This beautiful relief carving was installed in January, 2003 at Bay Pines Lutheran School, in Bay Pines, Florida.  A friend recently sent photos of it so I’m sharing it with a poem I wrote to go along with it. Paul spent many hours chiseling away at this life-sized carving of the Good Shepherd.

ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

My Jesus is my everything, He always lives within me,
He is the shepherd of my heart, He knows right where I will be,
He guides, provides and leads me to, pastures clothed with morning dew,
Restores my soul and gives me rest, each morning makes me brand new,
When I stray far away from Him, He searches until He finds,
He leads me with His gentle staff, from danger of every kind,
He sets me on the narrow path, and even when death draws near,
The confidence that He gives me, will take away every fear,
For death will never o’er take me, He’s promised eternal life,
In heavenly glory I’ll live, free from the world’s ugly strife,
My head he anoints with His oil, My cup is filled to the brim,
His mercy and goodness will dwell, every day I live with Him.