We Pray for Our Friends...

Bob and I celebrated our 8th anniversary this week. The following poem was written for our 7th anniversary...

WE PRAY FOR OUR FRIENDS

Bob and I sit at the kitchen table

before our evening meal—

We clasp our hands, bow our heads

and pray for our friends, our family

and people we do not know

because when people know you pray

they give you people to pray for

First we pray for those with cancer

and ask God in His mercy to heal—

There’s Lynn who had a recurrence

after a long remission. Lynn

who is so adventurous and brave—

Last week she had a CAT scan

We’re waiting for results

and there’s Joanne, who battles leukemia

She leads the dance ministry at our congregation

with astonishing poise and grace

and places her trust in God, Who has

blessed her with miracles

along the way

We persevere in prayer for her

We always persevere

and there are others, many, many others

and other diseases, ailments and situations

that we bring before God’s throne

We lift up our family members and ask

God to touch each one where they need

a touch from Him, asking

each name be written

in the Lamb’s Book of Life

for it’s our heart’s supreme desire

that each has a place

at the Banqueting Table in Glory

We pray for our nation

our president, our congregation

and our pastor

then Bob always takes a moment

to thank God for giving him

me as his wife and he tells God

he’s a very blessed man

and finally, I express my own thanksgiving

in having him as my cherished husband

We conclude with Amen

and a gentle kiss

Today is our seventh anniversary—

Dear Lord…

the sweetest part of everyday

is this solemn time we spend with You

here, at our table

in prayer

Maude Carolan Pych

Autumn Haiku

Maude at a sunflower field in Lafayette, NJ, in 2013

Haiku

At Sunflower Field
I hold the sun in my hands
Amber petals blaze


Haiku

Sunflower blooms bold
See the Lion of Judah--
His glorious mane!


Haiku

They make me smile--
The enormous sunflowers
drooping by the fence

Maude's backyard pumpkin 2014



Haiku

It's October First
I shall cut my orange orb
from its withered vine


Haiku

Autumn leaves lull me
Red, orange, russet and gold
till winter blows in

I

At-One-Ment

THE UNFATHOMABLE VASTNESS OF HIS MERCY

One day

the Lord’s long, long arm

reaches all the way

from Heaven into Hell

to grant a blessing

upon a beloved child

in her hour

of her gravest sin.

In great despair

she can't imagine

a way out, still

she is moved

by the unfathomable vastness

of His mercy

and the awesome wonder

of undeserved love

unconditional

and full of grace.

This much beloved child

earnestly longs

to mirror the woman

from ages past

who wept bitterly

upon His dusty feet

and ever so humbly

wiped away tears

with her dark

and silken hair.

Like the woman

from ages past

she understands

one forgiven much

loves much

She is on the brink

of loving Him

much

Maude Carolan

Today was the Yom Kippur service at Beth Israel Worship Center, in Wayne, NJ. Pastor/Rabbi Jonathan Cahn spoke about atonement and our "At-One-Ment" with God, urging us to live in oneness with Him, moment by moment, day by day.