ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©

Paul had the joy of spending his childhood summers at the lake. His grandparents owned a “cabin” which was more of a year-round home. He learned how to fish, to swim and to sail. His parents always insisted that he wear a life preserver when in the water or near it. When he was just a young lad, donned in a woolen swimsuit and the required life jacket, he would swim like a fish. One day, after a long time in the water, he sat on the pier and placed weathered life preserver beside him. It accidently fell into the water and immediately sank to the bottom. Paul often joked about that event, especially since he had been wearing a faulty lifesaver along with a swimsuit that was completely saturated and heavy. Well, he learned how to navigate the waters at an early age. Those days on the lake gave him many wonderful childhood experiences, but he would always be sure that our own children had safe life preservers.

Water calmed by the silence and absence of wind,

Glasslike in the brilliant sun,

Quiet, tranquil,

Away from the maddening crowds of interfering life,

For a brief moment, the world stands still,

And you are reminded,

That He alone brings perfect peace,

A peace that transcends all human understanding,

A solitude that will last throughout eternity,

Take the peace freely given with open arms,

Bathe in it, clothe yourself with it,

Delight in each breath of it,

And pass it on to someone,

Who longingly awaits the same.

THANK YOU, JESUS, FOR ANOTHER DAY!