My name is Naomi Colelay. I’ve lived on the White Mountain Apache Reservation all my life. As a child, I had both parents in the home.
I Should Be Dead
Before I became a Christian, I was wild and didn’t respect myself or anyone else. I was a pretty ignorant person. I had begun drinking and smoking heavily at a young age.
Finding Purpose in the Storms
Storms and trials are part of the human experience on this earth. It has been said that you are either just entering a storm, enduring a storm, or just coming out of a storm.
God’s Pathway to Freedom
The Christian life is a battleground. Even though we are forgiven by God’s grace, we are still prone to yield to our sinful nature. As Christians, we do not have to continue living in sin, because through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we can live victorious over self-destruction!
Pursued by Hope
I stood before the judge as a desperate 24-year-old, overwhelmed by the consequences of my life choices. I felt completely defeated by addiction, and the word “hope” had no meaning in my life. All of society’s efforts to reform me had failed.
Freedom From Addiction!
Before Christ, my life was a mess, and I grew up a screw up. My life went against all society’s standards of normality. I grew up off-reserve in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. I had a decent family and attended a religious school. I excelled academically and athletically as an urban Indian. But growing up as a marginalized, stigmatized Indian caused me to experience great shame and unnecessary oppression.
Bright Hope For Tomorrow
It was the winter of 1979. My wife Kathy and I were rejoicing in the birth of our first-born son. We named him Nathaniel Ara Ross. I was working in a factory on night shift to make ends meet. At night when I came home, I would check on Nathaniel. Those precious days were filled with joy and wonder.
Thinking Suicide?
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please know this article is intended to help you, but it might also serve as a trigger. Please consider reading this with a close friend or family member who can help you process this information.
Can These Wounds Be Healed?
Every generation matters in our Native community. We honor the wisdom of our elders and protect our children as our greatest resource. Family ties are strong. Our land has been our home for generations, and our culture values each generation.
Helping Hurting People
We live in a broken world. People are hurting. As Native Americans, our communities have the highest rates of suicide of any people group in the country.
God’s Love is…
We all yearn to love and be loved. And yet, as we grow in our life experiences, we can grow disillusioned with love. Maybe we have yet to feel truly loved and accepted by our family or community. Maybe we have struggled to love those that are closest to us.