it - theirs or yours? Be bold - find out!
Dreams are, I believe God-given, but in order to realize a dream they need nourishment and letting friends, parents, associates, etc. decide your life isn't nourishment, but lazy fodder. Without go-go food dreams die. Surround yourself with possibility thinkers - that's what Dr. Shueller, of the Crystal Cathedral in California always preaches. Rise above difficulties and impossibilities - soar like an eagle on eagle's wings. Be aggressive. Trust your own subconscious feelings and you might achieve a lifetime of rewards that others lost. They'll steal your dreams. God and dreams can coexist.
Have you gotten any visions from a dream? Trust your own instinct, the gut-wrenching feelings. Visions in dreams don't always pan out and many dreams die an untimely death from those who don't put forth the effort needed to support the vision. Dreams die because of lack of personal confidence in our own abilities to understand what it is we are trying to achieve. To make dreams succeed rise above the criticisms from others. Dreams are like postage stamps for we must stick to something until we achieve our end goal. Trust that you are right and everyone else is wrong - I mean legally right or wrong. God is the ultimate judge.
Where and what would the world look like today if Bill Gates, the Creator of MicroSoft never followed the voices in his head? He had a dream and despite his father's demands that he get a college education he acted upon his own dream that made him almost the richest man in the world. His father didn't like young Bill spending so much time playing video games. Something clicked in his mind, soul and heart. Bill's dad never believed that anything good would happen without college. Bill went six months or so then when his father went to visit him at the dorm he found out he quit and had started his own software business. Gate's life went ballistic because he followed the gut-wrenching feelings from his dream. His dream caused a revolution that challenges millions of dreams and countless billions of other dreams. Remember dreams are God-given challenges to us. You just need to find the right encourager's to go beyond what others believe is impossible. Our dreams and goals need nourishment. Go in peace. Dreams and destiny of believers continues...
Case in point, the young 34-year old Youth pastor in Michigan who died with his one-year old son in a house fire. Both died of smoke inhalation - he in the living room, the son upstairs. His wife and two other children were vacationing out East. It was an unknown fire in the basement. He was well loved by the congregation at Crossroads Bible Church. His death untimely? Was the fire divine accident or was it the destiny of the wife and other two children to be saved? We sometimes shorten our own lives before God's plan is realized and yet God welcomes those who pass from mortal life to eternity before the path to our destiny is fulfilled. Was this his destiny - to die so that others might live like Christ? Or was it to remind us that life is fleeting? Is it time to accept Christ as Savior before the unplanned happens to us? Your heart can't work without your mind and soul. The three are companions of life.
Not all of us are Christian's. Some refuse to believe there is a God Almighty and refute the life of Jesus Christ as our Savior. That is there loss and my gain. As Christians we have no right to brow beat unbelievers. In America it's freedom of religion. To believe or disbelieve. We simply must pray for the unseen and trust that they will see that the real 'Light of the World' is faith in Jesus Christ. Many times priests, rabbis, pastors, etc. preach for years to Congregations and it seems to them nobody is growing in the faith. Many see smoke, but no burning fires. They see no sparks and become frustrated thinking that with all the flapping of their lips they don't see any flames or the burning desires to service the church. As a congregational member I can see their frustration when week after week they preach get more involved, but it falls on deaf ears. Churches need plenty of new help - volunteers to fill posts of the 'burned out' who've given of their own time and talents in excess and need a rest. Why?
I think it is because preachers turn religion into a cult where they think it best to put all eyes and hearts on Jesus or God and forget about the mind dreams of parishioners. It is fine to put God and Christ at the head of your own household, but not if it robs the parishioners of their own dreams and goals of life. People who don't strive to reach goals in life or invest time in their own dreams, well, they seem to wander in life as aimlessly lost. They've got nothing to grab onto and never seem to accomplish anything of much useful value. Many times they let parents, friends, associates, colleagues and preachers tell them what they can, should or shouldn't do in life instead of going on a fabulous adventure to find out for themselves. They are afraid to trust what God and Christ has given them - trust in themselves and prayer. Simply put too many dreamers give up on their dreams. Some put too much emphasis on faith rather than understanding that God-given voices and visions rise from dreams. Never ask others to interpret your dreams. They destroy your life. Seek out possibility thinkers.
What others think isn't always important for they will always tell you why your dream is impossible to attain. If it's your dream, vision or prayer never allow them to bury your dreams. It's your dream - not their dream. Never give someone else the chance to destroy your dream or vision. Forget their opinion. What others might believe is wrong you must forget and believe in your ability to reverse that opinion. Don't let anyone beat you into their submissive life style. Discover your own talents and life style. Never let someone else decide your life, because you are afraid of what others might think. Whose life is it - theirs or yours? Be bold - find out!
Dreams are, I believe God-given, but in order to realize a dream they need nourishment and letting friends, parents, associates, etc. decide your life isn't nourishment, but lazy fodder. Without go-go food dreams die. Surround yourself with possibility thinkers - that's what Dr. Shueller, of the Crystal Cathedral in California always preaches. Rise above difficulties and impossibilities - soar like an eagle on eagle's wings. Be aggressive. Trust your own subconscious feelings and you might achieve a lifetime of rewards that others lost. They'll steal your dreams. God and dreams can coexist.
Have you gotten any visions from a dream? Trust your own instinct, the gut-wrenching feelings. Visions in dreams don't always pan out and many dreams die an untimely death from those who don't put forth the effort needed to support the vision. Dreams die because of lack of personal confidence in our own abilities to understand what it is we are trying to achieve. To make dreams succeed rise above the criticisms from others. Dreams are like postage stamps for we must stick to something until we achieve our end goal. Trust that you are right and everyone else is wrong - I mean legally right or wrong. God is the ultimate judge.
Where and what would the world look like today if Bill Gates, the Creator of MicroSoft never followed the voices in his head? He had a dream and despite his father's demands that he get a college education he acted upon his own dream that made him almost the richest man in the world. His father didn't like young Bill spending so much time playing video games. Something clicked in his mind, soul and heart. Bill's dad never believed that anything good would happen without college. Bill went six months or so then when his father went to visit him at the dorm he found out he quit and had started his own software business. Gate's life went ballistic because he followed the gut-wrenching feelings from his dream. His dream caused a revolution that challenges millions of dreams and countless billions of other dreams. Remember dreams are God-given challenges to us. You just need to find the right encourager's to go beyond what others believe is impossible. Our dreams and goals need nourishment. Go in peace. Dreams and destiny of believers continues...
Friday, April 1, 2011
The Dreams and Destiny of Believers -2
If my oldest high school teachers were living and if you asked them about me and what I was like in our school days they'd tell you, "I was a big dreamer like Joseph, the Son of Jacob." My mind left the classroom ten minutes after it started." It did. I was floating down the Mississippi River with Huckleberry Fin and Jim on a raft or off exploring with Tom Sawyer. Anyplace was better than listening to boring teachers - but it wasn't the teacher's fault. It was the building contractors fault. Let me explain my rationale'.
It was if my mind went to sleep and I was floating away discovering new things. I wasn't visited by alien beings from outer space, but it was my bodies way of overcoming the allergens in our new school. It wasn't until twenty years after high school during genetic testing we found out I was allergic to minute particles of formaldehyde poisoning. That's below minimum levels detectable by environmental testing equipment. Formaldehyde is in everything under the sun, it still is, and the warning signs of formaldehyde allergens are warming cheeks, difficulty breathing and loss of concentration and confusion. High levels of formaldehyde gave me excessive migraine headaches within twenty minutes. It short circuited brain cells making it difficult to focus on studies. Trying to remember in excruiciating pain made learning impossible. I was physically and mentally "tripping" on formaldehyde fumes like a drug addict. Learning how to avoid this addiction has taken another twenty-five years. Learning how to avoid it, well that's the cure. It is extremely difficult since formaldehyde is everywhere you go.
