Faith and Hope

FAITH AND HOPE
When gathering clouds around I view ,
And days are dark ,and friends are few
On him I lean ,who ,not in vain ,
Experienced every human pain ;
He sees my wants ,allays my fears,
And counts and treasures up my tears.

If aught should tempt my soul to stray
From heavenly virtue’s narrow way –
To fly the good I would pursue ,
Or do the sin I would not do –
Still he ,who felt temptation’s power
Shall guard me in that dangerous hour .

When sorrowing ov’er some stone ,I blend ,
Which covers all that was a friend ,
And from his voice ,his hand ,his smile ,
Divides me ,for a little while ,
My Saviour sees the tears I shed ,
For Jesus wept o’er Lazarus dead .

And ,if when I have safely passed
Through every conflict but the last –
Still,still unchanging ,watch beside
My painful bed – for thou hast died ;
Then point to realms of cloudless day ,
And wipe my latest tear away .
Jan Bagwell

God Bless

Although things are not perfect {ABC}

Although things are not perfect
Because of trial or pain
Continue in thanksgiving
Do not begin to blame
Even when the times are hard
Fierce winds are bound to blow
God is forever able
Hold on to what you know
Imagine life without His love
Joy would cease to be
Keep thanking Him for all the things
Love imparts to thee
Move out of "Camp Complaining"
No weapon that is known
On earth can yield the power
Praise can do alone
Quit looking at the future
Redeem the time at hand
Start every day with worship
To "thank" is a command
Until we see Him coming
Victorious in the sky
We'll run the race with gratitude
Xalting God most high
Yes, there'll be good times and yes some will be bad, but...
Zion waits in glory...where none are ever sad!


"I AM Too blessed to be stressed!" The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor.
The one who kneels to the Lord can stand up to anything. Love and peace be with you forever, Amen.

Jan Bagwell

This Ting Cross of Pain

This Tiny Cross of Pain

Though prayers for healing
seemed in vain ,
God helped me learn
to live with pain ;
To use the very
thing I dread
For closer walk
with Him instead ;

And how to lend
a listening ear
To those who hurt\
and shed a tear
of symapathy,
or press their hand –
worth more because
I understand .

Dear God ,if that’s
the only way
You’d have me serve
from day to day ,
please use this
tiny cross of pain
for others
and for Heavens’s gain !
Jan Bagwell
There is alot of sickness that are going around now . Be safe my brothers and sisters , and I pray that our Lord will keep you and yours safe , God Bless

Look Beyond

Look beyond your sufferings
Look beyond your fear
Look beyond your adversity
And find the Lord so near
Look beyond the problem
Look beyond the now
Look beyond the turmoil|
And before Him humbly bow
For, inlooking beyond and bowing,
You will find your normal sight...
Takes on spiritual vision
In God's sustaining light.
Jan Bagwell

I believe

I like the beginning of this story.
I agree that happiness comes from within .


She is 92 years old, petite, well poised, and proud. She is fully
dressed each morning by eight o'clock, with her hair fashionably
coifed, and her makeup perfectly applied, in spite of the fact she is
legally blind.

Today she has moved to a nursing home. Her husband of 70 years
recently passed away, making this move necessary.

After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing
home where I visit elderly , she smiled sweetly when told her room was ready.
As she maneuvered her walker to the elevator, I provided a visual
description of her tiny room, including the eyelet curtains that had
been hung on her window.

"I love it," she stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old
having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mrs. Jones, you haven't seen the room...just wait," I said.

Then she spoke these words that I will never forget:
"That does not have anything to do with it," she gently replied.
"Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether
I like my room or not, does not depend on how the furniture is
arranged. It is how I arrange my mind. I have already decided to love it.

It is a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a
choice. I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the
parts of my body that no longer work, or I can get out of bed and be
thankful for the ones that do work. Each day is a gift, and as long as
my eyes open, I will focus on the new day and all of the happy memories
I have stored away...just for this time in my life.

Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you have
already put in.

I believe-
that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we
are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I believe-
that no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you
every
once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I believe-
that just because someone doesn't love you the way you want them to
doesn't mean they don't love you with all they have.

I believe-
that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest
distance.
Same goes for true love.

I believe-
that it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I believe-
that you should always leave loved ones with loving words.
It may be the last time you see them.

I believe-
that you can keep going, long after you can't.

I believe-
that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I believe-
that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I believe-
that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs
to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I believe-
that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I believe-
that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing and
have the best time.

I believe-
that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down,
will be the ones to help you get back up.

I believe-
that sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but
that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I believe-
that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've
had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many
birthdays you've celebrated.

I believe-
that it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes
you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I believe-
that no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't
stop for your grief.

I believe-
that just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they
don't love each other. And just because they don't argue,
it doesn't mean they do.

I believe-
that you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret.
It could change your life forever.

I believe-
that two people can look at the exact same thing and see
something totally different.

I believe-
that your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people
who don't even know you.

I believe-
that even when you think you have no more to give, when
a friend cries out to you, you will find the strength to help.

I believe-
that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I believe-
that the people you care about most in life are taken
from you too soon.

Have A Great Day!!!
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !!!

In the valley I grow

In The Valleys I Grow
======================

Sometimes life seems hard to bear,
Full of sorrow, trouble and woe.
It's then I have to remember
That it's in the valleys I grow.

If I always stayed on the mountaintop
And never experienced pain,
I would never appreciate God's love
And would be living in vain.

I have so much to learn
And my growth is very slow,
Sometimes I need the mountaintops,
But it's in the valleys I grow.

I do not always understand
Why things happen as they do,
But I am very sure of one thing.
My Lord will see me through.

My little valleys are nothing
When I picture Christ on the cross
He went through the valley of death;
His victory was Satan's loss.

Forgive me Lord, for complaining
When I'm feeling so very low.
Just give me a gentle reminder
That it's in the valleys I grow.

Continue to strengthen me, Lord
And use my life each day,
To share your love with others
And help them find their way.

Thank you for valleys, Lord
For this one thing I know,
The mountaintops are glorious,
But it's in the valleys I grow!

Jan Bagwell