Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian youth's rite of Passage. His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him and leaves him alone. He is required to sit on a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone. Once he survives the night, he is a M A N. He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come into manhood on his own. The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts must surely be all around him. Maybe even some human might do him harm. The wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It would be the only way he could become a man! Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold. It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him. He had been at watch the entire night, protecting his son from harm. We, too, are never alone. Even when we don't know it, God is watching over us, Sitting on the stump beside us. When trouble comes, all we have to do is reach out to Him. Just because you can't see God,
Doesn't mean
He is not there. "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
I read this story about the cherokee to the kids tonight before scripture study. They loved it and Joren promptly put his coat on to go outside and become a man. I told him he had to wait till his father was willing to sit on a stump all night in silence for him. :)
The boys are doing great letting me teach them piano lessons every day. I have been practicing every day too.
Last night we went to Deseret book for family home evening and splurged on all the things I have always wanted for the family. We got a children's songbook so We can play primary songs. We got an FHE manual and two games about articles of faith and the armor of God. And we bought the boys those miniature Books of Mormon. One for each of them with pictures of Jesus for bookmarks. They each picked out little leather journals with pencils that look like sticks that they can use as gratitude journals. The kids were so excited about their new things and so was I! We went down the street to the gorgeous Portland temple and had a FHE lesson out of our new FHE book right on the lawn of the temple and we sang, "count your many blessings" and wrote in our gratitude journals. To top off a perfect night we drove to Grandma Pat and Grandpa Johns house where they graciously let us in for a short lesson and treat. It was really a special night and I could see on the kids faces that they were truly happy.
Paul got called to teach Seminary again!
It's the Book of Mormon curriculum this year so our family is going to get immersed. Patty gave us a special Book of Mormon with extra teachings and definitions and pictures in it to use for our family study. Joren and I have been doing reading lessons every day that we are home and today he read his first verse of scripture. He was really excited.
I just learned that the church released a new temple video? I guess it is 15 minutes longer and I hear it is wonderful. Patty worked at the temple this morning where it showed for the first time in Portland. I can't wait to call her tomorrow. Our stake conference had a special meeting that was part of stake conference that happened in the temple chapel tonight. I didn't learn about it until 3:00 and Paul had a special drug rep dinner where he got to meet the head of OHSU Derm society (the guy who wrote half of Paul's textbooks) at one of the fanciest restaurants in Portland tonight, so we unfortunately missed it. I'm sure it was pretty special and I'm sad we missed it.
This last weekend we were in Bend, Or. It's a pretty magical place where there are gorgeous roundabouts instead of stop lights. Each one has a different beautiful giant sculpture of some kind. The landscape is high alpine with sage and aspen and lots of Juniper. It's breathtaking. We stayed with Paul's sister Jeanette for the weekend with three extra cousins; Jake, Luke and Grant. 6 boys under 10! Needless to say it was CRAZY, but fun too. While Paul was at derm meetings, Jeanette and I took all the boys to a cool cave that takes a whole hour to walk to the end. I was carrying Juniper in the front pack and holding a kerosene lantern with the other. Jeanette was holding Teigs hand and our second lantern. The boys were all trying to freak each other out and Teig was talking about bears the whole time. We had them
make monster shadows on the wall with sounds to go with their monster one at a time. Jorens was the funniest as he played a psychotic monkey. eek! At one point we descended a deep stairway with a metal handrail. I told the boys to imagine there was no light and asked them how they would get down. Then I told them they needed the iron rod just like they need the word of God to be safe in life. Then we sang "the iron rod". When Luke started talking about Goblins and I started thinking about if someone sprained their ankle and I had to try to carry Juni, a lantern and a kid out, I decided it was time to turn the party around and get the.... out of there! :).
We also went on hike to a slow river where the kids all got muddy and everyone gawked at our huge dog. And we visited a lava flow and climbed an ancient volcano. What a great weekend!
We have had such a charmed summer!
The last two days have been, what feels like our first slow days of our whole summer. We have been out of the house or with family or had company staying with us almost every single day since we moved here!! It had been amazing and I will admit.. Exhausting. The past two days I spent hours going through closets preparing for school clothes. The boys were really excited to go school supply shopping last night and to pack their backpacks. I love having them home with me and we have really all grown much closer over this summer, but I will admit, I am really looking forward to school beginning in two weeks!
Life is good. Life is great . We have lots to CELEBRATE!
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