Despite what you might think just because a person dreams in class doesn't mean we stop learning valuable lessons. The brain still records what is being said, but puts it in different context. Persons in a coma are locked in dreams. Time spent is no longer a constant. They can understand the chatter of those talking around them. That's why its important for people to talk nicely with respect to those in a coma or sleeping. Talking stimulates the brain cells that repair damage. Those in a coma may awaken with the snap of a finger.
I still do lots of dreaming like Joseph, the son of Jacob, but his character is for another time. In dreams we can recall the good as well as the not so good remembrances of our life. I had another dream lately. I've been remembering my days at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Spent four years in the ward. Recently I went back to the old place to buy a new leg brace. The old one has lasted fifteen years and the springs were exiting the brace material when I exercised riding a cycle at the gym. The other night I felt like Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), when he was running away from childhood bullies, the rods in his leg braces flying off.
Well I returned to the hospital this week. My reoccurring dream has been pestering me to return. My wife had previously found several other numbers, but I said "How about the brace shop." She dialed the number at MFBH and I got an appointment within 18 hours. Have you ever gotten a non-emergency doctor visit in 18 hours? It was dream destiny. I obeyed the gremlin in my mind. It said return to the brace shop at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. I walked in the door and bypassed the historical display cabinet. It was filled with old pictures of structures over more than 100 years. I didn't tarry, but left for my scheduled appointment.
Upon returning I by passed the historical display, but when going outside the gremlin said, "Go back, something inside the cabinet you need to see." I obeyed the voice. The first picture my eyes saw was "two nun nurses sitting at a table with a clustering of several of my ward friends." That photo was taken in the early 1950's. I was standing between the two nurses. My how time flies. I could remember all the names of the patients, but not the nurses. Fifty-six years had passed, but could still recall their voices from the past.
Was the voice I obeyed to return to the cabinet one of destiny or was it the living God, the God I believe in making sure I had rekindled an old memory from the past. I remembered my roots. How about you? Do you listen to what is being said in your dreams? Do you obey the voice or do you cast it off because you are afraid to explore your dream or afraid of what others might think. Never allow life to rob you of dreams. Many people and circumstances in life rob our dreams. Dreams are God given, but they need to be nourished. Listening to the voice in the dream is food that yields great rewards. Not all yield fruit.
In II Kings 17: 21-22, in the Holy Bible it says that Elijah cried to the Lord (in reference to the widow's son brought to life), "O Lord my God, let this child's soul come to him again. The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived".
Walking together Elisha (meaning, God is Salvation) asked Elijah (meaning My God is Jehovah) for double-shares of your spirit. As they walked a chariot of fire and horses passed between them and Elijah was swirled up by the passing whirlwind into Heaven. This wasn't a dream, but Elisha was impressed by the power of God to raise Elijah. Elisha may have been more powerful than Elijah, but Elijah is mentioned more than 27 times in the New Testament. God does listen to our prayers. But, I think too many times those asking the prayer are beating their drums so loudly they fail to listen or hear what can be told in dreams. Many dreams aren't practical, but do trust what the dream says. Trust the dream. Listen to the visions and voices in dreams. Follow what your heart and mind tells you to do, but don't listen to those who will try to destroy what your dreams tell you. Till next time, "Keep on dreaming and may all your dream come true."
It was if my mind went to sleep and I was floating away discovering new things. I wasn't visited by alien beings from outer space, but it was my bodies way of overcoming the allergens in our new school. It wasn't until twenty years after high school during genetic testing we found out I was allergic to minute particles of formaldehyde poisoning. That's below minimum levels detectable by environmental testing equipment. Formaldehyde is in everything under the sun, it still is, and the warning signs of formaldehyde allergens are warming cheeks, difficulty breathing and loss of concentration and confusion. High levels of formaldehyde gave me excessive migraine headaches within twenty minutes. It short circuited brain cells making it difficult to focus on studies. Trying to remember in excruiciating pain made learning impossible. I was physically and mentally "tripping" on formaldehyde fumes like a drug addict. Learning how to avoid this addiction has taken another twenty-five years. Learning how to avoid it, well that's the cure. It is extremely difficult since formaldehyde is everywhere you go.
Despite what you might think just because a person dreams in class doesn't mean we stop learning valuable lessons. The brain still records what is being said, but puts it in different context. Persons in a coma are locked in dreams. Time spent is no longer a constant. They can understand the chatter of those talking around them. That's why its important for people to talk nicely with respect to those in a coma or sleeping. Talking stimulates the brain cells that repair damage. Those in a coma may awaken with the snap of a finger.
I still do lots of dreaming like Joseph, the son of Jacob, but his character is for another time. In dreams we can recall the good as well as the not so good remembrances of our life. I had another dream lately. I've been remembering my days at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. Spent four years in the ward. Recently I went back to the old place to buy a new leg brace. The old one has lasted fifteen years and the springs were exiting the brace material when I exercised riding a cycle at the gym. The other night I felt like Forrest Gump (Tom Hanks), when he was running away from childhood bullies, the rods in his leg braces flying off.
Well I returned to the hospital this week. My reoccurring dream has been pestering me to return. My wife had previously found several other numbers, but I said "How about the brace shop." She dialed the number at MFBH and I got an appointment within 18 hours. Have you ever gotten a non-emergency doctor visit in 18 hours? It was dream destiny. I obeyed the gremlin in my mind. It said return to the brace shop at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. I walked in the door and bypassed the historical display cabinet. It was filled with old pictures of structures over more than 100 years. I didn't tarry, but left for my scheduled appointment.
Upon returning I by passed the historical display, but when going outside the gremlin said, "Go back, something inside the cabinet you need to see." I obeyed the voice. The first picture my eyes saw was "two nun nurses sitting at a table with a clustering of several of my ward friends." That photo was taken in the early 1950's. I was standing between the two nurses. My how time flies. I could remember all the names of the patients, but not the nurses. Fifty-six years had passed, but could still recall their voices from the past.
Was the voice I obeyed to return to the cabinet one of destiny or was it the living God, the God I believe in making sure I had rekindled an old memory from the past. I remembered my roots. How about you? Do you listen to what is being said in your dreams? Do you obey the voice or do you cast it off because you are afraid to explore your dream or afraid of what others might think. Never allow life to rob you of dreams. Many people and circumstances in life rob our dreams. Dreams are God given, but they need to be nourished. Listening to the voice in the dream is food that yields great rewards. Not all yield fruit.
In II Kings 17: 21-22, in the Holy Bible it says that Elijah cried to the Lord (in reference to the widow's son brought to life), "O Lord my God, let this child's soul come to him again. The Lord listened to the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived".
Walking together Elisha (meaning, God is Salvation) asked Elijah (meaning My God is Jehovah) for double-shares of your spirit. As they walked a chariot of fire and horses passed between them and Elijah was swirled up by the passing whirlwind into Heaven. This wasn't a dream, but Elisha was impressed by the power of God to raise Elijah. Elisha may have been more powerful than Elijah, but Elijah is mentioned more than 27 times in the New Testament. God does listen to our prayers. But, I think too many times those asking the prayer are beating their drums so loudly they fail to listen or hear what can be told in dreams. Many dreams aren't practical, but do trust what the dream says. Trust the dream. Listen to the visions and voices in dreams. Follow what your heart and mind tells you to do, but don't listen to those who will try to destroy what your dreams tell you. Till next time, "Keep on dreaming and may all your dream come true."
