Notes from Alex

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  • Ride Now, Ride Now: The Call to Courage

    When darkness gathers, it’s not the time to retreat—it’s the time to rise. “Arise, arise, Riders of Théoden!Fell deeds awake, fire and slaughter!Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered,A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises!Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!”— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King There’s something in the human…

  • In God’s World, Transitions Are Invitations

    “Moving Beyond the Unknown into God’s Designed Destiny”By Alex Atkinson Jr. Transitions can feel like endings. Like we’re leaving behind a chapter we weren’t quite ready to close. Whether it’s a job change, a move, a relationship shift, or even just growing older—these moments can bring uncertainty. But in God’s world, transitions are never just…

  • Unity in the Village: Why Love Still Matters in Small Town Life

    “Choosing Unity Over Division in the Place We All Call Home”By Alex Atkinson Jr. I’ve lived in a small town most of my life. Metlakatla, Alaska, is home—and like many small towns across the country, we carry both the beauty and the burden of close-knit living. We know one another. We share history, hardship, and…

  • “The Blanket, The Dream, and the Song”

    By Alex Atkinson Jr. There are moments in life that are too exact, too timely, too profound to be coincidence. I want to share one of those moments with you—an experience that has stayed with me for years and still stirs something deep in my spirit. I was living in California at the time. One…

  • From the Docks to the Sky: How I Became a Seaplane Pilot from a Tiny Native Village in Alaska

    Notes from AlexBy Alex Atkinson Jr. I grew up in a small Native American village tucked away in the breathtaking wilderness of Southeast Alaska. Metlakatla—our only Native American reserve in the state—is a close-knit fishing and lumber town on Annette Island. That’s home. In Metlakatla, the rhythm of life follows the tides. Fishing isn’t just…

  • “When Nature Speaks, What Is Heaven Saying?”

    🌍 Notes from Alex: When the Earth Groans — Is Something Being Born? Lately, I’ve found myself paying closer attention — not just to headlines, but to the earth itself. The rain falls heavier. The floods come faster. The fires burn hotter. Earthquakes, storms, strange weather patterns. It’s easy to dismiss them as just part…

  • Honoring Our Guests, Honoring Our Ancestors

    “A Night of Song, Dance, and Ancestral Pride in Metlakatla”Notes from Alex – July 16, 2025 I wanted to take a moment to share something deeply personal and powerful that I experienced yesterday here in my hometown, Metlakatla. NOTE: This is the song(s) sang last night, but the recording is from a few years ago…

  • Mornings on the Water: Life as a Seaplane Pilot in 1980s Southeast Alaska

    “From Metlakatla to the Misty Fjords — A Day in the Life of an Alaskan Bush Pilot” By Alex Atkinson Jr. Back in the 1980s, I had the honor—and I do mean honor—of flying as a commercial seaplane pilot in Southeast Alaska. I was based out of Metlakatla and kept my aircraft docked there five…

  • “Fading Light, Rising Words: How the Wilderness Inspires the Page”

    “How the Evening Wilderness Awakens the Writer Within” It’s late evening now. The kind of late that’s still not quite dark, not in Southeast Alaska. The light recedes slowly here, like a shy guest at the end of a long gathering, lingering near the doorway before slipping out unnoticed. Above the forested slopes and jagged…

  • What It Means to Be Connected

    Why Belonging, Support, and Shared Purpose Matter More Than Ever In a world that often pulls us in different directions, the power of connection has never been more important. Whether you’re in a tight-knit village like Metlakatla, a family business, a church group, or a professional team, the strength of any group lies in its…