TREES AND LIFE

 

This photo was taken by friend of native Dogwoods blooming in Beacon NY. 

He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.  Revelation 2:7

With the Hebrew month of Nisan, God's creation comes to life. This blog post is inspired by Tree's. 

TREES

A POEM BY JOYCE KILMER

I think that I shall never see 

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest 

Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in Summer wea

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

A tree's rings tell us about the life of a tree.

Dendrochronology is the study and dating of annual rings in trees. A "dendrochronologist" is a scientist who uses tree rings to answer questions about the natural world humans faces as recorded in the rings of a tree. 

A tree's rings tell you a tree's age. Each dark ring is another year. Each spring and summer a tree adds new layers of wood to it's trunk. 

The wood formed in spring grows fast and is lighter because it consists of large cells. In summer, growth is slower; the wood has smaller cells and is darker. So when a tree is cut, the layers appear as alternating rings of light and dark wood.

Many things affect the way a tree grows. The conditions in a tree's life alter the shape, thickness, color and uniformity of it's rings. What the tree has been through, such as a drought or fire or a plague, are recorded in it's rings.

Trees react to their environment, and this reaction is reflected in their growth rings. Climate effects the width of tree rings.  Other factors in the life of a tree, such as rockfalls, avalanches and attacks by insects and other wildlife, effect the formation of tree rings.  Even the death of a neighboring tree, which increases the exposure to light may effect a tree's rings. 

A prehistoric tree preserved for thousands of years in loam soil, bogs and lakes can tell us a great deal about life in the times when the tree was alive. 

The beginning formation of a tree is called the "Heartwood." It is the central supporting pillar of a tree. Although dead, it will not decay or lose strength while the outer layers are intact.

The heartwood is generally rot-resistant, fungus-resistant, and somewhat insect-resistant.

Heartwood is often denser and harder than sapwood. It is sought after in woodworking. Heartwood provides a robust core that provides the structural strength which supports the tree. 

At the very center of the heartwood is the "pith." Like stem cells in a human, the pith's cells of a tree are special undifferentiated cells. Pith cells (parenchyma) function in the storage of the nutrients. Pith cells give the tree life.

In language terms, the "pith" means the essence of something; the important or essential part. The pith is the core or heart of the matter. The pithiest part is the most significant; it carries the most weight. The pith is the essence. 

Like our finger print, a tree's rings identify it.  Our heart and lungs sustain us.

Tree's exchange CO² for Oxygen.  Human lungs exchange O² for Carbon dioxide. The veins of each leaf are like a river network. Like human veins, they support the life of it's cells. 

In the ancient Jewish science (NOT religion) of Creation there is the Tree of Life comprised of "Sefirot," meaning emanations. The sefirot are the attributes (emanations) through which the Ein Sof (The Infinite), the Creator, is revealed.  

The 10 Points of Light;

Jacob's Ladder
Tree of Life

1. Keter (Crown)
2. Chokmah (Wisdom)
3. Binah (Understanding/ Intelligence)
4. Hesed (Love)
5. Gevurah (Strength)
6. Tiferet (Beauty)
7. Netzach (Eminence)
8. Hod (Majesty Glory)
9. Yesod (Foundation)
10. Malkhut (Kingship)

Da'at is a location (the mystical state) where all ten sefirot in the Tree of Life are united as one. Da'at is roughly translated as "knowledge" or "consciousness" about things outside of oneself.

The Creator bestows. Creation recieves. 

Proverbs 3:18-26

It is a tree of life for those who grasp it, and those who draw near it are fortunate.

The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, established the heavens with discernment.

With His knowledge the depths were split, and the heavens drip dew.

My son, let them not depart from your eyes; guard sound wisdom and thought,

and they shall be life for your soul, and grace for your neck.

Then you shall go securely on your way, and your foot shall not stumble.

If you lie down, you shall not fear, and when you lie down, your sleep shall be sweet.

Be not afraid of sudden terror, or of the darkness of the wicked when it will come.

For the Lord shall be your trust, and He shall keep your foot from being caught.

I hope this post blesses you. 

Jonah

Epilogue:

The farm I am developing is called "Tree of Life" for many reasons including several alluded to in this blog post.