Monday, February 28, 2011
The Dreams and Destiny of Believers
I believe in the existence of angels, spirits and God's use of visions and voices coming in dreams. This is the destiny of any person who believes that God is the giver of our destiny at birth. God uses our dreams as a platform for answering our prayers that's if we choose to listen to his commands. These are special gifts given from Him. Angels and spirits shape our destiny. Through them we can recall what is said in our dreams. Any religious person who believes in God or Jesus Christ must believe that our prayer concerns can be answered thru dreams.
Whether angels or spirits are real depends on what we believe as individuals. They can be real or imaginary, but how the visions and voices appears determines our destiny in life. Some angels and spirits are good, but some leaves us with bad vibes (ghosts), that are both good and evil, too. Bad vibes are the least personally shared with others for as humans we are afraid of what other Christians or friends might view as devil thinking. Bad spirits can awaken our curiosity, but a few people go off the deep end and use what we say for ghost entertainment to shock an awe paranormal activity.
Personally I'm not afraid of ghost or witches for God stands beside me or with me, but some people are superstitious and don't even want to meet a ghost, witch let alone a spirit. How about the Holy Spirit?
If I remember my Bible teachings I think it was JOB who had a nerve-wracking visit by a spirit or Holy Ghost and his description of it might shake up anyone when he said, 'Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.' Paul later called Saul in ACTS 9:3 said, "A brilliant light from heaven spotted down upon me surrounding my every being and I heard a voice" saying "Paul, Paul! Why are you persecuting me?"
Paul couldn't believe it might be Jesus as he weakly asked, "Who is speaking, Sir?" The voice replied back, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!" The men with Paul stood speechless with surprise for they heard the sound of someone's voice, but saw no one! Paul stood up and to his surprise he was blind from the intense light and the spirit told him to have his men take him to Damascus and stay at Judas' house and wait praying for Jesus had given Paul a vision of Ananias laying hands upon him to return his sight. The "Holy Spirit of the Lord who appeared on the road has sent me to fill you with the Holy Spirit and return they sight."
Paul [Saul] was on fire after that miracle for the Lord's kingdom. He couldn't wait to tell anyone the good news. Job was surprised unwittingly by the Holy Spirit' visit. Other Biblical references to ghosts include the witch of Endor who conjured up the spirit of Samuel who warned King Saul of the Philistines defeat. Brutus was haunted by the ghost of Caesar whose assassination he plotted. Sitting in his tent alone Brutus was confronted by another a spirit of 'horrifying' dimensions with a 'pale, emaciated face' that announced 'I am your evil spirit.' It said, 'You will see me again at Philippi' and it did the night before Brutus was slain on the battlefield at Philippi. The Bible is no stranger to ghost sightings - visual or voices.
Ghosts, those spirit beings of the dead continually rise to haunt the living and even today they have fascinated those of the world who try to understand them. Ghost hunters try to capture the apparitions on infrared film or with EMF equipment (electromagnetic field) meters. Sometimes the voices of spirits can be heard as they roam around us. Those who study such paranormal activity believe that certain events or people from past civilizations leave an imprint of themselves based upon strong emotions left behind or violence [an echo from the past] from murders, killings and misery that can last for centuries. Some theorize that the whole of the past is somewhere recorded in space time as though imprinted on film. It's sort of like a momentary time-warp giving us a quick glimpse of the past in rerun form.
In Brutus' encounter with the evil ghost it brought him a dire warning. That ghost was his harbinger of doom, but not all warnings conveyed by ghosts or apparitions bring harm. Listening to the voices or visions can save lives, too, and I've been visited in my dreams with voices telling me to heed the warnings. I've only heard voices and I obeyed the command, but many of my friends have not feared the dire warnings coming in their dreams, too. Ghosts appear before anyone and warn us of impending disaster or relief from a disaster, but it is how we interpret what is revealed in our dreams that determines if we survive or die. Ghost ships have been seen sailing out of fog banks and many ghosts have been seen and heard in castles, houses, ships and old mansions.
King Henry VIII had six wives, but Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were beheaded, and both of their ghosts haunt the Chapel Royal to this day. Anne Boleyn, Henry's second wife wanders the corridors as a miserable soul in her blue dress. Catherine Howard, who had an adulterous affair, his fifth wife is the palace's noisiest ghost. She has been seen and heard numerous times running and screaming along the long gallery hallway leading to the Chapel Royal door in an attempt to save herself from King Henry's wrath.
Jane Seymour, his third wife died giving birth to Henry's first son, well she has appeared from the Queen's apartment dressed in white carrying a lighted candle as she walks along the Silver Stick Gallery and down the stairs. The baby prince was cared for by Mistress Sibell Penn, his nurse and she appears as a thin, hooded figure in a grey robe that is occasionally seen walking thru walls. Elizabeth I has been seen in the library and King Charles I (beheaded in 1649) too in the Library. King Henry VIII, the master facilitator of all the Chapel Royal ghosts, well his own ghost was seen in 1977 walking the battlements and disappearing into the wall. King Henry's realm was ruled by violence and misery.
Many people today are superstitious when it comes to ghost sightings. Either believe or disbelieve, but ghosts do and will appear from time to time. Some people say my halo flickers from time to time and I'm not dead yet. I'm not quite an angel, but for all intense purposes I'm neither the devil, too. I love to flirt and tease. I put humor in life to make others smile.
I do believe that angels and spirits can talk and watch over us, but other than that they do not have the power to physically intervene in our lives, but I believe they can and do affect outcomes by how we interpret our dreams. We change our destiny seen and heard. The outcomes in our lives are dependent on whether we turn our dreams into reality or pre-destination. We seemingly arrive in time with a God inspired appointment with destiny.
The next several blogs will deal with dreams and destinies of several individuals in my life. You might be surprised at what you'll learn from examples of dream destinies.
Whether angels or spirits are real depends on what we believe as individuals. They can be real or imaginary, but how the visions and voices appears determines our destiny in life. Some angels and spirits are good, but some leaves us with bad vibes (ghosts), that are both good and evil, too. Bad vibes are the least personally shared with others for as humans we are afraid of what other Christians or friends might view as devil thinking. Bad spirits can awaken our curiosity, but a few people go off the deep end and use what we say for ghost entertainment to shock an awe paranormal activity.
Personally I'm not afraid of ghost or witches for God stands beside me or with me, but some people are superstitious and don't even want to meet a ghost, witch let alone a spirit. How about the Holy Spirit?
If I remember my Bible teachings I think it was JOB who had a nerve-wracking visit by a spirit or Holy Ghost and his description of it might shake up anyone when he said, 'Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake. Then a spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.' Paul later called Saul in ACTS 9:3 said, "A brilliant light from heaven spotted down upon me surrounding my every being and I heard a voice" saying "Paul, Paul! Why are you persecuting me?"
Paul couldn't believe it might be Jesus as he weakly asked, "Who is speaking, Sir?" The voice replied back, "I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting!" The men with Paul stood speechless with surprise for they heard the sound of someone's voice, but saw no one! Paul stood up and to his surprise he was blind from the intense light and the spirit told him to have his men take him to Damascus and stay at Judas' house and wait praying for Jesus had given Paul a vision of Ananias laying hands upon him to return his sight. The "Holy Spirit of the Lord who appeared on the road has sent me to fill you with the Holy Spirit and return they sight."
