Friday, November 30, 2012

Mama's Christmas Miracle


Christmas Poem

My mother means the world to me. She is 94 years old. I wanted to honor her with this poem. She came from poverty beyond what most could imagine. When she was a little girl she wrote a letter to Santa. She didn't use postage. She just placed it in the mailbox. The mail man read the letter and got together with a local church to make mom's dream come true. Her dad was a very proud man that would not except charity, however this one time he graciously excepted.

Mama's Christmas Miracle

Mama told me a story a long long time ago not like any that I'd ever heard,
all about a little girl mama used to know, how I remember every word.
Seems like a lifetime ago, though I remember it so well,
it was a Christmas eve I'll never forget as far as I can tell.
We were sitting at the kitchen table, it was only my mother and me,
I was dreaming of Christmas morning and all the presents under the tree.
Dad wasn't doing that well and money was scarce that year,
Mama found a way of telling me without me shedding one tear.
She told me a story of a little girl and a Christmas long ago,
who came from far away, a place where it rarely snowed.
Santa was just a dream to her, but she believed so much inside,
that Christmas was going to be special, so she knelt by her bed and she cried.
"Lord let Santa remember me if not just this one time, I promise I won't ask for much, maybe a dolly I can call all mine." 
She closed her prayer and thanked the Lord for all that she received,
she knew that Santa would really come if only she believed.
She wrote a letter to Santa unfamiliar to most girls and boys,
Though her list was long and full, on it there were no toys.
Only things we take for granted, like new shoes or underpants,
hair bows for her sisters and gloves to warm her brother's hands. 
At the bottom of her list she asked if it not be to much, for a brand new baby doll she could hold and love and touch.
Then Christmas morning came and she looked beneath her tree,
Not a present to be found as far as she could see.
She didn't give up hope as she heard a knocking sound,
When she opened up her door a great big box she found.
She called out to her mother and dad, brothers and sisters too,
She said "my prayers were answered, there's something in here for all of you."
Her daddy got brand new boots, her mother new underpants, her sisters got beautiful hair bows, her brothers warm gloves for their hands. 
Buried deep beneath the box was a brand new baby doll and a note that said Merry Christmas I love you one and all.
I'll never forget that story because much to my surprise, 
I saw the true meaning of Christmas shining in my mother's eyes.
For those of you who are wondering, as if you didn't know,
The little girl in Mama's story was my mother long ago.

This poem is about a childhood memory I will never forget. God bless all the mothers in this world and may all your Christmases be ones to remember.
Jan Bagwell 
God Bless !
Make memories this Christmas , that your family can always remember !
 
s


Thursday, November 29, 2012

The Call Of Angels


The Call Of Angels


Deeply resonating,
I hear the call of Angels...
Who were once humble souls...
that conspired to try hard...

Rich halls of endless voices
inspire me to move forward...

Am I at peace, knowing,
the drum beating in my ear,
pushes me onward toward my own destiny?

The lives of mankind sink into history,
our purpose is to continue, and bring
new hope to those who need us most...

Stalwart at the borders of change, we
hold hands and hear the call of Angels.

Our hope being undivided, we wish peace and happiness for all our children,
for all children...

Who will hear the call one day,
stand proud and strong,
and sing praises to God in thanks...
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !
Please pray for Mary Carpenter , Frankie Wilson , David Bagwell



Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Edge of Heaven


Edge of Heaven 

Rod Mayer has been the youth pastor at New Hope community church , Spartanburg ,S.C. ., for 15 years, and many in the church credit he and his wife Janet for being an instrumental tool in their children’s faith journeys. Through Janet’s recent three-year struggle with cancer, she kept a positive outlook and was often the one who cheered others who were saddened by her condition.
The Sunday after she died, the church was treated with stories of how Rod and Janet, knowing the end was near, had spent a beautiful week together in Hawaii. We also heard how Rod had taken their two children’s favorite toys and put them in a paper bag out of sight. He told them that although they couldn’t touch their toys or play with them, they knew where they were, and it was going to be the same with their Mommy. They wouldn’t be able to touch her or play with her, but they would know she was in heaven.
Two days later, with Janet in heaven, a memorial service was held at the church. There was not enough room for everyone who came. There were stories about Janet from those who were closest to her. Some tried to laugh and bring lightness to the heavy emotions by recalling her sunny disposition. I imagined Rod on the front row, choked up by all this. I wondered if he might speak, but then, if it were me, I surmised I would not be able to.
Suddenly, Rod was up on the platform speaking. He told us how in her last few moments Janet stood up in bed, reached her hands up to heaven and spoke. When he asked her who she was talking to, she said, “Angels.” And then he and a friend laid her back down on the bed, and she died.
I thought it was pretty courageous of him to do this—to tell us these things—given his situation and the frailty of human emotions. But I was soon to be even more surprised when he strapped on a guitar and began leading us in songs of praise & worship. Let me tell you, that was an experience like no other. It was the closest I’ve ever come to worshiping with the saints in glory.  There was such a sense of reality in knowing that Rod could not do this if he wasn’t looking out over the edge of heaven right then as he sang. This was not drummed-up praise. This was exuberant, from-the-bottom-of my-shoes praise. There was no lie in it.
Rod’s voice carried over everyone else’s, and there was something about it that was different. It had a strength and confidence that was mystical, if not eerie. It was almost as if he stepped over the edge of heaven for a moment and sang to us from there. I swear I heard a glorified voice.
And then, if that weren’t enough, he had us all bow our heads and he gave an invitation. Yep. I’m not making this up. He told everyone at his wife’s funeral that this would be a really good time to make sure they were ready to die, and then he told them what they needed to do to receive Christ. From the edge of heaven, he welcomed a number of people into the family of God.
Rod is not a big man. He’s not a tall man. He is slight in build and usually a little nervous around people. But let me tell you something: Rod is a huge man now in my eyes. Bigger than anyone I’ve ever met. I’m sure he will go through some long, lonely days. By the time you read this, they may be his longest ever. I don’t know, but I hear it’s the little things you miss—the coffee ready, the toothpaste squeezed in the middle, the sniffle during a touching scene on television, or simply turning around and forgetting for a split second, that there is no one there. Not to mention all the support you had the first few days that is now gone. Not anybody’s fault; it’s just that way. They have to get back to their lives, and you have to go back to yours, except yours will never be the same.
I know after that service I'll never be the same, and I hope you won’t either, even just from reading this. And you know what else? If you don’t know what’s going to happen to you when you die, Rod would want you to do something about that. Right now. He would want you to make his loneliness worthwhile by meeting him someday, at the end of days, on the edge of heaven. You can do it right now.
Your prayer could sound something like this:
Lord Jesus, I want to know you personally. Thank you for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life to you and ask you to come in as my Savior and Lord. Take control of my life. Thank you for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Make me the kind of person you want me to be.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

You are the Masterpiece!


You are the Masterpiece!

The Masterpiece

You are special!
Created by the hands of God himself!
Awaken by His breath!
Filled with His spirit!
Redeemed by His blood!
Live by His love!
For none on this earth could be measured equal to you!
So live as what you are supposed to be!
The masterpiece of GOD!
Jan Bagwell
God Bless!

