ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER – From the sketchbook of Paul Boecher, this magnificent maple tree and a study of the seed and stem that goes with it.  At first when I saw this little water color, I thought the seed and stem were real.  The attention to detail in the tiniest of things is created by God.  We are simply the admirers of it.

A seed falls from a tree.

It burrows and nestles in rich soil,

It springs forth with new life,

Fragile branches at first,

Growing strong with each passing day,

Expanding, stretching, embracing the sky,

for the face of its Creator,

It bends and twists in the storms of life,

It blossoms and thrives in good times,

It grows stronger in bad times,

It withers, it shrivels, it dies,

But it doesn’t end there,

The circle of life continues,

Watch, observe, delight in God’s hand in it.  The ability to observe is inherent in all of us unless our eyes have been blinded from birth, but even then God gives us four other senses to allow us to experience everything in our existence. We may not be able to see the brilliant colors, the majestic mass of a trees, the vastness of the heavens or the beauty of a sea or landscape, but He blesses us with other ways to “see”.

Every artist, whether a writer, painter, sculptor, musician or dancer, must observe everything in life in order to portray it in a believable and convincing way. Studying every idiosyncrasy, examining each detail, with all the senses God has given us, allows our interpretation to be expressed in unique and wonderful ways.

Praise the Lord for the special attention He has paid to every detail of this life. He calms the storms, He makes things grow and develop, He provides for every living thing, He gives life to all things, He provides for eternity. With Him, our salvation has been assured and life everlasting waits for those who believe in Him.