A Sunset Lesson

This evening I saw the sun set

   Behind the mountain dim ;

It dropped from behind a beautiful cloud ,

   All gold around its rim .

And as the sun sank down to rest ,

   Beneath its bed of gold ,

It filled my soul with rapture ,

   Its beauty to behold .

O that my life ,at close of day ,

    May be as supremely bright ,

As I pass on from this present world

     To the realms of endless light ;

That a golden crown may await me there .

     As bright as this golden sky ,

And that I may dwelt forever there ,

    In that beautiful home on high

Jan Bagwell

God Bless !

Courage To Live

Courage To Live :

To those who have tried and seemingly have failed ,

Reach out ,dear Lord , and comfort them today ;

For those whose hope has dimmed ,whose faith has paled,

Lift up some lighted heavenly torch , I pray .

They are so frightened ,Lord ;reach out a hand .

They are so hurt and helpless ; be their friend .

Baffled and blind ,they do not understand –

They think this dark and tangled road the end .

Oh ,touch to flame their hope that has burned low ,

And strike with fire faith,s ashes that are dead .

Let them walk proudly once again ,and go

Seeking the sure and steadfast light ahead .

Help them to move among their fellow men

With courage to live ,courage to try again .

Jan Bagwell

       A Crushed Rose

O, beautiful rose , please tell me ,

For I would like to know ,

Why I must crush your petals

That the sweet perfume may flow ,

O , life that  is clothed in beauty

Perhaps like that wonderful rose

You will need to be crushed by  suffering

If the radiance of  your life must glow

A life that is crushed by sorrow

Can feel for another’s grief ,

And send out that fragrance of love

That will bring some heart relief ,

O , do not repine at your testing

When called to pass under the rod ;

For your life the sweeter will be

If blessed by the hand of God

Then let us rejoice when He sendeth

Some sorrow or hardship that tries

And be glad to be crushed as a rose leaf

That a sweeter perfume may arise.

If today was my last day

If today was my last day and tomorrow found me gone
How would life be different, if that unknown somehow was known

Would I be a better person, would I live a better life
How much would I feed resentment, envy, bitterness and strife?

How would I choose to live, and what would be my emphasis
Being a blessing or a burden, full of service or selfishness?

Where would God be in my life, what place would He occupy,
If today was my last day, and before tomorrow I would die.

If today was my last day, and second chances all were through
And I stood before my judge and my eternal fate I knew

I would mourn and fall before Him, if I had not done what’s right
If I had chosen self and sin, if I had chosen eternal night.

But there’s no reason for apprehension, I can die w/head held high
If I die to self & live to Him, it won’t matter when I die.

Ode to the Church Meeting

A joy to join the church again
As covid seems to reach an end
The songs and prayers and voices blend
While we this isolation rend

The gathered church can't be compared
To video - zoom meeting chaired
No toothbrush, hairbrush, clothing spared
For church on Sunday, we're prepared

I've never readied with such haste
To see my friends and get a taste
Of fellowship and sweetest grace
Received in worship face to face

And don't you think it's swell of God
To make us miss those we find odd
Who used to get a passing nod
We talk to now without a prod

Those empty halls again will ring
With every precious promised thing
To pray and preach, to give and sing
For us these days means everything

And could it be in this our joy
That tender hearts would now employ
Their love for those they would annoy?
The unforgiving thought destroy?

Lord, may it be that we not tire
In this our earnest heart's desire
No apathy to quench the fire
But Jesus Christ the Lord raised higher

Don't Grow Up to be Babies

God desires we grow up as he wished for his son,
just as any good parent would do.
We cannot live our life as a baby at one,
or a child who's a terrible two!

If we're spiritually born, we should grow every year,
if we don't, we will spiritually stall;
to work out our salvation with trembling and fear,
while God works out his will in us all.

Be aware that your life will be shaped by your thoughts;
think how Jesus might think, by default.
Regard sin from the stance of an innocent tot's,
​but, then, think like the grown-up adult.

For when I was a child, I would speak like one, too,
and I thought with a childish mind.
But since I've now matured as a man I am through
with those childish ways left behind.

As we uplift our neighbors -- the world thinks it strange;
through God's Spirit -- they've not understood.
You've transformed us -- our mind has completed the change,
shown your will to be perfect and good.

If we're spiritually born, we should spiritually grow,
if we don't, we will spiritually die.
We will spiritually reap what we spiritually sow;
will you spiritually age or stand by?

THE TEMPTERS CALL

As I near Heaven’s gate,
The Tempter calls, “stop and wait!”

God only wants, the best for you.
Come look and see, what you can do.

He would shame me, before my Lord,
Tarnish my gold, and take my sword.

Although he cannot drag me down,
He’d steal the jewels, from my crown

The path is hard and I’ve walked so long.
It’s tempting to stop, and hear his song.

But what about those who’ll follow me?
What kind of witness then, would I be?

Just as I begin to falter,
I see Jesus, standing at the altar.

No, the Tempter’s charm has no hold on me,
The love of Christ, has set me free.