AS I GROW OLD
As I grow old it seems that I
Grow old as grows the western sky
When day is coming to its close :
For life takes on a tint of rose
I had not known in life’s hot noon .
I see new stars I had not seen ,
A surer faith ,a peace serene ,
As I grow old .
As I grow old , like men at even ,
I turn my eyes again to heaven ,
That were so busy with the earth :
And there I find the things of worth ,
The things most beautiful of all .
Upon the world a fairer light ,
A golden glean ,a beacon bright ,
As I grow old .
As I grow old the winds of life
Die down ,the hate ,the hurt ,the strife .
The waters calm ,the waves are still .
I want no triumph, wish no ill
To any man . now from my heart
The ancient angers all depart .
New friends I know ,news songs are sung ,
New joys are mine – yes ,I grow young
As I grow old
Jan Bagwell
God Bless!
Mark 6:56
And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Out of the Waiting room
Picture a doctor's waiting room: cushioned chairs, a display of colorful magazines, soothing music wafting above your head, perhaps an aquarium of sparkling fish.
Why does the doctor provide such a calming environment? Because he or she knows that by and large, people do not like to wait there. Truth is, we don't much like to wait anywhere for any length of time.
And we often cringe at the mere idea of waiting on God - more than any other kind of waiting. He is so frequently not in a hurry. We don't want to learn patience by waiting, though it is often the best way to learn it.
But consider for a moment the flipside. Consider for a moment those times when the waiting room door has been thrown open but we're still sitting in the chair by the fish, afraid to get up, get out and get moving. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we sense God nudging us to step out, but instead we're oddly content to just wait it out - perhaps hoping someone else will make the move we're supposed to make.
Just as there are times when God wants us to wait on Him; there are times when He calls us to action. And just as we need to listen for His voice in times of waiting, we need to obey His prompting when the wait is over.
When God told Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan, only two of the twelve came back from the mission ready to do what God was prompting them to do. The others wanted to head back to the waiting room, grab a magazine and hang out with the fish! They were afraid to move forward in faith, even though they had seen God time and again prepare a way for them in the wilderness and then lead them through it. God asked that these people take a step of faith and trust Him for what lay past the waiting room door. He didn't kick them out of the waiting room. He asked them to leave it, and they chose not to. History shows us what they missed (Numbers 13:26 - 14:25).
Are there perhaps blessings you have asked for but then have refused to pursue? Have you been hanging back in the waiting room - perhaps because you've allowed fear to convince you it's better to be safe and ineffective than risk being used by God?
The waiting room has its purpose. It is the place where you get mentally ready for what comes next. You are not meant to live there. You were designed for the world outside. And it waits for you!
Jan Bagwell
Dear Lord, enable us this day to throw off self-doubts and fear so that we may obey You, serve You and live out our purpose for You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and empower us to do all that You have called and equipped us to do. Forgive us for being content with sitting in the waiting room when You've called us to come out. Ignite in us a passion to live our faith loudly. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Why does the doctor provide such a calming environment? Because he or she knows that by and large, people do not like to wait there. Truth is, we don't much like to wait anywhere for any length of time.
And we often cringe at the mere idea of waiting on God - more than any other kind of waiting. He is so frequently not in a hurry. We don't want to learn patience by waiting, though it is often the best way to learn it.
But consider for a moment the flipside. Consider for a moment those times when the waiting room door has been thrown open but we're still sitting in the chair by the fish, afraid to get up, get out and get moving. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we sense God nudging us to step out, but instead we're oddly content to just wait it out - perhaps hoping someone else will make the move we're supposed to make.
Just as there are times when God wants us to wait on Him; there are times when He calls us to action. And just as we need to listen for His voice in times of waiting, we need to obey His prompting when the wait is over.
When God told Moses to send spies into the land of Canaan, only two of the twelve came back from the mission ready to do what God was prompting them to do. The others wanted to head back to the waiting room, grab a magazine and hang out with the fish! They were afraid to move forward in faith, even though they had seen God time and again prepare a way for them in the wilderness and then lead them through it. God asked that these people take a step of faith and trust Him for what lay past the waiting room door. He didn't kick them out of the waiting room. He asked them to leave it, and they chose not to. History shows us what they missed (Numbers 13:26 - 14:25).
Are there perhaps blessings you have asked for but then have refused to pursue? Have you been hanging back in the waiting room - perhaps because you've allowed fear to convince you it's better to be safe and ineffective than risk being used by God?
The waiting room has its purpose. It is the place where you get mentally ready for what comes next. You are not meant to live there. You were designed for the world outside. And it waits for you!