Paul [Saul] was on fire after that miracle for the Lord's kingdom. He couldn't wait to tell anyone the good news. Job was surprised unwittingly by the Holy Spirit' visit. Other Biblical references to ghosts include the witch of Endor who conjured up the spirit of Samuel who warned King Saul of the Philistines defeat. Brutus was haunted by the ghost of Caesar whose assassination he plotted. Sitting in his tent alone Brutus was confronted by another a spirit of 'horrifying' dimensions with a 'pale, emaciated face' that announced 'I am your evil spirit.' It said, 'You will see me again at Philippi' and it did the night before Brutus was slain on the battlefield at Philippi. The Bible is no stranger to ghost sightings - visual or voices.
Ghosts, those spirit beings of the dead continually rise to haunt the living and even today they have fascinated those of the world who try to understand them. Ghost hunters try to capture the apparitions on infrared film or with EMF equipment (electromagnetic field) meters. Sometimes the voices of spirits can be heard as they roam around us. Those who study such paranormal activity believe that certain events or people from past civilizations leave an imprint of themselves based upon strong emotions left behind or violence [an echo from the past] from murders, killings and misery that can last for centuries. Some theorize that the whole of the past is somewhere recorded in space time as though imprinted on film. It's sort of like a momentary time-warp giving us a quick glimpse of the past in rerun form.
In Brutus' encounter with the evil ghost it brought him a dire warning. That ghost was his harbinger of doom, but not all warnings conveyed by ghosts or apparitions bring harm. Listening to the voices or visions can save lives, too, and I've been visited in my dreams with voices telling me to heed the warnings. I've only heard voices and I obeyed the command, but many of my friends have not feared the dire warnings coming in their dreams, too. Ghosts appear before anyone and warn us of impending disaster or relief from a disaster, but it is how we interpret what is revealed in our dreams that determines if we survive or die. Ghost ships have been seen sailing out of fog banks and many ghosts have been seen and heard in castles, houses, ships and old mansions.
King Henry VIII had six wives, but Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard were beheaded, and both of their ghosts haunt the Chapel Royal to this day. Anne Boleyn, Henry's second wife wanders the corridors as a miserable soul in her blue dress. Catherine Howard, who had an adulterous affair, his fifth wife is the palace's noisiest ghost. She has been seen and heard numerous times running and screaming along the long gallery hallway leading to the Chapel Royal door in an attempt to save herself from King Henry's wrath.
Jane Seymour, his third wife died giving birth to Henry's first son, well she has appeared from the Queen's apartment dressed in white carrying a lighted candle as she walks along the Silver Stick Gallery and down the stairs. The baby prince was cared for by Mistress Sibell Penn, his nurse and she appears as a thin, hooded figure in a grey robe that is occasionally seen walking thru walls. Elizabeth I has been seen in the library and King Charles I (beheaded in 1649) too in the Library. King Henry VIII, the master facilitator of all the Chapel Royal ghosts, well his own ghost was seen in 1977 walking the battlements and disappearing into the wall. King Henry's realm was ruled by violence and misery.
Many people today are superstitious when it comes to ghost sightings. Either believe or disbelieve, but ghosts do and will appear from time to time. Some people say my halo flickers from time to time and I'm not dead yet. I'm not quite an angel, but for all intense purposes I'm neither the devil, too. I love to flirt and tease. I put humor in life to make others smile.
I do believe that angels and spirits can talk and watch over us, but other than that they do not have the power to physically intervene in our lives, but I believe they can and do affect outcomes by how we interpret our dreams. We change our destiny seen and heard. The outcomes in our lives are dependent on whether we turn our dreams into reality or pre-destination. We seemingly arrive in time with a God inspired appointment with destiny.
The next several blogs will deal with dreams and destinies of several individuals in my life. You might be surprised at what you'll learn from examples of dream destinies.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Butterflies Are Blooming
Spring will arrive in the northern states of America soon. Winter can't last forever and we are far enough into the new calendar year 2011 so that on the coldest days we can feel the sun's warmth and see the snow melt. I'm ready how about you?
If it's spring weather you like when flowers abound and you can feel genuine early season warmth visit Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan from March thru April. Butterflies emerge from Chrysalids and Atlas and African moon moths from cocoons. A thousand are shipped from Costa Rica, Africa and South America to FMG weekly. Night of the butterflies makes its appearance this Spring, too, with three nights of searching for them with flashlights. All are spectacular creatures to bring back those youthful remembrance days of chasing butterflies with nets or studying moths. The moths with their green, purple and yellow tails are stunning.
Remember chasing butterflies? I always marveled how they always escaped. You'd think they had eyes in the backs of their heads. They do! Human moms have those same eyes - they know when their children are misbehaving!
Butterflies have circle vision. When chased with nets they see our every movement and dodge us. Butterflies have upwards of ten thousand compound eyes in each eye and the only place they can't see is right under their nose just as humans can't do it without moving their lips. Stop that! You don't want your cross-eyes to lock in that position studying the tip of your nose.
The butterflies in the Lena Meijer Conservatory are wild, not tame. If they choose to land on you it is a gift visit, the bright colors of clothing or they adore your fragrance. Overpowering fragrances they do not like. They taste you with their feet and butterflies do not bite, but they do tickle human skin hair.
If a gorgeous Postman butterfly does land on you don't touch, because the wing scales rub off on damp fingertips. Touching the butterflies is a no-no. You must stroke their beauty with your eyes only and not touch. Butterflies and body parts are very fragile and do not respond well to touching by children or adults so, too, you must watch where you walk since they like to land on well traveled cobblestone pathways in the conservatory.
If you see one of the few frogs; terrestrial or tree frogs eat a butterfly, well 'that's life'. Every living creature on earth must eat to survive and in the warm tropical conservatory the frogs and chameleons will eat 3-4 small butterflies in a single afternoon. Many a person has asked me to rescue a butterfly that was snatched for an afternoon snack. Can't its got more rights than us to eat what it sees practically land on its nose. Butterflies fly free, but a frog's long tongue lashes out like a lightning bolt and it don't miss. Butterflies are stupid and commit suicide landings within tongue's reach. Frogs pick and choose what's best to eat. Stomach expands.
Butterfly wings are color-coded for danger. Bright colors of black, yellow, orange and red combinations are warning colors that mean; eat at your own risk. "I can injure or kill you, which do you prefer". The birds of the air, the animals on land and fish under the sea know enough not to attack a colorful butterfly. Wing colors sometimes mimic poisonous species. You can come and watch life unfold in the conservatory as Cross-bearing treefrogs target the Postman butterfly. It'll eat until its belly is full in a single afternoon. This frog was not planted in the conservatory, but some things show up unannounced from hiding in plant material or root balls. They share the stories of our lives with family and friends viewing colorful butterflies on a warm winter day.
If you have a fascination for trying to find butterflies at night bring the whole family, because nighttime viewing is hard work, because butterflies hide efficiently. Thousands fly free during the day, but when the sun goes down they simply disappear and segregate together and rest in the trees, plants and flowers until the warm rays of sun again appear in the conservatory. Butterflies need the sun's warmth. Dark clouds and gray days they aren't as active just like humans and muskrats that feel so gloomy on gray days of winter.
Night of the Butterflies is Monday, March 7, Sunday, March 13, and Saturday, March 26. Doors open at 5 p.m. with events and activities begin at 6 p.m. For daily viewing contact Frederik Meijer Gardens (FMG) or find hours of operations on the web. Don't forget to bring a charged camera. See you there!
If it's spring weather you like when flowers abound and you can feel genuine early season warmth visit Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids, Michigan from March thru April. Butterflies emerge from Chrysalids and Atlas and African moon moths from cocoons. A thousand are shipped from Costa Rica, Africa and South America to FMG weekly. Night of the butterflies makes its appearance this Spring, too, with three nights of searching for them with flashlights. All are spectacular creatures to bring back those youthful remembrance days of chasing butterflies with nets or studying moths. The moths with their green, purple and yellow tails are stunning.
