WINTER HAS ARRIVED
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
The sun sprinkles a handful of fairy dust upon forming icicles. Each one hangs on for dear life hoping that tomorrow the thermometer allows them to dwindle a bit, but in reality, each day only adds to their girth. That solar disk will return to full strength and eliminate them altogether. Still we accept our circumstances, knowing that every season will present itself at just the right time
Icy winds push glistening remnants of this week’s snow across roads and fields. The mercury in the thermometer longs to rise. Time passes slowly as the skeletal branches of trees have given up the memory of the tender touch of rain and the warm sun. Now it is replaced with thoughts of shriveling up and dying.
Thus it is in the winter of life, but for those who have not yet given up the battle, the war wages on. Soon it will be replaced with green pastures, fields of gold and perfect temperatures. What shall we complain about then?
WINTER’S GLORY
ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
A clump of stately birch trees,
Caressing the frigid landscape,
Creating a barrier from the elements,
A hiding place for those who need shelter,
A place to bask in winter’s glory,
Reaching to heaven,
As hands praying,
These wondrous trees,
Have seen much,
Have heard many things,
Yet their voices remain silent,
Unlike the Creator who placed them there,
Who speaks to us through nature,
And His Holy Word.
Posted in art, Christian daily devotion, Christian Poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, Creation, Peace, Winter
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BEAUTY IN MONOTONY
ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©
Reflections of a monochromatic scene,
Dipped in a wash of azure blue,
A magical fantasy,
Enriched with mystical elements,
Still some semblance of reality,
Life can be the same some days,
Boring, without color or substance,
We try to embrace it, but it slips away,
Seems empty,
Without ambition,
No purpose, no goals,
Only a monotonous wash of sameness,
Waiting for the coming explosion of color.
FUNNY MEMORIES
As I unpacked those treasured ornaments from the past 53 years of marriage, memories began to pour into my head. There were the handmade pieces; the delicate globes decorated with the names of each in our family; the store bought ones which have seen better days; the bright and shiny newer ones. Each one of them has a special meaning. One survivor is a hillbillie, white bearded, red nosed, guitar playing fellow referred to as “Crambone”. The name bestowed when he entered our home.
All the time consumed on the handmade ones, reminded me of a story which unfolded when our youngest daughter was about 8. She’d brought home an art project to finish for the next day. It was made of bread dough and when it dried completely, she was able to paint it. She was very proud of her work. She put extra effort into making it just perfect. Everyone turned in for the night and the little sculpture sat unconcerned on the kitchen counter.
It was one of those nights when I semi-woke up and wandered aimlessly into the kitchen. I wasn’t fully conscious. This wasn’t unusual since I was often found sleep walking. The house was dark. There wasn’t a sound to be heard except the growling coming from my stomach. Even though I was in a dream state, I felt the pangs of hunger.
My hands reached out in the darkness and landed on the dog art. Slowly I lifted the innocent victim to my lips. I opened my mouth and my eyes. It looked like dark chocolate, but it didn’t smell like it. It didn’t smell like anything. My pearly whites wrapped themselves around the morsel and bit down.
It was one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever tasted. I immediately woke up, spit the tidbit into the garbage, rinsed my mouth out with water and went back to bed.
The next morning I was sharply awakened by screams coming from my youngest child. I ran to see what happened and there she was with the decapitated dog in her hand. I had a hard time explaining the truth to my family and to her teacher that I had eaten her homework, but looking back, it was one of those funny things I was talking about.
This event took place about 35 years ago. But we still laugh about it. Finding humor in unlikely situations can make you look like a real idiot or it can help you keep your sanity.
WINTER WONDERLAND
Last night as I went to rehearsal for an upcoming performance of “Willie Wonka,” the temperature was around 53 degrees. A little rain fell during the day so the roads were wet, but it felt almost tropical for Minnesota. During the short few hours, snow started falling and the rain turned to ice. Brisk winds picked up. On the ride home, I could see the precipitation falling. It covered the remnants of autumn and cloaked the mulch with a starry like fantasy glow. Snow has a way of covering up the ugliness of life – even when it’s only temporary.
As a child, I remember running outside after the first snowfall and laying down in it. Arms and legs flailed up and down as I made fantastic snow angels. Then we’d pack the snow and roll it across the expanse of what used to be our lawn, and made a snowman. Snowball fights would follow and then creating a snow fort.
When you’re a child, the memories of past snowfalls are filled with fun and excitement. When you’re an adult and your body is basically falling apart, snow is anything but fun. It means getting out the shovel or snow blower – letting that brisk air freeze-dry your already wrinkled skin – feeling every bone in your body aching and screaming for relief. Not to mention driving icy roads and praying you’ll make it safely to your destination.
