<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Trail of the Naturalist &#187; Inspiration</title>
	<atom:link href="http://www.trailofthenaturalist.com/category/inspiration/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>http://www.trailofthenaturalist.com</link>
	<description>One man&#039;s view of the natural world</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Thu, 06 Jan 2011 06:49:27 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>hourly</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>1</sy:updateFrequency>
	<generator>http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2</generator>
		<item>
		<title>Legend of the Cherokee Indian Youth’s Rite of Passage</title>
		<link>http://www.trailofthenaturalist.com/2009/12/19/legend-of-the-cherokee-indian-youth%e2%80%99s-rite-of-passage/</link>
		<comments>http://www.trailofthenaturalist.com/2009/12/19/legend-of-the-cherokee-indian-youth%e2%80%99s-rite-of-passage/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 19 Dec 2009 19:46:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Michael</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Inspiration]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cherokee]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Indian]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.trailofthenaturalist.com/?p=25</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian Youth’s Rite of Passage? His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him an 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 [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>Do you know the legend of the Cherokee Indian Youth’s Rite of Passage?</strong></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">His father takes him into the forest, blindfolds him an leaves him alone. He is required to sit on<br />
a stump the whole night and not remove the blindfold until the rays of the<br />
morning sun shine through it. He cannot cry out for help to anyone.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://todaysfreshmanna.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/legend-of-the-cherokee-indian-11.jpg?w=217&amp;h=300" alt="" width="217" height="300" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Once he survives the night, he is a MAN.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">He cannot tell the other boys of this experience, because each lad must come<br />
into manhood on his own.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">The boy is naturally terrified. He can hear all kinds of noises. Wild beasts<br />
must surely be all around him . Maybe even some human might do him harm. The<br />
wind blew the grass and earth, and shook his stump, but he sat stoically, never removing the blindfold. It<br />
would be the only way he could become a man!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Finally, after a horrific night the sun appeared and he removed his blindfold.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://todaysfreshmanna.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/fw-fwd-cherokee-legend-2.jpg?w=250&amp;h=300" alt="" width="250" height="300" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">It was then that he discovered his father sitting on the stump next to him.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">He had been at watch<br />
the entire night, protecting his son from harm.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://todaysfreshmanna.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/fw-fwd-cherokee-legend-3.jpg?w=300&amp;h=173" alt="" width="300" height="173" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">We, too, are never<br />
alone.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Even when we<br />
don’t know it, God is watching over us, Sitting on the stump beside us.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">When trouble comes,<br />
all we have to do is reach out to Him.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://todaysfreshmanna.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/fw-fwd-cherokee-legend-42.jpg?w=220&amp;h=300" alt="" width="220" height="300" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Moral of the story:</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Just because you can’t see God,</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Doesn’t mean He is not there.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;"><strong>“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”</strong></p>
]]></content:encoded>
			<wfw:commentRss>http://www.trailofthenaturalist.com/2009/12/19/legend-of-the-cherokee-indian-youth%e2%80%99s-rite-of-passage/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
	</channel>
</rss>

