<div style="font-size:10pt;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;color:black;"><p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">This short piece tells a remarkable
story. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">I couldn’t<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>find<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">
</span>any stylistic or grammar issues.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">The story held my interest. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">It is told with an<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>economy of words.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">It is reminiscent of a near death
experience. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Did you have any idea that you might
be close to death before the dream?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Was there any emotional content to
meeting the<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>man.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">It doesn’t sound like you had a
choice as to whether you would stay in his presence. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Did you want to?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><b><u><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">It sounds like you had<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>no difficulty in<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>staying on this plain. <o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">DeAnna sub for August 21<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">A Dream?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">By DeAnna (Quietwater) Noriega<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">
When I was ten years old, my parents moved away from our people living on the Isabella
Reservation in Michigan. We ended up in southern California in a rental
house with no phone. That first winter I came down with a fever that kept
me in bed for several days. We didn't have a car for my mother to drive
me to a doctor or money to spend on an office visit. Our family car was
in use by our father. He had a sales job which kept him from home for
several days at a time. When the fever was at its highest, I experienced
a strange dream. I was wandering through a lush garden. Flowers
were in riotous profusion. The air was redolent with their mingled
scents. I followed a flagstone path that brought me to a building.
I stepped up onto the stoop and tapped shyly at the door. It opened and a
figure surrounded by light stood there. His clothes were brilliant white
and his face shone with too much light for me to see it clearly. I had
been totally blind for over two years. Still, in dreams I could
see. A gentle hand reached out to stroke back my hair. A soft voice
said, "Its not time yet, little one. I have work for you to do. Go
back now for awhile."<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">
Did I see Jesus? I don't know. Was it just a fever dream?
Only God knows that answer for certain. I have always felt that I am a child of
God. I am just as he made me with all of the imperfections inherent in
that state. I don't doubt that god can put my life to good service, even
without vision. I don't question why I am meant to be blind any more than
I question why I have dark hair or stand five foot one inches tall. What
ever the challenges may be, I know he walks with me to help me deal with
them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""> <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">DeAnna Quietwater Noriega<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Cell: 573-544-3511<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Email: </span><a href="mailto:dqnoriega@gmail.com" target="_blank"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:#0563C1">dqnoriega@gmail.com</span></a><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman""><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;line-height:normal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif;mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Author of <i>Fifty Years of Walking
with Friends</i><o:p></o:p></span></p><br data-mce-bogus="1"></div>