Thursday, March 29, 2012

A Better Idea This Easter...

  

A BETTER IDEA




 
It's a better idea than spring baskets,

with jelly beans, mallows and bows;

it's far better than flowery straw bonnets,

Mary Janes and brand new clothes,



a much better idea than bunnies and chicks,

eggs painted pink, purple, blue…

This time let us give our sweet children

an Easter present that'll ring true.



Let us give a lamb, all spotless and pure

and tell them Jesus is its name…

Tell them Jesus is the Hope of the World

and Easter's the reason He came.



Tell them God's Son is sinless and meek

He's the unblemished Passover Lamb;

tell them He died on Calvary's Cross

to save sinners. He's the great "I Am."



Tell them that on the first Easter morning

Lamb Jesus arose from the grave –

and that is why in their tiny hands

is the dear little lamb that you gave.



Tell them Lord Jesus loves them so much

that He wants to be their Best Friend.

Their little lamb will remind them of that

after Resurrection Day ends.



Tell them chocolate bunnies, bonnets and beans

are okay, but not the best part –

the best part of Easter is Jesus, The Lamb,

Who came to live in their hearts!



Maude Carolan



Friday, March 23, 2012

Mary Magdalene...A Lenten Meditation

IT'S NO WONDER





It’s no wonder

Mary of Magdala

traveled with Rabboni

and the twelve

and helped

support His mission

She was a woman on fire

with love and gratitude

a woman freed

of seven snarling demons



It’s no wonder

despite trepidation

she watched at a distance

as they nailed her Great One

to a wretched cross

cupping her ears, wailing

at each resonating hammerfall

No wonder

she drew near

as He hung

in the agony of dying

for being there

was better

than not being there



Mary, bereft

looked upon her Rabboni

as they took Him

from the beams

laid His powerless Body

in the tomb

and rolled a great round stone

across the entrance

separating Him from her

before the sun went down

that Good and terrible Friday



and it’s no wonder

she was back at dawn

the morning after Sabbath

with other ministering women

carrying spices

heedless of whom

would roll the stone away

But the tomb was open

and the women trembled

as an angel astounded them

with talk of rising



Bewildered

Mary ran to the apostles

but it’s no wonder

she returned

to grieve near the tomb,

wanting to be

where last He was



A stranger, the gardener?

inquired of her weeping

"Sir," she implored

"if you have carried Him away

tell me where you have put Him

and I will get Him"



"Mary…"



"Rabboni!"



Astonished, she reflexively

reached for Him…

"Do not cling to Me"

He told her

"for I have not yet ascended

to My Father"



Oh, it’s no wonder

it was she He entrusted

to bring the news

to the brethren

No wonder

she ran, stumbling over rocks

and potsherd

dashing through brush

and brambles

raising tufts of dust

eager to exclaim

breathless with jubilation

"I have seen

the Lord!"



Maude Carolan Pych



CONGRATULATIONS, BARBARA!

I am pleased to announce that my friend, Barbara Williams-Hubbard, won a Judges Choice award at the 13th annual St. Catherine of Bologna Patron of the Arts Association Photo, Art & Poetry Exhibition, held last weekend in Ringwood, NJ. The poem is entitled, "Garden Walk". Some of Barbara's poems have appeared in the newsletter, "It's all about...The Lamb".


Thursday, March 15, 2012

It's all about...THE LAMB


March 15, 2012



After God’s Own Heart Publishing presents…



Vol. 15 Issue 1


It’s All About…The Lamb



MAUDE CAROLAN PYCH/QUARTERLY POETRY LETTER








“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing.”  Rev 5:12 NASB



IT’S ALL ABOUT…THE LAMB is a quarterly publication for lovers of the Holy Lamb of God, who also enjoy poetry.  The purpose is to magnify our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and inspire an ever-deepening relationship with Him, the lover of our souls…





SUMMER IN WINTER…Ahhhhh!



I cannot complain about this winter. Not too cold; not much snow; the mildest February on record. Still, I often found it necessary to dress in layers and bundle up with coat, gloves, scarf, warm socks and boots. So, it was delightful to escape to a tropical paradise for eleven summery days with my husband, Bob. We basked in the sunshine on a sparsely populated sandy beach in beautiful Aruba. I often stared dreamily at the clear aqua ocean, the extraordinary sunsets, the swaying palms, the cactus and so many varieties of interesting lizards, newts and iguanas skittering into the bushes, mindful of the awesome majesty of God’s creation.



His majesty caused me to ponder 1 Corinthians 2:9: “…but just as it is written, ‘Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.’” Since my eyes have beheld mind-blowing beauty that causes me to gasp breathlessly in the here and now, what oh what lies ahead for all eternity? Awesome will not be a sufficient word to express it. I imagine no words will describe seeing what has not entered the heart of man other than possibly that little three-letter word followed by an exclamation point: “Wow!”



During our vacation I spent time reading Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and The Song of Solomon in Through the Bible With J. Vernon McGee. I scribbled rough drafts of the final poems for a chapbook I’ve been working on about pilgrimage and also had fun exploring the island and photographing lizards and iguanas for my grandchildren.





ST. CATHERINE OF BOLOGNA PATRON OF THE ARTS ASSOCIATION’S 13TH ANNUAL PHOTOGRAPHY, ART & POETRY EXHIBITION & SALE—

Friday, Saturday & Sunday March 16, 17 & 18, 2012, 112 Erskine Road, Ringwood, NJ



If you live in New Jersey, I encourage you to do your best to attend this amazing exhibition. It’s one of my favorite events every year. Art, photography, music, poetry, refreshments and the admission is free (although donations are graciously accepted). I will be reading poetry, as will other poets, including some who have been featured in this publication. The poetry reading is scheduled for 7:30 Saturday evening, March 17th, in the upstairs room of the Parish Center. There will certainly be some Irish heritage poems and earlier on Saturday a performance by Irish step dancers will be featured. Stop by and say hello.