A Father's Prayer



Heavenly Father, thank You for my children's salvation. Thank You for choosing them to be children of mine and Yours. Thank You that You have lavished Your riches and Your inheritance on them, although they could do nothing to earn it or deserve it. 
I pray for my children's legs to walk always with You, not racing ahead, not lagging behind, not wandering off, but day-by-day walking with Jesus, so that He is their constant companion. God, take them where You want them to go and keep them from the places they shouldn't go. Give them strength to continue when they feel weak. Give them courage to keep on walking with You, even when the road ahead looks uncertain and dim. Give them grace to bridge gaps, to leap walls, to span the separations between people and groups.
I pray for my children's feet, that You would place them where You want them to stand. Plant their feet on the immovable rock of Jesus. Talk to them when storms come or the world's attractions try to lure them down its path. Whisper in their ears and to their spirits, "Stand firm."
Through my children's arms, always do Your work. Strengthen them, hold them up, and direct them to do whatever You want them to do. Make their time valuable for eternity, not just the quick flash that is the span of their days on earth.
I pray for my children's hands that they will often fold them in prayer. Make them mighty in prayer. Teach them to pray after Your own heart. Enable them to live their lives so that everyone will see Your signature, "This one is the Lord's."
Give my children the patience to wait on You, Lord, so that You may renew their spirits and they may soar as on eagle's wings.
By Your enabling power, make my children's will as strong as iron for clinging to what is good and resisting evil. Cause them to be unyielding in following righteousness and rejecting anything not pure, holy, and completely from You. Make their wills toward You as pliable as spun silk when You convict them of sin or following their own ways. Give them tender hearts and teachable spirits for You, God.
I pray for my children's character, that You will make it strong and godly. Use godly men and women to mold, shape, and weave their character, beliefs, and views of You as You want to make them.
Enable by Your grace that their conscience will be clear. I pray they will keep a short list of accounts with You and quickly acknowledge sin to You and confess their wrongs. Give them the humility to seek forgiveness from the ones they offend. Enlarge their hearts to grant forgiveness freely, even before it is asked, when they are wronged.
I pray for my children's heart, that You would guard it. Keep them protected, covered, shielded, and sheltered from all harm that seeks to touch them. Make their hearts soft when they should show compassion, firm when "tough love" is required, and always holy.
By Your power, protect their bodies. Keep them well and safe, and heal them when they are sick or injured. Hold them and comfort them when they are afraid, lonely, sad, or discouraged. Give them the strength and the courage to keep on keepin' on when they feel they cannot any longer.
I pray for my children's minds, that regarding the things of Christ they will be full of knowledge and wisdom, and regarding the things of sin they will be ignorant. Give them Your wisdom and discernment to evaluate what they see.
Light my children's eyes with the light of Christ shining within them. Filter what they will see through holy filters. Protect them and keep them, for the devil masquerades as an angel of light. Give them holy understanding to see past the surface, to see the world from Your perspective, and to respond as You would.
Father, put Your Word in my children's ears and in their hearts frequently. I pray that they will not listen to unwise counsel or foolish talk and will seek Your wisdom and Your ways all their days.
I pray for my children's mouths, that words of praise and prayer will be on their lips always. Curb them from speaking rashly or without thought, so that they will bring honor and glory to You. I pray for my children's countenances, that they will reflect Your glory and the radiance of the hope that is alive within them.
Sanctify their pocketbooks, and teach them to be good stewards of what You give them. Teach them the principles of Your economy, the way to manage and use the things that You loan them. Beyond finances and possessions, make them good stewards of their talents, time, and opportunities You send. Help them to acknowledge that everything is Yours, and because of that, they need not worry or fear loss.
I pray that they will abide in righteousness and live worthy of the One who purchased their lives from destruction and eternal death. Show them that life is in Christ alone, that there is no other source of life, joy, light, peace, comfort, love, or truth that can endure forever, and no other is pure or holy but You.
Father-God, I place all these things in Your hands in the name of the One who is able to do all things, beyond anything we ask or imagine, to whom is all glory, honor, and praise, Amen.
       

Monday, November 26, 2012

God's Love is so Wonderful


God's Love Is So Wonderful

God's love for the world is so wonderful, 
He makes our life magical, and so beautiful. 
Even in hard times, we can put our trust in him,
And he will make them disappear without a thing. 
He doesn't take a salary from us at the end of the day,
It is just his love for us that brightens up our way.
Jan Bagwell 
God Bless !
Dear Lord, please help New York and New Jersey and her people through this darkest hour. Please be with those who may be alone and suffering. Ease their pain and comfort their souls. Lord, help this great nation rebuild and stay proud. AmenLord, we pray for those who are less fortunate than us. We pray for those affected by war and disaster. Dear Lord, we humbly request that you provide comfort to those who are hurt, wisdom to those who make decisions, and love to those who know loss.
Dear Lord, thank you for all that you do. The love of life, the peace in my heart all comes from your grace. Please help me to show your love and grace to others as you have done for me. Thank you Lord for being a part of my life.Dear Lord please bless those that holladays depressed them  .
Amen and Amen 
 {I lost my Dad a day before thankgiving 26 years ago  , so I do understand this problem ]