Jan Bagwell
Dear Lord, enable us this day to throw off self-doubts and fear so that we may obey You, serve You and live out our purpose for You. Fill us with Your Holy Spirit and empower us to do all that You have called and equipped us to do. Forgive us for being content with sitting in the waiting room when You've called us to come out. Ignite in us a passion to live our faith loudly. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
"Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
I love the Autumn Best
I love the Autumn Best
I love the glowing days of spring
When life is born anew ,
When showers bless the April world
And flowers are blooming , too .
In Summer , fields of golden grain
Are blowing in the breeze ,
And life is such a tranquil joy
With birdsong in the trees .
I love so much of God’s bright world
When snowflakes gently fall ,
So soft and white upon the hills –
A cover over all .
So much that ever thrills my heart
Each season of the year ,
And yet the Autumn colors bright
Are always much more dear .
I love it all – the golden leaves ,
Each sunset glowing red ,
The colors thick and heavy there
Atop the flower bed .
As Nature walks October trails
More precious than the rest ,
Of all the seasons of our year year ,
I love the Autumn best.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !!
I love the glowing days of spring
When life is born anew ,
When showers bless the April world
And flowers are blooming , too .
In Summer , fields of golden grain
Are blowing in the breeze ,
And life is such a tranquil joy
With birdsong in the trees .
I love so much of God’s bright world
When snowflakes gently fall ,
So soft and white upon the hills –
A cover over all .
So much that ever thrills my heart
Each season of the year ,
And yet the Autumn colors bright
Are always much more dear .
I love it all – the golden leaves ,
Each sunset glowing red ,
The colors thick and heavy there
Atop the flower bed .
As Nature walks October trails
More precious than the rest ,
Of all the seasons of our year year ,
I love the Autumn best.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !!
Monday, September 6, 2010
Let Me Forget
Let Me Forget
One prayer , of all the prayers ,
My heart might say ,
Is , “Teach me to begin
All fresh today .
Lord , teach me to foget
The worry and the fret
That lie behind .
Each morning , born anew ,
With vigor let me do
What’s right and kind ,
Unhampered by the wrong
Of yesterday ,
Oh , teach me quick the song
To sing today ,
Nor let my heart be sore for what has gone before ,
But cheerful say :
“Today the sun is bright !
Today I will do right !”
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !
One prayer , of all the prayers ,
My heart might say ,
Is , “Teach me to begin
All fresh today .
Lord , teach me to foget
The worry and the fret
That lie behind .
Each morning , born anew ,
With vigor let me do
What’s right and kind ,
Unhampered by the wrong
Of yesterday ,
Oh , teach me quick the song
To sing today ,
Nor let my heart be sore for what has gone before ,
But cheerful say :
“Today the sun is bright !
Today I will do right !”
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !
Friday, September 3, 2010
A Fresh Encounter with the Lord
Joshua 5:13-15
Before overcoming a challenging situation, God often brings us through a time of spiritual preparation. Such was the case prior to Israel's conquest of Canaan. As Joshua—the commander of the Hebrew army—stood near Jericho contemplating the battle ahead, God appeared to him.
Joshua's reaction to this fresh encounter with God can help us learn how we should respond when He speaks to us in our hearts through His Word and His Spirit.
• He approached the Lord in order to speak with Him.
• He fell on his face in humility and submission to His authority.
• He asked for further instruction—"What has my lord to say to his servant?" (v. 14).
• He obeyed immediately.
• He feared God and treated Him as holy.
The Lord is always waiting to meet with us, but sadly, we are often too busy to make the effort to approach Him. By neglecting His presence, we miss the opportunity to receive His encouragement, strength, and direction for our challenging situations.
Our attitude during times of Scripture reading and prayer is very important. A humble, submissive, and teachable spirit enables us to hear God, and immediate obedience to His instructions reveals our awesome respect for Him.
If you're struggling with a difficulty and wondering why the Lord hasn't intervened, maybe He's waiting for you to meet with Him and—like Joshua—to humble yourself before Him in absolute dependence. Only then will you be in a position to hear God's voice and follow His instructions.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless you and your family ! Have a safe Labor Day weekend
Joshua 5:13-15
Before overcoming a challenging situation, God often brings us through a time of spiritual preparation. Such was the case prior to Israel's conquest of Canaan. As Joshua—the commander of the Hebrew army—stood near Jericho contemplating the battle ahead, God appeared to him.
Joshua's reaction to this fresh encounter with God can help us learn how we should respond when He speaks to us in our hearts through His Word and His Spirit.
• He approached the Lord in order to speak with Him.
• He fell on his face in humility and submission to His authority.
• He asked for further instruction—"What has my lord to say to his servant?" (v. 14).
• He obeyed immediately.
• He feared God and treated Him as holy.
