Faith and Forest
Reflecting in Nature, Inspired by Faith
by
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For each one of us, our journey to find God is
different. Some find God as a child and
live a full, devoted life, praising the Lord’s name. Others come to know the Lord in their last moments of life on
earth and are saved. Most find God
somewhere in between as they search for answers in life, an existence that is
quite often hard to understand.
Where we find God is as different as when we find
Him. I have found God in many
ways. First, I have found our Lord in
all things natural, in all of creation.
I see our Almighty Creator with the changing of each season. In spring I
see God as flowers shoot forth from rain-dampened soils and as a seemingly
lifeless landscape transforms daily into a living mosaic filled with color,
vitality and all manner of plants and creatures. In summer I see God as whitetail fawns gain confidence walking on
new developing legs and as red-winged blackbirds and meadowlarks raise their
young and teach them to fly. In autumn
I find the Lord in the spectacular array of changing colors before trees begin
to lose their leaves and I see God in the multitudes of migrating
waterfowl. In winter I see our Father
in soft, gentle snowfalls, long icicles, and in the January thaw we are blessed
with each year.
I see Him in the starry heavens, in peaceful
rainfalls, in billowy clouds. To me,
God is in the black cherry tree, the tallgrass prairie, the hazelnut and the
redbud. God can be seen in the
shimmering waters of easy-flowing creeks, in the mirror reflection of a calm
lake and in the smallest of puddles. I
witness God as a red-tailed hawk alights on a tree branch, as a chipmunk
scurries busily across the forest floor, as a great blue heron wades in shallow
waters in search of food, and in the dazzling movements of a ruby-throated hummingbird. God’s presence is evident to me in the
harmonious chorus of spring peepers, in the shrill cry of a screech owl, in the
excited yips and yelps of coyotes on a cold winter’s night and in the silence
of the forest on a cool September morning.
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About the Book
What is it about our natural world that inspires
you? Is it dynamic sunsets, majestic
mountains, or the pull of the ocean’s tides?
Maybe it is as simple as lightning bugs glowing in the backyard at dusk
or hummingbirds at your window feeder. Does the forest call your name, inviting
you to wander freely under its leafy canopies and among blankets of soft
ferns? And where does God fit into this
enormous portrait of life for you?
The author finds the outdoors not only a place for
relaxation and enjoyment, but also one for reflection, prayer and praise. Ron Puettmann is pulled to the forest by a
call from the Lord, a call that magnifies faith and fosters respect. Nature is a God-given gift; one that is
often taken for granted and under-appreciated.
In your journey through Faith and Forest, you will be uplifted by God’s grand design in the
very nature around you and the promise of Christ in all of life. Open your mind and heart to a place where
God speaks to you. Find our Lord there,
and in daily life, waiting for you to feel the overwhelming love only God can
give so freely.
About the Author
Ron Puettmann lives near Solon in eastern Iowa with
his wife, Karla and two sons, Tyler and Kyle. Growing up on a farm in northern
Iowa, Ron has long enjoyed the peace and tranquility of life in a rural
setting. He is blessed to work at Lake Macbride, one of Iowa’s largest and most
beautiful state parks.
A 1995 graduate of Iowa State University, Puettmann
holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Biology and a
specialization in Interpretation of Natural Resources.
Ron loves the outdoors, and finds writing an
exciting way to express his passions for God and nature. You are sure to find this passion unfold in
his first book, Faith and Forest.