LESSONS I LEARNED FROM THE LORD by Evelyn Lang is now available as an E-book.



Yes, my friend Evelyn Lang was excited to tell me that her book is now also available as an e-book, which means it can now be enjoyed on a Kindle or Nook.

Congratulations, Evelyn!



Lessons I Learned from the Lord,” she says, “is a book about relationships, not religion. It’s a story of a walk with the Lord, but it’s everyone’s story. It is about God’s love for people and His wisdom in helping us handle what every Christian deals with in their daily lives. It has many nuggets of wisdom and analogies that make it easy to understand.” To learn more or place an order click on one of the following links: www.evelynlangbooks.com, www.amazon.com or www.christianbook.com.





THE HARBINGER by Jonathan Cahn has been on the NY Times Best Seller List



This is a must read! The author is my pastor, Jonathan Cahn of Beth Israel/The Jerusalem Center, Wayne, NJ. “Is it possible…That there exists an ancient mystery that holds the secret of America’s future? That this mystery is behind everything from 9/11 to the collapse of the global economy? That God is now sending a prophetic message on which America’s future hangs?” Read it and find out. It will keep you on the edge of your seat. The book is available in paperback, as an e-book, an audio-book and in Spanish. Go to: www.amazon.com or www.christianbook.com to order.





ABOUT THE FEATURED POEMS…



I’m pleased to present two poems in this issue that were written several years ago. The first, Frankie’s Dance is about Frankie Schiavo, a severely disabled man from my congregation who has since gone home to be with the Lord. His body and hands were twisted with cerebral palsy, it was difficult for him to communicate and he required a wheelchair, nevertheless Frankie loved the Lord and spent hours each day in intercessory prayer. People would give him prayer requests on scraps of paper and know that Frankie would pray. This poem was published in Sensations Magazine. Frankie was very excited about that. I gave him a copy of the magazine and also gave him a framed copy of the poem which was hung above his bed until he passed away.



What Was God Doing? is one of my earliest poems, written as I tried to imagine what God the Father was doing up in Heaven while His Only Begotten Son was suffering and our redemption was being paid for down here on earth. I’ve included this as a Lenten meditation. I hope it’s a blessing. And now…





+ + + THE POEMS + + +



FRANKIE’S DANCE

In memory of Frank Schiavo, Jr.



In a circle

in the corner

of the sanctuary

the dancers

lifted arms and faces,

bowed reverently, rose,

offering gifts of praise to God.

Tintinnabulating timbrels

and tambourines,

their satin ribbons streaming,

swirled with shirts and skirts,

a kaleidoscopic rainbow.

Ineffable ecstasy

shone in countenances,

sparkled in dark, dancing eyes.



Parked at a row end

in the congregation,

Frankie sat

strapped securely

in his wheelchair,

worshipping,

his spirit whirling

in the dance.

Joy softened his face

into enthralled expressions

as praise

flowed fluently

from upturned lips.



Suddenly,

perceiving the desire

written in his radiance,

a young man whisked

his wheelchair

into the dance.

Circling, circling,

spinning, spinning,

wheeling worshipfully,

spiritually spiraling

upward, Heavenward,

an Elijah in a chariot

driven by horses,

their manes ablaze,

Frankie danced

his holy dance

before the Ever-Living God.



Maude Carolan




WHAT WAS GOD DOING?



What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when the Great Climax was unfolding

and His only begotten Son was sweating hemorrhages of blood

in fervent prayer before Him, that night in the garden?



What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when His Son was pleading

for the removal of that great Grail of suffering,

yet in submission acquiesced to His Father’s higher will?



What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

during the sentencing and scourging, spitting and mocking,

as His Pascal Lamb carried the crude crossbeam to Calvary,

falling and falling and falling again?



What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when they stripped His Beloved,

held His hand to the beam and lifted the hammer

and pounded the spike through sinless flesh?

Did He hold His ears?  Did He turn away?

Did His tears pour down as the blood ran down?

Did He pound His fist?  Scream?



What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when His Son cried, “Why...hast Thou...forsaken Me?”

Victory was so close.  Did He almost change His mind?



What was God doing?

What was He thinking

high up in His Heaven

when it finally was finished?



as He darkened the sky and quaked the dry earth,

opened old graves and breathed life into dead?

Was it with grief or great jubilation

that He tore asunder the curtain to the Holy of Holies?



What oh what was God thinking

at that Climax of climaxes

with Satan and sin squashed under His heel,

and after the Ascension,

at Their glorious reunion,

did Father and Son

dance the Hora in Highest Heaven?



Maude Carolan



Dear Subscriber,



As we approach Resurrection Day, may the price Jesus paid at Calvary for your sins and mine cause us to humble ourselves before Him and give Him thanks. Worthy is The Lamb!



Shalom,

Maude




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Permission to forward or copy is automatic and encouraged as long as credit is given.



Comments are welcome and appreciated.



Check this blog, June 15, 2012, for the next edition of:

It’s all about…The Lamb



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© Maude Carolan Pych 2012





After God’s Own Heart Publishing

P.O. Box 2211, Woodland Park, NJ 07424




www.maudespoems.blogspot.com

Monday, March 12, 2012

Back from vacation...

My husband and I just returned home from a wonderful vacation on an island in the Caribbean. I'll post the next edition of It's all about...The Lamb, Thursday, March 15th.