2 posts tagged “tree”

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Poetry Collection Update: Cover Painting!

Nov 14, 2006
2 comments

My dad just painted this for the cover of my book!

Cover Painting

Talented, ain't he?

The Jeremiah Tree

Nov 7, 2006
4 comments

Last night at youth group, Dave, our new youth pastor, gave an excellent illustration of what happens when a person feels inadequate. He asked one of the youth to stand in front of the group. She had to close her eyes and remember a time when she had felt inadequate. As she was silently imagining that, he gave her a gentle push, without warning, and she almost lost her balance! She had to move her feet to stay standing. Then Dave read aloud a paraphrase of Jeremiah 17:8, asking her to close her eyes again. He read something like this:

They are like trees planted along a riverbank,

with roots that reach deep into the water.
Such trees are not bothered by the heat
or worried by long months of drought.
Their leaves stay green,
and they never stop producing fruit.
Jeremiah 17:8 (New Living Translation)

This time, when Dave pushed the girl, she did not stumble like before, but swayed! Her feet stayed in place as if she was rooted there! She actually looked like a tree swaying in a powerful wind. Yeah, I know, she was more prepared to be pushed the second time, but I still consider it a powerful illustration. I have already secretly nicknamed her "Tree Girl" because the image of her standing there overlaps in my mind with the image of a birch tree.

Now that I think about it, this entry relates to one my dad made recently. Check it out here for another perspective on inadequacy. Also, check out the Jeremiah verse in context here.