Somewhere between adolescence and adulthood, we lose the joy that involves snow. It’s really sad, but unfortunately we must face the responsibility of growing up. Still wouldn’t it be fun to run outside and make snow angels again? So what if I’m 75. I might just do it! Well, I could do it if I wanted to, but what happens if I can’t get up. I’d be stuck in the icy mass for six months – frozen in time – a giant ice block with eyes. Maybe I’ll just put that on my bucket list.
LESSONS LEARNED?
ART & POETRY BY PAUL T. & KATHY BOECHER©
The tempestuous waters pushed up from the earth and gushed forth,
The skies opened at the direction of God’s voice and poured upon a once rainless earth,
Cutting a path of destruction – severing trees – washing clean all the ugliness –
Only the faithful remained – a family of eight survived along with two of every species,
The rage of God could be tested no more,
But even in His anger, He created beauty from destruction,
The sound of His voice carved canyons out of granite,
Waters laid to rest in lakes and rivers,
Mountains laid low as valleys rose up to meet them,
When the deluge subsided, the Master Architect had once again created a new world,
His work could not be destroyed,
His love endures forever,
Man’s disobedience continues to corrupt the world today,
Did we learn nothing from the past?
Posted in art, Christian daily devotion, Uncategorized
Tagged Art & Poetry by Paul & Kathy Boecher, flood, God, Inspiration, restoration
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AN UNEXPECTED PREGNANCY
POETRY BY KATHY BOECHER©
You came to a world filled with darkness and sin,
You loved us devoutly without and within,
His love conquered all through a child meek and small,
Dear, God, Your Son came and He died for us all.
You took away sadness and filled us with peace,
You give us a hope that defies life’s surcease.
You gave Your life for us so we could be free.
Sweet Jesus, Your blood you did shed on the tree.
Your body lay lifeless, on that dreadful day,
To conquer the devil – our ransom to pay,
So now we look forward to that special time,
When we will live with You in heaven sublime,
Come quickly Lord, Jesus, and carry us home,
Remove all the darkness, bring light where we roam,
Be with us forever and love us each day,
Sweet Jesus, I love you, what more can I say?
Posted in Advent, Christian daily devotion, Christian Poetry, Uncategorized
Tagged Advent, Christmas, Jesus, Poetry, Salvation
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RETREAT
ORIGINAL ART & POETRY BY PAUL & KATHY BOECHER©,
Weary of the noise of media attention,
Exhausted by the often untrue claims,
Troubled hearts desire greater intervention,
Longing for refreshment from the flames,
Looking up is what we need for our salvation,
God alone brings peace from all our shames,
Quieting the dissidence and excitation,
Giving love instead of naming names,
Sin no more holds constant consternation,
Through His Son our guilt no longer blames,
He has paid the price of our redemption,
All our fear of death He tames.
THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
They waited for generations. Not since the days of King David and his wise son, Solomon, had there been such anticipation. They’d wait for a long, long time. They’d be persecuted, live in slavery, become a nomadic nation moving from place to place without one they could actually call home. They’d know defeat, pain, agony and poverty. They were submitted to torture, death and near extinction. The days go on even today, as many continue to wait for the Messiah.
Time was ripe for a Savior – just like it is today. The politics of the time weren’t much different. The morality of that era was as bad and maybe even worse than now. The disrespect for life – for marriage – for civil obedience – the intolerance for other ethnicities, the poor, sick, and mentally ill continue today. With political correctness and hopes of leveling the playing field, we have created another kind of monster – one that has no rules, no boundaries and an ‘anything goes’ mentality.
Isaiah clearly and vividly described what would happen. There would be one crying in the wilderness announcing the arrival of the Savior. It was all foretold, but it seemed it would never happen. When those prophesies were meticulously fulfilled, there were those who’d continue to doubt. The forerunner of Christ, John, the Baptist, prepared the way for Jesus, by calling people to repentance. He laid the groundwork for the mission of Jesus.
Now we wait again for the Messiah. We wait for our resurrected Savior, who lives once more on the throne of God with His Father and the Holy Spirit. When He returns, those with faith in their forgiveness will be joined as heirs of His kingdom.
We wait, but are we ready? There’s nothing we can physically do to gain entrance into heaven. It’s all been done for us, but still we need to prepare, by sincerely repenting of our sins. The whole process of forgiveness has been orchestrated by God, because of His unconditional love. As a result of our gratitude, we’ll show love to others and be obedient to God’s Word.
As we think about that first coming of Jesus, let’s remember that He will come again. The Advent-ure has only just begun; not because we have chosen God, but that He has accepted us through the work done by Jesus.
