Latest Posts

Searching for Jesus at Christmastime

@audreycfrank It was Christmas Eve and we were very far from home. I made my way out of the ancient, walled part of the medieval North African city where we lived and wound up the narrow road that clung precariously to the towering hillside. My small car joined a throng of little taxis, dusty vans, donkeys, and people on foot. The sounds of one of my favorite Christmas carols rose in my ears as I… Read More

My Favorite Holiday Recipe

@audreycfrank Our family has one secret recipe. I gladly share all the others with friends, but this recipe is top-secret, and only my children will carry it on. It tells the story of our love and our life, and one day, our legacy.  Deep in the bush of Africa as a new bride, I had to figure out how to meet my husband’s need for chocolate. Over time I developed a moist, dark and delectable… Read More

Hope for Thanksgiving

@audreycfrank He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, And from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.  They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my stay. He brought me forth also into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.  Psalm 18:16-19, a thanksgiving psalm of David… Read More

The Interruption of Thanksgiving

@audreycfrank I would rather go on my grumpy way, most days. I hate to admit it. But seeing the world as a to-do list, annoying and pressuring, is much more natural some days than seeing it as a gift to be opened carefully, thoughtfully, joyfully. I confess I am an ingrate who has been given more than she deserves, loved with a love that I never earned. I have every reason to be thankful every… Read More

The Beginning of Thanksgiving

@audreycfrank There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God. (1 Samuel 2:2) Gratitude reveals much about who a person is and who or what she relies upon. Our identities are established upon so many things: who our parents were, where we grew up, what job we have, what relationships we have. Thanksgiving, or lack of, often flows directly out of these foundational aspects… Read More

The Ember Keeper

@audreycfrank A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. Isaiah 42:3 A golden fleece of evening sunlight spread over the gentle hills, inviting the village to slow down and rest after a dusty day’s work in the cornfields. The murmur of women and children as they exchanged their short-handled jembes for water buckets rose like a lullaby over the beautiful evening landscape. A shrunken old lady wrapped… Read More

But I Did Everything Right

@audreycfrank Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding. Acknowledge Him in all your ways, and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:5-6 He told her he was not attracted to her anymore, did not love her, and had wasted the past five years of his life married to her. He wanted a divorce. She recoiled in shock, the unexpected declaration taking her completely off-guard. But… Read More

Alone with the Mountain

@audreycfrank I was alone with the mountain. From my vantage point Mt. Kenya seemed to reach to heaven. I had not made it to the top with my teammates. An hour earlier we had risen in the darkness and begun the final ascent, hoping to catch the sunrise from the highest peak. Halfway up, altitude sickness gripped me and floating black spots blocked my vision. My guide quickly brought me back down the rocky trail.… Read More

Tomorrow Needs You: The Fight Against Suicide

@audreycfrank The author wishes to thank To Write Love on Her Arms for the inspiration for this post.  Yesterday marked the last day of World Suicide Prevention Week. But for some of us, we will fight to prevent it all year long. One organization that offers hope in the fight against suicide is called To Write Love on Her Arms (TWLOHA). In honor of this week, they launched the "Tomorrow Needs You" campaign. I received… Read More

Overgrown

@audreycfrank Sometimes life, like a neglected garden, becomes overgrown with weeds. As I write this, I am staring out my window at what was once a carefully tended, intentionally planned garden of perennials. I designed the garden with the goal of creating a burst of beauty and color when looking out any of my home’s eastern facing windows. Sitting at breakfast, I could see butter-colored confederate jasmine blossoms, pink knockout roses, slender lavender blooms, orange… Read More