Remember chasing butterflies? I always marveled how they always escaped. You'd think they had eyes in the backs of their heads. They do! Human moms have those same eyes - they know when their children are misbehaving!
Butterflies have circle vision. When chased with nets they see our every movement and dodge us. Butterflies have upwards of ten thousand compound eyes in each eye and the only place they can't see is right under their nose just as humans can't do it without moving their lips. Stop that! You don't want your cross-eyes to lock in that position studying the tip of your nose.
The butterflies in the Lena Meijer Conservatory are wild, not tame. If they choose to land on you it is a gift visit, the bright colors of clothing or they adore your fragrance. Overpowering fragrances they do not like. They taste you with their feet and butterflies do not bite, but they do tickle human skin hair.
If a gorgeous Postman butterfly does land on you don't touch, because the wing scales rub off on damp fingertips. Touching the butterflies is a no-no. You must stroke their beauty with your eyes only and not touch. Butterflies and body parts are very fragile and do not respond well to touching by children or adults so, too, you must watch where you walk since they like to land on well traveled cobblestone pathways in the conservatory.
If you see one of the few frogs; terrestrial or tree frogs eat a butterfly, well 'that's life'. Every living creature on earth must eat to survive and in the warm tropical conservatory the frogs and chameleons will eat 3-4 small butterflies in a single afternoon. Many a person has asked me to rescue a butterfly that was snatched for an afternoon snack. Can't its got more rights than us to eat what it sees practically land on its nose. Butterflies fly free, but a frog's long tongue lashes out like a lightning bolt and it don't miss. Butterflies are stupid and commit suicide landings within tongue's reach. Frogs pick and choose what's best to eat. Stomach expands.
Butterfly wings are color-coded for danger. Bright colors of black, yellow, orange and red combinations are warning colors that mean; eat at your own risk. "I can injure or kill you, which do you prefer". The birds of the air, the animals on land and fish under the sea know enough not to attack a colorful butterfly. Wing colors sometimes mimic poisonous species. You can come and watch life unfold in the conservatory as Cross-bearing treefrogs target the Postman butterfly. It'll eat until its belly is full in a single afternoon. This frog was not planted in the conservatory, but some things show up unannounced from hiding in plant material or root balls. They share the stories of our lives with family and friends viewing colorful butterflies on a warm winter day.
If you have a fascination for trying to find butterflies at night bring the whole family, because nighttime viewing is hard work, because butterflies hide efficiently. Thousands fly free during the day, but when the sun goes down they simply disappear and segregate together and rest in the trees, plants and flowers until the warm rays of sun again appear in the conservatory. Butterflies need the sun's warmth. Dark clouds and gray days they aren't as active just like humans and muskrats that feel so gloomy on gray days of winter.
Night of the Butterflies is Monday, March 7, Sunday, March 13, and Saturday, March 26. Doors open at 5 p.m. with events and activities begin at 6 p.m. For daily viewing contact Frederik Meijer Gardens (FMG) or find hours of operations on the web. Don't forget to bring a charged camera. See you there!
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
The Legend of Chief Wabasis' Lost Treasure - 133
Chief John Wabasis' Lost Treasure still waits unclaimed in his secret burial spot. Many have searched by day and with lanterns at night within the confines of Wabasis Lake Park and Campgrounds, the ancestral home of Wabasis and family. Men with glistening eyes don't come as frequently, but when they do come they bring the most sophisticated metal detectors and small digging tools. Some bring flashlights, lanterns and shovels hoping to find the lost cache that someone else missed.
Anyone who has ever dragged out metal detectors for any length of time knows that no matter how expensive the unit you still find lots of junk. Treasure hunting isn't for everyone and certainly not for couch potatoes who suddenly go wild over something they saw on TV. Treasure hunting can be exciting, but do some homework whether buying metal detectors or researching possible treasure cache sites. Treasure hunting is an excellent hobby for those who need to get outdoors and exercise, but it can also be physically challenging depending on what it is you seek. Beachcombing is wonderful to take in the sights of beauty - not just coins, but sea girls and boys, too, but do it from behind sunglasses dark enough so the girlfriend, wife or husband doesn't catch you staring distantly too long.
Treasure hunting can be an exhilerating sport that pits machine against man. Having good treasure hunting equipment and vehicles means little if you aren't physically capable, too, to handle the rigors of walking, climbing and digging getting your hands dirty. Be aware, too, the fact that it is important for you to be current on tetanus shots since you will encounter many rusty nails, metal, etc. Not everything a metal detector finds is worth money at a pawn shop or artifact swap meet. For most relic hunters it's a never ending battle to find something that others missed in a park. Depending on where modern age relic hunters prospect go to find artifacts it is important to understand that some sites require the hunter to show respect; namely old battefields and cemeteries. Tread carefully on cherished ground. To thoughtlessly litter or disgrace the landscape is nothing short of desecrating hallowed ground especially if that ground has been stained by human blood from dying soldiers and Indians. Indian cemeteries and graves are hallowed ground. Act human and tread lightly. It is when we get caught up in the excitement of the hunt that we sometimes get careless and forgetful.
Be wary of your surroundings while you listen with detector headphones. Be careful where you step because some of the biggest finds are where you don't expect them. Wabasis was a smart, jovial Indian, who listened to his own gut feelings when traveling. It wasn't until after his death in May 1863 that incoming settlers; farmers and lumbermen began to hear about Wabasis' lost treasure at Wabasis Lake. For more than twenty- four years they couldn't fathom what Wabasis had done to local Indians to make them so mad as to banish him for life to live at Wabasis Lake. Not all Indians hated Wabasis - just those who claimed Wabasis was stealing their treaty monies, but these were those Indians that were not recognized as worthy by the Great Chiefs and Indian superintendents. The Indians were required to maintain certain standards of which Chief Mucktasha didn't abide by, but rather scorned both government and incoming settlers.
Most treasure hunters search by daylight, while some of the most nocturnal use metal detectors, EMF recorders and infrared photography hoping to find a ghost hovering above or in the vicinity of a treasure cache. Hunting for ghosts is not for the squeamish or those afraid of paranormal activity. Ghost appearances do turn off relic hunters and there are those treasure hunters that have hunted for Wabasis treasure who say he protects the treasure. Even after Wabasis' death the Indians who searched for the lost treasure report Wabasis' spirit haunted their best attempts to locate the gold and silver cache. His spirit's energy field won't tempt you into hunting longer, and so, too, he won't give you the key to finding his treasure.
"All of us have an energy field (magnetic) within us... (or that surrounds of every being). Ghosts are energy forces left behind. The main reason for a ghost's existence is a traumatic or violent death. The spirit stays behind to continue doing what it did when it was incarnated in a body, replaying the death scene, perhaps in a robotic way, or resolving some conflict at the time of death," said Norm Gauthier, founder and director of the Society for Psychic Research.
Do ghosts exist? Wabasis' ghost reportedly exists? It's been seen in the Wabasis Lake Park on dark nights. Rarely is a white ghost form seen in moonlight, but those who report they've seen his spirit are sure he protects the treasure cache from those lantern holding treasure and relic hunters. Wabasis' spirit legend has deep roots acquired from those who have searched in vain and found nothing. Just because you've never seen the treasure doesn't mean it never really existed and just because you've never seen Wabasis' ghost does it doesn't it mean it doesn't exist. Wabasis' ghost, the spirit of his dead body continues to rise and haunt the living who search for his treasure or could it be just the foggy mists of Wabasis Lake hovering above the trees on cooling nights?
