ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER

The world is not the place for me.  I long to be in heaven.
When thoughts like that invade my mind, I need to be forgiven.
God didn’t make me to want death.  He chose me as His own.
He crafted me and knew me before my life was sewn.
Each little piece he whittled.  Each vessel put in place.
He had a plan set just for me.  He knew the dreams I’d chase.
And even as my days grow short, and time is running out,
I feel His presence in my life.  Of this I have no doubt.
To live for me is Jesus, no matter where I roam.
I will rejoice to meet Him when He comes to take me home.

Personal relationships should always be truthful, but an intimate relationship with God requires laying all our sins at His feet.  We should do this, not because He isn’t completely aware of our mistakes, but because He wants us to see our need for Him. By doing this, we’re being released from the burden, but we’re also drawing closer to Him.  Instead of thinking of Him as a vengeful judge, we should remember how much He loves us.  His love covers all our past mistakes. When He conquered death, He was demonstrating what lay ahead for all those who ask for forgiveness – eternal life.

We see the world falling deeper and deeper into darkness – we think it has lost sight of God’s eternal plan – we blame others for the trouble we’re in – but we often forget that sin is what brought us to such a time as this. God knew that our weakened state required a Savior – now we need to rely on His saving grace. Our salvation depends on it. The only way to do that is to open our hearts completely to Him – to admit that we have sinned and fallen short of our God’s law. Repent of those sins and live life in a way pleasing to God. That’s where the intimacy begins.

KATHY BOECHER©