California was once home to over 300 Native American dialects and as many as 90 languages. Today, only about half of those languages are still with us and many are working to revive them.

Often, it is the “things” of this world we cling to, those things that fill the empty hours and empty hearts. But God says, “return to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12). He wants the Holy Spirit to fill those empty places. What things in your life, or time-wasters in your day, are taking you further away from Jesus?

In the ancient church, the weeks leading up to Easter were a time of preparation for those who were to be baptized with the Easter vigil on Holy Saturday. So, it is seems especially fitting, during this time of reflection and soul searching, that we ask for your help.

Creator God, we thank you for all the blessings we have received from your gracious hand.  Thank you for the rescue and renewal you provide in Jesus.  As I journey with you this Lenten season, renew and encourage my faith and trust in you. Help me to remember the new life you gave me at my baptism, and remind me daily what it means to be a child of God and to live in that new life. Amen.

If this were Advent, you would have seen reminders of it everywhere – “Jesus is the reason for the season.”  Because the celebration of Christmas, as a remembrance of Christ’s birth, has become entangled with the secular celebration, many people need constant reminders to refocus on Him and not on gifts or food, our loved ones or ourselves.

But this is Lent, and Lent is for true believers.

The secret behind Gideon's power was that "the Spirit of the Lord came upon [him]" (Judges 6:34). He may have been fearful of the task ahead of him, but he was God-confident.

There is no need to be self-confident (or reliant on yourself) when God is on your side and behind your plans. God does not need large numbers.

If Jesus [prayed] in the morning, how much more important is it for us, before the world gets possession of our thoughts; before Satan fills us with unholy feelings; when we rise fresh from beds of repose, and while the world around us is still!

The Last Conquistador: This documentary covers the decade-long (1997-2007) protests by members of the Acoma tribe against the construction of a two-million dollar statue of Juan de Onate in El Paso, Texas. Onate, a Spanish explorer, was exiled from New Mexico due to his cruelty to the native peoples by the Spanish government in 1614.

This Week in Native American News: an art show, a bonfire, and some comic books.