Spirits can be good or evil. Ghosts have been on earth since the days when Brutus and Cassius plotted the assassination of Caesar and Brutus was later haunted by Caesar's ghost (44 b.c.) as he was making battle plans against Anthony and Octavian (Augustus when emperor). Brutus was sitting alone in his tent when a spirit of horrifying gigantic proportions with a pale, emaciated face startled him saying 'I am your evil spirit' and said, 'You will see me again at Philippi'. This evil spirit Brutus saw again the night before he died on the battlefield at Philippi. The Holy Bible is no stranger to ghost sightings for even Job was nerve-wracked when a ghost appeared in front of him in which he said "Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake... as the spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.' He might have seen the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.
Paranormal researchers believe those who die violent deaths leave in imprint on localities caused by strong emotions experienced. The spirit or ghost is seen as a echo of the past that can last for years or centuries. This is why ghosts are associated with sightings where there has been a lot or misery, violence and murder. Wabasis lived all three threats for twenty-four years so theoretically his spirit was recorded somewhere in space and those who say they've seen his ghost have fallen into a momentary time-warp, which allows those who've seen him a quick glimpse of his past (pre-recorded on film). Want to find Wabasis' treasure?
Simply get some infrared film and EMF recording equipment and enjoy the park on the darkest of nights. His ghost has never been described as evil - just haunting those who search for his possible treasure cache of gold and silver. Wabasis was killed in Section 5 of Cannon Township and his spirit today hangs out in Section 29 of Oakfield Township (Kent County) Michigan. Wabasis might have died seven miles from Wabasis Lake, but unknown if any sightings of his ghost or spirit exist in the Leach Swamp region of Cannon Township and Barkley Creek glacial canyon in Plainfield Township. Unknown is where he hid the bulk of his treasure between Michael Smith's residence near the mouth of the Rogue River to where Wabasis was killed.
What physical feature existed in the 1840's that still hasn't been found today? That I believe is the key to finding Chief John Wabasis' Lost Treasure. Is it lost in Leach Swamp or Barkley Creek region. The stream's headwater is Lake Bella Vista. Maybe it's your time as a treasure or relic hunter to skirmish with Wabasis' ghost.
As a steward of history it is important to keep the history of our area and the people who live there ALIVE for the generations to follow. Legends never die, but sometimes legends get so big it becomes hard to understand what is factual or fiction. Whatever you do show some respect for the dead and study hard and take the time to reason with others and listen with a straining ear what others report. This concludes "The Legend of Chief Wabasis' Lost Treasure."
Anyone who has ever dragged out metal detectors for any length of time knows that no matter how expensive the unit you still find lots of junk. Treasure hunting isn't for everyone and certainly not for couch potatoes who suddenly go wild over something they saw on TV. Treasure hunting can be exciting, but do some homework whether buying metal detectors or researching possible treasure cache sites. Treasure hunting is an excellent hobby for those who need to get outdoors and exercise, but it can also be physically challenging depending on what it is you seek. Beachcombing is wonderful to take in the sights of beauty - not just coins, but sea girls and boys, too, but do it from behind sunglasses dark enough so the girlfriend, wife or husband doesn't catch you staring distantly too long.
Treasure hunting can be an exhilerating sport that pits machine against man. Having good treasure hunting equipment and vehicles means little if you aren't physically capable, too, to handle the rigors of walking, climbing and digging getting your hands dirty. Be aware, too, the fact that it is important for you to be current on tetanus shots since you will encounter many rusty nails, metal, etc. Not everything a metal detector finds is worth money at a pawn shop or artifact swap meet. For most relic hunters it's a never ending battle to find something that others missed in a park. Depending on where modern age relic hunters prospect go to find artifacts it is important to understand that some sites require the hunter to show respect; namely old battefields and cemeteries. Tread carefully on cherished ground. To thoughtlessly litter or disgrace the landscape is nothing short of desecrating hallowed ground especially if that ground has been stained by human blood from dying soldiers and Indians. Indian cemeteries and graves are hallowed ground. Act human and tread lightly. It is when we get caught up in the excitement of the hunt that we sometimes get careless and forgetful.
Be wary of your surroundings while you listen with detector headphones. Be careful where you step because some of the biggest finds are where you don't expect them. Wabasis was a smart, jovial Indian, who listened to his own gut feelings when traveling. It wasn't until after his death in May 1863 that incoming settlers; farmers and lumbermen began to hear about Wabasis' lost treasure at Wabasis Lake. For more than twenty- four years they couldn't fathom what Wabasis had done to local Indians to make them so mad as to banish him for life to live at Wabasis Lake. Not all Indians hated Wabasis - just those who claimed Wabasis was stealing their treaty monies, but these were those Indians that were not recognized as worthy by the Great Chiefs and Indian superintendents. The Indians were required to maintain certain standards of which Chief Mucktasha didn't abide by, but rather scorned both government and incoming settlers.
Most treasure hunters search by daylight, while some of the most nocturnal use metal detectors, EMF recorders and infrared photography hoping to find a ghost hovering above or in the vicinity of a treasure cache. Hunting for ghosts is not for the squeamish or those afraid of paranormal activity. Ghost appearances do turn off relic hunters and there are those treasure hunters that have hunted for Wabasis treasure who say he protects the treasure. Even after Wabasis' death the Indians who searched for the lost treasure report Wabasis' spirit haunted their best attempts to locate the gold and silver cache. His spirit's energy field won't tempt you into hunting longer, and so, too, he won't give you the key to finding his treasure.
"All of us have an energy field (magnetic) within us... (or that surrounds of every being). Ghosts are energy forces left behind. The main reason for a ghost's existence is a traumatic or violent death. The spirit stays behind to continue doing what it did when it was incarnated in a body, replaying the death scene, perhaps in a robotic way, or resolving some conflict at the time of death," said Norm Gauthier, founder and director of the Society for Psychic Research.
Do ghosts exist? Wabasis' ghost reportedly exists? It's been seen in the Wabasis Lake Park on dark nights. Rarely is a white ghost form seen in moonlight, but those who report they've seen his spirit are sure he protects the treasure cache from those lantern holding treasure and relic hunters. Wabasis' spirit legend has deep roots acquired from those who have searched in vain and found nothing. Just because you've never seen the treasure doesn't mean it never really existed and just because you've never seen Wabasis' ghost does it doesn't it mean it doesn't exist. Wabasis' ghost, the spirit of his dead body continues to rise and haunt the living who search for his treasure or could it be just the foggy mists of Wabasis Lake hovering above the trees on cooling nights?
Spirits can be good or evil. Ghosts have been on earth since the days when Brutus and Cassius plotted the assassination of Caesar and Brutus was later haunted by Caesar's ghost (44 b.c.) as he was making battle plans against Anthony and Octavian (Augustus when emperor). Brutus was sitting alone in his tent when a spirit of horrifying gigantic proportions with a pale, emaciated face startled him saying 'I am your evil spirit' and said, 'You will see me again at Philippi'. This evil spirit Brutus saw again the night before he died on the battlefield at Philippi. The Holy Bible is no stranger to ghost sightings for even Job was nerve-wracked when a ghost appeared in front of him in which he said "Fear came upon me, and trembling, which made all my bones shake... as the spirit passed before my face; the hair of my flesh stood up.' He might have seen the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit.
