March 15, 2015
Vol. 19, 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 followers of Yeshua/Jesus,
the Holy Lamb of God, and people who enjoy poetry. The purpose is to magnify our
Lord and Savior and inspire an ever-deepening relationship with Him, the lover
of our souls.
A-Poem-a-Day until Resurrection Sunday
On Ash Wednesday I
began posting a-poem-a-day on my blog, Maude’s Poems, and will continue doing
so throughout Lent until Resurrection Sunday. I also post a daily notification
on FaceBook with a link to the blog. I’ve been enjoying re-visiting some of my
old poems. Sometimes I change a word or two or three. Included in this edition
is a new poem, “Mary of Magdala”, which I am counting as today’s posting. Every
day, I carefully peruse Google Images to find an appropriate image to accompany
the poem. This often leads me into a devotional state of mind and becomes a meaningful
time of meditation and blessing.
In Loving Memory
of a Wonderful Poet
 |
| Linda Cronin - 1970-2016 |
It is with sadness that I announce that a fine poet and friend, Linda Ann Cronin, passed from this life on Friday, March 11th, from complications of arthritis. Linda was the daughter of Richard and Margaret Cronin. She lived most of her life in Cedar Grove, NJ. Linda received her BA degree from Loyola University and attended graduate school at Villanova University. She took part in many poetry workshops and was the author of "Dream Bones" a collection of her poems. She also received several awards for her work, including a first place award in the Allen Ginsberg contest.
Visitation will be Wednesday 2-4 and 7-9 pm, at Shook's Funeral Home, 486 Pompton Avenue, Cedar Grove. The funeral will be Thursday.
Congratulations, Poets!
Congratulations
to two of my poet/friends, Elizabeth Marchitti and Barbara Williams-Hubbard for
each winning an award for their poetry at the annual St. Catherine of Bologna
Art, Photography & Poetry Exhibition, held this past weekend in Ringwood,
NJ.
Featured Poets:
Ann Crediford & Suzanne I. Fischer
Ann Crediford grew up in Kentucky and West Virginia. She
was an agnostic until middle age, when she came to belief in the divinity of
Christ. For a long time Ann has enjoyed expressing her love for the Lord
through her poems and stories. She’s a former member of the North Jersey
Christian Writers Group.
“After tending
the flowers on my hillside garden for several years,” Ann says, “I noticed that
every year the flowers bloomed in the same sequence, starting with the
snowdrops and then the crocuses. The order of the flowers appearing reminds me
of the grandeur of God.” Ann’s featured poem is titled, “In Spring”.
Suzanne I. Fischer accepted Jesus as her Savior in 1979. “It
was difficult in the beginning,” she explained, “because I was the first in my
family to come to the Lord. My parents didn’t understand and gave me a hard
time. My love for the Bible grew and I continued to grow in the Lord. Years
later my mother also came to the Lord. She told me that she noticed a change in
me. My mother and I had always been close, so when she died in 2014, I wrote a
poem and read it at her memorial service.” That poem is called, “Things I’ll
Miss”.
+++ The Poems Follow +++
 |
| Image credit: growveg.com |
IN SPRING
The crocus bells
of spring proclaim
that once again
our God intends
to bless the
earth another time
with every green
and lovely thing.
In ordered
sequence do appear
bold hyacinth
then violet,
forsythia and
daffodil,
narcissus,
tulip, flowering tree.
They’re here and
there upon the ground
and over and
about the town,
bright witnesses
for all to see,
clear tellers of
God’s majesty.
Ann Crediford
 |
| Image credit: quotesgram.com |
THINGS I’LL MISS
The daily phone
calls
Whether long or
short
Listening to
your advice
All the things
we did together
Day trips to fun
places
Vacations near
and far
Your servant’s
heart
Always putting
others above yourself
Driving people
here and there—
And everywhere,
no matter how far
I’ll miss just
knowing you’re there whenever I need you.
Or being there
when you need me
But one day I’ll
see you again
In our eternal
home.
When we’ll be
praising our great God together,
Never again to
be separated!
Suzanne I.
Fischer
 |
| Image credit: rationalfaith.com |
MARY OF MAGDALA
Mary of Magdala was privileged—
Like the disciples, she was among the few
who spent time with Jesus, followed Him
considered Him Teacher and Friend
She called Him, Rabboni
Jesus had set her free of demons
and she was grateful
for she had known darkness and terror
She and the brethren experienced
unconditional love from He
Who personified it, perfectly
No doubt Mary was there
when Jesus spoke of things
the multitudes yearned to know
things like eternity, death and resurrection
like the sign of Jonah
Still, neither she nor the disciples
had a clear understanding
of cosmic events that were about to unfold
Then suddenly everything whirled out of control
There were palm branches
hosannas and hallelujahs
that quickly turned to betrayal
abduction and a trial
There were shouts of
Crucify Him!
Crucify Him!
It was no longer safe
on the streets of Jerusalem
for His followers. They were fearful
Some went into hiding
Jesus was Crucified—
Mary rent her garments and wailed
Full of sorrow, what could she do
except go early the day after the Sabbath
with other women to anoint His dead body
but when they arrived at the tomb
It was empty and His body was gone
Angels were there
Angels, who spoke of resurrection
but Mary was weeping and bewildered
She couldn’t grasp resurrection—
All she could think about was
Where was His body?
Who took His body away?
Then Rabboni appeared to her
He called her by name, but
still, she couldn’t comprehend
how Him standing there, speaking to her
could possibly be true—
Wasn’t He dead?
She simply could not fathom
that the greatest knowledge
ever to befall anyone, anytime, anywhere
befell upon her at that moment
This was not a time for weeping—
This was the time for rejoicing!
She extended her hand to touch Rabboni—
He was Alive!
He was risen from
the grave!
Jesus told her to go tell His disciples
so Mary quickly hurried off to tell them
she had seen the
Lord!
Yes, it was beginning to sink in—
The sin of the world was atoned for
by Jesus’ death on the Cross
and by His glorious Resurrection
He became the Firstfruit
of Life Forevermore!
Alleluia!
Maude Carolan Pych
**You are welcome to share the above poems with others, but please always be sure to include the author's name.
Comments are always welcome and appreciated. If
possible, please post them directly to the website. Thank you.
Look
for the next edition of It’s all about…the Lamb, June 15,
2016. In the meantime, I update my blog at least once a week, so visit the website
often at: http://maudespoems.com.
A FEW CLOSING WORDS…
Dear Reader/Subscriber,
My prayer
is for every one of you to have a joyous and holy Resurrection Sunday.
Jesus’
resurrection from death is what gives us hope for Eternity. What blessed
assurance that is for believers! Praise the Risen Lord!
God be
with ewe!
Maude
After God’s Own Heart Publishing
P.O. Box 2211, Woodland Park, NJ 07424