Posted in Advent, Christian daily devotion, Uncategorized
Tagged Advent, gospel, Inspiration, promises fulfilled, second coming
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THE GHOST OF CHRISTMAS PRESENT
The average lifespan of people today is anywhere from 75-85. That’s where I am right now in the racing form of life. I call it that, because we have no clue when our last breath will be inhaled. It’s a gamble. We have no guarantee how long our lives will last, so doesn’t it make sense to make the most of the time we have? We can squander the precious moments on frivolity. We might decide there’s nothing on the other side of death, so eat, drink and be merry while we’re here. We might think there’s no purpose for us anymore and simply give up.
When we’re five, our minds are filled with exploration and discovery. We have no fear. When we arrive at adolescence, we continue to feel invincible, but our thoughts, often turn inward. Peer pressure causes us to do things we regret later. As we progress into young adults, thoughts of our future consumes our thinking. We start a family, concentrate on providing for them and work becomes central to our thinking. When we reach the empty nest stage, we realize we haven’t gotten to know the family we worked for in the short span of 18-20 years. Retirement brings even greater challenges as we try to survive on a meager income and hope we can continue to work to supplement that once a month check. Then we die.
Sounds pretty morbid, doesn’t it? This is the way most folks go through life. There has to be more to it than that. We don’t just live to die. Each one of us is part of a bigger blueprint . We’re pieces of a giant puzzle which is incomplete when one of its parts is missing.
There’s so much we want to pack into life for other’s as well as our own – that we lose sight of the forest because of the trees. We allow things to get in the way of the beauty that’s already there.
75-85 years seems a long time when you’re five. When you’re 75, you wonder where the time went. No matter what age, all that we do in our allotted time, is a gift.
Christmas is not merely a time for memories, even though traditions can make the holiday seem more important and personal to some. The beauty of Christmas now is the same as it was in the past, as it is today and as it will be in the future, as long as we remember the reason we celebrate this miraculous birthday. God’s gift to humanity is not a fleeting thing. It’s meant to last forever and it does.
Posted in Christian daily devotion, Christmas, Uncategorized
Tagged Christmas present, Eternal Life, Hope, Inspiration, the average life of man
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CHRISTMASES PAST
“Spirit!” said Scrooge in a broken voice, “remove me from this place.”
“I told you these were shadows of the things that have been,” said the Ghost. “That they are what they are, do not blame me!” Charles Dickens – “A Christmas Carol”
Charles Dickens conveys the message from the Ghost of Christmas Past by taking Scrooge on a dreamlike trip into those early days of his life. Scrooge was ambitious and spent the greater part of his young life climbing the ladder of success. He became a shrewd, miserly business man but lost the love that could’ve changed his current bitterness into joy. In his quest for power, he lost the only true love of his life..
Have you ever dreamed about Christmases the way they should be – the way you wanted them to be – the way they actually were? My recollections of Christmas as a child were much different than today. Of course the centerpiece of the entire holiday was and still is Jesus, but often I passed over that greatest gift. I concerned myself with the material gifts wrapped and set under the tree. I loved the music, the festivities, the special treats, the rustling of my red and black taffeta dress.
I remember family gatherings, where we’d all pile in my uncle’s car. We didn’t own a car until I turned sixteen. Two families of four would squish into that gigantic, spanking. new Buick and travel 75 miles to another relative’s for lots of laughter and hugging. My uncle puffed on a cigar as dad smoked several cigarettes, – the windows were closed and the heater gushed warmth. – I usually wound up car sick. We didn’t wear seat belts. Kids sat on each others’ laps. We were dressed for winter and stuffed into a weapon of mass destruction.
I recall Christmases when we were starting our own little family. When they were toddlers, we had to resort to homemade gifts and a few inexpensive things from the store. They seemed to enjoy the gifts we made most. Paul crafted a lovely rocking horse for our daughter one year. She was so excited to jump up on that dapple grey pony. The joy on her face said it all.
There was the Christmas that we had absolutely no extra cash for gifts and Paul received a bonus – he was the only one who did. A kind fellow worker owned a cattle ranch and gave us a large package of beef. These deeds were considered not merely acts of kindness. but miracles from God which got us through some difficult times.
Later in life, we celebrated Christmas in our soon to be foreclosed upon dream house. Thoughts returned our Savior, Jesus. We knew He was the reason for the season. We also had faith that all the pieces of our lives were being made into a beautiful mosaic by the Creator of the universe.
We cannot go back and change the past. It’s over and gone, but we can learn so much by remembering those times – recalling the treasured moments. The monetary things will soon be forgotten, but the child in the manger will live forever. So will we, if we have faith in His promises.
Posted in Advent, Christian daily devotion, Uncategorized
Tagged Christmas past, FAMILY, Jesus, memories, nostalgia
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