Paranormal researchers believe those who die violent deaths leave in imprint on localities caused by strong emotions experienced. The spirit or ghost is seen as a echo of the past that can last for years or centuries. This is why ghosts are associated with sightings where there has been a lot or misery, violence and murder. Wabasis lived all three threats for twenty-four years so theoretically his spirit was recorded somewhere in space and those who say they've seen his ghost have fallen into a momentary time-warp, which allows those who've seen him a quick glimpse of his past (pre-recorded on film). Want to find Wabasis' treasure?
Simply get some infrared film and EMF recording equipment and enjoy the park on the darkest of nights. His ghost has never been described as evil - just haunting those who search for his possible treasure cache of gold and silver. Wabasis was killed in Section 5 of Cannon Township and his spirit today hangs out in Section 29 of Oakfield Township (Kent County) Michigan. Wabasis might have died seven miles from Wabasis Lake, but unknown if any sightings of his ghost or spirit exist in the Leach Swamp region of Cannon Township and Barkley Creek glacial canyon in Plainfield Township. Unknown is where he hid the bulk of his treasure between Michael Smith's residence near the mouth of the Rogue River to where Wabasis was killed.
What physical feature existed in the 1840's that still hasn't been found today? That I believe is the key to finding Chief John Wabasis' Lost Treasure. Is it lost in Leach Swamp or Barkley Creek region. The stream's headwater is Lake Bella Vista. Maybe it's your time as a treasure or relic hunter to skirmish with Wabasis' ghost.
As a steward of history it is important to keep the history of our area and the people who live there ALIVE for the generations to follow. Legends never die, but sometimes legends get so big it becomes hard to understand what is factual or fiction. Whatever you do show some respect for the dead and study hard and take the time to reason with others and listen with a straining ear what others report. This concludes "The Legend of Chief Wabasis' Lost Treasure."
Friday, January 14, 2011
The Legend of Chief Wabasis' Lost Treasure - 132
Chief Wabasis' banishment to his farm property at Wabasis Lake was a livesaver. Mucktasha was hoping to get a more favorable response out of the Grand River chiefs. He argued against sparing Wabasis' life. He sought revenge against Wabasis for his portrayal of Wabasis as a scoundrel and thief, but Wabasis at the council meetings defended himself repeatedly with "That's all the money there is and no more." It was 'tit for tat' and most of the chiefs refused to believe that John Wabasis, the pillar of Indian honesty would do otherwise. The chiefs knew of Mucktasha's hatred for Wabasis and incoming settlers and did their best to neutralize the situation.
Mucktasha wanted retribution for Wabasis helping the Grand River chiefs cede their lands to the U.S. government or sold to settlers. Legend has it that Wabasis didn't share the money, but kept it for himself, burying it, which earned him the fury of Mucktasha's tribe and a few other outlying chiefs. The biggest tribal chiefs chose to spare his life so that Wabasis in a moment of weakness would hopefully lead them to recover the gold and silver he supposedly stashed. To step off Wabasis' property meant instant death by any Indian.
Wabasis remained on his property for twenty-four years. His wife and children could come and go and they remained at his side until his death. Muctasha arrived each May for his share of money, but Wabasis stated there wasn't any and after many more years of Wabasis silence, the blackskin chief became more enraged by his failure to collect his money and he convinced Chief Neogamah, that it was hightime to carry out Indian justice and pass sentence and execute Wabasis. Both Indians in a visit to Wabasis lake enticed Wabasis to go to a corn festival at Prairie Indian village at Plainfield. What they never told Wabasis was that Prairie Village had been deserted since 1860. The Treaty of 1855 ended Indian occupation of any lands north of the Grand River. Most of the Indians went either to Mt. Pleasant, Pentwater or Petoskey. Muctasha and his band were considered derelicts or renegades who had always been trouble makers and who didn't abide with any treaties.
Chief Neogamah and Mucktasha convinced the depressed Wabasis in a friendly sort of way to trick him into leaving his property. Under whiteman law it'd be known as premeditated murder, but under Indian law it was justifiable execution. So in May 1863 Wabasis left by way of the Plainfield-Sheridan Trail, but he only walked about 10 miles when he met Neogamah and Muctasha at the Rum Creek crossing (Kies Rd.). As they sat in the lite of the campfire they all drank firewater in excess until liquor seized their minds and then the two stood angrily above Wabasis and beat the life out of him with firebrands and rocks. It was a violent death scene. No longer were they interested in finding the treasure, but revenge.
The next morning two farmers traveling down the trail noticed the smoldering fire and checked it out and found the bloodied body of Wabasis lying on the blank. Albert Pickett, the Marshal in Rockford and a Cannon Township Constable arrived and they confirmed it was Wabasis and the lawmen told the farmers Indian justice had finally been dealt out and it was none of their business to interfer. Wabasis was executed with the help of whiteman firewater, but if his death sentence were carried out in 1848, the outcome would have been even more brutal.
If Wabasis would have been sentenced and executed by the chiefs, they would have put a hatchet in his hands and led him to a large hollow log for which he was to fashion his own coffin to admit his body. He was then led away and tied to a tree and for the next several days to a week was tortured nightly in firelight, his skin burned by flames as drunken Indians took turns flitting arrows at his standing body. They'd have cut off his ears and nose and more cruel torture by liquor ensued until at last his head drooped towards the earth. Indian justice was mutilation.
Wabasis' body was removed by Indians and taken reportedly to Prairie Village. Legends say he was buried inside a crib with his head above ground and his knife at his side to display Indian retribution. His head could look out over the land he helped cede to the US government, but Wabasis wasn't buried looking south from the bluffs.
Wabasis was buried south of the Grand River looking north. In fact, I visited his monument in the late 1950's in Plainfield Township. Wabasis' monument was in the island south of where Plainfield Avenue meets the East Beltline that forms Northland Drive. The bronze marker plaque on a large granite stone was vandalized and removed by hoodlums in the early 1960's. The stone was then removed over to the Grand Rapids Gravel Company (where Walgreen's and Wendy's is today). Chief Kewaycooshcum's grave does look south from the bluffs of Prairie Village, but not Wabasis'. Kewaycooshcum signed the Treaty of 1821 ceding all lands south of the Grand River, but Wabasis wasn't a signee of the Treaty of 1836 or any treaties.
The Legend of Chief Wabasis' lost treasure didn't end here, but ever since 1863 wandering Indians and treasure hunters with greedy glints in their eyes with lanterns, picks, shovels, metal detectors and flashlights in hand have been seeking Wabasis' treasure troves. Upon hearing of Wabasis' death other Indians were angier at those who killed Wabasis so viciously. Down thru the years many have searched for Wabasis' gold, but what they encountered on dark nights has scared the living daylights out of some by Wabasis' angry ghost. Indian legends foretell how an angry ghost scared them, too.
Sightings of Wabasis' ghost rise to haunt the living when someone gets too close. Whether Wabasis' spirit is being used for 'evil' or good depends on the searcher for Wabasis' treasure trove. His violent death would indicate that on certain occasions his spirit is seeking revenge against those who killed him. His strong emotions at the time of his death may have left an imprint on the locality because he felt he was wrongly judged. Ghosts seem to only inhabit sites where there was lots of misery and violence or murder, but one would think that his ghost would be where he was murdered. Some believe the whole of the past is recorded somewhere in spacetime as though it were on film to be shown in the future. Those who see Wabasis ghost are caught in a momentary time-warp (trap) that if one were thinking as a treasure hunter might get a quick glimpse of the past in rerun time.
