Tagged: Audrey Frank

This is what the Lord says: I will fill this valley with pools of water. 2 Kings 3:16 God could have created the world’s surface flat and smooth; He could have made it impenetrable, transparent, polished, sleek, silky, solid. Yet He allowed the surface of the earth to be pliable, malleable, whippy, springy, bendy, impressionable. Some say ice age glaciers created the chasmic valleys of the earth today. Once-level land lies ruptured, wildflowers spilling over its ridges, rivers filling its winding paths. The broken surface of the earth has become a tapestry woven with threads of beauty and life. The Hudson River Valley is one magnificent example of beauty after breaking. Flowing from the highest point of the Adirondack Mountains, the river reaches a depth… Read More

Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.  Genesis 2:7   As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed,  he remembers that we are dust. Psalm 103:13-14 You and I are made of clay. Our origins are dust. The breath of God brought this humble material to life. Humility and humble originate from the Latin word humus. The original Latin humus means “soil,” and has modernly come to mean the organic component of dirt, formed by the decomposition of leaves and other plant material by soil microorganisms. The organic component means the part which is derived from… Read More

Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you. Luke 10:19   Jesus loves me, this I know For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; They are weak, but He is strong. Sometimes, with bruised hearts, weary bodies, and minds harried by the cares of life, it is an act of faith to face the day. Life becomes a task on our To Do List, and facing it each morning may feel like hard work. We bravely rise anyway and go forth, wondering if people perceive how fragile we really are on the inside. There is good news for the weak. Not… Read More

The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.  Psalm 33:11   If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.  James 4:15 God is either sovereign, or He is not. There is no middle ground. Suffering taught me that. I learned it on a dark night when I wasn’t sure of the morning. When I wasn’t sure what this wild God of mine would demand of me next. Would my son live or die? Would the child I prayed for with tears be taken back by the One who gave him? It is easy to believe in God’s sovereignty, His complete control over all that happens, when things are going well. But… Read More

For all mothers everywhere. But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.  Luke 2:19, NIV Among my most precious earthly possessions is an old trunk. Scratched and battered, it sits squat and square by my desk. On the front, just below the scuffed brass latches, is the hand-lettered name and address of one of my life-mentors. This trunk was all she carried with her almost a century ago when she left her home in England to travel by sea to North Africa. There she became a mother to the masses for over fifty years, welcoming new life into the world as both physical and spiritual midwife. Her trunk, now filled with treasures I’ve gathered over the years, is a daily… Read More

Yet if they “turned to the Lord” the veil would disappear. For the Lord to whom they could turn is the spirit of the new agreement, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, men’s souls are set free. But all of us who are Christians have no veils on our faces, but reflect like mirrors the glory of the Lord. We are transfigured by the Spirit of the Lord in ever-increasing splendour into his own image. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Phillips The wrinkled fruit seller yelled at me, his raised hands punctuating every caustic word. Shame on you! Where is your scarf? Cover your hair and your husband’s honor! I had just learned enough Arabic to understand a fraction of his words, but his tone… Read More

For my friends at the Soul Care Institute, with gratitude And the vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to do. Jeremiah 18:4 “We don’t get just one chance to learn something.” This is how Stephen W. Smith begins Day 3 in his transformational guide, 30 Days with the Potter. His words are helping me make sense of this season of leadership in my life. I thought I knew who I was, who the Potter formed me to be. Storms came, pressures of the mind, soul, and body, and I charged through, sword in hand, shield up, Jesus present. Eyes on the prize. But in recent months,… Read More

But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. 1 Peter 3:15 We returned from our honeymoon to the little four-room apartment as the sun set, casting its warm light over the cracked vinyl couch, green shag carpet, and homemade curtains. Our first home together was the loveliest sight I had ever seen. Wedding gifts were piled high in the living room, welcoming us like happy hosts. As a new bride, I was dazzled by the generosity of friends and family, overwhelmed by how much they had given to help us start our new life together. The beautifully-wrapped boxes beckoned and we couldn’t wait to open them. On our scuffed second-hand table, someone had carefully arranged a display of our wedding china, crystal, and silver.… Read More

...for my Mother-in-Love. Thank you. The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,      they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon; planted in the house of the Lord,      they will flourish in the courts of our God. They will still bear fruit in old age,      they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, “The Lord is upright;      he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him.” Psalm 92:12-14 She attacked the roots with a frenzy, her hair flying in all directions, brow crinkled in concentration.  We must help them let go. The little gardenias had become root-bound in their pots while they sat in the nursery waiting for a buyer. Then we came along, bright-eyed and… Read More

Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup, and have made my lot secure. Psalm 16:5 Everything that comes is assigned.  Elisabeth Elliot called this the great simplifier for all of life. Our loving heavenly Father has assigned everything that comes into our lives. Can I accept His assignment? Can you? The Israelites wandered in the desert, all ate of the same manna. But many did not please the Lord and died before seeing the Promised Land. How do you explain the difference between people who have been through the same experience, but with vastly different outcomes? The great simplifier invites us to trust God even when it’s hard. Maybe even when it seems impossible. His portion can be painful.  I have found… Read More