Happy Birthday, Noah!

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Today my little boy turns twelve! Noah's birthdays are somehow more bittersweet since he is my baby! He is my only child who still climbs in the recliner to snuggle next to me and the only one who reaches out to hold my hand when we're on a hike. And he's my only boy who can't sing bass! I know those days are numbered.

We celebrated Noah's birthday with a swimming party back in July (his idea). so today was very simple and low-key. He got some candy and a set of Lego Minifigures that he'd been wanting. We got an afternoon treat at Sonic and went out to eat as a family at his choice of restaurant - which turned out to be Burger King. Rebecca came over from college for the evening.

Today Terry's Dad also has a birthday, and he is turning 75! We'll be headed to Knoxville this Sunday to have a family celebration for him.

Lessons, Part 2

August 14, 2011

In Hind's Feet, when Much-Afraid reaches the heights, the shepherd asks her for her bag of remembrance stones, and he turns them into precious jewels.

Yesterday, Terry bought me a little bracelet entirely made with stones from Lake
Michigan - petosky stones, iron and copper.

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It will be another reminder of lessons learned on this trip.

I want to be a polished stone - made beautiful by affliction.

"I am my Love's and he is mine, and this is his desire,
That with his beauty I may shine in radiant attire.
And this will be - when all of me is pruned and purged with fire."

August 24, 2011

After Much-Afraid reaches the High Places and has her name changed, she realizes the need to return to the valley to share what she has found. In this way, she is like the water - going always lower:

"From the heights we leap and flow
To the valleys down below,
Sweetest urge and sweetest will
To go lower, lower still."

She realizes she was brought to the heights just for this purpose.

How can I "go lower" today?

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