Shortly after Wabasis' death the Mucktasha tribe descended upon Wabasis property and searched nightly, but each time Wabasis angry ghost appeared spooking their horses, which in turn made them run, too. What they saw rattled their bones. Other treasure hunters report when Wabasis' angry ghost appears the hairs on their flesh stands at attention causing them to tremble and shake violently as if Wabasis' ghost has beseiged them. Don't laugh for legend has it that Caesar's ghost haunted Brutus who plotted his assassination. In the Holy Bible even Job saw a ghost that caused him much fear. Ghosts appear in darkness, not by light of day.
There is another legend within Wabasis' legend that fortells that when Chief Neogamah and Muctashas visited him to entice him to leave his property he was depressed. In the mid 1850's Wabasis' daughter who was in here early twenties had fallen in love with an Indian brave whom he didn't approve of. He forbid her to marry him, but she fell out of love for her father and reportedly stole the hidden stash and ran off with her lover. It is said she broke her father's heart and will to survive. Whether this legend is true is unknown. It has been said that ghosts are often associated with dire warnings for the living, but sometimes ghosts can save lives, so be careful where and what you do as you search for Chief John Wabasis' lost treasure. History has shown that when you mix Indians with treasures to be found they come with curses so beware!
Maybe the reason why Wabasis' lost treasure has never been found is because that's the way his ghost wants it. To my knowledge nobody has ever found anything of value, but just because you haven't found it doesn't mean it never existed.
Mucktasha wanted retribution for Wabasis helping the Grand River chiefs cede their lands to the U.S. government or sold to settlers. Legend has it that Wabasis didn't share the money, but kept it for himself, burying it, which earned him the fury of Mucktasha's tribe and a few other outlying chiefs. The biggest tribal chiefs chose to spare his life so that Wabasis in a moment of weakness would hopefully lead them to recover the gold and silver he supposedly stashed. To step off Wabasis' property meant instant death by any Indian.
Wabasis remained on his property for twenty-four years. His wife and children could come and go and they remained at his side until his death. Muctasha arrived each May for his share of money, but Wabasis stated there wasn't any and after many more years of Wabasis silence, the blackskin chief became more enraged by his failure to collect his money and he convinced Chief Neogamah, that it was hightime to carry out Indian justice and pass sentence and execute Wabasis. Both Indians in a visit to Wabasis lake enticed Wabasis to go to a corn festival at Prairie Indian village at Plainfield. What they never told Wabasis was that Prairie Village had been deserted since 1860. The Treaty of 1855 ended Indian occupation of any lands north of the Grand River. Most of the Indians went either to Mt. Pleasant, Pentwater or Petoskey. Muctasha and his band were considered derelicts or renegades who had always been trouble makers and who didn't abide with any treaties.
Chief Neogamah and Mucktasha convinced the depressed Wabasis in a friendly sort of way to trick him into leaving his property. Under whiteman law it'd be known as premeditated murder, but under Indian law it was justifiable execution. So in May 1863 Wabasis left by way of the Plainfield-Sheridan Trail, but he only walked about 10 miles when he met Neogamah and Muctasha at the Rum Creek crossing (Kies Rd.). As they sat in the lite of the campfire they all drank firewater in excess until liquor seized their minds and then the two stood angrily above Wabasis and beat the life out of him with firebrands and rocks. It was a violent death scene. No longer were they interested in finding the treasure, but revenge.
The next morning two farmers traveling down the trail noticed the smoldering fire and checked it out and found the bloodied body of Wabasis lying on the blank. Albert Pickett, the Marshal in Rockford and a Cannon Township Constable arrived and they confirmed it was Wabasis and the lawmen told the farmers Indian justice had finally been dealt out and it was none of their business to interfer. Wabasis was executed with the help of whiteman firewater, but if his death sentence were carried out in 1848, the outcome would have been even more brutal.
If Wabasis would have been sentenced and executed by the chiefs, they would have put a hatchet in his hands and led him to a large hollow log for which he was to fashion his own coffin to admit his body. He was then led away and tied to a tree and for the next several days to a week was tortured nightly in firelight, his skin burned by flames as drunken Indians took turns flitting arrows at his standing body. They'd have cut off his ears and nose and more cruel torture by liquor ensued until at last his head drooped towards the earth. Indian justice was mutilation.
Wabasis' body was removed by Indians and taken reportedly to Prairie Village. Legends say he was buried inside a crib with his head above ground and his knife at his side to display Indian retribution. His head could look out over the land he helped cede to the US government, but Wabasis wasn't buried looking south from the bluffs.
Wabasis was buried south of the Grand River looking north. In fact, I visited his monument in the late 1950's in Plainfield Township. Wabasis' monument was in the island south of where Plainfield Avenue meets the East Beltline that forms Northland Drive. The bronze marker plaque on a large granite stone was vandalized and removed by hoodlums in the early 1960's. The stone was then removed over to the Grand Rapids Gravel Company (where Walgreen's and Wendy's is today). Chief Kewaycooshcum's grave does look south from the bluffs of Prairie Village, but not Wabasis'. Kewaycooshcum signed the Treaty of 1821 ceding all lands south of the Grand River, but Wabasis wasn't a signee of the Treaty of 1836 or any treaties.
The Legend of Chief Wabasis' lost treasure didn't end here, but ever since 1863 wandering Indians and treasure hunters with greedy glints in their eyes with lanterns, picks, shovels, metal detectors and flashlights in hand have been seeking Wabasis' treasure troves. Upon hearing of Wabasis' death other Indians were angier at those who killed Wabasis so viciously. Down thru the years many have searched for Wabasis' gold, but what they encountered on dark nights has scared the living daylights out of some by Wabasis' angry ghost. Indian legends foretell how an angry ghost scared them, too.
Sightings of Wabasis' ghost rise to haunt the living when someone gets too close. Whether Wabasis' spirit is being used for 'evil' or good depends on the searcher for Wabasis' treasure trove. His violent death would indicate that on certain occasions his spirit is seeking revenge against those who killed him. His strong emotions at the time of his death may have left an imprint on the locality because he felt he was wrongly judged. Ghosts seem to only inhabit sites where there was lots of misery and violence or murder, but one would think that his ghost would be where he was murdered. Some believe the whole of the past is recorded somewhere in spacetime as though it were on film to be shown in the future. Those who see Wabasis ghost are caught in a momentary time-warp (trap) that if one were thinking as a treasure hunter might get a quick glimpse of the past in rerun time.
Shortly after Wabasis' death the Mucktasha tribe descended upon Wabasis property and searched nightly, but each time Wabasis angry ghost appeared spooking their horses, which in turn made them run, too. What they saw rattled their bones. Other treasure hunters report when Wabasis' angry ghost appears the hairs on their flesh stands at attention causing them to tremble and shake violently as if Wabasis' ghost has beseiged them. Don't laugh for legend has it that Caesar's ghost haunted Brutus who plotted his assassination. In the Holy Bible even Job saw a ghost that caused him much fear. Ghosts appear in darkness, not by light of day.
There is another legend within Wabasis' legend that fortells that when Chief Neogamah and Muctashas visited him to entice him to leave his property he was depressed. In the mid 1850's Wabasis' daughter who was in here early twenties had fallen in love with an Indian brave whom he didn't approve of. He forbid her to marry him, but she fell out of love for her father and reportedly stole the hidden stash and ran off with her lover. It is said she broke her father's heart and will to survive. Whether this legend is true is unknown. It has been said that ghosts are often associated with dire warnings for the living, but sometimes ghosts can save lives, so be careful where and what you do as you search for Chief John Wabasis' lost treasure. History has shown that when you mix Indians with treasures to be found they come with curses so beware!
Maybe the reason why Wabasis' lost treasure has never been found is because that's the way his ghost wants it. To my knowledge nobody has ever found anything of value, but just because you haven't found it doesn't mean it never existed.
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