Tagged: faith

@audreycfrank Psalm 16:5, NIV “Lord, You have assigned me my portion and my cup, and have made my lot secure.” Everything that comes is assigned. Elisabeth Elliot called this the great simplifier for all of life. Our loving heavenly Father has assigned all that comes. Assignment entails willing acceptance of what comes, however. 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. What was the difference between them and the ones who did? How do you explain the difference between people who have been through the same experience, but with vastly different outcomes? The simple answer is faith in God, trust in the One who measures out and… Read More

@audreycfrank “Mommy, come see this! Look at this!”  In her excitement, my young daughter forgets I am driving as she pores over her doll magazine in the backseat, wishing to share everything with me.  “This doll has her own spaceship, Mommy!” she exclaims. “Look! Look!” I peek in the rearview mirror while trying to keep my car safely between the lines on the road. Her enthusiasm is contagious and I find it very difficult to say no to the sweet invitation to join in her delight as she discovers new things. She is a teacher, my beautiful, growing girl. She teaches me about God. In her delight, I behold His. I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer… Read More

@audreycfrank This week the world held its breath as teams worked tirelessly to rescue twelve children and their soccer coach from deep beneath a mountain in northern Thailand. One volunteer, a former Thai Royal Navy Seal, gave his life when he was overtaken by a flash flood, his oxygen supply not enough to sustain him in the powerful waters. An expert diver, avid runner, and cyclist, he was trained and equipped with the highest possible skills for the task. He knew the risk he was taking and took it anyway. The thirteen lives stranded in the caves were worth it. We can be assured that he asked the questions necessary to assess the risk he took that eventually ended his life. The media posed questions… Read More

@audreyfrank I journeyed to an unknown land Far across the sea. I stood upon the darkened shores, I heard the ocean breathe.   I listened for the sound of hope, but Everything was still. I wondered if the sun would rise, This new realm to reveal.   I was afraid, my heart grew faint, This place was not my rest. In panic, I searched troubled skies For someone who would help.   I did not know I slept, Until I gently woke And found myself upon a rock The waves crashing below.   The storm rolled dark, The waters churned, I closed my eyes to hide; I opened them again to find A Warrior by my side.   He shielded me and spoke aloud To… Read More

@audreycfrank In the past few years, as I have deeply examined the Bible through the lenses of honor and shame, many of my opinions and beliefs have been challenged at the core. As Independence Day in the United States draws near, I am thinking critically today about the role and purpose of independence and its genesis. I have lived in nations where corruption drove governments to withhold resources and help from their people, driving them to a pitiful dependence upon unreliable leaders. I was born into a nation whose very inception was the accomplishment of independence by a few courageous men bold enough to fight for new ideas and equality. I learned as a small child to take care of myself, and independence grew like… Read More

According to the dictionary, a pilgrimage is a journey to a sacred place. Whether you are a mother who only held your child briefly in your womb, a mother who has outlived her children, a mother who is striving alone to raise children in a frightening world, the mothering journey is sacred, holy. We find in Psalm 84 a map for the pilgrimage of motherhood. Upon close examination, we discover that it makes a large circle. Its beginning and end are the same, and one finds herself embarking on this journey from the same place to which she hopes to return at the journey’s end. The pilgrimage of motherhood is all about Trust. Trusting the Lord, dwelling with Him. He is the beginning and end of our… Read More

@audreycfrank Joy and sorrow are inexplicably connected, and stubbornly present in the human experience. I once saw a sight most strange, two very different streams flowing side by side. In the deep woods of the mountains where we summered in my childhood, the two streams swirled, separated only by a narrow, rocky ledge embedded in dark rich earth. One raged wide, its waters noisily churning up the dark and decaying debris of seasons past. The other ran slow and narrow, quiet and clear. In its depths sparkled gold and silver stars, reflecting the bright light of the sun. Dark and brooding, flowing beside calm and glittering, these waters fascinated me. While cousins and uncles fished, I wandered the banks of this magical anomaly. As I… Read More