The Lord is always waiting to meet with us, but sadly, we are often too busy to make the effort to approach Him. By neglecting His presence, we miss the opportunity to receive His encouragement, strength, and direction for our challenging situations.
Our attitude during times of Scripture reading and prayer is very important. A humble, submissive, and teachable spirit enables us to hear God, and immediate obedience to His instructions reveals our awesome respect for Him.
If you're struggling with a difficulty and wondering why the Lord hasn't intervened, maybe He's waiting for you to meet with Him and—like Joshua—to humble yourself before Him in absolute dependence. Only then will you be in a position to hear God's voice and follow His instructions.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless you and your family ! Have a safe Labor Day weekend
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Our Heart's Desire
Isaiah 26: 8-9a In the path of your judgements, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and your renown are the soul's desire. My soul yearns for you in the night,my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
Let me ask you this. Have you ever sought after God with all your heart? Are you hungry, are you thirsty for Him? Do you want Him more than anything else on this earth?
Because it's only that sort of desire that leads us into a rich and powerful prayer life. I mean, if a husband and a wife don't desire one another - can there be any real, deep satisfaction in the relationship?
No. A wondrous, intimate relationship is…is an intimate embrace. And that only happens when each desires the other.
It's the same in our relationship with God.
Prayer's not some casual thing. It's not the occasional panic button that we hit when something's going wrong. It's not a now-and-then brush past God. It's not some daily duty, a failure at which leaves us wracked with guilt.
No!
Prayer is…it's an ongoing, intimate embrace born out of a passionate desire for God Himself. Prayer is a choice that we make in our hearts.
God Is Faithful
God will never fail us ,
He will not forsake :
His eternal covenant
He will never break ,
Resting on His promise ,
what have we fear ?
God is all-sufficient
For the coming years.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless my brothers and sisters in Christ!!
Isaiah 26: 8-9a In the path of your judgements, O Lord, we wait for you; your name and your renown are the soul's desire. My soul yearns for you in the night,my spirit within me earnestly seeks you.
Let me ask you this. Have you ever sought after God with all your heart? Are you hungry, are you thirsty for Him? Do you want Him more than anything else on this earth?
Because it's only that sort of desire that leads us into a rich and powerful prayer life. I mean, if a husband and a wife don't desire one another - can there be any real, deep satisfaction in the relationship?
No. A wondrous, intimate relationship is…is an intimate embrace. And that only happens when each desires the other.
It's the same in our relationship with God.
Prayer's not some casual thing. It's not the occasional panic button that we hit when something's going wrong. It's not a now-and-then brush past God. It's not some daily duty, a failure at which leaves us wracked with guilt.
No!
Prayer is…it's an ongoing, intimate embrace born out of a passionate desire for God Himself. Prayer is a choice that we make in our hearts.
God Is Faithful
God will never fail us ,
He will not forsake :
His eternal covenant
He will never break ,
Resting on His promise ,
what have we fear ?
God is all-sufficient
For the coming years.
Jan Bagwell
God Bless my brothers and sisters in Christ!!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Simply Resting
Simply Resting
"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:11
Do you depend upon Jesus Christ? I mean totally depend upon Him? Here's the way you can tell: Are you resting in Him today?
You see, when you are totally committed to Jesus Christ, you rest in Him. You realize your every need is something for Him to supply.
Have you ever looked at a branch? It has no other source of life than the vine. If you asked that branch, "What's your secret for your healthy leaves and fruit?" he would say, "My secret is that I'm resting in the vine."
"But what about your needs?" you ask.
"I know I have needs, but that's not my responsibility. My response is to rest in the vine's ability to provide. I don't produce the fruit. I just bear it."
Are you resting in the Lord today?
Take a walk outside over the next couple of days if you can and take a close look at the trees, shrubs, and vines. Meditate on what it means to abide in Christ "that your joy might be full."
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !
"These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." John 15:11
Do you depend upon Jesus Christ? I mean totally depend upon Him? Here's the way you can tell: Are you resting in Him today?
You see, when you are totally committed to Jesus Christ, you rest in Him. You realize your every need is something for Him to supply.
Have you ever looked at a branch? It has no other source of life than the vine. If you asked that branch, "What's your secret for your healthy leaves and fruit?" he would say, "My secret is that I'm resting in the vine."
"But what about your needs?" you ask.
"I know I have needs, but that's not my responsibility. My response is to rest in the vine's ability to provide. I don't produce the fruit. I just bear it."
Are you resting in the Lord today?
Take a walk outside over the next couple of days if you can and take a close look at the trees, shrubs, and vines. Meditate on what it means to abide in Christ "that your joy might be full."
Jan Bagwell
God Bless !
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