[dutchess]

[dutchess]

We have a tee time scheduled for you all....come join us for espresso...pastries or a round of golf...time to meet our newest finest freeper...cmsgop.

[Flyer]

BTW, I'm glad you got over that Shar-Pei thing. I used to bathe some when I was in the doggie bidness and they would really irritate my forearms.

[Pippin]

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY!

Congratulations to cmsgop!

[SpookBrat]

Thanks for the nice thread dutchess. cmsgop, it's nice to meet you and your family. I think you turned out so good because your mom stayed home with you. :)

[grantswank]

THOSE FORTY DAYS

There were forty days between Easter weekend and Jesus’ ascension into heaven. Those were humble yet eventful days of ministry. These poems glimpse into some of those happenings.

<//><

IF I HAD COME BACK FROM THE DEAD

If I had come back from the dead
I’d trounced before that Herod proud,
Expose him, evil sot he was,
And thus pronounce divinity

Was who I was—the Son of God—
Invincible, the Godman, sure.
Oh yes I would, and Pilate, too.
To mock their strut and prance and preen.

But Jesus spent His forty days
With not an enemy in sight,
Instead surrounded by His friends—
The peasants dear, the common sort.

I want to be more like my Lord,
Discerning proper turn and twist
So as to use my witness—pure—
Know Father’s way—simple and clean.

<//><

THOMAS, DOUBTFUL ALL

I thought I’d seen Him standing there
Against the tree in morning light
When talking with His friends He spied
Our Thomas ‘proaching where I’d been.

“Touch me!” He gently whispered low
And so again invited him
To place his fingers in His palm,
A kinder look I’d never seen.

“Tough me!” He whispered, glanced,
As if to urge his courage on
For how He loved him, doubt and all,
A realist knew him to be.

A second palm He held outstretched
For Thomas’ grasp, but he would not
As stunned with joy our fellow stood,
His faith renewed, His eyes now see.

<//><

EMMAUS ROAD

We heard Him speak, but knew Him not
For both of us were stumped with grief
As tears enveloped all of life—
Our souls split open blood to spill.

But on and on He went with psalms
And Book of Moses, prophecies—
Our heads were laden with those truths
Yet spirits sunk beneath tears’ load.

Emmaus Road it was we trod
For on our way to supper make
Yet taste buds fled, our worlds undone
Because of Friday’s murder spree.

But when we sat at table spread
We shook with happiness childlike
For in the breaking of the bread
We knew we’d companied with our Lord.

<//><

WE CLODS OF EARTH

How could He care if we had rolls
And honey, too, when from the dead
He’d exited the tomb, hell’s grasp
Defied in glory, majesty?

I chuckle still when thinking back
How breakfast served was on His mind
That morning early on the shore
When knowing we were tired and spent.

A night in fishing’s wearing weight
To carry into dawn’s mist, fog,
So when we rowed close to the land
Amazement overtook our eyes.

As host He’d even lit the fire
To soothe, invite, we clods of earth—
His closest friends—we nothings were
For whom He died, His mercy sent.

<//><

Poems by J. Grant Swank, Jr., Pastor, New Hope Church, Windham ME

[firewalk]

Just bumping by to say good morning

[FreeTheHostages]

What a hip dude you are, cmsgop. She can read my mind so I had to be very careful. I LOVE Georgetown Park -- I live in Dupont Circle in DC and I go there to shop fairly often. It's a lovely store!

The final evidence of hipness -- apart of course from the cafe ownership -- is dropping names like Billthedrill. He's very witty too!

Congratulations, I've seen and enjoyed your posts. Enjoy your day in the spotlight!

[jwfiv]

Thanks, dutchess, for another great thread...I like the golf club as your horizontal rule...)

cmsgop, glad to know you a little better...you've got a GREAT attitude...and, glad you found your way to FR. Enjoy your day in the Finest spotlight.

Good morning to all our Hostesses and all Freepers...it's such a beautiful day.

[The Thin Man]

Chris couldn't send a wedding picture…(a scanner impaired thing) BUT did send this noting that they got married at the spot where the 3 unknown persons are sitting :)

Pic of three strangers? Can't help but love the "upclose and personal" parts of these interviews. :-)

Congrats, cmsgop! Enjoy your day.

[The Thin Man]

Hi dutchess! I'm so down about Louie blowing done my house and then eating my dog last night, that I don't even have the desire to point out your one blatant misspelling. :-)

[Dubya]

WELCOME CMEGOP. Have a good day.

[Libertina]

Hey cms it's YOUR day! Sorry I'm here so late. Hope it was a good one for you and I really enjoyed your story. Hopefully Billthedrill and I will find that venue so we can sample more of his brew SOON. Thanks dutchess for another wonderful thead! I'll see you all on Friday. :)
cmsgop BUMP